Chapter Twenty-two - The Visit
The pentagram continued to burn on the floor of the darkened Power Chamber. Rocky and Katherine quickly crossed themselves, hoping it would provide protection from the unholy marking before them.
A pillar of fire suddenly shot straight up out of the center of the pentagram. The pillar blew away, leaving only the burning pentagram. Jenga stood in the middle of the circle.
The red and orange flames danced all around her, but she didn't seem to be burned. Her hair was pulled over to her right, effectively hiding half of her face. Her left eye seemed to produce a vibrant green glow. She stood seductively, her arms behind her back to provide an unobstructed view of her body. She wore a slinky black gown. The hemline was jagged but purposely cut to look like flames. Black stockings covered her legs, and black heels adorned her feet.
"Jenga," Adam whispered, instantly wishing he hadn't said anything.
"Are you the devil?" Kimberly asked in a frightened voice.
Jenga smiled and turned in Kimberly's direction. "I'm flattered, really, but no. But as far as you are concerned, I might as well be."
"What do you want?" Billy asked.
Jenga stepped off of the pentagram, which continued to burn as brightly as ever. She slowly walked over to Katherine, who had her eyes clenched shut and was praying as fast as she could.
"What do any of us want, Billy?" Jenga asked. "We want to be happy."
Jenga stopped before Kat. She reached out and took Katherine's face in her hands. Kat screamed, but Jenga shushed her. "Don't scream, Katherine," Jenga said. "You don't know what fear is. Yet."
"Leave her alone!!" Tommy bellowed. He ran at Jenga. The demoness turned around and pointed her hand at Tommy. Blue light burst from each fingertip and struck Tommy. With a scream of pain, he was thrown backwards. He landed on his back, legs straight up in the air, in front of Kimberly and Billy. They quickly helped their fallen comrade to his feet.
"What will make you happy?" Billy asked.
"Your deaths, for starters," Jenga said. "Destruction of the Morphing Grid for another."
"It's Morph-" Tommy started to yell.
"No!" Billy cried. "We can't morph with her in here!"
Jenga frowned at Billy. "Spoilsport," she said. Jenga left Katherine and strolled over to a nearby computer console.
"Why can't we morph?" Tanya asked.
"Rules work differently in the Power Chamber," Jenga said. "You morph in here, I can jump into the Morphing Grid and destroy it before your helmet has latched shut."
"You also can't kill us in here," Billy said bravely. "Zordon may not be here, but his spell still applies."
"Yes," Jenga agreed, nodding. "That is true. I cannot kill you here. However," and with that she pulled a dagger from the black belt around her waist. The handle and blade were both shiny silver. It was rather undecorated, but it was incredibly sharp. Jenga balanced the dagger by its point on her index finger. "There are soooo many ways to inflict pain without causing death. Billy?" She pointed her free index finger at Billy. A blue lasso of light shot across the distance between them and wrapped around his body several times. Jenga smiled. The blue rope of light pulled Billy to Jenga.
"Look Billy," Jenga said. She ran her fingers through his hair. "We're the same height." She licked his left cheek. "You're frightened. I can taste it through your skin. Why? We've already established I can't kill you."
"Leave Billy alone," Trini growled. She walked across the darkened Power Chamber. "You killed the Earth, you killed our parents and friends, and you killed Perkiz. I've had it with you."
Jenga pointed her dagger at Trini. "I've just begun," Jenga said. A ball of blue light shot out of the end of the dagger and struck Trini in the chest. Trini was knocked backwards. Bulk caught her before she hit the ground.
"You should join our side, Billy," Jenga said. With the tip of her dagger, she cut the top button of his shirt off. As his shirt slipped a fraction more open, the ropes moved around. They tied his hands together behind his back and kept his legs bound tightly. "There is so much that could be yours, Billy." She cut yet another button off. "Have you seen Diva Tox? She would let you have your way with her." Jenga cut yet another button off. She bent down slightly and kissed him at the base of his neck.
Trini looked over at Zack and Jason and waved him over. "I've got an idea," she whispered to Tommy and Kimberly. "We can call on the Sword of Power. We might actually be able to hurt her with it."
"We need Billy to call on it," Tommy said.
Rocky hurried over to the original Rangers. An idea came to him, and he walked over to Billy and Jenga.
Jenga pulled Billy's shirt out of his jeans. "Aren't you going to talk to me?" she asked innocently. She cut the last button off. "Such a shame too. I love the color blue."
"I'm blue," Rocky said.
Jenga looked over at him. With a slight chuckle, she said, "You aren't smart. What do you have that I might actually want?"
Rocky stepped up to Jenga until he was just a few inches from his face. "Me," Rocky said. In a sudden move that surprised everyone in the room, he pulled the demon into his arms and kissed her. His mouth completely covered hers, and without hesitation, thrust his tongue into her mouth.
With a moan, Jenga pushed Billy away. He fell straight back. Upon hitting the floor, the blue rope broke away, freeing Billy. Jason pulled him to his feet and yanked him over to the side.
"Oh my," Jenga giggled. She pulled a few inches away from Rocky. "I am married, you know."
"Doesn't bother me," Rocky said.
"I'm not saying I won't keep you," Jenga said. She ran a hand up underneath Rocky's blue t-shirt. "We can still .... play." She raised the dagger up in the air. In a quick swipe, she cut his shirt straight down the front. "I don't know what it is about you Earth men, but it makes me tingle and feel all warm inside."
Rocky, realizing he had gone too far to stop, pushed the remaining shreds of his t-shirt off. "You know what, Rocky?" she asked. "You will be the very last Earthling alive. Of course, I'll put an immortality spell on you, as well as something to ensure you remain evil."
"Huh?" Rocky asked. "Evil?"
"Well, no offense, but all you are feeling for me now is sexual attraction," Jenga said. "That's well and good, but it won't last for the rest of time." She kissed him along the right side of his neck. "A spell will."
Rocky laughed nervously. "Why don't we wait for the sexual attraction to wear off before you put the spell on me?"
"Don't worry about that now," Jenga said. She slid her hands down his bare chest.
Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Jason, Zack, and Trini stood in a circle. "Who gets the Sword?" Tommy asked.
"I don't know," Billy admitted. "We haven't called on it often enough to really know how it works."
Simultaneously, they said, "Sword of Power." Their respective colors flowed down their arms, except for Tommy whose light was green. The colors combined, and darted through Kimberly's body. The tarnished Sword appeared in her outside hand.
"Me?" Kimberly asked. "Why me? What do I do?"
"Just go fight Jenga," Zack encouraged, "before she rapes Rocky."
Jenga kissed back down Rocky's neck, pausing to take a nip at his shoulder. "I can't wait to get you home to show you off. We've never had a Rogue Ranger before," she sighed. Using both hands, she traced her nails down his chest. Rocky uttered a deep moan, astonished that despite his fear her hands felt so good on his bare skin.
Suddenly, Rocky jumped away. Jenga gave him an angry push and dropped to the ground in a full split as the Sword of Power swung above her head. "You slut," Jenga spat. Her dagger quickly lengthened, becoming a full fledged Sword.
"You should talk," Kimberly said. She raised the Sword of Power above her head and brought it down on Jenga.
Jenga blocked with her Sword. She stood up and pushed the Sword of Power away. Kimberly held the Sword before her, ready to strike. Jenga frowned. Her Sword disappeared in a sparkle of blue. "I never intended to hurt you now," Jenga said. "I'd start hurting you, get carried away, try to kill you, and get zapped by Zordon's spell." She looked at the two blue Rangers as she walked over to the pentagram. She stood in its center. "Do either of you want to come with me? I'll make it worth your while."
"Get bent," Rocky muttered, still sprawled on the floor where Jenga had tossed him.
"Why did you come here?" Billy asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"I just wanted to put the fear of Jenga in you," she said. "Welcome to the point of no return." The pentagram burst into a giant fireball. The Power Chamber lights flickered, and Jenga was gone. Billy and Rocky were the only indicators of her visit. Billy's shirt was open down the front, and Rocky was completely topless.
Billy hurried to the computer system to make absolutely certain that Jenga could not return to the Power Chamber.
"Quiet everyone!" Jenga cried. "Quiet!!! Let me do the talking." She stood, along with the others that had been there since the very beginning, on the balcony. "Jenga to Power Chamber. Jenga to Power Chamber. Come in Power Chamber. I know you're there, I just left. Billy, pick up!"
"Should we reply?" Trini asked.
Billy reluctantly reached out and put his hand on the OPEN TRANSMISSION button. "Power Chamber. What do you want?"
"Isn't the correct lingo 'Power Chamber acknowledges Jenga'?" Jenga asked. Rito and Elgar could be heard snickering in the background.
"Cut the crap, Jenga," Rocky said.
"Well, we don't have much time to spare anyway," she said. "We just wanted to warn you that the Armageddon is beginning. Now." The communications line abruptly closed.
Suddenly, alarms went off throughout the Power Core.
Chapter Twenty-three - Armageddon
"Catalina is gone with the Earth crystals," Jenga said. "We don't know when ... or if ... she'll come back. However, we should still strike when the iron is hot. I have expended a great amount of energy lately in creating these evil Zords. It will be several weeks before I can create another arsenal such as this. Goldar and his colleagues *would* pilot these Zords into battle."
Goldar, Scorpina, Rito, and Elgar stepped forward, eager to destroy the rangers. "Step back, Goldilocks," Jenga said. "I intend to win this battle. The evil Rangers will pilot the Cyclopses into battle."
"What do we do?" Tommy asked. "Just take those things down there and wait for the Rangers to show up?"
"You got it," Jenga said. "Go. Now."
"What are we going to do?" Kimberly asked.
"We'll just have to each pilot a MegaZord," Billy said.
"But what about Alpha?" Tanya asked. "He's still broken."
