Part One

Chapter One

Disclaimer: The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers belong to Saban Entertainment. Alexis Darling, the Purple Ranger, belongs to me. All details regarding the power sources behind the Morphin' Grid are mine as well, so trust me... this is a bad source for canon information. This particular story is a rewrite of "White Light," the two-part episode in which Tommy becomes the White Ranger. Much of the plot is taken directly from the episodes, but I did make revisions where I felt like it. This story takes place a few days after "On Eagle's Wings." © August 2001.

Green to White
Part One

"Ooo, Girl... this was just made

for you!"

Alexis looked up, her hand still absently browsing through blouses on the rack. Her dark green eyes narrowed as she appraised the cotton knit turtleneck, the material a cool jade.

Her nose pinched. "I don't know about the color."

Angela blinked, setting the sweater back on the rack. "Since when don't you like green? It brings out your eyes."

"I think I have enough green stuff in my closet. I'm looking for... something else..."

Angela smirked, jerking her thumb to the pile of clothing the girls deposited on a nearby counter. "Lemme guess. Something purple."

Alexis visibly cringed at the offhand comment, glancing sidelong at her friend. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, just the fact that you're going on a wild shopping spree, and everything

you picked out has been purple!"

Alexis frowned, shifting her gaze from the blouse rack to the clothing she had selected thus far. Sure enough, it was predominately purple... royal purple skirt, soft lavender sweater set, flare jeans with orchids embroidered near the ankle, black Guess logo shirt with plum rhinestones... even the canvas sneakers she selected were violet!

"I read in 'Seventeen' that purple is the in-color for the fall season." In truth, she hadn't even realized her color preference.

Angela shrugged, turning back to the sweater. She eyed it critically, lifting it from the rack once again and pressing it to her body. "Hmm... it's a bit chunkier than most of my shirts, but... what do you think?"

Alexis smiled her approval. "It'll look great on you."

Angela nodded in agreement, tossing the sweater over her arm. "Okay, I think that's enough for this store. We still have to get over to Masquerade and look for costumes for the Halloween Ball."

Alexis nodded obediently, sweeping up her purchases and following Angela to the registers. While the pair waited on the rapidly moving line, Alexis took another appraising look at her selections.

She then nudged Angela with her elbow.

"Do you think it's too much purple?"

Angela tilted her head. "Well... no. Lucky for you, purple compliments your skin tone. Though I think the richer shades look better than the pastels." She then leaned closer. "But that new watch of yours has got

to go."

Alexis turned her attention to her purple and silver communicator band. "Really?"

Her friend nodded emphatically. "It's absolutely garish

. Your wrist is far too dainty for such a bulky accessory. That style may look good on Zack, but you really need a thin one... maybe gold-tone."

Alexis blinked incredulously, her anxiety escalating. She absently settled her purchase on the register counter once the cashier was free. "Z...Zack?"

"Oh yes, he's got a very similar watch." Angela took the opportunity to take Alexis' wrist now that her arms were free. "Identical even; except for the color. Funny... I don't see a name brand."

Alexis jerked her hand away as gently as possible, laughing nervously. "Yeah, well... it's some flashy new European brand. I can't remember the name. Nana gave it to me when I visited her last week."

The new Purple Ranger barely contained a sigh of relief when Angela nodded, apparently accepting the explanation.

After the girls finished making their purchases, they strode through the sparsely populated halls of Angel Grove Plaza, Angela dragging her disinterested shopping-mate into Masquerade, a new seasonal shop that boasted the largest selection of adult-size costumes in the county.

Alexis gasped at the sight of the store.

It was decorated like a cave, the shelves and walls all covered with gray plastic designed to look like rock formations. The relatively dim lighting and dense fog that crawled along the floor gave the store a chill, emphasized by the air conditioning that kept the store noticeably cooler than the hallway just outside. Mannequins lined the walls, costumes covering just enough of the skin to make one wonder whether there wasn't a person within.

Alexis gulped, staring out into the darkened corridors. Where was everyone?

"Freaky," Angela marveled, an excited gleam in her eye as she moved forward, "It's like a haunted house! No wonder everyone's raving about it!"

"R...right," Alexis whispered, nervous fingers tightly clenching her shopping bags. It had only been a few days since her encounter with Goldar, which left her confined in a creepy, foggy, dark room for several hours, just waiting for death to claim her. Such a memory would leave anyone on edge.

The new Purple Ranger watched her friend vanish down an aisle, excitedly skimming through the selection of women's costumes hanging inside a wall. Alexis hovered near the entrance, her face still tight with anxiety.

Slowly, her gaze slid to a mannequin wearing a suit of armor that seemed to guard the entrance. He stood on a small podium next to the glass door, the tip of his sword grazing the ground between his toes.

She sighed loudly, desperately trying to recompose herself. "Angela? I think I'll... wait outside a bit. It's freezing in here."

When her friend didn't respond, Alexis couldn't help but worry.

Don't be so irrational,

she chided, huffing aloud in disgust, It's just some stupid store...

Her lip quirking in a self-conscious laugh, she strolled toward the exit.

She promptly screamed when a silver sword suddenly appeared before her face, blocking her exit.

She didn't even think- her arms swung towards the left, where the knight stood at her side. Her heavy packages crashed into his gut, knocking the knight off his feet.

She almost broke into a run, but she heard the startled "Whumph!" from her would-be attacker, accompanied by a loud crash.

Alexis grimaced, dropping her bags and kneeling beside the knight, who had collided with a display of candy selections for Trick-or-Treaters. "I'm so sorry!" she gasped, "You... you scared me!"

To her surprise, the knight laughed riotously. "No, I think I owe you the apology," he said, once he'd recovered himself, "I didn't mean to really

scare you... you were just too tempting a target."

He struggled to pull off his helmet, revealing a tan complexion and soft brown hair. He glanced up at Alexis, an impish grin spreading on his face. "Welcome to Masquerade. Mind helping me up? This suit's harder to move in than wet jeans."

Alexis sighed as she grasped the knight's hand, and pulled him to his feet. Once he was stable, he whistled, rubbing his sore neck. "You've got some quick reflexes," he commented, "Most people scream, but no one's hit me before."

Alexis glared at him, before turning away from his laughing copper gaze. Her face began to redden with humiliation. "I didn't mean it," she hissed, "But... that's what you deserve, sticking sharp swords in people's faces!"

He laughed again, bending down to pick up the "sharp" weapon. He held it before Alexis, and gripped the edge tightly. With little effort, he bent the sword into a U shape.

"Rubber," he explained with a smirk. He then tapped the edge of the blade against her forehead for emphasis.

Her face slowly folded into a snarl. This clown certainly

didn't need to make her feel all the more the idiot by making fun of her.

"Whatever," she grumbled, collecting her bags, "I'm outside, Angie!"

Without even a gesture of goodbye, Alexis turned away from the knight and headed into the halls.

She blinked in surprise when she heard a heavy metal footfall directly behind her.

"You're not actually mad, are you?" the knight asked, "I mean, I said I was sorry."

She turned around with every intention of chewing out the young man for scaring her half to death. But one look at his face, alight with penitence and just a touch of boyish mischief, and all she could do was sigh. Again.

"Well, no," she conceded.

His face instantly broke into a sunny smile, and he grabbed her hand. "Great! Since you're such a good sport, you get 10% off your purchase! Today only!"

Alexis watched helplessly as the exuberant teen dragged her back into the store. "But I wasn't even shopping!" she insisted, "I'm just here with my friend."

"So you have your Halloween costume already?"

"Well, no-"

"Then you'd better get crackin'... you've only got a week before the big day."

Her eyes rolled as the pair re-entered the store. "I'm a too old for Trick-or-Treating."

His eyebrow quirked. "No one's ever too old for Trick-or-Treating. Besides, who doesn't love getting all decked out in a costume?"

Her hand rose to her lips in an attempt to hide an ironic smile.

"So, what do you want to be?"

She puzzled over the question for a moment, before finally shrugging her shoulders. "I have no idea."

The knight frowned at her skeptically. "Well, lucky for you I'm a master at finding the perfect costume. Have a seat, Miss."

Alexis obeyed, sitting on the empty chair near the entrance. She watched as the knight then turned his attention to the destroyed candy display, and began cleaning it up.

"Let's start with the basics," he said, glancing at her. "What's your name?"

"Alexis."

"Okay, Alexis... do you remember your childhood dreams?"

"What does that

have to do with anything?"

"Everything! The whole point of Halloween is wearing a costume... becoming a new person, just for one night."

"Really," she challenged, a smirk on her lips, "and silly me... all this time I thought it was a religious holiday which has been commercialized into games and candy by modern society, just like Christmas and Easter."

The knight paused his cleaning to stare at her. "You're sucking all the fun out of this, ya know."

She bit her lip to contain a giggle. "Sorry."

"Anyway," he resumed, "the best costume is one that feeds upon fantasy. That's when you really enjoy the holiday! Take me, for instance. I've always wanted to be a valiant hero, you know... rescuing a beautiful princess from a fire-breathing dragon, or saving the universe from a dark evil with my light saber. That kind of thing."

His smile widened, and he thumped his chest proudly. "This year, I'm the knight in shining armor. Last year, I was the masked superhero. The year before, I was the fearless cowboy."

Alexis leaned back, an amused grin on her lips. "I'm getting the picture."

"So, what's your

fantasy? Think about it."

And so she did. She reflected on her youth... not that long ago, but for some reason it felt so far away the past few months. She thought about the carefree imagination that drove her parents to insanity, as she bound through the hallways as Wonder Woman, slid down the staircase atop a flattened cardboard box like a champion skier, or even huddled around the corner with her trusted water pistol as an intrepid British super spy.

What hadn't she dreamed to be? At some point she had been everything from G.I. Joe to Jem... how could she choose?

The knight noticed her overwhelmed expression, and smiled. "Hard to pick one, eh?"

"Yeah," she noted, absently fondling a lock of dark red hair, "How do I?"

"The next step is to focus on a theme- something that pervaded your dreams. Not a character, necessarily... but some aspect of a character that you cherish most. For me it's being heroic. Is there something you always wanted to experience?"

Then it dawned on her.

The thrill of sticking her head out the car window when her father sped down the highway, despite her mother's shrill demands for her to sit down and buckle her seatbelt. The rush that flooded her when she sat on the tire-swing in the middle school playground, always pulling her body higher. The feel of utter freedom when she swam in her grandmother's large pool, closing her eyes and just floating. The winter winds biting her cheeks as she glided along a frozen lake, only the thin blade of her skates touching the earth.

The feeling of freedom. Weightlessness. Full range of motion.

She had always wanted to fly.

Despite herself, she began chuckling. That's pretty stupid... I can

fly! I've got wings now, for Pete's sake!

But the fantasy of flight was far different from reality. True, she could fly under her own power, but she couldn't really experience the pure thrill of it. She knew the rules... the Power was only to be used when necessary; and there was no time for dilly-dallying in the air during one of Lord Zedd's assaults.

The idealized dream was of hanging in the air, her hair free and floating in a glossy halo around her face. Her own wings... extensions of her body, not her uniform... holding her aloft. Cool breezes of the atmosphere tickling her flesh, contrasting with the warm glow of the sun that beat overhead. It was a far cry from reality, where her dense armor blocked out all the sensation... all the freedom she actually dreamed about.

And so, with a half-dreamy smile spreading her lips, she answered him. "I want wings."

From there it was easy to find the perfect costume. After fifteen more minutes, during which the knight helped her select accessories to truly personalize the costume, he escorted her to the register, where a cappuccino-skinned clown stood waiting.

"By the way, Bel, she gets 10% off," the knight informed the cashier.

Belinda smirked at him as she scanned the purchases. "Get back in place, good Sir Knight," she advised him, "before you miss your chance to spook another customer."

Alexis giggled, paid for her costume, and then moved toward the front of the store. She noticed Angela was waiting for her, leaning against the wall and holding a Masquerade shopping bag in addition to her previous purchases.

Angela smirked triumphantly. "I knew

you'd find something," she teased.

"Well, I couldn't resist," Alexis admitted, as the pair moved to the exit side by side. On her way out, her gaze lingered on the silver knight, who had once again donned his helmet and taken his position beside the door. "So, what did you wind up buying?"

Angela's smile lit up. "The cutest frog-man helped me out, and I got this terrific

belly-dancing outfit! Perfect chance to show off the fruits of all those crunches I added to my exercise routine. And get this, the frog was so adorable... he turned red as a tomato when I asked him how he thought it'd look on me..."

The girls then fell out of earshot, but the smirk on the knight's hidden face didn't budge. His hidden gaze swept towards the door, where Kermit the Frog watched the girls leave.

"Belinda says you gave the redhead a discount," Kermit noted, turning to face the knight while pulling off the large, cumbersome headpiece, "So how many girls did you try to charm so far?"

The knight chuckled, lazily tapping his sword against his shoulder. "For your information, just this one."

The frog's eyebrow quirked. "Only one? That's not the Rocky DeSantos I know!"

Rocky smirked mischievously, and pointed the tip of his rubber-sword at his friend's chest. "You'd better get back to your place, Park... or I'll be having frog's legs for dinner."

Adam laughed, sliding the "blade" away from him with his fingertip. "No... if Mrs. Campbell sees us goofing off again, she'll have both of us for dinner!"

Chapter Two

Alexis pushed through the door to the girl's locker room, knotting her coiffeur in a ponytail as the door swung closed behind her. She stepped onto the gym floor, and waved to catch Jason's eye.

He smiled at her in greeting, and then continued demonstrating a new block as a squad of about a dozen attentive middle-schoolers looked on.

Amazing

, Alexis marveled, I managed to hit the mall, go home and drop off all my stuff, change into my sweats, and still get here before Jason's class is over!

She then jogged over to the Juice Bar, plopping down on a stool beside Trini and Billy, who were also watching the class with interest.

"Hey guys."

"Hi Lex," Trini said with a smile, "Where'd you disappear to after school?"

Alexis shrugged. "Angela wanted to get a costume for Halloween, so I tagged along. I hadn't been shopping in weeks!"

"Did you buy anything?"

"You wouldn't believe

how much money I spent today."

Billy smirked, his eyes still on the mats. "And I hypothesize that everything you purchased this afternoon was of purple hue."

The Purple Ranger was so startled she nearly fell off the stool. "H...how did you...?"

"It is a proven phenomenon," the genius explained, sipping his blueberry milkshake, "When a Ranger becomes connected to the Power, he instantly develops an affinity to the color of his energy signature."

"You're kidding," Alexis mumbled.

Trini smiled knowingly. "Nope. When I first became the Yellow Ranger, I owned about three outfits that had yellow in them. Since then, I wear at least one article of yellow every day! And the weirdest thing is, I didn't even notice it at first. I just had an uncharacteristic urge to shop, and I wound up buying about five hundred dollars worth of clothes the first month. My parents thought I'd either gone crazy, or lent Kim my credit card."

Alexis chuckled at the mental picture. She sobered almost immediately. "Come to think of it... you do all wear your color. I didn't think anything of it!"

Billy suppressed a chuckle. "It gets worse."

"Worse?"

"Your color-preference will bleed into more than just clothing. Tell me Lex, what's you're favorite flavor ice cream?"

"Rocky Road."

"Well, don't be surprised if you develop a taste for grape."

Alexis gulped. "You've got to be joking now."

Billy shook his head, and held out his glass to Alexis. Her eyes widened when she noted the light blue hue of the ice cream.

She then glanced at Trini's empty bowl. "Trini...?"

"Lemon sherbet," the Yellow Ranger responded, "And no, I'm not joking."

Alexis shivered. "But... I don't even like grapes!"

Trini giggled. "Maybe not now, but that'll probably change. Once, Tommy ordered pistachio ice cream, completely disregarding the fact that he's allergic to pistachio nuts! We managed to get him to a hospital just in time to avert a real

disaster."

"And that also explains why Jason copiously drowns his French fries in ketchup, Zack can't consume enough licorice, and Kim masticates Bubble Yum regularly."

Alexis paled, leaning her elbow against the counter for support. "Oh my God," she gasped, "But... there aren't that many purple foods! I'll be living off of eggplants and the horseshoes in Lucky Charms!"

"Relax, Lex," Trini soothed, "It's not that irrational. You'll still be able to eat everything you used to. Just don't be surprised if your taste buds suddenly start craving purple foods more than before."

Despite the comforting thought, Alexis still grimaced at the future that lied before her formerly normal appetite.

"Hey Lex... you okay?"

She glanced up, and offered Jason a weak smile.

"We just went through the basics on our color-preferences," Billy informed him.

The leader of the Power Rangers grinned, and then waved at the bartender. "Hey Richie! Can I get a water?"

"You got it," the pleasant young man acknowledged. Moments later, he brought a clear plastic bottle to the athlete before attending other customers across the bar.

Alexis found herself relieved to note Jason didn't order fruit punch.

"So, ready for your lesson?"

She nodded, hopping off the stool with a new burst of energy. "Absolutely."

He gestured to the mats, where several students lingered. "We can get started when the kids clear out. In the meantime, you'd better start stretching."

She nodded, and bounded to a relatively empty section of the gym floor.

"So, how's she doing so far?" Trini inquired.

Jason took a long sip of water, and sighed his refreshment. "Pretty good, considering the only thing she knows about martial arts is Karate Kid. She skates a lot, so she's limber and has excellent balance. I'll give her the basics, and then I think Kim could show her some moves. She looks more like a gymnast than a martial artist, so those kind of flips and kicks might be easier for her to get the hang of."

