Author's notes: I realized while writing this chapter that I had somehow avoided writing Zord fights for several months, but I wanted a big monster/Zord brawl. I think, though, the Zordon parts are really going to get you.
Reviewer thanks: bleedredstars (Is Zordon in board shorts as good as Zordon with a crown of flowers and a mustache?), Ghostwriter, The-Knight2000 (Oh, never forget Goldar. I've actually been working to figure out how Rita's return will affect Goldar, and right now I just think he's super worried.), KLR1 (Again, love the running commentary. As for the last line⦠there's sort of a moment after getting married where it's sort of like 'oh shit we're married what happens now?' I kind of wanted to capture that moment.), GothamPowerKaiju (I think getting Zordon out of big floating head territory is really fun.), Notepadhalffull, and Mirajane92 (I've slowly been warming to Aaron. I hesitated over introducing another family member, but this feels right.).
Book 4: The Wedding
Chapter 17: The Reception
Aaron groaned, startling Adam out of his daze. He hadn't left Aaron's side for the hours they'd been imprisoned, and the worry was about to drive him crazy.
"Guys, he's awake," Adam said.
The rest of the Rangers moved over to him, all except Billy, who looked up in acknowledgment before going back to his sabotage of the force field. The cards were scattered in the middle of the floor, but the Rangers had abandoned the game after Pop Star had left, probably to attend the wedding ceremony. The Rangers had instead been planning what to do once the force field was down.
"Don't crowd him," Kimberly told the Rangers as Adam helped Aaron slowly sit up. They angled him so he could lean against the wall.
Aaron had been shaking his head slowly, as if to fully wake up, when his eyes suddenly went wide. "Adam! You're okay! I didn't... I couldn't..."
He launched himself into Adam's arms, and Adam hugged him tightly. This was the closest they'd been since moving to Angel Grove.
"It's okay," Adam said. "You're all right now."
Aaron, seeming to realize that he was making a scene, pulled back from Adam and tried to calm himself down. He was once again the cool, removed math teacher they all knew, though he was still visibly shaken.
"I couldn't do anything," Aaron said, only a slight tremor betraying his emotion. "Ever since I woke up this morning, it's like someone else has been dictating all my words and actions. He even made me sound like myself... when I wanted to scream out warnings to all of you."
Kimberly put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. That's how some spells work. You have to remember that there was nothing you could do. It wasn't really you doing all that."
"We're sorry, Mr. Park," Tommy said darkly. "No one's ever targeted our families quite like that. We should have..."
Aaron waved away his explanations. "Please, Tommy... outside of school hours, call me Aaron. I'm 27 and you're making me feel ancient. And... after what you did for me..."
Rocky carefully poured part of a bottle of water into a small cup and handed it to Aaron, who drank gratefully.
"Sorry it can't be more," Aisha said. "All we had were two water bottles in Billy's backpack, so we're having to ration."
Aaron handed back the cup and waved away an offer of more.
"Aaron," Tommy said, crouching so he wasn't towering over him, "I know it sucks to think about, and I'm not sure you got much out of being mind-controlled, but... do you know anything that can help us? Did you get anything from this Wizard? Can you tell us who he is?"
Aaron shook his head. "I'm sorry. All I know is that I was supposed to get you past the cave entrance, and then get you to this cavern. I really had no idea what was happening, or who was controlling me. All I could hear was a voice..."
He looked down, clearly still terrified. Adam put a hand on his shoulder.
"This cavern," Kimberly pondered. "Specifically this cavern?"
"Yes," Aaron said.
She looked at Tommy, who nodded once. They were perhaps trapped by more than a force field.
"I do know that I was supposed to keep you occupied until the monsters came to take you away," Aaron added. "Monsters." He shook his head ruefully. "This is our life now, apparently."
"Dammit." Everyone turned to look at Billy; they weren't used to hearing him curse. He was rubbing his hand where the flesh was scorched red. "I'm almost there."
"Hang on," Kimberly said, fishing through Billy's backpack. She pulled out an emergency medical kit and rifled through it until she found the cortizone. She grabbed Billy's hand before he could object and spread the cream on.
"How much IS in that backpack?" Aisha said.
Billy smiled weakly. "I'm remembering all this for the next time someone makes fun of me for overpacking."
Even as he spoke, before he could even pick up his equipment, the wall Rocky was leaning on shifted. He stumbled, grabbing onto the wall to break his fall, and his hands dislodged several rocks. A rock connected to the force field fell to the ground, breaking the connection between force field and cave. The entire thing shorted out, and the force field disappeared.
