By Didi
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters; they are the sole property of Saban and company. I am not making any money off of this, though I wish I was, so please do not sue me. All you are going to get is pocket lint.
Note: Story picks up after the death of Zordon and before Lost Galaxy. I'm not going to write about the Lost Galaxy because I found that particular series horribly dull. I don't remember every little detail to any of the series so don't expect the story to be perfect.
Rated: R due to context and language. I reserve the right to change the rating if I feel like picking up the heat a little. Enjoy.
Summary: With Zordon gone, who is there to guard those he defeated before?
"Spoken words." [Thoughts]
Chapter Forty-Nine-Passing the Torch
-Gildeon-
"The bright lady have mercy upon us," Koran muttered and forced himself to stand. Every joint and muscle protested the movement. He felt dizzy from lack of sleep but now was not the time for weaknesses; none of them could afford it. "Find my brother, I wish to speak with him," he informed one of the men scurrying about attempting to complete whatever task they're currently trying to accomplish. "And I want the latest casualty list."
"Yes, Elder," came the reply that was tinged with weariness. It's been a long few days and the wear and tear of things were beginning to show.
"Koran," Coran powerful voice, used to vocalizing across an assembly room, boomed across the screen and vibrated against the walls in the command center.
"Turn that down!" the elder ordered sharply at the technicians who all turned sheepishly away. With a sigh of irritation from the lack of good news, "Tell me what you can about…"
"Nothing," Coran interrupted with a quick shake of his head. "We've moved most of the injured troops out of the way and are hurrying to catch up to the Astro Mega Ship, though it is doubtful that we will. They've got several thousand enemies ships behind them but at the speed in which they are traveling…"
Koran waved the rest of it off, closing his eyes for a moment. He was well aware of the risks involved in flash burning the Astro Mega Ship's engine. But desperate times call for some extremely desperate measures. "Shall I have the defenses here strengthened?"
"Best do that for the onslaught. The Rangers may reach Gildeon in time but Jorian's troops are still following. Zordon only knows what will happen when they get there." Too many scenarios have crossed his mind; none of them were very encouraging.
"We'll protect the Rangers once they get here," Koran assured him with a frown. "I'll have the commanders station their ships along the…"
"It may not be enough and you know it," Coran responded seriously. Every line of his face proclaimed his concerns for the upcoming battle that they may or may not prevail. He was determined not to sugarcoat the situation, least of all to himself. "Another seal went; you do realize that, don't you?"
"I've got casualties coming in from the patrol ships; yes I know," he replied dryly.
"How bad?"
"Bad," and nothing more was said on that subject.
"Do we know which…"
"Not yet."
"Zordon help us if the Rangers cannot hold out."
"Well said."
-Planet Deveron-
The sweet smell of sulfur. It filtered through the air like a lover's caress. Nothing could have given Jorian pleasure short of Zordon's head on a silver platter for his dining pleasures. It tasted of victory, of freedom, of the chaos that will soon invade the lives of every pathetic planet that Zordon had once so amorously protected. It was yet another sweet step to the destruction of everything his nemesis held dear.
Eyes the color of dying embers watched to two remaining locks that sealed the gates of his prison. Two pathetically weakened seals that glowed and pulsed with exertion as they struggled to keep the gates shut and Jorian in. Reaching out, he touched the gate and felt the lightening zap of pain through his clawed hand. Weakened they may be but the wills of Zordon's champions were still strong.
No matter. It will soon be over.
And victory shall be his.
-Astro Ship-
"Are they okay?" Billy asked, playing quietly with a piece of string that he continuously wound, unwound and rewound around his forefinger. The repetitive moment kept him relatively sane. He wasn't just upset. He was beyond upset now to the point where he was simply numb.
"What would you like the answer to be?" Trini asked without any emotions, she was too tired to feel anything at this point. She fought the urge to give herself something for the pounding headache. But any sedatives would dull her thought process which was something she didn't need right now. "You? How are you doing?"
"Better than you it would appear to be," he answered with a sigh. He too would like taking something as the others have done, but he needed a clear head right now; which mean he had to suffer through this. "Andros and Karone both took it hard didn't they?"
"Yeah," she didn't sugar coat it, she didn't need to, didn't want to anymore. They need more than just reassurances now, they need a freaking miracle. "I think those two have the worse of the reactions. I'm guessing it has something to do with their physiology that is slightly different than ours. But they're holding their own by sheer force of will."
He didn't disagree. "Did everyone spiked?"