"I'll figure something out," Billy said. He pushed a few buttons on the console. A lid opened, revealing spaces for six C.D.'s. He promptly put the five ShogunZord C.D.'s in the device. "We'll make some ShogunZords out of spare parts in the Omega Bay.
"Skull, you take DragonZord. Aisha, TigerZord. Trini, DinoZord. Zack, ThunderZord. Kimberly, Ninja I. Bulk, Ninja II. Adam, Ninja III. Katherine, you can take the ShogunZord. Rocky, Zeo. Tanya, SuperZeo. Tommy, Red Battle. Jason, you can take Warrior Wheel."
"That's only twelve," Adam said. "There are thirteen."
"What will you fight in, Billy?" Bulk asked.
"I had never intended to reveal this so soon, but I have no choice," Billy said. "Remember that top secret thing I was working on?" With that, he punched in a quick numeric code. The back wall of the Power Chamber rumbled open. Five lights shone out of the darkness within. "I've been building more Zords. They are powered by the Zeo Crystal, but I've also given them a unique morphing capability." Five vehicles pulled up to the Power Chamber and stopped.
"What do you call them?" Rocky asked.
"I haven't really decided yet," Billy admitted.
"These are Zords?" Adam asked. "The green one is a van."
"They increase in size for actual battle. I intended for the morphing capabilities to merely give the Ranger the properties of the Zord and retain the Zeo Armor. Super speed and a new weapon based on the Zord. But I kind of screwed up, and the helmets have bumpers, headlights, and skylights in them," he said. "But this is just the back-up plan. If the Zeo power fails, it gets drawn into the morphing capabilities of these Zords.
"But they aren't quite finished," he said. "I'll dispatch some Zord Droids to finish them."
"Nascar Rangers," Zack said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Turbo," Skull said in awe.
"Turbo MegaZord?" Billy pondered. "Okay. Turbo."
"Billy!" Trini cried at a sudden revelation. "You can have the Zord Droids fix Alpha!"
"Of course," Billy said. "You all had better get out there, though. Katherine and I will join you as soon as we can."
"IT'S MORPHIN TIME!!!" Aisha cried.
"GREEN DRAGON --- RABBIT!!!"
"WHITE TIGER --- BEAR!!!"
"MASTODON --- GIRAFFE!!!"
"PTERODACTYL --- CRANE!!!"
"SABER-TOOTH TIGER --- DOVE!!!"
"TYRANNOSAURUS --- COUGAR!!!"
"ZEO RANGER II, YELLOW --- GAZELLE!!!"
"ZEO RANGER III, BLUE --- APE!!!"
"ZEO RANGER IV, GREEN --- FROG!!!"
"ZEO RANGER V, RED --- FALCON!!!"
"GOLD RANGER POWER --- LION!!!"
The eleven Rangers teleported to their waiting MegaZords.
"What can I do to help, Billy?" Katherine asked.
"Guide those Droids over to Alpha," he said. As he spoke, a long line of six inch tall robots appeared in the Power Chamber. Most followed Billy to the just-named Turbo Zords, but a few remained behind.
"Come with me," she said. The small silver robots followed her to Alpha's body. They hopped to the top of the table effortlessly and looked at Alpha. "We need you to fix Alpha. Can you?"
The droids looked at each other and then set to work on Alpha. A few climbed inside of his body to begin on his internal workings while the others began to cut away the charred metal on his outside. She assumed they were doing their job.
A steady beeping came from the console and the five Shogun C.D.'s were ejected. "Billy?"
"Your Zords are done," Billy said. He ran over to the console and quickly put the ShogunZords on-line. "Good luck, Kat."
She smiled and pulled her shiny pink morpher out of her pocket dimension. "ZEO RANGER I, PINK --- BUTTERFLY!!!" The Pink Ranger flashed Billy a thumbs-up and teleported away.
Billy looked at the five Zords. "I sure would have liked to give you guys a better introduction," he sighed. "Oh well. I can reveal your names later, anyhow. I actually learn how to increase the Zeo Power almost to the Ninja Power and Jenga steals my thunder. At least I get to take you all into your first battle."
Billy sat back and waited impatiently for the Turbo Zords to be finished.
Trini sat at the center seat of the DinoZord cockpit. She looked out over the barren wasteland that had once been Viet Nam. Suddenly, the ground shook and a yellow Cyclopsis landed before her.
The DinoZord stepped back a few steps.
"What's a matter, Trini?" Anti-Trini asked. "Scared?"
"Of you?" Trini replied. "Never. We destroyed Cyclopsis once, I'll do it again."
Cyclopsis kicked DinoZord in the chest. Trini, suddenly flooded with an intense burst of Ninja power, felt completely at one with the MegaZord. She would never have dreamed controlling a MegaZord with humanlike agility would be possible, but she found herself in complete control. She grabbed Cyclopsis' foot and flipped the evil Zord.
Evil Trini quickly gained control and brought her arm blades down across the DinoZord in two broad swipes. DinoZord stumbled backwards and hit the ground. Cyclopsis took several long strides and stood beside DinoZord. "Gee Trini," Anti-Trini said sarcastically. "I would have thought even you would last longer than that." Cyclopsis rubbed its two arm blades together, raining sparks down on DinoZord. Anti-Trini gave a wicked growl and stabbed at DinoZord.
Trini rolled DinoZord out of the way. Cyclopsis' arm blades struck the ground. DinoZord, still lying on its back, kicked out with a leg, knocking the evil Zord to the ground as well.
DinoZord rolled back on its shoulders and flipped to a standing position, a move no MegaZord should be able to do.
"I love these Ninja Powers!" Trini cried.
"Well," Anti-Jason snorted, "aren't you a short little thing?"
Warrior Wheel stood before one of the red Cyclopsises, which was easily twice as tall as the good Zord. "Maybe so," Jason agreed, "but everybody knows the little guy packs a mean punch."
Cyclopsis kicked at Warrior Wheel. Jason dodged the kick and replied with a mighty punch to Cyclopsis' knee.
"Give it up, little man," Anti-Jason said. "You don't stand a chance." Cyclopsis picked up Warrior Wheel in both arms.
Jason reached out to steady himself in Warrior Wheel's seldom-used cockpit as the Zord from Triforia was lifted into the air. "Put me down, Jason!" Jason bellowed.
"No, I'd rather not," Anti-Jason replied.
"It wasn't a request," Jason growled. Jason slammed his fist on a button on the console before him. A stream of white lasers burst from Warrior Wheel's eyes.
A mighty shower of sparks burst from Cyclopsis' body. It dropped Warrior Wheel and fell to the ground, dazed.
"Told you," Jason smarted.
DragonZord stepped before green Cyclopsis. "Hey, the cripple has showed up," Anti-Skull smirked.
"Bite me," Skull said for lack of a better response.
Cyclopsis lowered its head and rammed DragonZord. Red lights lit up in Skull's cockpit. "Hull damaged, five percent," Skull said as he frantically pushed buttons that signified he acknowledged the damage. The alarms went off and reset themselves for any further damage.
With a mighty whir, the Tail Drill started. Skull turned his Zord around and plunged the tail at Cyclopsis. Anti-Skull screamed in rage as his Zord was damaged. Cyclopsis grabbed the DragonZord's tail. "Watch this, Eugene," Anti-Skull taunted. Cyclopsis spun in a circle, lifting DragonZord off of the ground. Cyclopsis let go off the tail, and DragonZord flew sideways.
"NO!" Skull demanded. The mighty green and black Zord slammed into the ground. Skull quickly brought the Zord to his feet. Alarms sounded all around him. "This can't be good," he complained as he struggled to get control back.
"In our dimension," Anti-Tanya said, "the SuperZeoZord is a joke. What with that big star on its chest."
"In this dimension," Tanya said, pulling the SuperZeoSaber out of thin air, "this Zord can kick your butt."
"In this dimension, you are a defender," Anti-Tanya said. "Am I right?"
"You know you are," Tanya said. Yellow Cyclopsis and SuperZeoZord slowly circled each other, neither moving.
"So if I don't attack first, you just stand out here all day like a fool," Anti-Tanya said. "Right?"
"You're not going to trick me into attacking first," Tanya replied.
"Suit yourself," Anti-Tanya said. Cyclopsis leaped into the air and side kicked the Zord. The SuperZeoZord flipped away backwards, a feat the Zord would never have been capable of if Tanya had been working with the Zeo Power. Instead, the Ninja Power flowed through her and extended into the SuperZeoZord.
Once Tanya had her Zord secure, she high-kicked Cyclopsis in the chin. Suddenly, several missiles fired from Cyclopsis, striking SuperZeoZord in the chest and torso. Tanya screamed as though the pain were hers as the Zord toppled over.
Bulk sat at the center of the Mega NinjaZord II's cockpit. "It's okay to be nervous," he said. "Man, I still can't believe I'm a Power Ranger."
"Neither can I," Anti-Bulk said. Bulk spun his Zord around and saw a black Cyclopsis standing before him. "You are not worthy of wearing the Gold Armor."
Bulk ignored him. He looked over the huge cockpit before him. It was filled with numerous lights, dials, read-outs, and buttons, yet the power told him what they all did. It was still daunting, however.
"At least I fight for good," Bulk said.
"Now," Anti-Bulk said. "You didn't use to. You used to be a jerk. You were practically evil. Remember beating Billy up?"
"Shut up," Bulk growled.
"Do you?" Anti-Bulk asked. "Me and Rita had a real long talk about you. She actually considered making you one of her henchmen for a while."
"You lie."
"In fact, you were almost the Green Ranger, but she had no use for a slob," Anti-Bulk taunted.
Bulk pulled his Zord's Sword out of its pocket dimension. The Zord held it carefully, ready to strike.
"Whatsa matter, Bulkie Boy?" Anti-Bulk asked. "Gonna hit me first? Aren't you ... how would Zordon put it ... a defender?"
"Don't tempt me," Bulk snarled. Bulk thought about striking first, but instead put the Sword away.
