Power Rangers Nexus: Beginnings
Chapter 1: The Gathering
It was a Tuesday morning, just like any other Tuesday morning in the suburbs of Chicago. The sun rose, as it tends to do, and shone down warmly on the town below as it groggily came to life.
Deacon Parrish looked at his clock as he finished tying his shoes. 6 AM.
"Yep, it's time." he said to himself, getting up from his chair and walking out his
front door, locking it as he left.
Deacon climbed into his black Monte Carlo and turned the ignition, finding something to listen to on the radio before backing out of his driveway and driving off to his girlfriend's house.
Deacon pulled into the driveway of the Foxtooth residence about ten minutes later and turned off his car. Carefully, trying not to make a lot of noise, he got out of his car and closed the door. He walked up to the front door of the house and found it locked.
Grateful that her parents trusted him enough to let him keep a key, he pulled out his keys and looked for the one that fit this particular lock. Like a thief in the night, or so he liked to think, he silently opened the door and crept down the hall, stopping at the third door on the right.
Very carefully and quietly, he opened the door and looked into the room at the figure sleeping on her bed. After closing her door and stepping over the pile of clothes on the floor Deacon sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
The girl in the bed was short, only a few inches above five feet, with tangled dyed-burgundy hair. She was sound asleep.
Deacon grinned. Perfect.
He softly put his hand over her mouth and leaned over, whispering into her ear "Wake up, Gorgeous."
She sat up quickly in bed and ended up entangled in his arms, as he tried to calm her
down from being startled awake.
After a moment, Fox realized who it was that woke her and she calmed down. Looking her boyfriend in the eyes, she hit him hard in the shoulder. "You ass," she said affectionately. "Do you have to wake me like that every time?"
Deacon leaned forward and kissed her softly on the forehead "Yep" he replied "I
love the reaction it gets." He stood up. "Anyway," he said "Hurry up. We're gonna be late. And you hate to be late for our Early morning workouts at the gym, remember?" he said playfully as she climbed out of bed and pulled on her workout shorts and sweatpants.
"All right" Fox said, pulling a tee-shirt on over her green sports bra, "Lets go."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Jareth paced back and forth in front of the glass door, eagerly awaiting the moment that the nice people inside would flip over the Open/Closed sign and unlock the door. Who'd gone and decided that shops had to close at night? It was bloody inconvenient for those of the nocturnal persuasion.
Brushing back his long, dark brown hair, he glanced at the clock inside the shop window. Five till seven. In five more minutes, the place would be open. An hour after that, and it'd be bedtime.
Jareth stifled a yawn, then let out a gleeful "Squee!" as the fingers of some unseen hand flipped the sign over. Not two seconds after the bolt slid back, he was in the door.
Looking at the rows and rows of books on the shelves, Jareth breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of the pages.
Home sweet home.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Deacon and Fox arrived at the Gym at 7am, just as it was opening. Walking
inside, they showed their membership cards to the person behind the desk and headed for the locker rooms. In the men's locker room, Deacon changed into a pair of black lightweight baggy pants and a gray tanktop, while in the Women's locker room, Fox removed the sweat pants and teeshirt and was ready in her shorts and sports bra.
As they met outside the Locker rooms Deacon let out a low whistle at Fox's attire
"As always," he said, "this will be a pleasure."
"Yeah," she replied, "Especially when I wipe the floor with you."
"Ooh, Feisty," Deacon grinned. "I like."
"Shut up and lets go." Fox said in return.
The two made their way into a large room. Black padded mats covered the entire floor. They bowed towards each other and assumed their fighting stances.
Deacon moved in for the first strike, going low and trying to trip Fox. she managed to avoid the blow by performing a backflip, her foot narrowly missing his chin. She then spun around and attempted to kick him in the chest while he regained his footing, but he managed to catch her foot with his hands and sent her into another flip. This time she landed on her back.
Taking advantage of this he moved in and assumed a position over her, attempting to claim victory.
"Got ya," he said.
She smiled up at him. "I don't think so," she replied, as she countered his position and ended up straddling his waist. "Now who's got who?" she asked.
He smiled coyly "I've got you," he said, placing his hand behind her neck and pulling her down into a kiss that was both passionate and playful.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Excuse me," a voice said, causing Jareth to look up from his book irritably.
"Yes?" he asked.
The girl who'd spoken gestured for him to move. Belatedly, he realized that he'd been standing against the shelves to which she'd been trying to get. He hastily stepped aside. "Sorry."
The girl ignored the apology. Jareth squinted. There was something about her eyes that suggested that in her head, she was miles away. Jareth wondered if she'd even heard him.
The girl's clothing was all black, like Jareth's, but while Jareth was simply wearing pants, a sweatshirt, and a long coat, the girl was wearing an elaborate dress with fishnet sleeves that made her look as if she was going to a fancy dress party, albeit a somewhat morbid one. She was thickly built but not unattractive, and was wearing a great deal of sparkling silver jewelry, but that thing about her that really grabbed one's eye was the fact that her long, wavy hair had been dyed a shocking shade of electric blue.
As she began rifling through the shelves, Jareth glanced at the clock. Ooooops. It was almost 8. He'd have to get home and to bed soon if he wanted to be up in time to meet his friends at Blade Planet that night. Wandering over to the register, he paid for his purchase and walked out the door.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Night fell, as night does. The sun, being afraid of the dark, hid itself away, leaving only the moon and the stars to shine down on the city below. A number of lights went out, which was rather silly, considering that night was when they were needed most. The lights at Blade Planet, however, stayed on.