He then glanced around the gym. "Speaking of Kim, where is she?"

Trini shook her head. "I think she went home right after school. She's been a bit depressed. You know... Tommy."

Jason frowned in concern as he polished off the remainder of the bottle. "Sometimes, it's like she's taking Tommy's power loss worse than he is."

Chapter Three

She raced along the pavement, caramel hair flying behind her like a raging comet's tail. She swerved around bicyclists, groups of people chatting, and even teens using the payphones that lined the entrance to the Youth Center.

Once inside, she slid to a stop, her grip tightening on a faintly pink envelope. Upon rapid surveillance, she noted Alexis and Jason on the mats, the latter inspecting his newest student's aikido stance. Billy and Trini were assembled at the Juice Bar, chatting with Richie.

"...didn't even pick out a costume yet," Richie continued, wiping the bar after collecting the group's cups, "I have to come... I'm actually working that night."

Trini frowned. "That's a shame," she said quietly.

"Well, if you need a costume, you should consider Masquerade in the Plaza," Billy reported, "I read in the Gazette a few days ago that Masquerade is a large costume store in Los Angeles, and is quite popular with the residents. The owner lives in Stone Canyon, and the past two years she opened a smaller seasonal shop in the Plaza. I've heard it's very unique... it's designed like a cavern, and the attendants are in costume."

Richie nodded thoughtfully, "I'll give it a try. Thanks, Billy."

Richie then shot a parting smile to Trini before returning to his duties.

Trini sighed quietly. "It stinks that he's actually working during the Halloween Ba-"

"Guys!" Kimberly breathed, her hands falling roughly on Trini and Billy's shoulders.

The Yellow and Blue Rangers nearly fell over at the force the petite Pink Ranger placed on them.

"I just got a letter from Tommy!" she squealed, twirling on her toes in delight, "He's coming home at the end of the week!"

"That's terrific!" Trini added, standing up and giving her exuberant friend a tight hug, "We've all missed him."

"We've got to throw him a surprise party," Kim gushed, pacing near the bar, "The works! A big cake, ice cream... Tommy loves ice cream... popcorn, decorations...!"

Billy and Trini exchanged amused grins as Kim continued to rattle off a "to-do" list.

"We've got to tell the other guys!" Kim decided "We've got to plan this right. Where's Zack?"

"I believe he is at the park with Curtis," Billy reported.

"Then let's go!"

The Blue and Yellow Rangers watched as Kimberly leapt onto the mats, distracting Alexis halfway through an attempted downward block.

She released a startled "Ooof!" as Jason's fist connected with her stomach.

"Alexis!" both Jason and Kim shouted, watching dumbly as she took a few steps back to regain her balance.

The new Purple Ranger giggled helplessly at her teammates' startled expressions. "Good thing for me you're just demonstrating," she wheezed.

"Where's the fire, Kim?" Jason asked, turning his attention to Kimberly.

"We've gotta find Zack," she declared, "Tommy's coming home!"

Chapter Four

"Zordon? We're ready."

"AND THE RANGERS?"

"I've been keeping an eye on them. Zack is in Angel Grove Park, and the other five are in the Youth Center. Tommy is just emerging from the lake outside his uncle's cabin."

"ZEDD?"

"All's quiet on the moon so far."

Zordon grimaced. "I FEAR THAT LORD ZEDD WILL BE ABLE TO SENSE THE MORPHIN' GRID IS COMPROMISED."

"But there's no other way. Whether we do this now or later, it will still disable the Morphin' Grid."

The wise sage sighed deeply. "VERY WELL. I WILL JOIN YOU BOTH IN THE HIDDEN CHAMBER ONCE THE CONNECTION IS ESTABLISHED."

Alpha nodded, and watched as Zordon vanished from the Transdimension Cylinder, leaving only sparks of pure blue energy in his wake. The diminutive robot then turned his attention to the teleporter.

He pressed a few buttons, and almost instantaneously, a flash of white energy materialized in the center of the darkened Command Center.

Tommy raised his head from his towel, a shiver racing through his wet body at the sudden chill of his surroundings. He blinked several times, wide brown eyes skimming the Command Center in absolute confusion.

His perplexed gaze finally landed on Alpha. "What's going on?"

"Follow me, Tommy," Alpha advised, "It's time to make you a Power Ranger again."

Tommy frowned skeptically, but followed Alpha. He jumped slightly when a fissure appeared out of thin air, faint light pouring through it.

"Whoa," he muttered, and stepped into the hole in reality. He was shocked speechless when he got a full view of the Hidden Chamber.

The Hidden Chamber was very spacious, the walls lined with tools that ranged from the size of a school bus to that of a thumbtack. Also, another clear blue Transdimension Cylinder stood near the center of the room, surrounded by various computers that blinked in a myriad of colors.

But those objects didn't even reach Tommy's thought process. Instead, he stood utterly thunderstruck, his jaw hanging in visible astonishment at what stood in the furthest corner of the chamber... a circular table, almost resembling a computerized podium, that was nearly the size of his own bedroom. And stretching from that podium was a brilliant column of energy, pulsing with immeasurable power, and stretching to the ceiling and then beyond. It was almost a rainbow, the energy broken into individual beams of Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, and Pink energy.

And strangely enough, a gap slowly formed between the Red and Pink, and gradually grew larger.

"Wh...what is that?"

"It's the Morphin' Grid," Alpha answered.

Tommy's eyes widened to even greater proportions. "Really? This is the Power?"

"Well, not quite," the robot clarified, "The actual energies that fuel the Power Coins aren't generated by this device. The Morphin' Grid was designed to channel energies from a hidden source, enabling Zordon to further break it into five 'streams,' which are then distributed to five people through the Power Coins, dampened slightly for safety reasons through the Morphers."

Tommy blinked, his overwhelmed mind slowly processing what Alpha said... as well as what he didn't say. "What about the Green and Purple Rangers?"

"Different power source. Which is why making the Green Ranger evil was a brilliant move on Rita's part. Any of the core Rangers could have been stripped of his powers right here, by manipulating the Morphin' Grid. But the Green and Purple Rangers are actually independent of Zordon, and the Command Center."

Tommy jumped when, seemingly out of nowhere, a narrow beam of energy erupted from the very center of the vacant space between Red and Pink.

That energy beam slowly expanded, crawling outward. And that energy was a blazing, blinding White.

"What's... going on?" Tommy whispered.

"Zordon is currently adding a Power Ranger to the Morphin' Grid."

For the first time, Tommy's gaze dropped from the enormous energy column. He stared at Alpha incredulously. "Are you serious? He's making a new Ranger? Completely new?!"

Alpha laughed at Tommy's disbelief. "Making a new Ranger isn't really that hard. We already had the template so it only took us a few hours. The really hard part is adapting this new Ranger, in order to fully incorporate him with the current team. That's what we've been working on for weeks

- trying to analyze how to modify the design to allow this new Ranger to serve with the others, but without depriving him of too much of the power he would wield in his unaltered state. And another key step is determining how safe this modified power will be for a human."

Alpha then waved to Tommy, and the mind-blown former Green Ranger followed him to another computer station, where a small golden disk sat atop a glass bed, a faint white energy glowing from some source beneath the glass.

Tommy noted the smooth surface of the coin, and gasped when suddenly, the surface began to warp. Slowly, small bubbles of liquid gold began to sprout, creating a protruding design. Some parts sank in, creating fine, chiseled lines along the protrusion.

Finally, the perfected design emerged: a tiger.

"It worked!" Alpha gasped, clapping his hands in delight. Tommy marveled at the Power Coin whose birth he had just witnessed. A thought occurred to him, and he rapidly swiveled around.

As he suspected, the white beam of energy was fully complete, the edges touching and blending with the Red and Pink bands of light surrounding it.

"A White Tiger Ranger," Tommy breathed, frowning thoughtfully. His concerns were momentarily interrupted when a blaze of blue-tinted energy flashed in the chamber, and Zordon appeared within the Trandimension Cylinder.

"Everything went great!" Alpha reported, "The gold disc took on the properties of the White Tiger, just like you said it would! Now the White Ranger will Morph just like the core Rangers."

"EXCELLENT." Zordon's ancient gaze then fell towards Tommy. "I SUSPECT ALPHA INFORMED YOU OF THIS PROJECT DURING MY ABSENCE."

Tommy nodded. "He explained it."

"NOW THAT YOU KNOW MY INTENTION, YOU MUST KNOW THE RISK," Zordon grimly informed him, "THE WHITE RANGER POWERS THAT I HAVE JUST CREATED ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL DESIGN, SINCE I HAD TO MODIFY THEM FOR USE WITH THE CURRENT TEAM. THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE HOW SAFE IT IS FOR A RANGER TO WIELD THIS POWER... UNTIL ONE ACTUALLY ACCEPTS THE POWER. THERE IS NO PRECEDENT TO RELY UPON."

He paused for a moment, letting the consequences sink in. "IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE POWER COIN CANNOT EFFECTIVELY CHANNEL THE ENERGY, OR THAT THE MORPHER CANNOT PROPERLY DAMPEN THIS INTENSIFIED POWER. THE WHITE RANGER POWERS MAY POISON YOUR BODY, OR WEAR YOU DOWN AS THE GREEN RANGER POWERS DID DURING THEIR DECLINE. AND YOU WILL ALSO BE THE FIRST RANGER TO ACTUALLY TAKE ON TWO POWERS. THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE AHEAD OF TIME WHETHER THE FAINT RESIDUALS STILL IN YOUR BODY FROM THE GREEN COIN WILL INTERFERE WITH THIS NEW POWER. KNOWING THE RISKS... DO YOU ACCEPT THE WHITE TIGER POWERS?"

Tommy remained silent for several minutes, folding his arms in grim consideration. He exhaled sharply, his fingers grazing his forehead as his mind replayed Zordon's warning again and again.

Then, he finally spoke. "If you're willing to offer me this new power, then you must feel the chances are pretty good that nothing terrible will happen to me if I accept them, right?"

"THAT IS MY BELIEF."

Tommy nodded. "You know how much I miss being a Ranger, Zordon... and I really appreciate all the work you're putting in to reinstate me. I'm not afraid of the risks, but...." He sighed deeply. "Zordon, you made a hole in the Morphin' Grid to stick this new Ranger in. Will dividing up the Grid into six instead of five make the others any weaker? If so... I don't want the coin."

He then lifted his troubled gaze to Zordon.

The wise sage smiled, pride swelling in his heart. Tommy Oliver had truly grown so much in his relatively short career. He was willing to forever retire from the Rangers, just to make sure his friends weren't inconvenienced.

He had truly proven himself worthy... not only of the White Coin, but of much more.

"ADDING A NEW RANGER TO THE GRID DOES NOT WEAKEN THE EXISTING TEAM," he assured the erstwhile Green Ranger. "THE GRID ITSELF ONLY PROCESSES POWER FROM ANOTHER SOURCE. ALL I HAVE DONE IS CHANNEL AN EXTRA BURST OF THAT SOURCE THROUGH THE MORPHIN' GRID. DO NOT FEAR... THE RANGERS WILL NOT BE COMPROMISED IN THE LEAST BY YOUR ADDITION. ON THE CONTRARY, YOU WILL BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL OF THEM ALL... AND FROM NOW ON, THEY WILL FOLLOW YOU IN BATTLE."

Tommy's eyebrow rose. "Huh?"

"I HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU WILL BE THE LEADER OF THE POWER RANGERS."

Tommy stared at Zordon in even greater shock than he experienced when he first entered the Hidden Chamber. "The leader? But... what about Jason? I can't replace Jason! He's my best friend!"

"DO NOT THINK OF IT AS REPLACING JASON. YOU WILL BE ASSISTING HIM. THE BURDENS OF LEADERSHIP HAVE GREATLY TAKEN THEIR TOLL UPON HIM. I HAVE OBSERVED HIS GRIM SPIRIT, AND IT CONCERNS ME."

Tommy cringed. "Kim told me he was a little down before, but we resolved all that! He knows the Green Candle thing wasn't his fault. You can't demote him now."

Zordon gazed at the young man before him. "TOMMY, TELL ME THE TRUTH... DID YOU EVER ENVY JASON'S POSITION AS LEADER?"

Surprisingly, Tommy chuckled. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to deal with all that stress! Sure I wish I was more like him, but I never wished I could be the Red Ranger."

"THEN WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT TAKING THE LEADERSHIP WOULD DEPRIVE HIM OF SOMETHING DESIRABLE?"

Tommy considered this for a few moments. "Well... it seems like I'd be taking his job because he hadn't been doing it properly. And I know

that he's a terrific leader."

Zordon smiled. "THAT HE IS. AND NOW, I FEEL HE DESERVES A RESPITE. I CAN TELL HIM TO RELAX, EVEN ORDER HIM STOP BEING SO DEMANDING OF HIMSELF. BUT THAT WILL NEVER STOP HIM. HIS DEDICATION TO THE TEAM IS BEYOND WHAT I EXPECTED OF HIM. IF SOMEONE ELSE WERE TO TAKE THE REINS OF LEADERSHIP FOR A TIME, THEN HE WILL HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE TEAM DOES NOT DEPEND ON HIM ALONE. THEN HE WILL LEARN TO SHARE THE BURDENS WITH THE TEAM, AND MAKE YOU ALL STRONGER AS A WHOLE."

A small smile softened Tommy's grimace. "Wait... you said 'a time.' So I wouldn't be replacing him or anything; just giving him a vacation."

"WE WILL SEE HOW THIS EXPERIMENT PANS OUT. JASON MUST COME TO UNDERSTAND HIS TRUE PLACE- AS A TEAM MEMBER. THE LEADER SHOULD BE AN INSPIRATION TO THE TEAM, AND A PILLAR OF STRENGTH TO REASSURE THE OTHERS. THE LEADER WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE THE 'HERO' OF THE TEAM. YOU ARE ALL

HEROES, AND SOMETIMES, THE RISK WILL FALL UPON ANOTHER RANGER. IT WOULD BE TO JASON'S BENEFIT IF HE LEARNED THIS LESSON, AND AFTER WITNESSING THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU DEALT WITH YOUR POWER LOSS, I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BEARING THAT LOAD UNTIL I SEE JASON HAS COME TO UNDERSTAND."

Tommy nodded, smiling faintly as he mulled over Zordon's reasoning. He had to admit... his mentor was right. Jason could use a few weeks of time... and perhaps then, he'd realize that the other six Rangers are more than capable of bearing a bit of risk.

But would Jason recognize the "demotion" as a helping hand offered by friends who truly care about him... or a slap in the face, further proving he was a poor leader who didn't try hard enough?

"Jason won't take it well," he said aloud.

"NOT AT FIRST. BUT HE WILL UNDERSTAND. JASON CAN BE EXTREMELY DEMANDING OF HIMSELF, BUT OTHERWISE HE IS A VERY REASONABLE YOUNG MAN."

Tommy nodded, exhaling sharply. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll be the White Ranger. And I'll be the leader... but only until Jason's ready to take it back."

"AGREED. ALPHA?"

The small robot stepped forward, hands clasped in front of him.

"MAKE THE FINAL PREPARATIONS. AND CONNECT TOMMY TO THE MED-UNIT."

Alpha nodded, and directed Tommy to a long cot with several machines hanging over it.

"What's a med-unit?"

"It's a prototype for a new healing and monitoring system," Alpha explained, "Now we're going to use it to keep a close eye on all your vital functions, to make sure the transfer of power goes smoothly."

"How long will this take?" Tommy inquired, as he hefted himself upon the cot. He watched as Alpha started attaching wires and sensory pads to his body with surgical tape.

"Several hours," the robot answered, "We've got to take this slowly. There're a lot of unknowns to keep an eye out for."

Tommy nodded, his face the very picture of stoic determination as Alpha explained in detail the power transfer process.

Chapter Five

Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the dark labyrinth of the Moon Palace, Lord Zedd's eyes opened from their long slumber. However, unlike most mortals, Zedd awoke to complete consciousness, and razor-sharp awareness.

He jerked into a sitting position, hastily pulling plastic tubes of regenerative liquids from his bare muscles. He leapt off his stone bed with urgency, and marched out of his private chamber.

Goldar, who was lazily lounging in the stone throne, gasped loudly when the proud Emperor appeared at the threshold, red visor blazing with fury.

"F...forgive me, Lord," Goldar groveled, jumping off the throne and kneeling. "I... I meant no presumption. I thought you were still regenerating."

"Summoning Erebus drained me tremendously," Zedd admitted, sitting heavily in his throne, "but even in the dreamless restorative sleep, I was able to feel it."

"Feel what?"

Zedd growled low at the complete insensitivity his greatest warrior had to higher powers. "The Morphin' Grid," he snarled, "I don't know what is going on down there, but there is a serious disruption in the Morphin' Grid." He touched his silver-tipped fingers together in anticipation. "The Rangers' powers will be severely compromised so long as the Grid is unstable, and there is no way to determine how long my good luck will last. I won't let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers."

Zedd stood once again, grasping his trusted scepter as he strode to the balcony overlooking the peaceful globe of Earth.

He needed a special

monster for this occasion.

Part Two

Chapter Six

Zack Taylor, famous amongst the teenaged population of Angel Grove for his dancing prowess and limitless charm, dove for the pigskin as if the fate of the universe depended on it. His fingers managed a tenuous grasp on the projectile, and his battle-honed senses unconsciously tucked his agile body in preparation for a crash landing.

