Koulagirl, no need to worry about fangirlness :). I think the far greater fanboy moment for me personally is watching Billy kick butt in that last chapter, and up to this story I'd given everybody in the series a jaw-dropping, "I don't believe they just did that..." moment, and both Billy and Tommy were overdue :). I hope you enjoy chapter 6...

Chapter Six

Goldar was standing on the balcony of the lunar palace when Rita stepped out of Finster's lab, her wand in one hand and the book of Hades in the other. Goldar immediately turned to her in shock - the witch was smiling victoriously, her expression one of hard-earned triumph, and in those dark eyes, evil was dancing.

"Goldar," she began, crossing the throne room towards him, "I go now to open the Gateway. It's part of the ceremony that I do this on my own, but rest assured I will finally take what is rightfully mine."

"And the Rangers?" Goldar asked.

Rita grinned a cruel smile. "On a planet far away, searching for their friends," she replied. "When I return, everything we've ever wanted will be ours - the world burning, the galaxy trembling, and our name written in the stars."

With that Rita turned to leave, but Goldar stepped forward. "I make one request, Empress..."

Rita turned back to her golden general, already knowing what Goldar was about to ask. "Your wings, Goldar?" she said, and Goldar nodded. "A fair request, I think. For failure I took them away, but in victory you shall have them back." And still grinning, the witch raised her wand and vanished in a flash of flame.

By the time Jason and I returned to the Command Centre, the computers had downloaded all the pictures we'd taken, and Alpha was translating the stone carvings as fast as he could. But as the two of us arrived back in the Central Chamber, one look up to Zordon told us everything we needed to know. Zordon looked worried, and in all the time either of us had known him, the sage had never looked this troubled before. Things were bad.

"Rangers," he began, and Jason and I glanced to each other - fear was clearly evident in our mentor's voice. "I'm glad you made it back safely. Tell me, did you find anything in the cave?"

I nodded. "It was incredible," I said. "There was a map of the Australian coastline there in the cave, and Caloundra was carved right onto it, under a picture of a gate or something..."

"A gate?" Zordon repeated, his voice oddly quiet. "You didn't happen to find a key in this cave by any chance?"

Jason nodded. "Sort of," he replied. "There was a stone table in the cave, it looked like there should've been a key lying on top but it was missing. We guessed that Rita had taken it."

"She did," Zordon replied simply. "And it could mean the end of us all."

"Zordon, what is it?" I asked. "What's going on?"

"Everything has its counterpoint," Zordon began, "and the same is true for the Morphin' Grid. From various entries in our archives and from the carvings you found on Triforia, we've managed to learn that the book of Hades and the key from the cave open something called the Gateway. Now, behind the Gateway lies the antimatter version of the Morphin' Grid, a dimension of unfathomable evil power, and whoever opens the Gateway gains complete control over the power on the other side."

"Which is the reason Rita stole the key," I nodded, "and why she wanted the book in the first place."

"But it's more than that, isn't it?" asked Jason. "It's the reason she attacked Caloundra in the first place, the reason she wanted to destroy the city all along - to find this Gateway."

Zordon nodded. "So the legend goes," he began, "almost five thousand years in ancient Macedonia a sorcerer learned of this power, and he travelled as far away from his homeland as possible before attempting to reach it, which brings us to the east coast of Australia. Recording everything in the book of Hades, the sorcerer attempted to breach the walls of reality, but what lay on the other side scared him, so he sealed the Gateway shut and sent both the book and the key off-planet. The key ended up on Triforia, and at some point King Varian must've found the book of Hades, which is where the king's dark power came from."

"And when Callan killed Varian, he inherited the book by default," I said.

"Exactly," Zordon nodded. "I just never imagined that was the reason behind Rita's attacks on the city, I only half-believed in the existence of the Gateway in the first place."

"There wouldn't be another gateway in the temple of Lothos, would there?" Jason asked.

Zordon paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm not sure, but now that you mention it, that wouldn't surprise me at all," he replied. "Regardless, the other Rangers can take care of Callan and whatever else is happening on Horath. You two must find Rita and stop her, no matter what. If she opens the Gateway, there's no telling how powerful she'll become."

I nodded. "Of course," I said. "This sounds like defcon four level material."

"Big problem," Jason began, glancing from Zordon down to me. "We don't even know where this Gateway is..."

"We do now!" said Alpha triumphantly, turning back to us. "Rangers, I've just finished translating the carvings you found. In other words, we know the location of the Gateway!"

"Alpha, that's great," I said. "Where are we heading?"

"About seventy feet under the city's central business district," the robot replied. "The Gateway lies in a large cave deep under the city, probably accessible through the city's sewer pipes. If you just give me a moment here, I'll print you out a map of the Caloundra City sewer system..."

"Isn't that information kept strictly confidential?" I asked.