"Fool," Anti-Bulk said. Cyclopsis spun in a quick circle and kicked backwards, striking Bulk's Zord squarely in the chest.
Tommy braced himself as his Zord toppled over. Red Cyclopsis took a defensive stance.
"Dirty fighter!" Tommy bellowed.
"Trusting fool," Anti-Tommy replied.
The Red BattleZord somersaulted away and jumped to its feet. Tommy made the Zord punch the air a few times, while he desperately wished for a Sword. Cyclopsis fired a missile at the Zord, again knocking it to the ground.
Cyclopsis suddenly spread its arms wide. The red curved horn atop its head began to fire red lasers. They struck the ground at Cyclopsis' feet and began to move toward Red BattleZord. "Crap!" Tommy cried. The Zord began to crawl away from the approaching lasers on its hands and knees.
"You can't crawl forever!" Anti-Tommy laughed. The lasers were chipping away at the stone bed that seemed to cover the entire planet. Tommy didn't even want to think of what they could do to the BattleZord.
Tommy rolled his Zord out of the laser paths. The BattleZord leapt to his feet. "Watch this!" Tommy shouted. Red BattleZord's arms extended. Gun cannons extended over the Zord's fists. Alternately, the fists began firing. Anti-Tommy screamed as the many bullets struck red Cyclopsis, causing sparks to shoot from the mighty Evil Zord.
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," Rocky sang. The Zeo MegaZord planted a return kick in blue Cyclopsis' stomach.
"They were right," Anti-Rocky said as he punched Rocky's Zord. "I am a bad singer."
"And you fight like a wus," Rocky said as the Zeo MegaZord punched Cyclopsis.
Cyclopsis slashed at the Zord with its arm blades. The Zeo MegaZord cartwheeled away. Upon landing on its feet, Rocky summoned the Zeo Saber. The gleaming silver sword appeared in the Zord's hand.
"Let's rock," Rocky said.
The blue Cyclopsis suddenly lashed out at the Zord with its full arsenal. Twin lasers burst from the evil Zord's eyes, giving Cyclopsis the time to slash with both arm blades. Rocky quickly blocked with the Zeo Saber. He held Anti-Rocky at bay and struck Cyclopsis with his Zord's left leg.
Zack released himself to the Ninja power. The fluid mobility, animal-like grace, and the fighting skill of the most gifted, talented warrior was enhanced exponentially. As he sat at the center seat of the Thunder MegaZord, he knew that he could make the Zord perform any movement that he could do. "Man, I've missed this," Zack sighed.
"Then you shouldn't have left for the Pestilence Movement," Anti-Zack snarled.
Zack spun around in his seat just as both feet of black Cyclopsis struck his Zord in the back. As the Zord hit the floor, it rolled into a somersault and leapt to its feet. "Pestilence Movement?" Zack asked. "You've gotta be kidding me. I went to a Peace Conference."
"Isn't that convenient?" Anti-Zack mocked as he slashed at Zack's Zord with his arm blades.
"Back off," Zack said. He brought the Thunder Sword high above his head and slashed at Cyclopsis. Sparks flew from the contact.
"Dirty fighter!" Anti-Zack bellowed. Cyclopsis bent his head down, and a laser burst from the tip of its horn. It struck the ThunderZord square in the chest, red lights lighting in the cockpit.
The Thunder MegaZord staggered back a few feet as Zack struggled to get control back.
TigerZord jumped over a small hill. Upon landing, Aisha had converted it into Warrior Mode. The Zord carried a bronze saber, which previously had been the TigerZord's tail.
The only white Cyclopsis punched Aisha's Zord before she had a chance to put up a block. "Hey!" Aisha yelled. She planted her Zord's right foot under Cyclopsis' chin, flipped backwards, and kicked Cyclopsis off of the ground with her left. TigerZord landed neatly on its feet and swung its Sword around a few times dramatically. "That's what you get," Aisha taunted.
Anti-Aisha quickly put Cyclopsis through a quick attack. Cyclopsis high-kicked TigerZord, punched with first the right and then the left, and followed up with roundhouse kick that connected solidly with TigerZord's chest. Aisha yelled in anger as her Zord toppled over.
Anti-Adam didn't even take the time to insult his counterpart. He just launched into battle. Cyclopsis flew at Ninja MegaZord III with his arms outstretched. The spikes on Cyclopsis' arms penetrated the Zord's body. Adam kicked Cyclopsis away and pulled the Zord's Sword out.
With a mighty slash, he connected solidly with Anti-Adam's Zord. Before Cyclopsis could react, he punched the Zord twice, once with each hand, and then high-kicked it.
Cyclopsis jumped onto the Zord's back, effectively immobilizing Adam. "Hey!" Adam shouted. He brought the Zord's arms straight back, hitting Cyclopsis with both elbows. Anti-Adam bellowed in anger as he lost his grip. Adam's Zord flipped over the fallen Cyclopsis and landed on the other side of the evil Zord. Ninja MegaZord III pulled his arm back and brought it down straight in the center of Cyclopsis' chest. The green metal of the evil Zord dented in, producing a scream from Anti-Adam and sending a shower of sparks from the wound.
Cyclopsis lifted its leg up and slammed it into the Zord's back. The Zord tucked its head and rolled with the attack. Adam quickly brought the Zord to its feet and gave Cyclopsis a quick roundhouse kick, pivoting on its anchored leg.
Anti-Adam and Adam were fighting fast and furious, but hardly acknowledged each others presence. Unlike the others, they weren't trash talking. They just fought.
Kimberly brought all of the Zord's weight on the back leg. Once she was firmly planted, she kicked Pink Cyclopsis several times in rapid succession.
Anti-Kimberly grabbed ahold of Ninja MegaZord I's leg and yanked it off of its feet. Kimberly yelled in anger as the giant Zord tumbled to the ground. In one fluid move, the Zord swept one of its legs beneath Cyclopsis. The evil Zord's legs flew straight up in the air and landed on its back. Kimberly, whose Zord had one leg trapped beneath the evil Zord, brought her free leg up in the air and slammed it into Pink Cyclopsis' body.
Katherine slowly trudged across the barren wasteland. "This ShogunZord is so slow," she complained.
"Tis a shame my Zord is so fast," Anti-Katherine taunted as Cyclopsis ran up to Katherine. The pink Cyclopsis jumped at ShogunZord and extended its legs, connecting solidly with Katherine's Zord.
The ShogunZord shook but not much more. Cyclopsis fell to the ground in a painful heap. "You gotta be kiddin' me," Anti-Kat growled.
"How about that?" Katherine laughed. "My Zord is so much heavier than yours you can't knock me down."
The Shogun MegaZord brought its arm back and slammed its huge fist into Cyclopsis. Anti-Katherine screamed as the front half of her cockpit collapsed in on itself.
"So sorry," Katherine laughed.
Billy cautiously put the Turbo MegaZord through its movements. "Everything seems to be working okay," he thought to himself.
Blue Cyclopsis suddenly landed right in front of him. "Ah, I see you've made CarRangers, too," Anti-Billy mused.
"They're called Turbo here," Billy answered.
"Well," Anti-Billy said, "let's take the TurboZords for a test drive."
Cyclopsis slashed at Billy's Zord, but with a blue flash of light, a shield appeared in Turbo MegaZord's hand, blocking the attack. "I always knew a shield would come in handy," Billy said.
Anti-Billy threw a high-kick at Billy. Turbo MegaZord dropped to the ground and swept his Zord's leg beneath Cyclopsis. Turbo MegaZord jumped back to his feet just as Cyclopsis slammed into the ground. He lifted his leg high into the air to stomp Cyclopsis, but the evil Zord rolled away. Cyclopsis jumped to its feet and fired a missile at Billy.
"Whoa!" Billy cried. He threw the shield up in front of him. The missile exploded on contact, not causing any real damage to Billy's Zord.
"Impressive," Anti-Billy admitted.
"Do I have to do EVERYTHING for myself!!!" Jenga bellowed. Her eyes were green balls of fire, and a thin black forked flicked in and out of her mouth. She was angry. "Those stupid Rangers can't even beat their own counterparts!"
"Queen Jenga," a powerful voice said from the back of the room. "Permission to speak."
"Granted," Jenga said.
"We all brought our strongest fighters and warcraft with us," the unseen being said. "Let us go fight as well."
"Yes," Jenga said. "We will. But not yet." Jenga cracked her knuckles. "I want to try first."
Chapter Twenty-Four - Lead Me Not Into Temptation
"I've had it with this!" Zack shouted. He raised the Thunder Saber high above his head. He brought it down across Cyclopsis' chest, inflicting great damage. "I'm tired of fighting this losing battle! You killed my parents! You killed my friends! And you've killed my planet!!!" He quickly typed in a quick numeric code on the console before him, activating the ThunderAssault feature.
"Big whoop," Anti-Zack muttered. Cyclopsis threw a punch, but Zack deftly avoided it.
A frantic beeping signified that the ThunderAssault was ready. Zack lifted the Thunder Saber high in the air. It began to glow a bright white. Immediately, Thunder MegaZord ran at Cyclopsis. He passed the Saber through Cyclopsis' body. Sparks began to sputter from the mighty crevice in Cyclopsis. Anti-Zack took the controls to throw a punch, but the evil Zord exploded in a giant fireball.
"YES!!!" Zack shouted. "Now to help the others!"
Katherine dodged Cyclopsis' stream of lasers. She frantically searched through her memories for any attack that would actually be helpful. A smile spread across her face beneath her helmet, and she began to type in the commands.
"You should just give up before it's too late," Anti-Kat smarted.
"Done," Katherine whispered. Shogun MegaZord ran up to pink Cyclopsis. "Check this out, Kitten," Kat taunted. She slammed her hand on a large red button just off to her left.
A flaming Sword appeared in ShogunZord's double-handed grip. The entire upper body of Kat's Zord began to spin at its waist. The Sword of Fire passed through Cyclopsis body.
