Instrument of Destruction
Dressed in a soft pink leotard with a matching skirt and slippers, Emma danced around the Angel Grove High auditorium, her blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail tied with a pink scrunchie. A soft, piano melody filled the air as she gracefully moved across the floor, her arms outstretched and toes pointed.
A strange mechanical sound caught her attention and she stopped her practicing, spotting a small squadron of Cogs on the other side of the auditorium doors. "What're they doing here?" Emma mumbled to herself as she watched them disappear from sight. She quickly grabbed her pink duffle bag and ran out of the school auditorium, catching the Cogs turn a hallway corner.
The same piano melody echoed through the halls as Emma followed the Cogs towards the source of the music, which was coming from an empty classroom. Not wasting time, Emma charged into the room after the Cogs, just as another figure in a black cloak ran out the other door. The Cogs turned to face Emma, who prepped a fighting stance, "Your move, bolt brains." she said as a smirk crossed her lips.
The mechanical footsoldiers exchanged looks and retreated back to the Machine Sky Base via a portal, leaving the lone teenager with a shocked look on her face. "Whatever." Emma sighed, loosening her stance and exhaling heavily. She adjusted her duffle strap over her shoulder and walked out of the classroom, heading to the parking lot.
"And they just took off?" Adam questioned, leaning against the row of lockers.
"Yeah." Emma answered, grabbing her Literature binder and textbook. "Weird right?" she glanced between Adam and Tommy.
"Yeah." Tommy nodded in agreement. "I wonder why the Cogs would be so interested in music." Adam and Emma shrugged their shoulders in response.
One of the faculty members, Ms. Rodriguez, approached the trio, "Adam, just the student I was looking for." she greeted with a smile, handing the green-clad teen a sheet of paper, "I've made some changes to your class schedule."
"Was there a problem with it before?" Adam asked, glancing at his new class lineup.
"I did some checking and found that you have already taken Creative Writing twice since you've transferred from Stone Canyon." the school counselor informed.
"But I got an 'A' both times." Adam reminded with a grin.
"Exactly my point." Ms. Rodriguez noted. "I think you need more of a challenge, so I switched out Creative Writing for Music Appreciation." She gave a nod to the three seniors before walking off to talk to another student.
"Music Appreciation." Bulk chuckled as he and Skull popped up behind Adam, who turned on his heels and moved to stand between Tommy and Emma. "You and a bunch of losers sittin' around listening to boring old music." he laughed. "Sounds like loads of fun, eh, Skull?" Bulk nudged his skinnier companion.
"Yeah, what a bunch of dweebs!" Skull laughed. "Listening to classical music and talking about it? Ha, I say." he shouted. "Double I say it again, Ha-ha!"
"Skullovitch." Bulk cut him off. "We get the point."
Emma placed her hand on Adam's shoulder, "Well, I think it's great that Adam is trying something new and different." she spoke up.
"Yeah." Tommy agreed, placing his hand on Adam's other shoulder. "After all, he's already great at Creative Writing, so Music Appreciation will be a challenge."
Ms. Rodriguez walked up and tapped Skull's shoulder, "Ah, Mr. Skullovitch, just the bright, young scholar I wanted to see." she smiled, leading him down the hall, "I made a few adjustments to your class schedule as well."
Seeing the dreaded look on Skull's face as he was led away made the three Ranger teens chuckle. Emma tucked some of her hair behind her ear, "Adam, if you run into that mystery piano player in Music Appreciation, send him my way, okay?" she asked.
"Why?" he questioned with a slightly raised brow.
"I need an accompanist for my dance recital on Saturday, and the piece he's been playing this past week is the same as my recital performance." the blonde answered. "So, please?" she pleaded, giving her fellow ranger a small smile.
Adam nodded and patted her back, "Sure Em." he agreed. He waved goodbye to his friends and headed for the music classroom.
"My dance recital is Saturday." Emma repeated, her eyes widening slightly as she gripped her book and binder. "Oh boy."
"C'mon Em, don't tell me you're nervous." Tommy chuckled, leaning against the row of lockers. "You've been practicing for weeks. You'll do great."
