************************* Downtown Angel Grove*****************************

"So this is Angel Grove? Tacky little place." Ivan Ooze said looking around at the empty buildings and boarded up windows. "I thought I told you to take us someplace with people. The rangers won't come for property damage." Ooze waved his hand blowing up the front of a shop. "No, Zordon's brats will care about protecting pitifully little lives." He waved another hand exploding a street lamp.

Goldar tried not to act worried. Ooze was not a monster you would be wise to anger. "Forgive me, but the rangers will come. They always came before."

"And what about my Nightmare? He's bored without any blood..." Ooze watched as the beast kicked at a piranhatrons sending it flying several feet away. "Yes... my pet. I agree, there is no sport here... No excitement."

"You want some excitement! Look no further." Tommy shouted from his place on the roof top.

"Ah yes the power rangers." Ivan gleamed, running his hand over his purple ooze little beard. "I am Ivan Ooze and I'll take your complete and utter surrender now."

"I don't think so! Hi-Ya!" Tommy leaped from the top of the building landing right in front of Ivan.

Adam looked at Rocky from on top of the roof. "Is he kidding? Tell me he's kidding?"

Rocky watched Tommy put his fists up in-front of Ooze. "Nope, not kidding. Let's get down there." Rocky jumped, followed by Adam, Kat and Aisha who asked as she fell through the air in a graceful flip, "Anyone got a plan?"

"We probably should have waited for Justin." Kat replied ready to fight. "We're going to need all the help we can get." And even though he was a kid. The Wolf ranger had proven he was more than capable when morphed.

Ooze laughed at them pacing back and forth in front of Tommy like he was nothing. Nothing but dirt. "It this the best Zordon has to offer? Ugh... that odious smell...teenagers..." He pinched his nose, a motion indicating the rangers smelled. "Pathetic."

Tommy growled. "I'll show you pathetic. Ki-yah!" Tommy moved to attack Ivan Ooze and found himself beset upon by purple lighting that blew him into a nearby wall. Knocking the wind from him.

"Tommy!" Kat shouted as the rangers regrouped around the white falcon ranger.

"I'm okay... ow." Tommy struggled to get up. Hand on his chest. "This guy is tough."

"Tough? My boy you haven't seen anything yet. Goldar, take my Nightmare to someplace that had people so he can have his fill of blood. I will handing these rangers."

"As you command." Goldar hit a fist to his chest, half bowed and vanished with Billy and the piranhatrons.

"No! Billy!" Aisha shouted as Goldar and the Nightmare vanished.

"Now for you." Ooze hacked and coughed, spitting out several piles of purple goo that began to take form. "My minions will end you." The nasty creatures with horrible ooze like faces, made clawing and ripping motions at the rangers. Ivan turned to leave before snapping his fingers and turning back "Oh yes... I almost forgot. Leave one of them alive and bring them to me, as bait for Zordon."

One of the minions gurgled and Ivan waved him off. "I don't care which one...fine... Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... " Ivan pointed from one ranger to the next. "Bring me...the yellow one."

Rocky stepped in front of Aisha the moment Ooze said that. Like hell he would let any of his family be kidnapped or enslaved again. He would die first.

"Have fun children. Don't play nice. Hahahaha!" Ooze laughed vanishing.

"Um... Tommy?" Kat said as the ooze minions came closer.

"We can do this team." Tommy said. "Let's go!"

"Right!"

************************** Command Chamber*************************

Kimberly mumbled softly as her mind began to wake up. She felt so warm and cozy. What a great night's sleep... was it a school day? She had her finished essay on the industrial revolution on her desk. Billy had helped her finish it last night. Kimberly stretched, not yet opening her eyes, "Wonder if mom has pancakes...?" She practically said in a purr to herself.

"None ready but if you are hungry, I could make you some pancakes Fire B... er... Kimberly." Ninjor quickly corrected.

Brown eyes fluttered open with surprise at the voice so near. There was a strange man! This wasn't her room! She was on a pile of pillows and woven thick carpets. Her mouth opened, a scream on her lips, when another voice spoke warmly from behind her. "Easy Kimberly, it is alright. You are safe."

"Z..Zordon?" She asked, her voice still unsure of the world around her, as her mind and memories began to catch up with her. "Zordon." She said again with more confidence. Yes, that was Zordon. She was safe. She turned back to the ninja master in blue. "Ninjor, sorry I almost screamed. I didn't know you. For a moment I didn't remember anything." Kimberly moved to touch her face and the tee shirt she was wearing slipped partly over her shoulder. Right, she had grown two inches last year. "My shirt's too big." She said softly to herself before shaking her head. "I don't think I'm all here yet Zordon but was the curse lifted? Am I cured? Am I human again?"

"Yes Kimberly. Lerigot was able to remove every fiber of Zedd's evil." As Zordon spoke Alpha 5 came forward holding the firebird coin. Zordon continued. "There she will sleep forever." and as he spoke the coin vanished in a blink of light.

"Aiyiyi, how are you feeling Kimberly?" Alpha asked worrying over his female friend.

Kimberly stood, and wobbled like a new born lamb, falling back to her knees onto the supremely soft bedding. "A little unsteady."

