p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"strongemChapter 15: The Announcement/em/strongbr /br / That Friday at school was uneventful aside from the few tests and weekend assignments. Saturday, Angel Grove Park hosted its annual Triathlon, to which Rocky, Adam, and Aisha had competed. The rest of their friends were there to cheer them on. Skull would've liked to try to pull Trini away to get some more alone time, but Bulk kept him occupied with their newest scheme to discover the identities of the Power Rangers. The plan was to sit in a boat on the lake in the park during the swimming portion of the competition and use Bulk's energy output meter to determine which swimmers were emitting unusually high power /br / However, Lord Zedd, the evil master of the galaxy came up with his own plan to use the energy output meter and Skull's fishing pole to create a beam casting monster. The monster was created with the ability to control the minds of the citizens of Angel Grove to carry out Lord Zedd's bidding. Fortunately, with Billy's quick thinking, the blue ranger was able to invent a frequency reverser to undo Lord Zedd's brainwashing. With that out of the way, the Power Rangers united their power weapons and took out the monster for /br / Aside from the excitement of that Saturday, nothing compared to the excitement that followed that very next Sunday afternoon. Jason, Zack, and Trini met at the park, the three of them had their bikes in hand. They had planned to have a late lunch, and ride around the park just before sundown as the local news was slated to report the chosen ambassadors for the World Peace Summit that /br / The three rode down the hill toward the covered benches, propped up their bikes, and unpacked their lunches. It was the perfect day out. It was mildly chilly, but in the sunshine, it was pleasantly warm. Trini smiled, looking out over the park. The breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, kids played all the way down to the lake, and the water running from the waterfall, down the length of the park stream babbled under the red-painted bridge just beyond. If Trini were selected to go to Switzerland, she would certainly miss her life in sunny California for that year, or however long they would have her /br /"Hey, Trini, I packed a few extra bags of fruit snacks." Jason said pulling the small bag out of his backpack, "Want one?" he offered. Trini turned and sat down beside /br /"Sure." She accepted, taking one of the small bags. "Guys, I'm really worried." Trini /br /"'Bout what, Trini?" Zack asked. Both boys looked at her with /br /"Well, I'm starting to wonder if applying for the ambassadorship was really such a good idea." She said. br /br /"How come?" Jason wondered. "Just having to leave Angel Grove?" he asked. That was a loaded question for the yellow ranger. It wasn't just leaving home she was concerned /br /"It's just, if one of us gets chosen, what will happen to the Rangers?" she asked between the two of them. The boys looked at each other, the thought never occurring to them until that very /br /"Well, I guess, Zordon would come up with something. Maybe he'd give someone else our powers or…or maybe we can still be rangers and teleport to the source of the danger." Jason /br /"Man, teleporting from one side of the world to the other," Zack winced, "that sounds exhausting."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is the Ranger stuff the only thing that has you worried?" Jason wondered, "Because if that's all it is, I wouldn't be too worried. Zordon will figure it out. The world will still be kept safe whatever he decides." The red ranger assured, unwrapping his sandwich from the plastic wrap and taking a /br /"I suppose you're right." Trini admitted. Oh, how badly she wanted to relay the whole truth to her friends. It wasn't just the Rangers she was concerned about. She was worried about her relationship with Skull. The two of them had become deeply intimate, their relationship far more serious than she meant it to become so /br /"Anyway guys, I was thinkin' of offering a new type of dance class after the holidays," Zack said changing the subject. As the three ate their lunch, they talked about future plans and ideas they had on hold should they remain in Angel Grove. The conversation then went to current movies, tv shows, and they somehow got on the topic of reminiscing on past monsters they'd faced in that very /br /"Come on." Jason said, tossing his garbage into a nearby receptacle and putting on his helmet and backpack. "Let's ride around and burn some of this off with a race." He challenged, a cocky smile spreading on his /br /"You're on!" Zack replied, tossing out his own trash and putting on his helmet, "I'm gonna whip the both of you, guys!" he said confidently mounting his bike. Trini shook her head with a /br /"Oh, we'll just see about that!" she exclaimed, clipping her helmet strap and straddling her pale yellow Mud Dock. In a flash, the friends took off, racing as fast as they could along the sidewalk as the sun began to set on their tranquil /br / Meanwhile, Bulk and Skull were at the Youth Center, decked out in traditional Bavarian dress, wearing matching lederhosen and tyrolean hats. All day they had studied and embraced the Swiss culture and attempted to learn some of the German language. The boys were highly confident that they would be announced as the two US Teen Youth ambassadors, so they wanted to be as prepared as possible. This also included buying Swiss chocolate for themselves, which they happily enjoyed while sitting at the Juice /br /"Now, Skull. We're going to be picking up a lot of foreign chicks since we're Americans." Bulk explained simply. Skull nodded in understanding, "So we need to remember how to romance them in their own native language." Bulk said raising an eyebrow suggestively. Skull smiled wide and nodded when suddenly, his smile /br /"Well, Bulky, maybe we should've studied French, then." Skull suggested, "German don't sound like the most romantic language since we been practicing." He pointed out. Bulk rolled his /br /"emThat's/em because you haven't been speaking the language right, nitwit!" he criticized. Skull cocked his head, accepting this as a distinct possibility. "Just repeat after emme/em." Bulk instructed clearing his throat. "Guten tag, fraulein." Bulk demonstrated /br /"Goot-in tag, frow-line." Skull repeated, seeming proud. Bulk facepalmed and said it again with clear /br /"Guten tag." Bulk repeated /br /"Gootin tog." Skull repeated. The two obnoxiously went back and forth with this until after some time they were just repeating random German phrases at one another as if they were successfully carrying on a German /br /"Ja!" Bulk /br /"Nein." Skull responded as if in disbelief of something Bulk spoke to /br /"Ja! Ja!" Bulk nodded excitedly, handing his buddy one of his truffles from his own box of /br /"Danke." Skull thanked, giving Bulk one of his own chocolates in /br /"Nein, emdanke/em." Bulk replied, popping the treat in his mouth. Skull /br /"You know what's great about speakin' German? Everyone else speaks English so no one knows what we're even saying!" Skull explained. Bulk smiled and nodded, "It's like our own secret language! I mean, but you know…a secret language only Germans know…" he trailed off, "and Swiss people…" Bulk's smile fell slowly as Skull continued, "…or to people in America who speak German-"br /br /"I-I get it Skull." Bulk said popping another chocolate in his /br /"Badezimmer." Skull replied, hanging his head. Bulk scratched his head trying to recognize the /br /"What's that mean?" Bulk asked giving up trying to remember what they had studied. Skull gave a /br /"Pretty sure it means, 'Sorry.'…I think." The two paused thinking it over, but as they were unable to draw a definite conclusion on this, they shrug and carried on enjoying their sweets at the bar. Ernie turned up the volume of the tv set on the bar as he faintly heard the newscaster mention the World Peace /br /"Oh! They must be starting already!" Ernie exclaimed, turning up the volume on the set for the kids to /br /"Thousands of entrants," the television broadcaster began catching the attention of Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy who were already nearest to the bar. No one was expecting the news to reveal the names this early. Perhaps the network didn't want to wait any longer, "three names were announced today as the lucky students invited to attend the World Peace Summit in Switzerland." Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy gathered around the tv and leaned against the bar, earnestly awaiting the announcement, "The three youths will then meet and travel with teens from all over the world to discuss global problems that affect all of us, young, and old; hunger, pollution, poverty, cultural barriers, and education, are among the topics on a very busy agenda for these young people."br /br / The three friends glanced at one another as the broadcaster continued. Bulk and Skull were too busy goofing around, putting chocolate into each other's mouths to really be listening to the tv, "They will be visited by scientists, politicians, and academians, as they attempt to understand these issues and offer their perspective on solutions for world peace."br /br /"Bulk and Skull," Skull piped up proudly at the idea of being /br /"Peace ambassadors." Bulk added. "Auf Wiedersehen." Bulk said, grinning to his friend. br /br /"Auf Wiedersehen." Skull repeated perfectly. Bulk /br /"Yeah, boy, Swiss chocolate is great this time of year." He said eating another piece. Skull chuckled, turning back to the /br /"Dee Swissen chocolate ist gut-" Skull attempted to say in German, Bulk lightly backhanded his chest, signaling him to stop. Skull looked back at him with mild annoyance before eating yet another piece of chocolate, while Bulk began to lick his fingers /br /"The three teens from Angel Grove are," one at a time, the selected student's pictures were displayed as they were announced, "Jason Scott, Zack Taylor, and Trini Kwan." Kimberly gasped, /br /"Wow! That's incredible!" Tommy /br / Skull's chest tightened as he tried to