Disclaimer: Power Rangers and any other characters you know are property of their respective owners.
Authors Note: This story though uses canon for its base is more of an AU.
PROLOG
A meteor shower shaping up to serve as a sensational spectacle of lights brings with it a coming doom. When an evil is reborn upon the Moon, a power is resurrected on Earth. Five teenagers are chosen to wield these special powers in the hopes of guarding against a chaos brought about by the evil Rita Repulsa. A climate of fear and destruction sweeps the world, destroying the livelihood of the people of Earth, mentally, as Rita and her minions do as much physically.
An entire planet trembles in the fearsome grasp of Rita Repulsa as the 5 reluctant youths search themselves for the strength and courage to care for a world in ruins that hates and fears them as much as they do Rita.
It was reborn of a new crater in the moon; will it end in the obliteration of Earth? Find the answers, as along the way innocence is threatened, spirits are crushed, prospects darken, blood spills, and hope contends with fear in the eyes of children whose destinies decide the fate of their entire planet. Bestowed with the Power, they are the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS, and this is their story…
DAYS OF THE DUMPSTER, Part 1: FIRST STAND
A seemingly endless expanse of darkness & cold. A hollow vacuum containing an innumerable amount of phenomena. Space is many things. It can be described in many ways. It harbors all kinds of energy. It harbors all kinds of life. At the moment, however, it harbors a kind of death. Nine planets move on different circular orbits in motions whose relevance to each other lies only with their subservience to gravity & the sun.
The third planet up from that sun is Earth. It is a place where life has spawned. It's a place where death has appeared and disappeared on awkward intervals. The sun burns bright, with light reaching out with great intensity, illuminating many of the things in its path. One of those things is dead now. It accompanies a hail of meteorites in a flow directed toward that third planet.
Earth.
Angel Grove, CA USA.
Space is notable for its low temperature. Perhaps the same could be said of the chilled air that sweeps thru the city, reaching out as far as the desert area well outside of town. Located in that desert sits an odd building. It is sand colored, much like the rocky surfaces of the terrain that surrounds it. A passerby would be none the wiser as to its presence. Certainly, they'd be unaware of what resides inside...
The Command Center.
It is much like space itself. It is dark, but is illuminated by the many lights of the computer terminals that glow & flash, not unlike the stars in space. Among the computer terminals sits a radar screen. Momentarily, it indicates the presence of……something.
"Ay Yi Yi" Alpha 5's voice portrayed a tone of worry. Humans ranged widely in their emotional capacities, but what makes this so odd is that Alpha 5 is not human. He is an artificially intelligent machine.
"Spatial scanners detected a foreign energy signature. But now the reading is gone" Alpha 5 turns away from the computer terminal & looks upward toward a tall, clear cylindrical tube filled with light. Among that light was a humanoid face.
"Oh no. Another fluctuation in the Power Grid. What could this be, Zordon?"
Zordon looked down from his tube at his robotic assistant standing within the ring of computers. "Calm yourself, Alpha 5. We will be better able to handle any circumstance without the disadvantage of panic. We can start with an analysis based on what information the computer picked up in that brief moment"
The lights on the computers flash and the spatial scanner again locks onto the foreign energy signature.
"Zordon, its back" Alpha rushes to the computer console and starts pressing buttons. "I will try to recover as much information as I can before the computers go off line again"
Alpha continued to work with the computer. "Whatever it is, it doesn't appear to be very large. Wait….Ay Yi Yi, Zordon"
"What have you uncovered, Alpha 5?"
"The energy signature. It-it-it's Edenite in origin"
"This could be important, Alpha. Quickly, recalibrate the annular confinement beam to lock onto the energy signature before the Grid's power fluctuates again. We must teleport the object here immediately," Zordon ordered.
"Yes, Zordon" Alpha did as commanded. White light streaks into the building. It drops off a charred metallic object inside the Command Center. Alpha 5 shuffles toward the object with a hand-held scanner in hand.
"Oh no! It can't be!" Alpha cried.
"Alpha, I--"Zordon isn't able to finish his sentence before Alpha speaks again.
"Alpha 4. My brother. What happened to you?"
"My apologies, Alpha 5. Perhaps you should rest your circuits"
"Y-yes, Zordon" Alpha sniffles. "I am always more relaxed when monitoring the activities of that group of teenagers in Angel Grove" Alpha moves before the Viewing Globe as a visual of a karate class in session comes to view. "Ay Yi-Yi. They remind me of my dear brother. Their warmth. Their spirit. And their attitude toward life & their loved ones"
Angel Grove Youth Center.
Ernie's Gym & Juice Bar
Two rows of young men stand in white karate gi's; mimicking the movements of a teenager whose karate gi is adorned with a black belt around the waist. Among his students is a teenager trying desperately to follow his instructor's movements, following them with eyes resting behind a set of glasses.
Ernie, the owner of the business in a corner of the Youth Center building, is a heavy set man. He stands behind the bar talking with a young, black teen.
"I'm telling you, Ernie. Jason's got a lock on this thing. He'll have Billy walking with his head up high in no time" Zack says.
"I hope you're right, Zack. Billy's a good kid"
"Oh, check this out, man. You heard out about this?" Zack asks Ernie as he reaches out to the TV set on the counter & raises the volume.
"…science in this day and age. The meteor shower will continue thru tonight, with what has become the eagerly anticipated coupe de grace- a comet whose path is expected to meet that of our own moon. Don't panic, kids. Scientists say the comet is of very small size, and its erratic movements, while hard to measure, are expected to be of very little consequence. This should result in not much more than a brilliant visual spectacle for people of all ages" the newscaster reports, just before Ernie lowers the volume again.