The Rangers and Aaron stared at the now open means of escape, Rocky giving a disbelieving laugh. Before anyone could comment, Billy held up a burned finger. "Not a word. Not a single word."
They hastily packed up and pulled Aaron to his feet. "Okay, guys," Tommy said, "stay close and keep an ear out. We retrace our steps to the cave entrance, just like we planned."
Kimberly took the lead, and Tommy took the back, while the rest of the Rangers surrounded Aaron, ready to defend him if necessary. They made their way across the cavern, past where they'd been trapped by the monsters, and around the blind curve to where they'd first evaded Candleman. It was just a left turn through a crevice. They each slipped past...
Only to stumble into the cavern with their cell.
Rocky gave a weak laugh. "Try it again?"
"Do you think it will do any good?" Aisha said.
Tommy frowned. "I was afraid of this. We're in another dimension, so none of this is going to make sense. It's designed so that we stay put, at least until the monsters show up."
"So what do we do?" Adam asked.
Kimberly shrugged. "Like we planned. Use the monsters against each other. Remember, each one has different abilities. Pop Star can cause sonic blasts and can burst into speed for short distances, Candleman has a fire attack and can use his wax to glue us into place, Slippery Shark can swim through solid matter, and Dark Samurai has a jar that can trap us in another dimension."
"Another dimension?" Adam said. "But aren't we already in another dimension?"
Tommy nodded. "And that's going to work in our favor." He took a breath. "Okay, guys, we don't have much time. If we play this carefully, we can be out of here before Rita throws the bouquet."
Rita tried to breathe, tried to gather her thoughts. She was now dancing with Lord Zedd, waltzing to a tune she didn't recognize but sounded vaguely familiar, as if she'd heard it once in passing from another room, or from spying on the Rangers.
Zedd was surprisingly graceful and even courtly. She knew little of his background, but she knew that he did not have royal connections, having earned the title "Lord" in conquest. But he moved as if he had been trained just as she had, and she started to wonder what pains he had taken over the years to seem to like belonged with the rulers.
She lost herself for a time in the rhythm of the music. They did not speak, and she only vaguely noticed the monsters watching them. They were eating from the banquet table, while Finster kept them in check. Goldar stood to the side, watching the whole proceedings with an unreadable expression.
It was too much. She was too exposed. Not only to the people around her, but to this man who she'd agreed to marry. Who she had married.
He was still under her spell. He had to be, or else he would have attacked her already. Still, the dynamic seemed to change between them with the saying of vows, with the forging of metal. Their minds had touched briefly, and then withdrew. She saw love there when she'd connected to his mind, but also so many things that she couldn't even begin to comprehend.
She'd wondered what he'd seen when he'd briefly touched her mind... and why he had pulled away so quickly.
"I fear the wedding is not as elaborate as you might have wished," Zedd spoke, interrupting Rita's contemplation. "I have not even gotten you a gift beyond the ring on your finger, and your single attendant did not attend."
That brought her to the present, to things she was more comfortable with. She'd been a wife for mere minutes, but she'd been an Empress for centuries. It was time for action. She could sort out her feelings later.
"This was arranged in a day, so it's understandable," Rita said. "I was never the type of girl to dream of a large wedding... and the Wizard is notoriously absent-minded when it comes to time. I must confess, though... I've gotten you a present."
The music continued, but Zedd halted the dance. "My love, you are truly my better half. Yet no present can rival the gift you've already given me."
His elaborate professions were starting to grate on Rita's nerves. "How about the Power Rangers locked in another dimension, surrendered and waiting to face us?"
Zedd took a step back. "My love, how have you...?"
Rita smirked. "I got some help from the Wizard and these monsters, but the plan was mine. Take a peek."
Lord Zedd strode over to the balcony and gazed at the Earth, red light streaming from his visor. "I see you've made another dimension... Ah. I see the Rangers now. They look to be plotting."
Light sprang to Rita's eyes. "Oh, good. They're going to put up a fight. We shall send down the four monsters and see what they make of them."
"Four monsters will not unduly tax you..."
Rita waved away Zedd's concern. "The dimension is designed to power the monsters, so they will be at their strongest there. You could, though, provide a screen so we can watch the fun..."
With a wave of his staff, Zedd projected an image hovering outside of the balcony. In it, the Rangers, looking tired and a little afraid, waited for their captors to return while making tense conversation.