"Not from us," Alpha replied.

Jason nodded and turned to me, his earlier indecisiveness gone. The world was in danger, which was pretty familiar territory, and although the other five Senior Rangers weren't at his back, I was. He knew what to do. "Okay, Rita already has a head-start, we don't have a moment to lose," he said, as Alpha pulled a print-out free, stepped over and handed it to him, the route to the Gateway highlighted along the map. "Thanks Alpha," he continued, turning to me. "You ready?"

"Rangers, before you go," said Zordon, and we looked back up to him. "Legend has it that the entrance to the Gateway is guarded by a ferocious lava beast, a vicious creature from the planet Slindar. Rita will certainly have made it past unharmed, but I doubt the creature will let you pass as easily. Good luck, and may the power protect you."

Jason and I nodded, and reaching for our communicators, we teleported into Caloundra.

The Blue and Green Rangers stepped out of the courtyard and onto the ruined street, watching as the remaining Shadow Knights fled in all directions, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the two heroes.

"Just for the record Billy," said Tommy, turning to the Blue Ranger, "that was amazing."

Billy smiled and gave Tommy back the Dragon Dagger - in a flash of light, the Dragon Shield returned to the Green Ranger. "To say nothing of your own feat," Billy replied. "That was extraordinary."

Tommy shrugged. "Just needed somebody to remind me what was important, that's all," he said, then looked up to the sky. "Oh hey, check it out..."

Six multi-coloured streaks of light shot down out of the sky towards them, and the other six Rangers materialised on the street beside them seconds later.

Kimberly immediately turned to Tommy. "Your powers!" she exclaimed. "You're okay!"

The Green Ranger nodded. "Back in business," he smiled. "And we can teleport again? Good work guys."

"Thanks," Zac said. "How'd you go?"

"Pretty good, actually," Tommy replied. "Found some refugees, met a prince, fought off an army, Billy stomped all over Staghorn. You know, typical Sunday afternoon stuff."

As one, everyone turned to the Blue Ranger. "That was the explosion we saw?" said Sarah. "Wow. Way to go Billy."

Billy blushed beneath his helmet. "Now all we need to do is find Ian and Brendan..."

"Let me save you the trouble," came a voice, and they all turned to see the Grey and Aqua Rangers jogging across the courtyard towards them. "Fancy meeting you guys here," Ian continued with a smile.

"Ian! Brendan!" cried Teresa, as Sarah immediately hugged Ian and Zac picked up Brendan with a rib-crushing bearhug. "It's great to see you guys! We were so worried..."

"Trust me, it's good to be seen," said Ian.

"How did you find us?" asked Trini. "Did you teleport?"

Brendan shook his head as Zac let him down. "We saw you guys arrive and just kind of followed the explosions," he replied.

Ian nodded. "We ran into Prince Trystenn, and he told us everything," he explained. "The prince is very confused, by the way. Where are Peter and Jason?"

"Either on the planet Triforia or back on Earth pursuing Rita," Billy said.

Scott nodded. "Long story, we'll fill you in when we can," he said.

Tommy glanced around the group. "Well now that we're all together, let's go find down Callan," he said. "Take the fight to him and finish this today."

Glancing back to the road, Kimberly quickly tapped Tommy on the shoulder. "Uh guys?" she said, as everyone turned to look. "Not gonna be a problem."

Walking down the rubble-lined street towards the line of Rangers, taking slow, deliberate steps as he approached, was the grey warrior.

"So," he began coolly, coming to a stop ten metres distant. "You defeated my Shadow Knights, destroyed Staghorn and regained your ability to teleport. One problem Rangers - there's still me."

The remaining Rangers except for Ian all summoned their Power Weapons with a thought, and Trini stepped forward. "Callan, you were a hero once, a long time ago," she said. "It doesn't have to end like this."

The warrior laughed contemptuously. "That sounds like fear to me," he said. "The last time all of you working together could barely land a blow."

Ian stepped forward. "Because the last time, you were fighting defensively," he said. "But this street is flat ground with nowhere to hide, and trust us, things are going to end very differently this time. You want this Power Coin?" he asked, tapping the coin at his belt. "Come and get it."

"As you wish," the warrior growled, and with that, he lowered his head and thundered towards them.

"Let's show this guy what the Power Rangers are about," said Teresa.

"Right!" and the Rangers all charged towards their oncoming opponent.

Racing past the others, Tommy leaped into the air with a high kick. The warrior ducked under the blow and Tommy dropped to the ground, spinning back around and aiming his boot for the warrior's helmet, but the warrior blocked the attack, struck away a low swipe and kicked the Green Ranger away. Even as Tommy fell, Sarah attacked from the side, swinging her mace in a wide arc - the warrior stepped around the blow and retaliated, but Sarah caught his fist and struck it away, aiming a punch for the warrior's helmet. He spun under the blow, striking away her mace and sending her stumbling back with a low kick before turning to face the other Rangers. But while the warrior was still off-balance, the Black Ranger attacked, carving his Power Axe across the warrior's chest armour in a shower of sparks and sending the warrior crashing.

