- Disclaimer and Author's Notes: Here we are, lucky number seven in the Dark Falcon saga! Are you all enjoying the story so far? This is a very fluid series - anything can happen - so if you have any ideas, you are more than welcome to suggest them to me. I may use them, depending on how well they fit in the loose plot I already have. Did I forget anything? I feel like there's something... Oh! I almost forgot. Anything PR-related that I didn't make up belongs to Saban. Gee, how could I forget something that exciting...
Evil Space Aliens
by: SilvorMoon
*Well,* thought Skull, looking around him. *Here I am. I made it.*
"It's strange," Cedar commented, looking around her in complete awe. "Not like the other city. Is this the place you wanted to live?"
Skull looked around, taking in the clean new buildings, the peculiar little vehicles that sped along on their own special roads, the soldiers in their quiet-colored uniforms, and the GSA logos everywhere. There was something about it that just felt new, not like Angel Grove or Tien. Those places had an inhabited feel, and they fit everyone like old clothes, having been broken in by years or centuries of previous inhabitants. There was nothing here that felt of anything but new experiences and a strange sensation of going places. Maybe that was what Cedar was feeling that made her feel uncomfortable here, even after seeing other human cities on Earth. After living on Tien for so long, Skull couldn't blame her. He found it a little intimidating himself.
"I don't like it," the Firebird opined. He could always be counted on for an opinion. "It feels of thunder and lightning. I don't like it one bit ."
"What is it with you and electricity?" Skull muttered in mild irritation.
Firebird ruffled his glorious feathers in embarrassment. "It just makes me uncomfortable, that's all. Thunder and Lightning are my enemies. They hamper my powers considerably. If you get in trouble here, I might be inconvenienced somewhat."
"We won't get in trouble," said Skull, but he couldn't help feeling a bit worried. He wasn't used to the Firebird admitting any kind of weakness. He wondered what would happen if he did get into trouble for a moment, but then roughly shoved the thought out of his mind. This was the time of universal peace, wasn't it? All the monsters had died in the mysterious golden wave that had saved the world from destruction, and there would be no danger here. All the same, his hand went to his Firebird medallion in a nervous gesture.
"Where is your friend, Eugene?" chirped Cedar with an expectant look.
"Umm..." Skull was momentarily taken aback. Up until now, all his efforts had been mainly directed at getting here. Finding him was something that had not actually occurred to him. "Hmm. Good question. Maybe there's someone we could ask? They gotta keep records or something, right?"
"That would be a logical deduction," said the Firebird. "I wish you good luck in your searching. I, however, intend to take advantage of this opportunity and do some exploring. I suppose I shall return at some later point." So saying, he rose up into the air and glided away.
"Hope he doesn't cause any trouble," Skull muttered.
"Glad he's gone," Cedar replied. "Don't worry about Firebird, Eugene. He can take care of himself. If he can't, it's his own fault."
"You really don't like him, do you?" Skull asked her. Cedar was normally the most charitable of people. It was seldom she had an unkind word to say about anyone but the destroyers who had intended to take over her world.
Cedar shook her head. "Don't trust him. He's too clever for his own good. Father says people like him always come to bad ends sooner or later."
"I don't trust him, either," Skull admitted. "I don't like him keeping secrets from us. Oh, well. Want to help me look for Bulk?"
"Guess so," Cedar answered doubtfully. "Are you really sure you're going to stay here, Eugene? Forever and ever?"
*Forever?* The word echoed in his mind and unsettled him. Could he really stay here in this place for the rest of his life? Well, of course he wanted to be with his friends. He could hardly remember a year that he hadn't spent and Bulk's side. He had been living on the hospitality of Cedar's family for a long time, and it was certain that they liked him and didn't mind his presence, but he would have felt guilty sponging off of them for much longer. He was human, and he belonged with other humans, people who spoke his language and didn't sprout feathers to keep themselves warm at night.
*You're not so smart yourself. You don't know what you are, either,* taunted the Firebird's voice in his mind. Perhaps it was Skull's usual distrust of the bird and his usually untrustworthy advice that made him want to dismiss that little bit of wisdom as well. Still, a voice in his head reminded him, the Firebird had seemed awfully secretive about just what he had meant by that, acting like it was something he hadn't meant to let slip.
"Let's start looking," was all he said.
Meanwhile, in a comfortable set of dormitories located in one of the more militaristic parts of Terra Venture, five teens were sitting back and relaxing after a day's work. The sixth member of the group, however, seemed distracted. She sat quietly, not attending to the animated conversation that was going on around her. Her eyes scanned the room erratically, as if she was following the progress of a fly.
"What's with you, Maya?" asked Mike, looking concerned.
"Something strange is going on," she said, looking confused. "There is some kind of presence that has arrived. I don't know what it is, though. It feels strong... and not happy."
"Is it dangerous?" asked Kendrix worriedly.
"I hope it's not one of Trakeena's creeps," muttered Leo.
"No, it doesn't belong to her. It's a natural force... forces," Maya corrected. "Whatever they're doing, I think we had better not interfere, but we should be careful."
"Fine," said Damon. "I'll be happy to leave them alone if they'll leave us alone."
Anything else that might have been said was cut off by a sudden crack of lighting. It was followed by a roar of thunder, and the lights flickered a little.
"Storm's on the way," remarked Mike. "Big one, too, by the sound of it."
"There's no storm scheduled for today!" Kai griped. "Leo, did you get into the weather simulator again?"
"Hey, don't look at me!" said Leo, hands held up in protest. "So help me, I haven't been near the thing in days!"
"Hmm," said Kai, not looking convinced. "Let me check something."
So saying, he headed for a table where Kendrix's laptop was plugged in and accessed Terra Venture's main computer system.
"Funny," he said, face creased in puzzlement, "it says here that the weather machines aren't generating any storms. Everything ought to be peaceful!"
"Well, it looks like it isn't, is it?" said Damon. "Any idea what's causing this?"
Kai shook his head. "No clue. Whatever it is, it's something outside of the system."
"Don't you understand?" asked Maya. "This isn't a man made thing. It's natural. It's being caused by them!"
"Them?" Mike repeated. "Them, who?"
"I don't know," Maya replied, "but I think maybe we should find out."
"I don't like thunder and lighting, I don't like thunder and lightning, I don't like thunder and lighting..."
With every beat of his radiant wings, the Firebird repeated his chant to himself. The inclement weather was not making him at all comfortable, but speculations as to its cause were making him downright agitated. The element of fire was his to control if he willed it enough, even with his powers somewhat curtailed, but water could still drown him out if it was powerful enough. He knew someone who could do it, too, and this felt suspiciously like his handiwork.
"Impossible," the Firebird stated flatly. "I got rid of him. He won't come back, and even if he did, he wouldn't be here."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," answered a voice. It was faint, echoing, and seemed to come from all directions at once. The Firebird disobeyed the laws of gravity and aerodynamics by suddenly halting in midair.
"Who said that?" he demanded. "Come out and show yourself, scoundrel, before I get angry with you. It isn't nice to play games with and Immortal Being, you know."
"Wise words," the voice answered, "which leads me to suggest that you should take your own advice. Face it, brother, you're not a true Immortal anymore. I am."
