A/N: Hi everyone! We are getting close to the end. There are three chapters left and I cannot wait for you all to see where we end up. Please remember to keep reading and reviewing to let me know how you are enjoying it!
:)
Tommy
Drakkon growled under his breath as he tried to sink the blade of the dagger into me. I moved, stretching out of the way as he swung it towards my torso. I watched as he twitched, saying nothing to the thin air behind me. I wasn't sure exactly what he was seeing or who he thought he was talking to but it seemed like it was making an impact on his fighting. He grew more aggressive and more combative the more he fought with thin air. I had to move more and more, quickly dodging everything he was sending my way. A small blast of energy hit me, knocking me off my feet. I climbed back up as he advanced on me, his gaze looking more crazed.
"You're useless. Nothing more than a pathetic human, trying to square up with a God. You have no right to try to look me in the eye and to challenge me. I was you once remember, Tommy? I know the power you have behind you. It's not matched to what I have coursing through my veins."
"Wow," I said, trying to catch my breath. "I thought you would be a smarter type of bad guy. Why is it that all you assholes want to do is stand there and gloat about how perfect you are before trying to finish off your opponent? It's like your ego controls you into needing to do it."
"To remind you where your place stands in this world," Drakkon replied.
"This is my world," I said through gritted teeth. "Finster was right, you know? When he tried warning the Ranger Slayer about you. You are cracking from the seams. Lord Zedd's powers aren't meant to be kept inside a human being. They are itching to get out and find a more suitable host. They are going to rip you to pieces, starting with your mind."
"It's too late, Tommy. You failed when I was but a man. What hope could you possibly have since I am a God?"
"You know, I didn't understand you when we first met. Why you - why I - would do this. But I've seen what you've gone through. I know what Rita did to you while you were under her spell and more. I know the truth about you, even the parts you've tried so hard to forget. The truth is that even if you do manage to kill us and take over our world, there still won't be enough power from any source to fix you." Drakkon laughed, shaking his head.
"You fool. You absolute fool." His eyes began to glow as he balled his hands into fists. "I don't know how you managed to survive for this long, Tommy. But I promise I am going to make your death the most painful one imaginable."
"I think you've made him mad," Saba said in my hand.
"Just a bit," I muttered, getting into a defensive fighting position. "If you have any ideas, now would be the time to voice them."
"Stay clear of those energy blasts. They seem to be climbing at an alarming rate. One just might kill you with just one hit." Drakkon grabbed his dagger and pointed it at me.
"I'm going to skin you alive and then do the same thing to the little brat version of you as well." Running forward, he went to sink the dagger into my sternum. I jumped back, deflecting with my blade of Saba. "I've been across the universes… traveled to the ends of the galaxy. I've never met someone so adamant to die."
"A seemingly infinite number of worlds. In every world you saw, there had to be a constant. Something tells me it was me; Tommy Oliver, the good guy. In every world, that is, except yours." I hit him with an uppercut to the chin, followed by a sweep of my sword. It nicked Drakkon in the chest, cutting his shirt just enough to see blood dripping from the cuts.
"You…you mean nothing to me. You're just another example of the weakness I've overcome." Bringing the dagger down, he slammed it into the floor. Energy blasted from it, sending me flying back. Drakkon let out a loud laugh as he walked toward me. I pulled myself up, cradling my elbow that I was sure had been sprained in my fall. Every part of Drakkon was glowing now. Behind him, I saw that Abby was as well as Kim did her best to reason with her. If I didn't stop this, she was going to be ripped apart too.
"Listen to me. It's not too late. Look around you. You can still have all those things you wanted as a human. Despite everything you've done, it's still not too late. Release Zedd's powers before they kill you. We can fix this. You don't have to be broken. You're not alone."
"I would rather die than bring myself to the same level as you." He said, the veins in his face seemingly glowing black. "I will have victory over you no matter to cost to you or myself." The energy was building in him, his eyes glowing white from it. I could hear whispers around him, coming from nowhere. Was that what he was hearing? They were faint to the point I couldn't understand or make out who was speaking but they were around us.