"Boys!" She waved her wand at the four monsters. "It's time. Bring the Rangers to us."
The monsters disappeared, and Rita mounted the steps and joined Zedd on the balcony. Now that they were attacking, she found she didn't mind so much Zedd's presence.
"My love, you don't expect the monsters to succeed, do you?" Zedd said.
"Oh, I expect these power brats will come up with a way to weasel themselves out of this situation," Rita said loftily. "I expect it will end up taking both of us to destroy the Rangers eventually. For now... I have provided entertainment."
Zedd chuckled, the sound whistling past his mask. "Then let's see how they cope. The Wizard of Deception will simply have to come to terms with missing the show."
Zordon ran.
Zordon hadn't had to run for centuries. He'd been locked in another dimension that froze his body in time from the moment he'd entered it. That meant he neither aged, nor ate, nor had to exercise. What mattered most was his mind, and it was only through constant mental stimulation and carefully keeping his link to his previous dimension that he kept his sanity. The days he'd lost that link to reality, when Tommy as the evil Green Ranger had scrambled his connection, were some of the hardest he'd had to live through in centuries. Not that he would tell Tommy that. The boy blamed himself for enough.
The point was, he wasn't used to running. To having a body that felt pain and fatigue. And right now his heart was beating wildly in his chest, the breath ragged in his throat, his legs seizing up with cramps.
He just needed a moment to collect himself. To call on power that he hadn't had to use for so long. To remember how to be a person again.
A stream of lightning sizzled at his feet, and he pitched forward into the gray dust that made up the ground in this dimension. Remembering what his Rangers had done countless times, he tucked and rolled, coming to a rest on his knees, and then whipped around to send a bolt of energy back to his attacker.
There was a blinding flash, and then a yell. Zordon did not allow himself the luxury of celebration. He formed his hands in front of him and started carefully calling power between them.
The danger was not running out of energy. He was Eltarian, and he was one of the most powerful Eltarians to have ever lived. In his youth, he'd taken the forefront in the battle against the Alliance of Evil. He was weakened considerably, but only in his dimensional prison. In this dimension, however, he could feel the infinite power simmering just beneath his skin.
The danger was in controlling this power. Eltarian energy was infinitely creative, its only limits being imagination, will, and discipline. It could unmake and recreate the very building blocks of life, which made it dangerous. If Zordon allowed his power to get out of his control, it could consume him and everything else. Most of his kind lacked the talent to cause any real problems, instead using their power to create artifacts, or retrieve people's memories, or minor things like that. The others who had talent tended to lock themselves away, communing with the universe in perfect harmony.
Zordon had little patience with "communing," not when worlds were being overrun by evil. He liked action more than his kind usually did, which made Rita's attack against him, locking him in a dimension where he could only sit and watch, all the more ironic.
If he lost control in his fight against the Wizard, he could kill his opponent, but he could also destroy the fabric of reality. As such, when the Wizard emerged from the swirling dust, Zordon attacked with the smallest amount of power he could. Unfortunately, he'd underestimated the Wizard, who dissipated the attack with a simple wave of his wand.
"Zordon, I am insulted," the Wizard said. "You think me a mere monster, one that your children might fight."
"Not at all," Zordon said. "You're a teacher; you should not be insulted by testing."
"Very well," the Wizard said. "Try again."
Zordon had the presence of mind not to gape at him. The Wizard was actually inviting an attack, practically offering to stand still while Zordon took a punch. Zordon had worked with fighters all his life, and he knew the usual bravado behind this. Hit me as hard as you can, and it won't be enough. I won't flinch.
But the Wizard had to know better. He was a teacher, not a fighter. He was also one of the most powerful sorcerers in the known universe. If anyone had a true inkling of what a powerful Eltarian could do, it was this Wizard. And yet... he was still standing there, waiting for Zordon's next attack.
"You don't know what you're asking," Zordon said, drawing himself up to his feet. The power was there, waiting to be called on, but Zordon held off. "You would have me kill you just to prove a point?"
The Wizard shook in silent laughter. "I would have you do as you're doing now. Centuries of inaction has made you weak, old man. There's discipline, and I'm a proponent of discipline, but then there's cowardice. You'd rather risk the lives of teenagers than use your own power."
"Again, you don't know what you're asking," Zordon repeated. "I've caused the universe enough suffering. There's a reason why neither of us fight. Beings like us... we're best at teaching. At equipping future generations."
