Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.
AN: Here's chapter 36! Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter. Real life has been very busy lately. This chapter also has a small scene that is rated a strong T. Nothing graphic or inappropriate, but it probably earns the T rating. It's a very small scene and romantics will enjoy it. Just putting the warning out there, just in case. ;)
Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:
Alex B. Goode: Yep, I was glad they were finally reunited too. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)
Exsomnis Anima: Thanks! So glad you like the story.
Harry2: No, Vile won't be happy and we're probably going to see his true colors soon. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)
TommyOliverMMPRFan: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the battle scenes. I really have been trying to work on fleshing them out so I'm glad to know that they are being well received. And yep, there's a ways to go and I'm about to throw a few more complications in. ;)
RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying to the story. And yes, cyborg rangers are a bad idea.
Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.
WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Thanks, so glad you liked it! I'm happy they're reunited too.
MMPRFansince93: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. Malcolm isn't in this chapter, but he will be back in a future chapter. And he'll get what's coming to him. ;)
fallingstar22: Yep, they're reunited at last. As for Tori's dad, I'm adding a whole new layer to him in this chapter and it will explain the real reason he stayed behind. So enjoy! :)
Lmv16: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. I really enjoy writing Hunter/Tori cause they can be very cute. ;) As for Shane and Kapri, yes, I'm slowly moving them together. Shane will finally soon be able to move on from Skyla thanks to the last person he ever thought he'd fall for. ;)
garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. Yes, Shane/Kapri will be interesting. ;)
Crimson Rising
Chapter 36: E.T.
Your touch magnetizing
Feels like I am floating
Leaves my body glowing
They say, be afraid
You're not like the others
Futuristic lover
Different DNA
They don't understand you
You're from a whole 'nother world
A different dimension
You open my eyes
And I'm ready to go
Lead me into the light
Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me
Infect me with your love and
Fill me with your poison
Take me, ta-ta-take me
Wanna be a victim
Ready for abduction
Boy, you're an alien
Your touch so foreign
It's supernatural
Extraterrestrial
Song: E.T.
Artist: Katy Perry
Ranger Ops
"Any chatter on the comm channels?" Billy asked, as he entered Ranger Ops early that morning. Cam had beaten him as usual, since Billy often took the mornings and spent as much time as he could with Trina.
"Quiet as a tomb…for once. I don't know how long that will last, but I hope a while," Cam replied.
"You and me both," Billy replied, as he sat down.
"How about the news channels?" he asked. Cam smirked.
"Now those are buzzing. About half the talk is supportive of us and the other half are ripping us apart," Cam replied. Billy nodded.
"I guess that's about what we expected, half and half," Billy said, as he pulled up a random news website on the Internet.
"And this morning, the country and even the world is buzzing about the impromptu message from the Ranger fugitives that aired yesterday, despite the attempts to stop it. It seems that the Power Rangers have added hacking to their list of grievances," Billy stopped the newscast and pulled up another.
"While most, including the President of the United States, are denouncing the message from the Power Rangers, many people are championing their heroes and denouncing the Government. This has led to riots in many cities and mass arrests. But more protesters replace those arrested and they remain vigilant in their support of the Power Rangers," Billy stopped this one again.
"That's better, at least," Cam mentioned, as Billy picked another one out of curiosity.
"And yesterday in Blue Bay Harbor, many witnessed the return of one ranger that has been MIA in recent battles. The Crimson Ranger, who has recently shown extraordinary power, appeared suddenly on the beach and apparently snatched up an abandoned sword, lifting it from the sand with ease. Prior to this, it seemed that no other individual had been able to lift the weapon. Rumors are swirling that this ranger is not of this world," Billy stopped the video and pushed away from the desk, as Cam chuckled.
"Hunter's in the spotlight. He's going to love that," Cam said sarcastically about their brooding leader.
"The people are even more fascinated when they think the rangers are from other planets. They were all over the Aquitians when they were helping us years ago," Billy replied, fondly remembering his fallen friends.
"You know, if it's this quiet, then there's probably no better time to send Hunter and Tori to retrieve Ninjor," Billy mentioned.
