Monday dawned. Minute by minute, the sun stretched its light further across the earth's rotating surface, brightening the sky. Grasses pricked up, waking from their slumber. Sneaking around a pair of bamboo window shades, the sunlight permeated a single bedroom.
Inside Dr. Tommy Oliver lay buried in his sheets, silent in his slumber. His face remained smooth save for the stubble that had grown. The sun's light brightened about him. Suddenly his eyelids twitched, his eyeballs scurrying underneath them.
Minute white noise, almost inaudible and yet resonate, echoed and reverberated throughout his dreams. Devoid of syllables but populated with vowels as consonants chimed and whispered in and out, the noise taunted Tommy Oliver.
Then they slowed. His breathing loosening, he sank back into slumber.
The hour slid onward.
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!
Tommy slammed his right hand on the wide snooze button upon his alarm clock. Bouncing briefly, his hand slid off the bedside table, dragging the vile contraption with it. It crashed, bouncing on its smooth—now jagged—edges. Eyes still shut Tommy grimaced. Great! he cursed. He turned over, bearing his face into his pillow.
Time stretched on. Despite his desire, sleep remained distant.
Reefside… classes, he thought, struggling to link together trains of thought in the vast expanse of his mind. I can't… let them down. Students.
Grunting, he planted his palms into the mattress. Pushing his upper body up, he swayed, his arms sliding outward. Replanting them, he steadied himself. Sighing he covered his eyes. Fatigue still dazed his mind.
I slept long enough, he remarked. I should be fine.
He gazed at the bedroom door, remembering what lay beyond it… and within his soul. A faint shiver squirmed through his arms and down his thighs. He washed it away; but several new ones rippled up his forehead as memories, tainted and gloomy, bloomed anew within him. Yesterday's battles clanged in his mind: his threats chorusing with the explosions he, Goldar, and Scorpina had caused to the Shogunzords, lightning bolts shoving Sean to his knees and side.
Rubbing his temples, he clapped his eyes shut again, squeezing them. Wincing out a groan, he cowered. Cradling, he rocked back and forth. Sean's assault wasn't my fault, he pleaded, gritting his teeth, just as it wasn't mine when Rita turned me evil. Evil power ranger, he mused.
"There's no such thing," Sean's voice reminded him from memory.
But Jason is a Ninjetti, argued Tommy. And so is Rocky—who still has his powers. Is there a way to bare him from them?
His thoughts descended into silence. Seventeen minutes stretched onward. The tips of his fingers tingled in semi-numbness. A dull blue stained their pigments.
"Zordon," he prayed under his breath. "Did you foresee any of this?" He buried his face into his hands.
Sighing he pushed beyond his mood and out of his bed. Reaching underneath his pillow, he retrieved his morpher. White light flashed from his peripherally. He glanced down, holding his morpher at waist height.
A miniscule comet of white energy circled around the coin's circumference once. The falcon insignia's eye twinkled briefly as if alight with candlelight.
Tommy twitched his head from side to the side. He blinked, gaping at the still coin. The sun's light reflected off it now. His morpher did nothing else strange.
"Huh," Tommy uttered. "Odd." He continued staring. "I gotta get ready." Still, he mused, sliding out of bed. I wonder if Sean or Billy has seen this before.
Trudging across the barren, lunar landscape, Goldar uttered a growl. Kicking a mound of dirt, he stamped to a stop. Glancing down, he lifted the ceramic urn in his left hand to heart height. "Scorpina," he sighed, lowering his knotted shoulders and relaxing his wings.
Kneeling, Goldar carved out a ditch with his right hand. "Sean… you did this to her!" he said, teetering between a growling and grumbling.
With the ditch deep enough, he uncovered the urn. Lifting it to the stars, he gazed at it and then the universe beyond, keening through a hiss. Blinking his red eyes, he poured Scorpina's remains into the ditch. Growling and crooning, he swept the lighter lunar dirt over the ashes.
Ruby, flickering light danced beyond the grave. A woman cackled at him. Lifting his head, Goldar sneered at the newcomer. "Get out of here, you bat!"