process what he had just heard. He froze a moment before he swallowed the last bit of candy in his mouth, and removing his hat. He looked off toward the window, just wondering now what this meant. He wasn't too surprised Trini was chosen, but…he just wasn't ready to hear it and accept that she would be leaving Angel Grove…leaving him. The world seemed to fade around him, sounds turned silent, the voices around him faded into muffled murmuring. People moved around him, but he didn't register who they were nor did he care where they were /br / Bulk sighed, having also removed his hat. He patted Skull on the /br /"What do you say we go back to your place, buddy? Ride your dad's ATVs and eat ice cream until we forget about it." Bulk suggested. Skull didn't respond. He was still frozen, his eyes now lowering their gaze to the tile floor. Bulk could see his friend was devastated by the announcement, "Hey, come on, Skull, it's not the end of the world." His friend reassured him, "Come on, let's go cheer ourselves up. We shoulda known those goody-good geeks would be chosen, anyway." He said, pulling a rather zombie-like Skull out the /br /~~~br /br / Back at the park, Jason, Zack, and Trini, walked their bikes, exhausted from their long day of riding and racing along the long concrete path surrounding the full grounds of the /br /"Told you I'd beat you, Jason!" Zack celebrated after defeating Jason in their /br /"Yes, but let's not forget who beat emboth /emof you!" Trini teased, flipping her long black hair teasingly. The boys groaned before they all shared a /br /"It's getting late. We should head to the Youth Center." Jason mentioned, "They should announce the ambassadors by the time we get there-" Just then they heard shouting from behind them. Kimberly, Tommy, and Billy ran as fast as they could toward them, waving and hollering /br /"You guys are going to Switzerland!" Kimberly screamed /br /"All three of us?" Jason asked in happy /br /"Yup!" Tommy /br /"Congratulations," Billy congratulated, "This is the chance of a lifetime."br /br /"Yes!" Jason exclaimed with a fist pump. The six friends happily shared hugs and hive fived, congratulating them again on being chosen to attend the Summit. Just then,br /br /BEEP BEEP BEE DEE BEEP BEEPbr /br / Jason answered his beeping communicator, cutting the celebrating /br /"We read you, Zordon." Jason spoke into the /br /"Rangers, I need all of you to teleport to the Command Center." Zordon ordered. Jason gave a nod and looked to the other /br /"We'll be there right away." He replied, "Zordon needs us at the Command Center."br /br /"Let's go." Tommy added. The six friends powered their communicators and swiftly teleported to the command center to talk to Zordon. Once there at the command center, Zordon smiled down at the /br /"I am pleased, Rangers," Zodron boomed as the teenagers smiled at one another, "though it is no surprise that the three of you were among those selected."br /br /"Over 10,000 students across the country applied to participate in the summit." Billy clarified revealing just how incredibly lucky Jason, Zack, and Trini were to be /br /"Who knows? You guys might save the world." Kimberly suggested with a chuckle, realizing the irony of her /br /"Yeah, but from Switzerland this time." Tommy /br /"Thanks." Zack said giving Tommy a pat on the /br /"No doubt the qualities that made you successful as Power Rangers will serve you well in your new roles as peace ambassadors." Zordon continued. It was bittersweet indeed knowing that the three friends would soon be leaving their group and ending their time as Rangers. Suddenly the alarm throughout the command Center /br /"What is it Zordon?" Tommy asked /br /"Sensors in outer space indicate Zedd has begun energizing some sort of massive weapon." Alpha informed the team as he viewed the computer /br /"The day that I have feared has arrived," Zordon lamented, "Zedd has completed Serpentara, a gigantic machine of destruction." He informed the concerned /br /"Well, Zedd will most likely attack while they're at the Peace Summit." Billy realized looking at the three new /br /"That is exactly his plan." Zordon confirmed, "He knows that once the three of you depart, half of our strength will be gone." Their mentor further explained. The Rangers looked amongst themselves in shared worry. "This could be disastrous Power Rangers." He warned. "There is only one course, but it will be very difficult. Serpentara is more powerful than anything you have yet faced. You may need assistance," Zordon said showing what appeared to be a turtle on the viewing globe. Within the viewing globe, the Rangers watched as the seemingly ordinary turtle mutated into a giant new zord before their very /br /"This is your new carrier zord, Tor. If your zords are in peril, call on Tor for protection." Zordon instructed, hoping to allow the Power Rangers some slight ease before they readied to face their new /br /"Awesome!" Tommy /br /"But how will it protect us, Zordon?" Billy asked /br /"Once inside you will be shielded by Tor's heavy armor as it transports you to