Nightmare Reign
A Power Ranger Story
By Sage Mode Sasuke
The year, 2012 Phai Zhua temple. The world seems to finally be at piece for once with no monsters attacking. No world ending, and no need for anything goes martial arts studio to lend us some warriors. But deep in the depths of the moon a flaming rage fueled by vengeance seeks retribution against the self proclaimed heroes of the earth. The Power Rangers of Earth. But to his chagrin-he has learned that the rangers he so desperately wanted to meet in battle again are now powerless and are without a doubt no longer worthy opponents.
"I need some new clothes. I live in a temple for 3 years now, and finally ready to strike out on my own without my little brother, and my boyfriend Theo," Lilly, Fury Yellow Ranger thought to herself as she folded her master attire.
As Lilly continued to pack for her journey, she heard an unexpected knock at her door. "Enter." Lilly answered. To her surprise it was one of her year 3 students Camille. "Yes Camille, what can I do for you?"
"I need help." Camille said so calmly that Lilly wasn't sure whether it was with a martial art move, or dealing with her stubborn boyfriend Jarrod, or something else entirely.
"Go on Camille."
"I would like to go with you on your quest to find yourself. I know that this is very sacred, and I would never want to intrude, but since I gave up the dark ways I feel as if I am under powered, and under qualified for loser of the year award. I need to find the strength to keep up with Jarrod or he will never 'fully' respect me."
Lilly sat down on her mat legs crossed and begins to meditate on what has been asked of her. After a few moments she says "If you want to go on this journey just to get away from Jarrod and to clear your head you can do so without coming with me. But if you would really like to become a true master then I will take you and train you with me for the next few months."
Camille Bowed deeply, and left the room. Lilly sits up slowly and wonders aloud "What have I just gotten myself into?"
Meanwhile in the sunny city of joy, Angel Grove, CA, a few friends meet up for the first time in many years. Kimberly Hart, Aisha Campbell, Katherine Hillard and Tanya Sloan at the old command center stomping grounds. "Oh my gosh. I can't believe it's been 13 years since I last visited Angel Grove" Kimberly said with sadness touching her voice. "I wasn't here when the others needed me. Powers were lost, and Zordon…" breaking into tears that never seem to heal.
Katherine walks over to Kimberly and slaps her "how dare you come back after all this time and think that you were so important. We all did our jobs, and we have lost loved ones. These monsters or demons or whatever the bloody heck you want to call them show up giant size and we have to kill the SOB, but not always able to save all the innocent people below. So who died and made you humanities savior?"
Tanya steps up in between them. "I don't know what has happened between you two but Katherine used to say that you were really close. We cannot fight amongst ourselves. What if the world has need of us again? How can we possibly fight evil if we are so busy fighting each other."
Aisha climbs up the rocks a little bit and calls out when she sees something amazing. "Kim. Girl, you and I have been friends for a long time, so trust me now and don't go off the deep end. I know you are off your meds, and finally out of rehab. Maybe this will give you a little hope." Aisha walks with the girls over to the area where the power chamber used to be and sees a set of golden boxes. They open once each girl is in front of them and their former respective weapons emerge. Then a flash of energy knocks the girls unconscious as an energy barrier is erected in a 360 degree destroying any chance of getting out. Katherine begins to awaken first with the biggest headache of her life. She tries to awaken the other girls, but cannot. She begins to panic then stops and opens her purse. She shakes her head as she pulls out an old gold trinket from her days as a ranger, and hopes against hope that her idea works. "I really hope this thing still has some power left. 'It's morphin' time' She throws her arms one at a time into the air crossing them then bringing them down and cross in front of her calling out "Zeo Ranger One Pink." As those words were spoken a spiral power in bright pink swirled around her, and seconds later, she stood once again as the Power Ranger Zeo: Pink Ranger.
A silhouette of Demetria appeared before Catherine.
"Hello Pink Ranger. Were this any other day in time, or any other ranger I would not have been able to contact you..."
"I don't understand." Katherine said as the she gazed up upon the being who had been her temporary mentor.
"I just recently found out that I am your grandmother. Your mother was a ranger of the planet KO-35. Seems you are not the only one who had ranger secrets in your past young one."
"You are lying." Katherine says as she takes a fighting pose. "If you had done your research correctly you would know that Dimitria in from Inquestria. Her people speak only in questions!
Katherine raises her Zeo Power Disc and prepares to attack this holographic generator she sees on the ground below 'Dimitria.'
To her surprise-a blue blur appears out of nowhere and grabs her arm, but gently.