"Hey!" Anti-Kat cried as her cockpit began to light up with red lights. ShogunZord began to spin faster and faster, each spin inflicting even more damage to Cyclopsis.
Anti-Katherine raised her Zord's arms defensively, only to have them chopped off by the spinning Sword. "Stop it!" Anti-Katherine screamed.
Pink Cyclopsis suddenly burst into flames. Katherine brought ShogunZord to a stop and put her hands to her spinning head. "I wonder if this is what being drunk feels like?" she asked. "At least it worked."
"Did you attach morphing capabilities with the Zords?" Anti-Billy asked as Cyclopsis slashed at Turbo MegaZord.
"Yes I did," Billy answered, jabbing at Cyclopsis with his Zord. "Brand new armor, too."
"You should join us," Anti-Billy said. "You could really be a powerful asset. Imagine. Two Billy's. We could take over the whole team. Just the two of us. We could rule both of our Universes. We could have any women we want. And they would do anything you wanted them to."
"I already have the woman I want," Billy answered. "TURBO SABER! POWER UP!!!" A line of white light ran up the length of the Turbo Saber.
"Billy," Anti-Billy said, "act like you have some sense."
"I am," Billy answered. He ran at Cyclopsis and jumped into the air. He flipped over the blue Zord and slashed through its chest. Turbo MegaZord landed on the ground and put the Turbo Saber away. Billy spun around and stared at Cyclopsis. It was still for a few seconds, and then burst into a giant mushroom cloud.
Billy stomped into the room. He ripped his helmet off and flung it away. "I hate Power Rangers," he muttered. He sat down beside an equally angered Katherine and Zack.
"This is ridiculous," Jenga muttered. "I really do have to do everything myself. Okay. Fine. I'll do it myself. Rangers, come back to the palace. Immediately."
Ten Rangers teleported into the palace. "Thanks for trying," Jenga said bitterly. She pulled her scepter out of the air and fired a continuous stream of blue light at the thirteen Rangers. With a powerful flash of light, they vanished. A single smoke-colored Crystal clattered to the floor.
"Did you kill them?" King Mondo asked.
"No," Jenga said, "I just sent them home. I wanted this Crystal back." She walked over to where the Crystal lay. She knew that she could only do it once, and that it would be risky. "Might evil kill me," she thought bitterly.
"Jenga," MasterVile said, "I know what you're thinking. You know it's gonna tick the Alliance of Evil off."
Jenga looked up at MasterVile and then at the Crystal in her hands. She gave her husband an icy look and returned to the task at hand. With a mighty bellow, she squeezed the Crystal between her hands. It melted into gray light and flowed into her body.
A black explosion rose up from where she knelt. She stood up in the middle of the light. She was clad in the slinky black gown she had worn during her recent rendezvous in the Power Chamber. She walked over to Goldar and snatched his golden Sword from his hands. "Can I borrow this? Thanks." Her body caught fire with black flames, and immediately burned away.
The thirteen MegaZords met up in what was once Angel Grove. "I wonder why they gave up," Kimberly pondered.
"They didn't give up," a loud voice bellowed. A flash of red suddenly streaked before them.
Jenga landed in the midst of the Zords. She kicked Warrior Wheel, sending the smaller Zord rolling away. She leapt into the air and simultaneously kicked DinoZord and Thunderzord, one with each leg. Before they had even hit the ground, she punched NinjaZord I and shoved NinjaZord II over.
Billy slashed at her with the Turbo Saber, but Jenga hit the ground in a full split. Tanya brought her Saber down on top of Jenga, but Jenga blocked it with Goldar's Sword. She pushed Tanya away, and brought her leg in a wide swipe beneath the Turbo MegaZord. The newest Zord began to topple over. Jenga stuck her leg straight up and caught Turbo MegaZord in the chin, flipping it head over heels. She rolled into a somersault and jumped to her feet. She jumped into the air and slammed both of her feet into NinjaZord III, slamming it into Zeo MegaZord. Jenga leapt into the air and executed a perfect 360 spin kick, downing DragonZord in the process. She planted herself firmly on her left leg and kicked TigerZord in the chest with her right, knocking the mighty Zord over. She then stepped on DragonZord's back, and using it as a springboard, launched herself at Red BattleZord. She punched Tommy's Zord once, and then grabbed it by the arms and flung it into ShogunZord.
Jenga took a deep breath and stood in the midst of her carnage. "Man, that was fun," she breathed. "And this time, stay down." She spread her hands wide. Blue tendrils of light jumped from each blood-red fingernail. The tendrils of light pinned the thirteen Zords to the ground, though only temporarily.
"I am here to make you a proposition," Jenga said. "Surrender. If you surrender to me and give me access to the Morphing Grid, I will spare your lives. And I will also bring your families back."
"Why would we make deals with you?!" Rocky yelled.
"Why should we believe you?" Trini asked.
"Catalina is dead," Jenga said. "When she attempted to remove the Crystals from this dimension, they exploded and killed her. She's dead, the Crystals are Satan-knows-where, and every Ranger mentor in the Universe is in limbo because Catalina screwed with the Crystals. Give me the Crystal of Time back, give me access to the Morphing Grid, and I will let you all and your families live in paradise."
"Do you even know what paradise is?" Aisha asked.
"There is a planet on the far outskirts of the Universe," Jenga said. "Very similar to Earth in climate, but no intelligent life. I will let you thirteen and your families live there and start a new civilization. You will NEVER be bothered by the Alliance of Evil, so it won't matter if you have the Morphing Grid or not."
Rocky quickly crossed himself and began to pray, frantically.
"What's it gonna be, Rangers?" Jenga asked. "Paradise? Or would you rather suffer my wrath."
"You guys hold her off," Billy whispered. "I've got an idea."
"Don't bother whispering, William James," Jenga said. "I can hear everything." Billy teleported out of the Turbo MegaZord.
He hit the Power Chamber floor running. He took his helmet off and immediately began to program a new, never-before-attempted Zord.
"As one we are strong," Billy thought. "Alpha, I could really use your help now." Billy typed as quickly as he could. The plan had already blue-printed itself in his mind. Now it was just a matter of getting itself on paper.
Suddenly, a random radio signal drifted into the Power Chamber and was picked up by the speaker system. He found it extremely odd that radio signals were anywhere near the Earth, since no signals were being broadcast.
"Lead me not into temptation,
Heaven help me to be strong,
I can fight all that I'm feeling,
But I can't do it alone.
Help me break this spell that I'm under,
Guide my feet and hold me tight.
I need ten thousand angels,
Watching over me tonight."
"Mindy McCready," Billy thought to himself. "That's the girl Tommy listens to all the time." He realized that the song really described their situation. Even though they would never dream of taking Jenga's proposal, it was certainly tempting.
"Rangers," Billy said. "Check this out." He immediately played the signal again, this time over the communications system. "Don't know where it came from, but it's certainly encouraging."
He typed in the last command. The computer beeped acceptance, and he teleported himself back into battle.
Billy arrived in the cockpit of the MegaZord just as Jenga's control was broken. "What is your decision?" she asked.
"You know our decision," Tommy said.
"I know," Jenga said, "but I don't really mind. I'm in a fighting mood."
"All right guys!" Billy shouted. "I don't know if this will work, but we gotta give it a shot. UltraMegaZord Assembly! Engaged!"
"Billy?" Trini asked as Thunder MegaZord lifted off of the ground. "What's going on?" The Zords began to twist and contort. Arms and legs folding into the bodies, and connector joints exposing themselves.
"Billy," Tommy said, "you're a genius."
Shogun MegaZord folded itself into the upper half Ultra MegaZord's chest, while DinoZord composed the bottom half. NinjaZord I produced another part of the lower torso. Warrior Wheel twisted and contorted itself until it was only a third of it's original size. It floated to the top of the assembling Ultra MegaZord and formed the head. SuperZeoZord formed the upper right arm, and Zeo MegaZord formed the right forearm. Red BattleZord and NinjaZord III produced the left arm. Dragon Zord folded in on itself and finish the last of the torso, clamping on just below NinjaZord I. TigerZord and Turbo MegaZord quickly produced the left leg, and Thunder MegaZord and NinjaZord II formed the right.
The thirteen Rangers slid into the main cockpit, the very one used in the Super NinjaZord configuration. "This is our only hope," Billy said. "Jenga is just too good of a fighter."
"Does this thing have a Sword?" Tommy asked.
"Afraid not," Billy answered. "I didn't have time to invent one. It's five times taller than all of the previous MegaZords, so any of the other Swords would be like daggers."
"Daggers, huh?" Aisha asked.
"Billy," Trini said excitedly. "I'll call up two Swords. Aisha and I can use them like we did the Power Daggers. Good thinkin' girl."
"Thank you thank you," Aisha said proudly, taking a slight bow in her seat.
"This camaraderie is disgusting," Jenga growled, "as is this gigantic Zord." She came only up to the Zord's knee. However, that was soon remedied as she thrust her left hand up into the sky. With an explosion of black fire, she was soon as tall as the Ultra MegaZord. She blinked once, and her vibrant green eyes were changed. Her pupil was a slit, and there was no white. Only evil green snake-eyes. She opened her mouth, baring four very sharp fangs. Her tongue flicked out between the fangs, black and forked.
"She's a snake," Adam whispered.
"Not a snake," Jenga whispered, "but the serpent."
"You are the devil!" Kimberly cried.
Jenga blinked again, her eyes immediately becoming human. "I am not the devil," Jenga said. "I wish I were, but I'm not." She suddenly lashed out, striking MegaZord in the stomach.
"Power Sword!" Trini cried, calling the Dino MegaZord forth. "Somebody else call a Sword!"
"Turbo Saber!" Billy shouted.
Trini and Aisha immediately took the majority of the control. The Zord spun the two Swords for show, and then took a defensive stance. "Perfect," Aisha said.