Rita scowled at him. "You forget dog-breath that Scorpina was my friend, too."
"Yesss." Goldar jabbed a finger toward her. "But you never married her!"
"As if! I'm already divorced and couldn't be prouder."
"Right," Goldar growled, his voice wet with sarcasm.
"Oh, shut up or I won't say why I've come."
Goldar closed his fingers around the hilt of his sword, poised to pull it from his belt. "Let's say you never did."
"Careful." She held up a finger. "I may surprise you."
Skepticism steamed about Goldar's brain as he fought off his craving to stab Rita Repulsa. Jason would not forgive me if I struck her, he thought, knowing that their group could not handle another lost. Still, he hated Rita. Ever since Goldar had mutinied against Rita by swearing his sole allegiance to Lord Zedd upon the 'True Emperor's' return, Rita and Goldar had rarely seen eye to eye. Scorpina had been one of those rarities. It was clear—or at least appeared to be clear—that Rita was here for Scorpina and not for Goldar. Regardless he curled his lip. Sneering again, he stood. "What do you want, witch?"
Rita smiled. "Ah. I just may have the scheme for Scorpina to be avenged." Lifting her staff, she pointed its top at the burial spot. "Hah!" she shouted, shooting a red-orange beam at it from her large, ruby colored jewel.
"What are you doing!?" he demanded. He stepped toward her, ready to pounce.
Rita abated, a grin shining upon her face. "Don't worry; I didn't desecrate her."
Goldar tilted his face, squeezing his sword hit. "What do you mean?"
"Ha-ha! You'll find out. Have you ever heard the story of Orion and Scorpio?" She split into numerous flying flames dissolving into the lunar atmosphere.
"Rita!" Goldar called out, pacing and shaking his now drawn sword to the stars. "Lord Zedd's not gonna like this."
"Can it, you stupid monkey!" the witch shouted from afar. "I have Lord Zedd's approval. Just wait three days and you'll see Scorpina avenged."
Turning, his shoulders hunched and wings flared, Goldar sneered in the direction of the Lord Zedd's palace. "Curse you, Rita Repulsa!" Monday dawned. Minute by minute, the sun stretched its light further across the earth's rotating surface, brightening the sky. Grasses pricked up, waking from their slumber. Sneaking around a pair of bamboo window shades, the sunlight permeated a single bedroom.
Inside Dr. Tommy Oliver lay buried in his sheets, silent in his slumber. His face remained smooth save for the stubble that had grown. The sun's light brightened about him. Suddenly his eyelids twitched, his eyeballs scurrying underneath them.
Minute white noise, almost inaudible and yet resonate, echoed and reverberated throughout his dreams. Devoid of syllables but populated with vowels as consonants chimed and whispered in and out, the noise taunted Tommy Oliver.
Then they slowed. His breathing loosening, he sank back into slumber.
The hour slid onward.
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!
Tommy slammed his right hand on the wide snooze button upon his alarm clock. Bouncing briefly, his hand slid off the bedside table, dragging the vile contraption with it. It crashed, bouncing on its smooth—now jagged—edges. Eyes still shut Tommy grimaced. Great! he cursed. He turned over, bearing his face into his pillow.
Time stretched on. Despite his desire, sleep remained distant.
Reefside… classes, he thought, struggling to link together trains of thought in the vast expanse of his mind. I can't… let them down. Students.
Grunting, he planted his palms into the mattress. Pushing his upper body up, he swayed, his arms sliding outward. Replanting them, he steadied himself. Sighing he covered his eyes. Fatigue still dazed his mind.
I slept long enough, he remarked. I should be fine.
He gazed at the bedroom door, remembering what lay beyond it… and within his soul. A faint shiver squirmed through his arms and down his thighs. He washed it away; but several new ones rippled up his forehead as memories, tainted and gloomy, bloomed anew within him. Yesterday's battles clanged in his mind: his threats chorusing with the explosions he, Goldar, and Scorpina had caused to the Shogunzords, lightning bolts shoving Sean to his knees and side.
