Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all its related logos are property of Saban and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. I mean it, I don't. If I do happen to make some quick cash from it, I promise to sponsor a child for seventy-five cents a day with the money I made. Possibly even two of them.
A/N: This fic takes place with the assumption that power rangers are and always were real, though the secret identities of the rangers have remained secret over the years. You may see cameos from other rangers, but this will deal primarily with original characters. It is set some time after Dino Thunder, but before SPD.
Thank you to everyone who has made this fic a bigger success than I ever thought it would be. I will continue to write it as long as there are so many of you who will continue to support it. Gaby appears courtesy of Cmar, my #1 fan. Thanks Cammy!
Saturday March 5th, 2005 12:04am ... Reefside, California
"Oh no," Ms. Fairweather rushed over to the opposite control panel in the Aqua Base, going over the readings. "We've lost the signal on Jake. I knew sending him in there was a bad idea," she sighed.
"He's about as smart as yellow snow," Gaby sighed.
"We also lost the only signal on Allumier that we had. That's it, its over. All the rangers are either captured or presumed dead. We failed, just like we did the last time," she told her.
"There is one more thing we haven't tried," she said.
Ms. Fairweather looked up. "What did you have in mind?"
"Something I've been working on in my spare time for a while now," Gaby said, reaching under her lab coat and revealing…
"The Dragon Dagger!" Ms. Fairweather exclaimed. She walked over to Gaby, taking the dagger, looking at the various symbols. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked her.
Gaby nodded. "Yes, the engravings on the dagger are early incarnations of the Symbol of Thoron. I did some digging, which is hard considering that they don't have books on Thoron at the local library, and I discovered the Dragon Dagger is based in that mythology. I don't know all the details, but I suspect that the dagger was used in some ceremony that originally trapped the demons in the Nemesis Triangle," she explained.
"But how did Rita Repulsa get her hands on it all those years ago?"
"I'm not sure, but based on my research, the demons were trapped in the Nemesis Triangle over 10,000 years ago. The dagger made its way to Rita, but she in turn game it to her evil green ranger. According to the stories, the dagger was eventually left in the past in the hands of Tommy Oliver's clone. About five years ago, it was in a museum, but came up missing along with the curator. The incident was swept under the rug by local police," she told her.
"What do you plan to do with the dagger?"
"My theory is that with sufficient power, it would be weapon against Demorielle. I hoped that we could use it to lower the force field surrounding the dark fortress, but I can't find a capable power source for it. I've tried everything, even the power from the Quantum morpher, but its not enough. Whatever this thing needs to power it, its more than I can dish out," Gaby said.
"How is that possible?"
"All I am sure of is that the dagger isn't solely based on technology. If has… for lack of a better term, a mystic force that surrounds it. I can't duplicate it," she said.
"So what you're saying is the dagger could be exactly what we need to defeat Demorielle, but we don't know how to work the damn thing?" Ms. Fairweather asked.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"I'll call a friend of mine, see if there's anything he can do it with. Until then, we'll have to hope that the rangers can find a way to shut down the force field from the inside," she walked over to a control panel. "I'll run a progressive scan. The moment their signals are back online, I'll teleport them out," she said.
"Yep, we're never getting out of here," Spectra sighed, standing in the main chamber of the dark fortress. Her wrists had chained her to the wall, facing the symbol on the opposite wall.
"Thanks for your show of support Spectra. You never know, we just may find a way out of here," Tempest replied, finding himself chained to the wall next to her.
"Even if we did, you'd just hand over the Eye again and we'll be stuck here again."
"That was harsh."
"It's getting us nowhere either, so stop it," Predator Ranger chimed in.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about our glorious leader. You organized an escape and led us right back where we started. Yep, I see why you got the red suit," Spectra sighed.
"Come on guys, we escaped once and we can do it again. We just have to use our powers and…" Aqua Tech was cut short as Demorielle walked into the room slowly, observing them.
"You'll come to discover that your powers will not work here. The Symbol of Thoron is neutralizing them. Even as we speak, your powers are being drained by the Symbol, and those powers will be used to return me to full strength. When it does, your world is doomed," she told them.
"This chick has definitely been reading the bad guy handbook. Rule #17; when you have the good guys trapped, instead of just finishing them off, monolog them to death," Tempest brought up.
"All she needs to do now is reveal the master plan to us and she'll be your stereotypical villain," Aqua Tech added.
