Power Rangers: The First and Last Hope

Chapter 3: The Secret of Honor

Author's Note: Quick note because someone brought this up in a review on no, Zordon is not supposed to be the original Zordon. Both from the description of him (the fact that he appeared younger than the original Zordon) and his own dialog, it's supposed to show that he is in fact a "new" Zordon. I already cleared it up with the person who wrote the review, just figured I'd put the explanation here as well in case anyone else was confused by that. Anyway, with that said, on with Chapter 3!

Zordon nodded within his tube, always knowing within the back of his mind that the young Red Ranger would make the right decision.

"To morph, young one, you must yell out the code phrase to activate your morpher." Zordon said.

"What would that be?" Tristan asked him.

Zordon paused for a moment, almost as if he was a bit ashamed of what he was about to say.

"It's morphin' time."

Tristan and Ada stood there, looking up at him in disbelief.

"You have GOT to be kidding me." Ada finally said, breaking the silence.

"I can assure you, I am not." Zordon replied. "Don't look at me like that, I didn't come up with it!"

"Well, whoever did needs to get their head checked..." Ada muttered.

"Actually, the more I think about it, I kinda like it." Tristan said with a slight grin.

"You would." Ada snorted.

"ANYWAY." Zordon shouted over their bickering. "After the morpher is activated, to complete the morph, you yell out the name of the dinosaur from which your power coin draws its energy from. In your case, Tristan, that would be the mighty Tyrannosaurus."

"Do I have to yell that every freaking time I morph!" Tristan whined. "Can't I just say 't-rex!' instead? It sounds cooler!"

"No." Zordon replied sternly.

"Oh, fine." Tristan said, rolling his eyes.

"Enough complaining." Zordon said. "It's time."

Tristan nodded, before looking over at his older sister one more time. It was clear that she didn't support this, but he knew what he had to do.

"It's morphin' time!" he yelled.

His coin glowed with red energy as he held it out directly in front of him in that familiar pose.

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The hulking figure of Araken stood below the Statue of Liberty, looking quite out of place. The island was pretty much abandoned at this point- the Zarset Empire saw no reason to maintain a tourist attraction when they could have their new human slaves building factories or rounding up those who resisted them instead, and no one had the time or the ability to visit the place. Araken figured it would be the perfect place to hold a one-on-one battle, completely interrupted.

I need to know if I'm stronger than a Power Ranger. Araken thought to himself. Especially before SHE shows up...

Araken clenched his fists as he thought of her. The despicable woman who Araken hated more than anyone he's ever met in the Zarset Empire was already on her way after hearing the news of the Red Ranger's awakening...and it was something Araken was not looking forward to. However, if he could defeat the Red Ranger here and eliminate him before she even arrived, perhaps he would be able to avoid her presence entirely. Araken's mind suddenly flashed back to earlier onboard the mothership...

Araken stood facing one of the gigantic windows inside one of the mothership's hallways, seeing the Earth look so huge so far below.

"That planet is beautiful, isn't it?" came a female voice behind him.

Araken turned his face to see his longtime comrade, Neresa. Dressed in a long black gown adorned with gold on the shoulders and back, she looked just as ravishing as he remembered. With her short brown hair and lovely green eyes, Araken was reminded of just why they had been together so long.

"I didn't expect to see you here already, Neresa." Araken smiled as he turned to greet her as she bowed in response. "Wait...that doesn't mean what I think it means, does it?"

The mood was darkened quite a bit, as Neresa nodded in disappointed fashion.

"I'm afraid it does." she replied. "She's heard about the Red Ranger's awakening and is on her way here."

"Damnit!" Araken yelled. "She's always re-emerging when I least desire it."

"You have a plan, though." Neresa said. "I can sense it."

Araken nodded in response.

"That I do." Araken replied. "I'm going to go down there and challenge the Red Ranger to a one-on-one fight, and eliminate him. Thus, the need for her will also be eliminated."

"Wouldn't that be easier if you take down minions and ambush him?" Neresa wondered aloud. "Why one-on-one?"

"Damnit, Neresa, you were never able to grasp the concept of honor!" Araken replied, slamming one of his powerful fists into the window, nearly shattering it. "There's no honor in that! I want to face him and find out which one of us is stronger!"

"You and your honor." Neresa replied, shaking her head.

The two of them didn't talk for a few minutes, as both of them stared down at the Earth so far below.

"It really is beautiful." Neresa said. "Sometimes it makes you question all of this. Makes you wish we had stayed on our own planet."

"And lose eternal life!" Araken questioned her. "You're a strange one, Neresa."

