Author's Note: Finally, the very last chapter of this story has been rewritten from concept! On top of that, I had worked to add a simple cover to the story, even though it could be better. Maybe one day. :) Thanks to everyone who stuck with me so far! I'm looking forward to any reviews, and I'll see you in the next story! About time it went onward. :)

Chapter 11 - White Light and Silver Lining

The Youth Center was ringing to the myriad of voices of its patrons, as it was normal for a Friday afternoon. The classes had finished for the day and students looked for ways to unwind, making the Youth Center an always popular location. The owner, Ernie, ambled between the bar and the recreation area every so often, keeping a watchful eye on those students who decided to spend their day using the gym equipment as opposed to sitting at one of the many tables that dotted the establishment.

One table, stuck in a corner out of the way, was covered with books and notebooks, and the owner of all of those sat hunched over one particular notebook, twirling the pencil in his hand almost absentmindedly. He adjusted his glasses with one deft motion, more out of habit than necessity, and returned to look at the mathematical formulas that lined line upon line of his notebook. He added a sign here and a number there, carefully going through the calculations laid down on the paper. Every often, he would take a glance at the book nearest to him, leafing through its pages to find a point of interest.

" Man, Billy, you should really take your head out of the books for one day. ", a voice quipped and Billy looked up with a startle, seeing a grinning Zack standing next to the table. The African-American had a towel hanging around his neck, and his face glistened with sweat.

" Greetings Zack. ", Billy grinned back, placing a bookmark into the textbook at his side. " You look positively…tired. "

Zack flicked a hand behind him, thumb extended to the exercise mats. Jason was there, furiously working out at a punching bag." Jase's a freaking monster lately. Just finished a series of sparring matches with him. ", he explained, inhaling a lungful of air. The sessions with Jason could exhaust even him.

Billy shook his head pensively. " I do not blame him. ", he remarked, remembering the last month of battles. " I was finishing schematics for the upgrades to the weapons systems. ", he said in a whisper. " I am planning to head out today and put them in practice. "

" You should really think about taking a small break. ", Zack sounded worried. " I mean, I know our last outing wasn't great, but you need to take some time to yourself. "

" At least I do not tend to stay in after hours. ", Billy grumbled back, watching as Jason sped up on his workout routine. The leader of the Rangers had been spending almost every free moment in the Command Center or training, and Billy suspected it was only the combined effort of Kimberly and Zordon that kept him from burning up. On the other hand, he could not blame Jason: in the last two months Zedd's attacks have grown fiercer, and the absence of the Green Ranger started to be felt. The Dragonzord saw less and less use as the monsters grew stronger.

" You heading out? ", Zack asked as he watched Billy close his notebook carefully and stack his books in the bag that laid at the feet of the table.

" I have to. ", Billy sighed. " Work is not going to finish itself alone. "

" Catch you later then. ", Zack offered a small smile, slapping the other teen's shoulder amiably. He watched Billy push his way through the establishment and straddled the seat where up until this moment Billy had sat. It was awhile since they could finish off a battle and not have to worry about future encounters being more vicious: lately they seemed to win their battles by the smallest margin, and all of them would spend long hours analyzing what went wrong, and where they could improve next. Zack was keenly aware that at this rate, they would sooner or later buckle under stress and make an otherwise avoidable mistake. He put his chin on his hand, mind whirling with ideas how to organize a good time for the group. They all need it.

His fists connected with the heavy bag repeatedly, the rough material starting to leave a mark on his knuckles. The contraption swung under the force generated by the punches, and he was forced to stand back to allow the bag to wind down before he'd start the next punching set. Then punches started to be interspersed with kicks, until the workout resembled one of the forms he'd usually practice alone. His muscles burned from exertion and he forced himself to keep going through the last rep, pushing through the pain.

Finally, once he started to struggle getting air into his lungs, Jason stopped his workout. He walked over to the bench where his towel and water bottle lay, catching only a glimpse of Billy heading for the door. Allowing himself just a moment to sit down, Jason pulled a long sip from the water bottle and watched the rest of his peers that filled the Youth Center. He felt a pang of bitterness seeing how carefree other teens were: when he didn't have to worry about school, he had to constantly worry about the next battle, maintaining an eternal state of readiness to meet Zedd's attempt at conquest heads on.

Deciding he needed to get away from such thoughts, he rose up and made his way to the locker and shower rooms. The warm water felt relaxing after the workout, and he allowed himself to idle for a minute or two more than necessary. Finally, dried and with his workout gear packed, he left the locker room.

" About time you finished torturing yourself. ", a female voice greeted him in the corridor, and Jason smiled as he saw Kimberly approach him. In two steps they were embracing, Jason planting a passionate kiss on Kimberly's lips. She leaned into him for a moment, deepening the kiss, but then they broke apart. The corridor of the Youth Center was no place to make out.

" Good to see you too, Kimmie. ", Jason replied by the way of greeting, replacing the duffel bag on his shoulder.

" You know, you can't expect you'll beat Zedd alone. ", she chided him gently. She had to watch him work himself out to exhaustion on and off the battlefield, and she did not like it.

" I know, I'm just… ", Jason rubbed the back of his neck. " … I'm just expecting the worst. "

" Heard anything from Kevin? ", she asked, concerned. The calls from the older teen had grown sparser as the time progressed, and Kim remembered the feeling that something irrevocably changed as every call came in. The last call had been over three weeks ago and was too short for their liking: Kevin had been more aloof than either of them remembered, and his answers terse.

" No. ", Jason shook his head. " I tried reaching Syrek yesterday. No dice. "

" I am sure we would've heard it if something happened. ", Kimberly tried to sound reassuring.

" I'm sure Zedd would gloat all over the place if Kevin turned evil again. ", Jason grumbled back. He hoped that it had not been the case, but he noticed the change in his brother's behavior over the last few calls, and he did not like them one bit. He hated not knowing what was going on, and the idea that the sorcerer had somehow gotten to his brother was one that kept him up at night.

" It won't come to that. ", Kimberly was adamant. She tugged at her boyfriend's arm. " Come on, let's go unwind some. "

Jason allowed himself to be led back into the crowded main room of the Youth Center, amused by Kimberly's boundless optimism. Perhaps that optimism was just what he needed right now to replace the almost permanent worry that kept ferreting in his mind. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

The ship shuddered faintly as it came out of subspace, leaving ion contrails behind itself as it glided through real space. The glare of the sun that warmed Earth felt like a warm welcome to Kevin, who sat in the pilot's chair with a steady hand on the controls. A short adjustment sent them hurling into a short distance subspace tunnel, with its end pinpointed to be on a tangent with Earth. In fifteen minutes time they exited just past the Moon, using the little satellite as cover while the ship's cloaking device engaged. Kevin was not worried that Zedd would see them: remembering the twisted plans the sorcerer had for him, he almost dared Zedd to make a move now.

A thump came from the direction of the ship's bunks, and Goldar appeared on the doorway to the cockpit, looking somewhat disheveled. He grunted inarticulately as he saw that they had reached their destination and ducked back towards the bunks. Kevin listened with a amusement to the sounds of armor being moved around, and after ten minutes Goldar re-entered the cockpit, this time clad in his full armor.

" Had a good nap? ", Kevin quipped, setting the ship to drift in space and rising from the pilot's chair, stretching as he did so.

" Somehow I wish it would have been longer. ", Goldar mumbled out, taking Kevin's place.

Kevin moved into the bunk room, pulling his traveling bag from underneath his bunk: the bag, packed for the semblance of traveling across his home planet, had never been really unpacked. The only thing that stood out once he unzipped it were the stacks of uniforms that were added to the top. He had not bothered with civilian clothes in three months. As he changed, donning back his civilian clothes felt wrong, as if they did not fit him anymore.

Finally pulling his T-shirt over his head, Kevin stepped back into the cockpit. " Well, we're almost there. ", he said, but Goldar thought he heard a trace of hesitation. He did not blame the Silver Guardian the least: they had been through much in the past four months.

" What's the plan then? ", Goldar finally asked, looking over the ship's screens with a careful eye.

With a flicker of his arm, Kevin called up a 3D map of the planet to float in front of both of them." We're landing in the ass middle of nowhere in Chicago. ", he said, and the map lit up with the landing zone. " Syrek's gonna meet me there. "

" We could simply go for Angel Grove and save ourselves the trouble. ", Goldar grumbled.

Kevin sighed. He wished they could do that. " Gotta keep up the charade for the sake of my folks. ", he said with a shrug. " I'm gonna take the Chicago flight to Angel Grove with Syrek. Pretend we did some grand tour around the globe, fake smiles and all. " He snorted in derision at the last thought. " You're heading back to the Command Center with the ship. "

Goldar just nodded in understanding and focused on setting the ship inbound to the landing zone. Kevin, for his part, returned his bunk to close his bag back up and then he laid on the bunk, awaiting land-fall. The events of the last four months made him forget how it felt to be a normal teenager, worried only about his school grades and making the cut for the college of his choice. He wondered for how long he could keep up the charade.