"Whoa Kat. Calm down." The new comer had said gently. But the ever vigilant pink ranger would fall for no traps. She raised her weapon toward the blue clad 'ranger' and demanded.
"Who are you?" The turbo powers were destroyed. I may have moved out of the states, but I stay in contact with some of my old ranger friends.
"And I am disappointed I was not on that list. Power Down!"
As the blue clad warrior's suite disengaged Katherine saw a familiar young man that she did not quite recognize.
"Come on Kat... Really!?"
"Justin?" She asked cautiously..."Is that you?"
"Now we're getting somewhere." He smiled lightly at his old friend and former teammate.
"Prove to me your are real. Let me see your morpher."
Justin's shocked face slowly turned back to normal and he tossed her his morpher.
"Happy now?"
Katherine tossed turbo morpher up and brought down her Zeo Power Disc to slice it in half. But to her surprise the morpher was teleported to a location slightly to right. She saw another 'ally.' One she had not met personally, but new of from her chats with Cassie, her replacement turbo ranger.
"Storm Blaster." She said calmly as she returns her attention to 'Dimitria."
"You never met Storm Blaster, yet you calm down for him when you were about to destroy the last working turbo morpher and powers?" Justin asked annoyed.
"I wasn't actually going to destroy them. I was seeing what you would do. Evil will do whatever it can to try to fool us into complacency. Now that - the confirmation is over. It's good to see you Justin." Said as she was removing her helmet.
Despite Katherine being nearly twenty years older than when he met her she barely looked like she had aged. Maybe 27 or so when in reality she was closer to 40, but he was not going to say anything to that effect, as his last girlfriend was a few years older than him and he learned his lesson the hard way.
"Wow." Justin let out and barely contained the wolf whistle that was on the tip of his tongue.
Katherine noticed his eyes still filled with childlike wonder and even picked up on him checking her out a little. She felt herself blush a little, ignored it, and focused on what was at hand.
"This is Dimitria. I have been in contact with her since Andros had to kill Zordon. I have been cooridinating the activities of some of the newer rangers for years, and have been one of the tech guys behind the scenes. One team I never really got to do anything with was RPM as they were based in an alternate dimension, but even so-I did speak to their resident genius and she is smarter than me." Justin reluctantly admitted. "As for the asking questions to answer things drove the Eltarins crazy so she has been working to adjust her way of speaking while she lived there for the last 15 or so years. Last but not least. We have discovered that Divatox is Dimitria's long lost twin sister.
At the end of this Katherine nearly 'face faulted.' (lol). To Dimitria "I am sorry to hear that, and I am sorry for not trusting you."
"Okay. Justin- assuming everything I have just been told is correct and factual..., Dimitira is my grandmother which means I was adopted or some intergalactic craziness. The life rangers live, it would not surprise me at all. And as I don't really feel like going through the whos and hows in excruciating detail, lets skip to the next part shall we? What's wrong with my friends? Two. Why are we here and talking. Not that it's not good to see you both, but I have learned not to believe in coincidences since I first came to angel grove years earlier."
After a few seconds a slightly annoyed Demitria speaks.
"First. The Girls are fine. They will wake feeling refreshed and better than ever."
That seemed to pasify Katherine for the moment.
I am the twin sister of the one you once knew as Divatox. She was kidnapped before anyone could notice. Literally within minutes. Before you ask, she is reformed, and has been living here on Earth for the last 13 or so years watching over your parents in secret. I am your mother's mother. She knows of me. No memory erasure. I was married long ago to a man you knew very well. His name, Zordon. Remember he was once a human, but one from Eltar where magic was still very strongly used. You might have noticed that your mother still looks very young for her age. Maybe forty or so of your Earth years. But she is over three thousand years old. While some humans have this trait, she is very long living as I believe you to be as well young one. Well we had your mother, my daughter with the name of Zahkuri. Zahkuri was vibrant and full of life. She always had a smile and always loved to swim, and learn. Zahkuri knew that Zordon had rangers on Eltar and did not want to have a child of hers enlisted should she ever conceive. So she left, and eventually ended up on Erova forty two years ago. She fell in love and married Maviet. He was a strong man despite not being a ranger, or warrior. He sent them off during Dark Spector's invasion. He wanted to make sure his mother and sister made it off planet as well. What is now known as KO-35. They had just found out that you were going to be born moments before the attack and Maviet had managed to get you all onto a shuttle. Kahkuri reached out to me and asked me not to inform Zordon. She tried to protect you from the dangers of being a ranger.