Zack rolled along the fresh grass, easily sliding back to his feet and holding up the ball in victory.

Nearly half a minute later, another young man dashed across the wide green expanse of Angel Grove Park, and paused beside him, panting slightly.

"Jeez, Curtis... when you say 'Go long,' you mean long

!" Zack gasped, staring at his cousin in near awe, "Man, why aren't you on the football team?"

Curtis responded with the trademark Taylor grin. "Just not into organized sports, Cous'. All those crazy training drills sap all the fun out of it. I just like throwin' the ball around."

He then eyed his older cousin suspiciously. "Where'd you learn how to catch

like that?" he demanded, "If anyone ought to be on the team, it's you!"

Zack chuckled a bit, tossing the ball in the air and catching it repeatedly. "I've got too many after-school activities. I tried it out last year, but I couldn't dedicate enough time to it." He then smirked. "Besides, all my Hip-Hop Kido, dance contests, and karate with Jason keep me in prime Babe-Catching shape!"

Curtis laughed, a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes as he snatched the football just centimeters above Zack's waiting hand. "Well, let's see just how good you are. This time, go real long

."

Zack answered by cracking his neck. He began jogging backwards, until he found a location he felt suited him.

Curtis then launched the ball with his rocket arm. Zack gaped at the speed with which the ball approached him, and broke into a desperate run when it was clear the ball would sail right past him.

He frowned when the football zipped over his head, disappearing over the hill he was just beginning to ascend. The Black Ranger huffed, straining his muscles even further so he could catch up with the ball before it dropped out of sight.

After his brisk run, he noticed the ball sitting beside a stone statue of a hand, one of the many local artisan works that spotted the lush public park. He jogged to the statue, slowly catching his breath as he leaned forward to pick up the ball.

He grimaced in disgust when his skin made contact with the oddly slimy surface. Slowly, he lifted the ball to eye level, examining the faintly green ooze that now greased his hand.

"Major funky," he breathed, his jaw slackening as he realized the green slime covered the entire base of the statue.

His face folded with concern, and he quickly kneeled on the grass to wipe the goop from his palms. He then took a quick look around, and finding no one in eyesight, he activated his the Command Center call button on his communicator.

"What's the deal?" he muttered, after waiting several seconds. There was no response.

He sighed heavily, taking another look behind him to make sure his cousin hadn't followed him. Then, he hit the red button.

^Jason here.^

"Jase, it's Zack. Where are you?"

^In the Youth Center locker room. I'm getting changed, then we're all coming to meet you.^

"Then get the lead out, Jay. I'm by the Granite Fist, and something shady's goin' down."

Chapter Seven

"NO!" Lord Zedd growled, pounding his fist into the steel edge of his balcony. His empowered hand dug a brutal dent into the once-perfect steel, but the Emperor didn't notice.

"It's too soon," he reflected, taking a deep breath to quell the raging fury, "If the Rangers do anything to disturb my spell, then Nimrod will not awaken!"

His visor flashed as he gripped his trusted scepter once again. "A distraction is in order."

Chapter Eight

It took less than a minute for six beams of light to appear in a row beside Zack.

"Fill us in," Jason commanded, instantly shifting into Leader-Mode.

Zack gestured toward the green slime pooling around the Granite Fist sculpture.

"Ew!" Kim moaned, taking a step away. She quickly scanned her white Keds to make sure she hadn't stepped in any of the mysterious substance.

"What is it?" Alexis wondered.

Ever the inquisitive scientist, Billy squatted beside the statue, leaning as close to the goop as possible. "It's too liquid to be any variety of moss or mildew," he analyzed. He then held is hand out about an inch above the substance, palm down. "It seems to be emitting heat," he revealed.

"It's also spreading," Zack added.

Suddenly, two dozen members of Lord Zedd's Putty Patrol materialized in a circle around the Power Rangers.

Alexis jumped in surprise, backing closer into the center of the ring. "What are those?"

"Putties," Trini answered, raising her hands as she unconsciously took a fighting posture, "They're stronger than the average human, but not too quick. Aim for the 'Z' plate until they crumble."

Alexis nodded, setting her jaw as she slid into the aikido stance she had been practicing. Then, the five veteran Rangers leapt into action, leaving their newest recruit to catch up.

Jason stepped forward, dark eyes sliding warily to note the four Putties that had selected him as their target. Not wasting any time, he engaged the nearest Putty, crushing his foot toward the creature's Z target. The Putty managed to move enough to save himself, and Jason seamlessly dodged the creature's counterattack, rolling along the grass to avoid two other Putties' attempt to blindside him. Leaping back to his feet, he deftly blocked all the blows aimed for his torso, and jumped over two kicks aimed for his legs. He landed about a foot back, and launched a devastating roundhouse that connected with the jaws of both Putties. He leapt back toward the remaining one, firing a front kick that it its mark perfectly. The leader of the Power Rangers permitted a grim smile as the Putty crumbled to dust on impact.

Zack swerved out of the way of a forceful punch, a cold smirk on his lips as he caught the arm of the offending Putty. Counterbalancing his body with the weight of his opponent, Zack pushed off the ground, both feet plowing into the Z plate and throwing the beast backwards. Zack fell to the ground, jerking his head to keep his lengthening braids out of his eyes as he jumped back to his feet, prepared to engage the next Putty to catch his eye.

Kimberly flew through the air in a series of swift handsprings, pushing her to the edge of the fray. Once she felt she had made enough space between herself and her allies, she stretched her arms out, just in time to block a Putty's snap-kick aimed at her stomach. She expertly blocked the Putty's follow-up blows, finally knocking the Putty's arm hard enough to throw off the creature's balance. She immediately struck the Putty in the back of the knee with her heel, sending it sprawling to her side facedown. One more kick wedged beneath it forced the creature to its back, and a heel dug heavily into its chest rendered the beast a pile of magical dust.

Trini managed to face four Putties at once, swift hands blocking all the lumbering blows without much difficulty. She ducked low when one Putty dove at her, catching it with her arms and using its own momentum to send it hurtling into the Putty directly in front of it. The two fell into a disoriented pile, leaving her a moment to tangle the other two. A fist in the face of the Putty behind her dazed it, and the follow-up elbow into the chest was enough to annihilate it.

Billy managed to flip over a Putty who had attempted a sweep, landing just behind it. He glanced over his shoulder, and immediately plowed his heel into the Putty's back with a back kick. The Putty sprawled to the ground, but before Billy could deliver a follow-up blow two more Putties grabbed him by the arms, leaving the Blue Ranger to struggle in their grip. Billy managed to hook his legs around one leg of each Putty, pulling them off balance enough to force them to loosen their hold. With a grunt of effort, Billy pulled one arm free, and floored that Putty with an elbow to its jaw. The remaining Putty received a kick to the face, dazing it enough to be disintegrated by a series of swift punches to the Z.

Alexis found herself stunned at the precision and ferocity of her fellow Rangers' attacks. After only minutes of battle, her teammates managed to pare the original two dozen Putties in half. The Rangers had instinctively separated, each one adopting a few yards of area as their "zone," bringing them to face off any Putty who came to close.

She bit her lip to hold back a wave of panic as two Putties slipped past the defensive wall of the core Rangers, approaching her menacingly.

Okay, calm down,

she reflected, holding her left leg out and her arms forward in a careful aikido stance, I can do this. This is what I've been training for!

She exhaled slowly, waiting for the Putties to make the first move.

The pair separated, each one moving toward one side of the Purple Ranger. She stepped back, making a little more room between them, and edging closer to the Putty on her right.

Using her right arm, she blocked the monster's first swing, and turned around to fully face it. Two more quick blocks kept the beast's heavy arms from making contact with her face, and she fired her first front kick the moment she had the smallest opening.

"Bingo!" she declared, grinning fiercely when her sneaker connected with the Z plate. But the blow was only strong enough to knock the Putty onto its back... and in her distraction, she failed to note the other Putty, who got close enough raise both hands in the air, thick fingers entwined to club the Purple Ranger at the base of her neck.

The blow never landed.

Instead, Alexis felt herself pushed to one side. She stumbled slightly, pivoting to see the Putty fall forward, fists digging into the soft earth where she was just standing.

She then saw Jason's powerful legs pound the creature while it still lay disoriented. "Get the other one!" he commanded.

Alexis hurried to the final Putty, who was backing away awkwardly as it realized the rapidly-decreasing odds of victory. She approached it cautiously, hands clenching into fists as she closed the gap.

Apparently recognizing the only way out was through her, the Putty stopped his retreat, and launched himself toward her.

An aptly-timed sidestep made the Putty stumble. An elbow to the base of its neck dropped it toward the ground. When it stood up, a punch in the stomach made the creature bend forward, and finally, her knee jerked toward it, slamming into the silver plate.

She blinked, watching in fascination as the being before her dissolved into amorphous clay, crumbling into harmless dust particles.

She jumped in surprise as a hand grasped her shoulder. "Nice job," Jason noted, "but it's always important to keep tabs on just how many Putties you're up against. One on one, the Putties have no chance, so they usually attack in groups."

Alexis breathed slowly. "Why exactly didn't we Morph? That blow could've really hurt

if it landed!"

The leader smirked. "We used to, back when we first started. But we figured out that we didn't need the speed and strength of Morphin' to deal with a few Putties. We try to Morph in public places as little as possible, to make sure we aren't seen." He then jerked his thumb toward the other Rangers, and Alexis gaped when she saw Zack talking to a young man she didn't recognize.

"Who's that guy?"

"Curtis, Zack's cousin," Jason explained, "He followed Zack here, and when he saw us fighting, he tried to help. Now, if he had walked in on us hastily Morphin', we could've jeopardized our identities."

Alexis nodded solemnly, watching Curtis nod, and race back over the hill. Then, the remaining Rangers joined them.

"I sent Curtis to make sure there aren't any kids playing around the area," Zack informed them, "and I told him we'd try and reach the authorities about this."

"That we will," Jason muttered, lifting his communicator. He frowned when only silence answered him.

"I tried that," Zack reported, "I thought maybe it was my communicator."

"Billy, what does this mean?" Trini inquired, turning toward the genius.

"If the signal wasn't being received, then you would hear static," Billy highlighted, "The silence indicates that the call had gone through to the Command Center's system, but no one has answered it."

"Zordon and Alpha might be in some kind of trouble," Kim realized, her eyes widening as she remembered the mess the Evil Green Ranger had once made to their headquarters.

"Let's try teleporting," Trini suggested.

The six gathered closely together, and after a brief check to make sure there were no witnesses, they vanished in a six-hued rainbow.

Chapter Nine

"Whoa," Alexis gasped.

The teens had materialized in the very center of the ring of computers that comprised the main systems of the Command Center. However, with the exception of a few small bulbs of light on the panels, the chamber was as dark as pitch.

Jason blinked, staring blankly at the empty Transdimension Cylinder in front of him. "Why would Zordon and Alpha take off without telling us?" he wondered.

The dumfounded Rangers began carefully pacing through the darkness, searching for some clue of the fate of their friends. Zack passed through the back area just outside the ring of computers, and jumped as an electric chill shot through his body.

He grimaced, looking back at the area he passed for any loose wires.

"Zack?" Kim called, "You okay?"

"I... felt something," he answered, his tone thoughtful.

The Rangers began circling him, careful to avoid the area he indicated. Billy dug through a drawer of loose equipment, and upon finding a small handheld device, hurried to join his colleagues.

"Hmm," he uttered, watching the bulb flash in response to the scan, "I'm definitely getting some kind of reading. But I can't really tell what it is without downloading the scan into the computers to analyze the results."

Trini frowned, her dark eyes passing along the powerless chamber. Her frown deepened when she realized she saw something out of order.

"Hey Billy?" she called, walking to a particular console, "What does this do?"

Billy was quick to join her. He stared at the console curiously. "I don't believe I've ever used this system," he mused, fingers hovering over the keys, "It almost appears to be a control device of some kind."

"It's also the only system that seems to be operating," Trini pointed out, "Everything else has been shut down."

"Guys, what do we do about Zordon and Alpha?" Kim wondered, peering at the console in question. "Can this computer analyze that weird electricity?"

"Possibly, but I've never used it," Billy admitted. "I believe I have the proper programs in my lab."

Jason nodded, rubbing his arms to ward off the discomforting chill. "Then let's get out of here."

Chapter Ten

Through his red-hued telescopic vision, Lord Zedd witnessed the green substance completely encase the Granite Fist that adorned Angel Grove park. He chuckled gleefully as the warm energies of the liquid worked their magic, slowly forming harmless granite into a sentient being... a particularly nasty monster design.

His chuckle collapsed into a gleeful cackle, energy sparking along his body as he reveled in the purely evil energy that rippled through his new monster, causing the wiry form of the Scarlet Sentinel to open her pearly eyes.

The earth shuddered as Nimrod came to life.

Chapter Eleven

"Anything yet?" Kimberly demanded, hovering over Billy's shoulder and staring at the streams of data that might as well have been a foreign language.

Billy selected a single paragraph, and typed in a new command. "There seems to be a hidden door of light," he mused, executing a visual. The data streams vanished, forming a green-grid aerial view of the Command Center. A jagged fissure appeared in the spot he had been examining. "I can probably figure out how to open-"

His ruminations were lost as suddenly, the entire garage laboratory began quaking fiercely. The Rangers immediately grabbed for something sturdy to hold on to, until the ominous shaking eased.

"Something's up," Jason muttered, eyes narrowing.

Zack frowned fiercely. "Time to go to work."

Chapter Twelve

Within seconds, six armored heroes arrived at the site of the Granite Fist- the obvious starting point. They were greeted by a smoking patch of charred grass where the symbol of strength once stood.

"What happened to it?" Purple wondered, squatting beside the patch, "Did Lord Zedd blow up the statue?"

"Zedd probably turned the statue into a monster," Yellow informed her, "That's where he gets the majority of his fighting force."

Purple frowned curiously, standing up again. "Then the Erebus monster definitely

wasn't his usual M.O."

"Correct, and it seems that this particular spell isn't either."

"What do you mean, Billy?" Pink asked.

The Blue Ranger gestured to the burned grass. "That mucus-like substance covering the Granite Fist was unusual. Normally, Zedd casts a locomotion spell, imbuing inanimate objects with functionality and often limited magical abilities. This spell seemed to have taken more care than his more common spells."

"Great," Black sighed, folding his arms, "This is just what we need... a Super-Monster running around and no Zordon or Alpha to help us out. How're we gonna figure out its weakness?"

Red frowned deeply, black eyes narrow as he scrutinized the surrounding hills and trees of the park. "The more immediate question is: just where is

our new friend?"

"I was wondering

when you'd get around to that!" came an androgynous voice, raw and scratchy as if the being suffered from laryngitis. The Power Rangers whirled around, and were shocked to see Zedd's newest creation standing not fifty feet from them.

Only this monster didn't look like one of Zedd's monsters. Usually, the creatures were loud and bulky, far too uncoordinated to ever sneak up on the Rangers. They had relied on brute strength alone in their attempts to exterminate the teenaged champions of Earth.

This one was different. It even looked different, for instead of thick muscled limbs, the new creature stood on wiry, limber legs, and its deceptively thin arms were folded contemptuously before its granite chest. And the granite surrounding its upper body, shoulders, and head was vaguely shaped like the sculpture that spawned it, effectively housing vital areas behind a wall of armor.

And most unsettling of all, the limber creature smirked at the Rangers. Intelligence

shone behind those marble eyes, as the creature's fierce stare caught the teens off-guard.

Jason was the first to react, stepping in front of his team and defiantly facing the monster. His muscles tensed, slowly sliding into his favored ready stance.

The rest of the team soon took their positions at either side of their leader.

"Well, you Rangers certainly get down to business," the creature snickered, "No manners whatsoever!"

Astonishingly, it bowed at the waist. "My name is Nimrod, the Scarlet Sentinel. And I have been awakened to herald you to your next life, Rangers!"

The Blue Ranger found himself so stunned he couldn't keep his analytical mind from whirring out of control. "Name"? "Awakened"? This creature is exhibiting a sense of self-awareness bounds ahead of any of the generic monsters Zedd ever sent! All monsters have a descriptive classification, like Oysterizer and Saliguana, but this one actually has a personal name as well as a designation! Could this be more than a mere magical manifestation? Could it be... alive?

"Look alive, Billy!"

Blue shook himself out of his distraction just in time to heed Alexis' warning. He flipped out of the way of an astonishingly fast gleaming metal object.

Just where did that platinum pole come from? And when exactly did Nimrod go on the offensive?

Was he really that

distracted?

Blue pushed himself off a back flip into an aerial somersault, launching him far enough away from the fight to reorganize his thoughts.

But when he landed, new concerns screamed at him.

The impact of his feet hitting the grass sent a tingle up his entire body, forcing him to bend his knees deeply to stick the landing. He breathed in sharply, trying his best not to stumble unceremoniously to the ground.

That... hurt!

He realized in shock.

Chapter Thirteen

This sucker's fast!

The Black Ranger, famous for his fast reflexes and even faster tongue, found himself without a witty comment as he tried his best to keep up with the Scarlet Sentinel.

Thankfully, the few seconds Nimrod spent facing off with Billy gave Zack the break he needed to orient himself. He manifested the Power Ax, and managed to angle the dense blade just in time to block Nimrod's powerful weapon.

