A/N: You may notice, I'm changing up the origin of the Light Zord in this fic. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy the one in the show. There WAS no Light Samurai in ancient times, so why would there be an "ancient" Light Zord? Hope you like the story.

Legal: I do not own the rights to Power Rangers or the associated names, characters, events etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T-may be some adult themes.

He lay at the bottom of the river, his centuries-long slumber slowly coming to an end. While it had been centuries since he had last walked the land, spreading terror among the human realm, his consciousness was slowly returning to him. It had been only a short time since he had felt his mental connection to his servants returning enough that he could feel them once more, and command them. That was when he had sent his envoy to Master Xandred, just to let him know he was coming.

His faculties were returning more all the time. He was more aware of the movements of the energies in the Netherworld than he had been. During one of the ancient battles, he had been driven back to the Netherworld, and entered a state of torpor, a long, suspended sleep at the bottom of the Sanzu River. It was a sleep he was unsure when or even if he would awaken. However, recently things had stirred him.

Energy surges, unlike anything he had felt in centuries channelled into him through the evil, toxic waters of the Sanzu River, flooding his body with power once more. Each day, he built upon his power. Meanwhile, his mind was filled with images gathered from his servants, updating him on what had happened over the time since he had entered his slumber.

He had felt his contact with his servant Switchbeast being severed a few days ago. He had seen the images in his mind of the latest Green Samurai cutting him down. He wasn't overly concerned for the loss of his envoy. While Switchbeast had been a powerful and loyal servant, he had served his purpose, showing him what he was waking up to. His eyes opened with a start, and he rose.

Walking along the bed of the river, he rose slowly from the river, the waters running from his form as he emerged, striding confidently, regally onto the shore. Moogers started to rise out the rocks near him, surrounding him and kneeling in submission.

"My time to rejoin the war is at hand." He told them, looking across the water as he saw Xandred's Junk floating in the distance. "I have observed protocol by sending a messenger. Now, I suppose it is time to announce my presence in person."

With that, he summoned up his power, rising off the ground slowly, and beginning to levitate over the river.

In the Shiba House, the Rangers were just finishing up with their morning training, and heading off to get washed and changed for their spare time. Stephen had long since gone to work, and now that she was finding more and more time on her own in the house, Serena had gone out to start looking for a part time job. She still wanted to fulfil her commitments to the chores of the house, and her promise to train Spike and Bulk, but she was finding that the rest of her time, when she wasn't studying, was starting to really drag in. Basically she'd find herself waiting around, bored out of her mind until the others came home.

Jayden came into the room, finding Antonio wearing only a towel after his shower. He was in the process of looking for something to wear. Jayden took a deep breath as he tried to bring up what he wanted to discuss.

"So, are you going to do some fishing?" Jayden asked. "It seems like a nice day for it."

"This again?" Antonio asked him with a little smirk. "Make up your mind will you. Once you used to complain I always smelled of fish and I was never away from the water."

"I know, I never said you had to be out there every day." Jayden told him, taking another deep breath. "Antonio, it's been almost a week."

"So?" Antonio asked with a shrug. "What's the point in having your own business if you can't decide to take a little holiday when you want?"

"The last time I checked, if you want to earn money, you kind of need to open for business at some time." Jayden reminded him.

"Look, I just don't feel like it today alright?" Antonio asked a little wearily. He knew that Jayden was only trying to help, but right now, he couldn't face the thought of going fishing.

"So when will you feel like it?" Jayden asked. "Tomorrow?"

"Why is this such a big deal to you?" Antonio snapped. "I thought you liked spending time with me!"

"Alright, ease up Antonio." Jayden said quietly, backing up with his hands held up defensively. The Gold Ranger was starting to become really defensive, something that Jayden was sure meant something was wrong. "I didn't mean..."

"You want me to go fishing? Fine!" Antonio barked, grabbing some clothes and heading back into the bathroom to change. "I'll go to the beach once I get dressed. Are you happy now?"

He slammed the door behind him as he went inside. Jayden just looked on, completely dejected. He had an idea that Antonio wasn't telling him everything. He hadn't ever seen him go so long without handling, cooking or eating fish. Most days he had at least one portion of fish, such was his obsession he had once joked that he either loved fish or hated them given how many he must have eaten and cooked in his life, but over the last few days, he couldn't remember seeing Antonio touch fish, not even on the morning where Mentor Ji had cooked kippers for breakfast. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out a drawer, starting to look out what he intended to wear that day.

