Chapter 36 – Sad Wings Of Destiny
September 13 1998 – Downtown Angel Grove
The sun had risen and the remaining residents of Angel Grove slowly made their way out into the streets. Dark Specter hadn't made any further communication to the people since yesterday so the general population had no idea what their fate would be. Almost automatically people began gathering in the central square, where the heaviest fighting had been yesterday. The still smouldering remains of the Mega Voyager was scattered all over the square and the approaching roads. The events of yesterday had slowly sunk in overnight and the realisation for what was about to happen had struck home.
Everyone looked up to the sky at the Dark Fortress and almost on cue, Dark Specter appeared in the sky, "The time has come and still the rangers have not presented themselves to me", he began, "I will give them one final chance". There was an eerie silence as everyone looked around for the rangers. After a few moments, Dark Specter laughed, "I see they are too scared to face me".
"Think again Dark Specter", a voice called out. The crowd of people parted and the red Turbo Ranger stepped into view. He was flanked by the blue and green Turbo Rangers.
"Three little rangers", Dark Specter chuckled, "I expected so much more".
"They're not alone", the Red Zeo Ranger called out from the top of a nearby building. The remaining Zeo Rangers also began to pop into view around the square.
"Insolent rangers", Dark Specter boomed, "you're risking the lives of everyone on Earth".
"I choose to fight with the rangers", Bulk stepped out from the crowd with an iron bar in his hand, "I believe they will win".
"Me too", Skull added, he had a baseball bat draped over his shoulders, "they've taught us to fight for what we believe in".
"We're proud to support the rangers", Xander called out as he stepped forward with Aimi, "and if today's our final day, then at least we when down fighting". Several cheers rang out through the crowd and Aimi caught the eye of Yuri in amongst the mob. She was dressing in plain clothes and so were the additional ninja's she had brought along for support.
"Enough", electricity cracked across the sky, "if you support these rangers so much, answer me this; where are the Space Rangers?"
"You're supposed to be omnipotent", Aimi shouted, "you tell us".
Dark Specter wanted to vaporise that woman for her insolence but then he tried to sense the presence of the Space Rangers. He searched every conceivable place on the planet but there were nowhere to be found. The only place that was immune to his sensors would be somewhere in close proximity to his body, "Curse you rangers", he cried, they had somehow infiltrated the Dark Fortress. He disappeared from the sky, he needed to co-ordinate the defence of his ship.
"Now's our chance", Bulk shouted and smashed the nearest Quantron in the head. The crowd quickly turned on their robotic oppressors leaving the assembled rangers nothing to do except stand and watch.
Dark Fortress
A few minutes before the scene of defiance on Earth, Andros had used his Galaxy Glider to sneak through the defences of the Dark Fortress. Somehow he had become invisible to sensors and the sentries. Zordon had lived up to his word and provided a way in for the red ranger. A part of him wished that he hadn't, Andros didn't really want to end Zordon's life but if it was the only way to save Earth then he would do what he needed to.
Creeping quietly through the corridors, he eventually found himself on the bridge. It was completely deserted as every available Quantron was down on Earth. The red ranger found a wide corridor leading away from the bridge. Something inside him told Andros that he needed to go down that corridor. "Going somewhere red ranger", Andros knew that voice and as he turned around, he came face to face with Ecliptor.
"I'm going to end this war Ecliptor", Andros replied, "don't try and stop me".
Ecliptor hesitated for a moment before a pulse of electricity went through his head from his implants, "I will follow my master's instructions". He drew his sword and swung for the red ranger, only to find his attack blocked by Andros' Spiral Saber. The pair locked weapons again and battled for supremacy, "You've never beaten me in combat before", Ecliptor continued, "and that's not about to change now".
"We'll see Ecliptor", Andros spat and kicked the creature in the stomach. He swung for Ecliptor again but the creature dodged out the way. The Spiral Saber slammed into a nearby console and it exploded in a shower of sparks. Ecliptor now went on the offence, shooting blasts from his eyes towards the red ranger. Andros used his telekinesis and levitated the command chair into the path of the blasts. The shockwave knocked the pair back against the walls of the Dark Fortress.
"I'm almost impressed", Ecliptor chuckled and fired again. This time Andros propelled a fallen piece of metal towards Ecliptor. The creature dodged and the shrapnel crashed into a viewing screen, showering Ecliptor with glass.
