Author's Notes: This is the end of Book 2… and the end of an era. See you in Book 3!

Reviewer thanks: The-Knight2000 (Yay, Goldar!), jwstahle (He doesn't look any differently. He's gotten a power upgrade, and he's regained a few memories. We'll see the repercussions of that.), KLR (Thanks for the explosion of reviews! It was like Christmas in my inbox.), Ghostwriter, GothamPowerKaiju, bleedredstars, Dan, Guest, McQuirk, and falcon242.


Brighter Paths

Book 2: The Sword of Power

Chapter 11: No More Heroes

"Yeah, they're still not answering," Aisha said, turning from the console and folding her arms.

Adam frowned. "I don't like it. I mean…" He glanced up at Zordon. "It's not like them not to check in or answer their communicators, right?"

"That is correct, Adam." Zordon also looked worried. "It could be any number of benign reasons."

Rocky was shaking his head. "Nah… they've got super genius Billy with them. I'm guessing he could figure out a way to get in touch with us. My guess is it's on our end. Watch… any second the alarm is going to sound. Zedd wants to attack while the Earth is undefended, so he wants to make sure the Rangers can't just teleport back… or that we can't get in touch with them."

They waited, expecting the alarm to sound at Rocky's words. Seconds ticked by… a minute… but all remained silent.

"When do you think…" Aisha began.

The alarm cut her off.

"Dammit, I was really hoping to be wrong," Rocky groused.

Alpha had crossed the Command Center and was now focusing the security. "Oh, ay-yi-yi, Rangers-in-training, you were right! There is a monster."

Zordon sighed. "It appears my best efforts were not good enough. Behold the Viewing Globe."

The three faced the Viewing Globe, which was currently showing a band of Putties in the middle of Foley Park. The view panned over to reveal a monster within their midst. The monster, which was shaped like an hourglass, was waving its hands at a startled group of children. The children began to run, leaving behind their toys… when they froze. Feet still half-raised in a run, their faces frozen in looks of terror. As if someone had pressed the stop button on them.

"Did I just see that right?" Rocky said. "Did that monster just freeze those kids in time?" He sounded like he was trying to be brave, but his voice shook nonetheless.

"That is indeed correct," Zordon said. "It appears this monster has limited power over time. It seems as if he can create small pockets of time distortion around groups of people."

"Which will make him tricky to defeat," Adam said. "We won't be able to get close to him without getting frozen ourselves."

"That's only if we take a frontal attack," Aisha pointed out. "Maybe we can…"

Alpha had turned in surprise, and Zordon looked practically alarmed. "Rocky, Adam, and Aisha, I cannot allow you to leave the Command Center. Lord Zedd obviously does not only wish to attack Earth in the Rangers' absence, but to attack you specifically. You will be walking into a trap with no defenses of your own."

"I'm sure you're right," Rocky said. "But people are getting hurt down there. Or… frozen, or whatever. We're Power Rangers: we have a responsibility to help them."

"You're not Power Rangers yet," Zordon reminded them. "And Lord Zedd wants to make sure you never will be."

"Yeah, but those frozen people are completely vulnerable," Aisha said. "Who knows when the Rangers are going to be back? They've been gone for a week."

"You could help me try to break through the communication block and reach the Rangers," Alpha said. "Perhaps Zedd's energy reserves are weakening from maintaining a monster and disrupting our communications. If we concentrate on that and reach the Rangers, we may even drain his power enough that he can't maintain the monster either."

The three hopeful Rangers looked put out by this suggestion. Zordon smiled down on them. He knew that all three of them, particularly Rocky, liked to jump into the fray, despite any disastrous consequences. He would have to train them to be more cautious. "It really is the best option," he pointed out.

"Right," Rocky said dully. "What do we need to do?"


Bulk put the magnifying glass to his eye and examined the ground. He had no idea what he was looking for, but this was how detectives did it, so obviously there was something to see other than gravel and candy wrappers.

He stood up, pulling off his deerstalker cap and wiping his brow. Obviously, Sherlock Holmes never had to work in Southern California at the beginning of summer, or he never would have worn a wool cap with earflaps.

He pulled out his book, a sort of guide to detection based on Sherlock Holmes, and read: "You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear."

"Okay," he said to himself, "I'm seeing, but I'm not observing… but what am I supposed to observe?"

He was outside City Hall. He'd been investigating places where the Rangers had recently fought all morning, but to no avail. All around Angel Grove there were traces of battles—wrecked benches, blast marks on the pavement, gouges in the ground—but that only showed that the Rangers had been there, battling. Not who they were.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Bulk heard raucous barking and heavy footfalls split the quiet of the morning. He also heard murmuring from the few people milling about the town square. He'd gotten some odd looks for his headgear and magnifying glass, but any oddness was eradicated by the sight currently sprinting up to him.

Skull was holding a bowler hat on his head and gripping a leash on the other. He was in full Victorian costume to go with his bowler hat: waistcoat and collar, pocket watch and monocle, and even a fake mustache that was hanging on one end as Skull struggled to keep up with the basset hound running at full tilt.

Bulk ground his teeth as Skull skidded to a halt, lurching as he tried to keep the hound in check. "What are you wearing?" Bulk asked in a barely-contained voice.

Skull looked down at his costume and plastered the mustache back on his face. "You said you were going to dress up like Sherlock Holmes. I'm Watson."

Bulk was wearing the hat and had the magnifying glass, but otherwise he was wearing a tie-dye shirt and black cargo pants. Skull looked like an over-enthusiastic extra in a period piece. "Okay…" he said slowly, used to Skull's brand of crazy. "Where'd you get the dog?"

Skull grinned. "My uncle's. He takes him hunting. I figure he could sniff out a Power Ranger."

Despite the costume, Bulk decided he'd never been more glad to see Skull. "Skull, that's brilliant. I can see my smarts are rubbing off on you."

The two crouched down to get on the dog's level, prompting the dog to try to lick their faces. As soon as she backed down, Bulk asked, "What's her name?"

"Buttercup."

Bulk frowned. "That's a stupid name for a dog."

Skull shrugged. "I didn't name her, but she's apparently got the best nose my Uncle Clav has ever seen."

"Okay, Buttercup," Bulk said, "Can you sniff out a Power Ranger?" he said in a fake baby voice.

Buttercup was currently sniffing the ground enthusiastically. She pulled them to the steps of City Hall, seemed to make up her mind, and took off at a run, pulling the leash out of Skull's hand.