Jenga brought her Sword down on top of MegaZord. The Sword was blocked by the two "daggers." MegaZord pushed this Sword away and kicked Jenga in the stomach. With an oof, she bent over. However, she quickly retaliated with a high-kick.
"That's it, Rangers," Jenga growled. "Demons! ATTACK!!!!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Skull asked.
Suddenly, the planet began to rumble. Perfectly on time, thousands of warships of all sizes, designs, and colors began to fly through the atmosphere.
Lasers began to pummel the Earth. "Back to Omega Bay!" Billy cried. "We gotta make another plan!"
The Ultra MegaZord disappeared in a multi-colored stream of light.
"We can't leave the planet unprotected," Adam said.
"We're gonna die," Tanya said sadly. "There's no way we can survive this attack."
"We have to fight," Bulk said. "Catalina told us to. If we don't fight, the Earth gives up and dies."
"The Earth also gives up and dies if there is no one fights for it," Kimberly said.
Trini ran over to the side of the Power Chamber and looked at the Population Display. "Thirteen," she whispered. "The last people have died. We're it."
"We'll take the flying Zords into battle," Tommy said. "It's our only option."
"I always thought we would actually win," Katherine said, "but we aren't."
"Maybe we should take Jenga's offer," Zack said softly. "At least that way, the human race will survive."
"We can't make a deal with Jenga," Rocky said. "That's bound to be a sin."
"Tommy's right," Billy said. "Let's get our flying Zords out there and cause as much damage as we can."
"If we go down," Jason said, "let's go down fighting."
"What Zords do we take out?" Bulk asked solemnly.
"Tommy, Falcon," Billy said without enthusiasm. "Kimberly, Crane. Katherine, Butterfly. Trini, Dove. Jason, Red Dragon. Aisha, Pterodactyl. Zack, Firebird. Adam, Super Zeo IV. Rocky, Super Zeo III. Tanya, Super Zeo II. Bulk, Super Zeo I. Skull, Super Zeo V. And I'll take Phoenix. Does that sound okay?"
The thirteen Rangers looked at each other. They knew that they would probably never see each other alive again. Tommy stuck his hand out and looked at his comrades. Kimberly wiped a tear from her eye and placed her hand on his. The other eleven did the same. Nothing was said, for the action in itself expressed far more than words ever could.
Billy pulled Trini aside. "I love you," he whispered. He gave Trini a gentle kiss, and the two teleported out in twin streams of blue and yellow. Tommy kissed Katherine, and they teleported away as well.
"Adam," Tanya said softly, "I only wish we had put our shyness aside and taken advantage of the time we had left." She gave Adam a quick peck on the lips and teleported away as well. With tears in his eyes, Adam teleported away.
"I can't believe we won't have a life together," Zack said to Aisha.
"Please don't make me start crying," Aisha said, although tears were already flowing down her cheeks. She ran up to Zack and gave him an affectionate kiss.
"See you on the other side, White Ranger," Zack whispered.
"We're gonna win this," Aisha said firmly, although her voice betrayed her. They teleported away.
Skull and Kimberly ran up to each other. He picked her up in a big embrace and kissed her passionately on the mouth. They teleported away, still in each others arms.
Jason, Rocky, and Bulk remained behind. "It's been real," Bulk said, putting on a brave face. He extended his right hand, clenched in a fist, to Rocky. Rocky nodded and slammed his fist on top of his, as did Jason.
The three said nothing more, and teleported out.
Trini kept her thumb pressed on the firing button on the control lever. She weaved in and out of the streams of fighters. She deftly avoided their lasers and missiles.
Jason swooped near Jenga and fired a series of missiles at her. Jenga batted them away and flung her gargantuan Sword at the Zord. Jason banked right and missed getting impaled.
"Gotta do better than that baby," Aisha said. Pterodactyl flew through a labyrinth of spikes and spires, produced by the lava flows. Several spaceships were on her tail, firing lasers. She dodged each and every one. A stone wall suddenly loomed up before her. She yanked back on the control lever. The Pterodactyl flew straight up, but the attacking vessels were not so lucky. A gigantic red fireball rose up from the stone wall as they collided with it. "YES!!!" Aisha cried, still flying straight up.
"Aisha!" Billy cried. "Watch out!" Billy pushed forward and left on the control lever, causing Phoenix to roll hard to the right and fly upside down. Pterodactyl arched away, barely avoiding the mid-air collision.
"Sorry Billy!" Aisha called.
Billy, still flying upside down, darted toward Jenga. Her back was to him, and he saw no better time to attack than the present. He rolled the Zord over and darted at the back of her legs. The Phoenix rocked on contact, but Billy kept control. Jenga's feet flew out from under her. She landed hard on her back. "BILLY!!!" she bellowed. She jumped to her feet, and in one smooth motion, yanked her staff out of the air. A bright ball of red fire burst from its end and set out after Billy.
An alarm sounded in the Phoenix's cockpit. "Holy heatseeker, Batman!" Billy cried. The ball of fire was rapidly approaching him, and it was following his every move. Billy circled high up into the atmosphere. "Well, if I'm goin' down, then you all are too." He leveled out, gave the fireball time to catch up with him, and then plunged into the cloud of attackers.
The unfortunate attackers that got in the path of the fireball immediately exploded on contact. Billy zigzagged through the cloud, taking out dozens of attackers. "Yes yes yes!" Billy cried. He cleared the cloud and dove to the Earth. The fireball was still after him, but was substantially smaller.
"WHOA!!!" Tanya yelled. She flew between Billy and his fireball in SuperZeoZord II. "Got a bogey on your tail?"
"It's gonna be Jenga's problem in a minute," Billy answered. He flew at the demonness again. This time, he curved around her and straightened out again, effectively putting Jenga between himself and the bogey.
"No you don't, Billy," Jenga said. The fireball passed through her, making no mark. She pointed her staff at him again and fired three more fireballs.
"Billy!" Adam cried. "There is still some water in the Pacific!"
"Right!" Billy answered as he headed toward the Pacific Ocean. The four fireballs were close behind him. As soon as he reached the water, he turned upside down and dove for it. He entered the water, and despite the resistance that slammed into his Zord, continued his trek deeper in the water. The four fireballs followed him into the ocean. Giant bubbles of steam came off of them and drifted to the surface. By the time they had traveled a few miles, the fireballs had burned out. Billy left the ocean, rolled a few times to shake the excess water, and returned to the planet-wide battle.
Bulk and Skull flew tandem, shooting lasers at anything that flew near them. "Think we're gonna die, Bulkie?" Skull asked.
"Don't know," Bulk answered. "You?"
"Me neither," Skull replied.
Kimberly hummed the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as she fought the attackers. CraneZord swooped in and out of battle, easily dodging each laser, bullet, rocket, or missile fired at her. She was doing fine for now, but she had no idea how long she could keep her mind on the task at hand.
Zack zoomed above her in Firebird. He was thankful for the intense task of fighting, for without it, he would have been bawling. His heart was heavy enough as it was. To know that he was fighting a losing battle and would most definitely die was more than he could tolerate.
"Comin' thru!" Rocky bellowed. Zack rolled away as SuperZeoZord III darted past him, followed by several attackers.
On the other side of the globe, Trini, Tommy, and Katherine flew in a perfect line, shooting at the many ships around them. "Hey," Katherine whispered. "Do you guys see that?"
"Billy," Trini said, "there's something on the horizon."
"What does it look like?" Billy asked. "Scanning now."
"A bright white light," Tommy said. "It's coming up over the whole horizon. Is anybody on the other side of the world? Can you see it from the back."
"We can't see it over here," Bulk answered.
"Oh no," Billy said. "No."
"What is it?" Kimberly asked.
"It's the end of time," Billy answered solemnly.
The white light was suddenly upon them, and everything was quiet.
Chapter Twenty-five - Epilogue
Jason opened his eyes. The white light had passed. His head was spinning, although he wasn't in any type of pain. "Where am I?" he asked. He sat up, and the room came into focus. He stood up and saw the large circle of computers, the lighted pie design on the floor, and the six large columns with neon lights. "The Command Center."
Billy stood up from the floor as well. "Are we alive?" Billy asked.
"I guess," Jason answered. "What happened to the Power Chamber?"
"Welcome back, Rangers," a familiar voice said. Alpha Five walked out from Zordon's cubbyhole. He was no longer in Alpha Six's body. Zordon's tube was no longer a bizarre blue-green. It was perfectly clear, with a bed of crystals at the bottom. With a crackle of electricity, Zordon's face appeared in the gigantic tube.
"Zordon?" Billy asked. "What happened? Where is the Power Chamber?"
"Where are the others?" Jason asked.
Catalina laughed heartily and appeared beside them. "I did it!" she giggled. "I found the Crystals proper alignment, put the Crystal of Time back together, and it's like it never happened! Earth is back!"
"Behold the Viewing Globe," Zordon said.
"Aye-yi-yi!" Alpha cried. "I've really missed hearing that."
"But where are the others?" Jason asked.
"Don't you remember, Jason?" Alpha asked. "When the Crystal of Time was broken apart, you and Billy were the only two in the Power Chamber. Trini and Zack are in Switzerland, Kimberly is in Florida, Aisha is in Africa, Bulk and Skull are in Angel Grove, and the Zeo Rangers are on Aquitar. Jenga is probably fuming in her Space Fleet right now."
Billy didn't hear a single word that Alpha said. He was in tears over the view in the Viewing Globe. The Earth was back to normal. The oceans were blue, the land was green, and the clouds were white. Everyone was still alive.
"It's January 31," Billy said happily. "It never happened."
"That is not entirely accurate, Billy," Zordon said. "The consequences never came to pass. However, all of the Rangers, Catalina, Dulcea, Ninjor, myself, and those on the moon will remember."
"They will most likely team back up again," Catalina said with an amused smile. "But it doesn't matter. The Anti-Earth Crystals are gone."
"Give me a few minutes and I'll get the other Rangers back," Alpha said.
"Okay, here's another question," Jason said. "Where's the Power Chamber?"
"Since we had the Earth Crystals," Zordon said, "we thought we could move back to the top of the mountain. This place is secure now. Besides, I prefer this Command Center. It just seems friendlier to me."
Jason and Billy smiled. Zordon was so much more carefree than he had previously. "What about Alpha?" Billy asked.
"My mind is Alpha Six," Alpha answered, "but I've been in Alpha Five's body for ten thousand years. I prefer this body. Besides, I didn't like that arrow that pointed straight down either. Heh heh."
"Did you go to heaven Alpha?" Billy asked.
"Why don't we wait for the other Rangers to show up," Catalina said. "Then we'll do some explaining."
The thirteen Rangers stood together in the Command Center in front of Zordon's tube. "First of all," Catalina said, "Skull, you'll notice your arm is no longer broken."
"I didn't even notice the cast was gone," Skull said. "Oh my gosh." He flexed his forearm and smiled. He laughed his traditional laugh.
"That is sort of a thank you from the Earth Crystals," Catalina said. "For saving the Earth."
"No one is dead?" Trini asked. "No one?"
"I'm sorry to say that Perkiz is still dead," Zordon said. "Had he not touched the Crystal, he would be alive."
"What about the Crystal in that museum?" Zack asked. "Plenty of people are bound to have touched it at one time or another."
"Yes," Zordon said, "but they did not understand its properties. They were exempt from that rule."
"Everyone who died has no memory of dying," Catalina said, "except Alpha."
"I remember Trini shooting me," Alpha said, "and that's it. The next thing I know, I wake up in my private chambers here in the Command Center."
"I guess the Zord Droids finished you in time," Billy said.
"What about our powers?" Tommy asked.
"Your Ninja Powers will be yours," Zordon said. "Forever and always."
"Really?" Billy asked excitedly.
"During our most recent dilemma, I spent much time deep in thought," Zordon said, "and I have come to the conclusion that life is far too precious to be encumbered with unrealistic, cruel rules. I've already been caught in one lie. You now know that if you break a Power Promise, you don't lose the power."
"I was kind of wondering that when we attacked the Machine Empire," Tanya said with a smile.
"While the world is not yet ready for thirteen Rangers," Zordon said, "that does not mean you must give the power up. You will always be a Ranger, and should a situation present itself where the Zeo power fails, you may rely on your Ninja Powers."
"Now that we have the Earth Crystals," Alpha said, "our teleportation and communication systems are greatly enhanced. We will be able to teleport you from anywhere on the entire globe."
"We can still go to the Peace Conference?" Zack asked.
"And be Rangers?" Trini added.
"Yes," Zordon said with a smile. "Although you will only be called into battle during an emergency. For now, the five Zeo Rangers will again resume the Zeo Power."
"So what do we do?" Bulk asked.
"Keep the power," Zordon said. "Carry it with you always, and you may be called upon in an emergency."
"I'm gonna head back to Aquitar," Billy said. "Explain everything to my parents, break up with Cestria again, and pack to head back."
"See you in a bit?" Trini asked.
"Yeah," Billy answered. "But before I go. What happened to Jenga?"
Diva Tox, Elgar, Rygog, and Porto teleported into the Palace on the moon. Jenga smiled at her best friend, and moved to the head of the room. She looked out at her extended family, which included all of Lord Zedd and Rita's cronies, Ivan Ooze and Scorpina, as well as the Machine Empire, plus Prince Gasket and Archerina. "This should not be a day of sorrow," Jenga said solemnly. "We have united as one. Within this room are many, many powerful forces who were once mortal enemies. This time, I am not going to order anyone to stay. However, nothing would make me happier than to see us all unite as one to bring the Power Rangers to their destruction."
"We're in," Diva Tox said happily.
"As are we," Scorpina said with a smile. Ivan Ooze chuckled and kissed his wife's hand.
"You know we are, Mom," Lord Zedd said simply.
"Can I stay too?" Rito asked in a small voice.
"Why not?" Jenga said.
"It would be an honor to permanently join forces with you," King Mondo said. Queen Machina nodded in agreement.
"Gasket? Archerina?" Jenga asked. "Will you join us?"
The two machines looked at each other for a moment. "Yes," Archerina said without taking her eyes off of her husband.
"Excellent," Jenga said.
Suddenly, a circle drew itself on the floor. A hologram of a humanoid appeared in the center. The hologram carried a scroll. Turning to face Jenga, he unrolled the scroll and read, "Queen Jenga of the Xett Empire. Your presence is requested at the Headquarters of the United Alliance of Evil. The purpose of this meeting is to review your position on the List."
"What?" Jenga growled.
The humanoid rolled the scroll back up and stared at Jenga. "The United Alliance of Evil heard of your defeat at the hands of the Power Rangers," he said. "You can expect to be bumped down."
"I've been number one since the beginning," Jenga said. She breathed heavily, anger tearing through her body. "They wouldn't dare move me back."
"Don't worry honey," MasterVile said. "At least I'll be number one."
"Shut up," Jenga growled. "When am I expected?"
"Now," the hologram. He flickered out of existence.
"Let's go," Jenga said in a voice void of expression.
"How did Cestria take it?" Rebecca asked.
"As well as can be expected," Billy said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes. Despite the fact that Trini was number one in his heart, he still held a warm spot for Cestria.
Delphine entered the Cranston home. "Billy," Delphine said, making the traditional Aquitian gesture. Billy responded with the same circular motion. "You shall be missed."
"I will miss you also," Billy said.
Delphine moved up to Billy, and gave him an awkward hug. "I apologize that I am not skilled in the manners of affection of your planet," Delphine said.
"Thank you for trying," Billy said.
Delphine smiled. "You are welcome here any time," she said.
"As you are on Earth," Billy said. "Is Cestro ready to teleport us home?"
Delphine smiled and nodded. Billy melted into a stream of blue light, and his parents and their belongings teleported away in a stream of white.
"I must admit," Tanya said, "I like the Command Center better than the Power Chamber."
"It's so better lit," Adam said. "Shh. Here comes Ernie."
"He already knows," Kimberly said.
"No way," Tommy said.
"Yes way," Ernie said as he put their Smoothies on the table.
"How long?" Rocky asked.
"Just let me clarify what we're talking about here," Ernie said. The Rangers at the table looked at each other warily, except for Kimberly. "You guys being Rangers?" he whispered.
"That's the one," Kimberly said, taking a sip of her Strawberry-Kiwi Smoothie.
"Nearly since the beginning," Ernie said. "You all have paid for much more food than you've eaten. Plus those little watches beep all the time. And you change into the Power Rangers out in the hallway all the time. I'm not blind. But I haven't told anyone."
"Good," Zack said, "because then we would have to kill you." Everyone laughed heartily at his joke.
Jenga and her many henchmen walked down the corridors of the Alliance of Evil Headquarters. The place looked like a giant prison, floating out in the depths of space. "I wonder if she's scared?" Baboo whispered to Squatt.
"No way," Squatt whispered back. "Jenga's not afraid of nothin'."
Jenga led the way, clad in blue jeans and a green blouse. She looked so remarkably human. And so beautiful. Yet she was by no means human. Jenga was evil, and she was about to show just how evil she was.
"Do you guys feel this good all the time?" Skull asked.
"That's the power," Trini said. "I've missed it so much."
"And we get to keep it?" Bulk asked.
"Right," Jason said. "We can't use it without Zordon's permission, but he isn't going to take the coins back. They're ours."
"Bulkmeier! Skullovitch!" a loud voice shouted.
"Lt. Stone?" Bulk and Skull asked in unison, standing at attention.
"I'm glad I found you," Lt. Stone said. "I have a proposition for you."
"What's that sir?" Skull asked.
"I'll give you a raise," he said. "If you'll stay with me on the police force."
"Police force?" Bulk asked.
"They've given me another chance," Lt. Stone said. "And I'd like to give you another chance. Will you rejoin the force?"
"Whaddya say Bulkie?" Skull asked. "Give up a shot at being International Spies to stay here in boring old Angel Grove?"
"Oh yeah," Bulk said, extending his hand to Lt. Stone. "We'll stay." Lt. Stone smiled happily.
Alpha placed the last of the Earth Crystals in the bottom of Zordon's tube. They blended beautifully with Zordon's other crystals. "What will we do with the Crystal of Time?" Alpha asked.
"I know someone who can use it," Catalina said.
Zordon laughed and said, "Yes. I know someone who can use it, too."
Dulcea looked up as Ninjor approached her. "Ninjor?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Actually," Catalina said, appearing beside him, "I asked him to show me the way."
"She has a present for you!" Ninjor said excitedly.
"Present?" Dulcea asked.
"Ta-Da!" Ninjor announced, holding his hand out. In his open palm rested a rectangular pink crystal.
"What is it?"
"The Crystal of Time," Catalina said. "We want you to take it. Be its guardian, and use its power."
"Me?" She eagerly reached out and took the Crystal from Ninjor's hand. "Really? I ... I ..."
"You can leave the Sacred Grounds now," Catalina said.
Dulcea burst into happy tears as the pink crystal disappeared. She placed it in her own pocket dimension, and felt its protective power flow through her.
"Where would I go now?" Dulcea asked. "I've spent twenty thousand years on this planet. All alone."
"You can go to Earth," Catalina said.
"You can join me in my temple," Ninjor suggested, "although I probably won't be much fun for about twenty years. I'm going into hibernation for awhile."
"Will I fit in on Earth?" Dulcea asked.
"Certainly," Catalina said. "You can stay with us in the Command Center. Although you may want to put on a little bit more, clothing wise. I doubt Tommy, Rocky, and Adam would get much done with you strutting around in a green bikini. Or you can get a job and rent an apartment."