"Impossible!" Firebird said again, but this time he sounded much less certain.
There was a sudden thickening of the air, and Firebird suddenly found himself surrounded by thick silver-white clouds. They seemed to darken at the point directly in front of him, roiling and churning until they became as heavy and black as storm clouds, and they flashed and rumbled ominously. In a breathtaking flash of pale lavender-blue lightning, a shape appeared, and the Firebird fell back in awe.
No one who saw the creature that had manifested itself before him would ever again be intimidated by the Firebird. It was similar in size and shape, but in all other respects, it was a whole new creature. It's feathers were the silver, grey, and blue of storm clouds, and its eyes gleamed with lightning. Firebird was beautiful, but next to this being, he looked only flashy and overdecorated. What the new bird lacked in physical beauty, he made up for in majesty. He radiated predatory power and calm wisdom. And yet... and yet, the lightning that flickered in the background shone right through him, and the patterns of the roiling clouds could be seen through his outstretched wings. He was only a shade, translucent, barely present. Even so, the Firebird cringed at the sight of him.
"Thought you could escape me, eh, my brother?" it asked quietly.
"Thunderbird," answered Firebird in a grudging greeting. "What brings you here?"
"Would you believe, brotherly love?" asked the Thunderbird gently. "You're heading for trouble, you know."
"I can take care of myself," Firebird said. He sounded like he was pouting.
"Ah, yes, I remember so well what that feels like," said the Thunderbird with a sigh. "My dear young brother, I've been everywhere you have. I think it is the curse of our kind to suffer, but if you would listen to me, I could save you from more torment."
"Torment? What torment?" asked Firebird indignantly.
"Would a few centuries in an amber crystal count as torment?" asked the Thunderbird, cocking his head in a wry expression. "That's not mentioning what you went through to get there in the first place. And losing your Immortal status isn't fun, I know."
"Why do you have to rub that in?" the Firebird complained. "I'm perfectly content with my life, thank you very much. I don't need your meddling."
"I'm trying to help you, Firebird," answered Thunderbird, and the clouds behind him rumbled with his impatience. "You saw what became of me! Even now, I'm lacking much of my former power. It could take me eons to get it back! I came so close to dying, Firebird! I! I, an Immortal Being, nearly threw away my life! I'm trying to save you from that same fate before it's too late for you. You've already gone much further than you should."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Firebird snapped. "You've never done anything but try to run my life, Thunderbird, and I'm getting very tired of it!"
"And I don't like what you're doing to the Dark Falcon," said Thunderbird. "If I've tried to control you, it was for your own long-term benefit, but what you tried to do to him..."
"I am trying to help him. It is my destiny to protect the Tienese... better than you protected the Oryllians," said the Firebird acidly.
Thunderbird winced. "That was a long time ago. I've paid for it many times over. I'm still trying to make up for it. I shudder to think what you're going to do when this is over."
"Get out of here! I've had enough of this talk!" the Firebird snapped. "Stay out of my life, Thunderbird! I'll do as I very well please. The affairs of mortals are of no consequence."
"Be careful; you may be condemning yourself," Thunderbird replied. "There are things you could do to have even your Near Immortal status taken away. Murder, for example." He gave the Firebird a hard look with his lightning-glow eyes.
"How dare you level such accusations at me!" exclaimed the Firebird. "I've never even considered such a thing!"
"Oh, really?" the Thunderbird answered. "Did you know that setting up rigged battles is considered murder?"
"Say no more!" Firebird commanded, feathers bristling in anger.
"You don't like the Dark Falcon, do you?" said Thunderbird softly. "I know how your mind works. You sensed that he was weak, and you gave him power because you thought you could control him, and when he grew too strong, you tried to have him destroyed. That battle you were so keen on having him fight... bringing him to Lord Zedd and abandoning him. You never meant for him to win that fight, did you?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Firebird roared. Waves of fire shot from his wings and eyes, engulfing the stormy bird before him, and there was a deafening roar of flame and thunder. When it had quieted, the Thunderbird was gone, and the clouds were thinning.
"I'll be back," his voice whispered. Then the fog lifted, and the Firebird was alone.
"Oh, good riddance. I don't need you, anyway," said the Firebird, watching the fog clear. "I can take care of myself. I know what I'm doing."
Still, he couldn't help feeling a bit chilled. He would lie low a while, he decided. He needed to think. It was obvious that Thunderbird didn't approve of his plans. Well, that could be taken care of. Thunderbird had always been the stronger of the two, but he had obviously been greatly weakened, else he wouldn't have been driven off by his lesser-enabled brother.
"He'll go down, too," Firebird decided. "No one will stand in my way. Not him or the Dark Falcon!"
Skull looked up at the sky in time to see a bolt of lightning tear a jagged path across the gathering clouds, and then winced a little as he heard the clap of thunder that accompanied it.
"Sounds like it's going to rain," he muttered. "Man, this stinks! How am I supposed to find anyone if it starts pouring down rain?"
"There is restaurant over there," Cedar chirped. "Can we get food while it rains? I'm hungry." Cedar wasn't especially bothered by the noise and rage of thunderstorms, but she had always been taught to be wary of lightning, and her avian metabolism required more fuel than a human's would.
"Good idea. I hope they still use American Earth money around here," Skull replied. He rummaged around in his pockets and came up with a handful of crumpled bills and loose change. "This ought to be enough to get something. Let's go in."
Cedar nodded and followed Skull across the street, feeling the first cool drops of rain splatter on her head and shoulders. They gained the safety of the little caf‚, and, as if that was some sort of signal, the heavens opened up, and the streets were suddenly filled with bullets of rain that burst on the pavement.
"Whew!" said Skull, shaking himself a little. "I'm glad I didn't get caught in that!"
"Me too," Cedar agreed. "Bird doesn't like being wet."
"Same here. Come on, let's go see if we can get something good to eat here," Skull suggested.
The restaurant they had wandered into was pleasant and well designed - dark enough to feel cozy, light and spacious enough not to be claustrophobic. Costumed waiters scurried here and there, delivering food and drinks, and others sat at a bar up in front. The air was filled with the happy chattering of people. Skull smiled a little, reminded of the Youth Center back in Angel Grove. How long had it been since he had been there? Not since shortly after meeting Cedar, when he'd finally been chased out of the hangout for high school students and had started haunting the Surf Spot. He decided he liked this place. For all it's space age touches, it felt like home.
"You wait out here," said Skull, appraising Cedar's quaint costuming and deciding it wouldn't quite fit in with the general populace. "I'll go order something for us, and we can find somewhere to eat where they won't notice you."
Cedar nodded and slipped into a shadowed corner. Skull waved goodbye to her and headed up to the counter.
"Over here!" he called. "Can I get some service?"
"Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on," a voice called back... an annoyed voice... a familiar voice. Skull's head snapped around to look at the speaker. Even though the bartender's back was turned to him, Skull recognized him as well as if he was seeing his face. How many times had he trailed behind that figure?
"Bulk?" he exclaimed in disbelief.
"Huh? How did you know my...?" The question died as Bulk turned around and saw his friend. "Skull, is that you?"
"It's me, all right! Man, is it ever good to see you!" Skull enthused.