"Hey, what gives, man?" Zack asks. In the background, Jason's karate class commences and he & Billy make their way up to the bar.
"Okay, I got to ask you something, Zack. I know they say the comet's descent is going to be of little consequence or whatever, but they also say that it's moving at pretty weird speeds. I mean, they can't even tell when exactly it'll land. What if something happens, like the moon explodes or something? This could be the end, you know?"
Zack laughs. "I don't think you got anything to worry about, man. Billy-boy says one reason the comet's speed might be so weird is because it's sloughing off mass or something like that. It's all physics, Ernie"
"Right. I knew that" Ernie says as Billy & Jason join them.
"Hey, Billy, my main-brain. Looking good out there" Zack says as he places an assuring hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Thank you, Zack. I believe I'm getting the hang of this martial arts phenomenon"
"That's good to hear, man. I was just reassuring Ernie here that the comet that's coming isn't Armageddon or anything" Zack said.
"Oh, you mean that meteor shower that's been going on all week?" Jason asks.
"Watch your language boys, there are ladies in the room" a feminine voice intervenes. The guys turn to see a petite brunette, and a taller Asian girl approach them.
"Kim, Trini. Hello, ladies" Zack stands up from his stool as he greets the girls. He starts nudging Jason with his elbow "Say hello to the ladies, Jase"
"Knock it off, man" Jason whispers.
"Hey, guys. How was karate class?" Trini asks.
"Very informative" Billy replies.
"I'll bet" Kim adds as she looks up at Jason. He blushes. "So, what are you hooligans up to?"
"We were discussing the meteor shower & the impending lunar collision" Billy answers.
"Yeah, that's right" Jason says, as though he just remembered something.
"Oh, that's right, huh?" Kim asks. Jason looks at Zack whose smile is riddled with mischief. Jason puts his hand on Kim's shoulder and leads her a few feet away from their friends.
"Ok, Jase, why are you being weird?" Kim asks.
"I'm not. I just wanted to ask you something" Jason says. Kim puckers her lips to the side of her mouth as she winces at Jason with suspicion. "That whole meteor shower thing is all over the news. They say it's a pretty cool event to see. Especially from the park"
"Uh-huh. And…?" Kim asks.
"Oh, c'mon girl, don't make him say it" Zack chimes in from his stool.
"Muzzle it, bro" Jason retorts.
Kim smiles. "No, it's okay. Yeah, I hear it's pretty fantastic. Maybe we should check it out"
"Really?" Jason asks with disbelief.
"Yeah. It'll be fun. We can all go" Kim says to him as she looks to her other friends.
Jason looks over at Zack and his mischievous smile. "Great. I was worried this wouldn't turn out how I wanted it to" Jason mutters.
"Great. It's a date!" Zack adds.
The Command Center.
The charred remains of Alpha 4 lay on a metal bed. Alpha 5 analyzes him.
Alpha 5 dials into his hand-held computer and walks with it over to Zordon. "Ay Yi-Yi. I downloaded the information into the computers and I have discovered some rather curious things here, Zordon"
"Go on, Alpha 5" Zordon encouraged.
"Well, I thought perhaps that the faint energy signature could somehow be augmented to revive Alpha 4, but it turns out that the energy signature does not belong to him. He is gone. Instead, the signature is originating from an internal mechanism from which I've deciphered part of a distorted message" Alpha explains.
Alpha continues. "The message is basically stellar cartography. There is a map of the Gamma Tri System, as well as notes on some kind of electro kinetic spatial phenomenon out in that sector. There are also schematics on the trail of meteors and asteroids that seem to have come in contact with the electro kinetic storm. They were shifted onto an altered course"
"This is quite disturbing" Zordon notes.
"But why? This doesn't appear to be much more than random spatial analyses" Alpha asks.
"We must assess the situation as a whole, Alpha. This is not mere information, but is information that happened to be carried in our direction by your brother"
"Now that you mention it, the damage pattern and likelihood that some natural phenomenon would harm my brother, and put him on a course toward Earth is very suspicious" Alpha realizes.
The computer's flash and a console beep's. Alpha moves over to it.
"The computer's have cross referenced the energy signature. There was a latent residual charge coupled to the Edenite signature. The residual energy source has been identified" Alpha slowly turns to Zordon. "Ay Yi-Yi. The second energy signature- it belongs to……Zedd"
Zordon's concern paints his face with a grimace. "There is more to this meteor shower than anyone realized. The citizens of Earth are in danger, perhaps like no other they have faced before. It seems an old evil has returned with new intentions"
Angel Grove Park
Night.
A pale, skinny, black haired teen runs through the park. He grunts in pain as the hot cups of coffee in each of his hands spill onto him as he makes his way toward an obese adolescent appropriately named…
"Bulk! I got the coffee!" the pale teen cries out as he reaches his friend.
"Geez, Skull! It's about freaking' time!" Bulk replies as his pale, skinny cohort stumbles toward him, tripping over a rock, and splashes the large Bulk on his chest with the steaming hot coffee's.
"AAGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Bulk yells out in pain and runs around like a chicken with its head cut off. He races past Zack, Kim, Billy, Trini, & Jason who try to dismiss Bulk & Skull. Bulk makes his way to the lake and dives in.
"Those goons have issues" Zack remarks.
"Hey, let's go sit up on that grassy hill" Kim points out.