When the teleportation beam dissipated, Billy found himself staring unexpectedly at the darkened main chamber of the Command Center. The computers were in sleep mode, only an occasional light blinking that showed that the systems were, in fact, working. The holo-projections were turned off and the Viewing Globe held no image. What surprised Billy the most was the absence of both Zordon and Alpha, the time-warp containment sitting empty in one end of the chamber and the berth where Alpha usually recharged was off-line.

In worry, he went over to one of the consoles and awoke the systems with a few deft gestures. The initial diagnostics of the Command Center reported every system operating fine, and Billy breathed a sigh of relief: at least they were not under attack. The diagnostic uncovered something that did trouble him, however: the power drain on the Command Center's generators was massive, and it explained why everything but the most essential systems were dormant. Pulling up the schematics of the Command Center and tracing the power drain, Billy found a room he never knew existed.

He descended slowly into the bowels of the Command Center, taking down maintenance ducts that were not traversed probably since they were built. He had memorized the route he had to take and he slowly tapped in the dark, wishing he remembered to bring a light torch. His persistence, however, was rewarded by voices that echoed from the dark corners of the Command Center. The closer he came, the voices became clearer and Billy recognized Zordon and Alpha talking sporadically. Creeping up to the chamber into which the power was drained, Billy was surprised when from a small window into the chamber he saw a new Ranger suit laying on a table that was cross-crossed with circuitry. The suit was all shining white, with gold cuffs adorning its gloves, and the helmet shone in white and gold. Next to the suit, embedded onto a small circuit-laced pedestal, stood a new power coin.

Alpha was scurrying around the room to Zordon's instructions, working the systems present there to the backdrop of several heavy cylindrical capacitors that hummed with power. With a flip of the switch, the air filled with the smell of ozone and a loud thrum, all the while the circuits came to life with barely contained power from the Morphin Grid. Billy could not peel his eyes away from the amazing scene before him, watching a new Ranger be created from nothing. He managed to get his bearing only when the light faded away, and he backed off from the room and back into the corridors that brought him there. All thoughts of going to work on the Zords have been forgotten. He had to tell the others.

The Moon Palace was almost deathly quiet. Its vast corridors had nothing but stale air coursing through them ever since Zedd took residence. No Putties or monsters roamed its halls as Rita's former retinue was confined to the lower levels of the edifice. Squatt and Baboo had been unceremoniously thrown into the dungeons, while Finster was reluctantly allowed to remain in his workshop. The alchemist took the time alone to perfect the art of monster-making, making ever more elaborate sculpts in an effort that Zedd could see their usefulness. However, his efforts went ignored and the only one to grace the warlord's presence was Scorpina.

The golden-armored female humanoid was leaning in one corner of the throne room, idly passing a grinding stone across her crescent blade. Zedd sat on the throne in front of her, his chrome fingers absentmindedly beating a tattoo against one obsidian armrest, while the other hand gripped the staff tightly. He leaned his head against the cold back of the throne, his visor dimmed down. His senses went out to feel the magical energies all around him, and through them he felt the Morphin Grid shifting subtly. The shift was much more fainter than the massive upheaval that came a few days ago, and much closer.

Finally, Zedd's malevolent laugher broke the silence of the throne room as his visor burned brightly once again. " The Rangers have been struggling more than usual lately, don't you agree? ", he asked his general in glee.

Startled by the sudden question, Scorpina straightened up uneasily. " Yes, my liege. ", she finally answered, looking back at the last several battles. She had to admit that, while the battles have been a loss, the Rangers seemed to struggle more and more with Zedd's creations.

Zedd's fingertips scraped against the obsidian as he drew his hand across the throne and balled his hand in a fist. " That must gall the old coot so much. ", he remarked, rising from the throne and striding towards the balcony. " For the first time in ages I cannot feel his presence in the Grid. Something must have happened. " The thought caused Zedd to laugh in malevolent glee. " I might have lost my quarry in deep space, but the Rangers will just have to make up for it. "

In a fluid motion he rose from the throne and strode towards the balcony, his visor shining brightly. He directed his gaze to the city whose defenders gave him so much trouble and sought a particular point. Finally pinpointing the area he sought, Zedd hefted his staff aloft as energy started cracking along its length. In a brilliant arc of light, the energy arced outward and onto the planet below, the opening move of Zedd's newest plan.

The city celebrated their triumphs, and even thought every Ranger battle took an incredible toll, the citizens of Angel Grove have started taking pride in the fact that despite the wholesale destruction they were still there. It was in the recognition of that pride that the city had unveiled the Sentinel statue, a memorial to the hardiness of the city's folks and the city itself. Shaped like a clenched fist directed towards the heavens, the statue had been placed in one of the many green areas in the cemetery of the Angel's Rest together with a chiseled inscription that served as a memorial to those who had fallen to the alien attacks. People came to pay their respects almost daily, reminiscent of loved ones that were no longer with them.

So it was with particular glee that Zedd had targeted that memorial for his next scheme. Otherworldly lightning arced across the stone and then settled down as the sorcerer's magic went to work. Zedd was set to have a nasty surprise awaiting the city's inhabitants in the next twenty-four hours.

The group had gathered in Billy's living room, the main table strewn with drink and snack bags. They had agreed to kick back together for the evening, settling for a movie night to chase away the stress of the week and to usher in the summer break. So the group now lounged on the sofa and the chairs that ringed the living room chair, the five of them laughing at each other's quips. The movie they had chosen for tonight, Terminator, was still in its VHS box on the table as Billy fiddled around with the old VCR recorder of his father's. The TV, however, was on, and it was showing a documentary on the alien attacks in Angel Grove.

" You think they'll ever get tired of making those? ", Zack grumbled, pointing with a finger at the screen.

" Maybe by the time we grow old. ", Kimberly quipped back, sipping at her soda.

" Someone on the local TV must really be a glutton for punishment. ", Trini observed, watching the footage of an older monster attack playing out. " Who would ever want to watch this thing when they live through it every day? "

" I hear ya on that. ", Zack shot back. As the documentary picture turned to the victims of the attack, it reminded Zack of something. " Hey Kim, weren't you doing that charity fund-raising for the orphanage? "

Kimberly's shoulders slumped. " Don't get me started. ", she grumbled. " The school wants to host it in the gym, but nobody wants to volunteer. "

Trini's calm face darkened somewhat. " And the last attacks made volunteers all the more needed. ", she added, remembering the victim tally of the last two of Zedd's attacks.

Jason's shoulders slumped down at the comment. He remembered all too well how difficult the fights were. " Zedd keeps pushing hard at us. But we can't let that keep us down. ", he added after a pause.

Kimberly recognized the things left unsaid behind that statement and squeezed his hand gently: she knew Jason blamed himself for every needless casualty they had to bury. But it wasn't his burden alone. " Sometimes I have feeling like even with the new Zords, we could do better. ", she admitted, and watched Zack and Trini give a nod of agreement.

Billy adjusted his glasses with a deft movement and turned to the group. " What if we got a new Ranger? ", he asked abruptly.

His statement earned him startled looks: none of them even considered the idea of a new Ranger ever since Tommy gave his coin to Jason. The mere mention of the idea made the absence of the other teen felt keenly. They did their best to keep Tommy still included in everything that happened, but they could only do so much when the monster alarms sounded and they had to rush into yet another battle. Tommy wasn't with them today either, having opted instead to go visit his uncle's cabin.

" Man, can you imagine if we got a newcomer with us? ", Zack asked incredulously. The idea sounded ludicrous.

Jason leaned forward towards Billy. " Well, anything's possible. ", he remarked, watching Billy shift in place. " You think we might get a new Ranger? "

Billy finally rose up, having hooked up the VCR to the TV. " When I was in the Command Center today, I found it depowered. ", he finally explained. " Turns out, Zordon and Alpha have been making a new Ranger. "

" I wonder who Zordon has in mind… ", Trini commented pensively. As much as as any reinforcement would be welcome, the prospect of having a newcomer try to integrate with them even as Zedd tries harder and harder to destroy them did not sit well with Trini. One small mistake could see them all killed.

" Maybe it'll be Tommy. ", Kimberly offered with a smile. " Zordon can't have forgotten him. "

" I really hope it's Tommy as well. ", Jason agreed wholeheartedly. It was rough not having his best friend around anymore as the Green Ranger, but maybe that would change.

Billy drew up from where he had been sitting, satisfied with the VCR finally working. " It is of no use to speculate on this particular matter. ", he opined, grabbing the VHS cassette from the table. " I am certain that Zordon will share all information with us when he sees fit. "

Zack gave an amused smile to the group, watching his friends nod their agreement. " Billy's right. Let's kick back with that movie for now. ", he said, rising from the sofa. " Anyone want anything from the kitchen? "

A chorus of 'no's followed him as he vanished into the kitchen, and the group settled back down for the movie to start. They could worry about everything Ranger-related the next day.