"I can't believe it! I thought I was never going to see you again!" cried Bulk, smiling his widest. "Hey, Professor, look! Skull's back!"
"Skull?" The little old man looked up from what he was doing and turned around to give his former assistant a wide-eyed stare. "Good heavens, Skull, it is you! How did you get here? I thought we forgot you!"
"I was abducted by aliens!" said Skull with a look of pure innocence. Well, he had been brought here by an alien, all right, even if it was of his own free will, and who wouldn't think of aliens when talking to Professor Phenomenus? He quickly began embellishing his tale. "They took me up in this big silver ship and did all kinds of tests and took a bunch of pictures. They said they came from Jupiter or something. Then when they were done with me, they shot me down here in a laser beam, and I wandered around until it started to rain, and I came in here and found you guys."
"It's a miracle!" Bulk exclaimed.
"Yes, yes it is! You're lucky to have escaped!" the Professor added. "Those evil space aliens are extremely dangerous!"
"Um, yeah," Skull agreed. "Anyway, I'm kinda hungry after being abducted and all. Do ya think maybe..."
"Don't worry about a thing, Skull! Dinner is on the house," Bulk insisted. "There's gotta be something around here you can eat. Hey, I'm really sorry we can't stay and talk, but we won't be off work for another hour. Come back after quitting time, though, and we'll take you to see our lab. It's the best!"
"Um, yeah, sure. That would be cool," said Skull agreeably. He glanced out the windows near the entrance, peering at the scraps of the city that could be seen from where he stood. "What do you know? It stopped raining. Is it okay if I, like, order my lunch to go? I'd kinda like to look around."
"Sure thing," Bulk answered. "I'm just really glad you're back."
"Yeah," said Skull. "Me too."
He wondered suddenly why that statement tasted to him like a lie.
Trakeena paced the floor nervously. Something was bothering her, making it absolutely impossible to concentrate on anything important, and she didn't even know what it was! That fact made her even more annoyed, and she continued prowling back and forth, radiating frustration like a fly in a jar.
"Is something bothering you, my queen?" asked a polite voice.
Trakeena jumped and whirled on the intruder with malice in her eyes. Upon discovering that it was only Villamax, she sighed and relaxed a little. She had been taught from her day of birth to trust no one, but her trainer and lead warrior had somehow managed to exempt himself from that rule.
"Nothing's wrong," she told him.
"Are you sure? You looked concerned over something," answered Villamax. "Tell me what is troubling you, highness. Perhaps I can be of help."
"Nothing's wrong," Trakeena repeated. "That's the problem. Nothing is wrong, and I still feel like something is wrong, and its driving me crazy! I think this whole business of taking over the universe is getting me paranoid. Things were so much easier when Father was still alive."
"Hmm," said Villamax, a believer in the adage, "If there's nothing to say, don't say it." Still, he never enjoyed seeing his princess unhappy, and he stood uncomfortably at attention, hoping some cue might provide itself to tell him what best to do.
"Trakeena? Villamax?" called a distant voice. "Where is everybody?"
Trakeena rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What is it, Kegler? And it had better be good!"
The portly little man waddled into the room as fast as his short legs would carry him. He looked worried, but that was nothing unusual, since he was nearly always fretting over something.
"Your majesty, the computers are picking up highly unusual activity on Terra Venture! There are unidentified power sources moving down there!"
"Power sources?" Trakeena repeated, looking interested. "What kind? Where are they?"
"I don't know!" answered Kegler in a tone of protest. "I've been trying, but I can't lock them down!"
"Perhaps this is what you've been sensing," Villamax suggested. "Would you like me to go down and have a look around for you?"
"You do that," answered Trakeena. "And look up those Ranger brats while you're at it and make sure they stay out of this."
"Of course, your highness," Villamax answered with a bow. He vanished in a flash of green light.
"If the Rangers try to get to these new powers before I do, they'll wish they hadn't," said Trakeena to herself. "And if there's anyone else out there who wants to cross me... they had just better look out."
Skull and Cedar stepped out into the streets of Terra Venture and looked around. Strangely, though it had been pouring down rain only moments ago, the sky was already clearing, and patches of blue were already beginning to show here and there. The two of them wandered over to a bus stop bench where they could sit and share the sandwich Skull had recieved.
"Really weird," Skull muttered as he took his seat. "I've never seen such a fast rain storm, have you?"
Cedar shook her head. "Something strange must have happened. Sky was blue when we got here, then it rained and thundered, and now it is blue again. This is strange place, Eugene. I don't think I like it."
"I dunno... the weather here is all done by computers. Maybe there was a glitch somewhere," Skull suggested.
"Computers?" asked Cedar blankly. "What is a computer?"
"It's... hard to explain," answered Skull. He didn't think he could explain what a computer was to himself, not really. They were just things you pushed buttons on to make things happen. If you were Skull, they were usually not the things you wanted to have happen, but that was beside the point.
"Nothing here makes sense," Cedar said, a little sadly. "It is so much not like home. Can't imagine how anyone could live here for their whole lives. How will you get used to it?"
"I already am used to it, sort of," Skull replied. "I mean, I grew up in a city like this."
"So what are you going to do now?" asked Cedar.
"First," said Skull, "I'm going to eat. Then maybe Bulk and the Professor will be done with work, and I can go see their place."
"Will I come too?"
"Um... maybe you'd better not," Skull answered after a moment of thought. "Bulk's seen you before. He might recognize you, and I wouldn't be able to explain how you got here. Maybe you should be a bird a while. You can look around the city, and I'll meet you back here later. We've got to find that stupid Firebird, anyway, before you go home."
"I'm going to miss you," said Cedar sadly. "Won't be the same without you."
"I know. I'll miss you too," Skull answered. "You've been a great friend, Cedar. One of the best I've ever had. I'll never forget that."
They were quiet for a moment, picking at their sparse meal in pensive silence. Finally, Cedar stood up.
"I think I want to fly now," she said. "I will be back in a while, Eugene. I will wait here for you to come back. Have fun with your friends."
"Bye, Cedar. Have fun flying," Skull called back.
Cedar slipped into an alleyway between the caf‚ and a nearby building. It was just a narrow crack, making it a safe enough place to transform without being seen...or so she thought. The one small air vent set in the side of the caf‚ escaped her attention, since it appeared opaque from her point of view. However, anyone in the kitchen who happened to peer through the slats could get a glimpse of the alley, and the faint glow that accompanied her shape-shifting just happened to catch the eye of the Professor himself, delivering a stack of dirty dishes to the overworked kitchen staff. He paused and looked more closely, just in time to see a beautiful redheaded girl suddenly warp and reshape herself into a large rose-gold bird with a flowing crest of long thin feathers. For a moment, he was dumbstruck, but then, as he watched her flutter her wings and fly away, he broke into a smile.
"An alien!" he whispered, chuckling in satisfaction. "An evil space alien!"
"Well, this is it!" said Bulk to his old sidekick. "How do you like it?"