Blade Planet was the local skating rink. It was a popular hangout, mostly because it was open so much later than most places.
Jareth quietly strapped on his rollerblades, ignoring everyone else in the rink. As he rolled out onto the smooth floor, his mind blanked completely. The music they were playing faded out of his perception, the pulsating lights ceased to exist, and every other carbon-based humanoid life form, with or without wheels strapped to his or her feet, vanished. He just skated around the circular rink, feeling the wheels on his blades moving smoothly beneath him, the wind caressing his face.
This was why he came here. It seemed somewhat odd to him that he came to a place full of people to be alone, but only when he was elsewhere. When he was here, it felt perfect. It was the closest sensation he could think of to actually flying.
There was no telling how long he'd been skating when a voice finally broke through to him. If it hadn't been calling his name, it would most likely have gone completely unnoticed.
Glancing across the rink, he saw Deacon leaning against the wall that separated the skating floor from the rest of the building, Fox next to him. He skated over to them.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself. I've been calling you for like five minutes," Deacon replied.
"Sorry. Wasn't paying attention. What's up?"
Fox shrugged. "Not a lot."
All three of their heads turned as a girl zipped past on her blades. She was tiny, smaller even than Fox, no taller than 4'10". Her outfit was drab, a yellow sweater and a pair of blue jeans, but the tricks she was pulling on her blades could have qualified her for the Olympics.
"Wow," Deacon said. "Look at her go."
"That's Terina," Jareth said. "She comes here a lot."
"You know her?" Fox asked.
"I know of her," Jareth replied. "And we've talked once or twice. She's pretty cool."
"How old is she?" Deacon asked, watching as she came around again, skating backwards.
"Not sure, but I think she's about our age. 16 or so. Just....short."
"I've never seen her at school," Fox said.
"No?" Jareth replied. "I haven't either, but I just figured she went during the day. Most people do. The night classes only have about half the people."
"Well, we're off to rent some skates. By all means," Deacon said, waving in the direction of the floor. "Zone back out."
Jareth happily obliged.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Everything closes too early in this town," Jareth complained, as he and his friends were shoved, rather rudely, out the door.
"Just be glad we have skating rinks," Deacon said.
"Yeah, imagine if you'd been born tribal. It's hard to blade on grass."
Jareth twitched. "What is it you civilized people have against the tribes? Over half the world is tribal, you know."
"Only because they don't know what they're missing," Fox retorted.
"Untrue."
"How would you know?"
Deacon cut in. "His father was a tribesman."
"Really?"
Jareth nodded.
"What was he like?"
"I never met him," Jareth replied. "But mom told me all about him. He stayed with her until Mara and I were born."
"His tribe didn't move on?"
"No. They stayed with him. Him and Mom."
"I thought the tribes were nomadic."
"They are, but it's customary for the males of the Dark Phoenix tribe...that's my dad's....to stay with the females that are carrying their children until the children are born. So dad had to stay with Mom, and the tribe had to stay with him."
"And they didn't get mad at him for that?"
"Of course not."
"Why not?"
Jareth shrugged. "That's the way it is in a tribe. All for one, and one for all, and so on."
"Huh. Well, I guess that explains your name."
Jareth nodded. "Dad named me, and mom named Mara. So I got the tribal name."
As the group turned the corner, a remarkable sight awaited them: A small girl, surrounded by a group of strange gray men, wearing what appeared to be rubber masks.
The gray men were attacking her, moving faster than any person, gray or not, had a right to move. But, to their surprise, despite being outnumbered, the girl seemed to be holding her own against them.
"Hey....that's Terina!" Fox cried.
Sure enough, the girl they had at first mistaken for a child was, in fact, merely unusually short. As they watched, Terina picked one of the gray men up, lifted him over her head, and threw him at another gray man.
"Strong girl," Jareth commented. "I wonder if she can handle them all....by...." Jareth blinked as he watched Fox and Deacon dive into the fray, kicking and punching at the gray men. He sighed. "Herself," he finished.
"What are you doing here?" Terina yelled.
"Helping you!" Fox answered, kicking one of the gray men.
"You're welcome, by the way," Deacon added, punching another.
Jareth, not bothering with the fancy martial arts, simply picked up a large rock from the side of the road, walked up behind one of the gray men, and bashed him upside the head with it. The gray man wobbled for a moment, then fell to the ground, out cold. Another saw this and took a swing at him, but he just held up the rock, allowing the gray man's fist to connect with it instead of him. The gray man let out a warbling howl, shaking his hand in pain, and soon got the rock just as the first one had and joined him on the ground.
Terina let out an exasperated "Rrrrgh!", then stood stock-still and closed her eyes. "Zeo Ranger Two -- Yellow!"
There was a bright flash, and burst of energy that knocked several of the gray men off their feet. Terina was gone; in her place was a girl wearing yellow armor that seemed to be made of a mixture of plastic and metal. She had a gun in a holster at one hip, and some sort of baton at the other, and her head was encased in a solid-looking yellow helmet. Her visor was jet black, shaped like two oblong, horizontal ovals, one atop the other, like an equals sign. Her belt buckle was a stylized letter X, with sharpened edges like a shuriken, clearly some sort of insignia.
The armored girl drew the gun and baton from their holsters. She gave the baton a flick, and it doubled in length, revealing itself to be a small sword. In a twinkling, she had combined it with the pistol, forming a rifle-type blaster.
The gray men froze, evidently afraid.
Deacon, Fox, and Jareth froze as well.
"Woah," Deacon said.
"Okay," Jareth chimed in. "THAT was cool."
The yellow girl raised the gun and fired, not bullets, but streaks of yellow light, each of which struck one of the gray men, producing a shower of sparks. The gray men that were hit fell to the ground. The others turned tail and ran. The yellow girl raised her rifle and took aim at them, but before they had gone ten feet, the gray men, both the ones running and the ones on the ground, abruptly vanished.
The yellow girl broke her rifle back into the pistol and sword and re-sheathed them. "Power down," she said. There was another yellow flash, and this time when it faded, Terina stood before them, glancing at them all appraisingly.
"Hey, Terina," Jareth said.
Hi," Terina said. She cocked her head to the side. "Yes...," she said, mostly to herself. "You're perfect."
"What?" Fox asked.
"I'll show you." Terina leapt forward, placing one of Fox's hand in Deacon's and the other in Jareth's. Then, grabbing Deacon's other hand in one of hers, so that they were all connected, she looked up into the sky and brought her remaining hand to the side of her head.
Then the world fell apart.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The world flashed white before her eyes. Electric sparks seemed to shoot through her entire body, as though she had fireflies in her veins. Fox tried to shake her head to clear her thoughts, but she couldn't seem to find it. She tried to move her arms or legs, but nothing was connected. She was about to panic when the effect faded, leaving her standing in a strange room, Jareth on one side, Deacon on the other, and Terina in front of them, clasping their hands together.
Fox yanked her hands out of those of her friends and hugged herself, looking around. The room was circular, full of strange looking computer consoles and control panels. The chamber was split-level, a shaped-shaped platform at the back raised a good two feet above the rest of the room. On the lower level, in the center of the room, there was a stylized letter X, the same insignia they'd seen on Terina's belt when she'd worn that outlandish yellow armor.
"Where are we?" Deacon asked, somewhat angrily.
"You are on the bridge of the Oasis, Potential Ranger," came a deep, resonant voice, seemingly from the ceiling. An orb set into one of the control panels pulsated along with the words.
Jareth froze, moving only his eyes, which shot around the room cautiously. "Who said that?"
"Perhaps introductions are in order," the voice said. "I am Zord-1, the primary computer of the Oasis."
"And the Oasis is...?"
"The Oasis is a spaceship, originating from the planet Eltar. It currently orbits the planet Terra at a height of approximately three hundred thousand feet, directly opposite Terra's moon."
"Why directly opposite the moon?" Deacon asked.
"The moon is where Zedd constructed his fortress," Terina answered. "Having the planet between him and us helps shield us from him."
"Okaaay," Fox said. "And Zedd would be....?"
"Lord Zedd is a demonic warlord," Zord-1 replied. "He is relentlessly power-hungry."
The large window at the front of the room clouded over, and the newcomers realized that it was actually a viewscreen. A row of shining gold coins appeared.
"Several thousand years ago, an Eltarian Magesmith named Medelon created the Power Coins. Within each he instilled great power. However, war broke out on Eltar shortly afterward, and, fearing that the coins would be misused, he transported them to a planet so small and insignificant, so far out of the way, that he thought they would never be found."
"Terra," Jareth said.
"Correct. However, approximately five centuries ago, Lord Zedd came to Eltar. He laid waste to the planet, defeated the planet's guardians, and located a map that revealed the location of the coins to him."
"What does this have to do with us?" Fox asked, watching the story play out on the screen as Zord-1 narrated it.
"I am coming to that. You see, Lord Zedd arrived here decades ago. He set up shop on the moon and began scouring the planet, looking for the coins. He has never been successful. Recently, however, he has been considerably more active. For example, just yesterday, he sent a monster by the name of Clepto to Terra."
"I didn't hear about that," Jareth said.
"No reason you would," Terina said. "It happened in Miami. And he only destroyed one house. We're not sure why."
"I believe it likely that we are near enough to the time that the coins will be discovered for Zedd to have magically divined information that we cannot access. The people killed in the collapse of that house would have likely played a significant role, had they survived."
"Once again, I ask....what does this have--"
"The guardians of Eltar were a fighting force known as Power Rangers. However, Terina is the last surviving member of that group. If Zedd is planning a full-scale assault on the planet, more Rangers will be needed to defend it."
"Zord-1 told me about the attack yesterday," Terina explained. "He said to keep my eyes open for potential Rangers to recruit. And, after seeing the way you guys were willing to help me out against those Putties..."
"Woah, woah, woah," Jareth said. 'Let...just let me make sure I'm following all this. You want us....to become...whatever she just turned into."
"A Power Ranger. Yes."
"Why us?" Fox asked.
"You know how many people would have reacted to that situation as well as you three?" the short girl asked. "Not many. Most people would either run off screaming, or started spouting religious propaganda about the end of the world. You three stayed to help me."
"And you're...an alien?" Fox asked.
"Well.....yes. Technically."
"Can we..you know....talk about this for a moment? Amongst ourselves?" Deacon asked.
Terina shrugged. "Sure."
Deacon, Jareth, and Fox went into a huddle.
"What do you think?" Fox asked.
"I think I've lost my mind," Jareth replied. "But....I'm just gonna go with it. You?"
"Same here," Deacon said. "Besides, if this turns out to be real, there are bound to be benefits to this job."
Fox nodded. They broke the huddle and turned back to the yellow-clad girl and the pulsating orb.
"I'm in," Deacon said.
"Likewise," Fox added.
They all looked at Jareth, who seemed to have gone all contemplative.
"Do we all have to wear yellow?" he asked, a pained expression suddenly appearing on his face.
"Not at all," Zedd replied. "The Rangers of Eltar drew their powers from an artifact known as the Zeo Crystal." The image on the main screen changed, displaying a beautiful, multifaceted crystal.
"The crystal is composed of thirteen subcrystals, no two alike. The color of the crystal determines the color of the Ranger." The image split apart, displaying ten smaller crystal shards and three scepter-like staves. Each was a different color.
"What's with those wand-things?" Jareth asked.
"Three of the subcrystals--the Gold, Silver, and Bronze ones, specifically--at one point found their way to a planet known as Triforia. The Triforians reformatted the subcrystals, incorporating them into a three-part staff. The Triforian Power Staff. However," Five of the crystals and one of the staves vanished, the row of crystals on the screen condensing to close in all the spaces where they had been. "Several of the subcrystals were lost during the battle that decimated Eltar. Only seven remain with me. They constitute my primary power source, though I have a backup battery off of which to run while the subcrystals power the Rangers."
"So, what colors are left?" Fox asked.
"Red, Purple, Gold, Silver, Gray, and...umm....Camouflage," Terina replied, ticking them off on her fingers. "Oh, and Yellow, but that's mine."
Fox's hand immediately shot up. "Dibs on the Camo."
"I'll take Silver," Deacon said.
"I'm in, too," Jareth said. "But only if I can be Gold."
"Done, done, and done," Terina said. "We're still short three people, though, and we might need a full team to face the sort of power Zedd has." She looked at her three new teammates, from one face to the next. "Anyone come to mind?"
Jareth cautiously raised his hand. "I....may know someone."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
After his friends got out of school the next day, Jareth led them and Terina down an obscure path through the forest on the edge of town, taking turns that were visible only to one who had been down this path before.
"Tell me this person doesn't live out here?" Fox implored.
"No can do," Jareth replied, ducking a low branch.
"Why? What's his deal?"
"Tribal outcast."
"What?"
"He was cast out for crimes against his tribe."
"Really?" Terina asked, simply walking under the branch, not bothering to duck. "What did he do?"
"No idea. He hasn't said, and I didn't think it polite to ask. Ah, we're here."
The path led to a wide clearing on the bank of a medium-sized lake, hidden from view on all sides by trees.
It was obvious that someone had been living here. Stretched between two of the trees was a hammock. In one corner there was a small table and chair, another area was curtained off, most likely for use as a bathroom. Tied to the branches above was a tarpaulin, hung in such a way as to protect the clearing from rain.
Deacon spotted a painting sitting on an easel, sitting off to the side. He recognized the artwork as Jareth's.
"Come here often?" he asked.
Jareth nodded, looking around. "I guess he's not home."
"Who's not home?" Fox asked. "Who lives here?"
"Angel," Jareth replied.
Someone stepped out from the trees. He was built like a football player, large and muscular, but his face bore an expression of implacable calm. He was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a blue longsleeved shirt, his hair was short and light brown. He looked approximately their age, but his demeanor made him seem somehow more mature.
"You called?" he said mildly. He glanced at Fox, Deacon, and Terina out of his storm-gray eyes. "You brought people here."
Jareth knew that Angel knew that he wouldn't have brought them here unless it had been important, so he didn't feel any great need to defend his actions. He explained the situation.
Angel listened closely, arms clasped behind his back. When Jareth got to the part about needing more Rangers, the large teenager turned and walked to the bank of the lake.
"And you want me to become one of these 'Rangers'," he said. Kneeling, he picked up a small, flat stone from a pile by his feet and tossed it, making it skip on the surface of the water.
"I know it may seem hard to believe--" Terina began, but Angel cut her off.
"I have never known Jareth to lie. If he says something is so, it's so." He skipped another stone.
Terina fidgeted for a moment. "So...will you? Will you come with us, become our Gray Ranger?"
"I am considering it. A matter such as this deserves some deliberation, does it not?"
Jareth nodded. "Take as much time as you--"
"I'll do it," Angel said, tossing one more stone. He turned back to the others. "We still have two more Rangers left to recruit, do we not?"
"We do," Jareth replied. "Let's go."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"What colors are left?" Fox asked, as the five of them walked back into town.
"Red and Purple," Terina replied. "Anyone spring to mind?"
"Yes, actually," Deacon said. "I've been thinking, and I know someone who'd be perfect for Red."
Deacon led them through the streets, on and off a bus or two, finally arriving at--
"The high school?" Jareth asked.
Deacon nodded. "And we're in luck...the football team's holding practice today." he pointed at the field.
Jareth couldn't help but sneer at the sight of all the apes in their football uniforms, pointlessly running around, tackling each other, and throwing a ball around.
"Please tell me we're not here to recruit a football player."
"No can do," Deacon quipped, grinning, throwing Jareth's own words back at him. He walked over to the fence that surrounded the field.
He waited until they were between plays, then shouted, "Hey, Bobby!"
One of the monkeys turned, pulled off his helmet, and trotted up to the fence.
"Deacon. What's up?"
"My friends and I have something we have to tell you. When do you finish?"
"Practice is over in about fifteen minutes. Meet you back here then?"
Deacon nodded. "Don't forget. It's important."
Bobby waved back to show that he'd heard as he ran back to the team.
About twenty minutes later, Bobby returned to the fence, dressed in normal street clothes.
"So what's up?"
Deacon explained the situation to him.
Bobby looked incredulous, to say the least.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
"Then you've lost your mind."
Deacon sighed. "Terina, could you show him?"
Terina looked around to make sure no one was watching. Satisfied, she closed her eyes and concentrated.
"Zeo Ranger Two--Yellow."
There was the flash, and the short, blonde-haired girl was replaced by the Yellow Power Ranger.
Bobby blinked, rubbing his eyes to make sure they were working properly.
"That's...a pretty good trick," he admitted. "Okay, assuming this is all real....why tell me?"
"We want you," Terina said, demorphing, "to be our Red Ranger.
Bobby considered, looking to the side. He thought for a moment, then turned back to the Rangers. He shrugged. "I'm yours."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Unfortunately, no one had any ideas for Purple. The group retired to Jareth's house, as it was the biggest and his mother wasn't home.
Jareth plopped down on the couch, turning the TV on with the remote, then setting it down on the coffee table. Deacon sat next to him.
"Six down," Terina said, leaning forward over the back of the couch, as Angel picked up a newspaper from the end table and started perusing it curiously. "One to go."
Fox looked over at Angel. "It's a newspaper. It tells people about--"
"I know what a newspaper is," Angel said, looking at Fox as though she had lost her mind.
"Oh....sorry. I just figured you wouldn't, you know...being tribal?"
"I must confess a curiosity. Do all civilized people imagine that tribalists are ignorant savages?"
"Most of them, yes," Jareth replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"Ah. Then it may interest you to know, Fox, that we enjoy many of the same conveniences you do."
"How?" she asked. "I mean, moving around all the time..."
"There are such things as cell phones. Portable generators, wireless internet access, small televisions....Nomadic does not equal barbaric."
"Back to the point," Bobby said. "Who are we going to get for Purple? I don't think many people are up for this gig."
"What about her?" Angel said, holding out the newspaper.
The others leaned in to see. The stoic one was referring to an article about yesterday's Monster attack. Only one house had been demolished, just as Zord-1 had said, killing an entire family. But there was a detail the computer seemed to have omitted: Someone had survived, a girl their age named Kalen Starrose.
"She does seem ideal," Terina said.
"Why?" Jareth asked.
Deacon shot a sidelong glance at him. "If someone killed your family, wouldn't you hold a grudge against them?"
As if on cue, a girl who looked like a female version of Jareth (if Jareth would ever, EVER dress in THAT shade of hot pink) entered the room, talking animatedly on the phone. Without any regard towards the people in the room that were watching it, she picked up the remote and clicked the TV off, then strolled out of the room.
Jareth glared at the back of her head as she left.
Deacon sighed. "Right," he said. "Stupid question."
"Besides," Terina said, ignoring this exchange, "Zord-1 said that whoever lived in that house would have played a significant role had they lived. Well, someone lived. She might be important."
"She's our candidate, then. But she's in Miami," Deacon said. "How do we get there?"
"Please," Terina said derisively. "Zord-1 can zap us from here to outer space in three seconds, you think he can't get us to Miami?"
"Oh."
"Tell you what. You guys go home, get some sleep, and I'll meet you back here tomorrow. Then we'll go to Miami and try to recruit our final Ranger."
"Sounds good," Fox said, yawning. "It's been a long day."
Terina nodded, then vanished in a streak of yellow light.
Jareth stared after her, wondering how she'd gotten through the ceiling.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It wasn't raining.
For some reason, that seemed wrong to Deacon. It was always supposed to rain at funerals. Of course, intellectually, he knew that it couldn't possibly rain at EVERYONE's funeral, or the planet would drown. But watching so many funerals on television and in the movies, rain falling during them all, had conditioned him to expect it.
"You know," Jareth said, tilting his head to the side. "She doesn't seem depressed at all."
Deacon turned his attention to the girl they'd come to see. She was standing amid a crowd of people, presumably distant relatives, looking at the polished mahogany coffins that stood for everyone to see. Jareth was right. Kalen didn't seem depressed in the least to see the corpses of her parents and younger sister being lowered into the ground. If anything, she seemed bored.
"If she's grieving, she's covering it pretty well," Terina said. "Maybe she's not the best choice for this."
"We didn't come all the here for nothing," Bobby said. "I had plans today, and I blew them off for this. It had better not have been a waste of time."
"You're a Power Ranger now, Bobby," Terina said, smirking. "Get used to canceling your plans at the last minute."
"They're leaving," Fox reported, as the crowd wandered off, leaving the teenaged asian girl alone to pay her lasts respects.
Kalen sighed, watching them leave.
"Not long," Jareth said.
"What?" Deacon asked.
"The question she's asking herself. How long must I play along with this?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at her. The only reason she's attending this funeral is because it's expected of her. She would much rather be elsewhere."
"How do you know?"
Jareth shrugged. "I read people. It's a thing I do. And she's not exactly making it difficult."
"Well, she's alone. Shall we move in?" Bobby asked.
"Why not," Terina asked. She pressed her finger against the side of her head, behind her ear. "Zord-1, drop the cloak."
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the air around them shimmered, like heat rising from the pavement. The effect lasted only an instant, then was gone.
Kalen started, her head shooting up, her ice blue eyes taking in the sight of the six strangers who had just appeared not ten feet in front of her.
"Hello, Kalen," said the tiny girl in yellow.
"Dare I even ask who you people are?" Kalen inquired.
The one in black, the one sitting on the ground, grinned up at her. "Oh, you're gonna love this."
Another one stepped forward. He explained why they were there and what they wanted.
"Well. That really is an enthralling story," Kalen said, when he'd finished. "But I'm afraid I must be off. Ta." Kalen began to walk away, but Deacon jumped in front of her.
"She doesn't believe us," Terina said, sounding slightly despondent.
"Oh, I believe you," Kalen retorted. "I'm just not interested. Excuse me." The girl made to walk past them to her car, but Deacon once again stepped in front of her.
"Please don't make me hurt you," Kalen implored. "It's all but impossible to get blood out of this sort of fabric."
"There IS one angle you should consider," Jareth said slyly.
Kalen glanced at him appraisingly. "And what would that be?"
"Our advisor believes that Zedd attacked your house because someone who lived there would play a significant role in the 'Great Power Coin Saga'."
"So?"
"So, supposing he attacked because he knew you would be considered as a potential Ranger?" Jareth waited a moment for the implications of this to sink in, then continued. "If that was the case, then he'll continue his assassination attempts. And if you refuse our offer, you'll have no powers with which to protect yourself."
Kalen tilted her head. "You make a persuasive argument."
"I try to see every angle."
"So are you in?" Terina asked eagerly.
Kalen crossed her arms. "I'm in. Until I find something better to do. Or until I can't put up with anymore stupidity."
Jareth grinned and got up off the ground, brushing grass from his coat.
"Then the League is set."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
In a rainbow of lights and a crackle of energy, the seven Rangers appeared on the bridge of the Oasis.
Kalen shook her head. "That was quite a ride," she said, mostly to herself.
"Don't worry," Jareth told her. "That feeling, like there's bubble wrap in your head? It stops happening after the first couple times."
"Good to know," she sneered.
"Ahem," Zord-1 said, clearing his speakers. "If I could have your attention for a moment. The time has come for you to be fitted for your equipment."
"What equipment?" Bobby asked.
A slight buzz crackled across the bridge, and every Ranger, with the exception of Terina, winced and grabbed at their heads as a sharp, stabbing pain lanced out from behind his or her right ear.
"What was THAT?" Deacon asked, as the pain quickly faded.
"You have now been fitted with your Power Ranger comchips. The pain should fade completely in a few seconds, though some slight discomfort may remain for a time."
"They do take some getting used to," Terina said.
"You planted chips in our heads?" Jareth said, glaring.
"There was a time when Rangers carried small, hand-held communicators, and later wore them strapped to their limbs, but the devices kept getting lost or stolen. It proved quite the inconvenience, so the Eltarians creative subdermal--"
"What exactly are they capable of?" Kalen said, the only person on the ship glaring more malevolently, if possible, than Jareth.
"They have a number of functions, among them Ship-to-Unit channels, Unit-to-Unit channels, Personal Locators--"
"Tracking chips," Jareth growled.
"When need be, yes."
"I'm out. Get this thing out of my head."
"Likewise," Kalen said.
"There is no need to remove the chips," Zord-1 said calmly. "If you do not wish to be tracked, simply deactivate your chip's locator function."
"We can do that?"
"Do keep in mind that I am a machine. I am programmed to serve the Power. As Rangers, you represent the Power, therefore, I and all my technology are at your disposal. You, and only you, have control of what your chip does."
"How do we turn off the locators?"
"Much of Eltarian technology is thought-responsive. Simply concentrate on the desired function, then press down on the chip to execute."
Jareth did so, and was rewarded with a muffled beep.
"Did you hear a beep?" the computer asked.
"Yes," Kalen replied.
"Didn't you?" Jareth asked, looking at Deacon. "It was muffled, but it wasn't THAT quiet."
"The chips are tied directly into your auditory neurons," Zord-1 said. "Only the Ranger within which the chip is implanted can hear the sounds it produces."
"Handy," Fox said.
"Not nearly so handy as this, Camouflage Ranger."
There was another buzz, and a rush of energy raced through each Ranger.
"What was THAT?" Deacon asked, his head spinning.
"You have each just been connected with your Zeo Subcrystal, the source of your powers."
"How do...." Jareth trailed off. He had been about to ask how to use them, to transform into the armor, but found that he already knew. "How do I know?" he asked instead.
"I have downloaded the necessary data directly into your brain via your comchips."
Jareth shuddered.
"I wish you wouldn't do things like that," Kalen said.
"Then you have only to ask me not to. Remember, I serve you."
"Don't download anything into my brain," she ordered.
"As you wish."
"Nor mine, unless I ask for it," Jareth said. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "And don't scan anything FROM it, either."
"Very well."
Kalen shot a surprised look, first at the computer, then at the Gold Ranger, who shrugged. "It seemed to make sense that it could work both ways," he said.
"You stay out of my head," she ordered the pulsating orb.
"As you command, My Empress," the computer said, a sardonic tone creeping into its voice. "You now have all the standard-issue affects of a Power Ranger," it continued, addressing them all. "There are other resources available, should you wish to inquire about them later. However, I recommend that you all report to the arena or simulation decks to try out your new abilities. You will want to be familiar with them when the time comes to use them in real combat."
The Rangers obediently filed out of the room towards the elevators.
Most of them, anyway.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Zeo Ranger Two--Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger Five--Red!"
"Zeo Ranger Eight--Camo!"
"Zeo Ranger Nine--Gray!"
"Zeo Ranger Twelve--Silver!"
After the dazzling lightshow that always accompanied morphing has passed, the Rangers examined their armors.
"Hey...they're all the same," Fox complained. Indeed, except for the colors, and the shape of their visors, the armors were identical.
"Well, Zord-1 designed them," the small Yellow Ranger explained. "Computers aren't exactly well-known for their creativity."
"Well," Deacon said. "Mine's kinda different."
"So it is. But a vest isn't much of a difference," Terina said, cocking her head to the side. "Something the Triforians did to the Silver crystal must have changed the way your suit turned out. Gold and Bronze probably have vests, too."
"Shall we begin?" Angel asked.
"Sure. Zord-1, Bring up my simudeck program, please?"
Terina and the other Rangers blinked at the small, cubical, white-walled room dissolved into a large, tropical garden, full of elaborate birdbaths and beautiful topiary.
Fox wasn't sure which was more remarkable...the fact that they could feel the warmth of the air, smell the fragrant honeysuckle, hear the buzz of the hummingbirds so clearly even through the armor she was wearing....or the fact that this small, white room could produce such realistic illusions.
"Umm...no, not THAT one," Terina said, sounding embarrassed. "The other one."
Jareth entered the room, just as the scene dissolved, the garden becoming a large, rollerblading rink.
"I think I liked the last one better," he said.
"Where were you?" Deacon asked.
"I stayed to check out of some of those options Zord-1 mentioned. So did Kalen. She's in her room now, redecorating."
"Her--"
"Her room, yeah. We each get a bedroom here on the ship. And you can alter it in any way you like. Change the color, the dimensions, anything. You can even order your own furniture."
As he spoke, the Gold Ranger was looking around the room, eyes wide, blinking far more often than normal.
Deacon looked around. "Yeah, it's a cool illusion, isn't it? Hard to believe this is all happening in a 10' by 10' chamber."
"Huh? Oh, Yeah. It is. Why are we in a roller rink?"
Terina shrugged. "I figured you could use this as a place to try out your new powers. Maybe later you guys can program your own Sims."
Jareth shrugged, then closed his eyes. "Zeo Ranger Six--Gold."
Deacon found that due to the his helmet's visor, he didn't need to shield his eyes from the flash of golden light.
"Hey, you were right," Fox said to Terina. "Gold gets a vest, too."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The Rangers spent the night in their chambers on the ship. The sleepover was easily arranged....Jareth called home and said he was staying at Deacon's, Deacon said he was staying at Jareth's, et cetera. They'd pulled it often enough when they were staying somewhere they weren't allowed to stay.
The next morning, Jareth discovered the lounge.
The room was huge, oblong, with circular openings at one end, doors at the other, a huge television screen along one wall, and with a massive, absurdly comfortable couch in the middle. Scattered between the couch and the remaining wall were a number of small tables, each of which could be programmed to project holographic gameboards and the like.
"This is the coolest thing EVER," Jareth said, flipping though the channels with the high-tech remote. "It gets every channel, Dea."
"So?"
"Nono, you're not hearing me. It gets every channel. I can watch South Park in Portuguese."
"Impressive," the Silver Ranger replied, leaning over the back of the sofa. He glanced over at the circular holes in the wall. "What are those for?"
"Dunno. Ask the ceiling," Jareth replied, not taking his eyes off the TV.
"Zord-1? What are--"
"Those are the Lounge's jumptube ports."
"Jumptubes?"
"The jumptubes are a network of large tubes that run throughout the ship. There are openings in nearly every room, and on every level. Simply input your destination, then jump in, and the tube will shuttle you to wherever you wish to go."
"Cool. Can I try them?"
"Certainly."
Deacon walked over, grasped the horizontal metal bar mounted on the wall above the port, and swung himself in. About half a second later, the next tube over spat him right back out into the lounge again....headfirst.
"Oww...," Deacon said, rubbing his head. "What happened?"
"You neglected to input your destination prior to entering the tubes."
"Oh."
Abruptly, small, domed lights popped down from their sockets in the ceiling. Red, spinning strobes began flashing throughout the room, sirens blaring.
Jareth clapped his hands to his ears. "Is that REALLY necessary?"
The sound abruptly stopped. "No, I suppose not," Zord-1 replied. "Rangers, please report to the bridge.
"Kay." Jareth walked over and typed a few buttons on the pad beside the port, then dived into the jumptube network.
Deacon made to follow him, then thought better of it.
"I'll....use the door."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Once all the Rangers were assembled on the bridge, the screen at the front of the room lit up, displaying a hideous, insectoid monster.
"That's him," Kalen whispered.
"Rangers, this is Clepto."
"He steals things?" Deacon asked.
"No, I'm afraid he just kills people," the computer replied. "He is currently attacking a tribal settlement in mid-North America."
"Why?" Terina asked.
"He's a monster," Jareth replied. "That's what they do."
Terina shrugged. "Good enough."
"Rangers, you must morph and prevent this attack."
"Right, we're Rangers, that's what WE do," Deacon said.
"Then it's showtime," Jareth said.
"Zeo Ranger Two--Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger Five--Red!"
"Zeo Rangers Six--Gold."
"Zeo Ranger Ten--Gray."
"Zeo Ranger Eleven--Camo!"
"Zeo Ranger Twelve--Silver!"
"Zeo Ranger Thirteen--Purple."
In a dazzling bust of color, the seven armored Rangers vanished from the Oasis.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The warrior whirled his nunchuckus, delivering crushing blows to two of the strange, gray, plastic-faced men that were laying waste to the camp. It seemed that no matter how many fell, there were always more to replace them. Already, more than half of the tribe's warriors had fallen.
He glanced sharply across the burning village, just in time to see one of his friends get struck down by one of the gray men's axes, a look of shock on his face below his traditional gelled-hair horns.
The large insect leading the gray men laughed derisively, firing a blast from his antennae that struck the food store, setting it ablaze.
They'd been going about this the wrong way, he realized. They needed to take out the leader first.
Grasping his weapon firmly, the warrior rushed at the insect. He struck the massive bug as hard as he could, but the beast hardly seemed to feel it. It looked down at him, then, with a careless wave of its arm, sent him flying as though he were a pebble.
He hit the ground hard, but tried valiantly to regain his feet. He had to drive this thing off, or it'd bring an end to everyone and everything he cared about!
A rainbow flashed before him, and there stood a row of seven strangely-armored people, identical except for the color. The rainbow people dived into the sea of gray men, mowing them down like grass.
This was his chance. He had to strike at the insect again. It had to have a weakness. He began to run towards it, but a solid blow connected with the back of his skull. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell to the ground, out cold.
"Sorry, bro," Deacon said. "It's for your own good." Drawing the gun from his hip, he blasted out a wide, deep furrow in the ground and nudged the unconscious warrior into it.
By now, the Putties were beaten, those not destroyed were on the run. There was no one left but the Rangers and Clepto....sadly, only a few of the tribespeople seemed to be left standing, trying to tend to their fallen.
Kalen glared across the field at Clepto. Before she even knew what she was doing, the Purple Ranger was closing the distance in long strides, simply shredding her way through the Putties unfortunate enough to be in her way. Drawing the small saber from her belt and extending it to its full length, she began savagely pummeling the large, insectlike monster.
"Hey--Oww--You can't--," Clepto cried, trying vainly to defend himself from the shower of crushing blows.
"You! Took! Away! My! LIFE!" Kalen shrieked, emphasizing every word with another skull-shattering strike.
Most of those in the area....Rangers and Tribespeople alike....stopped what they were doing and turned to watch, jaws dropped.
"I guess she did care," Fox whispered.
Jareth elbowed Terina in the ribs, having to duck down slightly to do so. "And YOU didn't want to make her a Ranger."
"Should we help her?" Angel asked.
"Why not, we'll get home sooner."
Each of the rangers drew their weapons, combining them into laser-rifles, just as Terina had done the first time they'd seen her morph.
"On 3," Deacon said. "1..."
"3," Jareth finished.
The six Rangers fired simultaneously, Kalen ducking out of the way just in time to avoid being blasted.
Clepto screamed as the combined power of the concentrated beams heated his carapace. Sparks began flying from each of his segmented joints, his antennae shriveled and began to singe. His scream became a deafening squeal.
Finally, he exploded, not in the shower of green goo some of the Rangers had been expecting, but rather in a massive fireball that engulfed the entire area....and everyone in it.
Fox flinched as the sea of fire washed over her....but she didn't feel more that slightly uncomfortable. Her armor, she realized, was protecting her from the flames, though fire was still all that she could see.
As quickly as they came, the sea of fire ended.
Jareth shook his head. "Hey....he's gone. We did it. We killed him."
"He's not all we killed," Angel said, gazing around him, his face unreadable beneath his helmet.
Most of the Ranger's jaws dropped. All around them were charred corpses of the tribespeople, who had, after all, not been protected by magical armor. Not a single one remained.
"I....I never would have done that if...if I'd known...," Bobby began.
"None of us would have," Deacon said.
"We'll have to be more careful in the future, I see," Kalen said. "If only to avoid a lawsuit."
"You're really broken up over this, aren't you?" Fox said, glaring.
"Why in the world would I be?" Kalen asked. "After all, I'm the only one who DIDN'T cause this."
"I have an idea," Jareth said brightly. "let's point fingers and throw blame. That'll bring them all back and make it all better again."
"Jareth is correct. Blaming each other will accomplish nothing," Angel said.
For a few moments, they simply stood there.
"Let's get back to the ship," Bobby suggested.
There was a murmur of general assent, and in another rainbow flash, the Rangers were gone.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Several hours later, a warrior awoke. He shook his head, to free it from both his disorientation and the dirt in his gelled hair. Groaning, he pulled himself to his feet and climbed up out of the ditch that he'd somehow fallen into.
A look of horror transfixed his face as he surveyed what had once been his home. The buildings were ruined husks, and his people were no different.
His heart racing, he rushed towards the house he had shared with his betrothed, hoping against hope that she would be okay.
She wasn't.
Tears running down his face, he turned and stumbled out of the house.
They had done this. The gray men, and the ones in their multicolored armor. They had brought their war here, and destroyed everything he knew, everything he loved.
They would pay.