Dedication

To those that have stayed with me through both the Streaks of Purple Saga and the Spectrum Force series, thank you! See? I told you there were more books to come! I've decided to go back to editing the Power Ranger Fanfiction I wrote back in the day to book format and The Terran Rangers are kind of my own take on Power Rangers Zeo. I hope you all continue to stick with me through this series. Again, thank you to all the readers and the people that have supported me over this project through the years! Luvs to you all!

Author's Note

This fanfic directly refers to events in "Time After Time"

. If you haven't read it for some reason, do it now, or you'll be hopelessly confused. All the characters you don't recognize are owned by ME

! I could name them, but it'd take too long. The rest are basically Saban's.

Prologue

Harvard University
March 2025
9:30 a.m. EST

The sound of music disturbed the peaceful silence within a small but cozy apartment on the Harvard campus in Massachusetts. The lone young man hid his face under his cotton blankets and moaned quietly.

"Snooze," he muttered weakly, his voice muffled slightly by the thick sheets. The alarm didn't respond to his voice command.

Oh, I forgot,

he reflected, grudgingly poking his head from beneath the warmth of his blankets, I deactivated the Snooze command when I 'snoozed'

all morning last week, and missed my Business French class...

The young man sat up, and rubbed the sleep from his vibrant aqua-blue eyes. He weakly climbed out of bed, and stretched his arms and back as a morning routine. He then steadied himself on his weary feet, and slowly walked to the bathroom.

"Shower," he commanded. "Pre-programmed water temperature."

The shower in the bathroom obeyed, and the young man undressed and stood under the warm water, soaking his curly caramel hair and sun-bronzed skin. Once he was done showering, another voice command stopped the flow of water, and a drawer from behind him automatically pulled out from the wall, revealing a thick bath towel. He dried off his hair, wrapped the towel around his body, and stared at himself in the mirror over the bathroom sink.

"I look half-dead," he said to his reflection. He took out a battery operated razor, and shaved off the overnight stubble on his face. Then, he brushed his teeth, wrapped himself in a bath robe, and stepped out of the bathroom back into his bedroom.

"Any messages?" he asked aloud, digging through his dresser for something to wear.

"One recorded message,"

said a voice from his personal computer on the large oak desk. "Time recorded: 8:22 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Sender: Regina Drew."

"Play," he commanded, pulling his head through a classic red and white Harvard sweatshirt. He tucked the bottom into his indigo denim jeans, and took a seat at his computer. At the click of a button, the blank screen converted into the image of a beautiful African-American young woman, with a long, dark ponytail and twinkling hazel eyes. She was wearing a wetsuit and a life jacket. The scene behind her was a set of breath-taking cliffs.

^Mornin', Tony!^

she greeted warmly. ^As you can see, it's me, Regina. I'm at the Grand Canyon, and I can't talk long, because I'm about to go white-water rafting! Too bad you couldn't come with me, but I'll see you soon. I'll be getting back to campus tonight. I'll call you when I get in.^

The girl then blew a kiss at the camera, and the screen went blank. Anthony Monroe smiled to himself, as he glanced away from the computer screen to the computerized photograph that had a permanent home on his desk. The image was of him and Regina at Great Adventures last summer. He pressed the button on the bottom of the frame, and the image was set in motion. On the screen, he saw himself holding Regina's hand, and together they leaped into a large wave pool. Once their bodies crashed into the deep water, the image was obscured by a spray of pool water, sprinkled with sunlight. As he watched the scene forever captured on film, his thoughts trailed to Regina Drew, and how their life-long relationship grew from friendship to so much more.

Anthony had known Regina nearly his entire life. Regina was only one year younger than he, and their mothers had been close friends since high school. His first clear memory of Regina was when he was a young boy, watching a wedding ceremony from the front row. Regina was the flower girl, and Anthony remembered watching her march down the isle, with her hair held up in a mass of curls with yellow roses and white beads. In truth, it was the first time Anthony regarded a girl with something other than the disgust common in young boys.

Anthony didn't see Regina again until three years later, due to the fact that Regina and her family lived in Africa. In 2012, Regina and her mother Aisha Drew visited the Monroe family for an entire week, and Anthony remembered how much fun he and Regina had playing sports. Anthony was tall for his age, but Regina was actually taller than he. Regina was the only person Anthony knew who could beat him in basketball. Consistently.

Regina and her family visited the United States every Christmas and during the summer, and each time, Anthony was excited to see her. The tradition continued, and the two children became closer and closer. But Anthony was confused about his feelings for Regina until this past September, right after he had finished moving his things into his new apartment on the Harvard campus. Then, there was a knock on the door, and his then-roommate Robert opened the door. Robert was stunned into silence when he gazed at the young woman at the door, and when Anthony looked to see what was happening, he was stunned too. Regina just looked more radiantly beautiful each and every time Anthony looked at her. He was so surprised when he found out that Regina was attending Harvard as well, and since then, they'd been an inseparable couple. Now, half a year later, they were still together, and their relationship was strong as ever.

"Television," Anthony said, rising to his feet. "CNN news."

The large screen television obeyed his command, and turned on the news. Anthony began tying his sneakers as he absently listened to the report.

^And this just in,^

said the elderly anchorman. The anchorman looked at the paper passed to him for a few moments, not uttering a word. His eyes were wide with alarm, and Anthony looked up at the screen curiously in response to the prolonged silence. The anchorman finally regained his composure, and turned back to the camera.

^We...we at CNN have just gotten word...that the Terran Power Rangers, the world's greatest defenders, have...perished on their recent mission into space.^

Anthony's large eyes shot open in alarm, and he jumped to his feet and stared at the screen in utter shock.

^Yesterday evening, the Terran Power Rangers journeyed into space in their colossal Terra Megazord, in order to deflect a dangerously large meteor that threatened to collide with Earth. We have here...exclusive footage of the catastrophe on satellite recording.^

The anchorman faded, and the image of a massive meteor filled the screen. The Terra Megazord was holding its famed Terrasword, and approached the meteor, preparing to slice it in half. But when the energy channeling through the blade was released, instead of pouring out towards the meteor, it channeled back into the zord, and caused the machine to explode.

^The explosion managed to destroy both the Megazord and the meteor. Remains of the zord have been located, but no bodies have been recovered, nor have any signs of life been found. More as it develops...^

"T...television," whispered Anthony in a trembling voice. "Off."

The television turned off, and Anthony sat down on his bed, his eyes watering. He just sat there for a few minutes, mute and motionless, until the computer screen came to life by itself.

"Receiving Electronic Message,"

said the computer, as the screen cleared. Anthony turned towards the computer, and saw an image of a middle-aged man with graying blonde hair and flooded aqua eyes.

^Tony,^

said the man. ^It's me. Please, pick up.^

Anthony stood up and took a seat at the computer. He activated the video camera propped atop his computer monitor, and looked at it blankly, his eyes spilling over.

"Dad," he said quietly.

^Tony, I've sent a private plane to pick you up. It should be arriving in about an hour. Please be at the airport, ready to come home.^

"Dad," Anthony said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "Is it true? Is Mom really...?"

^I... I don't know, Son,^

he admitted, ^I just don't know...^

Chapter One

Mercerville, New Jersey
March 2025
9:45 a.m.

Inside a comfortable split-level ranch in the relatively quiet town of Mercerville, a rather tall, slender young boy was busy doing a routine of push-ups. As he exercised, his chestnut brown chin-length locks flew up and down, and his dark eyes shone with determination.

"Twenty three, twenty four, twenty five!" he breathed, rolling over to lie down on his back. He crossed his arms over his chest, and prepared his body for a round of crunches.

"One, two, three..."

"Micah?" called a gentle voice, knocking on the door. "Are you awake?"

Micah frowned, halting in mid-crunch. He knew that voice, and it could only mean one thing...his parents had left again.

"Of course I'm awake," he snapped, his hurt building and being released in the form of anger, "I'm doing my exercises!"

"Mike? Open the door, please!"

"When I'm done!"

"You, young man, have to start listening to me," the woman sighed. "Now, open this door!"

Micah growled under his breath and rose to his feet. He unlocked the door, and immediately went back to his crunches. A tall brunette woman of about forty years followed him into his room.

"How long have you been exercising?" she asked, noticing the sweat on his gray t-shirt.

"An hour," he muttered.

"Don't you think you've done enough?"

"No," he said with a frown, "Dad exercises more!"

"Your father is an adult," she pointed out softly.

"I know, Aunt Mandy," said Micah, "but if I want to be a martial arts master, and leader of the Power Rangers, I have to stay in shape."

"Who has ever heard of a thirteen year old Power Ranger?" asked Emandia Trueheart, helping Micah up. "Now come on, I made pancakes."

Micah followed his aunt downstairs and into the kitchen, where his uncle David was busy reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. On the other side of the table, Micah's nine year old brother Devon was enthusiastically consuming pancakes. Micah sat down beside his uncle, and David smiled down at him.

"How's it going, Champ?" he asked. Micah just looked up at him.

"So, where are Mom and Dad this time," Micah asked flatly. "The U.N.? The White House? Another solar system?"

Young Devon glanced up at his older brother inquisitively, muttering an incomprehensible question through his full mouth. Mandy's eyes narrowed, and she threw Micah a meaningful glance.

"They both had important meetings to attend," she said, her gaze shifting between the boys as she set a plate of pancakes in front of Micah."

"They didn't even say goodbye," Micah said bitterly. "They never say goodbye. They just leave, and they never even tell me they're leaving. I guess I'm just not important enough."

Devon shook his head emphatically, swallowing a long sip of milk to clear his mouth. "Mom and Dad work very hard to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads," he quoted.

Micah groaned. "More like to keep a planet under our feet," he muttered under his breath.

Devon didn't hear his brother's comment, but David was within earshot. He locked his penetrating gaze on the oldest Oliver boy, and rose from his seat. "Micah Samuel Oliver, may I speak to you for a moment."

Micah cast his eyes to the floor as he followed his uncle out of the kitchen.

"Micah's in trouble! Micah's in trouble!" Devon chorused cheerfully, his mouth full of pancake.

"That's enough, Devon," Emandia said humorlessly, turning on the kitchen television. "Now, let's finish breakfast and watch television."

Micah ignored his little brother's merciless taunting, and took a seat on the living room couch beside his uncle. He carefully kept his chocolate gaze inclined to the floor beneath him.

"What's gotten into you today?" David asked gently. "You know better than to talk so freely about your parent's role as Power Rangers. Devon doesn't know about them yet."

"I know," Micah whispered.

"Now, when did Tom and Kat tell you about their secret?"

"Last year."

"And why?"

Micah sighed. "Because they thought I was responsible enough to keep the secret, and mature enough to accept it."

David nodded. "Are you trying to prove them wrong?"

Micah remained silent, folding his hands tightly in his lap. "No, Uncle David, it's just that --"

Suddenly, Emandia hurried into the living room, panic widening her deep brown eyes. David rose to his feet.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's on the news," Emandia said faintly. "Th..the Power Rangers are...dead

!"

"What?" David demanded, walking past his wife to the kitchen. He stood at the entrance to the kitchen, where Devon was seated at the table, his huge eyes focused on the television screen with rapt attention.

"...and the wreckage is being searched as we speak, so we can find out the cause of this terrible tragedy,"

said the anchorwoman. "To repeat, the Terran Power Rangers' robot, the Terra Megazord, has been destroyed by a mysterious and unexplained explosion. The Power Rangers are presumed dead."

"Oh my God," David muttered quietly, leaning against the wall weakly.

"Wow," Devon said numbly, "I thought the Power Rangers were robots or something."

Micah remained seated on the couch. He couldn't even muster the strength to rise to his feet. "No," he whispered hoarsely, his fists balled tightly and rivers of rage pouring from his dark eyes. "No. No! NO!!"

Chapter Two

Angel Grove California
March 2025
7:00 a.m. (Western Time)

A woman dressed in a black business suit busily brushed her short sandy blonde hair. She glanced at the clock beside her bed, and frowned.

"I'm going to be late," she lamented, rolling her twilight- blue eyes. "There's a faculty meeting at seven-thirty, and I still have to finish grading a few quizzes before second period!"

After stepping into her pumps, she grabbed a pair of earrings, and snapped them on as she walked out her bedroom door. She hurried into the kitchen, and hastily grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl on the table.

"Mom!" came a cry from behind.

Emily Lee turned around, and fixed her gaze on her daughter. The latter was dressed in her canary yellow bathrobe, and her short, dark brown hair was dripping from her morning shower.

"Good morning, Brittany," Emily greeted, kissing her daughter on the cheek. Brittany shook her head, and gave her mother a wry smile.

"You always tell me to make sure I have a balanced breakfast in the morning," Brittany chided. "And look at you!"

Emily laughed. "Your notion of a quick breakfast is a can of Diet Coke! At least there are vitamins in a banana!"

Brittany giggled, and turned on the coffee maker. "Where's Dad, anyway?" she asked, searching through the cupboard for a coffee mug. "Is he already at the station?"

"I doubt it," Emily sighed. "He and the other Rangers went on a mission last night. I haven't heard from him."

"What's the great emergency this time?"

"A meteor heading for Earth," Emily responded, grabbing her purse. "It's probably on the news."

"Might as well check," Brittany said, turning on the television. She quickly turned it to CNN.

^... and there is no trace of the Terran Power Rangers,^

the commentator stated. ^The Megazord has been reportedly reduced to cinders, and the Rangers did not contact the UN building, as they usually do when a mission is complete. The Rangers are therefore presumed dead.^

Brittany's large blue eyes were wide, and her hand flew to her mouth. Emily stopped short, her hand on the front doorknob. She dropped the banana and her purse, and sank to her knees.

Ever since Emily first learned her husband Jason Scott Lee was a Power Ranger, she dreaded this day. He was always hungry for adventure and danger, and Emily knew that some day, whether as the Black Terran Ranger or the captain of the Angel Grove Police Force, he'd be critically injured...or even killed

. She tried to prepare herself for this moment, since she knew it would happen eventually. After all, one man can only cheat death for so long. But no matter how much she tried to prepare herself, she couldn't fathom living out the rest of her life without him.

"It's a lie!" Brittany growled angrily. "It takes more than an asteroid to kill the Power Rangers! Dad's fine... and so are the others!"

Brittany's voice was uncertain, and she closed her eyes tightly, forcing back tears. She stood still, not moving from her position in front of the television. Emily glanced at her oldest child, tightly clenching her sandy blonde bangs.

"Brittany?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

Brittany didn't respond.

Chapter Three

Bay City, Texas
March 2025
9:00 a.m. (Central Time)

"NO!!"

screamed a teenage girl, her head leaping from her pillow. She buried her tear-stricken face in her powder blue bed sheets, her dark hair cascading around her face. She shook violently and wept in silence, until her mother...a serene, beautiful Asian in a yellow nightgown...entered the room.

"Becky?" she said, sitting down beside the sobbing girl. "What did you see?"

Rebecca Mitchell looked up at her mother, her almond shaped mahogany eyes pulsing with an unnatural blue light. Rebecca then forced her eyes shut, and buried herself into her mother's shoulder.

"I...I saw the Power Rangers," he sobbed, "screaming in pain. They...they were trapped, and surrounded by fire, and explosions, and...and...darkness..."

Trini looked alarmed, but she continued stroking her daughter's hair gently. "Honey, it was only a dream."

"It's never only a dream!" Rebecca shrieked, pulling away and staring up at her mother. "Is it? Ever since I was twelve, the visions I see are real! They're real!"

Trini sighed, and once again collected her oldest child in her arms. It was certainly a challenge raising a girl like Rebecca, one that was gifted with mutant powers. Rebecca was a empath, who was especially good at sensing the pain and anxiety of others. This constant exposure to painful emotions had often brought the fifteen year old girl into depression. After spending over a year learning about her mutant powers at the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters in New York, Rebecca came home happy and cheerful again. But now, it was the cries of her family's friends that tore through her sensitive mind, and it threw the child into a fit of sobs.

Trini held her daughter close, doing her best not to cry herself. She knew from experience that her daughter's "visions" were always true. And hearing that her dear friends since high school may have perished wasn't something easy. But, Trini's first duty was as a mother, and she had to help her daughter cope with her sorrow before she can focus on her own.

After a full five minutes of weeping, Rebecca rose her head, and wiped the tears staining her red cheeks. She looked up at her mother's pained onyx eyes.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked. Trini sighed.

"The CAC," she said, standing up. "He would never let the Power Rangers go to battle without monitoring them. Get dressed, Becky. We're teleporting immediately."

Chapter Four

JF Kennedy Airport, New York
March 2025
12:00 pm EST

"Daddy," said a short, slender young girl, her huge aqua eyes shining with tears. "When will Tony be here?"

The middle-aged man glanced down from the window, and made eye contact with those pained pools of color. They were the perfect mirror of his own.

"Any minute now, Kirsten," he said. "Any minute now."

Kirsten nodded, and continued to stare out of the window of the airport, watching as numerous planes flew in and out. She remained silent, leaving her father to his thoughts.

Trevor Monroe has had a life filled with both infinite joy and grievous sorrow. As a young man, he attended the University of Florida, and worked with Coach Gunther Schmidt in the preparation of some of the world's finest athletes. That was when he met an energetic, beautiful, funny young woman with enough inherent joy to bring a smile to the most depressed individuals on the planet. She was Kimberly Anne Hart, one of America's best chances of winning the gold in the 1997 Pan-Global Games. Although Trevor wasn't really a shy young man, and had a great deal of difficulty trying to win her heart. Especially over the first few months. Trevor could tell that Kimberly had a love, back home in California. When he learned that Kimberly returned to Angel Grove permanently, he tried to forget about her charming smile and enthralling laugh. But, he didn't have much success getting over her, and when she finally returned to Florida in June, he was more excited to see her than he ever was. But it wasn't long before Kimberly changed. She was suddenly chronically sad, and angry at the world.

As it turned out, the reason why is because she had a quarrel with her long time boyfriend, and it didn't end well. Trevor tried to be there for Kimberly, but it wasn't his place to interfere. Eventually, Kimberly found her smile again, and enjoyed spending time with Trevor. One starry evening in August, Trevor admitted to Kimberly for the first time what he felt for her almost since day one. And from then on, they were an inseparable couple. The following morning, Kimberly broke the final cord tying her and her former boyfriend together. Both Trevor and Kimberly found happiness, and their love managed to survive Trevor's post-graduate education at Harvard University, as well as Kimberly's schooling in France. Once their careers were settled, they married, and lived happily ever after. Or so they thought.

One evening, in the month of February in 2009, Trevor was lying in his and Kimberly's king-sized bed, going over some information for an important case the following morning. While he read, he barely noticed a strange, surreal golden light, emanating from Kimberly's walk-in closet. Trevor investigated the phenomenon, and was sucked through a magic portal, leading to a strange, dark place, devoid of gravity, and filled with multicolored flashes of light. While he was there, he felt his body slip away into oblivion, but it was saved at the last minute. It was saved by a non-corporeal being called Onslaught.

Trevor had no memories of the following years. He had no idea just how many years had passed. But during this time, Trevor played host body for the villain Onslaught, forming the Multiversal tyrant Solar. As Solar, Trevor managed to nearly kill the Power Rangers, as well as super heroes from alternate dimensions, namely the Spectrum Force and the Sailor Scouts. He was finally saved in the year 1997, by his wife Kimberly and a team of younger Power Rangers. It was then that Trevor learned his wife has been a Power Ranger since high school.

Once Trevor returned, everything returned to normal. Trevor and Kimberly were happier than ever, and Trevor watched proudly as his son Anthony grew into a young man. About two years after his return, he and Kimberly had their second child, named Kirsten Monroe. Kirsten had her mother's delicate features, and her father's magnificent, endearing aqua-blue eyes. They lived as a happy family, and Trevor smiled as time passed, and his children grew up. Trevor didn't even mind the fact that he was technically growing old alone, since his wife, being protected by the Power, didn't show the signs of aging typical of a woman of forty-plus years. Trevor was happy, and satisfied with his life. But, that would all come crashing down, this chilly March morning.

When Trevor heard the news of the Power Rangers' deaths, he immediately called the airport, and asked his private pilot to fly the family airplane to pick up Anthony from Harvard. He then quietly entered Kirsten's room, and told his angelic daughter, as gently as he could, about her beloved mother's untimely death. Kirsten burst into tears right then and there, but Trevor was glad to see her cry. Trevor knows how much his children loved their mother. Only he could love her more.

"Uh, excuse me, Mister Monroe?" asked an attendant, tapping his shoulder, "I was sent to tell you that your plane is arriving. Follow me, and I'll take you two down to the landing site."

Trevor nodded mutely, and took the hand of his youngest child. Together, they walked through the terminal, and down onto the paved runway. Trevor glanced up at the sky, and saw the small white plane descend. Kimberly had wanted to purchase a plane, so the family could go on vacations together. She even attended flight school, and earned her license unbelievably fast. She flew a plane as if she were flying it for years. Once Trevor learned of Kimberly's time as a Power Ranger, he finally understood his wife's amazing skills at flying planes, as well as riding motorcycles. Kimberly bought the plane herself, and nicknamed it "Thunder."

Trevor never had the desire to pursue a pilot's license of his own, so he hired a pilot for when he needed to use the plane. This was one of those times.

The plane landed on the runway, and pulled up to where the people were waiting. The door lowered, and a young man descended the stairs, with his head bowed down, and a duffel bag flung over his shoulder. He didn't look up until he was standing right in front of his father. He looked up, and the two men of equal height looked at each other for a moment. Then, they embraced, without saying a word. Their matching, expressive eyes said all that was worth saying.

Once they broke, Anthony hugged his little sister. Kirsten, who was eleven years old, was less than five feet tall, so the 6'2" young man had to bend down. Then, the family walked away from the airport, towards the street, where a black limousine was awaiting them. A rather stout man with a mustache and a suit opened the back door for the family, and then closed it behind them and took a seat in the front.

"Home, Miles," said Trevor. "Please."

Miles nodded, and the car pulled away from the city, headed for the suburbs. Anthony pressed a single button on the door, and a smoky glass screen came up, separating the driver from the passengers, and allowing them to speak freely.

"What happened, Dad?" asked Anthony.

"I really don't know," said Trevor. "Late last night, at about eleven, your mother's communicator went off. I was with her, and I heard Will Mitchell say that there was a dangerously large meteor heading towards Earth. It wasn't large enough to destroy the planet or anything, but it would've separated in the atmosphere, raining down a shower of meteorites. So, to prevent any damage to either people or property, the Power Rangers boarded the Megazord, and flew off. It wasn't a particularly dangerous mission. That's why this is so surprising. The Megazord managed to take the heat of the Sun, and the magical attacks of villains for years, but it couldn't take its own energy? That doesn't sit well with me."

"What are the reporters saying?" asked Anthony.

"The Megazord has been reduced to ash, practically. The pieces that were substantial fell towards Earth, and disintegrated in the upper atmosphere. They aren't even looking anymore. There's nothing to find."

Soon, the limousine pulled up at the grand mansion which had been the home of the Monroe family for nearly twenty years. The family stepped out of the car, and Trevor knocked once at the door. The aged housekeeper opened the door, and smiled up at the family.

"Senor," she said, "you had a telephone call, from a mister William Mitchell. He said to come visit him at your convenience."

"Thanks," said Trevor, as he ascended the stairs, followed closely by his children, " Take the rest of the day off, Anita. We'll be leaving momentarily, and we won't be back for awhile."

Anita nodded, and watched at the family disappeared into the master bedroom. Anthony and Kirsten watched as their father rummaged through Kimberly's rather large jewelry box. Inside were all kinds of gold, silver, and precious gems, but one thing stood out. It was a shiny yellow and silver watch, but instead of a watch, there was a microphone on the top, with several buttons. Anthony looked at the device, surprised.

"Mom had an extra communicator?"

"Not really," said Trevor, strapping it onto his wrist. "This is the older communicator she used when she was a Power Ranger in the 1990's. When the team was reinstated in 2006, Will made a whole new set of more advanced communicators. The old ones still work, though, and all the Rangers kept them in case of emergency. Will, do you read?"

^Hello?^

came a soft voice, ^Trevor, is that you?^

"Trini! What's going on? Anita said Will left a message?"

^Yes. We've been trying to contact the families of all the Rangers. At least, the family members who knew they were Rangers. We have some information that you really should hear. Do you have Anthony with you?^

"Yes, and Kirsten as well."

^Good. We're regrouping as many as possible here. Teleporting now.^

With that, Trevor, Kirsten, and Anthony vanished in streaks of white light.

Chapter Five

Angel Grove, California
March 2025
9:00 am (Western Time)

He felt his heart pounding in his ears relentlessly, yet he didn't pause for a moment. His weary pale blue eyes remained focused upon the shimmering center of power that filled the small closet with an aura of pure silvery-white energy.

That focus of power was the Zeo Crystal. The mysterious crystal shard that housed energy unlike anything else in the universe. That crystal had given the Terran Power Rangers abilities far beyond any human, and even beyond any other team of Power Rangers.

It also exacted a terrible price.

Swallowing hard, he pressed the initiation sequence. Narrow threads of tinsel connecting the Zeo Crystal to five small objects began to crackle with colored light. There were currents of green, blue, yellow, pink, and red light. The light continued to crackle, illuminating the five objects, all lying in a pentagonal shape around the Zeo Crystal.

Suddenly, the light in the room intensified to the point that the entire room flooded with rainbow light. The man quickly shielded his weary eyes with his protective goggles, and watched indifferently as the energy died. Once the room was back to its dim lighting, he pulled the protective lenses from his nose, and pressed the bridge tightly.

"It worked," he sighed, exhaling the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. Trembling fingers began typing at a small keyboard, with alien symbols rather than letters. The computer screen flashed, revealing images to the man and foreign characters. He chewed his lower lip absently as his entire attention focused upon the images on the screen.

"...prodigious," he whispered.

Chapter Six

The Central Access Complex was more crowded than it had ever been. Still, it was deathly quiet, as if the structure itself were in mourning. The large group of people stood in a semi-circle around the main desk, looking around at the incredible hub of the Power Rangers' communication and data analysis. While most of these people had been here before, it was still so disconnected from their daily lives to leave an impression. After all, they weren't Power Rangers. They were merely people emotionally tied to members of the Terran Power Rangers, and in many cases, their children. Their legacy.

Trini Mitchell, the former Yellow Power Ranger and ally of the Terran Rangers for years, sat at a desk, tapping her fingers against the hollow metal nervously. She finally sighed inwardly, and turned around to face the audience she had summoned. Before her stood a band of individuals she'd known for a while. Decades, in some cases.

All the way to the left stood Emily Lee, her eyes still red from crying. Of all the spouses of the Power Rangers, Emily was always the least comfortable with her husband's role as a Ranger. His entire life, Jason seemed to face death in the face. Emily shook slightly, as if shivering from an inner cold at the realization that Jason couldn't outrun death forever. Beside her was her athletic, slender daughter, with vibrant blue eyes that were the very mirror of her mother's. Brittany was mostly still, passing her steady gaze across the entire room, observing the reactions of everyone else. Most of the time she watched her younger brother Andrew, who's hand was tightly squeezed by his mother, and his other hand occasionally brushed away the tears that escaped the wall of anger he constructed after learning of his father's fate.

Standing beside Andrew were David and Emandia Trueheart, the brother and sister-in-law of Tom Oliver, the leader of the Terran Rangers. David and Tom met after high school, but they shared a bond that only brothers can. The devastating news of the Terran Rangers had shaken David to the very core. He leaned weakly against a computer console, cradling his heavy head with both hands with his glasses hanging from his neck. Emandia stood vigilantly beside him, massaging his back in an effort to calm her husband, while trying not to feel intimidated by the awe-inspiring Central Access Complex in which she had never been before.

Devon Oliver, the youngest of the two Oliver boys, sat on the floor of the CAC, sniffling quietly as a river of tears continued to flow ceaselessly. While everyone else in the CAC were previously cognizant of their loved ones' occupation as Power Rangers, he never knew the truth. Now, the truth slapped the boy in his face, brutally yanking away from him the parents he had never truly known or understood.

Sitting beside his younger brother, fulfilling his role as the protective and comforting elder sibling, was Micah Oliver. The tears of loss had long since dried, but his large dark eyes remained moist...with tears of anger. Anger at his loss. Anger at the world's loss. Anger at his parents, for leaving him and Devon behind. Anger at everything, and everyone.

Next was Angela Taylor, the wife of Zack Taylor. After years of remaining emotionally detached from Zack's advances, Angela finally realized she was actually in love with the energetic athlete she'd known from youth, and they married only four years ago. Angela's usually perfect features were haggard and pale, as only the death of a loved one could cause. She stood apart from the other mourners, not seeking the comfort of group misery. Instead, she remained several feet away from the assembly, gnawing on her lip anxiously while she gazed at the dazzling diamond solitaire she wore on her left hand, coupled by the gold and platinum band she received on the day she vowed to love Zack until death do them part. With tears shining in her eyes, she reflected on her life in disgust, wondering what took her so long to realize she had fallen in love.

Nearest to Angela were Alexis and Rocky DeSantos. Both were former active Power Rangers, who were forced out of the team due to injuries. They were wed in 2013, and they held their eleven year-old son Luke between them. Out of the three DeSantos members, Alexis wore her grave, unfeeling expression. Her husband watched her face carefully, knowing full well that the more pain and loss Alexis felt, the less it showed. Now, her calm was almost terrifying him.

During her lifetime, Alexis had lost a great deal. She lost her powers. She lost her sister. Her family fractured in a devastating divorce. She learned to bear it by pulling all the pain within. Rocky knew it wasn't healthy for her, but she managed to come out of each tragedy a little stronger.

Silently, as he thought about how he'd never see his best friend again, he wished he had her resilience.

Next in the semicircle of despair was Tanya Park. Tanya had moved back to the United States from Africa in 2008, and married Adam two years later. During their time apart, Tanya could only perceive the lack of fulfillment in her life. She realized that all the achievements in the world couldn't compare with finding true love. Now that she was separated from her soul mate, all the mature, emotionally stable woman could do was silently pray that things weren't as bad as they appeared. When it came to Adam, Tanya was optimistic...almost to a fault.

Sitting on a nearby table, rocking herself slowly in an effort to bring her stirring emotions under control, was Regina Drew, the eldest daughter of Aisha and Edward Drew. Although neither of her parents were Terran Rangers, she was very close to all of them. Still, despite her familial familiarity with all the Rangers, she couldn't help but feel she was intruding. She didn't belong here, to witness the intense grief displayed quite plainly by those who had lost beloved parents, adored spouses, and cherished siblings. Yet, while she felt slightly awkward, she knew that her place was among this union. She was invited by Will to attend the information session, and she would find out everything the former Power Ranger had to say.

On the same table, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling blankly, was Anthony Monroe. Unlike the others, this wasn't the first time he had lost a parent. When he was just a boy, his father Trevor disappeared inexplicably for two years. During those torturous years, he felt the hole in his heart at every milestone he reached. Every preschool art project he couldn't show his father. Every holiday that seemed empty without his presence. Every time he saw his friends with their fathers. Every time he caught his mother sitting up late at night, clutching her pillow while still sleeping on her side of the bed, as if Trevor would return in the middle of the night.

Nearly every day reminded him of his loss. And now, with the loss of his mother, Anthony could only reflect on how it felt the first time, and shudder. Trevor, on the other hand, didn't allow himself to reflect upon what life would be like without his beloved wife. He knew he couldn't deal with that. The shock of the tragedy was too great. It was almost impossible for the reality of the matter to sink in. Instead, he focused his entire attention on Kirsten, doing his best to comfort his daughter and assure her that the future wouldn't be as bleak as it seemed.

By attending to Kirsten's pain, he could ignore his own. For the moment, at least.

Finally, keeping her large brown eyes steadily focused on her mother, was the young mutant empath Rebecca Mitchell. She remained quiet and observant, choosing not to participate in the grieving, but rather to separate herself from it. It was also clear that she was putting effort in distracting herself from the pool of sorrow that inundated her. Her empathic senses would surely drown her in angst.

"Where's Will?" Tanya Park said, breaking the barrier of silence, "I thought he was the one who called us here."

Trini rose to her feet and folded her hands behind her back. "He's working on a project at the moment," she explained. "He asked me to fill you guys in on the situation while he finishes up."

"So...what happened?" Micah whispered, his gaze trapped at the ground beneath him. "Are they really...gone

?"

Trini took a deep breath, and paused for a moment as she collected her thoughts. "I'm going to cut right to the chase. We've all seen the news clips, and heard of the destruction of the Megazord. They're all true."

Everyone remained in an icy silence, as all their hopes of seeing their loved ones again shattered. Trini gave her audience a chance to let this information sink in.

"What happened is that the power transmitted into the Terrasword lashed back, frying the controls, and eventually leading to the destruction of the Megazord. Now, you're probably asking yourselves how this could possibly happen, and so I'll tell you. The Terra Zords operate in conjunction with the physical as well as emotional health of the Terran Rangers. So, if the Rangers are sick, then the zords are, in effect, sick. That's what happened."

"The Rangers were sick?" asked Alexis. "What do you mean 'sick'

?"

"Let me explain," Trini stated, activating the screen on the main computer across the CAC by remote. Everyone turned their attention to the image, which was of the day the Terran Rangers first received their powers. While some of these people were witnesses to the historic event, most only knew of it through stories.

"When Zordon, the original mentor of the Power Rangers, first gave them the Zeo Crystals, he explained that the Power would coarse through their veins, by means of the heart, which is where the crystal was kept. The Power protected them in many ways. It gave them the ability to tap into the experience and power of the Morphin Grid, as well as pilot the Terrazords. It also managed to keep the Rangers' cells from deteriorating so quickly, which is why they don't look as old as they are. The problem is, over time, the constant presence of the Power began to have averse affects on their physical health.

"Zordon said that only someone who was a Power Ranger before has the bodily defenses necessary to absorb the power of the Zeo Crystal. He also chose the six Rangers most capable of dealing with the power. But he never intended them to remain Rangers for so long. It began to weaken them, and the Zeo Crystals began to draw on their life force. Having such a power source in one's body for so long has taken its toll."

"So, in the end, it was the very Power that made them heroes that killed them," said Rocky solemnly, "I can't believe it."

"Don't believe it," said Trini, turning off the screen. "They aren't dead. Yet."

Everyone looked at Trini in shock as she lead the group to the location of the med-unit. Lying on six cots were the Terran Power Rangers, dressed in the clothing they had worn before their tragic final mission. Their ageless faces seemed peaceful, as if they were sleeping soundly. Hovering not far away was the completed Zeo Crystal, with all six shards expanded to their full size of about a foot in length.

"Will and I first removed the Zeo shards, and then placed them in stasis," Trini continued. "The stress of the explosion seriously drained their powers. They are weaker now than they've ever been. We had to put them in stasis to save them from dying."

The group crowded around the slumbering Terran Rangers, and looked down at their loved ones with tears in their eyes. Regina turned away, confusion written on her mocha face.

"Is there any way to cure the 'Power poisoning'

, as it were?" she asked.

"There's one chance, although it's a longshot," Trini answered, casting her almond gaze towards a small door along the far wall, "I think Will is really the one to go into this."

As if on cue, William Mitchell, the Terran Rangers' most trusted and depended ally, stepped out of the sliding door Trini had looked at. He passed a white handkerchief over his moistened forehead, and walked through the dense audience without so much as a greeting. He stood beside the main computer, and leaned against the large console for a moment.

"How much did you tell them?" he asked his wife.

"I had just gotten to your plan for saving the Rangers."

Will nodded, and briskly tapped in the commands that brought up another image on the computer screen, showing a rotating stone arrowhead, greatly magnified from its real size. David looked at the digital display in surprise.

"What does the arrowhead have to do with anything?" he asked.

"I've done a bit of research, and I've discovered that the arrowhead that you and Tom rejoined has impressive healing powers. It may be able to cure the Rangers, and restore them to health."

"Great!" said Micah excitedly, "Dad and Uncle David gave me the arrowhead years ago! It's in my room. I'll go get it."

"That won't work," said Will grimly, "I've calculated that the arrowhead's healing powers fade over time. The point of maximum power is when the two halves are joined, but from there the power decreases. It's been over twenty years since David and Tom met, and joined the two halves. By now, the power remaining in the arrowhead probably couldn't heal a paper cut."

"Then it's hopeless!" cried Emily in frustration. "There's nothing we can do!"

"Not quite," said Will. "What we need to do is travel back in time to a specific point, when Tom and David reunite the two halves. Then, if we bring the united arrowhead here, we can save them."

"Time travel?" asked Trevor. "As in through the Multiverse? I know for a fact that humans cannot travel through the Multiverse without some kind of protection."

"That's true," said Will, digging into his jeans pockets, "and we have something."

Will stepped towards an empty lab table, and laid out five gold, circular objects, each about twice as large as a silver dollar, with designs etched in their faces. The outline of each design was in a signature color: blue, green, red, pink, and yellow.

"Oh my God," Alexis gasped, leaning over to get a closer look. "Are those Power Coins?"

"Almost," Will responded, "but they shall serve a similar purpose. A few years ago, when the Terran Rangers were reactivated, I began a full sweep of the data banks. That included running through a detailed history on how exactly the different Power Rangers were created in the first place. I found it very interesting reading, since understanding the power behind the Power Rangers gives me a better ability to restore them if they are ever compromised.

"Now, what I found the most interesting was the original White Ranger, the White Tiger Ranger. Remember, the seven original coins...red, blue, pink, black, green, yellow, and purple...were created by Ninjor thousands of years ago, and the six Ninja Ranger coins were created by Ninjor in conjunction with Dulcea and the Great Power. But the White Ranger was created by Zordon himself, right in the Command Center."

"Really?" Rocky whispered in amazement, "I didn't know that."

"You joined the team after the White Ranger was already the leader," Trini pointed out, "but the original five remember it well...when Tommy was introduced as the new White Ranger. Zordon and Alpha had worked on their secret project for weeks, trying to make a Power Coin that would work with technology compatible with the Power Rangers and their Thunderzords."

"Yes," Will picked up, "Zordon also created the Thunderzords for the Power Rangers after the Dinozords were incapacitated by Lord Zedd. Now, here's the theory I developed after reviewing the history files: Zordon was given the Power Ranger coins and Dinozords from Dulcea and Ninjor, and he in fact helped create them. However, he also had with him the basic plans for a new team of Power Rangers, that included the White Ranger, the Thunderzords, the White Tigerzord, and Tor the Carrier Zord."

"Amazing," Emily muttered in awe.

"Wait, wait, wait," Alexis grumbled, shaking her head furiously. "That doesn't make any sense! If Zordon had the specs for a new Ranger team all along, then why hadn't he ever created this new team of Rangers?"