"Wait, shes a girl… well, kinda. Wouldn't that make her a villianess?" Spectra asked.
"That's not a word."
"Sure it is, look it up."
"The second I get home I'll whip out my dictionary, but for right now, I believe she was going to reveal the rest of her plan to us. Lets listen," Tempest said.
The almost pleasant disposition on Demorielle's face quickly turned to anger. "You pathetic rangers try my patience. Make no mistake, I may not be at full strength," she reached her arm out towards Tempest, and even though she was still several feet away, he began to choke, gasping for air. "But I still have more than enough power to siphon the life force from each one of you," she turned to Predator Ranger. "I will kill him, and you know it. Tell me where the Dagger of Thoron is."
"You think I give a shit if you kill him? I don't even know that kid," Predator said.
"You value human life, and if you don't tell me what I want to know, I will end his," she told him.
"And then you still won't know where the dagger is. The way I see it, you're in no position to make demands at all. I have something you want, and without me, you'll never get it," he brought up.
"If I don't have what I want, each of them will die."
"And you still won't have it," he pointed out.
"She's killing him!" Spectra called out. "Just tell her what she wants to know."
"Why? So she can kill us all the second I do? As long as I know where it is, she needs me," he said.
"Well that works out great for you, but not all of us have the benefit of inside information. Now tell her so she'll let him go," Aqua Tech said.
"No," Predator said firmly.
Demorielle increased her grip on Tempest, who was struggling to breath, all the while she stared directly at Red Predator Ranger. "His death will be on your hands," she told him.
"And you still won't have it," he repeated.
"This is insane! Stop it now," Aqua Tech snapped.
"When I am done with him, I will move on to the next ranger, and the next, until eventually all of you are dead. Then…"
"… you still won't have it. Now, release him, and maybe I'll consider telling you," Predator told her.
"You foolish mortal, you have no idea the power I possess!" Demorielle snapped.
"Bad guy handbook rule #9; all bad guys will be distracted long enough for the good guy's friends to rush in and save the day," he said.
Before Demorielle could turn around, it was Blizzard Ranger who connected with a spin kick to the jaw. Demorielle fell to the floor, forcing her to release her hold on Tempest. She got back to her feet, but Allumier landed a sabat kick, knocking her against the wall.
"Your attempt at a rescue is pathetic," she groaned as her eyes began to glow red, and she shot energy beams shot out of her hands, knocking both Blizzard and Allumier up against the wall. "The dagger no longer concerns me, I will crush each one of you for the sheer enjoyment of it."
She made her way towards Red Predator Ranger, ready to finish him off.
"That's it, I'm officially pissed off," a voice said.
Demorielle turned around in enough time to see Ethan snatching the Eyes of Thoron out of the symbol on the wall. "You fool, you have no idea what you're doing," she said.
"If it has you that worried, it has to be a good thing," he said, tossing one of the Eyes to Predator.
Almost instantly, Predator's powers were restored, and he phased out of his restraints. "Rangers, the Eyes have been removed. Your powers should work now. Its time to finish her off once and for all," he said.
One by one, the rangers used their powers to break free of their restraints.
Tempest shot a lightning bolt at Demorielle, catching her in the chest with it. It was enough to knock her up against the wall. Aqua Tech shot water at her, and Blizzard Ranger used his powers to freeze it, trapping Demorielle up against the wall. Finally, it was Spectra who took a step forward, forming a small ball of energy in her hands.
"You was talkin' all that shit earlier, but you look at you now. You're not so tough," she said, releasing the energy.
The ball connected with Demorielle, and there was an explosion, enough to knock all of them backwards. Smoke filled the room, but the rangers were able to regroup.
"Something is happening," Ms. Fairweather said, rushing over to the controls.
"Can you be more specific?"
"There is a huge energy build up in the Nemesis Triangle. It looks like someone is trying to activate the Eyes of Thoron," she said.
"Look," Gaby called out, turning her attention to the Dragon Dagger. "It's glowing."
"Okay, something is definitely going on. With this much power being released, it has to be a strain on their shields. Try to modify the teleportation unit," she said.
"I'm on it," she said, running over to another control panel.
"Is that it?" Tempest asked.
"I think so," Aqua Tech said.