The warrior recovered instantly and summoned his sword in a flash of light, slashing it for the nearby Black Ranger, but Scott dropped down before Zac, blocked the blade with his staff and struck the warrior back with a blow to the helmet. Following him forward, Scott swung high - the warrior caught the staff and knocked it aside, but as he retaliated, Billy leaped forward, rolling to his feet and blocking the sword, Scott swinging low and landing a blow to their adversary's stomach. The warrior grunted and raised his blade, but Billy swung high for the warrior's forearm, forcing him to drop his sword and kicking it away as it fell. The warrior immediately backed out of range and summoned his two blasters - standing behind the two Blue Rangers, Trini took aim and threw her daggers, destroying both weapons in a blaze of sparks and smoke.

Stumbling back out of the smoke cloud, the grey warrior saw the White Ranger standing closest and turned to attack, but Teresa cracked the Power Whip towards him, forcing him away, before wrapping the whip around his ankles and taking him face-first to the ground. Smashing his fists against the street in frustration, the warrior rolled to his feet and was immediately under attack as Brendan leaped down before him and slashed forward with his sai. The warrior blocked his left and dodged around the right, but Brendan was too fast, ducking under a high kick, landing a rapid blow to the warrior's shoulder and sending him crashing with a low kick. Dazed, the warrior turned to retaliate, but raising her bow, Kimberly fired a barrage of arrows straight towards him, the entire street erupting in sparks and smoke.

Coughing, the warrior staggered out of the smoke cloud as Ian stepped towards him.

"Time to end this," he said. "Now and forever."

The warrior roared and lashed out as Ian approached, but the Grey Ranger blocked and dodged his fists, striking away a low kick and knocking the warrior back with a blow to the chest. The warrior grunted but retaliated, swinging high - Ian ducked under the blow and blocked a low punch, before landing a judo chop to the warrior's ribs before smashing him with a left hook all in one smooth motion. His opponent staggered backwards away from him, and following the warrior forward, Ian struck away the warrior's armoured fist, spun around on the spot and smashed his boot into the warrior's helmet, launching him off his feet and into the air.

"You know, for an ex-Ranger," Ian began, as the warrior climbed to his feet, "you're doing pretty badly at this." His adversary lurched forward, swinging high, but the moves were clumsy and thrown out of desperation, Ian easily catching the warrior's fist and throwing him away. "But that's the thing, isn't it?" Ian summoned his blasters and took aim for the crystal coin at the warrior's belt. "You're not a Power Ranger, are you? In fact you never were," and with that, he fired.

At point blank range he couldn't have missed, the blast instantly destroying the coin in an explosion of sparks and fire and slamming the warrior backwards. The other nine Rangers all joined Ian as the smoke cloud began to clear and the warrior found his footing, expecting to see the blond-haired Callan.

But as they looked on, the Rangers saw that the figure standing before them was taller and wearing thick leather as opposed to grey body armour, the figure's body covered in a tangled mix of vines and matted fur. Glancing up, they saw a long canine snout and two ears silhouetted in the smoke, and under that, two hungry yellow eyes were staring down at them with a look of pure malice.

Ian glanced back to the temple, seeing the prince and his soldiers watching from behind the walled fence. "Rangers, Prince Trystenn," he called, "I'd like you all to meet General Wolfbane."

There was stunned silence as Wolfbane stepped out of the haze towards them, instantly recognisable from the picture everyone had seen in the Command Centre yesterday.

"But..." stuttered Scott, at a loss. "Whoa..."

Trini shook her head and turned to Ian. "General Wolfbane?" she asked. "But how did you know?"

"Yes," snarled the monster, his voice deep and primal, and everybody turned back to the beast as he focussed his yellow eyes on Ian. "How could you possibly have known that it wasn't Callan you were fighting?"

"You didn't exactly make it hard," Ian replied, then nodded to the scar on the monster's right arm. "I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when we fought in Caloundra yesterday, you bled sap," he said. "Then when Brendan and I were hiding from the Shadow Knights, we stumbled into the royal graveyard, which had been completely obliterated a long time ago. Maybe Callan had been angry enough to trash the place, but Callan wouldn't have left the bodies of the other two generals, Xerxes and Taltos, in the only tombs still standing, would he?"

Wolfbane sneered. "The bodies would have rotted away long ago."

"But their armour didn't," Ian replied. "And everything came together when Brendan and I met Prince Trystenn. There'd be no motive for Callan to spend all these years hunting down the royal family. But as long as that family line continues, the kingdom of Azhron can't technically be yours, can it?"