"Hurry!" Bulk said. "She's on the trail!"

The two ran after the dog, sure that at the other end of their run would be a Power Ranger.


Aisha stepped back from the console and stretched her arms. She'd so far been the quickest at picking up on the various bits of technology around the Command Center, so she was helping Alpha the most. Adam was watching the Viewing Globe, and Rocky had been sent to check the secondary security room, to see if any of the equipment was malfunctioning.

"I'm not able to connect to the Rangers," Aisha said, "but I tapped into the intergalactic newsfeed—and how do you guys not just have that running all the time?—and I pulled up something pretty interesting." She chuckled dryly. "Apparently they blew up the ship of some pirate named Divatox." She squinted at the read-out. "And they helped someone named Dex throw the Machine Empire off a planet…?"

It may have been an optical illusion, but Zordon seemed to grow a bit paler in his tube. "That might explain why they haven't been in touch. Perhaps their communicators were damaged." His frown deepened. "They are drawing more attention to themselves than I wanted them to."

"Wait, Zordon, I'm getting a message… from Aquitar," Alpha broke in.

"Put it through to the Viewing Globe, Alpha," Zordon said.

A White Ranger—but not their White Ranger—replaced the surveillance of the monster on the Viewing Globe. "Zordon," the White Ranger said, "I am pleased to see you well. I'm sorry I can't talk long, as Aquitar is under attack, but I wanted to know if you had a report back from your Rangers. They came to us for help, and they had to leave hastily."

"I am pleased that they were able to find assistance, Delphine," Zordon said. "We have not heard from them, unfortunately, nor do we know their whereabouts. Do you know where they were going?"

There was a loud noise off-screen, and Delphine looked toward it nervously. "I will have someone feed you the coordinates. Please let me know if they are well."

"I will," Zordon said. "And I wish to know how you all fare."

Delphine nodded, and the feed cut, showing Angel Grove once again.

Alpha looked up from his console. "Zordon, I'm receiving the coordinates. It's for a quarantined planet, one from the old war. It's classified as highly dangerous and toxic. Oh, ay-yi-yi."

"Aisha, would you…" Zordon suddenly looked around the Command Center. "Alpha, where are Aisha and Adam?" He closed his eyes. "I need not ask."

Zordon also didn't need Alpha's panicked 'ay-yi-yi' to tell him that the three would-be Rangers had indeed gone to Earth.

"Caution. I must teach them caution," Zordon said.

"Shall I teleport them up, Zordon?" Alpha said.

"No, Alpha, they will merely slip away again. Perhaps this will be a learning experience for them if they don't get themselves killed," Zordon said. "In the meantime, see what you can do to establish communication with the Rangers, now we know where they are. And tell me the second out new Rangers are in the least bit of danger."

Zordon sighed, hoping that would be enough.


"Took you long enough. I've been waiting for ages," Rocky said from behind a tree.

"We had to wait until they were distracted," Aisha said. "And what are you doing there?"

Rocky nodded over to the playground on the other side of the path. "I can watch from here without being seen, which you might consider."

Adam and Aisha took one look and then slipped behind the tree, which was thankfully wide enough for all of them. The playground was teeming with Putties. At the center was the hourglass monster, which Adam had named Time Master, who was setting up a machine of some sort with Putty assistants.

"I have no idea what that machine will do, but I bet it won't be anything good," Adam commented. "Do we have any idea how to fight that monster without… you know…" He mimed freezing in place, his arms raised in front of him with a goofy expression on his face.

Rocky raised an eyebrow. "Go around like that. I'd pay to see the monster turn you like that forever."

"Guys, not the time," Aisha said. "We're in danger of being discovered, and I'm pretty sure that machine is just going to do what the monster does… only covering a lot more ground. Front attack's not going to work. We need a distraction. I'm the fastest."

"Yeah, but you're the only one to know jack all about computers," Rocky said.

"So it's up to me," Adam said. "I'll try to get the monster moving, if you guys can disable the machine."

"Okay, but you teleport back to the Command Center if it gets in any way close to you," Rocky said. "We don't need you frozen, kidnapped, or killed."

"Not my first choices either," Adam said. He pulled a blaster out of his pocket.

"Where'd you get that?" Aisha said, punching him in the arm.

"The Command Center," Adam said. "Thought we'd need backup… but I could only find one." He handed it to Rocky. "You're the best shot out of all of us: try to take that machine down."

"You're going to need it against the monster," Rocky said, trying to give it back.

"I hope it won't come to that," said Adam. "I won't let it get close enough to me."

Giving a final nod, Adam started walking toward the path, going at a diagonal away from the tree where they were hiding." Hey, monster! Got tired of freezing kids?!"

The hourglass monster looked up… along with a swarm of Putties. They stayed still at first, apparently unable to cope with a regular human challenging them.

The monster, however, recognized the human as one of his primary objectives.

"Finish the machine," the monster said to the Putties in a dry, wheezy voice, as if its vocal cords were filled with sand as well. "I shall take care of our intruder."

Just as the would-be Rangers planned, the monster started walking toward Adam, who started running, zig-zagging so as not to get hit with a freeze ray.

"Soon as they're completely clear," Rocky said, "we take on the Putties. I don't think they'll give us a clear shot, and blasting any of them would be really stupid with their whole power rebound thing."

"If you can't hit the machine, just get me close to it," Aisha said. "I'll try to take it out."

"Right…" Rocky looked over at the machine, which was now being set up by three Putties, while fifteen others surrounded it in guard. "So… this is probably going to go super wrong, isn't it?"

Aisha grinned. "Probably… but hey. We're Power Rangers. We do this sort of thing."


Lord Zedd stared down at the Earth, gripping the rail tightly. He faintly heard the grinding sound as his metal glove scraped against the metal of the rail. It was the only thing keeping him on his feet, currently. He could sit on his throne and still see the Earth, but he'd tried that and it had made him feel even sicker.

"Finster!" he tried to yell, but his voice didn't seem to want to go louder than normal volume. Spots were beginning to form in his vision…

And, suddenly, his vision cleared. He felt less like his nervous system was going to buckle from the pain. He noted the old scientist in his peripheral vision.

"That one was close, my lord," Finster said, withdrawing the needle from one of the tubes running up Lord Zedd's side. "We can place the monster on reserve power…"

"The attack will end soon enough, before which time I expect an influx of power," said Lord Zedd, waving the scientist away.

