Chapter 37 – A Day in the Red Candlelight
Yo, homies and homiettes, Tweetybirdalpha here to give you a little in-for-mation so listen tightly and rightly! Ya heard?
*cough and with a normal and non-poser(pozer?) tone*
Last chapter, Not Just Action Figures received a very great honor. It was reviewed for the hundredth time!
YAY! I can't thank you all enough for sticking around this long but I'm going to try and make it special! For that purpose I've asked two of my distinguished reviewers to assist me in celebrating this momentous occasion!
This week, Ghostwriter, who not only reviewed this story on the very first chapter but has kept it up even now! So to honor this amazing commitment I asked her to create an OC to take part in this chapter's plot. She was kind enough to lend me Jaytron, from her story 'Red Poison'. But the ideas behind this character made the chapter keep growing longer and longer as I found more and more ideas for happy, happy fun times and explosions. Lots and lots of explosions…
Enjoy!
Rocks slipped and Jaytron almost lost his grip. He frantically grabbed a nearby tree limb and scrambled back to give his feet something to support his weight. Terrified, he watched the rocks tumble down the shadowy side of the mountain. That could have been him.
Catching his breath and trying to get a handle on his fear, he looked up in awe at his destination, at the giant structure in front of him. The castle. The tall dark grey towers, the pointed iron bars covering the windows. It almost visibly radiated menace and wickedness. Above the wide castle door a very familiar emblem glowered down at him. He had no trouble recognizing the symbol, it had been burned into parks, it had been emblazoned in the clouds, Lord Zedd had even tried to rearrange the stars themselves to resemble his crest. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had stopped him, of course, before he could damage too much. Although, the last time he had seen it Orion's belt still only had two stars.
Surprisingly the gates to Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa's palace were cracked open, just wide enough for him to slip through. He hesitated, his sense of adventure and curiosity wilting in the face of this obviously evil fortress. What if Lord Zedd or Rita or one of their other monsters were still in there? Just waiting for someone to wander inside. The light around the castle seemed to darken the more his bravery turned into fear.
The mountain beneath him rumbled again but this time he was able to hold on as rocks and boulders zipped past him.
His fear of Lord Zedds palace was replaced by fear of being crushed by two ton rocks. He reached up and pulled himself up to the next handhold, he was almost there and he needed to get there before the mountain learned to aim better.
He began to think that Trevor's orders to explore were just an excuse to get him out of the city. He probably shouldn't have made his support of Colonel Mason so obvious. Standing on a soapbox and saying this was what probably pushed him over the edge. He just hoped Ernie stayed out of trouble while he was gone. The guy was skittish at the best of times. Sure, back when they had been working at the Juice Bar, his boss had been all smiles but this new world had driven the poor guy to timidness. He hardly ever left Colonel Mason's little compound anymore and he had been frantic when he heard Trevor order him to discover what all was out here.
He took a deep breath and reached up to grab the next rock, he probably should hurry before his boss lost it or something.
Inside, something on the walls of the palace glowed dull green with just enough light that Jaytron could see a couple of feet in front of him. He had started getting close to the glowing masses on the walls but when one of them blinked at him, he started pointedly ignoring them.
The ceilings inside were tall and arching, the glowing on the walls casting deep shadows upward. The floor crunched beneath his feet and he was afraid to look down and see what he was stepping on.
The first door he passed was made from a dark black metal and had shining spikes sticking out from it. He kept walking. He passed other doors like that, a few had spikes others didn't. He walked passed them all. The hallway ended in a T. He looked left and saw the same thing he had just walked past. He looked right and saw a bright glimmer of white light at the end of an olive corridor.
He went right.
The door creaked as Jaytron pushed it open. He carefully peeked his head inside then followed when he didn't see anyone.
The room was made from stone, there was a bright lantern hanging from the curved ceiling lighting it. The floor dropped off on one side into a deep pit he couldn't see the bottom of, smoke or fog billowing at the top. A table in the far corner had six candles of varying heights. The green one seemed almost completely used up, only a small snub remained. The pink, yellow, black and blue ones were not much better. The red one though, sitting primly in the middle, seemed unused.