Standing beside Ian, Brendan shook his head. "I don't believe it," he said.

Kimberly nodded. "So all this time, we were fighting Wolfbane?"

Ian nodded. "We were supposed to think we were fighting Callan, sure," he said, "but it wasn't true. We were being played for fools, everyone was. Our badguy was General Wolfbane all along."

His eyes shut, Varian heard the whistle of the descending blade, and then silence. Nothing, but not the nothing he'd expected. Slowly, cautiously, the king opened his eyes - Callan stood over him, frozen in mid-motion, holding the sword steady only a shadow's breadth from Varian's neck.

Callan seemed to stand there forever, but finally, with a sigh, he lowered the blade and stepped back.

"I want to," he said softly, gazing from the sword to Varian, "I've dreamed of this moment, every part of me knows you deserve this. But I can't." He paused, and threw the sword away. "Because it's what you'd do, isn't it?" The Grey Ranger shook his head. "I told Zordon I'd bring the king of Azhron back alive, and I'm going to keep my word."

As if he hadn't just had a sword at his throat, Varian sneered in contempt. "Heroes," he said, spitting the word out like poison, "and their pathetic codes of honour. You were beaten before you even..." but he was cut off as Callan stepped forward and kicked him in the jaw.

"Didn't say I was going to be nice about it, though," said Callan.

Suddenly, without warning - blood and fire and screaming agony, so overwhelming it forced the breath from his lungs. His whole body shaking in shock, Callan turned his head to the side, the only command his body would obey, only to see the blade of a long staff, embedded in his back.

Callan shut his eyes. "Wolfbane..." he wheezed, gasping for air.

And the general suddenly appeared behind him, jerking the blade free. "You lose, Ranger," he growled, and throwing Callan aside, the Ranger's body slammed into the wall, fell to the ground and moved no more.

Turning to the king, Wolfbane took Varian's good arm and helped him to his feet. "General Wolfbane," Varian puffed, nursing his broken arm, "you have my gratitude."

"And you have mine," Wolfbane replied, grinning nastily. Varian turned to him, confused, but could only gasp as Wolfbane dragged him close, raised his blade and rammed it through Varian's chest, "for the kingdom you just handed me."

He smiled triumphantly as Varian's expression turned from shock to blank lifelessness, and throwing the king's body away where it collapsed against the throne in a crumpled heap, Wolfbane turned to the Power Coin in the corner.

Just in time to see the golden coin teleport from the room in a flash of silver light.

"Callan didn't kill Varian, did he?" Ian asked, as the line of Rangers stepped towards Wolfbane. "He was there, but he didn't. He couldn't. He was a hero, and he just refused to compromise. So I'm guessing that when his back was turned, you killed Callan, took out Varian to get the kingdom and then let the entire galaxy think Callan had fallen." Ian paused. "In fact I'll bet you, Taltos and Xerxes were planning to take out Varian all along, you were just waiting for the right opportunity."

Wolfbane growled. "Varian was a fool, a pompous simpleton with more power than he knew what to do with," the monster growled. "With Azhron under our control, we could have taken this planet for ourselves. Everything would have been ours! Even that fool Ultramarine wouldn't have stood a chance against us."

Sarah raised her mace. "If I were you, I'd hold that thought for a second," she said.

Ian nodded. "We might be a little over six hundred years late," he said, "but we're here to finish what Callan started. You attack one of us and you attack all of us, and this ends now."

Wolfbane didn't reply, but as he continued backing away, he reached down and pulled free something attached to his belt. Holding it high, the Rangers saw it was a large red crystal.

"The witch told me to use this if the tide of battle turned," the monster said. "Guess now's the time," and with that, he threw the stone at the ground with all his strength. Smashing into the cobbled roadway, the crystal instantly shattered into thousands of tiny shards, but without warning, there was a great rumbling noise and a blinding flash of light. The Rangers all stepped back as a cloud of smoke obscured their view, and they could only look on as Wolfbane rose above them, suddenly fifteen storeys tall, his strength magically restored.

"I shall back take the Power Coin that is rightfully mine!" the beast cried, his voice echoing out across the deserted city. "Nobody shall stop me now!"

Down below, Ian turned to his the group. "Guys," he said, "this one's for Callan. We owe him."

Kim nodded. "Should we call on the zords?" she asked.

"Won't it take them like a week to arrive?" asked Brendan.

Trini shook her head. "The zords are like our Power Weapons," she explained quickly, "wherever we are, they come to us. And now that we're here..."

"We could summon the Megazords," began Billy, glancing from Ian to Tommy, "but I think we can go one better. Brendan, can you pilot the Stegozord in Peter's place?"

Brendan nodded, realising what Billy had in mind, and as Tommy reached for the Dragon Dagger to summon the mighty Dragonzord, the Rangers all turned to each other and raised their arms to the sky.

"We need dinozord power, now!"