"I could keep doing this all day Ecliptor", Andros cried out. He was lying though, telekinesis of this strength would tire him out extremely quickly but it was all or nothing now. Ecliptor roared and charged at the red ranger, swinging his blade in a wide arc. Andros barely brought his own weapon up in time to block the attack. The force of the impact through him into another computer screen and it broke on impact.
The red ranger was now on the back foot and barely dodged another attack that left a massive scar in the wall of the bridge. He wasn't so lucky the second time as Ecliptor caught him in the chest. He flew through the air and slammed into the cabin window, fortunately it didn't break. Unfortunately he dropped his weapon and Ecliptor kicked it away from his grasp, "You were a worthy opponent", Ecliptor raised his sword into the air, "but now your time is up".
Suddenly Ecliptor was hit in the back by a burst of yellow and pink energy, "Step away from my man", Ashley called out and the other five rangers bundled on to the bridge.
"What are you doing here?" Andros choked out.
"We know what Zordon asked you to do", Carlos replied, his ribs were still a little sore but he wasn't going to miss this fight, "and you don't have to do it alone". Underneath his helmet Andros smiled at the loyalty shown by his team. He crawled over to his friends and stood in front of them, staring defiantly at Ecliptor.
"More rangers for me to kill", Ecliptor roared and unleashed a powerful blast towards the rangers. Andros summoned his Spiral Saber back into his hand and tried to block the attack. The blast separated into several smaller bolts of energy that slammed harmlessly into the wall, all except for one.
The stray energy bolt his Karone in the chest and she was thrown against the wall. She crumpled to the ground and didn't move, "Karone!" Andros cried and rushed to his sister's side. He unclipped her helmet and her blonde hair tumbled out. He checked for a pulse and much to relief it was beating strongly, "It's alright, she's just stunned".
Ecliptor stood there unmoving as he looked at the face of the silver ranger. A small puff of smoke was emitted by his implants and his sank to his knees, grasping his head in pain. After a few moments he said, "What have I done?" he slammed his fist into the ground, "I've killed her".
Cautiously Ashley approached the creature, "She's going to be alright", she began, "Andros said she was just stunned". Ecliptor looked at the red ranger and he nodded in confirmation. Slowly but surely, Ecliptor crawled over to the silver ranger and placed his hand near her head.
"Hey what are you going to do?" Andros snapped.
"I'm going to give her some of my lifeforce", he replied, "this always used to revive her when she was younger". Andros thought about this for a few moments before nodding in agreement. Ecliptor placed his hand on her cheek and Karone coughed back into consciousness.
"How many times did I tell you not to do that Ecliptor", Karone scolded her former protector.
"My apologies Princess", he replied.
"So is he on our side now?" Carlos asked the others.
"I am on Karone's side", Ecliptor said, "and that's all you need to know black ranger".
The sound of footsteps interrupted their moment as several Quantron's appeared on the bridge. Accompanying them was a human sized Dark Specter, "Ecliptor", he roared, "what is the meaning of this?"
"I was just deposing of the rangers as you instructed", he lied. Dark Specter looked like he was about to respond but the rangers didn't give him a chance. Firing their blasters, they quickly dealt with the robots. Dark Specter couldn't get a shield up in time and was knocked back by the blasts. After a few moments he steadied himself and began to advance on the rangers.
"Quickly, through here", Andros instructed the rangers. They quickly scrambled through the door to the antechamber before Andros sealed the door behind himself.
"That won't hold him for long", Ecliptor commented, "Zordon is just through there, I will hold off Dark Specter if he breaks through". He then turned to the silver ranger, "Goodbye Karone, I always looked out for you like a father would care for a child.
Karone wiped a stray tear from her face, "You protected me from Dark Specter when I was younger and I will never forget that", she gave Ecliptor a brief hug.
Ecliptor nodded, "Go, Zordon is waiting for you".
The rangers moved down the short corridor where a dull blue energy tube awaited them. All of them removed their helmets and placed them on the floor, "Hello rangers", Zordon said weakly, "I see you got my message".
"Are you sure you want us to do this?" Andros asked him one final time.
"It is the only way Andros", Zordon croaked, "one way or another I don't have much time left. I want to ensure that my death means something". He looked over the rangers one last time, even though he hadn't worked with any of them directly, Zordon had still followed their progress. He had seen the rangers from Earth emerge from their early reluctance as the Turbo Rangers to bloom into defenders of the galaxy. He watched as Andros bravely battled on after the loss of his home planet, refusing to give up even when the odds were stacked against him. That drive had led him to his long lost sister, the former Princess of Evil. He watched her change from the heartless enforcer of Dark Specter to the heroine that stood in front of him.