"When?" Billy challenged. "The original five were fine with the powers they had, until the Green Ranger came along. Zordon's signal with the Command Center was lost, so we didn't have his guidance throughout that ordeal. By the time he came back, we had figured out who the Green Ranger was, and how to stop him. So the five Rangers became six. When the Dinozords were destroyed, the Power Coins were still fully operational. Time was of the essence, so creating a whole new team, with brand new zords, would have taken more time than we had. So Zordon took a few shortcuts, by altering the specs for the Thunderzords so he could use the parts from the Dinozords. Since he used the mainframes of the Dinozords, he managed to link the Thunderzords to the Power Coins, thereby creating this new arsenal much quicker than simply tossing out the coins they already had. When Ivan Ooze came along, Zordon was incapacitated and the Command Center was thoroughly destroyed. He wasn't capable of creating the new team of Rangers... he didn't have the strength, nor the equipment. Instead, he sent us to Dulcea and Ninjor, so we could get a new set of Power Coins. Those coins, coupled with the Ninjetti powers from Dulcea, managed just fine until we were transformed into children. We were too young to be Power Rangers, and since the entire timeline was thrown out of whack, everyone's ages were thrown off. It would have been dangerous to make a team of Power Rangers then, considering time didn't actually move backwards. Instead, we were de-aged. Everyone was especially fragile to magical power, since we were all pumped with enough magic to make us seven years younger. That's why Zordon resorted to calling upon the Alien Rangers. Since the time spell was focused on Earth, the rest of the universe was unaffected. And finally, once we had the Zeo Crystal, Zordon was able to create an even more powerful team of Rangers with that. So the backup team he had planned was never used. Until now.

"Okay, everyone here who was alive during the early 1990's can remember the Power Rangers, and the White Ranger," Will continued. "He looked different from the others. His uniform was different and he had a weapon with artificial intelligence. He was more powerful than the other Power Rangers put together, which is why Rita and Zedd wanted him out of the way more than anyone else. Often he took on a monster all by himself, while the rest of the team did something else. That's because his powers were different. When we became Ninjetti, Dulcea and Ninjor used the template of Zordon's White Tiger Ranger to create the White Falcon Ranger. So, the White Ranger wasn't a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. Zordon never told us this...but the White Tiger Ranger was a Starlight Ranger."

Will then gathered the five discs, and lifted up one with red etching on the surface. "This is the Red Dragon Starlight Ranger." He then picked up another. "This is the Pink Firebird Starlight Ranger." He reached for the blue badge. "This is the Blue Unicorn Starlight Ranger." Then, the yellow disc. "This is the Yellow Griffin Starlight Ranger." And finally, the green one. "And this is the Green Lion Starlight Ranger."

There was an audible gasp from the entire group, who were simply amazed by this long-held secret finally brought to light.

"So the reason why the White Ranger was tougher than the others...is because his powers came from a different source?" Alexis recapped.

"Exactly," Will said, nodding.

"But...but...the Thunderzords are now obsolete!" Rocky pointed out, "I mean, Rito Revolto managed to destroy the Mega-Thunderzord. These powers don't hold a candle to the Zeo Crystal."

"You can't judge the Starlight power based on the Thunderzords," Trini highlighted, "Remember, Zordon compromised the initial plans of those zords, by using the parts from the Dinozords in order to make them faster, and to make them compatible with the Power Rangers on active duty. So, in effect, the Thunderzords weren't the Starzords. They were more of a hybrid between the pure Starzords, and the Dinozords. Then, when Zordon created the White Ranger, he had to make his zord compatible with the Thunderzords. So the Tigerzord was a Thunderzord too, but closer to the Starzord than the others were."

"You're right about one thing, though," Will admitted, "the Starlight powers aren't as potent as the Terra powers. The specs Zordon had created would have made a team stronger than the Ninja Power Rangers...but not that much stronger. However, since I've been working with the Terran Rangers for so long, and I've studied the Starlight powers thoroughly, I've figured out how to make them far more powerful than Zordon's would have been. Still, they won't be quite on par with the Terran Rangers, but they are much closer."

"The genius strikes again," Alexis commented, a grin crossing her lips. "So tell us, Will...how'd you do it? How'd you surpass Zordon?"

"The Starlight Rangers gain power from the stars. Zordon's sketches allowed them to harness the powers of the stars in general. However, I've discovered that they'd be far more powerful if they only drew power from a particular star...the closest. The down side is that the Starlight Rangers are now forced to be planetary Rangers. Just like the Aquitians need Aquitian water to gain strength, the Starlight Rangers need to be within our solar system. The further they get from the Sun, the weaker they get. However, to make them more powerful, I figured it'd be worth the sacrifice. After all, the Starlight team are defenders of Earth.

"I also went a step further regarding their power source. Each Ranger will draw power from a particular aspect of the Sun. The Sun contains different layers, with different elements and different energy levels. Different power sources makes the team more diverse."

Will then grinned proudly. "And finally, I took a chance. Even after I programmed the coins, I still needed to give them a jump start. I decided to use the Zeo Crystal. As it turns out...it worked! And now that there is some of that mysterious Zeo power in the coins, they're energy levels have peaked even beyond my expectation. And they're ready."

"This is so incredible," Regina whispered, watching as Will stepped away from the table, and sat down at the central computer. "How did you do all of this?!"

"Well," Will admitted with a slight grin, slipping a mini-disc into the disk drive, "I can't take that much credit. I didn't come up with this strategy over night. I've been working on the Starlight project during my free time since I first discovered the full record of them. That was only about six months after the Terra team was reinstated."

Rocky shook his head in amazement. "You've worked on this project for nearly twenty years?!"

"Hey, Will likes to be prepared," Trini quipped, standing behind her husband and draping her arms around his shoulders.

"Okay, I've made a CD containing all the information on the new Starlight team," Will highlighted, typing on the keyboard, "This includes weaponry, zords, their power source, and how these different aspects can be modified to their fullest potential. Unfortunately, I've had difficulty in recreating the White Tiger Ranger, due to the fact that Zordon had already created a White Tiger coin, and that coin was lost. So for now, we have five Starlight Rangers, each powered by a Starlight Disc, and a different force of the Sun."

Will stopped typing, and an image appeared of five Rangers, two on the top and two on the bottom, with the Red Ranger in the center. Each Ranger wore a spandex suit and helmet of their signature color, along with a white vest, white boots, and gloves. The entire uniform sported gold trim, including a gold bar stretching down the white torso of the suit, and connecting to the golden belt. Finally, each Ranger had a golden badge on his chest. The badge was the Starlight Disc.

"Since there is no White Ranger yet, there are five spots on this team. That means we need five new Rangers. Fortunately, this power doesn't require the previous membership on a Ranger team, like the Terra team does. So, anyone can become a Ranger. Now, Trini and I have been thinking about this ever since the Terra team ran into trouble, so I'll tell you whom we've chosen. Of course, you all have the right to back out."

Will then pressed another key, and the Blue Ranger's space flashed. The image enlarged until it filled the entire screen, and the Ranger began turning. Captions flashed at different abilities this Ranger had. Also, to everyone's surprise, a white miniskirt with gold hem appeared.

"The templates for the uniforms are flexible," Will explained. "So all the female Rangers can have a skirt...unless they don't want one, of course. This Blue Ranger draws power from the solar flare, which is an arc of plasmic energy exploding from the surface of the Sun. She will pilot the Unicorn Starzord...once they are finished, of course...and her weapons are the Gemini Axes, named Ares and Artemis."

Will then signaled to Trini, who walked towards the lab table and picked up the golden badge with the blue etching. "As usual, the Blue Ranger will be the brains of the team. Someone who is cool headed, intelligent, and logical. Someone who is willing to take orders, but prepared to voice her opinion fearlessly. As you can see from the screen, we've decided to make this Blue Ranger female. Regina...do you accept the honor and responsibility of being the Blue Unicorn Starlight Ranger?"

The young woman blinked in astonishment, her mouth hanging over slightly. Then, her lips pulled into a smile. "Well, I don't think people tend to call me cool headed and logical...but if you think I can pull it off..."

"Modesty also tends to be a trait of the Blue Ranger," Rocky quipped, casting a side glance at Will. Will shrugged innocently.

"This is so incredible," Regina whispered, accepting the badge from Trini and cradling it in her hands as if it were an egg.

"Next up is the Yellow Ranger," Will continued, pressing another button. The image of the Blue Ranger shrunk to the size of the others, and the Yellow Ranger zoomed in, and began spinning slowly so all could see the lemon yellow uniform, tastefully trimmed in gold, with a small white miniskirt matching the Blue Ranger's. "The Yellow Ranger will draw energy from the corona, the heated ion aura that glows around the sun. She will pilot the legendary Griffin Starzord, and her weapon shall be the Javelin Erith. Just like Trini, Aisha, and Kimberly before her, the Yellow Griffin Ranger will have a fierce spirit, that shines through whenever the stakes become too high for her natural gentility. She is the soul of the Power Rangers."

"She is Brittany," Trini concluded, holding out the yellow badge and smiling at the Lees' oldest child. "If she accepts, of course."

Brittany pressed her lips together tightly, her body almost trembling in excitement as she took the badge. She gazed at the design intensely with her wide blue eyes, briefly reflecting upon the legacy she was about to continue. The fourth in a series of brave, strong women, with innocence and a love of life, coupled with the fierce determination to protect what she loved. Like a lioness, circling the den of her cubs.

"I'll be the best Yellow Ranger I can be," she stated firmly, stepping back to her mother and hugging her tightly. With tears in her eyes, Emily returned the gesture, leaning her chin on her eldest child's head.

"The Green Ranger draws power from gravity, which is the force that keeps our entire solar system circling the sun. That makes gravity his signature power as well. Also, he will pilot the Lion Starzord, and wield the Dagger Sampson in battle. The Green Lion Ranger will be the surprise powerhouse of the team, to help balance the odds when the forces of Evil seem to hold all the cards. His nobility and strength of character fuel him when he faces danger, and his bravery is second to none."

"Since the first Green Ranger was Tommy, it seemed only fitting that his son continue that legacy," Trini affirmed, handing Micah the badge. "I'm sure you'll do your best to carry on the legend."

Micah stared at the badge in astonishment, his dark eyes wide and his forehead wrinkled. "Me?" he whispered blankly. "You want me to be a Power Ranger?"

Trini nodded, smiling warmly at the boy. "I know you'll be the youngest Power Ranger this world has seen, but you have a maturity that reaches far beyond your years. You were raised on stories of heroes, but you also know the darker side to the Power. Your parents, both loyal Terran Rangers, have brought you up well. You deserve this badge, and a role on this team."

Micah's eyes glassed over slightly, as he accepted the disc. He then took a deep breath, and cast his gaze towards the medical station, where both his parents laid comatose. "I'll make you proud, Mom...Dad," he vowed, "I'll make you proud."

"The Pink Ranger is energized by the fierce heat of the solar winds, which reach far beyond the actual star as ions are released," Will continued, changing the screen to view the Pink Ranger, "She will pilot the high-flying Firebird Starzord, and her weapon will be Edana, the crossbow. Like both Kimberly and Katherine, the Pink Ranger continues the station of being the heart of the team. Her natural compassion and empathy for all living beings, including her friends, helps her stand fast as the emotional pillar of the team. This is an essential role, since the pressures of heroism are great indeed, and group cohesion and emotional strength are vital to the success of the Power Rangers."

"We thought about it," Trini said, picking up the pink badge and gazing at the carving, "and we decided that there's only one person with enough empathy to fulfill this role to its full potential. Becky, your mutant powers give you an edge in determining the emotional needs of the Rangers, and of citizens as well. Also, you've shown great strength in your training to get your powers under control, and while you trained in Xavier's institute, you also tempered your body as well as your mind, learning a variety of stealth and fighting skills that will certainly come in handy on this mission. Becky... you were born to be a Power Ranger."

Trini leaned over to her young daughter, and kissed her forehead. "Just be careful out there."

Rebecca smiled widely at her mother, and then cast a reassuring smile to her father. "I can handle it," she said firmly. "Especially with this great team of Rangers to stand by my side."

"And finally, Billy said, rising from his seat after altering the image once again, "we come to the Red Ranger. The leader of the team. He will draw strength from the actual nuclear fusion that takes place within the star, which creates the energy that keeps this system alive. He will pilot the Red Dragon Starzord which, just like the Thunderzord, can shift between Warrior Mode and Dragon Mode. His weapon is the trusted broad sword Draco, who will impart his own intelligence and experience whenever asked."

"The Red Ranger will have to face something that the rest of the team rarely does...the burden of leadership," Trini highlighted. "The lives of these four youths will be in his hands. Leadership proved to be withering to both Jason and Tommy. They bore it well, but whenever one of the Rangers was hurt seriously, the guilt ate at them from within. Leadership is never an ability you are born with. It is something you will develop with time. Still, we've decided that Anthony has the right heart attitude. His friendship and older-brother role will be vital to this position. And with the support of the other Rangers, he will certainly blossom as the third Red Ranger."

Anthony bit his lip, staring at the badge without ever reaching for it. His aqua eyes almost screamed with uncertainty, as he glanced around the room, at all the faces that waited for his answer. He then locked his eyes on the badge, swallowing hard.

In all his life, he had never considered becoming a Power Ranger. In fact, he didn't even really want it. If his mother had never been a Power Ranger, then his father Trevor never would have been lost for two years, turning into the villain Solar. It was the Zeo Crystal that sent him into the Multiverse.

He knew that the Power Rangers had many sacrifices to make, including even the possible sacrifice of their loved ones. Their cause was just, to be sure...but could he do it? Could he deal with having the lives of these four individuals...including the love of his life, one of his best friends, and two kids that looked up to him like an older brother? These weren't just friends...they were like family to him.

Could he handle the weighty responsibility that would sit entirely on his shoulders.

Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around slowly, and gazed into Regina's wide hazel eyes. They weren't pleading. They weren't even asking. They were gentle and supportive...just like they always were.

Then, his decision was made.

He reached out, and accepted the badge Trini offered. He gripped the badge in his fist, and nodded.

"I'll do it," he said.

Frankly, he didn't trust the lives of these cherished people with anyone else.

Everyone stepped back slightly, and Anthony, Regina, Brittany, Rebecca, and Micah congregated in the center of the void. They all held up their badges to the sky, and they each flashed in colored light.

"Look into your hearts," Will advised. "The Power will teach you all you need to know."

Rebecca closed her eyes, her smile widening as the pink pulse on her Starlight Disc intensified. She then opened her eyes, revealing a faint pink glow shining from her deep brown irises.

"Heaven's Gale Starlight Power!" she cried, her voice echoing through the silence. The light from her disc erupted in a wave of glowing pink energy, bathing her with power and infusing her with energy to the very core of her being. The light then tightened around her body, until it became a second skin. When the intensity faded, the light had transformed into the form-fitting metallic salmon uniform, complete with shimmering pearly white sleeveless tunic and short miniskirt, matching gloves and boots, and an elegantly styled pink helmet, with skillful gold etching around the opaque face mask in the design of a bird. Finally, her badge relocated from her hands to her chest, and a bright pink and gold crossbow was attached firmly to her belt, with a head of a firebird and the bow styled as wings.

"I...can't believe this is happening," she whispered, staring at her hands.

Brittany then closed her eyes, digging deep into her soul for the fiery yellow light that represented her new power. She managed to tap into that, allowing her mind to be flooded with rich energy. Her eyes opened, and her mouth moved, shouting out words she simply knew were the key to her destiny. "Corona Wash Starlight Power!"

The wave of energy struck her, molding itself to her body to create the perfect protective shell. Brilliant canary yellow spandex stretched across her body, along with the white chest and skirt, hemmed with gold. Her Starlight Disc enlarged, and placed itself firmly on her chest. Her helmet glimmered with the gold design of a griffin, and from the holster on her golden belt hung a collapsed staff, with a griffin's head on the top.

"This...this is so intense

!" she breathed.

Micah chewed on his lips, his eyes focused on his green Starlight Disc with uncertainty. Finally, he took a deep breath, and closed his eyes tightly. For a few moments, he was silent, as his face wrinkled with frustration. But finally, a peaceful expression melted his worry, and his eyes opened, glowing faintly with green energy. He had found what he was looking for.

"Graviton Rush Starlight Power!" he shouted at the top of his voice. A flood of green poured out from the badge, bending and shaping itself to fit Micah's slender form. It then flashed, the energy transforming from liquid to material. The emerald-hued uniform reflected the dim lighting majestically, and the Starlight Disc flashed slightly. His uniform was identical to the girls', minus the skirt. The emerald and gold helmet sported the design of a bold lion, and from his belt hung a sharp dagger, with the head of a lion with its eyes closed.

"It's so unreal," Micah said in awe, his hands blindly exploring his helmet as if to see if it were really there.

Then, Regina squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the outside world as she searched for the power within.

"Solar Blaze Starlight Power!" she called. Suddenly a dam burst, releasing blinding neon blue waves from the disc and down her arm. The energy molded around her body, transforming into the brilliant sapphire armor of the Blue Unicorn Ranger. Her uniform matched the others, with a short pearl miniskirt. Her helmet bore a stylized unicorn design, and from her belt hung two axes, with the handles in the shape of unicorn heads.

"...wow," she gasped, completely at a loss for words.

After a few more moments of gazing at his teammates, Anthony turned his attention to the golden disc he cradled in his palm. He felt the eyes of all the other Rangers, as well as the onlookers. Everyone was waiting for him to take the honor he had accepted.

Closing his eyes, he searched for the crimson flash within. When he found it, his mind occluded everything except three words.

"Starburst Starlight Power!"

His deep command summoned the flood of energy to cloak his body in its radiance. Crimson tides whirled around his body, folding until it created a body cast. Once again, energy transformed into matter, and the brilliant crimson waves became the brilliant crimson armor of the Red Dragon Ranger. His helmet was designed as a dragon, and his golden belt carried an intimidating broad sword, with the head of a dragon on its hilt.

"I've...never felt so alive before," Anthony affirmed, looking around the room.

Then, Will moved closer to the newly-formed Starlight Ranger team. "I wish we had more time for you to accustom yourselves to this new power, but every second is costly. You five will take this new power, and travel back in time to a point just before the first meeting of Thomas Oliver and David Trueheart. They will borrow the arrowhead, just long enough for me to save the Terran Rangers, and then return it."

"Did you find this dimension yet?" asked Rocky, "I remember the Multiverse is nearly impossible to navigate."

"Well, about sixteen years ago, as you remember, Kimberly went back in time to the year 1997, with the help of the mutant Nate Grey. I still have the coordinates of that dimension, but since sixteen years have gone by, I do not know just when the portal will take the Starlight Rangers. I think I've isolated the specific energies of the arrowhead halves, though, so it won't be after they were united."

"But, wouldn't they be stealing the arrowhead from the past Rangers?" Luke DeSantos said quietly. He then kept his inquisitive gaze on Will, who stared at the boy in amazement.

"The arrowhead will be returned to them expediently," he assured.

"But Luke has a point," Brittany stated. "We're asking these Terran Rangers to give us the united arrowhead. You said that the peak healing energy occurs right at the union, so they will permanently lose that maximum healing capacity. They might not be willing to give it up."

"It's our only chance," Will said, sighing, "I know we're asking a lot, but we can only hope for the support of our fellow Power Rangers in this time of crisis."

"It's our best bet," Anthony said, tugging on his glove and tightening his hand into a fist. "So Mr. Mitchell, when we get the arrowhead, how do we get back home?"

"I'm glad you asked," Trini answered for her husband, holding out a red and silver communicator. "This communicator will keep you all in contact, as well as emit a beacon through the Multiverse. Presently, the computer doesn't read anything, because they aren't turned on. When you are ready to come home, press the gold button, and the beacon will be sent. It should take about half an hour for the beacon to reach the CAC. Take care, Starlight Rangers."

William and Trini handed out the wrist communicators, and stood back. Will placed the Zeo Crystal beside the Terran Rangers as before, and then took a seat at his desk. After a few minutes, a black portal appeared in the center of the room.

"Goodbye, Starlights," Will called, turning from the computer to gaze at his creations, "and may the Power Protect you."

The Starlight Rangers said goodbye to their families, and leaped through the portal, one by one. Once all five were gone, the portal closed.

"There's nothing more we can do," said Will, "at least, until they return with the arrowhead."

Chapter Seven

Angel Grove, California
March 1997
11:00 am (Western Time)

A large black hole irised open upon the roof of Angel Grove High. Out of that hole fell five figures, draped in skin-tight, colored armor. They rose to their feet, and looked around at the scene below.

"Good," said Anthony, the Red Ranger, "I don't think anyone saw us."

"I wonder if they'd recognize us," said Micah, the Green Ranger, "I mean, Will didn't tell us whether or not this universe has a team of Starlight Rangers. It's not entirely impossible."

"It's highly improbably, but I'm sure we'll find out soon," said Regina, the Blue Ranger. "After all, we have to find David Trueheart and Tom Oliver, and most likely when we find Tom, we'll find the Power Rangers, no matter which incarnation they may be."

"Where are we anyway?" asked Rebecca, the Pink Ranger, looking down at the relatively quiet yard surrounding the building.

"We're at the school," said Brittany, the Yellow Ranger. "This is Angel Grove High! I'm a senior here back in our time."

"Great," said Anthony, "then you'll be able to navigate the place. Okay, gang, we'd better split up. Some of us will find Tom, and the others will find David Trueheart. Uh...Micah, do you know where your uncle lived in the year 1997?"

The boy rubbed the chin of his helmet with his white-gloved hand. "Uh, I think he still lived at the reservation," he said finally. "But, I'm not sure."

"That's a good place to start," said Regina, "Micah, you should go find your uncle. You'll recognize him better than the rest of us. Becky, you go with him. You can try to scan for David with your psi powers."

"That's a good plan," said Brittany. "The rest of us all about high school age."

"Should we go morphed?" asked Rebecca.

"Nah," said Anthony. "It'll only attract unwanted attention. But, if you run into trouble, don't hesitate to morph. I don't want to take any chances."

The five Starlight Rangers waited until the coast was completely clear. Then, they leaped gracefully off the roof to ground level, and hid inside a cluster of trees. After a bright flash of light, Anthony, Regina, and Brittany walked towards the school, while Rebecca and Micah ran the other way.

"Keep in touch!" Anthony called. "Every half hour! Don't forget!"

Rebecca waved, and the two youngest Rangers were out of sight.

Anthony, Regina, and Brittany walked into the double doors, and were surprised by the large number of students filling the hallway.

"I guess it's between classes," Brittany observed.

"Then this is the perfect opportunity for us to find Tom," Anthony responded. "Okay, ladies, split up, and keep an eye out for Tom Oliver. If you can't find him, look for one of the other Rangers. Try not to talk to them, just watch them. Contact the rest of us before you do anything else. Clear?"

The two girls nodded, and they separated. Regina walked down one hallway, lined with chatting students and lockers. As she passed, nearly ever male student stopped what he was doing to gaze at the mysterious six foot tall young woman, with an exotic beauty that demanded attention. Regina felt everyone's stares, and wrung her hands nervously. Her intense discomfort serving as a distraction, she accidentally bumped into a young Asian man with dark, curly hair and a green T-shirt. She knocked the books from his hands, and they both nearly fell to the ground.

"Oh, gosh!" she said nervously, bending down to pick up the books, "I'm so sorry..."

"No harm done," he said, picking up the rest. He then looked at the girl curiously.

"Have we... met before?" he asked. "You seem familiar..."

"Uh, I don't think so," she said, looking away from his dark eyes, "I... I don't attend this school."

"So, why are you here?" asked Adam, rising to his feet. Regina followed.

"Visiting," she said. "Uh, look, I have to go..."

"Maybe I can help you find who you're looking for," he offered. Regina considered this. "Do you know a Tom Oliver?" she asked. Adam blinked.

"Tommy Oliver? Yeah, he's one of my best friends. He has gym class now, down the hall, to your left. I'm Adam, by the way."

Adam extended his hand, and Regina looked at him in alarm. Oh my goodness, I didn't even recognize him!

"I'm Regina," she said. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he said. He then looked past Regina, and saw a tall, dark girl dressed in yellow, frowning at him. Adam turned a little red. "Uh, I have to get going," he said finally. "Bye."

Adam hurried away from Regina, and stood beside his girlfriend, Tanya Sloan. Tanya, who was usually of friendly demeanor, wore a frown that chilled blood.

"Who is that?" she asked Adam.

"Her name's Regina," Adam explained. "She bumped into me, that's all."

"Oh, right," Tanya said, "I'm sure you didn't notice she's got the body of a swimsuit model, eh? And that outfit doesn't leave much to the imagination."

"Really?" asked Adam innocently, taking Tanya's hand, "I hadn't noticed."

Together, they walked down the hall towards their next class.

Meanwhile, just down the hall, Anthony Monroe was busy trying to make sense of the rough map of the school he picked up at the main office. Once in a while he glanced up, and watched the students walk past him. He keenly noticed that many students looked at him curiously, especially the female population. Anthony disregarded the attention, and continued on his way. He stopped beside the bathrooms, and flipped the map around in frustration.

"Am I looking at this the right way?" he muttered to himself. "Twentieth century two dimensional maps...I'll never understand them!"

"Are you having trouble?" asked a perky voice. Anthony lowered the map, and gazed down at a pair of doe-brown eyes, framed with long, dark lashes. Anthony barely stifled a gasp when he realized who he was looking at.

"Ma --" he started, but quickly caught himself before making a fatal mistake. Kimberly looked at him in confusion.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Ma...math," Anthony recovered, "I was wondering where the math room is."

Kimberly smiled, and shook her head. "You're gonna need to be more specific. There are lots of math classes here. Are you a new student?"

"Yeah," Anthony breathed, "I'm a new student. Just got here from New York." Well, it's not a total lie...

"Oh really?" she said. "That's great! I always wanted to visit New York. Never have, though. I'm Kimberly, by the way. Kimberly Hart."

"Hello," he said, rather uncomfortably. Kimberly frowned a little.

"That's your cue," she said good-naturedly.

"Cue?"

"To tell me your name!"

"Oh, okay. I'm Anthony."

"Do you have a last name?"

"Monroe," he said, and then instantly regretted it.

"Oh, really," she said, staring at his features even closer, "I know a guy named Monroe. He goes to school in Florida. His name's Trevor. Are you related?"

"Nope," he said, backing away from Kimberly's gaze. He only ended up with his back to the wall.

"It's funny," Kimberly continued. "Now that I think about it, you kinda look like him. Except for the eyes..."

Before Kimberly could further analyze the situation, a ringing came from Anthony's wrist. Both he and Kimberly were surprised to hear the six-tone signal.

Will never changed the sound the communicator makes?!

Anthony thought, rolling his eyes in frustration. Now I'm in trouble...

Anthony looked down at Kimberly, and noticed that she was covering her wrist with her hand.

"Uh, I'd better get going. Nice to meet you, Anthony."

With that, Kimberly hurried down the hall. Anthony sighed in relief, and then ducked into the men's room.

She must've thought it was her communicator ringing, he thought, raising the device to his mouth. "Hello?"

^Tony? It's me, Regina.^

"What's up, Gina?"

^You're not going to believe this, but I bumped into Adam Park!^

"I believe it," Anthony said, "I bumped into, of all people, my mother!"

^Really? What are the chances?^

"Well, it's a small high school after all. Man, she just wouldn't leave me alone! I think she's figured something out. She knows my name --"

^You told her your real name?^

"It just slipped! Anyway, when my communicator went off, she left. I think she thinks her communicator went off."

^That's bad, Tony. When she finds out no one paged her, she'll know where that sound came from. You'd better avoid her completely, Tony.^

"I'll try," Anthony sighed. "What about you? What happened with Adam?"

^I didn't even know it was him until he introduced himself. I asked him which class Tom has now. He said gym. I figure the three of us could go down to the gym, and meet up with him. We just have to figure out how to go about doing this, without revealing too much about our future. We probably should try to keep the other Rangers out of this, to keep the situation from escalating. We'd better handle this delicately.^

"Good point. Let's touch base with Brittany before we do anything else."

Chapter Eight

Brittany was wandering down the halls, looking at the room numbers in surprise. She found her way to the second floor, her forehead wrinkled in confusion as she searched for the stairs to the third floor. She stood still and pondered the design of the school when a young Mexican American man tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello," he said, "I don't think I've seen you before. You new?"

Brittany nodded, and turned around to see a tall redheaded girl standing beside him.

"Welcome to Angel Grove," she said, "I'm Alexis Darling, and this is my friend Rocky DeSantos."

"Friend?" asked Rocky, arching an eyebrow.

Alexis giggled. "Okay, slightly more than friend."

"Oh," said Brittany, "hello. I'm Brittany."

"Well, what are you looking for?" asked Alexis.

"The stairs."

"They're right behind you," said Rocky, pointing to the stairs she just ascended.

Brittany shook her head. "No," she sighed, "not those stairs. The stairs that lead to the third floor. The computer labs, observatory..."

Brittany stopped when she saw Alexis and Rocky exchange bewildered looks. Brittany looked around nervously.

"There is no third floor," said Alexis. "There are only two floors at Angel Grove High."

"Oh, really," said Brittany with a nervous smile. "My mistake. Well, that explains why I can't find my classes! Well, see ya, and thanks for your help!"

Before either of them could say anything, Brittany hurried down the stairs, and leaned against a locker, catching her breath. By now, most of the students had gone their ways, and the bell rang.

I don't believe this,

Brittany thought to herself. How could I have forgotten that the third floor wasn't added until 2001? Sheesh, I'm not thinking! That was close

...

Brittany sighed, and walked down the quiet hallway. Without warning her communicator beeped, and echoed down the hall. Brittany cringed as the loud echo filled the empty hall.

"Excuse me," said a slender man in a navy blue suit, with an obvious toupee, "what was that noise?"

"Noise?" asked Brittany innocently.

The man nodded. "The noise. It sounded a lot like... a pager."

"Oh," Brittany said in relief, "a pager! Yeah, that's what it is, just my pager. Uh, sorry it's so loud --"

"What's your name, young lady?"

"Brittany."

"Well then, Brittany, you should know that pagers aren't permitted in school. Come with me, please."

With that, the principal of the school, Mister Caplan, stepped towards his office, and held the door open. Brittany's shoulders slumped as she walked past him, into the foreboding office of authority.

I just do NOT

believe this is happening!

Chapter Nine

Meanwhile, Kimberly stood in the corner of the hallway, tapping her chin in thought.

"So," she whispered into her wrist, "you didn't contact me, Billy?"

^Negative,^

he said. ^Did you speak to the other Rangers?^

"Yes," she sighed. "Something's fishy here, Billy."

^Really?^

"Do me a favor? Could you hack into the school's computer files, and find out if there's a new student here at Angel Grove high? His name's Anthony Monroe."

^It'll take a second,^

Billy said, the sound of typing in the background, ^Anthony Monroe, eh? That name sounds...vaguely familiar.^

"I know what you mean," said Kimberly, "I know I've heard that name somewhere before. I just can't place it..."

^Perhaps your telepathic powers are at work, giving you the feeling of deja vu?^

"I suppose that's possible," Kimberly thought aloud. "But it's never happened before..."

^I have the results. According to the school's files, the last new student to enroll in Angel Grove High was Alexis, in late January.^

"That's what I thought," she said, nodding. "Thanks, Billy."

^Do you think I should I tell the other Rangers about this guy?^

"Not yet. I'll find him first, and ffind out who he really is, and what he's doing here."

Chapter Ten

Meanwhile, out on the moon, a lone figure stood on a cliff. He remained silent, his hands clasped and the long sleeves of his black gown obscuring them from view. He looked at the Earth, the shining blue gem floating in a sea of black nothingness. He then looked towards the stone castle standing in a crater not far from him on the face of Earth's only natural satellite. He began his journey, and took his time walking to the castle.

After all, he had all the time in the world.

Chapter Eleven

Right outside the city limits of Angel Grove was a small block of land, nestled in the dusty, rocky site foot of the cliffs edging the Pacific Ocean. Here, this tiny piece of history remains mostly unblemished by the passage of time. True, the basic look has changed...animal skins have been replaced by denim jeans, and the open fire has been replaced by a stove. Still, the outside changes did little to affect the heart of the people. The bronzed natives, who had occupied this territory for generations, looked at the world with a wonder and deference that most Americans simply didn't feel. The pace of life was slow, for there was no reason to live each moment in expectation of the next. The people were friendly. Nature was respected, not disturbed.

That was how the ancient tribe had always lived. Separated from the "modern"

world around them, understanding the infinite purity of a simple life.

Despite the fact that he was now nearly thirty years back in time, miraculously he felt right at home.

"This is amazing," Micah whispered, standing at the threshold of the Native American reservation. "It looks exactly like it does in our time!"

"That's not really too surprising," his companion Rebecca commented, futily holding down her long dark hair against the strong mountain winds, "I'd bet these lands haven't changed much over centuries. Thirty years isn't really that long."

Micah shrugged. "Considering I'm only thirteen, it's pretty long to me."

Rebecca Mitchell smiled, walking ahead of her friend and into the village. While the people regarded the two visitors with surprise, they were still quite polite and courteous. The passersby smiled, nodding their heads slightly in greeting as they went about their business. Finally, one young woman stepped forward, her flowing hair casually held in a braid hanging over her left shoulder, and a curious glint in her bottomless black eyes.

"Excuse me," she said hesitantly, "but are you two youths from a great distance, searching for someone?"

Micah and Rebecca both startled at the woman's insight. Micah blinked, fixing her with a powerful stare. "Um...how did you know?"

She smiled, biting her lip slightly in excitement. "My instructor, the Shaman of our tribe, told me to watch for you. I am to bring you back to him now."

Still perplexed, Rebecca and Micah closely followed the woman to a tent, which stood out drastically compared to the small houses that housed the majority of the tribe. Rebecca leaned closer to Micah, bringing her mouth close to his ear.

"The powers of the tribal shamans are so mysterious," she whispered, keeping her eye on the back of their guide. "It's not quite like psionic abilities. It's more like it's drawn from the world around them, rather than within themselves. I can see a faint aura of energy around this woman. It's not much, but she's clearly learning how to tap the energy of the world around her."

"My Aunt Mandi talks about that kind of stuff a lot," Micah whispered back, never moving his dark gaze from the young woman in front of them. "Actually, I think she dabbled a bit in the mystical arts of the tribe before she married my uncle."

The young woman turned back to the teens behind her, and pulled open the only tent in the community. She stuck her head into the darkened tent, and fixed her eyes on the elderly man, with feathers and leather cords entwined in his flowing snowy hair. She cleared her throat, causing the man to awaken from the meditation that had occupied his attention.

"I found the young travelers, Shaman," she announced.

The man smiled, nodding his head. "I knew you did, Emandia. Please, let them in."

Emandia nodded, and rose from the crack in the tent. Her brow wrinkled slightly with discomfort as she noticed the astonished expressions on the two youths' faces.

"Y...y...you..." Micah stammered, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Your name is Emandia?" Rebecca finished for him.

Emandia blinked. "Well, yes," she answered, frowning slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Rebecca then smiled quickly. "Oh, it's just a coincidence. We both know someone named Emandia, and it's not really that common a name."

Emandia's smile returned. "Well, that certainly does sound like a coincidence, doesn't it?" she remarked, waving the two into the tent. "The shaman is ready to see you now."

Emandia then walked casually away from the tent, clearly intent on performing her other duties. Micah watched her departure, still speechless from the surprise. Finally, Rebecca grabbed his shirt collar, and forced him to lock eyes with her.

"Snap outta it, Mike," she said briskly. "We've got a job to do."

"That's just so...weird!" Micah gasped, "I didn't even recognize her!"

"It'll get weirder, when we encounter the rest of our parents," Rebecca reminded him. She then let go of his collar, and stepped into the tent. "Are you coming?"

Micah quickly followed his petite companion into the tent. Together, they looked around the small area, lit with a small lantern seated before an old man crouched near the back of the tent. The flickering light sent moving shadows over his visage, clouding much of his features and filling the chamber with an eerie aura. Micah swallowed hesitantly as he took a seat beside Rebecca. While Micah was clearly uncomfortable in his present surroundings, Rebecca wasn't at all rattled by it. Instead, she was entirely calm and collected.

Once thing she learned from Professor Xavier's school was to never show fear.

"So," Rebecca said casually, "Emandia tells us that you've been waiting for our arrival."

"I have," the shaman said, leaning closer to the children. His proximity brightened his features somewhat, revealing a gentle smile.

Micah calmed down a bit.

"If you knew we were coming, then you probably know why we're here," Rebecca hypothesized, clenching her hands together.

"I do," he responded, "I saw it in a vision, Child of the Stars."

Rebecca blinked at the comment, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Why do you refer to me that way?"

"You are quite inquisitive," the shaman said, "unlike your friend. Do not be afraid or disquieted, Son of Falcon. You are among family in this tribe."

"How...how did you know?!" Micah gasped, his astonishment never ceasing.

"You should not be so surprised," the shaman declared, "yet you are. You are not familiar with the ways of your people. You are much like the Falcon. He has many doubts about his destiny, yet he too will listen to my voice."

"This is amazing," Rebecca whispered, her gaze focused on the wiseman in awe. "You are so insightful, Shaman."

"And you too have insight, child," he said, gazing into Rebecca's eyes sharply, "I sense...a power within you. A second sight, that most do not have."

"Yes!" Rebecca answered. "That's right."

"So, wait," Micah muttered, waving his hand, "back up a second. If you know the Falcon, then do you know his brother?"

"Of course I do," the answered, nodding. "When the time is right, the two will be united, and the power will be theirs."

"Sir, we must find David Trueheart," Rebecca said, "I know this isn't the time you had chosen to bring the two brothers together, but --"

"I know," the shaman interrupted, "I am to guide you to him, for the power of Unity is needed."

"So, where can we find David?" Micah asked impatiently. "We're running out of time."

"You are headstrong," the wiseman decided, "and you must heed my voice. Your stubbornness will bring you woe."

Micah frowned angrily, rising to his feet. "I don't need this," he muttered, storming out of the tent.

Rebecca watched the Green Ranger's abrupt departure in astonishment, and then turned back to the shaman. "I...I'm so sorry for my friend's behavior..."

The shaman smiled. "He is young and headstrong. You, however, are aged beyond your years. You have patience he lacks. You will have to teach him that patience, if he will succeed in the mission assigned him."

The shaman then reached forward, and took Rebecca's hand. "Follow the falcon, Child of the Stars. The falcon will lead you to your goal."

Chapter Twelve

"This is odd," said Goldar, turning away from the Repulsascope. "Those two children...seem familiar to me."

"Why are you watching them anyway?" asked Rito Revolto.

"I saw them appear from a Multiversal hole!" yelled Goldar, impatient of Rito's simpleness, "I thought for a moment that Zedd and Rita had managed to return, after being tossed into the Multiverse by Solar." He shivered unconsciously at the thought. "But they haven't. Five teenagers appeared, and they were dressed in Power Rangers uniforms."

"Power Rangers from another dimension?" Rito groaned.

"I'm going to follow them on foot," Goldar determined, stepping briskly off the balcony. "Those five kids came here for a reason, and I want to know what it is."

With that, Goldar rose his sword into the air, and vanished in a cloud of golden energy. Rito smiled and sat down on the throne.

"Aahh," he said, stretching his bones. "This is the life! So why does Goldar always sit in the throne? No one elected him leader!"

