Chapter Seventeen

At the Command Center, Melissa was extremely frustrated. She couldn't understand why Goldar wouldn't accept her offer to trade. It just didn't make any sense. "Zordon, I would have willingly traded myself for her and he wouldn't give in. I don't get it."

"Perhaps Zedd has other plans for her and doesn't need your powers." Zordon said, after pondering for a few seconds.

"I don't see why. All he's been after are my powers. Why wouldn't he want them, now?"

"Maybe he does." Kim said. "But, he just wants to go about it a different way… Maybe he doesn't just want your powers. Maybe he wants you, too."

"Me? Why would he want me?" Melissa asked.

"Kimberly may be right." Zordon said. But, before he could continue, the alarm sounded.

"What is it, Alpha?" Rocky asked.

"Goldar has returned with a monster. Chloe is with them." The robot said, panic in his voice.

"Time to go kick some Goldar butt." Aisha said, smiling.

"Right." Melissa said as the others nodded.

"No, Melissa. If you morphed, you could weaken yourself too early. The others might need you at a later time. You must stay behind." Zordon ordered.

Melissa didn't want to listen to him, but she knew he was right. She nodded. "Yes, Zordon… Kick him once for me?" She asked Tommy.

"You got it. Ready guys?"

"Ready." The others replied.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

The battle raged on in Angel Grove, while Melissa had to sit by and watch. Now she understood what Tommy had to go through when he told her about him losing his Green Ranger powers.

She couldn't stand not being able to help her friends. She wanted to help. She needed to help.

"I can't take this anymore! Zordon, I have to help them!" She said.

"But, if you are weakened…"

"Then, I'll be weakened. I can't just sit by and watch them get pummeled by Goldar. I have to help them."

Her expression was serious and determined. He knew that she needed to help. He let out a long sigh and nodded. "If that is what you wish."

She smiled. "Thank you… It's Morphin' Time! ... Serpentzord!"

Tommy was thrown into the others as the monster, a giant eyeball with arms and legs, kicked him out of the way. He struggled to get back up as he and the others stared at their foes. "Man, he's tough." He said.

"Giving up so early, Power Pukes?" Goldar asked. "I thought you'd be more of a challenge… Oh, well, defeating you will be a pleasure."

"Don't think you've won just yet, Fur Ball!" A familiar voice said from behind the others.

"Yes!" Rocky cheered.

"I thought you were destroyed!" Goldar said.

"Don't believe everything you hear." She said, getting into her fighting stance. "Those are my friends and I'll do whatever it takes to help them."

Chloe watched this confrontation from a distance. Whoever this girl was, she must have been powerful. She saw as the Green Ranger turned her head toward the others.

"I'll deal with Goldie. You guys take the eyeball and get Chloe out of here." She ordered, sensing Tommy's smile on her. He didn't usually let others take charge of the team, but she was determined and he wouldn't get in her way. Besides, it was her friend's life that was in danger.

"Right." She heard him say. Kimberly, Tommy, and Rocky took on the monster, while Aisha, Adam and Billy went after the putties that surrounded Chloe.

Melissa stared directly into Goldar's beady eyes. She was going to definitely enjoy this. "Power Saber!" She quickly called as she extracted the sword out of, what seemed to be, nowhere.

Goldar was just as ready as she was, his sword in his hands. "I'm going to enjoy this." He said.

"So am I." She said as their swords clanged together.

Tommy, Kimberly and Rocky weren't having much luck with the monster. Though, it was a giant eyeball and it was obvious what its weak spot would be, they couldn't get near it. Every time they would try to get it in the eye, it would fire its laser-like energy beam at them.

"We have to try to distract it." Rocky said as he was thrown to the ground once again.

"And how do you suppose we do that? He's a giant eyeball… it's not like he has a blind side." Kimberly pointed out.

Tommy thought for a second as he managed to dodge an attack. "Kim, that's it!"

"What?"

"What you said… he may not have a blind side, but he may have a blind spot… You two distract him while I come up from behind."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Rocky said.

"Yeah, me too." The White Ranger muttered as he waited for them to distract the monster.

Aisha kicked a putty in its breastplate, only to have two more hit her square in the chest. "Ugh! Where are they all coming from?" She asked.

"I dunno, but this is just too much." Adam said as he punched two putties in their chest plates.

"It's as if they're multiplying! We have to get rid of them, fast!" Billy said.

"Right!" Aisha said. "Power Daggers!"

"Power Lance!" Billy cried out.

