Echoes of the Guardian Era
Written By: SupremeLordOfShadow

Disclaimer: I make no money from this story.

A/N: This story takes place in the middle of the fourth season, better known as Power Rangers Zeo, right after Mondo is temporarily destroyed by the damacles sword.

Chapter I
"The New Enemy"

There was no thought. No hesitation, as the Red Zeo Ranger charged the enemy, sword in hand. His foe moved quickly, bringing his wand up to meet the Ranger's strike, the energy surrounding it catching his blade and holding it fast.

"Awe, what's wrong?" he said mockingly. "Miss your friend already? If you want I can send you to where she is… inside me!" The man, cloaked in an armor of black spikes, disengaged and swung around to launch a strike of his own. Tommy side slipped the blow, backing off just far enough to position himself for a new attack.

He'd been eating lunch at Ernie's when he got the call. Katherine was in trouble, under attack by some unknown adversary. Her cries were desperate; she couldn't hold out much longer. Tommy wasted no time; he didn't even check in with the others before teleporting to her location. When he arrived, he found himself in a room filled with corpses. Bodies that were withered and rotten in ways he didn't even want to remember. In the midst of all this, he saw Kat. Saw that bastard standing over her. Saw…

A strong kick came out of nowhere, catching Tommy dead on and flinging him across the room. Winded, he struggled to get up as the enemy took long, purposeful strides towards him.

"Braxon!!!" A familiar high pitched shriek echoed through the air. "We need you up here now!" The killer growled.

"Another time, Ranger," he announced, before vanishing in a plume of black fire.

Tommy pulled himself to his feet and stumbled amidst the debris and bodies. His eyes scanned them all until he found the one he was searching for. The one he needed to find. And when he did, he pulled her close and his morph dropped away as the tears began to flow. They were still falling when the other Rangers finally caught up with him.

"Tommy?" Rocky asked, his voice cracking as he began to comprehend the pain of this moment. "Is that…" Tommy turned the body, and the others all saw who it was. They all saw Katherine.

- - -

"You insolent fools!" King Mondo declared as the prisoners were lead into his throne room. "Did you really believe that the likes of you could seize control of the Machine Empire?" Rita and Zedd glared daggers at him

"Well it's not like you've been doing such a bang up job," Rita retorted. "You just got blown up by the Power Rangers."

"And yet I'm here and you're about to be in chains," Mondo said smugly. "Just another example of how even under the best of circumstances, the incompetent can never win."

"I only wish that were true," a voice said from behind the King. Mondo spun around, his metallic mouth gaping wide as he saw a familiar face in black spiked armor walking towards him.

"Lord Braxon? How?"

"Those insolent fools over there succeeded where you evidently failed," he explained. "They freed me from that abysmal prison."

"And for that, my Lord, they shall of course be rewarded," the King said quickly. "Klank, release our new guests of honor and show them to their quarters. We shall have a…"

"They'll take your own chambers, King," Braxon interrupted.

"What?"

"It pains me to do this, it really does. You were a great servant, and a much brighter evil mind than they would ever be. But in the name of my new master, Emperor Zedd, you are no longer King of the Machine Empire. In fact, you're no longer King of anything."

"Wait! Don…" Braxon raised his wand and blasted Mondo apart before he could say another word.

"Klank, have you thought at all about our earlier discussion?" Lord Braxon asked the robot.

"Wait, what? You've been in talks with this madman?" Queen Machina demanded.

"I'm sorry, m'lady," Klank replied. "Cogs, take the former royal family into custody."

- - -

"Who was that guy?" They had all been sitting in the Power Chamber, the air filled with quiet grief, when Adam finally voiced what they were all thinking.

"We're not sure yet," Billy responded. "Whoever he was, he just drained the life force out of two dozen people, including…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"He was unlike anything I've ever fought before," Tommy told them. "And what he did to Kat… I think it's a safe bet he'll be out to do the same to us."

"I can't believe this," Tanya whispered. "I mean, could Rita and Zedd really be behind this?"

"All I know is that voice that summoned this guy back sounded a lot like Rita's, and…" Tommy's eyes lit up. "Braxon. She called him Braxon."

"So the bastard has a name," Rocky growled. "Good. Now where's his address so we can…"

"Are you sure?" Zordon interrupted the Blue Ranger. "Are you absolutely sure she called him Braxon?" There was something about Zordon's voice, an urgency that the Rangers had never heard before. It almost sounded like Zordon was afraid.

"Yeah," Tommy replied. "Yeah, that's what she said. Do you know this guy?" All was quiet for a moment.

"I do," Zordon finally responded. "And if I'm right, we must move quickly, or else all will be lost."

End of Chapter I

A/N: A bit of an ominous ending. This is the start of a very dark journey for the Rangers, and a war that will push the forces of Good to the brink of defeat. All I will tell you is this: more main characters will die. If a dark story like this is what you're looking for, REVIEW and I'll write more.