"That appears to be a viable location with which to monitor tonight's events" Billy observes as he holds onto a pair of binoculars strapped around his neck.
The 5 teens have a seat on the grassy hill. Kim wraps her arms around her knees as she pulls them up toward her chest.
"Are you cold?" Jason asks.
"A little. Yeah" Kim answers.
"Maybe you should have thought about that when you pulled those Daisy Dukes out of your dresser this morning" Zack remarks.
"Hey! They look totally cute with this top!" Kim responds as she smacks Zack on the shoulder.
"Oww, hey! Don't hit! Why do girls hit?" Zack asks Jason who sits on Kim's other side. Jason responds to him with an angry glare, as he wraps his oversized black sweater around Kim's shoulders.
"This is going to be phenomenal" Billy says as he stares thru his binoculars into the sky.
"Translation?" Jason asks Trini.
"He's thinks this is going to be great" Trini answers.
"Precisely. I'm a little perplexed, though. While I know there was no official time placed for the collision, the Explorer 7 vessel that NASADA is sending for observations is supposed to land soon & prepare for their analysis. Did we miss anything?" Billy looks over to a bench where Bulk & Skull sit watching a portable TV.
Bulk has his head tipped to the side as he smacks his upturned ear, trying to shake the water out of his opposite ear. Billy hands his binoculars to Zack and approaches the picnic table.
"Greetings, fellas" Billy greets.
"What do you want, Goggles?" Bulk asks as he continues his effort to rid the water from his ear. Skull laughs at Bulk's insult.
"Actually, I was curious as to whether NASADA has given an update on the Explorer 7 Lunar exploration"
"No. Now get outta here, ya goody-good" Bulk replies.
"Yeah, get outta here" Skull mimics his friend.
Billy grimaces as he makes his way back up to his friends.
"Just ignore them, Billy. If what they had to say was very important, they would have more friends than just each other" Trini assures.
"Right" Billy responds.
"Billy Cranston, if you don't get over here right now you is going to miss the show" Kimberly adds. Zack tosses Billy his binoculars. Billy sits down among the group.
Space.
Onboard the Explorer 7.
Astronaut #1 maneuvers the shuttle toward the moon. "We're going to be coming in soon. I'd rather land after the collision. Just to be safe"
"I hear ya" Astronaut #2 responds. "Wait. We're getting a communication from NASADA. Looks like the wait will be over soon"
"I should say so" Astronaut #1 points as the comet glides toward the Moon, and they watch the crash happen before their very eyes.
Angel Grove Park.
"This is it guys" Billy observes as he watches through his binoculars.
The 5 teens stand up as Kim squeals with giddy anticipation. Jason, who stands next to her, looks down at her with a smile that only partially covers his nervousness.
Space.
The comet hits the Moon's surface. The collision lets out a very brief flash of light that illuminates the cabin of the Explorer 7 vessel. The astronauts shake hands.
"That was amazing!" Astronaut #1 exclaims.
"Yes! Let's head out there" Astronaut #2 adds.
The Command Center.
"Ay Yi-Yi! The fluctuations have intensified. If we don't get power back on-line soon, we won't be able to track the comet for any abnormal phenomena!" Alpha exclaims.
Space.
The Explorer 7 vessel rests atop the surface of the Moon. Astronaut's #1 & 2 hops thru the moon's low level gravity and close in on the crater created by the comet. Chunks of ice float out around them from the crater.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Astronaut #2 stops. "What the heck is this?" They step in and make their way across the crater toward some type of containment unit.
"This doesn't look like any kind of comet I've ever seen" Astronaut #2 remarks.
"Do you realize what this is?" Astronaut #1.
"Well, if it looks like a dumpster, and it smells like a dumpster…" Astronaut #2 ponders aloud.
"This could be some kind of extraterrestrial artifact. This is a day for the history books, that's for sure" Astronaut #1 notes. "Look at this. Some kind of locking mechanism. It's got a crack in it"
Astronaut #1 tugs at the cracked portion of the canister's seal.
"No! Don't touch it!" Astronaut #2 yells. Unfortunately, his message comes too late. An intense red beam of energy erupts outward from the cracked seal. The two men are thrown backward in a slow arc. A pillar of light reaches out from the containment vessel and spreads out horizontally, forming 5 spheres of red light that take on the form of 5 evil beings.
The Command Center.
The red lights that adorn the tops of the computers begin to strobe as a loud alert sounds.
"We are too late to act, Alpha 5. The nightmare begins again" Zordon explains.
Angel Grove Park.
Bulk & Skull stare at their portable TV with wide eyes. Skull does a double-take as he realizes a large amount of sky watchers are standing behind them watching their TV with equal amazement.
"….only moments ago. It is unknown when communication will be re-established. Until then, we are left with one last frightening image before all contact was lost" the newscaster on the TV explains. The broadcast reveals a view from a fallen camera that films the ground on the moon. Two Golden clawed feet approach the camera & it is lifted to reveal a monstrous blue face before the feed goes out.
Bulk & Skull slowly turn to each other as the group behind them disperses, females crying, and men running with their women in hand.
"It's an alien invasion!" Bulk cries.
"Bulky, I don't want to die" Skull whimpers.
Jason, Kimberly, Trini, Zack & Billy stand up and stare into the sky and witness a flash of light take place. The mass of sky watchers scramble around in a panic.
"Oh. My. God" Kimberly remarks.
"Billy, what the heck is happening?" Zack asks.
