Conquest of Evil Classic Part 6
by Shadow RangerMinion of Darkness
Chapter 1: Blast from the Past
Disclaimer: 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.
Blast from the Past
The Dark Dimension.
He was in pain, begging whatever deity looked down on poor misunderstood monsters to relieve his torment even if doing so meant he would fade from existence. Survival was no longer a priority for him, but escaping the agony was. He was inside the Dark Dimension, a place intended for monsters and villains who had fallen in battle, a place intended solely for the deceased. He wasn't dead, that much was certain; the dead could never feel the pain that ran through his body at that moment.
In his last incarnation his mistress had called him Minion, a name intended to remind him of his place in the grand scheme of things. She had revived him from the point of death and had given him the opportunity to destroy the Rangers. He had beaten Tommy by threatening the White Ranger's innocent friends, but in a rematch he had fallen foul of the Rangers' own trickery and had been condemned to endure an unending period of pain and suffering until he convinced Lord Zedd to lift the curse. Of course that feat was made next to impossible since part of the punishment robbed him of his body, his powers and removed him from the physical world where he could speak with Zedd.
He sighed, recognising the onset of a rest period. It was mercy that ended the torment for a few minutes, there was no such thing as too much suffering so far as the instigators of the curse were concerned. However, a creature driven to madness could not suffer as thoroughly as he could if he remained capable of understanding that he was in pain, so the curse allowed brief periods of rest just before the mind was pushed into the realms of insanity for the victim to recover a little.
As he floated in the void, he remembered the time he had spent in this place. Here he had learnt the secret of existence: that although separate the many universes reached beyond the mortal realm. The realms of Heaven and Hell were united throughout existence allowing the dead from each universe to unite. That in turn revealed another great secret: in each universe there was a version of Lord Zedd, the Machine Empire and a planet named Earth that drew more attention that it deserved, a world where the Power Rangers fought against evil. During some of his more lucid moments, he had been able to use the Dark Dimension to view the various timelines and universes in order to gain a better understanding of the fight between good and evil.
In some dimensions the Power Rangers were servants of evil, in some they were the evil rulers and in some they simply did not exist. The same was true about the villains he had come to know. Once in the Dark Dimension all the different variations merged into a single being.
Being dead, such information should not have worried him and in all honesty, during the periods when the pain ravaged his every fibre, the events on an Earth where Tommy had been replaced by a girl named Celia, did not matter to him. However, he was not dead. The curse that he had been duped into triggering could only affect the living. He had been granted immortality at the price of spending almost every second of it in agony.
It had taken time for him to discover that he still had a link to his physical body. When he had first arrived, the hours of pain had left him too drained to do anything except float aimlessly in the darkness. Months later and his recovery time was faster. It was during one of his rare moments of lucidity that he had first discovered the difference between himself and the other occupants of the Dark Dimension. While they had died powered by evil, he had been holding the powers of a Ranger and as such he had retained his powers even if they were inaccessible inside the Dark Dimension.
"If only I could speak to Lord Zedd, make him understand that the Rangers tricked me," he mumbled. He had already tried speaking to Zedd's counterpart within the Dark Dimension, but that Zedd had no knowledge of whom Minion was and wouldn't acknowledge there was such a thing as an oath on his father's honour.
Something struck his chest, causing him to hiss from the discomfort. And then there was a sharp pull as he felt himself being dragged through the darkness. When the sensation ended, he could feel the change in his environment. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to shift as he shielded his eyes from the intense light that signified that he was no longer inside the Dark Dimension. Although given the frozen floor beneath his feet and the strange constellations in the sky above, he was not on Earth either.
He heard something, a word whispered from afar. "Minion…" the name drifted through the Dark Dimension and at he was unsure whether or not he had heard it. "Minion." It was louder this time and he could feel something pushing him backward. In his weakened state he was hurled across the ground.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Minion - Minion - Welcome Minion!"
He was thrown around again. It wasn't the wind that buffeted from all sides, but the solid and overwhelming force of a powerful aura. His instincts told him to run, to hide from the incredible force that could easily destroy him. He had nowhere to go though and after looking around desperately, he still could not find the source of the voice. Then he happened to look up and spotted the large object floating in the heavens above him supported by a mass of ice stretched between eight metal worlds all held in place by the gravitational force of the system's sun.
High above him he could just make out the glowing green eyes of a monster. Even trapped within a frozen prison it was awe inspiring to see.
"You like my body then?" something asked. It was a child, a small boy dressed in robes of black and silver. Weak and unthreatening in his hands though he held a glowing ball of energy. Minion knew at once that this boy was an illusion, a physical manifestation of power and undoubtedly connected to the monster looming above him. The boy's eyes were the same green as the incomplete machine's, and in the light of the fire that burnt in his hands, the boy appeared to share the creature's horns.
Minion pulled himself back to his feet, finally able to withstand the swirling energy. "Who are you?"
"I have many names Minion. In the ancient texts I am referred to as Dagsyxx, but you can refer to me as master from now. Yes, that will certainly suffice for now."
"What are you?" he demanded. The power of this creature was incredible.
"Here I am more than you could hope to understand. This is my personal domain, a place that shapes itself according to my whims. I brought you here, summoned you from the Dark Dimension so that you might serve as a tool to further my plans. With your aid the God of Evil will once more set the skies alight."
"I am nobody's tool," Minion snapped, "and I go where I wish; nobody summons me!"
Laughter echoed across the plane and it was only then that he realised that what he had thought to be a planet was just an enormous organic factory. It may once have resembled a habitable world, but now it was twisted to servicing the twisted creature's needs.
"Welcome Minion to my little corner of the Astro Plane, far from that pathetic little realm where you belong. This is where I have come to reside since the cursed Power Rangers drove me from their plane. Not as grand as the Dark Dimension I snatched you from, but I am sure you will find it more comfortable. Long ago I was in your position, a not-so-humble servant of evil with a desire to become more than the insignificant creature my superiors believed me to be. I served my master willingly until he was incapacitated, and then I built an empire in my own name.
My empire stretched many galaxies until I was stopped. I became a rival to those that had once looked down on me. But I was defeated and now I am trapped in this place, unable to return to release my body and unable to extend my reach beyond this place. But just because I was unable to leave this place did not mean that I haven't searched for a means of escape."
Out of nowhere a table appeared with what at first appeared to be a chessboard. In reality Minion realised that this was not a normal game board. There were far more pieces on the board than would normally be found. Several kings and queens, each with the appropriate number of bishops, knights and rooks, all of varying heights, which he assumed was a sign of their importance to the game. At the very back of each army were two squares where the King and Queen should have been. Around those empty spaces stood two bishops, two knights and two rooks along with eight pawns. Minion noted that they were larger than the other pieces.
"As you can see this represents more than a normal game. You cannot limit such a complex war to just sixteen pieces on each side." He watched as the child touched a badly damaged piece that resembled the body he had seen earlier. It was one of the smaller bishops. "Once I was a pawn. Through loyal service I ascended to a rank more akin to a bishop. One day I shall become even more important." He lifted a piece from the board, a long pillar carved with the faces of the various factions of the Machine Empire, from the place where a rook would normally be found. "As you can see, a valuable piece matched only by the Alliance of Evil for its strength and number."
Minion noticed that despite his words, the piece that represented the Machine Empire was still one of the smallest.
"See this?" the boy demanded as he pointed to the other end of the board. "The Alliance of Evil, the most powerful villains bound by mutual purpose, a cooperative that seeks to extend the power of the individuals by preventing the petty infighting between factions. Zedd, Rita, Vile, and many others you have not met; they are easily as powerful as the Machine Empire. And yet compared to some of the pieces they are weak. At least they are useful."
"You on the other hand are a pawn." He pointed to a piece that looked as if it had been melted. "You should have had no purpose once your usefulness had expired. And yet, you defy your fate and continue to exist. The curse you unwittingly invoked has sustained you, transforming you into something more than you have a right to be. But you are still a pawn, there to be used at my will. And I have chosen your new purpose."
"I have no interest in history or the empty boasts of a could-be villain," Minion snapped defiantly. "And I select my own purpose." He was facing someone who could crush him at anytime, yet allowed him to stay alive. He was willing to see how far he could push before his usefulness expired.
"Millions of years and there is a long way to go," Dagsyxx mused as he studied the piece representing himself, scrutinising it as the figurine seemed to slowly repair itself, while ignoring the defiance in Minion's voice. "Do you think you are the only one who strives to be greater than you are, Minion?" He pointed to the squares where the King and Queen would normally stand. "That is the place where I would wish to stand, commanding the entire army of darkness, yet it is a level I will never reach and a place you have no hope of reaching. That is what unites us Minion, a desire to become more than we are. The difference is that while I have already grown beyond my original role, you will forever remain a pawn."
"I yearn to return to the battlefield, I crave the screams as I extinguish the lives of countless innocents. But I cannot, yet. And that, little pawn, makes you useful. The Earth is the key to my return. On that world or close by there is the power to release me from this prison and its defenders are the greatest weapons the opposition possesses. The planet is a beacon of hope that has been shining for so long that few will miss it until it is extinguished. Return to Earth, destroy the ones known as the Power Rangers, and secure for me the means of my return to glory."
"Why should I, What's in it for me?"
Laughter shook the planet as Dagsyxx regarded Minion in the same way a vulture would a rabbit. He could crush Minion at any time and there was nothing that could stop him. Yet Minion for all his intelligence continued to bait him. It was something to be admired or pitied. Minion promised to be useful. The question was whether that usefulness excused his insolence?
"Your bargaining posture is a little dubious," he remarked at last. "You believe you have a choice in the matter other than to obey or be destroyed."
"You need me," Minion pointed out.
There was silence as Dagsyxx considered his options. "Very well, perhaps you should have some incentive." There was the mental impression of the entity clicking his fingers. "You are released from your curse. No longer will the breach of honour torture you." There was another break, another moment where he seemed to be elsewhere. Then a sword appeared in front of Minion, floating in the air. "This is the Sword of Darkness, a powerful weapon allowing you control over the Morphin Grid. This shall be your new weapon."
It wasn't that great a gift. The being that had forged this Sword of Darkness had forged many more. After all one sword was not that great when trying to build an army.
"And?"
"And nothing. You belong to me Minion, you always have. My property, and I do not need to reward you, I just need to give you commands for you to follow, and punishments if you don't obey! Your attitude amused me for a while, but continued disobedience will not be allowed."
"I am nobody's property!" Minion snarled.
Dagsyxx just laughed at the pathetic attempt at posturing. "Then our discussion and your usefulness is at an end. DIE!"
The pain returned full force as he used the power he had gathered over the ages to rip the insolent creature apart. Minion screamed, his cries and whimpers sufficient for Dagsyxx to delay his destruction for a short time. Dagsyxx enjoyed the power he felt as Minion writhed helplessly on the metal ground.
"Please, spare me?" Minion begged when Dagsyxx removed the pain for a moment. He had been planning to allow Minion one last look at the universe before he was obliterated. The sudden change in attitude though convinced him to think again.
"You are a worm Minion, the lowest of the low. But you are useful, so I will spare your life. Now, take up the sword I have granted you, return to the Earth and destroy the Power Rangers."
There was the sensation of something jerking him by the throat and he was sent hurtling back to the Dark Dimension, this time fully aware of his surroundings.
The place had changed since the last time he had been there. He had changed; he was now more powerful than the so-called villains that turned away as he approached. They would never follow him. The monsters and henchmen though were another matter entirely. They were now loyal to him. With the Sword of Darkness he found that his powers were fully accessible and with it, conquering a small group of powerless underlings had proven easy.
He reached out and a book appeared. The book was an inventory containing the details of every being and artefact that resided within the Dark Dimension and available to him. He smiled as he recognised some of the entries.
A plan began to form in his mind. He was now capable of leaving the Dark Dimension. His chance for revenge was at hand, not just on those who had tricked him, but also against the creature that had tried to turn him into a slave.
He moved the Sword of Darkness through the air, cutting a pattern in the air. When he finished, he was rewarded by a silver glow he slashed forcefully at the air in front of him. The barrier between the Dark Dimension and the Mortal Realm was torn open as he cried: "I command the portal to open!"
Earth.
Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, 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.
"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."
"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samuel Revilo!"
"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."
"I am Sam!" 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 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. Sam 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.
"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, 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.
"Nooo!"
"SAM?"
"SAM,"
"Samuel REVILO, WAKE UP! This disturbance is unacceptable behaviour."
Sam opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by some of his best friends and a slightly suspicious looking Ms Randall. As he became aware of his surroundings, he noticed he was on the School Bus. His class was off on a day trip as part of a class project.
"Are you all right Mr Revilo?" he heard the teacher ask.
Sam nodded, but did not say anything. The dream had been more real than ever and he still didn't know what it meant. Who was calling him? The Green Power Coin? His creator? Sam didn't know the answer, but knew he needed to say something to satisfy Ms Randall.
"I'm sorry ma'am, it was just a bad dream."
Randall looked a bit sceptical, but then nodded and returned to the front of the bus. Sam had been asleep and sometimes teenagers did have weird dreams. Randall took out her notebook and wrote down a memo for the school nurse to arrange an appointment with Mr Revilo as soon as possible.
The strict teacher was replaced by a very 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, it was just that he doubted the spell would hold for long if Tommy suspected who he was.
Sam was the clone of Thomas Oliver; powered by the Dragon, he was the Green Power Ranger, and last seen when he had left the Command Center to journey back to Colonial Angel Grove, where he had resumed his normal life after saving the Rangers from the insidious scheme of one Monastra Repugna.
He should have died by now, after two hundred years of hardly ageing he was starting to grow used to the fact that he would live a long time. He just wished he knew why. Regardless of that little mystery, he was not sure how this news would affect the other boy, or the Rangers for that matter.
He had been married and widowed, had had children and watched them grow old and die. He had watched as time had taken its correct course, right up to the point where he went back in time with Tommy.
Rita and Zedd had made a few small changes when they had ordered the Wizard of Deception to create him. Firstly, they had given him a photographic memory so he would not suffer from Tommy's flaw. Secondly Zedd had granted him some control over his appearance; just little things such as hair length and when needed a change of clothes. The Wizard of Deceptions wand, which he had kept after he had aided the Power Rangers against Minion, took care of his other needs.
Not long after returning to the past left he had discovered that he could focus magical powers of his own with or without the wand. ~An after effect from the Wizard of Deception's spell,~ he had thought at the time. Using his powers he had granted himself a new identity and hidden himself from Zordon. He did not want to be part of the battle between good and evil; he only wanted a peaceful life away from Zordon's manipulations.
"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.
"Rita, do you sense it?" Lord Zedd asked as he desperately scanned the Earth for a disturbance that he had felt not long ago.
"It can't be," Rita whispered as she joined her husband. "The Green Coin is dormant."
"I felt it just now. And we both know what we saw a few weeks back." Zedd insisted as he kept searching for the now hidden Ranger. "Zordon must have found a new avatar for the Dragon Coin."
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it can't be," Alpha said.
"What is it Alpha?" Zordon asked.
"The computer says somebody just used the Green Power Coin," the small robot reported.
Zordon considered what Alpha said, knowing that it was impossible for anyone to use that coin with the exception of Tommy. He performed a quick check and found the coin was still 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 for some reason he also felt compelled to ignore it. There was of course the story Jason had told them a few weeks ago when he was losing his powers. At the time Zordon had been sure it was a side effect from the power drain and a symptom of stress. Now, he was not so sure. He remembered Tom Oliver had planned to remain in Colonial Angel Grove and he had yet to detect any temporal distortion that would lead him to assume otherwise.
"Alpha, scan the Power Chamber for any abnormal spells that might have caused this problem." In his heart Zordon knew this discovery would prove important. The Green Ranger was about to return and he could sense the balance of power shifting although in whose favour was another question.
~Could Zedd and Rita somehow managed to find a new coin?~ he wondered.
If they had Zordon knew it meant bad news for the Rangers, but might hold the solution to another problem. Since the attack on Jason the Gold Ranger Powers had been restored to Trey. But since Trey was still unable to unify his spirit, the powers were unstable. Jason still had some residue of the power in his system. Zordon knew the energy would soon be exhausted though and then, the team would be lacking a vital member.
~If Rita or Zedd has found a way to link to the Morphin Grid and I can copy it, I can restore Jason to full power,~ Zordon thought as he watched Alpha continuing the search.
Sam cursed under his breath. Somehow his dream had tapped into the Morphin Grid. Normally he would have been able to cover up for his powers, but his discussion with Tommy had cost him valuable time. Now he risked discovery by Zedd, Rita or worse, Zordon. While the two villains would try to take advantage of him they would give up after a few failures. Zordon on the other hand was a manipulative old wizard who didn't know when to give up. If Samuel didn't know better, he would have suspected that Zordon had something to do with his predicament.
The bus continued its journey through the hills outside Angel Grove towards the small town of North Valley where they were going to see the unveiling of some new super computer. ~Haven't they had enough of machines with Mondo and family stomping around?~
He looked over to where Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Kat and Tanya were sitting. For some reason Adam had not joined his friends at the back of the bus and was currently engaged in a discussion with Ms Randall.
Realising there was nothing he could physically do to stop Zordon and Zedd detecting him now that the cat was out of the bag, Sam decided to enjoy the trip. With luck they had only detected the surge in the Morphin Grid and had not been able to focus on the source. As long as it did not happen again he would be all right. Besides, at least he only had to deal with Rita and Zedd since an enraged Blue Ranger had wiped out the Machine Empire. They would be back one day, but in the meantime at least they were out of the picture.
"Why don't we send down a monster to attack the other Rangers?" Goldar asked. "Then when the Green Ranger shows up we can grab him."
"Monkey boy has a point," Rita agreed. "Even if we don't get the Green Ranger we can at least aggravate the Rangers, and maybe eliminate Jason."
Zedd considered his options. All six Rangers were on the bus, away from Zordon and with a lot of witnesses. Better yet Jason had given his powers back to Trey of Triforia, leaving him with only a small link to the Gold Power. If anything would draw the Green Ranger out this would. Zedd considered what to use as a monster. He noticed the old box camera on the seat next to the teacher. Aiming his staff he summoned the Freeze Frame monster.
Adam Park had felt compelled to sit near the front of the bus. Something told him he needed to keep an eye on the road ahead. As the bus turned another corner, he saw why. In the middle of the road stood Goldar and a flock of Tengas. Behind them stood what looked like a giant camera on legs.
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.
Tommy meanwhile had made his way to the back of the bus with Jason and had managed to get the emergency exit open. "This way," he suggested to the other students. As they departed, he joined the other Rangers at the front of the bus.
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 were first off the bus, tackling the nearest Tengas. Kat and Tanya were out next followed closely by Rocky and Adam. Whilst Adam tackled Goldar Rocky squared off against Freeze Frame. Both of the Rangers were able to hold their own for a short time, despite being unmorphed.
As the other four finished the last of the Tengas Rito Revolto decided to join the fun. The Rangers soon found themselves losing as the odds shifted against them.
"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy and Jason called together.
"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.
He didn't have time to consider the changes to his suit and made a mental note to ask Zordon later. Then he charged at Rito as fast as he could.
Sam crouched under the bus watching the fight between the Rangers and Zedd's forces. He was lucky Freeze Frame's power had been aimed at non-Rangers. Although inactive, Sam's link to the Green Coin had provided him with some protection and he had cast countless protection spells on himself before leaving the house that morning. Casting a spell to make himself invisible had been easy, as had replacing himself with a fake image for anybody watching.
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. 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 had Tommy's memories from his time as Green Ranger and although, unlike Tommy, he was not racked with guilt over his actions during that time, he remembered the feeling of hopelessness whenever the powers had given out. He saw Rito move in for the kill and knew he had to do something, but what?
Although he was linked to the Green Coin, he did not want to morph. He had tried for two hundred years to forget his past, but something had convinced him to return to Angel Grove and play the part of a school student. He had watched Jason and the others as they had grown to become the world's greatest heroes. He had even helped cover for them on one occasion. Now Jason was in trouble and he had to act.
Reaching a decision, Sam summoned his empty morpher; the Power Coin had been given to Tommy after he had defeated Monastra Repugna's monster. Fortunately his plan did not call for a Power Coin, just the raw energy he could summon from the Wizard of Deception's wand. He summoned it with a thought, commanding it to take on the guise of a walking cane and he aimed it at Jason. Once he had mentally located the Gold Ranger's personal morphin grid, he fed the boy enough power to recharge. He smiled as Jason's armour solidified, but frowned when he noticed the other boy had been rendered unconscious.
"Let me introduce you to my Flashgun," Freeze Frame told the four Rangers attacking him.
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 own 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, the latter glowing with green light. He couldn't make a move to help his friend though because at that moment the copies pounced on him.
Sam knew he couldn't wait any longer. If he did one of the Rangers would die and that was unacceptable. Silently he promised himself it was the last time he would morph. He reached out, allowing the Power to guide him until he found the Green Power Coin and summoned it to his waiting hand. Then he placed the coin inside the morpher and prepared himself.
"Dragonzord!"
A green lightning bolt shot from the sky, striking the copies. The duplicates disappeared as quickly as they had been created. A second bolt struck an unseen figure behind the school bus as he reconnected himself to the full power of the Green Ranger and not the illusion he had created weeks before.
Sam felt the lightning strike him. It wasn't really lightning, just a manifestation of the Power returning to one of its chosen avatars. His green uniform formed around him and a third bolt of lightning forked across the sky, it changed from light green to a darker shade. An advanced Blade Blaster formed at his hip and the familiar Dragon Dagger appeared in his waiting hand. Instinctively Sam concentrated on the dagger and was rewarded when it transformed into a powerful sword. On the hilt was the head of the Dragon, complemented by the inscription of the fleur-de-lis on the blade.
Finally the golden shield, which had protected the Dragon Ranger for many years formed on his shoulders, the Power telling him that it could shift between a compact armour and a thick material that while resistant was extremely flexible. The shield had always possessed such an ability, but Tommy had never had the chance to learn all of its secrets.
The entire transformation had taken less than a second to complete. The Dragon Ranger was back, for the time being.
Goldar and Rito exchanged a worried glance as they saw the first two lightning bolts. Tommy was slowly picking himself up, his legs a little rubbery. They had not seen the third 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 Dragon 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, Sam attacked again. He connected with a blow to all three monsters, causing them to retreat, leaving the other students frozen in place.
When the Rangers appeared in the Power Chamber, Tommy ripped off his helmet, desperately 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 sure," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I felt the presence of the Dragon Ranger earlier today, but we have been unable to find him. He disappeared after he rescued you and we have again lost him."
"What if he's not on our side?" Rocky asked, remembering the last 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. Now demorphed the Gold Ranger was being checked by Alpha.
"Whoever it is," Tommy said. "We can't just let him fight alone, he will need help and we could use the extra power. 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.
"What do we do?" Kat asked.
"Unfortunately Katherine, we will need to wait for Freeze Frame to return. The computer says that is the only way to free them." Zordon silently hoped it would not take too long.
"WELCOME BACK THOMAS," the voice said once again.
Sam realised he was day dreaming. He had already demorphed and appeared near the docks in Angel Grove's Harbour District. Opening his hand he summoned his morpher for the last time. He encased it in a special spell and threw it into the sea, towards the sleeping Dragonzord.
"YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME THAT EASILY," the voice said. "YOU ARE PART OF ME AND I AM PART OF YOU FOREVER."
"No," Sam said to the voice. "I don't know who you are or why you want me, but the Green Ranger is gone."
In his head he could hear a small voice say, "THEN SO IS ALL HOPE."
"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.
"Silence!" Zedd commanded. "You are both useless cowards."
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. "Goldar you fool, this wretched planet has corrupted you. Such cowardice will not be tolerated."
Zedd aimed his staff at the grovelling simian, a blast of energy hit the monkey. Goldar appeared to grow larger, his fangs sharper and for a moment Zedd feared he had gone too far. Then he remembered that this was simply a rejuvenation spell, a stream of dark energy to reinvigorate the evil that lurked within Goldar's heart.
"Thank you, Lord Zedd," Goldar said at last. He rose from the floor and bowed to Rita, who until that point had remained in the background. "Lady Rita, how may I serve you?"
"Zeddy, this might be the best thing you have ever done," Rita laughed happily.
Zedd finally turned to Freeze Frame. "You have failed to carry out your mission. Return to the bus and destroy those wretched humans. If we cannot have victory, we will settle for fun. If the Rangers return, kill them all."
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 asked angrily.
"Yes," Zedd replied. "If he succeeds all the better, if he fails it won't matter. Something has changed Rita, I can feel it. Zordon's power in the Morphin Grid has diminished and we must take advantage. Tell me wicked queen, what do you know of the Dark Dimension?"
The Dark Dimension
The negotiations had been difficult, but he had finally convinced Zedd to blame Rita's mother for the whole oath incident. As a result he had been able to return to the Moon without the need to worry that Zedd would blast him back into oblivion. In return he had given Zedd the ability to temporarily negate the effects of the planet Earth on his henchmen. Long enough perhaps to achieve that one victory to secure the planet.
Sam returned to the school bus and replaced the image he had planted there some time before. He was still unsure why he was bothering to live a lie. He was two-hundred-year-old trying to live like a seventeen-year-old. He had even created a family for himself just in case anyone asked.
But, like anything else made of magic they were not real. Sometimes Sam wondered if he were real or just a poor clone trying to be real. He had no real friends, no real family. Those who were near to being his friends were friends with Sam, not him. It was an illusion he did not want to maintain, but was scared to lose.
He had even changed his appearance so nobody would guess who he was, but that was nothing compared to the effort it had taken to stop say "Siek-yiah" when he attacked.
He looked at himself in the mirror he had summoned with his magic, remembering when his appearance had helped him when fighting during the Second World War. He had worked for Army Intelligence in Germany, where his blond hair and blue eyes had even the most untrusting Nazi convinced he was on their side. He shook his head sadly at how easily one man had been able to turn honest and decent citizens into an army infamous for the worst acts of genocide Earth had known. Even the villains the Rangers fought did not kill due for racial reasons; they simply destroyed anything in their way.
His hair was now shoulder length and he had used his powers to alter the shape and shade of his face so he would not be recognised. Of course if Zordon scanned him, his identity would be revealed. First though Zordon had to detect him. The spell he had cast years prevented Zordon from seriously suggesting that he was still alive.
With a gesture he returned the mirror to the place he summoned it from. Remaining perfectly still Sam waited for either the Rangers to return or Rita and Zedd to send another monster down to finish the job.
"Are you sure about this Zeddy?" Rita asked. Her husband had had some insane plans before, but this was unheard of.
"I am certain Rita," Zedd replied. "Minion was not to blame for that cursed oath, your mother was. Now with the power he has discovered we can summon a force even the Rangers cannot halt."
"Excuse me Lord Zedd," Finster said quickly. "But if the Dark Dimension is where our failed monsters go, how do you expect to find a monster the Rangers cannot defeat?"
"The Dark Dimension contains more than monsters Rita and I never used. All the evil beings who have ever fallen in battle are imprisoned in the Dark Dimension. Once there they are unable to return to their own dimensions. But with Minion's aid I intend to use them to defeat the Rangers."
"Is that what you did to Monkey Boy?" Rita asked.
Zedd snorted. "The Dark Dimension contains a vast amount of dark energy. All I did was use some of that energy to restore Goldar to his former glory. For some reason the Earth is saturated in light magic. Just being near it is enough to affect lesser villains."
"And you?" Rita asked. She noticed he had not moved to defend her from such a slur.
"You spent centuries floating closer and closer to this wretched world, you were bound to be effective when you couldn't fight back. As for me," he said. "This is the fault of your vile love potion. As soon as I became capable of love, the Earth affected me."
There was a brief silence.
"The time has come to change that. We shall all endure the Dark Sleep. Baboo, Squatt, Scorpina, come here!" Zedd's voice boomed throughout the castle. "Finster, come closer. No, don't move Rita."
As his subjects arrived, he held his staff above his head and did something Rita had rarely seen him do; he cast a spell using words instead of his staff. As he spoke magical symbols formed in the air around them. A black mist rose from the stone floor, enveloping all those gathered in the room. Rita, Zedd and all their servants soon collapsed to the ground as they breathed the cloud of pure rejuvenating evil.
Zedd awoke a few hours later and took the opportunity to look himself over. His body was bursting with power. He turned and nodded to Goldar who had kept guard for the time they were out.
Rita awoke next. Her entire appearance had changed. Instead on the ridiculous looking cones on her head and the ugly brown garment she found herself in the tradition costume the witches on her homeworld had used for centuries. Her long grey hair reached down to her waist, her black clothes were covered with various symbols of power, used to attract energy from outside her body. Finally she picked up her wand and discovered it had been recharged by the dark magic to the level it had been before the Grid Wars.
Scorpina had quietly got to her feet and joined Goldar on guard. Her armour had a deadly hint to it that had not been there before.
Squatt awoke feeling better than he had ever felt before. He had a new mission in life, to help crush the forces of good and destroy Zordon of Eltare. It was good to be back.
Baboo had changed physically as well as mentally. His claws had grown into talons, his monocle had developed into an energy weapon and his entire body had developed a metal skin. He no longer looked like a joke, he was a dangerous foe.
Finster was the final henchman to stand. The mist had purged any and all goodness from his soul. Although he looked the same, his desire to make truly evil monsters had grown exponentially.
"We did it!" Rita cried as she understood how much she had changed in a matter of hours.
"And now nobody will stand in our way," Lord Zedd told her.
Finster could not bring himself to look Zedd or Rita in the eye. How could he have failed to notice the positive energy that had bombarded them since they had first arrived on the Moon? ~Perhaps because it had affected us before we escaped the Dumpster.~ His monsters would prove more effective now and he would make amends for his past failures by bringing the Rangers to their knees.
In the Dark Dimension, the portal to the mainstream universe had opened and after convincing Zedd of his intentions, Minion had stepped through. The Sword of Darkness was at his side, a weapon he was certain he would enjoy driving through his opponents' chests.
His body adapted as he entered the physical world. He was in the body of a ninja, his uniform consisting mainly of a black material reinforced by a thick vest over the chest and back. A black mask hid most of his face allowing only the glowing red eyes to be seen. A metal guard protected the forearms and lower legs from attack. Finally, in the center of his chest was a golden coin bearing the image of the Jackal, complemented by a small silver pawn embroidered on his upper arms.
"Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa," he said, removing his mask to reveal his face to his saviours. "I am in your service once again."
"Zeddy, you are a genius!" Rita cried as she saw how different Minion appeared. Both Rita and Zedd had long believed that the only way to beat a Ranger was with another Ranger. Turning back to the monster she asked, "What is your name?"
"Mistress Repugna and others have dubbed me Minion. That is the name I will keep. I am Minion, servant of Dagsyxx and loyal to the forces of Evil."
He watched the smile form on Rita's facing, satisfied she had been convinced to trust him. For the time being helping Zedd and Rita was exactly what he needed to do. Deciding to see the Rangers for himself, he stretched out his senses, touching the minds of all those holding Power Coins or Zeo Crystals. He sensed the active Rangers. Tommy, Katherine, Rocky, Adam, Tanya and Trey. He also detected two others, Jason and someone who would soon arrive.
"What is your command Lord Zedd?" he asked.
"First Rita and I are going to take a trip to the Dark Galaxy. It is time my queen saw her empire in all its glory. Squatt and Baboo, Goldar and Scorpina, you may accompany us." He turned to Minion. "The Earth is your responsibility while we are away. When Rita and I return, I expect you to be victorious."
"As you wish my Lord," he said.
Rita listened to what her husband said. As much as she hated to leave the Earth she wanted to see her kingdom. Even during their exile Zedd had not offered to take her there. She wondered how he would react when he found out her father had been annexing parts of the Dark Galaxy into his territory.
Minion meanwhile had decided that the time had come to clear the Machine Empire out of the Sol system. Using a remote control he had built from junk he had located in the Lunar Palace, he used a few intact Cogs to shift the Machine Base back to their own territory.
"Finster, you may remain here and help Minion," Zedd instructed as he his staff to increase the power of Freeze Frame for one last battle with the Rangers. Then with his wife and entourage, he teleported away.
Minion watched as Rita and the others left, leaving only Finster and himself. He glanced at his new assistant. "Let's get started."
Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, 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.
"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."
"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samuel Revilo!"
"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."
"I am Sam!" the seventeen-year-old boy 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: there would be a choice. He could face the monster now drawing nearer or he could jump into 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. Sam 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.
"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, 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.
"Nooo!"
A green rope appeared next to him, dangling in the air, inviting him to grab hold. In his mind Sam could still hear the voice of the monster chasing after him.
"THOMAS PLEASE DON'T RUN. YOU ARE NEEDED NOW, I AM NEEDED NOW. PLEASE ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY."
A thought started to dawn on Sam. Whoever was talking to him knew he was Tommy's clone. It had to be either Rita or Zedd. The villains must have discovered his identity. The voices had been quiet until he had used his coin to save Jason.
~I will not be evil again,~ Sam thought to himself.
Determined to put an end to the force that was tempting him Sam grabbed the rope. In a flash of green he felt himself teleported to another place, still within his mind.
Freeze Frame reappeared next to the school bus. A quick push sent the vehicle off the road giving him a clear shot at the helpless humans still frozen in place following his Flashgun attack.
"Siek-yiah!"
The Red Zeo Ranger 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 appeared to back him up.
"Time for team work," Tommy 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 for their fellow Rangers. 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 monster's lens. Freeze Frame fell back, his lens exploding in a shower of sparks.
"Time to get big!" Freeze Frame called as he started to grow
Sam appeared in the old Command Center. He could sense no life within, wherever he was Zordon and Alpha were not nearby to help him. The room was green, surrounded by images taken from his mind. In one corner were the deeds he had done as the Green Ranger. In the other were the deeds he had done since he had been left in Angel Grove in 1795.
The images formed of his wife; Rosalita Hermandez. They had met not long after he had been in Angel Grove, she had been the Spanish daughter of the chief of a nearby colony. Their love had secured peace between the English and Spanish settlers and he had moved to be with her in Los Angeles.
Sam had been happily married to Rosalita. They had had children together and it pained him to see her die. From then on he had kept an eye on all his descendants before the time had come to return to Angel Grove.
A fuzzy image in another corner caught his eye. The image showed the world he had created for himself so he would be accepted. It showed the lives of the people he had invented going about their own daily routines. In a way they were as real as Sam.
"SO, YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO LISTEN DID YOU?" the voice asked.
"I came here to destroy you," Sam shouted angrily. "You are not going to make me evil again."
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE EVIL THOMAS, I WANT YOU TO ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY AND RETURN TO ME."
"Show yourself!" Sam snapped.
"VERY WELL," the voice replied.
A green mist filled the room and as it cleared Sam found himself face to face with the Green Ranger.
The Rangers were having a tough time dealing with Freeze Frame. The giant sized monster had survived the Zords' strongest attacks and was still standing. The new Flashgun in his hand had paralysed the Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel, leaving only the Super Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord to fight.
"It's times like this I miss Pyramidas," Jason noted from the Super 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 Zords, pulling them inside and producing two black and white copies. As the monster stepped back, the copies attacked, taking the Rangers by surprise.
"What are you?" Sam asked. "Are you my dark side?"
"Give me a break, you're not Tommy," the Green Ranger replied. "You have never denied your dark side and by accepting it you destroyed its power over you. I am the part of you that you are not willing to accept, the part you must accept. It is your destiny."
"You're the Green Ranger," Sam realised, finally understanding.
He had been denying his power for so long it had finally decided to beg for release. He knew the power would not corrupt him, but it would mean getting involved again.
"No," the voice replied. "You have never denied your powers either. Are you really as dense as the original, I didn't think that was possible? You have refused to use them because you have denied me. You used your power when you needed to and didn't when the Rangers could handle it. You have become responsible since the day you were created, but you still deny me."
Sam was really confused. The Green Ranger was not part of his dark side, nor was it the spirit of his coin. It claimed he had denied it, but he had no idea who it was. Finally the frustration was too great, he turned to where the Green Ranger stood and moved towards the image.
"Who are you?"
In response the Green Ranger lifted his hands to the side of his neck and undid the clasped holding his helmet in place. Carefully he removed the helmet and placed it under his arm. Looking Sam straight in the eye and smiled. "Hello Bro,"
Sam was shocked. He had expected a lot of faces to be under the mask but the one he was faced with was his own. Not the face he had created through magic to trick those he was hiding from. This was the face of Thomas Tyler Oliver, Clone of the Green Ranger.
"Now do you understand?" Thomas asked. "I am you and represent everything you have tried to deny for two hundred years."
Thomas saw the look of horror in Sam's face and understood. The original Tommy had managed to survive his ordeal as the Green Ranger by pushing himself into the role of leader. Whenever Tommy lost his powers the doubts and fears, he had experienced would resurface with a vengeance.
The clone was different; he had accepted his dark side and thus conquered it. What he had not been able to deal with was the fact he was a clone. Everything he believed was based on the values taught to him at a young age by Tommy's parents. He had nothing of his own. His powers, face, friends and even life belonged to Tommy.
"You are wrong," Thomas told him. "You are unique. You have experienced things Tommy will never experience. You have made friends Tommy will never know. You have conquered the most difficult horrors to face: your own fears. You don't need to be Tommy, but you cannot deny the part of you that is Tommy. Accept me and become whole."
Seeing Sam was on the verge of making a decision Thomas made one final plea. "You are Sam. Part of you is Tommy, part of you is the clone, but until you accept both parts you can never be whole."
Sam nodded slowly. The whole reason he had rejected the powers was because people related them to Tommy. Now he knew it didn't matter. It was time to be whole.
Reaching out Sam touched the image of Thomas on the shoulder. In a blur of light the image merged with him and for the first time in a long time he felt real.
The copy of the 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 Super Zeo Megazord found itself on the receiving end of a blast from the copy Megazord's cannon.
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 had soon caused him to retreat back into his Tiki.
Freeze Frame recalled the copy Zords back into himself, deciding to finish the Rangers personally. Summoning a sword he stood over the fallen Zords and prepared to finish the job he had started only half and hour before.
Sam 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."
In his hand appeared the fully charged morpher of the Green Ranger. Sam looked at it for a moment and then teleported to the bus where he had last seen the monster. As he arrived, he saw the Rangers' Megazords being hit by two other Zords. The monster had called his copy Zords and dumped the captured Zords on the ground.
Sam watched as Freeze Frame drew a sword and moved in to finish the job. Without a second thought, Sam pulled out his morpher, no longer worried who knew his identity. "Dragonzord!"
As his green armour finished forming Sam had already drawn his sword. Pointing it at the sky, he concentrated on the sleeping Zord deep beneath the sea. A connection formed between sam and the mighty machine, the power telling him how to call the Zord.
"I need Dinozord power, now!"
In his mind Sam could hear the sound of the Dragon Flute, summoning his old companion to the fight. As the Zord drew near, he leapt into the cockpit, taking control.
"Warrior Wheel is offline, Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord will take time to restore and the Super Zeo Megazord is out of power," Tanya reported.
"How about forming the Zeo MegaBattlezord or just separating for individual attacks?" Jason asked.
"No good," Adam replied. "We haven't got enough power. I doubt we could even summon Cannon Power and aim the helmet."
"Defender Wheel is operational," Kat told them. "But unless we can get upright it's trapped inside the Phoenix."
A familiar sound filled the air, causing Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Adam to look towards the sky. "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 first Zord make its way towards them.
Freeze Frame stood over the Red Battlezord, his sword 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 realise it was impossible. Lifting his sword a bit higher he prepared to thrust.
Then he heard the sound all 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. A moment later it was back as he heard the Dragonzord roar, and watched as the Green Ranger jumped into his Zord.
Minion's sharp senses detected the arrival of a new enemy. Rita and Zedd had overlooked the fact that Minion could not use the Repulsascope and he could not produce an eye beam like Zedd to watch the events on Earth. Luckily Minion was a genius, and soon managed to reprogram the Earth's satellites to send pictures back to him.
As expected he saw the Dragonzord active again and about to attack Zedd's latest monster. ~Let them destroy him,~ Minion thought. ~He's served his purpose.~
He turned towards Finster's lab and walked in just in time to hear the monster maker muttering to himself. He stopped to listen, he had learnt from meeting Finster in the Dark Dimension that he could find out how the monster maker was getting on by listening to him talk to himself.
"… and just a bit more padding here and you're done."
"How's the work going Finster?" Minion asked as he walked into the workshop.
"Five down, one to go," Finster replied. "I thought this might do as the alternate form for the sixth one."
"Perfect," Minion said as he looked the monster over. "Finish his normal form and bring them to the throne room. We'll send them tomorrow."
"As you wish," Finster said as Minion left.
It had taken him a while to reacquaint himself with the Zord. Just as his uniform had changed so had the Dragonzord. Its tail drill had been modified, so in addition to the normal spinning attack, two blades could extend to provide an extra edge. Sam looked at the controls and noticed three new controls along with an empty slot where the control stick used to be.
The power told him to insert his sword into the slot. As he did so, the Zord came alive and moved towards the threat.
"Fire!" Sam commanded.
The arm rockets fired, striking the monster and causing it to fly back away from the Rangers. He waited until the monster stood again and the used the new tail blade to smash him across the face before using the drill to smash the lens.
Freeze Frame retaliated, striking the Dragonzord's chest with his sword. Sam pushed the first button on his control board. The arms of the Dragonzord extended outward, hitting Freeze Frame in the chest. The head and neck changed position as the Zord's body dropped forward so it was standing on four legs. The Dragonzord's mouth opened, releasing a fireball at the monster.
Freeze Frame screamed in pain as the fire started to burn him. He turned back towards his attacker and froze.
Sam pressed the second button on his control panel and pulled the control stick back. The Dragonzord reverted to biped form. The Zord's tail inserted into the ground lifting it into the air. The arms and legs were pulled into the body as they had when forming the Battle Dragonzord.
From nearby the lumbering form of Tor, the Shuttle Zord moved into view and converted to stand upright. The top split from the bottom, which had transformed into a pair of legs. The Dragonzord dropped into place on top of the legs to form the body and head, the top part of Tor split in half from top to bottom, both halves transforming and connecting to the body as arms. Finally the Dragonzord's tail transformed to form the lance the Rangers had once used as part of the old Battle Dragonzord combination.
"Turtle Battle Dragonzord, online!" Sam called as the machine powered up.
With a final effort Freeze Frame gave a howl and charged the giant Zord. Lightning struck the lance, feeding power into it. The Zord lifted the lance into the air and drove the point into the charging monster.
As the Rangers watched, Freeze Frame exploded, simultaneously restoring the bus and its passengers to their previous state. As the students woke up, they noticed the four Megazords lying on the floor with the Turtle Battle Dragonzord standing over them. Knowing this was bad for public relations, Sam used his Zord to help the Red Battlezord and Super Zeo Megazord back to their feet, at the same time recharging the remaining Zords with enough energy to teleport back to their holding bay.
Satisfied that the job was finished Sam pulled the sword from the control board, sending his Zords back to their hiding places. He then demorphed and sneaked back to the other students, noticing Tommy and company emerge from the bus where apparently they had been frozen.
"Alright people," Ms Randall said, taking a final look at the wrecked monster in front of them and thankful the Power Rangers had been t here to help. "It's time we were back in Angel Grove. The trip will have to wait."
Later in the Power Chamber,
With Alpha's help Adam and the others had finally managed to restore the Zords to fighting condition. The Warrior Wheel would be offline for some time, but 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.
"I am not sure Tommy," Zordon replied. "I think we can assume he is on our side since the power has accepted him."
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 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 managed to find the abnormality I detected?"
"No Zordon, I cannot find any readings on the Moon," Alpha replied. "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Rita and Zedd have gone!"
Zordon double-checked Alpha's findings and discovered he was correct. He checked the remains of Machine Empire and found they had also vanished. ~Perhaps Earth is safe again,~ he thought. He doubted this was the case, but it never hurt to hope.
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.
Alpha continued to work as the Power Chamber went dark, the little machine happy the Rangers were safe and away from the fighting.
End Disclaimer: 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.
Blast from the Past
The Dark Dimension.
He was in pain, begging whatever deity looked down on poor misunderstood monsters to relieve his torment even if doing so meant he would fade from existence. Survival was no longer a priority for him, but escaping the agony was. He was inside the Dark Dimension, a place intended for monsters and villains who had fallen in battle, a place intended solely for the deceased. He wasn't dead, that much was certain; the dead could never feel the pain that ran through his body at that moment.
In his last incarnation his mistress had called him Minion, a name intended to remind him of his place in the grand scheme of things. She had revived him from the point of death and had given him the opportunity to destroy the Rangers. He had beaten Tommy by threatening the White Ranger's innocent friends, but in a rematch he had fallen foul of the Rangers' own trickery and had been condemned to endure an unending period of pain and suffering until he convinced Lord Zedd to lift the curse. Of course that feat was made next to impossible since part of the punishment robbed him of his body, his powers and removed him from the physical world where he could speak with Zedd.
He sighed, recognising the onset of a rest period. It was mercy that ended the torment for a few minutes, there was no such thing as too much suffering so far as the instigators of the curse were concerned. However, a creature driven to madness could not suffer as thoroughly as he could if he remained capable of understanding that he was in pain, so the curse allowed brief periods of rest just before the mind was pushed into the realms of insanity for the victim to recover a little.
As he floated in the void, he remembered the time he had spent in this place. Here he had learnt the secret of existence: that although separate the many universes reached beyond the mortal realm. The realms of Heaven and Hell were united throughout existence allowing the dead from each universe to unite. That in turn revealed another great secret: in each universe there was a version of Lord Zedd, the Machine Empire and a planet named Earth that drew more attention that it deserved, a world where the Power Rangers fought against evil. During some of his more lucid moments, he had been able to use the Dark Dimension to view the various timelines and universes in order to gain a better understanding of the fight between good and evil.
In some dimensions the Power Rangers were servants of evil, in some they were the evil rulers and in some they simply did not exist. The same was true about the villains he had come to know. Once in the Dark Dimension all the different variations merged into a single being.
Being dead, such information should not have worried him and in all honesty, during the periods when the pain ravaged his every fibre, the events on an Earth where Tommy had been replaced by a girl named Celia, did not matter to him. However, he was not dead. The curse that he had been duped into triggering could only affect the living. He had been granted immortality at the price of spending almost every second of it in agony.
It had taken time for him to discover that he still had a link to his physical body. When he had first arrived, the hours of pain had left him too drained to do anything except float aimlessly in the darkness. Months later and his recovery time was faster. It was during one of his rare moments of lucidity that he had first discovered the difference between himself and the other occupants of the Dark Dimension. While they had died powered by evil, he had been holding the powers of a Ranger and as such he had retained his powers even if they were inaccessible inside the Dark Dimension.
"If only I could speak to Lord Zedd, make him understand that the Rangers tricked me," he mumbled. He had already tried speaking to Zedd's counterpart within the Dark Dimension, but that Zedd had no knowledge of whom Minion was and wouldn't acknowledge there was such a thing as an oath on his father's honour.
Something struck his chest, causing him to hiss from the discomfort. And then there was a sharp pull as he felt himself being dragged through the darkness. When the sensation ended, he could feel the change in his environment. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to shift as he shielded his eyes from the intense light that signified that he was no longer inside the Dark Dimension. Although given the frozen floor beneath his feet and the strange constellations in the sky above, he was not on Earth either.
He heard something, a word whispered from afar. "Minion…" the name drifted through the Dark Dimension and at he was unsure whether or not he had heard it. "Minion." It was louder this time and he could feel something pushing him backward. In his weakened state he was hurled across the ground.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Minion - Minion - Welcome Minion!"
He was thrown around again. It wasn't the wind that buffeted from all sides, but the solid and overwhelming force of a powerful aura. His instincts told him to run, to hide from the incredible force that could easily destroy him. He had nowhere to go though and after looking around desperately, he still could not find the source of the voice. Then he happened to look up and spotted the large object floating in the heavens above him supported by a mass of ice stretched between eight metal worlds all held in place by the gravitational force of the system's sun.
High above him he could just make out the glowing green eyes of a monster. Even trapped within a frozen prison it was awe inspiring to see.
"You like my body then?" something asked. It was a child, a small boy dressed in robes of black and silver. Weak and unthreatening in his hands though he held a glowing ball of energy. Minion knew at once that this boy was an illusion, a physical manifestation of power and undoubtedly connected to the monster looming above him. The boy's eyes were the same green as the incomplete machine's, and in the light of the fire that burnt in his hands, the boy appeared to share the creature's horns.
Minion pulled himself back to his feet, finally able to withstand the swirling energy. "Who are you?"
"I have many names Minion. In the ancient texts I am referred to as Dagsyxx, but you can refer to me as master from now. Yes, that will certainly suffice for now."
"What are you?" he demanded. The power of this creature was incredible.
"Here I am more than you could hope to understand. This is my personal domain, a place that shapes itself according to my whims. I brought you here, summoned you from the Dark Dimension so that you might serve as a tool to further my plans. With your aid the God of Evil will once more set the skies alight."
"I am nobody's tool," Minion snapped, "and I go where I wish; nobody summons me!"
Laughter echoed across the plane and it was only then that he realised that what he had thought to be a planet was just an enormous organic factory. It may once have resembled a habitable world, but now it was twisted to servicing the twisted creature's needs.
"Welcome Minion to my little corner of the Astro Plane, far from that pathetic little realm where you belong. This is where I have come to reside since the cursed Power Rangers drove me from their plane. Not as grand as the Dark Dimension I snatched you from, but I am sure you will find it more comfortable. Long ago I was in your position, a not-so-humble servant of evil with a desire to become more than the insignificant creature my superiors believed me to be. I served my master willingly until he was incapacitated, and then I built an empire in my own name.
My empire stretched many galaxies until I was stopped. I became a rival to those that had once looked down on me. But I was defeated and now I am trapped in this place, unable to return to release my body and unable to extend my reach beyond this place. But just because I was unable to leave this place did not mean that I haven't searched for a means of escape."
Out of nowhere a table appeared with what at first appeared to be a chessboard. In reality Minion realised that this was not a normal game board. There were far more pieces on the board than would normally be found. Several kings and queens, each with the appropriate number of bishops, knights and rooks, all of varying heights, which he assumed was a sign of their importance to the game. At the very back of each army were two squares where the King and Queen should have been. Around those empty spaces stood two bishops, two knights and two rooks along with eight pawns. Minion noted that they were larger than the other pieces.
"As you can see this represents more than a normal game. You cannot limit such a complex war to just sixteen pieces on each side." He watched as the child touched a badly damaged piece that resembled the body he had seen earlier. It was one of the smaller bishops. "Once I was a pawn. Through loyal service I ascended to a rank more akin to a bishop. One day I shall become even more important." He lifted a piece from the board, a long pillar carved with the faces of the various factions of the Machine Empire, from the place where a rook would normally be found. "As you can see, a valuable piece matched only by the Alliance of Evil for its strength and number."
Minion noticed that despite his words, the piece that represented the Machine Empire was still one of the smallest.
"See this?" the boy demanded as he pointed to the other end of the board. "The Alliance of Evil, the most powerful villains bound by mutual purpose, a cooperative that seeks to extend the power of the individuals by preventing the petty infighting between factions. Zedd, Rita, Vile, and many others you have not met; they are easily as powerful as the Machine Empire. And yet compared to some of the pieces they are weak. At least they are useful."
"You on the other hand are a pawn." He pointed to a piece that looked as if it had been melted. "You should have had no purpose once your usefulness had expired. And yet, you defy your fate and continue to exist. The curse you unwittingly invoked has sustained you, transforming you into something more than you have a right to be. But you are still a pawn, there to be used at my will. And I have chosen your new purpose."
"I have no interest in history or the empty boasts of a could-be villain," Minion snapped defiantly. "And I select my own purpose." He was facing someone who could crush him at anytime, yet allowed him to stay alive. He was willing to see how far he could push before his usefulness expired.
"Millions of years and there is a long way to go," Dagsyxx mused as he studied the piece representing himself, scrutinising it as the figurine seemed to slowly repair itself, while ignoring the defiance in Minion's voice. "Do you think you are the only one who strives to be greater than you are, Minion?" He pointed to the squares where the King and Queen would normally stand. "That is the place where I would wish to stand, commanding the entire army of darkness, yet it is a level I will never reach and a place you have no hope of reaching. That is what unites us Minion, a desire to become more than we are. The difference is that while I have already grown beyond my original role, you will forever remain a pawn."
"I yearn to return to the battlefield, I crave the screams as I extinguish the lives of countless innocents. But I cannot, yet. And that, little pawn, makes you useful. The Earth is the key to my return. On that world or close by there is the power to release me from this prison and its defenders are the greatest weapons the opposition possesses. The planet is a beacon of hope that has been shining for so long that few will miss it until it is extinguished. Return to Earth, destroy the ones known as the Power Rangers, and secure for me the means of my return to glory."
"Why should I, What's in it for me?"
Laughter shook the planet as Dagsyxx regarded Minion in the same way a vulture would a rabbit. He could crush Minion at any time and there was nothing that could stop him. Yet Minion for all his intelligence continued to bait him. It was something to be admired or pitied. Minion promised to be useful. The question was whether that usefulness excused his insolence?
"Your bargaining posture is a little dubious," he remarked at last. "You believe you have a choice in the matter other than to obey or be destroyed."
"You need me," Minion pointed out.
There was silence as Dagsyxx considered his options. "Very well, perhaps you should have some incentive." There was the mental impression of the entity clicking his fingers. "You are released from your curse. No longer will the breach of honour torture you." There was another break, another moment where he seemed to be elsewhere. Then a sword appeared in front of Minion, floating in the air. "This is the Sword of Darkness, a powerful weapon allowing you control over the Morphin Grid. This shall be your new weapon."
It wasn't that great a gift. The being that had forged this Sword of Darkness had forged many more. After all one sword was not that great when trying to build an army.
"And?"
"And nothing. You belong to me Minion, you always have. My property, and I do not need to reward you, I just need to give you commands for you to follow, and punishments if you don't obey! Your attitude amused me for a while, but continued disobedience will not be allowed."
"I am nobody's property!" Minion snarled.
Dagsyxx just laughed at the pathetic attempt at posturing. "Then our discussion and your usefulness is at an end. DIE!"
The pain returned full force as he used the power he had gathered over the ages to rip the insolent creature apart. Minion screamed, his cries and whimpers sufficient for Dagsyxx to delay his destruction for a short time. Dagsyxx enjoyed the power he felt as Minion writhed helplessly on the metal ground.
"Please, spare me?" Minion begged when Dagsyxx removed the pain for a moment. He had been planning to allow Minion one last look at the universe before he was obliterated. The sudden change in attitude though convinced him to think again.
"You are a worm Minion, the lowest of the low. But you are useful, so I will spare your life. Now, take up the sword I have granted you, return to the Earth and destroy the Power Rangers."
There was the sensation of something jerking him by the throat and he was sent hurtling back to the Dark Dimension, this time fully aware of his surroundings.
The place had changed since the last time he had been there. He had changed; he was now more powerful than the so-called villains that turned away as he approached. They would never follow him. The monsters and henchmen though were another matter entirely. They were now loyal to him. With the Sword of Darkness he found that his powers were fully accessible and with it, conquering a small group of powerless underlings had proven easy.
He reached out and a book appeared. The book was an inventory containing the details of every being and artefact that resided within the Dark Dimension and available to him. He smiled as he recognised some of the entries.
A plan began to form in his mind. He was now capable of leaving the Dark Dimension. His chance for revenge was at hand, not just on those who had tricked him, but also against the creature that had tried to turn him into a slave.
He moved the Sword of Darkness through the air, cutting a pattern in the air. When he finished, he was rewarded by a silver glow he slashed forcefully at the air in front of him. The barrier between the Dark Dimension and the Mortal Realm was torn open as he cried: "I command the portal to open!"
Earth.
Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, 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.
"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."
"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samuel Revilo!"
"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."
"I am Sam!" 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 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. Sam 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.
"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, 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.
"Nooo!"
"SAM?"
"SAM,"
"Samuel REVILO, WAKE UP! This disturbance is unacceptable behaviour."
Sam opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by some of his best friends and a slightly suspicious looking Ms Randall. As he became aware of his surroundings, he noticed he was on the School Bus. His class was off on a day trip as part of a class project.
"Are you all right Mr Revilo?" he heard the teacher ask.
Sam nodded, but did not say anything. The dream had been more real than ever and he still didn't know what it meant. Who was calling him? The Green Power Coin? His creator? Sam didn't know the answer, but knew he needed to say something to satisfy Ms Randall.
"I'm sorry ma'am, it was just a bad dream."
Randall looked a bit sceptical, but then nodded and returned to the front of the bus. Sam had been asleep and sometimes teenagers did have weird dreams. Randall took out her notebook and wrote down a memo for the school nurse to arrange an appointment with Mr Revilo as soon as possible.
The strict teacher was replaced by a very 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, it was just that he doubted the spell would hold for long if Tommy suspected who he was.
Sam was the clone of Thomas Oliver; powered by the Dragon, he was the Green Power Ranger, and last seen when he had left the Command Center to journey back to Colonial Angel Grove, where he had resumed his normal life after saving the Rangers from the insidious scheme of one Monastra Repugna.
He should have died by now, after two hundred years of hardly ageing he was starting to grow used to the fact that he would live a long time. He just wished he knew why. Regardless of that little mystery, he was not sure how this news would affect the other boy, or the Rangers for that matter.
He had been married and widowed, had had children and watched them grow old and die. He had watched as time had taken its correct course, right up to the point where he went back in time with Tommy.
Rita and Zedd had made a few small changes when they had ordered the Wizard of Deception to create him. Firstly, they had given him a photographic memory so he would not suffer from Tommy's flaw. Secondly Zedd had granted him some control over his appearance; just little things such as hair length and when needed a change of clothes. The Wizard of Deceptions wand, which he had kept after he had aided the Power Rangers against Minion, took care of his other needs.
Not long after returning to the past left he had discovered that he could focus magical powers of his own with or without the wand. ~An after effect from the Wizard of Deception's spell,~ he had thought at the time. Using his powers he had granted himself a new identity and hidden himself from Zordon. He did not want to be part of the battle between good and evil; he only wanted a peaceful life away from Zordon's manipulations.
"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.
"Rita, do you sense it?" Lord Zedd asked as he desperately scanned the Earth for a disturbance that he had felt not long ago.
"It can't be," Rita whispered as she joined her husband. "The Green Coin is dormant."
"I felt it just now. And we both know what we saw a few weeks back." Zedd insisted as he kept searching for the now hidden Ranger. "Zordon must have found a new avatar for the Dragon Coin."
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it can't be," Alpha said.
"What is it Alpha?" Zordon asked.
"The computer says somebody just used the Green Power Coin," the small robot reported.
Zordon considered what Alpha said, knowing that it was impossible for anyone to use that coin with the exception of Tommy. He performed a quick check and found the coin was still 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 for some reason he also felt compelled to ignore it. There was of course the story Jason had told them a few weeks ago when he was losing his powers. At the time Zordon had been sure it was a side effect from the power drain and a symptom of stress. Now, he was not so sure. He remembered Tom Oliver had planned to remain in Colonial Angel Grove and he had yet to detect any temporal distortion that would lead him to assume otherwise.
"Alpha, scan the Power Chamber for any abnormal spells that might have caused this problem." In his heart Zordon knew this discovery would prove important. The Green Ranger was about to return and he could sense the balance of power shifting although in whose favour was another question.
~Could Zedd and Rita somehow managed to find a new coin?~ he wondered.
If they had Zordon knew it meant bad news for the Rangers, but might hold the solution to another problem. Since the attack on Jason the Gold Ranger Powers had been restored to Trey. But since Trey was still unable to unify his spirit, the powers were unstable. Jason still had some residue of the power in his system. Zordon knew the energy would soon be exhausted though and then, the team would be lacking a vital member.
~If Rita or Zedd has found a way to link to the Morphin Grid and I can copy it, I can restore Jason to full power,~ Zordon thought as he watched Alpha continuing the search.
Sam cursed under his breath. Somehow his dream had tapped into the Morphin Grid. Normally he would have been able to cover up for his powers, but his discussion with Tommy had cost him valuable time. Now he risked discovery by Zedd, Rita or worse, Zordon. While the two villains would try to take advantage of him they would give up after a few failures. Zordon on the other hand was a manipulative old wizard who didn't know when to give up. If Samuel didn't know better, he would have suspected that Zordon had something to do with his predicament.
The bus continued its journey through the hills outside Angel Grove towards the small town of North Valley where they were going to see the unveiling of some new super computer. ~Haven't they had enough of machines with Mondo and family stomping around?~
He looked over to where Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Kat and Tanya were sitting. For some reason Adam had not joined his friends at the back of the bus and was currently engaged in a discussion with Ms Randall.
Realising there was nothing he could physically do to stop Zordon and Zedd detecting him now that the cat was out of the bag, Sam decided to enjoy the trip. With luck they had only detected the surge in the Morphin Grid and had not been able to focus on the source. As long as it did not happen again he would be all right. Besides, at least he only had to deal with Rita and Zedd since an enraged Blue Ranger had wiped out the Machine Empire. They would be back one day, but in the meantime at least they were out of the picture.
"Why don't we send down a monster to attack the other Rangers?" Goldar asked. "Then when the Green Ranger shows up we can grab him."
"Monkey boy has a point," Rita agreed. "Even if we don't get the Green Ranger we can at least aggravate the Rangers, and maybe eliminate Jason."
Zedd considered his options. All six Rangers were on the bus, away from Zordon and with a lot of witnesses. Better yet Jason had given his powers back to Trey of Triforia, leaving him with only a small link to the Gold Power. If anything would draw the Green Ranger out this would. Zedd considered what to use as a monster. He noticed the old box camera on the seat next to the teacher. Aiming his staff he summoned the Freeze Frame monster.
Adam Park had felt compelled to sit near the front of the bus. Something told him he needed to keep an eye on the road ahead. As the bus turned another corner, he saw why. In the middle of the road stood Goldar and a flock of Tengas. Behind them stood what looked like a giant camera on legs.
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.
Tommy meanwhile had made his way to the back of the bus with Jason and had managed to get the emergency exit open. "This way," he suggested to the other students. As they departed, he joined the other Rangers at the front of the bus.
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 were first off the bus, tackling the nearest Tengas. Kat and Tanya were out next followed closely by Rocky and Adam. Whilst Adam tackled Goldar Rocky squared off against Freeze Frame. Both of the Rangers were able to hold their own for a short time, despite being unmorphed.
As the other four finished the last of the Tengas Rito Revolto decided to join the fun. The Rangers soon found themselves losing as the odds shifted against them.
"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy and Jason called together.
"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.
He didn't have time to consider the changes to his suit and made a mental note to ask Zordon later. Then he charged at Rito as fast as he could.
Sam crouched under the bus watching the fight between the Rangers and Zedd's forces. He was lucky Freeze Frame's power had been aimed at non-Rangers. Although inactive, Sam's link to the Green Coin had provided him with some protection and he had cast countless protection spells on himself before leaving the house that morning. Casting a spell to make himself invisible had been easy, as had replacing himself with a fake image for anybody watching.
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. 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 had Tommy's memories from his time as Green Ranger and although, unlike Tommy, he was not racked with guilt over his actions during that time, he remembered the feeling of hopelessness whenever the powers had given out. He saw Rito move in for the kill and knew he had to do something, but what?
Although he was linked to the Green Coin, he did not want to morph. He had tried for two hundred years to forget his past, but something had convinced him to return to Angel Grove and play the part of a school student. He had watched Jason and the others as they had grown to become the world's greatest heroes. He had even helped cover for them on one occasion. Now Jason was in trouble and he had to act.
Reaching a decision, Sam summoned his empty morpher; the Power Coin had been given to Tommy after he had defeated Monastra Repugna's monster. Fortunately his plan did not call for a Power Coin, just the raw energy he could summon from the Wizard of Deception's wand. He summoned it with a thought, commanding it to take on the guise of a walking cane and he aimed it at Jason. Once he had mentally located the Gold Ranger's personal morphin grid, he fed the boy enough power to recharge. He smiled as Jason's armour solidified, but frowned when he noticed the other boy had been rendered unconscious.
"Let me introduce you to my Flashgun," Freeze Frame told the four Rangers attacking him.
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 own 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, the latter glowing with green light. He couldn't make a move to help his friend though because at that moment the copies pounced on him.
Sam knew he couldn't wait any longer. If he did one of the Rangers would die and that was unacceptable. Silently he promised himself it was the last time he would morph. He reached out, allowing the Power to guide him until he found the Green Power Coin and summoned it to his waiting hand. Then he placed the coin inside the morpher and prepared himself.
"Dragonzord!"
A green lightning bolt shot from the sky, striking the copies. The duplicates disappeared as quickly as they had been created. A second bolt struck an unseen figure behind the school bus as he reconnected himself to the full power of the Green Ranger and not the illusion he had created weeks before.
Sam felt the lightning strike him. It wasn't really lightning, just a manifestation of the Power returning to one of its chosen avatars. His green uniform formed around him and a third bolt of lightning forked across the sky, it changed from light green to a darker shade. An advanced Blade Blaster formed at his hip and the familiar Dragon Dagger appeared in his waiting hand. Instinctively Sam concentrated on the dagger and was rewarded when it transformed into a powerful sword. On the hilt was the head of the Dragon, complemented by the inscription of the fleur-de-lis on the blade.
Finally the golden shield, which had protected the Dragon Ranger for many years formed on his shoulders, the Power telling him that it could shift between a compact armour and a thick material that while resistant was extremely flexible. The shield had always possessed such an ability, but Tommy had never had the chance to learn all of its secrets.
The entire transformation had taken less than a second to complete. The Dragon Ranger was back, for the time being.
Goldar and Rito exchanged a worried glance as they saw the first two lightning bolts. Tommy was slowly picking himself up, his legs a little rubbery. They had not seen the third 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 Dragon 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, Sam attacked again. He connected with a blow to all three monsters, causing them to retreat, leaving the other students frozen in place.
When the Rangers appeared in the Power Chamber, Tommy ripped off his helmet, desperately 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 sure," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I felt the presence of the Dragon Ranger earlier today, but we have been unable to find him. He disappeared after he rescued you and we have again lost him."
"What if he's not on our side?" Rocky asked, remembering the last 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. Now demorphed the Gold Ranger was being checked by Alpha.
"Whoever it is," Tommy said. "We can't just let him fight alone, he will need help and we could use the extra power. 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.
"What do we do?" Kat asked.
"Unfortunately Katherine, we will need to wait for Freeze Frame to return. The computer says that is the only way to free them." Zordon silently hoped it would not take too long.
"WELCOME BACK THOMAS," the voice said once again.
Sam realised he was day dreaming. He had already demorphed and appeared near the docks in Angel Grove's Harbour District. Opening his hand he summoned his morpher for the last time. He encased it in a special spell and threw it into the sea, towards the sleeping Dragonzord.
"YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME THAT EASILY," the voice said. "YOU ARE PART OF ME AND I AM PART OF YOU FOREVER."
"No," Sam said to the voice. "I don't know who you are or why you want me, but the Green Ranger is gone."
In his head he could hear a small voice say, "THEN SO IS ALL HOPE."
"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.
"Silence!" Zedd commanded. "You are both useless cowards."
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. "Goldar you fool, this wretched planet has corrupted you. Such cowardice will not be tolerated."
Zedd aimed his staff at the grovelling simian, a blast of energy hit the monkey. Goldar appeared to grow larger, his fangs sharper and for a moment Zedd feared he had gone too far. Then he remembered that this was simply a rejuvenation spell, a stream of dark energy to reinvigorate the evil that lurked within Goldar's heart.
"Thank you, Lord Zedd," Goldar said at last. He rose from the floor and bowed to Rita, who until that point had remained in the background. "Lady Rita, how may I serve you?"
"Zeddy, this might be the best thing you have ever done," Rita laughed happily.
Zedd finally turned to Freeze Frame. "You have failed to carry out your mission. Return to the bus and destroy those wretched humans. If we cannot have victory, we will settle for fun. If the Rangers return, kill them all."
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 asked angrily.
"Yes," Zedd replied. "If he succeeds all the better, if he fails it won't matter. Something has changed Rita, I can feel it. Zordon's power in the Morphin Grid has diminished and we must take advantage. Tell me wicked queen, what do you know of the Dark Dimension?"
The Dark Dimension
The negotiations had been difficult, but he had finally convinced Zedd to blame Rita's mother for the whole oath incident. As a result he had been able to return to the Moon without the need to worry that Zedd would blast him back into oblivion. In return he had given Zedd the ability to temporarily negate the effects of the planet Earth on his henchmen. Long enough perhaps to achieve that one victory to secure the planet.
Sam returned to the school bus and replaced the image he had planted there some time before. He was still unsure why he was bothering to live a lie. He was two-hundred-year-old trying to live like a seventeen-year-old. He had even created a family for himself just in case anyone asked.
But, like anything else made of magic they were not real. Sometimes Sam wondered if he were real or just a poor clone trying to be real. He had no real friends, no real family. Those who were near to being his friends were friends with Sam, not him. It was an illusion he did not want to maintain, but was scared to lose.
He had even changed his appearance so nobody would guess who he was, but that was nothing compared to the effort it had taken to stop say "Siek-yiah" when he attacked.
He looked at himself in the mirror he had summoned with his magic, remembering when his appearance had helped him when fighting during the Second World War. He had worked for Army Intelligence in Germany, where his blond hair and blue eyes had even the most untrusting Nazi convinced he was on their side. He shook his head sadly at how easily one man had been able to turn honest and decent citizens into an army infamous for the worst acts of genocide Earth had known. Even the villains the Rangers fought did not kill due for racial reasons; they simply destroyed anything in their way.
His hair was now shoulder length and he had used his powers to alter the shape and shade of his face so he would not be recognised. Of course if Zordon scanned him, his identity would be revealed. First though Zordon had to detect him. The spell he had cast years prevented Zordon from seriously suggesting that he was still alive.
With a gesture he returned the mirror to the place he summoned it from. Remaining perfectly still Sam waited for either the Rangers to return or Rita and Zedd to send another monster down to finish the job.
"Are you sure about this Zeddy?" Rita asked. Her husband had had some insane plans before, but this was unheard of.
"I am certain Rita," Zedd replied. "Minion was not to blame for that cursed oath, your mother was. Now with the power he has discovered we can summon a force even the Rangers cannot halt."
"Excuse me Lord Zedd," Finster said quickly. "But if the Dark Dimension is where our failed monsters go, how do you expect to find a monster the Rangers cannot defeat?"
"The Dark Dimension contains more than monsters Rita and I never used. All the evil beings who have ever fallen in battle are imprisoned in the Dark Dimension. Once there they are unable to return to their own dimensions. But with Minion's aid I intend to use them to defeat the Rangers."
"Is that what you did to Monkey Boy?" Rita asked.
Zedd snorted. "The Dark Dimension contains a vast amount of dark energy. All I did was use some of that energy to restore Goldar to his former glory. For some reason the Earth is saturated in light magic. Just being near it is enough to affect lesser villains."
"And you?" Rita asked. She noticed he had not moved to defend her from such a slur.
"You spent centuries floating closer and closer to this wretched world, you were bound to be effective when you couldn't fight back. As for me," he said. "This is the fault of your vile love potion. As soon as I became capable of love, the Earth affected me."
There was a brief silence.
"The time has come to change that. We shall all endure the Dark Sleep. Baboo, Squatt, Scorpina, come here!" Zedd's voice boomed throughout the castle. "Finster, come closer. No, don't move Rita."
As his subjects arrived, he held his staff above his head and did something Rita had rarely seen him do; he cast a spell using words instead of his staff. As he spoke magical symbols formed in the air around them. A black mist rose from the stone floor, enveloping all those gathered in the room. Rita, Zedd and all their servants soon collapsed to the ground as they breathed the cloud of pure rejuvenating evil.
Zedd awoke a few hours later and took the opportunity to look himself over. His body was bursting with power. He turned and nodded to Goldar who had kept guard for the time they were out.
Rita awoke next. Her entire appearance had changed. Instead on the ridiculous looking cones on her head and the ugly brown garment she found herself in the tradition costume the witches on her homeworld had used for centuries. Her long grey hair reached down to her waist, her black clothes were covered with various symbols of power, used to attract energy from outside her body. Finally she picked up her wand and discovered it had been recharged by the dark magic to the level it had been before the Grid Wars.
Scorpina had quietly got to her feet and joined Goldar on guard. Her armour had a deadly hint to it that had not been there before.
Squatt awoke feeling better than he had ever felt before. He had a new mission in life, to help crush the forces of good and destroy Zordon of Eltare. It was good to be back.
Baboo had changed physically as well as mentally. His claws had grown into talons, his monocle had developed into an energy weapon and his entire body had developed a metal skin. He no longer looked like a joke, he was a dangerous foe.
Finster was the final henchman to stand. The mist had purged any and all goodness from his soul. Although he looked the same, his desire to make truly evil monsters had grown exponentially.
"We did it!" Rita cried as she understood how much she had changed in a matter of hours.
"And now nobody will stand in our way," Lord Zedd told her.
Finster could not bring himself to look Zedd or Rita in the eye. How could he have failed to notice the positive energy that had bombarded them since they had first arrived on the Moon? ~Perhaps because it had affected us before we escaped the Dumpster.~ His monsters would prove more effective now and he would make amends for his past failures by bringing the Rangers to their knees.
In the Dark Dimension, the portal to the mainstream universe had opened and after convincing Zedd of his intentions, Minion had stepped through. The Sword of Darkness was at his side, a weapon he was certain he would enjoy driving through his opponents' chests.
His body adapted as he entered the physical world. He was in the body of a ninja, his uniform consisting mainly of a black material reinforced by a thick vest over the chest and back. A black mask hid most of his face allowing only the glowing red eyes to be seen. A metal guard protected the forearms and lower legs from attack. Finally, in the center of his chest was a golden coin bearing the image of the Jackal, complemented by a small silver pawn embroidered on his upper arms.
"Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa," he said, removing his mask to reveal his face to his saviours. "I am in your service once again."
"Zeddy, you are a genius!" Rita cried as she saw how different Minion appeared. Both Rita and Zedd had long believed that the only way to beat a Ranger was with another Ranger. Turning back to the monster she asked, "What is your name?"
"Mistress Repugna and others have dubbed me Minion. That is the name I will keep. I am Minion, servant of Dagsyxx and loyal to the forces of Evil."
He watched the smile form on Rita's facing, satisfied she had been convinced to trust him. For the time being helping Zedd and Rita was exactly what he needed to do. Deciding to see the Rangers for himself, he stretched out his senses, touching the minds of all those holding Power Coins or Zeo Crystals. He sensed the active Rangers. Tommy, Katherine, Rocky, Adam, Tanya and Trey. He also detected two others, Jason and someone who would soon arrive.
"What is your command Lord Zedd?" he asked.
"First Rita and I are going to take a trip to the Dark Galaxy. It is time my queen saw her empire in all its glory. Squatt and Baboo, Goldar and Scorpina, you may accompany us." He turned to Minion. "The Earth is your responsibility while we are away. When Rita and I return, I expect you to be victorious."
"As you wish my Lord," he said.
Rita listened to what her husband said. As much as she hated to leave the Earth she wanted to see her kingdom. Even during their exile Zedd had not offered to take her there. She wondered how he would react when he found out her father had been annexing parts of the Dark Galaxy into his territory.