"Jayden." Mentor Ji announced as he appeared in the doorway. Jayden saw him standing in his street clothing and smiled.

"Let me guess, Brenda." Jayden asked. He just nodded.

"I'm meeting her for lunch." Ji informed him. "I've got my Samuraizer on me if I'm needed."

"Have fun Ji." Jayden replied, wishing him well as he went. He looked back to the door as Antonio came out, having hastily dressed, and strode over to his cart, taking it in his hand and striding out of the house, slamming the door on his way. He just sighed. "At least one of us will have fun."

In the Apple store, Serena arrived, carrying a number of forms for jobs she had asked about, and a subway bag, containing some lunch for them both. She approached the Genius Bar, finding that he wasn't there. She smiled as she saw his supervisor. Clearly he was on his break.

"Hi Wendy." Serena said with a little smile. "Where is he?"

"He's in the back." She replied. While the store wasn't in the habit of letting members of the public just wander where they pleased, Serena had called on him so many times that they were used to her being around and just let it go. "He's working on something or other he brought from home."

"Thanks." Serena replied as she made her way into the back room. Moving past the shelves, housing parts, circuit boards, wires and some software packages, she found him at a table, working on a strange looking contraption. She laid down the Subway bag, rousing his attention.

"I thought you could do with some Teriyaki Chicken." She stated, leaning in and kissing him softly. He smiled as he unwrapped the sub, taking a huge bite. He looked to Serena as he gulped it down.

"How's the job hunt going?" He asked her. She just sighed.

"Great." She replied sarcastically. "If I want to spend all day flipping burgers or folding sweaters or...oh, there is one place that wants me to shovel mesquite."

"Wow." He replied, sucking his teeth.

"There's plenty in construction with all the monster attacks." She told him with a shrug. "I suppose it'd get me out in the fresh air, and I'd get a pretty good workout."

"I'm sure you'll find something." He assured her.

"I can't really afford to be choosy." She commented. "Mom and Dad only expected to pay an allowance for one of us; I can't expect them to keep paying my ticket out here."

"Well, whatever you do, I'm sure you'll do fine." He assured her, turning back to his project. He had a number of components around him. One of the things he was making use of in his job was the employee discount. He had access to far more equipment here than he did at home.

"So...what is this exactly?" She asked him.

"This?" He asked. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, before giving her that childish grin she always loved to see whenever he was excited. "I'm trying my hand at creating a new Zord for the team."

"A new Zord?" Serena asked him.

"When I was working on the Black Box, I saw so much, and I learned so much, it just gave me ideas!" He told her. "When this thing's up and running, it'll blow their minds!"

"Uh...Peter?" She said a little sceptically. "It's a lantern. You can pick them up in town for like twenty dollars."

"But..."

"And they have invented a little thing called flashlights." She told him. He just laughed.

"Well, can a flashlight form into a fully autonomous Megazord?" He asked her. "When this baby's done, Xandred won't know what hit him!"

"Well, you certainly sound confident." Serena replied. "So, have you thought of a name yet?"

"Well, the Symbol Power I've worked most closely with is Antonio's so I'm designing it with that in mind." He told her. "Say hello to the Light Zord!"

"The Light Zord?" She asked him. "Don't you think Antonio has enough toys?"

"Well..."

"Jayden, Mike and Kevin all have two Zords." She reminded him. "Emily and Mia only have one, and Ji...he doesn't have a Zord at all, the Metal Samurai's Zord was lost centuries ago. Antonio has the Claw Zord and the Octozord, and you want to give him a third? Not only that, but another Megazord?"

"Well, he can't use Super Samurai Mode." He reminded her. "His Barracuda Blade isn't compatible with the Black Box, so I felt kind of bad about it."

"Well, if you ever finish it, I'm sure it'll be brilliant." She assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just like you."

She kissed him softly, only for them to be interrupted as Wendy came in and cleared her throat to remind them of her presence.

"If it's not too much of an interruption, some of the others would like to go for lunch too." She stated. Stephen just sighed, putting the Lantern Zord into a carrier bag and handed it to Serena to take home for him to work on there.

"No rest of the wicked I guess." He commented.

"I guess not." Serena replied, putting her forms in the bag. "I have a lot of writing to do. I'll see you at home."

With one more soft kiss, she left, allowing Stephen to pick up his lunch and head back to the desk to continue his shift.