"Earth," Dulcea said, testing the thought. "But can the Sacred Grounds be monitored from Earth?"
"The Power Chamber is super-charged with the Earth Crystals," Catalina said. "Alpha can monitor anything now. But besides, don't you think the Sacred Grounds deserve their privacy. They won't be any less sacred without you there to guard them."
"I have missed Earth," Dulcea said. "I guess a lot has changed since I left."
"Yes," Catalina said with a smile. "Civilization is thriving now."
"I will go," Dulcea said. "I don't know where I'll stay, but I will go."
"We'll work out the fine details later," Catalina said. "For now, you can stay in the Command Center with Zordon, Alpha, and me."
"I wish I could give you a hug," Dulcea said in her accent which was so eerily Australian-sounding.
"That's my only fault," Catalina said. "I can't give hugs." Dulcea smiled and hugged Ninjor instead.
The group entered the main room. The walls were made of stone, as were the floor and ceiling. Several beings sat at a long desk on the far wall. The main being was seven feet tall, male, and covered with blue scales. His face was lizard-like, and he wore black body armor. Jenga walked up to the desk and stopped. "I am here."
"Queen Jenga of the Xett Empire," Maxell, head of the Alliance of Evil, said. "You stand before the council to review your position on the List."
"Yes sir," Jenga said.
"You were recently defeated at the hands of the Power Rangers," Maxell said. "We have knowledge of this information due to the disturbance caused by the Anti-Earth Crystals."
"Sir, I was not defeated," Jenga said. "I was merely stopped when Catalina destroyed the temporary reality we were in and then thrown back in time to when I de-activated the Crystal of Time."
"Do you still have the Crystal of Time?"
"No sir," Jenga said. "It was stolen from my possession by one who had dealings with the Earth Crystals. The Rangers are its current possessors."
"So you have, in a sense, aided the Rangers of Earth?"
"No sir," Jenga said angrily.
"Well, that is not how I see it," Maxell said. "You will be bumped to fourth place on the List. MasterVile will be placed first."
Jenga forced a smile and cocked an eyebrow. She stepped back from the desk. A circle of pink light opened on the floor, and a being similar to Maxell only female rose up from the circle. "Daddy?" the being asked.
"Stihn," Maxell said. "Jenga, don't be a fool."
"Stihn?" Jenga asked the alien. "Is this your father?"
"Daddy?" Stihn asked in a frightened voice.
"You love her with all your heart, don't you?" Jenga asked.
"Jenga, you know about the spell on those of us who serve the Alliance," Maxell said. "Whatever you do to us you do to yourself."
Jenga placed her hands on Stihn's upper arm. "Yes," Jenga said. "I know." Jenga extended her index finger. A tiny red ball of light jumped from her fingertip and entered Stihn's body. She gave a cry and fell to the floor.
"Mom?" Lord Zedd asked. His hands went to his chest and he dropped to his knees. "What did you do?" He then fell face forward, sprawled out on the floor.
"I stopped her heart, Maxell," Jenga said. "She, along with my son, Lord Zedd, has six minutes to live."
"Jenga!" Maxell yelled angrily. "Bring her back!"
Another circle of light opened beside Jenga. Another alien with blue scales rose up beside Jenga. "Maxell?" the woman asked.
"Is this your wife?" Jenga asked. A wicked smile crossed her face. "I believe her name is Ahlee."
"Jenga please," Maxell said. "Don't."
"Jenga, this isn't funny anymore," MasterVile muttered.
"You're right," Jenga said. She zapped Ahlee, stopping her heart. The spell immediately stopped MasterVile's heart as well, and the two dropped to the floor simultaneously. "It's not funny anymore."
"By killing my wife and child you are killing your husband and child!" Maxell bellowed.
"You know what I want," Jenga said. "Put me at the top of the list. Where I belong. Where I have stood since the beginning of time."
"It's not in my power, Jenga!" Maxell bellowed. "I don't make the rules! I just abide by them! Please! Bring them back!"
"Four minutes," Scorpina reminded them.
"Do you know who made the rules?" Jenga asked. Silence followed. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!!"
"I don't know," Maxell sobbed. He drew the dying body of his daughter into his arms and cried.
Jenga laughed wickedly and threw her arms up into the air. Thunder crashed in the large room and lightning danced across the ceiling. A pillar of fire shot up in the center of the room, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?!!!!!!" she bellowed in a deep guttural voice.
Her pupils immediately became thin slits against a dark red background. She opened her mouth wide, revealing her fangs and forked tongue. "I AM ETERNAL!!!!!!!" Jenga bellowed. Despite her feminine body, her voice was anything but. "I have been feared for eons. Parents told their children to be good or I would come get them in the dark of night. I have been called many names. Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, Baal, Set, R'elyeh, Nyarlahotep, Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, Jenga."
"You are the devil," Rita said.
"No," Jenga laughed in her deep voice. "The devil is my source of evil, although I am not him. He powers me. His essence flows through my veins. I am not evil due to a mere demon. I am evil personified. Satan has chosen not to leave hell. However, he has given me an exact replica of his power. I am destined to rule this entire universe. And you dare defy me."
"One minute," Goldar growled.
Jenga's eyes returned to their beautiful green. "What will it be?" Jenga asked in a feminine voice. "Some don't like blood shed or senseless murder. But me. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."
"Please don't kill them," Maxell sobbed. "I'll put you at the top of the list." Jenga smiled. A ball of red light burst from Stihn and Ahlee's chest. They opened their eyes and gasped, as did Lord Zedd and MasterVile.
"Oh, and Maxell, one more favor," Jenga said.
"Anything," Maxell said as he hugged Stihn and Ahlee tightly.
"We request permission to form a new dynasty," Jenga said.
"Who shall it consist of?" a female at the desk asked.
"Queen Jenga and Lord Zedd of the Xett Empire," Jenga began.
"MasterVile, Rita Repulsa, and Rito Revolto of the Bandora Kingdom.
"Ivan Ooze and Scorpina of the Grifforzer Kingship.
"Goldar, Finster, Squatt, and Baboo as servants of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa.
"Diva Tox, Elgar, Rygog, and Porto of the Inquiria Kingdom.
"King Mondo, Queen Machina, Prince Sprocket, Prince Sprockett, and Princess Archerina of the Machine Empire, along with royal servants Klank and Orbus."
"What shall you here-to-fore be known as?"
"We shall be the Dynasty of the Apocalypse," Jenga said proudly.
"It shall be so," Maxell said sadly.
"I just knew you would see things my way," Jenga said. "Well, Dynasty of the Apocalypse, let's go home."
"This is sort of uncomfortable," Dulcea complained. Dulcea, Kimberly, and Aisha caused quite a stirring when they entered the mall. Mainly due to Dulcea's green bikini.
"No more blue jeans," Kimberly told Aisha. "They're too tight."
"Maybe a summer dress?" Aisha suggested.
"What will I wear in the winter?" Dulcea asked.
"It's called a summer dress because it's really loose and thin," Aisha said. "It's really comfortable in the summer, but since you don't seem to get cold..."
"Well, it's bound to be more comfortable than this," Dulcea complained, pulling the sweater off over her head. She unbuttoned her jeans and stepped out of them.
"This is why I didn't want Zack to come," Aisha muttered.
"Aisha, there are men staring at us," Kimberly muttered.
"They're not staring at us," Aisha said. "They're staring at Dulcea."
"Earth has changed since last I was here," Dulcea said, oblivious to Aisha and Kimberly's discussion. "There were no warm buildings."
"Are you from Earth?" Aisha asked.
"Yes," Dulcea answered. "Some time ago, my entire village was killed by Ivan Ooze. I was the sole survivor, and Zordon gave me a chance to seek vengeance. Through a very unlikely turn of events, I became Head Warrior of the planet Phaedos. And ultimately, I was trapped there."
"What's your favorite color?" Aisha asked as she approached yet another rack of clothing.
"Well, I've worn green for nearly twenty millennia," Dulcea said. "Maybe I should try something different?"
"I wonder how you would look in purple?" Kimberly asked.
Most of Jenga's newly founded Dynasty were sleeping, as it had been a very busy day. She sat on the balcony and looked at the planet Earth. "It really is beautiful," she thought to herself.
"Mom?" Lord Zedd asked.
"Yes dear?"
"You weren't really going to let me die, were you?" he asked in a small voice.
Jenga opened her mouth to say something and paused. After a moment, she answered with a smile, "Of course not."
"Good," Lord Zedd answered. "How about MasterVile?"
"Him neither," Jenga answered. Satisfied, he returned to his bedroom.
She looked back at the blue and white orb hanging in the depths of space. "What they doesn't know won't hurt them," she whispered.
Aisha, Kimberly, and Dulcea entered the Juice Bar. Dulcea was wearing a simple pastel purple summer dress. "I feel somewhat self-conscious in this attire," Dulcea said.
"You'll get arrested if you strut around Angel Grove in that bikini," Aisha told her.
"Arrested?" Dulcea asked.
Bulk approached the three women. "Dulcea?" Bulk asked.
"Hello Bulk," Dulcea answered with a distinct note of shyness in her voice. She tugged at her hemline uncomfortably like a little kid.
"Uhm, would you care to join us?" Bulk asked.
"Doing what?" Dulcea asked.
"Eating," Kimberly said. "Come on."
Dulcea shyly joined her friends at the table. "I haven't eaten in a very long time," Dulcea said, "but I am hungry. I guess." She put her hand to her stomach. It had been so long since she felt hunger, she had forgotten what it felt like.
"Ernie," Bulk called. "Cheeseburger and fries for our tall friend over here."
"You got it, Bulk," Ernie answered.
"What's a cheeseburger and fries?"
The thirteen Rangers, Catalina, and Dulcea stood around the grave. "It was nice of Alpha to make him a coffin," Trini said softly.