"I have my honor, and you have yours." Neresa replied, a grin on her face. "Go make me understand yours."

Araken nodded in response, and walked away from her, ready to enter the battlefield.

There's no way I can lose! Araken thought to himself as he awaited the Red Ranger's arrival. I'll show Neresa my honor and my strength, and I'll make the vile creature's presence unnecessary before she even arrives!

Suddenly, in a flash of red the Red Ranger appeared before him, fully morphed and ready for battle.

"Ahh, Red Ranger, so nice of you to drop in!" Araken grinned. "Are you ready for your first real battle?"

Tristan only nodded in response.

"That's good." Araken said. "Because it will also be your last!"

Suddenly, he charged at Tristan, and before Tristan knew what was going on, nailed him with a hard punch to the chest, knocking him backwards as sparks flew. Tristan barely dodged a stomp by Araken, trying to hit him again when he was down, and dodged another stomp as well, rolling away from Araken's powerful legs. He then rolled backwards and stood up, and was clearly surprised by his own agility.

I didn't know I could move that fast! Tristan thought to himself. This is pretty cool!

He pulled out his Blade Blaster and turned it into blaster mode and fired, catching Araken in the chest a few times. He held his chest, which was smoking now, and growled.

"Is that the best you've got, Red Ranger? Show me your real power!"

Araken charged again and Tristan quickly turned the Blade Blaster back into blade mode and tried to slash him. Araken caught the blade with his bare hands, however, and pushed it backwards as he laughed, before catching Tristan with another powerful fist, this time to the stomach, and Tristan went flying backwards as more sparks flew. Araken laughed as he walked towards him.

"Is this really all the power you have, Red Ranger!" Araken said in disbelief. "I was right all along! She won't be necessary after all!"

"I have no clue what you're rambling about, but if you think I'm done, Araken, you're kidding yourself!" Tristan yelled back as he stood up.

But clearly he was bluffing at least a little, as he was hurting from the blows. Araken was clearly a very hard hitter.

"Really!" Araken laughed. "Well, if that's true, try this on for size!"

Still laughing, Araken moved his arms backward, creating a ball of black energy in his hands, and threw the projectile forward at Tristan. It happened too fast for Tristan to move, and he was nailed with the projectile and sent flying to the ground in an explosion, where he landed in a heap. Tristan gasped for breath underneath his helmet, knowing he was in serious trouble.

In the Command Center, Ada, Zordon, and Alpha watched the battle, Ada wincing at every blow. She knew her younger brother was in trouble as he was hit with those punches, and his only response, to fire the Blade Blaster, was met with little effect from Araken. However, as he prepared to fire the projectile of black energy, Ada knew her little brother was in real trouble.

She looked up at Zordon, her eyes close to tears, and then looked back as Araken fired off the blow, leaving Tristan in a heap. Her tears flowed freely now, and she turned back to Zordon again in a rage.

"Why did you do this!" she yelled up at him, her fists clenched tight. "Why did you send my brother on this suicide mission!"

"I didn't choose him to be a Ranger, it was destined from his birth." was Zordon's only reply.

"So our good-for-nothing parents not only abandon us, but they give us a 'destiny' like this!" Ada screamed up at him, not even noticing that she had begun to glow pink. "This isn't just cruel! This isn't just horrible! This is...this is..."

But as Ada searched for the words to describe what her parents had done to her, she finally realized that she was glowing pink, and the glow was becoming brighter and brighter. Finally turning back to face the viewing globe, Ada morphed into the Pink Ranger.

"Ai yi yi yi, it's happened Zordon!" Alpha-5 said.

"I can see that, Alpha." Zordon chuckled. "Ada, you have found the power within you...and you have morphed into the Pink Ranger."

Ada turned back to face Zordon, still taking it all in.

"This is just a guess, Ada, but I don't think you respond to orders very well." Zordon said. "But I know it's what you want to do as well. So I urge you...go, help your brother defeat Araken."

Ada didn't need anymore motivation. She simply nodded with her fists still clenched tight, and then disappeared in a flash of pink.

"Sorry, Araken..." Zordon said as she disappeared completely.

Meanwhile, Araken had approached the down Tristan and lifted him back up to his feet by his throat. Grinning, Araken looked into the front of Tristan's helmet as he spoke.

"Look into my eyes and realize you are no match for me, Red Ranger." Araken spoke. "I want you to realize that before I put an end to you. Know that you were absolutley no challenge for me. Goodbye, Red Ran-"

But suddenly, Araken was interrupted by more Blade Blaster shots, this time coming from behind and hitting him in the back of his head and neck. He actually reacted this time, dropping the Red Ranger in surprise and holding the back of his neck as he turned to face his assaulter.