Billy shrugs, a look of complete astonishment adorning his face. "Perhaps, some type of Gamma burst?" Billy slowly turns to his friends who look amongst each other with a new looks of confusion. They look over their own bodies as a sensation they've never before experienced begins to overwhelm them.
"What's happening?" Kim asks.
"I believe we are experiencing inertia" Billy observes.
"But how? We're not even moving?" Trini asks.
"Hang on guys! I feel like--"Jason is unable to finish his sentence when every molecule in his body erupts with white light. The same occurs with his 4 other friends. What have now become 5 colorless pillars of light streak upward into the night sky.
The mass of spectators fleeing from Angel Grove Park stop & slowly turn their focus upward to the night sky that illuminates before them as 5 odd streaks of light speed above their heads and off into the horizon. The 5 white lights move swiftly out of town and in the direction of…
The Command Center.
Almost instantaneously the white lights reach their destination. They halt at the front of the building and manifest into Zack, Kim, Billy, Trini, & Jason. The teens are disoriented, and even further confused by their new surroundings.
"What just happened?" Trini asks.
"What happened to the park?" Kim asks.
"The park? Girl, look at this building. I'm not even sure we're still on Earth" Zack comments.
"Negative. It was dark & near dawn in Angel Grove Park, and it still is. Furthermore, the moon is still well within the same location as it was when we were in the park. This is still Earth" Billy explains.
"Wait" Jason interjects. "We could still be in the park. Billy, is it possible some kind of meteor crash could have caused this?"
"A wise deduction, Jason. However, it may be prudent to search this building for clues as to our whereabouts" Billy tells his friends.
"Thank you for having your head on straight, Mr. Cranston" Kim forces a rueful comment to try and ease the fear & uncertainty of the moment.
"See, this why Billy's part of the group. He keeps us in check" Zack adds.
"Well, I don't see any kind of address on the building" Trini notes.
"Come on, guys. Let's get some answers" Jason commands. He and his friends huddle close together and head into the building.
It's as dark as it always is in the Command Center. The teens move in and are taken aback upon the sight of the technological wonders that fill the building. Kimberly's gasp echoes through the building. She quickly covers her mouth. The 5 teens make their way into the center of the ring of main computers in the middle of the building.
Zack decides to break the silence. "Billy, now would be a good time to reassure us we didn't just walk onto a spaceship or something"
"This place is a technological wonder. However, I do not detect any kind of propulsion devices inside, nor did I see any outside or on the way in" Billy affirms.
"Good, cause the atmosphere on Jupiter or whatever can't be all that great for a girl's hair" Kim adds.
"Greetings" Alpha 5's voice startles the teens as he steps up behind them.
"What in blue hell--? " Zack is stunned at the site of the robot.
"Salutations" Billy responds.
"I got it. It's like a museum" Zack guesses.
Billy studies the robot Alpha 5. "Amazing. A fully-functional, artificially intelligent, sentient automaton"
Kim grabs Trini by the arm. "Trini, tell Billy to get away from that thing before it beams us to its mother ship or something"
"Welcome, humans" Zordon's voice is strong and domineering. It startles the group of teens as it fills the room. Billy turns & looks up at Zordon. He stares in amazement as his friends turn & share in his astonishment.
"Oh, geez. Now what?" Zack wonders aloud.
"So, who are you?" Jason inquires.
"Like, what are you?" Kim adds.
"My name is Zordon. I understand you are all confused. Please allow me to explain the situation to you. I promise you have nothing to fear from me or my assistant, Alpha 5"
"Ok, well then we'll just set aside the fact that you're like a big old ghost head, and listen to what you have to say" Kimberly crosses her arms and steps close beside Jason for support.
"Very well, my dear. I am Zordon: an inter-dimensional being locked away for many Earth years by a very great evil that threatened this Galaxy some 10,000 years ago. That evil has returned among the atmospheric phenomenon that has occurred in the last few Earth days" Zordon begins.
"You mean the meteor show?" Jason asks.
"Yes. Though appearing harmless, the event itself is not natural. With our technology we have detected several energy signatures involved, the most important of which belonging to an evil being that oppresses several galaxies outside of your own. That being's name is Lord Zedd" Zordon continued.
"The meteor shower was manipulated? So, that's why the comet's course was so erratic and different from that of the meteors" Billy realizes.
"So, you're telling us some evil space creature trapped you in a big, clear lipstick container?" Kim asks.
"Not quite, my dear. My imprisonment is only indirectly a feat of Lord Zedd. This consequence was a result of a very long conflict with one of his generals. A humanoid named Rita Repulsa. Our conflict ended with our imprisonment. Mine here, and Rita & her minion's within a containment vessel which I was able to encase with enough matter to seal her and her threat away for a long time.
"The containment vessel moved thru space as a comet. An artificial electro kinetic storm created far away in the Gamma Tri System redirected the comet within which Rita was trapped. This meteor shower brought with it still another passenger: Alpha 5's prototype. His brother, if you will- Alpha 4.
"Alpha 4 carried the message of this threat but did not survive long enough to tell of it. Thankfully, Alpha 5 managed to retrieve the message among his brother's remains, destroyed by the power of Lord Zedd. Due to his death, the message arrived perhaps hundreds of years too late. The comet collided with your moon, and from the resulting crater, Rita's menace was reborn"
The teens look around at each other. They're unsure what to do.
"Whoa. Well, uh, sorry about your brother, man" Zack manages to say as he rests a hand on Alpha's shoulder, meant to convey sympathy, despite Zack's ongoing confusion.