To his surprise, the collision of steel on steel sent a shockwave through his body. If his elbows weren't locked, the force of Nimrod's hit could very well have knocked Zack's own weapon into his face.

Zack managed to recover fast enough to strike at the Nimrod, but to his horror, he found the weight of the Power Ax too much to properly thrust. Instead of swinging to the side, the weapon dragged him downward with his own momentum, lodging the blade deeply into the grass.

"What gives?" he hissed. He inhaled deeply, and pulled with all his might. But the Power Ax might as well have been Excalibur trapped in a magical stone... it wouldn't budge.

And the Black Ranger was too busy trying to recover his weapon to notice Nimrod's stealth approach...

Chapter Fourteen

Zack!!

"Oh no ya don't, Pebble-Brain!"

Nimrod looked away from her unwary prey just in time to see the Pink Ranger heft her bow, silver arrow gleaming in the sunlight as she took aim.

Both Kim and her target watched as the arrow *thunked* into the ground just in front of the Pink Ranger's white boots.

Kim's jaw went slack as she stared disbelievingly at her arrow.

I... I just didn't have the strength to pull back the chord!

she realized, staring at her shooting hand.

"You want to see a projectile, little girl?" Nimrod asked, struggling against her laughter as she lifted her pole like a javelin, "Happy to oblige!"

Kim froze as Nimrod pulled her throwing arm back...

Chapter Fifteen

"Move!" Jason commanded.

Purple and Yellow sprang into motion, following the directions Red gave them the instant he recognized Kim's danger.

Yellow dashed to Zack, who stood stupefied just feet away from Nimrod, his hand hanging off the handle of his embedded Power Ax.

Red released a fierce growl as he tackled the unprepared Nimrod from behind.

Purple streaked through the air at her top speed, her whip unfurled in her grasp. Then, without getting a chance to take proper aim, she let the leather fly.

The whip smashed into the red pole, the tip wrapping around to hold it securely. And then, Purple pulled.

Kim blinked as the missile suddenly jerked to the side, and fell into Alexis' waiting palm.

"Kim!" Alexis called, dropping the pole and dashing to her friend, "Kim, are you hurt?"

"No," Kim breathed, shaking out of her daze, "But... but something's wrong. I couldn't shoot an arrow! Did you see it, Lex? I never even miss

... but now I can barely hold up the Power Bow..."

Alexis grimaced. It was clear that something

was amiss... for the Blue, Pink, and Black Rangers were completely ineffective against Nimrod. Kim and Zack couldn't seem to handle their own weapons, and Billy never returned after his somersaulting retreat.

This is the first time I don't have Kreia's guidance, but I still knew exactly how to use my whip... my weapon is like an extension of my body. Something must be seriously wrong for Kim and Zack to struggle with theirs.

Alexis sighed deeply, and looked behind her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Jason literally lifted off the ground by a kick Nimrod landed in his gut.

The Red Ranger gripped his stomach tenderly, crawling backwards to make some room between them.

"Kim, Jason told us to regroup, and Trini and Zack are heading over to Billy now. You should join them."

"What about you?"

"I'm gonna try and help Jason."

Chapter Sixteen

I think that one cracked a rib...

Jason bit his tongue against a groan of pain, balancing himself on his hands as he launched his feet into the air. The impromptu kick should have taken Nimrod by surprise... should being the operative word.

The Scarlet Sentinel caught the Red Ranger's feet with both hands, a derisive sneer on her face. "Are you absolutely certain you're trying your best?" she sighed, tightening her grip.

Jason ground his teeth, his mind swimming as he felt the pressure against his ankles. She'll rip my feet off... and my armor's not protecting me...

"Power Sword!" he bellowed, holding his hands behind his head. The weapon appeared at his summon after a short hesitation, and Jason growled deep in his throat to muster the strength to thrust the blade at his enemy.

But to his astonishment, he could barely lift the sword off the grass.

Nimrod snickered as Red began squirming desperately. Slowly, she increased the pressure.

But the Red Ranger wasn't out of options yet; he quickly grabbed his Blade Blaster, and fired a thin beam of laser directly between Nimrod's eyes.

However, his aim was off... fortunately, he did manage not to miss Nimrod completely.

The Sentinel hissed, dropping Red's legs to cradle the smoking wound to her left shoulder. Jason held his Blaster steady, pushing himself away from Nimrod on swollen legs.

Chapter Seventeen

The Purple Ranger made a mad dash toward Jason, only to stop short when Nimrod grabbed hold of his feet.

At the Sentinel's leering comment, Alexis' muscles tightened, her hands instinctively hovering five inches apart, fingers bent inward.

By the time Jason called for the Power Sword, sparks of purple flashed down her gloves.

As Jason struggled to lift his primary weapon, a tiny globe of energy began to pool at the center point between her hands.

Once Jason struck Nimrod with his Blade Blaster, a full-fledged Eagleheart Pulse rotated in Alexis' grasp, pulsing with energy like a ticking bomb.

A smirk on her lips, Alexis tensed and let her condensed power fly...

Chapter Eighteen

Nimrod shrieked as a sphere of brilliant, swirling energy smashed into her waist just under the protective casing of granite. The sphere exploded on impact, sending the monster skidding across the hilly park, digging a deep trench in her wake.

To say Jason was surprised by his sudden rescue would be an understatement.

"Jase, did you see

that?" Alexis gushed, suddenly at his side. He hissed loudly when her arm encircled his shoulders.

"You're really hurt," she realized. She gasped when she retracted her hand, now stained with blood.

"Our powers have been compromised," he breathed, "I just don't have the strength or durability I ought to."

She stared at him helplessly, glancing back to make sure Nimrod was still out of commission.

Jason struggled to speak despite gasping for breath. "W...was that...?"

"The Eagleheart Pulse!" she announced proudly, "I didn't think I'd be able to do it, since I've got the Morpher and all, but somehow I retained it! Maybe I do have some access to Kreia's knowledge even though I can't actually hear her in my head like I could before Zordon gave me the Morpher-"

"Alexis,"

Jason uttered. His voice was so stern the Purple Ranger instantly shut up. "Get to the others. Tell them to retreat back to Billy's lab. If we can figure out what happened to Zordon and Alpha, we might have a clue about how to restore our powers."

Alexis winced as she watched Jason struggle to his feet, dragging disobedient legs under his body. "What about you?"

"I'll hold off Nimrod until you're all clear."

Alexis blinked, leaping to her feet. Through the corner of her eye, she could see Nimrod dusting herself off from her crash landing. Other than a few grass stains, she was none the worse for wear.

She bit back the initial "Are you crazy??"

that threatened to fire, selecting a more pragmatic approach. "Jase, why don't I

hold off Nimrod? I think my powers are working fine."

Jason shook his head. "Can't risk that your powers won't start acting up too. And I can't let you fight alone against a monster like this."

Alexis sighed. That initial outburst was starting to sound more applicable. "Jason, we already know your powers are compromised! You're hurt... you need some First Aid or something. I managed to pull off a Pulse... I know I'm good to go."

"The longer your argue, the more time Nimrod has to recuperate."

Alexis leaned forward, hands planted on her hips. But before she could retort, a harsh cackle distracted them both.

They whirled around, just in time to see Nimrod catch a silver sphere that floated purposefully towards her.

Jason immediately grabbed Alexis' wrist, and began running. Moments later, Nimrod slammed the sphere against the ground, creating a fissure in the ground from which magical smoke erupted.

Alexis let Jason guide her, craning her neck to see what was going on. Her eyes widened to new proportions as she watched Nimrod begin to grow dramatically.

The wings on her ankles began beating madly, and she pulled Jason's arm around her shoulder. "Let's get the hell outta here!"

Chapter Nineteen

Trini was so preoccupied with catching her breath (why did that little jog take up so much energy?!), she didn't even notice the fight until Nimrod suddenly stretched heavenward, uplifting the trees nearby as her suddenly deep voice cackled cruelly.

She gasped, taking a step back. "We need the Thunderzords!"

"I nearly twisted my ankle landing from a rudimentary somersault," Billy commented as he continued rubbing his feet to regain feeling, "I doubt I'll be able to even jump into the Megazord cockpit."

Kim stared out at the enormous monster. "She's heading into the city! Thousands of people are at risk!"

Zack scowled, staring at his arm. "Guys, there's no way we can do anything about it."

Kim whirled around to stare at her friend. "What? Since when have you been so pessimistic?"

"Since this," he sighed. He gripped the fingers of his glove with his other hand, and with one quick tug, pulled the material right off his arm.

Kim and Trini were utterly speechless.

"That's impossible," Billy whispered, "The Morph creates an energy grid beneath the armor, protecting us from attacks. The only part of the uniform that is removable is the helmet, and only when the latches are switched, negating the energies within to allow it!"

"It should

be impossible," Zack corrected, "and the fact that this glove comes off like a banana peel means only one thing: we're not really Morphed. We're just wearing colorful spandex."

"But, I still managed to summon my Power Bow," Kim pointed out.

"Our powers must've been fading since we got out here," Trini realized, "The longer we fight, the more likely we'll just un-Morph completely."

"We gotta hit it," Zack grumbled, frustration evident in his tone, "All we'll accomplish out here is getting squashed by Nimrod."

At that moment, a blaze of purple light heralded the arrival of the two remaining Rangers. Alexis gently set Jason on the ground before her wings stopped fluttering, and she dropped at his side.

"Okay, Billy, you're the resident genius, right?"

He shrugged. "So I'm told."

"So, what happened to your powers?"

Trini stepped forward, her hand on her chin. "And why are you

still able to fly, Lex? Your powers seem unaffected."

Billy carefully hoisted himself to his feet. "We have to go back to my lab. Until we figure out how to restore our powers, we're useless out here."

Kimberly chewed her lip, her eyes following the path Nimrod disappeared in.

Chapter Twenty

^...on an unbidden path to Stone Canyon. This marks the first time one of these mysterious creatures attacked a city other than Angel Grove, and while Stone Canyon had prepared for the possibility, the greatest fear is the density of the population of the city. Stone Canyon's police and firefighters, assisted by forces from Angel Grove, have been mobilized to do their best to minimize casualties as we anxiously wait for the Power Rangers to make-^

Kimberly switched off the volume, staring at the screen numbly. Fortunately, as a lithe creature to begin with, Nimrod didn't create the random destruction some other creatures threatened. Yet, it seemed to be searching for something.

Perhaps... for them

.

She winced as Nimrod looked down upon the wide highway he marched across. With a deep chuckle, he lifted his foot, and crushed a small blue coup parked along the highway.

There was no way to tell whether the vehicle had been abandoned, or if someone had been inside.

Then, the television flickered off. "Kim, that's not doing you any good."

Kim turned around to frown at Zack. She noted his worried expression, and released a long, shaky sigh. "I... know."

Zack bent beside her, lifting her to her feet and meeting her troubled gaze. He offered her an earnest smile. "I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of standing around. Maybe we can be useful."

She nodded.

"Then you go help Alexis bandage up our fearless leader, and I'll see if hanging over Billy and Trini's shoulders will make them analyze any faster."

Kim allowed a strained smile, shaking her head to relieve her mind of her worries for at least a time. Then, she moved across the lab to where Jason struggled against Alexis' ministrations. In fact, now he had been reduced to hiding from her, holding a pillow as a wall between them as he backpedaled from her.

"Please,

Jason," she sighed, "It's just alcohol! After all that Tough-Guy crap you pulled at the park, this is nothing!"

"Lex, you just don't know Jason!" Kim responded, her hands on her hips, "He may be Bruce Lee when he's on the battlefield or the championship arena, but he's a big baby when it comes to medicine..."

"Kim!"

he hissed in warning.

The Pink Ranger completely disregarded him. "You should've seen him when we went to get flu shots! He took one look at the needle, and went white as a sheet!"

Alexis snickered as she tried to picture the scene. She then turned to Jason, whose face had flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, if you think alcohol is bad, I should run home and get the iodine my mother used when I scraped my knees roller-skating."

Jason gulped. "Iodine?"

"Absolutely," she said, waving the bottle of alcohol, "This is nothing! My mother wanted to teach me to use kneepads, so instead of using painless stuff, she poured on the iodine! It felt like laying my knee flat on an electric stove!"

Jason grimaced. "You wouldn't dare..."

Alexis met his frown with a cool smirk. "Did you just say 'dare'?"

Jason's face fell at the mischievous glimmer in the new Purple Ranger's eyes.

"Guys, we've got something."

Both Rangers looked up at Zack, who waved them to the computer where the others were hovering. Jason breathed a sigh of relief as the iodine subject was dropped in favor of less intense matters... like saving the world.

"I think we've figured out how to open that door of light I mentioned," Billy reported, "If I were a betting man, I'd wager that mysterious computer Trini found is in fact the control mechanism. The only concern is... we don't know where the door leads."

"But it's our only lead to Zordon and Alpha," Jason realized, "We'll have to go in."

"We actually thought of something," Trini picked up, "It would be best if one of us checked it out. We don't know how the door will respond once opened; it could turn into a vacuum, sucking in everyone in the Command Center. If only one of us goes, the others are still here in case something goes... wrong."

"Okay, what do I do?" Jason asked, folding his arms.

Billy rose to his feet. "No offense, Jason, but I feel I should go. I have the best chance of figuring out the controls."

"Or, you could guide me through it via communicator," Jason pointed out.

"But again, we don't know how the door will respond. It is very possible the doorway will need to be reopened from the other side when you ready to return, and we'd have no way to contact you. I have the best chances of figuring out a way home."

"But what if something happens to you?" Kim wondered.

"Then I'll take a shot at the controls," Trini said, "We'll give him fifteen minutes, and if we don't hear from him, then someone can follow through the doorway."

All the Rangers looked to Jason questioningly.

Finally, he nodded. "We'll do it your way, Billy. But be careful. And in exactly fifteen minutes, we're coming in after you."

Chapter Twenty-One

The flash of rich blue energy temporarily lit up the darkness of the Command Center.

Billy stepped away from his entry point, giving his eyes a few moments to adjust to the engulfing darkness. Then, he slowly made his way to the area he had scanned only hours ago.

He came to a stop when he felt a tingle, almost like static electricity. That must be the fissure... what Zack felt earlier.

Wasting no time, he hurried to the control system Trini had discovered. Blue eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the keyboard, fingers hovering thoughtfully above them as he worked out the design of the buttons.

It looks a great deal like the teleporter,

he realized, The keys are set in a similar pattern. A ring of buttons to the center, most likely designed to set the coordinates. Perhaps this is a transportable door, cutting through dimensional walls and allowing access? Hmm... then, it would serve a purpose similar to my Portal-Com.

Billy tapped his chin as he visualized the Portal-Com, the device he invented to allow the Rangers to enter Rita's Dark Dimension, and attempt to capture the Green Candle.

So if this is based on the Portal-Com design, then it is safe to assume that the coordinates have already been set,

he reasoned. We can tactilely perceive the location of the hidden door, meaning it is still operational, only 'closed.' It is still active. So one of these buttons must 'open' it. An 'execution' key, similar to the actual transporter button, a laser trigger in the Unicorn Zord, or even an 'Enter' key on a computer keyboard. The action key, to follow through the command programmed.

The execution key was easy to find; for a conspicuous larger square button sat just to the left of the programming keys.

"Bingo," he whispered, a self-satisfied smile pulling his lips. He depressed the button.

Suddenly, the fissure came to life behind him, blinding his eyes in brilliant white before it swallowed him whole.

Billy found himself hanging, utterly weightless, in a tunnel of solid white. His limbs dangled helplessly, curious eyes darting in wonder at the swirls of white that greeted him, until he felt the familiar pull of gravity.

He fell into darkness again, crouching to buffer his fall properly. The only source of light was from directly before him; what looked like a grate connecting to a room beneath him.

"Should I set the intermorphin' sequencer before I regulate the energy converter, Zordon?"

Hey, that's Alpha's voice!

Billy realized. He quickly began crawling toward the grate, from which the voice originated.

"YES ALPHA. MEANWHILE, I SHALL TEST THE PHASE-CAPACITANCE PROGRAM."

So they're both all right...

"Sequencer is online and working properly. I'll start on the converter now."

Billy finally reached the grate and looked into the room beneath. His green eyes widened to new proportions as he stared into the laboratory. Below, Alpha scuttled around a figure in white and gold, stretched motionless on a surgical bed.

"BE CAREFUL. THE SMALLEST MISTAKE IN THE ENERGY FLOW COULD SPELL DISASTER."

Billy felt his throat go dry as he finally realized exactly what he was bearing witness to. "I've got to tell the others."

Part Three

Chapter Twenty-Two

Five pairs of worried eyes followed the tracks of the young genius. His steps tapped methodically against the paved ground of his garage laboratory, fingers knit tightly behind him as he silently pondered just how to break the startling news.

Finally, he swallowed to moisten his dry throat, and began his announcement. "Well, after tinkering with the control systems that Trini noticed remained functional given the universal shutdown, I managed to access the door of energy we were detect-"

Kimberly sighed impatiently. "No offense, but can you just cut to the chase?"

"Yes," Trini prodded, "what exactly did you find in the Command Center?"

Billy swallowed again. "Alpha and Zordon are creating a new Ranger."

At first, stunned silence reigned as the Power Rangers slowly registered the enormity of Billy's discovery.

Then, the questions struck all at once.

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Man... another

new Ranger?"

"Who is it, do you know?"