Jaytron crossed the room to the table, keeping his distance from the pit. The five used candles he ignored but he studied the tall red one. He didn't see anything wrong with it, didn't see any dark magic glowing from it, didn't see any razor thin wires waiting to spring a trap. But he decided that he wasn't going to take any chances. He started to walk away when the glowing from the walls and the lantern's light vanishing. Then the candle behind him burst into life, flame suddenly flickering on its wick.
Jaytron didn't turn, he ran to the door but as he reached for the handle, he felt something move behind him. He ducked on instinct, falling clumsily to the ground.
Something breathed behind him, rustling the hairs on the back of his neck.
Terrified he turned.
A long, tall outline rose from the light thrown from the red candle. It floated a foot off the floor, a dark mass of shadows. Two narrow slits opened in the shadow near him, intense red eyes glaring at him.
The fog floating over the pit condensed and a shape formed, rising from the pit. Lord Zedd leered at the center of the room, unseeing but malicious. "Foolish humans," the recording said gleefully, "You're pathetic attempts to steal back your candles will end in your own destruction!" Lord Zedd laughed manically. "It is your own weaknesses that have doomed your world, doomed the very people you have sworn to protect! I have poisoned the candles with my own power, infusing them with all of your own negative feelings. Your jealousies, your anger, your fears, all of them turned against you." He laughed again, "You! are all! doooooomed! And it is by your hand that this doom will be brought about!" Lord Zedd cackled loudly again and hatred enveloped Jaytron. Hatred and frustration and boundless fury.
Jaytrons mouth peeled back on its own accord, his teeth clinched and his fists balled up.
The shadow surged forward, wrapping itself around him. It started soaking into his skin, burning sharply like acid.
Jaytron screamed.
Jaytron stepped out into the bright afternoon sun and the world trembled. The mountain rumbled again beneath him, quaking in terror of this new creature that glared up at the bright sun. His shining red eyes narrowed as he saw the way the sun's light glinted playfully off his reddened skin. His jeans and shirt had turned into a warped version of the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger's suit. The suit was deep red, far darker than his skin, the normally white triangles were light consuming black and had been twisted to the sides. His arms were bulging with newly acquired muscle and he stood at least an extra foot taller.
He casually walked to the edge of the very ledge he had had so much trouble climbing this morning and leaped off. He fell through the air for almost a full minute before landing with a ground shattering slam.
He observed the inch wide cracks in the stone with dark amusement. Oh, the power he now had. He clinched a thick fist, this world would fall to him and it would be glorious!
His eyes flickered to the other building sitting down the mountain from his castle, it was a tall, walled structure the color of sparkling sand, with a wide pipe-like spiral growing from its center. He considered briefly flattening it in well deserved revenge. His anger flared as he thought of all the times the Mighty Morphin Rangers had stopped him. His anger flared as he thought of all the times Lord Zedd had tried to destroy the Rangers and his town. He didn't notice the contradiction of being angry both at the Rangers and Lord Zedd, of being protective of both the Rangers and Lord Zedd.
He started walking towards the Command Center, his anger and rage multiplying with each step. White hot flame began leaking from his feet, melting his footprints into the rocks.
Jaytron's shoulder itched. He reached up to scratch it when the itch turned into sharp pain. Hissing in fury, he slammed his shoulder against the hard rock, trying to make it go away. It didn't help and the pain flared.
He started desperately climbing the mountain again, thinking this was some side effect of his newfound power. Maybe if he went back to his palace he could find some way to destroy this insolent pain. He climbed to his castle but he kept going, enjoying the slow burn from his muscles from the effort, pushing the pain to the side. He climbed and he climbed. Finally he stood on the very summit of the mountain, panting, his burned red skin practically glowing.
He looked around at the world beneath him, as it should be. Behind him on the mountain lay his castle and, of course, the Rangers Command Center that he would very soon destroy. Directly below was the scattered remains of the once proud Starship Terra Venture, it's domes shattered and it's people gone. Off to his left in the distance was the strange collection of buildings that he had, in his mere mortal days, lived and crawled in. They would need to be made aware of his presence so that they could properly fear and obey him. There was a lake off on the horizon with a multi leveled temple just visible from this height in the forest on the far shore.
All of these sights he had known about, being somewhat of an forced explorer, but in the middle of these sights was something new.