Lord Zedd shook his head, trying to focus on weakening Zordon's defenses even more. He'd been at this for a week, slowly and deliberately breaking down the shield. A shield covered the Earth at all times, having been constructed by Zordon and reinforced by both the power of the Morphing Grid and by sheer age. The shield was ancient. Zordon had prepared Earth's defenses for a long time, and he wasn't going to break the shield in a week.

He didn't need to. Usually the shield wasn't this strong. It would still allow limited invasions: monsters, Putties, various aliens… Zordon couldn't keep the shield at this level of intensity for long. He'd been able to get one monster and a group of Putties down, but he still needed to get down one other person, and he couldn't make that monster grow.

The monster was of Finster's design. Another unfortunate consequence of Zedd's power expenditure against the shield. It wasn't doing so badly… though it was easily distracted, running for one lone future Ranger when it was obvious the other two would be close. It should have sent Putties after the human and kept on with the machine. The Putties would be able to herd the Ranger back to the machine.

But it would be enough. Goldar would be there soon. He was already succeeding in his task, and he would know what to do. The pieces were all coming together.

The Power Rangers would not fall this day… but they would lose. And the three pretend Rangers would die.


Bulk came to a halt beside Skull, panting, his hands on his knees. He'd have to get in better shape than this if he was going to keep his place on the football team, he decided… but it wasn't like he was going after track and field. Skull was also panting, but he'd also finally been able to grab Buttercup's leash, so at least they'd be able to rest.

Buttercup's nose was low to the ground, her floppy ears dragging through the gravel. She seemed to be concentrating on something, or making up her mind. Of course, Bulk reasoned, she could just be smelling other dogs, or following the scent of an ice cream truck, or some other random thing. But Bulk couldn't give up hope. There had to be some clue… some point to all this.

He pulled out his Sherlock Holmes book. "It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment," he read aloud. He looked around. "But what evidence?"

Skull was staring at Buttercup. "It kinda looks like she's confused about something. Like she can't decide which way to go."

Suddenly, Buttercup snapped her head in one direction and began pulling Skull after her. Bulk followed.

"What is it, girl?" Skull said. "You got something?"

Bulk was starting to wonder if this whole dog scheme was going to work. They hadn't given Buttercup anything to follow, so she could literally be leading them anywhere. Or nowhere. He decided that at the next break, he'd talk to Skull about it. They'd just have to come up with another plan. He pored over the Sherlock Holmes book, but it was giving him nothing.

"Hey, what you guys doing?"

Bulk realized the dog had led them into a yard. An older girl in a red shirt and cut-off jeans was outside, washing a vaguely familiar car.

"Uh… nothing," Skull said, trying to rein in the dog. "Sorry… but it's Buttercup…"

The girl's face split in a grin as she crouched. "She's so cute! Buttercup… who's a good dog…" Her voice devolved into baby talk as Buttercup ran up to her and licked her face. She held up the garden hose and let the dog drink from it, which the dog did enthusiastically.

Bulk suddenly remembered who the girl was. "Kristen, right? Jason's sister?"

"That's right," Kristen said, standing back up. She started aiming the water hose around the yard, letting Buttercup run after it. "You were on the football team with Jas. Bulk… and Skull?" she nodded to them.

"I'm still on the team," Bulk pointed out. "Jason quit."

"Right," Kristen said. "Well, given that he's going to Geneva, it worked out for the best. So… taking the dog out for a walk?"

"Hey, this is a hunting dog, not just a pet," Skull said indignantly. "She's hunting the Power Rangers."

Kristen dropped the hose. It started spraying all around, and there were several minutes of confusion and loud barking before Kristen grabbed hold of the hose again.

"Well, it was good talking to you guys. I'm going to change," Kristen said, laughing a bit nervously.

Bulk frowned. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about…"

"Bye!" Kristen said, and she slammed the door behind her.

"Huh…" Skull said. "That was weird."

"Yeah…" Bulk said. He flipped through his book. "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes," he quoted. He looked again at the house. Buttercup looked like she had no inclination to leave, and Jason's sister had acted super weird. And then there was their theory before…

The monster siren sounded, breaking him out of her reverie. "Youth Center's not far from here," he said. It was the closest designated monster shelter. "Let's hope Ernie lets the dog stay."


The thing to remember about Putties is that they're actually really strong. Even discounting their self-destruct button, which was their most dangerous feature and the only true way to get rid of them, they were very difficult to fight. Rocky and Aisha were both accomplished martial artists, but they were outnumbered. Fifteen to two was no laughing matter.

The blaster was currently in Rocky's pocket. It was either out of energy, or it had some kind of safety on it. Either way, Rocky's unsuccessful attempt to fire it had given away their element of surprise. They were currently fighting Putties. The machine was silently levitating over the merry-go-round in the playground, but the Putties had them stopped at the monkey bars.

"Not sure if this is working," Rocky gasped as he and Aisha fought back to back. "Any ideas?"

Aisha was looking around. "If we can just get to the…" Her attention wavered, and then staggered back when a Putty took advantage of her lapse.

"What's up?" Rocky said, preparing to take over whatever fight Aisha was in, even though he was pretty slammed himself.

"I'll be right back. Get ready to back me up," she said. With that, she ducked under the advancing Putties and ran for it.

"Oh, that's okay, Aisha, I can take on fifteen Putties by myself, no sweat," Rocky said under his breath. "You just take your time… get some ice cream…"

He was really close to teleporting back up when he heard a shout. He looked up to see Aisha with a soccer ball. With Rocky's attention, she waited for the Putties to waver in their attention, and then sent the soccer ball flying at Rocky with a powerful kick.

Miraculously, it bypassed all the Putties between them. Rocky was ready. As soon as it got to him, he caught it with a powerful midair roundhouse kick, which sent it flying to the machine… the machine the Putties had never had a chance to finish setting up.

The machine, hardly larger than the soccer ball that hit it, sparked once and fell to the ground. Aisha was already running for it. A Putty met her first, and she allowed the Putty to grab her long enough for her to vault over it and then land hard on the ground… on top of the machine. There was a loud crunch, and Rocky knew she'd taken care of it.

"Nice one!" They heard a shout from across the park.

Adam was there, still dodging blasts from the monster. He looked absolutely exhausted, but obviously hadn't wanted to teleport up before he knew the machine was gone.

Rocky dodged around the Putties as one of the rays tried to catch him. It froze a good half of the Putties, while the others retreated from the monster. Rocky ran toward the monster… at least, he ran toward Aisha and Adam. He knew they needed to teleport out, but he wasn't leaving without them.