She didn't answer. The rotating charts on the screen were sufficient enough. "The others seal bearers aren't suffering the way Jason and Zhane are though. We may have spiked but we weren't brought to our knees like those two."
"And Kimberly?"
"She's sleeping it off," glancing over her shoulders at her best friend. It took some extreme coaxing by Aisha and Karone, but they had finally convinced Tommy to get some rest while his girlfriend slept off the effect of a seal. "Did you know she'd be next?"
"Hell, I thought she would be first of the four," he admitted with a grin. "Pretty sexist of me, huh?"
She gave him a sympathetic smile. "Why? I thought the same thing."
Billy's blinked for a moment, his eyes taking in all the telltale signs that he's been ignoring because he needed to. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin looked fragile enough to shatter. She was pale and seemed to be held together by nerves alone. "Trini? Are you alright?"
It was one of those useless questions she's always wondering why people ask. But because he was a friend and he genuinely cared, she nodded. "What else would I be?"
"It's okay to be scared you know," feeling slightly silly and awkward in this reversal of roles. She's always been the one to offer the shoulder to lean on, an ear to absorb all kinds of unhappiness and fears.
Trini gave a brittle laugh, she felt a hundred and three. "I'm too freaking tired to be scared right now."
"Take a nap."
"Hell no."
"Trini…"
"Why don't you?" she asked suddenly, turning to him.
"I've got work to do."
"Well, so do I," she countered.
"Trini…"
"Billy…"
There was a long and heavy silence before Billy's lips curls upward. "We're both terrible."
This time, she gave a genuine laugh. "Yeah, I know. If Jason was awake right now, he'd be scolding us both for working one foot into the grave." Her smile was soft and gentle, full of tenderness as she gazed upon the fallen form of their once unbreakable leader. "Honestly Billy, I think I've moved beyond scared, went pass terrified and straight onto petrified."
Because her eyes reflected her words, "I know," opening his arms to her.
With a sigh, she allowed herself to be folded into his protective embrace, allowing someone else to take charge for a moment. "What if we lose him… them?"
The former blue ranger gave a soft chuckle and smoothed her hair with his hand. "It's okay if you think just of him. Zhane would understand."
"Karone won't."
"She's probably sitting in your shoes right now, you know."
"Yes but…"
"It's okay to be selfish every once in a while. You're only human."
She tucked her chin over his shoulder and stared blankly at the wall across the room. The clock was counting down again, and with every descending number, she could feel her control faltering, allowing panic to creep in. "I should be above this."
"Above being human?"
"Above being selfish," she corrected and tightened her arms around him, grateful for the comfort. Besides Jason, Billy was the only one she could open up like this. She loved Kimberly, god knows she loved that silly brat, but Kimberly's got too much baggage in her heart for Trini to feel comfortable burdening her with more. But Billy with his cold, heartless logic was just what she needed at times to shake her out of the mind-numbing fears. "I don't want to lose him."
"I don't want to lose him and I'm not even sleeping with him," and then got a fist in his stomach for it. Grunting but not letting go, he gave her a tight squeeze and got to the point that he had been edging around since deciding that he needed a major sounding board because he's hit a dead end. "Trini, I won't lie to you, I'm about all out of options here."
"Are you giving up?" came the whispered question.
Pulling back, for one stunning moment Billy just stared at her as if she had morphed into some kind of monster, probably one of Rita Repulsa's, then he threw his head back and laughed. He laughed right in her face for a good minute or two, then had to let go when he couldn't support himself anymore and would have dragged her down as he continued to howl with laughter. Trini just stood there and stared at him, just simply stared as one of her closest friends finally snapped.
"What's so funny?" Jason groaned as he rolled up to a seated position.
Trini was immediately at his side, checking his vitals.
Billy finally calmed enough to sit upright and stared at him. Leaning his head against a cabinet, he wiped his streaming eyes. "Oh nothing."
"Don't give me that," Jason said trying his damnedest not to groan out loud. "You were laughing hard enough to have a heart attack."
Punching him lightly on the arm, Trini warned, "No joking about that."
He gave her a weak smile and glanced over at his friend again. "Jesus Billy, you look like something scrapped off the bottom of my shoes."
Making a face, "You're not exactly winning awards for the Stud of the Year either, Jas."
"Hey, do bagging on my man," Trini warned with a wiggling finger than winced as blood rushed to her head and she became lightheaded.