"You flatter me," the Wizard said mockingly, "putting me on your level. And you flatter yourself, thinking yourself a teacher. Hmmm... I wonder..." The Wizard flicked his wand, and the dust started to swirl around him. Six figures slowly formed from the dust, and Zordon's breath caught when colors and features became clear. There was a flash of light, and Zordon found himself face to face with the Power Rangers, unmorphed.
But it was not the ones he knew to be spending the day on a beach on Earth. Jason, Trini, and Zack faced him, looking as they did on the day he recruited them. Billy and Kimberly, too; Billy wore glasses, and Kimberly wore the more impractical clothes she'd worn in the early days. And Tommy, hair slightly shorter, and wearing green.
"These are your students, the ones you chose to carry on your legacy. And what a legacy it has been... three students giving up, three turned evil. It has been many years since you were a student, I'd wager," the Wizard said, chuckling darkly. "Let's give you a test then, and let the students test the teacher. I will allow you to leave this dimension, but only if you destroy the images of your child warriors."
With that, the Wizard disappeared, leaving Zordon to face the images of his Power Rangers.
When the monsters appeared, the Rangers were waiting for them. Rocky had only just whipped around a boulder, hiding from view, when all four monsters teleported in.
The monsters stared dumbly at the empty cell, the force field long gone. The cavern seemed deserted.
"They've escaped!" Candleman gestured wildly with his candle arms, spreading wax everywhere and making the other monsters back up quickly. "How could they have escaped?!"
"Chill out, Candleman," Slippery Shark joked. "They're still here somewhere. We just have to find them."
Dark Samurai drew his jar out from his pants, where he'd been keeping it for convenience, much to the discomfort of all around him. "Rangers... where are you?" He began in a sing-song voice.
The four monsters spread out, Pop Star having no comments, as usual. After a few minutes of searching, Slippery Shark swimming in and out of the rock, the monsters heard a cough near the entrance to the cavern.
Instantly, Slippery Shark swam to the source of the cough and grabbed Aaron and Adam. Adam looked furiously at Aaron. "Way to spoil our hiding place."
"You won't be worried about hiding for long," Candleman sneered. "In fact, you won't be worried about much of anything. Now where are your friends?"
"There's some behind that boulder," Aaron said immediately, even as Adam tried to silence him.
There was a gasp and the sound of running, but Pop Star was already on the move. However, the sounds seemed to scatter and echo throughout the room. Frustrated, Pop Star began using its sonic speed, which cracked loudly, drowning out any sound whatsoever.
"Can't you do anything right?!" Dark Samurai snapped. "You're barely even a proper monster!"
Candleman, in the meantime, threw his wax in a wide arc, hoping to catch the scurrying Rangers. Slippery Shark kept a hold on Adam and Aaron, wanting to join in the search but unwilling to let his two prisoners go. The wax formed a sort of cocoon around the cavern, filling in all the hiding places.
Finally, the running sounds all focused in on one spot, and Candleman pointedly aimed for a cluster of rocks. "All right, Rangers. Would you prefer fire or suffocation?"
After a pause, the five teens emerged from the rock cluster, their hands raised and looking scared and defeated. "Okay... you win," Tommy said. "We'll go quietly."
"I'm sure you know we can't accept that now," Dark Samurai said smoothly. "Pop Star, gather the Black Ranger and bring him over with the others. We will transport them all in my jar. Slippery Shark, keep hold of the extra."
Pop Star floated over to Adam and pulled him by the arm. Adam followed the monster, but then stumbled, pulling Pop Star off-balance and breaking its hold. Adam recovered quickly and began to run.
"You fool! Catch him!" Candleman said, casting his wax to stop Adam in his tracks.
However, there was no longer any room to maneuver. As Adam ducked under the wax, Pop Star put on a burst of speed to break through it. Seeing that the six Rangers were in his line of fire, Dark Samurai opened his jar, only for Pop Star to be sucked in instead as the Rangers hit the ground, using the wax to shield them.
"What just happened?! Let it go!" Candleman yelled at Dark Samurai.
"It's your stupid wax that..." Dark Samurai began.
The Rangers were already on the move, heading for the entrance. Before he could react, Slippery Shark felt himself pushed against the wax, which he couldn't wriggle away from. There was a crack, and while Dark Samurai had been arguing, Pop Star burst through the jar, shattering it.