That's when things started to go wrong.

As soon as he tried to flip past the merry-go-round, where the machine had been set up, he felt himself get slower. Adam had reached the merry-go-round at about the same time, and the three of them looked at each other slowly. In fact, they were doing everything slowly.

"The… maaaaachiiiiinnnnnne…" Aisha said, in literal slow motion. "Iiiiitttt wwwaaaaaassssssss…"

"A trap," the monster finished for them. "One that needs all of my energy, but it's served its purpose, as have I."

"Wwwwhhhhaaaaattttt'ssssss gggggooooiiiiinnnnnngggggg ttttooooooo…." Adam tried to get out.

"Happen to you?" the monster finished. "You'll find our… right about now."

The monster disappeared. Or, rather, its hourglass shape seemed to dissolve, and the sand within it started to pour into the machine. As it did, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha felt themselves getting even slower. As soon as they'd hit the merry-go-round, they'd started to try to hit their wrist communicator to teleport out. The problem was, they were so slow their arms had barely left their sides.

"Wwwwhhhhaaaattttt nnnnnoooooowwwwwww?" Rocky said. He wondered why they hadn't just been frozen, but that was too many words to try to get out, and they were all thinking that anyway.

"Now… you die."

It was a voice they still heard in their nightmares. The one that had imprisoned them in a cave, that had tried to corrupt them with a snake.

Goldar. He was smirking at them, a sword raised in triumph.

Rocky finished swallowing… slowly. "Wwwweeeeelllllllllllll, sssshhhhhhiiiiiii…"


The sky turned a deeper red, as what passed for a sun on that war-torn, forsaken planet started to set. The Rangers stood before the broken statue, still in shock over their rather sudden defeat at the hands of Goldar. He was gone now, along with their hopes of achieving their mission.

There was an electronic whine, and then a loud crash and distressed warbles. Zack took his Power Axe off his shoulder, having shot at some curious feral Putties.

"Feel better?" Jason said sardonically.

"Nope," Zack said.

Kimberly grabbed a rock and, with a furious scream, threw it at the statue. It bounced off ineffectually, but she was already walking away from it, her face screwing up in impotent anger.

"It's okay, Kim," Tommy said softly.

"Oh, is it?!" Kimberly said, rounding on him. "Because what we just saw? That was us losing."

"I was there," Tommy said. "I know."

"I could have let him die!" Kimberly said, half to herself now. "I should have. He was on Divatox's ship, helpless. I told Jason to carry him to safety…"

"He saved my life," Jason pointed out.

"He wouldn't have had to if I hadn't weighed you down with him," Kimberly said.

"Kim, you did the right thing," Tommy said. "You're not the only one who let him live."

"You're right," Kimberly said. "We've all cut him so much slack. We always let him run away, and now he's taken our only chance of transferring the power coins safely. Not only that, he's probably gone to take over Earth. You heard what he was saying as he was leaving."

"So we're killers now?" Zack said quietly.

Kimberly looked at him through red eyes. She'd let a few tears escape. "You know I don't mean that. But… how can we keep fighting people we can't kill, who are more than willing to kill us? We're heroes, but how do we keep at it? You and Trini and Jason are getting out of it, but the rest of us? Do we end up destroying everyone around us, like Dex? Do we end up fighting against our own planet, like the Aquitian Rangers? Or… do we end up evil? Like Goldar?"

"Goldar as a hero," Jason said. "That's not something I was expecting."

"Former hero," Tommy pointed out. "And I can see it. He's got that whole honor thing. He's loyal to a fault… just loyal to the wrong side. It can happen."

"He wasn't loyal to Rita," Zack pointed out. "Seems like he's loyal until it gets too hard, and then he changes sides. Rita to Zedd. Shining Warrior to Rita's flunky…"

Tommy didn't respond. He hadn't told the others about what he knew about Goldar, that Goldar had "betrayed" Rita to save her life during her fight with Zedd.

While the others were wringing their hands over what they had and hadn't done about Goldar, Trini realized that Billy wasn't even paying attention. Instead, he was intently examining the broken statue, his scanner running over the break in the middle.

"Found something?" she asked.

"I'm not entirely certain," Billy said. "I began scanning because it seemed a better idea than recriminations."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Trini said. "Can I see?"

Billy handed the scanner to her. "There are some anomalous power readings, but they could be residual from the sword. I am curious as to why the statue split like this."

"It does seem strange," Trini said. She squinted at the break in the statue. "Do you have a flashlight in your backpack?" She smiled. "Do I even need to ask?"

Billy was already pulling his backpack off and fishing a flashlight out of the outer pocket. He shone a light in the crevice the break had made.

"Huh," Trini said. "It's a button."

Billy nodded. "We probably shouldn't press it."

Trini smirked. "Oh, go on."

With a laugh, Billy pressed the button… and both of them backed up quickly as light poured from the statue, blinding them.

"Guys!" Trini shouted. "You might want to watch this!"

The four other Rangers looked up. The light was shining on a wide monolith opposite the statue, and it was slowly forming into a familiar shape.

"A projection?" Zack said. "Where…?"

"I hit a button in the statue," Billy said, vaguely pointing at the projection.

"Sh…" Tommy said, as the projection began to clear.

It was Goldar, but not Goldar. His snout was smaller, almost cat-like, and his skin was light, translucent blue. He wore a less bulky version of his golden armor, and his eyes shone gray rather than red. Yet it was unmistakably Goldar. A Goldar who was a hero.

A Goldar who was beginning to speak.

"If you've found this recording," the recording said, in Goldar's unmistakable growl, "it means I've taken the sword. I have to explain to you why this is a bad thing… and why you can still have hope."

The Rangers gathered around the monolith, trying not to disrupt the projection, but also entranced by this message from millennia ago, from a very very different Goldar.

"I am Goldar, the shining warrior," the projection continued. "The protector of this planet, and force for the side of good." The projection's voice was beginning to take on a sardonic quality with which the Rangers were all too familiar. "I fight… I fought… in a war that has been going on as long as I remember, and will continue to go on as long as there are people to fight in it.

"That, I have to come to realize, is the problem. I am a warrior, but I am also a dealer in power. All heroes come to me when they want to give their power to another. I've seen them all. All heroes pass on. Some retire. Most die. And the fight continues. The sides of darkness and light alike tearing the universe apart. And now it's come to my planet."