Over at the school, Mal nudged Spike to wake him up as he noticed him nodding off during geography. Spike just nodded gratefully and tried to focus on the subject at hand.

He was completely exhausted. He only had another couple of days until his next date with Melanie, and none of the neighbours had paid him yet. When he wasn't in school, studying or training with Serena and his uncle, he was looking around the neighbourhood for odd jobs. The word had spread, and the neighbours had been only too happy to find tasks for him to do, but it was exhausting. Mrs. Forsythe, the old lady down the street from him, had made him clean out her attic, something that had taken him a couple of hours, but had left him feeling like he'd received the kind of workout that would mean he wouldn't need a gym for years.

A couple of desks over though, Vicky couldn't help feeling badly. She knew that Spike was running himself ragged to get money for his date. Although his parents were wealthy, they never encouraged him to rely on that, and paid him no more in allowance than any other teenager, keeping most of the money in trust for him when he was older.

What hurt the most was knowing that his efforts were all in vain. She could still remember what she had heard Melanie say to her friends in the bathroom. She had no genuine interest in Spike, beyond the fact he was the current flavour of the month at the school, and the fact she had found out his parents had money. Since he had won the fight in the football field, and the video had hit YouTube, currently ranking somewhere in the reason of 270,000 hits, he had been somewhat of the school celebrity. Despite still being 'a dork', he was given a wide berth, and a lot of respect by the other kids.

She still couldn't find a way to tell him what had happened. He was busy working himself to the bone to afford the expensive dates Melanie seemed to want him to take her on. She wanted to tell him what she had heard, to tell him that it was all for nothing, and to expose Melanie as the two faced bitch she really was, but any time she approached him, she found herself unable to do it. She just couldn't do it to him. For one thing, he seemed completely besotted by her. She had no idea if he'd even believe her if she told him. Beyond that, it killed her to think of what it would do to him to hear that the girl who took him from z-list to a-list overnight only wanted him for his money...money that, as far as she knew, Melanie had no idea he didn't actually have access to.

As the bell mercifully rang, she gathered up her belongings, and Mal joined her. She noticed that Curtis, the new first-string quarterback, approached Spike.

"Hey Spike, what's up?" He asked. Spike just looked a little confused.

"Not much." He replied. "Why?"

"It's just; my parents are out of town this weekend." He told him. "My sister's taking care of the house, but she'll be too busy playing house with her boyfriend across town. I was going to have a pool party, and I wondered if you'd like to come."

"I'd love to." Spike started to say. "But I can't, on Friday..."

"The party's Saturday night!" Curtis piped up. "My place is a block over from yours. Come by around eight."

"That sounds great!" Mal chimed in as they arrived. Curtis' pool parties were something of a legend in the school. Everyone who was anyone went to them.

"Well...uh..."

"Yeah, we could all meet up there!" Spike suggested. "Vicky, do you think Jimmy...?"

"Wait, your kid brother?" Curtis asked her. "Isn't he a freshman?"

"Yeah, but he is kind of cool." Spike told him. Vicky had a little bit of a dark look on her face as he said this. Jimmy was Spike's friend, and he was referring to him as merely being 'kind of cool'? As much as she thought her brother could be a complete dufus at times, she really thought Spike was underselling his friendship. Curtis just looked around the group, and seemed to think about it for a moment, before smiling.

"Hey, if they're with you they're cool right?" He asked, slapping Spike on the shoulder hard enough to knock him off balance, and almost off his feet altogether. "There'll be plenty of beer. I'll see you all there!"

"Well, that's the weekend sorted." Spike commented with a little proud smirk on his face. If he was going to Curtis' party, then he was sure Melanie would take that over another date, and it would mean his money wouldn't have to stretch to two over the weekend.

As he left though, Mal saw that Vicky was watching him with a gloomy demeanour. He approached her slowly.

"So...not thrilled about the weekend?" He asked her. Vicky shook her head.

"No, it's fine." She told him. As she left, Mal just sighed.

"That was so convincing." He commented sarcastically as he followed his friends.

Mentor Ji arrived at Brenda's office building, carrying a couple of flowers he had cut from his garden. He knew she loved his garden, and he was eager to present something to her. It was a busy time for her. With the weather improving, people were eating out more, which meant more complaints about restaurants were coming into the health department. He accepted that it was part of her job, and he was able to take a lunch date with her as the rare opportunity it was.