"You okay, baby?" Jason asked, his eyes narrowing as her hand came away from her face. He noted how bloodless her cheeks were. "Ouch, if you feel half as bad as you look right now, you should be the one in bed."
"So speaks the man with a blood pressure that could kill," turning the sideboard monitor for Jason's viewing enjoyments. "Have a good look at your heart rate, darling. It's a whooper."
Wincing, because the chart resembled a great backwards stock market crash, which would certainly explain the horrible blinding he is currently trying his best not to allow to fall him. "How's Zhane do…" he looked round the room, noting Kimberly as the only other occupant in a bed. "Where's Zhane?"
"With his brother-in-law," Billy answered, staring at Jason from his position on the floor. From here, Jason looked exactly as Billy remembered him to be, his hero. Tall, wide, brave, handsome and kind; it was in those eyes of his. They tell a tale of the kind of heroes that the world thought had pass with the age of chivalry. "Zhane is more stubborn than even Tommy is. Trini pumped him as full of drugs as she could do so safely without knocking him out and sent him on his way with a promise from Andros that Zhane comes back at the first sign of trouble."
Jason understood it. "Maybe it would be better if Zhane morphed," wishing he had his old powers to buffer the pain. "The ranger powers should help with the… Billy, what's wrong?"
"Hang on a second," Billy murmured as he looked down on the floor, his mind racing for a moment. He's been trying to figure out how to active the new power coins for hours now with no luck as to how any of it worked. But what if it's not just a matter of process, what if …. No, it couldn't be. Couldn't possibly be that simple? "Shit!" Billy got to his feet fast.
"What?" Jason pulled Trini to a stop when she tried to go to Billy, thinking he may be in pain.
"Why the hell didn't I think of this before?" Billy groaned and hit himself in the head. "Idiot! Ow…" rubbing his forehead without any success of elevating the pounding that dumb ass move created in his brain.
"Well that's a lie if ever I heard one," Trini muttered.
"Stay here," Billy commanded with a stern finger at Jason. "I'll be right back," and disappeared before Trini or Jason had a chance to respond.
"That was a good thing, right?" Jason asked, a little apprehensive.
"At this point, who can tell?" she answered honestly.
"Are you certain we're doing the right thing?"
"What was Master Heglund's the first rule of combat?" Andros asked as he handed the pliers over.
A small winkled appeared between Zhane's brows as he tried to recall the lessons of long ago. "A good leader always puts the welfare of the team first and own personal pride last."
"Right," taking the pliers from his friend's hand when it became obvious that he wasn't sure what he was going to do with it. Nudging Zhane aside, he studied the open case carefully. "Just because I'm reluctant to give up my position as leader doesn't mean that I won't. I'm no good to the team the way I am right now." He placed the pliers down when the throbbing behind his eyes increased in temple. He swallowed hard, willing the uncomfortable dizziness away. "I can't fight if I cannot see straight."
"You're right," Zhane conceded, his dark eyes filled with concern as Andros shut his for a moment. Unlike him, Andros had refused the medication Trini had offered, preferring to use the study techniques learned during their training on controlling their mental abilities. "Can I get the doctor for you?"
"No," shaking his head knowing that Trini couldn't anything more than she already has. Besides which, the medical only served to dull his senses. "I'll be all right. How are you doing?" knowing that whatever he was feeling could only be ten times more difficult for Zhane.
Considering the question carefully, "Except for the small buzz and dizziness, I'm holding my own," and the massive amount of whatever it was the good doctor had haven him was helping a great deal.
"I think it's ready," Andros announced as he clicked the two pieces together and held out the morpher. "What do you think?"
He glanced at the purple casing and at the near identical one on Andros's arm. "Looks good. Should we pick someone to try it out?"
"Tanya," Andros suggested without hesitation. He's had some time to consider this now. "I think she would make an excellent Purple Space Ranger."
Zhane nodded, bowing to Andros's superior leadership skills. There was a reason their superior had chosen Andros to lead the Space Rangers; the man had an analytical mind like none other and his thoughts were always of clear and logical reasoning. "Karone is going to be disappointed she never got to wear it."
He understood that, he also understood how much his sister had wanted acceptance from the rest of the Rangers. She's achieved it in reality but her heart and mind… that was another question. "Maybe one day, when this is all over…"
"Do you think it will be?"
"It has to be," Andros answered with a grave tone. "One way or another."
That wasn't he kind of response Zhane had been hoping for.
"Excusez-moi?" Tanya's jaw was sitting someone around her waist.