"Where exactly are they?"

"Could you be wrong?"

The Blue Ranger frowned at the last question. "I'm definitely not wrong."

"That explains why the Command Center was shut down," Jason noted.

Billy nodded. "Exactly. All the energy is being concentrated into the creation of this new Ranger."

The Rangers fell into awed silence again, considering the ramifications of this new teammate.

All except one, who couldn't seem to wrap her mind around a surprising oversight. "How come Tommy couldn't have gotten these new powers?" Kimberly wondered. "He's already one of us."

All eyes fell upon the Pink Ranger. Her voice was so plaintive that the awe that infused the other Rangers almost immediately transformed to outrage.

"Yeah... who's this new guy?" Zack demanded.

Realizing the connotations of his statement, the Black Ranger turned to Alexis, offering an embarrassed smile. "N...not that there's anything wrong with a new Ranger-"

Alexis grinned. "Don't worry; no offense taken."

"Guys, we need to get a grip," Jason uttered, folding his arms, "I'm sure Zordon's got a good reason for this."

His team nodded, falling into a contemplative silence once again. Moments later, a familiar six-tone signal pierced the dead air like a knife.

"Zordon must be finished," Zack realized.

The Rangers exchanged unsure looks as they huddled around their leader.

"This is Jason."

^RANGERS, PLEASE REPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY.^

"Right away."

"Remember, Zordon and Alpha know what they're doing," Billy assured his teammates.

In unison, the six active Power Rangers activated their wrist units, holding their collective breath as they wondered who their newest member could possibly be.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Zordon smiled widely as his Rangers materialized, standing in an attentive assembly before him in the revitalized Command Center. He couldn't keep his enthusiasm out of his voice if he'd wanted to. "WELCOME, POWER RANGERS. THIS PROMISES TO BE A MOMENTOUS OCCASION. YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM."

Surprisingly, the Rangers didn't seem overly shocked at the news. But their perceptive mentor noticed the discomfort they tried to cover. Especially Kimberly.

"AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE GREEN RANGER'S POWERS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DECIMATED BY HIS LAST FEW BATTLES. ALPHA AND I FELT IT WAS TIME TO CREATE A MORE POWERFUL RANGER TO COMBAT LORD ZEDD'S INCREASINGLY POWERFUL FORCES. TO THAT END, A CANDIDATE WAS SELECTED, AND A NEW POWER RANGER WAS CREATED."

After a dramatic pause, Zordon unveiled the mystery. "AND NOW, MY CHILDREN, I PRESENT TO YOU... THE WHITE RANGER."

The teens squinted as the blinding energy of the Hidden Chamber blazed into existence. Shielding their eyes warily, they noted a silhouette drift to the ground from above.

Finally, the light faded, and all eyes fell upon the White Ranger.

He (or she) stood proud and tall, lustrous white armor plated with black-gold accents. Unlike the other Rangers, no Power Coin was visible on the golden belt, and an ornate black and gold shield covered the chest area almost to the belt.

The White Ranger's uniform was such a deviation from the others that the Rangers were absolutely thunderstruck.

"WELCOME, WHITE RANGER. THE TIME HAS COME TO REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY."

The Rangers watched as their newest member reached up. With unnerving slowness, he undid the latches of his helmet, and pulled it off with expert ease.

The Rangers' worried expressions melted into astonishment as they registered the familiar face. Kimberly was so shocked she clutched a console, trying desperately to moderate her breath.

Finally losing her battle against gravity, the Pink Ranger fainted.

Tommy grinned. "Guess who's back!"

After a fraction of a second, Zack, Billy, Jason, and Trini recovered themselves. They swarmed around Tommy, offering welcoming hugs and handshakes.

"What's up, man?" Zack chimed, slapping the White Ranger's back, "You look good! When do I

get a funky shield?"

Billy smiled his relief. "We were all hoping it would be you... especially Kimberly."

Zordon chuckled.

Alexis watched the reunion scene unfold, an overwhelming sense of not belonging

preventing her from joining her friends.

For some inexplicable reason, seeing Tommy in that new uniform made her suddenly nauseous.

She blinked, trying to sort through her conflicting emotions as her confounded gaze leapt from Tommy's smiling face, to the other Ranger's jubilation, to Kimberly, whom she just noticed was lying unconscious on the ground.

"Speaking of Kimberly..." Jason uttered, jerking his thumb.

A small smile quirked Tommy's lip as he excused himself from the others. After offering a thumbs-up to Alexis, he knelt beside Kimberly, gently stroking the stray hairs from her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered.

"Hey Beautiful... time to wake up," he coaxed gently.

She blinked, her disoriented gaze slowly focusing on the man she had hoped against all hope would be within the strange new armor. She smiled, tears shining brightly in her eyes. "I don't believe it! I must be dreaming!" she declared, throwing her arms around him tightly. Tommy eagerly returned the gesture.

The other Rangers exchanged knowing smiles.

Once Tommy lifted Kimberly to her feet, the group congregated together once again.

"Man, awesome!" Zack gushed, "Simply awesome!"

Kim giggled in speechless agreement.

"SO POWER RANGERS, MAY I ASSUME YOU ARE PLEASED WITH THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE POWER TEAM?"

Jason's smile just couldn't get any wider. "This is just... incredible!"

"I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SECRETIVE. ALPHA AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR MONTHS, BUT I FEARED IT WOULD PROVE UNSUCCESSFUL. WE DECIDED NOT TO MENTION THIS TO YOU UNTIL WE WERE CERTAIN THE WHITE RANGER COULD BE BORN."

After what seemed like forever, Alexis recovered her voice. "But... how?" she wondered, "I thought Tommy lost his powers."

Alpha stepped forward to answer. "Not Tommy, the Green Ranger's

powers were gone for good."

Alexis grimaced.

Alpha didn't notice the Purple Ranger's reaction, and continued. "The new Ranger will control the White Tiger Thunderzord, a Zord of strength and ferocity. Also, he will carry an enchanted sword known as Saba, who will assist him in battle as well as help him control the Tigerzord."

"EXTEND YOUR HAND, WHITE RANGER," Zordon directed, "AND ACCEPT ALL THAT HAS BEEN GRANTED TO YOU."

Tommy did as Zordon asked, and a majestic saber materialized in his waiting palm. Tommy lowered his arm, a new smile lighting up his face as he took in the intricate tiger's head engraved in the marbleized handle. "Man, it's good to be back!"

Suddenly, the alarms screamed to life. Alpha jumped in surprise, and activated the Viewing Globe. He gasped when he saw the lithe Nimrod monster at a titanic height, chuckling deeply as it rampaged. "Aye yi yi! What's going on?!" he stammered.

"IT APPEARS LORD ZEDD TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE MORPHIN' GRID'S DISRUPTION," Zordon realized, "I KNEW HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RESIST."

"So you know that our powers are acting funny?" Zack realized.

Alpha nodded. "In order to fully integrate the White Ranger Powers with yours, we had to physically add him to the Morphin' Grid. That process compromised your powers."

Alexis frowned. "But my powers worked fine."

"UNLIKE THE CORE RANGERS, THE PURPLE AND GREEN RANGERS WERE NEVER PART OF THE MORPHIN' GRID, AND AS SUCH CANNOT BE AFFECTED BY ANY FLUCTUATIONS IN THE GRID."

"But now that I'm ready for action, the Grid's good as new, right?" Tommy inquired.

Zordon nodded. "YOUR POWERS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO FULL, RANGERS. NOW, YOU MUST TAKE ACTION BEFORE THIS NEW MONSTER CAUSES FURTHER DAMAGE. THE CREATURE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS NIMROD, THE SCARLET SENTINEL. I HAVE SEEN HER BEFORE, AND SHE IS A GREAT THREAT."

Tommy frowned curiously. "What makes this monster so special?"

"NIMROD IS ONE OF AN ELITE FEW CALLED THE 'CLASS-A MONSTERS,'" Zordon revealed, "UNLIKE THE MORE TYPICAL CREATURES, THIS BEING IS ACTUALLY ALIVE. LORD ZEDD USES CLASS-A MONSTERS SPARINGLY, SINCE THEY CANNOT BE REANIMATED ONCE KILLED. THESE CREATURES NEED TO INCUBATE, BY POURING THEIR ESSENCE ONTO AN INANIMATE OBJECT FROM WHICH IT DRAWS ITS STRENGTH AND ATTRIBUTES."

"Essence..." Trini murmured, "That must've been the green slime we saw!"

"YES. NIMROD IS AN EXCEEDINGLY WILY CREATURE, SO WE MUST TREAD CAUTIOUSLY. THE CORE RANGERS WILL ADVANCE WITH THE THUNDER MEGAZORD. ALEXIS AND TOMMY WILL REMAIN BEHIND FOR NOW."

Tommy blinked. "Why? I'm ready to go!"

"Yeah!" Alexis chimed.

"YOU MUST FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH YOUR ZORDS BEFORE YOU ENTER THE BATTLE," Zordon pointed out, "NIMROD IS TOO DANGEROUS AN OPPONENT TO ENGAGE WITHOUT SOME PRACTICE."

Tommy nodded, but his disappointment was obvious.

"Don't worry," Jason said, squeezing his best friend's shoulder. He then threw Alexis a reassuring grin. "We'll tenderize her for you."

He then pulled out his Morpher, and glanced at Tommy again. "Care to do the honors, Bro?"

Tommy smiled weakly at the irony of Jason's request. I guess from now on... it'll be my job to say it...

"It's Morphin' Time!"

The six un-Morphed Power Rangers banded together, each calling upon his power source in turn. Tommy watched numbly as the core five vanished, his eyes lingering on the faint afterimage of Jason's departure.

"Tommy? You okay?"

"Yeah, Lex," he murmured, his voice disturbingly weary. He pulled his own helmet on, and turned to Zordon. "What do we do now?"

"NOW, IT IS TIME TO SUMMON THE WHITE TIGERZORD AND EAGLEZORD."

Chapter Twenty-Four

A pair of dark brown eyes stared outside, watching the sun disappear behind the line of buildings along the visible horizon.

The sight triggered a yawn of absolute boredom. She pursed her full, red-glossed lips together in a vain effort to stifle it.

Thankfully, she didn't draw too much attention to herself.

She glanced at her wristwatch. This is so

much more fun when Rocky and Adam are here... but someone needed to stay at Mom's store today...

"Miss Campbell?"

She lurched into full wakefulness.

"I can't find the 'Any' key."

The instructor smiled at her student's distressed expression. She leaned over the boy's shoulder, quickly reading over the white text sitting boldly on the solid black screen.

"The error message says 'Non-system disk or disk error.' You checked the floppy drive?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now, when the computer says 'Press any key to continue,' it means any of the keys on the keyboard. It doesn't matter which one."

The boy sat dumfounded for a second, until he heard the poorly veiled snickering of his peers.

"Okay," the instructor said loudly, standing at her full height and gazing at the dozen students, "That's enough! What did I say about laughing in the classroom?"

"Save it all for Rocky!" the group chorused.

"Good. And since Rocky's not here today, you'll have to make sure to laugh twice as hard at him next week."

Some of the children giggled at that. Then, the young woman turned to the boy she was helping, and patted his shoulder. "Any more questions, Justin?"

The boy shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Miss Campbell. I don't have a computer at home-"

She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "There's never any harm in asking a question. And in a few weeks, you'll be a computer whiz. I can tell you're a natural!"

He smiled widely. "Thanks, Miss Campbell!"

She wagged her finger in mock-reproof. "And that's enough 'Miss Campbell' stuff," she admonished, "I'm not that much older than you. Just call me Aisha."

The shy boy nodded obediently, and smiled.

Aisha backed towards the window, scanning the classroom carefully.

The Elementary School Computer Class had been Rocky's idea, and the three lifelong friends managed to pull it together. Adam, Rocky, and Aisha always had a soft spot for children, and holding computer tutorials in the high school computer room after hours was a stroke of brilliance. Due to the outlandish amount of tax money spent on repair of monster attacks, the Angel Grove- Stone Canyon Regional Board of Education had to make due with a very limited budget. Simply put, furnishing the area elementary schools with enough computers to hold classes was out of the question. The logical solution was to hold classes in the high school laboratories.

Four local children were signed up once the program was initiated, and over time other parents heard of the program, and the three responsible, good-natured teens that were spearheading the initiative, and soon the program tripled in size. Even kids from Angel Grove had begun attending.

"Okay class," she announced, digging a handful of sheets from her backpack, "once everyone gets into Microsoft Works, turn off the screens. We're starting with a typing drill, and I don't want anyone to try and look at the screen. Keep your eyes on the sheet, and copy the text word for word. If you finish before I yell 'time,' start again."

She began passing the practice sheets out, when suddenly a tall cup of pencils toppled from the teacher's desk. Aisha turned around, watching the yellow wooden sticks roll along the floor.

That's really weir-

She froze completely when a shrill bell rang in everyone's ears.

The emergency alarm.

"Kids," she said, trying her utmost to keep her calm, "I think it's time we-"

Only moments later, a more powerful tremor shook the building.

The children screamed in panic, tripping over themselves to get out of the room.

Aisha inhaled sharply. "EVERYBODY STAY CALM!!"

The children froze at the surprising volume of their petite instructor.

"Rosa!"

The young Mexican girl with long brown pigtails stared up at Aisha.

Aisha knelt before her, tuning out the chaotic noises flooding her senses. "Honey, you've been to the gym before, right? To see your big brother in those martial arts contests?"

She nodded mutely.

"Good. I need you to do me a favor, Rosa. Show the other kids how to get there. I'm going to follow right behind you."

Rosa nodded quietly.

"I'm counting on you, Rosa," Aisha murmured, hugging the young girl tightly.

Rosa DeSantos then went to the exit, trembling as she fought against the desire to break into a terrified run. Aisha watched her students leave, mingling with the other people evacuating in the hallway, before turning back to window, now cracked by the continuous impact.

Wasting no time, she leapt out the window.

Outside the thick walls of Stone Canyon High School was a sight only seen on cheesy B-movies... or Angel Grove.

Even in the dim twilight, Aisha saw the cause of the chaos. An enormous creature stood less than a quarter mile from the school, waving what looked like a large red pole. The pole struck everything in its path; buildings, helicopters, and cars alike.

What's going on?

She knew the drill. The school had practiced for Monster Attack just like every other school had fire drills. Line up in single file, go to the underground shelter from the gym.

She yelped as a surprisingly harsh footfall made her lose her balance.

The creature had purposely stomped on a patrol car.

Shaking her head to orient herself, Aisha dragged herself to her feet and dashed back toward the building.

"It's coming this way," she gasped, her heart throbbing in her chest, "It's coming right for us!"

Chapter Twenty-Five

Two figures stood just outside the Command Center, peering down the steep, jagged cliff that elevated the secret base of the Power Rangers well above prying eyes.

"Let the driving lesson begin," Tommy murmured, pulling the saber from its hilt. He gazed at the sword in mute awe, again taking in the perfectly sculpted tiger's head that topped the handle.

"Didn't anyone teach you it's rude to stare?" a cultured voice suddenly spoke.

Tommy jumped, dropping the sword in surprise.

Both he and Alexis stared at the weapon that groaned "Oww" upon impact.

The Purple Ranger blinked. "Did that sword just... talk?"

"And it's even ruder

to drop someone on their face!" the saber growled. This time, the voice was more than a little miffed.

A faint white aura built around the blade, and suddenly, the saber floated to eye level with its new partner. "So, you're the White Ranger?" he muttered, "I take it you've never seen a talking saber before?"

Tommy blinked as his thought processes slowly digested this latest development.

"Alpha did

say I was 'enchanted,'" Saba pointed out, his tone slightly mocking, "What did you think that meant?"

"I... don't know," Tommy admitted, "I figured you fired laser beams or something."

Saba huffed. "Any saber worth it's steel can do that!"

Alexis felt her surprise fade, and began giggling. "I think I'll leave you two to get acquainted," she decided, golden wings carrying her into the air.

Tommy watched the Purple Ranger's timely retreat, and then turned his incredulous gaze back to his new "partner."

"Unless I misheard Zordon's direction, time is of the essence," Saba drawled, "Perhaps you should collect your limited wits and summon the White Tigerzord?"

Tommy frowned at the insult to his intelligence, but did as he was told. "White Tigerzord!"

In response to its master's voice, the earth rumbled as the powerful White Tigerzord raced into view, leaping into the air to gracefully land in the barren desert surrounding the cliffs.

"Whoa," Tommy awed.

"Teenagers," Saba sighed.

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Whoa," Alexis gasped, watching the gleaming white beast pause in the open field. From her vantage point, she could see Tommy's arms waving, possibly trying to communicate with the Zord.

Oddly, the Zord ran backwards, and somehow managed to flip onto its back, flailing its legs helplessly.

Tommy fell at the impact the Zord had created, and then seemed to direct his attention to Saba. Even from a distance, Alexis could hear Saba's screeching.

"I can't believe a sword could be so prissy!" she marveled, giggling at the very thought of it. But soon, the Tigerzord returned to its feet, and seemed to move smoothly after that.

"Okay, now for my

Zord," she whispered, closing her eyes. Even though she'd never encountered the Eaglezord first hand, a part of her felt the bond between her coin and the battle machine. Apparently, that link was just another aspect of the Power.

Time to wake up, Eaglezord... the world needs you again.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hundreds of thousands of miles away, the surface of the moon rocked. Sand and stone shifted under the spell of the tremor, startling Lord Zedd enough to leap from his throne in alarm.