Just then, a strange black mist seeped into the throne room through the cracks in the wall opposite the throne. Rito was so surprised he fell off the throne he was sitting on, and drew his sword defensively. The mist swirled upon itself, and smashed into the cold stone floor. It began to spiral upwards, and a dark energy sparked within the confines of the smoke. The energy stretched and coiled, forming the figure of a man.

He was tall...about six and a half feet in height. Limp grayish-black hair hung from his head, brushing his shoulders, and his hairline started high on his scalp to give him a sloping forehead. His skin could be likened to solid alabaster, ivory in color, and smooth save for a few wrinkles marring his forehead, the area about his closed eyes, and the skin below his narrow lips. A dark, rich black robe covered his entire body, the loose folds making it impossible to determine the musculature of the figure. A golden metal collar enclosed his long neck, and stretched to cover his shoulders. A blood red gemstone sat at the bottom edge of the metal shield, just in the center of his chest.

The figure took a deep breath, throwing his head back slightly. He then exhaled, his eyes slowly opening...revealing empty pits of fathomless void. A cold smirk pulled at the corners of the thin line of his powdery lips.

Rito stumbled back slightly, the sight of the empty crevices and wicked grin causing a wave of fear to erupt even in him. He swallowed, trying to regain composure.

"Who...who are you?" he asked, his sword still held forward.

Thin, coal black eyebrows lowered, and small black sparks flashed within the empty caves of his eyes. Rito stepped back in surprise as the being approached.

He stepped past the flabbergasted skeleton, and stood at the balcony of the palace. From his vantage point, he could see the blue orb of Earth perfectly.

A sudden breeze passed through the throne room, and Rito felt an intense chill. The breeze wove through the being's gray hair, and caused the skirts of his heavy onyx robe to flap slightly. The breeze was first invisible, but soon it took on a grayish hue.

"I am here on business, Rito Revolto," the being said, his voice low and menacing, "I plan on staying for an indefinite length of time, for I have goals on Earth."

He then turned around, casting his empty gaze on Rito. "I shall be frank. I have no need of your abilities. I have watched you, and determined you to be a mere simpleton. The only benefit you could possibly afford me is a familiarity with these humans called Terran Power Rangers. However, if you become a nuisance, I will not hesitate to be rid of you."

Rito's intense fear gave way to anger, as he gripped his sword tighter. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

"You will serve me," he said, extending his arm. The thick sleeve gathered, revealing long, withered fingers with shaggy nails. Black sparks flashed, creating a bolt of black lightning that wrapped around Rito in a web of dark energy. Rito gasped, dropping his sword as the power seeped into his bones.

He screamed, falling to his knees as the tint of his bones darkened...from dusty white to the deepest of black. Also, his guerrilla armor vanished, leaving the skeleton clad in a black metallic armor, complete with helmet that draped over his skull.

A piercing red light emerged from the holes that served as the skeleton's eyes.

Impossibly, the hard calcium bone of his mouth stretched...into a smile.

"I...I feel so..." he said, in a steady yet awed voice. There wasn't even a hint of the mumbling foolishness that had characterized his speech just moments before.

"Consider it my gift to you," the Dark One said flatly, descending the few steps of the balcony, and taking a seat on the throne. He folded his narrow fingers again, the sleeves dropping over his hands immediately. He held his head high, and gazed down his narrow nose at his new servant. "I have granted you Power, Rito. Your magical skills have increased dramatically, and so has your intelligence, speed, and balance. You are no longer the bumbling idiot that posed such a disgrace to your family. You shall serve at my right hand...at least, until you lose your value in my eyes."

Rito nodded, lifting his sword. He rose to one knee, bowing humbly, feeling a thick black cape brush against the floor as he leaned forward. "That shall not happen, Lord."

The flat expression on his face once again gave way to a sinister smile...far more fear-inducing than his neutral face.

"See that it doesn't."

Chapter Thirteen

Right outside Angel Grove High School, Regina Drew and Anthony Monroe met in the parking lot. It was packed with automobiles, but devoid of onlookers.

"Where's Brittany?" asked Regina, looking around the lot quickly. "Did she contact you?"

"No," said Anthony, worry knitting his brow, "I guess I should contact her. It's been too long."

Just as the leader of the Starlight Rangers pulled his wrist to his mouth, the tone of his communicator sounded.

"Anthony here," he said into the microphone, glancing at his companion to listen in.

^Tony? It's me, Micah. Becky and I are at the reservation.^

"Did you find David?" asked Regina.

^We're working on it. An old Indian shaman told us to follow the falcon to find David. That's what we're doing now. I'll call back as soon as we find something.^

"Good," said Anthony, "Tony out."

"So, now what do we do?" Regina sighed, leaning against a nearby car. Anthony pressed a sequence of buttons on his communicator, and brought it closer his mouth.

Chapter Fourteen

Inside Mr. Caplan's office, the principal scanned through various files on his personal computer, his eagle eye darting from the screen to the young woman sitting across his desk. The other occupant of the room kept her ice blue gaze to her lap, her slender fingers wrapped around her bare wrist. She kept glancing at the clock, and at her communicator, which was sitting on his obscenely neat desk.

"What did you say your name was?" asked the principal, a puzzled frown wrinkling his brow.

"Brittany Lee," she answered quietly. Mr. Caplan grimaced as he scrolled through the roster.

"What grade are you in?" he asked.

"Mr. Caplan, Sir," Brittany sighed, impatience making her restless, "I don't attend this school. You see, I was just visiting --"

"Visitors must sign in at the main office," the principal interrupted, lifting his hard gaze to hers, "and they aren't allowed to use pagers here, either."

At that moment, the shrill beeping sound of the communicator echoed through the silent room. Mr. Caplan's eyebrow rose, and he folded his hands over his chest.

Despite herself, Brittany shrank under the glare of authority.

"Sorry," she whispered, leaning back into her chair in an attempt to hide from the principal. Mr. Caplan sighed, and reached towards the watch.

"And how do you turn this contraption off?" he demanded, staring at the microphone curiously. "Funny...this isn't anything like any pager I've ever seen. There's no screen for the phone number of the caller to register..."

"It's actually a...prototype for a new kind of pager," Brittany stated, sitting up, "My friend Billy Mitchell designed it --"

"Ah," Mr. Caplan said, a small smile of pride melting his fierce expression, "Billy Mitchell. One of the finest young men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. So, you're a friend of his?"

Brittany nodded, a smile spreading on her lips. "Yeah. Our families go waaay

back."

Brittany then swallowed, and looked away from Mr. Caplan sharply, toying with a lock of her dark hair. "Mr. Caplan, I'm terribly sorry the pager went off in school. Billy's still working out the bugs. I thought I had turned it off, but it still rang. I can't figure out how to mute the ring! And I didn't check into the main office when I got here because I've never been to this school before. I was kinda wandering around when the pager went off, and you found me."

Brittany then looked back into Mr. Caplan's eyes, her most sincere expression lighting up her eyes and face. After a moment of silence, Mr. Caplan sighed in defeat, and laid the watch on his desk again.

"I'll be right back," he said, rising to his feet, "I'll get you a visitor's pass. What did you say your name was again?"

"Brittany Lee," she repeated, watching as he walked out of the office. She then sighed in relief, and immediately reached for her communicator. After another quick glance around to make sure no one was within earshot, she activated the communicator.

"Anthony, this is Brittany. Do you read?"

^Brit!^

came a voice in answer. ^Where the heck are you?^

"I'm in the principal's office, Tony," she sighed.

^Why?^

asked Regina's voice.

"Well, Mister Caplan heard my communicator go off. I explained it was my pager, and he called me to his office. Sheesh!

What kind of Nazis don't allow students to have pagers in school?"

^Remember, this is the twentieth century,^

said Anthony. ^The rules are different here. So, what did you find?^

"I'll come tell you," she said, standing up and walking to the door. She swore under her breath when she realized the secretary was standing right outside.

"I guess he considers me a flight risk or something," she said, quietly closing the door. "Guys, I'm teleporting out."

^Brittany, if you use the teleport relays of the CAC, you'll alert the Terran Rangers to our presence,^

Regina warned.

"Sheesh, Gina, you make it sound like we don't

want to encounter them. Maybe instead of seeking them out, we should make 'em come to us," Brittany responded wryly, pressing the buttons. She instantly vanished in a column of yellow light.

Chapter Fifteen

In the Central Access Complex, the home base of the Terran Power Rangers, Billy sat at his desk, his feet propped on the wooden surface and his head leaning backwards. He chewed on a pen, squinting at the ceiling as his mind worked its wonders.

Billy was completely determined to remember why the name Anthony Monroe sounded so familiar.

While he focused on his mental search, the computer on Billy's desk came to life. Billy nearly stumbled to the ground in reaction to the sudden alarm signal that sounded from the screen. He then quickly recovered himself, and stared at the screen.

"Curiouser and curiouser," he muttered to himself. "According to the transport logs, someone used the transporter to leave Angel Grove High minutes ago. It's not the teleport signature of any of the Terran Rangers, though. I've never seen anything like it before..."

Just then, the alarms screamed to life. Billy leaped from his seat, and turned on the Viewing Globe. He saw an image of Goldar, hiding behind some rocks, peering at two teenagers.

Billy frowned in disgust.

"Just what we need," he groaned, stepping away from his computer, "Goldar has decided to pay us a visit."

He then squinted, staring closer at the two youths on the screen. They seemed completely unaware of Goldar's presence, as they continued their journey through the rocky terrain of the desert west of Angel Grove.

"Why would Goldar tail these kids?" Billy asked himself, folding his arms, "I'd better get some Rangers over to that area, before I find out."

Chapter Sixteen

"Okay," Aisha declared, slipping a fresh tennis ball from her pocket. "Thirty serving Love."

"Oh please!" Zack groaned from across the court, "don't even try it!"

"Try what?" Aisha asked innocently, casting a mock-confused glance at her tormentor.

"Psyching us out by constantly repeating the score," Zack answered, bending his knees and tightening his grip on his racket. "Can you believe her show-boating, Jay?"

Jason shrugged at his doubles partner. "You have to admit, she's got a wicked serve. Neither of us have been able to return it!"

"And you won't either!" Tommy called from beside Aisha. He then grinned at his partner. "Okay, Aisha, let 'er rip!"

Aisha beamed wickedly at Zack before tossing the bright yellow ball into the air. Her arm hung behind her back, and with the force of a bullet, sliced into the air in a smooth motion. The face of the racket slammed into the soft ball, forcing the small sphere in the direction of the net. It sailed just over the net, smacking the dark green court just within the small white box on the opponents' end and sailing directly at Jason. Jason raced like the wind towards the ball, and bit his lip as he hit the ball with a powerful forehand swing. He managed to make contact with the ball, but instead of sailing over the net again, the ball flew blindly out of bounds, and into the neighboring court.

"And Aisha Campbell scores another ace!" Tommy declared, quickly high-fiving his partner. He then smiled at Jason and Zack, who were both seething at the lost point. "So, how's the Humble Pie today?"

"Stop talking like you have anything to do with it," Zack called back. "Your racket hasn't touched the ball this service!"

Jason began to chuckle as he chased down the wayward ball. "I don't think Aisha needs a partner to wallop the two of us, Zack."

Jason stopped right outside the neighboring court, where four other classmates were engaged in a heated volley. Finally, the point was finished, and one of the players retrieved the extra ball from near their net.

"Did you lose something, Jason?" she asked, tossing her thick ebony hair over her shoulder as she held up the guilty ball.

"Sorry, Angela," Jason said, catching the ball she threw at him, "but none of us can seem to hit Aisha's serve right."

Angela shrugged her eyebrows as she fixed her gaze on Aisha, who was still engaged in a shouting match with Zack. At this point, both athletes were hovering at the net, their voices high. While the two were involved in a heated debate over tennis skills, anyone could see that the argument wasn't truly serious.

It was especially obvious when Zack conceded superiority to his opponent, and ended the dispute by accepting Aisha's peace offering: a gentle peck on the lips.

Angela's lips curled in disgust for a moment, before she returned to her own match.

"If you two are finished now, we can get back to the game," Jason sighed, tossing the retrieved ball to Aisha. She caught the ball easily, and walked toward the back of the court in preparation for her next serve. But before the ball left her fingertips, the sound of a nearby communicator snapped her focus.

Tommy glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching. Fortunately, the tennis courts were spread out enough for no one other than the four to have heard the signal. Tommy then nodded to Zack and Jason, and the four congregated at the center of the court.

"What's up, Billy?" the leader of the Terran Rangers inquired.

^It looks like Goldar has decided to grace us with his presence,^

Billy's voice said over the communicator. ^He's just outside Angel Grove, near the Native American tribe reservation.^

Tommy frowned deeply. "What could he possibly want there?"

^Whatever it is, it has something to do with two kids. He's following them pretty closely.^

"We'd better get over there," Jason decided, "before Goldar makes his move."

^I'll coordinate your wrist-teleporters to Goldar's location. Once you're free and clear, Zack, Jason, and Tommy can morph and head straight into battle. Aisha, you can come here to the CAC and give me a hand. Since you four are in gym class, I figured it would be easier for you to skip class.^

"We're on our way," Zack said, watching as Tommy deactivated his communicator. "So, how do we get out of class?"

"Easy," Aisha said with a grin, "Zack, I'm going to serve the ball to your backhand. Pretend to twist your ankle or something."

"Got it," he responded, as the four returned to their stations. Aisha narrowed her eyes as she aimed her serve carefully, causing the ball to skid just along the white line that marked the edge of the court. Zack scrambled to return it, but lost his footing and fell to the pavement.

"AH!!"

he screamed, clutching his ankle in agony. "MY FOOT!!"

As classmates gathered around the moaning sufferer, Aisha and Tommy moved closer together.

"He's such a ham," Aisha giggled.

Chapter Seventeen

In an intense display of cloudy gold light, Goldar materialized within the throne room.

When the light faded, the warrior was stunned at the sight before him.

The room had changed entirely. The rough stone walls and floor were replaced by black marble tiles, giving the chamber a more polished, regal feel. A strip of thick black carpeting stretched from the entrance of the chamber to the throne, which now sat atop a trapezoidal platform of about four feet in height, each layer a one-foot thick slab of marble slightly smaller than the previous, to create ascending steps. Atop the platform, on either side of the golden throne, was a golden torch stand, with a pulsing black flame blazing ominously atop each. And finally, in the corner of the throne room just beside the large balcony rested a huge globe of Earth, hovering about two feet off the ground, and spinning slowly on an angled axis, just like the planet itself. Goldar stepped closer, and realized with awe that it was in fact a miniature display of Earth, complete with liquid rivers and oceans that coursed along the surface.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

He growled under his breath.

"Welcome back, Goldar," said a slightly familiar voice. Goldar spun around in reaction, and his jaw dropped yet again. A tall knight, dressed in reflectant black armor, had just entered the altered throne room. A crimson flash lit his empty eyeholes, and he rested his long black ax on the ground, placing both his hands at the top of the hilt. The creature flashed a crafty smile.

"Rito?" Goldar whispered in bewilderment.

The skeleton nodded. "The new and improved Rito Revolto."

Rito laughed deeply, lifting his ax and swinging it onto his shoulder. He then approached Goldar with a slow, easy stride. "Like the new décor?"

"What in the name of Evil happened here?!" Goldar demanded.

"Lord Umbriel happened."

At that moment, a swirling stream of black smoke appeared above the soft velvet pillow on the new golden throne. Goldar's attention was fixed on the cloud of arcane energy, as it twisted and molded into the tall, intimidating form of Umbriel.

At the arrival of the creature, Goldar felt the temperature of the room drop by at least twenty degrees. Even the hardened canine warrior shivered.

The aura of the being's cold power was intense.

Still, Goldar wasn't prone to cowering. In fact, he had grown quite comfortable in his newly-acquired role of leader.

"How dare you take over my palace?!" Goldar barked furiously, brandishing his golden sword.

Umbriel's empty gaze was cold and blank, almost as if he were in another world. His hands were again hidden beneath the flowing folds of his black robes, and his head was straight and defiant.

"Answer me!" Goldar roared.

Although it was impossible to tell, Umbriel's gaze shifted slightly, fixating on Rito. Rito felt the attention, and discerned the unspoken order.

More swiftly than even Goldar could react, Rito swung his mighty battle ax around, smashing it into Goldar's heavy sword and fiercely disarming the stunned warrior. He followed up the swing with a massive kick to Goldar's chest, causing the canine to fall on his back. Rito placed an armored foot on Goldar's stomach, and rested the sharp ebony ax tip at the base of Goldar's chin.

"Traitor," Goldar growled under his breath.

"I don't recall ever being loyal to you," Rito remarked, malice in his tone. "In fact, considering I am Rita's brother, I should be the heir to her and Zedd's throne."

Rito's frown melted into a sinister grin. Goldar quickly realized he preferred the frown. "I was too dense to see your assumption of my power before," Rito whispered, "but now my eyes have been opened."

To punctuate the statement, the eerie light in the core of Rito's eyes flashed brighter. Goldar unconsciously shivered again.

"I shall be brief," Umbriel stated, his deep voice quiet yet penetrating, "I have no need of you, Goldar. Also, I have no reason to trust you. I have watched you, and I have discerned that you have abandoned every master you have ever served. You betrayed Rita when Zedd arrived, you betrayed Zedd when Ivan Ooze arrived, and the instant Zedd and Rita vanished, you left them for dead and took the throne."

Umbriel's eyes narrowed. "It is in my best interests to simply eliminate you now."

Umbriel nodded his head slightly, and Rito raised the battle ax high.

"Wait!" Goldar shrieked.

Rito stopped, feeling the approval of his Master.

"I...I have fought the Power Rangers for years," Goldar said, panting heavily, "I'm indispensable to anyone intending to conquer Earth!"

Umbriel's flat expression deepened into a slight frown. "Firstly," he hissed, "I have no interest in this mud-ball. My only concern is the M'Kraan Crystal. And as for the Rangers...I have Rito to inform me of everything I would need to know regarding them. And I can be assured of his loyalty to me."

"Sorry Goldie," Rito smirked, preparing to lower the ax yet again.

"However..." Umbriel decided, "I am sure I can find some use for you. At least for the time being. I don't want the Terran Rangers to know of my arrival yet. There is more information I need to collect."

"Such as?" Rito asked, "I can do it as well as Goldar ever could!"

One side-angle glance from Umbriel promptly silenced the skeleton.

"Return to Earth," he commanded, "and get me what I desire." His eyes narrowed. "Information."

Chapter Eighteen

"I can't believe we're doing this," Micah grumbled, wiping the beads of sweat that dripped from his hairline. He paused, lowering his aching body onto a rock that sat on the parched land. He squinted as he stared up at the brilliant blue sky, with the merciless sun glowing fiercely at its apex.

"We can't stop," Rebecca called, keeping her eye on the hovering bird while she approached Micah. "If we lose the bird, we'll never find David."

Micah rolled his eyes. "Do you really think that bird is leading us anywhere?" he muttered, running his hands through his sweat-soaked hair. "We've been climbing this stupid cliff for fifteen minutes, and there's been no sign of human life up here. Ten to one that falcon is just flying to his nest or something."

Rebecca sighed, tossing her hands on her hips. "Okay, I don't need to be an empath to see you were shaken by what the shaman said to us."

Micah shrugged noncommittally. "He can keep spurting his prophecies," Micah groaned, "I'm not gonna let him bother me."

Rebecca nodded, turning back towards the falcon. "Whatever you say, Mike." Her eyes narrowed, and she placed her hand over her eyes to protect her vision from the glare of the midday sun. Her expression quickly brightened. "Hey Mike! The bird's descending!"

She then broke into a run in the direction the bird was flying.

"Hey!" Micah called, pulling his weary body off the boulder. "Wait for me!"

Micah hastily caught up with his companion, and together the teens raced down a dusty hill in hot pursuit of the falcon. The falcon released a shrill cry before landing on a tree branch. An excited grin crossed Rebecca's lips as her gaze panned the immediate area, and she grabbed Micah's arm urgently.

"Mike, I think we found what we've been looking for."

Squatting on the dusty earth just below the tree was a young man with flowing chocolate hair. He paused his activity of searching through a backpack to gaze at the screeching bird above his head. He kept watching as the bird fixed him with a meaningful stare.

The young man's confused stare was broken when he heard footsteps nearby. He rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his jeans and T-shirt, and watched as two young teenagers quickly approached him.

"Wow," he said when they were within earshot, "what are you kids doing up here? These cliffs can be pretty dangerous, and from the look of it, this kind of hiking isn't what you're used to."

Micah answered only with heavy panting. David's smile widened as he pulled a leather canteen from his bag. He reached out to Micah, offering the canteen.

"Thanks, David," Micah gasped, accepting the water and taking a long sip. David's eyes widened in surprise at the young boy's comment.

"I'm sorry," David said, staring a bit closer at Micah's face, "do I know you?"

Micah grimaced slightly at his own indiscretion, and turned to Rebecca. The latter chewed on her lower lip slightly, and turned her gaze to David.

"No, you don't know us," she replied. "Well, at least not yet. We came to the reservation to find you, and the tribal shaman told us to follow the falcon."

David frowned thoughtfully, gazing up at the perched bird once again. "If my dad guided you to me, then it must be pretty important."

Micah's jaw hung open in shock. "The shaman is your father?"

"Well, my adoptive father," David explained, putting his backpack on again, "I never knew my real parents. I was orphaned, when I was really young. Actually, that's the reason why I'm up here."

"Are you on a vision quest?" Micah inquired.

David nodded, drawing his hand beneath his shirt collar. He slowly pulled out a leather chord, with a half of a stone arrowhead hanging like a pendant. "All my life, I've had this arrowhead. My father always told me it would lead me to my destiny, but that's all the information I've ever been able to get about it. I've been on a few vision quests, but I've never been enlightened about it...or my real family. Last night, my father told me that my destiny's path would appear to me before the next sunset." He grinned at the two children. "I guess that's what you two are here for."

Rebecca shook her head in disbelief, and wiped the sweat from her face slowly. *This is amazing, Mike,*

she transmitted telepathically. *Is it possible that we were destined to come into this reality and unite the arrowhead? It seems like this shaman has been waiting for us for years.*

He certainly knows about my dad,

Micah responded, so he could have brought the two together already. I guess, maybe, you're right. We were supposed to enter this universe, and therefore our influence is necessary for the destinies of the Rangers to unfold. It's like one of those weird paradoxes on sci-fi movies!

*That certainly makes our presence here a little less troublesome. If we were meant to come here, then maybe we don't have to worry too much about altering the time stream. Our influence on this reality is important. I guess...*

"So," David said, interrupting the telepathic conversation, "if you two really are here to show me my destiny, let's have it. Do you have the answers? Do you now what this arrowhead means?"

"We do," Micah said, looking the taller man in the eye. "That arrowhead is a powerful medallion, containing a great deal of magical power --"

"Is that a fact?" growled a menacing feral voice. "Now, what kind of power does this arrowhead contain?"

The three teenagers turned around urgently as the armored beast Goldar stepped into sight from behind some nearby boulders. Rebecca and Micah instantly fell into defensive stances in front of David, who stood dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of such an unearthly abomination.

"The arrowhead, Children," he grumbled, the sunlight bouncing off his polished sword as he slowly waved it threateningly.

"You don't scare us," said Rebecca sternly, narrowing her dark eyes. She then stepped forward slightly, raising her chin defiantly towards the monster. "Mike," she called over her shoulder, "get David out of here, and call for backup."

Micah gazed at Rebecca, blinking with indecision. "Can you take this guy by yourself, Beck?"

Rebecca glanced at him darkly.

"Okay, dumb question," Micah sighed, grabbing David by the wrist. He then led him away from the battle.

"By the might of the stars," Rebecca whispered, a golden badge appearing on her chest, "Heaven's Gale Starlight Power!!"

Goldar growled in surprise and disgust, and shielded his crimson eyes urgently as a blinding mist of pink energy erupted from the Starlight Disc. He managed to open his eyes once the light faded, and his brow furrowed when he saw the unfamiliar Pink Ranger standing before him, her hands held proudly on her hips.

Despite her small stature, this Pink Ranger seemed to exude a rare form of confidence that made her far more intimidating than Goldar originally perceived.

The ancient canine warrior grinned as the Pink Ranger removed her hands from her hips, and whirled her arms in an impressive display before finally settling into a fighting stance.

"Just a slip of a girl," he muttered, slowly approaching. Rebecca braced herself for the oncoming dose of lethal strength, her hand lowering to the holster where her crossbow was firmly attached.

Inexplicably, before he was within a yard of the Pink Ranger, Goldar stopped in his tracks. He touched his forehead, releasing a low grumble. Finally, he fixed Rebecca with a cold glare and a wicked grin.

"We shall finish this soon," he declared as his form disappeared in a bright golden cloud of energy, "I promise you."

Rebecca blinked in astonishment, and turned around full circle in search of the monster. Finally, she relaxed her battle stance, and threw up her arms in confusion. "What was that all about?" she pondered aloud, her frown deepening. She gasped in surprise when, without warning, twelve menacing green Putty Patrollers materialized out of thin air.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the white Vs on their chests. They were clearly a few specimens of Finster's deadly Viper Putties. Rebecca's confused frown melted into an almost predatory grin, and she once again fell into a prepared stance.

Meanwhile, not far away, Micah and David ducked behind a large boulder for cover. Micah was fiddling with his communicator, while David peeked out to watch the fight.

"You guys are the Power Rangers?" he asked, turning back to Micah.

"Sort of," he responded. "It's complicated. Anthony, are you there?"

^What's up, Mike?^

a voice replied.

"We found David, but Goldar attacked us! We could use some help!"

After a short pause, Anthony's voice returned. ^Hang on Mike. We're on our way!^

Chapter Nineteen

Anthony turned to Brittany and Regina, who were both frowning slightly.

"What the hell is Goldar bothering Micah and Rebecca for?" Brittany seethed, folding her arms. She had voiced the question that was on the minds of all three of the elder Starlight Rangers.

"Whatever the reason, we've got to move," Anthony said, pushing off from the car he was leaning on. "This'll be our first fight as Power Rangers. We've gotta be very careful not to underestimate our opponents. Goldar and the Viper Putties are extremely deadly, and I'm sure they eat amateurs for breakfast."

Regina creeped closer to Anthony, and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Try and keep positive," she advised. "If Will didn't think we could handle combat, he certainly wouldn't have made us Power Rangers!"

"She's got a point, Tony," Brittany affirmed, glancing quickly around the parking lot. "The coast's clear."

"Then let's morph," Anthony declared, the badge on his chest suddenly appearing, "Starburst Starlight Power!"

"Corona Wash Starlight Power!" Brittany shouted.

"Solar Blaze Starlight Power!" Regina cried.

The three teens were engulfed in bright columns of light, lightweight armor molding around them and infusing them with the power of the legendary Power Rangers. Immediately after the morph, the three Rangers followed Micah's signal to the heart of the battle. They appeared on the dusty desert cliff just feet away from Micah and David, who were still crouching behind the boulder.

About twenty yards away, the Pink Ranger was fully engulfed in a heated conflict, mercilessly pounding on the army of Viper Putties.

"Keep David safe, Micah," said the Red Ranger, his hand moving to his sheathed sword. "Once he's out of harm's way, come give us a hand!"

"You got it," said Micah, leading David away from the fight. The Red, Yellow, and Blue Starlight Rangers immediately raced towards the battle, and arrived on the scene just in time to see Rebecca balance her crossbow on her left forearm. She braced herself, and a powerful beam of pink and silver energy shot from the bow, plowing into the three Viper Putties in the line of fire.

"Nice shot, Edana," Rebecca commented, directing her praise to the handle of the weapon.

"Expect nothing less from a seasoned professional," a female voice responded, its source being the stylized silver firebird head atop the weapon, "I've been designed to be the ultimate weapon and adviser!"

"Ohmigod!" Regina gasped, staring blankly at Rebecca and her crossbow. "Did your bow just talk?"

"Of course I did," Edana sighed while Rebecca bowled over two more Viper Putties with a roundhouse kick, "I'm a weapon equipped with an artificial intelligence. Someone has to show your kids how to fight, after all."

"We're all equipped with intelligent...and wise-cracking...weapons," Rebecca breathed. "Just like the White Ranger depended on Saba, we've got portable mentors."

"That's a twist," Anthony muttered, pulling his broad sword from his belt. "Hello?"

Instantly, the eyes of the dragon head that sat upon the tip of the sword opened, revealing glimmering rubies.

"I am Draco," the head said in a deep, rumbling voice, "the trusted weapon and partner of the Red Ranger."

Anthony couldn't help but smile. "And I'm Anthony, the Red Ranger. But my friends just call me Tony."

Anthony turned away from the sword when he heard a loud grunt from the Pink Ranger.

"Can you please make the formal introductions after the Viper Putties are destroyed?" she panted, somersaulting out of the way of a boiling stream of venom.

"You got it," Regina said, pulling the two axes that hung at her sides. She glanced quickly at the tops of the axes, where two unicorn heads were placed, their sharp horns glinting in the light.

"Okay, guys," she said to her axes, "hang on. It's gonna be a messy battle!"

Chapter Twenty

"I don't understand," Finster said, pacing along the marble tiles of the throne room. "Why did you send my Viper Putties? They're not accomplishing anything."

Rito frowned, lifting his ax menacingly. "Don't question Lord Umbriel."

Finster backed away, although his displeasure was plainly visible on his goat-like face.

"They were only sent down as a distraction," Umbriel answered plainly, his empty gaze focused on the large globe of the Earth. With a withered hand, he carefully placed a thin black needle into the area of the map depicting southern California. "Also, I fit the Viper Putties with special gemstones, that absorb the energy signature of the Ranger who dispatches them. Once the Putty is destroyed the information comes back to me. That is how I shall discern whether or not these 'Starlight Rangers'

are of any consequence."

"And how shall you make that decision?" Finster pressed.

"I know the Terran Rangers are powered by the M'Kraan shard. The Starlights are new arrivals entirely. I do not know their power source. But I soon shall."

Umbriel then pressed the tip of the black needle, which displayed for him the fight scene at the reservation by means of a projected hologram. He pushed the needle slightly, as if it were a joystick. The scene shifted, until the image of two young men nearby was the subject.

"And as for Goldar...I have sent him to retrieve the mysterious arrowhead."

Chapter Twenty-One

"You're not getting away that easily, Little Ranger," bellowed a monstrous voice, as a cloud of golden energy appeared in the path of the two retreating individuals. Micah snarled in disgust, instinctively pushing his uncle behind him protectively.

"Graviton Rush Starlight Power!" he called. A soft green light bathed his body, transforming him into the Green Starlight Ranger. Once the transformation was complete, Micah folded his arms and glared up at the much taller villain undauntedly.

"This should be fun," Goldar grumbled, raising his sword to strike. Micah leaped out of the way, and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, accompanied by a mighty Sic-ya

! It didn't take Goldar long to realize where he'd seen this particular fighting style before.

This boy fights like Tommy Oliver!

he thought in surprise. He must be a student of his. Now the advantage is mine, because I am familiar with all of Oliver's moves, whereas this boy has never fought me before!

Sure enough, Goldar was able to take advantage of all the weaknesses in the Green Ranger's style, especially where the boy lost balance. Only a fraction of a second of broken focus lead to Goldar delivering a massive attack. Despite his valiant effort and impressive skill, Micah was unable to match Goldar's far more powerful attack, and the speed and unpredictability of his own moves upon which he was counting didn't measure up. With a harsh laugh, Goldar plowed his knee into the stomach of the already battered Green Ranger. Micah staggered weakly before his strength completely gave out. He fell unconscious to the sandy ground, his body tumbling like lead to the dusty, rocky earth. Goldar laughed triumphantly, and lifted the boy onto his shoulder. He then turned around to see David trying to run away.

"Oh no you don't!" he called, pointing his sword at David. A string of energy wrapped itself around David, and he, Goldar, and the Green Ranger vanished. The only thing remaining was David's leather string, with the arrowhead half attached to it.

Chapter Twenty-Two

In coruscating columns of vibrant color, three armored warriors arrived on the arid cliffs outside the local Native American reservation. They were greeted by the sounds of combat, with several different battle shrieks spotting the constant clashing of metal or energy against hardened clay.

"Let's move," Tommy stated, racing up a hill towards the sounds. "This doesn't sound right."

"No kidding," Zack huffed, a faint aura of silver energy blanketing his body, "I'll take a closer look."

The Silver X-Ranger magnetically lifted himself into the air, high enough to see over the hills. He gasped loudly at the sight before him, and shook his head slightly to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Before his eyes was a handful of vicious Viper Putties. And they were being thoroughly smote by what looked like Pink, Yellow, Blue, and Red Rangers. However, the pattern of their uniform was very distinct from any of the uniforms he had seen.

A new set of Power Rangers?

"Zack!" Jason called, looking up at his friend who was apparently dumbstruck. "What do you see?"

"Whoa," Tommy then muttered, once the battle scene had fallen into his range of vision, "Jase, you're not going to believe this!"

The Black Terran Ranger was quick to join his best friend and share his vantage point. He blinked several times before raising his wrist unit to his mouth.

"Billy? Are you still watching what's going on here?"

^Yes, I see the four apparent Power Rangers,^

Billy responded. ^They've managed to winnow down the number of Viper Putties down to four from over a dozen in the time it took you to reach the battle.^

"Are they really...Power Rangers

?" Tommy whispered.

^All Power Ranger teams have to morph, and that creates an energy signature that matches across teams. We're looking into that now.^

"You and Aisha?" Jason inquired.

^Actually, Billy called us all in,^

said Katherine's voice over the intercom. ^This situation is far more complicated than it first appeared, so everyone's on standby at the CAC.^

^For now, engage these foreign Rangers,^

Billy continued. ^Make sure they don't vanish after the fight. We must complete our scans to determine whether they are truly Power Rangers, or if they are the next trick from the Moon forces.^

"You got it," Tommy said, as he once again broke into a run towards the fight. By this time each Ranger was facing a Viper Putty one-on-one, and they were too involved in their personal conflicts to notice the new arrivals.

Tommy was quick to reach the Pink Ranger, who was struggling to loosen her opponent's grip from her crossbow.

"Need a hand?" he offered, coming upon the Viper Putty from the side. He then delivered a powerful kick to the arms of the Putty, forcing it to release the crossbow.

The Pink Ranger stumbled back a bit at the sudden release, but quickly regained her balance. "Actually, Red Ranger," she responded, aiming her crossbow carefully, "Edana and I were doing just fine. Weren't we, Edana?"

Tommy froze in place when he heard the crossbow respond. "We certainly were, Pink Starlight Ranger."

Tommy watched in mute amazement as a pulsing stream of glittering energy flowed from the tip of the crossbow, plowing into the chest of the Viper Putty and reducing it to ashes practically on impact.

Not far away, Jason was quick to reach the side of the Yellow Ranger, who was blindsided by the Viper Putty, and stumbled backwards, tripping over a raised root on the dusty trail. She yelped in surprise as her back struck the ground, and the force of her descent caused her to drop her griffin-headed javelin.

At a loss for options, she rolled along the ground, barely managing to avoid the stream of bubbling venom the creature spat at her.

"Hey!" Jason yelled, racing at the Putty. "That's no way to treat a lady!"

The Yellow Ranger gasped in surprise as the Black Terran Ranger sailed over her, plowing his elbows into the Viper Putty's chest. He then pushed off the creature, somersaulting in the air and landing perfectly on his feet. He grinned as the stunned Putty fell to the ground, twitching slightly.

"You..." the Yellow Ranger whispered, "you're..."

"He's not out of commission yet," Jason warned, his sharp Earth Sword materializing in his hand, "until he crumbles to dust, a Viper Putty is extremely deadly."

The Yellow Ranger nodded mutely, and watched as Jason dug the edge of his sword into the ground. Then, the ground opened up just beneath the putty, creating a chasm into which the magical creature plummeted. The chasm quickly sealed itself, and Jason's sword vanished.

"Are you okay?" he asked, offering her his hand.

Too startled to respond, Brittany Lee allowed her father to help her to her feet.

Zack noticed with a quick look that Jason had chosen to aid the Yellow Ranger, and Tommy had elected to assist the Pink Ranger. He then carefully examined the battles of both the Red and Blue Rangers, who both seemed to be dealing well with their opponents. The two Rangers fought in close proximity, each often turning to catch a glance at how the other was doing.

Zack grinned to himself. "If I were a betting man, I'd say they were dating," he decided, flying towards them both. After a quick glimpse, he decided to first aid the Red Ranger, after a powerful blow from the putty forced him to drop his sword.

"Hi," Zack called, hovering right over the Red Ranger. "Need a hand?"

The Red Ranger was mute as Zack held his open palm at the Putty. Instantly, a magnetic bubble surrounded the creature, trapping it within.

"And now for the fun part," Zack said, his silver and white Lance of Light appearing in his hands. He balanced the lance between both hands, with one gemstone glowing steadily with white light. Then, the bubble surrounding the putty vanished, allowing the putty to rise to its feet. No sooner did the putty recover its bearings did Zack plow the glowing gemstone into the creature's stomach. The heated gem dug into the clay, sending white shockwaves throughout its body. It then stopped twitching, and shattered into shards of dried up clay.

The Silver X-Ranger smiled at his work, spinning his powerful lance in victory. He then turned to the mysterious Red Ranger, who was still frozen in shock and confusion.

"Yo," Zack said, approaching him slowly. "You okay, Man?"

Before Zack could take another step, he felt a steady kick grind into the small of his back. With a loud grunt, he fell onto his face, the tip of his helmet landing just a few inches in front of the Red Ranger.

With a groan, Zack managed to turn around...only to see two sharp axes fall upon his neck threateningly.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" the female Blue Ranger questioned, leaning forward to press the axes against Zack's silver armor.

Zack's shocked expression quickly changed into a frown. "I think you're the one that should be answering that question," he challenged, sitting up further in defiance. He felt the axes against his armor, but he refused to back down.

"Regi -- uh, Blue Ranger," Anthony then said, stepping passed the Silver Ranger and lying his hand on her shoulder. "Let him up. He helped me destroy that Putty."

"But...maybe this is one of Goldar's tricks or something," she pressed, not removing the axes. "Look at this guy! He's no Terran Ranger!"

"Hey!" Tommy then called, as he, Jason, and the Pink and Yellow Starlights raced to the confrontation, "What are you doing?"

"Is this guy with you?" the Pink Ranger asked. "Is he a Terran Ranger?"

"He's one of us," Jason answered, "but how do you know about -?"

"Uh...sorry about that," the Blue Ranger said in a sheepish voice, quickly pulling away her axes, "I didn't realize there was a Silver Terran Ranger. No hard feelings?"

"I...I guess not," Zack muttered, as both Tommy and the Red Starlight Ranger helped him to his feet. After Zack was standing, the two Red Rangers made eye contact, a curious frown forming on Tommy's forehead.

"How is it you know who we are, but we have no clue who you are?" Tommy inquired, as he, Zack, and Jason regrouped.

"I'm sorry," the other Red Ranger said, "we should introduce ourselves. We're the Starlight Power Rangers."