The past Goldar's face grew slightly darker, and the Rangers realized that he was holding back tears.

"I thought I could fight them back," Goldar said. "I had a duty I was honor-bound to keep. Save our planet, and keep my power out of the hands of Dark Specter. I have… failed… in one of my duties. I was protected by my friends, my family, and the forces of darkness have wiped them out, along with everyone else. I am… alone. They are coming for me. And I will be joining them.

"I know what you might think. I am betraying the side of light, breaking every oath I ever made. Perhaps that is so. Those oaths were made at a time when there was hope for the side of good. Before Dark Specter. Before heroes became in some ways worse than what they fought against. I cannot in good conscience stay a hero, and I will not be allowed to run away. So… I must turn to darkness. I must become a villain. For the good of the universe… no more heroes. The war must end, so heroes must end… starting with me."

The projection looked down at his sword. "I cannot, however, break my most important oath. I must protect the universe from this... the power to transfer power from one person to another. I have put this power into my sword, and I am leaving it here, on my statue. I can't let Dark Specter gain this sword, as he will use it to gain all the power for himself.

"If you're watching this, my future self, the only one who is worthy of the sword, has taken it back for himself. But he doesn't know the full story. The sword cannot work without the sheath."

With that, the projection took the sheath off the sword and held it up. "This I place within my statue. The sword has power... but only the sheath can activate it. Those who would defy my future self... use it, and keep it from me."

The projection flickered, and the Rangers turned to see Tommy already pulling a long object out of the statue. It was a sheath, also golden, and faintly glimmering with potential power.

"Guys," Tommy said, "it's time to go home."


Rocky, Adam, and Aisha did not try to speak. Their futile movements to their wrist communicators were still happening, but the hope that that would accomplish anything was long gone. They weren't being teleported up by Zordon, so they knew they couldn't be teleported up.

"Here's how you die," Goldar said calmly. "I kill you with this sword. The machine will slowly things down far too much, though, so I will disable it right before my blade cuts you. Now, you think that's going to be enough time for you to escape, but here's what will happen instead. The entire park became a no-teleport zone as soon as I teleported down, so you will not be saved, by teleport or Rangers.

"You might have a few seconds of free movement… but you are neither fast enough nor strong enough to escape. One of you might be able to escape if you throw the other two at me and run… but you won't do that. You're friends, and you're heroes." Goldar smiled grimly. "I took an oath. No more heroes. I plan to keep that oath."

The three stared in horror as Goldar raised his sword, taking his time in planning how exactly to kill them. They were well and truly trapped. They started to close their eyes, but even their lids closed with agonizing slowness, so they could still see Goldar leering over them.

They wished they could say goodbye, as they waited for the end.


Six streams of light crackled into being, lighting up the Command Center and drawing Zordon's and Alpha's horrified attention away from the Viewing Globe.

"Oh, ay-yi-yi, Rangers, Goldar's about to…!"

"We see it Alpha," Tommy said in clipped tones. "We can't teleport down there, either." He glanced nervously at the Viewing Globe. "Suggestions. Quick."

"Taking down that teleport shield will take too long," Billy said; he'd launched himself at the monitoring console immediately. "Goldar's reinforcing it with his new power."

"We could teleport outside of the park," Kimberly said, "but it would take too long to run to them, even using long-distance weapons."

"We could try to use the sheath to break Goldar's power," Trini said. "It would buy us enough time…"

Zordon was staring now at the sheath in Tommy's hand. "The sheath… the key to the Sword of Power…"

"Something Goldar cooked up when he had some kind of common sense," Zack said. "Wait… We just have to protect those three. And we have the sword and the sheath. Do we have to be there anyway?"

"We don't," Jason said, smiling.

Tommy gave Jason, Zack, and Trini a shocked look. "You mean… now?"

"That's what we went to space for," Jason said. "Why not now? Goldar has the sword. Instead of killing them, we can use the sheath to turn it into a power transfer…er," he ended awkwardly.

"We'll have to time it carefully, to right when Goldar de-powers the machine," Trini said.

"And if it doesn't work?" Billy said.

Kimberly frowned. "Then that's Goldar's last chance. We take him out."

Zack was pointing at the Viewing Globe. "Guys, now's not the time. He's getting ready!"

Jason, Trini, and Zack morphed for the last time. Tommy held the sheath aloft. On the Viewing Globe, there was a faint crackle, and Goldar began to swing his sword…


There was a loud clang, and Rocky opened his eyes. Time was going normally, but that was the only thing that looked normal. He could see Goldar, and a sword, but crossed with another sword, that he was holding.

By instinct, he slashed the sword, driving Goldar back. Goldar offered little resistance. He looked shocked. Shocked and angry.

"Holy crap, we're Power Rangers," Aisha said behind him.

Rocky chanced a peek back, and instead of seeing his friends, he saw the Yellow Ranger and the Black Ranger, both of them looking at each other and their own gloved hands in amazement.

There was a scream of rage, and the three bounded off the merry-go-round as Goldar's sword came crashing down, splitting the playground toy in two. Aisha and Adam drew their own weapons—daggers and an axe—and began fighting Goldar on instinct.

It was starting to click in Rocky's mind. He was now the Red Ranger. Power was flooding through him, ancient knowledge and instinct making him stronger… faster…

With a whoop of joy, he joined his friends in their fight.

Goldar fought fiercely, but he kept anticipating the wrong moves. He'd fought the Red, Yellow, and Black Rangers countless times, but in reality he'd fought Jason, Trini, and Zack. He had never fought these Rangers, no matter what they looked like. Between that and his failure to kill them, he was losing ground quickly.

That was when a squadron of Putties joined him in the fight, as well as the hourglass monster.

Rocky, Adam, and Aisha pulled back at the unexpected influx of new enemies. "Uh… this is amazing and all…" Rocky said, knowing that Zordon was listening in, "but I think we need backup."


"The power transfer broke the anti-teleport shield," Billy said. "We can go down there any time… and I think we need to."

"The hourglass monster shouldn't pose as much of a threat now," Zordon said. "Its power to freeze time has been used up by the machine. Unfortunately, it is still a danger to Angel Grove."

"You heard the man," Jason said, taking the sheath from Tommy's hand. "Go be heroes."

Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly prepared to morph and took one last look at Jason, Trini, and Zack, now completely depowered and dressed in the clothes stained with the red dust of Goldar's old planet. They nodded once, and then were gone.

"Well, not perfect, but I'd say that was a pretty good last mission as Power Rangers," Zack said.