Minion meanwhile had decided that the time had come to clear the Machine Empire out of the Sol system. Using a remote control he had built from junk he had located in the Lunar Palace, he used a few intact Cogs to shift the Machine Base back to their own territory.
"Finster, you may remain here and help Minion," Zedd instructed as he his staff to increase the power of Freeze Frame for one last battle with the Rangers. Then with his wife and entourage, he teleported away.
Minion watched as Rita and the others left, leaving only Finster and himself. He glanced at his new assistant. "Let's get started."
Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, 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.
"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."
"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samuel Revilo!"
"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."
"I am Sam!" the seventeen-year-old boy 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: there would be a choice. He could face the monster now drawing nearer or he could jump into 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. Sam 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.
"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, 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.
"Nooo!"
A green rope appeared next to him, dangling in the air, inviting him to grab hold. In his mind Sam could still hear the voice of the monster chasing after him.
"THOMAS PLEASE DON'T RUN. YOU ARE NEEDED NOW, I AM NEEDED NOW. PLEASE ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY."
A thought started to dawn on Sam. Whoever was talking to him knew he was Tommy's clone. It had to be either Rita or Zedd. The villains must have discovered his identity. The voices had been quiet until he had used his coin to save Jason.
~I will not be evil again,~ Sam thought to himself.
Determined to put an end to the force that was tempting him Sam grabbed the rope. In a flash of green he felt himself teleported to another place, still within his mind.
Freeze Frame reappeared next to the school bus. A quick push sent the vehicle off the road giving him a clear shot at the helpless humans still frozen in place following his Flashgun attack.
"Siek-yiah!"
The Red Zeo Ranger 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 appeared to back him up.
"Time for team work," Tommy 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 for their fellow Rangers. 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 monster's lens. Freeze Frame fell back, his lens exploding in a shower of sparks.
"Time to get big!" Freeze Frame called as he started to grow
Sam appeared in the old Command Center. He could sense no life within, wherever he was Zordon and Alpha were not nearby to help him. The room was green, surrounded by images taken from his mind. In one corner were the deeds he had done as the Green Ranger. In the other were the deeds he had done since he had been left in Angel Grove in 1795.
The images formed of his wife; Rosalita Hermandez. They had met not long after he had been in Angel Grove, she had been the Spanish daughter of the chief of a nearby colony. Their love had secured peace between the English and Spanish settlers and he had moved to be with her in Los Angeles.
Sam had been happily married to Rosalita. They had had children together and it pained him to see her die. From then on he had kept an eye on all his descendants before the time had come to return to Angel Grove.
A fuzzy image in another corner caught his eye. The image showed the world he had created for himself so he would be accepted. It showed the lives of the people he had invented going about their own daily routines. In a way they were as real as Sam.
"SO, YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO LISTEN DID YOU?" the voice asked.
"I came here to destroy you," Sam shouted angrily. "You are not going to make me evil again."
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE EVIL THOMAS, I WANT YOU TO ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY AND RETURN TO ME."
"Show yourself!" Sam snapped.
"VERY WELL," the voice replied.
A green mist filled the room and as it cleared Sam found himself face to face with the Green Ranger.
The Rangers were having a tough time dealing with Freeze Frame. The giant sized monster had survived the Zords' strongest attacks and was still standing. The new Flashgun in his hand had paralysed the Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel, leaving only the Super Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord to fight.
"It's times like this I miss Pyramidas," Jason noted from the Super 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 Zords, pulling them inside and producing two black and white copies. As the monster stepped back, the copies attacked, taking the Rangers by surprise.
"What are you?" Sam asked. "Are you my dark side?"
"Give me a break, you're not Tommy," the Green Ranger replied. "You have never denied your dark side and by accepting it you destroyed its power over you. I am the part of you that you are not willing to accept, the part you must accept. It is your destiny."
"You're the Green Ranger," Sam realised, finally understanding.
He had been denying his power for so long it had finally decided to beg for release. He knew the power would not corrupt him, but it would mean getting involved again.
"No," the voice replied. "You have never denied your powers either. Are you really as dense as the original, I didn't think that was possible? You have refused to use them because you have denied me. You used your power when you needed to and didn't when the Rangers could handle it. You have become responsible since the day you were created, but you still deny me."
Sam was really confused. The Green Ranger was not part of his dark side, nor was it the spirit of his coin. It claimed he had denied it, but he had no idea who it was. Finally the frustration was too great, he turned to where the Green Ranger stood and moved towards the image.
"Who are you?"
In response the Green Ranger lifted his hands to the side of his neck and undid the clasped holding his helmet in place. Carefully he removed the helmet and placed it under his arm. Looking Sam straight in the eye and smiled. "Hello Bro,"
Sam was shocked. He had expected a lot of faces to be under the mask but the one he was faced with was his own. Not the face he had created through magic to trick those he was hiding from. This was the face of Thomas Tyler Oliver, Clone of the Green Ranger.
"Now do you understand?" Thomas asked. "I am you and represent everything you have tried to deny for two hundred years."
Thomas saw the look of horror in Sam's face and understood. The original Tommy had managed to survive his ordeal as the Green Ranger by pushing himself into the role of leader. Whenever Tommy lost his powers the doubts and fears, he had experienced would resurface with a vengeance.
The clone was different; he had accepted his dark side and thus conquered it. What he had not been able to deal with was the fact he was a clone. Everything he believed was based on the values taught to him at a young age by Tommy's parents. He had nothing of his own. His powers, face, friends and even life belonged to Tommy.
"You are wrong," Thomas told him. "You are unique. You have experienced things Tommy will never experience. You have made friends Tommy will never know. You have conquered the most difficult horrors to face: your own fears. You don't need to be Tommy, but you cannot deny the part of you that is Tommy. Accept me and become whole."
Seeing Sam was on the verge of making a decision Thomas made one final plea. "You are Sam. Part of you is Tommy, part of you is the clone, but until you accept both parts you can never be whole."
Sam nodded slowly. The whole reason he had rejected the powers was because people related them to Tommy. Now he knew it didn't matter. It was time to be whole.
Reaching out Sam touched the image of Thomas on the shoulder. In a blur of light the image merged with him and for the first time in a long time he felt real.
The copy of the 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 Super Zeo Megazord found itself on the receiving end of a blast from the copy Megazord's cannon.
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 had soon caused him to retreat back into his Tiki.
Freeze Frame recalled the copy Zords back into himself, deciding to finish the Rangers personally. Summoning a sword he stood over the fallen Zords and prepared to finish the job he had started only half and hour before.
Sam 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."
In his hand appeared the fully charged morpher of the Green Ranger. Sam looked at it for a moment and then teleported to the bus where he had last seen the monster. As he arrived, he saw the Rangers' Megazords being hit by two other Zords. The monster had called his copy Zords and dumped the captured Zords on the ground.
Sam watched as Freeze Frame drew a sword and moved in to finish the job. Without a second thought, Sam pulled out his morpher, no longer worried who knew his identity. "Dragonzord!"
As his green armour finished forming Sam had already drawn his sword. Pointing it at the sky, he concentrated on the sleeping Zord deep beneath the sea. A connection formed between sam and the mighty machine, the power telling him how to call the Zord.
"I need Dinozord power, now!"
In his mind Sam could hear the sound of the Dragon Flute, summoning his old companion to the fight. As the Zord drew near, he leapt into the cockpit, taking control.
"Warrior Wheel is offline, Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord will take time to restore and the Super Zeo Megazord is out of power," Tanya reported.
"How about forming the Zeo MegaBattlezord or just separating for individual attacks?" Jason asked.
"No good," Adam replied. "We haven't got enough power. I doubt we could even summon Cannon Power and aim the helmet."
"Defender Wheel is operational," Kat told them. "But unless we can get upright it's trapped inside the Phoenix."
A familiar sound filled the air, causing Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Adam to look towards the sky. "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 first Zord make its way towards them.
Freeze Frame stood over the Red Battlezord, his sword 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 realise it was impossible. Lifting his sword a bit higher he prepared to thrust.
Then he heard the sound all 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. A moment later it was back as he heard the Dragonzord roar, and watched as the Green Ranger jumped into his Zord.
Minion's sharp senses detected the arrival of a new enemy. Rita and Zedd had overlooked the fact that Minion could not use the Repulsascope and he could not produce an eye beam like Zedd to watch the events on Earth. Luckily Minion was a genius, and soon managed to reprogram the Earth's satellites to send pictures back to him.
As expected he saw the Dragonzord active again and about to attack Zedd's latest monster. ~Let them destroy him,~ Minion thought. ~He's served his purpose.~
He turned towards Finster's lab and walked in just in time to hear the monster maker muttering to himself. He stopped to listen, he had learnt from meeting Finster in the Dark Dimension that he could find out how the monster maker was getting on by listening to him talk to himself.
"… and just a bit more padding here and you're done."
"How's the work going Finster?" Minion asked as he walked into the workshop.
"Five down, one to go," Finster replied. "I thought this might do as the alternate form for the sixth one."
"Perfect," Minion said as he looked the monster over. "Finish his normal form and bring them to the throne room. We'll send them tomorrow."
"As you wish," Finster said as Minion left.
It had taken him a while to reacquaint himself with the Zord. Just as his uniform had changed so had the Dragonzord. Its tail drill had been modified, so in addition to the normal spinning attack, two blades could extend to provide an extra edge. Sam looked at the controls and noticed three new controls along with an empty slot where the control stick used to be.
The power told him to insert his sword into the slot. As he did so, the Zord came alive and moved towards the threat.
"Fire!" Sam commanded.
The arm rockets fired, striking the monster and causing it to fly back away from the Rangers. He waited until the monster stood again and the used the new tail blade to smash him across the face before using the drill to smash the lens.
Freeze Frame retaliated, striking the Dragonzord's chest with his sword. Sam pushed the first button on his control board. The arms of the Dragonzord extended outward, hitting Freeze Frame in the chest. The head and neck changed position as the Zord's body dropped forward so it was standing on four legs. The Dragonzord's mouth opened, releasing a fireball at the monster.
Freeze Frame screamed in pain as the fire started to burn him. He turned back towards his attacker and froze.
Sam pressed the second button on his control panel and pulled the control stick back. The Dragonzord reverted to biped form. The Zord's tail inserted into the ground lifting it into the air. The arms and legs were pulled into the body as they had when forming the Battle Dragonzord.
From nearby the lumbering form of Tor, the Shuttle Zord moved into view and converted to stand upright. The top split from the bottom, which had transformed into a pair of legs. The Dragonzord dropped into place on top of the legs to form the body and head, the top part of Tor split in half from top to bottom, both halves transforming and connecting to the body as arms. Finally the Dragonzord's tail transformed to form the lance the Rangers had once used as part of the old Battle Dragonzord combination.
"Turtle Battle Dragonzord, online!" Sam called as the machine powered up.
With a final effort Freeze Frame gave a howl and charged the giant Zord. Lightning struck the lance, feeding power into it. The Zord lifted the lance into the air and drove the point into the charging monster.
As the Rangers watched, Freeze Frame exploded, simultaneously restoring the bus and its passengers to their previous state. As the students woke up, they noticed the four Megazords lying on the floor with the Turtle Battle Dragonzord standing over them. Knowing this was bad for public relations, Sam used his Zord to help the Red Battlezord and Super Zeo Megazord back to their feet, at the same time recharging the remaining Zords with enough energy to teleport back to their holding bay.
Satisfied that the job was finished Sam pulled the sword from the control board, sending his Zords back to their hiding places. He then demorphed and sneaked back to the other students, noticing Tommy and company emerge from the bus where apparently they had been frozen.
"Alright people," Ms Randall said, taking a final look at the wrecked monster in front of them and thankful the Power Rangers had been there to help. "It's time we were back in Angel Grove. The trip will have to wait."
Later in the Power Chamber,
With Alpha's help Adam and the others had finally managed to restore the Zords to fighting condition. The Warrior Wheel would be offline for some time, but 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.
"I am not sure Tommy," Zordon replied. "I think we can assume he is on our side since the power has accepted him."
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 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 managed to find the abnormality I detected?"
"No Zordon, I cannot find any readings on the Moon," Alpha replied. "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Rita and Zedd have gone!"
Zordon double-checked Alpha's findings and discovered he was correct. He checked the remains of Machine Empire and found they had also vanished. ~Perhaps Earth is safe again,~ he thought. He doubted this was the case, but it never hurt to hope.
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.
Alpha continued to work as the Power Chamber went dark, the little machine happy the Rangers were safe and away from the fighting.
End
Chapter 2: Dark Waters
Disclaimer: 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. Tommy's experiences in this story were inspired after reading Shards of the Mind by Justin Lam.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline. In relation to the show, this would take place between the end of Zeo and the start of Turbo. The Machine Empire was not blown to pieces in this story.
Dark Waters
The cool breeze caused his robes to shift slightly as he stood alone on the hill. Behind him there was a mature apple tree alive with the buzzing of the bees that nested there. By his foot sat a squirrel, foraging playfully in the day's heat. On his finger rested a small bird, cheerfully singing its little tune without a fear in the world.
His name was Minion and he had a mission: to conquer the planet known as Earth and crush the Power Rangers before Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa deemed to return from their little excursion. At the moment he was indulging in the old saying know thy enemy as he stood watching the views and imagining how it would be when he destroyed everything.
With a thought his aura flared, the tree withered, the squirrel choked and the little bird was transformed into a pile of ash and bone. He didn't have time for beauty, only vengeance and perhaps his mission.
Rita and Zedd had set him a task and even though he didn't need to obey them, their purposes and his were the same for the moment. The witch and her husband hadn't specified how he was to accomplish his goal, nor for that matter had Dagsyxx, the being who had rescued him from the constant torment of the Dark Dimension only to enslave him, dictated how he was to carry out his mission. That suited him just fine because he was aware that completion of one part of his task would somehow further Dagsyxx's goals, perhaps even grant him the freedom he didn't have right now. Therefore, Minion chose to concentrate on crushing the Power Rangers first.
Crushing the Rangers was a problem. They reminded him of cockroaches, surviving the worst that their enemies could throw at them. Even losing their powers and reverting to children had failed to put an end to their efforts. At that time another team of Rangers, which had disappeared again when the effects of the Orb of Doom were negated, had aided them. While revealing how dangerous his enemies would prove, it also gave him a starting point in his campaign.
And there lay a problem he could deal with. The Rangers had allies, those who would back them up in a time of crisis. And if the Orb of Doom episode proved anything then their allies were just as dangerous to his plans as the Rangers themselves. His mind focussed on two particular sets of allies, two groups who owed the Rangers of Earth a debt of some nature. The Alien Rangers of the planet Aquitar sprang to mind. The Rangers had aided them against the Hydro Contaminators and Billy, the former Blue Ranger, was still on Aquitar. Then there were the people of Triforia, namely Trey, Trent and Travis. While only Trey held the power of the Gold Ranger, there was always the chance that the other two could prove bothersome.
They posed a problem, but Minion had an easy solution. He would wipe them out, pre-emptively. He would crush Triforia and turn Aquitar's waters into a bloodbath. He couldn't do it alone, Dagsyxx had not granted him the ability to be in three places at one. He would need to find outside help, recruit others that he could dispose of when the time came. His mind drifted to those he had seen in the Dark Dimension and a grin cross his face.
In a puff black smoke he was gone. He knew who he could call on to aid him. Who better to teach the Aquitians some respect than a creature they had helped to imprison?
To the casual observer Aquitar was simply a world covered by ocean. There were no islands above the surface and the entire population lived in domes several miles under the sea. As Billy Cranston had discovered during his long stay on the planet, Aquitar was more than just a water world.
True, the planet's population needed regular contact with the pure water to survive and as a result did live under water for most of their lives. However, they had also learnt over many thousands of year's evolution and experience that some tasks were better performed on dry land. Using advanced technology they had managed to force a chunk of the seabed to the surface, where the Aquitians had been able to build a landmass. Several such operations had taken place centuries ago.
However, many on Aquitar had protested against the creation of more islands. As a result a set of floating cities had been created. Shielded from view so as not to spoil the scenery and floating two miles above the water, using pollution-free repulsor lifts, the platforms allowed for the building of machines too delicate to be built in water.
Billy Cranston was lying on one of the smaller islands, his back against the ground; he was watching the stars, trying to find the planet of his birth; Earth. Although he had kept in touch with the other Rangers through the Power Chamber's communication systems Billy still felt left out from time to time. Most recently he had learnt about the return of the Green Dragon Ranger and more importantly, the disappearance of Rita and Zedd. He had spent many hours wondering who the new Ranger was and where he had got his power.
"Billy?" a voice asked.
Billy looked around to find Cestria smiling down at him. It was hard to imagine that a few years ago he had been a geek, picked on by bullies and hiding behind long words. Then he had become a Ranger and had strengthened his bond with his four best friends. They had helped to draw him out, letting him feel like he belonged. Tommy had joined later and although the team had changed Billy had always felt he had a home.
Then the Power Coins and the Command Center had been destroyed and Billy had felt a part of himself disappear with them. Even the new Power Chamber and Zeo Powers were not enough to make him feel part of the team. Too many changes had taken place, especially within Billy. When he had used his device to return to his normal age, he had not counted on continuing to age. As a result his one real chance to become a Ranger had been lost when he was unable to claim the Gold Ranger Powers.
He sighed to himself. He might have lost his chance to be a Ranger, but he had found something greater, Cestria. He had loved her since they had first met. They had spent time together during the battle with the Hydro Contaminators and even more time together while he was undergoing treatment. Together they had made themselves a home and hoped someday to adopt a child for themselves.
"Are you okay?" Cestria asked, the concern evident in her voice.
"Affirmative," Billy replied, grinning at his use of the word after learning to say just 'yes'. "I was just contemplating the identity of the Green Ranger the others were telling me about."
Cestria nodded and joined her lover looking up at the stars. When they had first gotten together, she had felt they would not last. But as the weeks had progressed, she had found herself ever more drawn to him. Then he had asked her to marry him. She had agreed and the ceremony had taken place.
The relationship between an Aquitian female and a human male had raised a few eyebrows especially when it had been revealed he was from Earth, a planet considered barbaric by most standards. Billy had been surprised to discover that Earth was a restricted planet. The only interference allowed was the placement of a Ranger team.
Even so Cestria was proud of the way Billy had conducted himself. He had accepted the fact he had a lot to learn and had maintained an open mind. Their wedding had opened him up even more as it was discovered Billy was a latent telepath. His skills had increased through training to the extent where he could now speak with others and had a sixth sense about danger.
"Do you miss them?" Cestria asked.
"Sometimes," Billy replied. "But my heart is here now, with you."
The two lonely figures were silent as they watched the stars above them, unaware that in the not too distant future their happiness would come to an abrupt end.
The security of the planets within their jurisdiction was something many within the Galactic Council took lightly. The deployment of Ranger teams on many worlds had ensured that early warning had become a convenience as opposed to being a necessity. Aquitar was one of many worlds that were ignored. After the Hydro Contaminators had been forced to sign a peace deal, the world was considered safe from further attacks.
However long before the Council had adopted its negligent stance to planetary defence, Zordon of Eltare, the being assigned to ensure the safety of the Earth had spent a brief period aiding the Aquitians to protect themselves. He had proved to them that security was not something that could be taken lightly. High above the planet he had positioned satellites, three thousand six hundred to be precise. They were supported by similar sensor arrays positioned strategically throughout the star system and interlinked through automated monitoring systems on outlying planets. Combined with the hardware they had positioned inside the Aquitian Command Center, the machinery provided a sensor net that could detect objects approaching from any direction. And when needed they could be used to observe the events on any other planet in the star system.
It was satellite 2681 that first detected up the problem. It accessed its memory subroutines and searched for a comparative event.
It had identified a Category D burst of energy accompanied by a twenty-six-second tear in fabric of space, clear indication that something had entered the solar system at speed in Sector DD24. Unable to detect the source of the energy surge, the satellite sent a routine request to its neighbouring satellites, asking for data confirmation.
Satellites 2680 to 2688 reported no record of such an observation. It ran a second memory check, this time deciding to check with some of the other detectors positioned throughout the solar system. The request came back as negative, not really surprising given the area the outer scanners had to cover and the satellite's logic circuit decided that in light of the lack of evidence, it had been a false reading.
Satellite 2681 removed the alert marker it had been preparing to transmit and instead logged a maintenance request to deal with a suspected misaligned lens. This marker was then transmitted to the Command Center's computer system for possible follow up.
The computer in the Command Center received the report, prioritised it in accordance with its database and scheduled a full system check as soon as it was possible to do so. The actual anomaly was placed in a sub folder of unknown events and ignored when Corcus printed the overnight reports on the printer Billy had acquired from somewhere, and then neatly filed in a cabinet somewhere near the Battle Borgs' Holding Area.
So it was that a tiny object no bigger than an average human landed on Aquitar without resistance and after ensuring there would be no investigation into his arrival, went as planned. Minion was on Aquitar, not to conquer the planet, but to unleash something that would prevent the Aquitians offering assistance to the Earth in the near future.
Allowing his instincts to guide him, Minion teleported to the remote side of Aquitar, a place that had been deemed too deep for colonisation during the time that the Hydro Hog had terrorised the world. It was referred to as the Dark Waters of Aquitar over which the Hydro Hog had claimed ownership. It was the high levels of sodium and other heavy metals though that made the area unpopular. Once it had been one of the deepest oceans on the planet. Now after some strange seismic activity, it was a barren waste.
Well, almost barren. In the center of the miniature desert, in an area once deemed too dark to explore even with flashlights, there appeared to be a pool of water. It had been there for an eternity creating the chemicals that prevented Aquitians from staying there too long. Its still surface reflected the light like a giant mirror giving it an undeserved feeling of calm. But it wasn't a body over water; it was a pool of accumulated darkness, twisted and evil it was prevented from dissipating by a barrier of light magic.
It marked a doorway to another dimension, a one-person prison created generations ago. It held the remains of a warrior who had fallen in battle during a great war. It had taken great sacrifice to seal darkness within, but could not prevent some of the darkness from seeping through to poison the waters.
At the boundary of the desert, Minion stopped. He sighed, preparing himself for the difficulty he had yet to face. The being he had come to find was a legend on Aquitar and elsewhere. He was also well known in the circles of inner society for being stubborn as he was ugly.
And speaking of ugly, he had not forgotten his own good looks or lack there of. He definitely was not the clone he had been before his time in the Dark Dimension. He reached for the top of his hood and pulled, feeling the weight and the closeness pull away, several times the small ringlets, sewn into his entire garb to add weight, caught skin and teased him with its cold strokes. He moved on to undo and remove the rest of his outer garb, as the clothing fell to the floor the clinking of the ringlets could be heard. He was not naked, but compared to the protection he had had just minutes before, he might as well have been.
Minion gave his body the once, critically examining himself for the first time since his release. ~This is not the body of a warrior,~ he thought as he noted how lack of use had lost him some of the tone that Mistress Repugna had helped him achieve. ~A soldier, maybe, but not a warrior and never a conqueror.~ What was it that Dagsyxx had called him, a pawn? That was what he resembled at the moment.
His body was puckered with scars, mementos of the wounds he had inflicted upon his own person while enduring the agony of the curse. As he stared, he reminded himself of how thin he was, not that he kept some of the muscles he had developed, but the muscles weren't as bulky or defined as they had once been. He missed that extra size and strength, though he was grateful that the loss of size had enabled him to maintain some speed and agility.
His head still surprised him, where once he had had hair it was now bald and decorated with even more scars, he couldn't even remember what he was expecting in his face, hidden beneath his mask he hadn't bothered reminding himself for too long.
Then there were the eyes. He never used to have red eyes that glowed. They were an indication of the changes he had endured. They were a taint that marked him as different, symbolised his escape from death and alluded to his new status as a pawn. The latter he could blame on the Rangers. Had they not defeated him, outwitted him twice, he would never have been forced to obey Dagsyxx.
With purpose, Minion approached the pool of water, which seemed to bubble as he reached it, as if issuing a warning that it may hide a hot spring within. But Minion knew his reasons for seeking out this spot and would not be tricked by this display, carefully he placed a finger in the pool and was unsurprised when they got no deeper than the fingernails, he withdrew his finger and watched as the semisolid substance covering the barrier oozed off the end, plopping obscenely when it dropped back.
Beyond he knew he would find the being he sought, the one who would ensure the Aquitians played no part in the upcoming battle. All he had to do was provide an opening, since like all prison doors, it required someone on the outside to open it and to provide a verbal invitation for the occupant to step back into the real universe; the latter was a safety precaution to prevent the prisoner from assaulting some poor fool who unwittingly opened a dangerous criminal's cell door. He looked in, and was almost certain he could feel his quarry watching him, beckoning him to enter.
"Turn it off or I'll leave you here," he said firmly as his clothing replaced itself. At once the presence shifted from his mind. Not that he would have succeeded in controlling Minion anyway since Dagsyxx's mental imprint was already etched into his mind.
"Now," he said, without turning his eyes away from the darkness. "Please, step through."
The effect was immediate. The Wall of Light expanded like a balloon, stretching outwards towards him. Minion remained in place, not afraid of a little light magic although there was considerably more than a little magic. The darkness seeped through the light, forming a skin that touched him and then faded away. Minion raised his head, as the last blurring effects of the wall left his vision. Before him stood the being he had come to find: Navius, the Butcher of Aquitar.
"Come," Minion said when it was clear that the ancient plunderer was aware of his surroundings. "We have a great deal to discuss."
The Aquitian thumbed his communicator and bought it to his lips, "Control, Corcus"
"Corcus, this is Control" A warbling voice responded through the device, "Proceed with your report"
The Aquitian male looked around, considering the scene before him. Morphed the man would be the Black Ranger for this planet, part of a team dedicated to the protection of the planet and preservation of order, but following the recent peace with the Hydro Contaminators, which had left the planet changed forever, the Rangers had been involved in more day to day tasks that didn't require the use of their Ranger powers.
Currently he was standing at the place where Minion had first landed, examining the burnt ground with interest. Cestro would have been intrigued, Corcus was merely cautious. The area around him was plain enough, one of the few landmass areas on the planet, the ground lacking obstruction in all direction and with the exception of the scorching, there was nothing obviously wrong. So why was he worried?
"A little over an hour ago," Corcus began, assuming a level tone to ensure communication "after surveying damage to the habitation complex in sector 7-9-2, Lieutenant Oceas, of the Aquitian Defence Force, who was escorting me on my duties received notification from Control that an unidentified energy signature had entered atmosphere and had been overlooked by myself. Since the projected landing was in this sector, Oceas requested that we, as the nearest unit, go to the location it appeared."
"Whatever landed here is both intact and mobile. The energy signature shows signs of scattering."
"He teleported." That was Cestro, obviously the Ranger serving as liaison for the day.
"Yes, we guessed the same. I have no idea where he went though."
"He's gone off planet Corcus," Cestro told him. "I have two energy signatures leaving from a site on the far side of the planet. One of them matches. See if you can find out what it was up to."
Corcus' search had come up empty handed. However near to where the cave had been, he had discovered a small device that he had taken back to base and waited for Cestro to analyse.
"From what we can figure out," Cestro stated to the assembled crowd of unmorphed Aquitian Rangers and defence staff, "It's some sort of automaton, though its primary function is as a stationary beacon…"
"Or alarm" the human, Billy Cranston, added looking up from the circuit boards he was examining "As soon as Corcus uncovered it it's been sending out some kind of signal on local channels, and though we've cleared it from our frequencies, it's still transmitting"
"Are you able to make out any specific messages?" Aurico asked.
"Not at this time," Billy replied "it appears that the language is either too advanced or too primitive for the translator units"
Billy looked back down at the machine on the table, trying to piece the puzzle together in his head.
The automaton was primarily a cylindrical body measuring about 1.6 metres in length, with a wide array of sophisticated appendages arranged around its cylindrical body, the cap-like head featured a cluster of corroded sensors and equipment. It seemed to be kept in one location for the duration of its service. By wiring in a series of monitors, Billy and Cestro had managed to find that it was receiving a variety of scans - accurate photography, zoom-identified details, magnetic imaging, thermal imagery, computer "virtualisation", and some form of bio-scan that seemed to show power levels.
As Cestro continued to discuss details with his fellow Aquitians, Billy spotted a small glowing panel under a layer of dirt, to his eyes it looked to be barely the size of a bottle cap, curious he moved to dust it off with his finger but as he touched the panel a beam of light shot out. Perhaps now they would get some answers.
On the small moon of the planet known as Miro-7, Navius the Butch of Aquitar and one of the most feared figures in Aquitian legend, listened to what his rescuer had to say. In some ways Minion's words excited him, but he remained calm by reminding himself that villains didn't offer opportunities unless they too had something to gain. He wanted to know why Minion was so keen for him to resume his dominance of Aquitar.
"And what do you gain from this little arrangement?" he asked. "Or do you expect me to believe that this is an act of charity."
Minion snorted. "Of course not. When you destroy the Aquitian Rangers, I will be free to strike at the Earth without the worry of reinforcements."
Navius considered the offer. It was as tempting to say yes as it was to rip Minion's head off and attack this so-called Earth himself. He wasn't a fool, Minion would not have aided him unless he had something greater to gain. Alas the desire to regain his rightful kingdom determined his priorities and he nodded his consent.
"Defeat the Aquitian Rangers and you can have the planet," Minion repeated for the third time.
"And its population?" Navius asked.
"Anything on the planet is yours. You can even take the Power Coins if you wish."
"Very well," Navius said after some thought. "We will go now!"
Aurico, the Red Aquitian Ranger, sat in the command chair of the Aquitian Command Center's Orbital Surveillance Module. As normal it was his turn to watch over the planet's early warning system manned by dedicated Aquitian soldiers. Although the planet was at peace, it had long been accepted that in order price of peace was constant vigilance. And unlike the Council, the population of Aquitar did not take their defence lightly.
As a result and in addition to the satellite network, which had already proven itself incapable of successfully analysing every threat, the Aquitians took turns in monitoring the planet's defences, ensuring that any unusual activity could be investigated early without the need for force. Misunderstandings could be sorted and threats could be dealt with, without costing the lives of innocent beings.
"Sir," Corino called. "We have something on long range scans."
Aurico moved over to where the young Aquitian was sitting. Corino was new to the task of lookout, and as such had a tendency to over react. Fortunately for Aurico the younger officer was also a quick learner and had only needed to be told once. Now he just alerted his superior officer instead of the whole planet.
Aurico walked across to where the junior officer was sitting and took a look at the image on the screen. Something large was heading into Aquitar's system at hyper-speed. Deciding that it might be worth a closer look, Aurico activated the comm link to the nearest patrol craft.
"Captain Salm," he said as the image of the ship's senior officer appeared.
"Ranger Aurico," the captain replied politely.
"We have a large unidentified ship entering the system," Aurico told him. "It's not transmitting any identification. Would you mind taking a look?"
Captain Salm smiled, obviously glad to be doing something. "Certainly Ranger Aurico, we will check."
Aurico waited until the captain deactivated his view screen before sending a telepathic message to the other Rangers.
*Tideus, Delphine, Cestro, Corcus, we might have trouble.*
*On our way,* Delphine replied.
Aurico then activated the emergency system to alert the rest of Aquitar to standby.
Navius had wanted to teleport back to Aquitar, but Minion had insisted that the old tyrant used a ship he had gotten from somewhere. Navius was not thrilled with the prospect since his forces were on Aquitar, awaiting his telepathic command to rise and destroy all that stood in their path.
They were purple creatures covered with scales. Standing on two legs, they had round bodies that lack a separate head. Their green eyes peered out at the height of a human's chest and the mouths filled with row after row of razor sharp teeth. They had tails, long slender lengths of muscle tipped with a spiked end and short arms that ended with clawed fingers. They moved with some difficulty since out of water they felt the full effects of their weight.
"Well," Navius said to nobody in particular, "it appears we have been detected. A ship is approaching from Aquitar."
~This should be interesting,~ Navius thought to himself.
"Unidentified ship, this is Aquitar Defence Craft C79, please state your course and intentions." The message repeated itself several times on a continuous loop over the communications system.
"No answer," he instructed the Hydron. "Let them get closer."
He turned to another of his troops and ordered, "Prepare to fire when we are in range and then switch on the subspace antenna. It's time they learn who we are."
Aquitar Defence Craft C79 was a six-man shuttle designed for high-speed interception. The craft had a rectangular body with a slanting nose at the front. On the bottom of each side it had a ski that housed the engines and provided extra manoeuvrability. As standard for the model the designers had not included weaponry other than a small laser for self-defence.
Captain Salm sat in his command chair, waiting for the unidentified craft to respond. There was something familiar about the way the ship was approaching, but he couldn't place it.
"No response sir," the Communications Officer reported.
"Keep trying," Captain Salm replied. "Helm, take us closer."
The ship continued towards the oncoming vessel. As they got nearer the other ship dropped out of hyper space just short of Aquitar.
"Sir, that ship is announcing itself as belonging to Navius," the Helmsman stated, panic evident in his voice.
"Nonsense, Navius is a myth. Still, better to play it safe. Set a course for the planet!" Salm ordered. He turned to the Communications Officer and said, "Send a message to Aquitar, top priority. We'll deal with this Navius on our terms."
The whole ship rocked as it was hit by a blast of laser fire. A second more powerful shot crippled the shields and the third shot caused the ship to explode.
"Replay" Billy said, his voice crisp and clear. He must have misheard. He begged whatever deity looked down on the Aquitian people that he had misheard. Beeps and whirring followed, which Billy now recognised as the voice recognition confirming and the system preparing to launch its hologram playback.
Since the teen had skimmed the front panel of the machine, it had managed to set-up an internal translation package based on his vocalisations, enabling the machine to recognise the Earthen language and to translate its media accordingly. That media had already been replayed seven times since it's uncovering, every time leading to in depth discussion on suppositions between the Aquitians in the room. To Billy the message was clear: ~This is probably very bad.~ Since then things had been getting worse.
The Aquitian Rangers had been called to a meeting some time ago and Billy had a feeling it was more than a coincidence.
A tinny voice emerged from the machines speakers, "Visitor. Warning. Be advised that by order of the Galactic Council, this site has been designated as restricted under Act Twenty-Thr -"
"Skip," Billy interrupted "Restart at point 12."
A whirring noise followed and from the capped head a green beam was emitted, slowly forming inside was the head of a humanoid. The mouth of the holo-image was already moving, speaking in a different language, before the dub caught up "I am Tscable, Yellow
Grid Master. The area you have entered is the prison zone of Navius, the Butcher of Aquitar. Navius should be considered at all times infinitely dangerous."
At that moment the alarm sounded and Billy groaned. He had hoped it would be a coincidence, but no such luck. Aquitar was under attack.
Aurico and the other Rangers watched the explosion on the monitor. As emergency systems were started, the five Aquitian Rangers together with Billy and Cestria were teleported to a command room where they prepared for battle. Although Cestria was not officially a Ranger, she had been given the task of acting as the Rangers' eyes and ears when they were in combat. Billy on the other hand was a Ranger. Although he could no longer draw on his powers, he had the experience and spirit to fight to defend the planet.
*Planetary Defences have been activated,* Delphine advised the others in the room.
Despite the fact they still had no idea who they were facing, the Rangers had decided to take no chances after witnessing the C79 destroyed. Aquitar had a formidable defensive plan against invaders, and although the defence grid had not been completely repaired since the battle with the Hydro Contaminators, it was still sufficient to see off most attackers.
As the planet's armed forces activated the defence systems the planet's shield was shifted into position. Covering the entire surface of Aquitar, the shield was a defence against bombardment from orbit and the occasional meteor strike. On the planet's surface the floating cities were pulled towards the raised islands to act as cover for the more valuable cities below. On each platform a set of weapon systems were brought online; surface to space missile systems designed to fire on enemy targets.
Finally, the entire population of Aquitar was warned about the possible attack. With the defences in place, the final say in defending the planet was in the hands of the Aquitian Rangers.
*We're getting a signal,* Tideus reported.
The monitor screen came to life revealing a face that the Rangers had hoped never to see. "This is Navius calling the planet Aquitar. By my order you will surrender."
To emphasise the point the planet was hit by a blast from Navius's ship. Despite the shields deflecting the blast, the whole planet shook from the assault.
"You have two hours to surrender," Navius added as the screen went blank.
The Rangers did not surrender of course and two hours later the battle for the planet Aquitar was underway. It was only when the battle had commenced that the Rangers had noticed the gap in their defences. Aquitar was all set to defend from attack from space, but ill prepared to repel the forces Navius called on. The bulk of his warriors had been sleeping in the deepest depths of Aquitar's oceans until he returned. As Navius' ship and his crew of Hydrons had bombarded the shield from above, the rest of his forces moving in to attack from behind.
The Aquitians were fierce warriors and fought back against the invaders. Although they were outnumbered, their weapons cut through line after line of Navius's creatures. The Hydrons were as stupid as they were ugly and no matter how many of their brethren were cut down by the Aquitian warriors, they continued to push forward.
As the fighting continued it became clear to the planet's defenders that swords and spears were more effective against the Hydron army than blaster bolts. The Rangers had morphed and thrown themselves into battle, inspiring their forces to fight harder. Cestria found Billy watching the battle from his own private chambers where he had been shifted when the fighting had moved too close to the Command Center. He had been told not to intervene in the battle unless he was forced to do so.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
"I am trying to ascertain the method Navius utilised to crack the planet's shielding." The bombardment from above was just as lethal as the forces on the ground. "If I can discover a way to reverse the action, we can restore the defences." He paused long enough to watch the Rangers cut their way through another line of Navius's troops.
"Oh no," Cestria commented. Navius had just summoned a sea monster to breach the walls of the Aquitian cities. The Rangers had summoned their Battleborgs in response.
Only now after spending time getting to know the Rangers did Billy realise just how unsuitable their Battleborgs were for the environment of Aquitar. When he had been told that Ninjor had given the Aquitians their machines, he had assumed it had been because their powers were the same as he and his fellow Earth Rangers had gained from Ninjor. This was true. However, just because the Battleborgs complemented the Rangers didn't mean they were suited to the environment of Aquitar. Underwater they were at a disadvantage.
That was why Cestro and Billy had created the Shark Zords. Delphine piloted the Great White Shark, Aurico the Red Hammerhead, Corcus the Black Bull Shark, Cestro the Blue Shark and Tideus the Seal Shark Zord. Together they merged into the Aquitian Megazord.
"Billy, what's wrong?" Cestria asked. She could sense her lover was uneasy, but not about losing the battle.
"Something is not right," Billy replied. "From what Cestro told me, Navius was an active warrior leader, not a commander who sat in the background. Where is he?"
"Maybe he's waiting for something," Cestria suggested.
Billy nodded and continued to watch the fight.
With teamwork that had been perfected through years of experience and trust the Rangers fought back against Navius's forces. Despite the numbers, the Aquitians had been able to hold back the Hydrons, allowing the Rangers to take on the larger monsters one at a time. Up until this point the line had held and the cities had been easy for them to defend.
Then the odds changed as Navius somehow managed to summon monsters from even deeper depths of the Dark Waters, sending them against the Aquitians. These creatures were larger and more powerful than normal, drawing their strength from the dark side of the planet.
They had just battled down a monstrous squid when the watery hydra had surfaced. From there the Rangers had slowly but surely been driven back by their opponents. Like a true hydra, every time they removed a head, three more grew in its place.
Billy and Cestria watched the battle as it moved backwards and forwards across the planet. The Aquitian Megazord and the Battleborgs were more than a match for the new creatures.
"Billy, there's something wrong with the Zords," Cestria called suddenly.
Billy looked at the screen and swore when he noticed the Yellow Battle Borg had stopped moving. *Tideus,* he called, hoping not to disturb the other Rangers. There was no response. As he watched Billy noticed both Corcus and Cestro had stopped fighting as well. Their Borgs were fighting automatically, but when attacked by multiple heads, they were relatively defenceless.
"*Delphine!*" Billy called, both telepathically and audibly.
The monitor angle changed to show the Rangers under attack from an unseen collection of warriors. They stood on two legs and had four arms, the lower pair armed with pincers. The Rangers' weapons seemed incapable of penetrating the thick shell like armour and under the heavy blows of the newcomers, they eventually succumbed.
"We have to warn the others," Billy told his wife desperately. "Normal weapons won't work. Cestria?"
"Too late Ranger," a voice said.
Billy turned to see one of Navius's monsters standing in the doorway, a knife pressed against Cestria's throat. Determined not to hurt an innocent while attempting to save a Ranger who might already be dead, Billy had no choice but to surrender. He placed a small knife in his pocket as he did so, keeping hold of it for later.
A burst of boiling liquid tore through the Yellow, Black and Blue Battleborgs. With three opponents disabled the hydra turned its attention to the White and Red Battleborgs. The snapping mouths combined with the superheated liquid had the Rangers' machines beaten. Navius's reserves had not only managed to sneak up on the Rangers, they had disabled three of them and were now aiming for Aurico and Delphine. A cheer was heard as the White Ranger collapsed, signalling their victory.
Just before the White Aquitian Ranger fell, she held out her hand. The Power Coins from the other Rangers floated to her wait palm and she used her other hand to place her Coin on the top of the pile. Her eyes closed as she fought the exhaustion as a sixth coin appeared, unmarked but no doubt capable of tapping the Morphin Grid.
"Stop her!" Navius commanded.
It was too late though. Delphine threw the coins into the air and sent them to a new owner as was the custom of her people; the final act of a defeated Ranger. Then she collapsed.
With the Rangers gone, the Battleborgs vanished. Navius returned the hydra to the depths of the oceans, worried in case it chose to attack his own forces in place of its previous prey. As it did so the fight continued as the Aquitian people fought to protect their cities. By now it was clear that this was a losing battle. With the Rangers gone and the defences shattered, the best they could manage was to slow the enemy advance.
*William, it is time to wake up young Wolf.*
Billy opened his eyes as he felt somebody shaking him. Turning over he discovered the ropes he had been tied with were gone. He took the opportunity to look around his cell, hoping to find a way out.
Next to his feet were the ropes he had been tied up with and the knife he had taken the liberty of concealing earlier, when he had surrendered.
He noticed his cell must have been constructed a very long time ago. It was made of stone with a wooden door. Billy knew the Aquitians had put an end to crimes requiring incarceration years ago and assumed the cell may have been built by other inhabitants of the planet.
Billy took the time to study the door. It was locked by means of a key, which from an inspection of the lock was too complicated to copy in the form of a pick. Both the hinges were made of a dull metal embedded in the wooden door. Kneeling down he ran his hand along the bottom of the door and found no obvious gap in the bottom for leverage.
Standing upright he could feel an extra weight in the pockets of his jeans. Deciding to investigate he turned out the contents into his hand. Six golden coins were revealed, five with the symbols of the Aquitian Rangers. That he quickly realised, was a sign of how dire the situation had become; for the Rangers to send him their coins meant they were either defeated or worse. The sixth coin was slightly larger and lacked decoration. He assumed this had been the coin Cestria would have used when she eventually became a Ranger. It lacked the image of a spirit animal right now.
Billy quickly decided that he should escape first and then try to figure why he had the coins and how he had got them. Pulling himself up to the grill in the cell door, he looked out into the corridor. Outside his cell, two of Navius's Hydrons were on guard. He could also see six other cells, each carefully guarded.
*William, you must escape, now!* A familiar voice said.
*Ninjor?* He asked.
*It is I, young Wolf,* the ancient warrior seemed to say.
Billy realised this was not the same form of the communication as he shared with the Aquitian Rangers. Instead of hearing the message in his mind he felt it in every part of his body.
*What about the others,* Billy asked.
*You must help them. That is why you were given their coins. They underestimate you.* Ninjor told him. *Help the Rangers and they will inspire the people of Aquitar to fight on.*
Billy noticed that in his plan Ninjor made no mention that the Aquitian Rangers would succeed.
Billy felt something burning his hand. As he looked down, he noticed the Blue Ranger coin flashing, the image of the Blue Aquitian Ranger fading and a wolf becoming more prominent. Behind the Wolf Billy could just make out the images of a Triceratops, and a Unicorn.
*Morph Billy* Ninjor's voice said, more insistent.
With a mental shrug Billy decided to do what he was told. Placing the other coins in his pocket, he looked at the Wolf Coin. He had seen Cestro call on his power by flipping the coin in the air, but Billy doubted that would work for him. Instead he closed his eyes and mentally placed the coin in his pocket dimension. Then he remembered how he used to morph and imagined himself pulling his morpher from the pocket dimension with the coin in place. As he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself holding the morpher with the coin inserted and ready for action.
"It's Morphin Time!" Billy called. "Wolf!"
For a moment Billy was overcome by the sensation of morphing again after such a long time. He opened his eyes to find himself in a costume similar to the one he had worn as Blue Ranger, but with the helmet shaped to resemble a wolf's head. He had expected to find himself in the uniform Cestro had worn as Blue Ranger. He quickly decided the person morphing and not the coins decided the uniform.
Outside his cell he could hear the sound of his guards trying to open the cell door. Drawing his Blade Blaster, he fired three times; the first tow shots striking the hinges and the third hitting the lock. Launching himself into the air Billy drop-kicked the door, knocking down the two Hydrons trying to open the door.
As he picked himself up off the floor, he once again drew his Blade Blaster and fired at the nearest Hydra. As the blast hit the Hydron, it exploded like a water balloon. Laying down a barrage of weapon fire, he made his way down the corridor, unsure which way he should be heading. The fireballs the Hydrons unleashed bounced harmlessly from his armour; unlike the Aquitian Rangers, the rise in temperature the impacts caused were uncomfortable not fatal.
*Turn left,* Ninjor's voice said.
Billy did as he was told, keeping his eyes open for any sign of the Hydras. The power of the Wolf combined with Ninjor's mental prodding gave Billy a keen sense of warning. Anytime one of Navius's soldiers tried to sneak up from behind Billy was able to fire his blaster and destroy them. Not that they proved difficult to defeat. If anything, they seemed to grow weaker with each passing minute.
His journey ended when he reached the control room the Rangers had used as their control center. Inside he could make out some of Navius's troops. Delphine had been tied to a chair, her neck exposed to the Hydron's claws. In front of her Navius was standing, a knife placed against Cestria's neck.
Every fibre of Billy's body wanted to rush in and rescue his friends, but with both their lives on the line he could not guarantee their safety. Instead Billy decided to try another approach.
*Cestria,* he called, hoping she had enough strength to reply. From what he had seen Navius had only provided the two females with enough water to stay alive.
*Billy?* the reply came.
*I'm outside the door,* he sent back.
*Get away,* he heard Cestria call. *They're going to kill us.*
As Billy watched, he saw Navius slap Delphine across the face again. "Worthless Ranger. This planet was mine before that pitiful Council interfered. This is for making me waste my time conquering my own planet."
*Delphine,* Billy called. *Tell him to look behind him.*
Using his Ranger powers to analyse the situation Billy managed to find a shot, which would hopefully free Delphine and Cestria. As Delphine spoke the three villains turned to face him, thus releasing their captives slightly. Billy hoped it was enough. Aiming at the ceiling, he fired a single shot, causing the roof to cave in. As he had hoped Cestria was pushed clear as Navius and his soldiers tried to escape the rubble. Delphine meanwhile had taken her cue from Billy and had managed to strike a Hydron in the face with the chair, causing him to fall over.
Unfortunately he had not counted on the other Hydrons that walked around the corner at that moment and attacked without hesitation. The flames missed their targets, but drew the moisture from the environment, quickly leaving both Delphine and Cestria in a state of severe heat exhaustion and dehydration. Billy attacked, dispatching their attackers before further damage could take place. But now he had the added problem that both Cestria and Delphine were in a critical state. He had to get them away from there as soon as possible, but wherever he went had to have sufficient pure water to restore them to normal health. He had not noticed before, but as Navius had summoned more of his warriors, so the waters of Aquitar had been polluted.
Despite carrying two Aquitians, Billy made good progress towards the nearest cloudbank. His plan was simple: restore Delphine so she could morph and then rescue the others. He froze when he heard a group of Aquitians screaming not far away.
Leaving Delphine and Cestria with the water Billy made his way to the nearest view port. From there he could see the Hydrons moving through the makeshift containment camps, randomly killing the captive population and instilling fear in the others.
He heard a scream from behind. As he turned, he saw a Hydron moving towards the spot where Cestria was lying.
"No!" Billy cried, his rage fuelling him as he leapt towards the shadow. "Power Lance!" he called as he landed.
The Power Lance formed in his hands. Spinning the weapon quickly Billy advanced on the foot-soldier. It reached towards Billy, Cestria groaning uncomfortably as the fireball it held drained the vital moisture from her pores. With an effort Billy channelled his power into the Power Lance. He drove the weapon forward and watched as the Hydron exploded, splashing Cestria with blood.
Billy was at her side in an instant.
"B.. illy," Cestria said as he cradled her head. "So sor.."
After demorphing, Billy fished into his pocket and pulled out Delphine's Power Coin. All the Rangers had accelerated healing, but it was also possible for the White Ranger to heal others. Billy had decided a long time ago that each Ranger had a different skill to bring to the team. He hoped that the White Ranger's power to heal others would allow her to heal herself.
"Delphine, morph," Billy told her as he placed the coin in her hand. He placed the blank coin in Cestria's hand, but his wife was already limp in his arms.
"Aquitar Ranger Power!" Delphine called. By this time she had had enough water to at least try. But when she looked into the eyes of the woman Billy held in his arms, she knew it was too late. "I'm sorry Billy."
As Billy watched and Delphine spoke, Cestria's body glowed white for a second as the healing attempt failed. Then it was still. Apart from cleaning some of the wounds Billy was disappointed to find the healing powers had done little to help, no doubt due to Delphine's own injuries. In desperation Billy tried to revive her with some water, but in his heart he knew that Cestria was gone.
"Don't blame yourself Billy," Delphine said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "She is free." She paused, not wanting to sound callous but aware that this was not the time for mourning. Her own wound was such that she doubted she would be fighting in the near future. "Billy, we must try to help the others."
Reluctantly, Billy demorphed and placed Cestro's coin with the others and offered them to her. "Find the others, free the prisoners and try to organise a counter attack. I have other things to do." His words were cold and the worried look in Delphine's eyes meant she understood how close this event had come to pushing her Earth friend over the edge. Still, he was pleased to see that she just nodded and made her way into the camp.
Billy felt the Power leave him as he handed Delphine the coins but she refused them. "I cannot morph now Billy. Keep them, pass them to those who can use them." He had known at that moment that Delphine would not survive long. He took the coins back and while he pocketed Cestro's, he kept the blank one for himself, hoping it would be helpful. As it happened, that was enough for him to transform again. On instinct he let loose a wild howl of anger and outrage before gaining control. Now was not the time to grieve the loss of Cestria. When the others were safe, he would have time to for that.
The time had come. It was time for Navius to reveal the reason he was the Butcher of Aquitar. It was time to transform the oceans of Aquitar into a dead sea.
He was seven feet tall although given his stout body it was difficult to tell. His legs and arms were thick limbs of muscle without bone. He had two toes on the front of each foot and one toe around the back of the heel. In addition to two arms that had normal hand on the end, he had four additional arms consisting of tentacles. His skin was composed of black scales. He wore dark green armour on his shins and white armour on his upper body. He had a thick face with yellow eyes and a fat nose. A helmet that would have looked at home on an old Earth diver protected it.
He was carrying a length of chain attached to the end of a large harpoon type weapon. He was dangerous, the greatest killer in Aquitian history and he was free to resume his reign of terror. The Rangers had fought well against his forces, the Beasts of the Dark Waters. But they had yet to understand that he had risen from the darkest depths.
Around him the Hydrons waited for his next command. They wanted blood and he would not disappoint them.
"Go," Navius commanded. "Bring this planet to its knees"
Billy's escape from his cell had damaged the door to Aurico's cell. With all the strength he could muster Aurico struggled out of his cell and freed his fellow Rangers. Although still lacking Delphine they all agreed to try to help Billy. Their Power Coins were gone, but they were still linked to the Ninja Powers.
"Aquitian Ranger Power!" they called together.
The Rangers found themselves clothed in half-powered costumes complete with face masks. Attached to the front of their costumes was a set of shurikens. The Rangers reached out and took a weapon from subspace.
Aurico found himself wielding a powerful broadsword. Moving it through the air he could see the faint red glow on the tip of the blade.
Corcus found himself holding a bow staff. A black cloak was attached to the back of his uniform.
Cestro was holding a small axe. On his left hand a set of steel blades appeared.
Finally, Tideus was armed with a set of Sais. He hooked the weapons into his belt and prepared for hand-to-hand combat.
Together the Rangers made their way out of the cellblock, looking for any indication of which dome they were in. As they rounded the corner, they were confronted by four Hydrons.
Despite their best attempts to fight back, the weakened Rangers were overrun by Navius's forces. Still they fought on, costing their attackers the element of surprise and buying their soldiers time.
Corcus managed to hold out the longest, using a decoy technique to escape his attackers and then strike back. As he drove his staff into the last monster's chest, the monster collapsed to the ground. Corcus turned around in time to see the Navius's harpoon slicing through the air towards him. He ducked, it smashed into the wall behind him and Navius smiled cruelly as he jerked the wall down on top of the Black Ranger.
Billy made his way towards the communication center. As he entered, he was surprised to find it unguarded, although after careful observation he discovered the equipment had been smashed beyond repair. Deciding to improvise Billy opened his subspace pocket and pulled out the toolkit he had designed a while for working on the Zords.
It took him a few seconds to find the equipment he needed: a coil of wire, power cell, and a voice encoder unit and a soldering iron. Carefully opening the main communications console he cleared the wrecked components out of the way, using his Blade Blaster on some of the larger components.
Using the existing wiring at the back of the console, Billy connected the power cell to the antenna on the top of the dome. He then connected the voice encoder to the power cell, using the coil as an amplifier. Now all he had to do was send the message and hope the transmitter dish was pointing the right way. After placing the toolbox back in subspace he was disappointed to find he did not have enough power to send the signal to Earth.
Sighing he demorphed and placed his coin into the coil. As the energy started to flow, he sent his message.
"Help! This is Billy Cranston, former Blue Ranger of Earth now residing on Aquitar calling. Hostile forces have taken control of Aquitar and are killing its population. If anybody receives this message please send help immediately."
Billy was about to send the message again when he heard a noise behind him. He grabbed his coin and rolled out of the way as Navius's harpoon sliced through the communication systems, destroying his makeshift communicator.
"Wolf!" Billy called as he tried to morph again.
*Don't let his weapon touch you young Wolf,* he heard Ninjor say.
Ducking as the sharp weapon moved towards him, Billy summoned his Power Lance and parried the blow. Both Billy and Navius were thrown to the ground as the electricity pushed them away from each other.
"I already killed your friends," Navius said. There was a heavy thump as Aurico's battered body was unceremoniously dumped on the ground. "Don't cry human, now you can join them," the villain mocked.
Billy growled, charging up his Power Lance.
The two enemies battle back and forth, attacking and blocking each other's move. Finally Navius was able to slip past Billy's defences. Using a cutlass blade he slashed Billy across the chest, knocking the Blue Ranger to the ground again. Raising his new sword, Navius moved closer.
Billy waited until the villain was within reach, then jumped to his feet and kicked the behemoth's knee. Before the Navius could react, Billy scissor-kicked his neck, using a sidekick to knock him down.
"Arghhh!" the villain yelled in pain as he unleashed a blast from his eyes.
Billy found himself lifted from the ground, unable to avoid further attacks. In desperation Billy summoned Cestro's sword and threw it at one of the villain's tentacles. As expected, Navius was distracted. Seeing his chance Billy waited until Navius had turned away from him and the eye beams were no longer holding him. He rolled to the ground and split his Power Lance in half.
As Navius finally regained his composure and once again advanced on the Ranger, Billy ran at him, leapt into the air and energised his weapons. Striking with first the left half of the Power Lance, then the right half and finally stabbing both parts into the armoured helmet Billy stepped back as Navius collapsed to the ground.
Billy followed through, allowing his grieve to fuel his anger. The Rangers were gone; he had not missed bodies behind Navius when he had entered. Aurico's corpse had confirmed the identity of the others. Cestria was gone and with her loss, his life on Aquitar was at an end. When this was all over, they would be too busy dealing with the many civilians who were injured or worse dead to care about a lone human.
His efforts were not sufficient though. Even as Navius grew to full height, breaking through the dome and into the open air, Billy recognised that this fight would continue for some time to come. And with the Rangers, the Blue Ranger doubted that the Aquitians were likely to emerge victorious.
Billy rolled as he felt the end of the harpoon hit the ground. With Navius at full height Billy knew he was outmatched. Drawing his Blade Blaster Billy fired, hoping he could cause some damage to the giant monster.
*Billy,* he heard Ninjor's voice say again. *Call on your Zord.*
*The Zords are gone,* Billy replied.
He remembered the two Zords he had operated before Master Vile had manipulated time with the Orb of Doom. The Ninja Zord had been at times the most powerful Zord he had ever controlled and the Blue Shogun Zord had made even that Zord seem weak.
*Call on the Zords Blue Ranger,* Ninjor insisted.
Trusting the his former teacher, Billy closed his eyes. With Ninjor's spirit guiding him, Billy reached deep into the Blue Ranger powers.
Billy found himself drifting down a corridor towards three blue doors. Behind them he realised were the powers of the Blue Ranger. The first draw was marked by the Triceratops. The second door had the image of the Unicorn on it. The image of the Wolf was on the third door.
Billy considered which door to open and chose the third door. As the door opened, knowledge flowed into his mind, telling him how to operate the Wolf Zord. Placing his hands on his belt Billy teleported back to reality.
"Blue Battle Borg online!" Billy called.
As he watched the might warrior appeared in front of him, now fully recovered from its battle with Navius's monsters. With Billy guiding its moves, the Battle Borg was barely able to hold its own against the villain.
With a quick swipe Navius struck the Battle Borg with the razor tips of his tentacles. The harpoon weapon was still in use, but Navius had kept it attached to the launcher as a blade. It was redundant though as Navius used his other arms to strike the Battle Borg's arm.
"Ninja Wolf Zord, Power Up!" Billy called as the pain from the Battle Borg was transferred back to its operator.
As he leapt into the air, Billy was transported to the cockpit of his Zord. As it accelerated towards the monster, it pounced at the villain, trapping the monster's left arm with its teeth. The Battle Borg meanwhile had produced a larger version of Cestro's old sword and hacked at the other arm.
"Get off!" Navius demanded.
Large bolts of energy erupted from his arms, throwing the Zords to the ground. Inside the Wolf Zord Billy struggled to regain his senses.
"Blue Shogun Zord, now!"
As Billy called the most powerful of the three Zords appeared, armed with a version of the Power Lance. Billy teleported to the Shogun Zord's cockpit and the new Zord battled with Navius, who once again wielded his harpoon.
While Navius was distracted battling the Shogun Zord, the Battle Borg and Ninja Wolf Zord attacked. The Wolf Zord pounced on the monster as he tried to block a blow from the Shogun Zord. The impact knocked the villain off balance. The Battle Borg took the opportunity to jump from the Shogun Zord's shoulders, slicing the villain's harpoon weapon in half.
"Wolf Zords, full power!" Billy called, placing his power coin into the slot in the Shogun Zord's cockpit.
The Battle Borg stood up and ran towards the Shogun Zord, which opened to hold it. As the Battle Borg slipped inside the Shogun Zord closed around it to form a powerful body.
The Shogun Zord began to transform, its body changing from humanoid form into an animal form. The head retracted into the body, the arms transformed into the front legs and the legs transformed into the hind legs.
The Ninja Wolf Zord meanwhile pulled its legs and tail into the body along with the head. The body then transformed into a large wolf head and connected with the neck of the Shogun Zord. A loud growl erupted from the large wolf as it began its final assault on the stunned monster.
As the Zord ran it built up speed. Navius braced himself, expected the Zord to simply run through him. Instead, as the Zord reached its top speed Billy pressed a button on the control board. Claws emerged from each leg and the Zord opened its mouth wide and jumped. The rest of the battle was over with quickly. The Zord struck the powerful monster at full speed, its claws and teeth breaking through the monster's skin, ripping him to pieces. As each claw and tooth penetrated a bolt of blue energy was released as Navius teleported away. Exhausted Billy powered down the Zord and teleported to safety.
Billy awoke to find himself on the small landmass he had rested on the night Aquitar had been invaded. He had somehow demorphed and managed to stay safe. In the distance he could hear the sound of fighting. Navius's defeat had not signalled the end of the battle as he had hoped.
The Rangers were gone, but the planet's military were leading the counter attack and were even now struggling to keep the Hydrons from solidifying their hold on the planet. Even so, the future of Aquitar looked bleak. The planet was a mess and would be for decades to come. The environment had been messed up by whatever poisons Navius had released in the water. Many of the cities had been destroyed, many Aquitians had been killed. The platforms were damaged and would need time to fix, the defences were for the most part gone and until the last of the invaders were driven back, Aquitar was a very vulnerable world.
And to make things worse, Cestria was gone. He had loved her since the day he had met her if not as his true love then something very close. And she had been taken from him without the chance for him to say goodbye.
*Do you really think it is that easy to lose me William Cranston?*
"Cestria?" Billy asked in awe.
He was starting to feel her loss now and was certain this was what was causing him to hear her voice. Then he started to see the image of her in front of him and knew he was going mad.
*This is not an illusion,* Cestria's voice said. As Billy watched, she appeared in front of him. "I shall always be with you."
"I can't go on alone," Billy sobbed.
"You don't need to," Delphine told him as she and the other Aquitian Rangers appeared next to his fallen wife. "We are linked forever through love and the Power. Nothing can separate us, not even death."
Billy smiled as he felt his link to them strengthen. "I love you," he said to Cestria.
"I know," she replied. "But you still have work ahead of you Billy. Aquitar needs help, Ranger help."
Billy nodded. He knew that she wanted him to go to Earth and ask for help. It would not be the first time Aquitar had sought Zordon's age. Billy had no doubt their pleas would not be ignored this time.
He teleported the short distance to the shuttle station. An interplanetary teleport was out of the question, when the Command Center had fallen the teleportation apparatus had been destroyed. That meant that as much as he loathed the idea, he would have to use a shuttle pod.
"Time to go," he said to nobody in particular as he slipped into the launch area. There was the sound of engines warming up as the shuttle launched into the sky.
"Hang on guys," Billy whispered as he looked down at the planet he had called home for months. "I'll be back, I promise." Then he settled back and endured the journey, thoughts of Cestria distracting him from his fear of enclosed places at least for a short time.
Far away from Aquitar, Minion reviewed the events of the last few days. He had not expected Navius to lose; Billy regaining any sort of power had been unthinkable. But in the end he had to admit that things had turned out for the best. Billy was in transit and out of contact with the Rangers. Aquitar would fall before the Blue Ranger could return, Navius was not as gone as Billy thought. His goal had been accomplished regardless of what happened. Be it a short battle or a long war, the Aquitians were now too busy dealing with their own problems to help the Earthlings and Billy could be dealt with when he arrived.
Now it was time to deal with Trey.
End
Chapter 3: Tradition of Treason
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
Tradition of Treason
"I yearn to return to the battlefield, I crave the screams as I extinguish the lives of countless innocents. But I cannot, yet. The Earth is the key to my return. On that world or close by there is the apparatus I can use and its defenders are the greatest weapon the opposition possesses. The planet is a beacon of hope that has been shining for so long that few will miss it until it is extinguished. Go to Earth, secure me the machine I seek and prepare for my chosen's arrival. Then help him to destroy the ones known as the Power Rangers, and pave the way for my return to glory."
He remembered the conversation although the words had somehow changed. The conversation he preferred to remember had given him the task of destroying the Power Rangers, had contained a promise that he could personally destroy Tommy Oliver and the others that had caused him to agree to Dagsyxx's terms. Although he would admit that the unrelenting pain of having his body torn apart had been a convincing argument.
Now he was faced with a choice, did he obey the orders that echoed through his mind or should he follow the orders that he believed that Dagsyxx should have given him? He wanted the Rangers destroyed and had taken the first step to ensure their destruction; the Aquitar campaign had proven a huge success. Without the Alien Rangers and Gold Ranger as backup, the Rangers could not afford to lose a single battle. He didn't care about Dagsyxx and his desire for a body or anything else for that matter. He was going to destroy the Rangers and then conquer the planet.
And so he decided to commence stage two of his plan: the removal of the Gold Ranger. And so he went to Triforia, a world where technological and spirituality had been combined in an atmosphere of learning and development. The royal family were seen in the same ways as the Egyptians of Earth had once viewed their Pharaohs. They were gods to be worshipped and adored by the population, their word to be obeyed above all others. The Nebka dynasty had reigned over the world for hundreds of thousands of years with one king succeeding another to bring a continuing sense of security and wealth to their people.
And while their beliefs made them appear simplistic, their society was anything but backwards. Art and music were valued, science reaching greater levels of development as their space exploration continued. Their soldiers were as capable with swords and shields as they were with bio-suits and antitank rockets. They were a race that while facing forward had never forgotten the dark past they had left behind.
Time had passed and some parts of the old ways had disappeared, making way for the new. Triforia had evolved, but while some of their superstitions had been left behind, the belief in the Golden Goddess who had bestowed on the people the means to protect themselves and the position of the Royal Family as their greatest protectors.
It was therefore amusing to Minion that his plan involved turning a member of the Royal Family against his own people. He had selected Terr, the black sheep of the family to aid him. Terr would gain power and wealth and in return Triforia would decline to answer any calls for help from its former allies.
Long ago Triforia Prime had sent forth ships to colonise its apparently barren neighbours, founding a great commercial empire between worlds. The Triforian System as the final commonwealth of worlds became known was blessed with a wide variety of animal and plant life. And although the majority of those on Triforia itself were clearly humanoid, on the other worlds it was a very different story.
The system consisted of three central suns around which, five planets orbited. The three primary planets were the same size as Earth and had the same atmosphere and gravity. They were named Triforia, Drallax and Zecht. The two smaller planets of Tralus and Talus were habitable, but had an increased level of gravity.
Triforia itself was the second planet from the suns and home to system's humanoid population. Time had caused them to abandon the religions of old, mindless and constant dedication now watered down to occasional pilgrimage. Science had confirmed the existence of the three intermingled souls that made up each Triforian humanoid, but so far the only recorded case of a manifestation of all three souls was Lord Trey, the current heir to the throne.
Triforia was the system's government and their representative to the Galactic Council. Therefore the King or High Lord of Triforia as some now called him was the ruler of the entire system. The traditional protector of the planet, the King Ranger had been replaced with the being known throughout the quadrant as the Gold Ranger. Seven sacred artefacts used by the King and the heir to ensure peace had been melted down to forge the mighty Golden Power Staff. The pyramid tombs had been moved to a new place where they would remain undisturbed by the planet's development. The exception was the fabled Dark Pyramid, which nobody dared to disturb.
Drallax was a desert world, dry and warm. Apart from a few speculators who mined the planet for precious metals, the planet considered too primitive to visit. The native Dralls were larger that Triforian humans with large hands. They usually lived underground and their bodies were developed for digging. The few creatures that lived on the surface were either scavengers or bandits. It was also the place where Triforians buried their dead, a process that dated back to the times of the pyramids. The dead were placed in caskets and then entombed in pyramids, which in turn teleported, the caskets into the neighbouring planet's core.
The third planet, Zecht, was a world similar to Earth. Instead of the high concentration of Iron in the air, the planet was mostly copper and had resulted in some bizarre life forms. At least six different races lived on the planet each with a separate continent. The blue skinned Ciss were the dominant life form. Next came the green dwarf like Bevins with their four eyes, the orange skinned Ssi-runs, the green skinned Dorrsks and the Quarren. Animal life was abundant and technology had reached its peak. In fact the only reason Triforia was the capital of the System was because the people on Zecht held little interest in politics.
Talus was in a unique orbit that meant it only benefited from the light of all three suns for one month of the year. It was cooler than the other worlds that required weather control to maintain a breeze. Its inhabitants were a highly aggressive and competitive race, which had reached the pinnacle of fighting prowess and then destroyed their weapons. Because their world had three suns, they shared the Triforian Humans' ability to split their souls. Instead of Heart, Mind and Courage, they were able to divide into good and evil. They had mostly green skin with enlarged ears and sharp teeth. They served as both defenders and advisors although it was the advisory role that they preferred.
The final planet in the Triforian System was Tralus. Smaller than the other planets, it was a modern world where nature had taken a back seat to urbanisation. Metal cities towered into the sky where floating platforms provided even more residential areas. Real estate was expensive and only the elite could afford to visit let alone live there. The native Morlos had found a way to produce medicines from the planet's crust, something that brought in a vast amount of money.
It was on Tralus that the Golden Power Staff had been forged from the molten gold within the seven artefacts that symbolised the power of the old kings. The secret chamber hundreds of miles under the surface was filled with precious metal and contained the tools necessary for the production of powerful weapons. It was rumoured but never confirmed that a great
Forge Master had once used the forge's vast resources to create Ranger armour and that it was he who had found the way to recreate the King Ranger into the Gold Ranger of modern times, allowing the wielder to control the wild energy known as magic through the use of a powerful crystal.
The forge had been sealed since that time and it was said that only a member of the royal family could open the vault. And so it was that one of Trey's brother had entered the most restricted zone in the Triforian Star System and had set with the aid of Minion followed a path that would make him king.
Terr had long been the scourge of the Triforian system, following in the beliefs of previous traitors that the regime was too weak to protect itself and that only through enforced rule could loyalty be assured. That the royal line had endured for hundreds of thousands of years made little impression on such people.
Terr had been one of the more successful traitors because he had dabbled in the dark arts of his planet's past. Centuries before he had been sentenced to death and only the refusal of Lord Trey had saved him from that fate. To many that refusal would have been a blessing, to Terr it was a humiliation that he swore to avenge. After serving years in prison, Terr had left Triforia, but recently he had been returned to the planet when they had discovered that he was preying on the populations of other worlds.
Though they could not punish him for acts committed off-world, he was technically under arrest in system. He had endured the unofficial restrictions, claiming that they were a necessity if he was to gain the forgiveness of the people, the same people he planned to use to further his schemes.
The public was concerned about how much time the Gold Ranger was spending on the planet Earth, especially given recent rumours that Trey had become incapable of maintaining the unity of soul that all Triforians cherished. Such a thing was unheard of by many and had been suggested by others as an indication that Trey had been judged unworthy of being the Gold Ranger.
Terr planned to capitalize on the situation and the xenophobia that existed about Earthlings. Many that didn't know any better considered the planet a primitive backwater. Such feelings could be used and Terr was a master at manipulation.
As the fourth born child of a Triforian noble, he was considered by many to be a part of the Royal Family. If left to fate, he would never ascend to the throne or hold the smallest amount of political influence. Of course with the will of the people on his side and the accidental death of the Royal Family, anything could be possible. Providing of course he could devise a suitable accident. Minion had been sure to suggest plenty of unfortunate scenarios.
Earlier that day he had held a meeting with the outlawed Triforian Guardians, a group of warriors selected from the five planets who desired a return to Triforia's past when the religion of the Old Gods had encouraged expansion and aggression against supposed threats. Dressed in black spandex bodysuits covered by a white and gold body shield, white gloves and white boots tipped with gold, they relied not only on the modern weapons of the Triforian military, but the traditional arts of magic.
After a successful meeting where Minion's presence had proved a decisive factor, it was agreed that the Triforian Guardians would support Terr's quest for power in return for control of the Triforian Senate. The Guardians sought control of the minor planets, but that was something they would negotiate later. With the help of the Guardians, some of who were cousins of the Lord of Triforia, the sealed chamber had been opened and those who had witnessed the event had been sacrificed to the Gods.
"I knew it," Terr breathed as he looked into the hidden depths of the chamber. "The legends were true, this forge is the means to create a weapon that will ensure my reign." Ignoring the fighting that followed, he slipped into the chamber and started the next part of his scheme.
Terr worked quickly because he doubted even the Triforian Guardians would understand his next act. Despite its intention to use murder to gain power the Guardians' leadership had some very strange ideas about justice.
The flames licked around the near molten metal, spitting hot ash and burning anything it came into contact with. The heavy hammer connected with the metal flattening the rectangular blob to a six-inch length so he could bend it back on itself to create a crisp fold. Striking it again the forger continued to build the perfect blade, ensuring a small hole was left near the tip of the blade for the special surprise its victim would soon come to appreciate.
Ash flew from the flames striking his hand as he continued to work. It did not matter because soon all the pain would be worthwhile. He continued hammering until the metal had been folded over a thousand times. Then he set about forging a blade worthy of a king.
Hours passed as he worked diligently, constantly checking to ensure the blade maintained its shape. Soon he was holding a four-foot piece of molten metal in his hand and testing the weight and balance of the blade. The burns on his hand would be meaningless if he succeeded. He had seen the future and it was filled with jewels from the Royal Treasury.
His fingers dug into the scar on his face; picking out the pieces of metal still embedded there from the last time he had confronted the King and Queen. The wound was caused when their favourite son had taken his role as heir and protector a bit too seriously.
Still, it was those fragments that would give the sword that special armour piercing quality. Placing the golden metal into the blade he smiled as it merged with the metal and his blood ensuring a poison fit for a royal family.
A thin layer of clay along the edge of the blade and a thicker layer along the back ensured a mixture of hard and soft metal as he plunged it deep into ice cold water. Taking a handle and cross bar he fitted the sword together, careful to ensure the little surprise embedded in the hilt was fully movable.
Like a dancer he moved around testing the blade to ensure it was fully balance. All the time he was careful not to cut himself knowing that the metal would be poisonous to his race especially when mixed with his blood.
With the blade complete he considered his targets. He wanted to kill them, but to do so would raise too many questions. Better to have them placed under house arrest for their own protection and then brutally murdered by terrorists.
A knock on his workshop door forced him to stop examining his sword and assume the role life had chosen for him.
"Yes?"
"Terr, I was told you wished to see me," Volar said. "I must admit I am perplexed as to why you are here. It is hardly the place for such a prominent member of our society, especially during this uprising."
"There's an uprising?" Terr asked in mock surprise. Volar obviously did not recall how he had gotten to this chamber. As a new advisor on Triforia, Volar had no idea of how Terr liked to operate.
"Yes Terr," Volar stated in a condescending tone. "There is indeed. I am surprised you didn't hear the commotion."
"Did you bring the body guards I requested?" Terr asked, changing the subject.
"Yes," came the reply. "Although I think it would be wiser for you to return to Triforia."
"Come inside Volar," Terr said. "And bring the guards with you."
Volar did as he was asked, his eyes widening when he realised exactly where he was. The guards stood at attention, their stun batons ready for action.
"You see Volar, I don't need to worry about being attacked by the Triforian Guardsmen," he watched as Volar's mouth opened at the mention of the group. "They are afterall fanatically loyal to the leader. A role I have come to appreciate."
Without warning Terr accessed the subspace pocket he had been given when he was a child. Bringing forth the sword he sliced into Volar's skin watching the pained look appear on the retainer's face. Volar howled in pain, holding his shoulder to stop the flow of blood.
"Does it hurt?" Terr asked venomously.
Volar's companions had drawn their sticks ready for a fight. Terr laughed, they were more servants than they were guards, and their weapons were simply for decoration. He parried their blows for a few minutes before increasing the force of his own blows to snap their batons. He stabbed all four of them and watched with pleasure as they collapsed as the poison took affect.