The depth of space was devoid of any heat and of any sound, but in its void traveled an object that was microscopic when the vastness of space was taken into consideration. The object tumbled end over end, locked in an odd spiral by the planet Earth and its moon. Its bronzed surface caught the stray lights of the Sun and its encrusted, ancient red jewels shone on with no observer to appreciate their workmanship. However, today was the day that the trajectory that the object held for months now was broken. In an almost infinitesimal stroke of chance, its movement was perturbed by the passing of the ship overhead, and its wake rocked the bronzed object back towards Earth. As it started to do a steady tumble towards the planet, the inside of the object resonated with cackling laughter.

The smell of freshly made breakfast wormed itself into every room and gently teased a waking Kimberly out of sleep. Blinking her eyes slowly, her first disoriented thought was that something happened to her room curtains. They were entirely the wrong color. As she chased away the cobwebs of sleep, she was greeted by a room that was as much familiar to her as her own. She was laying in the bed of the Lee Scott guest room, snugged tightly under the light beige duvet. Her clothes were neatly folded on a chair that stood just opposite of the bed, and she swung her feet lithely over the bed.

As she half-stumbled into the guest bathroom, she smiled at the memory of last night. They had so much fun watching the action movie in between light jabs and teasing that it had seemed that for that moment, all of their cares had melted away. It was after the movie, when it was time to head on home, that her and Jason decided to take some times for themselves. Power Rangers or not, Jason was too much of a gentleman to let Kimberly go home by herself. Instead, they had stopped on the way by a late-night takeout place and had instead gone to his place to enjoy some private time.

Finally feeling refreshed and dressed, Kimberly made her way downstairs lightly, all the while smiling to herself. Even before they started dating, this place had been like a second home to her, and when her parents had been at their worst, it had temporarily become truly a second residence and a safe place. She took almost for granted that it will stay that way.

As she rounded the entryway into the living room area, she saw Jason sitting with his back turned on the sofa, absentmindedly chewing on a piece of toast, with the TV on. He heard her come in and half-turned towards her, and she took the opportunity to slide her arms around his neck affectionately and gave him a side kiss on the cheek.

" 'Morning Kim. ", he grinned back, the program he was watching temporarily forgotten. " Slept good? ", he asked as he rose up from the sofa.

" So good I almost stayed in bed some more. ", she replied back, following him into the dining area. " What about you? "

" After this last week, I was out like a light. ", Jason grinned, pouring tea into a mug. He would not care for it otherwise, but he had stocked up on Kimberly's favorite blend for the occasions she'd stay at his place. " Well, except the rude awakening at the ungodly hour of six. ", he smirked, finally offering the mug over to Kimberly.

" Figures you'd conveniently forget the alarm. ", Kimberly remarked, taking the offered mug and sipping at the hot beverage slowly. " What's with the TV? ", she extended a thumb behind her at the television, on which a morning talk show played.

" Catching up the news. ", Jason shrugged, grabbing some orange juice for himself from the fridge.

Kimberly put her mug down on the table and put her hands on her hips. " You can't let 'the job' go for twelve hours, can you? "

Jason's face reddened slightly. " It's just… Trini was right. Each attack is worse than the last. ", he finally explained. " Unless something changes, the news are going to be worse. "

Kimberly shook her head with a sigh. Of course her boyfriend would feel personally responsible for each and every casualty that the monster attacks took. They all held this burden, but Jason felt that ultimately the outcome rested on his decisions, and during this year and half that they've been Rangers, nobody could convince him otherwise. " So anything new? ", he finally asked, taking her mug back up.

" One thing stands out. ", Jason gave another shrug. " They reported this morning that the Sentinel statue has been vandalized. "

" And that's odd how? ", Kimberly mumbled as she took two pieces of toast and grabbed the butter from its place on the kitchen counter. The city always had its share of vandals. Bulk and Skull often came to mind.

" Unidentified green goo. ", Jason answered back, as if that explained everything. " They had forensics on the scene. "

" Might be worth checking in with Zordon then. ", Kimberly conceded the point.

" I'll let Billy know. ", Jason stated with a nod. He moved over to the living room table and with a deft move picked up the remote, shutting the TV off. " I guess we're going to visit the cemetery today. "

The morning saw both Goldar and Kevin square away their meager possessions inside the ship, although it wasn't so much of a necessity than just the fact that both were bored. They had been up far too early in the morning, and the training session burned itself out in the close confines of the ship with the rising of the sun on the horizon. The ass end of nowhere that Kevin had mentioned turned out to be the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, one of the few areas deemed safe to land their craft at without being disturbed. Even then, they were confined to the ship for as long as they stayed here: the ship's camouflage was constantly running along with subsonic emitters that would steer the wildlife away from them.

The proximity alert chirped shyly, startling both out of sullen silence. Goldar reached for counter-intruder controls while Kevin grabbed for the earplugs that balanced precariously on the edge of one of the ship's panels. The last thing he needed was the insistent buzz of the subsonic system that would drill into his skull when the frequency changed, and their first use of the system against a curious evening hunter resulted in a wicked headache. After he'd fitted the earplugs, he switched on the proximity cameras, and smiled.

Syrek looked like an experienced trekker in a windbreaker, thick hiking pants and combat boots, just idling around their general area. Knowing that this was it, Kevin tapped Goldar on the shoulder.

" Time to move. ", he said tersely and the Camian acknowledged, slowly waking the ship out of idleness.

" I'll meet you at the Command Center. ", he finally replied with a fanged grin. " At least you're finally getting out of this tin can. "

" And getting into a worse one. ", Kevin retorted lightly. He would've wanted nothing more than not to have to do the last leg of the trip to Angel Grove.

" Safe flight! ", Goldar's salute was a teasing jab, and Kevin couldn't help to chuckle. They definitely came far.

He descended the ship's ramp slowly and to a passing observer he would have appeared out of thin air, with his bag casually slung over the shoulder. But Syrek was expecting him, a smile gracing the man's face. Kevin all but snapped to attention and then gave a deep bow.

" Sensei. ", he spoke respectfully, as if things hadn't changed a bit since he last saw the man. He was still his student.

Syrek returned the bow without words, but then he closed the distance in two long steps and enveloped the returning teen in a long hug. " Welcome home. ", he said proudly. While the teen could still learn a lot in terms of fighting from him, he was no longer only his student. He was a peer.

Kevin was taken aback by the warm welcome, but his teacher's expression of relief told volumes. He returned the embrace and the two fell into lockstep as they moved towards the shelter of the forest.

" How was Camia? ", Syrek broke the silence as the delved deeper into the forest.

" Unusual. ", Kevin admitted. " They treated us far better than I'd ever deserve. "

" You made a bold choice, visiting there first. ", Syrek mused. " But you've learned your history… And I think you made the right choice. "

" They renewed their pledges. ", Kevin stated, watching Syrek reach for the communicator on his wrist.

" You'd think they would have learned by now. ", Syrek grumbled amiably.

" I intend to do right by them. ", Kevin shot back.

" I know you do. ", his teacher acknowledged at the same time as he thumbed the communicator stud, and the teleportation system sent them onto their next destination.

Within the hour they had cleared the security checkpoint at the O'Hare Airport and had taken their places at the boarding ramp for their flight to Angel Grove. The next four hours would see them in the air and well on their way back to the sunny California. As they spoke amiably about generalized topics, Kevin was wondering how it'll feel to be finally back home, and whether he'd fit in back into his old life.

The cheap chains that hung from the belt scraped muffled against the faded jeans as Bulk labored for breath, each step coming harder as he trudged up the rocky slope. The imitation biker get-up, while a novelty thing at school, was nowhere near as practical when taking a trip through the quarry and the surrounding areas. Nevertheless, both himself and Skull stuck faithfully to that image and now traversed the rocky environment while sweating profusely under the leather vests they wore. Neither of them had thought to bring at least a water bottle with them, and the peace of the quarry was marred by Bulk's constant grumbling.

" Are we there yet? ", Skull piped up, wiping his forehead with the already damp bandanna. They had decided to scour the more known Ranger battlefields for the weekend, trying to look for any clues into the Rangers' identities. They had barely started, and it already seemed like a bad idea.

" Shut up, you numb-nuts. ", Bulk groaned back.

As they finally came to a flat ridge along the rock quarry, Skull bent over, hands resting on his knees. " Remind me again why we're here. "

Bulk rolled his eyes in annoyance. " Because the Rangers keep battling around these parts. In the city we won't find shit, but over here we might find remnants from battles and a clue as to who the Rangers are.", he finally explained. " And once we expose the Rangers, fame will be ours. "

Skull squinted against the glare of the sun and looked down onto the quarry. Every battle left its mark, and the quarry floor had patches of rock crumbled all the way down to dust, and blast craters pockmarked the otherwise gray vista. " If you say so. ", he finally conceded.

Bulk glared at his best friend but said nothing. He was tired of being considered a failure, and saw this as his chance to shine. Finding clues can't be that hard, can it?

Looking around himself, Skull looked dismayed. As much as he'd love being acclaimed for once, he wished he was back in the Youth Center, teasing the other teens around and not stuck here in the hot sun. As he looked up, he noticed a speck in the sky, steadily growing by the second.