Goldar raced into the throne room, eyes wide. "Sire! We're under attack!"

"Shut up, idiot!" Zedd hissed, steadying himself with his scepter, "The Rangers are occupied with the Nimrod! This is something... else..."

Carefully, the Emperor made his way to the balcony. Grasping the iron rail, red light flowed from his visor, magnifying the horizon from which the rumbling originated.

He gasped in surprise as a metallic bird shrieked to life, blasting from its dusty grave like a phoenix.

Before Zedd could even breathe, the vessel tore through the air, leaving a purple energy trail as it rocketed towards Earth.

"By all that is Evil..." he murmured, "There was a Zord buried on my moon

... and no one told me

?!"

Goldar wisely made himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Red Ranger gnashed teeth as he stared at the columns of dense smoke that rose from smoldering buildings. Dozens of police vehicles were nothing but crumbled sheets of metal, destroyed beyond recognition.

The creature had damaged several border neighborhoods of Angel Grove, culminating her wanton destruction in Stone Canyon itself... all because the Rangers delayed in doing something about it.

Jason swallowed as the Nimrod shook off heavy gunfire like rainwater, and continued her path of destruction...

...straight toward Stone Canyon High School.

^What the hell is she tryin' to prove?^ Zack growled over the intercom.

^We've got to stop her!^ Kim admonished.

^We're really low on space,^ Trini pointed out, ^If we fight in Megazord form here, we'll only make things worse!^

"New plan," Jason decided, "I'll try to redirect Nimrod. Kim, you help me out. Hopefully, since we're airborne, we'll minimize damage."

^And the rest of us?^ Billy inquired.

"Get down there. Make sure all rescue workers are out of the way, and check if anyone's lingering in the school. I see lights on in there."

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Ah!" Aisha hissed, drawing her arm back hastily. She cringed at the streak of red blood that quickly soaked through her sleeve.

There's glass everywhere...

she noted in dismay.

Biting her lip against the pain, she struggled to her feet once again, carefully maintaining her balance against the more oppressive pounding that shattered every single window on the east wing of the school building.

She looked up at the sky to see what had caused the newest rash of quakes. Her eyes widened at the blazing fire that lit the night sky, pouring from the throat of a red and silver leviathan that floated weightlessly in the heavens.

"The Power Rangers!" she gasped, the pain in her arm forgotten. She watched in awe as the mechanical beast wedged its glimmering teeth into the arm of the slim monster, catching its opponent halfway through a swing that could have sliced a building in half had it landed.

"Hey! Are you okay, Miss?"

Aisha jumped at the disembodied voice, turning full circle. No one was visible.

The speaker responded by leaping off the roof of the tall high school, somersaulting until she landed gracefully just feet from the startled girl.

"Yellow Ranger," Aisha gasped reverently.

Yellow's head tilted down, apparently noticing in the sharp glass that covered the grass.

She reached out to grasp Aisha's arm gently. "You're badly wounded."

"Not really," Aisha responded, gazing at the wound, "The amount of blood is misleading. It might need a few stitches, but I'm pretty lucky. I could've ruptured a vein."

Yellow gazed at her, clearly impressed. "You know first aid?"
Aisha nodded proudly. "My dad's a doctor, so basic medicine is what we talk about over dinner."

To demonstrate her knowledge of dressing wounds, Aisha tore the sleeve off her uninjured arm. Holding one end with her teeth, she deftly wrapped the yellow cotton around the wound tightly, knotting the ends together.

Both girls turned around when the screeching of metal assailed their ears.

"Pink!" Trini gasped, staring in horror as the Firebird Thunderzord collided with the red pole of the creature. The Nimrod laughed deeply, redoubling its efforts to knock the mighty Red Dragon from the skies.

Yellow shook her head to recover her bearings, and then grasped Aisha's shoulder. "How many people would be in the school after-hours?"

"By now... none," Aisha reported, "We've got an underground bomb shelter, and it's policy to evacuate when the Monster Alarm goes off."

Yellow sighed in relief. "Good. Then get yourself in there pronto."

Aisha nodded, hurrying back into the school. Yellow raised her wrist. "Guys, the building's been evacuated. There's an underground bomb shelter, so everyone should be okay."

^Good work, Yellow!^ Blue commented.

^Excellent!^ Black added, ^We're heading back to the Zords.^

Chapter Thirty

Nimrod's cackle wheezed into a groan of pain as the thick tail of the Red Dragon speared into her abdomen, just beneath the rock encasing.

The monster's eyes narrowed when he noted the appearance of the Griffin, Unicorn, and Lion, all carefully gliding down the emptied streets of the abandoned neighborhood.

The Scarlet Sentinel responded to the new challenge with a cruel smirk. "Time to up the stakes, Rangers!"

Faster than any Zord could respond, Nimrod flipped into the air. All the Rangers could do is watch in horror as the behemoth dropped to the ground... right into the east wing of Stone Canyon High School.

"Oh my God!" Kimberly gasped, "The school!"

Chapter Thirty-One

Miles away, the White Tigerzord stood stationary, head angled towards Angel Grove. Its eyes glowed faintly, as if it were staring past the horizon.

Even from the distance of the cliffs bordering the coast, columns of thick smoke were visible.

Within the Tigerzord, the White Ranger got a far different view... thanks to the satellite link that allowed the Zord to see anything that happened on the face of the planet.

^Oh my God!^ Tommy heard his girlfriend fret, ^The school!^

Tommy clenched his fist in anger as he silently poured over the situation.

"Let's move, White Ranger!" Saba huffed, "I thought your job was to protect

people."

"Maybe if you and I worked together

, we might actually be useful!" Tommy hissed, his voice uncharacteristically dangerous.

Saba blinked his ruby eyes. "Well... I suppose-"

"If we dash head first into Stone Canyon, we'll only make things worse," Tommy rationalized, "I'm new at the wheel, and I might wind up leveling buildings just trying to reach the others. We need to get that thing to a reasonable battleground."

Tommy chewed his lip, fingers hovering hesitantly over a panel of keys. "Uh... is this the control panel for the view screen?"

"Yes, but you don't know how to use it," Saba pointed out.

"Then you do it."

Saba didn't answer, but Tommy saw the keys depress on their own. The view screen that displayed the horrifying destruction of Stone Canyon pulled out, covering a greater area but neglecting detail.

"Keep going," the White Ranger urged, "We're looking for a wide open space. Anything... so long as it's pretty close to the school."

"How about this," Saba asked. A white cube appeared over a green patch. "It's Stone Canyon's athletic field. Over 130 yards of empty space, and it's nearly a quarter mile from the school, up a hill."

Tommy huffed. "What's near it?"

"No houses, if that's your concern. The football and soccer fields are about a hundred yards apart. There are metal bleachers and food stands, but definitely no people visible on satellite."

"Perfect. Thanks, partner."

The edges of Saba's mouth quirked up just a little.

"Jason, this is Tommy. Do you read?"

^Yeah, Bro... tell me you're ready to rumble.^

"Definitely. But not there! Listen Bro, think you can carry Nimrod?"

^If she's as light as she looks, I can probably get her off the ground. But not for long.^

"There's an empty football field about a quarter mile north of where you are. It's on a hill... you might be able to see it."

^To the north? Yeah... I see it.^

"I'll meet you there."

Tommy then switched off the direct link to the Red Dragon, and connected to the all-call. "Okay everyone, new plan. Head for the football field north of Stone Canyon High."

Chapter Thirty-Two

^She's moving too fast,^ Jason groaned over the communicator, ^I can't get my claws on her!^

Kimberly frowned, hands clenching on the steering rods. "Maybe I can help."
She held her breath, and released it slowly as she pulled closer to the wily Nimrod. The last time she'd gotten particularly close, the beast nearly knocked her clear out of the sky. Her ears still rang from the deafening clang of metal on metal as the rod smacked the underbelly of the Firebird as if she were a golf ball.

"All right, big, tall, and gruesome..." she murmured, steering the agile Zord above Nimrod's head, "let's see if you like a visit to Oz."

She smirked, watching Nimrod's head angle up towards her. "Firebird Cyclone... Activated!"

Kim pressed the commands, and watched as pink energy swirled below her, creating a tornado that spun Nimrod so quickly it blurred out of view.

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Eaglezord," Alexis gasped, her eyes watching the glint of metal that descended from the twilight sky, "you're beautiful..."

The Zord delivered a shriek, trumpeting its return to Earth's atmosphere after ten thousand years of exile on the barren lunar surface. The Zord's wings were spread open, the mirror-like feathers resembling highly-polished sterling silver. Countless metal feathers lay nestled together, the top layers changing tint to purple hues. The body of the Zord was sleek, individual metal feathers ranging from deep purple to glistening silver, with a fan of ivory white feathers as the tail. Finally, the head of the Zord was covered in sheets of perfect white metal, its curved beak gleaming in the remaining sunlight.

The Zord was so incredibly bright it was almost impossible to look at directly. The polished metal reflected all the light directed towards it, and its own purple luminescence trailed like a comet's tail as it streaked downward.

After it cleared the height of the Command Center, the Eaglezord angled horizontal to the Earth, wings flapping once as its silver legs hung downward. However, rather than land on the dry ground, it hovered in the air at eye level with the floating Purple Ranger.

Alexis stared as the ruby eyes of the Zord seemed to glow. Maybe it was her imagination... but for some odd reason, those eyes seemed to stare right at her.

The Purple Ranger blinked to break the illusion, but that eerie glint of intelligence remained.

"Maybe I have a partner after all..."

Chapter Thirty-Four

Nimrod murmured quietly, gasping to reorient herself as the towering skyscrapers of Stone Canyon buzzed passed her in a sickening swirl. Thankfully, the beast had no digestive system to speak of, or whatever would have been in it would surely have seen the light of day once again.

The Sentinel continued stumbling helplessly, even after the streaks of pink laser vanished from sight. Slowly, her dazed thought process recognized that meant the Pink Ranger's surprise attack had run its course. But while the winds rapidly died down to normal, Nimrod still couldn't find her footing.

Before she could collapse into an uncoordinated heap, she gasped as razors pinched into her shoulders.

Suddenly, she was airborne, hanging limp as the decimated school building grew smaller and smaller.

Nimrod blinked, watching the smoldering building disappear, slowly replaced by a parking lot, stretches of concrete, wide planes of grass, and finally... a row of Thunderzords silently awaiting her arrival.

The sight of the Power Rangers shook the creature to his senses. Quickly, her arms reached up, catching the cold iron claws that held her in the air.

"Think you can hold me, Ranger?" she hissed. Balancing her weight through her arms, Nimrod swung her body forward. The rocking caused the Red Dragonzord to waver in its path towards the green field, pulling the Zord closer to the ground.

The Scarlet Sentinel chuckled at her impending victory. "You're grounded,

Red Ranger!"

With unnatural speed and precision, Nimrod plowed her heavy feet directly into the neck of the Red Dragonzord. The machine screeched, sparks and flames jutting from the terrible hit it had taken.

Nimrod giggled cruelly, wiggling out of the Red Ranger's loosened grip. She dropped lazily to the ground, and watched gleefully as the Red Dragon began to spin uncontrollably.

The sickening echo of crunching metal tore through the air as the Thunderzord crashed into the bleachers, reducing the grid into a pile of smoking, melted, twisted metal.

Chapter Thirty-Five

^Jason! Can you hear me? Ohmigosh... please answer me!^

Jason groaned, opening his eyes slowly. For some reason, he felt obscenely dizzy, and his arms simply didn't want to do anything but hang... up?

I'm upside down...

he realized. With a frustrated huff, Jason struggled to regain his bearings, and activated his communicator. "I'm... I'm fine, Kim," he breathed, "I'm okay, guys."

Then, a new voice came over the intercom. ^Aye yi yi! Jason-!^

"I'm okay

, Alpha," Jason grumbled. He didn't intend to inflect irritation, but it was there.

^CAN YOU ASSESS THE DAMAGES DONE TO YOUR ZORD?^

Jason struggled to regulate his breathing as he played with each control panel. "Impact damage minimal... just a few dents. I'm more worried about the bleachers than the Zord. But... I'm getting structural integrity damage... dammit

!"

^JASON?^

The Red Ranger grit his teeth in impotent fury. "When Nimrod kicked my neck, she fractured the steel caging beneath the armor. I can't Morph the Zord at all..."

His hand smacked against his helmet. "No Megazord..."

After a momentary silence, Zordon's calm voice returned. ^JASON, TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY. ALPHA V WILL SEND THE RED DRAGON INTO THE ZORD HANGAR, AND DETERMINE HOW QUICKLY THE MEGAZORD-MORPH SEQUENCE CAN BE REPAIRED.^

Jason opened his mouth to argue, but clamped it shut. Rather than respond, he tapped his wrist unit, and vanished in a ruby sheen of energy.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The Black Ranger watched as the Red Dragon disappeared into the night, leaving the charred remains of the Stone Canyon High School bleachers in its wake.

He sighed deeply, shifting his view to Nimrod's raucous laughter. "Guys, we're royally screwed."

Trini's measured voice responded. ^Zack, there's no need to be so dramatic.^

"Fine. Then we're not royally

screwed. We're just screwed."

Then, Nimrod's laughing fit eased, and the monster stood up straight again. ^Well Rangers,^ her screeching voice declared, ^even with your leader's departure, this battle is still quite unfair. Five to one, eh? Maybe I can even the odds just a bit...^

Zack's dark eyes widened in horror as the Nimrod extended her arms fully, one at each side. Yellow and pink energy erupted from her temples, stretching out into the air and slowly taking shape.

Zack sighed again, shaking his head in disbelief when the two amorphous light formations transmuted into two more colossal soldiers, each the size of Nimrod herself.

"I take that back, Trini. We are

royally screwed!"

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Okay, Saba... advise me on all the Morphin' sequences White Tigerzord is capable of. Please

tell me this is a true Thunderzord!"

"Yes, it is. It is very similar to the Red Dragonzord, as a matter of fact. It can transform from Animal to Battle Mode-"

"And can it Morph with the others? Like the Dragonzord did with the Dinozords?"

"Yes... the Mega Tigerzord. The Thunderzords the others are piloting have always been programmed for the addition of a sixth Zord. They should be able to activate the sequence."

"Good. Now, here's the million-dollar question: does the Mega Tigerzord need the Red Dragon?"

Saba grinned. "Fortunately, no. The Tigerzord replaces the Red Dragon in the Megazord formation. And it is more powerful than the Thunder Megazord."

Tommy smirked. "Nimrod's sure in for a major surprise!"

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Billy ducked his head instinctively as he angled the Unicorn's head down, just missing what would have been a staggering kick from the creature he had dubbed 'Clone One'.

His experienced fingers flew from steering to weapons, letting loose with energy beams launching from the metal horn on his Zord's forehead.

The Blue Ranger found himself smugly surprised as the energy bolts made contact, sweeping Clone One off its legs.

A quick shift in his attention led Billy to realize that Trini and Zack fared equally well against Clone Two.

It would appear these two clones are inferior to the original,

the genius analyzed, Not a match in terms of dexterity, endurance, or sheer strength and speed. But the presence of three targets rather than one does complicate matters, and Nimrod doesn't appear any weaker after splitting herself into thirds.

Billy then watched the others. Kimberly was continuing their engagement with Clone One, keeping the creature off balance with a few well-placed laser strikes, while the Tigerzord and Nimrod circled each other warily.

Then, something happened. A faint glow of energy washed over the Tigerzord, lifting the machine onto two feet... connected to two long, humanoid

legs.

"The Tigerzord has a humanoid Battle Mode, just like the Red Dragon," Billy realized. He watched in awe as the Zord stood eye to eye with Nimrod, a golden saber clutched in its anthropomorphic arm.

"Prodigious..."

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"This Nimrod is sure tougher than she looks," Tommy muttered unnecessarily. So far, his shift into Battle Mode had yet to give him the upper hand. Nimrod's rod blocked Tigerzord's saber blow for blow, neither getting a decent hit in.

"Tommy, this might interest you," Saba piped up, "It seems the other Rangers are doing quite well against the two clones Nimrod manifested."

"Good. Maybe they can help me when they're done."

"Perhaps, rather than spreading out our resources, we should channel them together against a target."

Tommy frowned thoughtfully, backing away from Nimrod to give himself space to think. "But can the Mega Tigerzord take on three oppon-?"

His thoughts were lost as a loud, mighty caw cut through his speakers.

^Whoops! I guess that's the horn!^

"Alexis! Where've you been?"

^Getting a hang of this baby!^ she giggled, her excitement obvious, ^Sound barrier... eat my dust!^

Tommy couldn't help but chuckle as he watched a flying purple and silver object torpedo past him, zipping right over the heads of the tallest fighters. Nimrod was distracted enough to watch the newest Zord pass, leaving her wide open for a bone-crunching jab to her granite chest.

"Guys!" Tommy called into his communicator, "Assemble by the south goal post! Alexis, you run interference."

^You got it, Tiger!^

Chapter Forty

Nimrod yelped as the large flying Zord appeared out of nowhere, cutting far too close to the top of her head for her liking. Forgetting about her opponent for the moment, she carefully watched the new machine tear through the skies, emitting a fierce cry as it circled the smoldering battleground.

That Zord isn't doing anything...

she recognized, warily watching the Eaglezord slip between one clone and the Lion.