A large ball of glowing white hung above the tree tops. His pain, now returning as his rapidly healing body dulled the ache of his muscles, pulsed in time with the light.
His glowing eyes narrowed. That was the source of the pain. It mocked him with its mere existence, it defied him by causing his perfect form to twinge. He should destroy it from here.
He fully gathered his power for the first time, collecting it and shaping it into a form he could use. A deadly bolt of lightning began to grow, it's jagged edges humming with dark power. Once he deemed it powerful enough, he hoisted it in one hand and closed one bright red eye, aiming at the far white ball.
But just as he was going to set it loose, the ball of white flared and seven figures dropped from the sky. The ball vanished and so did the pain in his shoulder.
Intrigued Jaytron let the dark bolt vanish and he took a few steps back before flinging himself once again from the mountain. He fell for minutes this time and landed almost at the edge of what remained of Terra Venture.
He picked his ways through the tall ruins, quickly but carefully. He may be all powerful now but he still remembered the knife sharp pain of digging the graves for all these brave men and women. He would have the citizens build a monument to them, he decided after reaching the edge, one he could then destroy if the townspeople gave him too much trouble.
He ran easily and quickly through the thick trees and he reached the sight in minutes. He slowed and stalked quietly the rest of the way, keeping his eyes open and his ears listening. He caught the first sound not long after.
"Blue and Blue," a loud, confident voice shouted, "spread out and scout for enemies!"
Jaytron stopped, hiding behind a tree. Whoever they were, they were already looking for people to fight. He savored the idea of a fight with his awesome new powers. He feared the idea of a fight with his terrifying new powers.
A quieter voice replied but even his ears couldn't catch what was said. Then someone chuckled and Jaytron's blood froze and he was overwhelmed with hatred and anger. He threw caution to the wind and moved even closer, close enough to see who had made him so furious.
The first one he saw was a woman with dirty blonde hair wearing a unfamiliar yellow suit. Then he saw a shorter man wearing glasses and a suit he recognized. It was the blue Mighty Morphin Ranger! Thrilled, he stared, feeling giddy with excitment. He had always looked up to the Mighty Morphin Rangers and he felt, even in his newly powered state, a sense of relief that he was here.
His eyes moved on of their own accord and Jaytron's excitement vanished replaced, again, with raw hatred and fury. He studied the guy with long brown hair wearing the red Power Rangers Suit, his mouth twisted in dislike.
He wanted to leap forward and tear the man apart. He want to leap forward and grab the Blue Mighty Morphin one in a hug. He wanted to throw all of his power at the group and laugh as they burned. He wanted to throw all of his power away and meet the group as friends. He felt hatred, he felt friendship, he felt anger, he felt joy.
His mind spun and he could no longer stand it. He turned and sprinted from the scene, confused and upset.
He was all powerful. So why did it hurt to want to hurt them? Why did he suddenly know the Blue Mighty Morphin's name? Why did the Red guy he hated so much seem so familiar? Why were there Power Rangers here? Why? Why?
Chad Lee rode his Zord into town like he was expecting a parade. People were surprised to be sure but they weren't cheering as the Aqua Rescue Zord rolled down the wide main street. One of Chad's new friends stuck his head into the open hatch.
"Uh, dude," Devin said nervously, "They aren't looking too happy."
Chad smiled thinly, he was regretting letting them talk him into this, "Yeah, I'm noticing that too. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."
"Oh, come on," Spike said, happily oblivious, waving cheerfully at the murmuring crowds, "I've always wanted to do this!"
The crowds parted in front of the rolling blue water tanker until they reached the center of the city, where the Ring was hidden between the five tall buildings. Chad hopped out of his Zord, admiring it briefly before glancing down at the four Rangers standing at its base. Each one of them were wearing a different expression, Tommy looked a little bit annoyed, Summer was shaking her head, Vida was smiling excitedly, Mac was laughing while Billy looked like he was doing everything he could do not to rush the Zord and take it apart.
Chad jumped off, landing easily on the ground, "Hiya."
Tommy pressed his hand against his forehead, "Chad, what are you doing?"
"Um, I found my Zord," Chad answered sheepishly.
"Yeah, we can see that. And… what was your plan when you decided to bring one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal into the middle of the city who's citizens do not really hold us into the highest regard right now? Did you realize that…"
"Rangers," a angry voice screamed from the top of one of the tall buildings.