" Hey Bulk… ", he pulled at his friend's sleeve. " You seeing this? "

Bulk pivoted around and looked in the direction of Skull's outstretched arm. " Yeah… ", he started, squinting to see the dot in the sky better. As it grew ever bigger, his eyes widened in shock and he instinctively pulled Skull down as the object whizzed above their heads, accompanied by a sonic boom. Moments later as it slammed into the far end of the quarry, another boom echoed all around the two teens, who cowered down until it passed.

Bulk was the first to get up, looking frantically around himself, expecting that at any moment the impact will cause an avalanche around them. Skull was next to get on his knees first, looking frantically around himself. But when two boys say that no aftermath was coming, they started running clumsily towards the fallen object, tripping over the jutting rocks.

Then they finally came to the impact site, the sight left them with mouths agape: the object that so abruptly crashed from space was a cylinder less than a meter in height, at first sight all bronze and gold. Its metal seemed to cool quickly: deep red pockets of heat were retreating across its surface, leaving it unblemished. Bulk tentatively extended a hand to the jewel-encrusted cover, expecting to be burnt at any second, but the heat seemed to be sucked out from around the container. When his hand finally touched the container, it was almost freezing cold, and if it wasn't for the impact crater, one would think that this object had been here for ages.

" Holy crap. ", was the only comment that Skull could mutter.

Bulk's fingers scraped against the jewels embedded into the top cover, but they were unmoving. " Holy crap's right. ", he finally acknowledged.

" I wonder what's inside… ", Skull mumbled, joining his friend and wedging his fingers along the cover, trying in vain to lift it up.

" Whatever it's in there, it must be worth a fortune. ", Bulk mused, all his thoughts about finding clues about the Rangers forgotten. The container itself looked lavish, and he imagined all the treasures that could be locked inside.

" Well, we're not opening it here. ", Skull said, defeated. The cover had not budged. " But we could use my dad's workshop! ", he added, perking up at the thought.

" First sensible idea out of you today. ", Bulk grinned. Together with Skull, he painstakingly dug the container out of the hole that it made and the two half-pushed, half-rolled it out of the quarry. Once outside the desolate place, they finally decided to tentatively lift it, and so ambled slowly toward Skull's with their salvage rocking between them.

Billy shifted uneasily underneath the Rad Bug as the phone in the hall started ringing. For a moment he thought his father would get it in a minute, but then he forlornly remembered he was home alone, his dad on another business trip. He wedged himself from underneath the vehicle and scampered on his feet, discarding aside the tools he was using up to this point to make some improvement to its instruments, which had unfortunately meant a lot of disassembly. Wiping his hands in haste on a rag, Billy almost sprinted from the garage to the hall where the phone rang incessantly.

The aftermath of the phone call left him baffled. Jason had called him to meet with him and Kimberly at Angel's Rest, supposedly about an act of vandalism on the Sentinel statue. Shaking his head, Billy considered telling Jason that he should take it easy and stop jumping at shadows. On the other hand, when Jason mentioned forensics, it immediately piqued Billy's curiosity. The police force would not have sent anyone if they thought it was just every-day pranks.

So it was that Billy replaced his oil-stained work coveralls with some clean clothes and had caught a bus downtown to meet his friends. It took a mere fifteen minutes for him to finally descend at the station nearest Angel's Rest Cemetery, where he was greeted by his two friends. Billy took in how both Kimberly and Jason looked: with Jason almost protectively enveloping a hand around Kimberly's waist, the two looked more at ease than ever and Billy was happy for the pair. Their relationship had been the one small thing that came good out of their long tenure as Rangers.

Jason was the first to spot him, waving him over. " Hey Billy! ", the teen in red called out.

" Jason. ", Billy answered amiably as he took the friendly slap on his shoulder in stride. " Kimberly. "

" How are you doing? ", Kimberly asked, taking to one side of her friend as the three started to put some distance between themselves and the bus station.

" Tired, but I shall be fine. ", Billy answered, watching Kimberly's face contort in a disapproving frown.

" You do know you can ask us for help any time you need to work on one of your projects. ", Kimberly remarked, watching the teen in blue blush slightly " They have… multiplied recently. ", she added with a bit of tact.

" And if your boyfriend's right, there might be another one on the table. ", Billy was quick to tease. He watched as the residential area gave way to the tall bushes that comprised a veritable green wall that encircled the cemetery proper.

Jason grimaced. " I'd rather be safe than sorry. "

" Oh, I completely agree with you. ", Billy was quick to supply. " Given yesterday's turn of events, a little jumping at shadows won't be amiss. "

Jason shook his head in amusement, but kept his thoughts to himself as they finally passed the iron gates that led into the cemetery. He hoped that he was just jumping at shadows, but his gut feeling told him otherwise.

The walk around the cemetery had been a quiet one, and it saw all three teens sank deep in thought. They spent more than enough time here as Rangers, partaking in honoring those that lost their lives after every attack, and so were keenly familiar with the cemetery layout. As they passed by, they saw the cemetery workers go about their business, cleaning the area. It was a small favor that the most recent battle had no casualties.

When they finally reached the Sentinel statue, the trio noted with relief that the police was no longer there. The immediate area was cordoned, but nothing stopped people approaching to take a look at the film of green gunk that seemed to seep from in between the fingers of the stone fist. The area around the fist was quiet, with all the curious people having been chased away by the police earlier in the day. It left Billy free to duck under the cordon tape and carefully scoop some of the goop into a jar with a rubber glove. As much as the young scientist would have liked to examine the unknown substance on the field, it was not possible.

Leaving Jason and Kimberly to casually make their way out of the cemetery proper, Billy dashed for the central cemetery building and ducked into the public toilet there, triggering the teleportation stream once he knew he was alone and unseen. The interior of the toilet turned into a smudge of color as the teleportation system kicked in, and when it finally settled, Billy was back in the darkened main chamber of the Command Center.

Billy frowned when his eyes adjusted to the sparse light in the room. He surmised that Zordon and Alpha were still working on their new Ranger, and the notion left him uneasy. He pondered the fact as he carefully walked over to the laboratory: a newcomer in the group will require some getting used to. He tried to banish the thought as he entered the lab and hunched over the work table, going for a glass slate. Scrubbing the inside of the jar with a tiny sterilized scoopula. He then carefully placed the slate into the analyzer enclosure on the desk and set it to work.

With a sigh, he left the lab again and headed towards the portals that would take him to the Zord bays. The analyzer will take its time in completing the tests on the unknown substance, and Billy figured he might as well pass that time working on the Zord weapons.

The preliminary laboratory tests started setting off discrete alarms in the Command Center systems, and the alarms brought Alpha out of intense concentration deep in the bowels of the edifice. Zordon was startled as the data streamed in the projector nearest to his tube: the two had been intent on finalizing the last detail on the new Ranger powers when the data stream started. Neither of the two had been aware that anyone visited the Command Center since they started the work, and as Zordon read the test results, the more worried he became.

" IT APPEARS THAT WE MUST PROCEED WITH HASTE, ALPHA. ", Zordon instructed the little automaton, taking in the last of the data.

" Ay yi yi yi, Zordon. ", Alpha looked agitated. " Zedd is forcing our hand! "

" NO DOUBT HE KNOWS THAT I AM ABSENT FROM THE RANGERS' DAY TO DAY AND HAS THOUGHT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. ", Zordon said grimly. " A NEW ATTACK IS IMMINENT. LET US OUTFIT THE WHITE RANGER FOR DUTY. THERE IS NO MORE TIME. "

" As you say, Zordon. ", Alpha acknowledged, moving to the console near Zordon's tube. With a few deft strokes, he called up the teleportation systems. The White Ranger will be here soon.

The sound of the bo staff's swing cut through the silence of the forest as the weapon impacted against a tree. It retracted quickly and then returned for another strike, and then yet another. The strikes were measured, every strike point carefully picked out, and followed a carefully upheld cadence. Strike after strike, the wielder of the staff timed his exhales with the strikes while sweat slowly seeped into the bandanna on his forehead.

Finally satisfied with the workout, Tommy leaned against the bo, panting. He had been working out for most of the morning and enjoying the solitude of the forest around his uncle's cabin. He opted to spend a few days here in a calm environment, looking to get away a bit from the bustle of the city. More precisely, he looked to get away from the monster battles: every time the alarms would sound, he was anxious. He would worry about his friends who headed into battle time and time again, and recently there were a couple of battles which were closer than anyone would like.

Even though he had not been active for the last three months, Tommy still carried his communicator around his wrist, the green and silver bands now glistening in the sunshine. He now often did what Kevin used to do: he did his best to inconspicuously help the civilians out of the combat zones ahead of the monster alarms. But it didn't satisfy him. He wanted to be back in the thick of battle, alongside his best friends.

The soft chime that emanated from the communicator startled him out of his reverie, and it was the only warning he ever got before the world changed before his eyes as the teleportation streak took him away.