"I can help you!" I called out. He laughed, the dark sound echoing off the walls around us. He was growing to a point of a meltdown now, his body close to imploding from the strain of Zedd's powers. I thought of the history class lesson that Billy had taught us about Chornobyl when the reactor caused a meltdown and almost wiped out an entire country. I needed to stop him and get everyone away from him before he cleared everyone off the face of the Earth with him. "Think about Kimberly! Thank for the reasons you did all of this."
"She's gone. I ended that useless human emotion." He said, his words causing static in the air. It sounds like interference from static electricity when he spoke. The hair on my arms and the back of my neck was standing on end. He swung the dagger at me again. I held Saba up, protecting myself. When the blades hit, they were both sent flying from our hands from the power he was emitting. I glanced over and saw that Jason was trying to help the others to move the Ranger Slayer from the Command Center. Abby was glowing brighter now as Kim held her in her arms. Goldar was pinned by Silverback, the older brother having his sword pointed at Goldar's throat. A power move needed to be played right now and I had absolutely no idea what it could be. I felt helpless and fear crept into the back of my mind as I watched everything play out in slow motion around us.
I swung my fist at Drakkon's face, hoping to land a solid punch to his chin. He moved, only allowing me to clip his jaw slightly. He countered, trying to jab me in the ribs. I bent, bringing my knee up and landing it into his torso. He doubled slightly but was able to swing his legs under mine. I jumped, throwing me off balance. He blasted another shot of energy towards me and it hit me in the shoulder. Intense pain flooded my whole body as I fell backward. He towered over me, forming another ball of energy in his hands. It grew, resembling that of the one he used to kill Jason in the other world.
"Tommy, I have one last lesson for you that I was taught when I was about your age." He said. "Never trust anyone you don't have complete control of. It doesn't matter who the person is. The only one you know you can trust is yourself and most of the time, even that person isn't the one you should rely on."
"All the pain in your life is caused by you," I said. "You don't even have the know-how to see it. You've spent your entire life trying to take power from people who have done nothing to you. You've caused so much pain and destruction and for what? You aren't even happy enough to stop seeking what isn't yours. You had everything you wanted and you kept taking it. That's why the Ranger Slayer didn't want to go with you. That's why she turned on you. That's why Rita was able to take hold of you so easily. You see me as the weak one but you are the one who threw an entire life of happiness away to live someone else's sick nightmare." Drakkon's gaze went from me to something else on the other side of me.
"STOP LYING! I KNOW THE TRUTH!" He roared, the anger flaring in his eyes. He took several steps back, holding his head as he looked at the space behind me with rage. I took the chance to climb back to my feet, grabbing Saba again.
"Tommy!" Jason called out, running towards us. "This whole place is going to go. We gotta get out of here." I held my hand up, signaling him to stop where he was. I didn't want him to get hit by any energy that Drakkon was building up. I looked over across the room, seeing that Goldar had slain his brother and was flying from the room through the ceiling. My eyes landed on Kim and Abby through the smoke and the haze. Kim had her arms wrapped tightly around Abby in an embrace. Abby was clinging to her, crying into her shoulder. Energy spiked around them, it growing at an alarming rate to the point I could barely see them.
"Kimberly!" I called out, moving to run towards them. Drakkon shot a blast of energy though, nearly removing my head from my shoulders. I barely had enough time to duck from the attack. He smiled, a deranged look in his eyes.
"Seems your daughter is unable to control her powers. They will grow until they absorb everything in this room. Perhaps that is the most fitting way for the Power Rangers to die." Drakkon said, gripping the dagger in his hand. Energy flowed into the dagger, powering it up. "Even if I can't live long enough to see it, it will be the most suitable way to see your demise." I had to get to Kim and Abby. I didn't know what I was going to do for them but I knew I had to reach them before I was too late.