"What planet are you guys from?" Tommy pressed, folding his arms, "and what do you need here on Earth?"

"Oh, we're from Earth," the Yellow Ranger answered. "Just not this Earth."

"We actually came here via the Multiverse," the Blue Ranger clarified, "we're from the fut --"

^Terran Rangers,^

a voice sprang from Zack, Tommy, and Jason's communicators. ^Do you read?^

"Excuse us for just a moment," Tommy said, as the trio stepped away from the Starlight Rangers.

"And don't go anywhere," Zack added, before the three congregated in a tight circle.

"Go ahead, Billy," Tommy said. "We're clear."

^Primary analyses have been completed. While I can't yet clarify the hodge-podge of energy signatures attached to these so-called 'Starlight Rangers,'

I am very certain that they are indeed members of the Power Ranger family. While the energy source is quite complicated, the basic parameters are very similar to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...the White Ranger in particular.^

^Hey, Billy,^

Adam's voice said, the communicator relay picking up the conversation. ^Take a look at this!^

"What's going on?" Zack inquired.

^It...it's impossible...^

Billy whispered in surprise.

"Jeez... don't leave us in suspense!" Jason muttered.

^The computer has managed to identify one-part of the energy pattern that fuels these Starlight Rangers. And it matches the signature of...the Zeo Crystal.^

Tommy, Jason, and Zack all glanced at each other meaningfully.

"Then they are telling the truth," Jason whispered, "They must be from another dimension! They do seem to be from Earth, and if the Zeo Crystal plays some part in their morph, it must be true. They certainly didn't get any energy from our crystal."

While the Terran Rangers were caught in a deep discussion amongst themselves, the four Starlight Rangers gathered together as well.

"Now what do we do?" Regina sighed, fingering her belt nervously. "The Terran Rangers know we're here!"

"That was the general idea, Gina," Brittany pointed out. "Still...it was so weird seeing my dad jump out of the blue like that. He's nowhere near as reckless back home."

"Yes, we touched base with the Rangers," Rebecca stated, "so we're one step closer to joining together the arrowhead. Now we've got the two halves. But now we have to figure out what we will and won't tell the Terran Rangers. Do we want them to know about the future?"

"It's not their future," Anthony reminded them. "Our timestream and theirs forked when Rita and Zedd traveled into the future, and then went back to their departure point. That created a ten-year retreat from alien encounters, starting a few months ago in this dimension. So in other words, we know for a fact that this world will not become ours. So we wouldn't really be revealing their future."

"And we know they'd be more likely to help us if they knew we were their children," Brittany commented, "How likely will they sacrifice the healing powers of the arrowhead to help five perfect strangers who won't even tell them where we come from?"

"Let's see what we can get accomplished without telling them too much," Anthony decided. "Even though our future isn't theirs, I'm sure it'll still rattle them to meet their children."

Just then, Rebecca made a full circle, gazing off into the distance. "Guys," she said, "don't you think Micah should have checked in by now?"

"I suppose he's still with David," Anthony hypothesized, lifting his communicator, "Tony to Micah. Micah?"

Anthony frowned when silence was his only response.

"What does that mean?" Brittany asked.

"I think it means the communicator is working, but no one's answering it," Rebecca stated, folding her arms. "We'd better look for him."

"Is there any way you can home in on his psi-print or something?" Regina suggested.

"Well, I can try," Rebecca answered, tightly closing her eyes. She quieted her own thoughts, reaching out in search of the familiar mind-pattern of her close friend.

"She should have found him by now," Anthony realized. "He shouldn't be further than a half a mile from here."

"Let's look for him," Regina decided. "We'll start from where we met him, and span out from there."

"Right," Rebecca and Brittany chimed, as the four Rangers hurried across the rocky cliff. No sooner did they take a step did the Terran Rangers notice their departure.

"Hey!" Zack called, chasing after them, "I thought I said not to pull a disappearing act!"

"Our Green Ranger has gone missing," Anthony reported. "He was protecting a civilian, but now he's not responding to our communiqué."

"You have a Green Ranger too?" Tommy inquired.

"Of course we do," Brittany huffed impatiently. "How many Ranger teams do you know with less than five members?"

Tommy conceded the point, and together the seven Rangers searched the general area. After about ten minutes, Rebecca's eyes fell on an artifact peaking out from a slight film of dust. She fell to her knees, dusting off the object before pulling it up.

"Oh no," she whispered, rising to her feet. "Guys! Over here!"

In seconds, all the Rangers were assembled before the petite Pink Ranger.

"What is it?" Anthony inquired, laying his hand on her shoulder.

In silence, she lifted the leather chord, with the stone arrowhead half hanging from it.

"That...that looks like my arrowhead pendant," Tommy whispered, hesitantly reaching for the chord. Rebecca placed the necklace in his gloved palm, as he, Jason, and Zack stared at it in awe.

"Where did you get this?" Tommy demanded. "Did your Green Ranger have it?"

Brittany, Anthony, Rebecca, and Regina traded worried looks. Then, after a moment of silence, Rebecca stepped forward.

"No, but the young man he was trying to protect is the owner of that pendant," she revealed, "but now they're both gone, and the only trace of them is this arrowhead."

"Something must have happened to them," Brittany thought out loud. "There's no way Micah or David would give up that arrowhead willingly."

"Micah and David?" Zack repeated.

Then, Regina gasped. "Do you think Goldar got to them?"

All present shuddered at the mention of the decorated alien warrior.

"Tommy," Anthony said suddenly, reaching out and grabbing the Red Terran Ranger's arm, "we need to go to the CAC. We won't be able to find Micah and David on foot. They've obviously been attacked. That's the only way they would have left this arrowhead behind."

Tommy startled at the Red Starlight's insight. "How did you know my name?! And what do you know about the CAC?"

"We'll explain everything," Anthony assured him, "but right now, we've got to find Micah and David. Their lives are hanging in the balance."

^Tommy,^

Billy's voice suddenly signaled from the communicator, ^I heard everything. We've identified them as Power Rangers, so I think we're safe to teleport them here. Teleporting...now.^

With that, seven columns of light erupted from the earth, carrying the teens to their destination.

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Wow!" Kim uttered, an excited smile lighting up her features. "This is so

amazing. Another team of Power Rangers!"

While Kimberly was obviously thrilled by the arrival of the four Starlight Rangers, most of the others displayed different reactions.

Tanya stood behind Kimberly, an almost worried expression marring her face as she, Rocky, and Adam continued varying scans of the surrounding area near the battle site. Aisha and Alexis traded distrusting expressions, while Katherine studied the Rangers with a far more quizzical expression.

Finally, Billy tore himself away from the teleportation relay, and stood before the seven morphed new arrivals.

"We've started the search for the two missing persons," Billy reported, "I do have some images of them stored in the computer, as I tracked Goldar when he first arrived."

At that, Katherine's head perked up. "Goldar?"

"Yes," Rebecca stated, folding her hands, "He attacked the three of us. I morphed and prepared to face him while Micah lead David to safety. But almost as soon as I was ready, Goldar just vanished."

"Goldar retreated?" Tommy asked, pulling off his helmet, "I doubt it. Is it possible he is responsible for your friends' disappearance?"

"Very possible," Anthony admitted. "Although, what would be his motive? He doesn't know us."

"That adds one more to the list," Alexis muttered, just loud enough for the Red Starlight Ranger to hear.

"Well, considering the computers are running a full scan, we have some time," Anthony began, raising his hands to his helmet, "I guess introductions are basically in order."

With that, he unlatched his helmet, and pulled it off his head. While the other Rangers didn't react, Kimberly gasped audibly as she recognized his auburn curls and wide aqua-blue eyes.

"You're that Anthony Monroe guy I saw in the hall!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "So it was your communicator that went off."

"Yes it was. You see, we're the Starlight Rangers, assembled in the year 2025. Basically we're on a very important mission, which required a trip back in time --"

"But," the Blue Ranger interrupted, "it's not exactly a trip back in time, since we're from a different timeline." She then met Anthony's gaze through her helmet. "I figured that should be emphasized."

She then pulled off her own helmet, and shook her curls free from their imprisonment. Adam startled slightly when he saw her.

"I saw you at the school," he recalled aloud, "uh...Regina. Right?"

Regina nodded with a smile. "You guessed it. Regina Drew."

"Wait a second," Aisha said, pressing her fingers against her temples. "Back up. You said you're from a different timeline. How do you know that? What exactly do you know about our dimension?"

"Our home universe isn't very much different from this one, but it's different enough," the Pink Ranger picked up. "Do you recall the time when Nate Grey and Annie Monroe came into this dimension, in pursuit of Solar?"

"How could we forget?" Aisha remarked, her fingers absently rubbing against her abdomen. Even after being completely healed from the terrible wounds inflicted by Holocaust, she still shivered at the reminder.

"Well, we're from that dimension," the Pink Ranger continued, "only sixteen years later."

The entire audience was stunned and baffled.

"Then, why are you here?" Billy asked, stepping forward to the Pink Ranger, who seemed to emerge as the team's spokesperson. "How did you get here? Why this particular dimension?"

Then, the Pink Ranger removed her helmet. Her warm smile fell upon Billy, and her eyes glinted with a gentility that felt intriguingly familiar to the young genius.

He knew that smile. That was the smile of pure love and good humor. A smile of tenderness. One feature that remained so clear in his memory...despite the years since his mother died.

Why did this girl remind him of his mother? And there was something about the eyes as well...

As for Rebecca, she felt the range of reactions Billy had to her countenance. She wasn't surprised at all, considering she was always reminded of her likeness to her grandmother and namesake.

She didn't need to be an empath to discern the impression she had made.

So, she decided to roll with it.

"One question at a time," she said finally, tucking her rose helmet in the crook of her arm, "Like Anthony first said, we're on a trip back through time. You see, there are some...very important people back home, who are extremely sick. They've been poisoned. And the only cure lies in the past, because that energy source has faded over time. Specifically, I'm speaking about the arrowhead of which Tommy is in possession of half."

At that, Tommy stepped forward, reaching beneath his collar to grip his arrowhead pendant. "What...what does it do?"

"It's actually a powerful healing device, which peaks in potential ability at the point of recombination," Rebecca continued. "We have the complete arrowhead in our time as well, but since over 25 years have passed since it has been rejoined, the healing power it has is all but insignificant. And, my father has determined that the whole arrowhead is the only way to heal those people, and that's because of the basis of power."

"What does that mean?" Alexis interjected.

"Both the power that poisoned the sick ones, as well as the arrowhead, emit magical power based on nature," Rebecca extrapolated. "That's impossible to manufacture, and very difficult to even find. But the arrowhead, at its peak strength, should be able to do the trick."

"So, your father figured the only way to heal those 'people'

is to go back in time, and retrieve the two arrowhead halves?" Billy hypothesized, "But, why this dimension? How did he know whether or not we had already rejoined the arrowhead?"

"He was able to home in on the signal of this reality because of the fact that people from our reality had traveled to this reality before," Rebecca responded. "Over time, the Power Rangers have constructed equipment to make Multiversal transit a bit more predictable."

At that, Billy stepped even closer to Rebecca, bending down slightly to meet her deep brown eyes, which were slightly almond in shape.

That's when it dawned on him...just whose eyes they reminded him of.

"You mentioned your father," Billy pressed, tightly folding his hands behind his back as he pondered the best way to work out the inquiry, "is he a Power Ranger? Or does he work with them?"

Rebecca's smile widened. "I think you know the answer to that."

Then, the petite Pink Ranger held out her hand to him. "I'm Rebecca Mitchell. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Whoa..." Rocky whispered, his jaw dropping. All the others, including the Starlight Rangers, displayed similar forms of surprise as Billy accepted Rebecca's greeting with relative calmness, and shook her hand firmly.

"The pleasure is mine," Billy responded, matching Rebecca's warm smile.

"She...she's your..." Rocky stammered.

"Why are you not surprised?" Tanya wanted to know.

"It's hard to explain," Billy answered, turning to his lab assistant, "I just...knew I recognized her. I saw my mother in her." He then turned back to Rebecca, a faint blush rising in his cheeks. "And I may be incorrect in my hypothesis, but I also believe I see features of..."

He left the question hanging, the blush deepening as he worked out the sentence in his head.

Rebecca giggled slightly, before she reached out to touch her father's mind. *Yes, Trini is my mother. And on top of that, I'm a mutant as well...gifted in telepathy and empathy.*

Billy stumbled back slightly in reaction to the mental message, his eyes widening. "Prodigious," he whispered, blinking his eyes.

Adam, who had remained mostly quiet during this surprising revelation, then bit his lip, his eyes widening as an idea struck him. "If Rebecca is Billy's daughter," he began, "then are some of the rest of you...?"

Regina and Anthony cast each other questioning glances, and both turned to the still-masked Yellow Ranger. In truth, all were stunned at Rebecca's impromptu introduction. And now, they were all placed on a spot.

"I...I guess it couldn't hurt," Anthony said, his voice slightly timid. "After all, this isn't really our past. So our world isn't our future. Their knowing who we are shouldn't affect the timestream. Much."

"Right," Regina agreed, turning to Rebecca. "Right?"

"That's my hypothesis," the Pink Ranger answered.

"Then, I guess it's my turn," Brittany said rather weakly, stepping forth from behind her teammates. She slowly unhinged her helmet, and pulled it off. She ran her gloved fingers through her shortly-cropped mahogany hair, and cast her blue gaze around the entire room. She felt a slight chill as her gaze was met by almost naked anxiety from all the Rangers of that time period.

After passing her gaze across the room once, she locked eyes with Jason for a long moment. Jason at first blinked, until his entire body froze upon the realization of what that gaze meant.

"R...really

?" Jason stuttered.

She nodded, a weak grin pulling at the corners of her pursed lips. "I'm Brittany. Brittany Lee."

"And your mother?" asked a clear voice from behind. All eyes turned to Katherine, who shrunk back slightly at the attention. Still, her head remained upraised, and her question stood.

"You probably know her by now. She's Emily Stanton," Brittany answered, a quizzical look on her face as she watched Katherine's reaction.

The Blue Terran Ranger nodded, a brisk and unreadable expression on her face. The others were quick to look away, for fear of making her even less comfortable given the situation.

"I...I don't know an Emily Stanton," Jason answered, turning his head in Katherine's direction.

Once it dawned on Brittany just how much her answer impacted the Rangers, she instantly regretted providing an answer.

"Don't forget," Regina said, quickly taking a stand beside Brittany, who was clearly reeling from the mistake she just made, "we're not from your universe. So much is different in our two worlds, and the changes began months ago. Our presence, or even existence, shouldn't be taken as an omen of the future. I personally doubt your future will look anything like ours, considering how much is different between them." She then kept her dark gaze upon Katherine. "Don't put too much thought into it."

"And are there any Power Rangers in your family tree, Regina?" Zack inquired, as nonchalantly as possible. He inched slightly closer to Aisha, and folded his arms over his chest as if bracing himself for any huge surprises.

Regina swallowed, noting the proximity between Aisha and Zack, and the anxiety on his face. "Aisha's my mother," she responded bluntly. "She's the only Power Ranger in my family tree."

Zack licked his lips, averting his eyes as his hands fell from his chest, and weakly hung from his belt. Aisha was quick to catch one of his hands with hers, and grip it tightly.

Regina felt her eyes sting at the display of devotion. It amazed her, especially since her mother and Zack Taylor were never romantically involved. In fact, they weren't even close friends!

"This world is so different..." Regina whispered.

"That's what my mother said," Anthony contributed, his gaze darting to Kimberly. Not surprisingly, Tommy's arm fell upon her shoulder the instant he noticed the attention the Red Starlight Ranger was paying to his girlfriend.

"Your name is Anthony Monroe, right?" Tommy inquired, gently pulling Kimberly closer.

Anthony nodded.

"So I take it you're Trevor and Kim's son."

There was a series of gasps and wide-eyed stares that responded to Tommy's hypothesis, each stemming from one of the Terran Rangers or their assistants. Katherine's nose wrinkled in confusion, as she folded her arms on her chest.

"Then that means...Annie, the woman who came here with Nate a few months ago..."

"...was really a future version of Kimberly?!" Rocky finished, frowning distastefully. "So, why didn't she tell us that?!"

"It makes sense," Billy revealed. "She didn't want to alarm everyone by informing them about the future."

"But...how did you know about it, Tommy?" Jason inquired.

"Annie revealed her identity when we went to the moon, to face Solar," Kimberly responded, her voice weak and distracted. She found she couldn't pull her gaze from the countenance of the Red Starlight Ranger.

She could certainly see it now. She didn't see it before, but once his identity was revealed, she put the features together. He had her hair, the same shiny, full auburn hair she took such pride in. His hair seemed a bit curlier, but that probably came from her own parents. Both her parents had curly hair. And the eyes...they were incredibly bold in their aqua hue. And the soft angle of his face...

There was no doubt in her mind. That was her son.

She felt almost numb, staring at him so blankly. The entire situation felt so surreal, she had trouble accepting it as reality.

"This...this is so unbelievable," Alexis commented, taking a seat at the nearest chair.

"If you don't believe it, you can always do a quick DNA scan," Regina offered.

"That...won't be necessary," Jason said, his hand resting on his chin. "We believe you."

There was a stony silence that followed. The Starlights were quick to regroup, and they watched the Terran Rangers' reaction carefully. For the most part, everyone was stunned. Billy seemed to be functioning well, but something on the computer screen had apparently grasped his attention.

Rebecca found she was quite interested in whatever it was that Billy was examining.

"What did you find out, Dad?" she asked, walking toward him. Once she had realized the word she uttered, her eyes widened in surprise.

Even nearly thirty years in the past, Billy Mitchell was still so mature it was easy to refer to him as her father.

"Call me Billy," he said, smiling in amusement at the Pink Ranger's mistake, "I think 'Dad'

sounds slightly awkward."

He then slid his chair slightly, allowing Rebecca to squeeze beside him. Her eyes widened as she noticed the image on the screen.

It was a close-up image of David Trueheart.

"Where did you get that?" she asked.

"I told you, the computers were scanning the entire area after I had located Goldar. I managed to expand one of the images of the people we're searching for. Who is this?"

Rebecca met eyes with her father. "That's David Trueheart. Tommy's brother."

"Amazing," he said, tapping his chin. He then glanced at the other Rangers, who were still overcome by the surprise of meeting their offspring.

"We'd better tell them," Billy decided. "And the Green Ranger...?"

"I'll take care of it," Rebecca stated, rejoining her teammates. She sighed deeply, nervously toying with a strand of her rich dark hair.

"What's going on?" Brittany inquired, noting Rebecca's slightly troubled expression. It took a lot to make the reserved girl display discomfort.

"We'd better tie up the loose ends to our mission," she whispered, gesturing in Tommy's direction. From their vantage point, the Starlight Rangers noticed Tommy and Kimberly deeply involved in a conversation. "He needs to know about Micah, but more importantly... about David."

"Achem," Anthony sounded, gaining the fluttering attention of the perturbed Terran Rangers, "The four of us kind of figured we should clear the air entirely, while we're at it. So Tommy, there's something you should know."

The leader of the Terran Rangers kept his gaze even as he awaited the revelation he tried to prepare himself for. Something told him it probably had something to do with the arrowhead half, that the Starlight Rangers were clearly searching for.

"Where do I begin?" Anthony whispered to himself, scratching his scalp in a nervous reaction Kimberly recognized as belonging to her. "Uh, I guess we should start with the Green Starlight Ranger."

"What about him?" Kimberly asked, stepping forward. Considering the fact that Anthony was mostly addressing Tommy, she could discern the gist of the surprise he was about to reveal. Still, there was another side to the equation that Kim couldn't help but feel extremely interested in.

"He's my son," Tommy decided, nodding his head slowly. "It only makes sense, doesn't it?"

Anthony nodded. "Yours... and Katherine's."

Until this revelation, the Blue Terran Ranger was too engulfed in the swirling world of her own emotions to pay much attention to the rest of the story. The parentage of Brittany Lee was more than enough to keep her attention occupied. However, at the mention of her name, Katherine lifted her head sharply, her crystal blue eyes wide with astonishment.

"Me?" she reacted, her arms falling to her sides. "Me? And...Tommy

?"

At the row of nods that answered her question, Katherine's gaze returned to the floor. A frown of confusion crossed her brow, and she bit her lip as a river of possibilities entered her mind.

It wasn't that hard to believe that she and Tommy would have married in some alternate timeline. It couldn't be denied that she felt quite strongly about him earlier in her career as a Power Ranger. Especially if Jason had married that Emily person, and Kimberly had married Trevor Monroe...it only made sense.

But, was that how it happened? Or, did she have something to do with Kimberly and Tommy's break-up? How did Jason factor into all this? Brittany had expected that he already knew his future wife. Did that mean she was already in Angel Grove, ready to walk into his life?

The possibilities were pounding on her mind, giving her a rather sharp headache.

"But that's not all," Tommy said grimly, letting go of Kimberly and slowly approaching the assembled Starlight Rangers. "If that's all you had to say, it wouldn't have merited this kind of attention. Especially since you've already revealed the rest of your identities. There's something else...something I should know."

He paused, glancing at the two arrowhead pendants that hung from his neck, swaying against the vibrant gold of his shield.

"...something, about the arrowhead."

Rebecca couldn't help but smile slightly. The Tom Oliver she was familiar with was certainly quite insightful. He could usually tell when someone was hiding something, or holding it back. True, he had a hard time noticing some obvious cues, particularly about romantic interest in him, but in general he was quite good at perceiving dread or discomfort.

Sometimes, she wondered if he were on the verge, as it were. If he had some special perceptive power like her empathic insight.

"You're right, of course," she said, in her smooth, breeze-like voice. "The other person Goldar kidnapped...the one who owns the second half of the arrowhead, is David Trueheart. He's your brother."

Tommy's eyes widened, and he froze completely. His lips parted slightly, and then his eyes fell from the Starlights, and passed around randomly, blinking quickly.

"I...I have a brother?" he whispered, once he recovered his voice.

"We have an image of him," Billy said quietly, typing a few buttons into his computer. Then, the large screen of the main viewer blinked to life, with a large still of a young man. His coloring matched Tommy's perfectly, with rich bronze skin, thick dark brown hair, and fathomless dark eyes. With the small exception of a more rugged facial structure, he almost looked exactly like Tommy.

"My God..." Kimberly gasped, her hand unconsciously rising to her lips. "The resemblance is uncanny."

Tommy's hand once again rose to the pendants hanging from his neck. He pulled the leather chords over head, and gazed at the matching stone arrowhead halves as they spun from the chords.

"We have to find them," he said sternly, his eyes still fixated on the arrowhead halves, "Tanya, Rocky, Adam...did you pick up anything?"

"Oh," Tanya uttered, snapping out of her pensive daze to glance again at the results of the various scans. "We're only receiving scattered images heavy in static. It's almost as if the scanners were jammed somehow."

Billy frowned deeply, walking towards the computer terminal the three assistants were working on. "That's strange," he muttered, "Goldar doesn't have the ability to scramble the CAC's scanners. Maybe if we were trying to scan the Moon or something, but not Earth...so close to the CAC..."

"Maybe it wasn't Goldar after all?" Alexis suggested.

"No, it was definitely Goldar," Rocky interjected. "Or at least, he was present. The scrambled images do show a rather jumbled furry guy in gold armor, so it's definitely Goldie."

Tommy's lips pressed into a tight line, and he slipped the leather chord back around the neck. "So, Goldar has a few new tricks up his sleeve?"

"That's what it looks like," Adam said.

"Then we'll one-up him," Kimberly said firmly, her gazed fixed on Tommy and his distant expression. "We always do."

Chapter Twenty-Four

"This was not

part of the plan," Micah grumbled, his knuckles whitening as his grip clenched tighter on two of the bars that comprised a small cage. He was as wary as a fox, his gaze darting at every moving shadow in the fire-lit, stony chamber he found himself trapped in. With the exception of the iron cage in the corner of the room, and the three large torches that flickered an amber blaze in the other three corners, there was nothing else in the room.

Still, he was almost certain he wasn't in the Moon Palace, nor any Dark Dimension. It seemed too plain for that.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, dropping his hands from the bars and falling back upon the cold stone floor. He gathered his legs to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them, rocking slowly.

That was certainly an understatement. The past hour had been passed sitting in the dark with his uncle. Of course, since David was so entirely confused by everything, he first demanded to be informed about the situation. But Micah was cautious to say too much for fear that their captor might be able to hear them, even if he was unseen. So Micah advised they should be relatively quiet, in an effort to prevent Goldar from learning anything about them that could be advantageous to him.

Goldar. It amazed the young Green Ranger how completely and utterly unprepared he was for their encounter. From his father's stories, Goldar had seemed to be a relative pushover. As the White and Red Rangers, Tommy had managed to face Goldar on dozens of occasions, and more often than not he sent the canine alien running. Micah mistook his father's ease at defeating Goldar for weakness on the latter's part. No, Goldar certainly wasn't weak. He was a seasoned and accomplished warrior, fully prepared to take advantage of the impetuousness Micah blatantly displayed at their confrontation.

His defeat was quite costly. If he had been a more rational Power Ranger, he would have insured his uncle was safe. He could have summoned aid, especially since he knew all the Starlight Rangers had teleported to the location.

In short, he messed up royally. He underestimated his opponent- something his father always stressed to be careful of -- and now he hand landed both himself and his uncle in perilous danger.

Thanks to a sheer turn of luck, David had dropped the arrowhead. At least that stopped Goldar from getting his furry blue paws on it, and hopefully the Starlights could retrieve it. Still, his blunder had surely crippled the mission. Now, the Starlights had to rescue them.

Could things get any worse?

Micah regretted pondering that question when the loud sound of metal clanging against stone ripped through the silence. He looked up, meeting the naked fear present in the eyes of his uncle, who sat across from him in the opposite corner of the cell.

It was pretty obvious who was making an approach, and Micah was quick to rise to his feet. He met Goldar's blood red gaze with an even, almost impetuous glare.

The ancient warrior cackled at the boy's display of courage. He then walked to the other side of the cage, and in one quick motion, he reached between the heavy bars, and grabbed the unwitting David by the collar of his shirt.

Micah shivered with horror as he saw the monster pull his uncle just inches away from his sharp fangs.

"So," growled Goldar, his stare penetrating David like a knife, "who are you? And what connection do you have to Tommy Oliver?"

"Who?" asked David weakly in honest confusion. Goldar's beady eyes narrowed.

"Don't play games, Human! You look just like him, and you had the second half of the arrowhead! Now start talking, for your own sake."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," David said, his voice slightly more steady and sure, "I don't know anyone named Tommy, and all I know is that the arrowhead is supposed to lead me to my destiny. I don't know what kind of powers it has. It was given to me by my father."

"Fine," said Goldar, reaching his other wide arm between the bars at blinding speed and grabbing David's neck tightly. The young man grimaced as he felt his throat constrict. "If you don't want to spill the information, then I'll spill your blood..."

"Leave him alone, Goldar!" Micah snapped angrily, instinctively jumping onto Goldar's arms in an effort to release his iron grip. "Even you should be able to see he doesn't know what's going on!"

Goldar was silent for a moment, regarding the flea of a human with interest. "Perhaps you're right," he said finally, dropping David. David collapsed heavily, rasping for breath and tenderly rubbing his bruised neck. "Perhaps I'm interrogating the wrong person."

Suddenly, a fierce chill swept through the chamber, instantly dowsing the three bright torches as if a winter wind passed through. Both Micah and David were startled by the sudden darkness that made it almost impossible to make out any forms within the cavern. Goldar stepped back from the cage slowly, being cautious not to stumble in the darkness.

"Lord?" Goldar asked weakly. Micah was astonished to hear the tone of Goldar's voice had changed so greatly. Only moments ago, he was fierce and confident. How, he sounded like he was trembling.

Who could instill such fear into a warrior like Goldar? From his parents various stories, it was clear neither Rita nor Zedd was capable of such a powerful dictatorship over Goldar's person.

"Where is the arrowhead?" a smooth voice answered. Whoever the speaker was, his voice was the very measure of calm. And his tone spoke of a quiet power, as if he didn't need to raise his voice to inspire fear.

Micah felt the cold of the room, and the cold contained in the speaker's voice. Whoever it was, he was certain it wasn't Lord Zedd.

"I...I don't know," Goldar stuttered in response. "Neither of them have it..."

Goldar's fearful admission was answered by a stony silence. Micah could have sworn he heard the clamoring of Goldar's metallic armor.

Goldar shaking with fright? That was an image Micah wished he were able to see. But all he could make out were two shadowy forms several yards away, in the dark distance.

"I simply wanted the arrowhead," the voice stated, "and instead you bring me to utterly useless individuals. You're not making a good impression, Goldar. Your service to me is entirely contingent on you completing your mission successfully."

"Wh...what should I do, oh Lord?" Goldar inquired.

"Make some use of these captives. Use this, and get whatever information you can from them: about the Crystal, the arrowhead, and these mysterious foreign Power Rangers. And anything else they are 'willing'

to divulge."

There were the sounds of steps echoing in the chamber, growing dimmer as the individual moved further away. "Do not fail me."

Suddenly, as instantly as they were doused, the three torches sprang to life, blanketing the dank chamber with pulsing, radiant heat and light.

Micah saw Goldar, paused on one knee, looking around the room in confusion. He gasped when he saw what the strange Lord had given him.

A tethered whip. The black leather hung from the creature's large claw, swaying slightly in the breeze.

And impossibly, two leather chords hung from the low ceiling, and two more sprouted from the floor directly beneath. Micah was certain they weren't there earlier.

Goldar turned to the young Ranger, and grinned coldly.

"I'm sure you can see where this is going, Boy," he said, rising to his feet. Micah stepped back automatically as Goldar reached the cage, and unlocked the door.

"N..no!"

David uttered weakly, his voice hoarse from the damage done to his throat. He tried to get up, and offered whatever protest he could as Goldar grabbed the boy as easily as a doll. The large warrior pushed David back, knocking the teenager against the back wall of the cell, and dragged the Green Ranger, who was struggling with all his might, to the leather chords.

"Hang around for awhile," Goldar quipped, tightly knotting the hanging chords onto Micah's wrists. He then returned to the cell, and locked the door to insure the stunned captive didn't escape. Once that was done, he returned his attention to Micah, and forced the boy's squirming legs into the two leather straps meant to hold his ankles.

"Now here's the game we're going to play," Goldar uttered, a smug grin on his feral face as he hung the leather chord over his shoulder, "I'm going to ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, you won't get lashed. If you answer incorrectly, you get lashed. Understand?"

"You don't scare me, Goldar!" Micah declared defiantly. The creature's sinister smile only deepened.

"Don't forget, my strength easily eclipses that of any human being," Goldar pointed out, holding the whip between both hands. "You'd do best to keep that in mind."

Goldar began circling the helpless boy like a predator. He stopped behind the boy, and gave him a little push to make him swing.

"Okay, question one: what's your name?

"

"Go to hell."

"Well, it looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way," Goldar sighed with false disappointment. Glee flashed in his marble eyes as he drew the whip over his shoulder, and sent it flying through the air. The whip slashed into Micah's back, ripping through the cotton material of his shirt, and drawing blood. The boy clenched his teeth, and tears sprang to his dark eyes, instantly overflowing the space and pouring down his flushed cheeks.

"That was only one lash," Goldar reminded him, "and I wasn't even putting any effort into it. I will continue to whip you, until your tongue loosens."

Micah didn't respond. He was too terrified and shocked to say anything. The searing pain in his back was like nothing he'd ever experienced before, and he didn't know how to react. He knew that he couldn't stand much more of this pain, but he also knew he couldn't betray the other Power Rangers.

Goldar waited for a few seconds, but Micah made no reply. "Fine," he muttered, "I'm going to enjoy this. It's been a while since I've tortured someone. I wonder how long a human boy can last."

The monster once again pulled back his whip, and let it cut through the air, and deep into Micah's skin. This time, a pained scream escaped Micah's lips, and hot tears poured down his burning cheeks in rivers of tangible agony. David, who had tried to look away from the horrid display, now leaped to his feet, and grabbed the bars.

"Leave him alone!" David roared. "He's just a kid!"

"Don't feel too badly for the boy," Goldar commented, pausing his deed to cast a powerful gaze at the human. "You're next."

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Well," said Tommy, "did you find any trace of David and Micah?"

"Negative," Billy answered. "Whatever cloaking spell Goldar utilized when he kidnapped Micah and David, it was quite effective. He disappeared from our scanners after he vanished from Rebecca, and when he reappeared, his presence didn't set off any alarms that usually sound when an identified evil presence is detected. Also, he managed to disrupt the regular video scan I had implemented since the fight erupted, so we weren't alerted to his presence in time to send out help. I must admit, Goldar was quite clever this time."

"Or whoever send him," Rocky uttered, his arms folded tightly. Kimberly blinked, and gazed at the former Red Ranger for a moment.

"What are you suggesting, Rocky?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "It's just...if Zedd and Rita could've created this kind of cloak before, why didn't they? You know what kind of advantage they'd have?"

"True," Katherine interjected.

"And it's true that things have been pretty weird lately," Jason continued, "Zedd didn't even bother to try to make those Dreadkin monsters grow. He sent down five creatures to deal with at once! Surely if he made them grow, we'd be really hard pressed to keep them under control."

While the Terran Rangers continued their reasoning regarding Lord Zedd and Rita's bizarre tactics of late, the Starlight Rangers listened in with interest. It was quite a sight watching their famous parents engage in one of the "idea pools" Will Mitchell had sometimes mentioned. And considering that these Rangers were in fact no older than the Starlight team, it was quite sobering to see how much maturing they'd have to do before they could serve in their station to the fullest.

But while Brittany, Anthony, and Regina were enraptured by the discussion, Rebecca's thoughts were elsewhere. She had set her rose helmet to the side, and sat upon the floor cross-legged. Her dark eyes were gently shut, and her hands rested on her elbows, on top of which she propped her head.

While the Terran Rangers' computers were busy conducting various energy scans, Rebecca had opted for another approach.

She decided to scan for neural energy patterns that were familiar to her.

It was surely broad in scope, but hopefully by signaling out only familiar thought patterns, she would resign her search to only locate the very few people in this dimension who would be familiar to her. Fortunately, an individual's thought patterns do change slightly over time, so the Terran Rangers' minds didn't really register as very familiar. Only passingly so.

Of course, she wasn't a strong enough telepath, or empath, for that matter, to do a very cohesive scan. She certainly couldn't extend her search to the moon, which was the most likely location of their missing comrades. But something in the back of her mind tickled her consciousness. As if she could just about sense Micah's thoughts. Or at least, his feelings.

That's why she decided to focus her entire attention to the search. There is always the possibility that, whoever the captor may be, he or she wouldn't know about the Pink Starlight Ranger's empathic powers. Perhaps there wasn't some kind of psionic shield constructed, preventing her broadening mind's eye from entering.

It wasn't likely...but it was certainly worth a try.

She extended her scan, which was formatted in concentric circles spreading from her very location, to the next ring of distance. That's when it hit her.

"Ah!" she cried suddenly, her muscles contracting instinctively. Her concentration quickly evaporated, and the stunned girl collapsed onto the floor.

Her cry of distress quickly brought the entire assembly of Rangers to her side.

"What happened, Beck?" Brittany asked, gently helping the Pink Ranger sit up.

Rebecca moaned slightly, her hand trailing to her stomach. To her surprise, tears had sprung to her eyes as a response to the sharp pain she had empathically experienced.

"Oh God," she whispered, shuddering slightly. Her lip trembled as the realization struck her.

Regina's dark gaze was entirely focused on Rebecca's facial expression. She had an inkling as to what the Pink Ranger had occupied her time doing, but she needed confirmation.

"Did you find Micah empathically, Rebecca?" she asked.

Rebecca nodded, still stunned. "I...I was scanning the area in concentric circles, and as soon as I broadened my scan one notch, I felt this...intense pain across my stomach."

She absently traced a line on her stomach, moving vertically across her body.

Anthony's bright eyes widened. "What does that mean? What's happening to Micah?"

"I...I don't know. I'm primarily an empath, so I sensed his pain more so than his thoughts. All I registered was this intense pain, before my concentration broke. I was startled..."

"It's all right, Rebecca," Billy said quietly, moving through the dense group and taking Rebecca's trembling hand. "You've found Micah, and it's safe to assume that David is nearby. I can take it from here."

Billy led the girl towards the main computer terminal, where he urged her to take a seat. He then leaned over her, and pressed several keys on the pad. In a flash of light, an aerial map of the area appeared on the gargantuan screen.

"Okay," Billy said, lying his hand on the distraught Ranger's shoulder to help calm her, "you said you were searching in concentric circles. Was this the central point?"

Rebecca nodded.

"Terrific," Billy uttered, pressing another key. A red dot appeared atop a cliff, which indicated their present location.

"Can you tell me about how large each circle was? I'm sure you used a systematic approach to your empathic scan."

Rebecca nodded. "It's the best way to regulate the scan," she said quietly, her shoulder's slumped slightly. "Each circle was about a quarter mile wide."

Billy nodded, typing in new commands. A dartboard design of red light appeared on the screen, expanding out from the CAC.

"And finally, which circle were you in when you registered that pain?"

"The fourth."

After one more command, the majority of the red rings vanished. Only two remained, creating a boundary around the designated area.

"Then we start searching this territory," Billy decided. "On foot."

"On foot?" Aisha objected. "That could take forever!"

"Obviously our computer scans aren't picking up anything," Billy pointed out, "or else we would have found them already. Only the empathic scan seems to be able to penetrate whatever field is surrounding the captives, and it's quite dangerous for Rebecca to keep trying to pinpoint them. She has to endure whatever torture Goldar is subjecting Micah to."

Everyone was silent in reaction to Billy's words. But there was no other way to describe it. Clearly, the sharp pain Micah had experienced was no accident. He was already Goldar's prisoner. It was a horrifying thought, but it made the most sense.

"That's so despicable," Katherine muttered, scowling in disgust. "Torturing a kid?"

She couldn't help it, but something deep inside her reacted to that revelation quite strongly. Even more strongly than if the victim had been any other child. She considered it some form of maternal instinct.

It discomforted her tremendously.

"Okay," Tanya stated, quickly counting the assembled Rangers. "We have four Terran Rangers, two X-Rangers, one Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, and four Starlight Rangers. That makes eleven." She frowned slightly. "That number's uneven, and I don't think it's a good idea to have someone go alone..."

"I think you guys can break up into five teams of two to comb the area," Rocky contributed, "One Ranger can remain here, just in case Goldar has something planned for us. And if one group runs into trouble, that Ranger can be quick to back them up."

"I'll stay," offered Alexis quietly. In truth, she felt very awkward, given the situation. The Starlight Rangers seemed pretty impressive, quite possibly on par with the Terran Rangers. She saw them in battle, with their intelligent weapons and very impressive attacks.

Just one more reason to feel inadequate.

"Then we'll break up in this manner," said Billy, looking at the Rangers, "Kim, you're with Anthony. Tommy, you go with Rebecca. Adam, you're with Brittany. Zack, you go with Regina. Katherine, you're with Jason."