Moving with speed so they would not die until he was ready Terr labelled each of them. Volar was labelled as the king the others as Trey, his mother and two sisters. With a surgical strike he cut across four of the heads laughing as the blood ran over the floor. He then turned to the heir to the throne.
"I always knew it would be down to you and me Trey," he whispered before chopping off the other's head. "I can't wait to do this for real."
Taking a space-signalling device from subspace, he sent a message to his allies on board the defence stations positioned throughout the Triforia system. They in turn activated their weapons systems, guaranteeing an unpleasant time for any unwelcome visitors who chose to make an appearance, at least until the Guardsmen had assembled their vast fleet of stolen and salvaged warships.
Still swinging the sword he walked away leaving the dead bodies of his servants behind. Outside of the chamber he activated the forge's cleaning control. In a matter of minutes any organic material left in the chamber would be reduced to ashes.
"Long live the King!" he chuckled as he set course for his home world.
Despite official protests to the contrary, normally by one of the King's advisors, Triforia was not solely reliant on the Gold Ranger for its defence. The Gold Ranger was the most recognisable Ranger in the system, but there were others. At the time that the Golden Power Staff had been forged, four lesser powers had been crafted. The intention had been that the Gold Ranger would hold the power while the other powered beings would act as his ambassadors within the system.
Officially only the Gold Ranger was recognised as a true Power Ranger. The Silver, White, Black and Purple Rangers had been deputised to assist. Unlike the Gold Ranger powers, these avatars were not tied to the Royal Family. Lord Trey had agreed to aid Zordon of Eltare in time of need, but the four remaining Rangers were expected to remain in system at all times.
Despite his duty to the Earth, Trey had always been there when needed by Triforia. This time was the exception for even though he was on his way; Trey had no idea of what was to come. In his place the Rangers had assembled at the palace to protect their king. They had reluctantly left him when ordered to aid the ordinary people of the planet. So far they had managed without morphing. That was about to change.
"It's Morphin Time!" Zima, the acting leader called. "Black Ranger Power!"
"Purple Ranger Power!" Knell called
"White Ranger Power!" Fulani cried.
"Silver Ranger Power!" Alexia called.
Unlike the Rangers of Earth, the power team of Triforia did not share an appearance. Each wore armour instead of spandex that had been designed at its creation and had never changed. Nor were their uniforms based around colour. That was the reason for the near monochrome appearance of their bodysuits.
"Black!"
"White!"
"Purple!"
"Silver!"
"Triforian Rangers!"
The attackers paused in their attack, awed by the sudden transformation. Despite having heard of Triforia's other Rangers few had ever seen them. Since the Triforian Guardians were mostly from outside the system, it was even less likely they had laid eyes on the new fighters.
When the Rangers charged, the effect was immediate. The Guardians turned tail in fear of what might happen. Those few who were too brave or too stupid to leave soon found that although their powers were not fully developed like those of the Gold Ranger, the Rangers could pack a mean punch. Soon, as the king's troops joined them, they were able to push the invaders back.
A sudden calm filled the scene and although they had no idea why, everyone stopped fighting for a moment. A stranger had appeared, his face hidden from their view. Raising his hands above his head, the stranger lifted his arms above his head and summoned his own armour. Shingle like armour covered his body, building a layer of slats each reinforcing the level below. Zima recognised the armour from somewhere, but couldn't place the familiar feeling.
"Now you peasants will meet your end," the creature breathed.
Zima got his first look at the creature's sword as it was driven into his side. Sparks flew as his suit compensated for the increased force of the blow. The suit's absorption system drained the force of the blow releasing it as heat and light. What Zima had believed to be the legendary Sword of Darkness was nothing of the sort. As the stranger's armour formed, so the sword changed shape into a blade covered in similar slats.
"Bring it on Rangers," the figure hissed.
Knell was first to attack, driving his powerful body into the stranger. His opponent did not move, simply faded so Knell's own strength carried him forward. When the Ranger was behind him, the stranger swung his sword. The gash although small in comparison to some blows was sufficient to send a powerful message to the other Rangers. Never had a weapon penetrated the armoured parts of their costumes. The remains of Knell's knee guard clattered on the ground.
Fulani and Alexia, normally the most reserved Rangers let out a battle cry and charged. With perfect timing they collided with the figure whilst he was off balance and succeeded in knocking him to the ground. Both stood with weapons drawn warning their opponent not to move. He did and they struck.
"Your weapons cannot hurt me," the black clad stranger told Zima as he hit him in the gut. "And your armour cannot protect you from me."
As the words escaped his lip the stranger exploded into action, slicing Fulani across the chest and watching in satisfaction as she dropped her weapons and demorphed. Blood poured from a small wound. The stranger's eyes glowed brighter as he drove the pummel of hilt of his sword into her head.
"Gleechark!" Alexia shrieked as she vaulted into her enemy determined to avenge Fulani. Her foot connected with the stranger's powerful body doing little damage. "Three phase!"
Alexia's body split into three separate forms, tripling her potential to hurt her enemy. To those who were caught unaware the assumption was that she had somehow mastered the ability to split and merge her soul at will. That was far from true. Two of the bodies were simply illusions intended to distract and confuse. The stranger was obviously one of those who knew the secret since he simply laughed as he ignored the duplicates and concentrated only on fighting the real opponent. He blocked her blows and then showed her how sharp his sword was when wielded by an expert.
"A funny thing about that spell, eliminate the real Alexia and it fades." To prove his point he drove the flat of his sword into the real Alexia's throat, knowing full well that his revelation was based on nothing but common sense. He watched as she dropped to her knees and the illusions followed suit. All three dropped to their knees and then two of them vanished.
Still laughing, the figure turned to face the remaining Rangers and attacked, aiming for the already injured Knell. The powerful Ranger fought valiantly
"Combine powers!" Zima shouted to Knell. It was said too late as the stranger's next blow struck the other Ranger's head.
The two faced off, warrior to warrior. They exploded into combat both stretching themselves to the limit, but ultimately Zima was hit across the leg. A second blow landed into his ribs. Zima gasped and dropped his sword. He attempted to fight unarmed but was clearly outmatched. A second blow to the ribs punctured his lung.
As unconsciousness threatened to overtake him, Zima knew he had no chance. He looked up at the masked face and noted the eyes glowing brighter than ever. No, they weren't eyes, they were part of the visor intended to look like eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am your king and I am the one that is going to see you executed for treason!"
Zima searched desperately for a way to escape. Making the flattest fist he could imagine he jabbed directly for the creature's throat. He felt what should have been the windpipe give way under the pressure he applied. With a feral growl the stranger tore his mask away revealing his face. Zima's eyes went wide as he recognised his attacker.
"It cannot be you," he protested. "They forgave you; Trey spared your life!"
"Yes he did," Terr answered. "And soon I'll make him regret that choice."
"Trey will throw you through the dimensional doorway when he finds out."
The figure grinned, "Your precious Lord Trey is on Earth and has no idea what is happening. By the time he does I will have solidified my hold on the star system."
"You're part of the Triforian Guardians aren't you?" Zima asked trying to find his sword. He had finally recognised the armour.
The figure laughed, a cold laugh without any positive emotion. "I like the name Terr better," he said. "And soon I will be king." He walked behind the last Ranger and ignoring Zima's power, kicked him in the back of the head.
"Hurry Your Majesty, we must get to the shelter," Terr said his voice filled with concern a few minutes later.
Overhead he could see the battle between the Triforian Guardians and the Royal Guard. The Guardians were winning.
"Father, we must help our people," Trianna protested.
As the oldest sister she had chosen to pursue magic as her future art form. Already she was an accomplished psychic, able to link different parts of the kingdom together with her insight.
"There is no time," Terr replied. He was desperate to get this family to the safety of the Royal Bunker.
Triforia's defence forces had scrambled and were picking off the attackers who attempted to land on the planet. The battle overhead sounded like the attackers were winning.
"Look!" Queen Trania shouted. In the distance they could see the spot where the Rangers had been slaughtered. The remains had been placed on pikes to inspire fear. "We must aid them."
"No Ma'am," Terr said quickly. "Tradition demands that the King and Queen are guarded from harm and not allowed to fight in Triforia's troubles."
"A stupid rule," the King muttered but he knew Terr was correct. He was bound by traditions set down in the history of their world. "I must remember to set some new traditions."
"Even so," Terr smiled. "For the time being you have no choice but to obey your defender. Or shall I call back our forces to make you obey. You could almost say that until I deem the emergency over, I am king."
The King knew Terr had won this round. He had taken a rule created to prevent the loss of a sovereign and used it to gain control of Triforia.
"Cheer up," Terr smiled. "It'll be all over very soon."
Something about Terr's tone concerned the King, but he let it go. Soon they were in the shelter designed to act as war room in times of trouble. As the door slammed shut Trania noticed the sword in Terr's hand.
"Terr, you know you are not allowed to carry a sword," she said. The ruling had followed a drunken brawl in which Terr had killed a man. As punishment her son Trey had proclaimed that Terr could never again carry a sword.
"Oh but I am," Terr replied. "The King is allowed to do anything and I am the King!"
As the words escaped his lips, Terr drove his sword into the King's heart. Trinus's eyes opened wide but no sound escaped his equally wide lips. The King dropped to the floor as Terr advanced on the now hysterical Queen.
"If you three ladies would care to stand still I can make this very painless for you. The King has been brutally attacked and you three are the witnesses. As such you are under arrest and will be secured as prisoners until such time as the traitor is caught and you can testify against him."
Trianna blasted him with her magical powers, tapping the mystical energies around her and directing them at her father's killer.
"Please!" Terr droned with a voice that sounded both bored and annoyed. "Don't do that."
Trianna hit him again, but he simply laughed and slapped her across the face, levelling the sword to her neck.
"Try that again and there will be more than one death today," he warned.
Moments later the door burst open and she was relieved that help had arrived.
"Terr!" Tristan growled.
Tristan was Trey's oldest cousin and was next in line to the throne if should anything happen to his cousins. Behind him stood six of the king's finest guards.
"You disappoint me Cousin," Terr hissed. "I thought you would have killed them by now."
"Always the picky one aren't you Terr?" Tristan asked. While Tristan could count Trey on one side of his family, he was related to Terr through his mother.
He spun on his heel and blasted the guards. They collapsed to the ground as the queen and her daughters realised that he had joined the conspiracy.
"You can't kill them," Tristan said.
"And why not?" Terr asked.
"Because we need them to renounce power once Trey is convicted!" Tristan answered, laughing at the look on the queen's face. She looked devastated.
"Tell our forces to secure the other planets," Terr ordered. "Triforia is mine." He looked down at the fallen king. "And call a doctor. It would be better if he died i someone else's care."
Despite the state of almost martial law and the ban on interplanetary communications and travel, things remained calm of Triforia. Terr had followed Tristan's advice and retained the king's advisors as a symbol of the continuity of state. Of course they had no power and were forced to work at gunpoint, but they were still there. It was now a week since Terr had swept to power and life was returning to normal. The royal guard had been disbanded and replaced by the Triforian Guardians.
Prince Terr's coronation was an event long to be remembered in Triforian history. The nobles had looked for any loophole to remove him from power, but found none. Ferin had even supported the application stating that tradition came first. In truth they realised that any attempt to remove him from power would result in blood shed. They could always proclaim the coronation illegal at a later date.
A long possession had taken place from the palace to the Temple of the Golden Goddess to ask for her blessing. The High Priest had conducted the ceremony flawlessly to the point that several people were waiting for. For Terr it would act to ensure his future commands would not be rejected. For the High Council it was their last chance of salvation.
"Does any person here know of a reason why Prince Terr should not be declared our King and keeper of the Golden Power Staff?"
There was no reply. The positioning of Triforian Guardsmen throughout the crowd had ensured the process was not disrupted.
"Then by the power of the Golden Lady, I pronounce thee King of Triforia," the priest said. "All hail Terr."
"Hold!" one of the courtiers, cried. "Terr cannot be king."
"Explain," Terr said in a menacing tone.
"Terr is a former criminal guilty of treason. Only if he is forgiven by a former monarch or the Lord of Triforia can he be allowed to hold an office of power." The courtier deliberately addressed his comments to the crowd and not Terr. "Since the other members of the Royal Family are under arrest, only Lord Trey himself can appoint Terr as King of Triforia."
At Terr's gesture the man was dragged away for what he told the crowd was further research. Inside though he knew he needed Trey on Triforia. He had heard the heir was on the way, but had no idea where he was.
"Terr! Terr!" was the shout from the crowd.
"Thank you, my people," Terr said. "This matter will be resolved. If Trey is alive, we will find him and bring him here to rule. If he declines, we will convince him to name me as the king. We will grow stronger though, this I promise you."
With that he turned and walked away with Tristan at his side. "Contact Huntrax for me Tristan," he said firmly when he was certain nobody would hear. He would be king, even if he had to destroy the planet to do so.
Terr knew the situation on Triforia would destabilise quickly if Trey was arrested, but he needed to do so to secure his position as king. The Triforian Guardians' elite squadron had crushed the pockets of resistance that had refused to accept Terr's coronation, quickly, but the uncertainty recent event had caused threatened to ignite overt resistance. The entire system had been brought to its knees in honour of Terr and his new heir Tristan only to witness their new master's embarrassment when a loudmouthed courtier had dared to interfere.
In the past, the Triforia Star System had been annexed to a great empire, which later fell when its ruler vanished. Released from tyranny, the Triforian Guardians had tried to seize the reigns of the old power and had steadily conquered world after world. They had even succeeded in taking new worlds that were outside the old empire. In the end though a powerful Galactic Council overthrew them.
Millions of years later, the reputation remained. The creation of the Golden Power Staff and subsequently the Power Rangers had eased the fears of many, but not all. And the descendants of the Triforian Guardians remained as strong as ever behind the scenes.
Even on Triforia itself there were still scars from the past; not all the symbols of the Triforian Guardians were gone. The forge would enable him to make those symbols important again. And the key was the Golden Power Staff and control of Pyramidas. Together with the technology the forge could produce he envisioned a weapon capable of concentrating the power of Triforia's three suns and using them to crush armies. The plan relied upon Pyramidas. When used correctly it commanded a weapon capable of ensuring the Triforian Guardians' continued reign.
Sadly over time and without a suitable leader, the Guardians had lost their knowledge of war. There mighty implements of fear and destruction had been lost, their symbols of oppression transformed into symbols of hope and righteousness.
But Triforia's rulers had failed to completely neutralise the threat of the Triforian Guardians. They assumed that the removal of the Golden Power Staff would be enough. All had forgotten their influence on Triforia, at least outwardly. But Terr had learnt the legends and had felt the pull just as others had before him. He studied everything about the mysterious leader, but couldn't even find his name. However, he had learnt of the enchantments placed on the Golden Power Staff and the monstrous machine named Pyramidas. He had known at that time that he was destined to follow his ancestors' path.
Taking the Golden Power Staff had always been the obstacle, killing the king had been easy in comparison. To start with he had simply dispatched the Varox to kill Trey. But Trey was too stubborn to die and the new friends he made on Earth had protected him and his power. With that failure Terr had tried a different approach. Instead of attacking Trey directly, he had set about reforming the Triforian Guardians. With them serving as a private army, Terr had been able to conquer the entire system, but Trey still eluded him. Now after Minion had told him Trey was en route, he knew the day of reckoning had arrived.
Deep Space
Trey sat in the control deck of Pyramidas feeling alone despite his passengers. He knew it was partially guilt at leaving the Rangers of Earth own their own after so recently regaining his powers; Zordon had suggested it was due to Trey's need to be the Gold Ranger once more. Either way it meant that with his powers restored Trey was required to return to Triforia in the hope that the priests of the old religions could aid him in attaining unity. Besides, he needed his father's approval before continuing on his mission.
Behind him he could sense Travis and Trent deep in conversation as they exchanged view on different matters. One spoke emphatically, pouring his emotion into the debate while the other maintained a steady composure, never allowing himself to be baited by his ally's outbursts. Despite the fact they had once been a single entity, it was growing more evident that they had lost more than physical unity in recent weeks. The differences between Travis, Trent and Trey had become more apparent as they had been forced to spend time together.
If he was truly honest with himself, Trey knew that he was happy to be going home. It had been a long time since he had left to carry out his mission as the Gold Ranger. Travel between Triforia and Earth was slow and in Pyramidas, a machine built more for power than its hyper space capabilities, it took that much longer. He was returning home to take his place as leader of his people. His mother had done an excellent job of running Triforia in his absence and his father was perfect as a symbolic king, but Trey knew he should get back to where he belonged.
He had kept in touch with Ferin and Zared his two most trusted advisors and thus been able to make important decisions away from the High Council. He sighed as he realised that those few times had been the rare occasions where he could make a decision without his advisors using the planet's traditions to overall his authority. If galactic decisions were difficult then Triforian leadership was almost impossible.
It felt strange being in space again after spending so long on Earth. Earth was a planet considered a backwater by the Galactic Council, but the diversity and ability to grow of its people had amazed Trey. True some of their attitudes could be considered barbaric, but compared to some worlds where extreme sexual and skin colour prejudice was the norm, Earth was an example to be followed rather than ignored.
The computer next to Trey's chair beeped alerting him he had a message. Pushing the answer button he was surprised to find the message was in hologram format. Before him appeared Ferin, a rather short man with a long white beard that he thought looked distinguished.
"Lord Trey,
I am sorry to disturb you during your travels, but I am the bearer of grim news. Zared was found murdered in his chambers this morning and we as yet unable to find the culprit. The reason I call is to advise that follow a vote the Council has used its powers as is our tradition…"
There was that word again: tradition. In truth Trey knew the Council invented traditional powers as they went along and hoped Trey would not notice. It was getting so the role of Lord was no longer important to the decision making process. Trey knew if the Council had its way he would simply appear once a year to make a speech on holocam for the people to behave and pay their taxes.
"… to elect a new and worthy member to the High Council. Volar is anxious to work with you to ensure the continued success of our world."
Ferin's face grew more serious as his rehearsed speech ended and he was able to speak his true mind.
"I know this doesn't please you Trey, but the High Council was going to do this whether or not they had your agreement. Volar is a good man and a close ally. I think you will be amazed at the support he will be able to raise for your ideas.
On a side note I must tell you that Terr has returned to the Capital. So far he is obeying the rules of his pardon and we are keeping your family under guard.
Have a good trip Trey, I look forward to your return."
Trey looked at the spot where the hologram had been. Terr was back in the Capital, something he had hoped would never happen. It seemed an eternity ago that Terr had been sentenced and forced to leave the Triforian system only to be dragged back again when his behaviour had proven embarrassing. He had fought Trey's father and almost succeeded in killing him. As a result the King was never the same mentally and Trey had been forced to take over his activities.
A battle had raged between Trey and Terr ending when Trey had used his Golden Power Staff. Even as he stood over his younger opponent Trey knew he could not kill him. He had offered Terr a chance to save himself and his opponent had agreed.
As a result Terr was bound to the Triforia system, a prisoner in his own system and bound to follow the decisions of the High Council in all matters. Trey, knowing the council, had assumed that in itself was sufficient punishment.
"Volar!" Travis snorted. "How anyone could refer to him as a valued ally is beyond me."
"He is a good man even if he is a little set in his ways," Trent answered.
Trey and Travis turned to look at their companion who was doing his level best not to burst out laughing.
Sitting back Trey decided to enjoy his peace while it was still there. When he reached Triforia, he expected to be mobbed by advisors. Had he known that his return would set in motion a chain of events leading to the loss of many of the things he held dear, maybe he would have changed his mind.
Later
"We cannot outrun them," Travis called from the gun well where he was proving himself an ace shot against their pursuers. "We must stand and fight."
When they had emerged just outside of the Triforian system, their ship had been attack by unknown forces. Trey had tried to move them to safety, but Pyramidas's size also counted against it where speed was a requirement. Fortunately Pyramidas came prepared for such contingencies.
"He is correct," Trent confirmed from his position at the top of Pyramidas. "We can use the Vipers."
Vipers were the name given to a form of outdated one-man fighter craft with three wings at the rear. By bouncing a beam of energy off the tip of each wing, they formed an equilateral triangle, which connected to the nose cone gave each fighter a powerful weapon. Normally they would remain in their hangar deep inside Pyramidas, but today they were needed.
"Viper One and Two are online," Trey called over his shoulder. "Do not forget your armour."
Triforian Battle Armour came complete with a magnetic containment field capable of sustaining a pilot for a short time in the vacuum of space.
Trent and Travis nodded and disappeared to launch their ships.
The shields buckled and failed as the continuous blast took its toll. Trey banked his ship hard to the left in the hopes that it would place another side of the mighty pyramid in his enemies' way. But the damage was done. Pyramidas lurched to the side as its hull buckled. Caught in the gravity of a planet the ship entered the atmosphere and appeared to explode.
"Trey!" Travis and Trent called.
They swung their ships in perfect unison and tore into their opponents. They succeeded in tearing first Huntrax's fleet and then her craft to pieces before splitting up. Trent would go on to Triforia and explain the situation. For those who were expecting him he would play the role of Trey of Triforia, while Travis searched the planet below in the vain hope that Pyramidas and its occupant survived.
Triforia
Trent gently guided his Viper onto the landing pad, surprised that his father had allowed such a large contingent of guards to welcome him. He reversed thrust to slow his descent, took his time opening the cockpit and finally clambered out. He was shocked when the guards did not snap to attention until he saw Terr approach. The look on his face turned Trent's stomach. ~Oh Terr, what have you done?~
"Trey," Terr acknowledged. "I hope the second part of your journey was uneventful."
"It was," Trent replied. "Where is my father?"
"Dead," Terr told him. "The Queen and your sisters have been placed in secure custody."
"Who did this?" Trent asked.
Terr leant close and embraced him in a firm bear hug. As he did so Trey could hear the guards move and when Terr released him he found all guns were trained on him.
"I am sorry," Terr said. "I would have had you killed as well, but you have something I need. When you hand over the Golden Power Staff, I will be more than happy to correct that oversight."
"Why?" Trent asked.
"Because I could," Terr whispered as he walked away. "Lord Trey is under arrest. If he attempts to morph, kill him and exterminate three cities. If he complies, destroy two of the smaller settlements on his orders. Your people will learn to hate you Trey, but their fate is still in your hands."
With that Terr turned to make his report and Trey was led away.
Compared to Aquitar, the events on Triforia had gone as planned. Terr's greed had made him a valuable ally for a short time. The usurper would hold Trey indefinitely and Trey's refusal to hand over the Golden Power Staff would prevent Terr from doing more than intimidating a few natives.
He briefly considered advising Terr that he had the wrong Lord, but decided it would be more fun to watch the fireworks when the real Trey arrived. In the meantime he had other matters to attend to. With two major allies removed, it was time to introduce himself to the Rangers.
And far away in a galaxy separated from the Machine Empire by a dimensional membrane, a young boy allowed an angry cry to escape his lips, shaking the hidden galaxy and destroying the service droids that had been nearby. Minion was proving to be unreliable. It was fortunate that his plans did not depend solely upon the disloyal construct.
End
Chapter 4: Strike from the Darkness
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
Strike from the Darkness
Angel Grove
The plane soared high above the skies of Angel Grove. On the ground below, citizens of the city awaited the arrival of the Angel Grove High School skydiving team. The benefit Jump-a-Thon was being held to preserve the Angel Grove Observatory. It appeared to be a success, as the whole city had turned out for the event.
Inside the plane, Rocky DeSantos whooped loudly. "I can't wait!" he yelled. "This is going to be awesome."
"Easy, Rocky! We know," agreed Katherine Hilliard, Kat to her friends. "It's definitely a new experience."
Tanya Sloan looked out the window. "Forty-five seconds till the drop zone. Are you guys ready?"
The others nodded and continued to make their final checks. For some this type of thing would have been too daunting, but compared to some of the things these youths had done it was easy. They were the Zeo Rangers: sworn defenders of the planet Earth and currently enjoying themselves, taking advantage of the warm weather.
Tanya gestured toward the door of the plane. "Well, lead on, flyboys!" she said to her male teammates.
Rocky shot her a mock glare and pulled open the door. He looked out into the open air and began to feel his resolution shrinking. "Ladies first," he smiled.
"Why thank you, kind sir," Tanya replied. Then as she jumped through the open door she yelled: "Let's do it!" she yelled, jumping out of the plane.
"On your tail!" Adam Park jumped out the door.
"Banzai!" Rocky cried as he jumped out.
"Come on, Tommy," Katherine said. She flashed him a quick thumbs-up. "See you down there!" She dived out of the plane as if she were at a swimming competition.
Tommy looked down at his friends and for a moment felt at home. Here in the air he could imagine himself as protector of the whole city and in a way, he was. In his career as a Ranger Tommy had been fortunate to pilot the Falcon Zord, Phoenix Zord and the Red Super Zeo Zord, all of which came with excellent flight capability.
~Time to show them my stuff,~ he thought as he grabbed his board. Then he paused, frowning. It seemed as though he had played this role before, he just couldn't remember where. He shrugged and threw himself out the door. He'd worry about it later.
Tommy and the others were spinning and flipping before manoeuvring into their positions, forming a circle. They had been practicing since they had learnt about the jump, substituting their Karate classes in order to practice. But despite all the practices, this was the first time they had had a chance to try it for real. They held together long enough to move into position and listened to Adam as he counted down to their next move.
"Break!" ordered Tommy.
The five teens released hands as they broke through the clouds. They pulled their ripcords, and five parachutes burst into the sky, blue, red, green, pink and yellow against the blue sky. They circled in the air a few times and played a quick game of follow-the-leader before they were back on their mark. Then they aimed for the red target bull's-eye below, and heard the announcer's voice as they came lower.
"Here comes our first arrival: Rocky DeSantos from Angel Grove High. Will he make it?"
Rocky made a few brief adjustments to his course and touched down perfectly. "Woohoo!" he exclaimed. The high he felt wasn't quite the same as morphing, but it had his adrenaline pumping.
"Adam Park, coming in now." Adam managed to hook one foot inside the target as he landed. "Another perfect landing! They're two for two! Can they make it three for three?"
Katherine waited for Adam to land before altering her approach. As the announcer spoke she raised her legs, "Here's Katherine Hilliard," and dropped onto the center. "Yes they can, a third perfect landing from the Angel Grove High team! Nice landing!"
"Thanks," Kat giggled.
"Tanya Sloan is next. They're four for four now!"
Tanya cleared out of the way quickly to give Tommy room. She exchanged high fives with Adam and Rocky as the red clad parachutist approached.
"They're really hot today!" the announcer said.
"Yeah!" Tanya agreed.
"Now, it's Tommy Oliver coming in. Hmm, it looks a bit wide but…" Tommy deliberately set down early and relied on momentum to carry him and his board over the line. As he did so the announcer said: "He nails it! Incredible, they are five for five! Amazing, the Angel Grove Observatory will be grateful to its skilled high-schoolers today."
"Way to go, team!" Rocky exclaimed as the five jumpers celebrated.
"Hey guys," Richie said as he approached. "Great work."
The original plan had been for several of the Rangers' friends to join them in the air, but the Rangers had been so busy with other concerns they had been unable to make the arrangements. Still, Richie's absence from the jump didn't stop him and some of Angel Grove's younger students from giving their friends a warm reception when they landed.
"Yeah, you guys were fantastic," a young girl named Tasha giggled, hugging Tanya and Adam.
"You can join us next time," Kat whispered as if reading her mind and making the young girl smile excitedly.
After accepting congratulations from a number of Angel Grove's citizens, as well as the Jump-a-Thon's coordinator, Rocky, Katherine, Adam, Tanya and Tommy decided to call it a day.
"Hey, Ernie's is serving a free dessert with lunch," Adam said, deciding to change the subject.
"LET'S GO!" Shouted Rocky as he took off.
The others laughed and then followed in hot pursuit. They strapped on kneepads and helmets, and put on their roller blades.
Together, they raced through the streets of Angel Grove, taking every possible detour they could to prolong the ride and the fun. They were still pumped up from their victory and the thrill of skydiving, and executed all the stunts they could think of - within reason, of course. Their enjoyment showed when Adam gained momentum and somersaulted through the air. The others jumped high into the air as well, with Rocky managing a back-somersault and a full layout before landing. He would later explain that it was an accident. Out of consideration for others they chose to take the stairs; their trip suddenly turned rough as their blades lacked shock absorbers.
"Shortcut!" Tommy yelled, jumping a concrete ledge into a construction site. The others followed him, each one landing squarely on his or her feet. They rode up out of the construction site and back onto the street, across from Ernie's Juice Bar
Rocky tore through the doorway, eager to find food. Some had referred to him as the human stomach, but that was wrong and a great injustice. True Rocky could clear a refrigerator in less than half an hour, but so could most teens if given the right food and an opportunity. The life of a Power Ranger used up a lot of energy in addition to the increased food demand of the average teen.
"Settle down Rocky. Just because it's a huge party, doesn't mean you have to scream." Tanya admonished.
Tommy smiled. Rocky was the spirit of the team. Some thought him an idiot - usually those who didn't just assume he was simply a walking stomach - but those who knew him understood it was just the way he was. Rocky was an innocent, a young man who enjoyed the love of life that only children can appreciate. He was also very capable, as anyone who had underestimated him in the past could testify.
When they sat at a table, Ernie soon came over and took their order.
"Six hamburgers and ten orders of fries please." Adam said.
Tanya looked at Adam, puzzled, "Ten orders of fries?"
Jason and Tommy chuckled. Rocky tried to look innocent but couldn't stop laughing. When he saw Tanya's face, he sobered long enough for the three men to say in unison: "I'm hungry."
Everyone laughed at that.
"Alpha, have you found anything yet?" Zordon asked.
"Negative Zordon," Alpha replied. "I can find no trace of Rita, Zedd, their servants or the Machine Empire."
"Have you detected any abnormal readings from the Moon?" Zordon asked after a moment's thought.
"No," Alpha answered after a brief check.
Zordon frowned although it was difficult to notice given the severe distortion created by his plasma tube. The Power Chamber's sensors were usually very accurate yet in the last few days they had picked up several unexplained anomalies. Although he was prepared to explain it away as the result of planetary movements, it seemed unnerving that such anomalies would arise at a time when he had lost contact with both Aquitar and Triforia.
Things had been too quiet for too long. When the Machine Empire had been vanquished, somebody should have moved in to replace them, but for some reason they had held off.
"Somebody is using magic Zordon," Alpha said as the computer beeped. "But they are only using it for teleportation."
That was unusual. He would have expected a would-be conqueror to attack immediately. He wondered if it were simply Rita and Zedd planning something. He gave that possibility a few seconds thought and then dismissed it. Zedd had been more powerful than ever when he had left with Rita, but his energy couldn't come close to the primal force the computer had just detected.
It was however, the silence of Aquitar and the disturbing rumours he had heard about Triforia that worried Zordon the most. Some rumours claimed Trey was dead, others that he had been arrested. No word had been given about either Trent or Travis.
Without the Aquitian Rangers or Triforia to provide backup, the Zeo Rangers were truly alone.
Of course they had Auric should the need arise and Jason could provide limited help. Zordon knew from experience there was little he could do except wait and hope the help they had would be enough.
It was morning by the time Alpha and Zordon had finished their very extensive sensor sweep of the Moon, Earth and other planets in the Sol system. What they had detected had left them confused, but a little optimistic: not only had Rita and Zedd vanished, the regular scout ships that had been entering the solar system since Rita's release had ceased. From the limited access he had to the galactic grapevine, Zedd and Rita had been spotted near the Dark Galaxy, Zedd's former domain. Zordon wondered what problem had arisen for Zedd to return there. Alpha seemed to sense Zordon's high spirits because the little robot was humming as he puttered around the various consoles.
The sensor net surrounding the Earth was extremely complicated and required a lot of time to examine. As a result, the scans of Angel Grove and the mountains where the Power Chamber was hidden, were always among the last reports Alpha processed.
Alpha pushed the buttons on the console, which printed the last of the reports. He was eager not to spoil Zordon's mood. "There were unusual readings from Angel Grove Park, which consumed more time than the computer estimated."
Zordon frowned. Something was not right, there been no battles in the park recently. There was nothing there that should have required further investigation. But he could sense a variation in the energy patterns around the park. He was starting to believe that the distortion was a mirror of the disturbance he had felt in the Morphin Grid. It was a warning that something was coming and he needed to be ready. That he was unable to figure out the threat was a sign of how serious things had become.
"Alpha, relay the data to my dimension," Zordon instructed.
"Yes Zordon," Alpha replied.
As the data was fed from the computer Zordon had to reread it several times. There was a definite lack of answers presented in the report, but plenty of energy readings.
Zordon felt very vulnerable. He had known about Rita and Zedd before they had shown up; he had always suspected that Master Vile would appear to find his daughter or to seek the Zeo Crystal. And as for Mondo, Earth was a planet rich in resources and minerals the Machine Empire could use. Earth had been lucky that the Zeo Crystal had been discovered before Mondo arrived or the planet would have been reduced to a mere strip mine.
But this was something different, a power Zordon didn't understand. And he sensed that he was being distracted from seeing an even greater threat beyond it. Not knowing was the worst thing about the situation and something Zordon vowed to change shortly.
"Alpha, begin a new search pattern," he ordered before returning his attention to the report.
He examined his black clothing carefully, noting the way the recently forged coin on his chest plate reflected only a small amount of light. It was a coin manufactured on Triforia, not a true Power Coin. He was certain it would perform its function. His plans had progressed well so far, but he could not pick off all his targets at once or the Rangers would guess his strategy and take steps to protect their remaining allies; he had yet to turn his attention to the former Rangers of Earth or the other heroes of Earth, such as the Masked Rider.
It was important for Minion to defeat the Rangers, to prove himself superior to those that had defeated him twice and more intelligent than the mere human he was based upon. Elaborate and carefully considered plans were his strength and he was already instigating a plan that would guarantee the conquest of Earth and the total humiliation of the Power Rangers that protected it.
He had noted carefully the victories of other villains. Lord Zedd's first assault had been swift and brutal, taking their arsenal before the Rangers could adjust. But Zedd failed to push his advantage. He had relied on the stolen Zords to defeat the Rangers instead of going after them personally and therefore allowed the Rangers to retrieve their equipment and enhance their weapons.
When Rito had first attacked, he had taken advantage of a weakness within the power of Thunder. The Zords were powerful but lacked endurance. When faced with foes that could not be dispatched swiftly, the overload had decimated the Zords and the Command Center. The Rangers had been vulnerable, but Rita and Zedd had failed to act.
The capture of the Pink Power Coin and Falcon Zord had put the Rangers on the defensive. The capture of Ninjor should have crushed their spirits. But instead of going for the kill Zedd had chosen to humiliate the teenagers and as a result lost the Shogun Zords. Improper storage of Ninjor and reliance on Rito led to the release of a valuable ally, and Rita's failure to destroy Kat when she practically surrendered had cost them the Zeo Crystal and Falcon Zord.
Master Vile's victory had been swift, but was marred by an inability to follow up. If the Rangers had been destroyed while they were reduced to children, Earth would have fallen. Still, the plan had been partially successful: the Ninja and Shogun Zords had been removed, Ninjor had been removed from the picture and the Power Coins had been destroyed. The plan had also allowed Rito and Goldar to destroy the Command Center. It was a shame Zordon had planned for such an event, and that Rito and Goldar had dropped the Zeo Crystal while escaping.
Mondo's victories had been very unspectacular. For the most part the Machine Empire relied on the idea that Ranger teams were unable to fight them and brute force to destroy their enemies. Cogs were expendable and didn't require rest. But the Rangers had been able to fight and that had limited Mondo's success.
The closest the Machine Empire came to success was Gasket's plan to use Tommy as a weapon. It had been a sound if overused plan that was doomed to failure. But for a time the Rangers had been vulnerable.
In those cases the Ranger had been beaten and victory was obtainable. The plans were sound and for the most part well-executed. It was the inability to press the advantage that allowed the Rangers to recover. He would not give them such chances. His attacks would be targeted, continuous and devastating. But, he would not make the same mistake as the other. The most important factor of his plan was the need to follow through. He would grind them into the ground, crush them under foot and stomp on anything that remained until he was certain they were gone.
First though he needed to introduce himself, it was only polite to do so. And in order to introduce himself he needed to get the Rangers' attention. And that just needed him to send down some foot soldiers and attack anything that moved. So that was the first hurdle: despite Finster's assurances and best efforts, he lacked foot soldiers, and monsters, and when he considered it, secret weapons. He chose to deal with the foot-soldier problem albeit temporarily, first.
Using the Sword of Darkness he energised some of the clay in the corner of the workshop, using the power of the Morphin Grid to shape it as he needed. They would be the first to fight and he was certain the Rangers would eventually defeat them. It wouldn't matter though since it was a part of his plan.
His new soldiers looked the part. They were hideously ugly with large ears, wrinkled skin and sharp teeth sticking out of their lower lips; they were vicious with and insatiable thirst for combat; and they were stupid; they lacked the intelligence to feel fear. They lacked even the most basic of instincts and their desires were controlled by spells. They retained the darker grey of Rita's Putty Patrol. In their hands they carried primitive yet deadly hand made knives.
He dismissed them to Angel Grove with a small nod before turning his attention to other matters. He had a message that he wanted to send the Rangers, but he needed to deliver it in just the right way. If not presented correctly, they would start to think they had a chance.
"Alpha, summon the Rangers," Zordon ordered as the alarm sounded.
The Viewing Globe showed strange creatures attacking the citizens of Angel Grove in the area of the park where the explosion had occurred. The police had sealed the blackened terrain until they could find out what had happened and if there was any further risk. Detective Park, head of the Angel Grove Homicide Department and Adam's father had been given the assignment of keeping the public away. For some reason he assumed gas leaks had been added to the situations the Homicide Division dealt with.
Not that Angel Grove had many homicides. In fact violent crimes were abnormally low compared to the national average. So officers in the homicide division were required to deal with the public during monster attacks. The so-called Monster Squad of Angel Grove. It was a task Trevor could live without. He hated the Power Rangers because of the disruption they caused and had little time for the reporters for whom the colour clad show offs posed.
He also had little patience for monsters and after shouting a warning had ordered his officers to open fire. The foot soldiers had not noticed the shots and continued to attack anyone foolish enough to go near them. They were heading towards the Youth Center where they could find more victims.
"Zordon, what's wrong?" Tommy asked as the Zeo Rangers and Jason appeared.
"We've got trouble in the park!" Adam said. While Tommy had asked, he had been watching the Viewing Globe. He moved to the computer and tried to find out what they were looking at. "Looks like… someone forgot how to make Putties!"
As he brought the image up on the screen, none of them could stop a sudden shudder at the hideous looking things. From what the Rangers could see, the faces were all individual, some were uglier than others.
"Dad," Adam gasped as he saw his father trying to fight. The things had finally realised he was attacking them and had responded. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"We'll help him" Tanya whispered reassuringly, and Adam squeezed her shoulder as thanks.
Tommy shook his head. "She's right man, he'll be fine. We'll take care of this."
"Call me if you need me," Jason said, reluctant to let his friends go off unaided.
"Sure Bro," Tommy smiled back.
"Rangers, you will need to be extremely careful," Zordon warned. "These creatures are displaying abnormal energy readings."
Everyone nodded, and Tommy glanced at his friends. For a moment, he wondered whether he should ask Jason for help, but then realised they had more to gain by keeping Jason in the background. If he were hurt or killed, Tommy would never forgive himself. He put the thought out of his head. It was time to go to work.
"It's Morphing Time!" Apart from those words to reveal the Zeonisers there was no need to say anymore. The Zeo Crystal used magic, but within its structure the energy was bound to the laws of science. Calling their power helped to focus their minds, it was not a necessity; at that moment the Rangers' minds were firmly set on stopping whatever those creatures were.
In a rush of colour and energy, the six Rangers arrived in the park. The people were shrieking and running around in a blind panic. The creatures attacked just about anything but did not spend very long harassing each of their victims. Fortunately that meant that nobody had been killed so far although there were obviously some broken bones.
The Rangers had barely landed before they were attacked. The creatures had obviously been instructed to attack the Rangers immediately and to press the attack so as to not allow them time to recover. Unfortunately the creatures followed their instructions to the letter and the Rangers were forced to fall back. It was two creatures for each Ranger and after a few blows it became obvious that in spite of their looks, the brutes could fight.
"Divide and conquer," Tommy instructed. It was an old and tested strategy that would probably fail, but it would give the Rangers room to fight. "Siek-yah!"
The others did as Tommy suggested. Kat and Rocky headed off in one direction, drawing their fair share of creatures away while Tanya and Adam double-teamed another group. By switching techniques they were enjoying limited success. That left Tommy to dive into the remainder. He caught one just as it was turning its attention towards some children. A firm punch caught its attention.
The creature seemed to sort of whirl around, turning its head to look at him without a single trace of an expression on its face. Tommy didn't stop his assault though, he had to get the creature away from those kids! Punches and kicks flowed seamlessly from his gloved fists to the monster, and he was obviously making some sort of impression on it, it hadn't looked back at the children once since he'd kicked it the first time.
He got a rather nasty surprise, however, when the thing whipped around faster than he'd ever seen anything move and swiped at him with a knife. He was still shocked when the other one he hadn't been watching managed to strike him from behind. For such ugly things they were strong and their blows were having an effect. Then one of them grabbed his helmet and squeezed. The pain was so intense he couldn't concentrate enough to move. The aura surrounding his suit acted to relieve some pressure to prevent severe damage, but it didn't stop all of it.
While the first one was busy squeezing, the other was taking advantage of the open target on his chest. It drew its knife and lunged.
In another part of the park, Tanya and Adam were fighting off four of the creatures, which had attacked them head on. They didn't have Tommy's problem of being caught, and since there were two of them, they could cover each other's back. If Adam looked like he was in trouble Tanya could help him and vice versa.
"These things are tough!" Tanya groaned, barely managing to wiggle out of the way in time as one tried to bite her. There was little doubt that those ugly teeth could breach her suit. "I think it's time for the big guns, Adam!"
The Green Ranger nodded, backing off a little. "Zeo IV Power Punch!" he cried out, channelling the Zeo energy from his Zord through his body and then into a series of lightning fast punches that hit practically every area of the creatures' bodies in under a minute.
"Zeo II Power Kick!" Tanya echoed the special command, backing off for a moment, then delivering what she'd often termed "the snap kick from hell' to the four stunned opponents. The two of them landed back on their feet a few feet away, side by side and looking to see what effect their special moves had had on the creatures.
For a moment, it didn't seem anything. Then, three turned to dust before their eyes. The fourth remained standing for a moment and then its eyes rolled back and it collapsed. Tanya and Adam both grinned, then looked back at the rest of the park. Tommy was the only one who seemed to need any help, the others were handling themselves just fine.
Or so it looked to the two of them; Kat, and Rocky might have had other ideas. Even fighting together they were unable to keep up with their four attackers. Kat had taken a knock to the side of the head early on, which in turn allowed the creatures to gain the upper hand. Now Kat and Rocky were struggling to regain the momentum.
"This isn't going very well!" Kat shouted to Rocky as the two of them backed towards each other.
"So I see," Rocky nodded, glancing behind him. Something occurred to him as he saw two things: Tanya and Adam taking care of their opponents with their special Zeo moves, and Tommy about to get run through. "Kat, when I give the word, jump hard left. Then - what Adam and Tanya did - we do."
A quick glance over her own shoulder showed the Pink Ranger what he meant, and she nodded. "Ready," she murmured. A heartbeat later, Rocky shouted, and both of them moved, her to the left, him to the right. It was an old trick, and the creatures only seemed to partially fall for it, slamming together, but quickly looking up for their prey almost at the same moment.
That wasn't quite the right thing to do, however, as their questing eyes were met by Kat's Pink Fire Cloud. Just as their companion had a few short feet away, two faded away into nothingness. Kat leaned against a tree for a moment, trying to catch her breath. "Rocky?" she panted.
"Here!" Rocky didn't seem to be much winded, as he waved to her. Zeo Ranger III was still avoiding two of the creatures. He shouted, "Zeo III Spinning Power Punch!"
A moment later, he almost sauntered over to her. "Four down," he said, his eyes flicking behind them. "Come on, let's go help Tommy!"
The Red Ranger was still caught up in the grip of one creature. Tanya and Adam were trying to keep the one with the knife away, but it didn't look as if they were having a great deal of luck.
"We know how to get rid of these things," Kat said firmly. "I don't like doing it with Tommy in there, but I don't think we have any options."
"Then let's do it," Adam nodded as the four of them backed up. One by one they got ready, charging up their special attacks.
"Pink Fire Cloud!"
"Zeo II Power Kick!"
"Zeo III Spinning Power Punch!"
"Zeo IV Power Punch!"
The four attacks landed in almost every area of the creatures' bodies, and every one missed Tommy. As the one gripping him collapsed into dust, Tommy fell to the ground, his head pounding and hardly able to stand up.
"Red Ranger!" Kat rushed over to him, quickly gathering him into her arms. "Are you all right?"
~Stupid question, Hilliard, he almost got the breath squeezed out of him!~
For a moment there was no answer, then a soft voice said, "Are the kids all right?"
The Rangers looked at each other, then up in the tree where the children had taken refuge. "They're fine," Rocky smiled wearily under his helmet. "They're fine."
A growl reminded them there was still one creature to deal with: the one with the knife. Fortunately Tommy saw it coming.
"Zeo V Power Sword!"
The movement was short and brutal. The head barely touched the ground before turning to dust.
"That was too close," he panted.
"And it's not over yet!" Rocky stated as the dusted reformed this time into a single beast.
He had watched as his first attempt at foot soldiers were destroyed. That was no big deal he would make his own troops in time and not rely on such crude constructs. Then the unexpected had happened: the destroyed creatures had reformed into a single being. He smiled as it knocked the Rangers around with no real effort. It didn't have a strategy, it just hit anything that moved and the Rangers were certainly moving.
This was an unexpected end to his first attack. He had expected his soldiers to wear the Rangers down before being destroyed, but obviously they had been stronger than he believed. He doubted this combined beast would survive, but if it wore the Rangers down it would make the effort worthwhile. He frowned as a new Ranger appeared on the scene; obviously the Zeo Rangers were in trouble.
"Dragon Sword!" Sam cried as he vaulted towards the Zeo Rangers. His sword drawn he tried to make his sudden appearance count, but a strong punch sent him flying in the opposite direction.
He had sensed the attack on the Rangers and had come to help, but he quickly discovered that simply showing up didn't always get the job done. The punch had left him winded and unable to defend himself as the other Rangers were forced to cover for him.
But the effect had been enough. He had managed to distract the creature long enough for the Rangers to summon and fire the Zeo Cannon. The blast bounced harmlessly off as the creature started to grow, but struck the ground in beneath it. The ground exploded upwards, preventing the creature from growing fully.
"Fire Two!" Tommy ordered.
The blast was unleashed and the creature was destroyed, much to the Rangers relief.
He watched as his creation was destroyed. It didn't matter too much to him. After all it had not taken any real power to create it. The soldiers had been prototypes and had served their purpose. They had gone on to provide an entertaining battle with the Rangers. Of course they had lost; they were weak no matter how strong they appeared.
Had he been capable of doing so, he would have been smiling. He found it amusing that even now the Rangers were glad their ordeal was over when in fact it had only just begun.
A ball of black energy zoomed through the air, striking each of the Rangers in turn. As they moved to block the next shot, it changed direction and sought out a different target. Sparks flew from the Rangers' uniforms as the blurred figure wove its way between them. Only when it finally stopped did they have the chance to understand what they were facing.
"Who are you?" Tommy asked, Zeo V Power Sword raised and ready to block the next attack, his weight balanced on his right foot so he could attack by pushing off with his left leg.
Minion laughed, it was nice to be forgotten. In the back of his mind though a little voice was asking why he had stopped; why was he giving away his secret so early in the game? He squashed that thought for the time being, his red eyes shifting to blue as he observed his opponents. Aisha was missing, such a shame. Tanya would make a suitable replacement though and he could always get the other girl later.
"How soon we forget, Tommy," he answered. "You don't remember me, but I'm sure you remember this." He pulled the Sword of Darkness into a ready position and was pleased to see both Red Zeo and the Green Ranger take a step back. "The Sword of Darkness, mine to command and just as deadly as ever."
He shifted position, appearing next to Yellow Zeo and cut her down with a swift blow across the back. For Pink Zeo he had a similar attack, which she somehow managed to deflect. She missed the backhand that followed though and the burst of energy that tore into her chest ensured that she went down.
Blue and Green Zeo were moving by now and attacked with sufficient force to make him step back. This was where the Sword of Darkness played its part. The weapon moved of its own accord, seeking out the weak points in the Rangers' defences. The blade caught Green Zeo around the knee, the explosive energy causing more damage than the cut. Green Zeo was thrown back as Minion brought the sword around for a finishing chop.
Blue Zeo was there before Minion could make the killing blow. He tried to use his cumbersome Zeo Arm Blades against the villain and when that failed, he drove his shoulder into the black clad figure. Minion spun backward, his sword at the horizontal so that it shredded through the Ranger's chest protection.
Again Minion wondered why he had stopped short. That blow could have chopped the Ranger in two and yet, apart from some blood, the Blue Zeo Ranger was intact. It was not a problem with the sword or his strength, they were perfect. Something had stopped him for landing a fatal blow; he was being manipulated and he had a good idea of who was influencing him. It didn't stop him from following up though.
Rocky's eyes widened in pain and his Arm Blades were forgotten as both hands moved to cup the open wound in his chest. He didn't even see the sword closing in on him until after he heard the commotion as Adam returned the favour by saving his life. Rocky collapsed backwards just as Adam's injured knee gave way and he stumbled. It didn't matter though, the Green Zeo Ranger had done enough to dissuade Minion who now turned his attention to the two uninjured Rangers.
Red Zeo and Green Ranger attacked together. It was clear that Red Zeo was the superior of the two and that Green Ranger was out of practice. Still while one drew Minion's sword in one direction, the other tried to use the opening to land their blows. Both were surprised when his body flickered and their weapons passed through. He flickered again and the handle of his sword landed firmly under Red Zeo's helmet.
"So they managed to find a new Green Ranger did they?" Minion asked unaware of Sam's history. "Your predecessor didn't last very long and I'll be happy to show you why."
Sam was confused. Who was this predecessor that the villain referred to? He realised that despite all the fighting and boasting, the masked warrior had yet to answer the question and reveal his name. He didn't have time to give it much thought though as the Sword of Darkness once again sparked against the Dragon Shield.
Minion poured a little more energy into his movements, allowing himself to shift easily around the Dragon Ranger. His sword was constantly moving back and forth as he tried to turn the Ranger into a pincushion. Green Ranger surprised him when he unleashed a ball of green energy. While not enough to hurt him, it caused Minion to reconsider this Ranger. ~This one knows more about the powers than Tommy did.~ He returned the favour with a blast of his own, but while Sam had been acting out of desperation, Minion intensified the wave after it had connected with the Green Ranger and poured the darker powers of the Morphin Grid into the shockwave. He could sense that the Green Ranger was still there and respected him for hanging on. Then with another pulse he tried to rip the Dragon Ranger apart.
Red Zeo groaned. The sword had connected painfully with his lower jaw and it had taken valuable time to regain his senses. When he did so he saw that the Green Ranger was on the verge of being destroyed by the dark figure's fury.
"Zeo V Star Blast!"
A burst of red energy emerged from his helmet, striking the tip of the Zeo V Power Sword. When the sword was fully charged, he unleashed the blast. A star-shaped burst connected with the masked villain, ending his attack on the Green Ranger who lay unmoving from the assault.
"Ah Tommy, ever the hero, always there in the nick of time to save the day," Minion mocked.
"Do I know you?" Red Zeo asked.
"We've met before," Minion told him as they circled, swords at the ready. With a flick the Sword of Darkness was in the ready position and he moved in.
Red Zeo backed up as his sword moved to block the aggressive blows. He turned, twisted, blocked and countered, never allowing his assailant to move inside his guard. He dropped into a low leg sweep, which his opponent jumped and then pushed upwards with as much force as he could muster to deliver an uppercut. He had some satisfaction as the villain's head rolled back. That turned to concern as Minion followed through and pushed his body into a somersault. Red Zeo dodged left, narrowly avoiding the sword that had almost ripped through his hip; he used the Zeo V Power Sword to slap his opponent's weapon aside.
Minion was getting annoyed. Three times he had been in a position to make the kill and three times he had failed to follow through. What was going on and why was he fighting with such a strong disadvantage? Still, even if he couldn't destroy the Rangers he could let them know what they were in for.
He unleashed another burst of energy, this time allowing it to strike all of the Rangers at once. He wasn't aiming to destroy them this time, but he waited until they were unable to move before he stopped. There was no reason for them to know about his inability to kill.
"And so the mighty have fallen," he said as he floated a few inches from the ground. "If this is the best the Earth can manage then you would do well to surrender before you get hurt."
"We won't give up," Red Zeo answered.
Minion laughed. "You've already lost Tommy, you just don't know it." He ripped off his mask, revealing the scarred flesh beneath. "You live only because Minion has decided to show you mercy."
He heard the murmurs of disbelief from some of the Rangers as they tried to deny his existence. He should have been dead and didn't confuse them further by agreeing with them. From the Yellow and Pink Zeo Rangers he sensed confusion although he knew Kat recognised him. He wasn't too surprised and knew her friends would explain it later. Green Ranger's reaction was interesting. There was recognition, but instead of disbelief he sensed resignation. He filed that knowledge away for future reference.
"You were destroyed," Rocky protested. "The curse."
"Was irrelevant," Minion answered. He frowned, he hadn't said those words. "There are powers at work here that are beyond human comprehension. Surrender - now!"
"We'll never give up," Yellow Zeo snarled. She brought her Zeo Pistol into play and fired. Her first few shots missed, but the sixth caught his hand and the seventh his knee. He recovered quickly, but the momentum was lost.
"You need time to think," he announced as he vanished, leaving them with his parting words: "Make the right choice."
The Power Chamber
The Rangers had left at long last. It had taken them time to recover from their ordeal. Fortunately the Power Chamber had a small area where they could shower and change. They had taken full advantage of the opportunity and the medical facilities to ease the pain of their bruises. A little time with Alpha though and they were back to normal.
Zordon was busy analysing the data the Zeo Rangers had collected and had confirmed his fears. This Minion was the same monster they had faced months before under the tutelage of Mistress Repugna. The energy readings had changed, there was a new master pulling the strings. Whatever it was that had rescued Minion from that curse had to be powerful and Zordon had the feeling that they would be hearing more from that individual in due time.
Minion was in a bad place, a place of pain that he had not felt since gaining his freedom from the Dark Dimension. He had arrived here instead of the Lunar Palace as he had intended.
"Treachery." He knew the voice to the one who had freed him.
"Why master, why have you brought me here?" He had a very good idea why.
"You have forgotten your place Minion," the voice answered. "You were told: go to Earth and bring me the means to resume my conquest. I told you to prepare the way, my chosen warrior. You have seen fit to spend your time on a personal vendetta."
Red lightning sprang from the boy's hands causing Minion to scream in pain. Dagsyxx continued until he was certain that Minion understood his place.
"I can get to you at anytime Minion," he said, his voice low. "I can pluck you from mid-teleport and bring you here with a thought. I could destroy you without a significant effort." There was a pause as Minion was hit by another wave of lightning. "Your purpose is to prepare the way for those I choose to further my cause and to secure Serpenterra. Do so or I will reconsider allowing you to exist."
"Yes, I will obey," Minion managed. As he finally teleported back to the Lunar Palace Minion's mind was focussed purely upon his master and how if he would have to die for Minion to progress with his plans. There was a problem though, if he disobeyed he would be punished. Unless of course he chose to reinterpret the Dagsyxx's orders; who was to say what preparing the way entailed, who was to say that Serpenterra didn't need a test flight before he sent it to his master?
He would need to be careful, but in the end everything would go as he planned. Minion's plans were too brilliant to go wrong. Besides, the one-time emperor had said himself that he had once been a servant of a greater power, the source of all evil known to the Universe. He was Minion, a future ruler of all he surveyed. How dare a mere servant, even one as powerful as Dagsyxx, tell him what to do?
End
Chapter 5: Fall of the Zords
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
Fall of the Zords
Less than a week had passed since Minion had had his first battle with the Rangers and his most recent punishment from Dagsyxx. He had spent the time since then preparing for the next phase of his plan. And as he had worked, sculpting the creatures that would lead to his victory from various materials, he had ranted about his unfair treatment by his self-appointed master. "How dare he dictate terms to Minion?"
Finster shook his head sadly and continued to work on more of his creations. Minion had been asking the question over and over again and although sympathetic, Finster couldn't understand why Minion was so upset; the villain had been less than forthcoming in his answers. From what he had managed to piece together, Dagsyxx had been the one responsible for Minion's return from the dead. He had given Minion a task and had recently punished Minion for following his own agenda.
He wasn't really felling sympathetic toward Minion. This Dagsyxx, clearly a villain of some considerable power was clearly Minion's superior and given his recent actions, expected to be obeyed, just as Zedd expected Finster to follow his commands. If Minion had been powerful enough to destroy this Dagsyxx, he would have done so. Since he was pacing back and forth, cursing the other villain's name, Finster assumed he didn't have that much power.
He had also noticed that Minion had taken to referring to himself in the third person. While at first it amused him, it also highlighted a possible mental problem that in Finster's mind could prove disastrous.
"These creations are no use to Minion at this time," Minion said, eyeing Finster's work critically. "Maybe after Minion defeats them they may prove useful; you do have an eye for the hideous Finster. Minion will be calling on your services later. Perhaps-."
"Hey," Rito shouted as he entered the workshop. "Where have Ed and the others gone?"
Minion grinned and without warning lashed out at Rito; Rita's brother made a perfect target for him to vent his frustration. The back of his hand made contact with Rito's chin resulting in a sickening crack followed by a thrust to the chest with the palm of his hand. Rito's chest shattered as Minion drove his hand into the bone. When it reached the other side, Minion grabbed the mutant's backbone and used it to lift Rito off the ground.
For a moment Minion seemed to enjoy the cries of pain he could hear emanating from Rito. Then he grew tired with the demonstration and threw Rito to the ground.
"Minion will tell you this once and only once," the villain hissed as Rito tried to pick himself off the floor. "If you ever interrupt again, you will be pulled apart, bone by bone." To emphasise his point Minion stomped on Rito's skull. "And his name is Zedd, not Ed!"
Finster watched the display with interest and not a little fear. If he was lucky then Minion would take out all his aggression on Rito. If however attacking Rito made Minion feel too good, the villain might decide to attack him as well. Finster knew Rito could recover, but he doubted he would be able to take that sort of abuse.
"Finster!" Minion shouted.
"Yes Minion?" Finster replied nervously.
For a moment Minion had been tempted to kill the monster maker. ~But that would be a waste of a good mind,~ he thought.
"Take that thing," he said pointing to Rito, "to Lord Zedd. Maybe he can use him on his home world. Tell him Minion will deal with the Rangers himself."
In his mind Finster considered arguing. Rita and Zedd were in charge after all and they had told him to remain. On the hand, if Minion really wanted him out of the way, he could execute him and tell Rita and Zedd some story about Finster betraying them.
"As you wish," Finster said.
As Finster moved over to where Rito was lying, Minion summoned the Sword of Darkness and used it to send the two fools to join their family. Then he turned his attention to more important matters, namely the creation of some more suitable followers.
During the time he had spent pacing back and forth spouting countless obscenities, Minion had been busy crafting the bodies of his new servants. They had been made by encasing a body he had sculpted using a living metal called Viventallum in an outer skin made from a second metal. Minion had used silver for one and brass for the second model. He pointed the Sword of Darkness at the lifeless creatures and used the power of the Morphin Grid to overlay a series of enchantments that turned the lifeless statues into living creatures.
"You are Silvo," Minion told the silver henchmen, his favoured follower.
Silvo had been forged to resemble of muscular humanoid. He had been gifted with wings, but unlike Goldar's, who could use them to fly, his were not aerodynamic. A levitation spell made it possible for him to use the metal wings as aerofoils. On his left hip he wore a samurai style sword. Although he was programmed to use it sparingly, this was his most potent weapon.
"You are the soldier," Minion told his creation. "You are more than a match for any mere Ranger, and with my foot soldiers to back you up, a one machine army."
Behind Silvo a group of smaller machines had been constructed. They were made from unrefined Viventallum that allowed them to move and to remain aware of their surroundings while not exhibiting the behaviour patterns of Silvo. They had blank plates over their faces and seamless bodies. Every time they moved their bodies reformed, thus eliminating the need for muscles or motors. Minion decided that the best way to judge the weapons he had provided for his troops was to send them into battle.
"WD Units, you will obey Silvo's commands unless Minion decrees otherwise," he said.
The foot soldiers nodded their understanding; lacking the ability to speak, that was the best they could accomplish. Minion turned his attention to the immobile second henchman. "You are Brasso, bodyguard of Minion and second in command of my army."
Brasso was more streamlined than Silvo. He was slightly taller, definitely thinner and had a differently shaped head. In his hands he held a short staff tipped with a blade on each end. After testing the weight he put it away and returned his attention to Minion.
Finally Minion turned to his last creation. With Finster gone Minion decided he was in need of a monster builder. He had decided to create someone with the combined knowledge of Finster and Klank and the imagination of a human.
The result was a human body with cybernetic implants. Minion had already selected the memories his creation would possess and had implanted all the necessary knowledge. The parts of the brain dealing with emotion had been removed, creating the second most evil mind on the Moon, ever. Finally Minion connected his creation to the castle's computer. The result was a lethal killer who was forever tied to the computer and could never turn against its master.
"Bronzo, I have a special task for you. I want it ready for use as soon as I take away the Rangers' powers."
"Yes master," Bronzo replied.
Bronzo and Minion left the chamber to discuss the newly created henchman's first task.
"Sam, why do you hide from them?" the voice asked.
"I thought I'd heard the last of you," Sam said angrily.
"You know I cannot leave you," the voice replied.
"But, I accepted who I am," Sam protested.
"No," the voice replied. "You accepted you are the clone of Thomas Oliver. You have accepted that you are the Green Ranger. But you have not accepted your true role in the Rangers' lives. The Green Ranger is not destined to remain an outsider who hides when the battle is over. He is a comrade they know they can rely on."
"They don't need me," Sam said. "They have the Green Ranger to back them up and they have Sam as a friend. They don't need me."
"So you have not learnt," the voice said. "You are still scared of being rejected. They will need you soon."
Sam's morpher appeared in front of him. "Morph!" the voice commanded.
Sam did as he was told. "Dragonzord!"
"Good," the voice said. The image of the Green Ranger appeared as it had a few days before. "Hold out your sword, Sam. It is time you witnessed your future."
Sam summoned his sword, noticing the head of the dragon was glowing green and held it out towards the image. The image reached out and grabbed the sword, sending a blast of energy into Sam's body, accompanied by flashes of unwinding events. Sam collapsed to the floor.
"Ow," Sam muttered as the blast caused him to wake from his dream state.
He was in his house in Angel Grove. Downstairs he could hear the family he had created moving about, living their made up lives. Sighing, he decided to get up, all the time remembering the vision he had had just before waking.
Shaking his head, Sam decided to go to the Youth Center. At least there he could keep an eye on things in case he was needed.
Minion sat cross-legged on the floor, his two glowing eyes closed. He had never learnt meditation and seemed incapable of entering a deep trance, despite having studied the theory. Natural telepathy was not something he had inherited from the original. In the end he was forced to use magic to extend his senses. He used his suddenly awakened mind to touch the minds of his enemies.
One by one he felt their presence in the Morphin Grid, some stronger than others. Tommy, the often guilt-ridden leader, so close to losing it and yet able to draw strength from his friends to hold on. Rocky the fun loving goof ball, a deadly adversary and one of the most innocent Rangers. Katherine Hilliard once Rita's pawn against the Rangers; Minion could feel so much good in her he seriously doubted Rita's spell ever had a chance. Tanya Young the most inexperienced Ranger. Minion considered her for a moment. Although she had a strong will, she was the weak link among the Rangers. Finally, Adam Park a warrior with a strong sense of honour and skill.
Every one of them was going to fight to the end, but that did not concern Minion. The end would come for them soon.
Reaching out further Minion searched for the other Rangers who might be able to help them. Trini Kwan and Zachary Taylor, both skilled fighters were in Geneva, unaware of the danger their friends were in. Kimberly Hart was currently training for the Olympics. Minion checked and discovered Angel Grove was a long way from her thoughts. Billy Cranston was beyond his reach having escaped Aquitar, a situation he promised to remedy as soon as possible. Lord Trey of Triforia was somewhere in space. It was difficult since Trey's energy was split between three entities. All the Rangers friends were either unaware of the fate their friends were about to endure, or unable to do anything about it.
That left two minds for Minion to check. The first was Jason Lee-Scott. If anybody could help the Rangers, it was him. Minion sensed the strong body and spirit he had always felt when around the boy. Upon closer inspection he dismissed Jason as a minor threat. True the boy was strong, but his power was almost gone. A brief morph and it would all be over for the former leader of the Rangers.
It was the second mind, which concerned Minion. He knew the Green Dragon Ranger was on Earth, but had no idea who it was. Without that information he could not touch the Ranger's mind. There was something else about that Ranger. A feeling he had had once before, but could not place.
Dismissing the thought as irrelevant he summoned Silvo. "Send a batch of WD Units to Earth, now!"
Silvo bowed low and gestured to the nearest Trooper. A portal opened and the WD Units stepped through.
Minion's attack had shaken the Rangers and their allies. Since the first encounter they had been on their guard, but with the lack of a follow up assault, Zordon had finally decided that they needed to relax for a while.
"Heads up Tommy," Rocky called, throwing the Frisbee towards his friend.
Tommy jumped into the air, spinning as he caught the Frisbee and threw it towards Tanya. "Nice throw," he said as he landed.
Jason sat back against the tree, watching his friends having fun. Normally he would have joined them, but today he was too tired to play. At first they were going to hang out at the Youth Center, but when Rocky turned up with his siblings and their friends in tow it had been decided to go to the park instead. Eventually what had started off as a meeting between seven friends had been transformed into a small party.
"Is this a private party or can anybody join?" Kat asked as she sat next to him.
"Please," Jason replied, indicating a spot.
Kat sat next to her friend. While he continued watching the game of Frisbee she chose to watch Samuel Revilo and David Trueheart sparring. Surprisingly neither was able to gain the upper hand. ~It's like watching David and Tommy,~ she thought. Under his brother's supervision David had improved his skills and was now as good a fighter as any Ranger.
Over the time she had grown to know him Kat had been amazed by how different David was. While Tommy always seemed to have some darkness within him David was filled with light. ~Stop thinking like that,~ she told herself. ~You're meant to be Tommy's girlfriend.~
"David's good," Jason noted, startling her back to reality.
Kat was about to reply when a silver spear struck the tree, just missing her head. As quickly as possible the two teens were on their feet, searching for the source of the spear. Another five spears hit the ground not far from where she was standing.
In the sky over Angel Grove a black masked face appeared, which Tommy easily recognised from their past encounter. In the background were three metal beings. One was silver and the other two were bronze and brass. Tommy's eyes went wide as the image grew larger, revealing the Sword of Darkness in his hand.
"Citizens of Earth, pay attention. I, Minion proclaim myself as your new ruler. Minion expects a quick and efficient surrender. Resistance shall result in termination."
The image faded and Jason once again looked around, trying to spot the source of the spear. He soon found it, fifty metal soldiers had appeared in a circle around the park, cutting off any route that the Rangers might have used to escape.
"We're going to have to fight," Jason said. He had tried his communicator and found the teleport function jammed. "Let's go."
"Right," Kat agreed.
While Tommy, Kat, Adam, Jason, Tanya, Sam and David formed into a circle defending the younger children, Rocky was searching for a way to get the innocents clear.
"When I say now, run," he told Chelsea Oliver.
Tommy's sister nodded her understanding, catching hold of the younger DeSantos children. Next to her Franklin Park and her younger brother Teddy had managed to organise the others so the strongest fighters were on the outside, protecting the younger children.
"Can't you just teleport us out?" Chelsea asked.
For a moment Rocky considered trying again, but decided against it. Now was not the time to rely on the system miraculously working. Instead he whispered back, "Jammed."
Chelsea nodded and watched as the circle of friends moved outwards, drawing their attackers towards them.
"Now!" Rocky shouted as he saw the break in the soldiers.
Chelsea and the others ran as fast as they could. As soon as they were clear of the WD Units they were teleported to the monster shelter.
"You and Sam go next," Tommy told his brother.
"No way," Sam said. "We all go together."
"He's right," David agreed. "You guys are going to need all the help you can get." He waited until Sam had turned away before adding to Tommy, "At least until I can get Sam clear so you can morph."
"Look out, here they come!" Jason shouted.
Zordon and Alpha had been watching the events unfold from the time Minion appeared. Despite Alpha's best attempts he had been unable to teleport David and the human known as Sam to safety.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Zordon I can't teleport the Rangers out either," Alpha reported.
"Calm yourself Alpha," Zordon advised. "Tell the Rangers to morph. Minion's forces are too powerful to face without their powers."
Alpha looked at the Viewing Globe, noticing the extra human in the area. "Zordon, there's someone with the Rangers."
"Tell them to morph Alpha," Zordon commanded. "We can limit the damage afterwards. Their lives are more important than any secret." ~Besides,~ Zordon thought to himself, ~David might be able to cover for the Rangers so they can morph without their other friend finding out.~ In his heart Zordon knew it was a long shot, but still worth hoping for.
"Tommy, Zordon says that you are to morph immediately."
Alpha's voice came over the communicator loud and clear. The Rangers and Sam had formed a circle and were trying to keep the attackers at bay. David was inside the circle, protecting an injured Kat from further harm.
"I'll be okay," she assured him. "Accelerated healing is kicking in. But I don't think I'll be able to fight."
David carefully examined her leg. Even though he wasn't a trained doctor, it was obvious that it was broken.
"Take this," Kat whispered, handing David her Zeoniser.
David took the Zeoniser and strapped onto his wrist. Immediately he felt the power telling him what to do. Standing up he joined Tommy and the others.
"We'll explain later," Tommy promised Sam. Morphing in front of a civilian was not something he wanted to do, but with one team-mate down he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger II - Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Red!"
"Gold Ranger Power!" Jason called.
"Dragonzord!"
The Rangers looked round in time to see Sam morph into the Dragon Ranger. As his sword appeared Dragon Ranger let loose a battle cry and tried to hack the nearest WD Unit's head off.
"Well that solves that problem," Gold Ranger said to his leader as they drew their own Power Swords and charged in after him.
"David," Blue Zeo shouted as he joined the fight. "Cover Kat and try to stay under cover."
The acting Pink Zeo Ranger nodded in agreement, drawing his Zeo Laser Pistol just in case. He was glad he did not have to fight, even with powers. He was also relieved because although his uniform was determined by the Power and not by him, unlike Jason, at least the Zeo Crystal had adapted for the fact he was male and removed the skirt.
"Ugh!"
David turned towards the source of the noise and saw two of the machines holding the Gold Ranger while a third machine pummelled him with punches. There was a loud crack and David could see Jason demorphing, his powers exhausted.
"No!" Pink Zeo shouted, summoning the Zeo I Power Shield.
As the three machines turned to face David he threw the disklike shield at them. Sparks flew as it made contact with their metallic bodies before bouncing harmlessly away. The Green Zeo Ranger had used the diversion to attack all three WD Units with his Zeo IV Power Hatchets. Although the attack failed to cause any real damage, it managed to convince the machines to attack him instead of his fallen comrade.
Minion's satellites relayed the battle on the planet to the Lunar Palace. The fight had barely started and already two of the Rangers were out of action with a third untrained Ranger trying to defend them. In addition the Gold Ranger had exhausted his powers and Minion now knew the identity of the Green Dragon Ranger.
Minion then checked on his own troops. So far none of them had fallen in battle despite the Rangers' best efforts. If this kept up he would soon have an easy victory.
"Silvo, tell your soldiers to increase their attack to full power," Minion instructed.
Adam was desperately outnumbered. Even if all the Rangers were available, the odds would have been difficult to beat. With Jason and Kat out of the fight and David looking after them Adam found himself fighting multiple WD Units. He barely ducked as one of the robots fired a weapon at him. He looked at the ground where the object had landed and realised it was a spear, at least as long as his arm.
"Tommy," Green Zeo called to his leader. "Those spears are inside them."
The Red Zeo Ranger nodded, taking his attention off his opponents long enough to nod. That was all the time the WD Unit needed. It moulded its hands into sharp edged blades and slashed at the Red Ranger.
As Adam was distracted seeing his leader fall, he failed to notice the WD Unit sneak up behind him. Before he could react, it punched him to the back of the neck. The Green Zeo Ranger looked up to see the WD Unit preparing to fire another spear, this time at his head.
Yellow Zeo had summoned her Nunchuks and had started to bludgeon the nearest opponent. Then after freeing one end of the weapon she struck out, using the chain to increase the momentum. As the solid club struck, the WD Unit's neck Yellow Zeo drew her Zeo Pistol and fired. The machine fell backwards, stunned by the attack.
As Yellow Zeo prepared for the next target it grabbed her from behind. Tanya found herself deposited on the back of her neck, the Zeo suit absorbing some but not all of the shock. She looked up, unable to move as another WD Unit prepared to hit her.
"Any bright ideas?" Blue Zeo asked.
"Yeah," Dragon Ranger replied from his position at Rocky's back. "Teleport out of here as quickly as possible."
In back-to-back formation they had managed to hold their own against the machines, but were fading fast. Looking around Rocky saw Tanya being driven into the ground.
"Duck!" Blue Zeo shouted.
As the Dragon Ranger moved to obey his blue companion leapt over his back, driving his Zeo Power Axe into the WD Unit's chest. As he pulled away, Dragon Ranger pushed his Blade Blaster into the damaged patch and fired. The WD Unit collapsed as the Blade Blaster's energy ripped through to emerge from all directions, effectively slicing it in half.
"I don't believe it!" Blue Zeo complained as he noticed the WD Unit still moving, despite being cut in half. As he watched the two halves rejoined.
A silver spear struck the Blue Zeo Ranger in the shoulder, allowing more of the metal warriors to fall on him. ~This is bad,~ he thought as his helmet cracked under the constant pounding.
"Enough!" Minion shouted.
Before him was a scene many villains had only ever dreamed of. The Power Rangers were almost all beaten. The only exception was a newcomer, who Minion intended to humiliate before killing.
"Silvo, call back the WD Units," he ordered. "Then go to Angel Grove and destroy the Green Ranger."
Silvo looked at the screen. All the other Rangers had been beaten down, leaving only the Green Ranger facing twenty WD Units. The machines fell on top of the Ranger, punching and kicking him into submission. An evil smile formed on Silvo's metallic lips.
"As you wish master," he said as he left.
Minion couldn't help smiling under his mask. He had known what Silvo was thinking and was pleased his henchmen were intelligent enough to know when they had an advantage. Whether Silvo could use that advantage remained to be seen.
"WD Units, dismissed!" Silvo shouted as he appeared.