Rubbing his temples, he clapped his eyes shut again, squeezing them. Wincing out a groan, he cowered. Cradling, he rocked back and forth. Sean's assault wasn't my fault, he pleaded, gritting his teeth, just as it wasn't mine when Rita turned me evil. Evil power ranger, he mused.
"There's no such thing," Sean's voice reminded him from memory.
But Jason is a Ninjetti, argued Tommy. And so is Rocky—who still has his powers. Is there a way to bare him from them?
His thoughts descended into silence. Seventeen minutes stretched onward. The tips of his fingers tingled in semi-numbness. A dull blue stained their pigments.
"Zordon," he prayed under his breath. "Did you foresee any of this?" He buried his face into his hands.
Sighing he pushed beyond his mood and out of his bed. Reaching underneath his pillow, he retrieved his morpher. White light flashed from his peripherally. He glanced down, holding his morpher at waist height.
A miniscule comet of white energy circled around the coin's circumference once. The falcon insignia's eye twinkled briefly as if alight with candlelight.
Tommy twitched his head from side to the side. He blinked, gaping at the still coin. The sun's light reflected off it now. His morpher did nothing else strange.
"Huh," Tommy uttered. "Odd." He continued staring. "I gotta get ready." Still, he mused, sliding out of bed. I wonder if Sean or Billy has seen this before.
Trudging across the barren, lunar landscape, Goldar uttered a growl. Kicking a mound of dirt, he stamped to a stop. Glancing down, he lifted the ceramic urn in his left hand to heart height. "Scorpina," he sighed, lowering his knotted shoulders and relaxing his wings.
Kneeling, Goldar carved out a ditch with his right hand. "Sean… you did this to her!" he said, teetering between a growling and grumbling.
With the ditch deep enough, he uncovered the urn. Lifting it to the stars, he gazed at it and then the universe beyond, keening through a hiss. Blinking his red eyes, he poured Scorpina's remains into the ditch. Growling and crooning, he swept the lighter lunar dirt over the ashes.
Ruby, flickering light danced beyond the grave. A woman cackled at him. Lifting his head, Goldar sneered at the newcomer. "Get out of here, you bat!"
Rita scowled at him. "You forget dog-breath that Scorpina was my friend, too."
"Yesss." Goldar jabbed a finger toward her. "But you never married her!"
"As if! I'm already divorced and couldn't be prouder."
"Right," Goldar growled, his voice wet with sarcasm.
"Oh, shut up or I won't say why I've come."
Goldar closed his fingers around the hilt of his sword, poised to pull it from his belt. "Let's say you never did."
"Careful." She held up a finger. "I may surprise you."
Skepticism steamed about Goldar's brain as he fought off his craving to stab Rita Repulsa. Jason would not forgive me if I struck her, he thought, knowing that their group could not handle another lost. Still, he hated Rita. Ever since Goldar had mutinied against Rita by swearing his sole allegiance to Lord Zedd upon the 'True Emperor's' return, Rita and Goldar had rarely seen eye to eye. Scorpina had been one of those rarities. It was clear—or at least appeared to be clear—that Rita was here for Scorpina and not for Goldar. Regardless he curled his lip. Sneering again, he stood. "What do you want, witch?"
Rita smiled. "Ah. I just may have the scheme for Scorpina to be avenged." Lifting her staff, she pointed its top at the burial spot. "Hah!" she shouted, shooting a red-orange beam at it from her large, ruby colored jewel.
"What are you doing!?" he demanded. He stepped toward her, ready to pounce.
Rita abated, a grin shining upon her face. "Don't worry; I didn't desecrate her."
Goldar tilted his face, squeezing his sword hit. "What do you mean?"
"Ha-ha! You'll find out. Have you ever heard the story of Orion and Scorpio?" She split into numerous flying flames dissolving into the lunar atmosphere.
"Rita!" Goldar called out, pacing and shaking his now drawn sword to the stars. "Lord Zedd's not gonna like this."
"Can it, you stupid monkey!" the witch shouted from afar. "I have Lord Zedd's approval. Just wait three days and you'll see Scorpina avenged."
Turning, his shoulders hunched and wings flared, Goldar sneered in the direction of the Lord Zedd's palace. "Curse you, Rita Repulsa!"