"Goldar still got the sword," Jason pointed out.

"But they've got Rocky, Adam, and Aisha," Jason said. "And they're more powerful than any sword."


The three new Rangers were mid Putty fight when they realized they'd been joined by the rest of their team.

"Took you guys long enough!" Rocky said.

"You're welcome," Kimberly said.

With six fighting, the Putties took very little time to defeat. Deciding to take the power hit rather than extend the fight, the Rangers hit the self-destruct button of each Putty. In minutes, they were all gone, leaving Goldar and the hourglass monster.

"How?" Goldar said, his voice barely recognizable in his rage.

"You left something behind, Shining Warrior," Tommy said. "That sword might give you a power boost, but it needs the key to unlock its ability to transfer power… and that you're never going to get."

Goldar spat on the ground, visibly shaking in fury. "You used my power… my legacy… You desecrated my grave." He raised his sword. "I won't forgive you, heroes."

"I expect not," Tommy replied. "And you nearly killed three of us. I've given you so many chances, in honor of the person I thought you were. Now… no more chances."

They fully expected Goldar to attack, but instead he disappeared. In his place, the hourglass monster caught a gray grenade. It pulled the tab, smoke filled the air, and out of the smoke loomed the monster, now giant-sized.

"We're going to call our Zords," Rocky said excitedly. "We're going to call our Zords, aren't we?"

Kimberly laughed. "That's what the big monster means, usually. Calm down, though… We need a cool head to pilot."

"We're going to call our Zords, and I'm going to pilot… I think I'm going to pass out," Rocky said.

"Guys, keep Rocky on his feet, and keep the monster in the park," Tommy said. "I'll keep it occupied while you charge your finishing move."

"Right," they all said, and began their first Zord fight as a new team.


Lord Zedd was sitting on his throne. He didn't even watch the monster fight on the Earth below. He knew that the Power Rangers would defeat the monster handily. Its true purpose had been the trap the three humans, and now it was just a shell of a monster. It would pose no special challenge to the heroes.

Instead, he watched a far more interesting battle take place before him.

"I was ready to kill them, my lord! Why did you take me away?!"

Goldar was raging in front of him. If his emotions had been tied to the Control Room like Zedd's were, the room would be a violent, deep red.

Even so, Goldar was not threatening him. He was still calling him 'lord.' While he held the sword, he did not brandish it at him.

"You wished to die in the fight, and you might have, given the White Ranger's words," Lord Zedd said. "Your new sword has not only bolstered your own power, but has also bolstered my own… at least, until I recover. Would you die when you had just triumphed?"

"Triumph?!" Goldar looked insulted at the word. "I failed to kill the humans, just as I've failed to kill those heroes all along! And they… used…" His voice seemed lost in fury. He took several deep breaths before he was able to continue. "They used my own power against me. My legacy. I was the only one worthy, and they took even that from me."

"What did you expect, Goldar?" Lord Zedd said. "They are your enemies. You haven't allowed them to live because you were incompetent. You could always kill them. You didn't… and you know why."

Goldar looked down, clearly trying to think even through his anger. "Tommy," he said. "I've been…"

"Trying to protect him, I know," Lord Zedd finished for him. "And how has Tommy repaid you? He spares your life, but he takes your honor. I expect he must have told you to leave the war at some point."

Goldar regarded Lord Zedd with wide eyes. "You… how did you…"

"I did not," Lord Zedd said. "You confirmed it."

"My lord…" Goldar said. "It was not that. You… you knew about my past. You knew I was the Shining Warrior, and that the Sword of Power belonged to me."

"I had very strong suspicions," Lord Zedd said. "I also knew you would never be complete… would never break free from these humans and loyalties that weaken you… unless you reclaimed your legacy. And Tommy…"

"Tommy has used up his last chance," Goldar growled. He looked less angry. No… he looked like his anger was turning inward, smoldering instead of flaming. "He has proven today that he is my enemy." With a look of 'oh, screw it,' Goldar fell to his knees, keeping his hand on his sword hilt. "I am your servant, Lord Zedd. I swear my power and my life to serve you."

Lord Zedd stood to his feet and held up his staff. "Rise, Goldar. I swear to be your lord, and to take up your ancient oath. No more heroes… starting with the Power Rangers."

The Rangers may have survived the day, and the three new heroes may have taken over, but Lord Zedd had gained what he wanted. True loyalty… and a new source of power.


"Oh, my god, that was SO COOL," Aisha yelled as soon as she could get her helmet off.

They were back in the Command Center after destroying the monster, and Rocky, Adam, and Aisha still looked like they were about to jump out of their skins.

"And that chest blast thing…" Adam said.

"And the sword!" Rocky said. "And then the whole thing went BOOM!"

"We were there, too," Kimberly laughed.

"So, pretty good first outing as a Ranger?" Tommy said.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rocky said. "When do we get to do that again?!"

"Hopefully not for a long time," Billy said pointedly.

"Indeed," Zordon said. "But let me congratulate the new Red, Yellow, and Black Rangers on their first victory. We will leave the discussion of not following orders and leaving the Command Center for a later date."

The three shifted guiltily.

"Speaking of…" Tommy said, "where's Jas, Zack, and Trini?" He was a little hurt that they had abandoned the Command Center so quickly; he'd expected them to be waiting until after the battle.

"They received a message from Jason's sister, and had to respond to a security risk," Zordon said. "It is of no concern. Before we discuss other matters, we must officially induct our new Rangers."

Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly shifted to the side and let Rocky, Adam, and Aisha stand in the middle. The three looked a bit nervous, but they had calmed down enough to fit the occasion.

"Even before you were Rangers," Zordon began, "you three have shown yourselves to be true heroes, taking on the responsibilities of the Rangers before you were given the power. You are brave, intelligent, and selfless, three essential qualities in a Power Ranger. I expect you three to use your new powers in pursuit of these same qualities.

"Adam, you have been granted the powers of the Black Ranger, with the Power Axe and the Mastodon Lion Thunderzord. Your quiet intelligence will discipline the raw force of your new weapons.

"Aisha, you have been granted the powers of the Yellow Ranger, with the Power Daggers and the Sabretooth Tiger Griffin Thunderzord. Your fierce energy and tenacity will direct the speed and precision of your new weapons.

"Rocky, you have been granted the powers of the Red Ranger, with the Power Sword and the Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord. You also hold the position as pilot of the Thunder Megazord. You've already proven yourself to be an effective pilot and fighter.

"I wish only to remind all three of you, as you are learning, to trust in the leadership of Tommy and Kimberly, and to trust in Billy's wisdom and experience. They have been fighting for a long time, and can help you become more effective... and perhaps cautious... fighters."

Kimberly smirked and nudged Tommy, who nudged her back. That was obviously a pointed remark about their new leadership responsibilities... and the fact they had been rarely cautious themselves.

"All Power Rangers must follow three oaths," Zordon said. "First, is to never use your powers for personal gain. They are only to be used in fighting the forces of darkness. Second, you must never escalate a fight beyond what is strictly necessary. Finally, you must keep your identities as Power Rangers a secret. There are some... choices you'll have to make regarding this rule, but that is a discussion for another time. For now, keep your identities secure from everyone, including those close to you. Do you agree to these oaths?"

"I swear," Rocky said. Aisha and Adam echoed him. All three looked nervous enough to jump out of their skins.

"Okay, I think that's enough doom and gloom," Kimberly said. "I think it's time to celebrate." She glanced up nervously. "We... can wait for tomorrow to report everything that happened."

Zordon finally smiled. "Of course. You've earned some rest and celebration. And you may wish to rejoin the former Rangers at the Youth Center... to corroborate their story."


Bulk and Skull stood in the center of the Youth Center, all eyes on them. They'd made sure of that by yelling at everyone to pay attention to them, and the assorted teenagers whiling away a summer afternoon and a monster alarm decided the two were at least mildly entertaining, for their Victorian costumes alone.

"And we will therefore prove," Bulk announced, "that three of the Power Rangers are none other…" he held up a finger dramatically, "than the three new representatives to the International Youth Peace Conference: Jason, Zack, and Trini."

Several in the crowd laughed, partially at Skull, who was trying to echo Bulk while keeping a floppy-eared dog off the counter; partially at Bulk's statement.

"You really think the Power Rangers, protectors of the entire world, are a few teenagers?" one girl said.

Bulk consulted his book. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." He looked up. "They can't be adults, because adults have jobs, and the monsters usually attack places where teenagers usually hang out, including here. We've never seen them during any of the monster attacks… Seriously, has anyone ever seen Zack or Trini or Jason in any shelter during a monster attack?"

There were a few chuckles, and then a few dismissive hand gestures. Bulk was about to get really angry… when he realized what everyone was staring at. Jason, Trini, and Zack, sitting at a table across the bar, waving at him.

"Uh… Bulk?" Skull said, pointing to the TV. "I think that's a live feed of the Power Rangers."

"Yeah, I know…" Bulk grumbled. He took off the Sherlock Holmes hat, balled it up, and stuffed it in his pocket. Brushing past the crowd breaking up, he threw the book in the trash can and sat at the bar near his prime suspects, fuming.

"We tried to tell you we weren't Power Rangers," Trini pointed out gently as the two settled near them.

"You could have stopped me earlier instead of just sitting there," Bulk grumbled.

"Honestly, I kinda wanted to see why you thought we were Power Rangers," Zack laughed. "Those can't have been your only clues."

Skull motioned to the dog. "Buttercup here led us straight from City Hall to your house." He pointed at Jason.

"Don't the Power Rangers teleport around?" Zack pointed out.

"She was probably following my sister," Jason said. "She just went this morning to pay a parking ticket."

"Or it was a coincidence," Trini said.

Soon after the monster attack, Adam and Billy entered the Youth Center and joined their friends. "We got separated… we ended up at the high school," Adam said casually.

"What, seriously?" Zack laughed. "You've got a lot to learn about monster attacks in Angel Grove. Always head for the fun monster shelters, never the school. If Kaplan sees you there, he'll announce a study hall."

They laughed, and watched Bulk and Skull's still-suspicious eyes as the two ambled out.

As soon as they were gone, the group of assorted Rangers breathed sighs of relief.

"So, that's a common thing?" Adam said, nodding to where Bulk and Skull had just left. "Those two trying to figure out who the Power Rangers are?"

"Fairly recent development," Billy said. "They're surprisingly adept, even if their methods are… not entirely feasible."

"I think we convinced them about us, what with us being present in a shelter while a Ranger fight was going on," Jason said. "Not so sure about you two. And we've got Skull's weird thing about remembering who we are with that connection to the Blue Ranger powers."

"What and what?" Adam said.

"Long story… stories," Zack said. He smiled broadly at Adam. "Great job out there, by the way."

Adam shifted, obviously uncomfortable at the praise. "I didn't know this would be so… complicated."

"Just as simple as saving the world," Trini teased.

Adam gave a dubious look at Billy, who just looked amused. "As simple as that," he echoed. "Oh, boy."


That night, the Rangers, now nine in total, gathered in Jason's basement rec room. Zack was fiddling with the sound system, while Rocky and Billy were playing pool. Or, Billy was playing pool while Rocky held his cue and watched him.

"He hasn't made a miss yet," Rocky commented, slightly awed.

Trini rolled her eyes. "You know, Billy, you can stop showing off." She timed it just as he was taking a shot, and the cue slipped, causing the cue ball to fall into the corner pocket.

Billy backed off, frowning, as Rocky took his turn. "I was going for my record," Billy said.

"Other people want to play, too," Trini reminded him.

Jason bounded down the stairs, two Blockbuster Video cases in his hand. "Pizzas should be here any second," he announced.

Tommy and Kimberly were comfortably ensconced on the couch, while Adam was busy looking through the bookshelf in the far corner. Aisha was sitting to the side, waiting to play the winner of the current pool game.

"You didn't tell us anything about space," Adam said, giving up on the bookshelf. "Was it like Star Wars?"

"Uncomfortably so," Billy said, still sulking as he watched Rocky sink several shots.

"We may have blown up a pirate ship," Zack said. "Instigated a revolution..."

"Billy got a space girlfriend..." Trini said with a smile.

"Space girlfriend?" Rocky grinned, lining up a shot. "Oh, you've got to tell us about that."

"I don't have a space girlfriend," Billy said. "Cestria is a friend."

Zack coughed, his cough sounding suspiciously like 'space girlfriend.' Billy glared at him, but there wasn't much conviction behind it. He seemed a bit pleased to be teased.

"So how did Goldar get the sword?" Adam said. "You never got a chance to explain all that."

"It was his to begin with," Tommy said, and quickly explained about Goldar's acquisition of the sword, the message after he left, and the sheath embedded in the statue. "No telling how powerful he is now, but at least he can't transfer power with it. Not without the sheath... which is thankfully locked up in the Command Center right now."