Skull looked around. Evidently, Bulk and the Professor had jerry-rigged themselves a combination living space and laboratory out of what had once been some kind of storage facility. Rooms that had once been storerooms of a sort had been turned into miniature bedrooms - Bulk's door was open, revealing an unmade bed and several articles Skull recognized from his former home back on Earth - and aside from a few necessary appliances, like a fridge and a television, the rest of the space seemed to be filled with laboratory equipment. It had obviously been put together out of odds and ends, and several bits of machinery seemed to be held together solely by wires and scraps of electrical tape. All manner of unidentifiable machinery littered desks, tables, the floor, and even chairs, humming and blinking and blipping and occasionally shooting off sparks. The walls were enlivened by a few of Bulk's old posters and numerous pictures of UFO's and space beings.
"It's... interesting," Skull replied.
"Thanks! I knew you would like it," Bulk replied. "We'll fix you up a room, too. There's another one upstairs. It's full of stuff right now, but we can clean it out for you."
"Thanks," answered Skull.
He wandered across the room, to where a large, cagelike contraption had been set up in a corner. It appeared to be made of steel pipes soldered to sheets of metal to make a barred box, and the front was hinged for a door. A small, crude looking control panel dotted with buttons, lights, and toggles was attached to the door, and wires seemed to sprout from various points to connect to more machines. When he drew nearer, he could hear a faint hum issuing from it, amplified by the hollow bars. It didn't look very friendly.
"What's this wacky thing?" he asked. "Is it safe?"
"Don't touch that!" the Professor shouted. "That's for the aliens!"
"Aliens?" Skull repeated inanely. Well, of course Professor Phenomenus would have a cage for aliens in his house! Even the fact that it was obviously mechanical shouldn't have surprised him much - an ordinary cage wouldn't be enough to hold the phantasms the Professor believed were always lurking nearby.
"Yes, yes, of course!" the Professor cackled. "The evil space aliens are everywhere! We have to be ready for them!"
"They're here. We've seen them," Bulk added seriously. "The Power Rangers fight with them all the time."
"Power Rangers?" asked Skull, curious. He had thought the Power Rangers had disbanded after the last battle and had settled down to other business.
"Yeah! There are these new guys in funny Charlie Brown suits, and they fight with the monsters," explained Bulk. "You hang around long enough, you'll see them."
"I saw one just a little while ago," the Professor interjected.
"What? A Power Ranger?" asked Bulk.
"No, not a Power Ranger! An alien!" Professor Phenomenus answered. "It was right outside the caf‚! She was disguised as a human, but I saw her take her true form before she vanished!"
"Really?" asked Skull, feigning detachment while trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. "What did she look like?"
"A horrible bird monster!" answered the Professor. "With a razor sharp beak and cruel talons for attacking innocent victims!"
Skull tried not to wince. It sounded suspiciously like his reaction to his own first look at Cedar, when he had met her in her half-avian form. He'd been scared half to death of her the first time, but now he was completely used to seeing people with beaks and feathers or birds with hands, to the point where he was sometimes surprised by his reflection in the mirror outside Hemlock's study room, because he didn't have wings and a crest. It was hard for him to comprehend how the Professor could find Cedar horrible. To Skull, she was beautiful in any form she took. Unfortunately, if Professor Phenomenus was convinced that Cedar was dangerous or evil, he would do whatever he could to hunt her down, and that was sometimes a surprising amount more than people expected.
"Guess we'd better get to work, then," Bulk agreed. "Hey, Skull, want to help us hunt aliens? It'll be just like old times."
"Nah, not right now," answered Skull, trying to sound casual. "I kinda want to settle in a little first. Besides, I think I've had enough aliens for a while - you know, what with being abducted and all."
"Okay, Skull. Whatever suits you," said Bulk. "Hey, Professor, what were those parts you wanted from the hardware store?"
"I'll get the list," Professor Phenomenus replied. "Come! There is much to be done!"
Bulk and the Professor wandered off, deep in discussion about transistors and adaptors and other things Skull only half understood. As they left, Skull collapsed onto a nearby sofa, being careful not to disturb the small machine that was taking up one of the seats, sprawling across the rest of it with his head propped on the arm, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. He attempted to think some constructive thoughts, and halfway succeeded. Terra Venture was a shock to his system after living among the Tienese so long, and he wasn't sure about spending all his time hunting aliens anymore. Well, maybe he could find a job somewhere and get an apartment of his own. As for Cedar, she was probably safe. With her wings, she could fly out of anyone's sight and reach, and she wouldn't be here that much longer. And as for Skull... there were Power Rangers here, and that meant monsters were here as well. Perhaps they could use an ally like the Dark Falcon. Skull had never considered that he might miss using his super powers, but he had to admit, deep down, that there were times when he enjoyed taking on the role of a hero. He didn't care for having his life on the line, but he did like being strong and fast and competent, and he would truly miss being able to fly if he had to give up his alternate identity forever. As long as there were battles to fight, he still had a purpose.
*I just hope that's enough...*
"Would you look at that?" Damon muttered, scanning the sky.
"Where did all the clouds go?" asked Kendrix, looking around in confusion. "They just kind of... disappeared!"
The teens were wandering aimlessly down an empty side street, trailing behind Maya, who in turn was following a vague sense of location, leading her toward something she couldn't even begin to identify. And then, suddenly... she lost it.
"Whatever was causing the storm has gone away," Maya answered thoughtfully. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was hiding from us."
"Think we should look for it?" asked Kai.
"I think we should leave it alone," said Maya. "It's not really hurting anything, and it obviously doesn't want to be found. If we make it angry, who knows what it might do?"
"That's fine with me," said Leo. "I'm tired of running around in the rain... or whatever," he added, with an accusing glance at the now cloudless sky.
"I'm with you," said Mike. "I say, if the whatever isn't bothering us, we shouldn't bother it. Besides, I don't know about you guys, but all this running around has made me thirsty. Anyone up for a snack?"
There was a chorus of agreement, and the Rangers turned to walk away... only to find that someone was blocking their path.
"Good afternoon, Rangers," said Villamax. "Lovely day for a battle, don't you think?"
"What are you doing here?" Mike demanded.
"I am on a mission," the monster stated factually, "and I've been given specific instructions to keep you out of the way. If you all turn around and go home now, you won't have any problems."
"Forget about it," Leo replied. "Anything Trakeena sent you to do is trouble, and we won't allow that here."
"Well, then. If you insist on being uncooperative, we have no choice but to fight," Villamax replied, drawing his sword. "I advise you to clear out before I have to hurt a few of you."
"We'll see who hurts who," Leo replied. "Ready, guys? Go Galactic!"
"You can't impress me with that old trick," said Villamax, coolly watching his enemies make their transformations. He snapped his fingers, and a dozen StingWingers manifested themselves. They charged at the Rangers, and a fierce battle broke out in the streets.
Meanwhile, high over the city, Cedar picked up the faint sounds of a fight. Looking down, she saw a number of bright shapes moving around in the street, repelling the attacks of darker shapes, insect-like things that alerted the avian instincts of Cedar's bird-self. Curiously, she began to circle lower, wondering if she could be of help.
What she did not see were two perfectly ordinary humans taking a shortcut home through the uncrowded side of town. As Cedar began her descent, one of them, an elderly man with glasses and a white lab coat, glanced upward. Surprised, he fished in a coat pocket for a pair of mini-binoculars and looked again. He pointed at the sky and tugged urgently at the sleeve of his companion, a heavyset young man with a blond ponytail.