Finally, the smoke settled down, and Demorille was standing there without a scratch on her. "Nice try," she said, shooting energy beams out of her eyes, hitting both Aqua Tech and Tempest in the chest, knocking them through the wall. Predator swung his blades at her, but she side stepped him, spun around and forced him to stab Allumier in the chest with it, then threw both of them across the room. Blizzard used his powers to throw ice at her, but she waved her hand slightly, and the ice melted before it even came close to her.
With them out of the way, she turned to Ethan, who still had two of the Eyes in his hand. "Give them to me, or perish," she told him.
"You can't take them from me, I have to give them willingly," he reminded her.
"True, but that rule will no longer apply when you're dead," she said. She used her tails to pick Ethan up off the ground and hold him in front of her, and then began to choke the life out of him.
"The build up is leveling off, but the readings are still off the chart," Ms. Fairweather pointed out.
"I'm just about ready over here, do we still have a lock on the rangers?" Gaby asked.
"Yes."
"Good. I should be able to get to modify the beam and get a stable transport out of it," she paused. "Oh no."
"Oh no? Oh no what?"
"How many rangers are there?" she asked.
"All six of them, and I'm assuming Ethan and Jake's brother Carl is there as well," Ms. Fairweather said.
"The teleportation unit doesn't have enough energy to transport them all. It looks like I have enough power for three, maybe four of them," she turned around. "We won't be able to save them all."
Red Predator Ranger got back to his feet, rushing at Demorielle again, but she gave him a backhand that knocked him against the wall.
"Foolish rangers, there is nothing you can do. My power over this world and every other is absolute."
"Tell me you've got something," Ms. Fairweather said.
"I'm rerouting emergency power through to the transportation system. It'll more than likely blow out every relay system in the Aqua Base, but I should be able to get six of them, maybe seven," she said.
"That's not enough."
"Its about to have to be. We're out of power. Besides, we're still waiting for the shields to go down. Until they do, none of this will matter," Gaby said.
Carl opened his eyes slowly, only to find himself face down on the floor. His body ached, and the room seemed to be spinning. The disorientation was getting to him, but he was able to recall the events leading up to that moment. He remembered being in the bathroom at the café, but then his mind went blank. His next clear memory was staring upwards at a woman, but he couldn't recall who she was.
Soon, the room stopped spinning, and he noticed a set of controls on the far end of the room. He had no idea what they did, nor did he have the strength to get to them. Not that it mattered, he could fell himself slipping away again. He was barely conscious, barely coherent enough to know that it was only a matter of time before he was gone.
"This sucks," he groaned.
Ethan was fading fast, and with all of the rangers down, there seemed to be no escape. Ethan managed to kick forward, connecting with Demorielle's chest in an attempt break her hold… but nothing. Just then, he realized he had the Eyes of Thoron in hand, and with the last of his strength, put them together, causing a flash of light that enough enough to make Demorielle fall back, covering her eyes.
"You ignorant human, you will pay for that!" she screamed.
Ethan gasped, trying to catch his breath as he made it back to his feet, looking down at both of the Eyes in hand, then cracked a smile.
"This reminds me of Super Ninja Quest 4 for the Gamecube. You're the evil Pharaoh, and I'm the exalted demon hunter Rogue. And this is the final level," he said, combining the Eyes again. This time, it was enough to send Demorielle crashing through the floor.
Ethan walked over to Predator Ranger, picking up the third Eye, but before he could do anything with them, Demorielle flew through the hole she fell in, standing in front of him with an evil look in her eyes.
"Your efforts have failed human."
Carl managed to make it to his feet, but wasn't sure how much good it was going to do him. While he struggled, his mind was able to piece together other events. He recalled being possessed by… something. He was conscious the whole there, and able to see what was happening, but unable to stop it. He recalled throwing someone over a cliff, it was… 'Oh God, Jake,' he sighed.
As he continued to make it to his feet, Belial, who had his sword in hand, confronted him.
"And to think, I disgraced myself by bonding with you. Pathetic," he said, shoving Carl with one hand, sending him up against the control panel on the wall. "Killing you here and now would end your suffering, but I plan to make your death as painful as possible."
Belial cocked back, swinging his sword. Carl, realizing it was over for him, stumbled to the ground at just the right moment. Belial's sword went through the panel, and shocks shot out of it. Electricity began to surge through Belial's body, forcing him to fall over as well.
"The shield, its down," Gaby said.