Aisha looked up, startled. "Do you think it's a good idea to talk about... right," she said. "Security on the house. When do we get fancy security upgrades?"

"Starting tomorrow," Billy said.

Kristen stood at the top of the stairs. "Pizzas here!"

"So go get it!" Jason yelled back.

"Well, since you're no longer busy saving the world, I suggest you go get it," Kristen retorted.

"Oh, I guess you're too busy practically giving our secret identities away," Jason said, but he was already walking up the stairs.

"So..." Aisha said, "this whole 'secret identity' thing. Who does it mean? If your families..."

"It used to mean everyone," Zack said. "We had to hide our identities from our family."

"Which sucked," Kimberly pointed out. "So glad that's over."

"So Zordon just let you reveal your identities to your parents?" Adam said.

"Not... entirely," Billy said. "We didn't exactly have a choice, and he wasn't exactly there."

"That's what happens when the forces of darkness attack you in your homes, and then force you to unmask in front of the whole town," Trini said drily.

"Wait... when was this?" Rocky said, missing a shot. "I know we just moved here, but you'd think that would have made the news."

Jason was walking down the stairs with the pizza, having heard the end of that. The six Rangers glanced nervously at each other. There was so much about that story that they didn't particularly want to go into. Especially since the "forces of darkness" was mostly Kimberly. She, Tommy, and Billy had agreed not to immediately tell the new Rangers about their foray into evil. Jason, Trini, and Zack had disagreed, but had agreed to support them in their decision.

Zack ended up telling the story, skirting past the Kimberly-related bits. They didn't notice: Tommy's "death," the Greek gods, and their own role as freedom fighters was enough to distract them.

"So that means you knew us before we met?" Aisha said. "We were..."

"Defenders of Earth... when we couldn't be," Jason said. "Figured since you were already doing the job, may as well give you the power to keep going without getting yourselves killed."

"So what do we tell our parents?" Adam said quietly.

"That's what we'll talk about tomorrow at the meeting," Tommy said, "but I know what Zordon is going to say. 'This is a decision that you must make for yourselves, Rangers.'" They laughed at Tommy's rather accurate Zordon impression. "That's what he says when he really can't or won't make the decision himself, but he's right. We didn't have a choice. You guys do, and we'll back you up with whatever choice you're making."

"My dad's barely ever at home," Rocky said breezily. "So that doesn't really matter to me."

Aisha and Adam looked at each other.

"I think I'm going to wait and see," Aisha said. "My parents don't really worry about me as long as they know I'm with Rocky and Adam. I'd really rather them not start worrying."

Adam looked down. "I'm going to tell my brother," he said in a quiet voice. "It's just the two of us, and he worries. My… our parents died in a car crash a couple of years ago." He said at the questioning looks.

"We'll set it up. You don't have to do that alone," Tommy said, his voice subdued. "Maybe Sylvia…?" He looked at Billy.

Billy nodded. "She'll definitely help, and they're both teachers."

Adam kept studying the floor. "Thanks," he said.

"My folks can throw in, too," Kimberly said. "And if you guys ever change your minds," she looked pointedly at Rocky and Aisha. "That's the thing… we're family now. No one has to go it alone, and we're always there for each other." She looked at Jason, Trini, and Zack. "Even if they're thousands of miles away."

"I think there's enough cheese on the pizza without you," Tommy teased gently.

Kimberly jabbed him with her elbow, and the tension broke. The rest of the night was taken up by movies and pool, all thoughts of space, monsters, and fighting let go for now.


Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy walked slowly from the airport, and only looked up when the sound of engines signaled their friends' plane leaving. Their eyes were strained from crying and keeping back tears. They'd thought they'd already said their goodbyes and had come to terms with their friends leaving, but the moment of departure had brought unexpected tears from all around.

"Zedd didn't try to attack, like we thought," Kimberly said, her voice thick.

"Thank heaven for small favors," Tommy said.

They kept walking, slowly making their way to Billy's car. They had several things to do, but they just couldn't find the motivation. They almost wished Zedd had attacked, if only as a distraction. When they did get to the car, they decided to drive to a nearby park, just so they wouldn't have to deal with anyone else right then.

"It's weird," Kimberly said. They'd spread out a blanket from Billy's car on a patch of grass overlooking the pond. Tommy and Kimberly leaned against each other, watching the sun glint off the water, while Billy worked on a mysterious piece of equipment with a screwdriver.

"Weird?" Tommy said absently.

"We're the responsible ones now," she said, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

Billy looked up from his machine. "It seems that way, yes."

"That's a horrible word… responsible," Tommy said. "But… yeah. You're right."

"And we're the ones who have to be smart, and cautious, and watch out for the three new guys… Why did we think this was a good idea?" Kimberly looked like these were things she'd wanted to say for a long time, but now that Jason, Trini, and Zack were gone, she felt she could actually say them now.

"We'll be fine," Tommy said. "We've made mistakes… done some not-great things… spent some time evil… but we've all come out of that. All that has just made us ready for whatever comes."

"Do you think we should have… told them?" Billy said. He tried to remain vague, given that they didn't know if Lord Zedd was listening in, and he didn't want to give them ideas, but they all knew what he was talking about. Should they have told Rocky, Adam, and Aisha that they had been evil? Those three knew that evil spells existed, given the snake Goldar had threatened them with, but they didn't know much more than that.

"When the time is right," Tommy said. "Let's let them get used to just fighting as Rangers first. I'd rather not bring up anything before we have to."

Of course, Tommy reflected, they could piece together his own history, if they remembered what the Green Ranger had done, and if they made that connection that he was the Green Ranger. If they asked, he would tell them. Until then, they had bigger things to worry about.

Their recent space trip had driven some important things home. The war was big and old. They'd known that, but it had always been filtered through their experience on Earth. A year of fighting as Power Rangers. The war was also a war, and it transformed people, not always for the good. Everywhere they looked, there were heroes who had lost something, who had become darker. Dex, the Aquitian Rangers… even Goldar. Tommy had thought that getting the White Ranger powers, that tasting Eltarian energy and its possibilities, that their various victories despite all odds would have given them a brighter path. Now… he wasn't so sure.

And, still, in the back of his head, he worried if he'd done the right thing. Scorpina had found Rita and was now taking her to her father. If he knew Rita… and he really, really did… he knew they hadn't seen the last of her.