Episode 12 – "The Twisted Crystal"

A Super Crunk was causing a disturbance in Blue Springs. It was chasing passing citizens around, and trashing the city.

"Alright guys, Eltarian Force, Engage!" James yelled.

The six rangers morphed into their respective colors, but something was wrong. Harlie's helmet had a red visor again. "Ha Ha Ha, I'm the Dark Ranger, and I will crush you!"

Harlie rose up from her pillow. She was breathing hard, and had a petrified look on her face. She looked around to see her dimly lit room. "Just a dream." She panted some more.

A phone started ringing. "Huh? Dangit, who's callin this late at night?" Rad grumbled as he rolled over. "Ello."

"Rad, I had a bad dream. We were fighting a Crunk, and when we morphed I became The Dark Ranger."

Rad sighed. "It was just a dream. You're fine."

"But, what if this one come true?"

"You just gotta fight it. You're not evil. You know that."

"But I was brainwashed before; it can happen again."

"Don't worry about it girly. Your gettin paranoid"

"Will you come over?"

"Rad sighed again."

"Please," Harlie asked."

"Ahh, I guess."

"It's kinda cold out here, you better get a hoody," Rad said.

"I'm fine," Harlie replied. She leaned over against him as they sat on the porch swing. "Sometimes I just want to give up."

"You should never give up, Harlie. You just gotta have some faith. You got friends who will help you out."

"I know, but I feel like everything…"

"Shhhh, Harlie, did you hear that?" Harlie and Rad's eyes looked around, as they stayed still. They both turned their head toward the tree in the yard. A group of Crunks, jumped out from behind and in the tree.

They jumped out of the swing, and leaped into action. Rad swung at one, and knocked it down. Another one charged him, and he flipped it over his back. Harlie performed a flying kick at a standing crunk. Another one picked her up and held her arms behind her back. "I gotcha," Rad yelled to her. Harlie ducked, as Rad flew in and gave the Crunk a rolling powerbomb, causing it to release Harlie. Rad got back up, and did a running sliding kick to a Crunk, causing it to trip.

"Noooo!"

Rad looked over, and seen Harlie clutching her head. While he was distracted, a Crunk punched him in the stomach. Four Crunks surrounded Harlie, and tried to subdue her, but she went into a frenzy of punches, and kicks, all while still screaming. Finally they got a hold of her arms, and she stopped fighting, and raised them to her head again.

Rad looked on. "Hang on!" Rad swung his hand, and the Divine Ranger staff appeared. He swung it all around, and it knocked all the Crunks back, where they disappeared. Rad ran to Harlie. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," she answered.

Sam, James, Brandon, and Jeff were sitting at a table at the Pizza Palace. "Have you seen Rad?" James asked Brandon.

"No, Harlie called him last night, and he took the car. I haven't seen him since."

"I hope they're OK," Sam said.

"Yeah, I'm sure they are. They probably stayed up talking and decided to sleep in," Jeff said.

"Hey there they are," James pointed out. "What happened to you?"

"Well, Harlie had a dream about becoming the Dark Ranger again. When I went over there, a bunch of Crunks attacked us." Rad glanced at Harlie, who was giving him a look. He decided not to tell the others that she freaked out again.

Rad and Harlie were again by themselves, sitting in the park. "Zordon, what is causing Harlie's breakdowns?" Rad said.

"When she was taken as Decepta, an evil being known as The Wicked One linked his thoughts with her mind," Zordon explained. "Rage is exploiting this weakness with the Twisted Crystal of Ziaria. He holds the crystal on the Space Base. If it is destroyed it can free Harlie."

"I'll go," Harlie said.

"No, it is too dangerous." Rad said. "You are too vulnerable. It would be setting yourself up for a trap."

"But…" Harlie started.

"Rad is right, we can't afford to lose you," Zordon said.

"Hey, guys," Rad said. "We gotta talk."

Rad and Harlie walked into James's house, where the other 4 rangers were sitting.

"What's up?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, what's goin on?" Brandon asked.

Harlie nodded to Rad. "Harlie is still in control by Rage and a being known as The Wicked One. There's a crystal on the Space Base that is keeping her under their control. I have to destroy it.

"Man, that sounds bad." James said.