safety," Zordon explained. "Most important, however, I must now choose three new Power Rangers or Zedd may overwhelm us and take over the world." Their mentor /br /"Zordon, who?" Kimberly asked worried about who Zordon could possibly choose to replace her best /br /"You will learn soon enough." Zordon answered cryptically. It was unclear to the team if that meant he already had replacement rangers in mind or if not even Zordon could supply them with an answer if he wanted to. "But the power transfer must be carried out at once."br /br /"A power transfer?" Tommy wondered. He of all of them had experienced a sort of power transfer when Zordon granted him the white ranger power after he had lost his green power, but that was under a very different set of circumstances, "Is it possible?" he /br /"It is possible, but very difficult," Zordon replied. Jason crossed his arms growing more and more anxious at their current situation. It seemed Zordon had a plan, but it was all a matter of whether or not they would all succeed in carrying it out, "Because of the enormous amount of power required, the transfer can only be achieved in one place. You must travel to the Deserted Planet." He commanded. Suddenly, a scroll materialized in Tommy's /br /"Whoa." Tommy /br /"This map and ring you must retrieve the Sword of Light. Only with the sword can power be transferred to the new rangers." Zordon /br /"But…where emis/em the Deserted Planet?" Billy /br /"In a galaxy lightyears away." Zordon answered, "Alpha will teleport you there. Jason, Zack, and Trini will go with you on their last quest as Power Rangers." He instructed. The friends exchanged weak smiles. 'Their last quest as Power Rangers,' the six friends never imagined they would ever hear that statement. They never thought they would ever be apart, but alas, this was their final stand /br /"Ready when you are, Rangers." Alpha informed. With a quick breath, Tommy stepped forward, map held tight in his /br /"IT'S MORPHIN TIME!" the white ranger /br /"Tiger Zord!" cried the white /"Mastodon!" the black ranger /"Pterodactyl!" the pink ranger /"Triceratops!" the blue ranger /"Sabre tooth tiger!" yelled the yellow /"Tyrannosaurus!" the red ranger /br / They each morphed into their power suits and were teleported, flying at warp speed through space toward the Deserted Planet and their final mission as a full /br /~~~br /br / Meanwhile, back on Earth, it was a new day at school and Rocky, Adam, and Aisha's first real day starting at Angel Grove High. They had been shadowing Kimberly, Tommy, and Billy while the official transfer paperwork went through /br / Though Bulk and Skull had spent the better part of Sunday night trying to make themselves feel better about not being selected for the ambassadorship, Skull still felt downhearted about Trini. He at least hoped he'd be able to spend some time with her before she left. That hope seemed to weaken as neither Trini, Zack, or Jason were at school, and neither were Tommy, Kimberly, or Billy for that /br /'Typical. Always disappearing when I need her.' Skull thought upset by her absence, 'She was always good at that.'br /br / As Bulk and Skull left the classroom to retrieve stuff out of their lockers for the next period, Aisha seemed to catch the boys' attention. She was looking between a small piece of paper in her hand and the series of hunter green lockers in front of her. Skull considered for a minute, 'Aisha's really pretty…wonder if she'd be into me if Trini and I don't make it-' Bulk let go of the door and walked towards her. The closing door knocked into the side of Skull's head and flung the boy out of his daydreams. He shook his head trying to regain his /br /"Aisha," Bulk greeted pleasantly, leaning his arm against the lockers coolly and looking over her outfit, "You look so nice on your first day. Can I uh, be of assistance?" he offered, moving to help her with her locker combination. She handed him the /br /"Sure, thanks." Aisha accepted his offer though sounding unsure if he could actually help her. She and Skull shared an awkward smile, before she turned back to watch Bulk fiddle with her combination. After a few failed attempts at opening her locker, Adam and Rocky came to Aisha's side to watch. She smiled at her pals and shrugged, trying not to laugh at Bulk's eagerness to get the locker open. Skull rolled his eyes. Bulk was after Aisha, and it was hard to be invested in the idea of going after a new girl when his heart belonged to Trini, who hadn't even left yet; though it sure felt like she was already long /br / Suddenly, Skull's eyes shot open wide as he looked toward the hallway. A mysterious purple smoke was creeping through the hall and quickly wafting towards them. Scared speechless, he tapped Bulk on the shoulder in an attempt to alert him. As it grew closer, he gasped and repeatedly tapped Bulk's shoulder with more force. Bulk frowned and waved him off as he ripped the locker door right off its hinges, Aisha's belongings spilling out onto the /br / The smoke had finally reached them and Skull let out another loud gasp. Bulk looked up and finally noticed the smoke, but it was too late. The boys collapsed to the floor while Rocky, Adam, and Aisha ducked under the roll of smoke. Bulk and Skull didn't see the three being teleported out of the building just in time before the smoke settled to the floor. For the punks on the floor, however, everything turned hazy and then they were plunged into /br / What the Rangers soon discovered was that the smoke was released by Serpantara throughout Angel Grove, putting everyone to sleep. By the time everyone had awakened two full days later, the Power Rangers defeated Zedd's powerful monster with Tor's protection, and Rocky, Adam, and Aisha's /br /It was easy to see that the three new Angel Grove High students were perfect to fill the roles of the red, black, and yellow rangers. With the abilities of the Sword of Light, the power transfer was successful. But with the monster battle, Jason, Zack, and Trini lost precious time to properly pack and prepare for their long trip. They would be leaving the following /br / After Skull awoke, at the first opportunity, he attempted to call Trini, but found he couldn't get a hold of her as she had to scramble and pack for her life-changing trip. Trini didn't have a single moment's rest from the battle, and having to pack up her life in just one night before her 8 am International flight, was exhausting /br / Both teens were devastated that they may not get to say goodbye face to /br / Not wanting to spend the night alone, and believing that Trini may be leaving Angel Grove forever, Skull invited Bulk over to stay the night. The punk felt it was about time he told his friend the whole story of what's been going on./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is the Ranger stuff the only thing that has you worried?" Jason wondered, "Because if that's all it is, I wouldn't be too worried. Zordon will figure it out. The world will still be kept safe whatever he decides." The red ranger assured, unwrapping his sandwich from the plastic wrap and taking a /br /"I suppose you're right." Trini admitted. Oh, how badly she wanted to relay the whole truth to her friends. It wasn't just the Rangers she was concerned about. She was worried about her relationship with Skull. The two of them had become deeply intimate, their relationship far more serious than she meant it to become so /br /"Anyway guys, I was thinkin' of offering a new type of dance class after the holidays," Zack said changing the subject. As the three ate their lunch, they talked about future plans and ideas they had on hold should they remain in Angel Grove. The conversation then went to current movies, tv shows, and they somehow got on the topic of reminiscing on past monsters they'd faced in that very /br /"Come on." Jason said, tossing his garbage into a nearby receptacle and putting on his helmet and backpack. "Let's ride around and burn some of this off with a race." He challenged, a cocky smile spreading on his /br /"You're on!" Zack replied, tossing out his own trash and putting on his helmet, "I'm gonna whip the both of you, guys!" he said confidently mounting his bike. Trini shook her head with a /br /"Oh, we'll just see about that!" she exclaimed, clipping her helmet strap and straddling her pale yellow Mud Dock. In a flash, the friends took off, racing as fast as they could along the sidewalk as the sun began to set on their tranquil /br / Meanwhile, Bulk and Skull were at the Youth Center, decked out in traditional Bavarian dress, wearing matching lederhosen and tyrolean hats. All day they had studied and embraced the Swiss culture and attempted to learn some of the German language. The boys were highly confident that they would be announced as the two US Teen Youth ambassadors, so they wanted to be as prepared as possible. This also included buying Swiss chocolate for themselves, which they happily enjoyed while sitting at the Juice /br /"Now, Skull. We're going to be picking up a lot of foreign chicks since we're Americans." Bulk explained simply. Skull nodded in understanding, "So we need to remember how to romance them in their own native language." Bulk said raising an eyebrow suggestively. Skull smiled wide and nodded when suddenly, his smile /br /"Well, Bulky, maybe we should've studied French, then." Skull suggested, "German don't sound like the most romantic language since we been practicing." He pointed out. Bulk rolled his /br /"emThat's/em because you haven't been speaking the language right, nitwit!" he criticized. Skull cocked his head, accepting this as a distinct possibility. "Just repeat after emme/em." Bulk instructed clearing his throat. "Guten tag, fraulein." Bulk demonstrated /br /"Goot-in tag, frow-line." Skull repeated, seeming proud. Bulk facepalmed and said it again with clear /br /"Guten tag." Bulk repeated /br /"Gootin tog." Skull repeated. The two obnoxiously went back and forth with this until after some time they were just repeating random German phrases at one another as if they were successfully carrying on a German /br /"Ja!" Bulk /br /"Nein." Skull responded as if in disbelief of something Bulk spoke to /br /"Ja! Ja!" Bulk nodded excitedly, handing his buddy one of his truffles from his own box of /br /"Danke." Skull thanked, giving Bulk one of his own chocolates in /br /"Nein, emdanke/em." Bulk replied, popping the treat in his mouth. Skull /br /"You know what's great about speakin' German? Everyone else speaks English so no one knows what we're even saying!" Skull explained. Bulk smiled and nodded, "It's like our own secret language! I mean, but you know…a secret language only Germans know…" he trailed off, "and Swiss people…" Bulk's smile fell slowly as Skull continued, "…or to people in America who speak German-"br /br /"I-I get it Skull." Bulk said popping another chocolate in his /br /"Badezimmer." Skull replied, hanging his head. Bulk scratched his head trying to recognize the /br /"What's that mean?" Bulk asked giving up trying to remember what they had studied. Skull gave a /br /"Pretty sure it means, 'Sorry.'…I think." The two paused thinking it over, but as they were unable to draw a definite conclusion on this, they shrug and carried on enjoying their sweets at the bar. Ernie turned up the volume of the tv set on the bar as he faintly heard the newscaster mention the World Peace /br /"Oh! They must be starting already!" Ernie exclaimed, turning up the volume on the set for the kids to /br /"Thousands of entrants," the television broadcaster began catching the attention of Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy who were already nearest to the bar. No one was expecting the news to reveal the names this early. Perhaps the network didn't want to wait any longer, "three names were announced today as the lucky students invited to attend the World Peace Summit in Switzerland." Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy gathered around the tv and leaned against the bar, earnestly awaiting the announcement, "The three youths will then meet and travel with teens from all over the world to discuss global problems that affect all of us, young, and old; hunger, pollution, poverty, cultural barriers, and education, are among the topics on a very busy agenda for these young people."br /br / The three friends glanced at one another as the broadcaster continued. Bulk and Skull were too busy goofing around, putting chocolate into each other's mouths to really be listening to the tv, "They will be visited by scientists, politicians, and academians, as they attempt to understand these issues and offer their perspective on solutions for world peace."br /br /"Bulk and Skull," Skull piped up proudly at the idea of being /br /"Peace ambassadors." Bulk added. "Auf Wiedersehen." Bulk said, grinning to his friend. br /br /"Auf Wiedersehen." Skull repeated perfectly. Bulk /br /"Yeah, boy, Swiss chocolate is great this time of year." He said eating another piece. Skull chuckled, turning back to the /br /"Dee Swissen chocolate ist gut-" Skull attempted to say in German, Bulk lightly backhanded his chest, signaling him to stop. Skull looked back at him with mild annoyance before eating yet another piece of chocolate, while Bulk began to lick his fingers /br /"The three teens from Angel Grove are," one at a time, the selected student's pictures were displayed as they were announced, "Jason Scott, Zack Taylor, and Trini Kwan." Kimberly gasped, /br /"Wow! That's incredible!" Tommy /br / Skull's chest tightened as he tried to process what he had just heard. He froze a moment before he swallowed the last bit of candy in his mouth, and removing his hat. He looked off toward the window, just wondering now what this meant. He wasn't too surprised Trini was chosen, but…he just wasn't ready to hear it and accept that she would be leaving Angel Grove…leaving him. The world seemed to fade around him, sounds turned silent, the voices around him faded into muffled murmuring. People moved around him, but he didn't register who they were nor did he care where they were /br / Bulk sighed, having also removed his hat. He patted Skull on the /br /"What do you say we go back to your place, buddy? Ride your dad's ATVs and eat ice cream until we forget about it." Bulk suggested. Skull didn't respond. He was still frozen, his eyes now lowering their gaze to the tile floor. Bulk could see his friend was devastated by the announcement, "Hey, come on, Skull, it's not the end of the world." His friend reassured him, "Come on, let's go cheer ourselves up. We shoulda known those goody-good geeks would be chosen, anyway." He said, pulling a rather zombie-like Skull out the /br /~~~br /br / Back at the park, Jason, Zack, and Trini, walked their bikes, exhausted from their long day of riding and racing along the long concrete path surrounding the full grounds of the /br /"Told you I'd beat you, Jason!" Zack celebrated after defeating Jason in their /br /"Yes, but let's not forget who beat emboth /emof you!" Trini teased, flipping her long black hair teasingly. The boys groaned before they all shared a /br /"It's getting late. We should head to the Youth Center." Jason mentioned, "They should announce the ambassadors by the time we get there-" Just then they heard shouting from behind them. Kimberly, Tommy, and Billy ran as fast as they could toward them, waving and hollering /br /"You guys are going to Switzerland!" Kimberly screamed /br /"All three of us?" Jason asked in happy /br /"Yup!" Tommy /br /"Congratulations," Billy congratulated, "This is the chance of a lifetime."br /br /"Yes!" Jason exclaimed with a fist pump. The six friends happily shared hugs and hive fived, congratulating them again on being chosen to attend the Summit. Just then,br /br /BEEP BEEP BEE DEE BEEP BEEPbr /br / Jason answered his beeping communicator, cutting the celebrating /br /"We read you, Zordon." Jason spoke into the /br /"Rangers, I need all of you to teleport to the Command Center." Zordon ordered. Jason gave a nod and looked to the other /br /"We'll be there right away." He replied, "Zordon needs us at the Command Center."br /br /"Let's go." Tommy added. The six friends powered their communicators and swiftly teleported to the command center to talk to Zordon. Once there at the command center, Zordon smiled down at the /br /"I am pleased, Rangers," Zodron boomed as the teenagers smiled at one another, "though it is no surprise that the three of you were among those selected."br /br /"Over 10,000 students across the country applied to participate in the summit." Billy clarified revealing just how incredibly lucky Jason, Zack, and Trini were to be /br /"Who knows? You guys might save the world." Kimberly suggested with a chuckle, realizing the irony of her /br /"Yeah, but from Switzerland this time." Tommy /br /"Thanks." Zack said giving Tommy a pat on the /br /"No doubt the qualities that made you successful as Power Rangers will serve you well in your new roles as peace ambassadors." Zordon continued. It was bittersweet indeed knowing that the three friends would soon be leaving their group and ending their time as Rangers. Suddenly the alarm throughout the command Center /br /"What is it Zordon?" Tommy asked /br /"Sensors in outer space indicate Zedd has begun energizing some sort of massive weapon." Alpha informed the team as he viewed the computer /br /"The day that I have feared has arrived," Zordon lamented, "Zedd has completed Serpentara, a gigantic machine of destruction." He informed the concerned /br /"Well, Zedd will most likely attack while they're at the Peace Summit." Billy realized looking at the three new /br /"That is exactly his plan." Zordon confirmed, "He knows that once the three of you depart, half of our strength will be gone." Their mentor further explained. The Rangers looked amongst themselves in shared worry. "This could be disastrous Power Rangers." He warned. "There is only one course, but it will be very difficult. Serpentara is more powerful than anything you have yet faced. You may need assistance," Zordon said showing what appeared to be a turtle on the viewing globe. Within the viewing globe, the Rangers watched as the seemingly ordinary turtle mutated into a giant new zord before their very /br /"This is your new carrier zord, Tor. If your zords are in peril, call on Tor for protection." Zordon instructed, hoping to allow the Power Rangers some slight ease before they readied to face their new /br /"Awesome!" Tommy /br /"But how will it protect us, Zordon?" Billy asked /br /"Once inside you will be shielded by Tor's heavy armor as it transports you to safety," Zordon explained. "Most important, however, I must now choose three new Power Rangers or Zedd may overwhelm us and take over the world." Their mentor /br /"Zordon, who?" Kimberly asked worried about who Zordon could possibly choose to replace her best /br /"You will learn soon enough." Zordon answered cryptically. It was unclear to the team if that meant he already had replacement rangers in mind or if not even Zordon could supply them with an answer if he wanted to. "But the power transfer must be carried out at once."br /br /"A power transfer?" Tommy wondered. He of all of them had experienced a sort of power transfer when Zordon granted him the white ranger power after he had lost his green power, but that was under a very different set of circumstances, "Is it possible?" he /br /"It is possible, but very difficult," Zordon replied. Jason crossed his arms growing more and more anxious at their current situation. It seemed Zordon had a plan, but it was all a matter of whether or not they would all succeed in carrying it out, "Because of the enormous amount of power required, the transfer can only be achieved in one place. You must travel to the Deserted Planet." He commanded. Suddenly, a scroll materialized in Tommy's /br /"Whoa." Tommy /br /"This map and ring you must retrieve the Sword of Light. Only with the sword can power be transferred to the new rangers." Zordon /br /"But…where emis/em the Deserted Planet?" Billy /br /"In a galaxy lightyears away." Zordon answered, "Alpha will teleport you there. Jason, Zack, and Trini will go with you on their last quest as Power Rangers." He instructed. The friends exchanged weak smiles. 