"She's just a kid!" I exclaimed. "She doesn't deserve this."
"No." He said. "But you do." He raised his hand, pointing the dagger at me. He turned though, pointing it at Kim and Abby. It glowed green as he gripped it tightly. "I'll make you suffer the same way I have. I'm going to destroy everything you have ever loved. This time, I'll make sure to gut Kimberly for real."
"No!" I yelled as a green light shot from the dagger. I lunged to tackle him as a white light completely filled the room.
It was like going from a rock concert to a church, the noise around us seemed to vanish in an instant. The silence was almost deafening and I strained to hear anything as the white light cleared from my vision. I saw that I was still surrounded by white, almost to the point it hurt my eyes to look around. I realized that I was no longer morphed and that there were streaks of different color lights now floating through the air around me. I realized it then that I was actually inside of the Morphing Grid. The usual loud noises and talking were gone though. The voice that had chanted each time I had entered before was now gone. It was quiet, a vacuum of nothing around me. I swore I could have heard a pin drop. It probably would have sounded like an atomic bomb going off in comparison to the nothingness.
"Tommy?" A voice said behind me. Turning, I saw that Kim was there. She was kneeling on the ground next to the Ranger Slayer who was wincing in pain, holding her side. Kimberly held her other hand, looking around. When her eyes landed on me, she gave me a worried look. "Where's Abby?" Kim asked. She stood looking around us. "She was here with me when everything changed. Where is she now? Where are we?"
"We're inside the Morphin Grid," I replied. She gasped.
"She didn't have a Power Coin." She said. "The grid probably ripped her apart." I went to move towards her when I noticed that there was another person next to them.
It was Drakkon.
He stirred, rolling onto his side before climbing to his feet. The energy that had been around him and in him was gone now. As he stood and glanced around, I saw that his eyes were back to normal now. I moved, putting myself between the girls and him. I took a defensive stance, ready for him. We were all unmorphed now, our civilian clothes on. Drakkon looked down at his hands, spreading his fingers as he tried to make an energy ball appear. Nothing happened though, his palms remaining empty. He tried again, concentrating on it harder. There was still nothing though, frustration growing on his face.
"Seems like your powers are worthless here in the Grid," I said, glaring at him. He shook his head, turning his sights on me.
"I don't need them to finish you." He replied. He raised his leg, going for a kick. I deflected it, pushing it away from me. He went high this time with his fist, knocking me slightly in the jaw. It didn't send me back but I saw stars for a minute or two. When I could focus again, I went into a counterattack. I made a number of quick jabs at Drakkon, landing some punches to the ribs. He was slower here, not having the advantage of his powers. I suspected that during his time having those powers, he had allowed himself to not practice his karate or hand-to-hand combat powers. He had used the powers as his main weapon and now, his defenses were duller than before.
"Kim? Kim!" I heard Kimberly say behind me as I swept Drakkon's feet from under him. He landed on his back, stunned by my advantage. Looking over at Kim, I saw that she was lightly smacking the Ranger Slayer on the cheek, trying to get her to respond. "Kimberly, wake up." She said, louder this time. The Ranger Slayer didn't move, her skin beginning to pale quickly. Kim raised her eyes to look at me, tears welling in them. "I think she's…." Her voice trailed off as my eyes widened. Drakkon slowly pulled himself to his feet, panting to catch his breath. I glared at him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.
"See what you fucking did? Everything you fucking fought for, everything you did to everyone. It was all worthless now. You killed the one person in the whole world that wanted nothing but the best for you." I seethed. "She fought for you and tried to save you. You ran her down like it was nothing without batting an eye."
"It needed to happen," Drakkon said, casting his eyes to look at her. "Sacrifices need to be made to achieve greatness."
"Well, I feel like you're going to be the next one." I spat, gripping his shirt tighter.