"Yeah, it sounds like a trap." Jeff agreed.

"Well we gotta do somethin," Rad said.

Everyone's Micro-Morpher beeped. They all looked down and realized a monster was attacking the city.

"Can you guys handle that, while I get aboard the Space Base?" Rad asked.

"Yeah," they replied.

"Eltarian Force, Engage," James yelled.

The rangers entered the morphing grid, and returned as the Power Rangers.

The 5 Eltarian Rangers summoned their Zords, and joined them to form the Megazord.

The Divine Ranger ran down the road helmetless, but suited up. Rad's helmet built itself around his head, and he began to fly with a streak of white energy.

"Harlie, are you ok?" Sam asked from next to her in the cockpit.

"Yeah, I'm good," she replied.

The Megazord continued to battle the monster.

Rad walked aboard the Space Base. He was now helmetless. "Now, I wonder where that is." He heard a noise, and hid behind a pipe. A crunk walked by. Rad quietly followed it toward the main control room. He decided to detour to the hidden room where Harlie's father was held. Rad looked around.

"Looking for this?" Rad turned around, to find Rage standing behind him, holding a dark crystal. "You will never get this."

"I guess you don't remember what happened last time?" Rad said as his helmet reformed around his head. He pulled the Divine Staff, and charged toward Rage.

The monster hit the Megazord, knocking it to the ground. "We gotta hang in there guys. We can do it!" James said.

Harlie screamed, and started holding her head. "No, I gotta fight it."

"Come on Harlie, you can do it," Jeff told her.

"Ahhh!" she screamed in pain.

"Hang on, Rad's gonna release you from it," Sam told her.

"Ahh! Let's kick some butt!" Harlie yelled. She maneuvered the controls making the big machine get back up, and fight. She frantically pressed the buttons, and guided the joystick, as she was powered by adrenaline and anger.

"Whoa, nice," Brandon said.

Rad, and Rage were in a battle of sword and staff. The Divine Ranger spirit was an excellent swordsman, but Rad didn't compare. Rage got many hits on Rad. He finally brought Rad down. Rad then put the staff in his left hand, and used it as a blocking device, while he threw punches with his right hand. It worked. Rage and Rad were soon locked in arms. Rad had one hand free, but it wasn't the staff hand. He couldn't grab the crystal out of Rage's hand. He used his body mass, and strength to flip Rage over his back, freeing both hands. Rage dropped the crystal, and it bounced a few feet away. Rad started heading toward it, but Rage's hand grabbed his leg. He pulled Rad onto the ground, and delivered a hard right. Rage then tried to get up to retrieve the fallen crystal, but Rad, flipped up, and blasted him with the Divine Staff. Rage flew back, and Rad rushed to the crystal. He raised his staff charging it up, and smashed the Twisted Crystal of Ziaria. Black lights escaped the crystal as it disappeared.

"Nooo!" Rage yelled, you won't get away with this."

Rage charged Rad, but Rad teleported from the space base with a flash.

"Ahh, we're goin down!" James yelled.

"Brace yourselves," Brandon ordered.

"Guy's I destroyed the Twisted Crystal" Rad's voice echoed from the Micro-Morphers. "I'll be down there soon."

Harlie sighed.

"Woohoo," Sam cheered.

The Falconzord came flying in behind the Eltarian Force Megazord. It launched it's wingtip missiles at the monster. "Alright guys, Eltarian Mega Falconzord Engage," Rad called to the rangers.

The Falconzord disassembled and became the new armor for the Eltarian Force Megazord. Rad entered the Cabin, and took his seat behind James, next to Harlie. She moved over to him and gave him a hug on sight. "Thanks Rad."

"Hey, don't worry about it."

The rangers powered up the Megazord, and it flew up into the air. They then shot missiles down on the monster, and charged it with the Eltarian Saber drawn.

"Yes, we did it guys." Rad said.

"Alright," Sam cheered.

"Yeah," Brandon followed with.

The six rangers were back at The Pizza Palace, celebrating around a pizza. "So how does it feel to be free?" Jeff asked.

"Uh, great!" Harlie replied.

Everyone laughed.

"I'm so glad this is over," Rad said

"Yeah, me too." James stated.

End Episode 12 – The Twisted Crystal