"Right," all ten teens said. Jason, Tommy, Zack, and the Starlight Rangers quickly strapped on their discarded helmets, while the three other Rangers grouped together to the side.

"It's Morphin Time!" Kimberly ordered, holding her arms in an X formation, "X-Ranger Two!"

"TERRA WATER POWER!"

shouted Katherine.

"TERRA WIND POWER!"

yelled Adam.

All three Rangers were swallowed into a pulsing display of raw energy, sweeping through the relatively dim Central Access Complex and forcing the onlookers to avert their eyes. Once the light dimmed, the Blue, Green, and Gold Rangers were standing in the center of the energy display, prepared for action.

While the sight of the Green and Blue Rangers wasn't anything spectacular to the Starlight Rangers, they were awestruck to see such a foreign costume on who was supposed to be the Yellow Terran Ranger.

"Mom did mention something about you being a Gold Ranger," Anthony said quietly, stepping beside Kimberly and examining her uniform with interest. "What are your powers again?"

"Telepathy, basically," she answered, "Zack and I are X-Rangers in this dimension."

"What on Earth could've caused that change?" Regina asked curiously.

"A story for another time," Tommy stated, migrating to Rebecca's side. "Let's break into our units."

The ten Rangers separated into the five designated teams, and stood slightly separate from the others. Billy took another glance at the map screen, and pressed another button. Five lights appeared within the search area, each equidistant from the other points.

"Tanya," Billy said, "can you teleport each team to one of these spots? I'm sending the coordinates into the teleporter relay."

"You got it," Tanya answered, moving to the relay. She registered the date transferred, and typed in the command. In ten stripes of powerful energy, the heroes vanished.

Once the Rangers were gone, the remaining teens waited in silence for a moment.

Slightly downhearted, Alexis hopped onto a console, and swung her legs in the air. "So, what do the rest of us do?"

"Well, there are five of us," Billy pointed out, "So each of us will monitor one of the teams, and keep in touch with the handheld communicators. I'll use my desktop, while Rocky uses the Viewing Globe and Alexis uses the main viewscreen. Tanya, do you know how to use the monitor on the teleporter relay?"

"Piece of cake," she responded.

"Keep your eyes peeled for any irregular magical activity," Billy warned, taking a seat at his desk. "Who knows what the Moon forces have in store."

Chapter Twenty-Six

"It failed," Umbriel stated, his voice deep and low like a rumbling earthquake.

"What failed?" Rito asked, his hand falling upon his large ax immediately. "Can I fix it?"

"No," Umbriel said, leaning back in his throne. He rested his elbows on the armrest, and tapped his fingers together. "You cannot."

Instantly, strings of glowing data poured across the plane of space in front of Umbriel, as if there were some sort of screen present. His empty eyes were focused on the information, reading it at an incredible speed. He then nodded his chin, and the data vanished, only to be replaced by it's source: a small black pearl, hovering in the air.

"None of these data spheres had collected enough energy from the Starlight Rangers to determine whether they are of importance," Umbriel revealed, turning his glance away from the pearl. It fell to the heavy stone floor, shattering into glittery dust.

"That's impossible!" Rito stated in shock. "The Viper Putties put up a decent fight against these new Rangers."

"True," Umbriel conceded, "but it is not just that. The energy signature of these Starlight Rangers is very complex. I do detect M'Kraan energies, but not quite in a degree that would indicate that they too were powered by the Zeo Crystal."

Rito's calcium brow wrinkled. "Could two Power Ranger teams possibly gain power from the Zeo Crystal?"

"I have been gone a long time," Umbriel stated, folding his narrow fingers. "It is impossible for me to determine what Zordon has been able to do with the M'Kraan energies. I do not see why it is not possible for him to have divided the Zeo Crystal into eleven shards, tuning the Terran Rangers into elemental powers while selecting the raw energy of the stars for these new Rangers."

Umbriel's narrow lips pursed even more closely together, and he rose from his elevated throne. "Go to Finster's laboratory, and inform him I shall need more Viper Putties, equipped with data spheres. I am not planning on counting on Goldar to provide me with the needed information."

Rito bowed deeply before he marched out of the transformed throne room. Umbriel then walked down the steps to his platform, his heavy black robe trailing behind him as he made his way to the balcony.

"Now, it is only a matter of time," he said, a cold smirk pulling one side of his mouth as he gazed down at the blue jewel. His empty eyes flashed with a shimmer of gray energy. "And time is something of which I have an unlimited supply."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Red Starlight Ranger paused in his trek along the rough terrain. He crossed his arms pensively, as his wide blue eyes passed over the dust and rocks. The late afternoon sun hung from the rich azure sky, casting a slightly orange hue upon the landscape. In the distance, he could hear the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, slamming against the rock surface.

In all honesty, it was a beautiful sight. A brilliant contrast of the red earth, the vibrant blue sky, and the white cotton clouds that trailed along the dome of the heavens as if they were strokes of a paintbrush.

Usually, Anthony Monroe was one to appreciate the beauty of nature. Mostly, it was due to the influence of his girlfriend's passion for the experience of nature, whether it be camping, rock-climbing, scuba-diving, or whatnot. But this was different. His eyes were blind to any simple beauty.

Never before had such a weight pressed upon the young man's shoulders. His life had always been one of little worry, and even less responsibility. True, his mother was a Power Ranger, and both his parents had careers demanding leadership abilities. But in all honesty, he never expected to be thrown into a position of leadership.

Will thought he was perfect for the role. So did everyone else, apparently. Everyone put their hopes in him, as if he had somehow deserved their faith. Four dear friends put their very lives in his hands...

..and he had already failed one.

A cold that he simply couldn't shake off rushed through his body like a river. He had never experienced failure to such a degree. His life was filled with sporting championships, academic scholarship, and the respect of his peers. Surely, that wasn't enough to prepare him for the trials of leadership. He realized quickly that all his achievements paled in relation to his failure.

He was only a Power Ranger for a matter of hours, but he had already let down Micah Oliver.

The youngest of the Power Rangers, and therefore probably the brashest, was at the mercy of one of the most powerful and deadly creatures the Earth had ever seen. And with him was the unwitting costar in the current drama: a young man who probably had never even heard of the Power Rangers before. He was the one fortune deemed the keeper of the powerful magic of one half of a mystical arrowhead, which forced him into a supernatural world against which he had no defense.

One young boy, and one innocent bystander. And if he didn't find them soon, they'd pay for his mistakes with their lives.

"Are you sure

you're my son?" said a gentle voice, tearing through the bitter silence of his thoughts, "I mean Jeez...I'm never one to brood! You certainly don't get it from my side of the family."

The statuesque Red Ranger turned around, and glanced at the petite Gold Ranger standing beside him. She had her arms folded over her chest, mocking his dramatic pose perfectly. And although he couldn't see it, he was certain she wore a pensive frown as well.

Despite everything that weighed on him, he still felt light enough to crack a small smile.

He knew it must have been hard for Kimberly to come to grips with the reality of his existence. Even though he was from an alternate reality, surely the experience of meeting one's adult son was jarring for the bright-eyed girl...especially considering the fact that his father wasn't a man for whom she had any romantic feelings.

Still, she was amazingly good at getting past any discomfort she felt in his presence. As always, she made it her mission to reach out to her teammates, whoever they might be.

"Maybe it's not genetic," Anthony responded after a long silence. "Maybe it's the curse of the Red Ranger."

Kimberly sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I suppose it won't do me any good to assure you that this isn't your fault, right?"

"Right."

She shrugged. "Not surprising. I don't think I was able of convincing anyone

of that. So, let's try another approach."

She grabbed his arm, leaning his head to her. "I'll tell you a little secret. One that took both Jason and Tommy a while to grasp."

Anthony perked up with interest. "What?"

"You may be the leader, Tony, but you're not the Lone Ranger. Don't think that you have to alienate yourself from the others, or that you make all the decisions, and therefore must face all the consequences. The other Starlight Rangers may be subordinate in the chain of command, but that doesn't make you responsible for them. The Power Rangers are more of a democracy than a dictatorship. You don't

make all the decisions."

"But --"

"Let me finish," she argued, letting him stand aright. "Think about it, Tony. Do you come up with all

the ideas? Do you ever force your teammates to take a course of action that they don't condone? Would

you do such a thing?"

Anthony was silent for a moment. "No, I wouldn't," he decided.

"Then what makes you entirely responsible?"

"It was my idea..."

"..and Micah agreed to it," Kim pointed out, "and none of the others objected, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Therefore, it was a sound plan. True, it didn't go too well, but you realize that Micah, as well as the others, were prepared for this circumstance. If he didn't want to go off alone, he would've said something."

"Still --"

"Let...me...finish

," she groaned. "It's true that there's a chain of command in the Power Rangers' organization. It's the only way to really establish order. But just because Tommy's the leader, doesn't mean he always takes the lead. And just because Billy is our adviser, doesn't mean he always does all the advising. We're a team here, not an army troop. There aren't any real orders. There are suggestions."

Kim stepped back, smiling beneath her golden helmet. "We all have roles to play, but they aren't absolute. True, you are a figure of respect for the others...but don't let that become too burdensome. Then, how useful to the others will you be, if you let the burden of leadership create a wall between you and your friends?"

Anthony remained silent, marveling at Kimberly for a moment. She was surprisingly wise in the ways of leadership. It only made sense, because her pivotal role amongst the Power Rangers was as a confidant and emotional pillar. She was most likely used to dealing with Tommy's emotional problems, as well as Jason's before him.

She had a convincing argument. Perhaps leadership shouldn't weigh quite so heavily. Of course, it's certainly a position that can't be taken lightly...but he shouldn't run the risk of elevating his station so far beyond that of the others, that they feel like soldiers under his command rather than friends and teammates.

Anthony blinked in surprise when he noticed a sudden movement in the corner of his eye. He turned around, trying his best to get another look at whatever being hid behind a lone tree on the mountainside.

"What is it?" Kimberly inquired, following Anthony's gaze.

His eyes narrowed. "Uninvited company," he whispered, slowly reaching for his powerful sword. He then held it with both hands, and it began glowing with fiery energy. "Draco, do your thing!"

"Leave it to me, Red Ranger," the dragon's head replied.

Kimberly watched in naked amazement as the talking sword sailed through the air, launching itself at the hidden enemy.

"He's so much like Saba," Kim whispered. The sword released bright, flaming energy behind a boulder, forcing several Putties to disclose their presence.

"Terrific," she groaned, "Viper Putties."

"There're more of them," Anthony commented, looking another way. A total of six deadly creatures stepped forward, closing in on the pair of Rangers in two clusters.

"Draco!" Anthony commanded, holding up his hand. The sword stopped firing at the lithe Putty and returned to his partner's grasp.

"Three each?" Kimberly inquired, balling her fists.

"Right," Anthony said, "I'll take these three."

"Good luck!" Kimberly called, as she watched the Red Ranger from the corner of her eye. Gripping his sword tightly, he charged at the oncoming trio. "He's a bit pumped," she commented to herself. She then turned her attention to the three Putties that faced her.

"Ha!" she cried, flipping in their direction. They waited for her eagerly, but succumbed to the flurry of kicks and punches she assailed them with. After she had successfully stunned the three enemies for a moment, a smug grin crossed her lips when she surveyed a rather large boulder, just barely holding onto the cliff above.

"This is too easy," she whispered under her breath, focusing her attention on the boulder. Suddenly, the boulder was pushed by the force of her telekinesis, and began rolling in the direction of the Putties. They didn't manage to move before the boulder crushed them into piles of ash.

"Strike!" Kim shouted. She then glanced at Anthony, who was still fending off all three Putties. She gasped in alarm as she saw a Putty splash Anthony's arm with the corrosive venom. He shrieked in pain, dropping Draco and watching in horror as the steaming liquid began slowly eating through his uniform.

Before he could recover his bearings, one Putty reached out and grabbed his other arm. Suddenly, a thick black fog began to form around the Putty, and slowly crept onto the Red Ranger's arm.

"Tony!" she called, holding up her arm, "THUNDERBOW!!"

A flash of bright lightning heralded the appearance of her mighty bow. She leaped closer to the scene, knocking away the two other Putties to buy her some time.

She held her breath as she aimed her weapon. She pulled back the drawstring, creating a focus of electrical energy. She realized full well that there were only centimeters between the Red Ranger and the opposing Putty.

Without giving another thought to the consequences of her missing her target, she released the drawstring. The lightning bolt crackled as it sailed through the air, and struck the attacking Putty directly in the upper arm. His arm severed from the rest of his body, and the separated appendage collapsed into dust, releasing the Red Starlight Ranger from its grip. Anthony stumbled back, obviously shaken by the attack. He watched in amazement as the Putty's arm began to regenerate.

"Oh, no you don't," Kim whispered menacingly, aiming once again. This time, the bolt struck the creature directly in the face, exploding upon impact. Unable to heal from that mortal wound, the Putty shriveled and decomposed.

Anthony's entire body trembled as he reached for his fallen sword. While he mustered all his strength to his goal, Kimberly leapt to face the remaining two Putties.

Anthony felt something build in the core of his being as he clutched Draco tightly. For an instant, the pain in his arm had subsided and the weakness in his body evaporated, allowing him to steadily rise to his feet.

Unbeknownst to him, his entire body was glowing with a faint ruby haze.

"Kimberly," he huffed. "Stand...back!"

Kimberly swirled to face the Red Ranger, and was alarmed to see the power building around him. Still, she took heed to his warning, and flipped out of harm's way.

Once she was out of the line of fire, Anthony gripped his weapon with both hands. The silver edge of the sword was now pulsating with red energy.

"STARBURST!"

he summoned, holding his sword above his head.

The sound of the flaming attack assailed Kim's ears like a rocket launch. Vibrant red and white energy poured from sword, creating a sphere of pulsating power. Anthony then swung his sword in the direction of the Putties, and the energy obeyed his command. It bolted through the air in their direction, exploding as it made contact.

For several moments after the devastating onslaught, both Kimberly and Anthony stared in amazement at the smoking hole where the Putties were standing.

"Th..that was amazing

!" Kimberly gasped, hurrying to the side of the Red Ranger. He gasped for breath, sheathing Draco slowly. "What was that?"

"I don't know," he confessed laboredly. His legs then went numb beneath him, and the pain in his arm returned in full flaming force.

Kimberly was quick to catch the dazed Red Ranger, who had lost the strength in his legs. She slung his uninjured arm over her shoulders, gazing at him worriedly. "We're going to the CAC," she decided, "I'd better take a look at that venom burn."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

About a half a mile east, X-Ranger One hovered off the ground, a magnetic field surrounding his body. The silver glow around his body looked like the energy of the full moon, casting gentle, ethereal light about the area.

Below him, the Blue Starlight Ranger gazed in amazement at the power the Silver Ranger seemed to command. It was so characteristically different from any energy signature she had witnessed in her own world.

It amazed her how far the two time streams diverged, even only a few months after the separation of the two realities.

"I'm not seeing anything," Zack sighed, descending from his vantage point. He landed beside the Blue Ranger, and marveled at the fact that she was three inches taller than himself. Although she couldn't see his eyes, Regina could feel he was staring at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Not really," he answered quickly, stepping away from her and continuing his search on foot. "Um...how tall are you, anyway?"

"Almost six feet," Regina answered, following his lead.

"Wow," Zack said, "you certainly must not get it from Aisha. She's kinda short herself."

"Well, although my mother is short, she has tall family members. Also, my dad is over six feet. I guess they grow 'em big in Kenya."

"I'll say," Zack said, and the pair continued to walk along the rocky wasteland. "So," he continued, "do you still live in Africa then?"

"My family does," Regina answered, "but I'm going to school in the States."

Zack nodded with interest. He then paused in his walking, and turned to the Blue Ranger. "How did your parents meet?"

"They both were in the same biology class in college," Regina said, pausing beside the Silver Ranger. She could tell his questions were building to something.

"In college, eh?" Zack repeated thoughtfully. "So then, it's probable that our Aisha, from this time period, has never met this guy before, right?"

"That would make sense," said Regina, a smile of amusement hidden by her sapphire helmet.

"And therefore, if she doesn't move back to Africa to go to school, she probably never will

meet him, right?"

Regina's smile widened, as she recalled how Zack and Aisha had reacted to the revelation of her parentage. She slowly approached the Silver Ranger, and gently laid her hand on his shoulder. "Don't give it another thought, Zack. Frankly, I very much doubt this world's Aisha will even meet Edward Drew. In my reality, she didn't return to America to finish up high school. You have nothing to worry about."

"Hey," said Zack nonchalantly, "who's worried? I'm just making conversation."

"Sure," muttered Regina sarcastically.

Before Zack could make a reply, the bumbling warble of Putty Talk suddenly came into earshot. He whirled his head around frantically, trying to find the source of the sound.

His eyes widened as a squad of Viper Putties suddenly climbed into view, surrounding them. The two Rangers immediately fell into fighting stances, standing back to back.

"How about we drop this discussion?" Regina recommended, yanking her twin axes from her belt. "Right now, we have other things to take care of."

"Piece of cake," said Zack, holding his palms together and building a magnetic field. He then pointed both palms towards the closest Putty, and the wave of magnetic energy crashed into the creature, sending it hurtling into a wall of rock.

"Nice trick," Regina commented. "The Zack Taylor I know can't do that."

"That's because the Zack Taylor you know isn't an X-Ranger," Zack said, creating a bubble of magnetic force around both him and the Blue Ranger. The Putties scratched and smashed into the bubble, but they could not penetrate it.

"So now what do we do?" asked Regina.

"There's no need to put ourselves in danger," Zack replied, as the bubble slowly began to rise into the sky. "Do you have a long-range weapon?"

Regina frowned beneath her helmet, glancing at her Gemini Axes curiously. "Well, I'm not sure..."

"Of course you do!" said the unicorn head atop the left ax, the voice startling the Silver and Blue Rangers both, "Artemis and I can launch energy beams from our mouths."

"You really should ask us what we are capable of doing before

we go into battle," Artemis commented wryly.

Regina arched her eyebrow, pointing her axes downwards. "I'll never get used to this," she sighed.

"They actually remind me of my Power Ax," Zack commented absently. "Well, except for that whole talking thing."

He shrugged, holding out his hand. At his mute command, the Lance of Light appeared in his grasp, the twin prisms at both ends sparking with energy. "When I say 'now'

, let loose with your axes. Hopefully, these guys can't take too much of an energy barrage."

The Silver Ranger glanced down through the silvery surface of the magnetic sphere. By this time, the bubble had risen a few yards over the heads of the Putties, who slunk about patiently for the Rangers to return to battle.

"Now!" Zack said as the force field vanished. He still managed to magnetically hold them off the ground, and they released their energy and arrow attacks on the hapless creatures. Two of the Putties managed to dodge the shower, and both released steaming streams of acid into the air. Zack immediately responded by releasing his magnetic hold, and the two Rangers fell gracefully to the ground. The Putties were quick to pounce at them.

"Hey!" Regina cried, warding off a Putty by slamming its head with Ares. "How about a little warning

next time you plan on dropping me like a bad habit!"

"I'll keep that in mind," huffed Zack, thrusting his lance into the stomach of the other Putty. Soon, the last Viper Putty crumbled to dust, leaving the two Rangers alone on the rocky terrain. Whereas Regina wasn't even winded from the exertion, Zack was leaning on his lance to remain standing.

"Hey," Regina said with concern, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," he huffed, "I guess holding magnetic fields is more draining than I planned. I've never actually tried that before..."

"Can you walk?"

"Sure," he answered, "just give me a sec."

Chapter Twenty-Nine

With a deep exhalation, the Green Terran Ranger glanced up at the rough surface of dense rock that stretched high into the sky. At the top of the plateau, only one of the many rock formations on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, was the destroyed remains of the Command Center. Buried within this very plateau, where evil will never find it, was the Central Access Complex.

And somewhere in this hazardous terrain were two hostages, being held captive by the mysterious forces of evil.

"Okay," said Adam, shoving his ivory boot into the crevice formed in the ancient rock surface, "do you see anything, Brittany?"

"No," she answered, a frown forming underneath her yellow helmet. She hesitantly reached upwards, grasping a protrusion in the rock face. She bit her lower lip with exertion, and pulled her body up with her trembling arm.

Brittany was a rather talented athlete, but she had never, ever gone rock climbing. Even with the advanced protection of her Starlight Powers, she couldn't get the thought of the distant ground out of her mind.

Her teeth dug further into her lip in a desperate attempt to bite back her discomfort, as well as her worry for her missing teammate and his uncle. Thinking about them was only distracting her, and she wouldn't be able to do Micah or David any good if she were dead.

A surprised yelp escaped her lips when a cloud of pebbles and dust descended from above. She narrowed her eyes, gazing up the cliff wall to a large protrusion only a few yards ahead of her.

"Someone's up there," she whispered, pausing her ascent. Adam halted beneath her.

"Are you sure?" he answered. Just then, a wave of larger rocks began plummeting in their direction.

"Adam?" she shrieked in panic, pushing herself flat against the rock surface in an attempt to dodge the falling debris. One rather large rock pounded her on the shoulder, loosening her grip.

"Hang on!" he ordered, releasing the rocks he clung to. Almost as soon as he began falling, a gust of powerful wind held him steady. He then streaked up along the rock face, grabbing the immobile Yellow Starlight Ranger along the way, and carrying her to the precipice from which the debris had originated.

"Putties," Brittany growled under her breath, as she and Adam made contact with the ground.

"Again?" Adam sighed, folding his arms, "I don't know; these confrontations always seem...anti-climactic

."

He held out his right hand, and his Wind Shield materialized in a flash of verdant energy. Brittany reached to her belt and pulled out a foot-long pole. She held it at arm's length, and magically it extended into a full-length javelin, complete with a golden griffin head at the top.

In silent unison, the two Power Rangers moved in to confront the half a dozen Viper Putties, each Ranger moving into the center of the precipice and moving outward.

They fought back to back, insuring that no Ranger was caught unawares.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Brittany huffed, plowing the sharp end of her javelin through the midsection of a Putty. "Are you gluttons for punishment?"

"There must be a reason for this," Adam hypothesized, blocking a stream of the corrosive venom with his shield. "Putties are usually sent as a distraction."

"That's exactly what they're doing," Brittany responded, smacking a Putty beneath the chin with her javelin. "And they're getting to be a pain in the --"

Suddenly, one Putty slipped passed the whirling fury of the griffin javelin, and grabbed the Yellow Starlight Ranger's arm. She was about to yank herself free, when suddenly a flowing, diffuse gray energy flooded around her body. She froze in place as the cloud enveloped her, flashing with sparks of yellow from time to time.

"Brittany!" Adam shouted, holding out his shield at arm's length. The thick black spiral design on the green and silver surface began to spin, creating a cyclone of powerful wind to spill forth directly at his opponents. All three Putties he faced tumbled off the narrow cliff, shattering as they continually collided with the grim mountain wall.

Adam quickly spun around, and delivered a forceful whip kick to the Putty holding Brittany hostage. The Putty stumbled to the ground before it quickly vanished from the plateau. The two remaining Putties vanished as well, leaving Adam and Brittany on the dusty protrusion.

No sooner did the Putty Patrol vanish that Brittany collapsed into the dust, panting heavily.

"Are you okay?" Adam inquired, kneeling beside the fallen Yellow Ranger. She nodded, gripping Adam's hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"I'm...just so dizzy

..." she breathed.

"We'd better get back to the CAC," Adam advised, "and figure out just what that thing did to you."

Brittany made no argument, and the pair vanished in columns of yellow and green energy.

Chapter Thirty

A smirk crossed Umbriel's thin lips as he stepped away from his lifelike globe, the heavy skirts of his pitch robes sweeping along the cold stone floor of his Lunar Palace. He seemed to float along the floor, and rose up the marble steps to reach his large throne. He had just taken a seat when in flashes of energy three Viper Putties appeared before him, standing at attention.

"Lord," said Rito, who standing stiffly beside his master at all times, "shouldn't the other two Putties return to Earth?"

"Yes," the Shadowed One reflected, casting his empty gaze at two of the Putties. They then vanished, leaving only the center one still awaiting his master's decree.

That one Putty actually succeeded in the task Umbriel had sent dozens of Putties to accomplish: to channel the energy of a Starlight Ranger through the Tib'lika. It was a special energy-siphoning cloud, which made it easier for the Viper Putties to collect the necessary information and store it in the recording crystals they were designed with. One Putty had almost absorbed the energy pattern of the Red Ranger, but it was destroyed by the interfering Gold Ranger before the necessary data could be stored. However, the Yellow Starlight Ranger was not so quick to escape the iron grip of a Viper Putty, and the data was eventually assembled.

"I must examine this crystal," Umbriel announced, "and then I will be able to deduce whether the Starlight Rangers are of any consequence. The remaining Putty Patrol will stay on Earth, and will do their best to delay the Power Rangers from rescuing Goldar's captives."

"Master, if we brought the captives to the Moon..."

"...then the Power Rangers will attempt to rescue them, which would lead to a premature battle against them," Umbriel pointed out. "At this point, I am not interested in whether these two humans are reunited with their allies. I want to understand the mysteries of the arrowhead, and from what I have witnessed, Goldar has so far managed to extract some very useful information from the Green Starlight Ranger."

"Goldar succeeded?" Rito remarked, his calcium brow rising. "Now I've seen everything."

"There is much you have yet to see," Umbriel assured, reaching his hand to the lone Putty. The clay creature crumbled to ash, and a small crystal floated into Umbriel's crooked fingers. "I must continue my preparations, before I can confront the Power Rangers. Without the remainder of the M'Kraan Crystal, I am nowhere near full power."

"So, what shall I do to help you, Lord?" Rito inquired humbly, lowering himself to one knee.

"It is time for me to extrapolate the Rangers' strength. Therefore, I will need to provide them with a challenge that will test them to the limit, but will not inform them of my arrival. Surely, if Zordon were to discover I have returned to Earth, he will do his utmost to watch my every move, and try to steal from me the M'Kraan Crystal when I attempt to recover it from its hidden location."

"Send me, Lord," Rito volunteered. "With the power you have granted me, I am sure I can best them all."

"Do not kill any Terran Ranger," Umbriel stated emphatically, "I still must decide the best strategy for separating the human from the crystal within. Instead, force them to show you the extent of their abilities. Also, confronting them is necessary. The Rangers are surely expecting the appearance of the 'Monster of the Day.'

They might feel something is amiss if that expected battle does not occur, and we do not want them to suspect anything. From their perspective, Rita and Zedd should still be ruling the Moon."

Umbriel then rose to his feet, and carried the small crystal shard with him. "Prepare yourself, Rito, and make sure to keep your identity a secret. If the Rangers discovered who you are, they will detect the vast change to your person. Remember...they must not heed any change. You are just one of Finster's creations. Do not give them any information about my arrival."

"Your will be done!" Rito saluted, hefting his large ax over his shoulder. He then hastily left the throne room, leaving the Shadowed One alone.

"I will understand the power of the Starlight Rangers, and the Terran Rangers as well," he pledged, gazing into the swirling crystal he held. "Then, I will recover my majestic M'Kraan Crystal from the location where Zordon of Eltar would have least expected it: right under his very nose."

He smirked once again, gazing out into the darkness of space. His gaze dropped to the floating gem of Earth, with patches of white clouds slowly casting through the high atmosphere.

"Oh, perfect globe of Earth," he reflected, "Zordon's little pet project, and chosen station for his battle against me. Also, a wonderful ball of rock, complete with a heavy iron content, allowing her to hide my M'Kraan Crystal without fear of its vast power being detected. Who would think to search the deep beds of Earth for it? The perfect locus for both Zordon and myself to stake our powers...and the destined locus for my final victory over the Terran Rangers, Zordon, Roma...and Destiny herself."

Chapter Thirty-One

A heavy silence hung over the Blue and Black Terran Rangers, who dutifully examined the lower caves on the rock face on the eastern end of the rugged search area. In fact, not a word was exchanged between them during their entire search, or in the Central Access Complex prior to their mission.

A great deal of discoveries had occurred in the CAC earlier. And quite a few buried fears erupted.

For Jason, he was almost overwhelmed with suspicion. The suspicion made him feel quite guilty, but he couldn't shrug it off. Ever since he knew Katherine Hillard, he had detected the feelings she had towards his best friend. Fortunately, she had gotten over it. Or at least, he thought she had.

Now, he wasn't sure. Perhaps, the only reason why Katherine even dated him was because of the fact that she couldn't

have Tommy. And now, with the discovery of a reality in which she did marry Tommy, perhaps that notion re-ignited feelings she had placed on hold, because of their unlikelihood.

Did he still have to compete for Katherine's heart? If, for some reason, something happened to sever Kimberly and Tommy's relationship, then what would happen? Was Tommy her first choice?

He didn't want to think about it. He didn't even want those thoughts to occur to him. But he couldn't prevent it. He wanted badly to just trust in Katherine. If they were meant to be, then they'd be together.

But, it didn't seem like they were

meant to be after all.

For Katherine, similar feelings gnawed at her. She couldn't get the image of Brittany Lee out of her mind.

The Yellow Starlight Ranger was quite beautiful, with soft yet strong features. Her mother was surely remarkably pretty as well.

She couldn't help but wonder, what would happen between them? It was obvious that Brittany was older than Micah. Therefore, it's safe to assume Jason was the one to marry before her and Tommy. And on the other hand, Anthony was older still. So, it seemed that Kimberly had married Anthony's father first, sufficiently ending any possible future relationship with Tommy. And then Jason married this Emily Stanton, and lived happily ever after.

So, she wasn't Jason's first choice. And she wasn't even Tommy's first choice. She was the left-over.

For the first time in quite a while, Katherine found herself questioning Jason's motives. Only hours ago, she was certain that Jason would never break her heart, as so many before had. Perhaps her luck with love was finally about to change. But now, she wasn't so sure. After all, he was involved with Alexis first, and he never even mentioned that relationship to her. Katherine almost felt that, if the Purple Ranger hadn't returned to Angel Grove, Jason could have strung them both along.

Jason and Alexis had

something, until Katherine stepped into his life. Just when would Emily step into his life? It wasn't a question of "if"

, in Katherine's perspective. No, it was only a matter of time until Jason met his true love. And then, his feelings for Kat would just melt away, just like his feelings for Alexis.

She never really thought about marrying Jason: they weren't even really "official."

But still, knowing that Jason would meet Emily left Katherine cold. And the fact that Brittany expected Jason to already know Emily meant one more disconcerting thing: he'd meet Emily soon. Perhaps she'd transfer to Angel Grove High. Or perhaps she'd always been there, and he just hadn't met her yet.

It was fate. Jason was going to meet Emily. And of course, he'd fall in love with her. Why wouldn't he? She'd surely have the same character traits that Brittany's mother has. The basis for their attraction would still exist.

Perhaps she was more into sports. Perhaps she had more in common with Jason. Perhaps she was more attractive, intelligent, or even confident.

All in all...she was a better match for Jason than Kat was; and that grim determination left Katherine feeling cold.

And so, the pair continued their search, their voiceless thoughts occupying their minds completely. In fact, they were so distracted that they never heard the dim mumblings that surrounded them.

The first clue to their danger was when a spurt of dense venom splashed Jason's raven helmet.

"Ah!" he cried in alarm, falling backwards as his vision was instantly veiled.

"Jason?" Kat called, hurrying to his side. She gasped when she saw the steam pouring from the helmet, indicating the corrosive venom was eating through the armor.

"I...can't get it off!" Jason shouted, prying at the latches. His fingers were trembling with panic, making it quite difficult for him to operate.

Katherine pushed his arms away, and tried her shot at freeing the latches while not touching the streaming venom. She bit her lip when she noticed the drops moving progressively closer to Jason's neck.

"Dammit!" she shrieked, "the latch melted!"

Pursing her lips with determination, her Ice Daggers appeared within her clenched fists. She pried open the latch with one dagger, and yanked the deformed helmet from his head. Jason collapsed to the ground completely, panting heavily and gripping the dust with his trembling fingers.

His lip still quivering, he looked up to see two Viper Putties standing right in front of him.

His eyes narrowing, he dug his fingers deeper into the ground. Suddenly, a pillar of earth sprang up beneath the two Putties, tossing them into the air and off the edge.

Jason sighed with relief, and pulled himself into a sitting position. He glanced at his melted helmet, still steaming from the toxic venom. He then espied Katherine, who was facing four Putties. Her moves were frenzic, as she blocked attacks with both daggers, as well as tossing the occasional offensive kick.

One Putty managed to poke through her impressive defense, and landed a powerful jab to her solar plexus. Katherine grunted as she lost her footing, and fell to the ground.

Before another blow could be dealt to the dazed Blue Ranger, powerful seismic waves plowed into the four Putties, simultaneously vibrating all of them until they shattered into dust. Moments later, the helmetless Black Ranger was at Katherine's side. He gently supported her back with his arm, and pulled off her helmet.

Her face was flushed and moist with sweat, but she seemed unharmed. Jason brushed her unruly flaxen curls from her face, and gazed at her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" he inquired.

She didn't answer verbally. Instead, she continued gazing into his eyes.

They both saw it.

The fear. The questions. The dread.

The love.

They both understood how the entire situation effected the other.

No words were uttered as Katherine leaned forward, and embraced Jason tightly, leaning her forehead on his broad shoulder. Jason wrapped her with all the comfort his strong arms could afford.

They remained silent, each one leaning upon the other for support. No words were uttered. No words were needed.

Chapter Thirty-Two

At about the center of the cliffs, the Pink Starlight Ranger stood, holding her hands to her helmet. The Red Terran Ranger stood beside her, grasping his Flame Saber tightly as he visually combed their surroundings for the fourth time.

"I...I think I've found something!" Rebecca exclaimed, her eyes opening beneath her helmet, "I sense...OW

!"

Rebecca suddenly collapsed to her knees, clutching her torso painfully. Tommy knelt beside her, and tried to break the trance she seemed to be trapped in.

"AH!"

she shrieked, this time her hand flying to the small of her back. "Please, no more..."

"Rebecca!" Tommy shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her violently. "Snap out of it!"

The shaking broke the empathic connection, and Rebecca's eyes flew open beneath her rose helmet. The pain subsided, but the anguish still beat at her temples.

"Micah's in tremendous pain," she whispered, hugging her trembling arms to herself. "It was so overwhelming, I couldn't break the empathic link!"

Tommy's face paled beneath his helmet. "Where is he?" he demanded.

Rebecca cast her gaze towards a nearby cave, and took the tall Red Ranger by the arm. "Come on," she ordered, "it's this way."

Tommy let the petite girl lead him, until they reached the cave. It's mouth was rather small, but nothing could be seen except a blanket of darkness.

"This must be it," said Tommy. "Let's go."

As soon as the pair stepped into the cave, Tommy heard a footstep from overhead. Acting on sheer instinct, Tommy dove into Rebecca, knocking her a few feet from where she was standing. Both Rangers landed with a thud closer to the cave mouth. Right were Rebecca was initially standing, a steaming stream of venom splashed to the earth.

"Get going!" Tommy commanded, retrieving his fallen saber, "I'll take care of this."

Rebecca nodded, racing into the dark mouth of the cave as the Red Ranger gazed at his eight opponents with flaming fury in his heart.

The young Pink Ranger felt his fury and frustration. She almost pitied the Viper Putties that dared face him in such a passionate state.

She continued racing into the darkness, until the entire absence of light forced her to take cautious steps. After feeling around in the dark for a while, the sounds of shouting helped her find her way through the dim cavern. A little further into the cavern brought the faint light of torches, sending a trembling illumination into the tunnel.

She paused her movement as soon as she rounded a corner, and could bear witness to the horror she empathically felt.

She found herself just outside a small chamber, with three large torches flickering ominously, and an iron cage propped against the far corner. Inside the cage was David, who was yelling at Goldar furiously. Goldar, meanwhile, was gripping a black leather whip, circling the dangling form of Micah Oliver. He hung limply from straps dropping from the ceiling, and swayed in the faint breeze. Only remnants of his cotton shirt hung on his shoulders, neck, and waist, while deep, criss-crossing scars marred his tender flesh. Blood dripped onto his stained jeans, and tears continued to flow down his cheeks in steady streams.

Rebecca felt her stomach wretch when she absorbed Micah's condition.

"Stop, dammit!" David roared, tears of frustration wetting his own eyes. "Can't you see he's out cold? He can't tell you anything now!"

Goldar snarled, and walked toward to the young man. David shrank a bit from Goldar's glare.

"I don't care," Goldar sneered. "He is a Power Ranger. That in and of itself is reason enough for me to kill him. Slowly."

"You said you would only hurt him if he didn't talk," David argued, this time from a safer distance within the cell. "What more could you possibly want from him?"

Goldar responded with a toothy grin. "No, my mission is complete, Human. This is just a bonus."

The fierce canine laughed deeply, tossing his whip casually over his shoulder. He then turned back towards his prey, but the laughter died on his lips when he saw the petite form of the Pink Ranger, standing at the narrow entrance to the deep cave.

"Well," Goldar growled, "if it isn't the Pink Ranger. I told you we'd finish our little encounter."

He then dropped his whip, and unsheathed his mighty golden long sword. "Do come in."

Rebecca then steadily walked into the small chamber. However, as soon as she entered the bright torchlight, a shock passed through her system. She cried out in alarm, falling to her hands and knees.

Moments later, she recovered. She blinked in surprise when she realized what the shockwave had done.

Her uniform was gone.

Her eyes widened.

"Heaven's Gale Starlight Power!" she called, rising to her feet, "HEAVEN'S GALE!!"

Goldar laughed deeply at the wide-eyed girl. "Don't bother. Within this chamber, your powers are muted...Rebecca Mitchell."

Rebecca frowned as the creature laughed mockingly, pushing the dangling Green Ranger who hung just beside him like a pendulum. "Yes, your little friend Micah told me everything. Who you are, where you're from, why you're here...even who your parents are. I practically had to whip him just to shut him up!"

Rebecca's brown eyes narrowed, and she stood erect. She then moved closer to Goldar, and fell into a fighting stance. Goldar's laughter only increased.

"You are really brave, or really foolish, little girl," Goldar gasped. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

Rebecca's gaze remained steadily transfixed upon the stalwart warrior. "Funny," she said evenly, cracking her knuckles, "I was about to say the same thing to you."

Chapter Thirty-Three

"OW!!"

Anthony moaned, pulling his arm away.

"Jeez, Tony," Kimberly sighed, grabbing his wrist again, "you're such a baby!"

Anthony tensed once again as the soaked cotton patch was placed upon the red rash that broke out on his right arm. He pursed his lips together tightly, his nose wrinkling with pain as the burning liquid seeped into his skin.

"How's he looking?" Adam asked, glancing over the Gold Ranger's shoulder.

"Only first-degree acid burns," Kim responded, picking up a roll of porous medical wrap from the cart of first aid supplies. "This liquid will dissolve the venom, so it won't eat any further. It'll heal by itself pretty quickly."

She smiled warmly at the Red Starlight Ranger. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Anthony frowned, examining his patched arm. He then flexed the muscle, and smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Kim nodded, and watched as Anthony hopped off the cot. He then glanced over at Billy, who was studying something on his terminal.