"We have chosen you to be the first Purple Space Ranger," Zhane repeated, seeing Karone's encouraging nod out of the corner of his eyes. His heart filled with something almost unbearably good at her acceptance of their decision. She had enthusiastically agreed with Andros that Tanya would be an exceptional choice. Like her brother, Karone welcomed the idea of allowing another to enter the ranks of the Astro Rangers while she protected the key. She was an excellent tactician.
"Where did you even get that?" Tanya demanded, eyeing the morpher as if it were a rearing snake ready to strike at first provocation. She knew for a fact-after some major reading-that there were only six Astro morphers, including the one Zhane carried that was reinforced by god knows what, all that mumbo-jumbo technical stuff only served to give her a headache. She knew there wasn't a seventh morpher.
"We built it," Andros explained, glancing at Zhane who appeared equally puzzled by the former yellow ranger's reaction.
"You built it?" she couldn't have convey her disbelief any better than the look stunned amazement on her face.
"Yes," Zhane answered cautiously, wondering if the close environment of the spaceship has finally taken a toll on the woman. It's true that not everyone traveled well in space, some have been known to go mad and open airlocks to escape the compressed feeling after long periods of time, but he would have thought that the former Rangers would have better tolerance, especially given the circumstances of their mission.
"How could you have possibly built it!" Tanya fairly screeched at them.
Zhane took a hasty step back but Andros managed to hold his ground… just barely. There was something about half hysterical women that put the fear of god in a man. "We were taught at the academy."
"They have academies for Power Rangers?"
"No, for the military," Andros answered honestly. "We were all trained there. Zordon chose his Rangers from the Military Academy."
"And they taught you to make morphers?"
"They taught us to dismantle and reassemble morphers, yes; the same way they taught us to repair and create weapons of any sorts."
There was a part of Tanya that wanted to shriek at the top of her lung at how illogical this was. Why, why, why would anyone want to teach others how to disable their greatest weapons? But the two were looking at her with much cautious uncertainty that she decided not to push her luck on that respect. Swallowing a boatload of frustration and exhaustion, she took a deep breath and leveled a look at the two that said she was coming close to the end of her ropes. "So what did you want me to do again?"
Taking hold of the purple morpher, Andros gestured for her to give him her hand. "We want you to become the next Purple Astro Ranger," strapping the morpher onto her carefully. He wasn't sure she wouldn't bite or kick him. "There is a massive convergence of Jarian's loyalists pursuing us as we speak. When we get to Gildeon, there will be a battle. I don't know how well arms Gildeon is at the moment, it's never been more than a sentry post before, I have no idea if they've reinforced their troops there, they may not equipped to handle the onslaught Jarian's followers can no doubt generate." He stepped back as Tanya examined the morpher. "And the Astro Ranger may have to go into action."
"No gliders," she pointed out.
"There are gliders on Gildeon," Andros informed her.
"How do you know?"
Zhane grinned. "We put them there, five years ago." He nudged Andros with an elbow; it was one of their most well kept secrets. "Remember the lecture we got from Finmire for losing ten gliders in eight weeks?"
"You were hording them," Tanya accused with narrow eyes.
"Our backup plan," Zhane corrected. "The council of Elders didn't agree with our assessment."
"So you went rebel on them," she rolled her eyes. "Typical."
"We're Rangers," he pointed out. "We're the ones out on the field battling it out with the bad guys. We should have some say in such things, don't you agree? I think only three or four of the Elders agreed with our plans but it wasn't enough to sway the council for a majority. So we took things into our own hands, which I am now doubly glad we did. Andros did feel bad about it for a couple of weeks afterwards, didn't you?"
Tanya grinned when Andros blushed. Yeah, she had no doubt he would feel bad about it, the boy was too good and honest for his own good. "So what do I do?"
"You rocket!" Zhane said with an enthusiastic grin which faltered when she simply stared back at him. "You do know how to rocket, don't you? Just put your…"
Tanya's mind went a little sideways. "Oh god, please tell me Cassie didn't make you watch the Humphrey Bogart movie."
"Uh?"
"Never mind," looking at the morpher. She's seen the Space Rangers do it, thought it was even sillier than how she use to active the Turbo powers but hey, to each their own. She fingered the buttons on the morpher, not so unlike her old Turbo morpher in the way it was constructed. "Oh boy," she sighed and looked at him. "Have you told the others yet?"
"No," Karone answered with smile. "But I'm sure they'll be thrilled."