The body of Perkiz lay six feet beneath them in an elegant black and silver coffin. Bulk, Rocky, Jason, Billy, and Trini had dug the grave for the being who had saved Trini's life. The grave was at the top of a hill outside the city limits where no one would disturb it.
"This spring I'll come back here and plant a dogwood tree," Trini announced. She set a yellow rose at the head of the grave. "Thanks for everything Perkiz."
"You had better write," Aisha said.
"So had you," Zack said with a half-cocked smile.
"I have created an alternate channel on your communicators for your personal conversations," Alpha said.
"What?" Billy asked. "You're gonna let us use the communicators to talk? For fun?"
"You have all served this planet very well," Zordon said. "I guess you could say I've lightened up a little during this most recent disaster. Provided you keep your identities secret, you may use the communication system on occasion. But mostly Zack and Aisha, as Aisha does not have access to a telephone."
"Your teleporters will be off-line," Alpha said, "but you can use communication on occasion. You will want to be careful, though. Communication will be based on the batteries in your communicators, not the Command Center's communication system. That way, you will be ensured privacy."
"I should get back," Aisha said. "Aunt Ashala thinks I went to the well, and I've been gone about five hours."
"Good bye, Aisha," Zordon said. The others hugged her, wished her luck, and Zack gave her a kiss.
"Just a few more years," Zack whispered.
Aisha smiled, and teleported away in a flash of white light.
"Guess we have to go, too," Trini said.
"Call me tomorrow morning," Billy said. "Got it?"
Trini wrapped her arms around Billy and gave him a passionate kiss. "Got it," she said.
Black and yellow teleportation streams rose up and flew out of the Command Center.
Kimberly looked at her friends. "I've got a vacation in a few months," Kimberly said. "I'll be back." She took Skull's hand and held it. "Call me."
Skull kissed her hand and said, "You know it." Pink light temporarily blinded him. When he opened his eyes, Kimberly was gone.
February 1
"What are you going to do, Billy?" Katherine asked.
"I don't know," Billy answered. "I guess enroll in Angel Grove University."
"The spring semester has already started," Kat said.
"I know. I might travel," he said. "I wouldn't mind visiting Switzerland at this time of year. {beep beep} Hold on a sec, Kat. Somebody's on the other line.
"Hello?"
"Hey Billy," Trini said.
"Trini," Billy said. "What have you been up to?"
"Zack and I have been doing some research," Trini said. "And Zack had an idea."
"What's that?" Billy asked.
"Well, since Jason left, there's been a vacancy in the U.S. dorms," Trini said. "Zack's room, actually. He asked if they would be interested in having a new student. Would you be interested?"
"Me?" Billy asked. "They didn't accept me the first time."
"You didn't apply the first time," Trini said.
"Yes I did," Billy said.
"No you didn't," Trini said. "Don't you remember who was supposed to turn your application in?"
"Sure," Billy said. "Kimberly, Tommy, and I were at the Juice Bar, we filled out our applications, and since I had already written my essay, I gave it to .... Tommy to turn in. Oh my gosh."
"Yeah," Trini said. "He was so embarrassed that he forgot he never mentioned it to you. He thought you would be mad."
"I would have been then," Billy said, "but I'm glad I hung around. But I'm not doing anything now. Are you sure they would have me?"
"Billy, you're a child prodigy," Trini said. "Zack just mentioned your name and they knew who you were. They would be thrilled to have you."
"Yes," Billy said. "I'll do it. When do I start. And when are we finished?"
"You'll start on February 15. And we're finished whenever we want to quit," Trini said.
"Cool," Billy said.
"Very cool," Trini agreed.
"Where are you going to live?" Bulk asked.
"I guess in the Command Center," Dulcea said. "I have no where else to go. I have no real talent, so I can't get a job. All I know how to do is protect the innocent."
"I've got an idea," Bulk said. "Actually, I have two ideas. Come with me." Bulk took Dulcea's hand and pulled her up.
"Certainly," Dulcea said with a smile.
"Lt. Stone?" Bulk asked, standing at attention.
"Bulkmeier," Lt. Stone acknowledge.
"I have a friend who is very interested in joining the Force," Bulk said.
"Who would that be?" Lt. Stone asked. "Now really is the best time. There is a new group of recruits going through bootcamp in just a few days. We can get his paperwork filled out, and he can go with them."
"Not a he, sir," Bulk said. "A she."
A very tall woman with curly brown hair walked up beside Bulk. "Hello," the woman said. "My name is Dulcea."
Lt. Stone stood up, and realized that she was a few inches taller than he was. "How tall are you, miss?"
Dulcea started to answer, but instead turned to Bulk with a frightened look on her face. "About six foot two, sir," Bulk answered for her.
"I mean absolutely no disrespect," Lt. Stone said, "but you don't really look like you could hold your own with someone who gave you trouble."
"I can hold my stuff just fine," Dulcea said proudly. Lt. Stone nodded and left to get the necessary paperwork. "Did I say that right?"
"Close enough," Bulk said with a smile.
Lt. Stone returned to his desk and asked, "Okay ma'am. What's your full name?"
"Dulcea," she answered.
"No, your full name."
Dulcea shot Bulk a panicked look. "S'okay," Bulk whispered. "Alpha made up a legitimate profile for you." Louder, he said, "Here is everything you need to know, sir."
"Dulcea Ann Phaedos," Lt. Stone read. He wrote down her "name", and continued with the form.
Bulk pulled Dulcea over to the side. "I know you're a little bit concerned about where you will live," Bulk said. "I've already talked to my parents, and if you want, you can live in our garage. We can fix it up real nice for you."
"Would you really do that for me?" Dulcea asked.
"Gladly," Bulk said. "I mean, if you want to."
"What did you tell your parents?"
"You are a very close friend of Katherine who is down on her luck," Bulk said. "You've just moved here from Australia, but you can't stay with Katherine because Tanya is living with her. So, we worked a plan where you can stay in our garage." Bulk decided not to mention that his parents would be expecting rent. "So? Will you accept?"
"Yes," Dulcea said. "I will."
February 14
"It's my birthday and I'm stuck on a different coast," Kimberly muttered. She slipped off of the balance beam and landed hard on the mat. Growling, she climbed back to her feet and got on top of the beam again.
"Miss Hart," Coach Schmidt said. "Is something wrong?"
"No sir," Kimberly said, stretching her arms forward and her left leg back. She leapt forward, but she fell of the balance beam again.
"Try it again," Coach Schmidt ordered.
"I miss Skull," Kimberly muttered as she climbed to the top of the balance beam again. "And the others."
Kimberly fell flat on her back off of the balance beam. "Focus Miss Hart! Focus!" Coach Schmidt yelled. She gritted her teeth and climbed back up. She missed Skull, she missed her friends, and she missed Angel Grove.
"Sorry Coach," Kimberly said. She did a cartwheel on the beam and slipped off again.
"What is wrong, Kimberly?" Coach Schmidt asked. "Why can't you focus today?!"
"I hate him when he yells," Kimberly muttered under her breath. "Sorry Coach," she answered again.
"Miss Hart," Coach Schmidt said. "If you intend to bring home a gold coin, you had better act like you have at least one thought in that empty head of yours. I am not going to waste my time on a worthless quitter."
Kimberly, still sitting on the mat, twisted her right hand. With a slight breeze only she could feel and a metallic ringing, her Morpher appeared in a pink flash. She turned it over and stared at the Gold Coin. Her Coin, not to be taken away by anyone. She put the Morpher back in her pocket dimension and stood up.
"There are more important things than winning the Olympics, or the Pan Global Games," Kimberly said. "It is my birthday, and instead of being with the people and the man I love, I'm stuck on the wrong coast listening to you yell at me. I quit."
Kimberly stormed away from the gym. She picked up her gym bag by the door and walked out into the Florida sunshine. A heavy burden was lifted from her shoulders. As she was packing her belongings to teleport home, she had only one problem. "Where am I gonna live?" she asked herself.
"Of course," Rebecca said. "We would be honored to have the Pink Power Ranger live with us."
"Oh thank you so much," Kimberly sighed. "I'll get a job to pull my weight. I promise."
"You can stay in my room," Billy said, giving his friend a hug.
"Thank you so much," Kimberly said. "I couldn't stand it down there any longer. That man was so condescending. Besides, I have too much here in Angel Grove."
February 15
"Why are you taking the plane?" Tanya asked.
"It'll give me some time to think. Sort my thoughts," Billy said. "Catch up on my sleep. Teleport lag is much worse than jet lag." Billy hugged all of his friends, with the exception of Dulcea who had yet to come back from the Police Academy.
He waved goodbye, and walked toward the plane. It was a long way to Switzerland.
"Lead me not into temptation,
Heaven help me to be strong."
Trini rested her head on Billy's shoulder. Despite the chilly night air, they were outside. Trini took Billy to her special spot. It was a tall hill far outside of town, but one could still see all of Geneva. The two were dancing to the song that had given them encouragement during their most trying time.
"I wonder where that signal came from?" Trini asked. "During the fight."
"Maybe it was a gift from God?" Billy suggested.
"Among other things," Trini said with a smile. She kissed Billy on the lips, and put her head back on his shoulder. "I love you Billy."
"I love you, too," he said. "Hold me tight, Trini."
"I don't need ten thousand angels," Trini said. "I've got you."
The two danced long into the night.
"Guide my feet and hold me tight,
I need ten thousand angels, watching over me tonight."
The End ... for now
Disclaimer : I would have done this at the beginning, but I kind of forgot. So, here goes. The general Ranger concept belongs to Saban. I'm using it without permission. Jenga, Catalina, and the Earth Crystals belong to me. If you would like a picture of Jenga, just send me an e-mail and I'll get one out to you. I'd like to thank Akiko and Ellen for giving me feedback, and Kittie for posting "The Earth Crystals" in the first place. I've really enjoyed writing this, and I've fallen in love with Jenga. You can expect to hear more from her in the future. |