"So, what about my uniform?" he inquired.

"Power Ranger armor usually restores itself," the genius responded. "The next time you morph, your glove and sleeve will be as good as new."

"And, what about that weird power influx I experienced?" he continued. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah, we did," Alexis answered, folding her arms. "It looks like you Starlight Rangers can focus your power into a really big boom. Pretty handy, if you ask me."

"I wonder why Mr. Mitchell didn't tell us we had this ability," Brittany commented, raising her head off the med-unit. Aisha, who was busy examining her, gently pushed the Yellow Ranger back down.

"Jeez," she muttered impatiently, watching the blue light that passed over her forehead, "why are you guys so parental?! I told you, I'm fine!"

"We need to make sure," Rocky answered, glancing at the screen connected to the med-unit. "Well, whatever that smoky mist was, it didn't leave any permanent effect on you. The dizziness faded?"

"Yeah...half an hour ago," she muttered, finally being allowed to sit up.

"And to answer your first question," Billy called from across the room, "maybe Mr. Mitchell didn't know that you would have this energy-channeling ability. From what Anthony described, it seems to have been sparked by adrenaline. It almost reminds me of Cloud's Omni-Slash attack..."

"What?" Adam asked, frowning.

Billy shook his head dismissively. "Never mind. Empty analogy."

Suddenly, the shriek of the alarm claxons sliced through the chamber, startling everyone present.

"I'm picking up a focus of powerful dark energy," Tanya announced, tapping on the keyboard. "Here...I'll put it on the Viewing Globe."

The assembly encircled the large sphere, and gazed at an enlarged, ebony-armored knight, brandishing a powerful battle ax. His entire visage was hidden behind an iron helmet, with the exception of a crimson glow penetrating the small eye ports.

The creature laughed deeply as it marched through the cliffs, shaking the entire area with each gargantuan step.

"Right on time," Alexis stated, pulling her morpher from her pocket, "Zedd and Rita have upped the stakes."

"Let's roll," Kimberly said, as she and Adam took a stand beside Alexis, "Billy, can you let the others know we're headed into a Zord battle?"

"But Micah..." Anthony protested.

"We'll keep looking," Brittany suggested, hopping off the med-unit. "We don't have Zords anyway."

"I'll contact the others," Tanya offered, activating the communications relay, "but I doubt they need me to tell them about this bad boy. He's practically on top of them."

"Thanks," said Adam as he and Kim strapped on their helmets. Alexis held her morpher at arm's length, and her eyes narrowed.

"Purple Ranger Power!" she commanded. In a brilliant pulse of purple light, Alexis transformed into the single remaining Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. A second carrier wave teleported all three Rangers out of the underground headquarters, and straight into their respective zords.

With one eye on the Viewing Globe, which still displayed the strange armored monster the Rangers had gone to confront, Tanya activated the general communicator, signaling both the Terran Rangers, as well as the Starlight Rangers, whose communicators were compatible with the CAC's current technology.

"This is Tanya," she said into the microphone. "Can everyone read me?"

^Regina here.^

^Kat too.^

^Jason three.^

^Zack's reading ya loud and clear!^

^Tommy checking in,^

Tommy said in a strained voice.

"Guys, we have an emergency," Tanya announced. "There's a mean looking monster in your general area, and Kim, Adam, and Alexis have gone to fight it. She will certainly need backup."

^So that's what all that shaking's about,^

Zack commented.

^But, what about Micah?^

Regina inquired.

"The Starlights can --"

^Actually, Rebecca and I are on to him,^

Tommy announced, ^I'm right outside a cave, and I've been fighting Viper Putties. Rebecca went in ahead of me, and since she's not back yet, I think she found him.^

"Terrific!" said Tanya, "Then the rest of the Terran Rangers join the battle, while the Starlights return to the CAC ASAP."

^Why can't we keep looking for Mike?^

Regina argued, ^Tommy and Becky could use our help!^

^We can handle it,^

Tommy replied, ^Tommy out.^

^Let's get to the zords!^

Jason cried over the communicator.

^Right!^

said the voices of Zack and Katherine, as they deactivated their communicators.

^Um, Tanya?^

said Regina quietly, ^why didn't Rebecca answer?^

Chapter Thirty-Four

Rebecca Mitchell heard the six tone signal ring in the background. But in the foreground, she could hear her heart beating. The pulse was steady, and a bit quicker than usual. Her muscles tensed, and adrenaline poured into her system. It was much like when she was in training at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, when Wolverine would recreate a battle against some alien creature for Rebecca to practice her skills on. She was ready.

Goldar suddenly pounced at her, brandishing his mighty golden sword. Rebecca effortlessly rolled out of harm's way, and struck Goldar's knees, causing the seven-foot canine to crash onto the ground only feet away from the heavy stone wall. Goldar growled angrily, and leapt to his feet before Rebecca could attack again. This time, Goldar attacked smarter, tossing golden fireballs from his magical sword. Rebecca continued a series of handsprings, evading the fireballs cleanly. As soon as Goldar seemed to figure out the pattern of her movement, she suddenly shifted in the opposite direction. It was as if she could read Goldar's thoughts.

"Stand still!" Goldar bellowed furiously, swinging his sword at her wildly. Rebecca evaded each swing, but suddenly she lost her footing, and fell onto her back. Goldar grinned menacingly.

"Now I've got you," he muttered, lifting his sword into the air. He notice the faint smile that tugged at her lips.

"No. I've got you!" she replied, pushing off from her hands. Her heels plowed into Goldar's abdomen, pushing the mighty beast backwards. Rebecca rose to her feet, and struggled to heft the large sword Goldar had dropped. It was almost as long as she was. To Goldar's surprise, she managed to lift the heavy blade, and rested it at the base of his chin, being careful to stand to his side to avoid his deadly feet.

"You're not half bad," Rebecca commented. "For a monster, at least."

Goldar frowned, daring to life his head defiantly. But Rebecca pushed the blade against his azure fur, and he shivered as the tip penetrated his skin. He gazed at her with eyes of fury as black blood trickled onto the edge.

"Don't try anything stupid," she commented, "I know how to use this thing."

Goldar smiled confidently. "I doubt it, Girl. It is a magical sword."

Rebecca reflected his knowing grin. "Someone once told me that a weapon is a weapon," she replied, gripping the hilt harder. To Goldar's astonishment, the tip of the blade began to glow brightly. Before he could move, a ray of golden energy streamed out of the blade, striking him in the face. He screamed in pain before his entire body went limp upon the dirt floor. Rebecca then raced towards Micah, struggling to grip the weighty sword. She winced when she saw the garish wounds up close.

"I'll get David first," she said to her friend gently, running to the cage. David smiled his thanks.

"Step back," she commanded, lifting the broad sword over her head. She thrust it down in one swing, severing the metal of the lock. David pushed the gate open easily, and regarded the petite girl in front of him.

"Wow," he commented, "you're pretty good."

"Well, I've been trained by some of the best warriors on Earth," she responded as she walked towards Micah. She paused when the sound of footsteps approached from the obscure tunnel.

"The Putties are dust," the Red Terran Ranger announced, stepping into the chamber. He was visibly surprised when he saw Goldar lying unconscious on the ground. "You did that?" he asked Rebecca.

"Yes I did," she replied. She frowned slightly when Tommy managed to enter the chamber completely without demorphing.

"I don't understand," she whispered, gazing at Tommy in puzzlement, "why are you still morphed?"

"Why aren't you morphed?" the Red Ranger inquired.

"Goldar said something about muting my powers," she answered. "For some reason, it's not effecting you, though."

Tommy was about to question her further, until his gaze fell upon the limp, slender boy hanging from the ceiling behind her. He swallowed forcefully, slowly walking towards him. He winced when he realized just how deep the wounds were.

He was completely speechless as he approached the boy. He saw his own features in this child, although he was fairer in complexion than himself. Still, somehow he could almost feel the connection between them.

He never recovered his voice, as he stared at the boy in mute horror and amazement.

"Let's get him down," Rebecca said, breaking the stony silence. She lifted Goldar's sword over her head. "Get ready to catch him," she advised.

Tommy nodded blankly, wrapping his arms around Micah's waist carefully. He felt the boy's flesh tremble when his arms came in contact with the swollen scars.

"p...please..." Micah breathed, his lips barely parting. Tommy felt his eyes sting at the pain trembling through the boy's body.

"Relax, Micah," Tommy whispered, as gently as he could, "I won't hurt you."

Tommy could feel the boy's muscles relax slightly, and he managed to firmly grip him without too much pain.

"...help me, Dad," Micah whispered, his voice slightly stronger, "please..."

Tommy bit his lip beneath his helmet. "I'm here now," he assured the trembling child, "I'm here."

He then nodded at Rebecca, who heaved the sword through the air, cutting down the leather chords that still chaffed the boy's tender skin. Micah collapsed completely into Tommy's arms.

"sorry..." Micah continued to breathe dreamily, "...wasn't strong enough...failed you..."

"You didn't fail," Tommy assured him, stroking the back of his head as he slowly walked out of the cave. "You didn't fail me."

Both Rebecca and David watched in silence as the Red Terran Ranger carried the delirious boy out of the chamber. Rebecca sniffled, wiping the tears that poured from her eyes.

She couldn't believe how gentle Tommy was...to a son that shouldn't even exist in his frame of mind.

"Who...is that?" David inquired, gripping Rebecca's shoulder.

"That is the one who will guide you to your destiny," she responded quietly, "I guess he didn't even see you!"

She smiled weakly, taking his hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Chapter Thirty-Five

As the Eaglezord swayed helplessly through the air, Alexis silently prayed in gratitude that her zord was equipped with a seatbelt. Still, the dizzying effects of being hurtled back and forth by the gargantuan monster take their toll, preventing the Purple Ranger from even forming a coherent thought.

It was mind-numbing to think that the armored creature was able to actually catch her Zord in mid-flight, pluck it out of the sky, and whirl it around like a discus.

Shaking her head to force herself to concentrate, she glared at her viewscreen. The fierce knight with reflectant armor continued to laugh as he spun on his heels, carrying the Eaglezord with him. Finally, he released the zord from his vice-like grip, sending it flying through the air, directly towards a rather large, intimidating cliff. Alexis frantically tried to regain control of the zord, but it was useless. Thankfully, instead of smashing into the cliff of rock, the Eaglezord plummeted into a thick blanket of soft snow. Alexis blinked in surprise at her miraculous rescue, and flipped on her communicator.

"Thanks a million, Kat," Alexis panted, trying to catch her breath.

^Think nothing of it,^

the Blue Ranger replied from the cockpit of her zord. ^The gang's all here!^

^Get your bearings, Alexis,^

Jason said over the speaker. ^The rest of us will fight this...thing

.^

"Just, give me a minute," Alexis breathed, changing the view of her screen. The snow that covered the front of the zord was replaced by a posterior view. Alexis grinned when she saw the Alligator, Rhinoceros, Hawk, Cheetah, and Thunderbird Terrazords regroup.

^Anyone else sustain damage?^

Jason inquired.

^Not really,^

Zack responded. ^We just couldn't do anything once he grabbed a hold of Alexis. But now that she's free...^

^...leave it to me!^

Kimberly finished, the Thunderbird climbing into the air. Pulsing ruby orbs followed the small yellow bird as it soared into the atmosphere. Beneath the occluding helmet, a wide, frightful smile appeared.

"Going somewhere?" the monster inquired in a surprisingly powerful voice. He raised his powerful ax into the air, and large black razors, each one about eight feet in length and three in girth, materialized at the sharp tip of the weapon and sailed at the Thunderbird like a rapid-fire machine gun. Kimberly did her best to avoid them, sometimes destroying the razors in mid air with a few well-placed lightning bolts, but she couldn't avoid them all. One collided with the tip of her golden wing, embedding itself in the metallic feathers. The force of the razor's flight edged the Thunderbird into a dizzying spin, but Kim quickly regained control.

"Now he's done it," the Gold Ranger huffed, "Thundernet, activate!"

Streams of crackling lightning fired from the forehead of the Thunderbird, encasing the knight in a cage of electricity. Rito laughed deeply, hefting his ax over his shoulder. In a morbid cloud, he vanished from within the cage, only to materialize a few yards outside of it.

"Is that the best you can do, Kimberly?" he mocked, tossing his helmeted cranium back in laughter.

Kim's eyes narrowed as she redirected the course of her flight. "How does he know my name?" she wondered.

"Adam!" Jason ordered, watching in his monitor as the Thunderbird steadily retreated to safe distance, "You take the high rode, and I'll take the low road!"

"Got it!" the Green Ranger replied, the Hawk streaking at the obsidian warrior. At the same time, the Rhinoceros charged at the sleek villain like a rabid bull, its sharp silver horn gleaming in the sunlight. Rito crouched slightly, and then somersaulted into the air, easily clearing the Rhinoceros while at the same time avoiding the Hawk. He landed behind them with amazing grace, especially considering the obvious weight of his suit of armor. Not wasting a moment, he spun around completely, his arching ax firing several dozen razors at both zords simultaneously. The Rhinoceros sustained minimal damage, but it was forced back into a cliff. The Hawk was forced to land, to prevent crashing.

"My turn!" Katherine declared, the Alligator spinning around. The large tail, lined with sharp "scales", rammed into Rito's legs, tearing through his heavy plated armor and knocking the creature on his back. Rito growled more with anger than pain, and then glared at the Alligator with intense crimson fury.

"Not bad," Rito conceded, rising to his feet. To Kat's horror, the gashes in the monster's sleek armor closed up before her eyes, not even leaving a hint of a dent. Rito bent his knees, and then launched himself into the air. The Alligator barely managed to duck, but as soon as Rito landed, he surprised Kat by throwing a powerful snap kick, his dense heel striking the Alligator in the neck, and piercing the hull of the zord. Then, Rito swung his ax around, and released a flurry of razors, all aimed at the head of the Alligator. Kat screamed as the thorns sliced into the aquamarine body of the zord, some even penetrating through the hull into the cockpit.

"Kat?" Jason shouted in horror from within his slightly battered Rhinoceros, "Kat, answer me!"

Chapter Thirty-Six

Alarms were screaming inside the Central Access Complex as the Red Terran Ranger materialized. However, the distraught Ranger ignored the sounds of the alarms, hurrying to the med-unit in the corner of the underground technological hub. The other teenagers present were all quick to react as Tommy laid the unconscious boy onto the cushioned cot as gently as he could.

"Oh my..." Brittany whispered, her hands flying to her mouth. Regina gasped deeply, swaying as if she would faint. Anthony was quick to support his girlfriend, and hesitantly the three elder Starlight Rangers approached the med-unit.

Tommy was standing woodenly beside the cot, gently brushing the boy's feathery bangs from his flushed face. His other hand was tightly gripping Micah's.

It was truly a touching scene.

"Step back," Tanya ordered sternly, pushing passed the petrified Starlight team. She activated the sensors on the med-unit, and calibrated the internal scanner.

"Broken bones?" Rocky inquired, quickly reaching Tanya's side.

"Looking," she answered, gazing at the small screen. An image of Micah's ribcage appeared, and as she altered the focus of the blue beam, the image shifted.

"He's in pain," Tommy said blankly.

"I'm on it," Aisha announced, filling a small needle with clear fluid. "This'll help him sleep."

The former Green Terran Ranger moved towards the boy, and injected his shoulder with the serum.

"Rocky, his skin --" Tanya started.

"Got it," he interrupted, tapping at the keys, "Dermal regenerator set."

"Is he okay?" Brittany whispered, glancing at Billy. The mentor of the Terran Rangers was still at his terminal, watching with a blank expression as the medical team raced to treat Micah as best they could.

It was amazing to Billy how quickly they all caught on to the use of the enhanced equipment in the CAC.

"I...I don't know," he confessed, "Tanya?"

"No broken bones," she breathed with relief. "No internal injuries. His neck has been injured though, and his shoulders are practically dislocated. The ties on his ankles and wrists dug deep, and cut the flow of blood to his hands and feet. But there's nothing here that we can't fix easily enough."

Brittany closed her eyes, and sighed. Regina smiled weakly and clenched Anthony's hand.

But Tommy was still motionless.

"Tommy?" Aisha whispered, grasping the Red Ranger's shoulder. "Can you hear me?"

Tommy responded by raising his arms, and slowly pulling off his helmet. He let his chocolate hair spill around his shoulders, and lifted his chin.

His haunted, bloodshot eyes startled all present.

Tommy's lips parted, but no words came out. He couldn't put into words what he was feeling. The shock, horror, and anger was so overwhelming, he couldn't even think clearly. So, he remained at Micah's side, letting tears fall from his eyes.

Just then, two columns of energy heralded the arrival of Rebecca and David.

"What took you guys so long?" Brittany inquired, giving her friend a tight hug.

"I just had to fill David in on what's going on," she responded. "He knows everything now."

Rebecca then glanced passed the Yellow Ranger. Her smile fell when she saw the huddle surrounding the med-unit. "Micah?"

"He's going to be okay," Brittany assured her. "There's no permanent damage."

Rebecca then released the breath she was holding.

David then stepped out from behind Rebecca, and moved towards the crowd of people. His eyes narrowed with curiosity as he caught sight of Micah's slumbering form. Although his wounds were numerous, he put faith in the Yellow Starlight Ranger's assurance that they would heal.

He then set his discerning gaze to the Red Terran Ranger, who remained at the side of the med-unit. His dark eyes widened as he absorbed the features of the hero that earlier were hidden by his crimson helmet.

True, Rebecca had informed him about Tommy Oliver, their blood connection, and even their mutual destiny regarding the arrowhead. Still, gazing at Tommy's face wasn't too different from looking into a mirror.

David quickly recovered from the surprise, and moved closer to the Red Ranger. He hesitated a moment, realizing that the Ranger was already in a disturbed frame of mind.

Still, he had waited so long to discover his destiny. He couldn't wait any longer.

"Tommy?" he said quietly, laying his sturdy hand on the young man's shoulder. Tommy frowned slightly at the unfamiliar voice, and turned around to see its origin.

Slowly, his reddened eyes widened.

"David?" Tommy whispered, his shock causing him to drop Micah's hand.

"You guessed it," he finished, smiling warmly and extending his hand, "and I can't tell you how glad I am to finally meet you."

Tommy recalled the image of David Trueheart he had seen on the screen earlier, but he couldn't prevent the shock from plowing through his system.

He never knew he had a brother. As True of Heart had promised, the arrowhead segment did lead him to the greatest discovery of his life.

Tommy shook David's hand, his lips curling into a smile. He then pulled his brother closer, and wrapped him in a tight, heartfelt embrace.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Tears rolling down his cheeks, Tommy pulled away from his brother. His wide gaze absorbed his appearance hungrily, and he rested his hands upon his shoulders.

"I...I can't believe it," Tommy said quietly, "I mean...you're standing right in front of me...and I can't believe you're real!"

David pursed his lips, nodding emphatically. "I know what you mean! I've lived my whole life just wondering if I was alone in the world. I have friends and family, but no blood relation. All I had were bits and pieces of faded memories, and a feeling that I had a destiny to fulfill. And when I got the arrowhead..."

David's eyes then widened, as his hand traced his bare neck. "I...I lost it on the cliffs..."

Tommy's smile widened, as his hand crept beneath his collar. He unveiled two leather chords, each holding one of two matching arrowhead halves. "I've got you covered, Brother."

Watching on from a distance, Rocky kept his hands clasped behind his back. He had made room for the Starlights to cluster around their injured teammate, since he could provide no further care. He visibly cringed as the Alligator fell victim to a spray of razors from the obscure sentinel. He could hear the loud crunch of metal on metal, and a deep frown formed on his face.

"Tommy," he said sternly, crisply approaching the brothers, "I hate to be the bringer of bad news here, but the rest of the team could use your help. The Terras don't stand a chance without the Megazord!"

Tommy's euphoric expression sobered almost instantly, as he turned away from his brother to face the grim situation before him. He picked up his discarded crimson helmet, and clenched his jaw as he pulled it over his countenance.

"You're right, Rocko," he said quietly, "I'd better get going." He pulled off the two leather strings, and handed them to David, who gazed at him quizzically. "You should keep an eye on them," Tommy decided. "Just in case...well...just in case." He gave his brother a reassuring thumbs up before stepping away. "Back to Action!"

Rocky watched as the Red Ranger's body melted into a pulsing column of light. He sighed quietly as he thought about the last time he had leapt into action in the Red armor. It was only last fall, right before Rita and Zedd transformed the team into children. Still, it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Rocky?" Aisha whispered, nudging the pensive former Ranger. "You okay?"

Rocky jumped, and turned to meet his close friend's inquiring gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You miss it," Aisha observed. It wasn't a question.

"I guess I do," Rocky confessed. "It's...hard to just sit and watch."

"Tell me about it!" Regina sighed, suddenly stepping closer to the congregation. "Hey Billy! Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Not unless you brought some Zords along with you," he responded, typing on a keyboard, "But, perhaps you can help me out. You're familiar with the CAC's primary functions, right?"

Regina's frown instantly flipped. "Will always called me a natural."

Billy nodded, waving her towards him. "Then, do me a favor and help me process the data I'm collecting."

"Collecting? From what?"

Billy's eyes narrowed. "From that Dark Knight."

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sparks flew from the head and neck of the Alligator Zord. One rather large blade was jammed into the right eye of the Zord, which was where the cockpit was located.

"I think this Ranger is finished," the iron-clad monster stated smoothly. "But just to be on the safe side --"

Faster than the warrior could even think, a wall of white light appeared between him and the Alligator, and stretched all around the monster in a brilliant cylinder. He stared at the wall intently, and then realized with some surprise that it wasn't a wall. Rather, it was an object moving so quickly, it was everywhere at once.

"Now you've done it!" Zack shouted, his Cheetah swiftly circling Rito. He suddenly stopped circling the monster, and ran right at him. He appeared as a streak of white light, and slammed into the creature's stomach. Rito howled with rage and pain as he hurtled through the air, crashing into a patch of trees nearby. But he recovered almost immediately, and rose to his feet. The fear-inspiring ruby gaze of the monster brightened, and fixed itself upon the Cheetah.

"No, little Ranger," he stated, holding up his massive ax, "I've only just begun."

The mighty blade began to glow, casting a web of sinuous energy around the ivory Cheetah. Despite its amazing speed and agility, the energy bands clung to the hull of the Cheetah, holding it captive.

All the Rangers heard a tense scream exuding from the Cheetah as flashes of white energy cascaded around the hull.

"We've got to do something!" Kimberly gasped, her eyes wide as she heard Zack's pained scream echoing in her mind.

^Hold on, Kim,^

said a voice, surprisingly calm and assured. ^Let me try something.^

The Gold Ranger couldn't help but smile as she gazed at her monitor. "Tommy, what the heck took you so long?"

"I'll tell you later," he answered, as the Phoenix sailed over the cliffs to the battlefield. "Activating Hyperflame Shield!"

The hull of the Phoenix began to glow with reddish-orange energy, and it catapulted towards the knight, leaving a streak of light like a falling star. The relatively small Zord arched between the Cheetah and its oppressor, and sailed directly towards the mighty ax the creature used as the focus of its power.

Even before the energized wing of the Phoenix touched it, the heavy metal melted to liquid. The knight gasped in astonishment as the head of his ax bent over, and the web of energy faded. Once freed, the Cheetah backed up slightly as the Silver Ranger recovered his bearings.

"Okay, roll call," Tommy said, pulling back on the wheel to bring his vehicle into the air again, "Zack, you okay?"

The gasping was heavy from the Cheetah, but a weak voice did transmit. ^Never better,^

he wheezed.

"How about Kat?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Inside the Alligator, the Blue Ranger picked herself off the ground. She shook her head, and steadied herself against a console. She glanced at her seat, and gasped when she saw a razor, about seven feet long and three feet thick, sticking through her leather seat. It had crashed through the eye of the Alligator, and it would have killed her, had she not leaped for cover.

"Ah!" she moaned, pausing after she had tried to take a step. She tenderly tried out her leg, but much to her consternation, any pressure placed upon her right foot resulted in a sharp pain.

One of the ceiling consoles had fallen on her leg, and it obviously was more than her armor could protect her from.

She jumped as a loud screech of metal tore through the silent chamber. She backed away slowly as the back door of the bridge was forced open.

"Kat?" the intruder inquired, muscling through the small entrance. "Are you all right?"

Katherine released the breath she was holding. "Jason! What're you doing here?"

Jason hurried to the Blue Ranger, and quickly wrapped her in a tight hug. "You weren't answering your communicator, and all the sparking equipment created a flux that made it impossible for us to scan the bridge of the Alligator, or teleport in or out. So, I teleported into the Zord itself, and made my way over."

Katherine smiled widely beneath her helmet. "Thanks."

She tried to take a step, but once again winced when her foot touched the ground.

"Kat?" Jason inquired worriedly.

"It's my ankle," she explained, "but it'll be okay."

Jason gently pushed Katherine to the console, and let her lean against it. He then examined the razor blade embedded within her pilot's seat.

"We need to get the Alligator up and running," Jason decided, grasping the blade with both arms. His enhanced Ranger strength allowed him to pull the projectile out of the chair, and he dropped it towards the back of the cockpit. He then took Katherine by the hand, and escorted her to the seat. Katherine gratefully sat down, ignoring the gaping hole in the back, and glanced tiredly at the sparking controls.

"Well, the viewscreen's shot," she sighed, looking out of the glass to the battlefield, "I can only see what's directly ahead of me. All other screen views have been disrupted." She then began typing carefully on the main switchboard, and scanned the readout. "One of those daggers ruptured the Alligator's neck, and the LOX tubing there. I can't fire my Deep Freeze Cannon."

"Do you think you can form the Megazord?" Jason asked, glancing over her shoulder at the Megazord Transformation panel.

"Yeah," she responded, reaching over to begin the sequence, "it looks okay. The structural damage is minimal, so the Megazord will be able to stand up."

Jason stared through the open eye of the Alligator, and watched anxiously as a spray of razors streaked towards the newly-arrived Phoenix. However, the Hyperflame Shield melted the thorns before impact. Jason felt a wave of inspiration.

"Tommy! Guys!" he yelled into his wrist communicator. "Let's form the Megazord! Alexis, you flank us!"

^You heard the man,^

said Tommy, the Phoenix flying straight into the sky, ^Megazord sequence!^

Jason then grasped Katherine's shoulder for a moment, and vanished in a flash of obsidian energy.

Within seconds, the Megazord was complete, and the six Terran Rangers were inside the cockpit in the helmet. Right above, the Eaglezord hovered.

"Okay," said Jason, as his seat rolled into position, "let's try using flame attacks. They've had the most effect against that thing so far."

"Sounds good," said Adam, "Activating Terra Sword, and charging it with Fire."

The silver sword took shape in the Megazord's hand, and an orange aura spread onto its edge. The formidable Zord arched the weapon, but the agile monster dodged the attack, and released a fresh wave of gleaming blades at the Megazord.

Chapter Forty

Billy continued to monitor the fight with a tense expression on his face. He remained seated at his station, his entire focus upon the large screen that chronicled the cataclysmic battle. Surrounding him, the assembly of past and future Power Rangers stood firm, all cringing at each blow the Megazord suffered.

"I can't believe this!" Anthony groaned emphatically, pushing off from the console he leaned against. "We've traveled thirty years, and we're completely useless! The Rangers are losing!"

"This is so different from our world," Rebecca observed quietly. "No creature of this ability ever attacked Earth. Our parents were never so strained."

"That's so bizarre," Tanya commented, her brow wrinkling, "that this dimension and yours differ so much. I mean, from what I gather the breach in our two histories only happened last December. We're talking three months of time!"

"But during that time, Rita and Zedd had given up on Earth," Brittany pointed out.

"Do you honestly think Rita and Zedd have the capability to create a monster like this?" Rocky interjected. "Unless they've been taking an Evil Correspondence Course, whatever it is we're dealing with is leagues ahead of those two."

"Billy?" Regina called from her station, "I've run the various scans, including infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray. I'm not picking up any weak spots, or any other clue as to how to beat that guy."

"I think it's time to run a decompositional scan," Billy surmised, rising to his feet.

"But, that doesn't give clues to beating him," Regina pointed out, swiveling her chair to face him, "It'll just break down what he's made of. You'll see layers of magic, but not any weaknesses."

"Well, we're out of options, so perhaps luck will be with us," Billy stated, moving towards Regina's station. On his way, he observed David, sitting silently beside Micah's still body. He then redirected his route, and walked towards the pensive young man.

"David?" he inquired, pausing in front of him. "Are you all right?"

David lifted his gaze from the floor, and fixed Billy with a blank stare. "Everything's happening so quickly," he confessed with a heavy sigh, "I don't understand what's going on here. All I do know is, my brother is fighting a monster no one here thinks his team can beat, and I just witnessed my nephew tortured at the hand of a being not of this world." He shook his head slowly, leaning back in his seat. "It's a lot to come to grips with."

Billy smiled weakly, offering his hand. "I don't believe we've actually been introduced. I'm Billy Mitchell."

David grasped the extended hand, and shook it. "Well, I'm David Trueheart, though you already know that."

David's grasp weakened, and his gaze returned to the unconscious boy beside him. "I was right there with him, in that cell," he reflected, "and I was completely useless."

"Don't think there was anything you could've done to spare Micah," Billy said firmly, "Goldar is a powerful warrior, who has been serving the forces of evil long before any of us were born. Even a fully morphed and armed Ranger will have difficulty beating him. It was entirely out of your hands."

David conceded the point, nodding his head. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for him. The scars he bears..."

"The med-unit will completely heal all the wounds he's received," Billy assured him, "He may be sore when he wakes up, but that's all."

David shook his head, his frown deepening. "You can heal the wounds on his skin...but what can you do about the wounds of his soul?"

Billy was struck silent. During the flurry of work he had been administrating, he hadn't given consideration to Micah's mental state after the ordeal. After all, he was only a child, and this was his first experience as a Power Ranger. He had to face the unadulterated wrath of one of the most nightmarish creatures in Earth's history, and from what David had reported, the goal was to extract information from the boy.

Who knew what Micah would feel? Guilt, for revealing any pertinent information? Terror, for seeing the darkest side to being a Power Ranger before he was ready? Betrayal, for his friends letting him suffer so tragically on his own?

"Rebecca," Billy called, causing the Pink Starlight Ranger to approach, "is there any way you can discern if there has been any serious psychological damage inflicted upon Micah?"

Rebecca's brow furrowed. "Not until he wakes up," she answered, "I will be able to feel what he feels once he's conscious, but that may not give the insight you're looking for. I won't be able to tell what is a temporary effect of his experience, or if he suffers some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder."

Billy blinked in response to Rebecca's candid diagnosis. "You seem a little young to have studied psychology."

Rebecca shrugged in response. "Not really. I've been a patient of this dysfunction. Experiencing the pain of others is really stressful for a kid." She closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly to shrug off the memories. "I'm okay now, though."

Billy watched carefully as the girl took a seat beside David. She gingerly clasped his hand, and smiled warmly at him. "Still, while I can't be sure yet, I feel Micah will be okay," she told him, "I'm sure that, when he does wake up, having you by his side will really help."

Billy pensively continued his trip to Regina's station, every so often glancing back at Rebecca in amazement. She was younger than he was when first chosen by Zordon to be the Blue Ranger. Still, her maturity was overwhelming.

He bit his lip as he considered the reason for his daughter's personality. She had to grow up quickly. They all had to. They had to face the unthinkable at such early ages. Every time the Terran Rangers marched into battle, these children watched their parents go, with a measure of pride as well as dread... and their fears were realized. Anthony had lost his father for several years when he was just a child, and now he may have lost his mother. Micah had lost both parents at once. Brittany had to say goodbye to her father, someone she obviously cherished very much. Regina's parents were alive, but several dear friends were hanging in the balance. And Rebecca had to face the abnormality of powerful mutant abilities, which essentially destroyed what should have been the carefree, joyful childhood everyone deserved.

It was really tragic the pain these children had to experience. Yet on the bright side, the pain only made them stronger.

They were good kids...fit for the responsibility hovering over their heads as the next generation of Power Rangers.

Absently, he wondered what his future self was thinking at that moment, waiting anxiously for any word from the time-traveling party. Still, while the tension was surely high in 2025, at least that William Mitchell had Trini by his side, to offer peace to his soul with her very presence...

"Hey Billy!" Regina called, stirring him from his reverie. The young genius glanced at the Blue Starlight Ranger, who turned her swivel chair to face him. A sly grin tugged at her full lips, and she shrugged her eyebrows mischievously.

"Did you find something?" he inquired, as the exchange grasped the attention of the rest of the teens. With the exception of David and Rebecca, everyone quickly congregated around Regina, with Anthony standing directly behind her. He grasped her shoulders, and leaned closer to the screen.

"Is that what I think it is?" he questioned, his aqua gaze transfixed on a flashing bubble of energy visible around the monster the Rangers were battling.

"Yep," Regina responded, her smile widening.

"I think we may have hit the jackpot, gang!" he announced.

Chapter Forty-One

"Brace yourselves for impact!" Tommy barked, his hands flying to the armrests of his seat. Similarly, all the other Rangers were quick to hold on to whatever stable fixture they could, as the lightning-quick razors launched from the monster's mangled ax, drilling deep into the blue leg of the Megazord. The team held on as a series of powerful explosions sparked from the impact points on the Alligator Zord, rattling the entire construct to its very core.

"The Alligator can't take much more of this!" Katherine shouted, to raise her voice above the screeching explosions filling their ears. "The joint-connection to the Cheetah is barely holding!"

"Dammit," Jason groaned, pounding his fist into his console. "That monster knows exactly what he's doing. He banged up the Alligator before, so he knows it's the weak spot of the Megazord!"

"Hey guys," Tommy proposed, shifting in his seat, "do you think it's possible for us to channel the Hyperflame Shield into the Alligator? It's proven effective against those blades before. Maybe it'll give the Alligator the protection it needs to stay connected?"

The Green Ranger frowned under his helmet. "It should be possible, since in Megazord form the Phoenix's Hyperflame attribute can be extended to the sword." He bit his lip as his fingers began flying over the Terra Sword specifications console. "I'm deactivating the Hyperflame from the sword now."

"It could still take us some time to reroute the shield," Kim pointed out. "We've never even tried that before."

"Then we need to buy ourselves some time," Tommy decided, activating his communicator, "Alexis, do you read?"

^Hear ya loud and clear, Tommy.^

"How's the Eaglezord holding up?"

^I'm still a bit stirred from that last laser beam volley,^

she groused, ^but I've managed to straighten out my navigation system. I'm in decent shape.^

"Do you think you can buy us a few minutes? We're going to try something."

^I'll do my best!^

"Good luck," Tommy finished, terminating the communication. With a wary eye, he watched as the Eaglezord flew back into eyesight, launching a few razor feathers to distract the powerful knight from his primary target. The monster was quick to respond, thrusting his ax in the Eaglezord's direction. Tommy's frown deepened when he noticed how sluggish the Eaglezord was in evading fire.

"Alexis is having a bit of trouble," he commented, turning on his communicator again, "so we don't have a minute to spare. Billy? Do you read me?"

After a moment of silence, the CAC's com-unit responded. ^Tommy? It's Rocky. Billy's working on a project, but maybe I can help?^

"We need to know how to reroute the Hyperflame Shield to the Alligator, to reinforce it against the monster's attacks."

^Hmm. Attribute Rerouting. I'll see what I can do on my end, and then forward you the specs.^

"Hurry," Kim pleaded, "With the Megazord down, the Eaglezord can't hold out for long."

The Terra team was answered by silence, as the signal was broken from the Central Access Complex.

Chapter Forty-Two

The former Red Power Ranger cast a grim glance at the Viewing Globe. As he held his breath, a wave of sinuous energy stretched towards the Eaglezord like a noose, intending to grab hold of the wily machine. Fortunately, the agile Zord managed to evade capture, as an aerial loop threw the Zord just a handful of meters away from the energy chain.

Alexis was certainly cutting it close up there.

His frustration building, Rocky turned away from the Viewing Globe, and returned his attention to Billy's desktop unit. He quickly scrolled through the text files of the Megazord, as well as the shared abilities the six combined zords had to offer. His patience wore as he screened each page, occasionally glancing up at the crowd still huddled around one of the workstations. Somewhere in the middle of that assembly was Billy, working with the amazing discovery Regina stumbled upon.

He knew Billy was hard at work, trying to find a way to exploit the weakness the scans he commissioned revealed. He knew that the key to finally defeating this foe rested on Billy's current work.

But he also knew the Rangers wouldn't last long without finding a way to construct the Hyperflame shield around the Alligator. Without the added protection of the superheated aura, the razors thrown by the monster would eventually tear the Alligator to pieces, or at least disrupt the systems enough to force the leg of the Megazord to separate.

It was impossible to tell how long it would take for the Megazord to be up and running again.

Rocky was determined to help. He knew he could find the specifications. While the CAC was essentially designed for Billy to be at the helm, he'd been working alongside the original Blue Ranger ever since the inception of the Terra team. He may not have been a natural computer genius, but he knew enough about the Zords' basic functions, as well as the data systems in the CAC, to be of some use.

"I'll be damned if I don't contribute," he groused, the tension in his body bringing him to punch the keys with exaggerated force.

He exhaled deeply when he finally found the specifications he needed, to program the Megazord to do exactly what the Rangers planned.

"Yes!" he whispered, pumping his fist proudly. He quickly activated his wrist communicator, his copper eyes focused on the paragraphs he needed. "Guys, are you there?"

^Tell us you've got some good news, Rock,^

Zack beseeched.

"Absolutely. There is a way to reroute the Hyperflame to the Alligator, but it'll only work if the Alligator's energy-reception capacitor is still functioning."

^In English?^

Kim requested. ^We're dealing with a really high-stress environment, and the simpler the directions, the better.^

Despite himself, Rocky grinned proudly at the masked compliment. No one had ever accused him of being too technical for common understanding.

"Kat, check out the system status screen of the Alligator. It should be right beside the manual controls for the Megazord leg."

^I found them.^

"Great. Now, there should be a steady green light next to an icon that kinda resembles a pair of crossed wires. Is it glowing green?"

^It's...blinking. What does that mean?^

Rocky frowned slightly. "That means the capacitor is slightly compromised, but mostly effective. Press the icon once, and a number should appear next to the light."

^The number is...74.^

"So the capacitor is 74% effective. That'll have to do. Now, if you press the icon one more time, a small screen should come up, with a blank for a numerical code. When you find it, you have to plug in the code 68473, which'll connect the Alligator's capacitor to the Hyperflame Shield generator onboard the Phoenix."

^Okay...done,^

Kat said, after a few moments.

"Now Tommy, you've got to repeat what I told Kat, in order to channel the Hyperflame into the Alligator's capacitor, but your code is 10006. That should do it."

After a long silence, the communicator came back to life. ^It's working!^

Kat called. ^Now we're back in the game!^

^Thanks, Rocky,^

Tommy said. ^We're lucky to have you on our side.^

Rocky beamed with excitement as he leaned into Billy's chair.