Tommy's hand pressed harder against his skull, "Aaaannnnnd there he is."
Trevor leapt down from the building, a glowing white sword held high over his head.
Chad had to spring out of the way to avoid being cut in half, "Hey!"
Trevor's face was twisted in fury, "I knew it! You cannot be trusted! You want to take over the city!"
"What?"
Trevor charged at Chad again, "I knew it! I should have sent you through the instant your ugly faces showed up!"
"Listen, Trevor," Vida yelled, "We don't want to hurt anyone!"
"Liar," Trevor yelled, reversing course to charge at her. "You went straight for your Zords!"
"We didn't know they were there," Mac added knocking into Trevor so that his swing missed Vida. "It was an accident, right Chad?"
"Yyyes," Chad yammered. "I found the key in one of the fountains and went looking in one of the lakes!"
"Trevor," Daggeron said, walking up, "calm down. I am sure that it truly was an accident. None of these Rangers have proven themselves a threat and, while a Zord is powerful, if the Blue Lightspeed Rescue Ranger had wanted to take over, he would have done so already instead of exiting his vehicle and letting you attempt to kill him."
Trevor, who was now grappling with Tommy, glanced over, "But Daggeron…" Daggeron crossed his arms, leveling a hard look at him, and Trevor sighed, dropping his arms.
Daggeron turned his heated eyes towards Chad, "Now please, Blue Lightspeed Rescue Ranger, explain exactly how you came across your Zord."
Chad started to explain about the fountain when Hayley and Angela appeared from nowhere and started excitedly examining his Zord.
"Look at this, Angela," Hayley exclaimed pointing to something that looked like an ordinary wheel, "They used nanoscopic polycarbonate weaves for the tire treads!"
Billy, having decided that if they could do it, so could he, ran forward and started joining in her rant, the two engaging in a conversation so in depth, the Ranger's couldn't understand even every other word.
Angela, however, was finding the machine difficult to look at. "I've…I've seen this before, haven't I?" She turned to Chad, "Haven't I?"
Chad nodded slowly, "Yes Ang…Miss Fairweather, you kind of help design them."
Angela nodded, "It all sounds familiar but I can't seem to remember it." She sighed, "Isn't amnesia annoying?"
Chad grinned, "So I've heard, ma'am." He hesitated then decided to just go ahead and ask, "Miss Fairwearther, do you remember Joel?"
Angela's eye's widened, "…J…"
A building directly to their right exploded in a towering ball of flame. The force of it knocked everyone to the ground and rocked the Aqua Rescue Zord on its axel.
The first to recover, Trevor sprang to his feet and started shouting orders. Men and women started helping their companions out of the area. Being somewhat used to such occurrences, most people fled the immediate area, swarming around the Rangers towards the far side of the city. He turned to Trevor, his face drawn and angry, "Well, Ranger, does that big fire truck of yours work or not? Do something!"
Chad started to correct him that his Zord wasn't a fire truck when he realized that this wasn't the time. He sprang back into his Zord and powered it up. Water poured from the tanker truck, covering the entire building in its powerful blast. It took ten minutes before the intense flames were under control, the entire time, the Rangers on the ground were tense, scanning every skyline for the source of the attack.
It appeared just when the last flickering flame died down.
"Oh, oh no," Tommy said, taking an involuntary step back.
Billy's eyes widened in shock, "It…It can't be."
Trevor just stared straight up at the sky, he should have just sent them through when they arrived. Power Rangers always brought trouble.
"What is that," Summer hissed to Vida as the towering figure stomped closer.
Vida who shrugged, "I don't know, I've never seen it in my life." She looked at it with an appraising eye, "It looks pretty cool though. What is that, a dinosaur?"
"That," Billy squeaked, "that would be the Tyrannosaurus Zord."
"Isn't that one of yours," Mac asked, feeling the dread of the group spike at the comment.
"Yep," Tommy answered.
Mac gravely considered this, "Ok, then why is it looking at us like we're lunch?"