"Thank you for your concern--"Alpha stops.
"Zack" Zack identifies himself.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Zack. Your attitude toward life continues to be a comfort to me"
"Continues to be?" Trini asks.
"Oh, gee. I do not mean to displease you, but within this Viewing Globe, Zordon and I monitor Earth as we have done for thousands of years. You humans have been a focal point of our observations" Alpha explains.
"So you chose for us to come here?" Billy asks.
"Yes. On behalf of Zordon, and the Power, I apologize for the abrupt nature of your transport. You were teleported here using our technology" Alpha 5 explains to the teens.
"Ok, yeah, that's just peachy, dude. But, let's rewind for just a second here, back to the 'chosen' thing. Chosen to do what?" Zack inquires.
"Is this like a proposition or something? Because I'm not that kind of girl" Kim adds.
"A proposition of sorts. I opposed Rita with the aid of a group of individuals. Together, they policed, if you will, the activities of Rita and her crew. With their aide, Rita's threat ended. With their aide, this Solar System was protected. This Solar System once again requires the aid of individuals like those of the past. One's with the will, the spirit, and the attitude to defend against evil. Those who have what it takes to become……the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"
Zack tries to hold in his laughter. He fails.
"Zack!" Kimberly slaps Zack upside the head. "Quit playing around. Need I remind you of the size of this guy's head? He could take a serious bite out of all of our behinds"
"C'mon, girl! This is too unreal. Lord Zedd. Rita Repulsa. Artificial electro pathetic something or other. No. Uh-uh. Unreal. If I'm going to be on TV, I'd rather be totally aware of it. No more of this Candid Camera mess" Zack proclaims.
"Ay Yi-Yi" Alpha steps outside of the ring of computers and into the darkness.
"I must comply. This is all very peculiar. At the least, Zordon, you can understand any hesitancy on our part" Billy says.
"Yeah, to become……the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" Zack bursts into laughter again.
"I understand this is strange for you humans. And I will continue to be patient with you. But I will have to ask you to respect the nature of these circumstances and cease your laughter. You may be amused by what we are telling you. However, I believe Alpha 5 is too lost with grief to join in the festivities" Zordon commands as a light projects down behind the computers and reveals a grieving Alpha 5 with his head down beside the charred remains of his brother.
There are no tears, but his cries are very real. Silence befalls the group. That silence is interrupted by a woman's screams. The teens turn around and observe the Viewing Globe. They watch as fear, chaos, and anarchy spread throughout the cities of the world.
"Alpha 4 was the first life to end in lieu of Rita's resurrection. What we are asking of you is to see to it that there will be no more" Zordon tells the group. They look amongst each other. Zack's normally lit-up face is dead serious as he stares at the grieving Alpha 5 beside his dead brother Alpha 4.
The awe of the moment forces Kimberly to cover her mouth as she is filled with dread.
"I need some air" Kimberly fans herself as she breaks away from the group and heads out of the Command Center. Jason pursues Kimberly, and Trini & Billy share a look of concern. Zack turns to see more of the chaos in the Viewing Globe, including looting and other dangers.
Kimberly steps outside and fans herself with her hand. She runs her fingers through her hair as she exhales.
"Kim" Jason calls out to his pretty companion. Kimberly doesn't turn back to face him. She looks out upon the rocky valley as dawn makes its slow appeal to the night for temporary residence. "Kim. How are you holding up?"
"I--" Kim stops mid sentence to sigh. "I'm fine. Really. I just need a second to breathe, you know? This is all just--I just need to get my grip back on reality". Jason is puzzled by her aposiopesis. Jason always knew her as one of those girls who always had something to say, no matter what anybody came at her with. She was one of the most level-headed people he knew. He realized, though, that what they've just experienced was enough to stun anybody.
"So, who else thinks our next question should be whether or not that teleportation thing is round trip?" Zack makes his way toward Kim and Jason, with Billy and Trini beside him.
"This isn't a joke, Zack. You saw the same things in there that we did. It's just like what happened in the park before us…'teleported' here" Kim retorts. The five teens stand in a circle.
"I know. I know it's not a joke. I know this is serious. So is everything that's happening back in Angel Grove" Zack responds.
"It's not just Angel Grove" Billy adds.
Trini couldn't help but feel strongly after everything they'd just witnessed. She was sure her friends felt the same way. "Billy's right. All over the world this kind of thing is happening"
"We make this decision now then" Jason says to his friends and pending teammates. "I say we do it. There's trouble out there and I'd be able to sleep better at night knowing I was doing something about it"
"Are you kidding? The Earth is confronted with evil and we're supposed to be able to handle it just because some……head asked us too? Did anyone stop to think how much better equipped the Military would be to handle an alien invasion rather than a couple of teenagers? If this witch was all that powerful, Zordon would've killed her instead of putting her in a box and mailing her out with no delivery address. That part of the story just doesn't make sense" Zack tries to reason.
"Actually, Zordon's inability to kill this Rita Repulsa speaks more toward how powerful a foe she is, rather than how incapable Zordon was" Billy clarifies.
"Yeah, and now he's stuck in a big tennis ball package" Zack turns to Trini. "What do you think?"
"I'm thinking about my father. He taught me the skills I'd need to be strong. Physically and mentally. I think it'd be a slap in the face to him for me to decline this offer. I see it as a chance to put into action the ideals that have made me the person I am today. And to ensure that I have the chance to continue to be the person I want to be in the future, I'm willing to dedicate myself to seeing that a future, a good one, comes to pass" Trini turns to Jason. "I'm with you"
"Kimberly?" Jason asks.