"Look up there!" the Professor shouted excitedly. "That's her! That's the alien I saw!"
"What? Where?" Bulk looked around in vague confusion. Professor Phenomenus pressed the binoculars to his companion's eyes so that he, too, could see the spectacular rose-gold bird that circled overhead. Bulk's jaw dropped.
"Whoa, it really is an alien!" he exclaimed.
"It's coming closer!" cried the Professor. "Quick, Bulk, the net!"
Bulk scrambled in a pocket of his coat and came up with something that looked like a silver watergun, which he reverently handed to Professor Phenomenus. The professor accepted the pistol and held it up, aiming it at the slowly approaching shape that was drifting down from the sky.
"Careful... careful... now!"
His finger pulled the trigger, and there was a rushing sound as a net shot up into the air, flying with unavoidable speed toward its target. Cedar perceived only blur of movement out of one eye before the net had her. Her wings became tangled, and she screamed as she tumbled through the suddenly unsupportive atmosphere, struggling against the ties that held her. She landed in a pair of outstretched arms. They tried to hold back her flailing wings and slashing claws, and then there was suddenly a foul-smelling cloth pressed over her beak. The scent made her head reel, and she blacked out.
Skull spent a long time just staring at the ceiling, daydreaming. He didn't feel up to doing much else; the sudden change in circumstances had taken a lot out of him, as had the recent battle with Chronavius. He actually felt a little sorry for the creature, now that he took time to consider it. He hadn't been so bad, really. He'd put up a good fight and surrendered sensibly, far better than the creatures he'd battled who'd resorted to underhanded tricks or continued fighting vainly when the battle was obviously lost. The superhero business would be better, he reflected, if more villains conducted themselves as well as Chronavius had. He wondered what had become of the creature...
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden thickening of the air around him, as if the room had been filled with invisible fog, cold and slightly metallic tasting, and a few machines fizzed and crackled in response to its coming. The feeling intensified, bringing with it an electric tingle, and then there was real fog in the room, a patch of roiling, grey-blue clouds, and in the center of the clouds...
"Who are you?" Skull asked the being in quiet awe.
"A friend, Dark Falcon," answered the bird. "I am Garudan, called the Thunderbird. I need your help."
"Do you know the Firebird?" asked Skull. There was a resemblance between the two that was hard not to miss, even though their dissimilarities were hard to miss.
"Unfortunately so, but that is only part of the reason I am here," Thunderbird answered. "Dark Falcon, I need your help. My home has been destroyed; my heart has been ripped from me. I have lost my soul. Please, you must help me to get back what I have lost and correct the wrongs I have done. Can I count on you?"
"You want me to leave?" Skull asked, surprised. "After I just got here? I don't know what I can do..."
"You can do everything," said the Thunderbird. "Your strength is greater than you know. Firebird was once the strongest of us two, and there are long-standing wars between us... It is hard to communicate with you. I am missing my soul... it makes it hard on me. We've been torn apart... my soulmate... the teams... You can be the catalyst that heals everything. Say you will try."
"I... I'll see what I can do," said Skull reluctantly. His life as a hero was supposed to be over, wasn't it? But he had been planning to help the Rangers! He had come here to be with his friends and he was thinking of moving out. The Firebird had been his benefactor, but he'd also been almost more trouble than he was worth. This being was so like and unlike him, it was hard to say if he was trustworthy or not. It was all so confusing...
"Thank you," the Thunderbird replied. "I will be eternally grateful... You should go now. There is trouble happening not far from her. I feel fear... you might already be too late. Go. The Dark Falcon is needed."
Skull nodded. The Thunderbird bowed a little in response, and then there was a clap of thunder and a blinding flash of light. When Skull's vision cleared, the bird was gone. Skull shrugged. Weirder things had happened. His hand went to the trusty old Firebird amulet, warm despite the coolness of the room, and he got the oddest feeling it was glad to be going back to the action. He chalked it up to an overactive imagination and prepared to transform.
Seconds later, a dark-garbed man could be seen sprinting for the roof of the building. He emerged to stand on the edge of the wall, looking down on the empty streets below, scanning with the senses that were beyond his understanding, tasting danger. With a light leap, he caught the air and rode it in the direction of the battle.
Shortly after he was gone, two figures dragging a netted bird walked into the warehouse and locked the door behind them.
Leo staggered backwards, propelled by a savage beating from Villamax, and several StingWingers rushed to catch him and hold him down. A few of the other Rangers tried to help him, but the ever-present insect warriors would throw themselves in the Rangers' paths and block them, pushing them back out of the way. Attacking fiercely with his sword, Mike attempted to attack the evil general from the rear, and Leo saw him and tensed involuntarily. Villamax caught the movement and whirled to strike at the Magna Defender, who fell to the ground in a tangled heap of dark armor and crimson cloth.
"You keep of this. Your turn is coming," the general told him coldly. Turning to Leo, he said, "You might as well give up, Ranger. We've got you now. Surrender unconditionally and there will be less suffering for everyone."
"I'll never surrender to the likes of you!" Leo snarled.
"Oh, come now. Be reasonable," said Villamax, casually tapping Leo's shoulder with his sword. "If you don't surrender, I'll have to destroy you now. Give up and come quietly, and tell your friends to do the same. If you're lucky, perhaps Trakeena will let you serve her."
"Never! I'd never serve the cause of evil!"
Villamax shrugged. "Well, it was worth a try. You've been a worthy adversary, Red Ranger, but it's time for this battle to end." He raised his blade and prepared to strike.
Just then, there was an explosion of red lights that rained down on the armored warrior, throwing him backwards and spoiling his aim. The sword slashed the arm of one of the StingWingers, making it release its grip, and Leo used that moment of surprise to free himself and hurry to join his friends and his brother... who all seemed to be staring up at the sky. Leo looked up, too, just in time to see a man in black drop out of the air.
"What the...?" he wondered.
Villamax glared darkly at the intruder as he retrieved his dropped weapon. "Who do you think you are, interfering in our fight? Mind your own business!"
"I am called the Dark Falcon," the stranger replied, "and my business is to fight evil. I'm pretty sure that means you."
Villamax weighed the situation. He'd been sent to search for whatever the perceived new power was, and this odd person with the hawklike eyes, who held that laser gun in an attitude that conveyed clearly that he knew how to use it, was evidently a power of some kind or another. So, was it better to fight him now, or back off a bit and find out a little more about what was going on? The latter course of action, though not the one that would make Trakeena the happiest, was clearly the most intelligent. You didn't fight someone you knew nothing about, especially when they began with the advantage.
"Indeed it does," he said to the Dark Falcon, "but I don't think you'll be fighting me today. Perhaps another time. Good day." He and the StingWingers vanished in a blink of green light.
Skull sighed and slipped his laser back into its holster. That had been almost too easy, and he wasn't sure that was a good thing. The Rangers approached him curiously.
"Hey, thanks for the assist," the Red Ranger replied. "You've got great timing."
"It was no problem," he replied, feeling a little shy. After all, these were real heroes, Power Rangers, probably greater than he'd ever be. "I just got lucky, that's all."
"Well, we're grateful for your help," said the Blue Ranger. "We owe you a debt of gratitude. Can you tell us who you are?"