Zedd paced the length of the throne room, his staff scraping the ancient stone. He had been patiently waiting the last twenty-four hours for the magic seed he planted within the statue to grow fully, and it had been amusing to see humans scampering around the statue, curious about the slime that had oozed on the marble. Soon, they would have a nasty surprise coming for them. Zedd couldn't be more pleased.

The sorcerer finally turned to Scorpina, who had been patiently standing in silence to one side of the throne room, no doubt trying not to earn his ire. But he was in too good of a mood for that, and the orders he was about to give made it even better. Things were about to get real interesting.

" Time for you to go down to Earth and do what you do best. ", Zedd purred towards Scorpina, startling the scorpion woman out of her own reverie.

" Of course, my liege. ", she managed to stammer out at the abrupt command while Zedd extended his staff. Dark energy crackled along its length and coalesced into twenty Z-Putties, the golems blubbering incoherently. The next energy strike hit both the henchmen and Scorpina, sending them hurling towards Earth in a menacing flash. Satisfied with the act, Zedd turned his gaze towards the statue and focused all his energy on the seed that he had planted in there the day before. It was time.

The alarms pulsated with a menacing red lights and the shrill of the klaxons shook Billy out of reading the results of the tests that he called up on one of the consoles of the Zord bays. He had barely gotten any preliminary work done to augment the Zord weapon systems when the first results started coming in, and he couldn't contain his curiosity. Now, half an hour later minutes later, just as the final results started coming in, the alarms seemed to confirm what the tests showed: the green ooze was an otherworldly by-product of a process yet unknown. Well, not quite unknown, Billy mused as as he ran through the flickering corridors to the main chamber. The alarms heralded a monster attack, and if Billy had been prone to gambling, he'd bet that the newest threat had something to do with the statue.

He burst through the chamber doorway just to see the consoles coming to life and four other streaks of light materialized in the center, revealing four very frantic teens. Zordon's tube was next to burst to life, showing the familiar face of the old sage contorted in worry.

" RANGERS. ", the sage spoke as the Viewing Globe was next to turn on, showing the newest threat.

The Rangers watched in horror as the monster, a sleek humanoid with a red body glove and the head and shoulders comprised of the now-gone statue, swirled a lethal staff around herself. The air around the monster charged with electricity and lightning arced chaotically around, striking ground, gravestones and people alike. Watching this display of power, the Rangers didn't even notice Alpha scurry into the main chamber and take positions next to one of the consoles.

" Oh God… ", Trini covered her mouth as she watched a civilian get flung into one of the gravestones by a lightning strike. " What is that thing? "

" CLASSIFICATION CURRENTLY UNKNOWN. ", Zordon replied gravely. " HOWEVER, INITIAL SCANS INDICATE THAT THE MONSTER'S POWERS ARE BASED ON LIGHTNING. "

" Well, we can't wait any longer, can we? ", Zack growled. " Let's get in there! "

The rest of the group nodded and as one, they reached for their morphers. The morphing call resounded in the chamber loud and clear, and the following multi-colored flash sent the Rangers into battle once again.

When the Rangers arrived at Angel's Rest, they were greeted by the stark smell of ozone that couldn't be attenuated even by their helmet filters. The monster created a straightforward trail of destruction along the main concourse of the cemetery, and those people who were trapped in the cemetery cowered behind tombstones, praying silently that they wouldn't be noticed. The monster, however, wasn't so much interested in causing wide-spread destruction as much as it was in the arrival of the Rangers.

" Well, well. ", the monster seemed amused. " The Rangers finally come to face Nimrod, the Scarlet Sentinel. "

" Guess we finally know what to call it. ", Zack grumbled in the internal comms channel. " So Zedd decided to use am over-sized lightning rod this time? ", he called at the monster.

" That just might piss it off more, Zack. ", Trini admonished over the comms channel, shaking her head in disapproval while readying her daggers.

" All the better to have it follow us out of the populated area. ", Zack replied with a grin as he brought the Power Axe at the ready.

The Black Ranger's prediction came true: the monster charged after them in a flash, and the Rangers spread out. It was Billy who went toe-to-toe with Nimrod, his Power Staff deftly parrying the blows of the monster as they came for him. Kimberly and Zack pumped shot after shot into the monster, preventing it from focusing solely on the Blue Ranger. Trini and Jason broke into a sprint and leapt onto the monster's limbs. Nimrod found itself momentarily pinned, and in retaliation started building up lightning all around itself. In a flash of light monster and Rangers disappeared from the cemetery, just to appear again in the middle of the deserted quarry. No sooner than the teleportation ended, the lightning bubble exploded, flinging the Rangers aside.

" Well, that was worth it. ", Jason grumbled as he steadied the shivers that ran down his body. The Ranger suits absorbed most of the blast, but the aftermath was still keenly felt.

" You can say that again. ", it was Billy who spoke in answer as he rolled away from an impaling strike and brought his staff to bear again. His arms hurt: the monster's blows were savage.

" Ay, yi, yi! ", Alpha's voice suddenly echoed across the communication link. " We have another problem! "

" We could use some good news instead. ", Zack grumbled as he let loose another shot from his cannon. The monster took the blow but seemed to shrug it off, instead sending a stream of lightning his way. He vaulted sideways and felt heat as the strike passed near his leg. " What's up? "

" Scorpina and the Putties are attacking people in the park. ", Alpha answered, distress evident in the little automaton's voice.

" We'll be there as soon as we can. ", Jason answered tersely as he charged at Nimrod with a yell. His sword was parried by the monster's staff, but he was greeted by another energy charge. He summoned the Dragon Shield in haste just as the full brunt of the field hit him squarely in the chest, sending him flying. The Rangers gathered in a hurry around him, helping him up, but Jason was chagrined to see that the monster had barely taken any damage at all. This was going to be a tense fight.

The airplane bounced very slightly from the tarmac as it landed, the flaps deploying to halt its momentum. The speed decreased steadily until the plane was nothing more than an oversized ground vehicle, the pilot directing the craft to its final stop. Kevin watched as the buildings that comprised the Angel Grove airport slowly came into view along the runway. Only now did he allow himself to smile. For better or for worse, he was home, and he hadn't known how much he missed being here until he saw it.

Syrek sat next to him, hands fidgeting. They had spent the flight in idle chit-chat, neither touching the topics they really wanted to talk about as there were civilians around. Instead, they kept it vague and talked about all the places that they were supposed to be visiting, agreeing on the story that Kevin would ultimately tell his parents. To the teen's surprise, his mentor produced a series of photographs of both of them in front of various landmarks, smiling and carefree. The elaborate forgeries would cement the story of a trip that never happened.

It took them an mere half an hour to finally go through the airport, picking up their luggage on the way. There weren't many passengers, which left the duo to move unhindered across the open space of the main airport hall and towards the bus stations which would take them into the city and finally home. Leaning against the bus stop and enjoying the sun, it was in a calm state that the gut-wrenching sensation caught up to Kevin, sending his eyes wide open. He instantly recognized the sensation from months ago, but where before it was vague and elusive, now it was crystal clear, and visions of locations danced in his mind's eye, as if enticing him to reach for them.

Syrek stood ramrod straight as the sensation of danger enveloped him like an unwelcome guest. Even though he was a Guardian no more, the Grid still afforded him the courtesy of knowing when danger was near. And now, looking as his student grew pale even as specks of silver danced in his eyes, he knew danger was very near indeed.

He picked up their bags in haste and tapped Kevin on the shoulder, directing the teen back in the building. " Come on, move. ", he half-whispered in a hurry.

Kevin followed along almost blindly, trying to separate the visions in his mind's eye from the reality in front of him. " Crap, there's… ", he stammered, but was quickly shushed by his mentor.

" I know. ", Syrek answered. " I completely forgot about that. " He cursed at himself for forgetting about that little detail: the sense of danger every Guardian gets spans the galaxy and it is debilitating when unchecked. He would have to give the teen a quick rundown on how to go about managing that particular power.

" We landed just as a fucking attack started. ", Kevin breathed out as they rounded into an empty corridor. " Two points and… "

" Go. ", Syrek broke the teen's train of thought. When Kevin looked at him in surprise, he gave him a stern look. " Well you aren't here for show, and if there's more than one front, then your help is needed. That's why you felt it as hard. Go. "

Kevin didn't need telling twice. He focused on the more vivid of the two landscapes that seemed to dance just at the edge of his vision, and let new-found instincts take over. He didn't get to think whether this was how Jason felt when he first got his coin as he took a tentative step forward and vanished in a silver distortion.

Zack landed onto the rocks that comprised the quarry ground with a painful thud. He scrambled upward as another lightning strike arced his way, and he had barely cleared the area where moments later the lethal energy struck the ground. His ears vibrated from the blast noise, despite the efforts of the systems in his helmet to shield him from the worst of it. The visor streamed combat information and the targeting reticle that synchronized to his cannon was erratic, but then he couldn't help it. He rolled forward as another stray bolt passed him back, hands grabbing for his weapon.