"Power Axe!" Adam summoned.

The three of them fought off putty after putty, yet they still continued to come at them. This was getting tired and fast. They were getting tired and fast.

Goldar stumbled backward at the power from Melissa's saber. He was quickly losing the fight.

Melissa was happy that she was winning, but she wasn't sure how much longer her powers would last. She didn't show any sign of worry or weakness as she loomed over a tired Goldar. "Too much for ya?" She asked.

"You've won this time, Green ranger, but next time, you won't be so lucky!" He said as he teleported away so he's be able to rest up for the next fight.

She smiled to herself as she ran over to help Aisha, Billy, and Adam. She fought off putty after putty, slowly making her way to Chloe. When she finally reached her, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Who are you guys?" Chloe asked.

"We're the Power Rangers and we're going to get you out of here." Melissa said as she cut the girl loose and pulled her communicator to her lips. "Alpha, teleport her to a safe place."

"Right!" Alpha answered as Chloe began to dematerialize in front of Melissa's eyes.

Now, everyone's focus was on the monster. Kimberly and Rocky still weren't having much luck when it came to distracting it.

Tommy let out a loud groan as he stared at the monster. "There has to be something." He said as he pondered the situation.

"Tommy?" Melissa asked. "What about me?"

He knew what she meant and he wasn't willing to risk her losing her powers. "No… There has to be something else."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "But, I have an idea… What's the worst thing that can happen to your eye?"

Adam smiled. "Throw dust in it."

"I don't think we could throw enough dust at this guy, though." Aisha said.

"I can do it… at least, I think I can." Melissa said.

"How? It'll drain your powers so much if you do it." Kimberly pointed out.

"Not necessarily. I've been talking to Alpha and Zordon about the gem, lately. They told me that I can use the gem to my advantage, now that it carries more power than I do… I can draw enough power from the gem to destroy this thing… At least, I think I can. I've never done it before, though…" She trailed off as she felt the worried vibes she was getting from her teammates. "Don't worry. It won't drain any of my power. It'll make it stronger… Tommy, you have to let me try."

He let out an exasperated sigh and nodded. "Okay. I hope you're right."

"Are you done with your little pow-wow? I'm getting antsy!" The monster claimed to them.

"Sounds like a personal problem to me." Melissa said, getting down on one knee and putting her palms together. She knelt there in silence for a second, before quickly jumping to her feet and touching the gem in her chest plate. "Green Serpent Dust Storm!" She cried out.

The wind began to pick up around her as her gem began to glow. The dust and dirt from the ground began to fly up at the monster, the wind blowing the trees and the other rangers violently around. The other rangers knelt down, for safety, behind a large rock where they wouldn't be effected by the wind. They watched as Melissa wasn't affected by the strong wind as more and more flew at the monster. It was as if she was protected by her own little bubble.

"Final Gust!" She cried out, loudly, over the wind.

The rangers' eyes went wide as the monster exploded right before their eyes and the wind began to die down. They just stared at Melissa in awe as they saw her still kneeling there as strong as ever.

"Wow!" Rocky breathed.

"Do you think you could do that in every fight?" Adam asked.

"Sorry guys. It's not good to always do that. Especially with how the gem's been acting, lately. I'm not sure how much energy I can draw from the gem… Plus, it does drain me slightly." She paused as she noticed Tommy tense up in anger. "But, not as much as it would if I'd done it without the gem. This little beauty just saved all of our lives."

Melissa snapped out of her memory and glared at Tommy. "You never trusted me to use my powers. Did you feel neglected now that the great and powerful White Ranger was not longer what he used to be?"

Tommy let out a frustrated sigh as she spoke. He'd almost had her back, but Mesogog's hold on her must have been stronger than he realized. "No. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"And, yet, you still feel that way. Don't you?"

"I know you're different than you were. I know that that experience made you a much stronger person. I do know that! I just didn't want to accept the fact that it might happen again."

"So, you jumped to conclusions?" She asked, glaring still.

"Yes! Mel, please… This isn't you. I know it isn't."

"You know nothing... I am to marry Lord Mesogog in the morning. I must rest. Farewell, Black Ranger." She said as she stood up and let him alone.

Tommy let out a long sigh and rested his head against the wall of his cell. He stared into nothing as he thought back to the Melissa he once knew and feared that he might never see her again.

But, he was almost certain that the real Melissa had broken through as they both recalled what happened that day. He was also certain that if he didn't do something, when she married Mesogog, she'd be evil forever… and he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.