Skull shrugged. "Just a friend, passing through... I need to go now, I think. Maybe we'll see each other again soon."
Abruptly, he turned and walked off, letting himself be lost in the shadows of a dark alley. The Rangers stood back, respecting his right to privacy. They knew well what hard work it was to be a hero, and they would not get in his way.
Cedar came around slowly. She was lying on something cold and hard, something that didn't feel like proper stone or anything else she would have been lying on if she wasn't in trouble. She opened her eyes and was met with steel bars. She was in a cage, trapped! She came fully awake with a squawk.
"Ah, you're awake!" said a voice. It had the dry, cracked quality that came from many years of use, so Cedar was not surprised to look up and find an elderly man peering back at her through a pair of small glasses. Cedar stared back at him, heart fluttering, wondering if he was friend or foe and deeply fearing the latter.
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously. "Vat do vant vith me?"
"It can talk!" said Bulk in obvious amazement.
Cedar shot a look at him. "Am not an it, human. Am person, and there is no rrreason vy I should not talk."
"Settle down, little alien," said the Professor. "We just want to run a few tests - so some experiments."
"No," said Cedar fiercely. "You vill do no experiments on me! You have no rrright!"
"Oh? And who's going to stop us?" the old man cackled.
Cedar's beak dropped in shock as she realized that he was right; as long as Eugene didn't know where she was, no one would save her. Furiously, she threw herself at the walls of the cage, only to be dealt an electric shock that sent her back to the floor, screaming in pain. She shifted to human form and tried again, but with the same results. Stricken with momentary panic, she flashed from form to form, making wild attempts to free herself, until she finally collapsed again from pain and exhaustion. The Professor stood by mildly, taking notes and chuckling to himself. Panting, Ceder emitted a stream of insulting and vulgar words at him in Tienese. He glanced up at her in faint puzzlement before going back to his note-taking.
Just then, there was a rattling sound at the door, and then a banging.
"Hey, is anybody in there?" a voice shouted. Cedar looked up in surprise. Even muffled by walls and doors, there was no mistaking that voice. It was Eugene! Had he come to save her, or...? She suddenly realized that she recognized one of her captors as Eugene's best friend from Earth, and her heart sank.
Bulk hurried to open the door to admit his friend.
"Hey," he said, "what are you doing out there?"
"I just went outside a minute, and you guys came and locked me out!" Skull complained. Then he looked around the room, and his gaze fell on Cedar. He stared at her in shock, and she stared back with an look of fear and uncertainty.
"What in the...? How did...?" Skull stammered.
"We caught an alien!" said Bulk, mistaking his friend's reaction. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"What... what are you going to do to her?" asked Skull, horrified.
"Well, we're going to observe her for a while, and run a few tests," said the Professor, "and then we're going to open her up and see what makes her tick."
Cedar shrieked, and Skull went suddenly pale.
"You can't do that!" he cried.
Bulk looked at him in puzzlement. "Why not?"
"Because... because its not right!" Skull protested. "She's not a lab animal! She has feelings, just like a human."
"How do you know?" asked Bulk, shocked.
"Because," Skull said, "she's my friend. And if you want to kill her, that makes her a better friend than you."
Bulk gave him a stricken look. "What are you talking about?"
Skull paused for a moment, weighing his words carefully. Everyone was staring at him, as if they were afraid of him, as if he was... He knew what to say, and he said it, first in Tienese, and then in English.
"T'kala e chira, t'ka e va. If she is an alien, then so am I!" he said.
He spoke another word, too, one that made fires flash briefly around him before he took on his new form. Bulk and the Professor could only watch in a kind of stupefied shock as the person they thought they knew took out a laser and shot the lock off their cage. It gave a crackle of sparks before it died, and the door swung open. Cedar, as a bird took to the air and alighted on Skull's shoulders. For a moment, the Dark Falcon stood watching his friends, and they stared back, in the same room and yet millions of miles and thousands of years apart.
*I really don't belong here anymore,* thought Skull. A crushing wave of homesickness hit him, and home looked a lot like a little upstairs room in a comfortable Tienese house. He sighed deeply and shook his head.
"I'm sorry," was all he could say. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm so sorry, Bulk, but I can't stay here."
He turned and walked silently out the door - even the machines seemed to be quieter out of respect. A few moments had to pass before Bulk could work up the courage too look outside to see where his friend had gone. At first, he couldn't find him, but then he looked to the sky, just in time to see to soaring figures vanishing from sight over the tops of buildings.
Villamax took a moment to compose himself before entering the throne room of his queen. There must not be any hint of failure in his attitude when he met with her, or punishment was bound to follow. He had to make it look as if he had done exactly what he had intended to do, and be ready to justify it when she asked. He sighed a little; a subordinate's life wasn't an easy one.
"Your majesty, I have returned," he said as he walked through the doors.
"That's obvious," answered Trakeena sarcastically. "Did you find out anything?"
"As a matter of fact, I did. Nothing you're going to like, though," he replied.
"I'll be the judge of that. Let's hear it."
"There appears to be a new hero on Terra Venture," Villamax answered. "He calls himself the Dark Falcon, and he thwarted my attack on the Power Rangers, so he clearly sides with them."
"Great, just what I don't need," muttered Trakeena. "Another goody-good getting in my way. I guess he's the one with that new power, then?"
"That would be the obvious deduction," agreed Villamax, "though it is possible that-"
"Actually, he is," interrupted a voice. Trakeena and Villamax turned around to see Kegler, who had walked into the room unnoticed while they were having their discussion.
"Is what?" asked Villamax, a bit irritated at the breach in manners.
"Is the one with the new power," Kegler answered. "One of them, anyway. There are four... or there are sometimes. I have it all decoded now. Here, have a look."
He handed a few sheets of paper - computer printouts - to Trakeena, who tried to look at them as if she understood what they said. When it came to computers, she had never even gotten so far as learning how to play video solitaire, and the rows of symbols and complicated computer terms were thoroughly alien to her.
"I'll just keep these for future reference," she said, after a moment's thought. "You can just explain the gist of it to Villamax, so he'll know what to do about it."
"Yes, your majesty," Kegler answered with a slight bow. "It's really not that complicated. The computer was able to locate four separate powers moving around on Terra Venture - that's beside the Power Rangers. I checked, but these are completely different. Three of them are stable, but the fourth one keeps disappearing! I don't know what to make of it."
"I'm not surprised. It's a good thing I do," a new voice chimed in. No one had to look; there was only one other member of their crew left, and only one person in the universe with that distinctive accent and metallic reverberation to his speech.
"Keeping secrets from us, Deviot?" Trakeena inquired.
"Not so much of a secret as a bit of eclectic knowledge," Deviot replied. "I am familiar with these powers you've picked up. Have you ever chanced to hear of Fenikus and Garudan?"
Villamax looked puzzled. "The Firebird and the Thunderbird? But those are just fairy tales, Deviot! I suppose next you'll be wanting me to believe in the tooth fairy."
"Don't scorn things you don't understand, Villamax," answered Deviot mildly. "The Elemental Birds do exist. I've heard it from very reliable sources. More importantly, their warriors exist. The Knights of All Times were disbanded years ago, but it seems one or two have managed to resurface. They should be crushed completely before they have time to fully regroup. If they do that, they'll be a menace to evil everywhere."