"Who dares interrupt this battle!" Araken roared as he looked for the source of the blaster fire.

"I do!" Ada yelled back at him.

There stood the Pink Ranger, Blade Blaster in her right hand and pointed squarely at Araken.

"You have dishonored your brother, you pathetic Ranger!" Araken screamed in rage. "At least if I had killed him, he would have died an honorable warrior!"

"Oh shut the hell up already, Araken!" came Tristan from behind him as he kicked him in the back, now back to his feet.

Araken reacted in surprise as he turned and faced Tristan, Blade Blaster drawn and pointed at him as well.

"Red Ranger!" Araken said in disbelief. "You now dishonor yourself as well!"

"You have a lot of nerve coming and invading our planet with your pathetic cronies, and then yelling to us about honor!" Ada yelled. "I won't let you kill my brother just to fulfill your pathetic version of 'honor'!"

"I gave you the benefit of the doubt, Red Ranger, and I gave you my honor!" Araken screamed at him, ignoring Ada. "Next time, I will do no such thing! Remember that!"

Araken moved his cloak to the front of his body and then disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving only the two siblings. Tristan, for his part, suddenly starting falling over.

"Tristan!" Ada yelled as she ran forward and caught her brother before he could fall all the way to the ground.

She watched as he powered down back to his normal form, and she did the same. She looked down at him, a tear forming in her right eye, as he looked up at her and smiled.

"Did I do good, Ada?" Tristan asked her.

"You did, Tristan, you did." Ada replied, smiling back. "Come on, let's get back to that floaty head thing before Araken decides to come back with reinforcements."

Tristan nodded as the two teleported out.

Araken was in a very unpleasant mood as he stomped around another hallway onboard the Zarset Empire mothership. Not only had he failed to defeat the Red Ranger and had a mockery made of his honor, but he also failed in preventing the arrival of the one he despised the most. She was onboard the ship now, and Araken was doing his best to avoid her.

He was about to fail in that too.

"Oh, Araken dear! How come I haven't gotten a welcome from you yet?"

Cursing under his breath at the voice he just heard behind him, Araken turned to face the source of it. There she stood.

She was short, far shorter than him. The almost robotic-like Ranger suit she was in resembled the suit of the Psycho Rangers, the evil Rangers created by Astronema to battle the Space Rangers many, many years ago, but was a bit different. This black Ranger suit hugged her feminine curves much better than any Ranger suit in history. On top of the metallic-like black suit were lines of the suit's trademark color, the dark red called scarlet, and the helmet was very similar to that of the original Power Rangers besides some more machine-like features. Finally, huge black boots with long crimson heels adorned her feet, boosting up her normally diminutive height by at least a little.

There stood the Power Ranger of the Zarset Empire.

There stood...the Scarlet Ranger.

"Spare me, Scarlet." Araken replied in a huff. "I'm REALLY not in the mood for you right now."

"Aww, I'm hurt." the Scarlet Ranger replied with blatantly fake sincerity. "You know, I'm getting old. You could be a little nicer to an old gal like me."

"Oh please, Scarlet." Araken said, rolling his eyes. "None of us have aged in a very long time. I know for a fact under that helmet you don't look a day over 25."

"Under this helmet I'm far more beautiful that you could EVER imagine." the Scarlet Ranger grinned as she walked towards him. "Unfortunately for you, you'll never get to see that."

"I'm crushed." Araken replied sarcastically. "Can we just skip the rest of this? I'd really like to go get some rest."

"Oh, I understand." the Scarlet Ranger said mockingly. "Losing is very tiring. Not that I'd know, but I've heard that from people like you."

"I didn't lose in a fair fight!" Araken screamed at her. "Those Power Rangers dishonored themselves!"

"That's your problem right there, Araken. You care about something as silly and completely unrealistic as 'honor'."

"Then why do you fight, Scarlet, if not for honor!" Araken yelled at her.

The Scarlet Ranger suddenly became serious, and began walking towards him again. With renewed anger, she leaned in her helmet to his head and whispered through it.

"I fight because there's something I want. I don't fight just to fight, like you. That's where you and I will always differ...and that's why I'll win against the Power Rangers...and you'll lose."

The Scarlet Ranger then moved her head away from his ear and walked away, laughing to herself at Araken's misery. Araken stood there, stewing, his fists clenched as he turned to watch her leave.

Just you wait, Scarlet Ranger...I'll prove my honor to you, to Neresa, to everyone!