"Tommy! Something is happening!" Kim called out. Turning, I saw that the Ranger Slayer was beginning to glow a bright pink color. It enclosed her entire body, making her skin seem fluorescent under the light. It was blinding, causing me to let Drakkon go with one hand to shield my eyes from the brightness. As quickly as it started, it faded. I dropped my hand once it was gone and saw that she slowly began to stir. "Kimberly!" Kim said as the Ranger Slayer slowly fluttered her eyes open.
"What happened?" She asked, her voice hoarse as Kim helped her sit up slightly to look around. "The last thing I remember was the Command Center." Her eyes took in where we were, them widening as she realized. "Are we in the Grid?"
"Yes. Yes, you are." A different voice said from what seemed like a far-off distance. We all turned our attention towards the direction we thought it came from. There were echoing footsteps approaching us now, almost sounding like they were coming from a long hallway. I could see no one though. I realized Drakkon fully now, moving so that I was standing in front of Kim and the Ranger Slayer. I didn't know exactly what was going on here but the two of them were in a vulnerable position and I didn't want to leave them open for any kind of attack from anyone.
To the right of us, a shadow began to form in the whiteness of the Grid. The colors that had been streaking around seemed to avoid that spot at all cost as the image of a person began to form more clearly. I felt my eyes widen in shock as a man appeared, his broad shoulders covered in a nice leather jacket. Blue jeans covered his legs along with some work boots. On his chest was a faded red t-shirt under the jacket. The bearded face of Jason from Drakkon's world stood there, a smile on his face as he looked as us. The light around him dulled, returning back to the normal glow of the Grid.
Terrific. We died and all Rangers come to the Grid in the afterlife.
"Jason?" The Ranger Slayer whispered. She moved, Kim helping her to her feet. She seemed unharmed now, the blood that had been seeping from her gone from her clothes. It was as if she had never gone to the Command Center at all.
"Hey, Kimmy," Jason said, smirking over at her. "You feeling better? You were looking a little banged up there for a minute."
"What's going on?" Slayer asked. "I thought you were…" She trailed off, unable to speak the words we were all thinking. I saw that Drakkon was glaring at Jason, probably trying to figure out exactly how he keeps coming back from the dead each time he kills him.
"Oh, I am," Jason replied, tucking his hands in his pockets. "But, I got a call to come back to action one last time by someone. And I just couldn't turn it down."
"By who? Zordon?" I questioned. Jason shook his head, scratching his beard.
"Ehh…not exactly." Next to him, another light began to glow. This time, it was more of a light pink hue. Like before, the streaks moved away from this area. Another shadow appeared, only this one was much smaller than Jason. The figure of a little girl appeared, stepping out like it was an invisible doorway. When the light vanished, I saw that it was a younger version of Abby standing next to him. Abby smiled at us, her features just radiating that of Kimberly more than ever.
"Abby!" Kimberly exclaimed, running forward. She wrapped her arms around Abby tightly, pulling her into her body. Abby returned the hug, burning her face into the crook of Kim's neck. "Thank God you are alright. I thought I lost you."
"I'm okay. It was getting scary out there so I asked someone to get us out of there. That's how we ended up here." Abby said as Kim pulled away slightly to look at her.
"The Grid listened to you?" The Slayer asked. Abby nodded, the hair around her face bouncing as she did. "How did you do that?"
"It's complicated," Jason replied. "I'm not even sure if I understand it all. What I do know is that it's all because of you." Jason turned his sights on Drakkon who glowered at him. "Dude, I don't know why you are looking like I stole your birthday and canceled Christmas. All of this is your fault."
"You're like a cockroach that doesn't want to be stepped on," Drakkon said. "It doesn't matter though. I've killed you once. I've killed you twice. Apparently, the third time will have to be the charm." Drakkon moved to step forward to attack Jason. Abby glared at him though, pointing a finger at him.
"No!" She said. Drakkon suddenly came to a halt, frozen in his spot. "There's a reason this is happening and you all need to listen." The five-year-old said. She stepped away from Kim and stood in front of Drakkon. "And the story starts with you."