Kimberly sighs. "You know what? I can't believe I'm going to say this, but if we don't do something now, we'll lose everything. This is scary. But I'm not willing to let the people I love die because I was afraid. I'm more willing to let the people I love live because I overcame those fears. I'm in. I'm so in"
Zack looks away and shakes his head in disbelief. Suddenly, Zack finds himself on the receiving end of a reassuring hand as Billy places one on his shoulder.
"Billy?" Kim inquires.
"I know how you feel, Zack. This is quite the conundrum, with many questions that need to be answered. How it's possible to fight such evil. What the success rate is. There is a vast amount of uncertainty. But I spent a large portion of my life on the outside of things. Every day I work toward adapting to the world and the people who occupy it. Achievements from that endeavor include 4 of the greatest friends any person can have. I didn't work this hard to have to say good-bye to any of you. And even if in this endeavor that still remains a possibility, well, I'd rather have to say good-bye with you, than to you"
"Come on, man. Whatever happens, yes or no, the world needs the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Zordon's got to give the job to somebody. What better a choice then the 5 of us?" Jason tries to encourage his skeptical friend.
"And if not us, we better get in there soon and tell him to hire the runner-up's, and quick-style before the world goes to hell in a hand basket" Kim adds. Zack looks to each of his friends, then looks away and shakes his head in disbelief.
Inside the Command Center, Alpha 5 stands before Zordon. "Ay Yi-Yi Yi-Yi. Maybe I should go outside and see how they are doing, Zordon"
"I don't believe that is wise, Alpha 5. This is a serious decision. One that needs to be made completely, without our influence"
Jason, Kimberly, Trini, and Billy step up behind Alpha 5. "Ay Yi-Yi! You're back!"
"We have come to a conclusion regarding your proposal, Zordon" Billy says.
"The world needs us. It needs protection. We're willing to help" Jason explains.
"Ay Yi-Yi. There are 5 ranger forms currently available. Is Zack unwilling to help?" Alpha asks.
The 4 teens look amongst each other as silence once again fills the room. Once again, one person takes unto himself the responsibility to break that silence.
"Where do I sign?" Zack asks. The 4 teens turn to Zack as he joins the group. Trini wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Zack, I'm so glad you're with us on this. It wouldn't be the same without you" Kim adds as she moves in and places a kiss on his cheek.
"And Zordon and Alpha were making this alien invasion thing sound like trouble. If I'd have known I was going to get this kind of attention I'd have been staging some alien encounters years ago"
"I am truly pleased. With the Mighty Morphin powers, many things are possible. However, to be allowed to wield them you 5 must accept and uphold 3 very important rules. 1) Never escalate a battle unless forced to do so. 2) Never use your powers for personal gain. 3) You must never reveal your identity as the Power Rangers. Do you Zachary, Kimberly, William, Trini, Jason, accept these terms?" asks Zordon.
The 5 teens nod and answer in unison with a "Yes".
"Then extend your hands out before you and accept the Power" Zordon instructs.
The Ranger's do as they're told and in a flash of black, pink, blue, yellow, and red power, belts and strange buckles appear on the waists of Zack, Kim, Billy, Trini, and Jason, respectively. In another burst of their corresponding colors, a golden coin is teleported into the waiting hands of the 5 teens. They each examine their coins.
"A Triceratops from the Cretaceous period" Billy observes.
"Dinosaurs?" Kim asks.
"Yes, my dear. Protector Beasts, to be specific. These are your Power Morpher's and Power Coins. Your Power Morpher's will act as a mechanical trigger with which you will appropriate power from the Morphin Grid, accessed via your Power Coins, making available to you the power of each of your respective Dinosaurs and protector beasts. When it is time for you to morph, you will trigger your morphers, loaded with your own Power Coins, and call out to the spirit to which you hail" Zordon explains.
Just then, the alarms in the Command Center sound.
"What is that?" Trini asks as the teens cover their ears.
"It is the tactical alert. It warns us of dangers brought on by the forces of evil" Alpha 5 explains.
"Well, why wasn't it going off before?" Jason asks.
"The magic Zedd used for the meteor shower, and on the comet to allow for the release of energy that was Rita and her minions to revert to their evil forms, also served as a somewhat effective binding spell on the Morphin Grid and the Command Center. It has been wreaking havoc on our computers recently" Alpha explains.
"Look, the Globe" Kim points out. The round monitor feeds a visual of…
Germany.
Chaos has taken the shape of erratic behavior, looting, pillaging, and riots. Several families and lone citizens clamor into a tall, ornate church. Weeping and cries fill the crowded church as people convene in pursuit of salvation.
A mother and her 5 year-old son drop to their knees before a giant cross. Thru tears and cries, the mother begins to pray frantically as she lowers her head and closes her eyes. Her son gets up and pushes his way back thru the crowd. He makes his way to the large front doors as loud sounds of destruction bellow from a great distance away. The boy steps out onto the top of the steps of the church and looks out into the mountainous region upon a most startling sight.
The skies are darkened as black clouds flood in. Red lightning lashes out from the clouds with a thunderous crash. The red lightning strikes down upon an old, gothic castle perched in the mountains. The boy watches, stunned, as the lightning envelopes it.
The young boy's mother rushes outside and grabs her son, then stands with her mouth open and eyes wide at the sight of the castle opposing gravity and tearing away from its foundation, as the sounds of destruction ring out into the distances. Soon, the castle lifts up higher into the air, racing skyward, disappearing into the dark clouds. The mother and son stand and stare in a complete state of shock.
The Command Center.
"Ay Yi-Yi!" Alpha exclaims. "The computer is detecting a massive gravitational eddy in the skies above the country of Germany. A castle has been taken up into the gravity anomaly"
"She will undoubtedly use it to establish a headquarters" Zordon replies.
"Well, now that we agreed to take on the Power, I guess it'd be a little out of place for me to say 'better Germany than Angel Grove'?" Zack asks.
The alarm blares again. "Ay Yi-Yi! Trouble in Angel Grove. The computers are picking up a growing gravitational eddy in Downtown" Alpha tells the group as they move toward the Viewing Globe.
"Zack, man, this is all your fault, bro" Jason convicts his friend. Zack shrugs.
"This is bad" Billy remarks as he observes downtown Angel Grove in the globe.
"Yeah, well this day just went from bad to worse" Kimberly adds as she points to the Globe once more.
The Ranger's watch in astonishment as the seemingly endless lootings occurring downtown actually cease as a more serious event takes place. The skies become overcast and red lightning reaches down and cuts into a building. The streets shake downtown as the top half of the building tears away from the lower half of itself, thrusting debris outward. Rather than fall to the streets, though, the debris follows the top of the building as it rises up into the air and disappears into the clouds.
"Looks like this is it, guys" Trini addresses her friends.
"Right. Now's the time. We've got to make a stand, guys. Alpha, can you teleport us in near the gravitational eddy?" Jason asks.
"Yes, Jason" Alpha answers.
"But what can we do?" Zack asks.
"Zordon said these coins give us power linked to the grid. If Rita's using magic powers to create these gravitational eddies, maybe we can combine the power from our coins to screen out hers" Jason explains.
"An excellent suggestion, Jason. As the Red Ranger, you will serve as the leader of the Power Rangers. Go now, and lead your team to victory. May the Power protect you" Zordon blesses.
"Right!" all 5 Rangers say in unison as they nod in affirmation.
"Teleportation sequence engaged" Alpha informs.
The Rangers disappear in streaks of light. This time, however, the individual columns of light were red, black, yellow, pink or blue, rather than white.
"Good luck, my new friends" Alpha prays.
Space.
The Moon.
Atop a rocky region of the Moon sits Rita's new palace. On one side of the building, facing out toward the Earth, is a balcony. A large, golden hued, armor clad, blue simian-like alien sets down a modified telescope on the center of the balcony.
"Empress Rita. With the modifications made with the technology taken from Earth and the shuttle, Finster has completed your new Repulsa-Scope" growls the gilded beast.
"This better work, Goldar. Otherwise I'm holding you and Finster responsible" come a gritty, feminine voice. Tall black high heel boots click against the floor of the castle, carrying with them the evil witch Rita Repulsa. Her long gray hair is done up into two separate cones, not unlike the coned bra she wears outside of her brown and black dress. She makes her way up to the telescope and peers into it.
"Ahh, it works. There is the Earth. Home to Zordon, that simpleton. I've been out of commission for 10,000 years. Unacceptable. I will have my revenge. And I will begin with the destruction of the world Zordon has strived to secure. Watch out world, Rita Repulsa has returned" Rita cackles. She steps down from her balcony and makes her way toward……
Finster's Workshop.
Rita enters the workshop where a white, dog-like alien creature finishes constructing a large machinated industrial oven. Two more aliens stand around the room as well. Baboo is a hybrid alien; a cross between a bat and a primate. His impish cohort Squatt is a lighter shade of blue, and is more rotund, carrying a bag of items, a holstered space pistol, and wearing a helmet with goggles resting on them near the top where a protrusion of his skull stands straight up.
"Squatt, pay attention. Our Empress is in the room" Baboo warns.
"Oh, greetings, Empress Rita" Squatt says.
Finster takes notice of Rita's entrance. "Empress Rita, welcome to my new workshop. I was just putting the finishing touches on my Monster-Matic using the parts you so thoughtfully pillaged from Earth and that spacecraft. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the machine initialized. There doesn't seem to be enough power for a machine of this make" Finster explains.
"Must I do everything around here?" Rita asks as she lifts her ornate wand into the air. The red garnet orb within the circular top of the wand glows and discharges red power that envelopes the Monster-Matic. The machine whirls to life.
"Why, thank you, your evilness" Finster conveys his gratitude.
"Yeah, yeah. The Monster-Matic is very important. It will play an intricate part in Earth's degradation. I want to start soon. I need you to craft some monsters to attack the Earth" Rita instructs.
"I am sorry, your lowness" Finster begins to plead his case. "Unfortunately, I am down to a small amount of my lowest quality clay with which to create your dastardly monsters"
"It's always something, isn't it Finster? Well, no time to argue about it. We'll need to retrieve more. Looks like my first choice for a plan of action will have to wait. Those stupid Earthlings have always wasted the resources of their precious planet. Perhaps then they won't have too much of a problem if we partake in some of the violations they riddle their own homelands with" Rita surmises.
"Oh, boy. I certainly hope they don't try and interfere with your plan, your wickedness" Squatt adds.
"They'd better not. Goldar! Get in here!" Rita calls out. Goldar enters the workshop. "New game plan. Here's what we're going to do: Finster, I want you to use some of that clay you have left to assemble a squadron of Putty Patrollers to be unleashed upon Angel Grove in an attack that you, Goldar, will be included among"
"What a great plan! Will Squatt and I be allowed to participate?" Baboo wonders aloud.