As the silver soldiers moved to obey, Silvo stalked the Green Dragon Ranger, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him into the center of the park, away from his friends. As Silvo moved away from the area Zordon was able to lock onto the fallen Rangers and teleport them back to the Power Chamber.
Sam forced himself awake. Silvo's initial assault had injured him more than the WD Units and he could already sense his attacker getting near.
Silvo waited until the Dragon Ranger got back to his feet before kicking him in the stomach and power bombing him into the ground. Lifting the Ranger by the neck, he started to choke the Ranger in unconsciousness.
"Fireball!" Sam shouted.
His hand erupted with green fire, catching Silvo off guard. Instead of dropping the Ranger however, Silvo drove him into the ground. With the Ranger down he continued to pummel him until Silvo could see blood seeping from a hole in the Ranger's armour. Kneeling next to the Ranger, Silvo opened Sam's helmet exposing the boy's face. Drawing his fist back, he awaited Minion's permission to continue.
A portal opened a Minion stepped through. Silvo bowed to his master and taking the hint disappeared.
"ZORDON!" Minion shouted.
Zordon turned his attention Viewing Globe. When Alpha had managed to teleport the Rangers back to the Power Chamber, Alpha had sprung into action. Thanks to the little droid's actions the injured Rangers had all been demorphed and stabilised. Most were suffering from broken bones, although in one case Zordon had had to use his powers to help heal internal damage.
"ZORDON!" the voice boomed a second time. "Minion knows that you can hear, Zordon!"
"I am here Minion," Zordon replied. "What do you want?"
"Your little Power Pukes left something behind," Minion sneered. Reaching down he pulled up the battered Green Dragon Ranger, now bleeding from several wounds. Sam's helmet had been destroyed, placing the armour into standby mode. Minion placed the Sword of Darkness across Sam's neck.
"What do you want Minion?" Zordon asked.
"A simple trade," Minion replied. "You give me the Zeo Crystal and Minion will return this piece of trash."
Zordon thought for a moment. Every part of him wanted to send the Rangers back out to destroy Minion, but he did not have that option. In addition he doubted they would be able to either beat Minion or free their friend. Faced with an impossible choice Zordon did the only thing possible under the circumstances. ~I cannot sacrifice someone just to hold onto a power,~ Zordon thought. ~If I do, then I don't deserve to hold it anymore.~
"Very well Minion," Zordon said. "I will teleport the Zeo Crystal to you. But be warned, if you harm him, you will be destroyed."
"As you wish Zordon," Minion hissed with a mock bow. "As you wish." He picked up the crystal when it appeared. "Now, you shall see that Minion is a creature of honour. Take him back."
In a flash of green the prisoner was gone. Minion allowed himself to smile. While Zordon was busy caring for the injured Green Ranger, he would ensure the Ranger's were even less of a threat. He had taken their powers, now he intended to take their Zords. That would ensure that when Bronzo had finished his work the Rangers wouldn't stand a chance.
Alpha ran the medical scanner over Sam's unconscious form. He had tried several times to monitor the young Ranger, but although Alpha was able to heal some of the wounds, the scanners refused to detect the Green Ranger's presence. To make matters worse, Zordon had been unable to forcibly demorph the Ranger.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, nothing is working Zordon," Alpha reported.
"Keep trying," Zordon instructed.
"Yes Zordon," Alpha replied, returning to his work.
A small alarm sounded in the Power Chamber causing both Zordon and Alpha to investigate. The control panel, which the Rangers used to control the Zeo Launcher, was operating by itself. Already the Zeo Megazord, Super Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel had been loaded for launch.
"Alpha, eject the Zeo Launcher before the Red Battlezord is lost as well!" Zordon boomed. As he spoke, he noticed the other Zords had already been launched.
Alpha pushed the buttons on the console, causing the Zeo Launcher to eject from the Zord Holding Bay and explode near the bottom of the mountain. Zordon realised the Rangers would probably never use those Zords again. ~The Rangers will probably never use the Zeo Crystal again,~ he thought.
"Sam, wake up!"
Sam opened his eyes to find himself hovering over the medical table in the Power Chamber. As he looked down he could see the battered the remains of his body and Alpha desperately trying to help him.
"Am I dead?" Sam asked.
"No," the familiar voice said. "But if Zordon and Alpha cannot heal you, you will be."
"Why are they not healing me then?" Sam asked.
"Because you do not want them too," the voice replied. "They want to help you but cannot do so while you are hiding from them. Only you can save you life, and to do so you will need stop hiding and reveal yourself."
Sam thought about the choice he faced. If he removed the spell that hid him from the Ranger and everybody else then he would survive. But if he did remove the spell he risked losing the people he cared most about and being alone again. For a moment he was tempted to just keep the spell and die, but what then. The Green Powers would be lost and the Rangers would be in even worse shape than they were now.
~I caused Zordon to give up the Zeo Crystal,~ he thought. ~How can I quit before I have made amends?~
"At last you have seen sense," the voice said, once again taking the form of the Green Ranger. The voice changed to resemble someone Sam had come to respect over the years. The image flew into the Plasma Tube causing its inhabitant to smile, "Welcome back, Sam."
"Ah, there you are," Minion said as the three large Zords appeared.
While Zordon and Alpha had been otherwise occupied, Minion had manipulated the energies of the Zeo Crystal, using their link with the Power Chamber's computer system, which had been compromised by Cyber Agent months before. He had ordered all the Zords to launch, but somehow Zordon had managed to prevent the Red Battlezord from being lost. For what he had in mind though, it did not matter.
"Fight me!" Minion commanded, manipulating the machines into switching to autopilot. After teleporting the Zeo Crystal to a safe place Minion prepared himself to destroy the Rangers' prize weapons.
Before any of the three Zords could react, Minion rushed them with his sword. Using the power blade he knocked the Warrior Wheel, attacking in robot-mode, to the ground.
Minion had spent time studying the Zords the Rangers had used since Zordon first recruited them. After watching their battles he had managed to learn the weaknesses of each of the Megazords.
The Dino Megazord had been quick and had been able to take abuse well, but lacked the strength and firepower of the future Zords. The Dragonzord had been more powerful, but lacked any finishing manoeuvres. Ultimately they had been destroyed not through the act of an enemy, but because Zordon had failed to enhance them.
The Thunder Megazord had the raw power, but was unable to survive a sustained attack. The Tigerzord was powerful, but was reliant on the cooperation between Ranger and Saba. In the end it had been their lack of endurance, which had drained them to the point where Rito had been able to defeat them. Minion wondered what would have happened if Zordon had given the Rangers access to the real Thunder powers, instead of allowing them to draw the power through their Dinocoins.
The Ninja Megazord and Ninja MegaFalconzord were the most agile of the Zords, but neither Zord was unable to defend itself against swords. The Shogun Megazord and Shogun MegaFalconzord were powerful and heavily armoured, but lacked the speed to defeat the faster monsters. Together they had made a good set of Zords, complementing each other well. Unfortunately the Ninja Zords' reliance on the Falcon Zord meant that when Zedd had stolen it all the Ninja Zords had been disabled.
Then came his current opponents. It was easy to find the weakness with the Zeo Megazord or the Red Battlezord. Both had been added to the Ranger's arsenal after they had gained their powers. As a result they only drew part of the power from the Zeo Crystal. If Minion had had the opportunity to face the Red Battlezord, he would have simply aimed for the cockpit. The machine was designed for Tommy only and a quick laser bolt through the glass cockpit would have ended the Zord's attack. The Megazord was at least a challenge, but Minion knew all he had to do was ground the Zord and it would be as good as scrap.
The Warrior Wheel was vulnerable when switching between modes. Minion had already damaged it, but now he planned to take advantage of its other weakness. While the Zord was down, he intended to ensure he knocked out the other two Megazords, thus eliminating its finisher. The Warrior Wheel did not have an effective solo assault.
As he was analysing his opponents the Zeo Megazord and Super Zeo Megazord had already moved into attack. The Zeo Megazord had activated its Battle Helmets. Minion had laughed as he was hit by the various assaults; even the Zeo Megazord Sabre had barely scratched him.
"Zeo Cannon!" Minion called, bracing himself as the cannon attached itself to his shoulder.
Minion fired the weapon once, blast a hole in the Zeo Megazord's chest. As the Zord collapsed Minion aimed the cannon again, this time channelling the full power of the Zeo Crystal into the blast and fired. The Megazord exploded, parts of its chest exploding over the ground as it was swiftly teleported back to the Power Chamber.
Twisting around to face the Super Zeo Megazord, Minion fired again. The blast caused some damage but the Super Zeo Megazord had been created to take more than the Zeo Cannon could give. In disgust Minion smashed the Zeo Cannon into the Super Zeo Megazord's head.
Minion had spent a long time studying the Super Zeo Megazord. It had a number of weaknesses, but none Minion could exploit to their full extent. Instead he had looked at the Zord's weapon and had discovered the combined swords generated too much power for even its wielder to use at full power.
He laughed as the Megazord struck him the first time, gesturing for it to try full power. The Zord complied and Minion saw his chance. Grabbing hold of the blade he pushed it back towards the Zord until it made contact with the Megazord's head. Minion continued to push, slicing through the Megazord. Gradually the sword started to cut through the body, emerging at the base of the body.
As the Super Zeo Megazord fell to the ground in two halves, Minion picked up the combined sword and used it to chop away the Zord's arms and legs. Finally he drove the sword into the head of the Megazord. As the Super Zeo Megazord was reduced to the Super Zeo Gems from which it was first formed, the sword disappeared with it.
"Just you and me then," Minion said as the Warrior Wheel got to its feet again, beckoning him to attack with his hand.
Faster than Minion expected the Warrior Wheel launched at him. A series of fists connected with Minion's chin. Minion laughed as he took all the punishment the Zord could dish out.
"My turn," he said.
Minion snap kicked the Warrior Wheel's knee, following up with several punches of his own. Lifting the Zord over his head in military press, Minion jerked his arms back to his sides. He threw the top part of the Warrior Wheel onto the ground in front of him, before dumping the legs on top.
He raised his hands in victory as he watched the remains of the Warrior Wheel disappear. "ZORDON! If I'd known it was going to be this easy I'd have attacked before!"
Reaching out Minion summoned the Zeo Crystal and held it above his head as a sign of victory. For the second time he had taken the powers from the Rangers. This time they would not get them back. Time was now on his side and that was all he needed.
When Tommy awoke Zordon asked him to join David and the others in the main chamber. As he entered the room Tommy was glad to see his team was still alive. The Rangers healing powers had taken care of the worst of their injuries. And with a little help from David and Alpha they had all regained consciousness.
Conspicuous by his absence was Sam. At first Tommy thought maybe the Green Ranger had left. Then, he noticed the blocked off area of the chamber where the medical table was located.
"Zordon, where is Sam?" Jason asked.
"Rangers, I have some bad news for all of you," Zordon said. "When you were teleported here Minion assaulted Sam and used him to gain control of the Zeo Crystal. He has since destroyed all the Zeo Zords with the exception of the Red Battlezord and has damaged the Zeo Crystal so it cannot be used."
"The good news," Zordon continued, "Is that Sam is going to be all right and that we have today gained a powerful and wise ally."
The blocked area of the chamber vanished, revealing Sam in his civilian clothes. By dropping his power he had allowed Zordon to discover his true identity, but at the same time had managed to conquer his fear of discovery.
"Sam Revilo, will you please reveal your true identity to the Rangers?" Zordon asked. If Sam refused then Zordon had no intention to tell them. He hoped that his reaction had helped.
Sam placed his hands over his face and slowly moved them around. As he did so the other Rangers gasped. Sam's face became that of Thomas Oliver when he had first arrived in Angel Grove.
"Hi," Sam said sheepishly, "Remember me?"
For a moment nobody said anything. Most of them were too shocked to say anything; Tanya just didn't understand what was happening. None of the Rangers had ever thought to fill her in on their history and although she knew Tommy had once been the Green Ranger she had never been made aware that he had a clone.
Finally, Tommy spoke. "How can you be here? I left you in 1795."
"More to the point," Adam stated, "I thought two Tommy Olivers in one time would damage the Morphin Grid."
"Look, I can't tell you everything about the time Collective, because I don't know everything," Sam said, returning to his usual look. "I do know I am the clone you left in Colonial Angel Grove, the same guy who helped when Minion took your powers last time. I stayed in the Eighteenth Century and lived there until the present. I don't think the timeline applies anymore."
"Indeed, since Sam has not returned to this time zone, but has instead lived for the last two hundred years the effects on the Morphin Grid no longer apply," Zordon explained.
"What about your disguise?" Rocky asked.
"I retained the magic from the Wizard of Deception's wand," Sam answered. "I am now one with the magic. I am literally the Green Ranger."
"Rangers, I am afraid there is nothing more you can do here," Zordon said. "I suggest you all go and try to get some rest. I have a feeling you will need you strength soon."
As he watched, the Rangers leave Zordon turned to his assistant. "Alpha Five, begin Plan B."
"Yes Zordon," Alpha said, hurrying to complete his task.
While Billy worked Zordon started to plan for what was to come. Minion had in the space of a day managed to hand the Rangers their first defeat. For some reason the new villain had not continued to attack, deciding to retreat. Zordon reached out with his mind, touching each of the Rangers. ~Rest my Rangers,~ he thought, ~I fear the worst is yet to come.~
With trembling hands Minion placed the Zeo Crystal in its new home. The charging sequence would take a matter of days and the latent heat generated would speed up the incubation period. After that he would have a force at his disposal, so destructive that neither the Rangers nor Dagsyxx would stand in his way.
End
Chapter 6: Powerless Rangers
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
Powerless Rangers
Lord Zedd was not a happy villain. He had not conquered the Dark Galaxy by trusting his allies or allowing his inferiors to override his orders. He had been enjoying a tour of his personal domain with his wife and their entourage, when the bungling Rito had arrived with Finster in tow. From there his day had taken a turn for the worse.
"What are you two doing here?" he had snarled.
Rito had not been in a condition to answer, his body recovering from severe trauma. Finster had looked decidedly nervous.
"Forgive the intrusion Lord Zedd," the monster maker said after a while. "Minion ordered me to bring Rito here."
Zedd glowed red as he fumed at the audacity of Minion. He had left Finster there to ensure the recreated clone did not have any sudden bursts of independence.
Leaving the Earth before he was done conquering it had always been a risky decision. That was why he and Rita had been quick to return from their forced eviction b the Machine Empire. During their absence anybody could move in and take over.
"Rita, we are leaving," he announced. He turned to the Magistrate, the being he had charged with maintaining the Dark Galaxy in his absence. "Send word to Maxell that I want a meeting of the High Council of the Alliance and send Arcana to Earth with instructions to protect my interests; he is to offer assistance to Minion, unless there are signs of treachery. We will return to Earth after the meeting."
"Of course Lord Zedd," the Magistrate replied. "While you are gone, I will arrange for your army to ready itself."
Zedd nodded. Once he had conquered the Earth, his forces would exit the Dark Galaxy and secure the space between to two parts of his empire. Overnight his domain would increase. But first he needed to take care of that upstart Minion.
"Activating containment field," Tommy said.
The five former Zeo Rangers had gathered above the Power Chamber, in the room that once housed the Command Center. Although most of the Power Chamber was now below ground, Zordon and Billy had rebuilt the upper chamber soon after Gasket's Cyber Agent had infiltrated the computer core. Instead of a command area, Billy had adapted the room to serve as a combination of laboratory and repair bay.
Each Ranger was now seated at a console operating the controls as though they had been doing so their whole lives. On a raised pillar in the center of the room was a platform holding the Super Zeo Gems and their Zeonisers. Zordon had managed to find five golden coins that while not Power Coins were similar enough for to be of use.
Currently the large coins had been arranged below the platform and the Super Zeo Gems were floating above the Zeonisers. As Tommy started the containment field, the coins were pushed closer to the platform, a different coloured beam of energy emerging from each of them. As the beams of light struck the platform above the Zeonisers the Super Zeo Gems had started to glow. Waves of energy bathed the various materials causing them to move frantically.
"Energy structure complete," Adam reported from his position. "Morphing grids activated."
Every Ranger had a morphing grid, a field of energy generated by the Power Morpher or in this case, their Zeonisers. Physical matter was they affixed to the energy field, using the grid layout to aid positioning of uniforms, weapons and other items essential to a Ranger. Creating the energy grid was an important step towards their goal of replacing the Zeo powers.
"Begin Phase Two," Tommy instructed.
Kat started the power induction tools settled to one side of the Zeonisers. With small cameras positioned on the tip of each tool to guide her, Kat was able to manipulate the micro circuitry. By doing so she successfully retuned the devices so that the separate energy waves from the coins and the Super Zeo Gems were received and stored by the Zeoniser Crystals. From there the existing technology could be used to control the morphing sequence and regulate the power flow.
It was a delicate task since the Zeonisers had been set to work solely with the Zeo Crystal. Not only was Kat changing the source of the energy, she was increasing the number of sources. Luckily whatever she did to one Zeoniser was duplicated on the others.
"Phase Two complete," Kat said after what seemed like ages. "Ready for final power up."
"Okay, Rocky you start, Tanya you follow," Tommy said.
Both Rocky and Tanya nodded. Activating their consoles, they began to open the energy feeds for the Zeonisers, testing to ensure they were receiving power from both sources. Then they adjusted to flows to avoid overloading and loaded the template files. The Zeonisers glowed as they increased the power levels.
"Full power, now!" Tommy called.
Tanya and Rocky turned the controls up to maximum, channelling all available power into the morphing tools. This was the most important step, to ensure the devices were capable of dealing with the demands of powering up.
"Damn!" Tommy swore as one of the Zeoniser Crystals fractured, crumbling under the stress of opposing energy flows. "Shut everything down, we'll need to start from scratch."
"That might be a problem," Rocky said. The others followed his gazed to where the coins had fallen.
Tommy felt all his hopes fail when he saw the coins. The intense heat had caused them to distort, which in turn rendered them useless.
"Now what?" Tanya asked.
"Now we go and tell Zordon we've failed," Tommy told her. He bent down and picked up the remains of the coins. "Maybe he can find some more."
He gathered the Super Zeo Gems and gasped as a small shock passed through his body. For a moment the two sources of power were touching each other. Electricity started to arc from the gems to the coins and back again. This had caused Tommy to drop them and when he picked them up the second time he was more careful. Once all the coins were gathered and all the gems had been placed in their container the Rangers teleported away.
"Well?" Minion probed as Bronzo finished the latest of his tests.
"It won't work Lord Minion," the henchman answered. "Serpenterra cannot be powered directly from the Zeo Crystal. Its weapon systems - could be upgraded to use the crystal, but a direct feed for the drive system would be impossible."
"Suggestions?"
"Keep the power source and change the application," Bronzo answered. "Break the link between the Rangers and their powers; the crystal is still powering them even if they are unaware of it. Then find a way to transmit the energy to Serpenterra."
Minion considered the suggestion. During what many on Earth considered the second world war, the opposing sides had used RADAR as a weapon. While one side had used it for its most common application of detecting incoming aeroplanes, the other side had used it as a means of directing their air raids. In the same way the energy of the Zeo Crystal could be wielded directly or indirectly. Master Vile had used it directly when he had plugged it into the Ninja Zords' weapon systems; the Rangers had used it directly to negate the Orb of Doom's energies. Since then the Zeo Rangers had relied on an indirect application, the energy divided into a different wavelength for each Zeoniser.
Minion's plan had been to install the Zeo Crystal in Serpenterra, expecting the mighty machine to have enough power to destroy the Rangers, crush any resistance on Earth and then perhaps destroy the creature known as Dagsyxx; nobody forced Minion to work for them, not even an ancient entity with enough power to squash him like a bug.
Now that Bronzo had revealed that in addition to burning too much fuel to remain a realistic tool, Serpenterra was incapable of handling the energy the crystal could produce; the machine lacked a suitable reactor and failed to store and release energy in a way that would have compensated for its shortcomings.
That meant that he would have to use the crystal indirectly, which meant he would have to break the link between the Rangers and the crystal.
"Find a way to break the Rangers' link with the Zeo Crystal," he instructed.
"It might tak…"
"Devise a method and Minion will secure the means," he promised.
And while Bronzo was occupied with that task, he needed to ensure that the Zeo Rangers were destroyed once and for all. He had been tempted to send his WD Units back to Earth to finish the Rangers, but had dismissed that idea as premature. Despite defeating the Rangers and preventing support from Aquitar and Triforia, Minion had yet to deal with the other defenders of Earth; the Masked Rider, VR Troopers and Beetleborgs were all active in California. New York also had its own protectors.
In addition there were the Earth's armed forces to deal with. Minion had absolute faith in his creations, but did not want a long battle that might convince civilians to take up arms to defend themselves. His plans for Earth required the planet and its people to be taken alive. He planned to use the people of Earth as hosts for the creatures in the Dark Dimension, his own army of evil. He had even entertained the notion of converting the planet into a mobile space station, using the planet's natural magic to power it.
~First things first,~ he thought. Although the Zeo Rangers were powerless, they still posed a minor threat.
"Silvo," he called quietly. "Send a mixture of Tengas, Putties and Cogs back down to Angel Grove. They are to destroy the Power Rangers when they appear."
"Yes master," Silvo said, disappearing to carry out his task.
Tommy and the others arrived in the Power Chamber. Although they were no longer powered, Tommy had thought it best if they could find some sort of disguise to keep their identities secret. Soon al five Rangers were wearing some old spandex-based costumes Alpha had managed to make with the replicators in the Power Chamber. Alpha had also managed to scrounge some old helmets for the Rangers to wear.
"Now all we need are some weapons," Rocky said.
"I have something to help you there as well Rangers," Alpha said. Pressing a button on the console, he teleported the Rangers to a secret vault hidden deep beneath the Power Chamber.
"Oh man," Tommy said as he looked around. "I didn't realise we had such a large collection."
Around the room were all the weapons Billy had ever built but had never connected to the Rangers' powers. Tommy made his way over to the far corner where he discovered the first set of motorcycles Billy had attempted to build for the Might Morphin Power Rangers; there was one set intended for use during the time of the Dino Zords and another set that he assumed were for use when the power of Thunder had been used. Checking the power supply he found all five vehicles were in working order and capable of morphing into powerful weapons. They had obviously been one of Billy's projects during his time in the Power Chamber.
Rock and Adam meanwhile had managed to find some energy rifles. Each gun measured about ten inches and was grey in colour. Adam tested one of the guns and found it was self-aiming.
"Look at this," Rocky said, pointing to the small cartridges Billy had carefully labelled. "Fire, Freeze, Stun bolt, Exploding Shells, Laser and Gel. He didn't just make one gun, he made every type of rifle we'd ever need."
"Check this out," Adam said, pointing to the set of five devices Billy had placed next to them. "It says here these will act as a disruption field against Cogs. That might slow them for a bit."
"Guys!" Tanya shouted from the other side of the room. "I think I've found the heavy artillery."
The other Rangers found Tanya standing in a smaller vault marked 'DANGER'. On her right arm she had attached a Gatling gun. A metal casing surrounded her shoulder continuing as a metal sleeve down her arm. The cannon was mounted on the end and activated by a small trigger. The armour changed colour to blend in with her clothing.
Now armed with the weapons and bikes they had managed to find, and the personal weapons Tommy had discovered, the Rangers left to take on the Cogs, Putties and Tengas that Minion had sent to Earth.
In the Power Chamber Alpha 5 was in danger of burning out his circuitry due to stress. "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, they're gone!"
"What are gone?" Zordon asked, taking his attention off the Viewing Globe for a moment.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi!"
"Alpha," Zordon said. He received no response and decided to take desperate action. "Alpha Five, if you do not calm down, I will arrange for Billy to give you a service."
"I'm sorry Zordon," Alpha said when he had finally calmed down. "The Super Zeo Gems and the coins we used in the experiment have vanished."
"Calm yourself," Zordon instructed. "The coins and Super Zeo Gems are fine, I have simply teleported them to my dimension."
"Sorry Zordon, I'm just so nervous. If the Rangers lost the Super Zeo Gems now that they no longer possess the Zeo Crystal…"
"That is indeed a disturbing thought Alpha. Luckily I believe I have found the solution to our earlier problems. Prepare the computer to resume the power up sequence."
"Okay Rangers, divide and conquer," Tommy ordered.
After teleporting to a spot just outside of Angel Grove Park the Rangers had summoned their bikes. Thanks to Billy's design the bikes had adapted for their new users. The vehicles, which the teens had simply named Attack Cycles were now colour coded for each Ranger. The Green, Blue, Pink and Yellow Attack Cycles were all based on a motorbike and sidecar design. The Red Attack Cycle resembled a cross between the Shark Cycles and Zeo Cycles.
"Power them up," Tommy instructed. Flicking the power controls on his bike he crossed his fingers and hoped the portable power cells they had found would last for a while.
"Tommy, they're spreading out," Tanya warned.
Tommy checked his scanners and saw that whilst the Tengas had remained in the park, the Putties were heading towards the Youth Center and the Cogs were spreading out through the rest of the city.
"I'll take care of the birds," Kat said. Before anyone could argue, she had already started to drive off.
"Okay, Rocky and Tanya take the Cogs, Adam and I'll deal with the Putties and then catch you up."
"Right," the other Rangers called as the set off on their mission to protect Angel Grove. Tommy started his weapon systems before taking off after Adam.
Kat angled her Attack Cycle and rammed into the flock of Tengas. As expected most of them flew clear of the bike, but a few tried to slow her and were torn to shreds by the powerful wheels. Turning the bike to make a second pass, Kat realised that she would not be able to make contact with the Tengas since they had remained in the air.
Drawing her hand blaster Kat loaded a Fire Pack, took aim and fired. With the nearest Tenga acting as the target, the blaster adjusted its power level to ensure that as the beam hit the bird it exploded into flames. The odour of burnt feathers filled the air as the Tenga struggle to remain airborne, setting fire to its neighbours as well.
"Get her!" the leader called.
As the Tengas swooped towards her Kat changed the blaster's power pack to Ice. Instead of aiming directly for the birds, she fired at the ground in front of her. As the Tengas landed, they found themselves frozen in place. Kat fired another shot to freeze the birds, then threw a stone at the ice statues. The statues cracked and crumbled into tiny pieces of ice.
"Oh great," Kat said to herself as more Tengas appeared.
Using their increased speed Tommy and Adam made it to the Youth Center before the army of Putties. As they waited Tommy called for Ernie to evacuate everybody from the front of the Youth Center. Ernie did not need to be told twice and soon there were no civilians in the area.
As the Putties drew nearer Adam activated his bike's special features. The connecting bars between the bike and sidecar extended outwards, pushing the sidecar away from the bike. Adam shifted position to sit upright as the sidecar was raised off the ground, the bottom opening and remoulding to extend the sides. Eventually the sidecar was positioned over the bike and rider.
Luckily for Adam the whole conversion process was balanced to ensure the bike did not tip over. When he was certain the sidecar was in the correct position, he pressed the button on his handlebars. The shell of the sidecar dropped onto the bike, locking itself into position. The wheel that had been used to support the sidecar dropped next to the bike's own wheel. With a series of clicks the wheels were joined by an axle and moved outwards to provide extra support for the increased weight.
Finally a set of laser cannons emerged from the machines sides. At the front a triple barrelled rocket launcher appeared. A protective screen covered the newly formed cockpit.
"Let's see them deal with this," Adam said.
"Not bad," Tommy said, taking a moment to admire Billy's handiwork. "Watch this," he told Adam as he activated his own weapons.
Channelling the power of the Morphin Grid, Tommy's bike started its own transformation. The wheels duplicated themselves and extended away from the bike. The headlight transformed into a single cannon. Tommy felt his legs being drawn back behind him as steel panels formed around them. The front windscreen extended to protect Tommy from any forward attack. The wheels started to spin at speeds impossible for an ordinary bike.
With the front wheels spinning forward and the rear wheel spinning in reverse, the bike started to lift off the ground. When it was floating six inches off the ground Tommy flicked a switch and the wheels dropped from vertical to horizontal positions. Miniature thrusters mounted under each of the wheels activated to keep the bike hovering. Finally a set of heavy weapons attached themselves to the bike and a pair of thrusters appeared on the back of the bike.
"Here they come," Adam called.
"Let's get them," Tommy responded.
Together the two Rangers charged the Putties. While Adam drove into the Putties, Tommy used his thrusters to knock the Putties over. Within a few minutes they had managed to get all the Putties into a state where they could no longer stand upright.
"Particle Stream, fire!" Tommy called.
A thick beam of light erupted from the nose cannon. Flicking several buttons Tommy fired his side cannons as well. The Putties in front of him were soon reduced dust.
"Triple Shock!" Adam cried.
The three-barrelled rocket launcher fired, dispersing its shells over a wide area. The Putties decided they had had enough and ran away. Adam turned to see Tommy beating the remaining Putties on foot. He was using a hollow red staff Adam assumed he had found in Billy's vault.
"Siek-yah!" Tommy shouted as he decapitated the last Putty and remounted his bike. "We'd better find the others."
"They're spreading out," Tanya said as she studied the Cogs on her radar. "Rocky, we need to keep them inside their current grid or we won't be able to take them."
"Why don't you take the perimeter and I'll pick them off from inside?" Rocky suggested knowing Tanya had the faster bike.
"Okay, but be careful," Tanya warned. "We don't have our powers to protect us anymore."
"Hey, it's me," Rocky replied with a grin.
"Exactly," Tanya muttered. Out loud she called, "Weapons, now!"
The bike and sidecar separated, the sidecar splitting into parts. The bike's stand lowered to stabilise Tanya as the bike morphed. The rear wheel of the bike detached while at the same time joining with parts of the sidecar to form a rotor blade. The sidecar wheel transformed into a smaller rotor and attached itself to the rear of the bike by means of an extended axle. The larger rotor attached itself to the front of the sidecar. The front, back and sides of sidecar then formed over the bike while the base of the sidecar split in half and formed two skies. When the transformation was finished, Tanya was sitting in a miniature helicopter.
Next a cannon attached itself to each ski and a smaller rifle appeared on the end of each handlebar. The Gatling cannon Tanya had found earlier attached itself to her shoulder ready for action. Starting the rotors, she raced off to prevent the Cogs from spreading out.
Rocky didn't bother activating his weapons. Instead he headed towards the point from which the Cogs were spreading out. As he went, he stopped every so often to place a small device. If his plan worked and Billy had been right he hoped to be able to shut down the Cogs without too much fighting. The idea of being without his powers was scary, but Rocky had vowed to defend his planet and that was an oath he took seriously.
"Weapons mode, now!" Rocky called as he finally caught up with the Cogs.
At his command the bike and sidecar separated. Time seemed to move slowly as Rocky was thrown into the air, his arms and legs spread. The bike and sidecar broke into smaller parts, the three wheels forming a base and locking onto his feet. The armour from the vehicle attached itself to Rocky's body encasing him in a solid shell. A double-barrelled cannon formed on his chest, a pair of rocket launchers attached to each shoulder and a pulse rifle formed on each arm.
Rocky tried his new mode out and discovered it was surprisingly versatile. Apart from his feet he was able to move without restriction from his armour.
With a thought Rocky activated the devices he had placed. The Cogs froze as the devices transmitted a shutdown command. With the Cogs disable Rocky chose his targets and fired. Soon a pile of scrap metal surrounded him.
A small flashing light showed more Cogs moving in from behind. Turning to face the new threat Rocky released a barrage of blasts from his pulse rifles.
"Fire One!" he ordered.
The rocket launcher on his right shoulder locked onto the center of the Cogs. The rocket struck its target, throwing the inoperative Cogs to the ground.
"Time to help Tanya," Rocky said to himself as his wheels carried him towards his fellow Ranger.
"Don't you guys know when to quit?" Kat asked as she blasted another Tenga.
Kat was fighting a losing battle and she knew it. Every time she defeated one Tenga, several more appeared. She pulled the trigger again and sighed as she realised the power pack was empty once again.
"Damn!" she swore, smashing the now useless weapon into the nearest Tenga. Without her powers she knew she could not fight unarmed for too long. "Weapons mode, now!"
Kat felt herself teleported into her sidecar. A glass screen closed over her forming a cockpit. As the screens inside came to life Kat saw the twin cannons emerge from under her sidecar and at the same time small wings spread on either side.
"Launch!" she ordered.
The rocket like craft was launched into the air, allowing Kat to match speed with the Tengas. One by one she targeted the Tengas and one by one the Tengas were reduced to a pile of feathers.
"No!" Minion shouted. "This cannot happen. They are unpowered; how can they be winning?"
He looked down at the battlefield below. Somehow the Rangers had found some new toys. He had no doubt they were Billy's designs. For a brief moment he considered sending some WD Units down to fight, but decided his henchmen could use a workout instead.
"Silvo, Brasso, come here!"
"Yes master?" both servants asked as they bowed before their creator.
"The Rangers have managed to destroy our troops. Go down there, destroy their toys and then finish them!"
"Yes master," the two henchmen said as they headed for Angel Grove.
"We did it!" Rocky said excitedly as the Rangers regrouped in the park.
"Yeah," Tommy said. "Good job guys."
After mopping up the remaining foot soldiers the Rangers had ensured the city was safe before heading back to the source of the disturbance.
"You know if this was Rita and Zedd or Mondo, he would be sending a monster about now," Rocky said.
No sooner had he spoken, then Silvo and Brasso appeared in front of them. "You had to say it didn't you," Tanya muttered.
"This is going to be fun," Brasso proclaimed as he turned his attention to the nearest Ranger. He charged at Tanya, grabbing her helicopter by the skies, preventing her from getting away. While he held the vehicle, Silvo struck it with his fist. Between them they tore the vehicle apart.
"Get away from her!" Rocky shouted. He unleashed the whole power of his weapons, causing Silvo to release Tanya.
Silvo responded by charging at Rocky, lifting him above his head and power slamming him to the ground. From nowhere a silver sword appeared in his hands and he started to try to slice and dice the former Zeo Ranger. He was stopped when Kat slammed her vehicle into his legs.
Brasso meanwhile had managed to cripple Adam by breaking off his front wheel. Tommy tried to use his thrusters to force Brasso to move, but only succeeded in making the henchman mad. Twisting around Brasso threw Tommy to the ground. His bike lost power as Brasso drove his foot into the side.
"Regroup," Tommy called.
The Rangers abandoned their weapon systems and gathered a short distance away. Tanya handed her blaster to Kat as the Gatling cannon once again appeared on her arm.
"Fire!" Tommy ordered.
The weapons were powerful, but had been designed to work with powered Rangers; not humans dressed to look like Rangers. As a result the only effect the blasters had on Silvo and Brasso was to make them laugh.
"You want fire?" Silvo asked. "Try this."
Lasers shot from Brasso's eyes, hitting the ground where the Rangers were standing. He watched with satisfaction as the Rangers were thrown into the air.
Tommy landed hard, rolling to reduce the impact. His first instinct was to get back to his feet, but instead he took a moment to find out where he was in relation to the others. Rocky and Adam were lying next to each other barely moving. Kat and Tanya were some distance away, neither attracting the henchmen's attention.
"Now we finish this," Tommy heard Silvo say. He looked up in time to see the edge of Silvo's sword pointed at his neck.
"Time to die little powerless Ranger," Silvo sneered.
Without further conversation both henchmen raised their swords and prepared to carry out an old-fashioned execution. Tommy looked up as he saw the henchmen about to sacrifice him. The blow never landed though as Silvo and Brasso stumbled forward as something struck the backs of their necks. For a moment they forgot about Tommy and turned to face the Ranger who had dared to strike them. In a flash of green the Green Ranger's Power Sword connected with them a second time. Sam wielded his weapon with skills developed over years of training.
Going low he used the hilt to strike Brasso in the face before swivelling to kick Silvo in the chest. "Fireball!" he called.
An orb of green fire exploded from his hands, striking both henchmen at close range. Silvo and Brasso decided they had had enough and retreated back to the Moon, leaving Sam to deal with the injured Rangers.
A few minutes later the Rangers were back in the Power Chamber. Zordon and Alpha had retrieved the remains of their weapon systems and vehicles, but the majority was beyond repair.
"At least we beat them off for now," Rocky said.
"Until the next time," Tommy pointed out. He turned to look at his rescuer. "Thanks," he said.
"Rangers, once again you have proven why I was correct in selecting you. You have fought without your powers and defeated Minion's forces. In addition, I have some good news for you."
The Rangers were all ears.
"Forgive us master," Silvo said as he and Brasso kneeled before Minion. "We have failed you."
"Indeed, you have performed at less than optimal capacity. However, the intervention of the Green Ranger was an inconvenient and unforeseen occurrence. Under the circumstances, Minion forgives you."
~What am I saying?~ Minion wondered. ~I am not Billy. I am Minion, soon to be ruler of the Universe. I AM IN CONTROL.~
Finally certain he was back to normal Minion returned to henchmen.
Bronzo had found a way to break the link between the Zeo Crystal and the Zeonisers. It would take a great deal of energy to accomplish such a task. Luckily the Earth provided for his needs; the planet was crisscrossed by lines of the extra-dimensional energy that could sometimes be recognised as magic. On any other planet these lines would have bled into reality, but the Earth was also blessed with an overabundance of Iron, a material that could block magic. As such, the Earth was lacking in extra-universal energy except for places where two or more lines of energy crossed, creating a nexus point. These points were known to contain vast amounts of energy, energy he could use for his own purposes.
But where to strike? California was an obvious target since it housed several nexus points and the Angel Grove nexus, a very special point of energy. Angel Grove was unique because its nexus point was crossed by the lines of energy that led to all other points of power in California. In effect Angel Grove was more of a central hub in a vast network of energy conduits. Mariner Bay in the southern part of the state and Blue Bay Harbour were slightly smaller but each held a link to the Realm of Hell. Reefside, Charterville, Urbana City, Crossworld City, Leewood, and even the small town of North Valley were just some of the major focal points in the area. There were other less defined areas such as Sunny Dale that made California an attractive target. Unfortunately with so many points of natural energy gathered in such a small area, heroes had a way of emerging when least expected. Minion did not wish to exert more magic than he had to for this task, so for now California was out of the running.
The same could be said for other sites within the United States. New York, Carolina and Washington State along with Indiana, Idaho, Ohio and Seattle were all potential locations for his plans. In fact the United States as a whole was just a list of possible targets. Unfortunately they were all too close to the Power Rangers for his tastes. Somewhere overseas would serve him better.
Possible countries flickered through his mind. He was no expert on the lines of natural energy that crisscrossed the Earth. He didn't know all of the nexus points although he had studied those in America to assist his invasion plans. He used Zordon's satellites to zero in on sites in Africa, Egypt, France, China and Japan. He chose Stone Henge in England because of the monument's history as a place of ceremony. Other sites would follow once he decided where to attack.
"Minion has another task for you two on Earth," he said. He pointed to the target and simply added, "Go!"
With his henchmen out of the way Minion took the time to reassess his position. The Rangers were defeated, he was sure of that. And despite their best efforts they had only succeeded in defeating a mixture of second-rate foot soldiers and causing his henchmen to retreat. With Silvo and Brasso in the process of securing him a position on Earth he would soon be able to energise Serpenterra. And then, Minion knew it was a question of time.
~Next time, I'll send down some monsters and trash that city.~ His eyes glowed brightly as he considered all the things he intended to do to those Rangers before he killed them.
For once the entire Youth Center was silent. Throughout the world people had tuned into their local news. Tommy and the Rangers watched as Cassidy Cornell delivered her report.
"And this is the scene from Angel Grove just hours ago. The world owes a great debt to Angel Grove's heroes, one we can never repay. This is Cassi…"
The news report was over cut by another broadcast. The two pictures merged with each other to be replaced by a black masked figure. "This world belongs to Minion now. Surrender or the planet shall die at Minion's hand."
~This guy is bad,~ Tommy thought. ~I just hope we're up to the task.~
~So do I Tommy,~ Zordon thought, picking up on Tommy's thoughts. ~So do I.~
End
Chapter 7: The Power Rangers Fight Back
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
The Power Rangers Fight Back
They arrived together, the dark machine and the silver haired wizard. One called himself Arcana and claimed to be a powerful spell weaver in the service of Lord Zedd, sent on his behalf to ensure that Minion did not claim Earth for himself. The other was a large machine sent by an incomplete Mondo to ensure his interests were protected.
Both had been instructed to render assistance in conquering the Earth, both viewed the other with contempt. For now they had the same purpose and Minion though annoyed by their presence was convinced not to destroy them on the spot.
Arcana with his knowledge of magic would prove useful for some of his project; the Machine Empire's contribution was even more valuable. Minion bid them welcome and allowed them to remain as observers. He intended to prove to them and through them their masters that the situation was under control and that Minion was in charge.
"Alpha, are you ready to continue?" Zordon asked.
"Yes Zordon," Alpha replied. "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, this is so exciting."
Zordon merely nodded and began the complicated task he knew would help the Rangers in the future. Slowly, system-by-system the Power Chamber shutdown, leaving only the monster alarm activated. Zordon considered switching that off as well, knowing what he proposed would require a vast amount of power. The fact Minion was still on the offensive made him leave the system on just in case.
"Alpha, teleport now," Zordon instructed. Alpha did so, pressing the 'ENGAGE' button on the console before he left. Zordon's tube dimmed and then disappeared, leaving only the computer to carry out its new function.
"Hi-YAH!" Jason cried out, kicking the bag as hard as he could.
Adam was lifted off his feet with the force the one time Gold Ranger applied. ~I'd hate to be the punch bag,~ he thought, adjusting his stance to cushion the continuous impacts. As he allowed his friend to work off his frustration, he glanced around the room, taking note of how his fellow Rangers were performing. Tanya was practicing martial arts with Rocky. He smiled, his best friend was a much better teacher than he gave himself credit for and Tanya's aptitude improved with each session. Kat was stretching over by the balance beams.
Jason stopped his workout and sighed. Tommy was doing it again. He sat on a stool in front of the bar, staring into oblivion. He had been like that almost all the time, waiting for Minion to strike again, worrying about whether or not their powers would be up to the task of stopping him.
After their most recent battle where they had proven capable of stopping Tengas, Putties and Cogs only to have their machines destroyed by Silvo and Brasso, the Rangers had thrown themselves into a full time training regime. Their parents had noticed and complained about their failure to return home over the last week. Rocky especially was having a hard time with his mother, without him to help her, she had been forced to deal with the other children alone. They were ready as they could be, should Minion or his WD Units show up again.
Looking at Tommy, Jason imagined this must have been what it was like for soldiers who had suffered shell shock. Minion and his forces had proven that the Rangers did not have the means to battle them. Minion had taken the Zeo Crystal with ease and had delighted as he had destroyed the Zeo Zords. The Rangers still had their powers for some reason, but they dare not use them in case it was a trick by Minion.
It was like everything the Rangers had ever faced until now paled in comparison even though in his heart Jason knew that Minion was no worse than Rita, Zedd or Mondo. The difference was that Minion had managed to string his victories together, making them seem more impressive than they actually were.
The last attack had been three days ago, it seemed much longer. It seemed odd, the Rangers had thought that the villain would have pushed the advantage, but Minion had just backed off as if waiting for them to recover. ~Or perhaps allow us to fret about when the next attack will come.~
And so they practiced, unsure of when the next attack would come, unable to overcome the advantage their foe wielded with such expertise. Never, before had the Rangers pushed themselves so hard, trying desperately to strengthen themselves as much as they could in the time they had left. They had to resign themselves to the knowledge there would be no further improvement though, they could only train and wait for the next attack.
White light once again filled the inside on the mountain, not only the Power Chamber, but deep into its core. Above the chamber the light filled the remains of the Command Center, which Billy had taken the opportunity to redesign after Cyber Agent's intrusion. Everything vanished, removed by magic as the entire mountain was moved into another dimension. Inside the other dimension the mountain was reformatted, hollowed out by Zordon's power.
Seconds later it was returned to its previous location outside Angel Grove. Now completely restructured throughout, the important and most vulnerable areas of the Rangers' operation center spaced within the mined areas. For Zordon and Alpha this was the second change in less than a year. A new view screen took pride of place, surrounded by smaller screens that allowed him to monitor multiple events. New rooms were added to extend the simple arsenal, workshop, Zord Bay, Gymnasium and Simudeck Zordon had created during a previous build. For the first time the full facilities of the medical room were activated, just in case the Rangers were injured in their future battles.
The Power Chamber itself had been elevated to a point just below the citadel, allowing the Rangers access from outside. Zordon had removed the old costumes that symbolised the old Morphin Rangers. In their place were a series of coloured tubes.
"Alpha, summon the Rangers and teleport them to the briefing room."
Alpha did as Zordon commanded, working his way around the new consoles. There were eleven workstations in all. Each was coloured to allow different Rangers access. To make things easier for Alpha, Zordon had given the little android a new method of programming the computers. He could now interface directly using the transmitter in his cranial unit.
"They're on their way Zordon," Alpha said as he teleported to the new briefing room with Zordon.
In seven beams of light, the five former Zeo Rangers, the current Green Ranger and Jason, himself a former Gold Ranger, appeared in the Briefing Room. They found themselves sat behind a big table equipped with computers, monitors and hologram display units. At the end of the table was an empty tube. Zordon smiled as his face appeared.
"Welcome Rangers to Power Mountain," Zordon said. "Alpha and I decided it was time to update the Power Chamber and at the same time provide an area where we can discuss the recent events. As you know, Minion has been successful where Rita, Zedd, Vile, Mondo and Prince all failed. He has stolen the Zeo Crystal and rendered the Zords useless."
"I don't understand why he hasn't finished us," Tommy said. "He has access to foot soldiers that were able to beat us and a henchman who would have destroyed Sam had he wanted to. Yet he sends Tengas and Putties after us."
"Then to make it worse he retreats again and again," Adam added.
"I cannot pretend to understand Minion's tactics," Zordon admitted.
"Then maybe we should concentrate on something we can understand," Tommy replied. "Like how we're supposed to fight him without our powers."
"Silvo and Brasso destroyed the Battle Bikes," Kat pointed out.
"Alpha and I have been working on this problem," Zordon assured them. "In the past the Rangers of Earth have used the power of the Morphin Grid and the power of the Zeo Crystal. Now in our time of need we must unify the remnants of your previous powers to create new powers. Behold, the Gem Coin transformers."
"You've got to be kidding me," Tanya commented as the schematics appeared along with the list of artefacts they intended to use to power the Rangers.
"Not at all," Zordon assured her. "When Minion captured the Zeo Crystal, he overlooked the existing connection between the crystal and your powers. Since he has yet to sever the link, we have been able to store some of the energy for future use. Unfortunately should Minion decide to use the crystal, he will disrupt the connection. We do not have enough energy yet to maintain your powers for long periods."
"The computer and the Power Chamber's generators will play the most important part in this task," Alpha explained. "Zordon has activated the secret chamber where we created the White Ranger."
"Alpha has already connected your Zeoniser Crystals to the Power Chamber's generators. It is my hope we can continue to draw energy for some time before Minion discovers and breaks the link." As he spoke, the Rangers were shown images of a complex device on top of the generator. "We will be using as many sources of energy as possible," Zordon explained, "the Power Crystals used to empower the Dino Zords, the Super Zeo Gems and the residual energies from the Zeo Battle Helmets have been connected. But it will not be enough."
Tommy nodded, remembering the occasions when Zordon would boost his failing powers. The energy would not last for long without a constant and renewable source. Science would not be able to keep up with the task. They needed magic.
"How about the Sword of Light?" Adam asked.
"And the Sword of Power," Jason added.
"Indeed, these and many other sources of Morphin and Zeo energy will be combined. Together they will power the Gem Coin transformers," Zordon boomed. "Alpha and I manufactured them from a set of gold medals, similar to the Power Coins of old and a set of magical crystals we were able to locate."
"Will it work?" Sam asked sceptically. Combining magic and technology was a difficult task.
"I am uncertain," Zordon confessed.
"Gem Coin technology requires a fusion of magic and technology," Alpha explained. "There are so many things that can go wrong."
"Indeed," Zordon agreed. "Once the power we are able to draw from the Zeo Crystal is exhausted, the Gem Coins will prove useless unless we can find an alternate energy source."
"How about Auric's key?" Jason asked. "We can use it to power the generator unless we need Auric's assistance."
Sam sighed. He knew what Zordon wanted; he knew that Tommy had probably seen through the thinly disguised hints. If he agreed the Rangers would have enough power, but Zordon would regain control of an artefact Sam considered too important to remain in his hands.
"Very well Zordon," he said grudgingly. He had not quite forgiven the White
Master for manipulating his dreams. He produced the Wizard of Deception's wand and offered it to Alpha.
"Thank you, Samoht." Zordon's voice was quiet, he sounded respectful, not victorious. "Using the wand, we will be able to guarantee a constant power supply."
"Let's get on with this," Sam said. "We have work to do."
"Zordon is a powerful wizard and a fine mentor," Minion said, he was speaking to himself. "But he is a fool if he believes that Minion is unaware of the Rangers' activities. Minion can predict their every move. Right now they will be attempting to contact Ninjor in the hope of retrieving their Ninja Ranger powers. But that won't work, Minion is more powerful that a mere
Grid Master. A small group of Rangers have no chance."
He noted the look of awe on Arcana's face. The silver haired spell weaver had been sent to spy on him and had not expected Minion to be so forthcoming. Now after spending time in his presence, he realised that Minion just liked the sound of his own voice.
The Machine Empire's representative had not spoken since his arrival apart from briefly handing Minion a digital message. He watched everything, but had yet to intervene, the only thing that had caused a reaction was when Arcana had made a derogatory remark towards Mondo; it seemed this model was devoted to his king.
Evidently Mondo and Zedd were under the impression that Minion worked for them. Once he conquered the planet, they would fight it out to decide who would rule it. Minion was already working on a way to ensure that would not happen.
"Perhaps it is time to move on," he said calmly as his eyes glowed in anticipation. The Rangers would soon be removed from the picture and then he could have some real fun. "Would you do the honours Arcana, Minion desires a monster that you should be familiar with?"
The spell weaver produced a thick length of wood that he affectionately called a wand. It was a crude piece of workmanship that looked as twisted as Lord Zedd himself.
"I will require the raw material," he said.
Minion nodded absently and handed a piece of metal to the silent machine. "If you please."
There was a crunching noise as the machine crafted a roughly shaped blade that Arcana could use to call forth a monster.
The spell weaver cackled as he lifted his wand, a thick piece of unshaped tree trunk. He pointed it at the Earth and was delighted to see the sword appear in Angel Grove Park.
"Moon of ivory, stars of old,
candlelight that's spun of gold…"
Clouds gathered overhead and the wind seemed to pick up.
"… sky of fire, wind of fright,
bring to me a Nasty Knight!"
Red lightning streaked through the air and hit a tree next to the sword. As the wood shattered the Nasty Knight was returned to life.
"Perfect," Minion said. "Now the fun can begin."
"Feel the Power as it surrounds you," Zordon told them, "draw it into your bodies and trace its path as you look within to find your spiritual link to the Morphin Grid. Tommy, Rocky and Adam, you have done this before. Look into your hearts and reconnect yourselves with the power of the Grid. Katherine this will be the first time you have reached out without Kimberly influence. And Tanya, I know this will be difficult since you have never felt the Power before, but trust your feelings and I am certain you will find your connection."
It was a rushed, foolhardy way to seek out the connection to the Morphin Grid and if Zordon had had more time, he would have sought an alternative. Ideally he should have sent them to one of the many temples throughout the Universe with masters capable of aiding their spiritual growth. He promised himself that once Minion was disposed of he would see to it that they received the training they deserved.
"Take the Gem Coin transformers and merge your spiritual energies with their powers," he instructed, sensing his students as they obeyed him. "Today will mark a momentous occasion Rangers, for the first time the powers of pure Grid magic and Zeo technology come together to create the Gem Coin powers."
"But you must be careful," Alpha warned, "the two power sources were never intended to mix in this way."
"Alpha is correct. I am afraid a great deal of the energy transferred to your Gem Coins will be lost maintaining the transformation. This will mean that you may actually end up weaker than using the Zeo powers."
"We'll have to risk it if it means the chance to bring Minion down," Tommy said. The Zeo Rangers heartily agreed.
"How do we do this anyway?" Rocky asked and the Rangers realised for the first time that their knowledge was not instinctive.
"First you must initiate your links to the Morphin Grid," Zordon told them. "They will aid the process."
The Rangers did as they were bid, using their residual or in one case never used powers. Although there was no real transformation, a faint aura could be seen around them as they embraced their powers.
"Tommy, don't do that!" Rocky complained as Tommy's aura flared with angry streaks of green and white. The Blue Zeo looked like he'd just had a heart attack.
"Yeah, I nearly wet my knickers!" Kat glared at her sometimes boyfriend, ignoring the mild snickering her words produced. Tommy had the decency to look sheepish.
"So did I." Alpha quipped. "And I'm a robot." That got a chuckle from everyone.
"Rangers." Zordon said simply. Tommy watched as they began again, admiring the results. Rocky's aura was red, Adam's was a calm mixture of black and yellow that resembled the pattern of a wasp; Kat's aura was mellow pink and Tanya's was a fiery yellow.
The alarms sounded throughout the Power Chamber, exactly on cue. On the Viewing Globe an image appeared of the Nasty Knight surrounded by Putties.
"Looks like Minion has decided to strike again," Adam said.
"We need to hurry this up," Tommy said. "What's next Zordon?"
"Alpha, activate the generator and redirect the energy to the Gem Coins," Zordon ordered.
The Power Chamber vibrated as the volatile mixture took place. The generators that were acting as conduits groaned with the increased strain as Alpha worked feverishly to prevent an overload.
Finally after minutes of nervous waiting the vibrations stopped and the noise was reduced to a faint hum. The smell of burnt ozone filled the Power Chamber.
"Now I guess we get to find out if these powers work," Adam said without enthusiasm.
"Wait!" Alpha cried. "Before you morph, you must use these."
He handed each of them a dermal patch, which he would later explain would feed into their nervous system to allow the computer to send them what in the past had been an instinctive knowledge.
"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy called.
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!" Kat called
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!" Tanya cried.
"Zeo Ranger III - Ape!" Rocky yelled.
"Zeo Ranger IV - Frog!" Adam called.
"Zeo Ranger V - Falcon!" Tommy finished.
The combination of the two power sources had a strange effect on the Rangers' appearance. At first they were dressed in white, then slowly their Ranger colours appeared over the top. Soon they were fully morphed. They wore their Ranger colours with white gloves and boots with bands around their upper legs, arms and chest; the tops of their gloves and boots were silver and they wore a white belt complete with holster. On their white chests they each wore a small golden coin along with the thin wires that controlled the energy flow throughout their costumes.
For a moment there was some disorientation as they came to understand the changes to their powers. Then, they teleported away, leaving behind a worried mentor, who was distracted by the ramblings of a distraught Alpha Unit.
"Alpha, what is the problem?" Zordon asked.
"Ai-yi-yi, I can't help feeling that this is the beginning of the end for the power of Zeo."
Zordon could not reply to that. In one way the android's fears were well founded since Zordon was starting to consider that the Zeo technology had been compromised. Unknown to the Rangers, their mentor was seeking alternative powers, but had so far come up empty handed. Instead he watched as his Rangers teleported away, hoping the adjustments to their powers would be enough.
The Nasty Knight had teleported to an abandoned quarry outside of Angel Grove and was waiting. Some monsters would have started on a rampage, but the Nasty Knight was experienced enough to realise that just appearing would be enough. Once he had started to pose a threat to by blasting a few storage sheds he was content to await their arrival.
When they finally showed up, the Nasty Knight was disappointed to discover these were not the same Rangers he had faced before. Nor did the match the Zeo Rangers he knew Rita and Zedd were fighting. Squatt had been kind enough to keep him up to date on the enemy, but obviously the henchman was as incompetent as always.
For a while the Rangers were able to take advantage of the confusion and land some of their hits. The sudden change from sword and pistol to a simplified Blade Blaster shook them at first, but they quickly saw the advantage of having a multipurpose weapon. After a few minutes the Knight tried his old trick of destroying their weapons. The Rangers had a fall back plan and after summoning a large black shield to protect them, the called for their Zeo Power Weapons.
Except their Zeo Power Weapons were not there. Instead each found they were holding a coloured staff. As the Knight charged instinct took over and they fought back as if they had held the weapons for years instead of minutes. At one point the staffs touched and combined with the shield to form a weapon. They aimed it at the Knight and watched him fall.
"The Rangers have new powers," Minion said simply as the Nasty Knight fell.
"It was to be expected, Tommy never did know when to quit."
He moved over to the side of the throne room, revealing a metal sarcophagus. He ran his hand over the plating, allowing some of his power to seep through the seals as he did so.
"This is one of Bronzo's creations, the Monster Reconstitution Capsule," he explained to Zedd and Mondo's representatives. "A little magic and a memory of a monster… and voila, one regenerated monster freshly plucked from the Dark Dimension."
He opened the chamber and the monster walked out.
"Once he was Silverhorns, although I think Siphon suits him better," Minion explained to his audience. "Go to Earth, draw out the Rangers and fight them."
The monster enthusiastically obeyed.
"Aw man, can't we take a break?" Tommy complained.
"Computer says it's called Siphon," Tanya reported.
"Looks more like Silverhorns," Adam commented.
"Or Repellator," Rocky added.
"If it is based upon the Silverhorns monster, it's capable of stealing energy from virtually any source and then firing it back," Zordon warned.
"Can it steal energy from the Gem Coins?" Tommy asked urgently.
"We do not know at this point in time," Adam answered.
"Aye-yi-yi! Be careful Rangers!" Alpha cried.
"What if we need to call our Zords?" Katherine asked.
"There are no Zords," Zordon replied. "Try to end the battle before you need the Zords."
"Right," Tommy said. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!"
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Ape!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Frog!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Falcon!"
The five Rangers teleported out of the Power Chamber.
" Alpha, how long will it take to recreate the Zeo Zords?" Zordon asked.
The small android gave an answer from where he was accessing the computer console.
"That is too long," Zordon declared. "We must begin looking for alternatives."
"Right Zordon!" Alpha said. "I just don't know what to do."
"Stay calm Alpha, panicking will not help the Rangers," Zordon said. "Perhaps you and Jason should look in the storage bay and see if there is anything we can use. Sam should remain here, as the only Ranger with a Zord, he is the Earth's only hope should Minion decide to make his monster grow."
During a fit of jealousy, Prince Gasket had created his own fleet of monstrous machines based on the Zords of the past. The Rangers had successfully defeated the duplicates and the remains had been captured to prevent Gasket repeating the exercise. Unfortunately the Rangers had yet to ensure that all of Gasket's programming had been removed. As such, the machines were deemed unsafe.
"Aye-yi-yi, Zordon," Alpha muttered. "I hope we can find something."
As he left, Sam was watching the battle. Unlike the first fight, this did not seem to be going well.
"Now that's one UGLY tick," Tanya remarked upon seeing the Siphon.
"Angel Grove Park, a monster attack… makes perfect sense," Rocky quipped.
"Who are you calling ugly?" Siphon growled. It pointed a clawed hand at Katherine. Pink energy suddenly jumped the gap between them. Kat groaned in pain until Tanya physically removed her from the monster's sight using a shoulder block. Siphon shifted his aim, striking the Yellow Ranger in the back. Tanya's body was lifted off of the ground, her arms and legs dangling freely.
"Tanya!" Kat cried. She pulled her Blade Blaster from her holster. "Let her go!"
She fired her weapon and the blaster fire of the other Rangers soon joined the single pink beam.
"Fire again," Kat urged.
"Right!" Tommy, Adam and Rocky shouted in unison. The Red, Green, and Blue Rangers took aim and fired, this time pinpointing their attacks so they connected at the same location.
Siphon sent a powerful yellow blast at Tanya. The connection was broken, and she was thrown backwards. "And now for the rest of you," he growled. The four beams that were striking the beast from the Blade Blasters suddenly backfired. All four weapons exploded in their hands, knocking them a few feet backwards.
"Are you okay Tanya?" Adam asked, hurrying over to his girlfriend's side.
"I think so," she moaned.
"Blade Blasters are powered back up," Tommy said.
"Yeah and we all saw how well they worked last time," Rocky said sarcastically.
"So what now?" Katherine cried.
"We can't fight with blasters," Tommy said. "So we'll just have to use the blades instead."
The Rangers exchanged brief nods before following their leader into battle. "Yeehah!" Rocky exclaimed.
"It was to be expected," Minion said as he watched the Rangers break their comrade free. "They could have destroyed him if they hadn't been so concerned about their friend."
"You say that as if you wanted him to be destroyed," Arcana pointed out.
"If they had destroyed Siphon while he was connected to Tanya, he would have destroyed her powers. Never doubt that Minion plans for all eventualities."
Tommy leapt high into the air, his blade tucked in a reverse grip beneath his arm. As he flew past Siphon, he whipped the blade around, rolled across the ground and then sprang back to the attack, this time putting his entire weight behind the blow. Rocky and Adam followed suit, crossing their blades for extra strength. They were surprised when the monster managed to grab Adam's arm as he tried to move away and used him as a human shield against Kat.
"Unify!" Tommy called as Adam rolled away.
Kat and Rocky joined their weapons with their leader's weapon and after charging a sphere of energy, released it. They quickly reconfigured their weapons to blaster mode and opened fire. Siphon was struck soundly by each energy blast. The beast stumbled backwards, but was a long way from going down.
"Well," Minion said as the after effects of the blast lifted. "That was… disappointing."
He could imagine the looks on the Rangers' faces as they realised their attempted finisher had simply been shrugged off. Their attack had been surprisingly aggressive and as a result they had succeeded to stun Siphon. But given the monster's special ability, he doubted there was any way a single shot could destroy him.
"Perhaps it's time for the Rangers to face up to their problems," he said.
Arcana promptly aimed his wand at the Earth and sending down a surge of energy. The results were rapid as Siphon threw off any signs of injury and started to grow.
"Fire!" Tommy called, this time with five Rangers instead of three.
Siphon reacted by jumping into the attack, underestimating the power the Rangers had placed behind their shot. The Rangers had poured all their energy into that single combined shot and as the ground around him exploded Siphon wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake.
Then a new wave of energy struck him and he had the urge to reach his full potential. "So long Rangers, I'm going up in the world."
"We need to get back to the Power Chamber now," Rocky said. Nobody argued with him.
"Zordon, Minion made Siphon grow. We need the Zords," Kat said.
"I am aware of the situation Kat, but Alpha and I have been unable to restore the Zeo Zords."
There was a pause.
"Zordon found a solution," Jason told them. He looked uncomfortable.
"You got a Zord functioning, that's great," Tommy said, not understanding why Alpha and Zordon seemed so negative.
An image appeared on the Viewing Screen, a tall silver Megazord that caused the Rangers to groan in unison. They remembered it well, they had destroyed it themselves and were surprised that this had been the easiest Zord to repair.
"You have to understand," Sam explained. "This was just lying around in the remains that Zordon retrieved from Gasket's Zord fleet. Compared to deprogramming all of Gasket's booby traps, this was easy. We didn't realise… well you know, it looks so real. If we'd known it wasn't a proper Zord."
"This is the best we have?" Tommy asked. "A repaired prototype copy of the Ninja MegaFalconzord?"
"Looks hideous," Tanya remarked. "Is that really a Zord?"
"It's the best we can do," Jason said. "And maybe we should call it the Ninja."
~Some choice,~ Tommy thought, ~a Megazord that cannot separate or we sit back and allow Siphon to destroy the city.~
Of course he wanted to take the Zeo Zords into battle. They were tried, tested and had been built by Zordon and Alpha. The Ninja despite being rebuilt, had been built by Gasket and was the result of a scheme to duplicate the Rangers' Zords.
Rocky and Adam did not feel as strongly as their leader. They were uncomfortable with the idea of piloting something that resembled their Ninja Zords so closely, yet was only a pale imitation. They did however feel that a Megazord was preferable in battle to five solo Zords. Teamwork and the ability to combine forces had always been the Rangers' strength.
For Kat the emotional argument was slightly reversed. She had never been at home with her Ninja Zord, feeling that it belonged to Kimberly. Therefore her attitude to the Ninja was not filled with the same animosity that Tommy, Adam and Rocky felt. To them this machine was a sick and twisted joke at their former machine. For Kat it represented a way to fight back against Siphon.
And for Tanya there was no real argument. Her Zeo Zord was a gun on wheels, extremely limited in battle especially if the Zeo Zord responsible for drawing her into combat was damaged. The Ninja was mobile and though technically not a Zord, stood a better chance of success in her opinion.
"If it helps you to decide, the Zeo Zords will not work with those Gem Coin things," Jason said impatiently. "The Ninja will work with anything."
That pretty much settled the argument for them. The Rangers knew what they needed and that in the end, defeating Siphon was far more important than their personal preferences.
"Back to Action!" Tommy called. He didn't like this one bit.
The battle had been surprisingly quick; the Ninja and monster had clashed briefly before the machine had used its speed to out manoeuvre Siphon. They had used the modified Power Sword without energising it to skewer Minion's creation. Siphon had fought back briefly, draining the Zord's power, but had been unable to control the Gem Coins' unpredictable energy.
"Deploy wings!" Tommy ordered.
The mighty wingspan of the Ninja extended to maximum length, priming the tiny thrusters mounted on the tips. The legs bent slightly to provide the propulsion needed to get airborne. Once the thrusters kicked in though there was little chance of it crashing back to Earth.
"Claws extracted," Adam reported as a set of steel blades extended from the Wolf arm.
"Ninja Power Dive!" the Rangers called.
The Zord shot into the air before diving straight towards the monster. It passed through easily, its claws making short work of Minion's creation. A powered up sword that finished off the monster soon replaced the claws.
"He failed," Minion sighed. "It seems that Tommy and his friends have retained some of their good luck when dealing with Minion's creations."
Arcana looked disappointed, the Machine Empire's representative seemed unmoved by events.
"I admit I underestimated the Rangers' resolve," he told them. "But no matter. When Brasso and Bronzo complete their task, I will be able to break the link between the Rangers and the Zeo Crystal
"With its powers at my disposal Serpenterra will bring this world to its knees."
"Impressive words," Arcana told him, a hint of amusement in his tone. "A shame you don't have the results to back them up. Maybe you should stick to words and let others control the action."
Minion's eyes flashed, angry red light threatening to burst forth and incinerate anything in his path. The Sword of Darkness was in his hand as he advanced on the elderly wizard. A swift flick and the blade snapped the wand from his hand.
"And who would you suggest control the action, Arcana? You perhaps? Minion thinks not. You are here at Minion's invitation and your welcome has expired. Pray that your life does not also end here."
"I - I am here only to advise," Arcana managed.
"See that you never forget that," Minion told him, no sign of amusement in his stance. "You too, General. If you want to stay, you will remember your place. Minion has a role for both of you in his plans, but overstep your boundaries and there are others who would perform equally well. I had hoped that the promise of Serpenterra would convince you of Minion's ability."
He raised his arms and extended his hands, silently communicating with the greater powers of the Universe, making deals with magic that would bind him in body and mind. Let the Ranger have their victory, they'd fought for it after all.
"Savour it well, Rangers," he whispered, "for it shall be your last."
End
Chapter 8: A Hope Reborn
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe with an alternate time line.
A Hope Reborn
Days passed and the Rangers had accepted that Minion had ceased his attacks for the time being. It was not unusual for a villain to take a step back after their first push had failed. Far from giving up though Minion had been preparing his next move, starting with one of his most important weapons: knowledge.
"What have you found, spell weaver?" he asked.
Arcana and Bronzo looked nervous as they entered Throne Room. It was Arcana who spoke. "I have completed my task. I used every enchantment I could and I think you should see this." He handed Minion a long piece of parchment on which he had recorded the information he had gleamed from various sources.
Minion looked over the scroll and a lot of small pieces started to fall into place. "So the Green Ranger really is the same pathetic clone I almost killed last time; why Rita and Zedd would want to create a copy of Tommy is still beyond me." He thought for a moment. There were many ways to destroy a clone; unfortunately most of them destroyed all the clones in a solar system. Minion knew his new body would survive such a spell; it was his mind he was worried about. He had not escaped the Dark Dimension just to be sent back there by his own spell.
"What about this link he has with Minion, have you found a way to break it?" he asked.
"No Lord Minion," Bronzo replied.
"Whatever spell the clone used it bonded to you on a physical, spiritual, mental and magical level," Arcana added.
"You fools!" Minion snapped. "This is not the effect of a spell, it is a link created through an oath. Minion needs to know the contents of that promise before the link can be broken."
Beneath his mask Minion frowned. The sensors in his Lunar Palace were more powerful than the ones Zordon used, yet it had taken Arcana's magical sight to expose the magical tie between the Green Ranger and himself. ~Maybe this merits further examination,~ Minion thought.
"Leave me Arcana," he instructed. "Keep watch on the Earth, I want to know when they answer the summons. If Silvo and Brasso return tell them to await me outside; Minion does not wish to be disturbed."
Once Arcana had gone, Minion closed his eyes and entered a deep trance; he ignored Bronzo, his presence was not a problem. He searched the Earth below, trying to touch the minds of the Rangers. He felt Tommy, Kat, Tanya, Rocky, Adam and the clone. Minion's eyes snapped open. ~Where is Jason?~ he wondered. Even though the former Gold Ranger's powers were extremely limited, he was no less powerful than Tommy and the others, now that they had lost the Zeo Crystal and had to rely on the Gem Coin powers. Jason should have been there, fighting alongside his teammates, yet Zordon had kept him hidden. Zordon obviously knew or suspected something that Minion did not.
The Rangers' new powers and Zords had proven an annoyance for Minion. He had been hoping to keep the Rangers powerless until the time came to unleash Serpenterra and grind the Earth into submission. And while he had not deviated from that plan he knew the importance of keeping the Rangers off balance. He needed to ensure they were too distracted defending against his attacks to launch a counter attack.
He checked on Brasso and Silvo's progress and was pleased to discover they had already succeeded in securing Stone Henge in England, the site he planned to use to break the link between the Zeo Crystal and the Zeo Rangers.
They had also started on their next task, to isolate the Rangers from the other heroes of Earth. Brasso had gone to Crossworld City, home of the VR Troopers with instructions to create a barrier around the city to keep the local heroes contained until his forces could move in and take complete control; Silvo had gone to Leewood, the adopted home of the Masked Rider with similar instructions. WD Units had been dispatched to North Valley, just a few miles beyond Crossworld City as well as Charterville, Reefside, Mariner Bay and Blue Bay Harbour. All had orders to contain and then control the areas.
He produced an egg timer from subspace and silently calculated the waiting time. Serpenterra would take time to charge once the Zeo Crystal was ready. However there was no reason why he could not give the Rangers something else to think about. Maybe instead of worrying about his activities on the Moon, he could have them worry about a destructive threat from their own planet. Taking the Sword of Darkness and the Zeo Crystal with him, Minion teleported to Earth. It was time to put the Stone Henge to use.
Stone Henge, England
Minion appeared just outside of the barrier Silvo and Brasso had placed around Stone Henge. This site was one of many he planned to locate around the globe once he had conquered it. He had created this one ahead of schedule after Bronzo had discovered that the Zeo Crystal was still feeding energy to the Rangers. He hoped that the magical energy beneath the site, which he had used to create the purple dome, should break that connection.
His plans for Serpenterra depended upon breaking the link between the Rangers and the Zeo Crystal. He planned to dedicate the monument's full power solely to isolating the Zeo Crystal's power. Later he would order Bronzo to install equipment to use the Zeo Crystal to provide Serpenterra with all the power it required.
He checked to ensure there were no Rangers around. Satisfied there was nobody around Minion walked through the barrier and into the monument.
"By the power of all that is evil, I command Stone Henge to be restored!"
The ground shook as the mystical stones shifted position to return to their original positions within the stone circle. Over the years many humans had attempted to discover the true power behind the stone circle. Some had claimed it was an ancient form of calendar, some said it was an ancient burial ground and some even claimed aliens built it. Only Minion knew the truth, somebody within the Dark Dimension had told him the secrets of Earth and Stone Henge.
As the site reformed itself, Minion reflected on how arrogant humans were to believe for even a second that they knew the secrets of a site created long before this circular structure which became a magnet for new age travellers. He could just see the face of the country's greatest leaders if he was to resurrect them and tell them the power that had been under their very noses for centuries.
The final stone moved into place, forming a control station from which the portals could be opened. Minion pointed the Sword of Darkness at the ground. A beam shot from the end of the sword and opened a swirling portal of dark energy. He summoned the Zeo Crystal and placed it on the central altar. The energy that the crystal emitted would be redirected to a storage unit until needed.
Satisfied with his work, he teleported away.
Stone Henge was not the only site he had recently conquered. His forces had also secured the small town of North Valley and four relatively weak sites throughout across the planet. It was on a relatively small Ley Nexus and would not aid him in terms of power. However, North Valley was a major producer of electronic goods, something he would require in the future; its population would make excellent workers.
For now though it would serve another purpose. Using the Sword of Darkness and the power of the nexus, he opened a portal to the Dark Dimension.
"Peckster, Eye Guy, King Sphinx, Bones, Pudgy Pig, I command you to exist!"
From the portal stepped a group of monsters first set against the Power Rangers when Rita Repulsa had attacked the world. Minion knew they had all fallen in battle, but also realised they would act as a way to keep the Rangers busy and reveal any new weapons they created.
"Go to Angel Grove and destroy the Power Rangers. Do so at your full height, there is no point in fighting a losing battle and then growing."
He watched them leave and then returned to the Lunar Palace, but not before he had solidified the dome extending over the area.
Despite the success of the Gem Coin powers and the Ninja, the Rangers had been unable to relax. There was still work to be done, the Gem Coins were an unstable power source and the Gem Coin transformers had not performed as well as Zordon had hoped.
Then there was the matter of the Ninja. While the machine had managed to defeat the Siphon, the lack of individual Zords meant they were incapable of dealing with multiple threats. Adam and Jason were working on finding a way to separate the component Zords using parts from the machine they captured from Gasket to replace any missing components.
The sound of the alarm caused the Rangers to drop what they were doing and report to the main control room. On the screen they could see five monsters making their way through Angel Grove.
"Zordon, can we use the Ninja while it's under repair?" Tanya asked.
"No," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I will keep working on them. In the meantime Sam will have to handle the monsters with the Dragonzord."
Sam nodded - "Dragonzord!" - and teleported away.
In an instant he was transported into his Green Ranger uniform. Holding the Dragon Sword out he called, "Dragonzord, power up!" A beam of green light shot from his weapon, followed by the sound of the tune floating through the air.
On the view screen the familiar form of the Dragonzord appeared. Sam blurred, as he teleported to the Zord's cockpit, ready to start the battle.
Dragonzord stalked into the path of the five monsters and was soon joined by Tor, now converted to its warrior mode. Between them the two Zords started to play a game of tag with their opponents. Dragonzord smacked Pudgy Pig and the Peckster with its tail, before drawing them into range for Tor to blast with its weapon systems.
"Dragon Missiles!" Green Ranger called. The high-powered rockets launched from the Dragonzord's fingers, blasting Eye Guy in its main eye, destroying the monster. Bones attempted to blast him from behind, but found himself on the receiving end of the Dragonzord's tail drill.
King Sphinx had chosen a different strategy. Instead of attacking directly he blasted both Zords with his wings. Even the mighty Tor could not remain standing and landed on its back, converting back to Turtle mode. It remained there, unable to right itself.