The HUD in the visor showed his teammates in no better state than he was. Battered and bruised, they had all spread up as Nimrod's relentless assault carried on. Zack saw Kimberly take a knee as she aimed another arrow at the monster, concentration visible in every muscle. The energy arrow flew and scored a deep gouge in the monster's side, but it didn't seem to have done any difference. Billy and Jason had in vain tried to lock weapons with the monster's staff, but the almost endless stream of lightning that enveloped the monster proved a problem. Just when Zack thought things couldn't get worse, a bolt from the sky struck the monster and as the smoke cleared, the Rangers found themselves against a giant.

" Well, everyone…Time to bring out the big guns. ", Jason grumbled as he looked to the sky, hoping they don't get charred beyond recognition. " Thunderzord power! "

His cue was followed by his teammates, and the Zord calls echoed in the quarry at the same time as the ground rumbled around them. The Unicorn and the Griffin Thunderzords flanked the Lion on each side as the trio of the Zords advanced on, the frame complete by the Firebird flying high above them in formation. The sky darkened as the Red Dragon descended to the peal of thunder piecing the air. The five rushed quickly to form the Thunder Megazord, and the mighty machine soon strode across the battlefield, bringing its saber to bear against Nimrod.

The monster gave out a cackling laugh as the air around it distorted and its form grew blurry. The blur spread out, and soon out of it emerged two identical figures, each armed with a staff. The Thunder Megazord reached for the nearest one with its saber, but by the time the blow landed, the monster was gone, slipping fluidly aside. The other two, however took advantage of the Megazord's stumble and staff blows rained onto its pauldrons. As the Megazord turned around, the trio of monsters formed a triangle, and lightning interconnected the three staves. As one, the monsters slammed down their staves and three beams of light erupted towards the Megazord. In a resonating explosion, the machine was gone.

The Rangers landed awkwardly in the middle of the Command Center, the emergency teleportation brooking no preparation. The teens barely stood up on shaking legs as the Viewing Globe showed the Zords docking back into their gantries, badly damaged. Billy discarded his helmet in haste as he moved to the consoles, initiating the repair modules. One by one, the other teens took off their helmets, looking at each other in worry. This was their toughest battle yet, and if they couldn't find the monster's weakness soon, it would turn very bad indeed.

" So what do we do now? ", Trini voiced the question that was on everyone's mind. She rubbed her eyes gently, trying to chase away the headache that made itself felt from too many knocks.

" We fight smart and we get out there again. ", Jason growled back, massaging his temples. " Billy, will it take long to find a weakness to that thing? "

" It might take a bit longer than usual. ", Billy admitted, letting out a sigh. " The analysis is running right now. "

" RANGERS. ", Zordon intervened, watching his team look at each other wearily. " IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE THE GREEN RANGER POWERS WERE RENDERED RELIANT ON THE RED POWER. IT IS TIME WE BROUGHT IN REINFORCEMENTS. "

" A new Ranger? ", Zack asked darkly. He did not feel particularly cheerful or welcoming, not with the monster rampaging across the city.

If Zordon was surprised, he did not show it. " INDEED. BEHOLD RANGERS…. THE WHITE RANGER. "

A flash of light filled the chamber and a figure emerged from it. Clad in white and gold, a triangular shield adorned the chest in the center of which a stylized tiger emblem shone brightly. At a nod from Zordon, the figure reached for the helmet seals and the helmet gave way with a hiss. Jason eyes widened, while Kimberly almost buckled next to him, and he had to steady his girlfriend carefully. Trino covered her mouth in shock, while Zack answered with a wide grin. Only Billy seemed non-plussed, offering only a small smile as he turned around from his work. Holding the tiger-faced helmet in the gold-cuffed gloves, Tommy stood in front of them beaming.

The room erupted in a cheerful clamor. Jason was the first to clasp arms with his best friend, and then pulled him into the group. " That's one Hell of a surprise! "

" You can say that twice. ", Zack was next, giving Tommy a slap on the shoulder.

" RANGERS. ", Zordon called the attention of his team. It was good to see them in such high spirits again. " WHILE THE GREEN RANGER POWERS WERE INFLUENCED BY EVIL, THE WHITE RANGER POWERS ARE CREATED FROM THE PURITY OF THE GRID, AND AS SUCH EVIL WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEM. " Hearing Zordon's words brought a sense of relief to the Rangers: Tommy had gone through enough with the loss of the Green Powers. However, the sage's next words were unexpected. " TOMMY, AS YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF AS A COURAGEOUS AND VALIANT FIGHTER, YOU WILL BE THE NEW LEADER OF THE POWER RANGER TEAM. "

The silence that followed the statement was deafening, and Tommy was just as shocked into silence as any of the rest of the team. The teen in white glanced at Jason uncertainly. " Zordon. ", he finally spoke. " Jason has lead this team through so much. I can't just… "

" TRUST ME THAT THIS IS FOR A GOOD REASON. ", Zordon said gravely. " JASON, PLEASE ENSURE TO OFFER YOUR SUPPORT TO TOMMY IN THIS TRANSITION. "

" Of course. ", Jason's reply sounded hollow and nobody noted his he clenched and unclenched his fist instinctively. This was a shock he did not need, not after everything he'd given up to rise to the occasion and lead this team. Not with all the burden on his shoulders already. But he forced his face to be impassive while the others were clearly shocked, forcing himself to think of the battle ahead.

" WITH THE WHITE POWERS, THERE IS ONE OTHER THING THAT NOW BELONGS TO YOU. ", Zordon said with approval. In a flash of light, a saber floated in mid-air, the blade pointing down to present the tiger-faced pommel. " THIS IS SABA. HE WILL BE YOUR COMPANION AND YOUR LINK TO THE ZORD THAT NOW BELONGS TO YOU: THE TIGERZORD. ", The Viewing Globe changed to present the view of the majestic white Zord, roaring defiantly.

" Well, what are we waiting for? ", the saber's head suddenly spoke with a smirk, surprising everyone. Saba did not sound impressed with its new owner. " We have a city to save! "

The Rangers had to push all of the day's surprises out of their mind at the saber's quip, remembering that there was still a threat at large. There was work to be done.

Scorpina and her troop of Putties materialized in the middle of the business district, amongst the screams of the humans that were at the moment outside of their edifices of steel and glass. She looked warily at the structures, feeling uneasy in what felt like a clustered space. There could be many ways to execute an ambush in such an environment. However, nothing of such nature happened, and with a flourish of her crescent sword she sent a wide energy arc towards her first victims, cowering behind one of those metal vehicles humans used for transport.

The Putties scattered chaotically around her, and she smiled. The Rangers were busy, and this would be a good show of force as any.

" Show them what happens when Zedd's demands are not obeyed! ", she shouted, and the Z-Putties lunged after the nearest people. People in turn fled into the buildings, barricading the doors with whatever they could find in the face of the golems' onslaught.

" Maybe you should make sure Zedd has anything to demand. ", a voice came from behind Scorpina, and she whirled around, furious about the impertinence. She was about to fire off an angry retort when the sight in front of her stopped her in her tracks. An armored figure barred her way, the silver armor plates gleaming over the black full body armor. She noticed the gauntlets and greaves wrought in the semblance of claws, and a snarling dragon's head framed the opaque helmet visor. Her eyes finally came to rest on the weapon in the figure's right hand, and she gulped.

" Zedd has been looking for you. ", she finally replied cautiously, crescent sword at the ready and tail flickering. The Ranger in front of her extended his own sword in turn.

" Well, here I am. ", the reply was cold, but the Ranger did not move a muscle. She watched Z-Putties rush one by one towards the new combatant, but every charge was stopped in its tracks by a vicious blast from the sword.

When Scorpina finally lunged forward, in Kevin's eyes it looked like time slowed down. He had stepped into the street fully morphed, with the Morphin Grid almost singing in his veins and filling him with confidence. He side-stepped and let her sword pass him by, then riposted with a strike of his own, aiming towards Scorpina's back. She turned her strike into a somersault, and she was nowhere near where the blade fell. She advanced in a flurry of strikes, but she grew increasingly frustrated as her strikes were parried while the Ranger kept out of the tail's reach. Kevin filched momentarily as she reached with her claws extended towards his helmet in frustration, but he turned it around, letting her arm pass over his shoulder. He rammed her and turned, grabbing her extended arm and swept outward for a seamless throw.

She tumbled awkwardly on the concrete but rose up deftly, her blade once again at the ready. " We seem to be at a stalemate. ", she conceded, licking her lips. This was so much more enjoyable than their first battle.

" Or are we? ", Kevin replied back, his sword shimmering with energy. It was his turn to press the assault, sword strikes alternating with kicks as he fluidly switched stances. Scorpina could not believe her eyes as the opponent's blade passed by her face, scoring a deep wound that sent her reeling. There was only so much she can do keeping the sudden onslaught at bay until she found herself on her back, the sword blade embedding itself into her arm. She barred her fangs, willing herself not to scream. She would not give her opponent the satisfaction.

" Such aggressiveness. ", she coaxed. " Are you sure you're on the right side? "

" Are you really expecting any mercy after all you've done? ", the Ranger in front of her countered darkly and drew the blade up. Even as Scorpina scrambled with her hand to find her sword again, she was spirited away in a flash of black.