"Hmmm. Normally, I know better than to rely on you two buffoons very often. But I'm low on MVP's here. You will be allowed to join Goldar and the Putties this time" Rita answers.
"Oh, goody!" Baboo exclaims. He high-fives Squatt.
"Pipe down, you boobs! This is complicated! We're going to cause a mess of trouble in that town, the likes of which Zordon will be unable to defend against!" Rita's voice trails off into a mad cackle.
Angel Grove.
Five pillars of light streak down to the rooftop of a building beside the one Rita demolished. They look around at the destroyed structure in awe. Among it are destroyed walls, tables, office equipment, and mangled metal.
"Did he have to drop us off so high above the ground?" Trini says in a shaky voice.
"Alpha's scans were correct. It appears to be structurally sound. That is the Fairweather Metal Products processing plant. Or rather, it was. Look at that. The damage is unbelievable. Imagine the power it must have taken to literally break a building in half. Morphinomenal" Billy observes.
"Hey, Zordon said something like that earlier. Something about morph and our Morpher's. What is that?" Kim asks.
"Zordon said 'to morph'. As in, metamorphosis-to change. Into the Power Rangers, with these morphers" Trini explains. Kim nods once she understands.
"But why take only the top half. Was she just stealing parts from this place?" Jason asks.
"Maybe she got jealous of Zordon and is trying to make herself an Alpha 6. Or some kind of huge war robot" Zack comments.
"That's not helping" Trini says.
"Yeah, well, she could be. Anyway, she didn't have to keep the top of the building if she only wanted to keep the parts inside of it. Maybe she just didn't have the power to take the whole thing" Zack guesses.
Jason shakes his head at the image of the building. "Let's hope so"
"Hope?" came's Rita's voice, loud and strong. The Rangers look up at the clouds in the sky as an image of Rita's large, ghostly face appears among them.
"I am willing to venture a guess that that is Rita Repulsa" Billy says.
"Empress Rita Repulsa" Rita clarifies.
"And what exactly are you the Empress of?" Jason asks as he crosses his arms.
Rita cackles madly. "Why, you of course!"
"Oh, of course" Kim says, wryly.
"That's Rita, huh?" Zack asks. "Looks like she's back for the rest of the building"
"Is there a limit to how much weirdness a girl can take?" Kim asks.
"Limits……yes" Rita almost seems to hiss her last word, contemplatively. "So much has changed since my internment. Well, I'd advise you to worry about limits, girl. Because my power does not possess any limits. Would you care to see more of my limitless power in action?"
"Allow us!" Trini responds, preparing to grab her morpher. "You should have seen this coming, witch! They didn't stand for your evil deeds back then! And not that much has changed since then!"
"Silly young girl. You speak of a time from long ago. You know nothing about what times were like then"
"And you're about find out what time it is now!" Jason holds his coin up before his chest. "Ready?!" His 4 friends nod in unison. They hold up their coins and, with their leader, swing an arm out in a wide circle, whipping it down to their belts, then use it to pull their morphers from their waists by the handles.
They lift the morphers before them and slap their Power Coins into place, then leap forward, off of the building, and land on the top level of the one Rita demolished. Simultaneously, they lift their heads to the sky, side-by-side, to face Rita directly.
"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason cries out. The Rangers hold fast to their Morpher's, with both hands, hold them out before Rita and sequentially press the button on the side as they summon the power of their respective Protector Beasts.
"Mastodon!" Zack's morpher pops open, morphing him into the Black Ranger.
"Pterodactyl!" Kim's morpher pops open and she becomes the Pink Ranger.
"Triceratops!" Billy calls out, becoming the Blue Ranger.
"Saber-Tooth Tiger!" Trini cries aloud, becoming the Yellow Ranger.
"Tyrannosaurus!" becoming the Red Ranger, Jason's voice is still brusque and strong, as are his movements as he goes into a signature kata alongside his friends who perform their own as they address Rita verbally as well.
"Back, off Rita!" Jason shouts
"Get off our planet!" Billy cries.
"Before you get hurt!" Trini shouts.
"Unless you're looking for trouble" Zack challenges.
"And right now, I so hope you're not looking for trouble, cause we're the-" Kim adds.
"POWER RANGERS!" the teens cry out in unison, striking a fight stance.
"I must say, I am very impressed" Rita's voice chimes out loud across the skies, but only the Rangers can see and hear her.
"Good, because united we stand!" Jason yells as he points up at Rita's ghostly apparition.
"Then together you will fall!!" Rita screams opening her mouth wide as the top of the demolished building falls thru it and the clouds that her image is projected upon.
"A gift from me to you: trouble" Rita's image disperses as the clouds do.
"Well, at least that gravitational eddy has been dispersed" Billy says. Billy is right. Dead right. Gravity is back in order, and it is dropping the top of the Fairweather building down upon the Rangers.
"Power Rangers, scatter!" Red Ranger orders. The shadow of the building covers them as they move. Unfortunately, it takes but a few seconds for the top of the building to be brought back together with its bottom half, resulting in a thunderous crash that throws debris outward. The resulting cloud spreads out along the city's streets.
The time it took for the collision to occur was so little. Teleportation could save the lives of anyone caught in its path. Unfortunately, no signature streaks of light were observed, and the reaction time the Rangers had was minimal.
The building's destruction hasn't subsided. What was left standing after the crash now crumbles apart, unable to support its own weight anymore. It was the beginning of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Was it also the end?
TO BE CONTINUED.