The pair started walking towards the English classroom. "Doesn't mean I'm not nervous about performing in front of a large crowd." Emma replied, nervously twisting some of her hair around her finger. "And add on to the fact that my mum's bringing the video camera..."
Tommy wrapped his arm around the blonde's shoulders, "You'll do fine." he assured, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Besides, the rest of us will be there to support you."
"Still not helping." Emma sighed, flipping her hair off her shoulder.
"What are you performing anyway?" Tommy asked as they turned the hallway corner.
Emma bit her lip as she clutched her class book and binder, "The prologue of Swan Lake." she answered with a small smile. "It's only performed in like half of the official ballet performances, but still, it's a complicated movement."
Still seeing the hint of nervousness reflected in her blue eyes, Tommy pulled Emma to his side in a one-armed hug, "I know you're nervous now, but just wait." he reassured. "Come Saturday, you'll stand on that stage and all those nerves will melt away."
A small smile crossed her lips as Emma leaned into his side, "Thanks Tommy." she glanced up at the red-clad male. "That helps a little."
"Hey, that's what friends are for." Tommy reminded, nudging her arm as they walked into class.
Adam took a seat by the piano in the music classroom as he waited for Music Appreciation to start. He lightly tapped a few of the keys, stringing together a few notes that made a few students blink in shock, including Skull, who sat in the back corner seat. "Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked, smacking his gum.
"We had a piano when I was little." Adam answered simply.
The bell rang and the teacher, Mr. Hamm cleared his throat. "Good morning class, I'm Music Appreciation and this is Mr. Hamm." he introduced, before realizing he mixed up the introduction, which some students laughed at. "No, this Hamm Appreciation and I'm Mr. Music." the a couple more students laughed at the second mix-up.
Skull just leaned back in his seat, continuing to smack his gum as he rested his legs on his desk. "Now, before we get started..." Mr. Hamm continued, "...there is a dance recital on Saturday at the Angel Grove Symphony Hall, and those who attend will be granted extra credit. Now, let's begin today's lesson."
Meanwhile up on the Machine Skybase, King Mondo paced back and forth, ranting about his Cogs' earlier failure at capturing the mystery pianist. "Go back down to Earth and collect that musician for my Queen at once!" he ordered with a wave of his staff.
A group of five Cogs obeyed and returned to Earth via a portal where they hid behind the school while the students left. Once the coast was clear, they made their way to the Music Room window, hearing the pianist at work once more.
Inside the school, Emma, Tommy, and Adam collected some last minute things from their lockers before making their way to the parking lot. "You don't have to work today Em?" Adam asked as the three friends walked the halls.
"Nope." Emma shook her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth. "I've got dance practice at Angel Grove Symphony Hall, since that's where our recital is being held this weekend." She adjusted the strap of her duffle bag. "Madam Dubois wants us to get a feel for our performance space so she's moved rehearsals to the symphony hall for the week. Ernie gave me the week off to practice."
As the three teens walked together, they stopped when they heard the piano melody echo through the halls. "Listen guys." Emma halted. "That's him. The mystery piano player."
"How can you be sure?" Tommy questioned.
"Because, the piece that's being played right now." the blonde continued, pausing for a moment to better listen, "It's a piece from Swan Lake, the same piece I've been practicing to all week."
The three teens traced the music to the source, the same classroom as the previous day. However, just as Emma was reaching for the door handle, five Cogs materialized in front of them, standing ready to fight. With no one else in the hall other than them, Tommy, Emma, and Adam dropped their school bags and activated their Zeonizers.
"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger IV, Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V, Red!"
The Rangers and Cogs engaged in battle in the empty school hallway, fighting to the tune of the piano music as it played through various movements of the Swan Lake ballet.
"Well, this is quite the ensemble." the Pink Ranger giggled, tapping the toe of her boot on the floor. The Pink and Green Zeo Rangers each took on a pair of Cogs while their leader took on the final one.