"Turtle Battle Dragonzord, engage!" Green Ranger called.
As he pressed the series of buttons, Dragonzord rolled the fallen Tor back onto its feet. Tor converted to stand upright, its top splitting from the bottom, which had transformed into a pair of legs. With the Dragonzord dropping into place on top of the legs to form the body and head, the top part of Tor split in half from top to bottom, both halves transforming and connecting to the body as arms. Finally the Dragonzord's tail transformed to form its lance.
"Turtle Battle Dragonzord, online!" Sam called as the machine powered up.
Using the energy of the newly formed Zord, he blasted King Sphinx out of existence.
North Valley, Earth
"Run!" Sam shouted as the metal soldiers drew closer.
His two friends did not need telling twice. Both of them turned and ran as fast as they could through the smoking remains of their town. They had already tried to leave North Valley, but had found their way blocked by an unknown force field. Sam doubted these things were part of Kilokahn's army. He had seen footage of them on television fighting the Power Rangers. That was shortly before the attack. Afterwards there was no electricity left to run a television. The metal warriors had invaded quickly and then left only a small force to round up the townsfolk.
Malcum Frink ran for his life. When the attack had come, Malcum's computer had been destroyed along with any chance he had for power. Now all that mattered was staying alive long enough to find a way to ingratiate himself with the new villain in town. He turned the corner, hoping that Kilokahn had managed to store himself as a backup file on his laptop. He knew some of the new guards were Cogs, highly-developed robots but robots nonetheless. Robots had miniature computers to control them and that meant a way for Kilokahn to take control.
Sam stopped behind the remains of a building. His family and most of his friends were gone, but his only concern was survival. Behind him was a bright flash. Sam and his friends turned around in time to see a large machine with long tentacles staring down at them.
"Perfect," the Overseer said. "Humans, young and weak, you will make adequate batteries."
The Overseer signalled for her servants to grab the three youths and then carry them away. North Valley was not its assigned target, but a town full of much needed resources, was too good to miss. Sam Collins struggled briefly, but he was a hacker, not a hero. At least, not in the real world.
Minion had travelled back to the Moon and when he felt the surge of energy suggesting his first wave of monsters had been destroyed, he had used Bronzo's machine to recreate them. He also added a Giant and a Minotaur to his forces. He sent them back into action to the Financial District of Angel Grove.
"Turtle Battle Dragonzord, Disengage!"
There was the loud grinding of gears as the two machines never intended to combine, separated. The Power made them versatile enough to adapt from one formation to another. Tor finished reverting to its normal form and then returned to wherever it was that he came from.
Sam watched before preparing to return to the Power Chamber. The Dragonzord lurched as it was struck violently from behind and carried forward by some unknown force. Looking down he could see a horn sticking through the Zord's chest panel.
Minotaur finally stopped moving, throwing the Dragonzord to the ground where the other monsters closed in. Minotaur blast the Zord with energy from his horns; Giant and Bones moved in with their swords, hacking the Zord's tail; King Sphinx fired energy bolts from his sceptre and Pudgy Pig started to feed on the Zord's weapon systems.
"We have to help him," Kat said as she watched the Zord take yet another blow.
"She's right Zordon," Tommy added. "We need the Zords now."
Zordon nodded silently. He did not like the idea of the Rangers using the Zords until they were ready, but given the Ninja's origin, it was unlikely that it would ever be ready. "Rangers, observe the Viewing Screen."
The Rangers did as they were told. On the screen appeared the reconditioned and streamlined Ninja, Gasket's prototype copy of the Ninja MegaFalconzord. In its right hand it held a thin metal sword.
"The rebuilding has been mostly successful; the Ninja Zords are now ready for use. They are not as powerful as they should be, Alpha and Adam still need to install the booster elements. They will continue to work with your limited powers. Unfortunately since there are only five of you the Wolf will have to be operated by Jason from here, using remote control."
"Will we be able to use Titanus?" Adam asked.
"Yes," Alpha replied. "I have reconfigured Titanus to act as a Carrier Zord for you."
"Rangers step up to the table," Zordon instructed. As he spoke a six-sided table appeared. It was split into six segments; red, yellow, blue, pink, black and green. In each of the red, yellow, black, pink and green segments was one of the Gem Coin transformers that Zordon had been upgrading since the last battle.
In place of the previous morphers that had been indescribably cumbersome, these were the size of a normal Power Morpher. A small golden coin with a coloured gem embedded in the center, fixed into a small metal box inside of which Zordon had placed the electronics needed to regulate and control the process.
"I have adjusted the Gem Coins to handle your powers in a more efficient way. The Gem Coins will allow you to tap into your own links to the Morphin Grid while one of the generators transmits some of the Zeo energy we have been able to collect from the Super Zeo Gems. The energy will be mixed with pure Grid energy through the Wizard of Deception's wand."
"The powers are still highly unstable," Zordon warned. "They will only last for a short time before needing adjustment; they are not strong enough to power true Zords, but they should be able to control the Ninja." Tommy looked at the blue segment and saw the old remote unit Billy had built for the Falconzord.
"Thanks Zordon," Tommy said. He looked at the others and asked, "Ready?" When he saw them all nod, he signalled for them all to take their Gem Coins together. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!" Kat cried.
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!" Tanya shouted.
"Zeo Ranger III - Ape!" Rocky called.
"Zeo Ranger IV - Frog!" Adam cried.
"Zeo Ranger V - Falcon!" Tommy called.
In five beams of light the Rangers left to help their friend.
North Valley,
Malcum skulked through the remains of his town. He found it ironic that the boy he been trying to destroy for so long had been captured while he the evil mastermind remained free. Now he was aware of the fate in store for him should he ever be captured. There would be no negotiation, Malcum Frink was as good as dead.
Inside Malcum's laptop, Kilokahn was thinking the same thing. Malcum would not last much longer. The stress had finally driven the boy over the edge and together with Kilokahn's own actions the boy was finally ready to serve his true purpose.
"Malcum, look at the screen," Kilokahn instructed.
Malcum foolishly looked at the screen, hardly noticing the tiny flash as Kilokahn left the computerised world of electronics and entered Malcum's mind, which was after all just a collection of electrical impulses that he could control. Once inside the virus started to take over, building on the gradual damage he had caused during the time they had worked together.
"And now I am free from the limitations of the computer world, my Mega Virus monsters will be unstoppable."
Unfortunately he had not been paying attention to his surroundings and failed to notice that the forces he had been trying to escape had caught up with him. Before he could explain who he was, his newly acquired body was rendered unconscious, returning him to a much small computer world.
"We need the Zords, now!" the five Rangers called as they appeared near the spot where Dragonzord was still taking a beating.
As they teleported into their cockpits, Tommy reflected on how good it felt to be finally back in the sky. His cockpit was a lot simpler than the Falcon Zord he remembered. Alpha had installed a fly-by-wire system to compensate for the instinctive knowledge he now lacked. Taking the controls in his hands, he headed for where the monsters were still beating on the weakened Zord.
"Wing Rockets, launch!"
The wings of the Falcon folded together revealing eight rocket launchers. On his original Falcon Zord Tommy had been able to pick the size of the rocket and the force to put behind it. With this version there was only one size built in. Nevertheless they did the job, driving six of the monsters away from the fallen Zord and destroying Pudgy Pig.
The other Rangers meanwhile had activated their Gestalt systems and were trying to merge their machines together. "It's no good," Zeo Frog said. "Tommy, we need the Falcon to make this work."
"On my way," Zeo Falcon responded. He flew the Zord back into range of the others. "Okay, insert Gem Coins, now!"
"Ninja sequence initiated. Wolf remote control online."
Zeo Falcon read the message displayed and smiled. It had been a while since they had done this and he hoped it was still easy to pilot. With his Gem Coin in place Zeo Falcon pressed the commit button and let the Gestalt System take control.
The arms and legs of the Ape detached from the body, the legs of the Bear split away from the body and legs and head of the Wolf retracted into its body. The bodies of the Ape, Bear and Wolf joined to form the upper torso and arms of the Ninja. The legs of the Ape joined and connected to the base of the upper torso to complete the main body.
Meanwhile the Frog had transformed into a pair of legs, joining with the Bear's legs, which had transformed to make two feet, to form the lower body. The arms of the Ape had converted into fists, which connected to the arms.
Finally the body and arms merged with the legs, allowing the Falcon to clip onto the back and the Crane to slide into place as the head. As with the previous Megazords the Rangers were all grouped together in a single control room. Once again Alpha and Zordon had included fly-by-wire controls to assist them.
"Prepare to use the Double Power Punch," Zeo Falcon instructed.
"Um Tommy," Rocky whispered quietly. "There's no such function."
"Okay, change tactics; we'll just punch him out."
Moving in between the fallen Dragonzord and the remaining monsters, the Rangers started to fight back. Catching the Minotaur they used him as a shield against the Peckster. The Peckster's beak reduced the Minotaur to dust, allowing the Ninja to punch it in the face.
"Power Sword!" the Rangers called.
With the Ninja using the Power Sword and Dragonzord striking the monsters with its tail, the Rangers were soon victorious.
"Ultra mode, now!" Zeo Falcon called.
"Tommy we're finished," Zeo Crane told him.
"Not yet," Zeo Falcon replied, "Watch."
When his monsters returned the second time, Minion did not bother asking what had gone wrong. He was using the monsters Rita had relied on during her disastrous attempts to conquer Earth. The fact the Rangers were now weaker than ever did not seem to have made them any less able to beat the monsters.
"Go again," Minion ordered. He knew they would not win, but every moment the Rangers spent fighting had drained their powers and allowed him to move forward with his plans.
Now was the time Minion had planned for. Already the links between the Zeo Crystal and the Rangers had been broken. Soon he would be able to use the crystal for his own purposes.
After a few minutes of waiting, Tommy's hunch paid off. The seven monsters appeared yet again. This time they did not take the Rangers by surprise. As they finished teleporting the Rangers had already formed the Ultra-Ninja. The Rangers measured their opponents and fired their weapons, the full power of the Ultra-Ninja ripping the monsters to pieces.
Finally victorious the Rangers teleported back to the Power Chamber. For the first time in the last few days the Rangers were victorious and had managed to keep their machines intact to fight again.
When they entered the Chamber they found Zordon and Alpha waiting for them. Before he could congratulate them Tommy spoke. "Thanks Zordon. The Ninja Zords were just what we needed."
"Indeed," Zordon boomed, his voice filled with pride. "Although not as powerful as the Zords you have used, hopefully they will aid you until the Zeo Crystal can be recovered or a better alternative is found."
"What about Dragonzord?" Rocky asked.
"Not a problem," Alpha told him. "The damage is within the Zord's repair capabilities."
"So we win again?" Rocky asked.
"Yes," Zordon boomed. "Minion's monsters have been beaten back. However, there is more work to do. But for now you should go and relax while you can."
In a flash, the Rangers were gone. With them gone Zordon turned his attention back to the Zords he had been creating with Alpha, partly based on some plans Billy had sent just before contact with Aquitar had been lost. The plans included completely new designs for Zeo Zords I and II, along with several other improvements to the overall fleet. It had occurred to Zordon that it would be possible to build a version of these Zeo Zords that drew power from the Gem Coins, in case the Ninja Zords failed.
Of course, he wasn't sure how long the Gem Coin powers would remain useable, but it was a case of working with what was available.
Stone Henge, England
"Yes Minister, I understand. We'll do our best sir, yes fine, we'll keep in contact. Goodbye Minister." Finally able to put the phone down Brigadier Jeremy Brand returned to his assignment.
The previous day a strange energy barrier had appeared around Stone Henge. Although he had only recently taken command of the Special Affairs Team, he had been asked to take personal charge of the situation and to resolve the unknown problem.
"Sir?" The Brigadier turned around to be confronted by his second-in-command. Andre Le Chaud had been Head of Operation for five years. In the day-to-day activities, he knew the job better than his superior.
"Ah Le Chaud, good to see you."
"Thank you, Sir," the captain replied.
"Well, what do you make of this?" the Brigadier asked indicating the reason UNIT had been called in.
"It's some kind of energy field. We've been unable to penetrate it with x-ray or ultrasound. We've tried working a trench under the dome, but it appeared to continue down for more than two miles."
"I see," the Brigadier muttered. "Sergeant Groves!"
"Sir!" The young man snapped to attention as he saluted his superior.
Younger than most of the officers who had served under him in the past, Groves looked cool, calm and efficient. His short dyed hair was hidden under his Green Beret. The Brigadier noticed the man was carrying a small revolver at his hip.
"At ease," the Brigadier said. "Right, I want a five-mile exclusion zone around the monument. Anybody you find in the area I want detained and taken to a safe area for debriefing. Then post some men around the monument itself. Nothing is to go in or out of that barrier."
"Yes sir," Groves said as he hurried away.
"Now," the Brigadier continued. "Let's go take a look at this barrier, shall we?"
The Moon was a very peaceful place; the Sea of Tranquillity was a tomb of rock and ash untouched by either of these two mighty forces. In fact it had remained the same for decades, only ever touched by the footprints of the two American astronauts that had graced its surface. The marks were just a small reminder of mankind's accomplishment, the American flag and of course the residual litter was another indication.
Long ago a civilisation had lived on the Moon during a time when all the planets lived together in harmony. But that time was long passed and the machine that skimmed over the surface wouldn't have cared anyway. It was called Serpenterra, until now an unpowered hulk left to rust by its former master. Now it had enough power to make the journey to Earth where Minion planned to fully integrate the Zeo Crystal that currently powered only a fraction of its functions.
It continued drifting towards Rita and Zedd's palace, ignoring the battered Winnebago and then lifted as its pilot set a new course. In Indiana a small observatory recorded a dark shadow moving across the Moon. At the same time the alarms in the Power Chamber sounded.
The journey was relatively quick and Minion brought the machine to a dead stop over the Gulf of Mexico where it hovered ominously while the Zeo Crystal was moved from the engines to the weapon systems.
A single burst of energy left the giant machine's mouth, a burst of explosive energy equal to a nuclear bomb, which descended beneath the waters and exploded on the bedrock. A tidal wave formed as the unstable plates beneath the surface shifted, riding against and over each other to form a new landmass, an island that he could call his own that was outside of any human control.
As he directed the huge machine to land, after managing to reinstall the Zeo Crystal in time to avoid crashing, Minion pondered his next moves. The Zeo Crystal was now completely his to do with as he wish. And while he had not won the last round against the Rangers, they could not consider themselves the victors.
Bronzo would start reconfiguring the apparatus he installed in Serpenterra as soon as the core had had time to cool. Once that was done and the fuel cells were charged, the machine would be ready for use.
In the meantime Venjix had reported success in Charterville despite an encounter with the local heroes and while Brasso and Silvo had yet to report success, North Valley at least was under Minion's control. Minion would build on that success, maybe dispatch Arcana for a little gorilla action against the Rangers.
Yes, things were certainly moving in Minion's favour, so much so that both Arcana and Venjix had taken the opportunity to speak with their respective masters. Minion was getting too close to claiming power for himself, it was time for more suitable leaders to take control. Regardless of his success, the last thing they needed was Minion getting out of hand.
End
Chapter 9: Dirty Tricks and Deceptions
Disclaimer: 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. Tommy's experiences in this story were inspired after reading Shards of the Mind by Justin Lam.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
Dirty Tricks and Deceptions
Minion's attacks like those of many villains had thinned out after the first few attacks. It didn't make the Rangers sleep any better knowing that he could strike again at any moment, but life had to go on.
After witnessing via satellite feed, Serpenterra plunging towards the sea, Zordon had lost track of Minion. And since that time, apart from a few strange energy spikes, there had been no sign of him. There had been strange stories coming in from neighbouring towns and cities though and despite Zordon's best attempts he had been unable to contact Dex in Leewood.
The Rangers had learnt during their careers as super heroes to value any and all downtime. And while there had been a few monster attacks, mostly monsters that they had defeated during their battles with either Zedd and Rita, or Mondo. Not that they complained about the time that they had for themselves, they knew it was important to appreciate the chance for a day off when they had it.
Today, most of the Rangers had attended their after school activities, refusing to worry about their missed assignments for one day. Kat had ballet practice much to Tommy's regret; he didn't like it when she insisted he take part in one of her productions. Tommy and Adam had increased the number of classes they taught so they could provide more intensive sessions for their students. Tanya had settled into her post at the local radio station. Rocky and Jason though were facing a greater foe than Minion, they had homework.
"I wish Billy was here," Rocky sighed as he threw his hands up in frustration. He had the misfortune of having maths homework that was due to be handed in the next morning.
Grades were one of the things that the Rangers had learnt early in their careers would fall victim to their secret lives as super heroes. If they weren't careful their schoolwork fell behind, which in turn meant that their parents grew concerned and started threatening punishments if the failures continued.
"I miss him too," Jason said. Since returning from the Peace Conference, Jason had been forced to try and catch up with some of the work he had missed. It seemed that while they taught the same subjects to the same level at the Peace Conference, the syllabus was arranged in a different way. As a result Jason was ahead in some classes and behind in others.
And while neither teen expected Billy to do their homework for them, both appreciated his help even if it was only a shove in the right direction.
"Has Zordon been able to contact Delphine?" Rocky asked.
Jason shook his head, concern evident. "No, Aquitar and Triforia are unreachable. Zordon contacted some of his allies in the Council, but they could only tell him that there had been no contact."
Something wasn't right and both Rangers knew it. However, as they had been taught over the years, knowing that something was wrong and knowing 'what' was wrong were two different things. Reluctantly both teens settled back and continued their work.
There was something wrong and Zordon knew it; the Morphin Grid had been disrupted since Minion had returned, blinding him from other changes that he suspected were taking place. The small portion of the Morphin Grid, which constantly shifted in response to the battle between Zordon and his various adversaries had grown, leading Zordon to believe that either Zedd and Rita had found a way to increase their powers, or there was a new alliance on the horizon. It had taken hours of meditation to begin to interpret what had happened and even now Zordon could not say for certain.
There was one thing he did know though: whatever evil Minion possessed, there was something else looming on the very edge of Zordon's perception that threatened to eclipse the villain. He had tried to find the source of this new evil, using the Power Chamber's vast sensor network to scan the entire solar system. The results came back negative, forcing him to extend the search into the rest of the Galaxy.
As he had scanned further and further into space, he had realised how powerful this new evil must be to attract his attention from such a distance. At the very limit of the galactic scan, Zordon reached the conclusion that he would just have to wait, and hope that he was mistaken. That had been around the time that Minion had decided to strike
Planet Crystal.
"This doesn't look good," Billy muttered as he tried to salvage something from the main engine.
When he had stolen a ship to escape from Aquitar, the condition had not been important. By the time he had managed to force his way out of orbit and had evaded the last of his pursuers, the original state of the ship had proven irrelevant. It had been damaged, badly damaged by laser fire and a few remarkable shots had managed to all but cripple most of its systems, among them several vital functions.
Navigation had been damaged although he had not known that when he had activated the hyper-drive and had therefore ended up light years away from his destination. That was made worse because the engines had shut down, leaving him stranded. He had been lucky to reach the planet before him, a world that appeared to be falling apart if he could believe the readings he had managed to pick up.
~At least the air is breathable.~
As much as he hated the idea of landing in such a place, his only choice was to attempt a landing before his life support gave up its desperate struggle and he suffocated.
"Deploying emergency foil," he said to nobody in particular. Days in a confined space had had an effect on the genius and while not serious, his experience had led to him sounding his actions before he performed them in the hopes of avoiding a costly mistake.
Outside the craft a long tube emerged, which once fully extended, flared outward forming an umbrella canopy. The canopy then extended along the full length of the shuttle.
It was a special reflective material that in an emergency could protect a damaged ship against the heat of re-entry. Of course such craft were normally expected to have some form of working propulsion; apart from the low level manoeuvring thrusters, Billy's ship was dead in space.
"If my calculations are accurate, the frictional force of entering the atmosphere should recharge one of the power cells. That should allow the distribution system to engage the retro rockets. If I am incorrect, I will not survive the shock of landing."
With that said he touched the two wires he had been holding together, hoping that his knowledge of Aquitian space craft was current. He promised he would never complain about complex control panels again, compared to twisted pairs of wire, flashing buttons would be a welcome sight.
The ship jerked and bobbed, the thrusters firing randomly as he tried to push the craft in the right direction. When it started to spin, he did nothing to stop it; a rolling ship would proof difficult to control, but the more energy he could use up in the air, the less potential energy there was to be released on impact.
With a silent prayer he cut the engines, relying on the conical shape to control his descent. The ships bucked and twisted as it entered the atmosphere, the slow spin he had imitated, acted to reduce the turbulence. He glanced at the two controls he had working, the altimeter and the speedometer. There was no chance that he would be able to direct the descent, his hope was to survive it and from the two readings, he knew he needed to slow his descent.
Firing the small rockets, he capitalised on the cone's shape and managed to change the point of the cone from pointing straight down to an almost horizontal point. The natural roll of the cone meant that it rolled from side to side, making him feel sick, but burning up vital energy and creating friction that slowed his descent. He grinned as he saw that his airspeed was beneath terminal velocity.
"Oh no!"
He was too low and there wasn't time to restart the engine, even if it had been capable of restarting. With a groan of frustration, privately hating Mr Murphy and his stupid law, Billy tugged on the next to useless controls, trying to force the ship to reverse position so that the tip of the cone was pointing upward.
The result was immediate, but not too comfortable. The ship was now upside down and the wider footprint of the cone's base gave the ship all the aerodynamics of a brick. Still, the greater surface area helped to slow the descent, the hull superheating as the friction increased by the second. He used the small thrusters to shift the ship from side to side, slowing the descent further as he did so.
It was still not enough. The ship was slowing, but was still descending too fast for him to survive. His only hope lay in the ability to restart one engine and use it as a retro rocket. Had it been anyone else, the engine would have been impossible to fix, but Billy refused to give up even when the altimeter showed that he was less than two thousand meters from the ground.
"Here goes everything," he muttered as he crossed the wires again and the ship jerked to life, just as the cone skimmed the top of the treetops.
Minion's Island
Next Day.
"Is it done?" Minion asked, not taking his eyes off Bronzo as the henchman struggle to rework Serpenterra's wiring loom for the fourth time.
"Yes Minion," Arcana answered. "Billy Cranston has crash-landed on the planet Crystal as you predicted. I dispatched some WD Units to find him."
Minion nodded his approval. "Then all that remains is to get the Rangers to Crystal. Minion trusts you can ensure they need to get there?"
"Of course. While Venjix sends your monsters to battle the male Rangers, I shall kidnap and destroy the females." He licked his lips in anticipation. If they surrendered to him perhaps he could have some fun with them.
"Indeed. Five Rangers have proven difficult for you, spell weaver, Minion believes you may find two of them easier."
Arcana bowed but said nothing more as Minion returned to supervising the installation of the Zeo Crystal.
Minion laughed as the servant departed. Arcana was a fool if he believed that he had the ability to defeat one Ranger let alone two. There again sometimes ignorance was a valuable asset. So long as the spell weaver used the magical virus, all would go as planned. And in the meantime Venjix would build a few Machine Monsters to keep the other Rangers busy.
Jason yawned sleepily as he stepped out of the changing room. He was ready for a workout or better yet a chance to spar with someone. He hoped Adam or perhaps Rocky were still practicing.
He looked in the mirror and immediately went back to comb his hair. As usual after showering, it was a complete mess. He looked outside to where Emily was serving her customers. ~Maybe I'll ask her to do something later,~ he thought.
He walked across the room and took a seat at the counter where he could watch the other activities. There was still time left before he was due to meet with Kat and Tanya for a picnic. The two girls had persuaded him to join them near Angel Grove Lake at lunchtime. He looked at the clock and then looked again; it had stopped.
"Ernie, what time is it?" he asked.
"Almost Noon," the owner answered. "Do you want a sandwich?"
"They're going to kill me," Jason muttered as he paid for his drink and ran.
Ernie chuckled. It made a difference to watch Jason rush off when there wasn't a monster attack. Although he imagined Tanya and Kat could be worse than a monster in some cases.
Jason jogged quickly to where they had arranged to meet and as he approached he could hear Kat's slightly annoyed voice. He decided to play it cool and slowed. He missed the tree root but his foot didn't. He tumbled forward and landed flat on his back with a loud thud.
"Ow… my head!" he complained as he stood up slowly rubbing the back of his head. He groaned. ~This is going to be one of those days,~ he thought grimly.
"Stop fooling around," Kat called to him.
Jason sighed when he heard Tanya laugh. Obviously sympathy was not going to come from them.
"Come on Jason!" called out Katherine impatiently.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he answered as he ran over to them.
"Let's go!" said Tanya.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," agreed Katherine, eager to leave before something else happened. "We'll go to the beach instead. You still have the keys to the RADBUG don't you?"
"Yeah," Jason said nervously.
The RADBUG had remained mothballed in the Power Chamber since Billy had gone to Aquitar. Jason knew Billy's invention could be temperamental when it was cold. He hoped Alpha had kept the heating on in that part of the Power Chamber.
"Let's go," he said after a moment's hesitation.
They ran to a safe spot that Alpha could teleport the car to. The sudden appearance of a flying car would be too difficult to explain.
As they were about to climb into the vehicle Tanya looked at the sky and noticed a few clouds approaching. She sighed. She hoped that it was a natural storm although somehow she had her doubts.
Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, and lightning flickered across the sky. A light rain began to fall.
"Oh! I don't believe it!" complained Kat as she felt a few drops of rainfall on her.
They had just finished laying out their picnic after Jason had successfully parked the car.
"It's just a little rain," said Tanya. Suddenly the light rain changed into a downpour. "Uh-oh."
"You were saying?" asked Jason.
"Come on. Don't just stand there," interrupted Kat. "Let's go." She took off running quickly, and they followed her. Suddenly a jagged bolt of lightning lit up the sky, and a deafening crash of thunder echoed.
"EEEKS!" shrieked Tanya as she stopped running and covered her ears. "I hate thunderstorms!"
"Come on Tanya," urged Kat. "It's not that bad."
"Kat's right," Jason said after a while. "I think we should head back to the RADBUG, Tanya, unless you want to stand here in the rain. We'll be safer in the car."
"I'm already soaking wet," she commented as she pushed her thoroughly hair out of her eyes. Another crash of thunder rang out, and Tanya flinched. "I hate thunderstorms, hate them, hate them, hate them!" she mumbled to herself. "All right, let's go," she agreed. As much as she would rather stay in one place and try to avoid seeing the storm, she didn't quite favour getting any wetter than she already was.
As they ran, she saw another bolt of lightning etch its way across the sky. Tanya covered her ears in preparation for the thunder that would not doubt soon follow. "I hate thunderstorms, I hate thunderstorms," she repeated to herself as she continued to run blindly.
Kat watched the interaction between Jason and Tanya with interest. She hadn't known Tanya was afraid of storms and she had never seen Jason act the way he had. She wondered for a moment if something was going on.
"Kat, watch out!" called out Jason, interrupting her thoughts.
"Hmm? Oh!" she exclaimed as she tried to stop herself, but it was too late, and she slid into Tanya, knocking them both onto the ground. "Oops, sorry," she apologised.
"Ow," complained Tanya as she stood up slowly. Suddenly he stopped and looked up. "Hey, it stopped raining," she said, looking a little confused.
"And the sky's clear right here," added Jason as he looked up.
"Yeah, but it's still raining where we were, and the clouds are still all around us," observed Tanya as she squeezed some of the water out of her hair.
"That's weird," said Kat as they reached the car, "but I guess we should stay here till it clears up."
"Yeah," started Tanya. Flying home would be too dangerous. But before she could finish speaking, a bright light engulfed everything around them. "What's going on?" she shouted.
"I don't know!" called back Kat. The light blinded the three of them for a moment.
"This is just what I needed today," shouted Jason as he shielded his eyes. He still couldn't see anything, and it didn't make any sense. ~What's causing this,~ he wondered nervously. Whatever it was, he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Suddenly the ground beneath them gave way, and they fell down into the complete darkness below.
Jason opened his eyes slowly to the very dim light. ~Where am I?~ he wondered as he looked around him, but he saw nothing, save the near darkness. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head. The fall from above had confused him. ~Hey, wait a second,~ he thought suddenly.
Instinctively he tried his communicator and to teleport. Surprisingly though the message was not blocked, it simply didn't receive a response. In the same way the teleport attempt simply aborted each time and in the end he had to accept that it wasn't going to work. ~At least the anti jamming measures seem to work.~
"Tanya! Kat?" he called out quickly, but the only response was the echo of his own voice. "Where are they?" he wondered aloud. He walked slowly in the direction, which seemed to be the only source of the dim light around him. I guess I should head this way, he thought to himself but he really had no idea if he was going in the right direction. On top of that, he really didn't what he was looking for, and what to do once he found it. The only thing he was sure of right now was that he needed to find Tanya and Kat. Tanya would probably be able to think of something, and Kat, well, she was probably worse off than he was. She never seemed to like being alone too much, probably because of the time she spent in Rita and Zedd's service. He walked on in silence for a while until suddenly he tripped and fell to the ground.
"Oww…" groaned Tanya as she sat up slowly. "Why does everyone always trip over me," she continued mumbling to herself.
"Oh, sorry about that," apologised Jason as he stood back up quickly. He breathed a quick sigh of relief. At least he had managed to find Tanya.
"Oh… Jason," replied Tanya. A puzzled expression crept across her face slowly as he took in her surrounding. "Whoa… where are we?"
"I don't know," answered Jason, shrugging. "The last thing I remember was getting out of the rain, and then there was that light."
"Yeah… Hey, wait a second," said Tanya suddenly, as she looked around concerned. "Where's Kat?"
"I don't know. I haven't been able to find her yet," answered Jason.
"Then, come on. We've got to go find her."
"Yeah, but which way do we go?" wondered Jason. Tanya looked around in the dim light. It all looked the same to her, except maybe it was a bit brighter in one direction.
"I guess we should head that way," said Tanya.
Before Jason could answer, they heard a scream pierce the silence. "Tommy!"
"Kat?" queried Tanya as she tried to find the source of the sound quickly.
"Come on! Let's go!" said Jason, taking off quickly.
"LET GO OF ME!" yelled Kat angrily. Something was holding her, but she couldn't see it. She only felt that there was some sort of creature behind her, and it had a very good hold of her. She twisted around quickly, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of whatever was, but she saw nothing. She clenched her fists tightly at her side. "I
said… LET ME GO!" She stomped hard on what she though was its foot and in a quick burst of light and energy, she was able to escape the hold of the creature, which had tried to capture her. She dropped down to her floor, but immediately whirled around, but she still saw nothing. ~What was that?~ She wondered to herself.
"Kat, are you all right?" called out Tanya as soon as she reached her.
"Tanya, Jason," she said still a little dazed. "I'm fine, but what… what happened? Where are we?"
"I'm not sure," answered Jason. "But what happened to you? We heard you scream."
"Oh, uh… something grabbed me, but it's gone now," she answered looking around. She shuddered, and continued, "Whatever it was, it was gross."
"Maybe it was some kind of alien," suggested Tanya. With all the weird things that often came to Earth, they wouldn't have been all that surprised. "But what's it doing here on Earth?"
"If we are still on Earth," Jason added. They all looked around quickly, but nothing had changed. There was no way for them to tell where they were.
"How… how are we going to get out of here?" asked Kat uncertainly.
Jason half shrugged as he continued to look around. His companions remained silent. ~Great,~ he thought, ~I knew today was going to be a bad day, but this is crazy.~ He looked yet again, but there was nothing at all to see. Everything was still the same. He was having a hard enough time seeing Tanya and Kat, and they were standing directly in front of him. Seeing anything farther was next to impossible. He was the former Red Ranger and he had no idea what to do next.
"I wish it wasn't so dark," murmured Kat. All of the sudden the area immediately around them flooded with light.
"AIEE!" shrieked Tanya as she jumped back from the hole in the floor.
~This is too weird,~ Kat thought nervously.
Whatever caused that must have been listening in on their conversation, and that obviously meant that they were not alone, but who had it been?
"Who's there?" demanded Tanya stepping forward in front of Jason and Kat. However, the sudden increase of light had blinded her momentarily, and she couldn't see anything before her. As she slowly became accustomed to the light again, she noticed a very odd looking creature in front of them.
"Uh… what is that?" asked Kat as she drew back confused.
"What the hell?" wondered Tanya, confused. The creature in front of them seemed to have no definite shape. In fact it only seemed to be some sort of ooze being.
"This is too weird," added Jason as he stared at the creature.
"Ah… I see you've already met my army," came a voice. "Magical slime, woven from the basic elements of this planet, nothing more."
"Who's there?" demanded Tanya again. She scanned the area around them quickly, but she couldn't see anyone or anything else, and what had it meant by army?
'Well, since I already know who you are, I suppose it is only fair for you to know who I am," the voice said as it slowly stepped into the light.
The three teens drew back, half-expecting to see another alien, but to their surprise, it looked human. He wore red and tan robes with black boots. He had silver hair that extended down his back. His cloak appeared to be white, but was covered by so much dirt it was difficult to tell. On his hat he wore a crest of some kind that had obviously remained unpolished for a long time.
"I am called Arcana," he introduced himself. "Spell weaver and advisor to Lord Zedd, currently in the service of Minion."
"Minion?" exclaimed Jason.
"I see you recognise the name. He will be pleased with your reaction."
"Zedd?" wondered Tanya, looking over at Kat nervously. "But he's gone, so is
Rita…" She swallowed loudly. Rocky and Tommy had warned her before not to underestimate Lord Zedd or any to claimed to be in his service. This was turning into more than they could handle alone.
"Oh he'll be back, as soon as his tour of the Dark Galaxy has concluded. By then you three won't be in a position to let it worry you." He paused, eyes narrowing suspiciously as he noticed for the first time that there were indeed three people present. ~Three,~ he thought, ~there are only supposed to be the two female Rangers. What is the boy doing here?~ he wondered, ~unless… of course, he is not an active Ranger. No matter, he will not interfere with my plan.~
"What do you want?" demanded Tanya.
"I have only one mission," he told them. "To destroy you three."
That wasn't true. Minion had given him several tasks to complete, this just happened to be the one he preferred. He still had matters to attend to on Crystal.
"If that's true, then why did you bring us here?" asked Tanya.
"What better way to carry out Minion's plan, than by kidnapping and separating his enemies?" answered Arcana coldly. "When they find you, if they find you
… it will be too late. And then, I'll destroy them one by one."
Kat shivered. Something about this wizard scared her. Maybe it was because he looked so incredibly human compared to Zedd. Even Minion with all his scars looked less than human. However, there was something that made Arcana different, the eyes were filled with intelligence and joy at what he was doing instead of the cold and calculating look of a predator. Kat shivered again as she realised that the spell weaver knew exactly what he was doing and that he genuinely wanted to do it. He was truly evil, and that was a terrifying thought. Still, she stepped forward a bit, knowing that she wouldn't be able to help the others at all if she kept scaring herself.
"Where have you taken us?" asked Kat, a bit shakily. The cold dismal atmosphere reminded her too much of Lunar Palace for her to remain completely unaffected.
"Quiet girl!" snapped Arcana. "You will find out when I am ready."
"Don't talk to Kat like that," Tanya shot back angrily.
"I do as I please," returned Arcana, unconcerned. Tanya looked the wizard over carefully. Had he been human, Tanya would have guessed him to be a little older than Zordon had appeared in some of the images she had seen. ~Hey wait,~ she thought, ~Zordon.~
"Jason," said Tanya as she turned to face him quickly. "We need to morph."
"Now?' asked Jason, a bit confused. "Why?"
"Our communicators are gone, but we can still morph. When we do, Zordon will detect us." explained Tanya.
"Oh, right," agreed Jason as he understood what Tanya meant. He had been concentrating on where they were while leaving Tanya and Kat to find out whom they were dealing with. He closed his eyes for a second, concentrating on summoning the Power. His residual Gold Ranger powers would be more detectable than the Gem Coin powers.
"You're wasting your time," said Arcana suddenly, interrupting Jason's concentration.
Even though he could still summon the Power to transform into a Ranger of some sort, the process required a great deal of concentration to initiate. The words that normally controlled what happened to the energy were meaningless, it was all a matter of willpower and memory. Still, the transformation had been made.
"Huh?" questioned Jason, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Simple," answered Arcana. "No one will be able to detect your location."
"Wh… what does he mean?" Kat asked Tanya quietly.
"Minion anticipated this happening, although he didn't expect there to be three of you, and he took precautions. We're not in your dimension any longer, Minion gave me the means to shift us forty-five degrees out of phase. This is my dimension."
"Your dimension?" wondered Kat.
"Where exactly is this dimension of yours?" asked Tanya.
"It's a space between time, literally a gap between then and now." Arcana answered absently. "Effectively, you are no where right now."
"No where?" repeated Jason as that slowly sank in.
"Exactly, which means that no one will be able to find you," continued Arcana. "Besides, I doubt you would last long enough for anyone to reach you," he added confidently. He was completely certain that destroying what he viewed as three children would not take too long. How Rita, Zedd and Minion had failed to do so was beyond him.
"You seem sure of yourself," said Jason.
"Of course, I have every reason to be," the villain answered. "This has been carefully planned. I won't even have to dirty my hands fighting you. My army will take care of that insignificant task by themselves."
"How do you figure that they can beat us?" asked Tanya. Arcana seemed to be enjoying himself by explaining his plans to them, and Tanya hoped they would be able to stall him long enough to come up with some sort of a plan.
"Every truly powerful villain has a specialty," he boasted. "Lord Zedd enjoys transforming living creatures into monsters, he can do the same with inanimate objects, but they lack the instinct of the originals. Master Vile makes powerful monsters, Mistress Repugna was an expert in making golems. And myself, I am a spell weaver; my monsters are unimpressive, but their special abilities are spectacular. And my army has a very useful ability." Arcana was pleased by the curiosity these three children were displaying towards his work. "They absorb the energy from anything they come in contact with."
"But that's…" started Kat, her voice trailing off.
"Impossible, you were going to say?" questioned Arcana. "Well you're very far from the truth indeed, girl. Remember Blue Globbor, you especially Kat must remember how capable he was of draining your energy?"
"What's that got to do with it?" interjected Jason, confused.
"Quiet!" snapped Arcana. Jason looked provoked and was about to attack, but Tanya shook her head a little. Jason was not as hot headed as he had once been, but attacking the wizard was definitely not the solution. "I used the technology that allowed them to absorb energy and took it to the next level. Instead of only absorbing Morphin energy like Globbor, my army can absorb all energy, even life force, with even the slightest touch. Very useful, wouldn't you say?"
"But then… how are we supposed to fight them," wondered Jason quietly.
"And we won't be able to use our pistols," added Tanya, worried.
"Then… what can we do?" asked Kat.
"Nothing," interjected Arcana, with a pleased smirk. "Of course I want this to be mildly amusing, so please feel free to morph. You might last longer. Unlike Zedd's other servants, I will not fail him, or Minion."
"But Zedd retreated," pointed out Jason. "And Minion is just another monster. Why are you still following his orders if you are so powerful?"
"You don't know anything, Ranger," Arcana sneered. "Zedd didn't retreat, he took a vacation. And Minion - I obey him because Zedd told me to. Because I have no choice."
"Now what?" Kat thought aloud. No wonder she had felt just a little drained after she had escaped her captor earlier. It must have taken some of her energy. ~But it only touched me for a few seconds,~ she thought, worry overshadowing her face. ~If it can absorb energy that
fast… ~ She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of it. Right now she had to concentrate on finding some way out of this mess.
"Jason, what should we do?" asked Tanya.
"I'm not sure," answered Jason, "but they have to have some sort of weakness."
"What, I mean, how can you tell?" asked Kat, a bit confused.
"Well, it's practically impossible for them to be entirely invulnerable. There has to be something," explained Tanya. At least that was what she hoped, if not they were in deep trouble.
"How very perceptive," said Arcana suddenly. The Rangers turned around quickly to face him. The wizard looked them over carefully; they were obviously more perceptive than he'd been led to believe. There again, Minion had been less than generous with his analysis of their powers. The boy Jason seemed to be the leader of the three and taking him down would be the first order of business. "But you'll never live long enough to figure it out. Now, enough of this useless talk, I think it's time for you to face off against my creations."
"Morph," Jason told his friends. "We'll stand a better chance that way."
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!" Kat called.
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!" Tanya added.
Arcana looked over at his army eagerly. He had anticipated this moment since Minion had ordered him to prepare the trap. Now he would find out if all of his hard work would pay off. "Go!" he ordered. "Attack those three, and don't stop until you've absorbed all of their energy." It was rather odd that they would be able take orders from him, but they had no mind of their own and they existed only to help him carry out his mission.
"Get ready," said Jason, looking back at Tanya and Kat. If Arcana was telling the truth about his army, then they definitely had their work cut out for them. To make matters worse, Jason was their weakness because although Kat and Tanya's were unstable, they at least understood where they came from. Nobody had been able to think of a good plan in spite of all the time that the wizard had spent explaining.
"What do we do?" asked Kat.
"Just try to avoid them," answered Tanya. She knew that sounded obvious and probably stupid, but at the moment she just couldn't think of anything else.
"That's it?" questioned Arcana, incredulously. "That's your plan?"
"Unless you want to call them off," Jason snapped. "Move!" he called out quickly as he saw one of the creatures coming towards them. Jason sidestepped immediately, and it flew past him and splattered on the ground.
"Eww," murmured Kat. "They're just blobs. How are we supposed to fight them?" she called out exasperated. Suddenly the entire army started rushing in towards them.
"Just stay out of their way!" shouted Tanya, leaping up into the air. Jason and Kat followed her example.
"That won't help you!" Arcana jeered. He held his hands in front of him and fired energy blasts at the three of them as they landed. They moved quickly out of the way, but the wizard did not slow down. He continued firing at them for a long while, and showed no signs of wearing down at all. Jason, Tanya, and Kat on the other hand seemed to be having increasing difficulty with getting out of the way.
"I don't believe it," complained Jason, dodging as best he could.
"What?" asked Kat. She was slightly out of breath, but she didn't dare slow down for fear of being knocked out of the air and down below where those creatures were waiting. ~Can't go down, and it's getting too hard to stay up here,~ she thought grimly. "What is it?" she repeated to Jason.
"He isn't slowing," explained Jason.
"Then you mean…" started Kat.
"He's feeding off the energy they steal from us," finished Tanya.
"Are you sure?" questioned Kat, sceptically. Even though Arcana did not show any signs of slowing down at all, she still found it hard to believe that he would never run out of energy.
"Yeah, pretty sure," answered Jason. "Or as close to infinite as he can get."
"Otherwise, he should have slowed a little by now," reasoned Tanya.
"Oh! I don't believe it. He never runs out of energy, and they absorb it. Can this possibly get any worse?" she complained.
"I think - Kat, look out!" called out Jason.
"Wha… oh!" she exclaimed as she saw a beam coming towards her. She dropped quickly to the floor, and the beam passed inches from her, shearing off a fragment of her helmet.
"Don't stay down!" called out Tanya, hurriedly.
"Right!" she called back as she jumped back up. A few more feet away, Arcana's army had gathered to pounce on her. "He's too fast!" she called out.
"You're right girl," said Arcana, stopping for a short moment from his attacks. "Why don't you just save me the trouble and give up now?"
"Not a chance!" Tanya shot back. "Jason," she said over the helmet communicator. "Jason!"
Jason started and looked up suddenly. His Gold Ranger costume lacked a permanent design and it seemed that this time it was lacking a real communicator. He had to rely on the Power to transmit Tanya's words. Unfortunately the blobs were absorbing any background energy, making the task difficult. "What is it?" he replied.
"I'll distract him," said Tanya. "You try to hit him from behind. Maybe a surprise attack will give us an advantage, all right?"
"Got it," answered Jason. He watched Tanya and Arcana carefully, waiting for his chance to attack.
"Hey Arcana!" called out Tanya aloud. Arcana glared back at her menacingly. Tanya swallowed loudly. ~Can't turn back now,~ she thought quickly overcoming her fears. "Why don't you just fight us, instead of hiding behind them?" she challenged.
The wizard looked irritated.
"I think you are a little too cocky," he replied.
"Why don't you come up here and prove that?" taunted Tanya.
"Tanya, what are you doing?" whispered Kat, surprised that Tanya was acting so confidently. They both knew that Arcana was not someone to be taken lightly. Kat also knew that Tanya was unlikely to rush in without a plan.
"Don't worry," she told her quietly. "Just wait for Jason to attack and join in."
"Oh, okay," she answered with a quick nod.
"Well Arcana?" provoked Tanya.
"Perhaps I will," he replied, rising into the air slowly using a levitation spell.
Jason watched intently, waiting to spring. If they could just defeat Arcana, then maybe those things he created wouldn't know what to do. If that happened, then they had a better chance of escape. But there was still one thing that worried him, if he killed the wizard and that caused the alternate dimension to collapse, what then? There was another possibility, which didn't seem much better than the first. The alternate dimension might stay stable, but they had no way of getting out. None of them knew how Arcana had been able to create it, and it was unlikely that they'd be able to figure it out.
"Tanya!" called out Kat, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up and saw Arcana ready to strike at the Yellow Gem Coin Ranger. Tanya quickly focussed on her task; fighting Arcana was going to take everything she had.
Angel Grove
"Falcon Missiles!" Zeo Falcon cried as his Zord unloaded its arsenal, bringing the huge metallic spider to a stop as the Ape and Frog tried to bring it down.
Why Minion had suddenly launched this attack was unknown, but since it had occurred at the same time that Jason, Tanya and Kat had disappeared, he had a few ideas of what the villain had in mind.
"Stab it!" he yelled.
The Ape moved to obey, driving its weapons into the metal spider's head as the Frog dragged the legs out from underneath. A quick swipe from Dragonzord's tail and the battle was over, allowing the four Rangers to teleport back to the Power Chamber.
Arcana's dimension.
Tanya and Arcana watched each other carefully. Neither of them wanted to make the first move. Jason and Kat also watched closely, Jason waiting to attack, and Kat waiting to help if needed.
"Well?" questioned Arcana, impatiently. "You wanted to fight me, so why are you still waiting?"
"I was going to give you the advantage of going first," lied Tanya, "but since you don't want to, I will."
With that she disappeared from where she was using the short-range teleport intended for entering Zords. A second later she reappeared behind Arcana. She swung quickly at Arcana's head, but the spell weaver had already turned around. Tanya pulled back quickly and avoided being caught, but Arcana was only starting to attack. Tanya tried to launch her own counterattack, but it was all she could do to just keep up with Arcana. For a wizard, he was a remarkably good fighter.
"What's the matter?" jeered Arcana. "Was taking me on too much for you?"
Tanya remained silent, not sure what to say. The only answer she could think of came in the form of a physical assault, which she did immediately. However, the results were the same as before. She attacked, and Arcana proved he was more than capable of avoiding her. Arcana kicked her hard in the side. Tanya gasped in pain, but Arcana wasn't done yet. He continued his assault on the now practically immobilised Yellow Ranger. He hit her again, this time on the side of her head, and Tanya stumbled.
~He's too strong,~ thought Tanya as she tried to regain her balance.
"I think it's time to end this," said Arcana, abruptly. He had no further interest in fighting Tanya, and he was ready to move on to more important matters. He held his arms out in front of him, charging for a blast.
"NOW Jason!" Tanya signalled, hoping the Gold Ranger would hear her this time.
"Hi-yah!" yelled Jason from behind them.
Arcana looked startled and began to turn around. Tanya immediately disappeared from where she was and reappeared next to Kat. Jason had drawn a broadsword and unleashed a ball of fire at the unsuspecting monster.
It made its way to Arcana in a flash and as Arcana put out his hands to block Jason's blast, Jason poured more energy into a second attack. With the added power of Kat's sidearm, it looked as though they had a chance of winning, at least for a short time. But then, one of Arcana's creations bounced up into the air and came between Jason and Arcana.
"Jason! STOP!" called out Kat hurriedly.
The creature was already starting to absorb Jason's energy, and Arcana had long since moved out of the way. Jason stopped quickly as he realised what had happened. It was too late to stop Arcana from stealing his energy though, and left him defenceless as the villain retaliated with a vicious chop.
Jason struggled as the villain gripped him around the neck. He kicked violently but his struggles ceased when he saw Arcana draw an object from subspace. It was a needle filled with a black liquid. Jason tried to get away but the point had already pierced his uniform and the liquid was flowing into his veins.
Jason's eyes widened with pain and he tried to scream. He failed; all his attempts at movement failed. His breathing became tight and the world seemed to blur. He slumped to the ground and demorphed. He opened his mouth to speak, but the darkness claimed him for a moment.
"Jason, what's wrong?" questioned Kat, worried.
"What did you do to him?" demanded Tanya, angrily.
Arcana laughed. "He was getting in my way," he told them, smirking.
"Answer me!" repeated Tanya.
"Temper, temper," chided the wizard. "If you really want to know, I injected him with a magical virus."
"A virus?" exclaimed Tanya.
"Are you deaf? Perhaps it's spreading faster than I thought it would. Allow me to explain. Yes, it is a virus, a very potent little thing I picked up during my travels. I thought it might be useful, but I hadn't imagined I would find such an unwilling victim," said Arcana.
"And do you have the cure?" demanded Tanya.
"Hmm… no," answered Arcana, smirking. This was going better than Minion had predicted. "I didn't plan on helping anyone I infected."
Tanya and Kat looked at him, shocked. If he didn't have the antidote, then what could they do? He had said it was a virus he had found somewhere in space, it was unlikely that there would be anything on Earth, which could act as the antidote.
Jason stared up at the sky, still confused. ~A virus,~ he thought, ~I didn't know one could act so fast.~ He wondered what else this virus
did… if it would kill him.
He wanted to stand up, but it seemed as though the virus had paralysed him. He looked up at Kat and Tanya who were still standing over him. He smiled at them weakly. As long as they were still there, he would be all right.
~Now,~ he thought, ~I just need a little rest… just a little rest.~ He closed her eyes slowly and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.
"Jason!" repeated Tanya, shaking him a little, but he didn't respond.
"One down, two to go," Arcana proclaimed. "Make it easy and surrender now."
He could feel the Yellow Ranger's temper simmering beneath her helmet. She suddenly seemed more powerful than he had believed. The Pink Ranger was no less threatening as she tried to help the former Gold Ranger.
~A bond of love and friendship,~ he realised.
He had underestimated the closeness these Rangers felt and the anger they would feel if one of their number was hurt. He decided it would be wise to end his mission swiftly and retreat to a safe place where he could study and then destroy these Gem Coin Rangers. But he had enough power to finish the Gold Ranger first.
He practically screamed as he poured all of his hate into the spell, which was one of the oldest spells known and feared by forces of good and evil. It was also among the oldest and most difficult to conjure. When struck by the spell served only one purpose: to kill. When cast it ordered the body to die through whatever means possible. It could be a heart attack or the simultaneous shattering of every bone and organ in the victim's body. One thing was certain, the spell when cast was deadly unless blocked. Against an already crippled and almost powerless victim death was certain.
"Jason!" Kat cried, kicking a blob in his direction.
The blob enlarged to four times its normal size as it moved in front of the fallen Ranger. Its properties meant that it absorbed most of the lethal spell, but not enough to prevent it from striking Jason and causing his condition to worsen. But now Arcana had to face something few had witnessed but all feared: a furious Pink Ranger.
Kat was a gentle person and never deliberately set out to hurt anybody. Even when she had been under Rita's spell it had taken constant enforcement from Rita's spell before Kat had tried to hurt the Rangers. And since the day she had used the memory of all she had done to shrug off the spell and to resist all attempts by Rita to replace it. Like most human she felt emotions, but rarely pure rage.
There certain exist stereotypes when dealing with Rangers. Black Rangers were often the more playful members of the team while Red Rangers were considered to make the best battle commanders. For the most part Pink Rangers were considered as healers who reached out to help those in pain. But that was only part of the story. Pink Rangers didn't just feel the need to help those in pain, they hated to see others in pain and fought to do whatever they could to stop the pain. Kat's Gem Coin powers were unstable, but she was still a Pink Ranger. Unable to do anything to help Jason her rage found another outlet: the being who had caused that pain.
"Pink Flash!" she yelled.
A burst of energy passed directly through her, emerging from her palms. There was a painfully bright flash that caused all present to turn their heads as she threw the energy towards Arcana. The spell weaver saw the attack coming, recovered from his shock and fled.
Arcana was not stupid. Even as the energy disk approached the place where he was fighting with Tanya he started to retreat. But the energy made contact at the same time that Tanya hit him with her own energised fist. The explosion that followed ripped open the pocket dimension as Tanya, Jason, Kat and Arcana were abruptly returned to Earth.
Angel Grove
The Rangers had been searching for Jason, Kat and Tanya since the three had disappeared. They had had limited success and their efforts had been undermined by Minion sending one monster after the other to distract them.
So when Sam sensed a sudden burst of magical energy, he immediately sought it out. He could sense Kat and Tanya as they fought something. He sensed a third signature that he recognised as an almost nonexistent Jason.
"Dragon Zord!"
He teleported to their location, hoping that he could get there before one of his friends was killed. When he arrived, he discovered that he was already too late. Jason lay unmoving while Tanya and Kat pummelled the man Sam assumed to be the culprit. He watched as Tanya summoned the power of her Gem Coin and blasted the wizard. He disappeared amid the explosion of energy.
Sam was already moving as Kat and Tanya collapsed from exhaustion. He drew his sword but there was nothing left for him to fight. The two Rangers had already finished the job without him. Then he looked at Jason and realised he needed to get them to the Power Chamber immediately.
Gathering the three Rangers together he teleported.
Jason was walking toward what seemed to be a cloud of darkness, but he knew it was nothingness, oblivion. He was surprised. He had expected to see the after life. He had been told that all his life, but no, what he faced was oblivion. And though he wanted to live, he was too tired to fight on. He welcomed it; it would end his pain, his agony.
"Ai-yi-yi, Rangers, we were so worried," Alpha exclaimed as Tanya and Kat returned to the Power Chamber and practically collapsed. Sam appeared next, in his arms was Jason's motionless body.
"Zordon, he needs help!" Sam said. With all the stress Sam sounded more like Tommy than he intended. Fortunately the others were too focussed on the former leader of the Power Rangers to notice the slip in their comrade's composure.
Alpha scurried around and soon had Jason on one of the medical beds where he had spent several days during the failure of his Gold Ranger powers. Electrodes were attached to the boy's chest and quickly put their minds at ease; he was alive, but barely.
"Arcana poisoned him," Tanya said. While the others had been watching Alpha, she had taken the time to explain to Zordon. "He said it was a magical virus."
"Alpha, scan Jason for signs of a spell," Zordon instructed.
Alpha did as he was told while Zordon turned his attention to the other three. The Green Ranger's expression was unreadable although he sensed there had been some strain involved in teleporting to and from wherever they were held. In the end he gave up, no doubt his powers were already recharging anyway.
Tanya and Kat were another story though. Both had demorphed and had had some of their own energy stolen by the Blobs. They would recover, but their bodies were exhausted and in desperate need of rest. He could have used a portion of his energy to revitalise them, but some things were better left to occur naturally.
It took a few minutes to convince them, but after explaining Jason's absences to his parents and thanking Sam for his help, Tanya and Kat teleported away.
"Don't you leave us Jason," Kat warned as she kissed his forehead.
Tanya copied the sentiment before she added a silent prayer. "Please God, send Jason home."
"Be strong Jase," Tommy whispered.
Zordon sighed as he realised it was going to be another long night, but the health of his Rangers came first and Zordon knew he would be unable to sleep unless he was certain his first Red Ranger was safe; the mentor had lost count of how many sleepless nights he had experienced during the time that Kimberly had lost her Power Coin. He sighed again as he settled down to work.
He did not remember anything after his fight with Arcana. By the time his body touched the ground he had already been absorbed by the darkness. As the Green Ranger lifted him to teleport, death had already overwhelmed him. He remained unaware until now, as he faced the blackness of nothingness before him. He was walking slowly toward nothingness when he heard a faint sound. It seemed to be a voice behind him, but he couldn't be sure.
Then he recognised Kat's voice, calling him back, begging him to fight for his life and to hold on until Zordon finds a cure. Tanya was there too; he could sense her although he didn't know how. And of course Zordon, how could he miss Zordon? The light of his voice was dazzling and for a moment the darkness retreated from sight as the fourth voice told him to keep fighting; Tommy had spoken.
~But how can I hear them if I am dead?~
Was that to be his punishment for whatever sins he had committed? Or perhaps Arcana's final revenge; this was his hell. A demon with the voices of those he loved, speaking the words that they all knew. Rangers are a family and they loved each other like a family. Hell's flames would have been better than such a torture! But the voice continued and he realised that no demon could speak with those voices. There was love in those words and no demon could feel love. Suddenly, he turned from the black nothingness and with all his being he ran away from it. With his total being, he fought against entering the nothingness of death. He had to live because the Rangers loved him and he would do anything not to hurt them. He refused to surrender to death.
The Power Chamber
Next Day
The Rangers waited patiently while Alpha and Zordon studied the results of the tests they had performed the previous night. Jason's condition had not improved, but it had not deteriorated further. That was something the Rangers and their mentor were grateful for. As time had passed though Tanya had grown tired of waiting and eventually she decided something had to be done.
"Zordon, how long will this take?"
Zordon sensed the impatience in Tanya's tone, but knew better than to rush and make a mistake. The scans had been quite revealing and despite their first thoughts, the so-called magical virus was not all that it appeared to be,
"We are almost finished," Zordon boomed. "Alpha, use the computer to find a cure."
"Do you know what is wrong with him?" Rocky asked hopefully.
"Yes," Zordon replied. "Jason has been infected with the Bibellic Virus. It is a rare but deadly virus that lies dormant for several days before it strikes and kills its victim."
"Arcana used a Wrath Spell to immobilise Jason," Alpha continued. "With the spell in place the virus would have started immediately and Jason would have easily succumbed to the illness."
"Can you cure him?" Kat asked.
There was a long silence and the Rangers had the impression that Zordon was struggling to decide what to them. Finally he spoke.
"The cure cannot be found on Earth. Only on the planet Crystal could a cure be found."
"So we'll have to go to Crystal," Tommy said.
"No Tommy," Zordon said. "If you all go, Minion will be able to conquer the Earth before you return. Kat and Tanya will journey to Crystal while the rest of you protect this world from attack."
"He's right Tommy," Adam told him. "This is the only way."
This was not a good sign. The Red, Green and Blue Gem Coin Rangers were being kept busy, fighting off recreated monsters from Rita and Mondo's forces while Kat and Tanya tried to help Jason.
"We'll have to hurry back," Kat said after a moment of thought. Then another question presented itself. "Zordon, can we teleport there?"
"I am afraid not," Zordon replied. "Crystal is in a state of constant flux due to the damage to its core."
He didn't say more and hoped the Rangers would not push him further. Crystal was a doomed world that had been abandoned by most of its inhabitants. Beneath the surface a swarm of maggot like creatures called Blibs were consuming the world from the inside out. At first they had been kept under control by the strange properties of the Blue Crystal Rose, the cure for Jason's illness. Unfortunately the planet had fallen foul of a villain by the name of Scorpius with a little off planet help from the wicked Count Dregon, who had a habit of destroying those worlds he intended to conquer if Edenoi was a typical example, and the magical flower had been all but destroyed. In fact only one place remained where the flower could grow, a last defence against the all-consuming hunger of the Blibs. And should that last place be destroyed, Zordon knew it would be a matter of time before the planet disintegrated and all hope of finding a cure was lost.
Unfortunately the constant consumption of the planet's core had caused a series of changes to its axis and rotation. With the random gravity variations such changes caused it was impossible to guarantee that a teleport attempt could be successful. At the same time any attempt to return would be foiled by the atmosphere. Unlike the Desert of Despair where the Rangers had had a small chance of returning, teleporting to Crystal was just suicide.
He could see the dismay on their faces as their only realistic hope of saving their comrade faded. Fortunately Zordon had already found an alternative, an alternative he had intended to reveal to them in the future. For now though his plans would have to wait.
"Alpha, prepare the Earth's Fire for launch."
"The Earth's Fire?" Tanya repeated.
"After the Rangers journeyed to Edenoi, I realised they needed the means to travel off-planet. The idea was still in its early stage when Billy journeyed to Aquitar to help against the Hydro Contaminators. The events concerning his return convinced me to complete the project. I present to you the Earth's Fire."
"Wow!" That about summed up their thoughts as the Viewing Globe revealed the massive space cruiser. "Is that a Zord?"
"No," Zordon told them. "I designed the Earth's Fire to act primarily as a transport for interplanetary operations."
"Ai-yi-yi, a Zord?" Alpha exclaimed in amusement. "Zordon's first idea was to convert Titanus for
space…"
"Alpha, is the Earth's Fire prepared?" Zordon asked quickly.
"Yes Zordon," Alpha replied, suddenly aware of Zordon's displeasure. Zordon considered had considered the modified Carrier Zord an essential part of his Master Plan, regardless of how ridiculous it looked when they had finished the modifications. Sadly he was beginning to suspect that the careful manoeuvring he had performed over the last few years had been made irrelevant by the appearance of Minion. That didn't mean his plan would not come to pass, just that it would be difficult to achieve.
"The Earth's Fire will take you to Crystal. I have loaded the flight procedures into your helmets."
Alpha scurried around making the final preparations. Eventually they hoped to create a basic controller for the ship that any Ranger could use whether morphed or powered down. For now though they had to rely on the Power enhanced reflexes of the Rangers to do the job.
"The journey will take two days," Zordon told them. "You will then have one day to find the cure and another two days to return."
"Five days," Kat said. "How do we explain that to my parents?"
Tanya had been living with Kat and her family since arriving in Angel Grove and had been accepted by both her parents and sister as part of the family. Both girls looked at Zordon and waited for him to tell them what they knew they had to do.
"You will need to tell your parents where you are going," the White Master agreed. "If you are forced to you may also reveal your secret."
"Maybe not," Tanya said. "Maybe we just need to arrange a visit to Aunt Ashalla."
The comment made sense. Ashalla knew about Tanya's identity and had kept in touch with Tanya by mail. With the correct timing it would be easy to get the older woman to help them.
"Very well," Zordon agreed, glad that they had avoided unnecessary disclosure.
While Tanya and Kat teleported away to set things up, Zordon turned his attention to the injured Jason. The boy's life was in the hands of his fellow Rangers and worse still, a flower that might not exist anymore.
Two Days Later
Darkness, stretching out in all directions… as far as the eye could see, an endless expanse of nothingness. How long had it been? Here, in this dreamlike state, time had seemingly ceased to exist. Seconds passed like minutes, or perhaps minutes passed as seconds? Nothing made sense anymore. Here he was forced to stay, as his mind weaved in and out of memories and dreams. But it had been so long, the difference between truth and fiction was fast becoming nearly indistinguishable.
But suddenly, his surroundings changed. He became lost in a whirlwind of colour and noise. Millions of sounds seemed to compress into one loud and bizarre echo. He dropped to his knees as he covered his ears tightly. The sound, it was unbearable.
He braced himself ready for the attack he had learnt to expect. It was becoming a normal part of his routine, first the noise would sound and then the attack would come. His mind couldn't comprehend the true essence of what his eyes told him, so it simplified it to a form he could understand; a creature of darkness with sharp fangs, no face and a touch that froze his lungs. So far he had been lucky, but with each attempt Jason grew weaker and whatever it was became real.
"Zordon?" Kat asked nervously. The communicator remained silent for a while.
"Alpha, you must sedate him…"
"Ai-yi-yi…"
The static cleared occasionally as the screen flashed from the explosions. The noise carried over the communicator and then it was silent again.
"Zordon?" Kat asked again.
The slightly battered form of Alpha Five appeared on the screen and it took Kat a few minutes to realise that the small robot was not in the Power Chamber.
"Sorry Rangers," he said. He sounded nervous. "Jason had…"
"Alpha!" Zordon boomed.
"Everything's fine now," Alpha said after talking to Zordon for a moment. "Jason just had a nightmare."
Kat smiled, relieved to know they were all right, although she knew Alpha had been holding something back. There had been a nasty if rather comical dent in the machine's head.
At the Power Chamber Alpha sighed as he shutoff the remote Viewing Globe and turned back towards the war zone that had once been the Power Chamber. Jason's small nightmare had somehow caused the unconscious youth to access his powers, morph and fight an enemy that existed only in his mind. In his delusional state he had struck out at anything including Alpha. Eventually they had found a way to demorph him and Alpha had quickly sedated him.
Zordon had witnessed the events while unable to intervene. He had ordered Alpha to secure the former Red Ranger within a force field once the talk with Tanya and Kat had ended. The power had been amazing if deadly. Zordon had clearly seen the powers change as Jason had fought and as they had done so, so had Jason's actions.
So it had been an easy decision once things had calmed down to ensure Jason was restricted within the force field. There was still the question though of just whom or what the boy had believed he was fighting.
"Alpha how are the other Rangers progressing?" Zordon asked.
They had all wanted to accompany Kat and Tanya, but in the end that had not been feasible. Today they were in battle against a large worm.
Planet Crystal
The landing had not been bad, but scrambling free of the wreckage had been difficult. Still, Billy had managed.
"Zordon, Alpha, can you hear me?" he called, hoping his communicator would reach Earth. There was silence.
With a sigh he made to explore his temporary home when he saw somebody ahead of him.
"Oh it's you," he said, relief crossing his face. "What are you doing here?" He was too far away to be heard though. One thing was certain, he was saved.
He could still hear Kat's voice, begging him to come back, telling him how much they loved him, and asking God to send him back. The black nothingness of death was behind him now, but still pulling him toward oblivion. The virus was still acting even though he wanted to live more than anything; his wants had very little bearing on how events played out. He felt he was caught in a struggle between life and death. He was in that struggle and the outcome was not at all clear to him. It seemed that he was in a timeless place where the drama of life and death could go on forever. He felt himself growing weak in his struggle to live. The virus wanted death, wanted death too strongly.
Yet, every time the blackness seemed to be getting the upper hand, he could hear Kat and Tanya calling him back, if not their words, pleading with him, pleading to the God for his life. He could feel Zordon's presence near him, he could even feel his touch, a touch that seemed like a burning fire on ice, the coldness of death lay over his whole body. That he could even feel Zordon's touch was a sign of how near to death he had become for even if he wanted to, Zordon could never touch anyone.
Finally he sank, exhausted, knowing that the blackness would overcome him. He cried: he cried because of his cowardice; he cried for his lost life. He cried for all those he could not protect and his fellow Rangers who would be forced to carry on in his absence. He prayed that should he die they would know that he wanted them to carry on.
Then his awareness was swallowed into oblivion.
Slowly the darkness disappeared, displaced by the light that seeped in slowly at first, but then with increasing speed. The intensity of the light grew stronger and stronger, aided by the impeccably white surroundings.
Jason watched these changes, but saw nothing. He seemed almost to be in some sort of trance. When the transformation finally ceased, he fell down on the ground, but awoke with a start. He had no recollection of anything. Stranger still was his ignorance of the fact that he was still only in a dream. To him, everything that transpired now was real.
He shivered. ~It's so cold, ~ he thought drowsily to himself. He stood up slowly, and finally discovered the reason behind the frosty temperature. Everywhere around him was covered thickly with snow. He brushed the snow off his back quickly as surveyed his surroundings.
"Where am I?" he voiced his thoughts aloud. So far it seemed that he was alone. He shivered again, shying away from the arctic wind that blew past him. He couldn't think how he had gotten there. It confused and scared him that he couldn't remember anything.
The snow crunched beneath his shoes as he continued forward. ~I wish I knew where I was going,~ he thought. He really had no choice but to go forward.
He rubbed his arms vigorously in an attempt to keep warm. Jeans and a sleeveless shirt were not exactly an optimal outfit for keeping warm on a wintry day in the arctic weather. Still, he trekked forward through the snow slowly, but with increasing difficulty as the drifts were becoming deeper and deeper.
He stopped in place as he looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were rolling in from the south, eclipsing the sun, which seemed to radiate no warmth, only the blinding light reflected by the snow. As of now it was not snowing, and he hoped it would remain as such. Being caught in a snowstorm was not his idea of fun.
He looked back down, but he realised something was wrong. So very wrong.
A chilling fear, colder than the wintry temperature, gripped him as he stared at the snow. It was no longer white. Somehow it had changed to a shade of red. Only one reason presented itself to him, one he didn't he didn't want to believe, and one that he refused to acknowledge as a possibility.
He finally forced herself to step forward and follow the scarlet trail. ~Nothing's wrong,~ he told to himself. ~It can't be. Everything is fine,~ he lied to himself. But even he didn't believe his own lie. He knew he wouldn't feel so terrified if everything was indeed fine.
The shade of the snow became darker and darker red, crimson in colour. But still, the source remained unknown.
Moments later, his search was over. He found what she was looking for or more importantly, who he was looking for.
"T-Tanya," his voice quivered as he spoke. His eyes were wide, his expression terrified.
She was laying face down in the snow, but the scarlet trail ended where she was.
"Oh god," he whimpered. "Tanya."
He dropped down to his knees in the snow. This was too much. It was too much for him.
"Tanya, wake up," he pleaded, crawling closer to her.
The body remained motionless and it was only the beginning; he knew there were more bodies to find. He found Alpha not too far away, the little android's head dented beyond recognition. He was afraid to touch him, but knew that whether he did so or not it would make little difference. Alpha was gone. The glass the machine held in his battered hand was all that Jason expected to find of Zordon, he was wrong.
And finally Kat, beautiful Kat, the light of his best friend's world, lay motionless with her uniform torn to shreds. He reached out to touch her and wished he had remained still. Kat's skin was like ice.
He ran no longer wanting to see them, trying to make himself believe he had not seen them. If he didn't know, then he could pretend that nothing was wrong. He could pretend that they were fine. Pretend that nothing was wrong.
As he ran, he finally reached him and the sight brought him to his knees once more. Zordon of Eltare lay lifeless before him. There was no noble warrior, just the head that the Rangers had long associated with their mentor. He stared for a moment, his eyes huge. He drew a quivery breath before reaching out to him. Immediately he retracted his hand. He was cold, so very cold.
"Zordon," he repeated insistently. "Zordon, wake up. I need you." His voice broke in the middle of the sentence. At last he reached out to him again. He pulled him over gently. He bit his lip hard as he struggled to keep from crying. ~Tanya, Kat, Alpha and Zordon, all gone. Why bother to fight anymore? ~
"This is not happening," he repeated to himself over and over again. He buried his face in his hands. "This is not happening."
And as he sat there despairing he failed to see the blackness that once more threatened to consume him.
The ship plummeted from space, through the atmosphere of the small planet.
"Hold on to something!" Tanya shouted over the noise of the ship.
"I-I'm t-t-trying t-to," stuttered Kat as the ship vibrated violently. They should have taken a seat and buckled up a while ago, but the sudden descent had come much more quickly than they had anticipated and had caught them both by surprise.
They braced themselves for the impact that would inevitably strike the ship as they landed, but it did not come. Zordon had built the Earth's Fire well and at the last moment it stopped and gently settled on the surface. Even so after the shock of free fall the stop had its own effects. Kat lost her grip on the chair she had been clinging to frantically and was knocked back against the door of the control room.
"Ow!" she exclaimed indignantly. Tanya, however, had managed to stay standing and was already surveying the land around them through the window. ~No fair,~ thought Kat, ~why am I always the one who falls?~ Though that wasn't entirely true, Adam was klutzier than she was at times. ~But then how many times has Adam called Tommy for help?~
"Come on," Tanya prompted in her usual manner. "Let's go."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," muttered Kat as she stood up slowly, rubbing the back of her head.
She moved to the console and checked the atmosphere outside. When it appeared safe, Tanya punched a few buttons on a panel near the door, opening it. She stepped outside cautiously, but as far as she could tell, there was nothing wrong.
Kat appeared next to her a moment later.
"Not bad," she commented as she noticed how the ship had landed. "We're not going to get far on foot though."
True enough the landscape was filled with chasms caused by the destruction of the planet's core.
"Cyber Sliders, online!" Tanya called, referring to the hovering skateboards Alpha had placed in the storage bay.
By mutual agreement they took off in opposite directions. They didn't know where to start looking but they at least knew that it had to be someplace where plants could grow.
"Any ideas as to where we should look?" questioned Tanya over her communicator.
"Um… maybe near some water," suggested Kat. It stood to reason that for a flower to survive there must be a source of water somewhere.
"Good idea," acknowledged Tanya. They continued in silence. At least now they knew what to look for, a river, a lake, some other source of water. At least they had something to go on.
Five hours later, the search for water continued. At first glance, the planet had appeared rather small, but it had proven itself to be large enough to slow their expedition tremendously. They had reunited and taken to flying over the arid, desert-like terrain quickly.
"Hey look!" shouted Kat, excitedly.
"What is it?" questioned Tanya, hopefully.
"There, see?" replied Kat, pointed towards the east. "See it? There looks like there's a forest there or something."
"Hey, you're right!"
They picked up their speed considerably and reached the forest-like area quickly. Tanya remained hovering high over it for a moment as she took in the surroundings. The forest stretched only a limited distance, maybe five miles on each side, surrounded on all sides by more of the desert area.
"It's got to be here," she reasoned to herself.
"See anything?" called out Kat from below.
"No. Let's split up," suggested Tanya.
"All right. We'll meet back here in two hours," said Kat as she wandered into the forest by herself. They would cover more ground this way than they would if they searched together.
Tanya slowly dropped to the ground, surveying the land around her as she descended. She saw a waterfall a short distance away, and that was where she was headed.
She walked silently through the forest, taking in everything in a glance. There seemed to be no other form of life on this planet. They had seen absolutely no traces of any sort of life besides the vegetation that was so scarce. But then again, the planet's climate seemed hostile towards supporting life. The heat was stifling, and excluding this forest, there was no shade anywhere.
That had not always been the case. The files on the Earth's Fire had revealed how Crystal had once been a popular world to visit filled with many types of wildlife.
For some reason, walking through the forest alone like this reminded her of the first day Jason had gone to school with them after returning from the Peace Conference. She smiled at the memory. He had been so lost about everything, clueless really. So much had changed since the days when he had been there with Zack and Trini. Kat remembered it had been the first time Jason had looked remotely vulnerable. But he did exceptionally well at fitting in and he excelled at the schoolwork itself, which was rather surprising considering that the time he had spent away from regular study.
But then Jason was not the shy type and very little phased him for long. It had taken a few days but by the end of the first week he had reacquainted himself with many of his old friends and his relationship with Tommy and Billy had seemed stronger than ever.
Tanya continued searching the flora of the forest carefully, but she could see nothing that resembled a rose. In fact, there seemed to be no flowers at all. Nonetheless, she continued forward resolutely. Moments later she reached the waterfall.
The water roared as it fell upon the rocks below. The noise was deafening, but Tanya finally saw something that assured her that she was headed in the right direction. Near the base of the waterfall were small yellowish flowers.
"Yes," she celebrated to himself. She considered leaving to look for Kat, but decided against it as she had no way of knowing if the flower really was nearby.
And so for the next hour she searched, and searched, and searched, and searched. Still, she couldn't find it.
"This doesn't make sense," she spoke to herself. "It has to be around here somewhere."
If only Zordon had given them more information to go on, but they still hadn't been able to contact him again.
Tanya stood still for a moment as she considered what to do next. She had searched everywhere at the base of the waterfall as well as the area at the top of the cascade, and she had come up empty. There had to be somewhere she wasn't looking. Someplace she hadn't checked yet. ~Perhaps somewhere where the flower would be safe from those who would steal it?~ The computer had revealed that the roots of the flower were capable of restoring the planet in time. ~It's a shame time might not be on the flower's side.~
She flew up close to the waterfall, the water quickly soaking her Cyber Slider. Something had caught her attention, and she wasn't about to let a little water stop her.
Behind the waterfall was a small cave, shallow enough to be sufficiently lit by the light that shone through the water.
"It has to be here," she repeated to herself, as she slipped behind the waterfall and into the mouth of the cave. The air felt damp and humid, but there were a few species of flowers that he no yet seen growing within the cave. Finally in the deepest corner of the cave s he saw a ray of light, and at last he found the flower she sought.
"Tired, tired, tired," repeated Kat to herself as she walked forward numbly. She felt as though she had been walking for ages. It wouldn't have been nearly so bad if it hadn't been so very hot. Even the trees couldn't lessen the blazing temperature much. Neither Kat nor Tanya had noticed how thin the Oxygen had become.
It had been nearly seven hours since they had left their ship. She had nothing to show for her long search and was now making her way back. She could only hope that Tanya had been more successful.
Kat tilted her head back to observe the sky. There were two suns in the sky, and presumably there were still more elsewhere on the planet. The suns of this planet were closer than the sun was to the earth; thus making the temperature much higher than it usually was on earth. And on top of that, there was not a cloud in the sky.
Finally she made it back to the spot where they had agreed to meet. There was no sign of Tanya yet, a good indication that just maybe she was close to finding it.
Then, Kat heard the leaves rustle somewhere nearby. She tensed immediately. They had seen no traces of anything living besides the vegetation, and there was no wind blowing. Something else must have made that noise.
BOING!
Kat screamed.
Fifteen minutes after she had entered the cave; Tanya was leaving with a handful of the flowers. She wasn't sure how many they would need or even what part of the flower they needed, but she would rather have too many than not enough. She had made sure that there were enough left to survive.
The Blue Flowers of Crystal did have a striking resemblance to a rose except for being blue. She assumed that the flower had no thorns because there was nothing to protect itself from on this planet. It had been growing underneath a beam of light that was let in through a small opening on the roof of the cave. She had missed the small hole while she had been exploring the area at the top of the waterfall. No doubt the flower had needed both a good deal of water and sunlight to survive.
Tanya continued on her way back in good spirits. She couldn't wait to show Kat that she had found the flower. It had taken them much less time than they had expected to find it, and now they could head back. If all went well, they would be back with plenty of time to spare.
Tanya counted back the days in her mind quickly, and was happy with the result.
~Now all we have to do is get home,~ thought Tanya.
Then she heard Kat scream.
Later, it had to have been later, but time meant nothing in this place, he became aware again. He could see the blackness of death was still in this place with him, but it seemed farther away than before. He still felt the iciness of death throughout his body, but somewhere within; there was a glow, a spot of warmth. He felt nothing beyond the coldness and the tiny warm glow, the tiny spark of life within. He didn't know how, because he could feel nothing outside himself, but he knew that something had changed. Kat and Tanya had left to find something to help him and that had given him the strength to fight once more.
He started to relax his vigil against the blackness and it started advancing again. Once again, all the strength left in him focussed on running from death to life. He willed himself to keep going, to keep running, to crawl if need be, to escape that blackness. He fought until he had once again left the blackness behind and, once again, sank into the place of unawareness. But he was not dead yet! There was still hope that if he struggled hard enough, he could escape death and return to the Land of the Living. Power Rangers did not die that easily.
Kat listened warily for another sound. A full minute had passed since he had last heard anything, and she was beginning to wonder whether her mind was playing tricks on him. But she was certain she had seen something and that it had not been friendly.
BOING!
This time she was certain she heard it and that it was going to crush her.
"Behold the Stomper!" the thing said.
Kat stared at the blue skinned creature for a moment as she tried to decide what it was. Its head, neck and shoulders were covered in silver armour, its body was red and its legs green. It crouched and then leapt into the air. When it landed the ground quaked.
"I stomp you!"
BOING!
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!" Kat called.
She barely moved as the Stomper crashed through her Cyber Slider. Powered by the Gem Coin, Kat started a deadly game of hit and run as she used her Gem Coin Pistol to wear down the Stomper.
Something yellow flashed past as Tanya connected with her own move. The Stomper landed on his back and struggled to get back up, but like a crab he was stranded. The ground beneath opened under his weight and the trauma caused by his jumping. A moment later he had fallen into what remained of the molten core.
He became aware again. Who knew how long he had been unaware? There is no time in this place. As he looked about him, he discovered the blackness had drawn nearer than it had been when he lost awareness, but it was not nearly where it had been before his friends had given him strength. Once again - how did he know? He felt nothing, yet he did - he knew that Tanya had kissed him on the forehead. As her lips touched him, he felt a sudden surge of strength and the blackness immediately retreated. As Kat place her hand on his shoulder and began speaking - he still could not make out the words, but the message was clear - he looked ahead and saw, not blackness and not light, but a greyness that seemed to have substance.
The noise took both Rangers by surprise and they spun around trying to find the source.
"Who's there?" Pink Gem Coin asked uncertainly. But if the source of the noise were some inhabitant of Planet Crystal, then they would most likely be unable to understand her even with the Power to act as a translator. In any case, she had to at least try to find out what had made the noise.
"Kat, head's up!" called out Tanya as she suddenly appeared above Kat on her Cyber Slider. She had decided the easiest way to see was to get an aerial view.
"Hey did you just hear something?" asked Kat. She didn't wait for an answer however because she caught sight of the blue flowers Tanya carried. "You found it?"
"You bet," answered Tanya, "just a few minutes ago."
"Where'd you find it?" asked Kat. "I looked all over the place - everywhere - but I couldn't even find any flowers."
"Find what?" asked a familiar voice. "Of course the Blue Rose of Crystal requires four substantial ingredients to ensure successful cultivation. Water, Fertiliser, Soil and the Pot made by a
Grid Master to focus the magical powers of the planet. The flower requires intense bursts of solar energy and liquid refreshment. And might I
add…"
Kat's eyes grew wide as he turned around. ~It can't be,~ she thought. The look of surprise on Kat's face showed just how unexpected this turn of events was. She had thought of her friend frequently since he had left them, but never expected him to be here.
"BILLY!" Kat and Tanya cried as they embraced their former comrade.
"What are you doing here?" questioned Kat, astounded.
"Tanya, Kat?" Billy grinned as he recognised his friends, "I was just floating by and thought I'd drop in." He looked them over. "What are you wearing?"
"But I thought - weren't you - how did you -" Kat tried to ask, but the many questions came out incomplete.
"Whoa, slow down there," laughed Billy.
Kat grinned sheepishly as she tried again, "I thought you were still on Aquitar. How did you know?"
Billy's face changed and a look of anger could be detected for a few seconds. He recovered quickly though.
"Aquitar has been attacked," he said finally. "I managed to escape and ended up here. Now, why are you here?"
They filled him in and Billy's face fell.
"We need to get this back to him. Unless you want to stay here longer."
"No!" answered Kat and Tanya hurriedly.
Billy chuckled. He pulled out a strange controller and pressed a few buttons. The Earth's Fire could be seen flying over the horizon under perfect control. "Multifunction remote control," he told them as he took their hands and the three of them teleported to the Earth's Fire, which then left Crystal for home.
He knew that he was alive and would live when sheer terror struck him. He felt as though a steel band had been placed around his chest. He couldn't breathe! Some demon had been torturing him with the belief that he was going to live. Now he would die! All his dreams, all his struggles were just that, dreams, foolish dreams. He fell to the ground, tears streaming, but not weeping since he couldn't breathe. As hard as he tried, he could not get his lungs to pull air into his body. He heard the darkness laughing.
He felt himself floating and as he stared down he could see his body on the bed. He tried to go back, but his way was blocked. All he felt was pain as if fire ants were consuming him. As he pulled away, the ants ceased their attack. He tried again, but couldn't get past the pain, which grew steadily worse the longer he tried to return. Desperate to end the pain, he retreated, but that was no longer an option.
Blocking his retreat was a large black scale with huge scales and sharp fangs. Its eyes were emerald green. He turned to run, but a swift swipe from its tail knocked him to the ground.
The scene changed. No longer was he in the Power Chamber; he was in a large garden surrounded by plants and trees. It was the perfect hiding ground for a snake.
His instinct to survive took over as he seized a large log and wielded it like a club. He looked around nervously, waiting for it to strike. When it did, it came not from the side, but from below. The snake burst through the ground and tried to catch Jason off guard. The former Red Ranger moved in time, but the fangs tore into his clothes and he was hurled into the air.
Jason landed hard on his leg, the impact causing fruit to fall from a nearby tree. He swiftly jammed the log into the snake's mouth as it tried to catch him a second time. He rolled uncomfortably as the log shattered into splinters and sprayed towards him. The snake seemed to howl in pain as several pieces on the log jammed in its tongue.
"Yyyyyouuu cannnnot esssssss-cape meeeeeee Jassssss-on," it hissed.
Its tail swiped at his legs again and there was a loud crack from his left knee. Jason howled as he struggled to remain upright. His scream grew louder as the tail wrapped around him and squeezed.
"Jason!"
He knew Tommy's voice even in this strange place. He looked for his friend but only for a moment; the snake's squeezing was occupying most of his attention.
Then he saw them, Tommy and Trey, ready to help him. They raised their hands and lightning streaked towards him; Tommy fired green lightning while Trey unleashed bolts of gold lightning. The pain he had felt from the snake was nothing compared to the pain Tommy and Trey inflicted. The lightning continued until he felt he couldn't take it anymore. If he had been alive, he would have morphed, but he was dead and the lightning continued.
A few more bolts and Jason couldn't take anymore. His body bursting with the excess electrical energy, his anger and will to win never higher, he knew he couldn't give up.
"Gold Ranger Power!"
He morphed.
Somehow Tommy and Trey had given Jason the means to fight on. The pain they had inflicted had caused his body to transform. The Power flowed into him, overloading him for an instant before the safeguards triggered his powers.
The snake hissed loudly and tightened its grip. Despite having a sword Jason couldn't use it due to the position of his arms. As strong as he was when morphed, he couldn't break free. He just wasn't strong enough. He could feel the pain in his head from the overload he had subjected it to. He was short of time and desperate, the coils were growing tighter by the second. With nothing to lose he threw his sword towards the ground and was rewarded when it pierced the snake's tail. For a moment the pressure ceased and he was able to free fall to the ground.
He swiftly retrieved his broadsword now he was able to use it. As the snake attacked again, he ducked and drove his sword into its throat. The snake exploded and Jason was returned to the darkness.
Minion's Island, Gulf of Mexico
The installation was complete and the charging of Serpenterra's new reactor had started. Venjix it seemed had developed an amazing knowledge of the machine as he had helped Bronzo upgrade some of Zedd's more antiquated technology. Most magical wielding villains did not both themselves with technology. It was easy for Minion to see why.
Minion was pleased with the progress he had made. The delay had been unfortunate, but sending Arcana to battle the Rangers and keeping the rest of the team off balance had meant that they had not benefited from his misfortune. And in the meantime he had been able to set yet another plan into motion.
~ Let them continue to believe they won this round, when the time is right they will discover that Minion doesn't lose unless Minion desires to lose.~
"You have done well, Arcana," he said, looking over the battered wizard. He suspected the Rangers thought they had seen the last of the spell weaver. How wrong they were. "Now, go and get cleaned up. Minion has other business to attend to."
End
Chapter 10: Fall of an Order
Disclaimer: 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.
Authors Note: This is an alternate universe from the television show with an alternate timeline.
Fall of an Order
Triforia
The system had changed since the fatal day when the peace of the Triforian System and the once proud Royal Family had been destroyed. Although it was a matter of days, maybe a few weeks at most on Earth, time on Triforia passed at a faster pace; the uprising had occurred almost five months ago. The King was officially dead, the Queen and both her daughters placed under protective custody, which in reality was house arrest.
As far as the people of Triforia were aware, the uprising had been a coup attempt by Trey, the heir to the throne and current Gold Ranger; news broadcasts had told the tragic tale of how he had been corrupted by the Earthlings he had become involved with. He had hired an invasion force consisting of mercenaries paid to usurp the King and place a puppet government led by his mother on the throne.
How Trey had managed to subvert the Queen of Triforia and his sisters was unknown, but for the protection of the people the three women had been placed in the custody of the government.
Indeed, according to the news networks and official sources, the people had been lucky that the King's adopted son had uncovered Trey's plot and taken steps to intervene. In doing so he had saved the people of Triforia. Terr or King Terr as he preferred to be known, had chased the invaders from his world and seen to it that Trey had been taken into custody. Even though he had been begged to assume the role as king, he had refused until Trey had been made to see the error of his ways and signed over power. So far Trey had not been willing to cooperate.
Of course while Trey was being rehabilitated, the system had been placed on high alert. The old Triforian regime had been reborn to quell any attempts by Trey's collaborators to threaten their society. Armed guardsmen, some of whom closely resembled the usurpers, patrolled the populated areas suppressing any intentions of treason. There had been many swift executions since Trey's arrest, but still the planet was no closer to crowning its new ruler.
It surprised Trent as he tried to sleep, that after all the Gold Ranger had done for his people, they had willingly turned on him. Few had been willing to question Terr's story and those who did were too scared to stand up against the real traitor. The Triforian Order, an illegal body of outcasts, who preferred the name: Triforian Guardians, had been handed the planet without a fight.
The Order was made up of murderers, rapists and soldiers guilty of crimes that would make Rita Repulsa sick. Terr was their leader, in some ways their most twisted member, and it was he who had murdered the King, before pinning the blame on the Gold Ranger.
Trey had been off-planet during the invasion and despite an attack that had forced Trent, Travis and Trey to split up. When Trent had arrived on Triforia, Terr had assumed he was Trey and having already provided false evidence, had ordered his imprisonment.
But Terr was not as clever as he believed and although he had made it his business to study the Earth, he had not studied Trey's activities while he was on the planet. Had he done so he would have known that Trey had been permanently split into the three manifestations of his soul. Instead of just Trey of Triforia, there were now Trey, Trent and Travis. While Trey had retained the qualities, memories and the behaviour that his people admired, Trent and Travis had evolved into their own beings. Of course with Travis and Trey missing, Terr was none-the-wiser and Trent had no intention of correcting the misunderstanding.
There was a good reason why Trent had not been given a swift trial followed by immediate execution. Terr wanted the Golden Power Staff, the symbol of the Gold Ranger powers. More importantly, he needed the forgiveness only a member of the Royal Family could give in order for his own claim on the throne to be accepted within the Galactic Council. Only the current holder of the staff could pass it to a successor. Otherwise, the Golden Power Staff would be sent to the
Grid Masters of Eltare to select a new avatar; there was no way the Morphin Council would choose Terr.
Not that Trent could hand over the Golden Power Staff anyway. The staff belonged to the Gold Ranger and that was not Trent. When they had been separated, the entire Gold Ranger powers had transferred to Trey and while in times of need Trent could call on the powers, he did not wish to do so. That meant that no matter how much Terr threatened, persuaded or tortured his prisoner, Trent could never give in; of course it was fortunate Terr did not know the truth or Trent's life would have already ended.
Over the weeks Terr's most loyal servants had attempted to learn the secret of how to get the Golden Power Staff. Tristan, Trey's cousin and Terr's partner in crime had executed innocents in the hope that Trent's compassion would force him to reveal the answers. But Trent knew the horrors Terr had planned and compared to that, a few lives was the lesser of two evils. Neon, one of Terr's more violent cronies had used more direct means to extract the information. A large hammer Neon had repeatedly slammed into his knee had shattered Trent's leg. Greta, a hideously deformed hag, had used truth potions that were guaranteed to work, but had asked the wrong questions. And Valon, a sick and twisted former servant of the old king, had inflicted countless injuries on his prisoner, including a hole that had been burnt through Trent's hand.
The hope of release was gone and Trent wanted only death. In his powerless state he defied Terr by simply being unable to answer the fake king's questions.
"People of Triforia." Terr said, addressing the assembled people from the balcony and those watching from their homes. "I know that there are some of you are wondering why I have chosen to address you at this time. I do so bearing bad news for our people. When I was asked to become King of Triforia, I refused until such time that I had helped Trey to recognise his sins and correct some of the injustice he has caused."
There were some murmurs from the crowd, but as Terr's guards moved about, ready to pounce on any sign of insurrection they fell silent. Each guard held a heavy stun baton; a security precaution Terr had insisted on using whenever he addressed a crowd.
"I know many of you will be saddened to learn that the corruption of our beloved Trey is absolute. Not only did he orchestrate the deaths of his father and his own Ranger team; he has deliberately rendered Triforia's greatest defence inoperable. How, you might ask. I regret to tell you that Trey has corrupted the power of the Golden Power Staff to such an extent that only he can command it. He has refused to surrender the powers to our planet's defenders or even acknowledge his crimes. I am sorry that I have failed you."
As Terr had hoped, the crowd was outraged at the suggestion that Trey would leave them so vulnerable. Many started to boo the former Lord of Triforia until Terr held up his hand and the people quietened.
"But never let it be said that I do not try to grant the wishes of the people." Terr said with false modesty. "I have been unable to redeem Trey, but I will punish him for his actions. Trey will be executed as soon as it can be arranged. His rights and powers shall be stripped from him and as sanctioned by law, given to his cousin Tristan until such time that a new king can be appointed."
"Hail King Terr!" a peasant the Order had paid off shouted.
It was enough as slowly the other peasants picked up the chant.
"I will humbly accept your wishes if that is what you desire," Terr said. "When Trey has been punished, I will accept my role as your king."
Inside the Triforian Royal Chamber, Terr's allies Valon, Neon and Greta extended their greetings to Terr, congratulating him on a successful 'transition' of power.
"Well done your highness." Greta said. "No one can dispute your claim now."
"Thank you." Terr said. "A great idea of yours if I must say so Tristan. While only the king can abdicate the throne, an uncrowned king can be stripped of his position if the people agree. My first act will be to remove such ridiculous laws."
"Now Cousin," Tristan said. "That law was never intended to be used in that way and you know it. We are lucky that those who knew the law were amongst those you had executed. Besides, there are more important issues to be addressed. We will need an army to fight off any advances by the Council or the Alliance."
"It shall be done," Valon said. "Of course if we had the Golden Power Staff we could just wipe out both sides."
"And if you knew what I have discovered, you would not worry about the staff anymore. I have found a replacement weapon."
They had made a mistake and for the first time in ages Trent felt as if he had a chance. During one of the many torture sessions he had been forced to endure at the hands of his guards, a metal cane had been used on his shattered leg. The pain had been terrible, but the result had been favourable. When they had left the cell they had forgotten to take the cane with them and although he was chained, he was able to reach the piece of metal.
It had been designed to inflict pain and as such, its thickness varied along the length. The tip was a very thin piece of wire intended to break the skin, while the rest grew thicker to deliver heavy blows. While the heavy end was a useful weapon, the tip was his ticket out of his shackles. He used the thin wire to pick the lock and after some very unsuccessful attempts, he managed to free his hands and then his ankles. He hobbled to the door, well aware of the nagging pain in his leg. He knew the odds of escaping were against him, but then he had no real intention of survival. His mission had changed when he had heard one of the guards mention Terr's plans. Now instead of escape his mission was to disable whatever weapon Terr had discovered before he could use it.
Trey had the Golden Power Staff and Pyramidas, which as Trent knew, was the most powerful weapon the Triforians possessed. However there were other weapons that could prove equally potent if Terr were allowed to use them. For a moment he remembered the stories his father had told him of a great space cannon built during the old times, which had later been hidden deep within Triforia's main sun. If that was the weapon that Terr had mentioned they were in serious trouble. Not only was the weapon capable of destroying anything in its path, the risk to Triforia itself was huge. Sadly Terr was in Trent's opinion crazy enough to attempt firing such a monstrous weapon.
He waited until the guards checked his cell, at which point he hid behind the door. When they noticed the empty shackles, the two men moved inside the door to investigate. Trent struck quickly, using the cane to stun one guard and his momentum to knock the other one to the ground. He picked up one of their weapons and used it to prevent them from waking up anytime soon. Then he used their personal teleporter keys to vanish from the cells and into the sewer system under the city.
Not all resistance had been crushed in the Triforia System. There were pockets of fighters loyal to the Royal Family who knew that Terr had been lying to them. They moved secretly, unable to speak outside of their own group through fear that Terr's spies would find them. They used their contacts on the other planets to monitor Terr's activities, but only attacked when lives were threatened.
Tresan was the leader of his resistance cell based right in the center of the Triforia capital. He was a former palace guard who had fled rather than face the death sentence that many of his fellow guards had received. He was responsible for collecting supplies and raising an army to strike at the right time and hopefully eliminate Terr.
At the moment though he was more concerned with dealing with one of Terr's hunting parties. His men had detected a teleport into the sewer system where they were hidden. It was obviously a party sent out to destroy them and had to be dealt with swiftly. Due to the urgency Tresan had led the attack himself, using only former guards as backup.
They had already rigged explosives in their area, using the methane produced in the sewer to make it seem like an accident. It only required one of the intruders to trip a piece of wire planted beneath the water line. So far though the charges had not been triggered, something that made Tresan suspicious. Next to him he felt Dappa tense.
"Hear something?" he asked.
Dappa had exceptional hearing that allowing him to detect anyone sneaking up on him. He nodded and then gestured to their left. Sure enough a lone figure could be seen limping through the water.
"He's alone," one of the other guards whispered.
Tresan nodded and gestured for his followers to seize the man. A prisoner could give them more information than a corpse.
As they attacked Tresan noted that something was wrong. The invader did not seem scared and even moved into a very crude fighting stance. Instead of drawing a weapon like most hunters, he used a punishment cane to trip his first two attackers and to disarm a third. Then he tried to shuffle away on one leg; the other dragged along behind him.
One of the guards caught the invader around the ankles and forced him face-down as another slammed the butt of his rifle into the man's skull.
"Turn him over," Tresan ordered, "We don't want him to drown just yet."
His men did as they were told, gasping as the face of their invader was revealed.
The prisoner's escape had not gone unnoticed and a search was underway. The guard who had carried his teleporter into the cell conveniently forgot to mention it, choosing instead to blame the torturers and Trey's knowledge of the secret passages throughout the palace; after all he had no intention of being killed for his stupidity.
Terr had ordered a search of the palace grounds, but had been keen to keep the activity quiet. The last thing he wanted was the people to discover Trey had escaped and start their own searches. If they found him, they would know the conditions he had been kept in and start to doubt Terr's position. That could not be allowed until he became king.
An explosion rocked the city, sending man sewer covers into the air. Guards moved to investigate and returned with a charred arm and a piece of the clothing Trey had been wearing. Terr smiled, things were looking up.
News spread through Triforia and its sister planets over the next few days. The news of Trey's escape had been altered to make it look like the last dash of a madman followed by a fatal explosion when he had encountered a pocket of sewer gas. Terr had announced that after he had been allowed a few days to mourn their beloved hero he would accept his role as king. At the same time he planned to unveil his new weapon. But Terr had in a moment of poor judgement made an error that would haunt him. He had pardoned Trent of all the crimes he was accused of.
Members of the resistance had at first believed the story, but when a message arrived at their outposts stating that Tresan was still going to remove Terr from power, they had pledged their allegiance to the resistance leader.
Trent had spent the days recovering from his ordeal and advising Tresan. His leg had been beyond repair by either magical or conventional means, but they had at least managed to numb the pain and fit it with a brace so Trent could walk. In turn he had told them the truth about Trey of Triforia and the Gold Ranger powers. They were of course saddened by the news that their beloved leader was not there to help them, but they agreed that Trent should continue to portray Trey until Terr was removed.
Phonon, one of the men who had dealt with the remains of the former Triforian Rangers had revealed a small secret he had been keeping. He had managed to find the remains of the Triforian Power Coin and had over the weeks managed to fit it back together. They gave the coin to Trent as a token of the respect he still deserved.
"Our first objective is to destroy Terr," Trent said, "But we must ensure that no matter what happens, that the weapon he has found is destroyed. I suspect that he has uncovered one of the old planetary defence systems and until that weapon is taken from him, there is nothing to stop another Terr from rising to attempt the same goal."
"That's easier said than done," Volga, one of the snipers pointed out.
"Don't worry, I've got a good idea of how those stations work. A few charges in the right places and it'll be disabled for the time being."
"Who are you, I've never seen you before?" Von said.
Trent watched as a armoured warrior, walked calmly out of the shadows and turned to where all in the room could see him. There were several gasps as he calmly walked across the meeting room and shook hands with both Trent and Tresan.
They had good reason to act surprised. The warrior was a part of an organisation unlimited by race, planet, age or gender; that held no loyalties to any government other than its own elders, but whose loyalty and skills could be purchased for the right price. Like many other organisations they were subdivided into clans. Clan loyalties often dictated the type of job they would take. Some refused to work for the Alliance and others were considered too dirty to be dealt with by the Galactic Council. Even though they were divided by clan loyalties, some chose to specialise in their skills, forming smaller groups they referred to as guilds. Often if a clan could not be convinced to take a job, a guild could find somebody with the skills.
This man did not belong to a guild. He was trained to handle all tasks even if he was not a master at performing them. That left him the freedom to work with whomever he wanted, including the falsely accused Trey of Triforia.
For his part Trent had often heard his father speak of these mercenaries and knew that their word was their bond so long as the money was good. He also knew them to be the most unorthodox of warriors when the situation called for it.
"You think those charges will be enough to disable the weapon?" Trent asked.
"So long as nobody fixes them. The second set will blow up the pyramids, then all you have is a piece of space junk."
"My lord, this man…" one of the men protested, not sure how to voice his concern without offending their ally and angering their lord. "They never do anything for free," he finally managed.
"The fee I charged your father last time will suffice," the warrior known as the Black Falcon stated calmly. "Not a credit less."
"Agreed," Trent smiled.
"My lord, I protest. Tresan, surely you cannot agree to this."
"Lord Trent has spoken," Tresan stated. "There will be no further debate."
"I take it we have a deal then?" the mercenary asked. "I will be starting now."
He vanished from the room as the resistance carried on with their plans.
Triforia
The days of mourning passed quickly and if Terr had had his way, would soon be forgotten. Today he was ready to take the crown and with it the power to deal with anyone who opposed his rule. He watched as members of the Triforian Order moved amongst the timid crowd encouraging them to chant the name of their new king. The few who jeered him were instantly named as traitors and dragged away for punishment. Terr waved to the crowds before entering the tall cathedral where in accordance with tradition his coronation would take place.
There he sat and waited impatiently as the ceremony progressed. Leaders of the four sister planets made proclamations of loyalty to Triforia while Regional ministers swore their allegiance to Terr. The trumpeters insisted on playing the full version of their introduction as the minister droned on about the family line and decreed that Terr was worthy of becoming King of Triforia.
Then came the most important part of the ceremony where the symbols of office were handed to the new king. The Crown of Destiny, Rod of Honour and Orb of Wisdom were handed to him alongside a lecture about their significance to Triforian society. Terr of course knew the significance to Triforian society, but was more interested in the true powers of the items. As the Robe of Mercy was secured to his shoulder, he recalled the ancient legends. When the Robe was worn, it protected the wearer from the intense energy found within a Triforian space cannon; protection normally provided by the Gold Ranger powers. The Rod and Orb controlled the functions of the weapon while the Crown translated an image into a target. In short he now held the symbols of rank and the tools to ensure his continued dominance.
"If any person has reason to dispute the rightful claim of Lord Terr, speak," the minister droned. "It is tradition my lord," he added when he noticed the glare Terr was giving him.
"Well?" Terr demanded. "Does anyone here dispute my rightful claim?"
"I dispute your claim!" Trent called from the back of the cathedral where Terr's men had been unable to reach. They at once made to seize the protestor, screaming accusations. Trent calmly fought them off until the minister intervened.
"Stop this at once!" he cried. "Never has this been allowed. If he has a valid protest, we must hear it so it may be either accepted or dismissed. These claims cannot be silenced only dismissed."
"Very well," Terr agreed. "Let the traitor speak so we can proceed."
The people moved aside and allowed Trent to move towards the throne; a cloak hid his face. Behind him Trent could sense the Order members stalking him and knew that when the opportunity presented itself they would pounce.
Terr was starting to feel uneasy as he watched the robed man approach. He wondered what story this man had to tell that would be worth the risk of imprisonment. Even if he knew the truth Terr was certain the people could be convinced they were lies.
"You cannot succeed to the throne because Trey is not dead," Trent stated simply.
"Trey was a traitor to the people of Triforia. A criminal cannot be king."
"But a former criminal can," Trent pointed out. "Trey was pardoned of the crimes he was falsely accused of. He is alive and therefore the rightful king."
"Trey is dead," Terr insisted.
"On the contrary," Trent said as he pulled his cloak away. "I am quite well."
"Arrest him!" Terr cried. "I said seize him!" Terr screamed. His wonderful plan was failing.
"They can't," Trent said as the Order members hesitated. "I was cleared of the charges you falsified and as such I am king."
As Trent spoke Royal Guardsmen were rounding up the members of the Triforian Order. Terr decided that he was not going to allow the appearance of a dead king to ruin his dreams of power and after shoving Trent aside, he used the powers of the royal symbols and summoned the space cannon from deep inside Triforia's sun.
"My Lord," Neon whined when they appeared inside the cannon. "We should leave here at once. We could find allies…"
"Silence you fool," Terr snapped. His mind was filled only with a desire to prove himself superior to Trey. In his mind Trey would surrender if he could prove himself superior and the people would follow him without question if they feared for their lives. "I am king, I do not need to flee."
Terr's hands moved over the controls, pushing buttons and pulling levers. There was a low hum as the cannon was charged with energy from the planets below. The four sister planets' gravity twisted the solar panels to where they could capture the energy from the three suns. The focussing disks shifted into place as the mighty generators filled with energy. Terr pulled the controls to change the strength and direction of the beam.
"Now we will show them a weapon worthy of Triforia," he boasted.
Terr pushed the fire button and the beam shot into space.
"He's going to activate the weapon," Tresan said grimly.
Trent turned his attention to the mercenary. "Did you set the charges?"
The seasoned warrior smiled and held out a remote control.
"You're too late," one of the Order members proclaimed as a beam of light shot overhead.
Trent pressed the button and hoped the weapon had not been pointing at anything.
The explosives the mercenary had planted detonated swiftly and the space weapon was plunged into darkness. While the barrels of the vast weapon were strong enough to withstand anything, the lenses were not and glass rained down on the Triforia Order.
In the rubble of the Palace halls Terr picked himself up. He looked around to find an escape route, but was met by a dismal sight. Neon, Valon and Greta were plastered across the console, their body parts short-circuiting the machinery. Tristan stood in shocked silence next to them pointing at the main monitor. The orbit had shifted and the station was plunging into Triforia. If they didn't escape, they would die.
Coughing up dust, he tried to see where he was at the moment. With luck the teleport controls would be on an undamaged panel. He glanced at the screen and noted that time was running out. Looking up he saw an explosion rip one of the focussing panels from its housing, the exposed section flashed for a brief second and died out as the fires of destruction were extinguished by the cold death of space.
"They'll pay for this!" he cried as he thought of those who had ruined his perfect plan. "They'll all pay!"
He angrily slammed his fist into the controls and activated the teleport system. In a beam of light the two surviving members of the Triforia Order disappeared.
When he appeared on Triforia, Terr set off to find an enemy to kill. He didn't care if it was Trey or just some poor peasant who happened to get in his way. He wanted blood. He drew his sword from the subspace pocket he owned. It was the same sword he had used to murder his parents and the Triforian Rangers, and was as sharp and deadly as ever.
"Trey, show yourself coward!" he yelled as he approached the palace.
"That wouldn't be advisable," Trent said as he emerged from the doorway clutching the cane he had used to escape. "Trey would probably kill you where you stand; Travis would too for that matter although he'd do it in such a way you'd be begging for Trey to do it. I would rather see you tried and convicted."
"What are you talking about Trey?" Terr demanded.
"You still don't understand, do you?" Trent asked. "Trey of Triforia is gone forever. Trey of Courage, Wisdom, and Heart have been separated permanently." He dropped the poise he had been holding and watched with interest as Terr took in the small but noticeable change in Trent's appearance. "They call me Trent."
"Guards!" Terr cried. "Seize this impostor!"
"Your guards are not here Terr," Trent said. "They're under arrest and awaiting trial. And you can join them."
"So you're not Trey, you're not the Lord of Triforia and you're not the Gold Ranger," Terr said reaching behind his back and releasing the small holdout blaster he kept there. "If I'd known, I would have killed you sooner."
Terr was fast; Trent was faster. As his opponent pulled the blaster Trent swiped with the cane, he had been holding. The blaster went off, but the shot went wide. Trent struck out again and the tip of the cane sliced Terr's face, causing him to scream.
"I told you it was over Terr," Trent stated.
"Why don't you kill me then?" Terr said. "Put me out of my misery?"
"Because I am not a killer Terr and I cannot make myself judge, jury and executioner." Trent answered.
The two stared at each other for only a second when a stray grenade struck a nearby palace wall sending both men back across the hall hitting the nearby wall. Trent quickly recovered, but as soon as he looked across the ground he already saw Terr shaking off the explosion.
The distraction gave Terr enough time to draw his sword, and soon Terr and Trent began what would surely be a gruelling battle.
Tristan watched Terr battle with the man named Trent, waiting for the opportunity to kill Trey's look-alike. His concentration was ahead and he didn't notice someone approach until something cold touched his chin.
"Don't try it sonny," a raspy voice told him. "I push this button and you'd be dead before hit the ground."
"I can give you anything you want," Tristan said. "Just don't kill me."
"Stand up," the man told him. "I'm going to take you back to the boss so he can make up his mind what to do with you."
"You're a Deshaadra!" Tristan realised.
"That's right, so now you know this is a Laser Sword and not to do anything stupid, right?"
"I - I want to hire you to kill Trent," Tristan tried.
"Sorry sonny, your cousin and my partner have a business arrangement you can't hope to match."
"I can give you the Triforian treasury."
"Thing is sonny, that's what Trent's already paid us."
A different object poked Tristan in the back. This was an ordinary blaster set on kill. At close range it would normally finish an opponent in less than a second. But if the shot were to hit the spine, death would take much longer and far more painful. Knowing he was beaten Tristan threw his hands in the air and started scheming ways to convince Trey, Trent or whatever his name was, to spare him.
As Terr fought, he allowed his hatred to fuel his actions. Using a ring he had constructed from the Triforian crown jewels, he summoned the power of the Morphin Grid. He didn't care about becoming a Ranger, only about killing Trey and restoring order to the planet. His power was like a magnet that drew a vast chunk of metal from the space cannon and transformed into a suit of heavy armour. Energy struck the surrounding architecture causing stones and glass to fall into the street where they stood.
Trent backed away, unsure of how to fight such a power without the Gold Ranger abilities. His hand gripped the Power Coin of his old friends even more tightly as he silently prayed to any of the higher powers to help him. And help him they did although not in the way he expected.
Terr gave a cry of great triumph and charged forward only to be stopped by a wall of multicoloured light. He tried again only to be thrown back on his butt as faces started to appear.
"You killed us all," they repeated over and over as the faces changed to show all of his victims. "You will pay!"
The light grew ever brighter and then stopped. Instead of advancing on Terr, it vanished into the coin held by Trent. He held it up, feeling the power trapped within. It felt so much like the Gold Power Staff it caused him to remember the feelings he had had as Gold Ranger.
A familiar sensation filled his body, power just waiting for release. He tried to let it out, but couldn't. He knew he was forgetting something, something he needed to do to summon the Power. His mind raced as he thought of the possibilities. The coin wasn't part of the Morphin Grid if it had ever been and therefore wasn't magic. So he didn't need to call it out loud. But then, he remembered that strictly speaking the powers were not part of the Zeo Crystal. Like the Golden Power Staff the Triforian Ranger powers drew magic and converted it into a form of energy similar to the Zeo Crystal. He would have to summon the Power verbally.
He closed his eyes and felt the energy take shape. Terr had stopped his advance and was staring at Trent angrily. Trent remembered all those who had suffered at Terr's hands, his family, and the innocent victims on whatever world it was he destroyed. The coin changed shape until it resembled the Golden Power Staff, Terr cringed and Trent smiled.
"Triforian Ranger Power!"
Trent didn't transform because he didn't need to. Instead he simply attacked, allowing those who had fallen to guide his hand. The Power Staff connected with the sword resulting in a shower of sparks, but neither weapon was damaged. Terr appeared to have the advantage as he pushed Trent further back and drove him to his knees. But when Trent looked up there was no fear in his eyes, only triumph.
"Time for a Gold Rush!" he stated and the next moment Terr was blasted down the street and into one of the crumbling state buildings.
Concrete, brick and heavy wooden timbers collapsed onto the one time dictator of Triforia, but Terr was not quite ready to die. Using his rage he pushed the rubble back into the air. His rage grew, drawing the rest of his precious space station to him. Metal folded and reshaped itself to make arms and legs. Control linkages were wired deep into the machine as Terr was pulled inside to become its blackened heart.
Trent watched the events without concern, his destiny already known. He simply held his hand up as he had done many times before.
"Power of Triforia, make me grow!"
He resembled a Super Zeo Zord as he touched down opposite Terr. He wore black with a gold trim and his helmet had a ten-sided shape. In one hand he held a larger version of the Golden Power Staff and Trent decided the weapon had probably taken the form from his subconscious.
Even as the fight was beginning, Trent knew it could not last for long. The risk of injury to one of the planet's inhabitants was too great, especially with the damage they had already caused. Instead he pushed his limits and called on his version of the Gold Rush.
The blast struck and to Trent's surprise Terr's machine remained upright. For a moment it seemed to smoke and then after only one shot, it fell to the ground and exploded. Trent followed him, shrinking back to the ground and there was a brief scuffle.
"It's over Terr," Trent finally stated as he held his opponent's sword at the defeated warrior's throat.
"Kill me then," Terr spat defiantly, but Trent just dropped the sword and walked away.
"I won't kill you Terr, you're not worth it. I'm not even going to let them put you on trial. You're beaten and you know it! Take what little honour you still have and leave, now!"
Terr considered his next move. The easiest thing in the world would have been to grab the sword and plunge it into Trent's back. But as Trent walked away, Terr realised that to kill Trent would not give him the vengeance he sought. To do that he needed to destroy the things Trent and Trey valued most and sadly their lives were not it. As he teleported away though he promised himself that even if he never set a foot on Triforia again he would be avenged. And to start that process, he pressed a button on his remote control and nodded with grim satisfaction as the remains of the space cannon broke apart into chunks capable of destroying cities and rained down on the Triforian home world.
Trent saw what had happened and for a moment regretted his decision to let Terr go, but then he reminded himself that no matter what, Terr was not worth killing. If he was placed in custody he would never make it to trial, such was the level of corruption on Triforia. He dismissed the thought though as the super weapon crashed through the atmosphere and he was faced with the choice of his own life or those of his people. Naturally he chose his people.
"Golden Nova Blast!" he cried at the top of his lungs.
Trent for a moment became one with the power he was channelling as he was propelled towards the incoming missiles. As pure golden energy he struck the remains, all the power he had released in a single blow. His body reappeared on the ground seconds later as his uniform vanished and he struggled to breathe. He looked into the sky and spotted the remaining fragments. There were fewer pieces falling, but still too many to ensure the safety of his world. But a second object that was speeding towards the planet made him smile.
"Welcome home Trey," he whispered as everything turned dark.
End of Part
Chapter 11: The Dark Side of Nature
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other show. They belong to their respective copyright owners. No money is being made from this piece of writing.
The Dark Side of Nature
A red streak coasted through the solar system, undetected by Zordon's defence satellites as it touched down upon the Moon. As the ball of energy dissipated, the occupants gasped for nonexistent air. It was not the most luxurious method of transit, but it had gotten them to their new location in record time.
"We're home Zeddy!" Rita cried enthusiastically as the troublesome duo walked into their beloved Lunar Palace. Minion was gone after deciding that it was better to build his own island on the Earth where he could establish a center of power. He had taken his henchmen, prisoners and his equipment with him; he had also taken Serpenterra, a fact that caused Zedd to angrily curse the other villain when he found out.
"How dare that clone forget who is in charge around here!" he growled, his body radiating an alarming amount of power.
"We'll show him," Rita gleefully exclaimed.
"Yeah Ed, me and old Goldar will just head down there and show him who's boss," Rito offered. It was such a sincere offer that for a moment Zedd forgot to shout at him for getting the name wrong.
If only it could be that simple. Truthfully though Zedd knew that they would have a hard time subduing Minion. He possessed Serpenterra and the Zeo Crystal, a potentially devastating combination and had troops that in Zedd's opinion would make easy work of the Tengas. ~Although,~ he noted grudgingly, ~I bet they would have no chance against Mondo's Cogs.~
"Minion is not a fool," he said as he peered down at the Earth, taking in a battle between the Rangers and what looked like a Halloween costume with the head of a rabbit, truly a disturbing sight. "The Rangers are still using temporary powers and he seems to be taking advantage of it."
He had been surprised that Minion had not followed up on Jason's injury, nor tried to prevent Kat, Tanya and Billy from reaching Earth with the cure. Now with Billy and Jason back in the mix, Zedd could see that the likelihood of more former Rangers returning and defeating Minion was becoming more likely unless of course he acted first and robbed Minion of some of his glory.
Turtle Cove
"Come on you stupid thing," a blonde haired figured grunted as he and his companion tried to shift a very reluctant dog into the back of their van.
"I can't believe people keep these creatures as pets," his companion complained, trying to find somewhere to wipe her hands as she checked her nails. "Ew, it's disgusting."
"Never mind that, we've finally captured all the animals we need," he told her as she sauntered into the passenger seat. He paused, assessing his situation before admitting, "I'm beat."
"All this hard work makes me hungry," she agreed as she closed the door. "Let's get that thing back to the laboratory and then get some food."
He turned the key and started the engine, before driving off with remarkable restraint.
"You know Toxica," he said as he shifted gear, "I miss the old days."
"Oh the old days," she whispered dreamily.
"The power, the glory," he stated, his attention drifting from the road but returning quickly enough to pull out of the path of an oncoming lorry. "If only the master would find a way to return to us. Think of what we could do."
"It has to be better than collecting dogs," she agreed. "And we wouldn't be working for humans." She made a disgusted face at that thought.
They of course were not human although aside from his facial disfigurement, it was hard to tell in their current guises. They were Orgs, Duke Orgs to be precise and with their one horn status had at one time come great power. Alas, that power was long gone along with many of the great Orgs. Surprisingly it had been a team of human knights who had destroyed the Master Org and in doing so had crushed weakened those who had followed him; many had disappeared although some had been imprisoned and others like Toxica and Jindrax, had gone into hiding among the humans.
Jindrax pulled the van into the car park outside the laboratory where they worked as he and Toxica continued to reminisce about the bad old days.
"Hey, do you remember the time the master sent Ballista Org to crush that island?" Jindrax asked.
"Of course I do," she replied lazily. "I was the one he asked to give him the directions."
"Those were the days," Jindrax sighed happily. "And if it weren't for those humans it still would be."
"Then destroy the humans."
"Yeah, destroy the humans," Jindrax agreed, then paused. "What happened to your voice Toxica?"
"I didn't say anything," she answered.
Suddenly on their guard, the two Orgs looked around, trying to find whoever had spoken. It was dark and difficult to see, but there was something in the bushes, red eyes burning as it watched them.
"Hey, who are you?" Jindrax demanded.
"A human!" Toxica accused.
Gone was the pretence, they were now on guard; the human had heard them and knew they weren't human. And while they doubted a human could really hurt them, they could never tell. Their plain grey uniforms vanished, leaving behind their true appearances.
Jindrax had lost all but a few of his human features as he shifted form. He had deep impressions that extended from his unmoving lips, with five or so multicoloured spots on his left cheek and on second glance it could be seen that even in human disguise he had only been able to pass them off as oddly shaped purple scars. The long blonde hair he had possessed while cloaked, remained, though in his true form it stuck out of the back of his yellowish head near the base of the skull. His head had three shark-like fins on top along with pink and green gems on his inhuman scalp, and glowing yellow eyes. He wore a suit of purple and white, which alternated on each side between the two. He wore elfish shoes and possessed a short white cape on the back. It was his twisted sword though that made him dangerous.
Toxica somehow managed to still look human although with the black veil over her face it was hard to tell. She wore a long dress made of blue, violet and black material, with a padded shoulder pad that extended down to act as a breastplate. She wore a blue and black helmet over her head, which was adorned with gold chains dangling down off the red gem on her helmet's forehead. And finally, she held a spike-ended staff that was almost as tall as she was.
The two Orgs had the remnants of a horn extending from their foreheads. Jindrax's was white and Toxica's was striped with orange and brown. Both had obviously been damaged at some stage since they ended in a jagged edge rather than a keen point.
"So you do have some power left," Arcana said as he stepped from the darkness. "Is that because you've had time to recover or did running from the battle shield you from some of the side effects?"
"Hey, he's calling us cowards," Jindrax realised.
Toxica pointed her staff at him as Jindrax moved his sword into a ready position. They attacked together, Jindrax charging in from the right as Toxica fired several blasts and then attacked from the left. Arcana teleported over them, using the building as a perch to watch as their weapons collided. Then he dropped back down, bringing his short staff around to knock them both off balance. As they fell, he held his staff at a position to knock their heads off should they move again.
"That is enough," he told them. "I am a spell weaver and I have need of your services, not your corpses."
"Hear that, a spell weaver, and you said he was just a human," Jindrax half-muttered to his companion.
"What do you want of us?" Toxica demanded. She wasn't as brave as she was calculating. He wouldn't kill them if he needed them unless it was a last resort.
"In the beginning this world was consumed by evil and misery; the fleeing forces of darkness chose this planet as their home. There they hoped to rebuild their numbers. They sent forth lesser spirits that fed on misery and destruction to feed on this planet's earliest life forms. While most chose to remain beneath the surface, a few who served a different ruler set up their own kingdom. Others later journeyed to the surface before the first humans drove them back. Unable to reach the surface and blocked from returning to Hell, these demons were forced to reside within the planet's core, in a realm they named Gehenna. At the time there were many entrances to Gehenna, but the locations have been lost over time. However, one location was recorded on the slabs of rock that you Orgs used to construct your Nexus.
And so I need your services to unlock the doorway to Gehenna and release a force that once decimated this world so Minion can use them to bring the humans of this world to their knees."
"Hey, that's great," Jindrax responded. He looked at Toxica. "Who does this guy think he is?"
The staff sparked warningly as if sensing Arcana's increasing frustration. Toxica and Jindrax were Orgs, creatures of chaos and destruction. And while such behaviour and an almost genocidal outlook on humans marked them as evil, they were not interested in things such as conquest. That was something humans did that created the misery and pollution that Orgs needed to exist.
"Take me to the Nexus," he commanded.
"Why, you can't enter there?" Toxica told him, sounding outraged by the suggestion. "Only Orgs can set foot in those caves."
"Yeah, no humans," Jindrax added. "Besides - there's nothing in there except a bunch of old statues."
"And if you try to enter you'll be destroyed." Toxica finished. She sounded smug, as if this revelation had ruined the villain's plans and repeated, "only Orgs may access the Nexus."
"I have no interest in whatever secrets the Orgs hold," Arcana snarled, losing patience. "There is something in that place that my master, Minion desires, even if he doesn't realise that need yet. Take me there or suffer the consequences."
"All right already, we'll take you there," Jindrax complained as he was prodded with the staff. "Ow! What is with this guy?"
The Nexus
The humans of the planet Earth would describe nature as a beautiful and life-giving force. And while their views were not wrong, they were incomplete and perhaps a little too idealistic. Nature could be beautiful and was certainly responsible for the many wonders throughout creation. But that same force was at times a destructive killer, an unstoppable juggernaut of devastation that pushed its own children to their very limits. In essence Nature was the same as the other forces that shaped the planet, completely neutral.
Existence was filled with checks and balances that ensured that the universe would continue to survive. That need for balance applied to everything, even nature. Just as there was life and splendour, and growth, there was also a need for death, decay and renewal. The Orgs were a representation of chaos, complex spirits fed by dark emotions, pollution and the hate generated by humans. The senior Orgs had been a part of an evil kingdom, while the lesser Orgs, which had been unintelligent creatures of destruction, had been unleashed to bring chaos in their wake. Later the ruling Orgs had ended the chaos in favour of their brand of order.
That had changed when the Orgs had arrived on the Earth. The natural power of the planet had been like a beacon for life to develop, and the violence that life brought had attracted the wondering spirits. Their masters had been driven underground by the evolving humans, leaving the world free for the Orgs to plunder.
Although many Orgs had been destroyed, some had survived by hiding. Many of the surviving Orgs were those that had remained formless spirits during the great battle. They had remained aimless since that time, awaiting a chance to strike again should their masters return to give them a purpose.
The Nexus was an Org graveyard, filled with the fossilised bodies of Org Generals who had been frozen before the Master Org's last stand. A little magic would bring them back, but without their horns, Jindrax and Toxica lacked the necessary power.
"Well here we are, home sweet home, kind of," Jindrax said as he, Toxica and Arcana stepped into the cavern. It had come as a shock when the spell weaver had simply shrugged off the energy around the Nexus. After thinking about it though the two Orgs had realised the barrier was intended to keep the pure of heart away, and not necessarily to keep humans at bay.
Arcana looked around, seemingly unimpressed by his surroundings. At one time this had obviously been a well-decorated chamber, but that had been before the thousands of years of decay had taken their toll. Still, he was here for a purpose, one which had required him to endure the idiocy of his companions for the last few hours.
"Yes it is here," he said at last, sensing the object he desired. A single stone tablet, different from the others in that it contained not an Org, but rather knowledge of those that had preceded the Orgs. It had he suspected served to provide the knowledge that Master Org had needed to create the Org Heart before his final battle. While the Org Generals forced into hibernation had been a part of the Org Heart's creation, the extra dark energy he had drawn from Gehenna, a pool of evil just waiting to be tapped. Arcana almost laughed as he read the ancient text; it was in Eltarian. It seemed that the humans who had believed that Hell was located beneath their feet had been onto something after all. "From beneath you it devours," he muttered.
"If that is all master, we will take our leave," Toxica said.
"Yeah, seeya," Jindrax added.
He ignored them as he marched out of the Nexus and teleported away, leaving the two Orgs to wonder what had just happened.
"How dare he treat us like that?" Toxica snapped when she was certain he was gone.
"Yeah, who does he think he is?" Jindrax asked. He looked around. "Soo, you want to try and wake some of these Generals up?"
They two Orgs leaned against the stone wall, obviously trying to decide whether that suggestion was a good idea.
Stone Henge, England
The tablet had proven very informative and he had been surprised to learn that it had been carved by an Eltarian scribe who had been fascinated by the developing culture. The man had been thorough, encoding the information as layer after layer of carved characters. Only someone with magical sight or the correct equipment could decipher the wording. That effectively made it useless to the planet's population.
Luckily the entrance he had been seeking had been included in the detailed yet incomplete survey. Better still, it was in an area that his master already controlled. When he had found the doorway, which was one of the arches that made up the ancient monument, he had been able to descend a long passage into the depths of the Earth.
He assumed that he had travelled several miles along the tunnels although he had probably only descended ten miles overall. When confronted by a pair of heavy wooden doors he had used his wand to carefully shift them open. Inside he found a circular cavern with walls covered with openings and he could see several creatures moving around in the background. In the center there was a deep chasm that he sensed held the magic the researcher had found. If the sleeping figures on the throne and in the connected chambers were an indicator, this place had played host to creatures that could have given early man nightmares.
"And this would be the resting place of Daemon-oh, I presume," he said as he stared down into the pit. He didn't believe in such things, a God of all Demons? Ridiculous. Now, an ancient being that displayed a massive amount of power and claimed that title he could believe in; the Source of all Evil they called him if he recalled the texts. Deformed as a punishment and left to resemble a fanged octopus, although that too was a ridiculous fabrication in his opinion. "Don't worry, I won't disturb things too much. And these must be the Elemental Beasts of legend," he said, as he moved to a nest in the corner and ran his hand over the rough surfaces of the egg-shaped containers he found there. They were actually hyperlock chambers and their contents were fully developed. It was an efficient way of ensuring the beasts within survived. He stood abruptly and tapped one of the containers with his staff. He was surprised when instead of opening, it exploded.
He should have known that such creatures would require extreme environments in which to revive. No doubt they needed exposure to harsh conditions to awaken such as the hot springs beneath the planet's surface, where that the scalding water could easily boil them, and then had been moved to other sites.
"Perhaps I shall move them to a more suitable home," he decided. He paused, looking at something at the back of the cavern. "What is that?" He studied the beast from all angles. He could sense the potential of such a creature. Its injuries would make it angry and that rage would fuel its ferocious attacks.
Using the tablet as a guide, he drew a symbol around the beast and watched as it was magically restored. Arcana sent the mindless creature to a place where it would prove useful, choosing to draw the Rangers out and keep them busy for a while. Then he used his wand to direct a blast of energy from the dark chasm.
The resulting explosion rocked the famous white cliffs of Dover. The chalky rock crumbled as the Earth was split open, revealing the dark secret it held. Thick green smog poured from the hole, carrying with it a stench that made the locals wonder if maybe the drains had backed up again. Then as the collapse continued, swallowing a small hotel in the process, the cave was buried for all eternity.
He had collected the containment units that had survived the explosion, and had moved them so they would not be crushed by falling chalk. He teleported away to place them where they would be able to open, leaving the humans none the wiser. He was impressed by the distance he had travelled from Stone Henge to reach the cliffs. The explosion had sealed that entrance, but it didn't matter anymore. He would not be needing it again.
The Power Chamber
"You guys ready?" Billy asked.
"Go for it Man," Tommy replied.
~Ah well, here goes,~ Billy thought to himself. "After Zordon and Alpha completed the initial construction and restoration, I managed to finish reconfiguring some of my previous designs to incorporate the option of a secondary gestalt procedure. The result as you can see is three sets of Zord; the Sky Zords flying high, the Defender Zords all round and Techno Zords as backup and special operations."
Billy looked at Tommy's face and could not help laughing. When he had returned to Earth with Kat and Tanya from Crystal, the initial concern had been to administer the antidote to Jason. Then after visiting his parents and an extended talk with Zordon, Billy had thrown himself into working on the new Zords, desperate to bring the Rangers' arsenal up to scratch. He had even allowed Zordon and Alpha to fit the Power Coin he had used on Aquitar as part of a backup plan in case the Gem Coin powers failed. It seemed Tommy had not been expecting as much progress.
"The Ninja you are using was not meant to work with your powers. These three sets of Zords will act as replacements, but since they're limited in power we created three sets; unfortunately as unstable as it may be, the Ninja is still the most powerful weapon at your disposal."
The Rangers watched five aircraft roared overhead, each in the colour of a different Ranger. Although they resembled fighter jets, Tommy imagined they were many times more powerful. Next came a selection of giant rescue vehicles; an ambulance, a police car, rescue helicopter, a police motorcycle and a fire engine. Finally came a set of futuristic type vehicles. First was a type of plane, followed closely by another plane with a cannon on each side of the cockpit, then a sleek car, a covered motorcycle and finally a high-powered dune buggy.
"Each Zord can either be piloted or worked by remote control. In addition the Megazords can work with only one Ranger at the controls, although I would recommend two if you want fine control; you can have all three units operating at the same time."
"What's that big thing over there?" Tanya asked, pointing to a large plane that was heading towards them.
"That's the Drop Zord," Billy explained. "When you need Megazord Power you will find it invaluable."
Let's give it a try," Tommy said. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!"
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Ape!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Frog!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Falcon!"
Billy and Jason teleported back to the Power Chamber and watched the events unfolding below.
"How do they call them?" Jason asked.
"Deploy Zords!" the Rangers called.
Almost immediately a computerised link was established between them and the new Zords, and the control data for the machines was transferred to their helmet displays.
"Sky Megazord, power up!" Zeo Crane called.
The five planes altered course and flew towards them. Then at the right moment, they switched course, heading upright towards the sky. The red plane's nose cone retracted into the cockpit to be replaced by a head, the wings folded toward the bottom of the plane and the fuselage shrunk to half its normal size. The pink and yellow planes transformed into the arms, and the blue and black planes formed the legs.
"Drop Zord, now!" Zeo Crane ordered. The plane flew past; it dropped the fists, feet and chest plate of the Megazord as it did so.
"Sky Megazord, online!" Zeo Crane ordered.
"Megazord activated," a computerised voice. The voice was based on the computer inside the original Megazord. Adding the voice had made the Zord seem friendlier.
"Kat, call on the SFC," Billy advised. The Pink Gem Coin Ranger did as she was told and a long rifle appeared on the Zord's right arm. "Now try flying."
Zeo Crane did as she was told, but found it difficult to control the whole Megazord in flight. Billy watched the readings and swore in disgust. "Damn, the control relay signal is too weak. I'll have to reconfigure the fly-by-wire systems."
"I can program the computer to take over most of the systems," Alpha offered.
"That would allow the machine to hover, but not improve the control," Billy replied. "I'll keep working on it."
When it was clear the young genius had succeeded, Zordon spoke. "Congratulations Kat, you are the pilot of the Sky Megazord."
"You ready Adam?" Billy asked over the communicator, his voice sounding distorted.
For some reason Adam and Rocky had chosen to ride in the lead Zord. Adam looked at Rocky and when the other boy nodded he called out, "Defender Megazord, power up!"
The fire engine's cab rolled up and over the top to reveal the Megazord's head, the rest of it shifting shape to form the body. The helicopter's rotor blade flew of as the tail detached itself allowing the helicopter to form the right arm. The ambulance attached itself to the left side of the body, and the motorcycle and police car formed the legs.
Once again the Drop Zord appeared, releasing the hands, feet and chest shield for the Defender Megazord. When the Megazord was complete the rotor blades and tail transformed into a Power Sword.
"Megazord, activated," the computer reported.
"Impressive," Rocky said, testing the reflexes of his Zord.
"You can combine the Megazord with the Drop Zord if you need to," Billy told them. "Tommy, Tanya, your turn."
"Techno Megazord, form up!" Zeo Bear and Zeo Falcon called together.
The two planes flew away from them for a moment, but soon appeared again with a large gun emplacement in tow. The high speed of the two jets caused the chains dragging the emplacement lift off the ground. As it drew near the chains were released. The gun detached itself from the emplacement, allowing it to form the lower body onto which the larger of the two planes formed to create the upper torso, shoulders and head. The dune buggy and motorbike transformed into the arms and the other plane and car formed the legs.
A panel opened on the lower back of the Megazord from which the hands and feet for the Megazord were released along with the chest panel. The gun had in the meantime split in half and appeared in each hand.
"Billy, Alpha, Zordon, you've excelled yourselves," Zeo Falcon said.
"Thank you, Tommy," Zordon replied. "However Billy deserves most of the credit for the construction of the Zords and the integration of your powers."
"We'll head back to the Power Chamber and wait for a chance to use them," Zeo Falcon said.
The Rangers powered down and returned to their base. Minion's attacks had been intensifying since Jason had recovered, and the Rangers were starting to feel the strain. With their new Zords they hoped the battles would not be so draining. But if they were honest then it was the reappearance of Rita and Zedd along with the Machine Empire that had highlighted the need for the Rangers to be able to face multiple threats at the same time.
Later that day, the Rangers had decided to spend time practicing baseball at their local stadium. Since her relationship with Shawn had ended, Tanya had been reluctant to visit the field. Today Adam had been pretty insistent that she joined them for some fun.
"Man, this feels great," Rocky said as the small group of friends took a break. "Warm day, no monster attacks and best of all I even have a girlfriend."
Kat and Tanya rolled their eyes as Rocky's current girlfriend, Stephanie, waved to him from the other side of the field. Adam and Tommy exchanged amused looks. They were happy for their friend, glad that he gotten over his grief surrounding the loss of his previous girlfriend, but deep down the male Rangers wished he hadn't inherited Zack's sense of romance. The girls just wished he wouldn't keep changing girlfriends from one week to the next. Kat had jokingly suggested he was worse than Billy when it came to women.
"It is nice," Kat agreed.
"Yeah, makes you wonder what Minion is up to," Tommy commented.
"Let's not forget Rita," Adam added.
The Rangers were not naive enough to believe Minion had just given up or that their enemies would hold back if they had a chance to snatch the planet from their rival's grasp. They also couldn't believe that villains of such standing would have simply given up on their plans to conquer the Earth simply because the Rangers had stalled and undermined their efforts on every possible occasion.
"Ah, we can take them anytime," Rocky boasted.
"Don't get cocky," Jason warned. He had not played that day, protesting he was tired.
"Just because they have not triumphed yet does not mean they will give up," Adam told them. "And remember, we're not monsters; we cannot come back from the dead if we're killed in battle."
His words had the desired effect and Rocky sobered as he thought back to Jennifer and the way she had died.
"Minion is too dangerous to underestimate," Tommy agreed. "And without the Zeo Crystal we are vulnerable."
"Well I for one appreciate not being kidnapped and used as bait," David Trueheart, Kat's boyfriend and Tommy's brother commented.
As the afternoon wore on, the Rangers and their friends decided to go to Ernie's Juice Bar. They sat around a table, laughing and enjoying the day when the news report appeared on the television.
"This just in," a reporter said, "New York is under attack. An unnamed monster has been reported rampaging through the streets. Police and military sources have so far been unable to stop this brute. The Avengers, the government-funded team of super heroes led by wartime hero Captain America were dispatched and later forced to withdraw when their attempts to subdue what one of them was heard to call an Abomination were unsuccessful. Indeed two members of the defence force have been reported injured. Team leader Steve Rogers and financial sponsor Anthony Stark were unavailable for comment. Group scientist Doctor Bruce Banner is reported to have said 'everything is under control; our forces have the situation in hand. There is no need to panic.'"
The broadcast continued and the Rangers had already made their excuses and were about contact Zordon when their communicators beeped.
"We're here Zordon," Tommy said as Rocky kept lookout. Jason and David were distracting Stephanie, which allowed the Rangers to sneak away.
"Somebody has unleashed a new monster in New York City," the wise Grid Master answered.
"We saw the report," Tommy answered.
"What do you think?" Rocky asked. It was unusual for Rita and Zedd to strike away from Angel Grove, although it would not be the first time somebody had done so.
"I don't think it's Rita," Tommy replied. "Although, Rita wouldn't think twice about taking advantage of the situation."
"That is correct Tommy. For now though the monster is your priority. Morph and teleport to New York."
"All right, we're on our way," Tommy responded. "All clear Rocky?"
The teen nodded as Adam checked the other direction.
"Then, It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!"
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Ape!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Frog!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Falcon!"
"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason cried. He had managed to leave David with Stephanie while he joined the others.
When Billy had returned to Earth, he had brought with him a single Power Coin. Zordon had found a way to split the coin's energy between multiple Rangers. And while it would only weaken the Gem Coin Rangers to use that source, it allowed Jason and Billy to join the battle as minimally powered warriors.
Before the morph was completed, they were already teleporting to New York, ready to face the beast that had taken down the city's most prominent heroes. Once there they quickly learnt that brute force would not aid them, since the brutish beast had an abundance of strength and an ability to leap that was both breathtaking and ground breaking. The Ranger had a serious height deficit and despite the strength of numbers and the advantages that came through cooperation, they were unable to land any significant blows.
"Pistols!" Zeo Falcon ordered as Jason drew the demon aside with a few blows from his sword. The monster didn't seem to feel it, but given that the sword was virtually indestructible, Jason didn't mind repeating the action again and again until the creature was paying attention solely to him. "Fire!" Jason dove for the ground as five bolts of laser fire slammed into the thing's chest.
"Tommy, we need to drive him back towards the river," Zeo Frog said.
"The water?" Zeo Bear asked, confused. Adam had been teaching her tactics and she had gained a good grasp of battlefield strategies, but this recommendation made little sense given that the Rangers were less effective on water.
"We push him away from the buildings and allow Zordon to teleport us somewhere with fewer civilians," Zeo Frog told her. While not the best tactical decision, there was little choice. The collateral damage was increasing by the moment.
"This isn't going to work," Zeo Falcon realised after the beast forced its way forward despite their best shots.
"Flash Pulse!" Zeo Crane called. A stream of pink energy cut across the beast's neck.
If the blow hurt it, there was no outward gin, nor did it feel the impact from the Red, Blue and Green Rangers as they collided with their weapons and were seemingly shrugged aside. Zeo Bear seemed to have more luck as she leapt on the monster's back, using her arms to wrap around the muscular neck of the beast. She held it there until the others summoned their pistols, letting go as their combined blasts struck it in the chest, and Jason followed through with his sword.
Zeo Bear rejoined her friends, summoned her own pistol and they fired repeatedly until they could think of a new attack.
"Minion won't like it if I made all this effort only to fail," Arcana muttered as he watched the battle. In his hand he held a wooden mirror that was six inches in diameter and carved from dark wood. With the aid of his magic it allowed him to view the fight from a safe distance. He wanted to aid Minion's victory and maybe in the process free himself from Zedd's service; now the dastardly duo had returned it was only a matter of time before they remembered him and gave orders for him to secure either Serpenterra or the Zeo Crystal. Both would allow Zedd an easy victory over the Power Rangers and mean that Arcana's servitude would never end.
The Rangers had just combined their attack and his monster, whatever it was supposed to be, had taken a direct hit. So far it had displayed few of the magical abilities that most monsters possessed, relying instead on brute force, powerful claws and sharp teeth. It was obviously hungry given that it tried to eat anything it could grab.
"Hear me Iblis, Lord of Lies and spirit of darkness. I summon you from the darkest depths, come forth and power up that creature. My life as a bond." He promptly threw his arms in the air, making himself vulnerable should the demon decide to take the offer. "Make that monster grow!"
A burst of light tore from his chest and struck the sidewalk outside an old firehouse in Manhattan, shattering the paving slabs as it broke into the basement of the almost derelict building. Nobody really cared when the building started to lurch dangerously; over the years the firehouse had earned a reputation of being just too weird. Had the building's one time occupants been resident they could have fought to prevent the sudden realise of the massive amounts of psychic energy stored within that his incantation was about to use for the spell. But they were not there, having been called away on a job that required them to travel to the other side of the city.
Not for the first time in recent history the top of the building was blown off as the storage facility in the basement was compromised. Red light shot into the sky, which had darkened in response to the negative energy. The demon started to form, a multi eyed red-bodied creature that towered over the city. The top half of its body was separated from the lower section with four faced head filling the gap between top and bottom. A beam of light shot from his eyes, striking the Abomination in the back.
The beast grew. At first it appeared to just become larger, but gradually its shape changed, becoming more like something out of a Japanese monster movie, its powerful tail whipped back and forth and in the process wiped out a number of vehicles, turning lamp posts into deadly projectiles that threatened to rip the Rangers apart as they flew towards them.
"Zordon, we need the Ninja Zords!" Zeo Falcon called. He paused, reconsidered and then added: "Better have the Sky, Techno and Defender Zords ready too. We might need the extra power."
Jason took that as his cue and teleported away. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight, but since he lacked a Zord and a full set of powers, he was a liability if he remained. He was better off aiding Billy in the Power Chamber.
"Take your positions, everybody!" Zeo Falcon ordered. The five individual Ninja Zords leapt into the air. "Initiating Ninja mode!"
At Zeo Falcon's command the individual Ninja Zords started their transformation, bending and twisting until they formed the basic components of the gestalt's body. Then they merged, blending to create the Ninja.
"Online!" Zeo Falcon called.
"Power up!" the others responded as they united inside the cockpit.
The Ninja was shiny, horribly smooth and too metallic for the tastes of its pilots, something that meant that when the ogre-like creature landed its first punch, the machine barely had time to acknowledge the impact as it landed down the street, flat on its back. Inside the Rangers had been shaken by the fierce right hand.
"That thing is ugly," Zeo Ape joked.
"Yeah, and he packs a punch too," Zeo Frog added, directing the legs so the Ninja had more resistance to future blows.
"TOMMY!" Zeo Crane warned. While Zeo Falcon and Zeo Frog had been trying to stabilize the machine, they had allowed the monster to bring its powerful tail around to strike the left-hand side.
"Split!" Zeo Falcon ordered, causing the Ninja to disconnect into its component Zords, a move that should have foiled the attempt to strike them.
Unfortunately Abomination's tail kept going, striking the Bear and sending it crashing into a building.
"Tanya?" Zeo Falcon asked.
"I'm okay," Zeo Bear replied. There was a long silence. "My Zord is out of action though."
"Right," Zeo Falcon confirmed, allowing the Crane, Frog and Ape to pester the monster and keep its attention away from their fallen comrade. "Billy?"
"I'm here," the young genius replied. He had morphed and discovered that his uniform had once again changed to reflect the changes in his powers. He was now a Grid Warrior, sharing the Power Coin with Jason and whoever else happened to be using the energies at that time.
He had teleported into the Wolf, wishing he had access to the Zords he had used on Aquitar. With a shift of the controls the Wolf jumped at the Beast, its jaws locking on one of its arms.
"Individual attacks!" Zeo Falcon ordered.
The Ninja Zords were capable of fighting as individual machines and each possessed its own arsenal of moves and weapons. Frog used its tongue to ensnare the beast's legs and then unleashed a ball of flame at its helpless target while Ape hacked away with its swords.
The beast bucked and roared, making its fury clear to all in the vicinity. The Wolf was pitched into the remains of a taxicab as the Ape was shifted into the path of the flames and then used to strike the Frog.
"Zordon, send in the Defender Zords," Zeo Frog instructed. "Tommy, we need to form the Defender Megazord."
There was a blur of teleport streams as the Rangers shifted places to make the most use of their arsenal. As the beast moved to attack them, it found its way blocked as the Rangers used their Zord's ability to generate a low-level force field. Before they could retaliate though the monstrous creature managed to connect physically with its large arm, knocking them away. Although the size difference was not too great - for the Defender Megazord was a very sturdy machine - it could not resist the raw power behind each of the monster's powerful swats. The Megazord brought its flame cannon into play and there was a loud screech as it struck the Abomination in the face.
"Look out!" Zeo Bear cried as their opponent unleashed a ball of energy from its mouth that tore through Lower Manhattan.
"Change of plans, Zordon, we need all civilians cleared from the city!" Zeo Falcon cried.
"But Tommy," Alpha protested. "Do you have any idea how much energy that would take?"
"Just do it!" Tommy was getting angry. "We can't fight this thing while we have to worry about casualties."
~Those we haven't already caused,~ he amended as he looked at the crushed building that had been in the way of their battle. The monster's massive frame had caused damage to the sewerage and underground networks. Electricity and communications were out in the worst hit areas as fires raged.
The Zords were down, the last attack having knocked them flying in all directions. Its first outing as an active Megazord, and they had already damaged it. They could transfer to the Sky Zords and Techno Zords, but if they couldn't find a weakness, the monster would just keep coming.
Not far from the action was one of the few heroes yet to try his might against the demon. It had not been due to intelligence on his part, nor could he be considered a coward. It was just that to this hero, barely twenty-two and one who had seen things most humans never see, handling alien invasions was a job for the big boys like the Avengers. He'd watched them fall and wondered what he could do. Then the Power Rangers had arrived. ~What's next, turtles? Face it Spidey, this job is getting to you.~
He fired a web, swinging from one building to the next, leaping where building had been destroyed. He was small, too feeble a target for the creature to consider as he used it as his final anchoring point. He wasn't going to punch it out. He accepted that even with the proportional strength of a spider, he was still too weak to have an effect on such a monstrosity. Instead he used his speed and guile to clamber through the ogre's orange hair and dangle in front of its face.
"Spider-Man comin atcha, eat webbing chuckles!" he cried as he sprayed webbing in the monster's eyes. He made himself scarce before the monster could tear the webbing away from its face, landing on one of the few buildings he could reach. ~Well at least he's not paying attention to the Rangers. What, he's leavin?~
"Tommy, teleport is complete," Alpha called.
"Alright, send the Techno Zords to a position north east of here," Zeo Falcon instructed. "Send the Sky Zords south west and program them to lock target on the other Zords. Then get this Zord's repair systems working."
"Teleportation complete Tommy," Alpha said.
"Zordon?"
"Tommy, I long ago decided that the Rangers of Earth are capable of knowing when their actions are justified. What you propose is dangerous, but I can see few alternatives. I believe that if the cause of this destruction is removed, the city will be restored."
"Thanks Zordon. Okay guys, this is what we do…"
Music floated over the city, familiar music. The Rangers looked around, but their view was blocked as Dragonzord made its way inland.
"Sam?"
"You need all the help you can get," the Green Ranger pointed out.
"Let's do this!" Zeo Falcon enthused. The others responded positively before teleporting to their positions.
While Adam and Rocky remained in the cockpit of the Defender Megazord, Kat teleported to the Sky Megazord and Tommy teleported to the Techno Megazord where Tanya soon joined him. With the three Zords coordinating their fire to cross at the right point, they waited for the Dragonzord to draw the beast into position.
"Lock on, here goes. Please, don't move!" Tommy prayed as he depressed the fire button, activating the Techno Megazord's impressive arsenal. The mixture of projectile and energy weapons combined with the balls of flame launched from the Defender Megazord's weapon and some of the Sky Megazord's lesser weaponry.
The creature howled like a wounded animal, spraying bolts of electrical energy into the city, the lightning effect hiding the light show taking place elsewhere as Iblis was confronted with four worn out Ghostbusters who were determined to take him down even if it meant crossing the streams and wiping out the entire city. The beast was now wild with pain and not paying attention as the weapons of the Dragonzord joined the barrage.
"Keep firing!" Zeo Falcon hollered.
Laser and rocket fire bombarded the area as the firepower of four mighty machines mixed. Buildings, streetlights, sidewalk and Zords were engulfed by the firestorm. Nothing should have emerged from such a barrage unharmed. Nothing did. The buildings were reduced to metal girders and crumbling concrete, the streets had crumbled into the sewers and the Zords while operational had seen better days. The monster was battered and unmoving, seemingly defeated by the overwhelming force. Sadly Iblis had not been contained, despite the Ghostbusters' best efforts.
With the last of his willpower, Iblis merged with the battered creature, powering it up into a new black form.
"Damage report, now!" Zeo Falcon snapped.
"Sky Megazord, no damage; Stress Fracture Cannon still available."
"Defender Megazord, structural damage and no weapons. Force field won't withstand another shock."
"We overloaded the weapon systems," Tanya told him as she inspected their machine.
"Ninja is operational, but needs time to recharge," Billy told them. "I don't think the city will take another shock like that."
"Dragonzord is down, but not out if we can build it a new foot," Sam told them.
"Any ideas?" Tommy asked. He was unsure of what to do next.
"I do Bro."
"Jase?"
"Listen, Alpha's going to send some schematics your way. Trust me Bro, this is Billy's best idea yet. Have I ever lied to you?"
There was a small flash on Tommy's visor as data started to flow. "Aw man, can we do this?"
"As Billy would say," Jason joked, "affirmative."
"Alright guys," Zeo Falcon called to the rest of the Rangers. "Prepare to begin Secondary Merge. Zordon, retrieve Dragonzord and the Ninja before we do this." There was something in Tommy's voice the others couldn't identify. Could it be anxious excitement?
"Timing could be a problem," Jason told him. "It could take a few minutes to get things set up and teleported."
Tommy looked out of his Zord's cockpit, picking up on the red and yellow shape moving towards them at high speed. He smiled, remembering where Billy had spent three months during his work experience before he left for Aquitar. No doubt this was one of the less dangerous attempts Billy had made at building a Zord and becoming a Ranger again.
"What is that?" Zeo Bear asked.
"Remember when the news reports said the Avengers were down?" Zeo Falcon replied. "Nobody said they were out."
"Is that?" Zeo Ape asked.
"Iron Avenger," Zeo Frog confirmed. "One of Stark's little side projects his backers don't know about. Billy was there when their scientists solved the last of the problems with its operating system. In fact I think he gave him the frequency used for Megazord formation in return for the materials he needed to complete the Red Battlezord."
"You mean he sold our secrets to the military," Zeo Bear cut in. "Does Zordon know about this?"
"Of course I do," Zordon answered. "The leaders of this planet have collaborated for years in preparation for an invasion should it come. They provide support in case all else fails and promise not to try a nuclear strike. In return their scientists are allowed equal access to the theory, schematics or prototypes of some of our equipment, rarely all three. And since this was a personal project of Billy's, I have no place to intervene unless the technology is abused."
"Stark was obviously clever enough to understand the plans and duplicate the experiment. Hence the big machine heading our way," Adam said.
And behind the Megazord sized robot that was flying towards them, the Rangers could see another giant, this one very human with a younger woman holding onto his shoulder. Behind them flew a smaller version of the metal giant and another figure in grey armour.
"Keep it away from the Rangers," they heard Captain America order "Iron Avenger, Mega Punch, now!"
The Iron Avenger's fist shattered upon contact with the now black monster's body. The enraged monster twisted, bringing its massive tail around to smash into the machine. Giant Man moved forward, but was put down quickly when the creature lifted him and slammed him back to the ground. Wasp flew towards him, but a casual backhand sent her careering across the city where she landed in the river. Iron Man and War Machine opened fire, the former calling on the drones he had created using a multitude of armoured suits he had rejected during the prototype stage. While not able to cause extensive damage, the Rangers were pleased to see that finally something was having an effect.
"Look out for the…" Zeo Falcon started to call as the beast opened its mouth. "Energy blast," he finished dejectedly as the drones were turned to scrap and both Iron Man and War Machine were grounded. "Zordon, time is running out!"
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, hold on Tommy, there… all is ready."
"All right!" Zeo Falcon cried. "Rangers, activate."
"What's going on?" Rocky asked.
"Just do it and you'll find out. Gem Coin Superzord power, now!"
The Gem Coin Superzord was a merger between the three Megazords and was Billy's attempt to create a concentrated burst of fire. Unfortunately it did not combine their energy reserves. The Defender Megazord reshaped itself to form the body and head while the Sky Megazord split in half to form the legs and the Techno Megazord performed a similar split to create the arms and chest plate; the various weapons from the Zords attached to the arms and legs, creating a mobile fortress.
"Gem Coin Power Sword!" the Rangers called.
The Superzord stomped through the damaged city, the Defender Megazord's Power Sword in hand. As the Rangers teleported into the cockpit, it attacked Abomination. It was faster and landed a few solid punches before using its cranial weapon to stagger the beast. Abomination tried to hurl another energy ball, but this time the Rangers were ready, bringing a heavy arm plate around to bounce the attack back to its source.
"All weapons lock on and Fire!" the Rangers commanded.
This time that barrage was virtually unstoppable as the monster was bombarded with all the energy the Rangers could draw on. Still, it would not fall. As the blasts continued to pummel it, it seemed to transform into molten rock, their blasts scarring its features until it finally cooled, now a behemoth made of sharp spiked rock. Death had come to New York.
Zeo Ape moaned as their weapon systems strained to keep up the assault. At the rate they were going they would destroy the city before defeating whatever this monster was.
"Look out!" Kat warned.
The monster had launched itself from a low crouch and was heading straight toward the makeshift Ultrazord. Spiked fists collided with the machine's chest, ripping a gaping wound in the thick armour. Further blows followed as it tried to destroy everything in its path.
"Everybody hold on!" Tommy ordered as massive hands clamped the head of the Zord and tried to rip it away from the shoulders.
"Look out!" Zeo Bear cried.
The darkness that had engulfed the Superzord as the monster's hand closed over the optic sensors cleared in time for the Rangers to see a massive ball of energy heading their way
"Reform Sky Megazord," Zeo Falcon ordered. The Superzord split, sacrificing the Drop Zord so the three individual Megazords could form. "Stress Fracture Cannon, fire!"
The Stress Fracture Cannon worked by finding weaknesses in a structure. And as they used the primary laser to test the monster's body, Tommy hoped their earlier assaults had caused some structural defects.
"Target located," Adam said as the small laser locked in and transferred the data to the computer. "Main blast now."
The large weapon flared, pummelling the weakness with explosive energy. For a moment the monster seemed to remain upright. Then it exploded.
"No! I will rule this world!" Iblis cried.
With the reason for his presence gone, he was forcibly returned to his dimension. And as he disappeared, the buildings that had been destroyed by the monster attack were restored and the civilians injured in the attack had their wounds healed. At the same time Arcana was subjected to the backlash as the magic he had invoked consumed him.
Angel Grove
"And so ends one of the most terrifying periods in New York's history. Officials are still uncertain what transpired during the final moments; television stations reported severe technical problems during that period. A spokesman for the Avengers is reported to have said that the outcome was due to an act of extreme bravery and sacrifice, the Power Rangers were not available for comment and the spokesman refused to elaborate further."
Tommy turned off the television and moved to join his friends on the sofa. His parents were out and the Rangers had decided that this would be a better place to meet than the Juice Bar. They needed privacy.
"I hope we don't have to fight something like that too often," Tanya said. The others nodded.
Minion was pleased. When Arcana had presented him with the hyperlock units, he had been furious that the wizard had taken action without his express permission and had suspected at once that there was some sort of treason involved. After some thought though he had realised that they would make the perfect forerunners for Serpenterra. He had ensured they were positioned and had been pleased to see the signs that they would revive shortly. Better yet, Serpenterra was finally ready for use.
True Rita and Zedd returning had given him some unneeded competition and Arcana's destruction had been a disappointment; he had been on the verge of actually liking the spell weaver. Still, a few losses didn't matter so long as when the time came he was the clear winner. And Arcana had performed one last duty although unknowingly; when the injuries had been reversed, the damage the Avengers had suffered had not been, New York's elite super heroes had been effectively crippled.
He watched as Jindrax and Toxica scurried around in the Nexus, they were of no concern to him. Their usefulness was exhausted, but they didn't pose a threat to his plans and were therefore not worth destroying. Besides, their priorities were vastly different from his; it was unlikely they would ever become competition.
Now he controlled the Elemental Beasts and it was just a matter of waiting.
To Be Continued
Chapter 12: Dreams of Warning
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other show. They belong to their respective copyright owners. No money is being made from this piece of writing.
Dreams of Warning
Angel Grove was calm, too calm considering that by Zordon's calculations, Minion's plan to use the Zeo Crystal should have been put into operation. There were still some attacks. Rita and Zedd it seemed had noticed the Rangers' apparent weakness and had taken advantage by attacking frequently with their smaller forces, hoping that they could wear the humans down.
Regular attacks by foot soldiers were now always followed by an easy to defeat monster. Rita and Zedd wanted the Rangers worn down, not their Zords. And once they had returned, Mondo and Gasket had joined in too, desperate that the organic villains not gain too great an advantage. Gasket was more successful than Rita or Zedd because he sent more than one monster in a day. Mondo's less frequent monsters were among his most powerful. He was hoping that by sending powerful forces at random he would one day emerge successful.
Today had been a particularly nasty battle and the Rangers were still feeling the effects when they left the Power Chamber. Zedd's chosen monster had been able to throw objects at them with its mind. It had taken them almost as long to get near enough to fight the creature as it had to finally destroy it. Katherine had taken a nasty blow from a collection of recycling bins that had been thrown her way. One of the bins had caught her head and given her a headache for the rest of the day.
In fact her head still hurt and that was one of the reasons why she sat on a small chair, staring out of her window, instead of lying in bed asleep. She was tired, but the thought of sleeping just didn't appeal. If she fell asleep she knew the dreams would return and she would wake up screaming as she had done every other night that week.
It was not unusual for Rangers to have nightmares. Tommy had had nightmares every night for months following his time as the Green Ranger, Rocky was known to wake up in tears whenever he recalled the death of his girlfriend, and Tanya had once mentioned having trouble after her parents were almost victims of the Machine Empire. Katherine herself had had several nightmares in the weeks after she had returned to Rita and Zedd. In her dreams, Tommy had not returned in time with the Zeo Crystal and she had turned truly evil.
Recently though the dreams had become more disturbing. They foretold of an evil about to be unleashed on the planet, an evil that even the Rangers would be hard pressed to defeat. Her dreams did not reveal who would release it, but the sense of anger, hate and terror were overwhelming.
She thought back to what she had experienced. There was no doubting the excitement in Rita's voice as she had stared down at what Kat could only assume were eggs. There had been a strong odour in the air that reminded her of Rito, but while Rito's stench was unpleasant, this smell had been unbearable. She concentrated on that sensation and allowed the memories to come forth. For some reason it seemed important that she discovered as much as possible.
Fear was one of the strongest emotions imaginable and the air was filled with fear and tension. Millions of terrified people huddled together for safety, hoping that their saviours would return. But the Power Rangers were dead, killed by a threat they never saw coming. The forest surrounding Angel Grove was a smoking ruin, the ground covered with blood, bodies, torn Spandex and pieces of metal. A whirlwind of uncontrollable fire had long since moved on towards the nearby city as even water proved unable to stop it. From the abandoned Warehouse District a tidal wave never before seen had washed away anything in its path as the ground opened to swallow the city and the air itself seemed to stop the people from escaping.
And at its center was a new threat. Not Rita, Zedd, Mondo, Gasket nor Grommet; not Minion or any other villain she had seen before. They came not from space, but from within the Earth and it seemed their power was such that even though they tried to prevent it, the planet was ruined.
Kat shivered at the destruction that she had seen. So much devastation caused by whatever was in those eggs, and the Rangers had been totally unable to fight back for some reason. Her mind screamed at her to forget the dream and concentrate on the problems they were already facing. The trouble was, in her heart Kat knew that what she had seen was more than a dream.
In the past those Rangers who had been under the control of Earth's villains had exhibited beneficial side effects when released. Sam had discovered his own magical potential when released from the Wizard of Deception's spell while Tommy had been exceptionally sensitive to unusual time distortions after his brief stint as King of the Machine Empire. It was not known if his time as the Green Ranger had revealed any new abilities since Tommy desperately tried to ignore everything that had happened to him during that time. It was not as bad now, according to Billy, as it had been during his guilt-ridden days as the Green Power Ranger or the outright denial of his evil self during the first few months he had spent as White Ranger.
Kat however did not have the same need to repress her time as Rita's pawn. Although a little guilty she was also realistic enough to know that there was nothing she could have done to shake off the spell when it had first been applied. And after she had been under the spell long enough, she had managed to throw it off without outside help. She had fought the spell even though for the most part it had made her feel that evil was her true nature. And because she accepted what had happened, she had also been aware of how different she had been following her release. Some parts of the spell had not been lifted.
The sensations she had picked up suggested it was a manifestation of one of those powers choosing to surface. When Rita was feeling especially happy, scared or angry, the sensations would sometimes be transmitted to Kat. At first she had been able to feel those emotions at any time, but as the months had passed, so the link between Kat and her former mistress had weakened. Now Kat could only feel Rita's emotions if they were especially strong and only as a dream.
The more she thought about it the more she convinced herself that the dream had been a glimpse of the future, perhaps even how Rita imagined the future would be. Her right hand reached for her communicator and stopped. If she pressed the button, she would be transported to the Power Chamber in only her nightclothes. Then there was the possibility that Zordon and Alpha would be asleep. She didn't want to wake them unless it was necessary.
She looked at her bed, the pink covers neatly pulled back. She wanted to lie down, but the fear of falling asleep stopped her from contemplating such an action. She wished she could just rest even though that seemed unlikely. As she glanced at the pictures of her friends, she realised that until she put her fears to rest, she would not be sleeping.
She thought back to all the things the Rangers had been through recently, her mind lingering for a moment on recent events, the attack on Jason and her search for the cure on Crystal. Her eyes widened as she thought of a way to find out if her fears were valid without disturbing the other. But first she needed to get dressed.
Earth's Fire was a small vessel capable of interplanetary travel and could carry up to eight crew members. Kat and Aisha had used the vessel when they had journeyed to the planet Crystal. It was capable of great speed, manoeuvrability and was equipped with state of the art shielding and weapon systems. When he had built it, Zordon had intended to include a powerful computer core to handle all non bridge functions including repairs. There were quarters for each crew member and the lower deck had enough space to hold a relatively small collection of Zords. Unfortunately due to time restraints the computer core had yet to be fitted, so the overall effectiveness of the ship was limited.
A ghost ship was the description Kat would have used for the Earth's Fire when she teleported aboard. After the ship had finally returned to Earth, Alpha and Zordon had gone to great pains to ensure that it would not be detected. The ship was a valuable if rarely used part of the Rangers' arsenal and once finished it would provide the space travel Zordon felt his students would one day need. It was currently fixed in orbit around the planet, shielded from the eyes of Rita and Zedd on the Moon.
Kat looked down at the controls and was not surprised to discover they had changed. Zordon and Alpha had mentioned at one time that they tried to keep some weapons universal and that meant the controls had to change according to who was operating it. Instinctively she placed her hand on a blank panel, the residual energy of her Gem Coin providing the base charge needed to activate the start-up computer. The panel opened revealing a row of switches and push buttons. If she flicked them all, the ship would come to life and she would be able to fly wherever she wanted. But today she had no intention of moving the ship out of its carefully maintained orbit.
Instead of starting all the systems, she just switched on the station she needed and took a seat at that console. It took a while for the makeshift interface of her Gem Coin powers to learn the functions of the ship. Once she had received the information she needed though she was quick to activate the communication system. From there she was able to make contact with Zordon's surveillance satellites and to use their long range scans to check for abnormalities on Earth.
The picture quality was poor due to the extreme distance and the magic surrounding the area. With some enhancement she could make out the egg like things she had seen in her dreams.
She turned the scanners towards the Moon, eager to see which of the villains was controlling this new threat. On the throne sat Zedd, his jaw resting on his fist, no doubt bored with the way things were going. Next to him Rita was jumping up and down excitedly, pointing to the eggs and screaming at her husband. It was not a pretty sight. Zedd seemed to eventually take the hint and turned his attention to the planet, the familiar beam of red light shooting from his eyepiece as he gazed at the planet Earth. Then he too seemed to grow excited.
~Interesting,~ Kat thought, ~but not the actions of someone who was calling the shots.~
She turned her attention to Gasket and Mondo's respective bases on the Moon and in orbit, but although the Royal House of gadgetry seemed busy, their reactions were similar to those of Rita and Zedd. Obviously somebody else was responsible for this. She shivered hoping it was not Minion. A quick scan of the planet only revealed the Minion had found a way to cloak himself.
With more questions than answers, any doubts that Kat had had about approaching Zordon were gone. She sent the data received from the satellite to the Power Chamber and then deactivated the onboard systems. She then teleported to the Power Chamber, wondering why she had ever doubted her decision to tell Zordon in the first place.
The Power Chamber was silent when Kat arrived. Zordon had entered his private dimension and Alpha had closed himself down for the night. Rather than disturb them, Kat had made her way over to the controls and started to work on her own. She was grateful that her transmission had been received since she could arrange the data before disturbing the Power Chamber's occupants.
"You are working late tonight Katherine," Zordon said softly, but the sudden sound caused her to jump.
"Zordon, I didn't want to disturb you," she explained.
"I am aware of your intentions Katherine and commend you on your thoughtfulness. Perhaps if you tell me what the problem is we will be able to get back to sleep."
"Yes Zordon," she agreed.
Kat went on to describe her dream and her discovery. Zordon studied the pictures and agreed with her that something was going on although he did not know what.
"Perhaps when we identify those eggs we will have a clue," he told her. "I will set Alpha to work while you return to your sleep. If this does herald an attack, you will need all your strength."
Kat nodded and teleported home. She didn't go to sleep, but managed to get some rest.
"Aren't they beautiful Zeddy?" Rita asked as she continued to look down at the planet, keeping close watch on the deliciously evil containers.
Zedd mumbled an agreement. He didn't know where Minion had found such evil creatures or how he planned to control them, but as the Emperor of the Dark Zones he had come to appreciate raw evil talent when he saw it. These 'eggs' had that potential and the battle when they met the Rangers promised to be equally impressive.
"Just think Rita," he said, "if just one of our monsters showed that sort of potential we could have disposed of those pesky kids by now."
"Yeah, but we didn't, did we Zeddy?" she snapped back, her voice trembling with emotion. "All we got is monkey boy and my boneheaded brother." The pretence of being emotionless was gone as she burst into tears. It really was disappointing that of all the capable henchmen in the Universe, she could end up with such a poor collection.
"Perhaps there is a way we can share in this triumph," Zedd stated as he took his wife's chin in his hand, ignoring the protest from Goldar as he did so.
"Perhaps it would be better to find out what those things are," Finster suggested.
"And where do you plan to find that out?" Zedd snapped.
"Earth," Finster stated, his eyes shifting to where Scorpina stood watching the proceedings. "I know the very place."
"Did you see my love?" Gasket asked.
"Yes," Archerina answered. "My sensors show that for organic creatures they have incredible power."
Gasket nodded sagely. He was a proud heir to the greatest robotic organisation in known space and as such had been programmed to believe that mechanical life would always be superior to organic lives. However, while his father would never consider collaborating with organic villains Gasket was willing to give the matter some thought.
He had easily identified the machinery inside the so-called eggs and had rightly agreed that they were storage capsules and not mere eggs. The energy readings inside appeared powerful, but the cavern where they had been placed looked old. How old he would be unable to decide without approaching the site, from the depth and layers of subsoil, he could determine it was older than many of the tombs on the planet. He suspected that there were some mechanical upgrades he could use to bring whatever was inside under his control.
"We will need to take possession of one of those devices," he said, his eyes never leaving the Earth's surface.
"Yes," Archerina agreed.
"And that is all I can tell you, your majesty," Klank stated, his thick accent difficult for most to understand, but easily decoded by Mondo's enhanced audio pickup.
"Perhaps we could take advantage of this situation dear," Machina offered, flicking her fan open before her memory banks overloaded from the strain of thinking too hard.
"Perhaps," Mondo agreed.
"But daddy, you said that organic life is inferior," Sprocket protested.
"I think our young prince is going to grow up a credit to the Royal House of Gadgetry," Machina said in a voice that gave the impression of something akin to pride.
"You are quite correct son," Mondo boasted. "Machines are superior, but there is no reason why we cannot turn these creatures to our advantage. With our machine technology we could seize the victory."
"I can build some remote collars to take control of the beasties," Klank offered.
"I have the perfect plan," Mondo stated. "Klank, build me some remote collars that I might control those things."
"Yes, your majesty," Klank said, the unexplained irritation he felt in his cerebral processor not affecting his vocal circuitry. He was after all a loyal servant of the Royal House of Gadgetry and if Mondo wished to think the idea was his own, Klank was not programmed to protest. He bowed and shuffled off to start work.
The Moon
Over night the various villains attacking the Earth had taken it upon themselves to grab one of the hyperlock units before they could open in the hopes of convincing Minion to share in the forthcoming victory. They still lacked a clear idea of what was inside the eggs although Rita and Zedd had managed to retrieve two of the units and had added as many enchantments as possible to increase the power of whatever was inside without effecting the machinery. Mondo had also obtained two of the containers and had successfully added cybernetic enhancements to them that would allow him to detect when they opened; Gasket had attempted to adapt the units he had stolen, but had lacked the success of his father.
In the early hours of the morning the Moon had been shaken as Minion activated a spell to retrieve his property and the eggs were magically removed and placed back on the Earth where their contents could be revived. No acknowledgement of the theft was given. For all the villains knew their attempts had not been worth noticing.
"My eggs!" Rita screeched.
"Hey sis, they've been spread out," Rito said.
Rita continued to grouse as she shoved her brother out of the way. They had indeed been spread out across the globe - two egg-shaped vessels sharing each nest - and an energy barrier had been built around them to prevent further theft.
"Oh my," Finster exclaimed before trying to hide a book he had stolen. "They must be ready to open. They need only to be positioned and activated. They should be protected until they are free of their shells. If the shell is damaged while they are inside, they'll be destroyed."
"What is that?" Goldar growled, pointing to the book Finster had stuffed behind his back.
Finster tried to protest but Lord Zedd's favoured henchman grabbed it from him, snarling to discourage further argument.
"You did it!" Rita screeched. "You got in and got the book?"
"Yes my queen," Finster answered.
"Perhaps there is hope for you Finster," Zedd mumbled. He flipped a few pages of the book. "Finster, are you certain this information is correct?"
Power Chamber
"Alpha, are you certain that the information is correct?" Zordon asked.
He had absolute faith in the Power Chamber's vast computer system and even more confidence in Alpha's understanding of the data. Yet Zordon hoped that somehow Alpha had made an error in the calculations, that the energy readings had shown something, anything else. It had been a small hope that Alpha having to resort to searching the human libraries had miscalculated; it had been surprising when the book Evil Beasts and How to Survive, had turned up in a small Freak Zone town.
After all they had been through in recent times with the loss of the Zeo powers and the Rangers' struggle to heal after their battles, the arrival of an alien armada capable of levelling the planet would have been preferable to evil they were about to face.
The Elemental Beasts had according to data been recorded long before Zordon's time. They were said to have been merciless beasts of pure destruction capable of laying waste to galaxy after galaxy. When they moved to a new world, they were stored in hyperlock chambers that were often mistaken for eggs that would open in the new harsh environment in which they were positioned. The more extreme the condition the meaner the beasts became.
At first it had been difficult to discover the beasts' location, but in the last few hours the signal had moved to Earth and the analysis had been completed.
"Yes Zordon," Alpha replied. "The eggs are a type of technology used to store the Elemental Beasts."
"Summon the Rangers," Zordon ordered. "If the Elemental Beasts are in position then they must be ready to be released. The Rangers must be ready to destroy them before they are unleashed."
"Right away Zordon," Alpha responded. "Oh Ai-yi-yi, as if the Rangers didn't have enough to deal with."
"You must have confidence in Tommy and the others," Zordon admonished.
"You're right Zordon," Alpha said. "I just hope they can stop it in time."
Minion was not so confident of his own abilities that he did not value the idea of outsourcing the more tiresome projects, such as egg sitting to a third party. This time he had chosen the Beast Master to do his bidding. He had been defeated during a great war between the demons that had made Earth their home and the humans that had appeared seemingly overnight. He had seen his people trapped in the caves beneath Dover. It was his race's right to destroy the Earth, one granted to his kind the day their eyes had seen the smoke-filled skies and had breathed the sulphur rich air of their home world. Since that time they had fought to stop the planet from changing.
He could pass as a human in many ways; he had two arms, two legs and a single head. His red skin would be a dead giveaway on Earth, but on some of the more remote planets in the farthest reaches of the Galaxy, he would fit right in. Even the small red scales that were visible on his brow, the muscled physique and the three-foot long horn that adorned the top of his head with two smaller horns emerging from his forehead, chin and each shoulder would not make him an outcast on some planets. Black spikes sprouted from the end of each knuckle, which in combination with his talon gave his a deadly edge.
He had pointed ears, red glowing reptilian eyes - the iris and the outer edges of his eyes were ringed in flame. He had numerous dark grey serrated teeth as well as four prominent fangs. His tongue was a sickly black and resembled a rat's tail. It flicked around the edges of his mouth, testing the air as it did so.
His armour was blood red in colour and was covered by a black cape. The back of his cape had a slit that allowed his large bat-like wings to extend from their hiding place.
He had been destroyed when he had tried to keep Earth as a ball of ash and had been forced to endure the nothingness of Limbo, until he had been freed once more. When Minion had entered the cavern where Arcana had found the containment units and awakened him, he had been sceptical of the villain's plan. When he had seen the storage vessels containing the dormant Elemental Beasts though he had willingly agreed to protect them and to direct them, assuming of course that it was possible to direct them. In the time since Minion had resurrected him, he had been busy reviving some of the dark creatures that had once obeyed him and attempting to awaken his master.
He looked into the sky, sensing the planet's energy beneath him and relaxed. He would allow the Earth to direct his actions. When the Rangers intervened in Minion's path, he would ensure they had more pressing concerns.
Power Chamber
"We're here Zordon, what's up?" Tommy asked.
"Rangers, I have serious news," Zordon answered. He looked down at his chosen students and their allies; Jason, Billy and Sam, all former Rangers had answered the summons, their assistance would help to counter the additional strain the Rangers would have to endure. "Last night Katherine discovered a strange power source on the Earth. Alpha's research has since revealed that that was a magical nest wizards used a long time ago to imprison demonic creatures, among them the Elemental Beasts. Last night the eggs were removed from the cave where they had been placed and if left the beasts within will be released."
"Rangers, the power of the Elemental Beasts was sufficient to gain a brief mention in galactic texts. On Earth they are legendary among magical society even though they are deemed a myth. According to the information Alpha and I collected, their fighting abilities far outweigh your temporary powers. To defeat them you must destroy the containment units before they open."
"Do you know where they are?" Kat asked.
"Unfortunately Katherine, Minion, if he is responsible for moving the eggs, saw fit to pair them up when hiding them. Two at Mount Veronia in Oregon and two more at the Sherman Dam; two in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the last two were deposited in Ohio, we have no idea why they chose that location."
"Perhaps he intends to use the climatic variances to accelerate the opening," Billy offered as he fiddled with a device.
"So what do we do about it?" Tanya asked.
"We need to reach those containment units and destroy them before their contents are fully revived," Jason stated. It was an obvious strategy and the only approach that was likely to work.
"Jason is correct," Zordon said. "However my scans reveal that only a powerful weapon will be able to destroy the shells now that they have been positioned."
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, if I could connect the Zeo Cannon to the Gem Coins, the Rangers could use it, but the computer says it would be ineffective."
"Aw man, if only I could use the Zeo V Power Sword," Tommy moaned.
"While I cannot isolate the energy core of the Zeo Weapons, perhaps I can determine the position of some alternative serrated edge elongated metallic objects."
Adam smiled at the former Blue Ranger. "You mean you can find us some swords?"
Billy returned the grin and started fiddling with the computer. "Affirmative." Nobody noticed when the device he had been working on suddenly disappeared.
"Zordon, I thought you said Rita didn't have anything to do with them," Rocky said when he noticed some of the henchmen moving through the area.
"That is correct Rocky, the magic involved is different to the type of spell Rita and Zedd favour." Zordon paused as the Viewing Globe showed a nest guarded by Putties. "However, Rita and Zedd have obviously taken advantage of the situation and will attempt to slow your progress. I am afraid Rangers that if you fail in this mission the consequences will be far worse than you can possibly imagine."
"All right Billy!" Jason cried in triumph as three swords appeared on the counter. "You did it."
"Affirmative," Billy replied. "Using the computer I was able to extrapolate the position of the original Megazord's Power Sword, the Thunder Megazord Saber and the Shogun Megazord's Fire Saber. By recalibrating the teleportation system I was able to reduce them to a size that allowed for optimum manipulation."
"Thanks Billy," Tommy said.
Before the Gem Coin Rangers could take up their swords though the alarm sounded.
"Rangers, the Beast Master has been awakened and is attacking Stone Canyon. Although this is no doubt a plan to distract you, the immediate problem must be dealt with before the distant threat. You must deal with him first."
"Who or what is this Beast Master?" Rocky asked.
"The Beast Master like the Elemental Beasts is a creature from a time before early humans inhabited the Earth. He is older than the Elemental Beasts and has existed since the Earth first formed from cooling gases. Many say he arrived on the meteor that crashed into the surface and later formed the Moon. At that time the world was covered with lava and ash. In the time before the Earth cooled he was rumoured to have tried to keep this planet as a lava filled wasteland. He fed off the Ley Lines to bolster his power and watched over the dark creatures that emerged; he later controlled them. When the dark times ended and the dinosaurs evolved, the Beast Master was battled and defeated.
The Beast Master cannot control the Elemental Beasts, but he does have many other dark creatures at his disposal. He will attempt to reclaim the planet by returning it to its former state."
"How can we stop the Beast Master and get to the eggs in time?" Kat asked.
"Tommy, Katherine, Tanya, Rocky and Adam, you must confront the Beast Master first," Zordon stated. "I am afraid he must be your priority."
The column that used to contain the Zeo Crystal rose from the floor. Instinctively the Rangers placed their Gem Coins into the appropriate slots to charge. As much as they wished they could use their Zeo powers, the Zeo Crystal was still in Minion's possession. They were forced to make do with the mixture of Zeo and Morphin energy that the Gem Coins provided. It left the Rangers weaker than they liked, but weakness was something the Rangers had grown used to in recent times.
When a loud ping was heard, they collected their Gem Coins and then it was time for action.
"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy cried.
"Zeo Ranger I - Crane!"
"Zeo Ranger II - Bear!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Ape!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Frog!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Falcon!"
"Even with makeshift powers, that was impressive," Sam commented once their five friends had left.
"Indeed it was Sam," Zordon replied.
"Alpha, can you find and bring Kimberly, Zack and Trini here?" Jason asked.
"I can try Jason," the little robot replied.
"I suggest you extend your efforts to include Aisha too," Billy said. "The more allies we can enlist the higher our chances of success."
"I agree Billy," Zordon said. "Alpha, locate Aisha, Kimberly, Trini and Zack. Bring them here."
"Tommy's brother could also aid us," Sam stated.
"Again you are correct Sam. Alpha, when the others have been summoned, bring David Trueheart here. While waiting I suggest you head down to Billy's storeroom and collect some accessories." Billy's storeroom was filled with weapons that while useless against the hyperlock units, would make short work of the Putty Patrol.
"What's the matter Zedd?" Rita cooed as she stared at the eggs. "So we can't get one of the eggs for ourselves, we can always wait for them to destroy the Rangers and then attack. With Tommy and the other preoccupied, nothing can stop the units from opening."
"I know that Rita," Zedd answered patiently. "But if I know Zordon he will try to find outside help and if he brings in the other former Rangers this whole plan could backfire."
His voice had grown angrier with every word and the sparks could be seen flying from the end of his staff.
Rita paled. "Finster! Find a way to keep those brats from interfering."
"Yes Lady Rita," Finster answered, his hand rubbing his chin as he thought. "Perhaps one of the bounty hunting guilds would do?"
"Perfect!" Rita cried excitedly. "Oh this is going to be good Zeddy; all the Rangers wiped out in one go."
Zedd snorted but did not answer. The day that one of their plans worked correctly would be the day his brother admitted he was wrong and returned to the family fold instead of parading around as a - no, he would not think about that disgrace of a sibling. He had better things to do.
To be Continued
Chapter 13: Friends Reunited
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to the respective copyright owner. No money is being made from this piece of writing.
Friends Reunited
World Peace Conference Switzerland
Trini had known this would not be a good day. She had felt it the moment she had woken up and as the morning had progressed she had felt worse. At present, she was sitting at the reception desk to the university's information center, the place where students and lecturers could go to study and communicate with their families. To teach the importance of communication, students were required to spend a week on the reception desk dealing with queries. This week it was Trini's turn.
Trini enjoyed her time at the Peace Conference even when it appeared that they were making little progress. She had always been a patient person and rarely fought unless she had a good reason. When she had left the Rangers, she had been lucky that her new role seemed to make her feel complete once more.
"Pardon moi, parle vous Anglais?" a voice asked, startling her back to the real world.
She hadn't heard the man approach even though he seemed quite large. A brown hood hid his face.
"Yes sir, how may I help?" she asked politely.
"I am looking for Trini Kwan. I need to deliver a message," he told her, his cold eyes never leaving the desk.
"You've found her," Trini smiled.
"I know." He pulled down his hood to reveal a head of black hair. He was handsome, but for some reason his smile put her on edge.
Trini's right hand moved to her left wrist instead of the panic button. For some reason the answer had made her think like a Ranger instead of a civilian. She backed away from the desk slightly, taking in the number of visitors who were staring at the man's back. What was going on?
"Your friends wouldn't make it in time," he told her. "They'll be on their way as we speak to ask for your help. I want you former Rangers to understand that if you interfere, your friends, your family and your lives will be forfeit."
"I - I don't know what you mean," she insisted, now backing away from the desk.
"I think you do Yellow Ranger. No, not anymore - you were replaced by Aisha weren't you? No matter, you can still serve my purposes." He stepped forward, swatting the desk aside as he advanced on her. "Stay!" he commanded as Trini turned to run. His hand closed around her neck, he was so close now she could smell his breath. "I think you will be the message," he commented before bursting into laughter.
A high pitch whine filled the room causing the occupants to cover their ears just moments before the area burst into flames. Trini didn't need to be told twice as she started running towards the dormitory where delegates from the United States were gathered, wishing as moved that she still wore her communicator instead of the watch she had been frantically tapping in hope of escape.
Zack groaned and rolled over, wishing his roommate would learn to keep his music down. It was just his luck that Jason's replacement enjoyed talk shows first thing in the morning. By the sound of it, this was one of those shows where the guests didn't stop yelling long enough to start the discussion. He had been up the previous night working on a presentation with some friends. His first class was in two hours and he wanted to get as much sleep as possible. He rolled over and covered his head with his pillow.
"Help!"
That was all he could stand, deciding to have a serious talk with his roommate later on, Zack managed to drag himself out of bed and into the bathroom. After a quick shower and shave he returned to his room and groaned. The argument was still going and seemed louder. He exited his bedroom again into the communal lounge and was surprised to find the room empty. He looked around, searching for the source of the disturbance and realised it was outside - an argument in progress. He opened the door to the hallway slightly and peered through the gap.
Five men stood in the room talking to one of the hall wardens. Two of them were in the front and the other three were in the back. Zack didn't recognise them, but there was something suspicious about the way they spoke and moved. Their speech patterns were sluggish. He closed the door and acting on instinct, made his way to his bedside cabinet.
"… Last chance," a voice outside could be heard shouting.
Zack started to look frantically through his drawers, hoping that he could find his communicator. For some reason he knew he would feel safer once he was wearing the last remaining symbol of his days as a defender of his planet. A bright flash caused him to look at the door. There was a muffled bang and the smell of burning flesh, followed by a dull thud.
KNOCK KNOCK
Zack looked up as the door handle rattled. He didn't know who it was, but instinct told him to run. He silently wished that there was some power in his communicator; Zordon had cut the link to the communicators worn by Jason, Trini, Zack and Kimberly when they had finished their time as active Rangers even though that function had been Billy's discovery and did not rely on the Command Center. For some reason though the White Master had not asked for the devices to be returned.
He heard a loud crack and look over to wear the door was starting to splinter. Another few kicks and the door had been removed from its hinges. The men he had spotted earlier entered the room, but two of them had let their disguises drop; they were obviously Putties. The three in the back he didn't recognize however. They wore black trench coats, black baggy jeans, and red or black T-shirts. One of them even had a hat worn backwards on his head. If Zack didn't know any better, he'd say that they were just normal humans. ~What would humans be doing with Putties?~ he wondered. ~Why would Putties be here without Goldar or Rito?~
Then a different thought came to him, an exciting realisation that for some reason he had been pushed back into the world of the Power Rangers. Until now, Rita and Zedd had left the former Rangers alone, unwilling to face the wrath of a group of former heroes. His thoughts turned to one Zordon of Eltare,
Grid Master and his one time mentor. When Zack had left the Power Rangers along with Jason and Zack, he had been told that when they would return more rounded individuals who would bring more experience to the team. Jason had already returned, but Zack and Trini had chosen to remain within the Peace Conference during its extension period. There had been more work to finish before they could head back to Angel Grove.
But he had missed the old life and the thought that he would have a chance to fight evil one more time excited him. Still he wondered how the Putties had been able to appear without Zordon sending in a team of Rangers to fight them. The three strangers also caused him to wonder what was going on.
The man with the backwards hat moved the Putties out of the way so he could get in front. It was then Zack noticed the horns sticking out of the top of their heads, fiery tails sticking out of their jeans, and long eyebrows that stuck out and curved. Zack felt his stomach clench in fear. Were these Demons? No, they couldn't be. The closest things to demons that Zack had ever seen were Lord Zedd and Lokar, but neither resembled these creatures in physicality. ~If they're not Demons, what the heck are they?~
Whatever they were, Zack knew that they were powerful and that he was in trouble. He could feel a large amount of power coming from somewhere, like a huge wave of energy had suddenly forces its way into his body. It was the strangest sensation Zack had ever felt in his life, only the first time he had called on the Mastodon could compare.
The man looked at first Zack, then the unconscious security guard and finally the two very nervous Putties, an irritated expression on his face, "I thought your master said this was where we could find that Zack Taylor guy," the man growled. The Putties backed away, appearing very nervous in their comrade's presence. "If I wanted to kill a kid, I would've stopped by the adoption agency." The man pulled out a crimson red sword from his trench coat.
"N-n-now there's… no need for… violence g-g-guys," Zack stammered, hoping his voice sounded sufficiently fearful. A way out had been provided and he was going to take it. "I c-c-can go and g-g-get him for… you."
The man rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by Zack's interruption, but something in his body language suggested he was considering Zack's offer. "Get him, bring him here and maybe I'll let you live. Cross me boy and I'll barbeque yo butt." He gestured his sword to the side of the room where there was a window. A ball of flame engulfed the frame, blowing the glass out over the campus.
Zack glared at the demon. ~Pathetic, You'd think he'd at least make a convincing attempt to scare me.~ Right now though, he needed to figure out a way out of there, before things got out of control.
"Go and get him," the man yelled.
The Putties made aggravated noises at the man's ignorance, but Zack was already through the door and heading down the corridor.
"He said that is Zack Taylor," said one of the man's companions, gesturing to a shaky looking Putty. At that Zack accelerated his escape, not so willing for a fight.
"What are you doing?" There was no doubt that growl belonged to Goldar. "Get him." Zack ran ever faster as he heard Goldar complain: "I'm beginning to think that these Packspawn hunters are highly overrated, especially their intelligence level." The 'Packspawn' as Goldar called it, narrowed his eyes into slits and swivelled his sword at the titan's neck.
"You know, you are really startin to work my nerves," The Packspawn cocked his head to the side. He looked as if he were seriously considering chopping off the henchman's head, and unless Goldar could shout out an apology in about a split second he was probably going to.
It was then that another Packspawn strode forward. This one was about a head shorter than the other Packspawn. He had no horns and his eyebrows were normal, his blondish brown hair was done in corn rolls and black sunglasses rested on his head. The only thing that identified him as a Packspawn was the long tail with the fiery tip at the end.
He stepped in between the titan and Packspawn, forcefully pushing the sword to the aggressor's side. "Let the monkey talk mess Boogah," he said casually, "we're here for Taylor; when we finish that then we can deal with this clown." The other' voice was disturbingly calm, the way he handled his taller companion and how he visibly threatened the titan in front of them was remarkable, especially since he had no weapons of his own.
Boogah nodded his head reluctantly, "A'ite Roma, whatever you say." He pretended to step in front of Goldar, making him flinch. "Yeah, betta watch yo self."
Roma shook his head and turned his attention to Zack, who by now had exited the corridor and was on his way to the lobby. He allowed himself a smile when he saw what was blocking the former Black Ranger's escape up ahead; Trini was looking very vulnerable, standing alone by the lift, catching her breath as her pursuer slowly caught up.
"Let's get him." Roma said coldly.
Trini had decided that discretion was the best course of action and had taken off in the direction of her dormitory. It was only later during discussions she would realise her main concern at the time had been Zack. She reached the elevator just as her pursuer came around the corner. The door closed before he could grab her.
After an eternity, the door opened and she burst into the corridor, heading towards her friend's room. She stopped abruptly when Zack burst through the other doors, running towards her with Putties in hot pursuit. She turned and almost screamed when her attacker emerged from the stairway. They were trapped.
Instead of the usual impending doom most people would feel given the situation, Trini and Zack felt something strange embrace them. It was not a sensation they remembered, but seemed familiar. It definitely wasn't fear, it was… more like a sense of readiness. Already knowing what to expect from the Putties, and Goldar should he choose to interfere, and waiting to study how these Packspawn worked. That was why it felt so weird, despite the time they had been away from active duty, they actually felt truly prepared. It was as if they actually knew what to expect from his enemies and yet they didn't know. It was confusing.
"Bring it on," Zack told them. While he was talking tough though his eyes were searching for a way out. "You don't scare me."
Roma didn't falter at Zack's statement. He raised an eyebrow, soon a small grin spread across his face. Zack didn't see anything funny about it though. "In that case, ya'll can take care of this." He stepped backward to let the man who had been chasing Trini, now revealed as a very babbly Putty, do the dirty work.
"Get them!" Goldar ordered and the three Putties attacked.
Trini narrowed her eyes as she felt anger cut though her, a pride she'd usually stamp out because she knew she couldn't defend it was damaged slightly. She'd run from a Putty, she'd never live that down. She'd show them all right. ~What am I talking about?~ she thought suddenly. ~I don't even want to show them!~
Boogah chuckled to himself and followed Roma to the back. "The boss really exaggerated on this one. Don't underestimate them my butt, that's just a pair of little kids, wastin our time by escortin these fools to beat on kids." Boogah kept on muttering until Roma knocked him upside the head with the back of his hand.
"Keep yo damn mouth shut and watch," Roma said quietly while folding his arms across his chest.
"Sorry boss, I'm shuttin up, won't hear a peep from me, quiet as mouse and stuff like that…" He trailed off as Roma gave him an irritated stare.
"What did I just say?" he said, raising his hand again.
Boogah responded by putting his fingers to his lips and pretending to zip them.
The Putties closed the gap between them and lunged at Zack, ignoring Trini. Zack did a quick back flip, silently thanking whoever had convinced him to take up gymnastics as a way of complementing his fighting technique. His feet and fists lashed out, taking down two of the Putties in rapid succession. The third one had already fallen to Trini deadly moves. Without questioning how they had just defeated their enemies so quickly without their Ranger enhanced sense, Zack and Trini did the first and most important thing that mattered at the moment.
"Run!" Zack shouted.
"Where?" was Trini's reply.
Zack stopped short. Trini was right; if they ran back to their rooms they would endanger the other delegates, but to get to the lift meant hoping they could get past Goldar and his companions. They had no choice but to stay and fight.
"What's this all about Goldar?" Zack asked.
"Lord Zedd has decreed you will not be allowed to aid your former comrades," Goldar growled. "So he sent us to make sure you were taken care off."
That said Goldar attacked. This time Zack jumped up high into the air to avoid the titan while Trini ducked low and delivered a very painful punch that had the gold monkey keeled over. Zack flipped and landed lightly next to his teammate. Pushing off from the rail to give him more momentum, Zack twisted in the air and stretched his leg out in a sideways kick. One of the Putties was starting to stand up and had enough sense to duck out of the way of Zack's careening foot, but the other two weren't so lucky and instead got the foot in their faces. Trini moved in on the surviving Putties, unleashing a few well directed blows until they had enough and retreated. Goldar recovered and charged, but Trini and Zack were already countering, laughing as the titan flew back several feet and crashed into the closed stairwell, bits of rubble and debris fell from inside of it, covering him like a blanket.
Zack, who had landed in a crouching position, slowly stood up. He smiled at the handy work he had just caused, 'Maybe this might not be so bad after all.' He had to admit, even though it had seemed rather barbaric to inflict so much pain on such simple creatures.
The sound of clapping made him snap his head to the side, alert and ready for anything. Beside him he felt Trini tense.
He saw that Roma was slowly applauding them, a large malicious grin on his face. "Bravo," he congratulated, his tail swinging to the rhythm of his clapping. "Not bad for a kid and a girl. Guess old Zedd wasn't exaggerating after all."
Zack smiled at the so-called compliment Roma gave him. He laughed slightly, staring up at the remaining three men with absolutely no humour in his expression.
"Why don't you just leave now, and save yourselves from getting a butt kicking," Trini asked, her voice cold and so menacing that it even surprised her.
Roma gave a harsh laugh that sounded like choking. "Oh okay, so we gotta cocky little b…"
"Don't say it!" Trini warned.
"… to handle now huh." He looked from Boogah to the other Packspawn without hearing her words. "Sorry kid, but I'm gonna have to turn down yo offer."
"A'ite then boys," he snapped his fingers; the two Packspawn instantly stepped forward and drew their swords out, both glowing red in the light. "Why don't you two handle this, but don't go over board, I wants them alive for fun."
"Heh, heh, time to turn yo cute little behind into chop suey," said Boogah, his eyes gleaming with an insane sort of anticipation. Trini didn't respond. She silently got into a ready position, holding out his arm and gesturing his hand for the Packspawn to 'just bring it.'
Boogah growled, charging at her with a speed Trini was astonished she could follow. She sidestepped, attempting to slice him with his sword horizontally. Trini dodged it by jumping backwards and then back flipped to provide some distance. Boogah came at her again a second after his feet touched the ground.
Zack heard Roma smack his forehead in frustration, "Did I or did I not just say not to kill her?" he muttered.
Ignoring Roma, Boogah, this time, swung his sword at her vertically and Trini had to spin behind him to dodge it, but Boogah followed her move by turning slightly, then quickly swinging it horizontally again, hoping to catch her off guard. Trini bent all the way back, feeling a breeze pass her as the sword sliced the air across her face and body. She let her hands touch the floor doing a sort of curved handstand. She bent her elbows in, and with all her might she pushed upward and kicked Boogah in the face with both her feet, before he could cleave her down the middle. As Boogah flew backwards, Trini landed forward in a crouching position.
Trini watched as Boogah slid down the wall, hit and land on the floor in a heap. He blinked in confusion and rubbed his jaw. He gaped at Trini, opening and closing his mouth without any words coming out. "What the hell…" he finally muttered. He shook his head, "Dwanin, don't just stand there like a dummy! Help me!"
Zack sensed more then heard Dwanin's movements, as the other Packspawn ran towards him. He grabbed the Packspawn's wrist, just as he was about to slice Zack vertically down the middle from behind. Zack flipped him over his shoulder, where he landed on the floor hard on his back, his black trench coat streaming downward like a waterfall. Zack delivered a high axe kick aiming for the Packspawn's head. Dwanin rolled out of the way just in time, instead Zack hit the floor, pieces of wood and concrete unearthed from the blow flew around everywhere.
But before Dwanin could compose himself and counter, Zack had already yanked his foot out of the floor, doing a back round house kick, hitting Dwanin in the face. Like Boogah, and in the same direction, Dwanin went flying back in the air. Unfortunately though, this was around the time that Boogah had righted himself and stood up, dusting off his trench coat. He looked up to see Dwanin's body coming at full speed towards him.
His eyes widened, "Oh crap." Dwanin landed on top of Boogah, a couple of cracks suggested that Dwanin had broken a few bones, his and Boogah's.
"I knew we should have come in our true forms," Boogah said thickly. Gaining his senses, Boogah vehemently pushed Dwanin off of him, "Get offa me!"
Dwanin rolled back to his feet muttering a quick, "My bad."
"Okay, wanna play rough now do ya?" said Boogah, raising sword in front of him. "Alright then, I can play dirty to. Come on Dwanin let's double team them." Dwanin complied by raising his own sword at the ready as well.
Trini and Zack backed up, unsure what to do. So far they had allowed their instincts to dictate their movements. Both had already gotten used to the instant karate thing, and even though they were out numbered, they knew that together they had the upper hand.
The Packspawns had obviously underestimated them, so - either they were extremely stupid or they were just being lazy - their fighting skills were sluggish and slow. It wouldn't be too hard to beat them up enough to make an escape. But still, there was still an understated sense of power about them that made Zack and Trini cautious. It would have been a lot easier if they had had a weapon or something, a working communicator would have been a great asset.
Zack was silently wishing that he had his Power Axe or even a Blade Blaster to hand. He wasn't ashamed to admit that they were facing creatures that most humans would rather die than confront, and so far they had been lucky. Zack had never trusted in luck to the extent that it made him overconfident. Well, maybe when it came to trying to impress Angela.
Trini was thinking along similar lines, remembering how many serious injuries her uniform had protected her from serious injury. She recalled the Power Dagger, sleek and deadly - a match for many of the monsters Rita had thrown at them.
The two Packspawn charged at the Ranger with their swords pointed in front of them, Zack ducked and swept both of their legs from under their feet. Trini tumble-rolled over the fallen bodies and with Zack close behind, ran through the doors to the delegates' rooms. Through the door, they kept moving, hoping to find something they could use. Trini smashed the case on the fire alarms, knowing that the few delegates still there would hurry out the fire escape, thus avoiding more casualties.
Boogah, gaining his footing, got back up and ran through the door, changed direction and ploughed at Zack with his sword pointed in front of him.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to run around with sharp objects?" Zack said mockingly.
This only infuriated Boogah more, making his aim even less accurate. He attempted to cleave Zack, unbeknownst to him making it all the more easy to dodge. Zack jumped up, twisting in midair; he landed a few feet behind Boogah. Just as he sliced one of the conference benches in half - not a complicated task given how sharp the blade was.
Trini sensed Dwanin trying to sneak up from behind her again. She grabbed a mop from an abandoned bucket and twisted it around, she hit Dwanin upside the head. Dwanin spun and then fell to the ground with a thud.
Boogah abruptly ceased attacking Zack and tried to sneak up on her, hoping that she was distracted with Dwanin. But Zack saw his intentions and shouted a warning, which Trini heard before she noticed the Packspawn from the corner of her eye. She twirled the mop, and then jabbed the handle into Boogah's stomach. Hearing him exhale in pain, Zack grabbed a broom and flipped it up to hit Boogah hard in the face with the bristles. Boogah's head snapped back, with his hands on his face he staggered backwards and almost tripped.
Trini and Zack heard a growl coming from one side, suggesting that Dwanin had recovered. Boogah was also shaking off the recent blows they had given him. They were on either side of the two humans and nothing short of expert timing could aid them. If they timed this one just right, then maybe they would be able to fully knock their two attackers out.
The creature came running at them at full speed, both vertically swung their swords at the same time. Zack jumped to avoid one and then jabbed the broom handle down hard on the blade while Trini did the same with her mop, locking them in place. Using the broom as a crutch to pull himself up, Zack did a rising split kick and caught both of the Packspawn in the chin. Both of them flew back, their swords wrenched out of their hands.
Zack slid down the wall, landing straight up on the floor. Trini was next to him, both exhausted from their ordeal. Suddenly Trini sensed something coming towards them really fast from behind. She managed to get half the warning out, but there was no time to dodge it. Zack put his arms up in an attempt to block whatever was coming at him while Trini adopted a low stance, hoping to remain upright. Neither attempt succeeded; both teens were hit at full force. The impact caused them to go flying back, crashing into one of the canteens and landing hard on the concrete floor.
Zack moaned as pain exploded in his back and arms. The wind had been knocked out of him, a few moments passed and he was finally able to breathe. It took a few more moments for Zack to register what had happened. As if to answer his unasked question, Roma, with a sinister smirk on his face, appeared in the mangled entryway. He cracked his head from side to side, "If you want something done right," Roma said while cracking his knuckles, "you gotta do it yourself."
Roma flexed his arms out, cracking more muscles. He set his eyes upon Zack with menacing mirth. "Guess it's just you and me Zacky boy." Zack's eyes widened as Roma gestured to where Trini laid unmoving, blood visible on the floor. Roma stretched out his right arm and rolled up his sleeve. It glowed a deep blood red before his dark brown skin morphed into a silvery sword. He sliced the air a bit, testing his new limb out. He smiled at the shocked look Zack had on his face.
"Cool huh?" was all he said, before he jumped high into the air and did a flip. He hovered over Zack, his sword arm swinging down aimed for his head. Zack rolled out of the way. Roma stabbed the ground instead; his body crouched down in the crater he had created. Zack scrambled to his feet. Roma looked at him, pulling out his sword arm from the tiled kitchen floor.
"Why don't you be a good little boy and let Uncle Roma gut you like a fish?" He lunged at Zack with a barrage of complicated sword manoeuvres, which Zack of course couldn't possibly counter, the former Black Ranger was only human and Roma was much faster then the other two Packspawn. The Putties and Goldar weren't even worth a comparison. Zack tried to dodge the strikes as best he could, but eventually Roma got through his defence.
The Packspawn feinted a punch with his real hand, and did a roundhouse kick which hit Zack hard in the sternum. He went flying backward his body smashing into the serving hatch, a dent curved around him from the collision. Pain wracked through his chest, he must have landed on one of the fixed shelves. All he could see was red. He wiped his eyes and found blood smeared on the back of his hand.
Just as Zack had cleared his vision, Roma was already bounding towards him. Zack twisted out of the way, as Roma attempted to stab him again. His arm sword struck the hatchway instead. Roma went for a snap kick at Zack's head, even though his arm was still stuck. Zack actually managed to throw the blow aside, but was not quick enough to catch the knee that followed.
Roma grinned evilly as he lifted his entire leg up, with Zack still attached. He bent in his leg and then snapped it out as hard as he could, sending Zack flying back smack into the wall.
Zack slid painfully down the wall, landing on the ground with a heavy thud. He stayed down, trying to catch his breath but also thinking of a way to stop this nutcase. Fighting mindlessly was definitely out; he actually needed a plan now. His time to think expired though as Roma closed in for the kill. So unable to make a rational choice, Zack did something unexpected and wasteful.
"Mastodon!" he cried as he held up his hands to block the final blow.
It was a painful experience for Zack as his subconscious recalled the methods it had used to draw on the Power during his days as a Ranger. He lacked a Power Coin, having transferred it to Adam during the Power Transfer, but had retained his Power Morpher. At his call the Morpher had appeared in his hand, though without the Power Coin to help regulate the process, the energy ran rampant through every cell in his body, limited only by the established pathways that now acted to direct the overload.
Roma backed off as Zack started to convulse with black light. The boy's aura started to become more discernable as his cries grew louder. He swept the blade down, determined to kill the boy before anything else happened, but the weapon could not approach the screaming human, the energy rippling around him prevented such an attack.
Zack's eyes opened suddenly and he watched as Roma took a step back. He looked down at himself and saw his clothes had changed. Without a Power Coin to contain the template, the Power had searched for a suitable form. Thus he found himself wearing a loose black top, somewhat reminiscent of the outfits worn by the Ninja Rangers, and a pair of loose pants. In one hand was a long handled wooden battle-axe.
Trini heard the clink of metal on metal as Roma and Zack fought. She looked up and stared as her friend drove the blunt end of the axe handle into his opponent. Sparks flew as the weapon's keen edge made contact with Roma's blade.
Roma quickly retreated and studied his blade, making sure that its perfect frame wasn't damaged or scratched.
"What's the matter, giving up already?" Zack asked. He wasn't eager to fight, but wanted to keep the advantage he had gained. Not to mention that while Roma was focussed on him, Trini was safe.
Trini climbed back to her feet more slowly than she would've liked. There was a pounding in her head, and she felt like Bulk was sitting on her chest. She brought her hand up to her mouth and wiped the blood that was trickling down her chin. Finally, while spitting some more blood out with the turn of her head, she was able to take in the battle as it progressed.
Roma though, didn't even grimace at Zack's challenge. His calm demeanour was extremely unnerving, but Zack tried to keep his cool on the outside, no matter how shaky he was on the inside. Roma smirked and bent his knees in, like a wild beast would do when getting ready to pounce on their prey. ~Close enough,~ Zack thought. After all, he did feel like Roma's prey and Roma, despite his appearance, fit the part of a carnivorous beast perfectly.
"Hold up Roma, I got this covered." Roma stood back up startled. Once seeing that it was Boogah, he immediately calmed down and changed his expression to that of annoyance.
"Boogah, what are you doing?" Roma asked lazily, as if knowing that his answer was going to something stupid.
Boogah pulled a wicked-looking scythe from his trench coat. He smiled eagerly at Roma, "I'm fixin to finish these kids off so we can hurry up and leave." Boogah raised the weapon and turned it so Roma could see the transparent edge. Roma's face fell.
Boogah looked pointedly at Zack, "what's with the change of clothes?"
As he spoke, he was subconsciously turning the tool just enough for Trini to see the blade. It was sparking gently in the air and although almost invisible, she could sense how sharp the blade was. There were words etched in another language along the weapon's length, but after about a few seconds of studying them, Trini deciphered what it meant. Her eyes widened and all the colour drained from her face.
Boogah smiled with superiority, thinking that Trini was suddenly frightened for a completely different reason. "Pretty smart huh? It was hard to find it in the storeroom, but I finally found this little beauty." Both Roma and Trini flinched as Boogah swiped the blade through the air, but for very different reasons. Zack looked at them with confusion in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Boogah asked Roma urgently. It was a rare thing indeed when Roma ever looked worried about something.
Roma swallowed, he morphed his sword back into his arm. "D-d-Boogah," he stammered nervously. "Which storeroom did you get that out of?"
"The blue one," he said slowly. "Why?"
Roma's face suddenly turned the shade of off-white, "This wouldn't happen to be the one that had 'Do Not Enter' engraved on it, would it?"
Boogah raised an eyebrow, "Well yeah," he said plainly. "But you know how people only put that up there to keep thieves away."
Noticing that Zack was silently ebbing away and Trini followed suit. But whereas he would likely survive what was to come, she predicted her death was now a good possibility.
Roma's expression suddenly turned to that of anger, "Boogah are you out of your mind!?" he yelled. "That's not our storeroom! That was Jas' storeroom, and you know how protective she is about her things!"
Boogah furrowed his eyebrows and scratched his head with his free hand. "If she didn't want me to use it, why did she leave it lying around?"
"She didn't you great pudding! She left it locked in her storeroom where anyone who entered is hunted down and destroyed" There was a brief silence following the statement, the new information sinking in to Boogah's particularly thick skull.
"She won't mind if I borrows it?" Boogah gasped. He looked down at the scythe with a fear that was meant for being trapped in a pit of lions, a fate he would have preferred compared to the anger of the scythe's rightful owner. He yelled out, "Holy sweet mother of Javius! Get this thing away from me!" Boogah juggled with the scythe, jogging in place and looking frantic.
Roma, still in a silent panic himself, tried to calm his idiotic gang member, "Boogah, stop moving around and send it back to the storeroom before she realises and kills us all… again! That thing was not built just to destroy mortals you know. That's an Angel Buster!"
Boogah ignored him and continued to toss the object from one hand to the other, like it was something really hot that he couldn't keep in his grasp. Finally Boogah reached a conclusion that if he could at least kill his target he would have a bargaining chip. He directed the blade in a lazy arc towards Trini's retreating form. Things seemed to go in slow motion as the tiny blade cut through the air.
Then her old Morpher was in her hand and Trini practically screamed the words she had thought she would never hear again: "Saber-toothed Tiger!"
The tip of the scythe cut into the floor, but Trini was already gone, whisked away by her renewed instincts. She was dressed in a uniform very similar to Zack's costume, except hers was yellow. As the weapon moved towards her again, it was met with the firm resistance of two crystal daggers. Using one to pin the weapon in place, she used the other to slice easily through the scythe's wooden handle.
"She's goin to kill me!" Boogah screamed as he realised what had happened.
Booooommmmm!
Boogah's rage was unleashed, clearing the hallway as Zack, Trini, Dwanin and Roma were thrown savagely through the air, outside the building and onto the ground below. Shards of glass from the windows, fire, and debris went flying around everywhere. Both Zack and Roma slid down and landed on their backs in the dewy grass. Trini rubbed her head as she landed, still dazed by the explosion. She saw the flames engulf half of the building and wondered how they would explain such destruction to the conference organisers.
Zack was not feeling optimistic as he picked himself up. He could see his parents' reactions. He inwardly groaned, "Mum and Dad are going to kill me," he muttered. There was no way in hell he could explain this one.
"Not before I do," he heard Roma say next to him. He was already to his feet, his arm morphed back into the silvery sword. His silhouette was even more menacing in the firelight. He may not have been a demon, but with his fiery tail swinging in back of him, and his arm sword glinting in the light, certainly made him look like something that had to have originated from hell.
Zack scooted back as Roma pointed his sword at his neck. "Make it easier for the both of us, and just come along quietly," he said as if closing the matter. Zack needed to think of something fast if he was going to go with the plan he had earlier. He glanced up; as if asking the heavens for an idea. About two stories up, he noticed that his room's window was slightly ajar.
Zack widened his eyes in fear and pointed a trembling finger towards the burning house, "Uh, your friend Boogah looks like he needs some help!" Zack yelled urgently.
Roma twisted around, "Boogah you little…" he stopped in mid-sentence. Seeing nothing but flames behind him. That was Zack's cue to hop to his feet and then jump up to the window. It was a lot less complicated then he thought, - his room was about two stories high - all he had to do was crouch down and push his feet upward. He grabbed the windowsill, looking down he saw Roma turn his head from side to side and scratch it in confusion. Zack decided to give him a little hint.
He whistled. Roma shot his head up, trying to find the source of the sound. Zack smiled down at him, "Yoohoo! Looking for somebody goat boy!?" Zack called at Roma. Before Roma could respond Zack sat himself on the sill, and hurriedly opened the window so he could fit through it.
The floor boards felt warm under his feet, pretty soon the fire that had started in the kitchen would rise and burn the through it completely. Zack didn't linger. He ran for his door and swung it open, smoke filtering in from the hallway. He heard some glass shattering. Out of reflex he turned around to see Roma breaking through the window and slipping in.
"Come here boy!" he shouted insanely. "You ain't goin no where!"
Zack ran out of the room, swinging the door shut behind him. It was a simple act of stalling, knowing fully well that Roma could bust through the wood in a matter of seconds. Which he did of course, using his sword arm to slice it diagonally and a quick kick to knock the two remaining pieces away. Zack was already at the end of the hallway by the time that happened. He tugged on a string that was stung up in the ceiling. A grey ladder slid down from it and Zack quickly climbed up it to the upper maintenance room. Zack heard footsteps from below as he pulled the latter back up and slammed the door down.
"Oh where the hell did the boy go? Oh where the hell could he be?" He heard Roma's muffled voice from below sing. "Come out come out wherever you are! You wouldn't want to make Uncle Roma mad now would you? Otherwise he might end up doing things that he's not sure he doesn't want to do to poor helpless Trini."
Zack disregarded Roma's chanting and rummaged around the attic. There wasn't very much space, so Zack had to hunch slightly to walk around. ~Now let's see what we have here?~ he thought as sifted through some boxes, silently wishing he had Trini or better still Adam with him. He was looking for the lubricants the janitors used on the elevators. ~Bingo!~ It wasn't what he wanted, but it would do. Zack opened the box marked: Fireworks. Rockets, poppers, firecrackers, sparklers, and pinwheels were placed jumbled together. Zack had his eye on a particularly large rocket. Zack pulled out some string and wire, wrapping it around his hand.
An explosion sounded, making Zack stumble into the fireworks and the pile of toilet rolls one of the cleaners that had been stored for easy access. Zack cautiously turned around. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he scooted backwards, automatically wanting to distance himself. Coming from the entrance into the room was a beam of pure reddish orange fire, spiralling upward through the roof and endlessly into the sky. Zack's uniform flailed about uncontrollably in front of him, obscuring his vision slightly. The beam was like a black hole; Zack tried to keep a grip on something so as not to be pulled into its fiery depths. The fire twisted into itself and then disappeared, small flames detached from it and easily spread throughout the wooden room.
Soon after the show of fire, two hands clasped on the frayed edges of the attic's entryway, followed by the menacing face of Roma. "Heeeeeere's Johnny!" he said as he pushed the rest of his self in.
Zack stood to his feet, getting ready to put his plan into the action. ~I hope this works.~ Zack quickly sprinted fowards, making it look like he was going to fight him head on.
Roma bought it and rubbed his hands together, ready for another easy victory. "So we're going to start that mess again. A'ite boy, show me what you got." With that, Roma charged at Zack, full speed.
Zack measured his distance between them, he waited until they were about a couple of feet apart before he dropped and did a sideways slide on the floor. Taken by surprise, Roma stopped in his place. His legs were open just wide enough for Zack to slide through them and then quickly hopped back to his feet. Roma bent over and looked at Zack from between his legs, upside down, his tail swishing back and forth. "What the hell is wrong wit you?" Roma asked him clearly confused.
Zack simply smiled evilly. Suddenly, all Roma knew was pain as Zack grasped his tail firmly in his hand. Roma straightened up rigidly, turning towards Zack with his face scrunched up in pain. "Why you lousy little moth… leggo of my tail!" he yelled. If anything, Zack's grin grew even more evil.
"If you say so," Zack said casually, a little too casually. He let go of Roma's tail, but didn't stop there. While Roma snatched his tail back and caressed it in his hand trying to straighten out the flame, Zack did a snap kick that hit Roma in the back.
Roma landed head first in the clutter of boxes and junk. Ropes, wires, and strings wrapped around him as he fruitlessly tried to get himself out of it. He jerked an old birdcage off his head and through it to the side. He stared up at Zack with an expression of absolute fury on his face.
"You've done gone too far, home boy! You mess wit the tail and it's over!"
Zack's grin widened. Roma stared at him confused for a moment until finally, he noticed the string he was toying with in his hand. His eyes slowly followed the string, which led down to Zack's feet, and then led a pathway that ended inside of some boxes with a whole bunch of fireworks entangled in them… the same box he was entangled in! Roma looked back up at Zack with panic as realization dawned on him. He saw that Zack now had a piece of wood that was lit from the fire he had caused. He was twirling it around in his fingers whistling while he did so. Zack fooled around with the string and the fire, pretending to light it, but pulling it away at the last second.
Roma gulped, "You wouldn't dare," he said, almost pleadingly, "would you?"
Zack's grin spread wider, then he cleared his throat and sounded his voice as if he were a flight attendant. "You are now attending Zack Potter airlines, please keep all remaining appendages together before you take flight, in case of an emergency, you can use your pants as a flotation device." Zack laughed as the colour faded from Roma's face as he desperately tried to disentangle himself from his bindings.
"Launching in t-minus five, four, three, two, one and…" He lit the string, not even a split second passed before it quickly slithered down the path to its target. "Give my regards to Riddle," he hissed, before diving behind some junk.
The sound of blasting off filled Zack's ears. He brought his knees to his chest and braced himself. There was a huge explosion, followed by Roma's screams of "I'ma get you! You're gonna pay for this!" Zack looked up to see that his roof was gone. It was shooting upward, along with the spark that was Roma, into the sky. It swivelled on and on endlessly, until finally, it seemed to stop in midair and completely blow up in a show of beautiful colours that painted the dark night sky. Zack stared on in awe at the colourful lights above, ignoring the strong gusts of wind from the newly open wound in the building.
Zack was rudely snapped out of his trance as a support beam fell only two inches away from him, the wood wrapped in fire. The blast, as Zack had predicted would happen earlier, had caused a fire that was already surrounding him from all sides. He stayed to the ground, smoke was rising steadily and eating the remaining oxygen in the room. More explosions from below suggested that the fire had spread throughout the lower floor.
Fire and smoke clouded his vision, everything down stairs was likely on fire, and more fire was licking through the floor. This was a very bad situation to be in right now. Zack desperately needed to figure out how to get out of this mess, before the smoke fogged up his mind, and the fire finally overwhelmed him as well as the conference center.
Dwanin had awakened expecting to find an easy target, but instead discovered Trini, armed and looking decidedly dangerous. She twirled her daggers in her hand, daring him to attack. Without Boogah there, Dwanin did the sensible thing and retreated.
Trini stared after him for a moment before turning her attention to the upper storey, just in time to see Roma fly through the window. The fire was catching though and from the looks of it Zack was having difficulty getting free.
Using line-of-sight, she teleported to where her teammate was and tried to drag him out. The floor gave way just as both Rangers were enveloped by light and teleported to the relative safety of the Power Chamber.
"Sire, the Rangers have teleported two humans to their headquarters," Klank reported.
"So the Rangers are seeking backup," Mondo mused. "Who were the humans?"
"Trini Kwan and Zack Taylor, both reported by Rita Repulsa as Zordon's first Rangers."
"I bet he's trying to recruit them again Daddy," Sprocket said.
"A brilliant observation my son," Mondo told the pint-sized machine. "And if Zordon was willing to find two former Rangers, he might seek out the others. Klank, I want all former Rangers destroyed."
"It shall be done Sire," Klank replied before shuffling away.
Somewhere in Kenya
Sometimes you can be comfortable in a place without realising that you don't belong there. Sometimes it can take an unexpected event to open your eyes to reality. For one teenager events were about to move beyond her control and leave her with the option of going along for the ride or losing her grip on reality as the strain became too much. Aisha Campbell had never been one to back down from any situation.
Aisha closed her eyes, tipping her face up to the cloudless sky above. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining down on the savannah and the usual summer heat lifted by a cool breeze. It was days like this that made a girl glad to be alive. Dropping her face from the morning sky, Aisha scanned her surroundings, a wistful look in her dark eyes. She loved Africa, and loved working with animals, and nothing would ever change that. But - somehow it didn't seem like she belonged here anymore.
When she had been sent into the past she had known it was right for her to remain and help the animals. It had been a long and tortuous time trying to find a cure for the plague, but something told her she was close. Since the plague had subsided, she had felt differently.
Part of the reason for her feelings was the withdrawal symptoms from the loss of her powers. While the others had been able to deal with the side effects, Master Vile's time distortion had changed her body's metabolism, meaning that the Power had taken longer to drain from her body. It had been over a year before the symptoms had appeared and they had lasted for quite some time. That combined with the emotional turmoil of losing her friends and the mental strain of having two sets of memories concerning her childhood, had caused her to question whether she belonged in Kenya.
Aisha sighed again. It was true, she really missed her friends in Angel Grove. Zordon had allowed her to keep her communicator when she had left on the Zeo Quest, but it had never been reactivated when time had been set back to normal.
~They can manage without me, they already have a Yellow Zeo Ranger and plenty of replacements if anything happens to Tanya,~ she thought with slightly more bitterness than she expected.
Of course the chances of returning to America were slim and she knew it. Her mother loved her work with the tribe and her father was a renowned doctor. In the ten years they had been there, her parents had helped to ensure the plague had not spread to the human population.
With their help the tribe had grown and developed - using the grants the Campbells obtained to improve the quality of life for all of the tribe. They now had fresh wells and a school in which to educate the children. Their stand-in teacher Joe Armstrong had left a month ago, saying something about personal business. Although during his time there he had remained aloof, she had trained with him on a few occasions and almost beaten him, a feat that was very rare according to his friend. In return Joe had taught her new meditation katas to allow her body and mind to become a single weapon.
"Something's wrong!" She was not sure how she knew, but suddenly a feeling of darkness had closed in around her. Looking down she noticed the red beam of light reflecting off her clothing. With a squeal she jumped to her feet and dove for cover. She may not have been an expert, but she knew a targeting beam when she saw one. Hunters on Earth rarely used them, but they were, according to the brief conversations she had with Billy since his return, all the rage on other worlds. The fact that such a beam had been highlighting her right arm made her suspicious and she decided to hide until she knew what was going on.
"Well?" King Mondo asked as his latest creation returned.
"She is reactive and smart. She chose to remain hidden when many organics might have attempted to tackle me. I don't believe I will find her much of a challenge, I predict less than one percent likelihood of failure."
The metal monarch nodded. After fighting the Rangers for a while, he had decided to review his tactics to figure out why his plans had failed on Earth. He had come to a conclusion about the failure to conquer Earth. First, he realised he had failed, as had the other villains, to recognise the dedication the Rangers felt to their planet and each other. The human species was on the whole illogical and over emotional. This was a common trait although on Earth it was even stronger. The Machine Empire had underestimated the Rangers and that was a mistake. Luckily such mistakes could be eliminated with the right programming.
The seek-and-destroy mission he had set for his new creation was as much for research as it was to prevent Aisha's retrieval. He had used one of Klank's rejected designs and programmed it to behave like a human bounty hunter. Of course it was also equipped with state of the art weaponry.
Now Mondo looked at his creation. Currently she had removed all her hunting costume and stood before him in the plain green flight suit she wore during recharging periods. Her long black hair had been tied into a single ponytail, in the end of which a blade had been inserted. Her eyes burned with an intensity the robot had not seen in a while. She was seductive and deadly, but most importantly she was a machine.
Synthetic flesh allowed her to resemble a human female, but beneath the fake skin, blood and muscle, was a cold killing machine with a super fast processor. In some ways she was more advanced than the Royal House of Gadgetry's leaders, but that was only at first glance. No matter how advanced her components were, they were obsolete compared to Mondo.
Mondo did not know why she chose her current guise, she could in fact alter her skin tone and hair colour to meet her needs; chemical processors contained in her chest cavity allowed her to manipulate her body's bone structure and fat content as well. She had no limitation on the body she could assume - height, weight and even gender were not a factor. The ability to confuse was one of his creation's greatest powers. The second greatest was the triple phased power core that maintained her energies. The core boosted all of her powers, but had a failsafe so if on the brink of defeat, she could overload it and self-destruct, taking her prey with her.
"I believe you will be successful. I have programmed you with all the skills you will require to attain victory. Now leave and do not return without a former Ranger."
"I will get you your Ranger, King Mondo," the robot stated.
Raising her left arm to tap in the activation code for her weapon systems. A loud beep signalled that her systems were powered up. She then tapped in two-seven-six, activating all of Mondo's programming.
Silver plating attached to cover the knees, elbows, chest, throat and back. The suit she was wearing thickened and a helmet appeared to cover her head. A black visor slid down to cover the eyes. Black gloves and boots finished the armour. All this was an elaborate hoax, all that really changed was the position of the metal plates that made up the majority of her body.
After slinging the hunting rifle onto her back and securing the strap over her shoulder, she nodded to her master. Mondo returned the nod and pointed his staff at her, opening one of the transport corridors he relied on for moving his troops. She stepped through and the doorway closed. Her next stop would be Earth.
Aisha had already decided that waiting around was not in her best interest. Her first thought was to return to the village and talk things through with her aunt. Maybe Ashalla would have some idea about contacting Zordon. Aisha didn't know who had been targeting her, but she had a bad feeling and that was enough to put her on alert.
"Alpha, Zordon," she said, activating her communicator on the off chance it had been reconnected without her knowing it. Sometimes Zordon's gift of prescience caused him to make preparations without telling his students. She sighed when the device remained silent. "No such luck."
~I wish I had my powers, then at least if I was in trouble I could morph,~ she thought. ~Providing of course it's not poachers.~
The thought that it might be game hunters made her feel a little better. But she was still on guard as she made her way back towards the village. She stopped when she heard a faint click followed by a soft whine like an engine powering up. She saw a movement just ahead of her and recognised the barrel of a gun in the bushes.
Aisha ducked to the ground as a laser bolt flew over her head. That answered any doubts she had. She was under attack. Forcing herself to remain calm Aisha followed the process she had learnt when she first became a Ranger. After checking to ensure there were no civilians nearby she looked around for the nearest cover. Carefully calculating the odds, she took off, hoping to get into the undergrowth.
A sharp pain caught Aisha in the shoulder seconds before she ducked into cover. Looking down she could see the fabric of her clothes still smoking from the shot. Obviously whoever or whatever was out there was aiming for her. Aisha was never more thankful that she had maintained her training during her time in Kenya and for the thick foliage, which now allowed her to remain hidden. She was also thankful the weapon had been set to kill. Kill bolts only worked on direct hits, otherwise they just caused injury. Stun blasts however only needed a glancing blow and would have dropped her like a rock.
Peering over the top of the bushes, she looked for the shooter. She could see nothing except the red targeting beam, which gave her an idea. Keeping the red beam in her sights at all times, she was able to move around her attacker.
*Move!*
Aisha jumped as a torrent of blaster fire ripped through her hiding place. Landing on the ground, she found herself rolling away from the shooter who was trying to hit her.
*Look out, right!*
Aisha shifted her attention to the right and saw a small metallic ball lying in her path. She tried to stop rolling, but it was too late. The ball exploded, revealing the miniature Cogs that had been placed inside. On exposure to the open air they rapidly grew to their full size. Instinctively Aisha ducked into a defensive stance, unsure of how to combat this new threat and hoping the shooter would not take advantage of the distraction.
The Cogs moved swiftly towards her, their robotic hands attempting to grab her as they drew near. She tried fighting, but after hurting her hand on the cold metal, she decided it was better to rely on her speed and to dodge the robots.
*Back of the knees!*
~How do I know that?~ Aisha wondered as she ducked another fist before kicking her opponent in the back of the knee. It made sense in hindsight. Regardless of materials used, the back of the knees was a common weakness since they could not be reinforced without restricting movement.
Guri swore in machine code. She had been programmed with some of Mondo's more colourful language, namely the words he used beyond the range of Sprocket's audio receptors. She had hoped the Cogs would manage to slow her prey, but some things had to be dealt with personally.
*Look out! To you left!*
Aisha looked a moment too late as a figure in green leapt at her. Her ninja training took over and she rolled through depositing her opponent on his or her back. Quickly she got back to her feet looking for some way to escape her attacker.
"You won't get away from me that quickly Ranger," the green figure said. "I am Guri, master of my art."
Although her eyes were fixed on the blaster carbine trained on her chest, Aisha's mind was searching for the quick escape or any alternative to combat.
"Surrender to the power of King Mondo, now!" Guri demanded.
Aisha quickly weighed up her chances of being able to attack before Guri could fire. She decided there was no chance of doing so especially if she also wanted a chance to get away. There seemed to be no way out, Mondo had won. ~Who the hell is Mondo?~
*Morph!*
The command was so compelling that she had to obey even though she knew that her Power Coin had been destroyed and her powers had been passed to Tanya along with the Zeo Crystal. But maybe they hadn't been, after all the Sword of Light had not been used and her morpher had not changed hands. ~And didn't Zordon say our powers were joined to our bodies?~ Her morpher was in her hand before she realised it.
Yellow light exploded around her for a brief second before it was replaced by purple. Aisha found herself wearing a Ninja costume, which while purple to begin with soon faded to match the background. Aisha sighed, somehow she knew she should have seen this coming.
"No!" Guri shouted. "You shall not escape me, Yellow Ranger. Mondo has ordered that you will not be allowed to aid your former teammates."
Guri opened fire and Aisha stopped dead in her tracks. A sudden fear washed over her. If she ran back towards her village, she would endanger her parents and friends. That was something she could not allow.
"I'm not the Yellow Ranger," she announced. "I'm the Purple Ranger." ~Since when has there been a Purple Ranger?~
Running into the undergrowth she looked for anywhere she could hide. Whoever Mondo was, he had sent Guri to prevent her interference. That he anticipated her involvement and the fact the Rangers had not shown up meant they were in trouble of some sort. She intended to lay low and hope she could work out some type of trap. ~Of course if she doesn't see me she can still find me in other ways,~ she thought. ~I need an advantage.~
She pushed her way deeper into the thick bushes all the time aware of Guri stalking not far behind and that she was starting to catch up.
*Study your enemy*
The words made sense and she recognised that it had been the Power that had been talking to her the whole time. But the powers she had held previously had never offered strategic advice. The instructions had always been empathic and nowhere near as blatant. Perhaps the change of colour had awakened something she had missed before. Still the advice was sound and Aisha found herself doing just that.
She could see her opponent moving toward her and noticed for the first time Guri's reliance on a device strapped to her wrist. As Aisha watched Guri punched in the combination three-five-nine and floated into the air. Obviously Mondo had used that device so Guri could control her functions.
~I've got to get undercover quickly,~ Aisha thought, well aware that Guri would spot her from the air.
Lightning bolts crackled from Guri's gauntlets and struck the ground as Guri attempted to shock her out of hiding. Aisha crouched as low to the ground as she could, hoping there was a way to distract her opponent. She looked around and noticed the leaves of a nearby bush or more importantly the berries.
~These berries react with acid,~ she thought, remembering the lessons Billy had given her and what the tribe had said. She had at one point wondered if the combination of acid rain and the berries were poisoning the animals, but she decided against it when she noted the berries were not poisonous. ~Still, that reaction could buy me some time.~
She ripped a strip from her costume and was pleased to see the area grow back. Obviously whatever these powers were, they retained some of the properties of her Ninja Ranger powers. She took the torn strip and gathered as many berries as possible she bundled them together. Next she found the equipment she had dropped while morphing and opened her water bottle, then poured its contents into the bundle. Before doing so she opened her lunch satchel and carefully removed the sour lemon she had bought along. The plan was simple, draw Guri over, make her shoot at the small package Aisha had prepared and hope the water in her top combined with the lemon would make an acidic reaction.
Standing up she looked for Guri, ducking again as a blaster bolt grace her left leg. Playing on the injury, she cried out, hoping Guri would come to investigate. Guri did and as soon as she was within range Aisha threw her package. Guri fired and paid the price. As the top disintegrated a fiery red mist exploded into her face, burning the exposed skin and blinding her scanners.
Aisha saw her chance not only to escape but maybe to remove Guri's advantage. Pushing her to the ground Aisha struggled and eventually succeeded in ripping the bracelet off Guri's arm. Guri responded by opening fire again. Aisha threw the bracelet into the air and watched it explode. She watched as the mist continued to eat away at the synthetic flesh until only metal remained.
The robot seemed to recover and grabbed at Aisha's neck. The teen fought back, but her powers seemed ineffective as steel hands closed around her throat. Then a tingling sensation filled her body as she was teleported away, leaving Guri groping at the ground.
"Very good Miss Hart, but remember to extend your arms. And smile, big smile!" the coach called.
Kimberly struggled to smile as she resumed her exercise.
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could advise me of the whereabouts of Kimberly Hart."
"Billy?" Kimberly cried, noticing her friend.
The former Blue Ranger smiled at her as she ran into his arms.
"Well, Miss Hart," the coach chuckled. "I think your training had better be put on hold for today. You will make it up tomorrow."
Kimberly giggled as she went back to hugging her friend.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"We came to get you," Billy told her.
"We?" she asked, noticing the two friends he had with him. Jason she recognised immediately, but the other looked just like… "Tommy?"
"Kind of," Sam answered.
"Hey Kim," Jason greeted his friend and stooping to give her a hug.
"Okay, not that I didn't want to see you guys, but this isn't a social call, is it?"
"Affirmative," Billy told her. His voice dropped to a whisper. "How would you like to be a Ranger again?" The giggle of delight gave them their answer. Billy frowned. "I was afraid you would say that."
"Billy, what's wrong?" Kim asked, suddenly nervous.
"You should have said no, Pink Ranger," the one who looked like Tommy said. "It would have made this so much easier."
Kimberly backed up, around her the other students were watching as Jason reached up and ripped off his face.
"Surprise!" Rito cried. "Bet ya never thought you'd see me again right."
"What do you want Rito?" Kimberly asked as Rito's companions revealed themselves as Tengas.
"What do I want, right… I know this one… now what was it?… Oh yeah, Rita and Ed told me to kidnap you. Gee I knew I'd get it."
At the sight of Rito the others had exited the gym, leaving Kimberly alone.
"Get her," he told his companions and the two Tengas attacked.
"Pterodactyl!"
How her morpher had gotten into her hand Kimberly would never know, but she had soon transformed into a slightly familiar costume. The two birds were easily defeated, but then she felt herself facing Rito's sword.
Instead of panicking though Kimberly closed her eyes and remembered the sensation of teleporting. In a column of pink she was gone.
Power Chamber
"They're on their way Zordon," Alpha reported.
"Excellent Alpha," Zordon boomed.
Zordon allowed himself a smile as he thought what this union would mean. This crisis could be one of the best things to happen to the Rangers.
"Call Jason, Billy and Sam, they should be here when their friends arrive."
"We're here Zordon, what happened?" Jason asked as he appeared with Sam and Billy not far behind.
A moment later there was a pink flash and a familiar cry.
"Jason, Billy? Is it really you guys this time?" Kimberly asked, still suspicious after her run in with Rito. Noticing, Alpha helped to convince her it was not a hoax.
"Kimberly!" Billy cried, happy to see his former teammate. The three Rangers embraced before Billy noted a black and yellow flash. His mouth dropped open. "Trini?"
"Zack!" Jason called excitedly as the Power Chamber became the scene of another reunion.
A purple flash signalled Aisha's arrival and Billy greeted her as David Trueheart rounded off the arrivals.
"Now we are all here, we can begin," Zordon said.
A chair appeared next to each person for him or her to use, suggesting that this might be a long conversation. Alpha Five was scurrying around on the other side of the Power Chamber, apparently trying to talk to someone.
"I am sorry my young friends that I have had to call you here without notice. Perhaps those who are unknown to the majority of you should identify themselves." Sam and David introduced themselves. Even though some of the others were not familiar with each other as they had been during their times as Rangers, they knew each other's name. "First, welcome back Rangers to Power Mountain. And welcome to you, David Trueheart. I am glad to meet you in person after so long. While I am afraid there is little time to explain why we have called you all here, I can tell you that the Rangers need your help before a dangerous situation becomes worse."
"We're ready to help Zordon," Jason said after the teens exchanged glances. Their trust in Zordon never faltered, even David, who had never met the
White Master before.
"Yesterday night, Kat dreamt that a destructive force known as the Elemental Beasts would be unleashed upon the Earth unless the Rangers could destroy them before they hyperlock units were ready to open."
"And you want us to deal with those egg things," Zack interjected.
"You are correct Zachary," Zordon boomed. "Jason, Billy and Sam have been given the means to penetrate the shells, but with the extra protection Rita and company have provided, it will take all eight of you to penetrate each site."
"We have our powers, don't we?" Kimberly asked.
Zordon laughed. "I would never send you out there without some protection Kimberly. I am afraid it is not as much as I would like. Each of you by now has experienced the residual power from your links to the Morphin Grid. These links have been intensified with the use of a Power Coin that Billy obtained on Aquitar and Sam's own Power Coin. You each share an equal portion of the energies within those coins. While you are without a Power Coin, I am afraid that is the full extent of your capabilities, these powers will provide you some protection; David, although you have never been a Ranger, your link to Tommy will allow you to tap the Grid without the use of a Power Coin."
"I thought we needed a coin to be a Ranger," Kimberly commented.
Zordon sighed; there was obviously a lot he would need to teach his Rangers in the future, especially if they succeeded in completing his plan.
"You are partially correct Kimberly," Zordon said. "The links you have to the Power require a Power Coin to regulate the dangerous energies you wield. Without a Power Coin the energies would eventually consume you. That is why when Trini and the others morphed recently their uniforms changed. You have become Grid Warriors, partially powered Rangers. When your current mission is complete, a more permanent solution will be found."
"The Ranger Powers you are used to have been drawn by Power Coins and the Zeo Crystal. However, only those who have held the powers of the Morphin Grid would be accepted as Rangers on another world. As White
Master I had the right to name the Zeo holders as Rangers, a role they have fulfilled with honour, courage and great skill."
"So what exactly is the Morphin Grid?" Jason asked. Of all the Rangers, only Billy had ever done any real research on their powers.
"The Morphin Grid is a source of energy created from some of the magical energy which seeped into our universe when it was first formed. The power of the Morphin Grid is one of a number of concentrations of magic that somehow divided itself. On some worlds all the people can use magic, on others such as Earth, many members of the population are unable to touch the magic naturally. Instead, the planet is rich in Psychic energy with a few hot spots where people can use non-grid magic."
"I thought the Grid was magic," Trini commented.
"As I said, the Morphin Grid is only a portion of all the magic in the Universe. Every planet, even Earth has its own small amount of magic, but due to the vast quantities of Iron on this world, few humans have enough potential to safely utilise such magic. Those I chose as Rangers were fortunate that they each had a small amount of potential that left them open to the magic of the Grid even though they were immune to the power of their planet." Zordon explained. "I'm certain you realise that Earth is surrounded by lines of natural magic. In places they congregate to form nexus points. Angel Grove is situated on one such Ley Nexus where the magic spread throughout the Universe can manifest. There is a second network of Ley Lines that would allow those with potential to learn the ways of natural magic. I know of only a few places where people are open enough for such power to be seen."
"So wizards and witches are not powered by the Grid," Zack realised.
"That is correct in the case of this planet," Zordon said. "Although for on other worlds witches have learnt to tap the Morphin Grid."
"That is why Rita would never attack an Earth Wizard," Alpha said. "Compared to her powers they are unworthy of the attention."
"When I first picked my Rangers I had a number of requirements," Zordon continued. "Firstly they had to be willing to accept the rules of the Power. There were others on Earth who would have been able to hold the Power, but might have abused the Power. Secondly, they needed to be able to form and act as a team. When I first ordered Alpha to find you, the computer searched for a group of friends. Finally, I required teenagers who had the potential to touch the Grid."
Aisha took the opportunity to ask the question she had been wondering about since the day that she had first become a Ranger. "Zordon, why did you choose teenagers to be Rangers?"
Zordon smiled. He knew the other Rangers had often discussed the issue, but none of them had yet come to the right conclusion. "The first reason is because as I said I needed humans with the potential to touch the Power whose minds were not closed to the possibilities of doing so. In addition it was important that those I selected were old enough to understand the responsibility the role of Ranger entailed. By selecting teenagers I not only fulfilled both of those requirements, but also found a group whose lives would be able to help when needed and not get stuck in other activities."
"To go back to my original point," Zordon said. "The power of the Morphin Grid is divided into light and darkness, just as most magic is polarised to either good or evil. The Light and Dark sides of the Grid are equal and opposite of each other. It is possible for someone with the ability to touch one side of the Grid to also touch the other; to wield the Light just as easily as they do the Darkness. It is the intention of those using the energy that determines where the power comes from."
"So when Tommy was under Rita's spell he drew energy from the Dark side?" Jason asked.
"No," Zordon replied. "Although Rita's spell made him evil, he was still using the Light sided powers through his Power Coin. If he had been truly evil, the Ranger Powers would have left him. Only the Light can create Rangers, the Dark side relies instead on creating outer forms for its users. That is why Lord Zedd looks the way he does."
Zordon noticed that the Rangers were hooked on his every word, but also realised he needed to get to the point if his plan was to succeed before it was too late. "You are all aware that in the past the Rangers have used the Dino, Thunder and Ninja powers. What you may not have known is that these are different versions of the same power, each representing a different aspect of the Power, just as the colour represents the personality of the Ranger."
"Jason and Rocky were suited to the Red colour. Although many assume that red is the colour of the leader, it is mainly the colour that represents a team player. The Red spirits are the Tyrannosaurus, Dragon and Ape. Jason is the Tyrannosaurus, a powerful leader who is able to work with his team. He also tends to tackle his opponents head on Rocky however is a Dragon. As such he was the center, around which the team is formed. Rocky preferred to think things out before attacking."
"Billy was drawn to the Blue colour. Blue represents a creative and powerful mind, not just in terms of knowledge, but also in terms of mental powers. Blue spirits also have a desire to belong although sometimes have difficulty relating to others. The Triceratops, Unicorn and Wolf represent the Blue Powers. Billy is the Wolf aspect of the Blue Power. He prefers to study his enemies and determine their weaknesses before charging in."
"Trini was suited to the Yellow Power. She could have managed either the Sabre-toothed Tiger, Griffin or Bear. As the Yellow Ranger she was the peacemaker, looking out for the weaker members of the team. However like Billy, she prefers to study her problems first and would have been at her best if linked to the Bear."
"Zack and Adam are both natural users of the Black Powers. Both possess a joyful spirit and seek to lighten their team's mood in battle. For Zack this is due to his own personality, but Adam does so because of his shy nature. The Mastodon, Lion and Frog represent the Black Power. Zack is the Lion, a playful and slightly wild spirit, whilst Adam is the more reserved Frog."
"Both Kimberly and Kat were Pink Spirits, the colour of a nursing spirit that is protective of all those around and pure of mind and body. The Pterodactyl, Firebird and Crane all represent the Pink Power. Whilst Kimberly is more likely to think and then act, Kat will study her opponents in the same was as Billy and Trini. That is why Kim excelled as the Firebird and Kat was able to slip into her role as the Crane."
"The White Ranger represents the healer," Zordon explained. "Although Tommy has held the White power, he did so only to access the powers of a Ranger. The White Rangers normally possess a pure spirit and are immune to spells. In addition they can heal their fellow Rangers and possess certain extra mental abilities. The White Powers are represented by the Raptor, Tiger and Falcon."
"Sam and Tommy are both Green Spirits. The Green Power is at the opposite end of the Light side," Zordon explained "Those with a Green Spirit constantly feel the pull of both sides of the Morphin Grid. That is why both Tommy and Sam were able to be place under Rita's spell. The Dragon, Minotaur and Panther represent the Green Power. Sam is Dragon, whereas Tommy is closer to the Light and is therefore the Panther."
Strangely enough Zordon remembered that in the ancient tales of the Power, the Basilisk had been the spirit that represented the Green power. The legends spoke of a battle between the Basilisk and the Minotaur. Eventually the Basilisk had slithered aside on the understanding that those the Minotaur though the Minotaur would represent the majority who held the Green powers at that level, there would always be a few best suited to the Basilisk. Then again the Pink power had at one time been represented by the Fairy and another spirit had once represent the Yellow power. Of course when the Masters had formalised things such nuances of the Power had been forgotten.
"Finally, there is the Purple Spirit. Purple is the colour of unity. Those with the Purple Powers are able to combine the various attributes of the other Rangers and are usually peaceful. They are also skilled warriors. Aisha is a Purple Spirit. The Stegosaurus, Spider and Hawk represent the purple powers."
Zordon looked at his two young students. He knew his lecture had raised many questions in their minds and he intended to answer them.
"I know you have some questions, so allow me to explain. There is a ninth colour, but it is only a legend. It is hidden deep within the Morphin Grid and has never been revealed. I know you will wonder why if there were nine colours there were only ever six Rangers at a time. As I have already mentioned, one of the colours is unknown, but the others are simply related to not having the coins. The Purple Coin was lost, the White Coin was mine to create and I did so only to allow Tommy to become a Ranger again. With the Green Coin in the hands of Rita and then sabotaged, I never got to create a Green Ranger."
~Now for the difficult bit,~ Zordon thought.
Jason had listened to everything Zordon had said. He had asked question when he felt they were necessary and now understood the inside workings of the Ranger Powers. Now he needed to know what Zordon really wanted. "Zordon, why are you telling us this?"
"Although the Grid Warrior transformation is the limit at the moment, there is no reason why you will not be able to exceed that level at a later date. First though, you must be a team," Zordon said. "Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Trini and Billy, you have proven yourselves in the past to be worthy to be Power Rangers; I ask you to resume those roles with immediate effect. Sam, you are already the Green Ranger. I ask you allow us to aid you in restoring your powers to where they should be." He turned to the newcomer to the group. "David, you are as worthy as Tommy to hold the powers of a Ranger. I realise you never wanted to be a Ranger, but ask you use your skills and potential to help us."
David looked at Zordon. Finally, he nodded.
"Thank you, Rangers. Observe the Viewing Globe." The image appeared, showing the eggs Kat had discovered. "These eggs are hyperlock containment units and are currently used to store the Elemental Beasts and must be destroyed. Unfortunately the Zeo Rangers are needed to protect the planet from other threats that will no-doubt distract them and the urgency of the matter means we cannot wait. The eight of you will need to work together to destroy them. Go and may the Power protect you."
"Let's go and find you some equipment," Jason offered as they walked off.
To Zordon this was a signal that things were about to change. The Power Rangers were a step closer to reaching their full potential. Now he just hoped that both teams would be able to complete their missions before time ran out. While he wanted to lie to his Rangers, he had not been entirely honest on a number of points. Most importantly was that despite what researcher had discovered, he felt with all of his being that the Morphin Grid was greater than a mere pool of energy, it was a universal energy force that permeated all existence. Furthermore he believed that all the powers the Rangers had used, be they Morphin, Zeo or Gem Coin, had come from this universal Morphin Grid. And while the colours and animals he had quoted had been correct, there was no reason not to have a Yellow Pterodactyl or a Red Lion. Anything was possible where the Power was concerned.
What Zordon had failed to notice was that during the last few hours, Billy had been moving from one position to the next, manufacturing strange devices and then teleporting between sections of Power Mountain.
Triforia
It had taken weeks for Trey to recover from the injuries he had suffered and then search for Travis. It had then been a matter of waiting while the healing capsule had done its job; the loss of his family was a wound that would take far longer to heal. He knew the damage Terr had done, had been there every step of the way as his world had suffered.
By the time he had arrived, the threat was over and now the people of Triforia would need to set their affairs in order. The cannon would have to be investigated and all planets checked to ensure there were no other surprises hidden there. They would also need to change the laws to allow Trent to rule Triforia in his place.
The queen and his sisters had greeted him tearfully and taken him to his father's grave. It was with a heavy heart he realised that now he was technically the king. He wanted to stay and help his people, but Trey had responsibilities elsewhere. When communications with the rest of the Universe had been established, he had learnt of the new attack on Earth and the loss of their Zords. He needed to get back to help them before it was too late. Still, as he looked at his once beautiful kingdom and thought of how they would make it great once more, at least he was home.
To be Continued
Chapter 14: Race Against Time
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other show. They belong to their respective copyright owners. No money is being made from this piece of writing.
Race Against Time
Earth
The Beast Master had returned to wreck havoc on the Earth. It was his right, one granted to him the day his eyes had seen the smoke-filled skies and had breathed the sulphur rich air. Earth had been a pleasant place to exist back in those times. He had once been overwhelmed and imprisoned in the Earth; his creations reduced to their embryo stage again. And now he was free once more, he would continue with his goal.
He wasn't foolish, far from it although his aggressive nature had a tendency to overcome his intelligence. He knew that his freedom was not due to a conscious wish for him to be free. It had been a necessity for Minion to revive him to tend the Elemental Beasts and ensure they reached maturity. As he looked into the sky he could sense the planet's energy beneath him; the planet had grown powerful during his forced hibernation.
He felt the emotions within the containment units, the natural aggression that made them creatures of destruction. His task was as far as he could tell, very simple. He was to cause as much mayhem on Earth as possible while preventing the planet's defenders from finding them before they had finished reviving. The destruction he planned to spread would be more than enough to distract them.
He sensed the Rangers before they arrived and was ready to blast them the moment they finished teleporting. He had already retrieved the eggs and transported them to a safer location. Now that had received exposure to the climate they required to reach maturity they had been teleported to new nests away from him. Currently he was in Stone Canyon, former home to some of the Rangers and deliberately chosen as a personal swipe at his foes. He had even gone so far as to transform the landscape to suit his needs.
Beast Master knew very little about Rangers, but he had seen enough heroes during his time to predict their actions. In fact he had triumphed over countless teams of heroes regardless of their powers. He had crushed armies and destroyed space navies. If he were to confront Rangers even after his long sleep he knew he would crush, wear out and utterly confuse his foes. So he was confident that regardless of whatever powers the Rangers possessed, they would not get past him. After all, how could he possibly fail?
They were not off to a good start as far as Tommy was concerned. They had been blasted as soon as they had arrived in Stone Canyon. A curtain of magical energy had ensnared them, seriously hindering their progress. Katherine had been the first to recover, the memories of her recent nightmares driving her to destroy the Beast Master and then find the containment vessels before their contents could be released. Rocky followed swiftly, the Blue Gem Coin Ranger recognising the urgency in his comrade's actions. Adam and Tanya didn't rush off immediately, taking their time to ensure that the trap had been disarmed in case help followed later. Tommy allowed himself a smile; the five of them were working as a team despite the lack of the link they normally felt as Zeo Rangers. Constant attacks had rekindled the unity they had felt during their days of fighting Mondo's forces.
"Gem Coin Cycle!" Kat called.
The motorcycles the Rangers had used following the loss of the Zeo Crystal had now been incorporated into their Gem Coin arsenal. Upgraded using the designs intended for Zeo technology and powered through their partial links to the Morphin Grid, the bikes took on the characteristics of the Shark Cycles while retaining the additional abilities Billy had given them.
The other Rangers were in hot pursuit, opening their throttles to catch up to their pink teammate as they cautiously guided their machines down the road to Stone Canyon. They were not expecting an ambush, but they had just been blasted following their teleport and they were aware that the Gem Coin powers did not offer the protection that the Zeo Rangers had enjoyed.
~If only we could get the Zeo Crystal back,~ Tommy thought as he moved forward to spearhead the Rangers' charge into battle. The Gem Coin powers were terribly unstable given that they were dependant upon the remnants of the Zeo power that Zordon had been able to isolate and a mixture of power sources from the Morphin Grid.
He flicked a switch on his handlebars as they approached the area where they had traced the demon. His speed dropped as the powerful engine of his machine switched to quiet running. Up ahead he could almost sense something blocking their path. He slowed and waited for the others to catch up, while trying to get a good view of whatever it was that blocking their way.
"Rocko?" he asked.
"Power Scan, running," Rocky replied.
Before they had been dispatched for this task, and since their powers were partially Grid based, Alpha and Zordon had managed to install some of the helmet functions they had planned to give the Ninja Rangers. In Rocky's case that was a set of sensors built into the helmet that allowed him to detect energy waves and enhance his audio and visual capabilities. At the moment his sensors remained blank due to what he assumed was interference, but when he saw what his visual sensors revealed, he had to do a double take.
"Oh no," he whispered.
He quickly transferred the image to the other Rangers, which received a gasp from Adam. They had grown up in Stone Canyon before moving to Angel Grove. The sight that greeted them did not bode well for their former home.
When Minion's WD Units had swarmed through North Valley, large portions of the population had been turned over to one of his allies as a reward. The Beast Master had discovered the few survivors and transformed them into his own army.
In his hand he held the small, almost invisible larvae of a Cerebral Fly. The creatures were not truly evil, but their actions had led to several attempts to exterminate them. In truth these larvae would never develop fully, if they managed to defeat the Rangers, the Beast Master would destroy them himself. However, during their development the larvae could control a host creature and use it as a body. That is what he had in mind.
He placed one creature on the head of each human and watched as they found their way into either the tear duct, nose, ear canal or oral cavity. From there they started to secrete enzymes to alter the subject's body and at that point, Beast Master intervened and took control of the victims himself, turning them into monsters.
Rocky could tell from what was left of their faces that they were or had once been human. Their bodies had undergone some sort of forced mutation, the bones pushed through the skin in some places to protrude as sharp spikes. Some kind of thick fungus covered the upper body, forming what he could only assume was armour; the face was covered with a similar growth although the eyes were shielded by a thin membrane.
"Zordon, how do we fight these things?" Tommy asked.
In the past, at least part of the Rangers' fighting ability had come from their link to the Power. In the recent past the Rangers had relied on the strategic input of Zordon, Jason and now Billy to help them.
"I recommend a forward battery without considering the sentimental implications," Billy answered.
He was right, if they were to free the people they needed to get to the one who had enslaved them first. They would not try to kill them, but they would have to be forceful.
"Rangers, you need to hurry," Zordon added. "The longer the Beast Master remains in control of their minds, the stronger their control will become."
Spurred on by their mentor's words and the sight of several Putties that Rita had decided to send down as yet another attempt to capitalise on Minion's scheme, the Rangers rode into battle. Tommy twisted his handlebars, causing the bike to slide into his opponents as the Rangers ditched their vehicles and attacked.
Tommy smiled as he leapt into the throng of Putties, smiling as they tried to circle him, as if that would give them a chance. That was one thing about Rita's old foot soldiers he could rely on, they were dumb. Unable to enjoy the thrill of battle, Tommy tore into the opponents with his weapon. The sabre he held performed admirably although he missed the Zeo V Power Sword, and the Putties had soon been reduced to dust. He didn't have time to rest though and ran towards the nest where the Beast Master was waiting.
Kat, Tanya, Adam and Rocky were forced to face eight of the Beast Master's sinister creations. At first they tried hand-to-hand combat, but when they discovered how strong the creatures were they were forced to use their weapons. Zordon had allowed them limited access to the Power Weapons they had used during their time as Dino Rangers. When the Rangers had linked the Gem Coins to the Morphin Grid, Zordon had been able to retrieve the weapons. In addition each carried one of the small hand-held blasters they had dubbed Gem Coin Blasters. Even so they were in for a shock when they tried to knock the creatures out of their path. They still had no idea how to fight them and so far their weapons seemed ineffective against the organic armour.
Rocky swiftly discovered that the creatures had a sting of their own in the form of a snakelike animal mounted on their arms. His sword moved just in time to block the snake, but failed to slice through the weapon, which was almost as impervious as the creature was. He was briefly aware of a second creature moving in from behind and instinctively shifted position. He tried to spin kick one of his attackers, but the creature caught his foot while the other nailed him with a large fist. Hanging upside down he tried desperately to think of a way out.
Kat had tried using her bow, but the arrows just bounced harmlessly off the armour. However, her attempts to smash the creatures over the head with her bow had at least slowed them. She had been trying to keep both of her opponents in front of her, but when she felt a sharp jolt in the back of her neck she knew she had failed.
Adam had noticed when they arrived just how battered the street had become, but he was also the only Ranger who noticed the possibilities. So it was that he led two of the creatures on a chase through the cracked concrete, burning cars, fallen street lamps and damaged furniture. His eyes were constantly moving as he scanned the area for anything he could use. His strategy seemed to pay off as he used a heat cartridge in his Gem Coin Blaster to melt the asphalt sidewalk, transforming it into large-scale flypaper. He was aware of the other creature moving in, but was concentrating on taking out his first target before it could strike. He summoned his axe and converted it to cannon mode. His shot ripped under the street, punctured a gas line and blew the trapped creature away. Then he turned to face the second creature.
Tanya's daggers had found a weakness, a spot of fleshy skin under the armpit. She had discovered the weakness by accident when she had been jabbing at various spots. When she tore the daggers free, the armour surrounding the chest was also wrenched open. A strong kick to the exposed flesh put the creature down and she turned to face its partner.
Rocky struggled to keep hold of the sword and after managing to grab it with both hands, drove it into his assailant's foot. The creature obviously felt the pain since it immediately released the hold and Rocky was able to roll away. It did not make a sound though and after the sword had been removed it joined its partner in attacking him.
With Tanya's discovery in mind the Rangers aimed for any body part or limb that was not clearly armoured. The creatures' snake weapons still posed a threat though and Rocky spent his time pinned down by their assault. With an up-front assault failing he followed Adam's example and ran.
The two creatures sensed fear and the possibility of an easy kill. They followed Rocky without thought, not even stopping when he reached one of the burning cars and started fiddling with the aerial. The already injured creature charged forward as the Ranger loosened the clip and the spring load aerial extended through the creature's throat.
Adam was having problems with his second opponent because unlike Rita and Zedd's monsters, it lacked a set pattern of attack. It had seen how he had damaged another of its number and had chosen a more direct approach. That in turn had put Adam on the defensive, and since the axe was cumbersome at close range, he was at the disadvantage. He barely managed to shift his weight as the creature lunged for him, its fanged weapon sweeping towards his neck. There was a flash of silver as something chopped the snake's head off. He looked over to where Rocky was once again battling, having taken the time to throw a hubcap at the snake.
The Moon
Lord Zedd was furious as he tried to keep track of the events on Earth and elsewhere. The problem as far as he could tell, was that the so-called threat had too many factors in operation and lacked guidance for those individual pieces to work together to see things through successfully. From his observations Zedd could tell that the Beast Master was an excellent general and had shown true potential by creating those creatures. But he was not taking advantage of their superiority over the Rangers, and had chosen to wait for them to show up.
Zedd had been jealous of course that Minion, a simple monster at best, was powerful enough to ignore the orders of the mighty Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa, both of whom had in their time amassed vast empires. In short Minion had become too powerful.
Tommy gripped his sword tightly, relishing the familiar feeling that flowed through him once more. He missed his days as the White Ranger, the symbol of all that was good and of course the perfect warrior to face Lord Zedd and later his wife Rita. But those days were gone and instead of representing the purity of the power, Tommy had been forced to wear the blood red of a field commander. Although this sword was not Saba, it was shaped the same and felt the same in his hand.
The Beast Master crouched and then launched himself at the Ranger as their battle continued. Tommy parried and dodged the blows; eventually landing a sharp kick that made the demon back away from him. Beast Master shook his head and pulled himself to his feet, reaching his imposing height as he loomed over the Red Ranger. Tendrils of lightning left the villain's hand and poured over the unfortunate Ranger, causing pain he had not felt since the time he had gone to retrieve the Zeo Crystal. More bolts of energy, this time magic forced the younger fighter off his feet, his face a mask of agony.
Tommy rolled out of the way of one bolt and jumped in the air, his sabre aimed straight at Beast Master's head. The red-faced villain intercepted the blow, catching the blade on his open palm. For a moment they remained in that position until gravity kicked in and Tommy fell painfully onto his butt. Not for the first time Tommy wondered what he had gotten himself into, Beast Master's height and power were things the Red Zeo Ranger could not match.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Tommy!" Alpha cried. He had been watching the Rangers on the Viewing Globe with Zordon.
Zordon looked at the data constantly, trying to find some error in the reports. According to the sensors Beast Master was far more powerful than the average monster and almost approached Zedd in terms of raw energy. He had encountered a similar sort of creature before, a near demon by the name of Ivan Ooze. It made him shudder to think how powerful the forces were that had trapped him in the first place. Or worse still how great the force must have been to release him again.
"It is as I feared," Zordon said. "Beast Master is a powerful morphological being, almost a demon in his own right."
"The Rangers are pinned down and Tommy cannot get passed Beast Master. What do we do Zordon?"
"You must have faith Alpha," Zordon said as he watched Kat destroy her second opponent and rush to help Tanya, "The Rangers are the world's only hope. While they battle Beast Master and his forces we must hope that Jason and the others can destroy the capsules. I suggest you prepare the Zords for deployment, just in case."
Alpha sighed in agreement, leaving to work on the controls while Zordon looked on. Tanya had already destroyed her opponent by the time Kat arrived. Adam and Rocky had drawn their opponents together and had advanced from both sides with their small blades. The weapons pierced the weak points that Tanya had discovered and the last of the creatures collapsed to the ground.
"Hurry Rangers," Alpha found himself saying as he saw them run to where the Beast Master and Tommy were fighting.
There was a bright flash that clouded the Viewing Globe. When the image cleared the Rangers had stopped moving; Tommy and Beast Master had vanished from view.
Tommy looked down at himself and was relieved to find he was still morphed. He knew that sometimes moving to an alternate dimension had the effect of cancelling out Ranger powers. Especially given the severe pain he had felt just moments before Beast Master had transported them. With the swift check of his body parts out of the way he took a moment to observe his surroundings. It seemed he was in some kind of cave, sealed from all sides. Stalactites and stalagmites decorated the large abode while light from an unknown source brightly lit the area. There was a fog covering the rocky floor.
Over by the far wall Beast Master stood waiting, a crystal ball in his hand that seemed to capture his attention more than the Ranger opposite.
Beast Master smiled wickedly. "Welcome to my private dimension, Red Ranger. Minion was most gracious to allow me to bring you here. Make yourself at home, for you will soon become a permanent fixture."
Tommy responded with a small laugh. "You're wrong. My friends will get me out of here, but hopefully not before I finish kicking your sorry butt."
Beast Master chuckled coldly, his yellow eyes staring deep into Tommy's soul. "I would very much like to see you do that, Ranger, but I fear you are terribly mistaken. You will die a slow and painful death. And as for your friends, I have already captured them. When I finish you, they will also fall before me."
"You will not win Beast Master, good will prevail!" Tommy shouted.
"Oh please," Beast Master chuckled. "You are spouting empty rhetoric. Good might one day prevail, but you will be gone a long time before it happens."
"We'll see about that," Tommy cried, summoning his sword and charging his opponent.
Beast Master raised an eyebrow as the Ranger approached and calmly batted the sword aside. He laughed as Tommy tried repeatedly to strike him, successfully blocking each blow and then sweeping the Red Ranger's feet out from under him.
"I was warned long ago not to take my opponent's abilities lightly Tommy, but from what I've seen I'm surprised you've lasted so long." He chuckled again. "I will give you a chance, Tommy. Hundreds of years trapped in the torment of eternal sleep without entertainment means that even fighting you could prove slightly entertaining."
His foot connected with Tommy's stomach, sending the teen sprawling. But the Red Ranger was still a force to be reckoned with. Taking a running leap, he smashed both feet into Beast Master's chest. The demon flew backwards to the ground. He responded by jabbing at Tommy with his right fist. The Red Ranger somersaulted backwards, keeping his distance. Beast Master had not had a fight in over nine hundred years, yet he moved with the agility of a well-trained fighter.
They traded blow for blow, neither one scoring any damaging blows. It seemed to be a stalemate. But not for long, Tommy knew Beast Master was trying to tire him out. He was only human and from what he could tell the demon was holding back. And of course, at over eight feet tall Beast Master had a greater reach.
~The question,~ Tommy thought to himself as he swiftly ducked a boot to the head, ~is can I last long enough to escape?~
Tommy powered up for a punch, but Beast Master surprised him by grabbing his wrist and snapping it. The Red Ranger cried out in pain as Beast Master threw him to the ground, but the leader of the Rangers staggered to his feet.
"You're a persistent child, aren't you?" Beast Master asked, launching himself at Tommy again. Tommy swept the floor with his foot, but Beast Master somersaulted over the extended limb and slammed a foot into Tommy's helmet, piercing the faceplate and almost breaking the boy's nose. Bleeding and sore, Tommy backed up against the stone wall. Beast Master wasn't even sweating. Once again Tommy realised the demon was simply playing with him.
The villain back flipped away as Tommy tried to rise. The Red Ranger struggled to his feet yet again.
Beast Master appeared to be in deep thought. He dropped his fighting stance. "You know, Tommy… I never noticed in all the time I spent watching this pitiful planet how much punishment you can take. Amazing. Your predecessor would have fallen by now. Perhaps you are stronger than I thought, or perhaps Jason was just smarter."
Tommy's bloodshot eyes were locked onto Beast Master's as he leaned on a rock and continued to talk. "I've been thinking. It's no big secret why Rita chose you to be her Green Ranger. You're a warrior, plain and simple. A human war machine; I find it… most interesting."
"G - get to the point, Beast Master." Tommy said in between gasps of air.
"Join me," the demon offered.
"You've GOT to be kidding." Tommy laughed. "Me, join you, and destroy my own world? Never!"
Beast Master laughed. "I'll make you a deal. I'll share my powers with you; together we can destroy the Elemental Beasts. You can save your world, your life and your friends, but you must join me!"
Tommy dropped his fighting stance hesitantly.
"With my brains and your brawn, Oliver, we'll be unstoppable! Join me!"
His words were starting to have an effect. Tommy was seriously questioning himself. A bit longer and maybe Beast Master would be able to present Minion with a new servant.
Tommy shook his head. "No. Villains don't keep their words, and I have no reason to trust you. I will never join you, Beast Master. Not now, not in a thousand years. You'd destroy the Earth anyway."
Beast Master growled. The cave began to shake, and rocks began tumbling down. "You have made a very big mistake, Tommy." And with that he raised his hand. A ball of energy pulsed once, and then swallowed Beast Master into a vortex of energy, which sealed up immediately afterward.
Suddenly the cave shook. Tommy steadied himself as the quake stopped. Then it happened again… and again. As Tommy's eyes widened in horror, he saw the walls move in ever so slightly. He saw what Beast Master had planned: the cavern walls were closing in! The cave was shrinking… and he was going to be impaled by the sharp rocks!
Tommy fell to the floor as the cave shook violently. He rolled to the side as a wickedly sharp stone fell from the ceiling, slashing his arm. He was grateful it was just nicked and not cut off. Still, the sting of pain was terrible. Dark red blood spurted from the wound as the cave contracted again, bringing the walls even closer. Tommy was about to be crushed.
"Aw man, I need a way out of here!" he said out loud.
When Beast Master reappeared in Stone Canyon, the spell on the remaining Rangers was broken. They looked around, confused by what had happened until they noticed Beast Master.
"Where's Tommy?" Rocky demanded.
Beast Master just laughed. "Your friend is suffering the side effects of a crushing defeat. I wouldn't worry about him, you'll be joining him soon enough."
Adam cried out in pain as the demon slammed a fist into his chest. Beast Master had moved so quickly that the unfortunate Ranger had been unable to follow him. He clawed at the red skinned monster that was grabbing his throat with both of its powerful hands. He lifted the Green Ranger up into the air and threw him at across the street into a parked car. With a sinister smile he raked his fingers over Adam's chest, ripping the fabric of his costume and drawing a thin trail of blood.
In truth, the demon was having the time of his life with the other four Rangers. Tommy had been fun, but one on one there was only so many times he could hurt somebody. His old powers were returning and the longer he stayed outside of the underground chamber, the more powerful he became. He opened his mouth and a spray of venom went flying at Tanya, eating through her uniform. She gave a shrill shriek and fell back. Rocky and Kat tried to double-team him, using their Gem Coin Blasters, but he just laughed, placed a hand on his eyes and then pointed his hand at the two. Multicoloured fireballs flew from his hand and eyes, striking the Blue and Pink Rangers.
Adam recovered, pulled out his side arm and took aim, but Beast Master just waved in Adam's direction. As the Rangers watched in surprise, pink tentacles of energy burst from under his feet, wrapping around his waist, feet and hands, lifting him into the air. Another one slapped the weapon from the Green Ranger's grip. The Green Ranger, struggling with the writhing tentacles, was effectively immobilised.
Kat lifted her Power Bow, intending to sever the energy tentacles. But Beast Master saw her move, and spat another jet of acid at her, striking the weapon. It melted the arrows to slag. He pointed his finger at her, and a blast struck her in the chest. She cried out and staggered back. Beast Master pointed at the ground, and as Kat watched in pure disbelief, the asphalt under her feet turned to quicksand. Her feet sank, trapping her. Katherine screamed and tried to surface, but the road-turned-quicksand pit slowly but surely began to drag her down.
Rocky lifted his Gem Coin Blaster and got Beast Master in his sights. Pressing the trigger, he sent a blast of electrical energy flying towards the enemy. But the demon's senses had greatly increased and he swung his arm at the energy, striking it like a batter would strike a baseball, and sent it straight back at Rocky. The blast tore the weapon from Rocky's hands.
Rocky looked up into the face of his opponent. Beast Master allowed himself a smile and winked at the Blue Ranger, laughing as the teen's uniform caught fire. Rocky only screamed for a moment before he passed out and demorphed, the fire extinguishing along with his powers.
"Ouch!" Tommy complained as he punched the walls.
With no other option he tried to force his way out. He had noticed a small glimmer of light through a crack in the roof. He had hoped it was the entrance to the dimension, but couldn't reach it. He thought through his options and was left with only one real choice. He hoped Alpha had been able to include it with their helmet upgrades.
"Metallic Armour, power up!"
The colour of Tommy's uniform changed from red to white as the defence system was energised. The outer layer of his suit was covered in metal bubbles to prevent damage. He focussed on the rocks and started to punch his way through. Progress was slow, but at least his hands didn't hurt. Eventually he reached a point where he could be sucked out of the dimension.
"What is that?" Beast Master asked as a high-pitched whistle filled the air.
He turned in time to be hit by the sudden flash of energy as Tommy drew all he could manage from the Morphin Grid and discharged it through his hands. Beast Master was hit and stumbled back as the other Rangers were released from their entrapment. The others added their own power to Tommy's wave of power, each aiming for a different part of the demon's body. As tall and powerful as he was, Beast Master could not remain standing without his legs. With a sudden surge they sent him to the ground.
But Beast Master was not about to lose his freedom after only recently gaining his freedom. He used his powers to grow to his full size and then started stomping on the ground below. Soon the Rangers were desperately dodging Beast Master's massive feet.
"Enough!" Tommy cried before calling out: "Ninja Zords, activate!" He was even more relieved to hear four other voices make the same call. That meant they had all recovered.
"Let's do it guys," Zeo Falcon called. He flew his Zord into range of the others. "Okay, insert Gem Coins, now!"
"Ninja sequence initiated. Wolf remote, online" flashed in front of his visor.
Zeo Falcon read the message displayed and smiled, pleased that once again the sequence had at least started. With his Gem Coin in place Zeo Falcon pressed the commit button and let the Gestalt System take control.
The arms and legs of the Ape detached from the body, the legs of the Bear split away from the body and legs and head of the Wolf retracted into the Zord's body. The bodies of the Ape, Bear and Wolf joined together to form the upper torso and arms of the Megazord. The legs of the Ape merged and connected to the base of the upper torso to complete the main body.
Meanwhile the Frog had transformed into a pair of legs, joining with the Bear's legs, which had transformed to make two feet, to form the lower body. The arms of the Ape had converted into fists, which connected to the arms.
Finally the body and arms merged with the legs, allowing the Falcon Zord to clip onto the back and the Crane to slide into place as the head. As with the previous Megazords, the Rangers were all grouped together in a single control room.
"Activate Power Sword," Red Ranger ordered. Although in its first outing the Ninja had lacked a Power Sword, Billy and Alpha had subsequently managed to build one that while not powerful as previous versions, had some cutting ability.
"A sword?" Beast Master asked mockingly. "I expected so much more of you."
He spat at the mighty Zord, his acidic saliva burning a hole in the robot's foot. He raised his hand, pulling the battered streetlights off the ground with his magic. As he opened his hand, the posts were thrown towards the huge machine.
The Ninja struggled to remove the metal posts from its limbs. While it was distracted, Beast Master attacked, clutching a heavy 'I' bar. His swing knocked the machine off balance and it was only through sheer determination on the part of the Rangers that they managed to remain upright when a second blow almost dislodged its head. Rocky took control of the Power Sword and managed to connect with the bar on its next strike, resulting in a shower of sparks and the removal of a slice of metal from the end.
Beast Master smirked and poured some of his magic into the 'I' bar. When it connected with the Megazord's left arm, the robot was forced backwards by the energy.
"Full power to the sword," Tommy ordered as he deactivated the safety protocol and allowed the body of the Ninja to act as a massive energy conductor.
The Power Sword was energised by the time Beast Master pressed the attack and was able to successfully parry each blow. Beast Master got tired of playing fair and spat at the sword. The acid ate through the blade, but he had no time to gloat as the Ninja had linked its hands together to deliver a double axe-handle blow to the demon's face. A quick spin kick took advantage as a strong shoulder block took him down.
The Ninja moved in close, allowing Beast Master to grab it in a bear hug, his body suddenly expanding to apply more pressure. The machine struggled in the villain's grasp as its back started to crack.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Tanya declared as she took control of the legs and drove the left knee into Beast Master's groin.
The demon let go for just a second, but that was long enough. The Ninja staggered the villain with a flurry of punches and a drop kick. As Beast Master was shaking off the attack, his opponent struck him with a powerful head butt.
"Zordon, we need Titanos," Tommy called.
"On his way Rangers," Alpha replied.
The silvery mass of Titanos made its way through the damaged streets of Stone Canyon. This was not Titanus, the huge mechanical dinosaur that had aided both the Dino and Ninja Rangers of Earth. The Rangers had used that machine on a previous occasion and had found the interface had damaged both machines. This was a copy of the powerful machine crafted by Billy Cranston and intended for his friends the Aquitian Rangers. Billy had tried to sculpt Titanos, as closely to the original as possible, and except for a difference in the quality of the armour and the shade of his colouring, it was hard to tell the two apart.
"Ninja Ultrazord, power up!" the Rangers called.
Titanos's head and neck dropped forward, its sides opened to reveal a cannon on either side and a platform appeared inside the vacant space. The Ninja MegaFalconzord took to the air and landed on the platform, the head and neck returned to their normal position as it did so. The arms of the Zord detached as the wings of the Falcon folded around so that its rocket launchers were pointing forward. Then the arms reattached.
"Lock on!"
The powerful wheels mounted under the Ultrazord moved it into position so that the weapon systems could lock onto the demon. A loud buzz indicated they were in range.
"Fire!"
The entire arsenal of the Ultrazord struck Beast Master, causing the villain to scream before his body was thrown into the air where he remained suspended b the energy. Then the attack ended and he plummeted back to the ground. His body cracked, the evil spirit contained within desperate to get away. He coughed violently, spewing up a small orb that was lost under his falling body.
"Hit him again!" Tommy ordered. "Fire!"
This time Beast Master was destroyed.
Power Chamber
The Rangers had left Stone Canyon as soon as they realised they had won. Their task was far from over and was now looking all the more difficult since Jason's team had not reported in. The Zords had been repaired and their powers had been placed on charge ready for what was to come.
Stone Canyon had almost returned to normal. The damage Beast Master had caused was restored to normal, but the humans he had killed could not be revived. That in some ways made the job more difficult. The Rangers would never get used to the idea that not everyone survived a monster attack. The death toll was becoming higher with each battle and now if Elemental Beasts were loose, the Rangers were all a little worried about what was to come next.
Adam's father, Detective Park had arrived at work having received an anonymous tip concerning the attack. He and his staff had spent the time making plans for emergency shelters. Zordon had passed information that revealed that the Elemental Beasts would head for Angel Grove first, drawn by the Ley Nexus in Angel Grove Park. In the end they had done all that they could and returned home. Rocky had put it best when he said all they could do was hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Zordon and Alpha had refused to allow the Rangers near the computer, stating that a distraction could cost Jason's team dearly. In the end he sent them home to change and report back ready for further action.
As they teleported away, Alpha and Zordon went to work on the Zords. Not only would they oversee the repairs to the Ninja. They hoped that combined with the Gem Coin Zords, their arsenal would prove sufficient.
They would receive their answer when Jason and his team returned.
In the old abandoned warehouse just outside of Angel Grove, new occupants had moved in. The building had always seemed ominous to those who tried to approach it, perhaps explaining why it had failed to make a profit for any of the entrepreneurs who had tried to lease out the space. But now, the building had a definable air of evil about it. Not the usual kind, more of the incompetent sort.
Jas tightened the bandage, a little harder then necessary, on Roma's arm. She tried to wrap it around as gently as she could, but her laughter kept making her hands jerk about.
"Dammit Jas, not so tight!" Roma said through clenched teeth, "And stop laughing, it ain't funny."
Jas and Roma were sitting on a makeshift couch in what used to be an office. When the four of them arrived on Earth, Rita and Zedd had given them the warehouse, stating that humans were too scared to take it from them. Of course they had to spice it up a bit. With various weapons hanging on the walls, some furniture here and there, and of course a nice cosy fireplace.
On the other side of the room, bandaging himself on his own couch was Dwanin, who didn't look nearly as bad as Roma but was banged up in a similar way. On the wall above his head were the remains of Boogah. Jas had not been pleased when she had discovered the theft of her precious scythe. She had swiftly ensured that Boogah was sent to a new home: the afterlife.
"You're right Roma it's not funny," Jas said seriously, but then a sneaky smile escaped on her lips, "It's freakin hilarious!" She laughed if possible harder then before. Barely getting a hold of her self she turned to Dwanin, her laughter still bubbling in her voice as she spoke, "I can't believe all three of ya'll got the stuffing knocked out of you by a seven-year-old."
"He was seventeen! Not seven, seventeen!" Dwanin corrected hotly. "And he had help."
Roma shot an evil glare at Dwanin that didn't go by unnoticed just for talking. Jas just continued laughing, taking out some peroxide and dabbing it on a towel.
It was a real surprise to say the least for Dwanin when Roma had managed to follow his fellow Packspawn home, alive. After Boogah had quickly grabbed Dwanin, the two flame-travelled their way back to their home. Regardless their strict codes of Packspawn loyalty to one another, they still went by there own code that was famous for all those like them everywhere: Every man for themselves!
Both of them were quite certain that their dear leader hadn't made it out. Needless to say though, their mourning for him didn't last very long. In fact, Boogah in particular wasn't at all upset. He was so certain that Roma was dead that he and Dwanin decided to go brag about it to Jas.
Boogah and Dwanin barged into their chamber, where they found Jas carefully cleaning one of her favourite riffles. "Hey Jas, guess what!" Boogah had said excitedly. Jas simply nodded, letting him know she was listening. "I'm going to be the new leader!"
Jas turned her head slightly, still polishing her gun with a cloth, "Really," she said lazily, "I could've sworn that this little dude named Roma still was."
Dwanin chuckled as he sat himself on a couch, "Not anymore he ain't. Nor's Boogah when yo finds out what he did."
"Uh" Boogah had ignored the comment, hoping Jas would too and had sat next to Dwanin, kicking his feet on the coffee table, "After what happened to him, he ain't never comin back… So" He clapped his hands together and sat up straight, confident that now that Roma was gone, Jas was finally his and his only, "My first act as new commander is that you Jas," he licked his lips, "Fix up some of my war wounds, slowly and… sexily."
Jas shook her head and went back to what she was doing, not at all impressed with Boogah's assumptions of Roma's death. Why was it that Boogah in particular always forgot that one small detail about a Packspawn? "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you," she said mysteriously.
Boogah's look of superiority and triumph faded slightly at Jas's comment. He felt unnerved by it. He covered it up though, by asking curiously, "Why is that?"
Boogah never saw the blade as it tore into his skin, shredding his organs as it did so. But as painful as that seemed, the mere act could not account for the inhuman scream. "Because yo stole from me," she growled. "Besides, he'll be back, believe me. Just a shame you won't be," she added with a sort of evil smile. And right she was, because as soon as those words were said, a deafening cry sounded throughout the warehouse as Boogah was consumed by the holy water she had placed on the blade.
"Boogah! Dwanin!" A familiar voice yelled, reverberating around the walls. "YOU LEFT ME! JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"
Dwanin jumped up and looked at Jas, hardly noticing his former comrade's remains dripping down his leg - fear crawling deep into his skin. "Uh oh," he said.
That one small thing that Boogah had forgotten was the fact that all Packspawns were practically immortal. In other words, it would take a hell of a lot more than an explosion to kill them. Holy water was another matter, but an explosion had no chance. Especially when the Packspawn in question was Roma.
Roma had survived, although he didn't return unharmed, quite the contrary. He was severed vertically in half and burnt to a crisp. He came in with his body smoking and soaking wet, half of him dragging the other half by the tail.
And now here they were, Roma annoyed at his comrades and furious that he could not punish Boogah for his stupidity, Jas in hysterics after Roma told her what happened, Dwanin so scared of Roma that he felt the urge to wet himself every time he even dared to glance in his comrade's direction, and Boogah of course had by now shrivelled to a fraction of his former size and had been used for target practice. Death would not save his body from punishment, even if it did rob Roma of those delightful screams.
"Oh, oh my mistake," Jas continued, "so ya'll got your butt whooped by a teenager." She slapped the towel onto Roma's torso. He hissed in pain as the liquid came in contact with his cut.
"No, no you don't understand Jas these Rangers are crazy!" Dwanin tried to defend frantically. "You should've seen em. They just changed clothes and bam, it was all over and they wer jumpin around on the walls all over ta place like a… like a little monkey or somethin!" he gestured what he meant with his arm. Not a very good idea since both of them were practically detachable and the slightest move made a sickening crack. His eyes watered in pain as he numbly set them down at the side. "Ouch!" he screamed gasping.
Jas rolled her eyes. She put the peroxide away. Anywhere else in the galaxy the wounds would have healed magically, but not on Earth. "Quit being a pansy and suck it up."
"As much as I hate to say it, Dwanin has a point," Roma said with his teeth still clenched tightly. They couldn't tell if it was because he didn't want to admit it or if he was still recovering from the peroxide.
Dwanin stuck his tongue out at Jas, glad that Roma had agreed with him. She retaliated by taking a step towards him. He flinched back, fearing that she was about to hit him. That was all the response Jas wanted as she sat back down satisfied. "Punk."
Roma continued, "Those kids can't be all human. They's way too powerful, I could feel it." Dwanin nodded in agreement.
Jas snorted. She had to say it; it was just too easy, "Yeah, you could feel his foot right up yo butt."
Roma glowered at her with utter menace, "Will you just cut the wise cracks already!"
Jas put up a peace sign, "Okay, okay. I'm done." She dumped the rest of the blood soaked towels into a wastebasket beside them and put the Band-Aids back in the first aid kit. "Seriously yo, I could understand those two morons getting their backsides whooped by a grandma in a wheel chair, let alone a teenager," she said, jerking her thumb in Dwanin's direction.
Dwanin sat up. "Hey!" His arms flailed about, in a sorry attempt to look intimidating. But with his burnt up backward hat and two limp arms he looked far from it.
Jas calmly picked up her rifle off of the floor and pointed it at Dwanin. He immediately froze into place. "I'm callin you a moron, got a problem with that?" Jas smirked when Dwanin furiously shook his head no. Just because they couldn't die, didn't mean bullets didn't hurt, especially at close range! "Good, now go sit down before I use you as target practice like I did Boogah" Dwanin didn't need to be told twice. With a quick gulp he scurried back to his side of the room.
Jas turned back to Roma, "As I was saying, how did you get beat so bad? I mean if you weren't immortal you'd probably be looking a hell of a lot worse then this."
"It was all Boogah's fault anyway," Roma accused rashly, "I had everything under control until he came in with that scythe of yours. Yo know how it's cursed so only you can use it and triumph."
"It is?" Dwanin asked flabbergasted and flinching as he did so. He was carefully wrapping his tail with a special fireproof Band-Aid, and the slightest move could make it even more painful. "If Jas locked her storeroom I would never have taken it and we wouldn't be in this mess."
Roma stood up and stretched a bit, his tail swishing behind him. "Well we can't do anything about what happened before, but I do have a plan to get them back," he pounded his fist in his hand, "hit them where it hurts most."
This got Dwanin's attention. Knowing Roma his plan was most likely going to involve plenty of violence and torture, something that he would love to do to those stupid kids. They sat up straight, waiting for Roma to go into further detail of his idea. And Roma would've continued, that is if Jas hadn't beaten him to it.
"What makes you think Zedd will let you help him again," Jas said with little interest in the subject, most of her attention on polishing her gun.
Roma made a noise, his arms folded across his chest, "You really think I give a damn about what that chrome face says?"
Jas shrugged, "No. I'm just sayin that he wants those humans destroyed and yo boys are a liability." She trailed off, conjuring up a mirror with a flick of her hand and a flash of red light. She sat her gun beside her on the couch and used the towel to polish her horns instead.
Roma seemed to consider this, "Yeah I see where you're headed, but that Zack kid pulled my tail. It's personal now, and if he ends up dead in the process then what can I say," he turned back to Dwanin, "Come on ya'll, we need to make some preparations first."
The Packspawn got up, rubbing his hands together as best he could in excitement, "Ooooh preparations! Sounds good to me."
A quick glare from Roma shut down Dwanin's eagerness. Roma wanted nothing more then to backhand him into next week, but damn it, that wasn't a good enough reason! Apparently he was still feeling angry with him for abandoning him like that. Every time Dwanin would say something, even when it wasn't stupid - although it was most of the time - he wanted to just strangle him until his face turned blue and his lungs collapsed. He cleared those thoughts from his mind, for now, and concentrated on something else. Jas had taken out a metal filer from her pocket and was now scraping it against her horns, "hey, you comin Jas or what?"
"Nah," Jas said, looking at them through her mirror. "I've still gotta customise some weapons," she said with less enthusiasm then she normally would when it came to this subject.
Roma shrugged, "Suit yourself, let's go ya'll." Roma and Dwanin left the room, all the while Roma muttering something like, "First, we're going to need to use those egg things they were after as bait, then when those brats appear… pow!" some more silent mumbling and then, "Of course I know where they are, we placed a tracking spell on Trini remember?"
Jas watched them leave before returning to her private chamber, sighing happily as she shut the door. Beating the tar out of Boogah always seemed to lighten her mood. Maybe she would go take a nice hot bath before fixing up that damn scythe. Repairing it would be a snap, but was just something she didn't have the patience for right now. Yeah, she'd do it later; it was always easier to work after she had taken a bath.
After visiting Billy's storeroom - an experience they would not forget in a hurry - to allow Trini, Kimberly, Zack, David and Aisha to find some weapons, the Grid Warriors had teleported to an area just outside of New York City. Billy had taken a little longer teleporting and when asked he told them he had been making a few last minute arrangements.
"Now where?" Zack asked.
Billy pulled a device from the inside of his trench coat, and after pressing a few buttons he pointed towards some trees before setting off at a brisk pace. The others followed, noticing as they continued that the wooded area was the result of magic rather than nature. For one thing the plants were deformed, but more telling was the concrete beneath their feet. While the trees were tall enough to be considered over a century old, the concrete had been laid recently.
They followed Billy for some time before he came to a stop. The temperature had dropped unnaturally low and the trail he had been following seemed to disappear. He looked at the device again and was ready to set off, but Trini held him back and signalled for the others to remain silent.
Ahead of them they could hear movement and the unmistakable sounds of Putties patrolling the area. Jason cursed; somehow Zedd and Rita had found the location before them.
"There's a way around, but it would delay our arrival," Billy stated. "We cannot afford to waste the time."
Jason nodded. He wasn't keen to go rushing into danger without knowing the odds. On the other hand if it was only Putties, they had a chance.
"We'll split up," he said after some thought. "Billy, Zack, David and Aisha try to go around. The rest of us will try to cut through the center."
"Right!" the others answered before splitting off as directed.
"Try not to power up," he instructed as they left before leading his group down the trail.
The dark trees seemed to reach out; suddenly they rounded a bend and stopped dead. Hanging from the tree were two hikers, both hung by their necks from the branches of the tree directly across the trail.
"Oh no," Trini averted her eyes but Sam looked the hikers over carefully. From their packs they must have been hiking for a few days, and both were clean so they had bathed. And looking at their packs… there seemed to be necessary supplies missing. Aisha was examining the ground. Jason and Sam knelt beside her while Trini remained standing, eyes alert for signs of an attack.
"See there? There was a large group of hikers, some of them were killed here, and the others were taken prisoner." Sam pointed to drag marks and signs of a scuffle, Jason nodded in agreement. Jason hurried on, a sudden chill made them all halt, the wind whipped fiercely.
"Something's out there," Kimberly murmured, searching the forest, a sudden crack from behind them made them all jump. A dark shape went behind a tree, a harsh breath came from behind them, and Jason drew his sidearm and fired as he turned, thinking hard of how nice it would be to get back to the Power Chamber. The shot struck the hooded shape not two feet behind, making it stumble and flee.
"Putties!" Trini warned as an incoherent noise filled the air, Kimberly blasted the first one off its feet, the others leaped back out of the way as her three teammates opened fire, their cover blown. Trini ducked out of the way, using her weapons to batter the clay foot soldiers. Sam stunned another one; Jason had sent a dozen or so Putties fleeing. Another one leaped out of a tree, landing on Sam's back and knocking him to the ground. Aisha kicked it and the fight stopped, Jason looked around, something wasn't right, but he couldn't say what.
"You okay?" Jason asked, the others looked up and nodded.
"We're close, and they know it, and so he'll be setting traps to slow us." Sam said, dusting off his suit.
"The we should hurry." Jason said and they were off again.
"Do Putties just run away now?" Trini asked. "They used to vanish or fall apart."
"They didn't look like Rita's Putties you guys," Kimberly mentioned. "They seemed lighter."
"Maybe they're not Putties," Trini suggested.
"The evidence does support that hypothesis," Billy said over the radio link they were using.
"Whatever they are, they're easy to knock down, but keeping them down is difficult."
Jason's breath steamed, it was still winter really and cold, suddenly two things swung at him from opposite sides of the path, Jason threw himself flat and rolled under them. There was a thump and a horrid scream from behind him that was abruptly cut off. He leaped to his feet and whirled, and stopped. Two more bodies suspended form ropes; he could feel the remains of the trap he'd stepped on. Kimberly had her hand over Trini's mouth; it was she who had screamed.
"They're wasting time, both of these people were toyed with before they were killed." Sam said, moving forwards and looking closely at the bodies.
"All the better, come on, they've still got a head start." Jason took off again, jogging along, trying to look out for traps.
He burst through some bushes and instinctively leaped, this would be a perfect place to dig a pit, and behind him Sam was not so tuned in and crashed through the well-hidden trap. The others clustered around.
"Are you okay?" Jason called down; Sam struggled in the mud and stood up, wiping blood off a cut of his jaw. He ignored Jason's question.
"They're getting smarter." He levitated himself out, "well what are we waiting for?" Jason was about to say something, but thought better of it and turned and started off.
Kimberly raced forward, feeling the wind and listening, slowly it occurred to her that she could hear the others, and one of them was running irregularly, limping. They'd only been going for about a mile, the large area they had covered seemed smaller when they weren't thinking about it. She knew that they were all in good shape, but maybe someone was tiring… or injured.
Jason realised that they could be running towards their deaths as they followed in Kimberly's wake, but they had to get to the eggs. He jumped a tripwire, one that Kimberly had left undisturbed. He dropped a small glow stick so the others would see. Behind him Trini and Sam were holding back, waiting for the signal.
They were running along a gorge when Jason overtook Kimberly so she could catch her breath. He could see holes in the rock and a collection of… poisoned darts? Set so that they would fly from slingshot-like things as soon as they felt the slightest vibration? Or a spell maybe? Well they couldn't turn back and he could sense something foreign ahead, no doubt Rita's handiwork.
Jason ducked as he went through the narrow part, something whizzed by his ear, he dropped and rolled and a few more flew. Jason leaped and dodged and ducked, darts hissing about him, something hit his sleeve, but the padding prevented it from going further. Jason yanked it out and tossed it away, finally they stopped and he as well, behind him the others followed, their path clear of darts. He stopped to wait on the other side.
In hindsight that had not been the smartest thing to do, but it was his nature to be slightly impulsive and charging through the problem had seemed to work on this occasion.
"Jason, look out!" Kimberly cried as they were attacked from all sides.
Billy's team had had an easy time of it. While Jason was making enough noise to alert all those forces that were protecting the eggs, Aisha, David, Zack and Billy worked their way silently around. The traps though nasty were spaced so that they made easy progress. And with extra equipment Aisha was wearing to enhance her keen senses, they were able to avoid triggering many of the mechanisms.
So it was that they reached their destination first, a cliff above the nest guarded by two almost human figures. Zack groaned as he recognised them.
"Not these guys again."
"Oi! It's that Zack kid!" Roma shouted, catching sight of the Black Grid Warrior.
"So much for cover," Aisha commented.
"Affirmative," Billy agreed. "I suggest we utilise our full capabilities to counter this threat."
"I guess…" Zack said, not sure what Billy meant.
"Guys, we have to morph," Jason said over the radio. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Tigerzord!"
"Dragonzord!"
Before leaving Sam had turned his Power Coin other to Zordon who had used it to magnify the powers of the coin Billy had given him. The result was eight Rangers sharing the power of two Rangers instead of sharing the power of just one Ranger.
"Mastodon!"
"Pterodactyl!"
"Triceratops!"
"Stegosaurus!"
"Sabre-toothed Tiger!"
"Tyrannosaurus!"
Beneath their outer clothing the Rangers were transformed into their Grid Warrior uniforms, however the only outward sign of this change was the addition of a small emblem on their chests. No longer hidden from the enemy, they leapt into battle, weapons drawn and any attempts to sneak about forgotten.
What followed was a mess as part-demons, imitation Putties and other protectors clashed with the Grid Warriors. Jason, Sam and Billy took the worst of the hits, their opposition having learnt that they were carrying the means to destroy the hyperlock units.
Finally Sam managed to break free of the oncoming Putties. He made his way to the eggs and was almost overcome by the stench of evil. Zack was soon by his side and together they used the curved blade to smash the shells.
Four of the shells were cracked, revealing the goo that the Elemental Beasts reverted to during storage. The black fluid oozed out, causing the four remaining eggs to react violently. The forces that had been distracted by the other Grid Warriors turned back to the nest and the two warriors found themselves dragged away.
Clouds formed overhead and the wind picked up. Fire and ice, wind and dust pelted the Grid Warriors. They struggled, but were driven back as the ground cracked. One of the Packspawns grabbed the nest and vanished, taking the four surviving beasts with him. His comrade, who Zack recognised as Dwanin, found himself on the receiving end of Jason, Sam and Billy's combined sword attack, though Billy's timing was off and the blow failed to have as much impact. He screamed as he was almost sent to the great beyond.
The Grid Warriors fought until the area had been cleared. Without the unnatural powers of the Elemental Beasts the woodland had died down and without anything to protect the golem foot soldiers started to crumble.
Finally after a lengthy battle the Grid Warriors returned to the Power Chamber, their mission a failure. It could have been worse.
The atmosphere was tense when the two teams of Rangers finally gathered in the Power Chamber to discuss the Elemental Beasts. Not only were the events of the last few hours fresh in everybody's mind, there were unresolved issues between team members that lurked beneath the surface.
Jason had taken the initiative, explaining the Grid Warriors' short adventure. As he spoke, his eyes were shifting between the Zeo Rangers, searching to signs of anger or disappointment. He found neither.
"So after that we returned here," Jason concluded. "I'm sorry guys, we couldn't get them all."
"Hey, you did your best and at least now we only have four to worry about," Tommy reassured his friend.
"According to my calculations the Elemental Beasts will still require time before they are ready for release," Billy stated. "We still have time to co-ordinate a defence."
The others exchanged glances, unsure if this was a good or a bad thing. True they had more time, but such a delay meant they had to wait before confronting the worst.
"Are you okay?" Tanya asked as she walked over to where David was sitting. In the excitement of the last few hours, the other Rangers had forgotten that David had been thrown into things without being asked. She had no doubts, having experienced a similar situation, that David was feeling some uncertainty.
"I'll feel better once this is over and I can go back to my normal life," the teen admitted. "No offence, but the life of a super hero is not for me. I'll be here while you need me, but then I just want to get back to normal."
Tanya nodded understandingly. Tommy and David were very different people despite being twins. Neither actively sought out danger, but while David had for the most part managed to avoid trouble, Tommy had a nasty habit of attracting it.
"Don't worry," she assured him. "It'll work out. Things always work out in the end."
Outside the Power Chamber
Kimberly Hart stared across the desert to where the small city of Angel Grove stood, blissfully unaware of the oncoming threat that could level it in a matter of seconds. Coming home had seemed so easy, but life was never that simple.
Coming home meant facing her friends again, something she did not want to do. Seeing them brought back the feelings of loneliness she had had after leaving to train for the Pan Globals. Returning home meant leaving a world of routine and relative safety for a city where even survival could not be guaranteed on a day-to-day basis.
And of course, there was the number one reason of why she was so uncomfortable to be back in Angel Grove: Tommy Oliver. The tall, handsome, charismatic leader of the Rangers was also as unpredictable as a summer storm. One minute, he was sweetness and light, the next, he was tottering on the edge of the dark places in his soul. His unpredictability had been one of the things that made it so exciting to be in love with him, but it had also made it frightening.
When she had found herself away from him, in Florida, she had been so confused in her feelings. She had missed him like fire, but at the same time, she was relieved to no longer be afraid of his dark side. After she had regained some sense of stability in herself, she had realised that she could survive without a relationship with Tommy. In fact, she had come to realise, that the way things were, she and Tommy never stood a chance as a long-term relationship. Sooner or later the fire would be gone and the darkness would take over. They both deserved better than that.
Kat on the other hand understood Tommy to some degree. The relationship would be difficult, but they could survive together. Whether they would be together in two years or ten years time was anybody's guess. In the end it all depended on how badly Kay wanted it and whether her love for Tommy would carry her over the hard times.
Kimberly meanwhile had not spent her time moping about lost loves. Upon realising her feelings she had set about writing the now infamous letter, releasing Tommy to find the person he could be happy with. She had found herself drawn to Chad. He embodied all of the qualities that she had loved in Tommy, with none of the danger. He loved her, respected her, and she enjoyed his company a great deal. He might not have been her soul mate, but for now he would do.
A slight cough snapped her out of her thoughts. She already knew who was there, but turned around anyway. As she expected, Tommy was leaning against the wall of the old citadel.
"It's been a long time," he told her.
"Too long," she hedged nervously, refusing to meet his eyes.
He laughed, a sound she had missed. When he spoke his voice lacked the venom she had expected and while not the tone she was used to it did not sound hateful.
"It's nice to have you back Kim. We missed you… I missed you."
"Tommy, about the letter," she offered, but he cut her off.
"It hurt Kim, more than you'd ever know. I thought we had something that would last and you couldn't even tell me to my face." He paused and looked at her, his face still friendly if a little hurt. "Was I really that bad?"
The way he asked the question combined with the puppy dog eyes broke the tension. Kimberly giggled despite herself. Trust Tommy to lighten her mood. "I was scared Tommy, not about what you would say or do, but about whether I would be able to tell you in person. I couldn't stand the confusion anymore. You and I - sometimes, it felt so right, and sometimes it was so wrong. You were cold and distant, and then warm and loving. You always seemed ready to snap, and I just couldn't take it anymore. You scared me, Tommy.
I couldn't decide to leave until we were apart. When I was with you, things were always so confused. My emotions were a roller coaster ride, and I couldn't think straight until it stopped. Then, I didn't want to wait because I needed to do this, and I was afraid I'd lose my nerve. I did love you, Tommy. Whatever you may think of me, never think that I didn't love you.
The person in my letter was a lie and I am sorry about that. I needed a way to let you go that wouldn't leave you feeling guilty enough to come and change my mind. I didn't meet someone until I had sent the letter and then it was a few weeks before he spoke to me. His name was Chad Kincaid and yes, he is still my boyfriend. But you have to believe me, I didn't break up with you for him."
"Are you happy?" Tommy asked.
Kimberly blinked, unprepared for the question and unsure how to respond. In the end she nodded and smiled. "I'm happier than I have been in a long time Tommy."
"Then so am I," he whispered before giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "You mean too much to me for you not to be a part of my life, even if that means we are just friends."
"Friends," she agreed.
It was too easy. Their words while genuine had not cleared away all the doubts and anxieties created by their teenage minds. They would need to talk again, but for now the few words they had exchanged would be enough. "We've both changed, haven't we?" Kim asked softly. "You aren't the person I left, and I'm