There was a rumbling, and the ground quaked. Rocks began to fall, and the Rangers and Aaron plunged themselves through the exit of the cavern... only to run out to open sky and sand. The cave was no longer there, and the arch that signified the cave's entrance fell in on itself, revealing only smooth cliff wall.
"You were right, Tommy," Aisha said. "The two dimensions... they destablized each other."
"That was risky, but it worked. Please let's never do it again," Rocky said.
"We need to get back to the Command Center," Kimberly said. "We need to talk things over with Zordon. Aaron, are you okay going back to the house?"
Aaron looked like he was in shock. Granted, he'd just been kidnapped and almost killed by monsters, so that would put most people in shock. "I'm fine..." he managed to get out. "You kids do what you need to do."
"That was actually quite entertaining," Rita commented, accepting a glass of wine from a Putty. "But a bit too easy. I'd like to see this new team in action."
"Easily accomplished," Zedd said. "Which monsters would you like to see them battle? They no longer have the dimension powering them, but I can manage to grow at least two."
Rita lifted her staff. "Oh, I think we can manage all of them," she said. She smiled at Zedd's hesitant step back. "Between the two of us, we can accomplish something so trivial."
Zedd cocked his head, and Rita wondered if, in all his courtly manners to her, he had even considered her as someone who could fight. Their vows had emphasized equality, as all royal weddings did, but Zedd was used to fighting alone. Had he expected her to simply sit by and watch as he continued to conquer galaxies? That would simply not do.
"My love, I had not considered..." he began.
She didn't want to hear it. "I am an Empress," she said, emphasizing each syllable. "I will not sit by as a spectator. You may have defeated me once, but do not for a second doubt my power."
The mention of their fight, of her banishment by him, seemed to halt any protests Lord Zedd might make.
"My love," he said in a quiet voice, "you are of course correct. We are far stronger together than we ever were separate."
Rita's eyes widened, but she didn't comment. Still, she thought of Zedd as someone who could benefit her. Somehow, she had assumed the love potion would make him like Tommy: still with his own mind, but completely loyal and submissive to her will. This love... it wasn't working out like that at all.
But it wasn't the time to question their connection, she reminded herself. It was the time for action. Instinctively, they knew what they needed to do. Crossing their staffs, they sent lightning to the Earth. They felt neither sick nor disoriented at the expense of power. Instead, they felt energized. And, for the first time, Rita didn't have a headache.
Aaron was walking up the path to the house, armed with one of Billy's flashlights in the dark. The Rangers had almost punched their communicators to teleport up when they felt the ground rumbling beneath them. Almost resignedly, they looked up.
"Oh, I'd hoped they were buried with the collapsed dimension," Kimberly said.
"No such luck," Tommy said. "You guys ready for a Zord fight?"
For, towering above them were the four monsters-Candleman, Slippery Shark, Dark Samurai, and Pop Star. Dark Samurai had noticed Aaron's flashlight and was heading for that light, Slippery Shark had started diving in the waves, causing even bigger waves, while Pop Star and Candleman seemed more interested in the lit-up city of San Francisco.
Adam was about to run to help his brother, when Tommy grabbed his arm. "You can help him better in the Megazord."
"Another Zord fight," Aisha said. "Okay. We can do this."
"Piece of cake," Rocky said. "I mean, it's just piloting giant robots while fighting four monsters and making sure they don't destroy a major city... or my dad's house... or..."
Tommy and Kimberly looked at each other and nodded. "It's Morphin' Time."
"This day started out pretty shit," Rocky said, "but now it's possibly the greatest day of my life!"
"Rocky, focus," Kimberly said, piloting her Firebird Zord into position.
"I'm piloting a giant red dragon robot how can I focus," Rocky said in one breath.
"Because you have to key in the Megazord sequence," Billy explained, his hands hovering over the controls. "You're piloting the power center."
"And Slippery Shark's waves might just reach over the cliff... to your dad's house," Aisha pointed out.
"And it's not like we haven't done this before," Adam said.
"You guys are such buzzkills. Right," Rocky said, still sounding exhilarated. "Thunder Megazord sequence initiate."
"White Tigerzord standing by," Tommy said. "I'll keep the monsters busy while you form up."
Tommy slid Saba into the control dash and switched the shared comm off. "Okay, let's just occupy four monsters while the rookies get it together," he said under his breath.
"You realize Rocky is going to be piloting the Megazord, correct?" Saba said, startling Tommy. He hadn't heard the sword speak in a while.
"I had realized that, and I'm sure he'll be fine," