A/N: Welcome all, to my latest and probably most ambitious project to date. I know that this kind of story is probably common, but I'm going to try and be as original as I can. Also, I know many of you are wondering about my other stories. Regretfully, I've had a rough patch of Writer's Block since my last update. However, with tomorrow being the 12th year anniversary of 'So The Drama', I felt the need to do something to commemorate it. Don't worry; 'Hybrid', 'Possible Pirates', 'Drakken's Big Score', and all the rest are still going. I promise I'll try and update one of them in the near future. Anyway, I don't own Kim Possible, Power Rangers, or Super Sentai, I know it's unnecessary to say, but I still feel obligated. Anyway, please enjoy!
I.
It was a bright and sunny afternoon on the seventh day of September in the town of Middleton. Everybody was going about, minding their own business, not a single care or worry about them. Towards the back end of the town was the high school, its faculty (which seemed to consist of one) cranking out promising young people each year while its marquee displayed some of most humorous lines ever seen in the town. Things went like clockwork as the bell rang to dismiss the pupils for the day. Out of the school's double doors, a flood of high school students poured as they went about their ways. Among the last of them were two teenagers, a redheaded female with green eyes and a blond-haired boy, who proceeded to walk down the sidewalk.
"I'm telling you, KP" the boy, Ron Stoppable, was saying "That was perhaps the best first day of the school year ever!"
The girl, Kim Possible, regarded her friend since she was four years old with an amused grin "Was it really that big a deal, Ron?"
"Totally!" Ron replied, his wide grin never fading "For one thing, we have all our classes together. All. Day. Together! It's like when we were kids!"
"Well, I guess that's a good start" Kim admitted as the pair crossed a street.
"Are you kidding, KP?" Ron asked like his friend had said something terrible "It hurricane rocks! Even better, can you believe that we're finally Seniors?! We're older! We're wiser! We rule the school! In just a few short months, we'll be stepping out into the real world!"
"Well, I suppose you're right about that" Kim had to agree.
"That's the spirit!" Ron said approvingly "And did I tell you? Mary Giereanu actually said 'Hi' to me in the hallway! Do you know how that bodes?!"
"Well…" Kim pondered.
"Exactly!" Ron replied ecstatically "Well boding!" As he spoke, the blond pulled a small, funny-shaped pinkish-brown rock out of his pocket and rubbed it gently. "And I owe it to my little lucky stone here!"
Kim merely rolled her eyes in amusement as Ron caressed the rock before putting it back in his pocket and continuing "I'm telling you, KP, I've got a good feeling that our future is looking bright! This is going to be the best year of our lives!"
"Careful, Ron" Kim said warningly, though with a playful grin "You don't want to speak too soon."
Ron scoffed. "Yeah, right. Since when did making that kind of remark provoke fate?"
II.
The black vacuum of space beyond the blue sphere was barren. Devoid of any signs of life or movement. All that could be visible were the millions of stars beyond the horizon. Suddenly, without any warning and as silent as a deathly wind, a strange craft appeared out of nowhere. It soared across the starry horizon, cutting through the void like a knife to butter, as it flew towards the blue orb below.
The vessel was long in length, about as much as the Empire State Building. It was about the size of three football fields. In back were five large and powerful engines which propelled it through space. On its front was what appeared to be a metallic claw, three metal spear-like points attached to its left and right sides as well as its top. It had a circular, disk-like middle that had the diameter of the Roman Colosseum. Shades of red and black stood out prominently among the majority of the huge vessel.
The whole thing gave off the feeling of foreboding.
Behind it, from the same mysterious nowhere it had emerged from, came a fleet of hundreds of thousands of crafts. Half of them were smaller versions of the first ship, only these were more pinkish-purple and had an oversized barrel instead of a claw. The other half of the fleet were disk-like saucers, each of them having a quartet of metallic points sticking out around them that spun like wind mills to keep the saucers floating.
On top of all of the crafts were a strange symbol which appeared to be a bird, but not one likely to be seen on the world below.
On the bridge of the lead ship, a trio of eyes stood out among the pitch-black chamber. One set was blood-red, and appeared to be in a perpetual state of slanted. Another was an eerie, silverish blue, round and wide as it looked on in wicked anticipation. The third was the most bone-chilling of them all: pupiless and black as night, narrowed dangerously as it seemed to radiate an aura of pure darkness.
For a few moments, the eyes starred off at the blue orb below. Then there was the click of a button as a screeching yet suave voice spoke.
"We have arrived, My Lord".
From in the back came a hydraulic hiss as a large pair of double doors parted, a large cloud of steam coming into the room as they did. Through the door, a large hulking figured stomped in, followed by a figure that was of the same size but much more lithe.
The massive figure marched forward past the three sets of eyes before stopping close to the viewing window, peering down at the blue planet before it with pupiless, venom-yellow slits. Then a voice spoke which sounded like a combination of a hiss and a guttural howl.
"Excellent".
"What are your orders, Master?" a nasally metallic, echoing voice within the vicinity of the red eyes asked.
The huge figure didn't respond, merely standing in place as it continued to observe the planet in front of it, before its eyes narrowed further, the smug and cocky smirk on its face could practically be heard as the voice spoke three chilling words:
"Begin the invasion".
We're the Zodiac,
We're the Zodiac,
We're the Zodiac,
POWER RANGERS!
Our world is threatened,
By creatures from beyond,
The 12 animals have awakened,
And with them, we have bond!
With their power,
We'll force this evil back,
Better watch out,
We're on the attack!
We won't stop,
We'll go near and far;
It's our destiny,
It's written in the stars!
We're the Zodiac,
We're the Zodiac,
We're the Zodiac,
POWER RANGERS!
We're the Zodiac,
We're the Zodiac,
We're the Zodiac!
Power Rangers: Zodiac Force!
III.
As Kim and Ron continued their trek down the sidewalk, they were having a discussion regarding one of the classes they had signed up for.
"Wait, you mean that Latin class is about the language, not the culture?" Ron was asking in astonishment.
"The dead language" Kim clarified.
"Aw, man!" Ron moaned "I thought it would be about salsa dancing and eating! I had even planned for my first essay to be the downlow on J-Lo!" he then sighed "Should've figured though. Since when would Barkin allow a fun class like that?"
"On the bright side" Kim said optimistically "We're taking it together. They say misery loves company".
"Yeah, you're right, Kim" Ron said jubilantly "We're in it together, and that's what matters".
"Kim! There you are, girl!" came a voice from the side.
Turning, the duo saw a young black girl dressed in high quality clothes approach them. This was Kim's friend Monique whom she had met back in their second year of high school.
"Monique!" Kim cried as she threw her arms around the girl in a hug, when Monique reciprocated "I haven't seen you all day! How did your first day as Senior go? Was it everything you dreamed?"
"Everything and more, Girl!" Monique squealed in excitement "I received word that the college I want to go to is checking me out. If I play my cards right, I could become the youngest fashion designer in history!"
"That's great, Monique!" Ron said excitedly "Let's head over to Bueno Nacho and celebrate! How does that sound, Kim?" he received no reply "Kim?"
Turning, Ron saw that Kim was just standing there, wide eyes and mouth a gap with a goofy smile on her face.
"Kim?" Ron called out. No response. "KP?" Still nothing. "Kim Possible?" he spoke with a French accent as he waved a hand over the girl's eyes. Finally turning in the direction Kim was looking, he realized what had caught Kim's eye.
Standing just a few feet away was a slender young man with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue and red striped shirt and matching black pants, and was currently observing the trees off to the side with creative fascination.
Ron sighed in submission. "Josh Mankey. Should've figured".
"Uh, better close her mouth before she unspools the drool" Monique commented as she motioned to the still frozen redhead.
Taking Monique's advice, Ron placed a finger under Kim's open jaw and moved it back upward into place before snapping his fingers in front of Kim's eyes to get her attention.
"Huh, what?" Kim asked like she was coming out of a trance, which she practically was "What happened?"
"You went goo-goo eyes over Mankey again" Ron answered flatly.
"Kim, I admit that it used to be pretty amusing when you did that, but now it's just getting pathetic" Monique said with a sigh "Why don't you just go up and talk to the guy?"
"I can't!" Kim said exasperated. "I get so tongue-tied every time I even see him!"
Monique blew a breath "That's always your excuse! This time, we're going to do something about it!"
"You may not have to bother" Ron commented as he pointed "He's coming this way!"
Sure enough, Joss was coming right towards the trio. Kim started jabbering and stuttering, at a loss of what to do, so Monique took the initiative and pushed her forward as Josh came up to them.
"Oh! Hey, Josh" Kim said nervously.
"Hey, Kim" Josh replied as he came face to her "What's new?"
"Oh, uh, nothing much" Kim slipped on her words.
"So, what do you think of us finally being Seniors?"
"I think it's…great" Kim talked like she had a sock in her mouth "Just one more year until we enter the real world.".
"Yeah, well, I think I'll get going" Josh said before starting to walk off "Trying to find some inspiration for my project for art class".
"Okay, bye" Kim said as she pathetically waved to the retreating boy. Once he was out of sight, she collapsed to the ground on her knees.
"Ooh!" the redhead groaned in frustration as she pounded the ground with her fists "Why is it that I can't even form a proper sentence around him?!"
A cruel chuckle came from the side, causing Kim's eyes to widen. "Isn't it obvious, K?"
Kim's eyes narrowed as she stood back up and addressed the speaker. Standing a few feet from her was tanned-skinned girl with brunette hair, wearing a pink tank top and a red skirt Behind her was a beefy looking guy with blond hair wearing a letter jacket, as well as a blonde girl wearing a green tank top and blue pants.
"What's that supposed to mean, Bonnie?" Kim growled at the brunette.
"I thought it was clear" Bonnie Rockwaller replied "Josh is just out of your league. You wouldn't have a snowball's chance on the sun with him".
"Bonnie, that isn't very nice to say" the blonde girl behind Bonnie commented with concern.
"Oh, lighten up, Tara" Bonnie said while waving her hand "If Kim can't take the honest truth, then that's her problem".
Clenching both her hands and her teeth, Kim retorted "Oh, but I'm sure that you're totally able to date Josh, Bonnie".
"Wait, what?" the blond guy behind Bonnie asked in surprise "I thought you and I were dating, Bonnie?"
Bonnie sighed. "We are, Brick!" She then turned back to Kim "And for the record, Kim, if I wasn't dating this guy, I'd definitely be Josh's type".
Before Kim could open her mouth for another retort, Bonnie cut her off. "If you'll excuse us, K, we're due at a party to celebrate being Seniors".
"You guys go on" Tara said as she walked up the trio "I think I'll hang with Kim and the others for a while".
"Whatever floats your boat, T" Bonnie shrugged with indifference. "Come on, Brick".
"Sure thing" Brick said as he followed behind Bonnie "But I don't see what the big deal is. I've been a Senior for four years".
Once Bonnie was gone, Tara turned to Kim. "Don't let her get to you like that, okay, Kim?"
Kim shook her head. "Why do you hang out with a person like her anyway, Tara? I doubt it's because you're both cheerleaders since I'm on the squad as well".
"Believe it or not, Bonnie's a better friend than you think" Tara replied. "So, what exactly do you guys have planned for the evening?"
"Actually, we were going to head over to the Bueno to celebrate Monique being scoped out for her dream school" Ron answered.
"That sounds like fun" came a male voice from behind "Got room for one more?"
Everyone turned as a young man walked up to them, sporting brown hair on his head, and wearing a green and yellow striped shirt with light blue pants. As he approached the group, Ron's face splitting into a wide grin.
"Felix!" he said as he gave his close friend and fellow gamemaster a high five "What are you doing around here, my man?"
Felix Renton just shrugged "My mom is working late at the space center, so I thought I'd find some friends to hang with".
"Coolio!" Ron said jubilantly "The more, the merrier!"
"Well, since it looks like the gang is all here, let's get going" Monique said.
"Alright, then" Ron said as he started walking forward "Let's get go-AAAHH!"
Ron had inadvertently stumbled when his belt came unhooked somehow and his pants fell to the ground, causing him to trip. As he hit the ground with an 'OOF!', something went sailing out of his pocket. Looking up, Ron saw a certain pinkish-brown rock bouncing along the sidewalk.
"Aah! My lucky stone!" Ron cried in shock. Holding his pants up in his hands, Ron chased after the runaway rock. Making a diving leap for it, Ron attempted to grab the stone. Unfortunately, due to his pants still not being refastened, he ended up falling short and missing it, and the bouncing stone ended up going off the edge of the sidewalk. Unfortunately for Ron, next to the sidewalk was a long hill curving downward. Without losing momentum, Ron's lucky stone began to roll down the hill, skidding into the deep underbrush below and disappeared without stopping.
"Hey, get back here!" Ron shouted as he raced down the hill and pursued his good luck charm into the woods "I still need you to help me get a date with Mary!"
"Ron, wait! Come back!" Kim cried as she chased after her friend.
"Kim, where are you going?" Monique shouted as she followed.
"You can't leave us behind like this!" Tara called out as she ran after the others.
"Hey, wait for me!" Felix said as he ran to catch up with the group.
At the same time, Ron was still chasing after his still bouncing rock. The stone continued bouncing further and further into the woods without stopping.
"Slow down!" Ron called out to it, having finally gotten his pants back up "I can't keep up with you!"
But the rock skidded onward, its momentum never diminishing despite the surface it now rolled on was flat. The rock bounced over tree roots, gopher holes, ant hills, even a couple of streams. Eventually, however, the runaway stone finally did come to stop and fell flat on its side.
"Hoo, finally" Ron sighed with relief as he picked up the rock. Inspecting it, Ron was relieved to see that the stone had not received any damage in its long tumble before returning it to his pocket.
It was then that Kim and the others managed to catch up with him.
"Ron, don't go running off like that" Kim said while gasping for breath.
"Sorry" Ron said apologetically "Well, I got my rock back, so let's go on to Bue…do you guys here something?"
"Actually, I do" Felix said.
"So do I" Tara added "Where is that coming from?"
Indeed, there was a noise that sounded like something was breaking apart and crumbling. However, upon looking around, the group saw nothing that seemed to be the source of the sound.
"Where in the world is that coming from?" Kim asked as it sounded like the noise was intensifying.
"Uh, guys?" Monique said nervously "I think I know". And she pointed downward.
Nervously, the others looked to their feet, and their worries were confirmed. For there in the ground underneath them, cracks were forming, as if the ground was breaking up. Longer and longer the cracks grew. To the groups shock, the cracks were meeting one another and seemed to be forming a circle all around them.
"I don't like the looks of this" Felix said nervously as the group huddled back to back in panic.
"It's okay" Ron said assuringly "It's alright. As long as nobody makes a move or sound, nothing will happen".
Unfortunately, it appeared that assistance wasn't needed as the ground underneath the group instantly gave way to a large hole, which the group began to tumble into.
Acting quickly, the five grabbed a hold of one another, forming a human chain: Felix grabbed Tara's hand who then grabbed Monique's hand who quickly grabbed Ron's hand while he grabbed Kim's hand, who in turn grabbed a hold of the side of the hole.
"Hold on tight, KP!" Ron cried out.
"What do you think I'm doing?!" Kim snapped back. Unfortunately, Kim didn't have the strength to pull the group out of the hole with only one hand. What's more, her grip on the side began to give way.
"Uh, I'm slipping!" Kim moaned.
"Don't let go, Kim!" Monique called up.
"I can't hold on much longer!" Kim groaned as her fingers began to slip downward.
Sure enough, Kim's fingers fell away and into the hole. Suddenly, however, a hand reached out and grabbed Kim's, stopping the descent.
"Hang on tight!" came the voice of the hand's owner.
Shocked, Kim looked up to the group's mysterious savior and saw a surprising sight.
"Josh? What are you doing here?!"
"I saw you guys run down this way and I thought you guys might be in trouble" the blond explained as he braced himself "Hang on!"
"Like we need to be told that" Monique said flatly "Just pull us out of here!"
"Hold on!" Josh said as he began pulling with all his might to pull the five out of the hole. Unfortunately, the weight was too much for him and he began to fall forward.
"Don't give up, Josh!" Felix called out from the bottom of the chain.
"Yeah, you can do it!" Tara added.
Unfortunately, such beliefs were not to be made true as just when it looked like Josh would succeed in pulling Kim up, the ground supporting his feet slide out from under him, causing him to lose his footing, and as a result, he fell down into the hole with the others.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" the six teens cried in panic and shock as they fell down the very deep pit.
"Somebody do something!" Felix cried.
Acting quickly, Tara spotted a tree root sticking out of the side of the pit.
"I've got an idea!" the blonde said before thrusting herself to the other side. Using the gymnastic skills she had developed as a cheerleader, Tara propelled herself forward and latched onto the branch before grabbing a hold of Felix's shirt.
Seeing what was going on, Monique grabbed a hold of Felix's leg before reaching out and grabbing Josh's hand. Josh, in turn, grabbed hold of Kim's hand, who caught Ron by the waistband of his boxer shorts.
Seeing that they were only a few feet to the ground, Tara tugged the root outward. Using the root like a vine, the blonde lowered the group to the bottom of the pit safely.
"Whew, quick thinking, Tara" Kim said gratefully.
"Yeah, except for the fact that I got a wedgie" Ron moaned in a high-pitched manner.
"Now we just need to figure a way to get out of this hole" Josh said.
"Uh, I don't think this is a hole" Monique piped up.
Looking in Monique's direction, the group was surprised to see a tunnel.
"Why in the world is there a tunnel down here?" Tara had to ask.
"I don't know" Kim said as she started forward "But if we have any hope of getting back up to the surface, we'd better find out".
"How are we supposed to see in there?" Josh took note of the fact that the tunnel was pitch black.
"Hang on a minute" Felix said as he looked around the ground. Spotting a broken root, he picked it up and handed it to Ron. "Hold this for a moment" he said while fishing through his pocket. Pulling out a piece of flint, he clapped it with a rock from the ground to make a spark on the root, making an instant torch.
"Impressive" Kim said as she took the jury-rigged torch from Ron.
"You always carry a piece of flint in your pocket?" Monique asked Felix in surprise.
Felix just shrugged. "Always helps to be prepared".
"Well, let's get going and see if we can find a way out of here" Kim said as she started down the tunnel "Come on".
Guided by the torch in Kim's hand, the group made their way down the path before them.
"This tunnel is unbelievable" Felix said as he surveyed their surroundings "It almost looks like it was dug out".
"Not just that" Kim added as she held up the light to the tunnel wall "There seem to be some strange symbols drawn on every inch of these walls".
"Who or what do you suppose could've done this?" Tara asked curiously.
"I don't really know" Kim replied before turning back to the group "Anyway, let's keep going. We can report this to an archaeologist or somebody when we get out of here. They'll probably consider it the mother lode".
After walking for a few more minutes, the group stepped out of the tunnel. However, instead of coming out outside, they were now in a large narrow space. Looking left and right, they saw that it stretched on in both directions without end into dark regions they couldn't see. Furthermore, upon looking down, they saw a dark bottomless abyss.
"Well, this is great" Tara couldn't help but groan. "We come all this way only to find there's no way out!"
"No! Wait!" Kim said before pointing forward.
On the other side of the abyss, Kim could make out a glint of light. Upon further inspection, she also noticed a narrow ledge that bridged the two sides over the gap of the abyss.
"Looks like the way out is on the other side of this stone path" Kim deduced "We'll have to walk across the path to reach it".
"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Ron asked jubilantly as he moved ahead of Kim to cross the path "The soon we get out of here, the sooner I can dig into a nice, yummy-"
"Ron, look out!" Monique called out in fright.
Ron stopped short and looked behind Monique in surprise.
"What was that about, Monique?" he asked in shock.
Monique pointed to the ground ahead of his feet. "You need to watch where you're stepping".
Looking down, Ron saw that the rock bridge was lined with numerous switch-like rocks. Turning back to Monique in confusion, he saw her gesture around them. Looking up, Ron's eyes widened as he realized that above their heads were numerous spear guns with hair triggers, as well as spring-loaded axes long enough to swipe at anyone crossing the bridge.
At the sight of all this, Ron let out a small, frightened 'eep'.
"Good eye on you, Monique" Kim said to her female friend while giving her male friend a condescending look.
"Hey," Monique shrugged "When you work with fashion as much as I have, you gain an eye for detail".
"Okay, then" Kim said as she got back into the lead "Everybody follow me" she then gave Ron a look "And let's be careful not to step on anything, okay?"
Tiptoeing around then switches, the group made their way over the bridge, being careful not to fall off into the abyss. It looked like they were home free when they neared the other side, when Kim stopped short.
"What's the hold up, KP?" Ron asked in surprise at the sudden stop.
"We've got a little problem" Kim replied as she gestured into the front.
Indeed, as Kim had seen, there were glimmers of light on the other side of abyss. However, they were obscured by coming through cracks. For there, blocking the path, was a large boulder. On the front of the boulder was a large circular crest containing 12 mysterious symbols.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Monique groaned "After all that trouble, we're still unable to get out?!"
"There must be some way to get that rock out of the way" Felix commented.
"I'd be glad to hear some ideas" Tara said.
"Actually, I think I have one" Josh said as he took the torch from Kim and approached the boulder. Giving it a once over, Josh looked down at his feet. There, a few feet away, was a large pile of dark-colored powder beside the rock. Kneeling down, Josh began sifting his hand through the pile.
"Careful, that's black powder!" Felix said frantically "It's very explosive. Get the torch too near it and you'll get blown sky high!"
"That's actually what I want" Felix said as he took a handful of the black powder and sprinkled in at the base of the boulder.
"Wait a minute" Kim said as her eyes widened in realization "Josh, are you about to do what I think?!"
"Everyone get back to the other side of the bridge and take cover" Josh instructed the group. Kim was about to protest when Josh looked up to her. "Trust me" he said confidently "I know what I'm doing".
Deciding to listen to Josh, Kim and the others retreated to the other side of the abyss and ducked behind the sides of the tunnel opening. Once they were safely in place, Josh backed up a few feet.
"Okay, then" he muttered to himself "One…two…THREE!"
In a flash, he hurled the torch at the black powder before hitting the dirt. An instant later, there was a tremendous 'BOOM!' that shook the whole tunnel. The teens braced themselves as the earth around them shook like it was in blender. A few rocks fell here and there, but fortunately, there wasn't a cave-in. Once the rumbling stopped, Kim got out of her hiding place and looked to see if it was safe. Peeking out, she saw that the explosion had succeeded in blowing away the boulder, the way was clear and light was pouring through freely.
Getting up, Kim addressed the others to see if they weren't hurt in the blast.
"Is everybody okay?" she asked with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Monique said as she crawled out of hiding.
"Me too" Tara added as she picked herself up.
"I'm good" Felix replied as he got to his feet "I don't need to be confined to a wheel chair".
"How about you, Ron?" Kim asked.
"I'm fine, KP" Ron said, white as a ghost and holding onto a rock tightly "But I think that I lost a decade or three with that one".
Kim was about to sigh with relief that everybody was okay when she immediately realized that not all of the group was present, her eyes widening in panic.
"Josh?!" she called out as she turned toward the cleared opening, the concern and nervousness in her voice apparent. For a moment, she didn't hear a reply and assumed the worst. Then he heard a groan as she saw Josh crawl out from the corner of the side, unharmed.
"Heh" he chuckled "That was a doozy".
"Josh" Kim said speechlessly as she and the others ran up to him "That was incredibly brave of you".
"Hey" Josh shrugged "Somebody had to do it, and I was fine with it being me".
"Well, now the way is clear thanks to you" Kim said as she led the group forward to the light-filled opening "Come on, let's get out of here".
Much to the group's frustration, however, they instead found themselves in a small chamber. Looking at the walls carefully, they could see the same symbols that had been in the tunnel. What was strange was that they could see them clearly even though they no longer had the torch, meaning that the chamber somehow was getting light in here.
"What in the world is this place?" Kim felt the need to ask.
"I have no idea" Felix commented.
"Me neither" Monique added.
"It's certainly strange to me" Tara said.
"Yeah" Josh agreed with a nod.
"Uh, guys?" Ron called out to get their attention before pointing.
Turning, the others saw an unbelievable sight. For there, a few feet away from them, imbedded into the wall of a chamber was a pedestal-like hollow. Inside the hollow were five small hand-held blackish bronze idols, each one in the shape of an animal: Rabbit, Ox, Dragon, Horse, Snake.
The unbelievable part, however, was the fact that the idols weren't on stands, but were floating in the air.
What was even more fantastic was what came next.
"We've been waiting for you".
IV.
Out in space, the mysterious craft was still floating. On the ship's bridge, final preparations were being completed before the operation began.
"We have checked over the entire planet, Master Warhak" the suave, screeching voice was saying "This planet's soldiers are completely unable to deal with our forces".
"And their weapons?" the guttural growling voice inquired.
"Their modern-day technology is primitive, even by planet tech level standards" the sophisticated voice went on "They'll be no match for the war machines".
With a series of thundering 'thuds', the hulking figure walked back over to the viewing window before gazing down at the blue planet below it with its demonic pupiless yellow eyes, its hands folded behind its back.
The creature was over ten feet tall, its skin a venomous green and muscular in build. Its face had a strong, chiseled chin, a large mouth through which rows of jagged teeth could been seen, and on the sides of its cheeks were red markings that could be similar to warpaint. On the creature's head was a bit of hair that was formed into a ponytail. The creature's garb consisted of a long flowing purple cape on its back that reached to the floor, and matching boots and gloves, the latter of which displayed the creature's razor sharp fingers. On its form arms were a set of golden bands. Around its waist was what appeared to be a skin woven into a set of breeches, a holster on its right side which held a rifle-long, sinister-looking weapon. Finally, it was shirtless, its chest displaying the same symbol that was on the fleet of saucers that accompanied the ship.
"Excellent" the giant, Warhak, said with a hiss before moving on "What is the status report of our forces?"
"The fleet is awaiting your orders, Sir" an accent-thick voice replied, coming from a stout creature with eerie, silverish blue eyes, a round bagpipe-like body, four long pipes sticking out of its back and a smaller one on its front, plaid colored skin that spilled down around its legs like fabric, flipper-like feet, claw-like hands, and curved ears.
"Marvelous" Warhak said with a grin before barking out "Drax!"
In a flash, a human-sized palish blue droid appeared, looking extremely thin in stature; its body was squarish-round and shaped like a rib-cage with long bony arms and legs; at the end of the latter were two-toed claw-like feet and the former had minuscule hands with spider leg-sized fingers. Attaching its head to its torso was was a small neck that resembled a pipe. Its face was skull-like and mouthless, making it look almost like a mask, and bore blood-red eyes, underneath the left one of which was a long cut in its metal almost like a scar.
"Y-Yes, Lord Warhak?" the robot asked in a nasally echoing voice.
"Are the troops ready to be deployed yet?!" Warhak asked fiercely.
"I had just finished the newest batch of synthoplasm, Master" Drax answered nervously.
Rushing over to a console on the far side, Drax's diminutive fingers ran over a series of buttons. In an instant, there was a loud, humming sound as a huge tube-like chamber rose up from the floor. There was a warbling sound, and then the chamber's doors slide open and out stepped a strange creature dressed in red and black, gas-like mask on its face and green eyes. After the creature stepped away from the tube, the doors closed and the warbling sound was heard again before the doors opened and another identical footman stepped out before the process repeated again.
"Perfect" Warhak grinned "Everything is just about ready. Soon this puny planet will be ours!"
"Indeed" a female baritone voice agreed. With a smirk, Warhak turned to see a female creature with the same skin color as his own. Unlike him, she was closer to nine feet in height, her build was more lithe, and she had a full head of green hair, the majority of which was in a ponytail. She was wearing a purple leotard, long gold earrings, shoulder length gloves and ankle high boots, at the end of the one on the right, a hoister was wrapped around her ankle, which held a pistol-like device.
"I am quite confident that we'll set a new invasion record with this one" the female went on "It's almost a shame that they don't stand a chance. Almost".
"Very true, Warmonga" Warhak agreed with a cruel chuckle before turning back to the front to the being he was first talking with "Yobo Kong, where would be the best place to begin the invasion?"
Standing before a screen was a short, human-sized simian-like creature. It had brownish black fur, a long tail, a muscular body like a gorilla, clawed paws for hands and feet, devilish pointed ears, jagged teeth, and shadowy black eyes with no pupils. It was dressed in gold and black tunic-like armor, red stripes going down the front while the top of its tunic draped over its shoulders. On its wrists and ankles were formfitting gold bands while its front paws bore skin-tight black finger-less gloves that almost perfectly matched its fur.
"Let's see" Yobo Kong said as the screen behind him produced a map of the planet before it started zooming in "I'd say, right here" he said as he pointed to a small area within the Michigan-Colorado area "In a small hamlet called Middleton".
"Then that will do" Warhak said with approval before turning to the plaid-skinned creature "Terror Tartan, you will lead the ground assault".
"With great pleasure, Me Lord" Terror Tartan said with a bow.
"It's time we begin" Warhak said with determination "This planet will now experience the fearsome might of…the Lorwardians!"
V.
Kim and the others were speechless. They had just heard a voice coming from the direction of the five miniature idols. This couldn't be real, could it? Perhaps they were just imagining it as a result of the explosion or fall they had experienced. There was no way that the idols were talking.
"Do not be afraid".
And yet they were. In a blind panic and with an 'AAH!', Ron, Tara, Felix, Josh, and Monique all ducked behind Kim for safety. Kim, feeling a bit nervous herself, decided to get to the bottom of this.
"Wh-Who are you?" she tentatively asked the idols.
"We are the Spirits of the Zodiac" the voice, which seemed to be resonating from the Dragon idol, spoke "Long ago, a great civilization based off the Chinese Zodiac existed in this area, until it one day disappeared. We have been down here since then. We've been waiting a long time for you".
"Wait, us?" Monique had to ask "Why?"
"Your world is in danger" a sagely voice came from the Horse idol.
"Wait, is that a threat?" Ron asked defensively as he got close to the idols "Cause there's no way that we'll be taking threats from…"
"No, no, you misunderstand" a gentle voice resonated from the Rabbit idol "Your world is not being threatened by us".
Ron sighed with relief "Well, that's good to hear".
"No" a gruff voice from the Ox idol boomed "Your planet is under attack by creatures from beyond your world".
"Uh, what?" Felix asked stunned.
Instead of saying anything, the eyes of the five idols glowed with golden light. Instantly beams of gold light shot from the eyes and met in the air above the group. Instantly an image appeared above the teens. The group gasped in shock and horror at the sight they were treated with. For there, attacking their town, were hundreds of humanoid creatures dressed in red and black who were marching in goose-steps. Not only that, but ship drones flying overhead were firing laser blasts everywhere, destroying everything in their paths. Finally, saucers with blades circulating around them were landing and converting into crab-like machines and proceeding to smash everything around them as citizens ran in panic and terror.
"Wh-What in the world are those?!" Kim asked with wide eyes as she watched the horrifying display.
"These creatures are called Lorwardians" the Dragon idol spoke as the image vanished. "Their objective is the complete domination of your entire planet".
"Oh no" Tara gasped as she held her hands over her mouth.
"Now, let's not panic" Ron tried to say calmly "How do we know that was even real? For all we know, there probably isn't really any-"
Before Ron could finish, however, the ground began to shake, knocking everybody off their feet as rocks fell from the ceiling.
"Strike that last comment" Ron meeped.
"Oh, man" Josh said in shock "I can't believe that aliens actually exist".
"Yeah, not to mention invading our planet" Kim said with wide eyes "From the look of those machines, I doubt even the military could stop them".
"This could put a serious crimp in our Senior year" Tara said shivering.
"Wait," Felix piped up and addressed the idols "if you know about all this, isn't there anything you can do?"
"Regrettably, we cannot act without someone to act as a medium for our powers" the Snake idol spoke. "Without one, we are inert, immobile, and powerless".
"In other words, just a bunch of paper weights" Monique said flatly.
"Then our planet is a goner?" Felix asked the idols, panic in his voice.
"There is hope" the Dragon idol spoke "As said, we cannot act directly and must have one take on our powers to fight in our stead".
"Well, then what are you waiting for?!" Tara exclaimed "Go find somebody and tell them to stop those guys!"
"We are" the Dragon Idol replied "To combat this evil, we have chosen to send…"
"…you".
The group all went wide-eyed at the words they just heard.
"Wait, us?" Kim asked in confusion "You've got to be kidding! We're not heroes, we're just high school students! What can we do?!"
"You have already proven your worth" the Horse idol spoke. "You succeed in passing each of our trials to reach us".
"Huh?" Josh asked.
"Surely you do not believe it was a mere coincidence you found your way to us" the Rabbit Idol stated.
"Hold on" Monique asked in utter shock "You mean everything we did to get here was all a test?!"
"Precisely" the Dragon idol said "And in doing so, you showed each of the virtues that we value: selflessness, courage, wisdom, mindfulness, and ingenuity. You are capable of protecting this world".
The group all looked to each other. They had to admit that they were surprised that a group of ancient spirits believed that they of all people could save the world from invading aliens.
"Furthermore," the Dragon Idol went on "You will not have to face this danger as you currently are. With our power at your disposal, you will be able to become warriors capable of stopping this threat from the stars. You will gain the skills and tools needed to protect your planet from danger. You will become..."
"...Power Rangers".
"Hey" Ron said jubilantly "I like the sound of that".
"You will now be presented with the unfathomable power of the Zodiac!" the Dragon idol boomed.
"Tara Strong," the Rabbit idol said as it flew out of the hollow and into the blonde girl's hands "your quick thinking and reflexes enabled you to save your friends in the midst of a dangerous plummet. I, the spirit of the Rabbit, grant my power to you".
"Felix Renton," the Horse idol sagely stated as it came forward to Felix and rested in his palm "your cleverness and wisdom enabled your group to find their way through a dark path, I bequeath to you my totem of the Horse".
"Monique Sanders," the Snake idol spoke before landing in Monique's hand "your eye for attention prevented you and the others from suffering a deadly fate. You are rewarded my power of the Serpent".
"Josh Mankey," the Ox idol boomed as it flew towards the blond and came down into his hands "you showed true courage and selflessness, not just when you came to your comrades' aid when they were in danger, but when you put your life on the line to get past a dangerous peril. For that, I trust you with my Ox totem".
"And finally…" the Dragon idol spoke before it left the hollow and flew forward.
Ron, expecting it was his turn, reached out to grab it…only for it pass by him and stop in front of Kim.
"Kim Possible," it said before floating downward where Kim caught it "you showed tremendous leadership skills, allowing your group to get here. You are gifted with the power of the Dragon".
The five idols then spoke as one.
"From this day forth, the five of you shall be known as...the Power Rangers Zodiac Force!"
"Uh, excuse me" Ron called out "I think you forgot…"
"We hope that you will use our power justly and wisely" the Dragon idol continued.
"But, wait" Kim stuttered "How do we use your powers?"
"When the time comes" the Dragon idol said sagely "You will know what to do".
"Okay guys, seriously" Ron said a little put off "I think you might've overloo-"
"Quickly now! You must hurry!" the Rabbit idol said "Your world will not last much longer!"
So saying, the five idols started glowing with golden light, enveloping Kim, Josh, Monique, Felix, and Tara in the glow as well. Instantly, the five teens started to vanish.
"HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Ron cried out before grabbing onto Kim just before the group completely disappeared.
VI.
The downtown area of Middleton had become a battlefield, with Lorwardian troops firing blasters at everything in sight while the Lorwardian war machines rampaged from above.
Cackling madly, Terror Tartan reached toward his sides and grabbed two handles on his holster. Pulling them out, they were revealed to be two golf club-like swords. Waving one of them about, orange energy poured out of the tip of the club and formed a ball of destructive-looking energy.
"Fore!" Terror Tartan cried before swinging his club like a bat, hurling the energy ball at a nearby building and causing it to completely explode.
"Ha Ha!" he laughed maniacally "Let this serve to everyon' here, that this plane' now and forever belongs to the Lorwadians!"
At that moment, five surges of golden energy appeared before Terror Tartan and the ground forces.
"Huh?" the plaid-colored beast asked in confusion at the sight.
In a literal flash, the five surges had dropped six human teens in front of the group.
"Ooh" Tara groaned "I think I nearly lost my stomach with that".
"Tell me about it" Felix moaned as he fell to his knees.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" came a wicked laugh, causing the teens to look up to see Terror Tartan.
"What is wit' this lot, huh?" he asked mockingly.
Ron's eyes widened in shock "What in the world is that?!"
"Tha name be Terror Tartan" the plaid creature introduced himself "And ye humans are now servants of the Lorwardians!"
"Okay, first of all, I think I'm going to go color blind at the sight of all that plaid" Monique said flatly "Second of all, you're crazy if you think we're going to do that!"
"Oh, Aye see that tha lass needs ta be taught a lesson, then" the living bagpipe commented before turning to his troops "Synthodrones, sic 'em!"
Obeying Tartan's orders, the synthodrones began advancing on the teens.
"Ron, get to safety" Kim instructed her friend "Quickly!"
Before Ron could utter a word of protest, Kim had shoved him out of the way just as the synthodrones charged at her. One threw out a fist at her, which she managed to duck. Grabbing a hold of it, Kim attempted to hurled the drone over her shoulder, but the thing was too heavy. Even worse, she was so distracted that another drone was able to kick her from behind.
"Kim!" Monique cried in panic, unfortunately, she had her own problems as three drones were charging at her. Managing to duck the first one's attack, she managed to trip the second by staying crouched. When the third, however, leaped upward and attempted to deliver a flying smash with both its fists, which Monique barely managed to get out of the way of.
Felix, at the same time, found himself surrounded by a whole group of synthodrones. When two of them came at him from both sides, he managed to duck and allow them crash into each other, however, two more manage to send him flying with a double punch.
Josh, in the meantime, was being chased by a laser barrage by bunch of drones armed with blasters. Ducking behind a trash can for protection, Josh hoped that the cans would be a good shield. Unfortunately, the cans were easily blasted away by laser fire before a drone ran up and grabbed him and tossed him to the side.
As for Tara, she had six synthodrones hot on her heels. Coming up to an abandoned car, Tara saw a drone come at her with a fist cocked back. Acting quickly, she threw open the car door to shield her, causing drone to punch through the glass and get its hand stuck. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tara climbed into the car to get away from the drones, only for three to pursue her. Jumping out the opposite window, Tara braced herself against the wall beside the car and pushed forward, managing to tip the car on its side with groaning squeak of metal, trapping the drones inside. However, she didn't have a moment to rest as two drones appeared on either side of her, grabbed her by her wrists and threw her forward.
The five teens, battered and bruised, were huddled together into a group as the synthodrones advanced on them.
"Hahahahaha!" Terror Tartan laughed "Ye best give up. Yer outmatched here!"
Off to the side behind some trash cans, Ron watched helplessly as his friends were in danger.
"KP" he whispered.
Refusing to give up, Kim got back to her feet, preparing to continue facing the army of drones.
"Still wan' more, eh?" Tartan mocked "Alright, fellas, give it to 'er!"
At that moment, however, Kim felt a warm sensation in her pocket. Reaching into it, she pulled out the dragon idol she had received, which seemed to be glowing. It was then that she recalled the Dragon Spirit's final words to her.
"When the time comes, you will know what to do".
In that moment, Kim did know what to do. Hoping against all hope that this would work, Kim clutched the idol in her hand tightly.
"Animal Form" she said as she raised the idol above her head "Zodiac…" she then brought her arm back down and cocked it backwards before throwing her arm forward with the dragon idol displayed promptly in her fingers while crying out "TRANSFORM!"
The dragon idol in Kim's hand glowed a bright red before the red aura spread out from it in front of Kim. Like a cocoon, the aura then wrapped itself around her and enveloped her in a bright flash of light as what sounded like a dragon roaring was heard in every direction. When the light died down, Kim was still there, but looked completely different.
She was wearing a full-body red suit with white gloves and boots. The suit looked like the garb of an old-world paladin, a vest-like coat connected by a belt with a golden buckle over the suit, its end flapping in the wind like a cape. Furthermore, she was wearing a full-body helmet, the mask designed like the face of a dragon, its nostrils and mouth over Kim's face while its eyes were replaced by a black visor through which Kim could see out of.
"Wha' in tha?!" Terror Tartan asked in shock.
"No way" Monique said.
"Unreal" Felix commented.
"Unbelievable" Josh muttered.
"Wow" was all that Tara could say.
"KP" Ron whispered again, this time in awe rather than worry.
Kim looked over herself and the suit that she now wore. She could feel energy and power like never before flowing through her. Clenching her fingers together, she looked up to face Tartan and his army, and just had the urge to be flashy.
"Ferocity of the Dragon!" she cried as she spread her arms out like she was flying "Red Dragon Ranger!"
Tartan was left sputtering before gritting his teeth and turning to the synthodrones "Don' just stand ther, get 'er!"
Obeying the command, the synthodrones charge at Kim, who just stood motionlessly.
"Let's try this again" she muttered to herself. Once again, a synthdrone threw its fist out at her and she managed to duck, and once again, she grabbed it by the arm in response. This time, however, she managed to throw the drone over her shoulder, hurling it into four others. Two more came at her with her managing to send them flying with a double punch to their stomaches. A drone on her left charge forward but she managed to sideswipe it and strike back with an open palm while at the same time, she instinctively threw out her leg backwards and sent the drone that tried to sneak attack her from behind flying.
At that moment, Kim felt a strange sensation and instinctively knew what to do.
"Dragon Tail Sword!" she shouted as she held out her hand. In a surge of red energy, a sword appeared in her hand. Its hilt was red like Kim's suit with the two sides of it looking like dragon wings. The tip of the sword was jagged, like that of a dragon's tail.
Gripping her new weapon tightly, Kim charged at the advancing synthodrones. Swiping the sword in front of her, Kim struck two drones head on in the chest and instantly reduced them to puddle of green goo on the ground.
"Gross" she cringed for a moment before another drone came at her from her left, which she struck with her sword like she was a master of it. Again and again the drones charged at Kim from all sides, with her swiping, punching, and kicking them back.
At the same time, Josh, Felix, Monique, and Tara were getting back to their feet, still transfixed at the sight before them.
"Dang" Monique said impressed "That girl can kick butt".
"No kidding" Josh agreed.
"Too bad we can't do that" Tara sighed.
Felix's eyes widened before he looked to the others. "Or can we?" he asked, the others immediately realizing his words.
Reaching into their pockets, the four teens pulled out their animal idols and looked down on them; the idols shimmering briefly and their eyes flashing for a moment. The teens all then shared a knowing look.
"What are we waiting for?" Josh asked, the others nodding in confirmation.
"Animal Form" they all cried while imitating the gesture Kim made "Zodiac Transform!"
The four idols in their hands glowed; the horse glowing black, the ox glowing blue, the snake glowed yellow, and the rabbit glowed pink. Just like with Kim, the auras spread out from the idols before wrapping around the teens, followed by a bright flash of light mingled with the sounds of a horse neighing, an ox bellowing, a snake hissing, and a rabbit's foot thumping. When it died down, the others were wearing similar suits to Kim's except for color and animal: Felix was wearing black and his helmet looked like a horse, Josh was in blue and had an ox on his helmet, Monique's was yellow and had a serpent on the helmet, and finally, Tara's suit was pink and had a rabbit's face on her mask.
"Whoa!" Felix said as he looked over himself.
"Cool" Josh commented.
"Dang" Monique quipped.
"Amazing!" Tara gushed.
Looking up, the four multi-color suited teens felt the urge to copy Kim's actions.
"Wisdom of the Horse!" Felix cried as he leaped on all fours "Black Horse Ranger!"
"Courage of the Ox!" Josh said as he flexed his arms to make himself look big and strong "Blue Ox Ranger!"
"Cunning of the Snake!" Monique yelled as she did a snake dance "Yellow Serpent Ranger!"
"Speed of the Rabbit!" Tara called out as she held her hands in front of her like rabbit paws "Pink Rabbit Ranger!"
"Power Rangers Zodiac Force!" they all yelled together.
"Wha' in tarnation?" Terror Tartan gaped at the sight of them "More of them?!"
"Let's go!" Felix called out.
"Right!" the others nodded before the four charged into the fray to join Kim.
Four of the synthodrones charged at Josh, who manage to deflect their punches and kicks before countering with a series of karate chops, uppercuts, and elbow thrusts. Three more then came at him, but he managed to grab the front one and, with incredible strength, hurled it back at its two comrades, bowling them all over.
"Strike!" he cheered with a fist pump.
Felix, in the meantime, was jumping over another group of drones. Upon landing on the other side, he sent them flying with a leg thrust to the one in back.
"Heh" he chuckled "All those hours of video game playing are finally paying off".
At the same time, Tara was speeding through another platoon, flipping them over by the wrists, sending them flying with kicks, and knocking them to the ground with leg and cross chops. One of the drones then charged at her wildly. Bracing herself, Tara gracefully managed to sidestep the attacks before countering with a series of rapid fire punches to the drone's chest, ending with a punch so intense that it sent the drone back into the remainder of them, obliterating the entire group.
"Who says that a rabbit punch is wimpy?" she quipped.
Monique, all the while, was slivering between a bunch of drones, incapacitating them with hand swipes and low sweeps. Looking up, she saw a trio of drones coming towards her. Leaping into the air, she delivered a flying kick to the drones, obliterating them instantly.
"Eww" she groaned "You got that gunk of yours all over my new boots!"
"Hey!" Josh called out to the others "Let's try out our weapons!"
"Roger!" the others replied before the four teens concentrated.
In an instant, weapons materialized in their hands. Due to the mysterious power they were endowed with, they instantly knew how to use them.
"Ox Horn Daggers!" Josh yelled as he wielded the double weapon in his hands, having long and warped points like horns. Swiping them in a cross motion, Josh instantly shredded five synthodrones in front of him. He then spun in a circle, unleashing a blue spiral attack that destroyed all the drones around him at once.
"Horseshoe Knuckles!" Felix cried as he wielded a pair of horseshoe-like brass knuckles on his fists. Throwing out his fist in a punch, he sent not one, but five drones flying despite only aiming at the middle one. Intrigued, he brought his fists to the ground with a 'Smash!', causing a miniature earthquake that caused all the drones in his vicinity to fall over.
"Snake Staff!" Monique shouted as she held out a long staff with a cobra head on it. Swiping it, she took out three drones that came at her. Gripping it like a bat, she swung it forward and liquefied a half dozen more. Seeing five more aim their blasters at her, Monique pointed her staff towards them, cobra head first. Instantly, the snake's mouth opened wide and delivered a powerful yellow energy blast at the drones, destroying them before they could even pull the trigger.
A bunch of other drones were looking around for any sign of Tara, the girl having disappeared from their sight a moment ago. Suddenly, the ground underneath them burst upward as Tara appeared from underground, trashing three drones before they could even react. Upon landing, she held her weapon in front of her aimed at the other drones, it having the appearance of rabbit paws with drills at the end of them.
"Rabbit Drill Blaster!" she called out as she fired a pink spinning blast from her left gauntlet towards three drones on her left, then blasted another four on her right side with her right gauntlet. Facing the remainder of the drones, she brought her gauntlets together to form a drill-like cannon. Aiming it, Tara charged the drill up, causing it turn pink in color. Having charged her attack enough, Tara fired the tip of the drill towards her opponents, wiping them all out instantaneously.
Felix, who had seen the display, turned towards Josh.
"How is it that the rabbit has a blaster?" he asked, to which Josh merely shrugged.
At the same time, Kim was finishing up going through her batch of drones with the way clear to Terror Tartan.
"You're next, Plaid Face" she growled while holding her Dragon Tail Sword towards him with both hands.
Snarling, Terror Tartan cried out "Jet Pack Mode!"
Before Kim knew what was happening, half a dozen drones had appeared in front of Terror Tartan. Kim then watched as their eyes briefly glowed and then in an instant, jet packs grew out of their backs.
"Heh" Tartan chortled "Now we'll see how ye fare".
With a snap from Tartan's fingers, the six drones took to the air, armed with larger blasters than the others, and proceeded to rain down energy blasts on the five teens, sending them flying.
"Oh great" Monique groaned as she used her staff to help support herself "Now what do we do against those things?"
Kim, unable to provide an answer, merely looked up towards the flying squadron, her hands clenched tightly in fury.
At that moment, without knowing why, she screamed "Unleash the Dragon!"
The moment she did, Kim's suit began to glow. Before Kim could ask what was going on, two scaly wings grew out of the side of her vest, while the end of it morphed into a tail. Looking at her hands, Kim saw her gloves take on talon-like appearances. Upon seeing her feet, she saw that her boots were sporting three reptilian toes.
Somehow, Kim's suit had become dragon-like.
"Kim" Josh said amazed "How did you do that?"
"I-I have no idea" Kim answered.
Anymore questions were cut off when the teens experienced more laser fire, courtesy of the flying synthodrones. Looking back up at them, Kim's eyes narrowed.
"I'll take care of the Wright' Brothers" Kim instructed the others "You finish the cleanup down here".
After receiving a nod from the group, Kim flapped her dragon wings and immediately took to the air, while the others faced down the remainder of the ground-based synthodrones.
"You know, if Kim can do it, so can we!" Monique pointed out.
Nodding simultaneously, the four teens placed themselves back to back before simultaneously shouting "Unleash the Ox|Horse|Snake|Rabbit!"
In a flash, their suits transformed. Josh's feet became like those of an ox, his upper torso became muscular, and his helmet grew a pair of horns. Felix's legs became those of a horse while his body became longer. The end of Monique's vest became the tail of a serpent while her gloves sprouted points that resembled fangs. Tara's boots and gloves sprouted fur and grew long nails.
Still standing back to back, the four teens looked on at the synthodrones surrounding them.
"All together, got it?" Felix instructed, to which the others nodded "Okay then, ready, set…Now!"
Josh and Felix stomped on the ground while Tara and Monique swiped their hands. The resulting attack from all four completely destroyed the remaining ground troops.
Meanwhile, Kim was doing battle with the airborne synthodrones. One fired its blaster at her. Blocking it with her hands, Kim struck the drone back with her dragon tail, impaling it. Two others charged at her from behind. Swinging her leg out, Kim managed to knock the two out of the sky, leaving a messy stain on the ground below. Another flew at her like a missile. Swiping her hands down in front of her, Kim managed to eliminate the drone before it could make contact. The fifth threw a mid-air punch at her, which she managed to pare before doing a mid-air somersault spin and striking the drone with the end of her tail. Only one more to go. The last one drew its laser out and fired rapidly at Kim. Maneuvering around the blasts, Kim materialized her Dragon Tail Sword and made a swipe as she flew past the drone. The moment she was five feet away, the drone exploded into nothingness.
With all the drones gone, Kim flew straight towards Terror Tartan, raising her sword, which began to electrify, and bringing it down, sending a bolt of energy at Tartan before he could even move.
Landing back on the ground, Kim was reunited with the others as their suits returned to normal, the five of them against Terror Tartan.
"End of the road, Scotty" Kim quipped as she and the others held out their weapons, ready to launch a simultaneous attack on Tartan.
Before they could even move, however, a large and destructive energy blast came down at them, knocking them off their feet. Looking up, the five teens saw the Lorwardian crab-machines and ship drones above them.
"Ah, this will do" Terror Tartan said confidently "The war-machines will deal with ya lot while I amscray!"
Before the teens could do anything, Terror Tartan disappeared. Before any of them could complain about his escape, however, another energy blast came down at them, reminding them of their current situation.
"Terrific" Monique moaned as she looked up at the army of war-machines "How are we supposed to fight those things?"
Before Kim could reply that she had no clue, she heard a familiar voice.
"Summon our avatars".
"Huh?" Kim asked in surprise as she pulled her dragon idol out of her vest, the others following suit with their idols.
"You have the capability of summoning manifestations of our powers" the Dragon idol said "Summon them when you are in need of their help".
"Got it" Kim said as she put the idol away. Realizing she instinctively knew the summon command, Kim cried out "Appear, Dragon Zodiac Zord!"
"Appear, Ox Zodiac Zord!" Josh yelled.
"Appear, Horse Zodiac Zord!" Felix called.
"Appear, Snake Zodiac Zord!" Monique hollered.
"Appear, Rabbit Zodiac Zord!" Tara cried.
Instantly, there was a rumbling of earth and a great groaning as the Zords awoken from their ancient slumber.
Burrowing underground from out of a forest, the Rabbit Zord leaped out of the ground and scampered towards it master.
From a nearby swamp, the Snake Zord rose from the marsh depths and slithered out onto land.
Dashing across a huge field, the Horse Zord made its way.
Climbing down a mountain at tremendous speed, the Ox Zord came running.
Then, a distant dormant volcano erupted to life again. From out of the fiery depths, the Dragon Zord rose up with a roar before flying off to its summoned location.
"Wow" Kim said impressed.
"They're amazing" Tara said in awe.
"You said it" Felix added.
"What kind of mileage do you think they get?" Josh asked.
"Whatever it is, I just hope that they're environmentally friendly" Monique quipped.
"Come on, let's go, guys!" Kim said to the others.
Leaping upward with incredible force, the group of five landed in the cockpits of their Zords.
"Nice" Kim said as she observed the interior of the Dragon Zord.
"I approve of the interior decorating" Monique said as she looked around the Snake Zord's cockpit.
"This is just like my game console's controls" Felix muttered as he inspected the Horse Zord's console.
"Hope I can steer this thing" Josh quipped.
"Good thing I passed Driver's Ed!" Tara commented as she took hold of the controls of the Rabbit Zord.
Looking at the dashboard, Kim saw a small hole to the right. Realizing what it must've been for, she reached into her vest and pulled out her idol.
"We have to plug the idols in to control the Zords" she instructed the others.
"Got it!" the others replied as they pulled out their idols.
"Let's go" Kim said as he placed her idol into the slot "Dragon Idol inserted".
"Ox Idol inserted" Josh said as he followed suit.
"Horse Idol inserted" Felix said while doing the same.
"Snake Idol inserted" Monique followed the lead
"Rabbit Idol inserted" Tara said last.
The moment they entered the slots, the five idols glowed brilliantly in their respective colors. The eyes of the Zords flashed for a moment before they roared, now ready to fight.
"Alright, guys" Kim instructed "Let's scrap these things off the surface of our planet!"
"Roger!" was the response from the others.
As the five Zords charged into battle, the army of Lorwardian war-machines came at them from the opposite end. Deploying their front cannons, a cluster of ship drones opened fire at Kim and the Dragon Zord.
"I don't think so" Kim said as she flipped a switch on her console. In a flash, the Dragon Zord's wings folded over the front of itself, shielding itself from the laser barrage.
"Now it's my turn!" Kim declared as she pushed a button on the console "Fireball Blast!"
The Dragon Zord's mouth opened wide and a ball of fiery energy formed in its maul before launching it at the ship drones, vaporizing them instantly.
"Yes!" Kim fist pumped, before she felt an impact on the Dragon Zord's right side.
Sure enough, another half dozen battleships were coming in from Kim's right. Acting quickly, Kim maneuvered her Zord so that it spun in a circle, now facing the attacking ships.
"Let's blow away these pests" Kim declared "Typhoon Wings!"
At her command, the Dragon Zord raised its wings up high before bringing them back down in a quick motion that created a powerful gust of wind which pushed away the ships, causing them to crash into others above and destroying the whole bunch.
"Oh, yeah" Kim said with a grin "I'm liking this".
Meanwhile, on the ground, Josh and the Ox Zord were in a duel with a platoon of crab machines, with them throwing their long blade-like legs at him.
"Aah!" Josh cried as he received another impact "Alright, that's it!" he groaned while working the controls on the console "Let's see how you like this! Horn Missiles!"
At Josh's command, the Ox Zord's horns instantly curved downward, aiming at the machines. Upon Josh pushing a button, the horns fired from the base and struck the crab machines head on, causing them to explode.
"Yahoo!" Josh cheered as the Ox Zord's horns regenerated "Alright, let's try this. "Lightning Horn!"
At Josh's command, lightning began generating from the Ox Zord's horns before meeting in the middle and forming a huge ball of electricity.
"And fire!" Josh cried as the Ox Zord fired the lightning at another three crab machines, blowing them to pieces.
Before he could cheer again, however, two crab machines charged at the Ox Zord from either side, striking it with their legs.
"Oh no, you don't!" he said as he worked the controls.
The Ox Zord then slipped out from between the two machines and ran forward, before Josh used the controls to turn it back around.
"Bull Tail Bazooka!" he cried.
Instantly, the Ox Zord's tail morphed into a large, bazooka-like cannon. Raising itself upward, the tail then directed itself forward, giving it the appearance of a rear mounted blaster.
"Fire!" Josh cried as the tail cannon fired a burst of energy at the crabs, reducing them to rubble.
At the same time, Tara and the Rabbit Zord were being ganged up on by a horde of crabs.
"Ooh, you guys have no idea how to treat a rabbit!" Tara cried before pushing a few buttons.
In an instant, the Rabbit Zord's paws morphed into shovel-like scoops. Directing it downward, Tara had the Rabbit Zord burrow into the earth before the crab machines could fire missiles at it.
Unable to see where their target had gone, the crab machines stood frozen, nothing on the scanners to attack.
A few seconds later, however, the Rabbit Zord emerged from the ground with a tremendous burst, swiping its still shove-form claws at the crabs, leaving long gnashes in their sides.
"Time to play a little 'Thumper' with these things!" Tara declared as she pulled back on a lever.
Instantly, the Rabbit Zord crouched down close to the ground before catapulting itself into the air. Upon reaching the apex of its height, the Rabbit Zord began descending. Holding its feet out underneath, the Rabbit Zord's lower appendages grew three times bigger. Before the crab-machines could get out of the way, the Rabbit Zord came down on them, smashing them all to smithereens.
Unfortunately, Tara didn't have a moment to celebrate as she was soon attacked by more crab machines, accompanied by a dozen ship drones.
"Okay, then" the blonde said with determination "Try this! Bucktooh Blaster!"
Opening its mouth wide, the Rabbit Zord's buck teeth began to glow brightly. In a flash, it unleashed a tremendous blast upward, eradicating the ship drones.
"Now for you fellas!" Tara said to the crab machines "Boomerang Ears!"
The Rabbit Zord's ear began to glow with bright white light. Pulling its head backwards slightly, the Rabbit Zord threw its head forward, its ears coming off in the form of a blade-like boomerang which sliced through the crab machines' legs, causing them to collapse to the ground and explode
"Try that on for size!" Tara cheered as the Boomerang Ears returned and reattached themselves to the Rabbit Zord's head.
At the same moment, Monique and her Snake Zord were tearing through another squadron of crab machines.
"Watch out, four-legs" Monique commented "I'm putting the squeeze on you!"
In a flash, the Snake Zord coiled itself around three of the crabs. Squeezing its body together tightly, the Snake Zord crushed the machines together before they exploded into debris. Just then, a missile shot at the Snake Zord, courtesy of another crab machine.
"You might want to be careful" Monique said with faux concern as she pushed a lever "I'm poisonous. Venom Shot!"
Opening its mouth, the Snake Zord fire a blast of venomous fluid at the crab machine. Upon making contact, the fluid burned away at the war machine until it completely melted away.
"Okay" Monique said challengingly "Who's next?"
She got her answer when laser blasts from three crab machines came close to her. Following the initial blast, the machines thrust their blade legs at the Snake Zord, who managed to bob around and avoid the strikes.
"So that's the way you wanna play, huh?" Monique asked "Alright, then. Rattle Strike!"
The end of the Snake Zord's tail morphed into that of a rattlesnake. Its rattle tail raised in the air, the Snake Zord swung it at the trio of war machines. Upon making contact with the rattle, the crab machines exploded into scrap.
"Heh" Monique smirked, when suddenly, a rainfall of laser blasts came down on her.
Looking up, Monique saw a drone ship coming at her, firing its laser cannon at her.
"Sorry, but you'll have to do better than that" Monique said tauntingly before pushing a button "Fang Crusher!"
Raising up on its belly, the Snake Zord eyed the drone ship. Suddenly, its necked stretched out longer than its entire body as it lunged for the drone ship. Its fangs glistening as its jaw opened wide, the Snake Zord caught the ship in its mouth and bit down, crushing the ship to bits.
As for Felix, he and the Horse Zord were knocking aside every crab machine that came near them.
"Alright, you home invaders" Felix said as he braced the controls "Take this!"
The Horse Zord lashed out its legs in quick succession, destroying every crab machine that surrounded it. The Horse Zord even stood on its front legs while bucking with its back legs to send a whole platoon of crab machines that were sneak up behind it flying.
"Okay, time to get a little wild" Felix said as he pulled back on a lever. "Stampeding Charge!"
Scraping its hoof along the ground, the Horse Zord charged forward at blinding speed, smashing past a whole line of crab machines. When it stopped, it had left behind a whole group of sparking crab machines who all exploded instantly.
"But wait" Felix said "There's more! Fissure Stomp!"
With a neigh and whinny, the Horse Zord raised its front legs before bring them down with a 'Slam!'. From the point of where it struck, a surge of energy formed under the Zord's hoof. In a flash, the energy surged forward, striking down every crab machine in its path.
"And last but not least" Felix said proudly "Snort Shooter!"
Its eyes turning red, the Horse Zord fired a colossal stream of steam from its nostrils. Flying forward it fried the circuitry of every crab machine and ship drone it came in contact with.
"Heh, heh" Felix chuckled before something on his scanner caught his eye. "Kim, watch it! You've got one on your tail!"
Kim, having been, distracted, had been unaware that a ship drone was pursuing her and dangerously close to firing on the Dragon Zord's tail. Before the drone could even fire, however, the Dragon Zord's tail rose upward before coming down on the drone knocking it out of the sky with an explosion.
"Thanks, Felix" Kim said gratefully.
By now, there were only a handful of crab machines and ship drones left as the five Zords regrouped.
"Alright, guys" Kim instructed "Let's finish this!"
"Yeah!" the others agreed.
The five teens placed their hands over their animal idols, which were glowing their respective color as the Zords were charging up for their final attack.
"Fireball Blast!"
"Venom Shot!"
"Bucktooth Blaster!"
"Bull Tail Bazooka!"
"Snort Shooter!"
The five Zords, their strongest attacks primed and ready, all aimed directly into the center of the last of the crabs and drones in front of them. Kim looked to the remainder of the machines with a steely expression before making a final comment.
"Consider this a message from humanity: This is our planet!"
"FIRE!" five voices cried at once as five energy blasts were shot at the same time.
Unable to get away in time, the remaining crab machines and ship drones were swallowed up by the quintuple blast, resulting in them being destroyed in a tremendous explosion with a 'BOOM!'
For a moment, the five teens were frozen in shock within the cockpits, unable to believe the reality of what they just did. Eventually, however, the flood gates opened and their excited emotions kicked in.
"Ah-ha!" they cheered and cried in victory "We did it!"
Back on the ground, a certain blond was transfixed at the events that had just occurred. Ron, having seen the whole thing, only had one word to say in response.
"Booyah".
VII.
"What in the world is the meaning of this?!" Warmonga screeched in shock "Those earthers have destroyed our entire invading fleet! How is this possible?!"
Warhak snarled. "I am at a loss as well, Warmonga. I cannot believe that a small band of humans could defeat a Lorwardian fleet!"
"If you like, Master" Drax spoke up "I can begin looking into how they were capa…"
"SILENCE!" Warhak roared before viciously swatting Drax aside into the wall with his hand, knocking his head off.
"Yah miserable, flea-bitten, fuzzball!" Terror Tartan yelled at Yobo Kong as he stormed back onto the bridge "Aye thought that ye said that this planet couldn' fight back?!"
"I must admit, this is a most unexpected development" Yobo Kong said calmly "However, I don't think it really changes things, doesn't it?"
"Agreed" Warhak nodded with a sneer. "Whoever they are, they have made a grave mistake in challenge the will of the Lorwardians. We will not rest until this planet is where it belongs: as part of the Lorwardian Empire!"
VIII.
Back on Earth, the five teens were still cheering their success.
"I can't believe it" Monique said as their suits vanished and they returned to normal "Did you see what we did?!"
"Yeah, you were pretty awesome out there" Josh applauded Kim's female friend "Never knew you had it in you".
"You weren't so bad yourself, Josh" Monique replied.
"Hey, don't forget about Tara" Felix piped in "Who knew that rabbits weren't just cuddly furballs?"
"Heh, you're one to talk, Mr. Epic Moves" Tara said while blushing.
"She's right" Josh said to Felix "You've got to teach me some of those moves".
"We should be all be proud ourselves" Kim said to the group "We just save the entire planet" she couldn't help but smirk at the realization "Never expected that I'd be saving the world".
"You have done well this day" the voice of the Dragon idol spoke from Kim's hand "However, the battle is far from over. The Lorwardians will return. You must keep fighting until the day they are gone for good".
"Wait. Those creeps will be coming back?" Tara asked nervously.
"Do not fear" the Rabbit idol spoke in the blonde's hand "Our power will be with you from this day forth".
"And it will remain with you…" the Snake idol said.
"Until the day you restore peace to this planet" the Ox idol finished.
"Please know that while you won't be hearing our voices again, our spirits will always be with you" the Horse idol spoke.
"The safety of this world is in your hands…Power Rangers" the Dragon idol finished.
With that, the idols went silent.
"Boy, they really know how to put pressure on a girl, don't they?" Monique commented dryly.
"I still can't believe that it's up to us to save the entire planet!" Tara said in amazement.
"Man," Felix said chuckling "the others at school are going to be so jealous of this!"
The moment Felix said that, a thought struck Kim. It was then that she came to one of her first decisions as a leader.
"I think it's best that we keep this a secret" she said to the others "If word about what we can do gets out, there's no telling what could happen".
The others looked to each other for a moment before turning back to Kim.
"Alright, we understand, Kim" Monique said trustingly.
"Yeah, you're our leader for a reason, after all" Tara added.
"Are you sure it's not just because she wears the red one?" Felix had to quip.
"So" Josh spoke up, having appeared at Kim's side "It looks like we'll be working together for the foreseeable future".
"Oh, yeah" Kim said, her earlier nerves having returned without all the adrenaline to act as a distraction "Sure does".
"Perhaps this will give us the chance to learn more about each other" Josh went on.
"Yeah, sounds great" Kim said nervously "Uh, we should probably head for home. It's getting pretty late".
"Well, you're the boss" Josh joked with a shrug as he gestured for Kim to lead the way.
"I have to say" Felix was speaking as the group started walking "I think the best thing about this is those awesome weapons. There's nothing like that in 'Zombie Mayhem'".
"Personally, I like the outfits" Monique said "Simple, yet tasteful. Definitely something I wouldn't mind styling".
"Still, I wonder if something can be done about the helmets" Tara mused outloud, getting a chuckle from the others.
Bantering and joking as the sun was setting on their last day as normal teens, the new group of superheroes walked off towards what was sure to be a long and winding adventure.
"Hey guys!" Ron cried as he chased after the group "Wait for me!"
End Chapter One
A/N: And thus, the first chapter/episode of 'Power Rangers Zodiac Force' is done. I bet it left you all with more than a few questions, didn't it? Well, just to clarify, this world is not the same universe as canon. Kim and Ron aren't globetrotting heroes, Kim's enemies are all monsters (barring Warhak and Warmonga), Felix isn't confined to a wheelchair, and…(gasp!) Kim and Ron aren't dating! Quite a lot to take in, isn't it? What do you suppose will happen from this point? All I can tell you is that this is just the beginning of a very long ride. The story probably won't be updated very frequently, but keep your eyes out cause you never know when a new chapter will be coming. And to those of you who are no doubt upset that Ron was passed over to be a Power Ranger, let me have your insults. I have no remorse over my decision. ;D