"Lot of good that's done me." Kat deadpanned.
Dimitria continued.
"Once I had found out that Rita had kidnapped you I had raced to earth as fast as I could, but my ship was crippled and my body destroyed. I managed to enter into a regeneration tube, but it only allowed me to stay sentient. But my body was gone. Never to return. I was recovered by prince Dex of Edonoi. He brought me to Earth and helped me to heal for a few years and even managed to create the illusion of clothing. Once I was safe and I found that the spell was broken on you I had to make a decision. If I stayed on Earth your mother would begin to suspect things as she could sense my presence. So when it was time for Zordon and Alpha five to leave Alpha five whom I trust even more so than my husband informed me that he had created a seal to keep my presence hidden. I am surprised Zordon did not know you were his..."
"Zordon was no fool. If he knew he kept it close to the vest. Maybe he did it to protect me as I have had enough trauma in my life. Either way I don't like being overly protected. In case you all forgot, I was... Okay..." Looking at her suit for a moment. "I am a ranger."
"After we finish this discussion and I see my friends are alright-my mother and I are having a little talk. And don't give me that "Don't tell anyone crap either. Lose the protection of the power my tail. I had this power for all this time and I could have been helping the other new generations of rangers through the years."
Dimitria sighed, but knew Katherine was right. She then continued.
"We should continue this later. On to ranger business." Dimitria hoped her statement was not made in vain. To Katherine's credit she did not explode into another outburst such as she just did. "A new team of rangers is needed. Usually it would be a higher male to female ratio, but as Justin is only visiting for a few weeks, he will only be around occasionally as technical advisor." Dimitria stops and paces herself as she is frazzled at the notion of putting her granddaughter back into danger, and the thought of Kahkuri finding out sent a shiver up her incorporeal spine. "Most of the men rangers have been captured by a new enemy. Her name is Icarus. She was a part of Rita Repulsa that Zedd had separated from her as it made Rita almost as powerful as Dark Spector. Icarus was a kind soul who needed to be merged back with Rita when she was evil, but as Rita is no longer evil, the a darkness was created after Zordon's (her voice breaking a little) death at Andros' hands. Icarus's pure heart was once good, but is now evil. She was imprisoned on the moon by the mystic mother. That is the name and Title Rita goes by now. She is the embodiment of good magic right underneath the tribunal of magic. Well other rangers have faced off against some of her children, but they have all been defeated as the enemies are all Sirens. And as sirens can hypnotise men the male rangers stood no chance. The males powers have been stripped from them for safe keeping, and most of the women have entrusted their powers to me for now as we are in great need of a team of all female rangers to stop Icarus and her hoards of different varieties of Siren. From normal monsters, to mermaids, to actual angels if I am to understand correctly. Katherine. I want you to lead a team of rangers. I will give you a list of past rangers who have agreed to join the fight. I also have a second team of rangers who will be created from the same pool as you, but you will have first choice as you are the veteran ranger of the two. Will you join the fight one more time?" Dimitira asked
"As if there was even a question of if I would." An annoyed Katherine asks. Then she looked at Justin.
"And why aren't you affected?"
"Super genius. Remember?" As if that would explain everything, but a look from Katherine prompted more information.
"I have created ear buds for me, but they are extremely expensive to create, and the materials are hard to find even with Storm Blaster's help."
"Your new team is the Power Rangers: Pirate Reign!" Dimitria happily exclaimed. Then a little white teleportation appears in front of Katherine who is back on her guard before she sees an old friend, but not quite sure which old friend.
"Alpha?"
"Ayeyayayayay. Katherine. You're morphed!"
'Definitely Alpha 5,' Katherine smiled.
"If you all had started with Alpha 5 I would have been a little more willing to listen."
No one spoke.
"How many rangers will we have on my team. I know teams usually start out with 5, but there have been some teams that have had 3-9 or so.
"You have five morphers available to you. Choose wisely." Justin suggested.
The others started to rise one by one. Upon seeing Katherine morphed Kimberly-now fully back to her senses asks-
"What's going on? My head is clearer than it's been in years."
"Hi Ms. Kimberly. Don't know if you remember me." (He holds up his morpher and her eyes widen a bit).
"Looks like the others might need this explained as well." She looks at Kimberly and then says, "It's good to have the real you back Kim."
Hope you all enjoyed chapter. This was originally the beginning of a concept by myself along with PhinalPhantasy a few years back. As he decided to drop out of the project I decided to go ahead and do a story with it despite being a couple years later. lol. Review and Power Up!