'Their last quest as Power Rangers,' the six friends never imagined they would ever hear that statement. They never thought they would ever be apart, but alas, this was their final stand /br /"Ready when you are, Rangers." Alpha informed. With a quick breath, Tommy stepped forward, map held tight in his /br /"IT'S MORPHIN TIME!" the white ranger /br /"Tiger Zord!" cried the white /"Mastodon!" the black ranger /"Pterodactyl!" the pink ranger /"Triceratops!" the blue ranger /"Sabre tooth tiger!" yelled the yellow /"Tyrannosaurus!" the red ranger /br / They each morphed into their power suits and were teleported, flying at warp speed through space toward the Deserted Planet and their final mission as a full /br /~~~br /br / Meanwhile, back on Earth, it was a new day at school and Rocky, Adam, and Aisha's first real day starting at Angel Grove High. They had been shadowing Kimberly, Tommy, and Billy while the official transfer paperwork went through /br / Though Bulk and Skull had spent the better part of Sunday night trying to make themselves feel better about not being selected for the ambassadorship, Skull still felt downhearted about Trini. He at least hoped he'd be able to spend some time with her before she left. That hope seemed to weaken as neither Trini, Zack, or Jason were at school, and neither were Tommy, Kimberly, or Billy for that /br /'Typical. Always disappearing when I need her.' Skull thought upset by her absence, 'She was always good at that.'br /br / As Bulk and Skull left the classroom to retrieve stuff out of their lockers for the next period, Aisha seemed to catch the boys' attention. She was looking between a small piece of paper in her hand and the series of hunter green lockers in front of her. Skull considered for a minute, 'Aisha's really pretty…wonder if she'd be into me if Trini and I don't make it-' Bulk let go of the door and walked towards her. The closing door knocked into the side of Skull's head and flung the boy out of his daydreams. He shook his head trying to regain his /br /"Aisha," Bulk greeted pleasantly, leaning his arm against the lockers coolly and looking over her outfit, "You look so nice on your first day. Can I uh, be of assistance?" he offered, moving to help her with her locker combination. She handed him the /br /"Sure, thanks." Aisha accepted his offer though sounding unsure if he could actually help her. She and Skull shared an awkward smile, before she turned back to watch Bulk fiddle with her combination. After a few failed attempts at opening her locker, Adam and Rocky came to Aisha's side to watch. She smiled at her pals and shrugged, trying not to laugh at Bulk's eagerness to get the locker open. Skull rolled his eyes. Bulk was after Aisha, and it was hard to be invested in the idea of going after a new girl when his heart belonged to Trini, who hadn't even left yet; though it sure felt like she was already long /br / Suddenly, Skull's eyes shot open wide as he looked toward the hallway. A mysterious purple smoke was creeping through the hall and quickly wafting towards them. Scared speechless, he tapped Bulk on the shoulder in an attempt to alert him. As it grew closer, he gasped and repeatedly tapped Bulk's shoulder with more force. Bulk frowned and waved him off as he ripped the locker door right off its hinges, Aisha's belongings spilling out onto the /br / The smoke had finally reached them and Skull let out another loud gasp. Bulk looked up and finally noticed the smoke, but it was too late. The boys collapsed to the floor while Rocky, Adam, and Aisha ducked under the roll of smoke. Bulk and Skull didn't see the three being teleported out of the building just in time before the smoke settled to the floor. For the punks on the floor, however, everything turned hazy and then they were plunged into /br / What the Rangers soon discovered was that the smoke was released by Serpantara throughout Angel Grove, putting everyone to sleep. By the time everyone had awakened two full days later, the Power Rangers defeated Zedd's powerful monster with Tor's protection, and Rocky, Adam, and Aisha's /br /It was easy to see that the three new Angel Grove High students were perfect to fill the roles of the red, black, and yellow rangers. With the abilities of the Sword of Light, the power transfer was successful. But with the monster battle, Jason, Zack, and Trini lost precious time to properly pack and prepare for their long trip. They would be leaving the following /br / After Skull awoke, at the first opportunity, he attempted to call Trini, but found he couldn't get a hold of her as she had to scramble and pack for her life-changing trip. Trini didn't have a single moment's rest from the battle, and having to pack up her life in just one night before her 8 am International flight, was exhausting /br / Both teens were devastated that they may not get to say goodbye face to /br / Not wanting to spend the night alone, and believing that Trini may be leaving Angel Grove forever, Skull invited Bulk over to stay the night. The punk felt it was about time he told his friend the whole story of what's been going on./p