"That is to be expected. Your body has had a great shift." Ninjor spoke, offering his hand to help the human up. She took it and stood with Ninjor's support. After a moment she was able to get her legs to hold herself steady.

"So I'm no longer a power ranger?" Kimberly thought she remembered what Zordon had said but she needed to hear it clearly once more. Everything in her mind was still so fuzzy.

"You no longer have any powers Kimberly, but you will always be a power ranger." Zordon replied gently. This wasn't the first team of rangers Zordon had been a part of and he remembered all to well the pain of losing your powers before one was ready.

But Kimberly surprised Zordon. She merely nodded, quietly accepting the fact. Were it any other ranger he would have expected words of complaint or begging but he should have know his pink child was not like that.

Kimberly looked around the room. "Where's Lerigot? I would like to thank him for saving me."

Alpha replied sadly. "He is resting now. You can thank him later."

Something about Alpha's reply set off a red flag for Kimberly but she simply nodded, accepting his words. She trusted the little bot completely. "Where's Tommy? And the others? I want to tell them all the good news."

"Behold the viewing globe." Zordon replied.

The orb of light glowed, showing Kimberly down town Angel Grove and the ninjetti rangers. Who seemed to be getting there butt kicked. "Ew gross! What are those things?" Kimberly asked seeing the ooze mutants on the screen.

"Ivan Ooze's little puppets." Ninjor replied watching closely as Justin gave one of them a good kick. "Nice form young wolf but I fear my training won't be enough."

"Can't you help them Ninjor?" Kimberly pleaded as Tommy was held down by two ooze goons while a third punched him repeatedly in the stomach.

Ninjor was about to reply that he was trying to give them a chance to win this battle on there own when another alarm went off.

"Aiyiyiyiyi! It Goldar! He's let Billy loose near the community center! All those people!" The view changed in the globe showing the beast that was once her best friend.

Kimberly whirled around. "Zordon. I have to go down there. I have to help those people. Maybe I can reach Billy."

"Kimberly without powers what you are asking to do will be extremely dangerous."

"I know Zordon but I have to help." Kimberly said, as screams from the community center filled the command chamber. "Please?"

"And she won't be alone." A new voice spoke as Bulk and Skull came into the room. "We'll look after Kim." Bulk promised with a nod towards Zordon.

"And get those people to safety." Skull added. Sure he was scared but Ernie had been so kind to him and since hanging around with Ninjor, he was feeling braver than ever before.

Zordon felt very proud of the bully duo. They had come so far. "Alright but the moment you are in over your heads. Or feel like your life is in danger. I want the three of you to teleport back here. Understood?" he watched three heads bob yes in unison. "Then may the power protect you." Zo5rdon spoke as the three disappeared into light... it was strange. Bulk and Skull always had a mix of black and silver light but Kimberly instead of disappearing in pink light...

It had been pure white...

*************************** Down Town Angel Grove**********************

"Now kiss and make up!" Aisha shouted as she smacked two of the ooze goons together by the heads.

"Ever play kick the can?" Adam asked, kicking a discarded paint can directly at another goon knocking it down.

"Let me get the door for you." Katherine said politely, while smashing a car door right into the knees of another ooze mutant sending it to the ground with an ooof.

Rocky had backed up to Tommy. Both the red and white rangers had clearly taken a beating. Even with Justin's late arrival, the team had to change tactics to distant attacks to keep from getting beaten to a pulp. "Any ideas? We are getting our butts kicked."

"These things just keep getting back up!" Aisha shouted regrouping closer to the others.

"It's like fighting bubble gum." Justin added.

"Tommy?" Adam questioned blocking another hit. He was almost at the limits of his powers. He could feel them, just starting to fade.

Tommy gave a quick glance around. Old Tommy would demand his team keep fighting, new Tommy, leader Tommy knew better. "Okay gang, looks like we are going to have to retr..." but he didn't finish that sentence as a blur of silver light smashed into the ground in front of them.

The form that stood there was one Tommy knew... or at least thought he knew. The fur bikini and thin form was familiar but the curly gray hair was new. "Dulcea?"

She did not speak as she instantly separated her bo staff into two pieces and began swinging them. The sound they made caused Tommy and the other rangers to cover there ears while the minions made of ooze heads exploded and they faded into purple dust.

The woman turned. "Falcon. Take me to Ninjor." she commanded, suddenly unsteady on her feet.

Tommy reached out his hand to steady the master warrior. "Yeah. He's at the Command Chamber. Let's go everyone."

A moment later the team vanished in columns of light.

******************** Juice Bar***********************************

Ernie frowned and did his best to keep quiet from his hiding place. A few people were taking refuge under a nearby table. One of the women was crying. Black hooves clicked on the ground coming closer. Ernie held a finger to his lips, trying to indicate to the lady crying and the man with her that they needed to be quiet.

So Ernie was watching when the table was flipped over and an unholy, two legged, unicorn beast slaughtered the two who had been hiding in less than a few heart beats. Ripping off arms, gouging out guts and breaking necks. Drinking the blood that flowed with noises that sounded like pleased grunts.

Ernie felt the blood drain from his face. He had seen monsters before, he had been abused and enslaved on the moon but this creature... this monster... was more savage then anything he had seen before.

Ernie froze as the beast suddenly went still. Once more listening. If the rangers didn't come soon...

It would be game over...