"And just how do you propose to do that?" asked Trakeena.
"By eliminating the Dark Falcon, to start with. He is traditionally the Firebird's right-hand man, and thus, one of the most powerful members of the team," Deviot replied. "But if you're speaking of ways and means, I have already taken care of that problem."
He snapped his fingers, and a creature appeared in a crimson flash. It was a scuttling beast with a slightly hunched back and bent limbs. Its only clothing was a ragged bit of black cloth tied around its waste, revealing a body held taut by wiry muscles, and its shiny red skin gave it the look of a comic-strip devil. Spikes protruded from its knees, elbows, shoulders, and almost anywhere else they could conveniently be fitted, and a pair of jagged gold antlers sprouted from its forehead. It had a long, thin tail, also tipped with barbs, and its hands and feet were well- equipped with claws. A huge mouth gaped, showing of triple rows of yellow teeth. It bobbed its head to Trakeena in greeting as it looked around the room in nervous movements, twitching and scuttling with nervous energy.
"What in the universe is that?" Trakeena, staring at the thing distrustfully.
"This," answered Deviot, "is a Thornspike. I've been saving it for a special occasion."
"Not the most dangerous looking thing I've ever seen," Kegler mutter.
The Thornspike snarled and snapped at him, whipping its tail angrily, and Kegler jumped back in alarm.
"Here, now! Stop that!" Villmax scolded it, putting his sword between the creature and Kegler. "You're supposed to be fighting the Dark Falcon, not him!"
"Yeah, you heard him!" Trakeena added. "Get going!"
The monster gave Trakeena a malicious look and hissed, baring all its considerable teeth in a wicked grin, and then vanished.
"I don't like that thing," Kegler complained.
Trakeena smiled. "Neither will the Dark Falcon."
Skull sat dejectedly on a rooftop, head bowed in a kind of despair. Cedar hovered nearby, a wing folded around his shoulders in a sympathetic gesture. For a while, they just sat there in silence. Skull was the first to speak.
"I'm sorry I made you go through all that," he said quietly.
"Is not your fault, Eugene. You did not mean for it to happen," Cedar answered.
"But I knew, Cedar! I knew about the alien thing. I didn't even warn you!" said Skull. "If I hadn't come back in time, they might have killed you, and it would have been my doing. I'm the one who brought you here. I took you to them."
"It is all rrright," Cedar assured him. "None of this was your intention. Is only bad luck. Everything is all rrright, now. No von vas hurt."
No one? Skull shook his head. He'd seen that look in his best friend's eyes. It was a look of shock, but it was pain, too. It was a kind of betrayal. Who could blame him for being surprised by that kind of turn of events? Skull had never defied Bulk like that before. He had disagreed, sometimes, and had even voiced arguments on occasion, but to openly make a declaration of complete separation like that was something that had never crossed his mind before. Then, suddenly, there Skull had been, glaring at his first true friend as if he had suddenly turned into a monster and accusing him of murder, and Bulk looking back at him as if he was...
As if he was a hero, Skull realized. Not in the good sense of the word, either. If there was one thing Bulk had always wanted it was to be a hero, to have the spotlight and attention and applause. It had always been a sort of given that Bulk was the leader, the one who was going to do great things someday, and Skull was just going to be his sidekick and bask in reflected glory from his more upwardly mobile partner. And now Skull was a hero with magical powers and the fate of worlds in his hands, and Bulk served hamburgers in a diner. It hadn't been planned or intended or even thought about at all, but Skull had just hurt his friend deeply, and he didn't know if he'd ever be able to bridge that gulf again.
"I just lost my best friend," Skull said softly.
Firebird was now feeling somewhat more at ease, owing mainly to the disappearance of his interfering brother. He was more than a little annoyed with the Thunderbird at this point. He had hoped that the disaster in Oryllia had been enough to keep his sibling out of his way, if not permanently, then at least a little longer than this. On the other hand, he was in the future now, by more than ten thousand years, and there was no telling what had been going on since then. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so surprised that Thunderbird had taken to the winds again.
"Ah, well, it makes no difference," Firebird said to himself. "I am still the strongest of the two. I can take care of him."
He might have said more, but at that moment, a metal ball of spikes suddenly whizzed past him, just barely missing his wingtip. He shouted and turned to search for the source of the projectile. His keen gaze fell on a devilish, toothy creature that was leering up at him with a mad grin, holding a few more spike balls.
"Bird!" it barked at him. "Destroy bird!"
"I'm insulted," the Firebird replied. "I'm not just some ordinary bird, foul creature, I am the Firebird, and I don't appreciate being assaulted."
"Bird! Thornspike kill bird!" the creature ranted back. "Heeeere, birdie, birdie. Nice birdie. C'mere an' let Thornspike bash head in!"
"What a moron," Firebird muttered. "Someone needs to put this cretin out of his misery."
Swooping lower, he fanned sparks from his wings that lit on the Thornspike and blistered its skin. The beast let out an earsplitting shriek of rage and pain and lobbed a few more of the spike-spheres in the Firebird's direction. Firebird dodged it easily and tossed a few more sparks at the monster, laughing at how easy it all was. That was before the monster suddenly pounced on him, raking his wings and back with those cruel talons, and the Firebird suddenly remembered what agony felt like.
In that same instant, Skull suddenly snapped out of his self-pity and straight into a state of high alarm, complete with a jolt of adrenaline that made him feel as if he'd just been shot. He looked all around in search of the disturbance's cause. Cedar looked at him in surprise.
"Vat's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"I... think it's the Firebird," Skull replied, surprised that he knew. "He's in trouble... really bad trouble."
"Any trrrouble he gets in is his own fault," Cedar said.
Skull shook his head. "It's not that kind of trouble. It's danger. He's been hurt, I can feel it. I've got to help him." There was no doubting that. He was the Dark Falcon, and something of the Firebird was integral to his own being. If the Firebird died, some part of the Dark Falcon would go with him.
"I vill help, then," said Cedar resignedly. She touched a wingtip to the Crystal of All Times and whispered the transformation phrase. As her new form became clear, she, too, turned her gaze away to the distance, sensing the danger. She nodded to Skull, and he nodded back.
"One more time, Cedar," he said. "Up, up, and away!"
The Firebird lay in a beaten pile of smoldering feathers, eyes half closed in all-consuming pain. In one blinding moment, he'd been thrown out of the sky and set spinning down to land on the flat roof of some run-down building, and there it would end. He was finished, defeated, ready to be obliterated. The proud bird's frame was literally shaking in terror, as he saw the end of his journey approaching. The Thunderbird had been right. He was not Immortal anymore. He was achingly mortal, and he was about to die.
The Thornspike leered at him, chattering its long teeth in anticipation. It raised one hand, ready to slash the fallen bird to ribbons.
"Destroy bird!" it laughed. "Thornspike kill bird, make dead forever!"
"Is there some way of making things dead that isn't permanent?" a voice inquired.
The Thornspike turned around - too late. Skull was already leaping at it, sword held ready. The monster tried to doge anyway, and the blade scraped across its bare back. The Dark Falcon put himself between the Firebird and the monster, striking a defensive pose. Firebird managed to raise his head to stare up at the young hero.