Then, the Sentinel noticed something unexpected... the Thunderzords were retreating.

Or... regrouping.

She smirked. "We've got them on the run, Brothers!" she declared, hands falling to her slim hips, "Now, our victory is in sight!"

Chapter Forty-One

Tommy smiled smugly, his hand grasping a central control lever. "Ready, Rangers?"

^Ready!^ came the unanimous reply.

"Activate Mega Tigerzord sequence... now!"

He pulled the lever toward him, and watched white light bathe his battle machine.

Some limbs folded, as others extended. Craniums and chest plates split apart, revealing clamps, hooks, and new anatomy.

Nimrod and her partners watched in mute surprise as five Zords reshaped and reformed, floating towards each other and snapping together at joints.

The Unicorn and Griffin morphed into two legs, that then snapped into the shortened legs of the Tigerzord in Battle Mode. The Lion split apart, its legs connecting to the Tigerzord's shoulders, while the body transformed into the Mega Tigerzord's chest. The Firebird folded around the right arm, it's ornate gold tail creating a sharp, jagged blade.

Within the cockpit of the Zord, the Rangers all assembled at their stations, with the White Ranger settled in the center.

"Nice," Zack commented, nodding his approval, "Thunder Megazord 2.0!"

"What kind of offensive capabilities does this have?" Billy wondered.
Kimberly grinned widely beneath her helmet, eyes dancing across the control screen fed to her from the Firebird component. "Leave that to me! Just try and get the Sentinels lined up for one shot."

Chapter Forty-Two

Nimrod nodded her head, and the two other Sentinels hurried forward, each targeting an opposite side of the new Megazord.

Impossibly, the bulky Zord managed to stay toe to toe with both monsters at once, swift arms blocking and assaulting with force even greater than the clones could muster.

Nimrod gawked in naked surprise as the Zord's right hand clenched around the forearm of the yellow Sentinel. With apparently no effort, Mega Tigerzord tossed the wiry monster into the pink Sentinel, sending both crashing to the ground with a resounding *thud*.

"Get up!" Nimrod snarled, "I won't be humiliated by a pack of-"

She never finished her sentence. Instead, a building aura of red light turned her attention to the Megazord.

Its left arm was held out, the Firebird Zord catching fire. Suddenly, the Zord leapt from its position wrapped around the Megazord's forearm, radiant heat cloaking the hull as it tore through the sky.

It ripped right through both clones, atomizing them on impact.

Nimrod blinked, realization slowly dawning that the Rangers were far more formidable than they had been earlier that afternoon. Far

more formidable than they should have been, given the absence of the Red Ranger.

Biting back an infuriated growl, the limber Scarlet Sentinel pivoted, and dashed away from the football field.

Chapter Forty-Three

Alexis laughed as her view screen displayed the Mega Tigerzord's victory pose, the Firebird sliding back into place amidst the smoldering fire of the Rangers' newest finishing attack.

Then, she noticed one opponent remained.

"Oh hell

no!" she declared, the Eaglezord taking off from its perch atop the high school, "You're gonna sit and take your medicine, Nimrod!"

The Eaglezord tore through the sky, angling to cut off Nimrod before it could reach the school, and any other more populated areas. A cruel smirk on her lips, her right hand descended to the primary weapon controls.

"Wing Blades... fire!"

Chapter Forty-Four

Nimrod dove for the ground as the Eaglezord seemed to appear out of nowhere, angling right for her. She hit the ground with a loud crash, scrambling to her feet to swat the pesky Zord from the skies.

However, rather than turn around for a second swoop, Eaglezord rose slightly, flattening its wings until they lay perfectly perpendicular with the Scarlet Sentinel's towering form.

Flames emitted from beneath the wings, and suddenly, a dozen or so of the silver "feathers" that lined the bottom of the wing zipped towards Nimrod like missiles.

Only these projectiles were only feather like in appearance... for in truth they were thin, eight-foot long double edged swords, every edge sharpened to such a fine point that they could slice through nearly any surface.

Half the Wing Blades made contact, despite Nimrod's desperate attempt to destroy them with her rod. Nimrod screeched, staggering backwards to make as much room as she could between herself and the surprisingly deadly aerial Zord.

In her confused state, Nimrod didn't even notice the Mega Tigerzord until its iron fist landed directly into the creature's granite nose.

Chapter Forty-Five

Nimrod dove for the ground as the Eaglezord seemed to appear out of nowhere, angling right for her. She hit the ground with a loud crash, scrambling to her feet to swat the pesky Zord from the skies.

However, rather than turn around for a second swoop, Eaglezord rose slightly, flattening its wings until they lay perfectly perpendicular with the Scarlet Sentinel's towering form.

Flames emitted from beneath the wings, and suddenly, a dozen or so of the silver "feathers" that lined the bottom of the wing zipped towards Nimrod like missiles.

Only these projectiles were only feather like in appearance... for in truth they were thin, eight-foot long double edged swords, every edge sharpened to such a fine point that they could slice through nearly any surface.

Half the Wing Blades made contact, despite Nimrod's desperate attempt to destroy them with her rod. Nimrod screeched, staggering backwards to make as much room as she could between herself and the surprisingly deadly aerial Zord.

In her confused state, Nimrod didn't even notice the Mega Tigerzord until its iron fist landed directly into the creature's granite nose.

Chapter Forty-Six

"Yesss!" Jason bellowed, pumping his mighty fist in the air. Every fiber of his being was focused exclusively on the battle that took place within the sloped sphere of the Viewing Globe.

He smirked gleefully when the Mega Tigerzord landed a second expert punch, sending the struggling Scarlet Sentinel reeling.

His smirk softened into a genuine smile. A smile of joy... a smile of pride. For the White Ranger was simply awe-inspiring... and knowing it was Tommy behind the white and gold helmet made the coming victory all the sweeter.

"Zordon," the Red Ranger spoke, his eyes never leaving the Viewing Globe, "Thanks for giving Tommy this second chance. Being a Ranger means so much to him."

Zordon nodded from within his crystal cylinder. "TOMMY HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE AN EXCELLENT YOUNG MAN," the sage agreed. "HE HAS MASTERED THE FIGHTING ABILITIES OF THE POWER RANGERS VERY WELL." Zordon fell silent for a moment, before he completed his thought. "I FEEL HE WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT LEADER."

It took a long moment before Jason actually registered what his mentor had said. No... not "would" make an excellent leader... "will."

Suddenly, the leader of the Power Rangers found it very difficult to breathe.

"Jason?" Alpha murmured.

"ALPHA, I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE LEFT THE PHASE-CAPACITANCE PROGRAM RUNNING," Zordon suddenly announced. "I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD ENTER THE HIDDEN CHAMBER AND DEACTIVATE IT."

After ten thousand years in Zordon's service, Alpha was able to recognize a dismissal when he heard it. "Aye yi yi..." he sighed, scuttling to the control panel.

Jason barely registered the flash of light through which the robot departed. Instead, he found himself staring at his hands, clenched into tight fists in front of him.

"Y... you're right, Zordon," Jason decided, his voice painfully toneless. "He's much stronger than I am. And he

never messed up. It was my fault he lost his powers in the first place... it's only fair I step down..." he paused, taking a long, steady breath. "He deserves it."

"MY DECISION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR RELATIVE STRENGTH, OR YOUR PERCEIVED MISTAKES," Zordon assured him, his booming voice uncharacteristically soft. "LOOK AT THE VIEWING GLOBE, AND TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE."

Jason inclined his head, glassy eyes drinking in the sight of flames as Nimrod exploded. "They've destroyed the monster. Without me..."

At first, Jason felt a dull pain in the core of his being. They don't need me...they don't even need my Zord!

But then, another thought came to him. He watched quietly as the Viewing Globe's screen entered the cockpit of the Mega Tigerzord once again.

Despite the questions swimming in his mind, or the devastating wound his pride had just endured, a small smile graced his lips. "Tommy's in the cockpit. He was never in the cockpit before... he always used his flute to control the Dragonzord remotely."

Zordon beamed with pride at Jason's observation. "EXACTLY. FOR ALL OF TOMMY'S SKILLS, HE ALWAYS LACKED THE SENSE OF UNITY THE REST OF YOU RANGERS DISPLAY. THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE GREEN COIN. HE SERVED ON THE PERIPHERY... AND WHILE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS WERE ALWAYS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TEAM, HE LACKED THE TEAM PERSPECTIVE. I FEEL THE ADDED RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LEADERSHIP MAY HELP HIM DEVELOP A NEW OUTLOOK, AND A BATTLE STRATEGY THAT INCORPORATES THE SKILLS OF THOSE AROUND HIM."

Jason nodded, slowly pulling off his helmet. For the first time since the stunning announcement, he turned to his mentor and met his gaze. "I... see."

"IT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE STRENGTH OF YOUR TEAMMATES."

Jason blinked at the connotation. "I know they're strong!" he countered, his tone defensive.

"JASON, WHEN YOU INSIST UPON TAKING EVERY RISK, YOU SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE OTHER RANGERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY THEMSELVES," Zordon explained patiently. "LOOK AGAIN AT THE GLOBE."

With an audible exhalation, Jason did as his mentor asked.

"LOOK AT YOUR TEAMMATES, WHO RISE TO TAKE UP EVERY CHALLENGE WITH YOU. LOOK AT THE SHOULDERS THAT CAN HELP ALLEVIATE YOUR BURDEN... BUT ONLY IF YOU LET THEM. LEARN TO RELY UPON THEM, AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS RELIED UPON YOU."

Jason stared at his team... at his friends

... as they cheered excitedly at their victory. And the pride that first swelled his heart bubbled forth again at their

victory. Their

strength.

A burst of purple energy dissolved Jason's contemplation. He turned around just in time to see Alexis tear off her helmet, shaking her head to loosen her copper hair.

"Did you see the Eaglezord?" she gushed, hurrying to the Red Ranger's side, "She's sooo

cool..."

Alexis continued to bubble about her Zord, but Jason didn't hear the rest. "She"? Alexis thinks of the Eaglezord as an actual person! Just like Tommy and the Dragonzord...

He felt his concern rise, remembering Zordon's comments from just moments ago. She's just like Tommy...a periphery Ranger.

And as such, she was in the same danger that Tommy had been... of fighting a battle all on her own, serving as a "lone" Ranger instead of cooperating with the efforts of the remaining team.

"Lex," he suddenly blurted, "you did great today."

The Purple Ranger immediately shut up, staring in blatant surprise. But soon, the surprise melted into a hesitant smile. "...Thanks."

"I... I want you to know that you're a part of this team," Jason continued.

Alexis' eyebrow rose. "Well, duh

."

Her brash answer brought the smile back to Jason's face. "I'm serious. I know the Dragon and the Eagle are supposed to be their own little team, but don't ever think you're alone. Those wings and that shield don't matter... you're just as much a member of this team as me."

Alexis found herself staring at him again, mildly perplexed at the comment. Yet... she couldn't deny that on some level, she really needed to hear that.

Deep down, she needed that reassurance... that she belonged

, despite the fact that her Zord didn't merge with everyone else's, or her weapon didn't snap together with the other ones.

Without warning, the overwhelmed Purple Ranger threw her arms around Jason's neck, hugging him fiercely.

Jason gaped at her reaction, before finally winding his arms around her in return.

The embrace lingered... longer than either one had intended or expected it to.

"Ahem... did we come at a bad

time?" Zack called.

The Red and Purple Rangers pulled apart immediately. Alexis blushed at the attention of her fellow Rangers, but Jason laughed off the embarrassment with ease.

"Not a bad job at all, guys!" he said, trading high fives with his team, "With that new Mega Tigerzord on the watch, I can take a vacation!"

Tommy's eyes widened.

"YOU HAVE ALL PERFORMED EXCELLENTLY," Zordon stated, "THE SCARLET SENTINEL WAS ONE OF LORD ZEDD'S MOST DEVIOUS MONSTERS, AND YET YOU PREVAILED."

Then, his bold blue gaze fell to the White Ranger. "AND TOMMY, YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF CAPABLE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY I NOW PLACE ON YOUR SHOULDERS..."

Tommy held his breath.

"...AS THE NEW LEADER OF THE POWER RANGERS."

While Tommy kept his head held up to Zordon, he found he couldn't meet his mentor's eyes. Or turn around, and face the bewildered stares of his teammates. His friends.

Especially his best friend.

Zack, Kim, Trini, and Billy were completely thunderstruck at the news. Slowly, the shock wore off, replaced by a dull sense of confusion as they shifted their gazes from Zordon, to Tommy, to Jason, and then to each other.

Alexis found she couldn't take her eyes off of Jason... who seemed far less shaken than everyone else in the room.

After a lengthy silence, Jason stepped forward. Gently, he placed his hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You're gonna be a great leader, Bro."

Tommy turned, his face guilt-ridden. "Jase-"

The Red Ranger lifted his finger. "If you think I'm gonna let you stand there and apologize, you've been hit on the head one time too many. I, for one, and one-hundred and ten percent behind you."

For a long moment, Tommy's dark brown eyes stared intently into Jason's, disbelief plain on his face. But slowly, a faint grin conquered the White Ranger's crestfallen face. After their months of close friendship, Tommy had developed the insight to recognize when Jason was upset.

And to Tommy's utter astonishment... he wasn't.

An unbearable weight was lifted from his stalwart shoulders at the genuine smile on his predecessor's face. "All I can hope to do is follow in your footsteps, Bro."

Kimberly smiled, tears in her eyes at the exchange between the two great heroes. "Come on," she urged. The entire group convened around the Red and White Rangers, smiles on all their faces.

"We're all a team," Jason stated, holding out his fist, "Now, we're a team of seven... and Zedd doesn't stand a change against the new and improved Power Rangers!"

The others joined their fists with his, in a powerful display of strength, dedication, and most of all... unity.

Chapter Forty-Seven

"Jeez, Tommy... why is there so much stuff?" Zack groaned as he balanced a large box between his hands.

The new White Ranger grinned helplessly. "Hey, I practically moved in here!" he answered, waving his hand to encompass his uncle's Spartan cabin. "Since he's always busy racing all over the country, Uncle Jeff never much uses the place. I had to bring all the necessities with me- food, towels, bathroom stuff..."

"And you couldn't pack anything before we got here?" Kim grumbled as she haphazardly threw clothes into another cardboard box.

"No... I said 'the end of the week' in my letter," he reminded her. "I didn't plan on coming back to Angel Grove so suddenly." He couldn't suppress the fierce grin on his lips as he lifted his new Morpher. "I still can't believe it!"

Kim smiled serenely, bathing in the glow of Tommy's excitement. Absently, she began folding the green flannel shirt she pulled from the near-empty closet.

Tommy frowned thoughtfully, moving to stand beside the Pink Ranger. He reached into the box and lifted the checkered shirt. "Dear God... you guys let me leave the house in this?"

Both Kim and Zack answered with loud laughter.

"I think it's cute!" Kim retorted, snatching the item back and hugging it to her chest, "If you don't want it, I'll keep it."

A grin slowly pulled Tommy's face. "You know... hideous as it might be, it'd actually look fantastic on you."

She giggled in response, holding it up to her shoulders as if to model the article. "You think?"

His hands joined hers at her shoulders. "Just about anything

looks fantastic on you."

Tommy lowered his head as his eyes closed, his intention obvious. But as the reunited couple inched closer together, the sudden choke of poorly-contained snickering ruined the moment.

Both looked up, and gave the mirthful Black Ranger a baleful glower.

"'Just about anything looks fantastic on you'," Zack repeated under his breath. "Dear God,

you guys are worse than newlyweds..."

"Ha ha," Tommy grumbled.

The sound of Tommy's scornful laugh killed the smirk on Zack's face. "Uh... I think Trini, Billy, and Jase will need my help packing up the cars..." he muttered, hurrying outside.

Tommy shook his head, inhaling slowly. Kimberly held her hand to her lips, trying her best to fight her own laughter.

"Kim!" Tommy whined.

"I'm not laughing at you!" she insisted, though the glimmer in her eye said otherwise.

Tommy sighed again.

Kim couldn't help it any longer; she laughed outright. Then, without warning, she grabbed the collar of Tommy's white polo shirt, and pulled him down for a tender kiss.

When their lips parted, Tommy was too surprised to speak.

"Glad to have you back, Tommy," Kim breathed, snuggling against his chest.

Chapter Forty-Eight

She was completely speechless.

Just five minutes ago, everything was rainbows and sunshine. The Rangers had destroyed Lord Zedd's newest fiend. While there was a great deal of damage to Stone Canyon, thankfully very few lives were lost. Also, Tommy was back in action, stronger than ever before. Even Jason seemed to be taking his unexpected demotion in stride.

All in all... a resounding victory.

But as she helped pack up Tommy's belongings with the others, in the effort to move him back to Angel Grove and get some ice cream to celebrate his restoration, she'd stumbled upon something disturbing.

Though, "stumble" didn't seem to be the right word. Something

had pulled her to it; some kind of sensation. It had to be... for there was no logical reason why she'd felt the urge to dig through a box of neatly arranged bathroom supplies.

She'd found a green plastic soapbox. Normal enough... but she couldn't turn her eyes away.

So, she did the only thing she could. She opened it.

The Green Dragon Coin fell into her waiting palm.

And suddenly, all the joy and sunshine faded... just a bit.

Tommy's back, good as new,

she reminded herself. I've only known him a few days, but I could tell how much it hurt him losing his powers.