"You going to guarantee that?" she asked with another sigh. This was so not what she had planned for. She had thought when she gave up her powers that that would be the end of that. And then to learn that she wasn't one of the chosen ones to carry a key… yet another reason to think that she was going to be allowed to carry on her 'normal' life. Now this! "I think maybe we need to talk to the others first."
"But…" Karone didn't finish the protest as Andros held up his hand.
Because he had already made his decision, he saw no reason to hide it from anyone. "I'm resigning my position as Red Astro Ranger. I am turning over the position to Katherine, should she agree to take on the position and the duties entailed."
That was met with silence.
"Pardon me?" her brows raised high on her smooth forehead. "You want me to do what?" Kat's accent was more pronounced as she stared in disbelief at the striped haired young man before her. "This cold must really be tearing my noggin' apart. I must not have heard you correctly because I thought I heard you say that…"
"I want you to be the next Red Astro Ranger," Andros repeated.
"Andros…" Carlos was out of his seat before TJ had a chance to grab him. His face reflected the stunning blow Andros's announcement that sent through the control room. "What are you doing?"
"I know what I am doing, Carlos," Andros replied calmly fully willing to deal with the reactions.
"You don't think you should be discussing this with the rest of the team first?" Carlos asked, sending Kat an apologetic but uncompromising look.
"No," shaking his head slowly as he removed the astro morpher from his wrist. "The decision has already been made and I stand by it. 'The good of the whole is greater than the good of the one.'"
"Andros…"
"Carlos," TJ warned firmly as he stood. Unlike his friend, he understood. "How bad are the headaches now?"
Giving a half smile that looked more like a grimace than anything, "I won't want to be next to me during a battle."
Zhane grinned, his face lighting up with boyish charm, "And we're not even going to mention what I'd be like in a crisis at this point." He gave a half laugh that was neither of amusement or sarcasm.
"Oh god," Kat's hand reached to give him a comforting pat but Andros took advantage and strapped the morpher on before she had time to react. "Hey!" And then felt a shot of something bright and oddly comforting spread through her. For a stunned moment, she wasn't at all sure of the universe. There was something almost familiar about the feeling. "What did you just do?"
"The right thing." Andros smiled, it made him years younger, and then a stabbing pain behind his eyes made him wince.
"Andros, you all right?" Kat's hand was around the young man's arm as she guided him toward a seat. "I don't like this. I don't think this was the most brilliant idea you've had so far."
"But it's the right thing to do," Andros took several deep breaths to control the pain and looked up slowly. "And I think if you ask Tommy or Jason right now, they would agree with me."
"Not necessarily," Tanya muttered, watching the whole exchange with a frown. She didn't miss what happened; she didn't pretend not to know the connection.
"I would," TJ added, holding up his hand to ward off any protests from around. "Andros is doing what any good leader would do. Sacrifice the individual to save the whole," he patted his leader's shoulder firmly and gave him a nod of understand. "I'm proud to have served under you, Andros. You've taught me a lot."
Zhane nodded his head as he retrieved his morpher from his pocket. He knew what he had to do, even if he broke his heart to do so. A dream of his was coming to an end, but it was the right kind of dream to have and the right kind of thing to give up. "If you will all excuse me. I need to find a certain former Black Ranger."
"Hell no!" Zack took two steps back and shook his head at them. "I don't think so."
"Zack, let me explain," Zhane said quietly, making another approach.
"Uh, uh," side-stepping a chair and shook his head at the Silver Rnager again as he made his way around the room, putting Ashley and Cassie between him and the very determined looking Zhane. He didn't think for a moment that when push comes to shove that Ashley nor Cassie would be able to stop Zhane but… instinct, really hard to fight. "Explain it to Trini or Billy; they are the brains around here. Hell, go explain it to Tommy or Jason and then have one of them come back and tell me that they agree to this lame-brain idea of yours. Then maybe we'll talk about transferring powers or not."
"I don't understand you people," Zhane groused and made an impatient gesture, slicing the air with his hand. "Being a Ranger is an honor. Why do you and the others resist it?"
"Been there; done that!" Zack returned making a face that was less than pleasant. "Move on."
"Zack, the Space Rangers need a Silver Ranger," Zhane said motioning for Ashley and Cassie to move out of the way. They were confused and reluctant but gave away to Zhane's intrigue. "I am in no condition to perform my duties. Somebody has to take over."
"Then pick someone else!" Zack said, moving to put at least Ashley between him and Zhane. "Because you've got the wrong brother for the job."