"You think Ooze is going to pull back?" Cam asked skeptically.
"For the moment, which probably means when he does attack again, it's going to be big," Billy replied. Cam scoffed.
"Like it hasn't been big enough already," Cam said with his usual sarcasm.
"Which means we need back up. We have got to figure out how to get through whatever is shielding us from the Animarium and from contacting Time Force and S.P.D. in the future," Billy lamented, as he reviewed the schematics on the screen.
"I labored over this for hours until my eyeballs were practically falling out. Whatever this shield is that's cutting us off…it's impenetrable," Cam insisted.
"There has to be a way…and we need find it. I'll comm Hayley's room and get her down here," Billy said.
"Uh…she's not really in her room," Cam mumbled, as he suddenly got really embarrassed. Billy smirked and chuckled.
"Cam…you're blushing, you bad boy. Red is not your color," Billy teased.
"Funny…I'll go wake her," he said, as he headed up the stairs while Billy shook his head in amusement.
Hunter and Tori's Room
The floor in their bedroom was littered with clothes that had been tossed there haphazardly the night before. Two lovers, entwined and bare beneath the bedclothes, parted their locked lips only briefly to draw breath, before meeting again with an intense passion. He lost himself in her beauty, relishing their reunion. He allowed himself a small smirk and then kissed her deeply, enjoying the tiny mewls she made, as their tongues met and they made love.
The way he made her feel was indescribable. It was no secret that she was a very strong woman and never once had Hunter ever felt threatened by that. She had encountered enough men out there that wanted a demure little flower to hang on their arm. But not Hunter. He relished her strength and her fiery independence, but was there with his strong arms around her when she did need him. She had been so scared that she was going to lose him when Ooze had captured him, far more frightened than she had ever been. It wasn't exactly a feeling that she was comfortable with. But she had him back now and he had slowly kissed all her fears away. Their eyes locked and she felt her heart swell with love, as their emotional connection was so powerful that it was nearly tangible. Their coming was almost simultaneous and they rode the waves of ecstasy together until it tapered and they collapsed together in a tangled heap. They cuddled together under the sheets, as they bathed in the afterglow.
"That was one hell of a welcome home," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back.
"I'll say," she replied, as she pressed a tender kiss to his lips. It wasn't long before they were fast asleep in each other's arms.
Ranger Ops
After a quick breakfast, Hunter and Tori headed down to Ranger Ops for training.
"Hey Cam, can you teleport us to Phaedos?" he asked.
"He could…or we could take this opportunity and teleport you to the Desert of Despair," Zedd responded.
"You think Ooze is going to stay quiet?" Tori asked.
"For a very short time. That's why we think it's best you go now. Ninjor may have insight in not only how to free your mother, but maybe on something that can break through this barrier that's stopping us from contacting help in the future," Billy informed them. Hunter nodded.
"Let's go then," he replied.
"The Temple doesn't really stand out, but I remember enough to recognize the distinct rock formation that hides it. I should go with you," Adam chimed in.
"Me too," Tanya added.
"The faster the better. Ooze will probably send his goon patrol again very soon so I hope this Ninjor dude is worth the trip," Conner mentioned, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Kira.
"Be respectful," she scolded.
"Yeah, Ninjor is a Master warrior," Aisha chided, earning a snort from Zedd.
"Yeah…maybe six thousand years ago," Zedd mumbled.
"Zeddy…" Rita warned.
"It's the truth. Last time he fought, you could tell he'd been sitting on his big blue duff for the last two-thousand years," Zedd complained. The rangers chuckled and Rita sighed.
"Be that as it may, he will likely have some valuable insight," Rita replied.
"Desert of Despair, here we come, I guess," Tori said, as Hunter took her hand.
"We're ready," he said, as the four of them disappeared in a flash of teleportation.
Gorbin's Military Base
Turtle Cove, CA
"Attention!" the General called, as the President stepped onto the tarmac at the Turtle Cove military base. He was swarmed with secret service agents and Gorbin saluted.
"It is an honor to have you here, Mr. President," he said respectfully.
"Yes…we'll I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed in light of recent events. Have you discovered who is responsible for the blue ranger's escape from her holding room?" the president asked.
"We think so, Sir. A keycard belonging to one of the officers that escorted her to her holding room was used to deactivate the plasma shield. We think she stole it from him during a…scuffle," the General reporter, as the President spotted the officer with a bandage over the bridge of his nose.
"In other words, these dimwits underestimated her, because she was female," the President deduced.
"Yes Sir and they are being disciplined for their idiocy, I assure you," Gorbin responded.
"The Phoenix ranger was in your grasp and yet you let him slip through your fingers as well," the President accused.
"With all due respect, Sir, he is very powerful. He escaped even the likes of Ivan Ooze," Gorbin defended.
"Yes…I know all about the Phoenix ranger's powers," the President spat.
"Sir…may I ask a privileged question?" Gorbin asked.
"You may ask," the President replied.
"Lord Zedd suggested that you may not be the person you seem," Gorbin replied. He smirked.
"Let me ask you a question. If Lord Zedd were to be even remotely correct, would that change your loyalty, General?" the President asked. Gorbin thought for a small moment and realized that he quite liked this life and power that was afforded to him by his position.
"No Sir," he answered.
"Then that should be all the answers you need. Now, it was a long trip," he prompted.
"Of course Mr. President, we are having a very special meal prepared for you and have acquired only the finest food and wine," Gorbin boasted.
"Very good, we will discuss more of my plans at dinner," he stated, as they went inside the massive compound.
The Desert of Despair
As the four streams of light landed in the sand, an eerie howling greeted them.
"And…that's as creepy as I remember it being," Adam deadpanned, referring to the howling.
"Ugh…this is like a water ninja's nightmare," Tori said. It was nothing but rock and sand as far as the eye could see.
"And this place is on Earth?" Hunter asked.
"Sort of…kind of another one of those pocket dimension things again," Adam replied.
"Good to know, because if I didn't know better, I'd say someone zapped us to Tatooine," Tanya joked.
"Any idea where we go from here?" Tori asked.
"If Billy's correct, and he usually is, we need to head east from this vantage point," Adam said, as he picked their route and led the way.
Outside the Legacy Compound
A few had chosen to spend the day training, but most decided to use what they knew would be a brief downtime to relax with their loved ones. The beach outside their base was alive with the activity of most the rangers and their allies. Bulk and Skull were grilling various meats, Rocky, Aisha, Kat, and Billy were in the water with their children, some of the couples were either in the water together or on the beach, and some were playing beach volleyball. Conner and Kira were on the beach together, exchanging passionate kisses with Kira attempting to remind her overly amorous boyfriend that they weren't alone.
"Con…there are kids around," she chided; as she stopped his hand from trailing lower that it was already was on her body.
"Then let's get in the water so no one can see my hands," he tempted her. She gasped, as he blew in her ear. She smacked him playfully on his bare chest and he pulled her close.
"You're terrible," she accused.
"It's your fault," he accused back. She looked at him indignantly.
"My fault?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's your fault that you look so good that I just can't keep my hands off you," he teased.
"Oh right, it's my fault that you can't keep your hands to yourself," she replied sarcastically, as he stood up.
"Come on, it's hot out here. Let's go for a swim," he pleaded.
"You're a big boy. You can go by yourself," she teased. He smirked.
"All right, I didn't want to do this, but you're making me," Conner replied. She yelped in surprise, as he flipped her over his shoulder and started toward the water.
"Conner McKnight…you put me down right now!" Kira screamed, while their bystanders laughed.
"Oh I swear if you drop me in the water, jock boy, you are so going to pay!" she threatened.
"I'll take my chances, Rock Star," he replied, as he tossed her in and then dove in after her. They surfaced and she splashed water in her laughing boyfriend's face. The others chuckled at their antics. Kelly saw Trent shake his head and go back to his drawing. Curiously, she peaked over his shoulder and saw his drawings.
"That's amazing…you're really good," she said. Trent looked up at her in surprise.
"Oh…uh, thanks, it's not finished though," he stammered.
"I'm serious though, you are a gifted artist," she insisted, as she sat down in the sand beside him.
"Doesn't matter though," he grumbled.
"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.
"It's kind of hard to make a living drawing super heroes when you're too busy being one. Not to mention being a fugitive. This is why keeping our identities a secret was so important," Trent replied.
"You never wanted to come back, did you?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No…my experience as a ranger wasn't like what the others had. I spent over half of it evil," Trent replied.
"But that wasn't your fault," Kelly insisted.
"Doesn't matter…I still just wanted to put it behind me. Don't get me wrong, I love my teammates, but powers for life? I don't want it and I don't want to burden any child I might have with it," Trent admitted.
"Then don't," she stated. He looked at her incredulously.
"I don't have much choice," he retorted.
"From what I understood, you can pass the power onto a blood relative or someone the power deems worthy. That means that after this is over, all you need to do is find someone to carry on for you," Kelly stated, giving his shoulder a squeeze, before getting up and joining some of the others in the water. Trent stared after her, as the redhead had just given him a lot to think about.
The Desert of Despair
"Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives," Adam joked, as they trekked through the miles of sand. Tanya giggled.
"That sounds like something Rocky would say," she teased.
"Well, I have been hanging out with that goofball since we were four. We used to make mud pies and then gross Aisha out by pretending to eat them, worms and all," he laughed. Hunter chuckled.
"Blake and I used to dig up worms and throw them at girls all the time. Then we'd laugh when they freaked out," Hunter recalled. Tori nudged him in the ribs.
"Why doesn't it surprise me that you terrorized little girls when you were a kid?" she teased. He shrugged.
"I turned out okay," he replied.
"Well, I have to admit that I was digging in the dirt right beside Shane and Dustin. The other girls thought I was weird, because I was such a tomboy," she recalled.
"That's okay honey; I was always playing sports, at least in my memories of growing up in Angel Grove. Try having two sets of childhood memories," Tanya said.
"How is that?" Hunter asked in confusion.
"Master Vile used some relic called the orb of doom to turn the world back seven years in time, not too long after Kat joined the team. We couldn't use our powers as children and they were eventually destroyed. That's how we met the Aquitian rangers," Adam explained.
"During her quest for the yellow zeo crystal, I met Aisha in my birthplace of Africa. She decided that she would stay and try to help cure the plague that was affecting the animals and our entire ecosystem. I returned in her place and when the zeo crystal returned us to the correct time point, I had both memories of growing up in Angel Grove and memories of growing up in Africa," she explained.
"Wow…so the zeo crystal was powerful enough to spin time forward?" Tori asked. Adam nodded.
"Now you know why Vile wanted it so badly," Adam replied.
"What happened to it? From what my Uncle said, it's still the most powerful artifact in the universe, surpassing even the Corona Aurora," Hunter said.
"He's right and after we switched to the Turbo powers that were made necessary by Divatox and we passed on our powers, Tommy and I scattered the zeo crystals across the universe. Each shard is hidden on various planets throughout the universe, except the red one. Tommy hid it here on Earth after the red ranger mission to the moon," Adam explained. The conversation was cut short though when Adam spotted the distinct rock formation.
"That's it," Adam said, pointing ahead of them.
"That's it? The Temple is behind that rock?" Hunter asked.
"No…it's inside of it…sort of," Adam replied.
"The greatest Ninja Master in the universe lives in a cave?" he asked, earning an elbow in the gut from Tori. Adam chuckled.
"Like I said…sort of," Adam replied, as he led them to the cave entrance and the mouth of the rock.
Gorbin's Military Base
Peter Hanson ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his tired eyes, as he removed his safety glasses. The look of betrayal on his daughter's beautiful face still haunted him. True, he had freed her, but by not going with her, it seemed that he was once again choosing his job over her. And why wouldn't she think that? He had done nothing to make her believe otherwise. But things were far more complicated than that.
"Daddy!" a little blonde haired girl toddled in, hair in pigtails, while the woman he paid to be her nanny during the day smiled.
"Thank you Cindy," he said to the woman, as he scooped the four-year-old up.
"Miss Cindy said that the President is here," four-year-old Zoe Hanson chattered. He nodded.
"That's right and I have to go to a very important dinner this evening," he told her. The little girl frowned.
"Does that mean I have to go with Cindy tonight too?" she asked.
"Afraid so little one, but I promise I'll make it up to you," he replied, as she ran off to play. The President's visit was worrying him much more than it normally would have. He kept wondering if his oldest daughter and her friends were right about him. But leaving when he had Zoe's safety to think about was easier said than done.
He had so much he wanted to tell Tori, but he had refrained when she had been here. When he had left years ago, a few years into his work on the project, he had fallen in love with another engineer on the project. Zoe had been born four years ago, but unfortunately his second wife was killed in a car crash two years ago, leaving him a single father. He often wondered if it was the punishment he deserved for abandoning Tori with an unstable mother.
He provided a good life for Zoe, but now with the bad feeling he had, he knew he had to make sure his daughter was protected. Cindy arrived at his quarters after a small break and he let her in.
"Cindy…there's something I need to talk to you about," he said.
"Sure Mr. Hanson," Cindy replied, as she sat down.
"It's a lot to ask, but there is a chance that Zoe could be in danger if things don't go well tonight. If I send you a text that says go, then I need you to do exactly that," Peter instructed. Her eyes widened.
"Mr. Hanson…" she uttered.
"I know this is scary, but if I need you to get Zoe out of here, can you do it?" he asked point blank.
"Y…yes Sir," the woman replied.
"Good, if you get that text tonight, I need you go to Blue Bay Harbor to this address," Peter said, as he handed a piece of paper to her.
"Who lives here?" she asked, memorizing the information.
"My ex-wife. She's not very reliable, but if you ask her to contact my eldest daughter with an urgent matter, she'll do it," Peter replied. Cindy looked stunned.
"Hopefully, none of this will be necessary," Peter said, as Zoe came bouncing into the room. Peter picked her up and gave her a kiss, before handing her off to her nanny.
"If the worst happens, please give this to my daughter Tori," he said, handing her a DVD. She nodded mutely, as he gave his little girl another kiss and left for the dinner that mandated his presence.
The Desert of Despair
"Are you sure this is the way to the Temple? All I'm seeing is a wall," Tanya said. Adam picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it at the wall in front of them. He smirked in satisfaction, as the stone went right through.
"There's an invisible portal," he said, as he stepped through. Tanya followed him, while Hunter and Tori, hands joined, were last through the portal.
On the other side, they walked through a golden gate that opened to them. In the center of the room was a blue jar.
"He lives in a jar?" Tori asked, with an eyebrow arched. Adam smirked.
"I know, it's strange, but I promise he really is a Ninja Master. He's just…quirky," Adam said, as he stepped closer to the jar.
"Ninjor…it's Adam," he called.
"Go away. Ninjor isn't here," a voice called back. Adam rolled his eyes.
"Nice try, but I've been here before so I know where you are," Adam said, as he tipped the blue vase down and peered inside.
"Ahh…blast it," Ninjor grumbled, as a blue light shot from the jar and materialized into the form Adam remembered.
"You know, I hide in there, because I don't want to be bothered. Now, what do you want?" Ninjor asked.
"Nice to see you too, big blue," Adam quipped.
"Do you have any idea what's going on in the universe right now?" Adam prompted.
"Should I?" Ninjor asked, as in a bored tone, as they followed him out into the ninja's gardens, where the sunlight quickly warmed them up from the dark, cool cave.
"Ivan Ooze is back…and Master Vile too, sort of," Adam informed him.
"That's nice. You have your powers back it seems so it shouldn't be a problem," Ninjor replied nonchalantly.
"But it's Ivan Ooze's army and Earth is only holding on because of us," Tanya explained.
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Ninjor asked.
"We were told that you're a powerful ninja and that you could help. Guess we were told wrong," Tori replied. Ninjor chuckled.
"Dolphins…so sassy," the Ninja Master quipped.
"I feel for your cause, rangers, but you have the power you need," Ninjor said.
"So that's it? People are dying and it's not your problem?" Hunter snapped. Ninjor turned his head to the young man sharply. He was trying to get a read on the young ninja, but all he was sensing was thunder. He had picked up on the young woman in blue's animal spirit a little easier, but these elemental ninjas were so unpredictable compared to his Ninjetti at times.
"Young man…" he started to say in a chiding voice.
"He blew Aquitar away…they're all dead! He's taken over Triforia, KO-35, Mirinoi, and countless others! His henchman murdered Prince Trey and the Phantom ranger!" Hunter cried, as he watched for any reaction from the Ninja Master. When he found none, he turned away.
"Guys…he's not going to help us. I'll find a way to break my mother's curse some other way," Hunter said dejectedly. Tori took his hand and they started to walk away.
"Well, well, the son of Zander is alive, after all," Ninjor said, in an amused tone. They all stopped and turned back to him.
"You…you know who I am?" Hunter asked.
"That blasted sword on your back was a pretty good indicator. That…and you have Dulcea's eyes. You keep such a tight hold on your element of fire that I wasn't sure you were really the Phoenix at first. If you're going to defeat Ivan Ooze, then you need more training. I sense little oneness with your animal spirit and you will fail if you are not one with it," Ninjor replied.
"Will you train me?" Hunter asked.
"I will assist your mother in your training on Phaedos, in honor of your father. But you will have to prove yourself to me," Ninjor said, crossing his arms over his chest, as they heard the cawing of a bird from overhead. A ghostly red and golden bird soared over them and cawed again, as it swirled around Hunter.
"Is that…" Hunter asked in awe.
"Yes, it's your father's spirit. He drops in to haunt me from time to time. The Phoenix is a particularly annoying animal spirit," Ninjor called to the bird. It cawed in response and Ninjor huffed, seemingly understanding what he was saying.
"There's something else I need to ask you," Hunter said. If Ninjor's eyeballs had been visible, he probably would have rolled them.
"Oh a needy power ranger, that's a new one," he quipped sarcastically.
"Zordon left us a message and in it, he said that you may know what I can do to free my mother from her curse," Hunter stated.
"Zordon was wrong. There's no way to break the curse, at least not without draining your entire life force like what happened to your father," Ninjor replied quickly. Hunter visibly deflated and Tori squeezed his hand, as the Phoenix spirit cawed in annoyance.
"Ninjor…you know fibbing is very unbecoming of a Ninja Master," a ghostly voice said in amusement.
"Blast it Zander, just because you can't speak here doesn't mean you need to send one of your messengers," Ninjor grumbled, as Adam and Tanya smiled widely.
"Trey…" Adam said.
"Hello Adam, it's wonderful to see you again. And Tanya, as lovely as ever," Trey greeted, as he turned to the younger couple.
"And Hunter…it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Your mother trained me herself in swordsmanship and nothing would give my soul more peace than to see her happy and with her son. It is all she has wanted since she sent you to Earth to grow into a man," Trey spoke, sending a chiding look to the stubborn blue Ninja Master. The Phoenix cawed again and Ninjor swatted at the spirit bird.
"What is he saying?" Tori asked. Trey chuckled.
"Just the usual banter between these two. He called him a stubborn wind bag and said that no son of his needs to prove himself any more than he already has in battle. And that he's not being truthful when he says there isn't a way," Trey told her with a smile.
"Listen Prince pushy pants, I'm doing what I think is best. You know how dangerous this could be, especially if Vile is involved," Ninjor protested.
"What does Vile have to do with…this is about the zeo crystal, isn't it?" Adam asked, piecing it together.
"As a matter of fact it is," Trey replied.
"The Zeo Crystal? That's the artifact that Vile wanted and manipulated my Uncle to get isn't it?" Hunter asked.
"Yes, Vile had a very big hand in your Uncle's corruption and the zeo crystal still remains one of the most powerful objects in the galaxy," Trey explained.
"It was also our source of power for over a year," Adam added.
"What happened to it?" Tori asked.
"Tommy and Adam know the full details on that," Tanya answered, looking at her boyfriend. He smiled sheepishly.
"When we switched to the Turbo powers, Tommy and I knew it was too dangerous to keep the zeo crystal together in one place. So we separated it and saw that the pieces were scattered across the universe not long before we passed on the Turbo powers," Adam replied.
"And it was a good thing. Had the zeo crystal been in the power chamber when Divatox destroyed it, things could have gone very differently and very badly," Trey's spirit said.
"So the zeo crystal can break my mother's curse?" Hunter asked.
"Not alone. Just as your powers alone cannot break the curse without draining your life force completely, the zeo crystal needs a little help in breaking a curse as powerful as the one Vile cast on her. But your powers channeled through the zeo crystal, it should be enough," Ninjor replied. Tori raised an eyebrow.
"And you weren't going to tell us this?" she asked.
"You don't understand! When I had you scatter the shards of the crystal throughout time after the Metallic Armor fiasco, I never intended for you to go gather them just a few months later!" Ninjor yelled, mostly at Adam since he was the only one directly involved at that time.
"We had no choice! Vile turned the world back eight years in time and royally screwed with our lives! It was the only way to fix it! The Aquitians were dying and Zordon knew the threat of the Machine Empire was coming!" Adam defended.
"We didn't have a choice then and we don't have one now. We need the crystal," Adam insisted. Ninjor sighed.
"It can not only free Dulcea and possibly break through whatever barrier that is cutting us off from the Animarium and Time Force, but we can also find bearers for the crystals. That's five more rangers on the battlefield," Adam reasoned.
"The young Frog is wise, as always," Trey said.
"Pipe down ghost boy," Ninjor spat, as the Phoenix cawed.
"How do we find them if they're scattered across several galaxies?" Tori asked, ignoring Ninjor's protests.
"Billy should be able to scan for the zeo energies. They have a pretty specific signature from what I remember and there's never been anything we've encountered that Billy can't figure out," Tanya spoke.
"Well, you don't need me. I might as well be invisible since no one is going to listen to me anyway," Ninjor babbled. The Phoenix spirit cawed again and Ninjor swatted at him.
"We do need you Ninjor…please. Come back with us and train us. I promise this time that we're going to put an end to Ivan Ooze and Master Vile…for good. You can't tell me that you don't want a front row seat to that," Hunter tempted. Ninjor grumbled and Tori stepped forward.
"I know that we have no right to ask so much of you, but if you're wondering if Hunter is truly worthy of your training, then I can tell you that he is," she insisted.
"He is stubborn, brooding, and hard headed at times," Tori said, causing Hunter to roll his eyes.
"But he's also the most loyal man I've ever met and you won't regret training him. If anyone is going to defeat Ivan Ooze, then it's going to be Hunter and if anyone should get the honor of destroying Master Vile, then it should be Hunter, after everything Vile has done to his family," Tori said passionately. Trey smirked knowingly, as the Ninja Master seemed to deflate.
"Oh all right, let's go before I change my mind," Ninjor said grumpily. Trey smiled and started to fade.
"Trey…" Adam called. The Prince smiled.
"I'll always be watching and you can tell Jason to stop blaming himself for not preventing my death. I am at peace," he assured them, as he faded away. Tori joined hands again with Hunter and kissed his cheek.
"Stubborn and hard headed?" he questioned. She smiled and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Definitely, but I love you for it," she told him.
"I love you too," he replied. The Phoenix spirit cawed and swirled around them, before slowly fading away.
"All right, let's get this show on the road," Ninjor grumbled, as Adam put his phone to his ear.
"Hey Billy, we have Ninjor. Can you get a lock on our signal?" Adam asked.
"Give me a couple seconds and you'll be out of there," Billy replied. True to his word, they disappeared in streaks of teleportation.
In the next chapter, Billy locates the five separated shards of the zeo crystal and a plan is formed to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Peter attends dinner with the President and General Gorbin, Will and Dax witness his cruelty firsthand, and the rangers enjoy their downtime, which they know will be very short lived. All this and more, coming soon!