"Get them out of there."
"I'm reading nine human life signs, but three of them are very weak. With the shields gone, I should be to get them all," she paused. "Theres something else. I'm getting a reading on all three of the Eyes of Thoron. I should be able to muster up enough reserve power to transport them as well," she said. "Preparing transport sequence."
The rangers stood alongside Ethan, all of them turning their attention to Demorielle, who had been backed into a corner. She glanced around, looking for a way out, but with no luck.
"This ends now," Ethan said, picking up all three Eyes and putting them together.
"Combining the Eyes will…"
"I know, destroy you," he told her.
Spectra used her powers to restrain Demorielle up against the wall as Ethan began to chant in latin.
"Vox Saevio Universum est iam opus in poema poematis duos. In meus sententia , is silicis. Reprehendo sicco nostrum site vel EGO mos transporto volatilis monachus essum vestri splendidus," he said, and the Eyes began to glow.
The Eyes floated away from him, hovering near the Symbol itself. The Symbol began to glow, and soon, the entire fortress was shaking.
"What's happening?"
"The ritual of entrapment! I WILL NOT GO BACK!" Demorielle screamed.
"Doesn't look like you have a choice. Soon you'll be trapped in your dimension again, and there will be no way for you too…" he paused as all three of the Eyes disappeared. "What the…" he turned around as Spectra and Tempest disappeared as well. "Oh great, just great," he sighed, disappearing himself.
Soon, all of the rangers disappeared, leaving Demorielle alone in the chamber. She got back to her feet, dusting herself off. "I am nearly at full power. Now nothing will be able to stop me," she groaned.
The six of them materialized in the Aqua Base, where Ms. Fairweather was standing by.
"Welcome back you guys," she said.
It was Rick who helped up Liz, who was bleeding. "We have to get her to the infirmary now!" he insisted.
"Come with me," Gaby said, escorting him out of the room.
"What happened? What's going on?" Ethan asked.
"We were able to transport all of you and the Eyes out of the Nemesis Triangle. It took all of our power to do it, but we managed to get it done," Ms. Fairweather told him.
"We were seconds away from completely the ritual of entrapment," he sighed.
"I-I didn't know," she sighed.
The rangers took a moment, glancing around the room, and more importantly, at one another. It was Jen who walked over to Elaine, pausing slightly. "I thought it was you, but I wasn't sure. I just wanted to say…" she was cut short.
"If this is about the smoothie incident, don't worry about it. I was being a bitch," she told her.
"No, I was going to tell you that you still owe me two dollars for that smoothie," she said.
"So Jen is Spectra Ranger, and Elaine here is obviously Aqua Tech," he turned to Jake. "That would mean you're Blizzard Ranger," Patrick pointed out.
"Patrick always did have a flair for the obvious," Jen sighed.
Ethan turned to them. "I'd hoped that none of you would ever learn your true identities, but now that you have, we have to make the best of you. All of you did well back there, and we were this close to beating Demorielle once and for all. Next time it won't be as easy, and now, she's a lot more powerful. Its going to take everything we have to stop her," he explained.
"But why isn't it over? I mean, we have all three of the Eyes of what's-his-name, what can she really do?" Jen asked.
"Shes free, and with each passing moment she gets more powerful. She will find a way to our dimension, and when she does, even your ranger powers combined might not be enough," Ethan said.
"Wait. What about my brother? What about Carl?" Jake asked.
"Carl is your brother?" Patrick asked.
Jake nodded.
"Your brother and another person were transported directly to the infirmary. They're life signs were the lowest and we knew they would need medical attention the quickest. I assure you, your brother is just fine," Ms. Fairweather said.
"Can I see him?"
"Yes, its down the hall and the last door on the left. You can't miss it," she said.
"I'll go with him. I'm hoping there's a damn bathroom there, too," Jen said, following Jake out the room.
"Okay Mr. James, so what's the plan?" Elaine asked.
"I want all of you to go home, take the day off, relax. Things are only going to get worse from this point on, and you're going to need all the rest you can get. I need all of you at 100 perfect if we're going to stand a chance against Demorielle," he said.
"We're going to need something more, something to give us an advantage, but what?" Ms. Fairweather asked.
The doors slid open, and he walked into the room with the Dragon Dagger in hand.
"I think I have the answer to that question," the man said.
Ethan paused, getting a good look at him. "Cam?"