But what she didn't realize, until that moment, was how much it hurt her that he had lost his powers.

And despite the fact that he'd been restored, the feeling wouldn't simply go away.

Tommy might be back, but the Green Ranger's gone,

she reflected. For some reason she couldn't explain, her eyes stung at the thought. Now... I'm all alone.

Why did it hurt so much? She'd never really served with the Green Ranger anyway! Just one short battle, and suddenly, his loss felt like a burning wound in her heart.

Could it possibly be Kreia's influence? No... it can't be! The Morpher buries her thoughts... keeps our minds separate. It must have something to do with the Power... an affinity for my teammate beyond simple friendship.

Whatever explanation she could give it, the ache didn't lessen.

"Alexis? You still here?"

The Purple Ranger startled, jumping off the sink and quickly glancing at her reflection. Great... I actually look like I've been crying!

She sighed in defeat. "I'm coming!"

She pulled open the bathroom door, bowing her head at the surprised expression on her new leader's face.

"What happened?"

She couldn't explain what had happened... what had unnerved her to such a degree. Instead, she held out her hand.

Tommy sighed as he stared at his erstwhile coin. "I'm sorry, Lex. I didn't realize-"

She interrupted him with a frustrated huff. "Of course you didn't realize. It doesn't make any damn sense. I have no reason to be upset... none at all."

She laughed ruefully. "Zordon should've told me up front that my Power Coin would drive me insane. First, I buy every purple outfit at the mall. Then, I learn I have to live off plums and grapeade. And now... now I see this coin... so lifeless... and... and I..."

She couldn't complete her sentence. She pursed her lips, mutely staring at the golden dragon's paw.

She felt Tommy's strong hands on her shoulders.

"It makes perfect sense," he said quietly, "I've been there."

She stared up at him, questions lurking in her dark green gaze.

He nodded. "Absolutely. I could feel something... off when I was the Green Ranger. I never felt like I was really part of the team. There wasn't any solid reason behind it... I mean, the guys always did their best to make me feel like one of the gang. But for some reason, no matter how close I got to any of the Rangers, on the battlefield I was always a loner."

He shrugged. "The nature of the coin, I think. The other five are the Core Rangers, designed to work as a team. You and I... we were a team within a team. The Dragon and the Eagle. And neither of us got to really experience that."

He sighed again. "I know this sounds crazy... but I really miss being the Green Ranger. I know I'm more powerful now, and Saba's a real help... but... you're not gonna believe this... I miss Dragonzord."

Alexis giggled, causing her leader to grin sheepishly. "I think of him all alone, at the bottom of the ocean, never to move again... and I feel sick."

He then shook off his discomfort. "But this isn't about me," he recalled, "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about."

The Purple Ranger folded her arms, attempting to suppress a shiver. "I... I know it's completely irrational, but I feel like Batman without Robin. Or worse... Robin without Batman."

"The Power Rangers work as a team. And you're an integral part of the team... shiny shield or no shiny shield. I've always known that intellectually, but you have to believe it now."

Tommy watched as a perplexing grin suddenly pulled his teammate's despondent face.

"What?" he wondered, stepping back slightly, "You're not laughing at me too, are you?"

She almost laughed at the panic in his voice. "No... it's just that Jason said the exact same thing earlier."

"And you'd rather hear it from him, right?"

She stared at him, eyes wide. "What is that

supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Tommy pointed his thumb to the bathroom mirror. "You're blushing."

Her jaw hanging open, Alexis pivoted. Her hands flew to her pink cheeks. "Damn this pasty skin!" she hissed.

"You know..." he continued, trying to sound casual, "Jase isn't seeing anyone. And there is

a Halloween Ball com-"

Alexis huffed, tossing a hand towel at her torturer. Tommy laughed as he caught the projectile effortlessly.

"You're definitely

gonna need to work on your throw," he joked.

Her hand continued feeling around the packed box, a haughty smirk pulling her lip as slender fingers wrapped around something hard. "Really?"

Tommy's hands flew up in defeat at the bottle of cologne that emerged from the box. "Lex, that's stuff's expensive!"

She stared at his horrified expression, and fell into peals of laughter. Tommy joined her merriment, but expertly maneuvered his hand to snatch the cologne before she changed her mind.

"I think this is everything," Tommy remarked. He carefully hid the bottle beneath some towels, and folded the flaps of the final cardboard box to close it.

"What about this?" Alexis asked, holding out the Dragon Coin.

Tommy gazed at it for a moment, then hefted the closed box. "I really don't have a use for it. You keep it."

She frowned at the coin, wondering what she'd do with it. Then, a small smile appeared. "Thanks. I know just where to keep it."

Tommy grinned back, and began walking. "The others are outside waiting. And then it's off for ice cream."

"You know, Kim wanted to throw you a surprise party," Alexis informed him, "But with the 'saving the world' stuff, we didn't have time to prepare one."

Tommy smiled at the very mention of the Pink Ranger's name. "I thought she would, but I'd settle for ice cream with six great friends any day!"

Alexis smirked mischievously, poking the new White Ranger with her elbow. "Just be sure not to order pistachio. Rushing you to the hospital is not what I'd call a fun evening."

"So, they told you about that."

"Uh-huh."

Tommy grinned. "Not to worry. Suddenly, I've got this incredible craving for... vanilla."

The End

To Be Continued in:

Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Four

Devil's Night

Excerpt From: Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Four: Devil's Night

Monday, October 30th

He heard it.

The extended tone continued to run, it's steady, shrill ring speaking utter finality.

So much was packed into that tone. Horror. Sorrow. Loss. Death...

A chill stung his heart at the thought that hers would never beat again. That chill spread throughout his body, causing him to leap from his bed.

He panted heavily, fists clenching the corner of his plaid blue sheets. "Mom..."

It always happened without warning. Once in a while, his peaceful slumber would be interrupted by the shrill tone of Rebecca Cranston's heart monitor going dead. The sound would always bring back the agony he suffered at the tender age of nine, when he and his father stood vigil over the dying patient. After days of struggling for her life after the horrific car accident, she simply couldn't fight the inevitable any longer.

He could still feel his father's cold hand gripping his arm as his high school sweetheart passed. He could still feel ice settle in his own heart, freezing it in time with the final beat of his mother's. He could still feel the cold wetness of tears streaking down his pale face.

No... as his fingers grazed his cheek, he realized the tears were fresh.

"Desist," he reprimanded, throwing off the bed sheets, "Such a morbid reverie is counter-productive."

Billy blindly reached for his glasses, which sat beside his digital clock in their usual location. Once the lenses were firmly in place, the vibrant red blur that was the time gave way to legible numbers.

The genius nearly squealed. "I'm tardy!"

He jumped from his bed, bounding across his room to where his custom-assembled laptop stood in wait. After a few keystrokes, an electronic calendar program booted.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thankfully I have no pertinent exams or activities scheduled. In fact, considering the special assembly on World Peace to be held this morning, this ought to be an academically-unchallenging day."

He then rose to his feet, and hurried to the bathroom.

Character Thesaurus

So, you wanted to know about the characters in this book? )(That is....if you don't know them already!)

That is why I created this character thesaurus for you all! Enjoy!

Power Rangers

Jason Lee Scott - Red Power Ranger

Full Name:

Jason Lee Scott
Ranger Designation:

Red Power Ranger
Weapons:

Power Sword, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Power Coin
Zord:

Tyrannosaurus Dino Thunderzord

Strong and fearless, Jason is the former Red Ranger and original leader of the Power Rangers. To Jason went the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin, giving him the power of the Tyrannosaurus, and control of the Tyrannosaurus Dino Thunderzord. Red Ranger's power weapon is the Power Sword, a powerful weapon with a razor sharp edge. His weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Red Ranger, Jason gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability. His tactical knowledge and fighting skill make him the ultimate Ranger. Jason closely follows the rules of Martial Arts, and promotes discipline and making friends out of enemies.

Zack Taylor - Black Power Ranger

Full Name:

Zack Taylor
Ranger Designation:

Black Power Ranger
Weapons:

Power Axe, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Power Coin
Zord:>

Mastodon Dino Thunderzord

Quick witted and clever, Zack relies on speed and cunning to win his battles. The former Black Ranger was the jokester of team, loving dancing, magic, and girls, especially Angela. He cares for his friends and always tried to cheer them up when they're feeling down. A good friend with a good heart, Zack always loved a good joke, and loved it when Bulk and Skull embarrassed themselves in public. Zack is currently promoting world peace at a peace conference in Switzerland. To Zack went the Mastodon Power Coin, giving him the power of the Mastodon, and control of the Mastodon Dino Thunderzord. Black Ranger's power weapon is the Power Axe, which doubles as a powerful cannon. His weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Black Ranger, Zack gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability.

Trini Kwan - Yellow Power Ranger

Full Name:

Trini Kwan
Ranger Designation:

Yellow Power Ranger
Weapons:

Power Daggers, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Power Coin
Zord:

Sabertooth Tiger Dino Thunderzord

Trini is a quiet, spiritual, and honourable person. She believes in a fair fight, and has practiced the Mantis style of Kung Fu. Although quiet and reserved, Trini is very strong willed and courageous. Yellow Ranger's power weapon is the Power Daggers, powerful blades used for defense and for throwing. Her weapons combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Yellow Ranger, Trini gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability and gained control of the Sabertooth Tiger Dino Thunderzord.

Kimberly Hart - Pink Power Ranger

Full Name:

Kimberly Hart
Ranger Designation:

Pink Power Ranger
Weapons:

Power Bow, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Power Coin
Zord:

Pterodactyl Dino Thunderzord

Kimberly was one of the five Rangers originally chosen by Zordon to protect the Earth against Rita Repulsa. She was given the Pterodactyl Power Coin and ability to morph into the Pink Ranger and control of the Pterodactyl Dino Thunderzord. Once ditzy and materialistic, Kimberly has evolved into a strong, confident, and caring person. A kind and compassionate soul, Kim cares a great deal about her friends, and will not take kindly to anyone messing with them. Her weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Pink Ranger, Kim gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability as well as limited energy projection.

Billy Cranston - Blue Power Ranger

Full Name:

Billy Cranston
Ranger Designation:

Blue Power Ranger
Weapons:

Power Lance, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Power Coin
Zord:

Triceratops Dino Thunderzord

Billy is one of the original five teenagers chosen by Zordon to defend the planet from the forces of Rita Repulsa. As the Blue Ranger, Billy fought well against Putties and Tengas, and saved the Power Rangers on numerous occasions with devices that he created. Billy is the smartest of the Rangers, with a super genius IQ level. Once awkward and shy, Billy has evolved over time into the confident and capable person he is today. To Billy went the Triceratops Power Coin, giving him the power of the Triceratops, and control of the Triceratops Dinozord. His weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Blue Ranger, Billy gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability as well as limited energy projection.

Tommy Oliver – White Power Ranger

Full Name:

Tommy Oliver
Ranger Designation:

White Power Ranger
Weapons:

Saba
Gear:

White Ranger Shield, Power Morpher with Power Coin, Wrist Communicator
Zord:

Tigerzord

After he lost the Green Ranger powers, the Power Rangers team was down to five. To keep up with the increasing intensity of Lord Zedd's attacks, Zordon created new White Ranger Powers and gave them to the only one he felt was worthy of receiving them - Tommy. With the Tiger Power Coin, Tommy rejoined the team and led them into one victory after another. White Ranger's power weapon is Saba, a talking Sabre that also controls the Tigerzord. As White Ranger, Tommy gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability as well as limited energy projection. He wore a special shield around his chest which protected him from many attacks. His powers were greater than those of the other Rangers, making him a nearly invincible opponent.

Alexis Darling - Purple Power Ranger

Full Name:

Alexis Darling
Ranger Designation:

Purple Power Ranger
Weapons:

Eagle Whip
Gear:

Eagle Shield, Power Morpher with Power Coin, Wrist Communicator
Zord:

Eaglezord
Powers:

Eagle Heart Pulse Blast

Alexis moved from Philadelphia to Angel Grove with her mother when her mother gained a job at an art gallery. Being new to Angel Grove, she didn't know what to expect and everything was brand new to her. Meeting the six teenagers that were the Power Rangers, she was accepted into their group and they were all later surprised when she became the Purple Power Ranger, inheriting her powers from an ancestor from long ago.

Mentors and Allies

Zordon

A wise old sage, Zordon used to fight evil around the galaxy, eventually establishing a base of operations on Earth. In a final battle with Rita Repulsa, Zordon was trapped in a time warp, his only window to our reality being a giant tube in the Command Center.

Alpha Five

Alpha 5, a fully sentient automaton, or robot, is the loyal assistant to Zordon in the Power Chamber. He was built on Edenoi by King Lexian, and recruited by Zordon to assist him in establishing a vanguard against evil on Earth.

Bulk and Skull

Bulk and Skull are Angel Grove High's resident punks, bullying those smaller than them, and always coming up with schemes to get fame or fortune, like finding out the identities of the Power Rangers.

Ernie

Ernie is the owner of the Angel Grove Youth Center, the most popular hang out spot for the teens of Angel Grove. Ernie is generous and good-natured, often giving out free drinks and food for special occasions, and helping out his customers if they need it.

Ms. Appleby

Ms. Appleby is one of Angel Grove's most dedicated and tolerant teachers. She constantly put up with the wacky antics of Bulk and Skull, and seems to have them in every subject she teaches.

Mr. Caplan

Mr. Caplan believes in three things- detention, wearing a toupee, and detention. A strict disciplinarian, Mr. Caplan never hesitates in issuing detention to those who deserve it. He loves seeing the students do things for the community and for the environment and does his best to encourage them all do it.

Villains

Rita Repulsa

A feared sorceress, Rita attempts to conquer all in sight. After being released from a dumpster in which Zordon imprisoned her in a final battle, she tried to conquer Earth, with her crew. Rita had no luck however, being defeated by the Rangers time and time again.

Goldar

Goldar is Rita's top warrior. He frequently accompanies monsters to Angel Grove, and holds his own against the Rangers.

Squatt and Babboo

Rita's two bumbling henchmen do their best to help their mistress in her war against the Rangers, but usually end up screwing up.

Finster

Finster was part magician, part scientist. He created Putties and monsters for Rita, along with the occasional technological device. Finster was very easy going and gentle by nature.

Scorpina

Scorpina is a ruthless and cunning femme fatale who served on Rita's side since the time of the evil Green Ranger. She used a sword in combat, which doubled as a boomerang. When she grew in size to battle the Zords, she assumed a monstrous appearance.

Putty Patrol

Putties are the expendable warriors made of clay who are sent down to Earth to wear down the Rangers before a monster fight, as well as for sabotage and special missions. Rita's putties would take many different forms, including pumpkin head putties, ball handed putties, and football player putties. Using a powerful clay she found, she created super putties, which were significantly harder to defeat.

About the Author

Heather Ray lives in Logansport, Indiana where she enjoys spending time with family and friends. In her spare time when she isn't reading, writing, going to school at the local college of Ivy Tech Community College or working on various art projects, she enjoys swimming and playing basketball with the Special Olympics, watching movies with her god daughter, Lucy, (who happens to be the reason why Heather decided to transfer the fanfiction that she originally wrote this and other book series' into books!)

, acting with the local theater troupe in her hometown, singing, and working on her voice over work.

Her favorite book series includes The House of Night, Peter and the Starcatchers, Daughters of the Moon, The Nick Chronicles

(among other Dark Hunters books!)

, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings Book Series, the Harry Potter series, the Sookie Stackhouse series

, and she is also a bit of a comics 'nerd'

with her love for X-Men, Batman, Avengers,

just to name a few of her favorite comics. She also enjoys reading several mangas which include Chobits, Ceres Celestial Legend, Vampire Knight,

and Sailor Moon

!

Not only does she enjoy reading, as is stated above, she also loves watching movies and various TV Shows. Her favorite TV Shows include True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel

, all the seasons of Power Rangers, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Doctor Who

and Once Upon a Time

. Her favorite movies include all the Star Wars

movies, all the Star Trek

movies, the Lord of the Rings

trilogy (she is really looking forward to see The Hobbit

soon!)

, all the Marvel Comics

movies, the Chronicles of Narnia

movies and all the Harry Potter

movies! She also enjoys several animes including Chobits, Ceres Celestial Legend, Rosario Vampire, Vampire Knight,

and her favorite: Sailor Moon

(she is a bit obsessed with Sailor Moon what with not only enjoying the anime but also the live action series from Japan, and the musical series: Sera Myu

! She also cannot wait for the new anime series of Sailor Moon that is due out in a year!)

When she isn't at home writing or spending time with her friends and family, Heather can be found going around her home town (where she picked up a lot of her ideas for these books)

or at her local library, picking up new ideas for her next book!

Impressum

Texte: Disclaimer: The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers belong to Saban Entertainment. Alexis Darling, the Purple Ranger, belongs to me. All details regarding the power sources behind the Morphin' Grid are mine as well, so trust me... this is a bad source for canon information. This particular story is a rewrite of "White Light," the two-part episode in which Tommy becomes the White Ranger. Much of the plot is taken directly from the episodes, but I did make revisions where I felt like it. This story takes place a few days after "On Eagle's Wings."
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 04.07.2012

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Widmung:
To the people that read the first two books in this collection: Thank you! You rock! Thank you for sticking with me and waiting for this next volume. I know it's been a long time so thank you for waiting!