As he arrived on her floor though, he could hear an incredible commotion. He looked to her office, where the door was open, and an irate man was standing screaming at her, waving a letter around frantically. He started to make his way over, heading into her office, to find Brenda standing behind her desk, leaning across it like a soldier at a besieged battlement.

"How dare you close my restaurant?" The man screamed at her, continuing to wave his arms around wildly. He was as tall as Ji, and also quite muscular. He had dark, olive skin, and long, black hair tied back in a pony tail. He was wearing an expensive red silk shirt and designer jeans, with a gold watch that was a grossly flamboyant display of wealth. "My family's been in business for thirty seven years!"

"Calm down Mr. Costaz." She warned him, maintaining her composure as much as she could. She hadn't seen Ji yet. "The letter explains..."

"The letter explains you're shutting me down on the busiest week of the year so far!" He screamed at her, slamming the letter down.

"If you'd just read it, you'd see we've done a thorough investigation." She told him. "It takes one code red infringement to warrant a closure, we found thirty six!"

"Alright, I see what this is." He spat angrily, pulling out his wallet. "My family's been in business long enough to know how this works."

He slid some money over to her, but she just slid it back.

"Some people work that way, but I don't." She told him. "Now, as the report says, it's only a temporary closure. We'll inspect the premises again in a fortnight. If I'm satisfied, I'll certify it ready to open."

"Do you want more?" He roared, reaching into his wallet. She just slammed her hands down.

"I'll ignore the fact you're trying to bribe me!" She told him with authority. "Do the work, clean up your act, and I'll re-open your restaurant."

"You..."

"Get out now or I'll call security!" She warned him, glaring at him seriously. "I have no reservations about having you charged."

"You haven't heard the last of this!" He hissed as he picked up his money and left, bumping shoulders with Ji on the way out. The Black Samurai just whistled as he shook his head, closing the door.

"You know how to make friends." He remarked.

"It's an occupational hazard." She groaned, shaking her head. Ji took her jacket from the coat hook on the door and offered it to her.

"If you don't want..."

"Trust me, after that, I could do with a break." She assured him, pulling on her jacket. "So, where are you taking me?"

"That's a bit of a redundant question isn't it?" He chuckled as they got to the elevator, stepping inside. "You know all the safe places to eat."

Over by the beach, Antonio sat on his folding chair on the beach, just as he had done dozens of times since he had arrived back in the city. This time though was different, uncharacteristically; he did not have a rod in his hand. All his rods were clipped to the side of the cart. As he watched the calming waves rolling in, he couldn't even think about what lay beneath the waves.

He had loved fish all his life. His father had been a fisherman, his grandfather too. Indeed, his family had been involved in the fish markets for so long, none of them were entirely sure how many generations of Garcias had been fishermen.

However, he was sure none of them had ever BEEN a fish. He could recall with vivid detail being trapped, helpless inside the body of the fish. That wasn't the worst part though, what was the worst was what happened as Emily and Mike ran out to face the Nighlock, inadvertently leaving him on the counter, and the door wide open. He could only watch helplessly as the neighbourhood stray cat came into the kitchen. He screamed for help as he saw it hop over furniture making its way to the counter. He only snapped back after it had sunk its teeth in for the first bite.

Since then, any time he thought about fish, he felt sick to his stomach. He could only think about the impending doom of knowing he was about to meet his end without being able to do anything about it. When he actually saw a fish in the freezer, he had practically had a heart attack, taking a considerable amount of time to recover. In the end, he had only one thought.

"I'm a fisherman who's afraid of fish." He muttered to himself. "How pathetic is that?"

He also hadn't morphed, something he was thankful for. Given his obsession, when he programmed his own Ranger mode, pretty much everything he had was fish themed. Even his sword was shaped like a Barracuda. He was ripped from his thoughts as his morpher sounded.

"Antonio." Jayden stated. "There's a Mooger attack in the city. The coordinates are in your morpher."

Antonio couldn't answer. He knew he was part of the team, he had fought so long to be a part of the team, and now he was, he was feeling completely helpless. Reasoning that it was only Moogers, he tried to steady his mind. Maybe he would be able to handle it.

"Antonio?" Jayden reiterated. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I got it." He replied, flipping it away. He knew how hard it was to drive himself to this battle, and he already knew it wouldn't be a big thing. Now, more than ever, he knew the choice he had to make.

"Time to go into battle." He sighed. "For the last time."