Chapter Forty-Three

^I've had enough of these childish games,^

the iron monster growled, holding his ax to his chest. Alexis frowned, as the menacing voice that channeled into her vessel vibrated in her mind.

"What is he up to...?" she wondered, her fingers hovering over the trigger for more feather missiles to launch. She pulled further from the stationary monster, glancing for a moment at the Megazord just barely on her back viewscreen, still motionless while the Rangers tended to their pressing problem.

Suddenly, Alexis screamed as the helmeted head of the large creature appeared in front of her without warning, laughing mockingly. Desperately, Alexis yanked the wheel with all her might, veering out the way as a stream of flames suddenly poured from the monster's mouth. While the flames didn't score a direct hit, the Zord was unable to pull completely out of the way, and the entire vessel shook as the right wing sliced into the side of the floating helmet.

"Where did that come from?!" she demanded, struggling with the helm to pull out of the spin the damaged ship fell into. Her eyes widened as the foreboding face of the cliff approached.

"Oh God," she whispered, her arms trembling with exertion as the Eaglezord sluggishly obeyed her command. "Pull UP, DAMMIT!!

"

"ACTIVATING EMERGENCY TELEPORT,"

the computer suddenly announced, much to Alexis' surprise.

"No!" she commanded, pulling her hand from the wheel, "I'm not leaving!"

With that, a concentrated burst of purple energy flashed in her palm, and streaked toward the teleportation relay. Upon impact, the entire circuit board exploded, sending sparks of electricity flying in all directions. Still, the Purple Ranger's focus was completely set upon the approaching cliff wall.

"Come on..." she muttered, sweat dripping down her forehead as she glanced at the bottom of the viewscreen, "only twelve meters to the top..."

She breathed in exertion, pulling back on the wheel to increase the angle of incline with all her enhanced Ranger strength. She fought to hold the ship steady, and closed her eyes when the cliff filled the screen in front of her.

Clenching her teeth and holding on for dear life, Alexis shook and swayed as the Eagle barely pulled over the cliff, scratching the entire bottom of the hull against the jagged face, and skidding across the rocky terrain of the plateau. The screen died before her, the lights flickered constantly as the ship continued to skid, and consoles exploded with the force of the impact.

"Reverse engines!" she realized, straining to reach the switch. But when she activated the engines, more sparks flew from the console.

Then, Alexis realized she was completely powerless to slow the Zord, which continued skidding across the plateau, tearing through each boulder it came across. She struggled to hold on as the force of the trek attempted to throw her violently from her station, until, to her horror, the forward screen exploded, throwing large shards of glass everywhere.

With the golden eye of the Eaglezord gone, Alexis was finally afforded a front view of where the ship was going. She gasped in horror when she saw the edge of the plateau swiftly approaching.

Paralyzed with fear and shock, the Purple Ranger watched helplessly from her chair as the Eaglezord catapulted off the cliff, gliding through the air with the momentum it retained. She shivered as the darkened sky filled her view, until the head of the Zord tilted downwards.

That's when her view shifted to the trembling Pacific Ocean.

Chapter Forty-Four

"Dammit, she's in freefall!" Rocky growled, slamming his fist into the closest console. "What do we do now?"

He turned desperately to Billy, who was at the main teleportation relay, surrounded by Brittany, Tanya, and Anthony. Regina was still at the mainframe, watching with interest as she observed a strange flux over the creature at the point of impact with the Eaglezord. David, Aisha, and Rebecca remained with Rocky, watching in horror in the Viewing Globe as the Eagle catapulted to destruction.

"We can't teleport her out," Billy muttered, wiping the sweat off his brow. "With the onboard teleportation relay on the Eagle down, we can't get a lock on her while the ship is accelerating like this. It's impossible!"

"It'll only get faster, until it hits the water," Anthony said quietly.

"Hitting water at this speed is the same as smashing into concrete," Brittany commented. "Is there any way she'll survive it?"

"Not surrounded by tons of iron," Tanya said quietly. "She's got to get out of there."

"Rocky!" Billy shouted. "Get on the line. Tell Alexis she has to evacuate. Get her out of the ship! It's her only chance!"

Rocky nodded, and lifted his wrist to his mouth, his eyes never leaving the Viewing Globe. "Alexis? Do you read?"

After an intolerable silence, she responded weakly. ^Yes.^

"Listen, Lex, you've gotta get out of the Eaglezord. If you fly through the broken windshield, you should be able to pull out of the way fast enough to avoid getting hit by the ship. But you've got to move now."

"Twelve seconds to impact," Billy stated, glancing back at Rocky.

^But...^

"Don't argue with me, Lex," Rocky said sternly, but calmly. "You're running out of time."

Chapter Forty-Five

The Purple Ranger was shaking violently, watching the water get ever closer. She didn't need Rocky to tell her she needed to evacuate. She remembered enough physics to know that a vessel smashing into the ocean at that rate would be reduced to shrapnel. She'd be buried within an iron coffin, assuming enough of the vessel remained in one piece to sink into the ocean.

Taking panicked breaths, Alexis pulled her body over the front of the helm computer, making her way over to the open screen.

"I...I can't..." she whispered, trembling as she recoiled from the windy exit.

^You can do it!^

Rocky insisted, his voice pulsing from Alexis' wrist, ^I know you can!^

She didn't understand why, but that vote of faith helped ease her mind-numbing terror. She clenched her teeth, and pushed herself through the screen, her ankle wings beating madly as she touched the air.

She was a handful of feet away from the billowing waves, so without thinking, she arched her back, causing her to skim the water's surface while rocketing away from the huge iron hull at her tail. While she managed to clear the area directly under the Eaglezord, as well as dodge the flying debris that broke from the body of the ship on impact, she wasn't fast enough to avoid the tidal wave that erupted behind her. She barely managed to pull air into her lungs as a wall of water collapsed over her, pulling her into the dark waters like an anchor.

Chapter Forty-Six

"She's going down!" Aisha shouted, racing from the Viewing Globe to the group surrounding the teleporter.

"But...is she alive?" Rocky whispered, his gaze transfixed on the globe. All he could see was the whirlpool of waves the crash created, as well as the broken pieces of both wings stop skidding along the water, finally sinking into the sea as well.

While there were bits of iron falling to the water, nothing was coming up.

"I've got a lock on her!" Billy announced. "Teleporting now."

The group formed a circle in the center of the Central Access Complex, and in the very middle, a wave of purple energy erupted. When it took shape, the fully-morphed Purple Ranger lay upon the dark tiles, completely motionless.

"Get the helmet off," Billy ordered, as he, Rocky, and Tanya crowded around her. Rocky unlatched the helmet, and to his relief, her full red hair poured from the helmet, completely dry.

"The helmet's water seals weren't compromised," he breathed, "so she still had air when she went under."

Tanya held her palm over Alexis' nose and lips, and nodded slowly. "I feel her breath," she announced. "She's breathing normal. I think that wave smashing into her knocked the wind out of her."

"De-morph her, and lie her down on one of the cots," Billy advised, "Tanya, make sure she hasn't sustained any injuries. David, could you carry her over to the cot?"

The young man nodded, lifting the prone Purple Ranger from the floor, and following Tanya to the corner sectioned off as the medical area. Rocky watched them depart, and turned to Billy.

"Maybe I should keep an eye on her," Rocky offered, "Tanya could probably use the help of someone who's been working with these systems as long as she has."

"Alexis will be fine," Billy assured, placing his hand on Rocky's shoulder. "Right now, I'll need your help over here. Regina's scan discovered a weakness in that monster's construction, but we haven't been able to figure out how to exploit it."

Rocky nodded, and followed Billy to the main computer system, where the Starlight Rangers and Aisha had already congregated.

"Gentlemen," Regina said when she noted their arrival. "There's something I've got to show you!"

"Okay...now

!"

Adam pulled the large joystick before him, and the right arm of the Megazord mimicked the movement, delivering a mighty swing to the floating head of their latest foe. Unfortunately, despite the speedy response of the Zord, the head of the obscure warrior easily dodged the blow.

"We're not gettin' anywhere," Zack muttered furiously as the Zord steadied itself for another blow from the monster's ax. Amazingly, the disjointed head and body seemed to work perfectly while separated. It was as if the Megazord were suddenly facing two opponents.

"This tactic is really getting on my nerves," Kim growled, bringing around the Zord's left arm for another swing. Once again, the metallic fist hit nothing but air. "This is the same trick Rito always pulls."

"Kat, how did you beat Rito when you fought him in the mall?" Tommy inquired.

"I froze him in place," she answered. "But since the Alligator's liquid oxygen tubing is seriously damaged, we can't possibly connect the Terra Sword to the Deep Freeze Cannon."

"With the Alligator barely functioning, we're too slow on our feet to match this monster's speed," Jason analyzed, "and with the Hyperflame diverted to protect the Alligator, we can't even channel the most powerful Terra Sword we've got."

"Then we've got one option," Tommy decided. "We separate."

"What? But the Megazord is more powerful than all six Zords!" Zack argued.

"We're too big and clumsy to keep up, so maybe five agile Zords will do the trick. Kim and Adam will take the head, while Jason, Zack and I handle the body. Katherine, you'd better bring the Alligator into the hangar. It won't hold up for long."

The Blue Ranger nodded in agreement, and in unison the six teens activated the disengage sequence. "Hey Billy!" Anthony called, walking away from the Viewing Globe towards the group huddled around the mainframe. "They've disengaged the Megazord."

"Now we're in trouble," Aisha groaned. "The individual Zords don't pack the power to destroy that thing, and with the Alligator in shambles, they won't be able to put the Megazord back together."

"But they weren't even hitting that guy while in Megazord form," Brittany pointed out. "Maybe they'll have better luck now?"

"This might work out perfectly," Billy whispered, touching a key. On the main screen, which held a snapshot of the monster, the helmet of the creature zoomed in for a closer view. "When the monster is divided, he's more vulnerable," Billy revealed. "Maybe, if we can give the head a really focused hit, it'll shatter that expansion shield we detected."

"Will the entire shield break, even if the monster is disjointed?" Rebecca inquired.

"It should," Rocky hypothesized. "Even when the monster is in two pieces, there is still a bond between them. It's still one creature. It's the same with the shield, even if it's not spatially one piece, elementarily, it is."

Brittany frowned. "That still doesn't make sense."

Rocky bit his lip, trying to form a logical example. "Think of it as...a cordless phone. You guys have seen cordless phones in the future, right?"

"You mean the ones without the visual link?" Anthony inquired. "Yeah, I know what you're referring to."

The other Starlight Rangers also expressed their passing familiarity with the archaic device.

"Well, even though the headset isn't physically attached to the rest of the phone, it's still one phone. If you disconnect the bed from the wall outlet, the handheld piece won't work either."

"Oh..." Aisha said, nodding. "That makes sense."

"Vibrations seemed to work," Regina pointed out. "The scanners did detect a shockwave in the expansion shield when the Eagle crashed its wing into the monster's left temple."

"Let's use that as the target," Billy decided, hurrying to the main communications relay. "This is Billy, calling all the Rangers. Do you read."

^This is Tommy.^

^Jason here.^

^Kim's reading.^

^Zack's hearing ya.^

^Adam here.^

^Kat here.^

Billy frowned pensively. "Kat, where are you?"

^I'm trying to reform the Alligator. I can't teleport as long as I'm still fashioned as the Megazord's left leg.^

"She's a lame duck out there," Rocky commented.

"Kat, hit the big red override button," Billy advised, gesturing to Rocky. "We'll teleport you into the hangar from here."

^Got it. Kat out.^

Billy watched as Rocky raced to the teleportation station. Then, he returned his focus to the others. "Okay, here's what we've figured out. That monster you're fighting is surrounded by a thin shield of energy, that is on file here as an expansion shield."

^What's that?^

Adam inquired.

"That's one method of making monsters grow," Billy explained. "When Rita and Zedd make their monsters grow, they actually cast an expansion spell, increasing the size of the monster molecule by molecule, into larger form. But this guy has been enlarged differently. The molecules aren't enlarged. Rather, it's the body as a whole that is enlarged...by the shield. The difference is internal versus external enlargement."

^What does all this mean?^

Jason wanted to know.

"The result is the same: the monster is suddenly enormous. But the key difference is, since this monster is enlarged by a shield, that shield can be broken. If it were a spell that caused its phenomenal size, there is no way to reverse it."

^So, how do we reverse the growth?^

Tommy asked.

"By disrupting the expansion shield. And the only way to do it is to hit the head of the creature while it is separated, with a wave blast that'll put tension on the shield. The stressed shield won't be able to hold up to an energy barrage, and then the monster will shrink to its natural size."

Billy paused for a moment, turning to Regina. "Send that data file to the Rhinoceros?"

The Blue Ranger nodded, hurrying to the mainframe and preparing the file for transmission.

"Jason," Billy said, "you're Seismic Vibrator is our best bet. Hopefully, the violent quaking will reverberate within the shield, weakening the shield enough to be completely shattered by an energy attack from the other Rangers. Regina's sending you the exact target area you'll be aiming for."

^I'm on it.^

The Black Ranger watched the small screen beside his communication relay, and read "Data File Received." The press of an icon on the black screen caused the file to open, revealing an image of the head of their newest foe, complete with a faint outline representing the invisible expansion shield. A flashing green light represented the spot where a vibrating shot would likely prove most effective.

"Okay, we've finally got something to work with," Jason announced over the intercom. "Change in formation. Kim and Tommy's zords pack the most punch when it comes to energy bursts, so I want you two to be prepared to open fire once I hit the head. Kim, use your Lightning Rod to power up your stocked energy, and Tommy, make sure your systems have enough power for one good flame burst. I know holding up that Hyperflame shield around the Alligator probably drained most of your stored power."

^I've got enough for one good hit,^

Tommy decided.

"Great. So Tommy and Kim be prepared. Zack, do you think you can keep the body occupied by yourself?"

^No sweat...just don't take too long.^

"Good. Adam, you're with me."

^What do I do?^

"You're going to keep the head distracted, while I take aim. Keep him firing at you, but don't make him move too much."

^Circle him?^

"Sounds good. Okay gang, let's go!"

In an instant, Jason's teammates took action. Kimberly and Tommy pulled their aerial Zords out of the line of fire, to prepare for the biggest energy barrage they could muster. The Cheetah was easily running circles around the body of the knight, twisting and dodging every razor it launched. Finally, the Hawk performed an elaborate dance around the head of the knight, keeping it more or less stationary as it hovered in the air. This made Jason's job easier, as the red-rimmed bulls-eye appeared on his forward screen.

"And...fire

!" he shouted, holding down the trigger. As he watched, the pulsing energy struck the target dead on, smacking the helmet at the left temple, right where it collided with the Eaglezord's wing before. But this time, the collision was more powerful, and was continuous. The head of the monster howled painfully, trying desperately to float out of harm's way. But Jason's volley of energy only followed it as it moved towards the body, despite the low energy warning lights flashing throughout the cockpit.

Jason watched, biting his lip in anticipation, as the head reconnected at the neck. The Cheetah backed away, leaving room for the monster to stumble around dazedly, its massive hands flying to its temples in agony.

"Got it!" Jason declared, as a sudden rippling effect covered the entire monster. "Now...fire

!"

In unison, the Phoenix and Thunderbird released the blazing fury of red flames and blinding lightning. Both streams of energy hit their target, and continued the merciless bombardment.

^I'm running out, here,^

Tommy stated.

"Hold on a second," Jason instructed, "I think it's working!"

^You're right!^

Zack shouted from the Cheetah. ^Sensors reading the monster is dropping in magnitude, down to 90%...83%...65%...^

Suddenly, a bright white light erupted from the monster's position, exploding into a powerful wave of released energy.

Chapter Forty-Seven

"We did it!" Billy cheered, right before he was buried in an extensive group hug by all the Starlight team, as well as Katherine, Rocky, and Aisha. Tanya and David rushed over from the treatment area, and joined in on the small celebration.

"I can't believe it!" David marveled, watching the brilliant energy of the explosion die down, "It's over!"

"Terrific job, you three," Anthony congratulated Regina, Rocky, and Billy. "That was amazing teamwork!"

"Really

impressive!" Aisha added.

Rocky grinned, brushing aside the kudos. "Don't act like you guys didn't all help out."

"Uh...gang?" Tanya called, glancing at the Viewing Globe. "It's not over yet."

The group turned to the globe, and watched as, from the epicenter of the massive explosion, the black knight reached out of the hole.

"Amazing," Billy whispered, stepping closer. "It looked like the release of energy contained in the expansion shield should've killed him."

"He's certainly a resilient tin can," Brittany muttered, racing over to the console where she left her yellow helmet. "But now that he's bite-sized, we can lend a hand!"

"Right!" Regina agreed, leaping from her seat. "We're finally gonna see some action!"

Katherine also snapped her aqua helmet back on, and watched as Tanya prepared to open a link to the ships.

"Oh no you don't," Tanya said to the Blue Ranger. "Did you think we didn't notice that limp? You're going to have a seat by the med-unit, and I'll take a look at that ankle in a second."

Katherine was about to protest, but sighed quietly instead. "Okay, you win."

Tanya nodded with a smile, and then turned on the link. "Tanya to Terran Rangers. Teleport your Zords into the hangars, and meet the Starlights at the epicenter of the explosion. He's not finished yet."

^We're on it,^

Zack responded.

Tanya and Katherine watched as Brittany, Regina, Anthony, and Rebecca assembled, their hands on their belts.

"Back to Action!" Anthony shouted.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Panting heavily, Rito pulled himself out of the crater created by the blinding explosion that had engulfed him only moments ago. Coughing the dust that had entered his skeleton, Rito dug his brutally damaged ax into the dirt, giving himself some leverage to rise to his feet. Still, his joints trembled at the exertion he placed just into standing, and it was clear to the ancient being that he was extremely weakened by the loss of the expansion shield. Not only was he reduced to his natural height, but the force of the explosion hurt him more than any of the other Ranger attacks offered that day.

He was convinced the brats had gotten lucky. He was certain that, if the Purple Ranger hadn't carelessly smashed her Zord into his temple, the Rangers never would've discovered the shield even existed. That collision gave him a splitting headache, giving the Megazord a chance to get on its feet before he could annihilate them.

He was so close...yet perhaps it wasn't over. After all, the Eaglezord had vanished, and the Alligator had retreated. If luck was with him, both Rangers were taken out of the battle, and since it was likely that all the Zords were weakened by the conflict, perhaps he'd only have to face five of the Terran Rangers. Considering the Rangers' crippling sense of honor, they wouldn't face a man-sized monster in a Zord anyway.

He felt a boost of strength in him, encouraged by the hope that perhaps he could still inflict damage. So, he stepped out of the spiraling dust cloud that formed by the explosion, and steadied himself for the inevitable arrival of his foes.

He deflated when nine fully-morphed warriors flashed into existence right before him. The majority of Terra team was at the ready, holding their weapons at the ready, and flanking them were four members of the team of Rangers from the Multiversal hole. Rito hadn't taken into account the upstart Rangers, who were completely fresh from not having participated in the previous battle.

"Curse you all," he groaned, grasping his mangled ax as he eyed each warrior.

"I'm frankly surprised you're still on your feet," the Red Terran Ranger taunted. "Now, how would you like to pick on someone your own size?"

"Or better yet, nine

someones," the Red Starlight Ranger added.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Goldar trembled as he saw the light buried deep inside his master's eye sockets intensify. It reminded him of the pulsing red energy that Lord Zedd emitted whenever infuriated. Only with Umbriel, just a small dose of anger was terrifying for all surrounding him.

Other than this bright light, there was no indication that the Shadowed One was angry. His body was perfectly still, standing beside the large globe of Earth and watching the image of the battle that projected from a narrow needle inserted in the rocky cliffs that formed the western border of Angel Grove.

"So, the humans discovered the expansion shield," Umbriel noted, a hint of impatience rather than anger in his tone. "Very well. I shall not make that mistake again."

"What mistake?" Goldar ventured. The instant Umbriel's empty gaze fell upon him, Goldar wished he could melt into the wall behind him.

Still, he couldn't understand what had happened.

"I formed an expansion shield around Rito, in order to enlarge him to Zord proportions. It was his best chance of besting both teams of Rangers, since it was a safe assumption that the newer team could not participate in a Zord battle. However, until I have the M'Kraan Crystal in my possession again, my magics are weak. I cannot cast an expansion spell without its power. The shield was my only option, and unfortunately the Rangers recognized that it could be broken."

Umbriel then glided back to his throne, sinking into the frame and pensively folding his fingers.

"Still, Rito had completed his mission. He gauged the power of these Terran Rangers. They are bright and intelligent children. It is clear Zordon chose his champions wisely. But they were quite close to defeat, even before I have the power of the M'Kraan. Once I am once again in possession of it, these humans will undoubtedly pose little challenge."

Umbriel focused his gaze at the floor before him, and in an eruption of obsidian smoke, Rito Revolto appeared. He gasped heavily, lowering his sword from an attack position, and humbly fell to his knees.

"Forgive me, Lord," he begged, "I have failed you."

"Recall that your mission was not to destroy the Rangers. I would have brought you back if I felt you were close to crossing that line," Umbriel announced darkly. "Until I get the crystals from their bodies, the Rangers themselves will not die by my command. However, I shall find other ways of dealing with them."

Chapter Fifty

With a contented grin, Billy deactivated the Viewing Globe. He then eased into the chair positioned at his desk, and reclined into the comfortable cushion, hefting his legs onto his desk and folding his arms beneath his head.

Considering the odds against it, this victory felt pretty good to the mentor of the Terran Rangers.

While he celebrated in silence, Tanya, Aisha, Rocky, Kat and David couldn't contain their excitement.

"It's over!" Kat shouted, hopping off her cot. Her gait was still marred with a slight limp, yet it didn't hinder her excitement in the least. Despite herself, Tanya laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"I take it that ankle's feeling better?" she asked, holding up the tissue-restoring tool she had used to alleviate Katherine's fractured ankle.

"It's practically good as new," Kat responded with a smile.

The Blue Ranger waited anxiously as a rainbow of light brought the nine other Power Rangers into the chamber. Kat rushed to greet the Black Ranger with a warm hug, while the others also broke up into smaller groups, exchanging hugs, shouts for joy, and congratulations.

"Mission accomplished!" Anthony announced, with one arm draped over Regina's shoulders. "Now we should contact Will, and let him know we're ready to come home."

"That's amazing," Kimberly marveled, watching as Anthony pressed a button on his wrist unit, "How long does it take for the signal to pass through the Multiverse?"

"He said it should take around twenty minutes for him to receive it," Regina answered.

"So," said Tommy, "should we unite the arrowhead?"

"Not quite yet," Brittany answered, pulling off her canary helmet, "Mr. Mitchell said that the point of the arrowhead's maximum healing capability is at the point of unification, and we'll need all the healing power it can muster to save our parents."

After she welcomed the team, Tanya slowly returned to her station by the med-unit. One quick glance at Alexis showed that the Purple Ranger was still unconscious, although other than that she was fine. However, her dark eyes widened when she turned the med-unit itself.

Lying on the cot, rubbing his eyes and yawning, was a fully wakened Micah Oliver.

"Jeez," he muttered, "it's awfully loud

in here..."

Tanya's hand flew to her mouth, and she turned to the others. "Guys!" she called excitedly. "He's awake!"

The group rushed over to the med-unit, and watched in hushed silence as Micah sat up. He blinked tightly, his young face wrinkled with confusion.

It took a few moments of mental blankness... until Rebecca sensed a wave of cold rush through Micah with the speed of a heartbeat.

He remembered what had happened.

Suddenly, his body trembled as if he were cold. The boy blinked several times, rubbing his arms. He then looked down, and slowly stroked his bare chest.

Although there was no visible scar, everyone watching saw the distracted child trace a line down his chest, repeating the motion with tortured slowness.

"How do you feel, Micah?" David ventured.

Micah turned to his uncle, a weak smile on his face. "You're okay."

"Thanks to you," he respond.

"Not really," Micah whispered, his gaze falling to his lap, "I...I told Goldar everything. Everything...

"

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Katherine assured him, taking his hand and stroking it with an almost maternal affection. Micah lifted his eyes, and met the gentle gaze that reminded him so much of his mother.

His eyes grew moist, and his lips began to tremble.

"I let them down," he said, his voice raw with self-contempt, "I let everyone down! I cracked!"

"You faced a situation far worse than anything an other Ranger has ever experienced!" Tommy stated, standing beside Katherine and leaning closer to Micah, "We're all very proud that you managed to hold on long enough for us to find you."

Micah was silent as he considered Tommy's words. "Really?" he asked finally, his eyes wide with uncertainty, "I mean, you're not just saying that?"

"I'm one-hundred percent honest," Tommy insisted.

A weak smile returned to the boy's face, and he pursed his lips as the crowd congregated tightly around him, with warm hugs and cheers. Still, while Micah's face was stretched in a passive smile, Rebecca felt a strange coldness in his heart.

She bit her lip worriedly, uncertain what to make of the hollow sensation.

After a few moments, Kimberly stepped away from the assembly. While she was certainly relieved that Micah had regained consciousness, another concern began to plague her...especially

when her eyes fell upon the cot not far from the med-unit.

"Uh, Rocky," she said quietly, tugging on the ex-Ranger's sleeve to grasp his attention, "what happened to Alexis?"

The question was loud enough to seize the attention of Tommy, Zack, Jason, and Adam, who hadn't seen nor heard from the Purple Ranger since the Eaglezord faced the dark monster one on one.

Rocky sighed deeply, guiding the team towards her. "She'll be fine soon," he answered, finally, "She's asleep now. The battle really banged up the Eaglezord, though."

"How badly?" Tommy asked, folding his arms in concern.

"I don't even know yet. We haven't gotten the chance to take a look at it. Now that the fight's over and Micah has recovered, I can work on locating the wreckage and teleporting it back to the hangar. Maybe there's something left to salvage."

"Wreckage?" Zack repeated, his eyes wide. "Jeez...what happened?"

"The Zord crashed into the ocean," Rocky reported frankly. "The ship was too damaged to function right, and it was unavoidable."

Tommy's lips flattened tightly, and he cast another quick glance at Alexis. "I shouldn't have told her to keep that monster busy..."

"Hey, this isn't the time," Jason interrupted, nudging the Red Ranger. He then turned back to Rocky. "But, you guys are absolutely sure Alexis will recover?"

Rocky nodded. "She basically got the wind knocked out of her. There might be a little muscle damage, but we can't tell until she tries to move. Still, that's not a major concern."

"And what about the Alligator?" Katherine inquired. "Did you get a chance to run some checks on the damage?"

"It's not as bad as it looks, although I haven't started any thorough examinations yet. But, the Alligator will definitely be on its back for several days...maybe even a solid week."

Tommy's frown only deepened. "We're down two zords," he realized darkly. "Will that be enough?"

"Not against...whatever it was we're fighting," Zack decided.

"I can tell you one thing," Micah called from the med-unit, "the Boss Man is definitely not Zedd or Rita."

All eyes returned to the Green Starlight Ranger, who weakly dragged his body off the med-unit. Leaning upon the apparatus to keep himself standing, he shook his head to quell a resurgence of dizziness before he lifted his gaze to meet the startled looks he felt on his skin.

"How do you know?" Regina inquired. "What did you see when you were captured?"

"I didn't see his face," Micah admitted. "But I know it wasn't Zedd. He had this...really low, hissing voice. And he was totally calm and controlled."

"That's certainly a big jump from Zedd," Aisha noted. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"When he appeared, Goldar was shaking in his boots," Micah recalled, "I could actually hear a tremble in his voice. He was completely terrified of his guy. He called him Lord."

"We'd better search through all Zordon's records to see if there are some major villains known that would fit this description," Billy said, tapping his chin.

"Thanks for the info," Tommy said genuinely, walking over to the Green Ranger. He planted his arms on the boy's shoulders, and smiled warmly at him. "You should probably take it easy. At least until we hear word from your universe."

Chapter Fifty-One

"Hey Will!" a voice called, cutting through the hum of machinery that filled the Central Access Complex.

The speaker was instantly answered by a sharp "SHH!"

"Sorry," she whispered, cringing slightly, "I didn't realize he had fallen asleep, Trini."

Trini Mitchell sighed quietly, cocking her head to glance at her husband. Will's head was nestled in his arms, which were leaning on the large desk that had been his workstation for decades. Trini slipped closer to him, and gently pulled his thin glasses off his face. Not surprisingly, her soft touch didn't stir him.

"Poor thing," Trini whispered, lying his glasses near his forehead and softly tousling his graying hair. "He's utterly exhausted, Aisha."

The petite woman shrugged. "He's been waiting vigilantly since the Terras went up against that meteor last night. He's putting in long shifts."

"Still, no catastrophe we've ever faced has been worse than this one," Trini added, folding her arms. "Six lives hanging in the balance, and all we can do is wait. And, what if the Starlights --"

"Stop right there," Aisha interrupted, fixing Trini with a stern gaze. "No pessimists around here. The kids are fine." She then paused, gazing pensively at the chronometer, which had been activated on the Viewing Globe since the departure of the Starlight Rangers.

Silence reigned between the two former Yellow Power Rangers, until a soft beeping sound grasped their attention. Trini's eyes widened, as her gaze fell upon the Viewing Globe.

"What's that?" Aisha inquired.

"It's the Rangers' signal!" she answered excitedly. "Where's David?"

"He's watching over the Terras."

"Quick, bring him out here," Trini instructed, before hurrying towards her husband. She grabbed his shoulder, and began violently shaking him.

"Just...resting my eyes," he groaned, squinting at his wife.

"It's the kids," she said, handing him his glasses. "They're trying to reach us."

Will blinked in disbelief, reaching for his glasses. A wide smile crossed his lips, which reminded Trini of the excitement he always displayed when one of his experiments showed promise. "Finally!" he declared, jumping to his feet with the refreshed energy of a teenager.

Trini couldn't help but giggle as she followed him.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Suddenly, a screen of static appeared on the Viewing Globe. Everyone assembled turned to the globe in surprise, and saw an image slowly take shape. It was a middle-aged man, with graying light brown hair and wire-frame glasses. He had a warm smile on his face.

"Dad!" Rebecca exclaimed happily. "You're here!"

The Terran Rangers were forced to take a second look at the image, after his identity was revealed. In particular, Billy found he couldn't take his eyes from the screen.

^I opened up the com-link as soon as I got your page,^

Will replied. ^Are you all okay?^

"Absolutely," Micah responded, limping toward the globe. "Just a little sore. Small price to pay to save the Terran Rangers."

Will's smile stretched with obvious relief. ^I'm very proud of all of you. You've come through when your parents needed you the most.^

All five Starlight Rangers smiled proudly at the compliment. Micah puffed up his chest slightly, while Regina slid her arm around Anthony's waist. Brittany crossed her arms and grinned the almost cocky grin that her father made famous. Finally, Rebecca remained very conservative, but she did feel her eyes sting slightly at the praise of the man she respected more than anyone else. "Um, what do you want us to do here, Mr. Mitchell?" Billy found himself saying once he found his voice. Afterwards, he realized how silly it sounded addressing himself in that manner.

Will chuckled. ^Mr. Mitchell is so formal, especially considering that you are me. Just call me Will.^

"Okay," Billy said.

^Anyway, I'm getting ready to send a portal. Send the Starlight Rangers through, along with Tommy and the two arrowhead halves.^

Tommy glanced at all his friends in surprise, and then at the globe.

"Why do I need to come Mr. Mit -- uh, Will?" asked Tommy.

^You and David were destined to unite the arrowhead, and I don't know what the consequences would be of someone else doing it. It may be that the arrowhead wouldn't magically combine. I don't want to take any chances. Since your David doesn't have the Power, he cannot travel through the Multiverse. So I'm betting that our David can unite the arrowhead with you, since our Tom is...incapacitated

.^

^Besides,^

said a gentle female voice from behind Will, ^someone has to bring the arrowhead back to you.^

On the Viewing Globe, Trini Mitchell's serene face peeked into view beside Will's. Oddly, Billy found himself startled by her sudden appearance.

^Aisha,^

Will called, turning his head from the Viewing Globe, ^do you have the Multiversal Transporter programmed?^

^It's ready to go!^

Aisha Drew exclaimed from somewhere to the side. Regina's eyes widened in surprise.

"What's Mom doing in the CAC?" she inquired.

^She came as soon as she found out the Terran Rangers 'died'

.^

Will answered. All the Terran Rangers cringed at that choice of words.

"Should we be worried?" Adam asked. "Could the same thing happen to us in the future?"

Will pursed his lips pensively. ^It took decades of constant use of the Power to create the condition our Terra team is in presently. The best advice I can give you is this: don't keep the Power longer than you have to. It wasn't meant to be used by human beings for so long.^

Adam and the other Terran Rangers nodded, and Will's face vanished from the Viewing Globe. Seconds later, a black portal irised out from the center of the CAC. The Starlight Rangers snapped on their helmets in unison, and stepped closer to the portal. But before they stepped through, the Pink Ranger turned back to the Terran Rangers.

"I...want to thank you again for all your help," she said gently. "We know that you're making a great sacrifice by letting us unite the arrowhead now. You could have kept it for an emergency, when you need this healing power."

"We could have," Kimberly said, approaching the petite Ranger and embracing her warmly, "but then we wouldn't be Power Rangers."

It was impossible to see the expressions the Starlight Rangers wore, but it was clear that they were greatly effected by Kimberly's simple response. Those ten words, stated with such gentle conviction, completely encompassed what it meant to be a Power Ranger.

"We'd better get going," Anthony said after a brief silence. "Our parents need us. Tommy?"

"I'm right behind you," Tommy said, placing his helmet in the crook of his arm. Anthony nodded, waved briefly at the other Rangers, and jumped through the portal. In order, Regina, Micah, Rebecca, and Brittany leaped through the hole, the blackness of the Multiverse flashing with red, pink, green, blue, and yellow light with each Ranger. Tommy turned to his friends, and hugged Kimberly tightly.

"I'll be right back," he said, kissing her on the cheek. Kim smiled up at him.

"I know you will," she said.

"Here," said David, approaching his brother, "you'll need these."

Tommy bowed his head, allowing David to draw both arrowhead chords around his neck.

"Don't go anywhere," Tommy told his new-found sibling. "You and I have some catching up to do."

David smiled, and hugged Tommy. "Be careful, Brother."

Once they broke, Tommy pulled his helmet over his head, took a deep breath, and jumped through the portal. It irised to a close behind him.

Chapter Fifty-Three

After a somewhat nauseating roller-coaster ride through the infinite expanse of the Multiverse, Tommy fell onto his stomach on a hard navy tiled floor. He groaned inwardly, and lifted his head off the ground. He was startled when a hand lowered, offering him help. The hand itself wasn't startling, though. Rather, it was the person to whom the hand belonged. Her thick black hair was cut very short, with longer bangs hanging over her forehead. Her dark eyes still twinkled with abundant energy, and the few lines near the corners of her lips only made her smile seem wider. Other than the fact that she was obviously older, her identity was unmistakable.

"Aisha?" Tommy asked. She nodded, and helped the young man to his feet.

"You got it, Tommy," she said, lifting her head to lock eyes with the Red Terran Ranger. "It's a good thing you recognized me. I've been told I haven't aged a bit since college."

Tommy shook his head, a grin crossing his lips. It was Aisha, all right.

Tommy scanned the CAC, and immediately recognized Will and Trini from before. Behind Aisha stood a man of Native American descent, with graying dark hair and a pair of glasses. He must have been David. Also there were all five Starlight Rangers, now helmetless and grouped behind David. Tommy was surprised to realize that that was all the people in the CAC.

"Where's everyone else?" he inquired.

"To whom are you referring?" Will asked, rising to his feet. "The Terran Rangers are by the med-unit, and all their family members were sent home. To be perfectly honest, they were getting in my way...and I'm sure some rest would do them all good. Aisha and Trini are here to help me. Aisha's not a doctor, but she's the closest thing to a medical doctor we have on the team, and so she kept an eye on the Rangers with Trini's help. David is here because he will unite the arrowhead with you. I sent everyone else home."

"They were making Will nervous," Trini added with a grin.

Will frowned at the comment. "They weren't accomplishing anything by waiting here," he protested. "Everyone is going through an extremely taxing experience right now, and the Rangers' families need all the rest they can get."

Will started to walk towards Tommy, but Trini caught his arm. He glanced at her face, which wore a knowing smile. He sighed, and began to chuckle. "All right, I admit it! They were making me nervous. Trevor constantly glancing over your shoulder would make even you lose it."

Tommy smiled at the exchange between Trini and Will. Although they had been married for years, they seemed as much best friends as husband and wife.

"Okay, Tommy," Will said, turning back to his guest, "where's the arrowhead?"

Tommy reached underneath his collar, and pulled out two leather chords, each with a half of a stone arrowhead on it. Will nodded, and took one necklace off Tommy's neck. He handed it to David.

"We're going to resuscitate the Power Rangers," Will said, "I'll come with you, and keep an eye on the vital functions of the Rangers. Tommy, you'd better un-morph. The Power may interfere with the energy of the arrowhead, and we don't want any complications."

Tommy nodded, and silently willed the Power to deactivate. His red uniform vanished, leaving him in the attire he wore to school earlier in the day. Will nodded, and turned to his wife.

"Trini, could you make sure to seal off the med-unit area with an opaque force-field? I don't want anything to interfere with this endeavor."

Trini nodded, and began the code to program the force-field.

"Will," said Aisha, "what about the Rangers' families?"

"Could you contact them for me?" Will said, continuing to walk to the med-unit. "Time is of the essence."

"I can't," she replied, her eyes not straying from a small monitor, "I have to keep the Multiversal Transporter locked onto Tommy's home world. He'll probably want to get home as quickly as possible, and if we lose the connection, it could take hours to re-establish. Time travel is far trickier than cross-time travel."

"You're beginning to sound like Will," Trini commented wryly, glancing up from her work. "Kids, you want to contact your families?"

"We'd be glad to," Micah replied, as he and the other Starlights hurried to the communications relay.

Tommy watched as the five Starlight Rangers began informing all the families of the Terran Rangers that the healing procedure was about to take place. He then followed David and Will, who were waiting for him in the corner by the med-unit. He saw the six cots, each with an individual on it. A chill rose his spine when he saw the man dressed in red. He didn't look more than perhaps thirty, although he was over forty-five years old. Tommy blinked in surprise when he realized his older self had short hair, cropped neatly in much the same style as Will's hair. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch his double, as if doubting he was really a person. But as soon as his hand drew close, instead of touching flesh, his hand contacted an invisible screen, about half an inch above Tom. Tommy blinked in confusion.

"They were dying," Will explained, typing in some commands onto the med-unit's scanner, "so I had to place them in stasis. The field around them basically freezes them, so their condition doesn't deteriorate."

Tommy nodded silently, although he had already known that information. Eerily, it felt like deja-vu. Just days ago, Aisha was dying from a mysterious disease, and required being placed in suspended animation while the cure was hunted down.

The hazards of being a Power Ranger were escalating on a daily basis.

"Trini," Will said, looking up from the computer, "activate the force-field, please."