Jaytron piloted the Tyrannosaurus Zord like he had done it his entire life. And he almost felt like he had. Every move he made was quick and purposeful. He understood who he was now, he understood the source of his power, and why the sight of that particular Ranger filled him with so much rage. Tommy had replaced him. No, not him, he reminded himself, Jason. Tommy had replaced Jason. Jaytron found it difficult to separate his thoughts from Jason's and, sometimes even more frightening, Lord Zedd's. But right now he didn't care if it was Jason's resentment or Lord Zedd's all encompassing rage that fueled his desire to crush the tiny figures under his giant Zord, he just wanted it done.
Once Tommy was gone he could calm down enough to try and find a way to separate his thoughts and decide his course of action from there.
Ernie squeaked from the small area behind his chair, "You said you weren't going to hurt them! You said you were going to rescue them from Trevor!"
"I am," Jaytron growled, "I will. I might." He sighed, suddenly tired, "I'll figure it out later Ernie. Just trust me, ok?"
"But," Ernie began as he saw another building turn into rubble under the Zord's feet, "you're hurting them…"
Jaytron struggled with the thought again. Hurting them? He didn't want to hurt them. He wanted to help them. Save them. He want to…. His skin pulsed and his thoughts cleared again. "I'm going to kill the Ernie. Then they won't hurt any more."
The Tyrannosaururs's hatch opened and a imposing figure stepped into sight. He glowered down at the Ranges who felt it almost like a physical force, "Rangers! I am Jaytron, the terrible product of Lord Zedd's power and Jason's resentment! I will destroy you Tommy Oliver for daring to take my…his…our…." He grabbed his head between hands and screamed, falling back into the Tyrannosaurus Zord. A few seconds later it started attacking the nearest building.
Their surprise and panic now gone, the Rangers kicked into hero mode.
"Chad," Tommy called, "Do what you can to slow him down!"
"Why," his voice asked, being projected from a speaker on the outside of the Zord, "What are you going to do?"
Tommy looked up at the towering Zord piloted by an obviously crazy person, "Find some reinforcements."
As if on cue, Colonel Mason's troops appeared in mass, their high tech weapons aimed at the attacking Zord but not firing.
Colonel Mason himself appeared moments later, "Am I to assume that that Zord is our enemy?"
Tommy hesitated, "Not generally but now, yes."
"Understood." He raised his voice, "Fire!"
Bolts of multicolored light rained from the assembled soldiers. Corinth's soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with Silver Guardians, Terra Venture guards, Lightspeed Rescue soldiers, assorted SPD guards and police officers from various worlds who still defended the people.
The Tyrannosaurus Zord roared in defiance of the assault. It swung its tail around, demolishing buildings and making those in its way flee.
The Aqua Rescue Zord fired powerful blasts of concentrated water, knocking the Tyrannosaurus Zord back slightly and letting the soldiers resume their attack but the Tyrannosaurus Zord quickly regained the upper hand by leaping forward and landing directly on top of the Aqua Rescue Zord, rendering it useless.
Without warning Time Flyer 1 roared past the Tyrannosaurus Zord, lasers striking the Zord with a bright explosion on impact. The sheer sound of the jet's passing made everyone on the ground shield their ears against the painful noise.
The Tyrannosaurus Zord was knocked off Chad's Zord which was able to quickly drive away, only moderately damaged. The Tyrannosaurus Zord turned its attention to the Time Flyer, batting at it like it was a fly. It roared in anger, almost hitting it with a well times swing.
Just as the two Zords coordinated, timing their attacks just enough that the Tyrannosaurus Zord was forced back, another challenger appeared, briefly seeming stunned before roaring at the Zords and attacking. The new monster took on the Aqua Rescue Zord kicking it's away from the Tyrannosaurus Zord. It's red eyes glowed and the Tyrannosaurus's eyes answered with a similar colored glow.
Seemingly unfazed by the appearance of the Nighlok, Colonel Mason walked over to Summer, "You might need this." He pressed something in his hand them moved away to continue organizing his men.
Summer looked down and grinned. "I may not be able to morph," she gloated, "But that doesn't mean I'm out of the game!" She held up the yellow engine cell, "It's recharged and ready to go! Bear Crawler!" A bright yellow monster truck shaped like a bears head and with big googely eyes appeared where she had been standing. Summer cheered, "Let's get in gear!" She drove her Zord at the Tyrannosaurus Zord, it's cute mouth opening and closing.
Vida felt left out. She shrugged, if the others could find their Zords, why couldn't she summon hers? She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her magic, like the rest of the Mystic Rangers, had stayed with them even when they were just toys. Surely….yes, there! She felt the small spark and smiled, "Mystic Sprite!" A pink suit of armor formed over Vida, making her taller but not towering. Her Zord was about even with a three story building, short for a Zord but gigantic for anyone else. She leaped into the air, "Yes!" She flew at the Nighlok, "Take this squidy!"
The four Zords were holding their own against the monster and the stolen Zord but they couldn't seem to press an attack to gain any advantage.
Trevor took a deep breath and walked over to Tommy. "I bet you want to help," he asked roughly.
Tommy watched his friends fight when he was powerless to help them. It reminded him painfully of when his Green Ranger powers ran out and he had to sit on the sidelines. He hated it. "More than anything."
He scowled then muttered something to himself. With a supreme force of will, he pressed something into Tommy's hands, "It's the red button." He quickly walked away, uncomfortable with the helpful act.
Tommy glanced down at the set of keys and narrowed his eyes. No... He pressed the red button on the center of the key and waited. He heard the loud roar of an engine and, on instinct alone, leapt into the air. The Red Lightning Turbo Zord sped past, Tommy landing effortlessly in the drivers seat. The top slid closed over him and the lights inside the car beeped in happy recognition. Tommy patted the steering wheel fondly, "Hello, old friend. Did the mean old man treat you ok?" He took a second to look out the window then screamed in rage, "He painted you white?"
The Tyrannosaurus Zord roared again, reeling under the blasts from the Time Flyer and Bear Crawler. The Red Lightning Zord sped towards it, hitting it just as it took a step. It lost its balance and tumbled to the ground, taking a row of buildings out with it.
The Nighlok stormed over to its new found friend and helped it up. The Tyrannosaurus' eyes glowed red again and the Nighlok began to melt. It oozed over the Tyrannosaurus Zord, covering the patches of silver with sparkling black. It also grew even larger, now towering even further over the Zords. It tried to step on the Aqua Rescue Zord but the Time Flyer was able to distract it long enough for the Aqua Rescue Zord to get out of the way.
The newly grown Nighlok-Tyrannosaurus Zord, stormed through the buildings, demolishing everything in its paths.
"We have to do something," Summer yelled, knowing no one could hear her.
"Like we don't know that," Tommy muttered, answering her.
Summer started, steering her Bear Crawler through a narrow alleyway, "You guys can hear me?"
"That's our fault," Hayley said, surprising everyone. "Angela, Billy, Mac, Daggeron and I are in the basement of the Overdrive Mansion. We're working on something pretty cool. This is just step one."
Chad dodged the rampaging monster, "And when can we expect step two?"
Billy came on the radio, "Give us a few minutes, this is not simple calculus!"
"No one else thinks calculus is simple, Billy" Vida snorted, spinning through the air to hit the twisted Zord, sparks flying. She landed gently on the Time Flyer, surfing on it through the air. They swung around again and hit the monster Zord again causing a small explosion.
"Would you get off my Zord," Alex yelled. "This is very undignified!"
"Oh come on," Vida said, laughing. "This is fun."
Alex growled, doing a barrel roll and making Vida fall through the air. She landed on the monster Zord's shoulder. She tapped it's head, "Helloooo ugly!"
The Tyrannosaurus's head swiveled and it's red eyes glowed ominously. Lightning fell from the sky, missing Vida by a inch. The electricity threw Vida from the Zord, Alex caught her before she hit the ground.
"Don't say a word," Alex growled.
Lightning continued to fall, striking the Aqua Rescue Zord and sending most of its systems off line. Chad frantically tried to get his Zord moving again as the lightning continued to strike his vehicle.
Seeing that Chad was in trouble, Tommy did a smoky u-turn, his tires squealing. He slammed into the Aqua Rescue Zord, jolting it forward. Chad's systems came flickering on.
"Thanks Tommy," Chad said, pulling his Zord out of danger.
"Are you almost finished," Summer yelled, her Zord having clamped onto the monster-Zord's leg. The monster-Zord tried to shake her off and it was making her sea sick, "This is not fun."
"Almost done," Angela said, "A few more minutes, it's not easy mixing technology, magic and guesses!"
"You've got four geniuses," Alex complained, "work it out!"
The monster-Zord threw Summer, her Zord landed on its side. "Wonderful…" She pressed a few buttons and sharply twisted the steering wheel, "Let's see how you like this!" The side of Bear Crawler that was sitting on the ground sprang up, the doors having pushed it up. It settled back on its axis and Summer cheered.
The lightning stopped striking and the five Zords regrouped in front of the roaring Monster-Tyrannosaurus Zord, Vida still using the Time Flyer like a surfboard.
"Anyone got a bright idea," Tommy asked.
"Not the planning type," Vida replied.
"Me either," Summer agreed.
"Nope," Chad chimed in.
Alex was silent for a long time then reluctantly agreed, "I don't have any clue how to use these five strange Zords to beat that thing."
"Luckily," Mac's voice said over the radio, "we do!"
The five Zords began to glow, they lifted off the ground.
"What's going on," Summer asked as her Bear Crawler's mouth opened up and its tires slid to the side.
"They didn't," Chad said as his Aqua Rescue Zord split in half, it's aqua jet sliding backwards.
"Oh, they did," Alex said as his Time Flyer folded in on itself.
"What are we going to call it," Vida asked as her Mystic Sprite began to grow larger, it's arms spreading to the sides.
"We can name it later," Tommy said as his Red Lightning split in half, it's tires sliding to the top. "Let's see what she looks like first…"
The five Zords fit together like the pieces of a very strange puzzle and once the light dimmed, a tall, new and proud Megazord stood to face it's foe.
The five Rangers stood in awe in a central console room, it's interior a mixture of their colors, their stations attuned to their individual tastes. Summer, Chad and Tommy, all Rangers used to vehicles, sat in drivers seats to the sides and middle of the room while Alex sat in a similar pilots seat at the front. Vida, used to using her own body as a controller, stood in front a single column with bars of light surrounding her, each light corresponding to a command.
The outside of the Zord was a bizarre sight, Vida's Mystic Sprite formed the center of the Zord, it's shape obvious and it's magical systems powering the machine. Alex's Time Flyer made the right arm, a hand growing out of its split wings. Tommy's Red Lightning made up the left arm, it's four tires lining the outside, a hand growing out of it. The white paint had been stripped off, leaving only the bright red paint behind. Chad's Aqua Rescue Zord made up the two legs, feet growing from the halved centers. Summer's Bear Crawler formed the head, its head pulled back over a mechanical head, like the hood of a jacket.
"We call it," Hayley said smugly, "the Mish-Mash Megazord."
"But it won't last long," Daggeron's voice warned, "The Sprite's magic will not last forever."
"Take care of it quickly," Mac agreed.
"But don't kill it," Billy pleaded, "it's not the Tyrannosaurus's fault!"
"We'll do what we have to, Billy," Tommy said grimly, "Jason would understand."
The Mish-Mash Megazord took its first tottering steps forward, guided by Chad. "Well," Chad said through gritted teeth, "This is new."
"Careful Chad," Alex admonished, "I don't think falling on him would hurt him too much."
Chad turned to glare at Alex but this sent the Megazord crashing into a building.
Tommy and Alex had to work together to get the Megazord back to its feet.
The Monster-Tyrannosaurus Zord looked at them like it was laughing, it's claws clutching it's mutated chest.
"Not cool," Vida said. "What kind of weapons do we have on this thing?"
Summer looked at a few keys next to her steering wheel, "Well, this one is labeled 'Bear Beams'?"
"Try it!"
Summer pressed it and bright yellow beams shot from her bears' eyes, hitting the Monster-Tyrannosaururs square in its chest. It stopped laughing and its eyes started glowing again.
"Incoming lightning," Tommy warned.
"On it," Alex said, raising his arm of the Megazords head. A bright bolt of lightning struck the time ship and fizzled.
"Good job," Chad complimented.
"Always."
"Billy," Tommy said, "What do you have for us?"
"Chad," Billy's voice said, "press the big blue button on your console while Tommy presses the big red one on his."
The two Rangers did so and their Megazord shot forward, rockets shooting from its feet and its left hand clutched into a fist. It slammed brutally into the Tyrannosaurus Zord, tossing it into the distance where something exploded.
"Wow," Summer said, impressed, "That was cool."
"Hurry," Daggeron's voice urged, "The Sprite is about to run out of magic."
"Ok," Angela's voice said, "Summer, press the big yellow button while Vida pressed the pink one and Chad, you make sure to keep those legs moving!"
Chad move the Megazord forward and, once they were close enough, Summer and Vida pressed the corresponding buttons. The center and head of the Megazord began to glow, a intense stream of pure white light scattering from it, enveloping the mutated Tyrannosaurus Zord then exploding.
Ernie dragged Jaytron out from the smoking Tyrannosaurus Zord. It was difficult now that his one time employee was a hulking mass of muscle and variations on the color red.
The poor kid had been possessed, he was sure of it. Something to do with Zedd or Rita, Jason, who was apparently the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger and Tommy, who was also the White Mighty Morphin Ranger. He didn't even try to understand it, his life was complicated enough without adding understanding magic curses to the mix.
The strange looking Megazord had burned the infecting monster right off the Tyrannosaurus Zord and the poor Zord had just collapsed.
He sighed and looked down at Jaytron, poor kid. He just hoped the Rangers could help him.
Jaytron opened his eyes and instantly shut them, that light was bright. He then became aware of all the other aches and pains his body was feeling. He nearly passed out again from the shock.
"It's all right," a calm voice said, "Don't try to move, you were very hurt."
"What…what happened," he managed to mutter.
"You went inside Zedds castle and got caught in a trap meant for one of us," another voice said.
Jaytron opened his eyes to see the Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger looking kindly down at him. Memories came rushing back, memories of a tall red candle. He groaned as the rest of the day came back to him, "I didn't…did I?"
"You did," the first voice said.
He looked over and saw five other Rangers standing against the wall, all looking at him. The speaker was a woman wearing a unfamiliar yellow Power Ranger suit. He blushed, "I am so, so sorry."
"That's ok," a Power Rangers wearing blue said, "happens all the time. You're just lucky we have real live magicians on hand who know about these kinds of things. But even they had some trouble getting that thing out of you." He nodded to other side of the room.
Jaytron looked and saw the same red candle as before, a dark shadow hovering over it. He screamed and tried to get away but the Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger pushed him back down.
"It's ok," he said, "it's contained and we'll make sure that Lord Zedd's twisted magic candles never possesses anyone ever again. We promise."
Outside the room Trevor watched the sickening scene with a mixture of irritation and understanding. The Rangers were heroes again. The weary citizens of the town were already starting to rebuild but they were doing it with a lighter step. The Power Rangers had saved them again, just like old times.
He turned and left the hospital without ever going in the room. Maybe the Rangers weren't so bad after all. Maybe the people had never really needed him. Well, once his plan was finished and the real evil behind all this was gone, he would have to just let them decide. Him, or the Power Rangers.
A quiet voice in his head hissed, 'They won't pick you.'
*AN*
Whoo! That was a long, long, long one! That could have been two or three separate chapters! Sorry if it was too long but I may actually be adding on to the Zord fight once my brain stops melting from overuse. If I do update, I'll make sure and say so up at the top. This was just too much fun to write:)!
The chapter title is a combination of the phrase 'A Day in the Limelight' and a variation on the title 'Green Candle', a Mighty Morphin episode that heavily factored into this chapter.
Thanks again for sticking through this entire time! Part two of the 100 review celebration continues next chapter too!
*CL*
Jaytron - OC belonging to Ghostwriter from his story 'Red Poison'
Billy Cranston - Mighty Morphin Blue
Tommy Oliver – Red Turbo
Chad Lee – Blue Lightspeed Rescue
Alex Drake – original Red Time Force
Vida Rocca – Pink Mystic Force
Mack Hartford – Red Operation Overdrive
Summer Landsdown – Yellow RPM
Trevor - White Dino Ranger Clone
Ernie - Owner of the Juice Bar - Mighty Morphin
Colonel Mason - Commander of Mish Mash Security Forces - RPM
Zords:
Bear Crawler - Summer
Time Flyer 1 - Alex
Aqua Rescue - Chad
Red Lightning - Tommy
Mystic Sprite - Vida
Tyrannosaurus - Originally Jason's Zord - Might Morphin