While the two male rangers used their martial arts training in their fights, the lone female let out her inner dancer and gracefully dodged each attack from the Cogs she fought. A chill rippled in the air around her as the Pink Ranger moved her arms in different motions, and spinning on the tips of her boots.
One of the other Cogs managed to trip up the Pink Ranger and she stumbled, but was caught by her red-uniformed teammate, who spun her once around as they both nailed their opponents with a high-powered kick.
In the midst of the commotion, the cloaked student emerged from the Music Room and came upon the fight in progress. Upon seeing the human, the mechanical footsoldiers dismissed the Zeo Rangers and went after their intended target.
"Not so fast." the Green Ranger called out, knocking a Cog aside, which caused it to spill the mop bucket set outside the janitorial closet, covering a portion of the hallway floor in water.
The Pink Ranger quickly turned the water into a sheet of ice, causing three of the Cogs to slip and fall into eachother. Zeo Ranger V quickly took care of the two remianing Cogs, tossing them into their fellow machines. The five footsoldiers sparked and collapsed onto the floor with smoke billowing from a couple of them.
"Hey, where's the pianist?" asked Zeo Ranger IV, looking around.
"He must've slipped out the back while we were fighting the Cogs." noted Zeo Ranger I, her hands on her hips. In flashes of Green, Pink, and Red light, the Rangers de-morphed. "Did either of you see who he was under that cloak?" Emma asked her two male teammates.
"Sorry Em." Adam shook his head.
"Well, whoever he is, King Mondo obviously wants him for something." Tommy added. "The question is, why?"
Emma and Adam both shrugged, "Knowing Mondo, we'll find out soon enough." Emma sighed.
"We also know it can't be good." Adam followed with a nod.
Tommy offered to drive Emma to her dance rehearsal while Adam planned to meet up with Tanya and Rocky at the Youth Center. On his way to his car, he found a crumpled up piece of paper with writing scribbled on it. "Piano Lessons, 4:30 Thursday, Symphony Hall." he read aloud, "That's today."
Adam climbed into his car and drove towards the Symphony Hall, knowing that the mysterious piano player was still in danger.
"Oh those Cogs are so inept." King Mondo huffed.
"Never send a Cog to do a monster's job, right dad?" questioned Prince Sprocket.
"You're right son." Mondo praised. "A monster is just what I need. I will turn that school's little piano into the mighty Fortissimodo!" With a blast from his staff, he turned the small, brown wooden piano into a large black & silver robotic piano monster with a cape and top hat, and a curled mustache.
"At your service, King Mondo." Fortissimodo saluted, bowing to the mechanical monarch.
"Go down to Earth and capture that cloaked piano player." King Mondo ordered his creation. "He is to be the personal musician of the Royal House of Gadgetry."
Fortissimodo nodded in confirmation of his order and traveled back to Earth with a large squadron of Cogs.
As Adam pulled up to the Angel Grove Symphony Hall, he saw the cloaked student from the school being grabbed by Cogs. Ducking behind a large tree so as not to be spotted, Adam readied his Zeonizer.
"It's Morphin Time. Zeo Ranger IV, Green!"
"King Mondo demands your presence as the musician to the royal court." Fortissimodo cackled. "You are to be a birthday present for Queen Machina."
Zeo Ranger IV fired his laser pistol at a couple of Cogs, gaining the attention of the rest. "Let this person go and deal with me." he challenged, standing tall against the robotic instrument.
"Only for a measure or two." Fortissimodo joked.
"Alright then." the Green Ranger charged into the fight, buying time for the cloaked stranger to run into the safety of the Symphony Hall. Summoning his weapons, the Green Ranger continued to fight off the Cogs, but couldn't manage to break through to the main monster. "I will stop you." he vowed as he defeated two more Cogs.
"You and what orchestra?" Fortissimodo taunted.
In the Power Chamber, Alpha-5 could only watch in horror as Adam was outnumbed against the agents of the Machine Empire. "Oh, ai-yi-yi-yi-yi." the small robot whined as yellow, pink, red, and blue lights flashed behind him.
"What's goin on?" Rocky asked, glancing between Alpha and Zordon.
"Observe the Viewing Globe, Rangers." Zordon advised, the four teens complying. Images of the fight going on at Symphony Hall played on the screen. "King Mondo's latest creature is a powerful instrument of destruction. According to Adam, Fortissimodo will not rest until he's captured the mysterious pianist."
"He's outnumbered." Tanya pointed out, watching as her teammate fought off the mechanical footsoldiers.
"Then there's no time to lose. Let's get to the Zeo Jet Cycles." Tommy voted. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger V, Red!"
With the speed of their Zeo Jet Cycles, the rest of the Rangers made it to Symphony Hall and quickly jumped into battle to aid their teammate. "Time to teach these guys a new tune." chuckled the Yellow Ranger as she kicked a Cog out of the way and stood by the Green Ranger.
In a bright flash, Fortissimodo grew into a larger version of himself, to where he now towered over the Symphony Hall. He spotted the cloaked piano player hiding behind the bushes, "You are mine now, little musician." cackled the giant monster.
"Only if you get past us!" retorted Zeo Ranger V as he and the other Rangers stood tall, ready to fight.
Fortissimodo blasted the five Zeo Rangers with a powerful breath of fire, which they dodged, only to be surrounded by the remaining Cogs. "Man, this is one tough crowd." sighed Zeo Ranger III.
"Everyone's a critic these days." added Zeo Ranger I.
The five Zeo Rangers summoned their weapons and took on as many Cogs as they could. Once the footsoldiers were all taken care of, it was time for the Rangers to defeat the grand piano himself.
"We need ZeoZord Power, now!" the five Rangers called as they summoned their Zords.
"Alright, let's do this." Zeo Ranger IV voted, his Zord charging into battle.
"I'm with you Adam." Zeo Ranger II added, unleashing the fire power of her Zord.
"Hey, save some for us." chuckled Zeo Ranger III as his Zord roared in agreement.
"All for one, and one for all." giggled Zeo Ranger I as she fired her Zord's weapons.
After bombarding Fortissimodo with their individual Zords, the Rangers combined them and formed the ZeoMegazord. "Alright, it's time we changed that piano's tune." Zeo Ranger V stated.
"Right." agreed the other four Rangers.
"What's the matter Rangers?" taunted Fortissimodo. "Don't you like my monstrous melody?" He began playing his keys, creating large music notes which exploded upon impact with the Megazord.
But, that wasn't enough to stop the Rangers. They fought back with some punches of their own, putting Fortissimodo on the defensive. The ZeoMegazord summoned it's saber and with one final slash, the robotic instrument was defeated.
After her dance practice, Emma found the mystery piano player in a practice room of the Angel Grove Symphony Hall. She carefully approached him, wanting to know who it was under the cloak. The pianist was playing the tune of Swan Lake's finale movement, a soft melody for a tragic ending of the original score.
As the movement ended, Emma yanked the hood of the cloak down, revealing a head of black hair. The pianist looked over his shoulder and Emma's eyes widened, "Skull?" she questioned, blinking. "You're the mysterious piano player?"
"No." Skull denied with a shake of his head as he gathered the sheet music from the stand. "Yeah." he sighed a moment later, shoving the papers into his backpack.
"How-When did you learn to play like that?" Emma asked, grabbing his jacket to halt him. "Skull, that was amazing."
Skull just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "My mom started me on piano lessons when I was three." he answered. "I've been studying with this guy here at the Symphony Hall ever since. It's no big deal."
"No big deal?" Emma repeated. "You kidding?" She tapped the pink duffle strap resting on her shoulder.
"Look, if anyone ever found out that I liked classical music." the black-haired male went on. "And Bulk...he'd never quit makin' fun of me."
The blonde female rolled her eyes, "Skull, you should be proud of your talent." she pointed out. "Not ashamed and hide it away."
"I don't want anybody to laugh at me." Skull admitted.
Emma shook her head, "Nobody will laugh. In fact, they'll respect you." she rebuffed, with a small smile. "Look, you've been playing the entire score of Swan Lake when you've been playing at the school. And, I've been practicing my dance routine for my upcoming recital to your playing. What do you say?" Emma arched her brow and met Skull's eyes, "Will you be my accompanist for my recital on Saturday? Please?"
"What about Bulk?" Skull pressed.
Emma sighed heavily, "If he's really your friend, then he'll be proud of what you can do." she replied. "So...will you accompany me on Saturday?" She asked against with a wider smile and a few bats of her eyes.
Skull pondered what she said for a moment before giving a nod, "Sure." he answered with a small smile of his own. "You want to do a few run throughs right now?"
"Absolutely." Emma set her dance duffle on the floor by the piano as Skull sat down, placing the sheet music for Swan Lake's prologue on the music stand. "Ready when you are." Emma glanced at him as she prepped her stance for her first move.
Skull cracked his knuckles and gently tapped the keys as he began to play the melody. He glanced up from his sheet music every once in a while to watch Emma gracefully execute her own dance movements.
The floor seats of the performance space at Symphony Hall was packed full of family and friends of the performers from Madame Dubois' School of Dance. Her middle-school and high-school aged dancers were performing pieces from different ballets. Emma watched as a petite brunette finished up her performance and bowed as the crowd applauded.
"Good job Myrtle." Emma praised as the smaller female passed her. "That was great."
Myrtle gave Emma a once-over look and replied "I know." as she turned her nose up and walked away.
The applause died down as Madam Dubois stood behind the microphone, "Next, our last performance of the afternoon." she stated with a grin. "Performing the prologue from Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake', Miss Emma Gilbert, and her accompanist, Mr.-" she glanced down at her reference paper, "-Eugene Skullovitch."
In the crowd Emma's parents and brother started applauding as did Tanya, Adam, Tommy and Rocky. They all smiled as Emma walked onto the stage with Skull escorting her. Emma had her hair pulled up into a neat bun tied with an ice pink ribbon, a small white feathered headpiece and wore a white dress with a thin piece of fabric wrapped around her fluffed skirt, along with white leggings and white slippers.
Lisa Gilbert's eyes welled with moisture as she smiled, watching her daughter standing on the stage with the spotlight on her. She held the video camera up to get the best view she could, exchanging a look with her husband, Neil. Elliot sat up straight and focused his attention on his sister, smiling slightly just in case she could see him. Next to Elliot sat Tanya, who as grinning ear to ear. Beside Tanya sat Adam, then Rocky, and finally Tommy, who gave Emma an encouraging smile.
From the stage, Emma spotted her family and friends and felt her nerves melt away as Skull began playing the music. From the first note, everything else became a blur and Emma danced across the stage, her legs perfectly straight and pointed, while the rest of her body was fluid and graceful.
Bulk walked into the performance hall and sat down next to Tommy, and once he turned his eyes onto the stage, his jaw dropped. And it wasn't because of Emma's ballet, but because of Skull's playing. In that moment, his opinions on classical music had changed and he was impressed at his best friend's talent.
The tempo of the music increased and in a quick motion, the fabric around Emma's skirt was tossed aside, revealing her a feather-textured tutu. Emma moved back to the center of the stage, her arms moving at her sides as she backed away from the spotlight, the music dying down. As Skull played the last few notes, Emma closed her eyes and sank down to her knees, lowering her head as the music stopped.
The Gilbert family and the Rangers jumped to their feet and applauded, all grinning ear to ear. Skull helped Emma to her feet and they both smiled and bowed to the audience. Emma stepped back and applauded for Skull, who took another bow before escorting the blonde ballerina off the stage.
The dancers from Madam Dubois' school met up with their family and friends outside of the performance hall. Emma had changed out of her costume and was now wearing her black yoga pants and a light pink top, her hair pulled into a ponytail. She found her family and was instantly embraced by her younger brother.
"That was amazing, Em." Elliot said, his arms wrapped around his sister.
"Thanks." the older blonde chuckled, ruffling his hair. She next hugged her parents, who whispered praises in her ear.
Tanya was the first of her friends to hug her and Emma instantly returned it, squeezing her best friend tightly. "That was so beautiful Em." Tanya smiled, rubbing her friend's back.
"Thank you." Emma replied with a smile. She was next hugged by Rocky and Adam. "I'm glad you guys could be here. I appreciate it."
Tommy held out a small bouquet of multi-colored flowers, "These are from all of us." he told her as she took it. "Told you you'd do great."
"Thanks Tommy." Emma smiled and wrapped her arm around him and rested her head against his shoulder. "They're lovely, thanks guys."
"So how did you get Skull to play for you?" Adam asked.
Emma shrugged her shoulders, "I asked politely and wouldn't take no for an answer." she chuckled.
As Skull weaved his way through the crowd, he was pulled aside and was shocked to see that it was Bulk. "That... was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard." Bulk told his friend, patting his shoulder.
Skull blinked in surprise, "But...I thought you said only dweebs play music."
"Well, I was wrong." Bulk admitted. The pair didn't realize they were within hearing distance of Emma and her friends and family. "Sorry man."
They turned and saw the Gilberts and the Ranger teens smiling at them. "Hey guys, we were gonna head out and grab a bite to eat." Emma informed motioning between herself and Tanya, Adam, Rocky and Tommy. "Wanna join us?"
The two friends exchanged a look and nodded, "Sure. Thanks." Bulk answered.
"Great." Rocky clasped his hands together. "Let's go."
Emma handed off her bouquet and dance duffle to her father and left with her friends. Neil and Lisa couldn't help but smile as they watched Emma smile as she talked with Skull and Adam, and laugh at something Bulk had said. They were happy that she had found new friends to be around, knowing that she missed her old ones back in Australia.
A/N: Another chapter down, lots more to go. Again sorry for the long wait on the update for this story. You guys have no idea how long it takes to make sure each of these chapters are as perfect as I can get them without sounding like I'm repeating myself with the fight sequences. Anywho, I hoped you guys enjoyed it and please leave a review. Thanks.
Also, this chapter is dedicated to a new friend of mine. A complete sweetheart by the name of pterapink21. Thank you for being a supporter of my "No Ordinary Ranger" series and a supporter of my future Power Ranger fics as well. Ya'll be on the lookout for stories posted by Ptera, they're gonna be amazing. Happy Birthday Ptera! Hope it's a great one.
Next time: Mr Billy's Wild Ride.
Now for review questions/comments:
pterapink21: Thank you for your support and I'm so glad we became friends over PM exchanges. As a thank you, here's a chapter for your birthday. Hope you enjoy it. I look forward to your PR fics in the near future. Thanks for being my friend Ptera, you rock!
Guest: Even though my Dino Thunder fic is a while away, I'm glad you like the idea of Emma returning as the Pink Ranger. Be on the lookout for it.
Djone246: As interesting as that idea sounds, timeline wise it would be kind of impossible for Tommy and Emma to have a Ranger-appropriate aged child in time for Megaforce. With the crossover of H2O, I've modernized the MMPR-Turbo seasons so the years are off. Also, I'm not as familiar with the Megaforce season and I don't have plans to write a story for that.
Demongirl123: I'm glad you liked the Billy/Emma cousin moments in the last chapter and hope you like the Ranger friendship moments and the Ranger/Bulk and Skull friendship in this chapter as well. I have a soft spot for those two, they're such lovable goofs. Anyway, Billy will return in the next chapter so yay! Thanks for the love and support sis!
Arianna Le Fay: Always happy to see a new user review. I'm glad you liked my crossover idea. Yes, Emma does have her snow power from H2O season two. In fact, this story takes placed after H2O season two, as my own way of explaining Emma's absence from H2O season three. There are some hints of a brewing romance between Tommy and Emma, but they won't officially become a couple till later. Wait and see.
RiveraJ88: Again, glad to see a new user review. I'm glad you like the series and hope you'll stick with it to see what happens next.
Starlight77: To answer your question, no I do not have any plans for the Rangers to go to Mako Island or have anything to do with Eva's Comet. Anyway, hope you'll stick with the series regardless and hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Till next time everyone.
~Cyber