Andros looked at his Spiral Saber and approached the energy tube. He raised it above his head but he still couldn't do it, he couldn't strike down the legendary Zordon. "Andros", Ashley said softly, "we're all here with you". He nodded and took on the strength from his friends, his sister and his girlfriend.
"Goodbye Zordon", Andros said, "may the power protect you". The door to the chamber crashed open just as Andros drove his Saber into Zordon's energy tube. Dark Specter cried out as a wave of golden energy washed over him, turning him into dust instantly. Ecliptor clung on a little longer but without Dark Specter's will keeping him alive, he too was turned into dust.
Down on Earth, everyone was blinded by a bright light emanating from the Dark Fortress. It washed over the Quantrons and they were instantly turned to dust. The other rangers looked around in shock as the enemies they were battling simply disappeared. As the wave washed over them, they were sure they heard the voice of Zordon wishing them one final goodbye.
Back on the Dark Fortress, Andros looked at the remains of Zordon's energy tube and dropped his Saber. The sound of the impact echoed throughout the small room. He bowed his head and allowed a couple of tears to run down his face. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his body and the yellow spandex told him that it was Ashley. After a few moments she kissed him on the cheek and let him go. He received a strong hug from his sister and the other three rangers gave him a small nod, "You did the right thing man", Carlos said quietly.
Andros dried his eyes and picked up his helmet, "We'd better go and face our public", he said.
The people of Angel Grove looked around nervously as the Dark Fortress moved towards the park. Everyone quickly moved in that direction and saw the massive craft land on the grass. After a few moments a door opened and a ramp dropped down on to the grass. They saw the six Space Rangers emerge slowly and pause halfway down the ramp. They looked amongst themselves before they demorphed in unison, revealing their identities.
There was a gasp of amazement at the people of Angel Grove got a look at their protectors for the first time. They weren't powerful Gods or green skinned aliens, they were kids. There was no other way to describe them. They looked down the line, the dark skinned male in a blue t-shirt and shorts, the Asian female in baggy jeans and a pink tie dye top, the blonde female in leather trousers and a silver vest top, the Hispanic male in a black shirt and jeans and the brown haired female in a checked shirt and yellow trousers. Finally there was the assumed leader of the group in a grey uniform with a red shirt underneath and unusual two toned hair.
"People of Angel Grove and of Earth", Andros began, "I am Andros of the planet KO-35 and I am the red ranger".
The ranger then took it in turns to introduce themselves, "I'm Karone also of the planet KO-35 and I'm the silver ranger".
"Cassandra Chan or Cassie to my friends, and I'm the pink ranger".
"Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson", TJ spat, "but please call me TJ", everyone laughed, "and I'm the blue ranger".
"Ashley Hammond and I'm the yellow ranger".
"Finally I'm Carlos Vallerte and I'm the black ranger".
By now flash bulbs were going off around the park as everyone wanted to record this moment, "We're here to tell you that Dark Specter has been defeated", Cassie called out.
"No more will his Alliance threaten the peace of this planet", TJ added.
There was a pause for a moment, "Now we can't promise you peace for all eternity", Karone began, "believe me, I know there are numerous evil presences in the galaxy".
"But the Power Rangers will always be there to protect you", Carlos jumped across the silver ranger, not wanting to scare the people of Angel Grove.
"If you want us to that is", Ashley said, prompting a large cheer from the crowd. The rangers looked down and saw the smiling faces of some of their allies dotted around. A jubilant looking Bulk and Skull with their arms around each other, the exhausted but relieved Stewart siblings and finally Zhane, who gave them a cheek wink.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we've had a long couple of days". Andros said before thrusting his hand into the sky, "Galaxy Gliders, Hang Ten". Their gliders appeared out of thin air and they jumped down, retreating from the scrum of press and well wishers. They could deal with them all another day but for now they just wanted to rest. After all they had just beaten the head of the United Alliance of Evil. They did have some assistance and they would never forget Zordon's sacrifice that enabled the people of Earth to carry on living.
As they flew off into the morning sun, there was one question on their minds; what were they going to do next?
A/N - So there we are, the final battle is over. The last five chapters have almost been a microcosm of the series, a similar yet different feel. I hope you enjoyed the final battle. There are three more chapters to wrap everything so stick with me.