Kevin sighed in relief as the hyper-awareness seemed to loosen around him. He never imagined such a rush in combat, and he finally understood why the martial training: the Ranger powers could make even someone who never practiced formidable. The more he'd train, the more amplified his skills would become. As he looked around himself, watching the people emerge warily from their makeshift shelters, he couldn't help but smile. This was his new role, and it felt good.

As he watched people tentatively try and approach him, unsure what to make of him yet, he noticed a shadow clouding the skyline. Barely visible in between the skyscrapers, Zedd's newest monster was advancing towards the city. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes, searching for any connection to his Zord. He figured he'd be assigned one. The roar that answered back in his head was deafening.

The Thunderzords set off again with a thunderous roar, this time accompanied by the newest addition to the team. The ground shook as the Tigerzord leapt into battle, with Tommy in its cockpit, and right behind it trailed the other three ground-based Thunderzords, accompanied by the Red Dragon and the Firebird overhead. Seeing Nimrod with its two doppelgangers ahead, Tommy looked around himself. There was something missing. It quickly dawned on him what it was: the link between the Rangers was quiet, and nobody spoke. Tommy was expecting battle cries and orders, but they were waiting on him now.

" Jason. ", he called out in haste. " The battle's yours. "

" Got it. ", Jason answered, and Tommy thought he heard a touch of coldness in his best friend's voice. It was soon replaced by determination as Jason's next quip came through. " Let's give it a joust. "

Tommy wondered only momentarily what Jason meant by that, until the Red Dragon hastily transformed into its warrior mode and landed on the Tigerzord's back, its staff extended like a knight's lance. Smiling at Jason's idea, Tommy pushed the Tigerzord into a full sprint, and they galloped straight at one of the monsters. The staff satisfying connected with the closest of the three monsters, scouring a deep gouge across its plate. The sprint over, the Red Dragon used the momentum to vault off the Tigerzord as the rest of the Zords caught up.

" Your turn to see what your Zord can do. ", Jason said with a smile as he locked staves with one of the monsters.

Tommy looked in the cockpit, waiting for the familiar flash of instinct that would reveal his Zord's capabilities. Instead, it was Saba who spoke from its resting place in the center of the panel. " Warrior mode and Megazord modes are available for you to use. Let's give those things Hell. "

Tommy nodded and then called to the group. " Let's group up everyone! "

The four other Zords clustered around the Tigerzord as the latter initiated its own transformation. Back legs stood upright and the front claws turned inward, revealing fists. The Tiger's torso rotated, presenting the head as a chest piece and the head emerged from the part now exposed. Shortly after, the Megazord transformation started, with the Griffin and the Unicorn serving as boots to the Tigerzord. The Lion separated, forming the reinforcement and the pauldrons, while the Firebird attached to the right arm, forming a formidable claw.

As each of the Rangers appeared in the unified cockpit along Tommy, it was Saba that proudly spoke. " Mega Tigerzord sequence completed. "

Zack looked around the new cockpit, grinning. " Let's kick some ass then. "

" You took the words right out of my mouth. ", Tommy laughed as the new Megazord surged forward, swiping fast at one of the monsters. " Hey Jase, you doing alright? ", Tommy asked, seeing the Red Dragon move out of the way of another potentially lethal strike.

" Yeah. ", Jason panted over the communication link. He felt his Zord's exertion as if it were his own, and grew wary as he saw his opponent charge a lightning strike. " We're still two against three. "

" We can do this. ", Trini spoke calmly as she helped balance the Megazord against one of the blows of the third monster left unchecked. The Megazord swept the claw onward, and as the monster parried it, the tiger's chest piece lit up, spewing forth a lightning ball of pure energy. The impact connected and it laid the monster low, but not gone. But it showed the Ranger that they had a chance.

The battle was getting heated when a shadow crossed the sky. Jason was the most nimble as he turned around after it in worry, just to watch as a beam flew past him and hit his opponent squarely in its chest. The source of the attack was even more remarkable: a silver and black mechanical western dragon as long as his own Zord, but bigger, spread its wings wide behind him, casting a formidable shadow on all combatants. It dropped behind the Rangers with a crash, and then straightened out. The thicker back legs straightened out and elongated, with additional plating falling into place, while the tail retracted onto the back and plating spread. The front legs straightened out, with the claws retracting onto the knuckles to give way to hands. The neck retracted inward and behind as the head came to rest on the shoulders, and the jaws opened to reveal a face with its lower part angular, plated and featureless. Finally the war machine reached forward and, where it gripped air, a sword appeared in its hand.

" What the Hell? ", Zack was the first to voice what's on everyone's mind. " Zordon didn't say anything about another Ranger. "

" Maybe he couldn't. ", Tommy shot back, trying to get a targeting solution on both the monsters and the new machine.

" Zedd can't have gotten his hands on a Ranger, could he? ", Kimberly asked, and her thoughts immediately shot towards Jason and his fear.

Billy was trying to open a communication channel to the new arrival, but he was growing more frustrated as it kept failing. " We might not know. I cannot get an answer. "

" We're in a bad spot if it's hostile. ", Jason finally contributed to the conversation from his own Zord. He turned around to face the new arrival, but he had a sinking feeling there would not be much he could do.

The dilemma was taken out of their hands when the monsters decided to combine their lightning power again and take the opportunity to strike at the wary Rangers. The lightning interconnected the three staves and built up in intensity as the Rangers watched, suddenly paralyzed. Jason was about to lunge forward towards Nimrod himself to parry the blast when he was beaten by the new war machine, it propelling itself forward with both its wings and additional jet thrusters. The mechanical warrior had barely time to angle his sword downward and cross his arms in front of his chest when the blast hit, but it held on impact. A shimmering shield projected from the mechanical gauntlets, offering much needed protection.

Both the Red Dragon and the Mega Tigerzord took the opportunity to strike forward, each of them taking on one of Nimrod's derivatives. The monsters, locked in the process of channeling its own attack, could not defend themselves, and the two Zords made quick work of them. Buoyed by this victory, Tommy turned the Mega Tigerzord towards the original. The claw on its right wrist charged with energy and, coupled with the blast from the chest piece, delivered a fatal blow to Nimrod. As the explosion settled, the two machines turned to the newcomer, but they could just watch as it reconfigured itself back to its original form and took flight. In a matter of minutes, it was gone.

Just as the team tried to make sense of what had just happened, the channel opened and Alpha's voice came across loud and clear. " Rangers, we have another problem… "

The workshop was cluttered with all sorts of tools, strewn around with no rhyme or reason. Skull's father was an amateur car restaurateur, and the spacious garage coupled by the mess of tools was testament of that. Some of the patches of the floor were slick with oil, and Bulk almost slipped as he and Skull carried their prize inside. Skull cursed under his breath as the container almost slipped his fingers yet again and almost landed on his foot, and this treasure haul idea seemed worse by the minute.

They finally dropped the container in the empty garage, and Skull went to rummage for something that would pry open the jewel-encrusted cover. Finally settling for two crowbars, the boys got to work. They wedged the crowbars and then pushed and pulled, in vain trying to pry open the container. After half an hour of incessant pulling, the two boys were sweaty and exhausted, but the container had not budged. Just when Skull started to think that maybe opening this thing was not worth the frustration, Bulk threw himself onto his crowbar again with all his weight, and this time the cover slightly unhinged with a pop and a hiss. As soon as it did, smoke started spewing from the opening, and laughter could be heard from the inside.

Skull rushed to open a window of the garage, but he found the latches mysteriously locked. The garage door was the same, and the room was quickly filling with smoke. The boys' vision started to cloud from the lack of oxygen and they passed out on the floor, blissfully unaware of the figure that emerged from the container. Rita Repulsa drew herself carefully out of her imprisonment, her robe rustling on the floor as she stretched.

" Well, well, well… ", she mused, reaching into the container for her staff. " Zedd will pay for this. ", she grumbled.

The room was filled with light all around her and the Rangers emerged, weapons at the ready. Before Rita could summon the mystical energies at her command, Trini slid her arm forward, presenting the blade of her Power Dagger under the sorceress' throat.

" You're going back in there. ", Tommy advanced on her, Saba extended in front of him.

Seeing no way out, Rita frowned in displeasure. " You win, Rangers. This time. ", she acknowledged, stepping carefully back into the container from which she came. The magical energy of the artifact took hold and shrunk her once again as the Rangers replaced the cover, which immediately sealed.

" First Zedd, then Rita. ", Zack commented with a frown. " Everyone's lining up today. "

" Don't jinx it. ", Jason countered as he motioned the rest to come stand around the container. " Alpha, now! "

His command was acknowledged back in the Command Center, where the little robot locked the container with the teleportation systems. With a few keystrokes, the container was gone, sent back into space to be set adrift once again. Seeing the area clear, Billy walked over to one of the windows, making sure he sidestepped the two unconscious boys, and now carefully let a gust of fresh air into the garage. By the time the smoke cleared and Skull came to, the Rangers were gone.