"You are exactly what this team needs," Zhane said making a face at Ashley, who gave a helpless shrug of her shoulders and move another step out of the way. "You are smart; you're dedicated, you're willing to do what is needed to get the job done. And you can make them laugh," he pointed out with a look of complete confidence. "You will never understand how important it is for them to be able to laugh."
"Buy yourselves a clown then," Zack skirted around the railing of the engine room and scurried up the ladder onto the second level and away from Zhane. "Cause this one isn't interested in the job."
"Don't be stubborn about this!" Zhane shouted in complete irritation and lack of patience then had to stop and hold his head. Every blood vessel in his head felt as if they would burst at any moment. He could hear his every heartbeat as blood rushed through his body. The edges of his vision blackened dangerously. His knees hit the ground before he realized he was almost completely bent over in pain.
"Zhane!" Cassie's hand caught the Silver Ranger's before he pitched over. "Easy, easy…" supporting his body with her own, trying not to be staggered by his greater weight.
Reaching out, Ashley grabbed Zhane's shoulder, easing him to the ground on his back as she heard Zack scrambling down the ladder once more. For a brief moment, she wondered if Zhane was faking it just to get Zack down, he was just devious enough to do so. But one look at his bloodless lips told Ashley that circumstances had gone beyond Zhane affable jokes. If she hadn't been scared witless before, this certainly did it. "I'll go get Trini."
"No," shaking his head blindly. "Trini's got enough problems as is, no need to add mine," Zhane croaked out and pressing firm fingers desperately into his temples to ease the pain. "Besides, she'll only knock me out and make me stay in the infirmary."
"Which is exactly where you should be," Cassie said as she check his pulse with no real idea what she was doing but it looked right. But she didn't need a medical degree to know that hiss heart was jumping much too fast to be healthy.
"If this is to be my last hours, I will not spend it unconscious," he informed her and tried to get up but stopped when his head felt too big for his neck to support. "I've been through that already, thank you. No need for a repeat performance."
"Don't even talk like that," Zack admonished sternly. "And by the way, can I just point out you're in no shape to be giving up powers that could potentially save your life?"
"What do you mean?" without opening his eyes. He was simply too tired.
Zack crossed his legs and sat down by Zhane's side, motioning with his head to Ashley. Despite the truth in Zhane's assessment as to what Trini would do, he would still feel better knowing that the doctor was informed. And plus it would save him a major ass kicking by Trini if she found out later and had wanted to be informed. "Everyone on this ship knows that the morphing powers of the Power Rangers are pretty awesome. It protects, strengthens, heals. It's probably helping to keep you alive right now cause from what the others are telling me, this thing Zordon gave you, it's killing you."
"Jason isn't an active ranger, and he's…"
"He's Jason," Zack said dismissively. "I don't expect anything less of my main man short of resurrection from the dead. And I wouldn't even put that pass him."
He wasn't sure why it was funny but it was. Zhane laughed weakly. "And if we were attacked right now without the full squadron of Rangers to protect us, we'd all be dead."
Having nothing to say to that, Zack patted the guy's shoulder. "Zhane…"
"Zack," he pronounced finally opening his eyes to stare straight up. And in his eyes, there reflected a seriousness that conveyed a conviction that Zack dared not oppose. "I'm as reluctant to give up these powers are you are in receiving them. I worked hard to be chosen and I have tried to live up to that honor the best I could all my life. But there is a reason Zordon chose us to be Rangers. We give more than we get and we give for the good of the whole. I know this is the right thing to do," he pressed the morpher into Zack's hand, giving himself a moment longer before releasing the power to the former Black Ranger… the new Silver Ranger. "And I know you will wear the uniform with pride just as I know that you are the right choice. Zordon doesn't make mistakes."
Sucking in his breath, Zack gave himself a moment as the shock receded. He's given up his power before, knowing how the flow of energy outward could feel but he's never received it from another, not like this. And for a moment, he felt invincible.
"Hey wait a minute," Cassie said, her nose wrinkling in concentration. All the little pieces of puzzles began to fall into place. "Purple, red and silver; three Astro morphers. Three former rangers that didn't have seals," she blinked rapidly. "You saying that Zordon planned this?"
Zhane gave her a grin that was so reminiscent of before this whole nightmare began and Cassie almost gave into the urge and kicked the downed man. "Like I said, Zordon doesn't make mistakes."
Teaser line from next chapter: "I agree with Zhane, it would so be like Zordon to plan for all this. He isn't revered for nothing. But how would you explain Justin?"