"You... saved me," he gasped.
Skull shrugged. "Well, you're my friend... a weird friend, but definitely a friend."
The Firebird blinked his surprise, momentarily too stunned to speak.
*After all I've done for him? He honestly doesn't know! I should have known all along - he is truly a pure-hearted being. Nothing I can do... I'll leave him alone, then. No use trying to stop him, not without help, or unless I can recover what I've lost... Maybe it would be better to leave him out of all this entirely. He doesn't know, he doesn't need to know, he won't find out. I'll just let him do as he pleases and stay out of his way...*
The monster scrambled to its feet again, it's claws screeching on the paved roof, and it glared malevolently at Skull.
"Human," it hissed. "Bird-human."
"That's right, ugly," Skull replied confidently. At the same time, he was assessing the beast's claws, horns, teeth, muscles, and spikes, and thinking that this was not going to be a very enjoyable afternoon.
The Thornspike grinned. "Destroy bird-man!"
"Not today!" Cedar sang, dropping out of the sky and seizing the thing's shoulders. The Thornspike bellowed and thrashed as the Gold Eagle lifted him several feet into the air. Skull couldn't help grinning a little - it looked so much like a puppet on a string.
"Hold him steady!" he said, shifting his sword back to laser setting. "Ready, aim..."
The monster gave a sudden wrench, breaking free of Cedar's grip. It somersaulted in midair and landed lightly on its feet. Another quick movement made a ball of metal spikes appear in both of his hands, and he lobbed them at the startled Falcon. One of them missed its mark, but Skull wasn't quick enough in dodging the second, and he screamed in pain as the spines bit his shoulder. Cedar shrieked a battle cry and dove at the beast, but it leaped nimbly out of the way, twisting to lash at her with its tail.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Thornspike make all birds dead!" it laughed.
Skull grinned as he saw a flicker of movement behind the monster. "I think you'd better think again!"
"Huh?" asked the beast, face creasing in puzzlement. "Not make dead?"
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" said a strong voice.
Thornspike whirled and found himself faced with a row of brightly-costumed and impressively armed people - people who could only be the Power Rangers.
"It's all over for you, monster!" said the Magna Defender, readying his blaster. "Everyone ready to teach this creep a lesson?"
"Ready," the other Rangers agreed, producing their Quasar Launchers.
"Count me in," the Dark Falcon added, holding up his laser.
"What? What going on?" asked the monster in frightened confusion.
Leo trained his Quasar Launcher on the monster. "Ready, guys? Fire!"
"Quasar Launchers!"
"Magna Blaster!"
"Phoenix Phaser!"
From all directions, the monster was assaulted with burning lights. It let out a final scream of pain before falling to dust, leaving nothing but a single ball of spikes to mark its passing. Cedar fluttered cautiously closer to it, and it fell to a pile of rust flakes at her touch.
The Red Ranger stepped forward to speak to the Dark Falcon.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Skull replied. "Thanks for your help. We couldn't have done it without you."
"No problem. We're glad to return the favor," said the Red Ranger. "What was that thing doing here, anyway?"
"It was looking for us, I think," answered Skull thoughtfully. "I think that last one was, too. We don't really belong here... I'm beginning to think it's time we left."
"You don't have to go," Magna Defender suggested. "We'd be glad to have you on our team."
"Who, me? With the Power Rangers? I couldn't," said Skull. "Thanks, but no. This isn't my home, and if I stay here, there will just be more creatures looking for me and my friends."
"If that's the way you feel..." the Red Ranger replied. "It's been nice knowing you, Dark Falcon. Good luck."
"Thanks," Skull replied, smiling a little. "Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again someday."
"I hope so," answered the Red Ranger. He and Skull shook hands. Then Skull turned to his avian companions.
"Come on," he said. "I'm ready to get out of here... but first, there's something I've got to do."
Bulk was in the park, alone, just wandering around and staring at nothing, lost in a daze. Skull stood behind him for a long time, unnoticed, trying to work up the courage to speak.
"Are you mad at me?" he said at last.
Bulk jumped. He looked around and stared at his friend for a while, uncertain.
"I'm not mad," he said. "I'm just... really confused. How in the world did...?"
"I don't even know how it happened myself," Skull confessed. "It just all happened so fast. I never meant for any of this to happen, it just... did. And now I can never go back to the way things were. I'm sorry."
"Why do you have to apologize?" asked Bulk.
"Because I took your dream," Skull replied. "Because I've got what you wanted, and you aren't going to get it. And because I can't be here for you anymore."
"Yeah," said Bulk with a sigh. "I guess I knew that all along. Everything's changed, hasn't it?"
"Yep," Skull replied. "Everything sure has."
"And you really aren't going to stay here, are you?"
"No. I know that, now. It's really weird... I don't even feel like a human anymore. I don't know what I am."
"That's easy," said Bulk. "You're some kind of bird... a really weird bird with no feathers and no wings."
Skull was surprised into laughing, and Bulk smiled back at him.
"Nah, really," Bulk said. "Anybody can see what you are: you're a hero."
"I sure don't feel like it, sometimes," Skull replied. "But I try."
"You'll do fine," Bulk assured him. "Hey, I taught you everything I know, didn't I?"
Skull laughed again. "Yeah, you did. You've been a great friend, Bulkie."
"You too, Skull. No matter what happens, you'll always be my best friend."
"Thanks. That means a lot to me," said Skull, smiling. "I promise I'll come back and visit sometimes. Hey, maybe I'll even catch the Professor a real evil space alien!"
"That would be good," Bulk agreed. He paused. "So... I guess this is... goodbye?"
"Yeah," said Skull. "I guess it is."
"Take care of yourself, then."
"You, too."
They stood looking at each other for a long moment, unsure of what else to say. Then, a bit awkwardly, Skull hugged his best friend, and for once, Bulk didn't seem embarrassed by it.
"I'm gonna miss you, Skull," he said.
"So will I."
They went their own separate ways, waving brief, silent goodbyes. Skull smiled a little, even while brushing away a tear. There went the kind of friend, he mused, that nothing would ever separate him from. He was very glad of the fact, too.
Cedar and the Firebird were hiding in a secluded area nearby, waiting for Skull to return.
"Say goodbye to your friend?" Cedar inquired.
"Yeah, I'm ready to go now," Skull replied. "It sure will feel good to be back on Tien... back home."
"You're going to stay there?" asked Cedar, a bit surprised.
"Yeah," Skull agreed. "I think I've finally figured out where I belong. Your people are the Dark Falcon's people, and that makes them my people. Your home is my home."
"I'm very happy," said Cedar, smiling. "Ready to go?"
"Ready," Skull agreed. "I've learned a lot from coming here, but I wouldn't want to stay."
"Let's go, then," Cedar replied.
Touching the magical amulet at her throat, she whispered a magic word that made her and her companions vanish in a swirl of gold-orange mist. However, none of them noticed when a fourth member joined the party.
*I am sorry to do this to you, Dark Falcon,* thought the Thunderbird, *but I must hold you to your promise. As much as it will hurt you, you must go on fighting, or my own home and people will be lost forever...*