Suddenly, a wall appeared around the two sides of the medical area, and connected with the two existing walls. The new wall was the exact color as the pre-existing ones, creating a small room completely sealed off from the rest of the CAC. Tommy glanced up at David, who was standing beside him, holding his half of the arrowhead. Will inhaled deeply.

"Here goes," he said, pressing a single button. The transparent shields surrounding each Terran Ranger vanished, freeing them from their stasis.

"Now what?" asked Tommy.

"Bring the two halves together," Will replied, "and pray."

Tommy nodded, and held out his half. Slowly, the two brothers inched their halves together. Once the halves were about half a foot apart, sparks of white energy began to flash. The closer they got, the more energy was being released, until the sparks of energy suddenly stretched out over the space between them. Finally, the two halves of the arrowhead touched.

A blinding pulse of white light brightened the chamber, causing both Tommy and David to release the arrowhead in alarm. The arrowhead hovered in the air, rotating on a vertical axis, still glowing brightly. Will kept his eyes focused on the screen, watching the life signs of each of the six unconscious patients on a continuum. Both Tommy and David quickly recovered from the surprise, and stared at the arrowhead. Tommy happened to glance at the Terran Rangers, and his jaw dropped.

"What's happening to them?" he called out.

Will glanced up at Tommy's call, and was startled as well. Each of the Terran Rangers suddenly had an aura of light surrounding their bodies, each in the color of their Zeo shard. Gradually, the bright color of the aura died out, until finally there was no aura at all. The arrowhead then stopped spinning, and remained hovering in the air. Tommy reached out his hand, and the arrowhead suddenly fell limp into his palm. The bright white light died out.

"Will?" David asked, turning to his friend. "What's the verdict?"

Will squinted as he read the information off the computer screen. His frown slowly died on his lips, leaving a small, relieved smile.

"I think it worked," he said, looking up at the unconscious Rangers, "but they're not awake yet --"

Suddenly, all six Rangers groaned, and slowly opened their eyes. At once, they all bolted into a sitting position, and looked around as if on the verge of panic.

"What's happening?" asked Zack Taylor, rubbing the back of his head.

"Where are we?" Adam Park inquired, running his hand through his matted curly black hair.

"The last thing I remember was...outer space

," Katherine Oliver recalled.

"The meteor!" Jason Lee shouted, jumping off the cot. "We were trying to destroy a meteor!"

"And everything went black," Tom Oliver said, his voice tainted with concern. He looked first at Will, and then David. His chocolate eyes widened to immense proportions when they locked with an identical pair of chocolate eyes.

"What the...?!" he demanded, his voice dying on his lips. Tommy was startled as well by the experience of looking at himself.

"Ohmigosh!" Kimberly Monroe exclaimed, walking over to the shocked young man. She studied his face carefully, and a smile crept onto her face. "Tommy?"

He blinked, and looked at Kim. She looked exactly the same as she did the last time they met, when she came back in time to search for her husband.

"I...I don't understand," Tommy said, gazing at Kim intently. "Why don't you look different? What year is this?"

"It's 2025," she responded, "sixteen years after I got back from my little trip to your universe."

"But, you don't look any older," Tommy said.

"The Zeo shards inhibit the aging process," Kim explained. "The older you get, the slower you age. It's one of the side-effects of the Power."

"What happened to us, Will?" Jason inquired, glancing from the young Tommy to his friend. "What are we doing here?"

All eyes turned to Will, who stepped out from behind the computer he was using, and locked eyes with each of his friends in turn.

"I've discovered another side-effect to your using the Power for so long," he announced. "And this one is quite serious. Apparently, after using the Power for an undetermined amount of time, somewhere in the decades I'm assuming, it begins to have adverse affects on you. In short, it was slowly killing you."

"What?" Zack exclaimed. "But the Power has kept us healthy and strong!"

"Your bodies can only stand so much of the Power inside you," Will explained. "Remember when you first became Terran Rangers? Zordon told us that by having been Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, you bodies have been acclimated to the Power. A normal human body couldn't take the physical pressure the presence of the Zeo shard necessarily imparts onto it."

"I recall," said Katherine. "So what you're saying is, there are limits to how long we can use the Zeo Crystal, even though were are acclimated to it?"

"Precisely," Will said. "You almost died up in space, but we managed to find a way to cure the Power Poisoning, as it were. We needed the newly-united arrowhead, which meant that we had to travel back in time to get two halves of the arrowhead prior to their unification. The arrowhead proved to be infused with healing magic, but as time progressed, the amount of healing ability it had tapered off."

"So you traveled back in time, to where I went sixteen years ago?" Kim deduced.

"Well, I didn't do the traveling. The kids did."

Jason's eyes widened. "What kids? You mean our kids?!"

Will nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. "Remember, you were teenagers when you first became Power Rangers. Regina, Anthony, Micah, Rebecca, and Brittany are all mature enough to handle the Power."

"But you said the Power was dangerous!" Adam objected.

"The Terra powers are dangerous, because they are a more direct connection to the Power," Tommy said. "The team that came to my universe were Starlight Rangers."

Kat frowned. "What's a Starlight Ranger?"

Will smiled. "Perhaps I should just show you. They're anxiously awaiting some news about your condition...and so is everyone else."

"Let's go then," said Adam, hopping off his cot, "Tanya must be worried sick."

Will nodded, and turned on the communicator on the computer panel. "Trini, can you take down the force-field? We're ready to come out."

^Gladly,^

Trini replied, a smile evident in her voice. As soon as the field came down, dozens of ecstatic family members poured in, showering the six Terran Rangers with welcoming hugs and kisses. Tommy stepped out of the way, and was taken aback by how many people knew about the Rangers' identities. He expected spouses would be there, but even young children were present. Tommy smiled as he watched the reunion, glad to see that the Terran Rangers survived. Even though, now that the truth was known about the harmful affects of the Power, the Terran Rangers would likely disband. Still, the Starlight team seemed capable of handling whatever challenges the Terran Rangers were dealing with.

The future was certainly not lacking worth heroes.

Chapter Fifty-Four

She moaned slightly, as the sudden urge to open her eyes invaded the blackness of her consciousness. Emerald eyes fluttered weakly, but she had no desire to move another muscle in her body. So, she remained motionless, staring at the dark ceiling that covered the Central Access Complex.

Faintly, she wondered how many times she would wake up on one of the CAC's cots?

"Whew, you really scared us this time," a voice said, originating from outside Alexis' field of vision.

It was Rocky. It was always Rocky, keeping an eye on her, worrying about her, trying to help her.

She appreciated how much he was trying to support her, but at the same time...it was a bit tiresome.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rocky inquired, after the long silence that followed his previous statement. Alexis turned her head, resting her cheek on the cot so she could face him.

"How's the Eaglezord?"

Rocky averted his eyes, discreetly taking a deep breath. Still, Alexis saw all the signs.

It didn't look good for her battleship.

"It...uh...it's hard to tell at this point," Rocky finally stated, biting his lip slightly. "We did manage to salvage much of the wreckage from the ocean, but we didn't get a chance to determine if it's possible to reassemble the Eagle. Fortunately, there was little actual separation on impact. The main body is more or less in one piece, although the wings have been completely wrecked. That's a sturdy old bird you've got there."

Alexis frowned, rising to a sitting position. On her way up, she cringed as a sharp pain assailed her neck. Rocky noticed, and immediately grabbed a scanner.

Alexis held up her hand to stop him. "I'm fine," she muttered. "You don't need to fix every little ache, you know. I can handle a bit of whiplash."

Rocky frowned, obliging her by putting down the instrument. "Why suffer if you don't have to?" His frown deepened when her gaze dropped from his, focusing on the floor as she rubbed her injured neck. "You were really lucky," he commented, turning to put away the rest of the medical instruments he had left at the ready. "Considering you could've been killed, a little whiplash isn't half bad."

"Here we go," Alexis groaned, scowling slightly. "You're going to give me another sermon about being careful?"

Rocky felt his patience wearing thin, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Obviously, you need it," he muttered. "Why'd you do it?"

"What?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Why'd you destroy your on-board teleporter? Did you even realize what you did?"

"The teleporter was going to kick me out of the Eaglezord," Alexis answered, turning around and letting her legs dangle off the side of the cot, "I couldn't just leave, and let the Zord fly into the face of the cliff!"

"So, it's better to crash into the ocean, and risk suicide!" Rocky countered, his voice rising. "When you blew the onboard teleporter, you made it impossible for us to get you out! The CAC's teleporter unit can't perform a safe teleportation at that speed. To be accurate, we need to patch in to a system that's moving at the same rate as you are. That's the whole point of the onboard system...that you carelessly destroyed

!"

"I didn't want to bail out!" Alexis shouted, glaring up at Rocky vehemently. "That's my whole point!"

"And my point is, you almost killed yourself for nothing! A Zord isn't worth dying for, which is why the emergency teleport protocol exists! It was a stupid risk, Lex, and you can't be making judgements like that!"

Alexis took a deep breath, leaping off the cot so she could meet Rocky eye to eye. "It's my Power Coin, my Zord, and my life

! Who the hell do you think you are, anyway...my father

?"

"So, you value the opinion of the man who abandoned your entire family over mine?" Rocky shouted back, with matching anger.

However, as soon as those hurtful words passed between his lips, Rocky instantly regretted it. He knew he had gone too far.

He watched speechlessly as Alexis' eyes widened in surprise, and her lips parted in disbelief. Her lower lip trembled ever so slightly, and a glassy film coated her eyes.

Slowly, she stepped away from him, backing away from the confrontation. After a few steps, she stumbled over the cot behind her, and nearly fell to the floor. Rocky was quick to catch her, but she instantly struck his hand, forcing him to let her go.

"Don't touch me," she growled malevolently, her teary eyes narrowing with fury. Rocky stepped back, and watched as she turned her back to him, quickly activating her wrist unit.

He was still speechless as she vanished in a column of violet energy.

"Wow..." said Zack from behind, "I sure wish I didn't witness that!"

Rocky slowly turned, and noticed that Kimberly, Katherine, Tanya, Adam, Zack, Jason, Billy and Aisha were all staring at him in surprise. Rocky released a deep sigh, and grabbed his forehead.

"Not the best thing to say," he admitted, shaking his head, "I can't believe I came down on her like that."

"You did have a point," Adam ventured, "but...you came across as a bit paternal."

"...and that crack about her father was waaay

out of line," Kim added. "You know she's really sensitive about her family."

"It wasn't a 'crack'

about her father," Rocky defended, "I was right!" He sighed again, his forehead wrinkling. "Right?"

He sighed again as silence answered him. He then pursed his lips, and tightly gripped the bridge of his nose. "I'd better apologize. Now, she actually has a reason

to be mad at me."

Chapter Fifty-Five

Tommy continued to take in the warm scene from a distance, until a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned around, and saw Trini Mitchell's smiling face. "Thank you," she said, "Without your help, the Starlight Rangers never would have succeeded. Thanks for taking the chance, and letting us use the arrowhead."

Tommy shrugged modestly. "It's the least we could do."

"Now, are you ready to go home?"

Tommy nodded, glancing back at the joyous group one last time. "My job's done."

Trini opened her hand, revealing the completed arrowhead. "Here," she said, placing it in Tommy's open palm and closing his fingers around it. "You'll probably want to keep this."

Anthony turned away from his family, and caught Tommy preparing to leave. He began waving frantically, hurrying towards Will. "Tommy," he called, "wait a second?"

Tommy watched in surprise as Anthony and Will discussed something for a few moments. Will then nodded, and pointed to the main computer console. Anthony rushed to the console, picked something up, and went back to Tommy.

"We've decided that we should give you guys..."

"It's really not necessary," Tommy interrupted. "With all the help your mother gave us with Solar, it's the least we could do."

"Still, you're going to need this," Anthony said, taking Tommy's hand. He slipped a small mini-disc into Tommy's grasp.

"What's this?" the Red Ranger inquired.

"It's all the information Will compiled about the Starlight Rangers. It took him two decades of research and experimentation to make the Starlight Rangers what they are now, and considering the monster you guys fought today, you'll need the boost. The schematics for the Star Discs and the Starzords are all on this, and Will included some step-by-step information on the process. I'm sure your Billy can work this out, and in a week or so, you can have your own team of Starlight Rangers."

"Are you serious?" Tommy whispered in an awed voice.

"You bet. Will actually thought it was a great idea. We Rangers gotta help each other out."

Tommy grinned, and tightly clasped Anthony's hand. "Good luck, Red Ranger," he said, "I can tell you're going to make a terrific leader."

Anthony beamed at the compliment. "I'll do my best to live up to your legend."

Chapter Fifty-Six

"Lousy, self-righteous, bossy, self-absorbed...jerk

!" Alexis growled, pacing across her room frantically. Tears spilled freely from her eyes, and her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. She stopped talking, pressing her trembling lips together as she continued the nervous movement, pounding her feet against the carpet as if she could stomp the anger out of her body.

"I can't believe he said that," she sniffled quietly, wiping her eyes with her fingers, "I can't believe he said that!"

The tension in her body building, Alexis came to a stop, rapidly clenching and unclenching her fists.

"And I can't believe I let myself cry over this

!" she growled, "I swore I'd never waste any more tears on him. But Rocky just had to bring him up..."

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

She kept repeating the command in her mind, trying desperately to regain some measure of composure. After her father's unexpected...and quite permanent...departure, Alexis had forced herself to be strong. She couldn't shatter every time she got hurt. If she did, then she'd never stop crying.

Someone would always hurt her...even the person she'd least suspect.

She couldn't believe Rocky had turned on her. He was always in her corner, assuring her that he had faith in her abilities, and appreciated the contributions she made as the Purple Ranger. She even let him see her cry, when Aisha was dying from the Space Virus.

He was a helping hand, and sometimes a slightly annoying one at that. But suddenly, she found herself slapped in the face by a completely different tone from the guy she thought was the most caring, gentle man on the planet.

"How dare

he?" she continued, the rage building once again. "How dare he treat me like a five-year-old

?!"

Her rage building to blinding proportions, Alexis stormed to her bed, and picked up her pillow. Without another thought, she threw the pillow across the room, causing it to crash into her dresser, and bowl over every article piled there.

The shrill crying of an child closely followed the loud crash, causing Alexis to deflate quickly.

"Terrific," she sighed, falling onto her bed.

"What's going on?" Amanda Darling demanded, throwing open the closed door, "Alexis, are you alright?"

"Just venting, Mom," she responded half-heartedly, turning away quickly so she wouldn't have to face her mother. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain what happened that day.

Amanda folded her arms, trying desperately not to shout at her youngest daughter. She easily recognized Alexis was hurting...she always threw a fit of anger when truly in pain. But she also knew Alexis didn't want her sympathy, nor support.

It was out of her hands.

"Fine," Amanda sighed, touching her forehead, "just try to vent a little less loudly? We have a baby in the house, and Denise is tired enough without having to put him to bed again."

"Okay," Alexis mumbled.

"I'll take care of Jonny. Good night, Alexis."

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Rocky shivered as the crash resounded in his ears. He bit his lip nervously, glancing up at Alexis' bedroom window from the paved walkway.

It was clear she hadn't calmed down.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," he muttered, slowly walking towards the front door. He paused his finger just inches from the doorbell, before something inside him stopped him from moving further.

"Okay," he whispered, turning away from the door and violently shoving his hands in his pockets, "Alexis...Lex...I'm really sorry about what I said. About everything I said. I was totally out of line, and I had no right to yell at you like I did. But you keep provoking me..."

He stopped, and shook his head. "No...bad idea

." he decided, licking his lips before he continued. "I had no right to yell at you like I did. I'm just really concerned. I know you've been kinda down lately, feeling like you're not helping the Rangers, but you don't need to take risks like that. You don't have to prove yourself."

He paused again, inclining his head towards the window again. "The Eaglezord is replaceable. You aren't."

A slight grin crossed his face, and he finally pressed the doorbell. He waited a few moments, listening as the echo of footprints slowly grew louder. Finally, he felt a presence behind the door.

"Go away."

Rocky blinked, looking back into the eyehole. "Lex, I need to --"

"Good night, Rocky."

He frowned slightly, listening as footsteps grew fainter.

She was leaving.

"Alexis!" he called into his wrist unit, "I really

need to talk to you!"

"And I don't feel like hearing it," she responded, loud enough for him to hear both through the communicator, and through the door.

His lips tight with determination, Rocky deactivated the signal. Wasting no time, he pressed a few buttons, and in a wash of white light, he vanished from the porch of the house, only to instantaneously reappear within the living room, just feet from Alexis, who was at the foot of the stairwell.

"What do you think

you're doing?!" she demanded in a whisper, gazing worriedly up the stairs. "My mother and sister are here!"

"And I figured they weren't right here, if you answered my communique so...strongly," he answered.

Alexis sighed indignantly, folding her arms and arching her eyebrow. "Well, say what you have to say, and leave."

"Listen, I just wanted to apologize," he said, bowing his head slightly, "I know I was really out of line, and I had no business talking to you like that. I'm not your father, I'm not the adviser...I'm not even the leader. I...I'm just a guy who's really worried about you."

"Then stop worrying," Alexis said, her gaze still hard, "I can take care of myself."

"You're right, but...I'm still concerned. I mean, I understand how you feel, thinking you're not useful --"

"Rocky, please," she sighed, her voice more tired than angry. "You don't know what I'm going through."

"But I do," he responded, careful not to let his voice rise too much. "Hey, I know what it's like to feel inadequate. I was right with the Terra team as they got their new powers. I even went on the Zeo Quest, and found one of the missing shards! But I was overlooked. I don't know why, or who even made that decision...but I wasn't 'worthy'

of being a Ranger anymore. That crushed me!"

"But it's not just the Power," Alexis insisted, sinking down to sit on the bottom step. "My entire world is falling apart, brick by brick. I'm losing my sister, I'm becoming more and more useless to the team, and now my zord's gone. And then, you casually bring up the worst thing that ever happened to me during my formative years!"

She leaned forward, grasping her forehead with her hands, and propping her elbow on her knee. "You don't understand. You can never understand. You like to think that everything is sunshine and happiness. You think a joke can cheer me up after any catastrophe. Can you even grasp what it's like, to feel a complete void? Or do you just gloss it over with some corny joke, or the naive 'Everything is going to be all right?' And now you want me to just forget what you said, and pretend it never happened?"

"I didn't say that," Rocky answered quietly, "I'm just trying to apologize."

She glared up at him. "And a little apology will completely erase the hurt, right? Rocky, you don't have a very good grip on reality. Maybe that's why Zordon didn't make you a Terran Ranger? Maybe he wanted to make sure the world was in capable hands?"

She saw the change instantly. His eyebrows rose slowly, and his lips tightened. Her own eyes widened in amazement, and she lowered her gaze from his, unable to meet his eyes.

It was as if she were deliberately trying to hurt him. Deep down she knew Rocky had no intention of hurting her, or stirring up painful memories. In fact, her anger was more enflamed by her current situation, further aggravated by memories of her father, rather than Rocky's efforts. He was only the target of her rage because he was immediately available. But, what had she just done? She purposely stabbed at a personal wound, explicitly to hurt the man she still truly trusted, despite their earlier argument. It was by far the cruelest statement she had ever shot at another living being. Was her verbal blow even excusable?

Why was she trying so hard to push him away?

After a long silence, Rocky cleared his throat. "Ouch," he said quietly, a forced grin on his face as he swayed back and forth on his feet. "Uh...touché

. Now we're even."

He took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I'd better get going. I'll see you."

With that, he hurried towards the door. Alexis lifted her head up urgently, and followed his retreat with her eyes.

"Rocky, wait," she called, rising from her seat. But he continued, as if he hadn't heard her request.

As the door swung lazily behind him, Alexis felt certain he did hear her.

"God," she whispered, holding her forehead as she reached the door. She quietly pushed it closed, and then leaned against it, resting the back of her head against the hard wood as her eyes shuttered closed. "Why did this day even happen?"

Epilogue

Kimberly gazed once again at the Viewing Globe, and once again, there was nothing but static. Will Mitchell had broken communications shortly before the Multiversal portal opened, as if one couldn't maintain a lock on a dimension through both mediums. Therefore, she expected the communication to re-establish itself, informing the Terra team that Tommy and the Starlights arrived in 2025 safely. Although it had only been a few minutes, Kimberly couldn't help but worry. It was certainly an irrational worry, because she herself had traveled through the Multiverse before: once into Langstrum Alps, and again into the Age of Apocalypse. Although the trip wasn't comfortable, it wasn't particularly dangerous. Yet again, Tommy Oliver had a knack for getting into dangerous situations. Still, he also had a knack for getting out of them.

Kim looked away from the globe, and scanned the CAC. David, whose resemblance to Tommy still startled her, was busy talking to Billy. No doubt David had a lot of questions about the Terran Rangers, Starlight Rangers, and the rest of the situation. Not far away, Kat and Jason were standing together, involved in a relaxed conversation. Kim smiled when she noticed that they were holding hands. She was glad to see Katherine fall in love, and she was also glad to see Jason finally find a fulfilling relationship. Aisha, Zack, Adam, and Tanya were discussing something, and Zack was going into detail about the new game at the arcade. Kim shook her head at her own disbelief at her concern. She was obviously the only one worried about their leader, therefore affirming that there was nothing to worry about.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the center of the Central Access Complex, and all the teens took notice. The bright light faded, and was replaced by a circular black portal. Seconds later, the Red Terran Ranger flew out of the portal like a cannonball, and landed at Kimberly's feet. Kimberly began giggling immediately as Tommy staggered to his feet.

"Is Multiversal travel always this painful?" he wondered, pulling off his helmet and shaking his head to steady himself.

"It's not the travel that's painful," Kim answered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's the landing."

Tommy chuckled, and gratefully returned the hug. Then, he turned, and greeted the rest of the Rangers, Billy, and his brother.

"Hey, where are Rocky and Alexis?" he inquired, noticing their presence was lacking.

"They had something to discuss," Kim informed him, eyeing him meaningfully. Tommy nodded with understanding.

"I trust everything went smoothly?" Billy asked.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, the arrowhead saved their lives. But, since the Zeo shards already caused so much damage to their bodies, I doubt they'll remain Terran Rangers. I think the torch has been passed to the next generation." He then pulled out an item hidden in his glove. "Oh, and Tony and Will wanted us to have this. It's the schematics for the Starlight powers."

Billy stared at the mini-disc, his eyes wide with excitement. "Prodigious! These powers were developed over years. Now, we just might have an edge over whatever power created that monster."

"Now that's good news!" Aisha commented, watching as Billy quickly moved towards the mainframe. She then turned back to Tommy. "So, what was the future like?"

"Well, that's a weighted question," he said with a smirk, "I was only there for about fifteen minutes! But, from the looks of it, I can tell you one thing: the future looks bright." He frowned slightly, and then added, "So long as we avoid that power-poisoning part."

"The Terran Rangers of 2025 will finally get a break from super-heroing," Adam commented, stretching his back. "Speaking of which, I think we've been working far too hard. Who's up for smoothies?"

"Good idea," Jason said, "Let's get going." He then turned to Billy, who was sliding the disc into the drive. "Billy, are you coming?"

"Actually, I'd like to get a jump start on this Starlight project," Billy said, stifling a yawn. "Who knows how much time we have before the next attack? Considering how difficult that monster was to beat..."

"Billy," Kim sighed, walking towards him and grabbing his arm firmly. "It can wait. You're human too. You need food and rest!"

"Yes," Katherine added. "Don't you think you've worked enough for one day?"

Billy sighed, casting an almost longing glance at the wealth of information he wanted to explore. But another forceful yank from Kimberly convinced him to rise to his feet.

"Let's compromise," he proposed with a weary smile, "I'll meet you guys in...fifteen minutes at Ernie's?"

Kimberly scrunched her nose, but finally nodded. "Okay, it's a deal," she conceded, releasing his arm.

"Well, I'd better go home," David said. "My father's probably worried about me. I've been gone all day!"

Tommy's smile instantly eroded. "Couldn't you just grab a quick snack with us? We've got some catching up to do, and I know you've got tons of questions."

"Well..." David began.

"You might as well come along," Jason said, "I think we all are a bit curious about you."

"It just wouldn't be right without you," Aisha chimed, grabbing David's arm, "You helped out big time today, in getting Micah on his feet and saving the future Terran Rangers. I think David should be an Honorary Power Ranger!"

A chorus of smiles and agreements flooded the room.

A smile crept onto David's face. "I'm in."

In a symphony of bright light, Tommy powered down, and everyone teleported out of the Central Access Complex.

Everyone except Billy, that is.

His gaze fell upon the mini-disc once again, and he eagerly approached the main computer. He slid the disc into the device, and waited while the computer processed the information.

While he waited, his mind drifted slightly. With all the concern about saving Micah and David, and then defeating that nightmarish creature, he barely had time to process the historic, mind-numbing event that had occurred.

He had met his daughter, and she was certainly someone to be proud of. She was absolutely beautiful, inheriting her mother's grace and gentleness, as well as the numbing intelligence of both parents. She also inherited special superhuman abilities. For someone so young, she handled the pressures of being a mutant extremely well.

He hoped with all his heart that some day, in the not-terribly-distant future, he would have a daughter like Rebecca.

And he also hoped...beyond all hope...that some day he and Trini would really be together.

The screen flashed, informing the young genius that the data transfer had been completed. The computer was ready to display to him the immense knowledge that would enable the Terran Rangers to stand firm against whatever new evil they faced.

Yet...his interest in the schematics dwindled as thoughts of Trini submerged his mind.

He'd get to the disc some other time.

He hadn't contacted Trini...in a personal manner...in months. Chalk that up to the intense battles the Rangers faced, as well as the grueling schedule Trini had to live with. Since the summer, e-mail was the only form of communication he utilized, and even that was scarcely taken advantage of.

That had to change.

Seeing Rebecca today, as well as a mature version of himself with Trini Mitchell, gave Billy a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. A feeling that had all but evaporated on that winter morning when Trini, Zack, and Jason moved to Switzerland.

Hope.

Hope that he and Trini really were meant to be. Hope that they could bridge the thousands of miles between them, and find a way to be together...in a way they never really were when she was in Angel Grove, right under his nose.

A smile crossed Billy's face...one that reflected the warm feeling in his heart. He then stood up from the main computer relay, and casually strolled to his desk. He took a seat on his cushioned chair, and slid open the top drawer.

Within that drawer was a pad of paper, and a fountain pen.

He rarely used such materials, opting for computers at every turn. But there was something so much more potent about a letter. E-mail didn't even have the writer's handwriting on it. It was so disconnected...so impersonal

.

And the last thing he wanted to be was disconnected and impersonal with Trini Kwan.

He bit his lip with a shudder of anxiety as the pen touched the paper.

He had so much to say to her, and now he finally was inspired to do so.

The End

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!

The Terran Rangers

Jason Lee Scott - Black Terran Ranger

Full Name:

Jason Lee Scott
Ranger Designation:

Black Terran Ranger
Weapons:

Earth Sword, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Black Zeo Shard
Zord:

Black Rhinoceros Zord

Strong and fearless, Jason is the former Black Terran Ranger and original leader of the Power Rangers. To Jason went the Black Zeo Shard, giving him the power of the Earth, and control of the Rhinoceros Zord. Black Terran Ranger's power weapon is the Earth Sword, a powerful weapon with a razor sharp edge. His weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Black Terran 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. It is this attitude that got him chosen to represent Angel Grove at the World Teen Summit, a peace conference in Switzerland he attended, leaving the Rangers with Trini Kwan and Zack Taylor that left a gap in the team which was then filled by Rocky DeSantos. Recently he's rejoined the team which then granted him this new power.

Zack Taylor - X-Ranger One: Gold

Full Name:

Zack Taylor
Ranger Designation:

X-Ranger One: Gold
Weapons:

Lance of Light, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Gold Zeo Shard
Zord:>

White Cheetah Zord

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 back in Angel Grove after promoting world peace at a peace conference in Switzerland. To Zack went the White Zeo Shard, giving him the power of the Light, and control of the White Cheetah Zord. White Terran Ranger's power weapon is the Lance of Light. His weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As White Terran Ranger, Zack gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability. It is this attitude that got him chosen to represent Angel Grove at the World Teen Summit, a peace conference in Switzerland he attended, leaving the Rangers with Trini Kwan and Jason Lee Scott leaving a gap in the team to be filled by Adam Park. Recently he's rejoined the team which then granted him this new power.

Kimberly Hart - X-Ranger Two: Silver

Full Name:

Kimberly Hart
Ranger Designation:

X-Ranger Two: Silver
Weapons:

Thunderbow, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Silver Zeo Shard
Zord:

Yellow Thunderbird Zord

Kimberly was one of the five Rangers originally chosen by Zordon to protect the Earth against Rita Repulsa. She was given the Yellow Zeo Shard and ability to morph into the Yellow Terran Ranger and control of the Yellow Thunderbird Zord. 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 Yellow Terran Ranger, Kim gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability as well as limited energy projection.

Tommy Oliver – Red Terran Ranger

Full Name:

Tommy Oliver
Ranger Designation:

Red Terran Ranger
Weapons:

Flame Sabre
Gear:

Power Morpher with Red Zeo Shard, Wrist Communicator
Zord:

Red Phoenix Zord

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. Now he is the Red Terran Ranger. Red Terran Ranger's power weapon is the Flame Sabre. As the Red Terran Ranger, Tommy gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability as well as limited energy projection.

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.

Adam Park - Green Terran Ranger

Full Name:

Adam Park
Ranger Designation:

Green Terran Ranger
Weapons:

Wind Shield, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Green Zeo Shard
Zord:

Green Eagle Zord

Adam is shy, sensitive and spiritual. His training has made him a disciplined and efficient fighter specializing in Shaolin Kung-Fu. He first met the Rangers while attempting to save a child in danger alongside of them. Originally from Stone Canyon, Adam moved to Angel Grove and transferred to Angel Grove High School. By fighting Zedd's forces with the Power Rangers, Adam proved himself to be a suitable replacement for Zack as the Black Ranger. Zack transferred his powers to Adam using the Sword of Light. Upon losing those powers, he then gained the new powers of the Green Terran Rangers. Green Terran Ranger's power weapon is the Wind Shield. His weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Green Terran Ranger, Adam gained enhanced strength, speed, durability, and limited energy projection. Recently, Adam has experienced complications with his heart making him unable to continue on as the Green Terran Ranger. He has joined Billy, Tanya and Rocky in helping the Rangers from the CAC.

Katherine Hillard - Blue Terran Ranger

Full Name:

Katherine Hillard
Ranger Designation:

Blue Terran Ranger
Weapons:

Ice Daggers, Blade Blaster
Gear:

Wrist Communicator, Power Morpher with Blue Zeo Shard
Zord:

Blue Alligator Zord

Kat is mature and sophisticated beyond her years. She recently came to Angel Grove from Australia, only to be captured by Rita and placed under a spell. Kat befriended the Rangers, and got close enough to steal the Falconzord and Kimberly's Power Coin. Her memories of being good broke the spell, and she became an ally, retrieving Kimberly's coin, which quickly became her own once Kimberly decided to leave for Florida and pass the coin to Kat, so that she would become the new Pink Ranger. Kat maintained a partial telepathic link with Rita, a lingering effect of the spell she was once under. After losing those powers, she received the new powers of the Blue Terran Ranger. Blue Terran Ranger's power weapon are the Ice Daggers. Her weapon combined with the others to form the Power Blaster. As Blue Terran Ranger, Kat gained enhanced strength, speed, and durability as well as limited energy projection.

The Starlight Rangers

Anthony Monroe - Red Starlight Ranger

Full Name:

Anthony Monroe
Ranger Designation:

Red Starlight Ranger
Power Signature:

Starburst
Parents:

Trevor and Kimberly (Hart)

Monroe
Date of Birth:

October 11, 2004
Age:

20
Height:

6'1"
Hair:

Brown
Eyes:

Aqua Blue

Regina Drew - Blue Starlight Ranger

Full Name:

Regina Drew
Ranger Designation:

Blue Starlight Ranger
Power Signature:

Solar Blaze
Parents:

Edward and Aisha (Campbell)

Drew
Date of Birth:

May 30, 2005
Age:

19
Height:

5'11"
Hair:

Dark Brown
Eyes:

Hazel

Rebecca Mitchell - Pink Starlight Ranger

Full Name:

Rebecca Mitchell
Ranger Designation:

Pink Starlight Ranger
Power Signature:

Heaven's Gate
Parents:

William "Billy"

and Trini (Kwan)

Mitchell
Date of Birth:

June 1, 2009
Age:

15
Height:

5'2"
Hair:

Dark Brown
Eyes:

Brown

Brittany Lee - Yellow Starlight Ranger

Full Name:

Brittany Lee
Ranger Designation:

Yellow Starlight Ranger
Power Signature:

Corona
Parents:

Jason and Emily (Stein)

Lee
Date of Birth:

February 8, 2007
Age:

18
Height:

5'6"
Hair:

Dark Brown
Eyes:

Brown

Micah Oliver - Green Starlight Ranger

Full Name:

Micah Oliver
Ranger Designation:

Green Starlight Ranger
Power Signature:

Graviton Rush
Parents:

Tom "Tommy"

and Katherine (Hillard)

Oliver
Date of Birth:

January 22, 2012
Age:

13
Height:

5'4"
Hair:

Brown
Eyes:

Brown

Allies and Mentors to Both the Terran and Starlight Rangers

Billy Cranston

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. When the Rangers gained the powers of the Zeo Crystal, he was made mentor to the group after Zordon and Alpha left to create another team of Rangers to fight the Machine Empire in another part of the galaxy.

Tanya Sloan

When former Yellow Power Ranger Aisha Campbell began her quest for the Yellow Zeo sub-crystal, little did she know that she would not return to her life as Power Ranger. Her quest took her to present day Africa, where she decided to remain to help cure the dying animals of the land. When the Yellow Zeo Shard rejected Tanya, she was asked to step up and assist Billy with helping the Terran Rangers in their quest to protect Earth.

RockyDeSantos

Rocky is like the class clown of the Rangers. Good natured, spirited, and likes to have fun. He may be low on the IQ points, but Rocky's martial arts prowess and stubbornness make him an excellent fighter and asset to the team. He first met the Rangers on a trip to Angel Grove to compete in the Ninja Competition, and helped them save a baby in danger. Proving himself worthy by assisting the Rangers several times, Rocky was given the power of the Red Ranger by the departing Jason. Jason used the Sword of Light to transfer his powers to Rocky. 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, Rocky gained enhanced strength, speed, durability, and limited energy projection. When Rocky lost his powers after Rito Revolto's attack on Angel Grove, he gained new powers with the Ape Power Coin given to him by Ninjor on the Rangers' journey to the Temple of Power. The Ape Power Coin was later destroyed by Zedd and Rita when Master Vile reversed time and reverted the Rangers to children. When Rocky sustained injuries from the Command Center exploding, it was deemed that he would serve the Rangers better if he assisted Billy and Tanya in helping the Terran Rangers in their quest to protect Earth.

Aisha Campbell - Green Terran Ranger

Spirited and full of energy, Aisha was always up to the challenge as a Power Ranger. She met the Power Rangers on a trip to Angel Grove, where she competed in the Ninja Competition along with Rocky and Adam. Aisha and her friends assisted the Rangers in the rescue of a baby in danger. She continued assisting the Rangers when they needed it, proving herself a formidable replacement for Trini as the Yellow Ranger. Trini left Aisha her powers by transferring them to her with the Sword of Light. Yellow Ranger's power weapons are 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, Aisha gained enhanced strength, speed, durability, and limited energy projection. Her Yellow Ranger powers were lost when Master Vile turned the team into children, and Goldar destroyed the Power Coins. Upon retrieving the Yellow Zeo Crystal, she sent Tanya back to the team in her place, and stayed in Africa to help the animals. Recently she moved back to Angel Grove where no one but the Rangers remember who she is and what she had done before. Upon an injury that befell Adam, Aisha returned to the team, taking up the mantle as the Green Terran Ranger.

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.

Angela

Zack attempted to gain the affections of Angela, often to no avail. She would turn him down several times before conceding to go on a date with him. When their date was ruined by a monster attack, Zack's chances with Angela seemed slim. However, he refused to give up and succeeded in making amends with her after several ruined attempts, earning a kiss on a lips for his efforts.

Amanda Darling

Alexis’ mother. She’s a very caring and determined individual. After divorcing her husband, she only wanted what was best for her two daughters, Alexis and Denise. When Amanda was transferred to Angel Grove for her job, Alexis moved with her. Currently they are back in Philadelphia to help her other daughter, Denise and Denise’s son, Johnathan during Denise’s trying times.

Denise Johnson

Alexis’ older sister. She stayed in Philadelphia while her sister and mother moved to Angel Grove to pursue her law degree. She, like her mother is a very caring and determined individual, despite her illness. She is willing to put everything on the line in order to protect her mother, sister and especially her son, Johnathan while struggling with the AIDs virus.

Johnathan Johnson

Denise’s son. Not much is known about this youngster quite yet. All that is known is that he can be quite a handful when it comes to her aunt Alexis who watches him quite frequently. Having seen that his mother has become sick, he has also been a devout son, never really wanting to leave his mother’s side and always worrying for her well-being.

Emandia Trueheart

Micah's and Devon's aunt, David Trueheart's wife, and Tommy Oliver's sister-in-law. When Micah was sent into the past, she was one of the people on the reservation that helped him find what he needed to help his father.

David Trueheart

Micah's and Devon's uncle, Emandia Trueheart's husband and Tommy Oliver's twin brother. Tommy and he met officially when Tommy was on his Zeo Quest. Later on, he married Emandia and helped raise his two nephews, Micah and Devon.

Devon Oliver

Micah's 7-year-old brother, Tommy and Katherine Oliver's youngest son, and Emandia and David's youngest nephew.

Trevor Monroe

Kimberly's husband. In a seperate time and universe than we know, Trevor was possessed by Holocaust and renamed himself Solar. Bent on revenge against Kimberly's friends, the Power Rangers, he was beaten and Holocaust was taken down on the Astral Field by Nate Summers and Kimberly. He then returned to the time he was from to marry Kimberly of his universe and to become a better father to his son and daughter, Anthony and Kirsten.

Kirsten Monroe

Trevor and Kimberly Monroe's youngest daughter and Anthony's little sister.

Emily Lee

Jason's wife and mother to their son, Andrew.

Andrew Lee

Jason's and Emily's son.

Luke DeSantos

Rocky's and Alexis' son.

Villains of Both the Terran and Starlight Rangers

Lord Zedd

Disgusted at Rita's performance at attempting to conquer Earth, Zedd came to the Moon himself to get rid of Rita and do the job right himself, but would also be unsuccessful. Rita found her way back to the Moon, and placed Zedd under a love spell. The two got married, and continued to fail at world domination.

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.

Z Putties

When Lord Zedd arrived, he brought with him the Z Putty Patrol, which were more powerful than any previous putties, and had to be hit in the Z spot to be destroyed.

Lord Umbriel

The man who tried to take over both realms of the Starlight Rangers and the Terran Rangers but was defeated.

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

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 11.08.2012

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