As the incredible rush subsided, he picked out the first familiar and safe place as if in a daze. The ship's interior opened in his mind's eye and he willed himself through, going from the cockpit to the ship in an instant, and he collapsed on the deck without a word when his legs gave out. The familiar face of his friend hovered over him in worry, speaking words he couldn't hear over the buzzing in his ears. Shaking, he willed the armor gone, and stayed laying down, eyes refocusing.

" Are you okay? ", Goldar stood over him in worry. Kevin's appearance had surprised him.

" I'm getting there. ", Kevin replied with a grin as he steadied the shakes.

Goldar had watched the battle from the cloaked ship, settled as it was in the middle of the desert, and could not help but sport a wide grin himself. " That was fucking amazing! ", the Camian roared in glee.

" Yeah, it was. ", Kevin nodded. " Fucking amazing. "

" So how is it? ", Goldar was curious. This was the first time the legendary Zord appeared in over ten thousand years.

" It's nothing like my brother's Zord. ", Kevin started, trying to frame the experience into words. " I was there, in a cockpit, hooked up, but at the same time… I was the machine itself. The damn thing pulls you in. There were standard controls there, but they were not needed. Whatever I thought, it'd do. I could move it like I do my own body. "

" No wonder you look shaken. ", Goldar shook his head as Kevin finally took the offered hand and got up.

" Man, I feel like my nerves are on fire. ", Kevin took a few steps and then slumped in the pilot's chair. " And that new Megazord…Kept hailing me and I hadn't the foggiest how to respond. Maybe I should have just thought to reach out… "

" Time for that social call? ", Goldar replied with a tease.

" Oh Hell yes. ", the answer came back enthusiastic.

Zordon watched the battle wide-eyed, and barely acknowledged Syrek teleporting in with two bags in his hands. The former Red Guardian dropped the bags behind the consoles out of sight and looked at the Viewing Globe, a proud smile forming on his face. They said nothing to one another, but they did not need to. Zordon was at the same time surprised and relieved Syrek's gamble worked, and the machine displayed in his view brought along both pleasant and bitter memories. Minutes after the monster exploded, the chamber was filled with multicolored light that revealed the Ranger team deep in discussion. Zordon did not need to guess the reason for their agitation, but at least he could allay some concerns. He looked sideways at Syrek and then made a coughing sound.

" I AM SURE YOU HAVE CONCERNS. ", Zordon started as every eye came to rest on him. " I KNOW I DID FOR A TIME.", he gave another subtle nod towards Syrek.

" You can say that again. ", Tommy crossed his arms across the chest. It was just now that the Rangers noticed the former Red Guardian standing with them, and Jason's jaw tightened: they saw the man scarcely over the last three months.

" THEN LET ME PUT YOUR FEARS AT REST. ", Zordon said with a smile. " IT WAS OVER TEN THOUSAND YEARS SINCE I LAST SAW THAT ZORD ACTIVE. IT BELONGS TO THE SILVER GUARDIAN. "

Jason was the first to straighten himself up. " Does that mean… "

Syrek gave a subtle nod as he very subtly fidgeted with an alien communicator on his arm. " See for yourself. ", it was the only answer he gave as the chamber was filled with a brief distortion. As the distortion unceremoniously coalesced inward, it revealed in front of them Goldar standing side by side with Kevin, both armored and with their weapons at their sides. Kevin held his helmet underneath the crook of his arm and offered a hint of a smile widely as all eyes went to him.

Jason was the first to break ranks and clasped arms with his brother, but then pulled the older teen in a hug. They didn't need to say anything: the relief was obvious. He noticed the reticence of his brother, but didn't care. Kimberly was next to come next to the two, giving first an appreciative smile to Goldar as the Camian drew back in reverence. As the two teens pulled out of the embrace, Kimberly offered the same genuine smile to the older teen, and Kevin returned a curt nod.

Zack was next to bound up to the teen, clasping arms. " Seems like we're two for two today. ", he grinned. Kevin blinked at the comment, but then saw Tommy approach him, clad in white armor.

" Looks like it. ", he finally replied, looking over Tommy's uniform and finally understanding where the new Megazord came from.

Trini and Billy came forward together, each of them offering a handshake. " I was unsure what to make of your Zord. ", Billy admitted. " You were not responding to hails. "

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. " To be honest, I didn't know how to. Piloting that thing is…an experience. "

" I am sure you have a lot of stories to tell. ", Trini said with a smile.

The comment made Kevin's eyes darken and the light mood vanish. " I do. But they're stories for another time. "

Syrek noticed the change in demeanor, and stepped in hastily. " We have to get going. "

" You're right. ", Kevin nodded, willing himself to unmorph, and strode to snatch up his bag from behind the console. " Catch you back home, Jase. "

The two vanished in a small distortion, leaving the teens perplexed with Goldar. On his end, Goldar didn't expect any kind of welcome. " I'm going to see myself to my own quarters, if you don't mind. ", he spoke up, breaking the silence that settled. He saw the confusion in their faces, and knew that some things were beyond explaining.

" OF COURSE. ", Zordon nodded. " ALPHA, IF YOU COULD PLEASE ESCORT GOLDAR TO HIS OLD QUARTERS. RANGERS, I DO BELIEVE YOU'RE DUE SOME HARD-EARNED REST. "

Watching Alpha escort Goldar out of the main chamber, the group looked at each other. Finally coming to a silent agreement, the teens vanished in a multicolored streak of light.

When Scorpina reappeared in the Moon Palace, Zedd has been furious, and if he had the capacity, he would have turned livid. One moment the battlefield was his to do as he saw fit, with Zordon out of his depth, and the next the Grid all around him exploded with new presence. Two new Rangers, no less! The moment he saw the figure in silver, he realized what happened, and how he had been played. All of the resources he had spent to make sure the Silver Guardian never rises, and that he would have a new ally at his side were now wasted on a goose chase. Scorpina had been a warning meant for him. Well, Zedd would just have to show all of them that he was not to be trifled with. It will require careful planning, but it would be done.

When Jason came home, he found himself alone with his brother. Their parents were out, and for the moment the two brothers could speak clearly. As he ascended the stairs to the bedrooms, Jason's thoughts swirled: today was a long day for him. He wasn't even beginning to come to grips as to why Zordon demoted him all of a sudden. Was it the green candle? Had he failed so badly in his duties that he deserved to be demoted? Or had he gotten too close to the role that Zordon thought he needed to step back? With a sigh, Jason tried to banish such thoughts. He should be happy Tommy was back on the team.

He finally came to lean on the doorway to his brother's room where Kevin was intent on unpacking. He noticed Kevin being very methodical about it, almost hesitant. What caught his eye was a slew of photographs that were scattered on Kevin's work table, and while Jason couldn't make them out clearly from this angle, he figured they had been taken during the trip.

" You coming to the Youth Center with us? ", Jason spoke up, watching as Kevin carefully folded over his clothes. To his surprise, a lot of them did not look used at all.

" I'll try to be there. ", Kevin offered a smile. " Just need to get unpacked first. "

" I'll hold you to that. ", Jason teased, then turned around and headed for the ground floor again. His friends were expecting him, and who was he to disappoint?

Later that evening, Jason had excused himself from the good time at the Youth Center once he saw that his brother was not coming to join them. He left as Zack did a very bad imitation of principal Kaplan, to the roaring laughter of the rest of the group, and ducked into an alley across the street from the Youth Center to be able to teleport away. Once he arrived at the Command Center, it was not a big effort finding his brother's whereabouts.

He found Kevin outside the Command Center blast doors, overlooking the desolate landscape over which the Command Center building loomed. In front of them, the horizon was bathed by the sunset, giving everything around them a bronze-red hue. He did not say a word as Jason approached, and the Red Ranger saw the older teen looking grim. A shiny badge reflected the last of the day's rays from Kevin's hand, and Jason saw that his brother would glance every now at the object, a finger passing over the insignia etched into its golden surface.

" You okay? ", Jason asked finally, breaking the silence that permeated the place. If Kevin had been startled, he had not shown it.

" Never been better. ", Kevin replied, but a moment later he let out a bitter laugh, realizing how fake the answer sounded.

Jason was worried. He could tell something loomed over his brother like a shroud: he expected his brother to be lighter of spirit now that he was no longer in danger of turning evil, and was a Ranger to boot. " Listen. I don't know what happened out there, but if you need someone to talk to… "

" No, that's fine, Jase. ", Kevin now gave a genuine smile, amused as he was at his brother's worry. He quickly pocketed the small insignia in his hand. " I'm okay. ", he finally said, this time meaning it. " What happened… Those are stories for some other time. "

" So you're a Guardian Ranger now. I mean, it is over, right? ", Jason asked, still worried how changed his brother has returned. To have him that aloof and cold would have been worrying if he had gone over to the other side, but as a Ranger… It boggled Jason's mind.

" Fully-fledged Guardian Ranger, right here. ", Kevin answered, spreading his arms in a mock gesture. Lowering them a moment alter, he gave out another bitter laugh. " But nothing's over. It's just begun. "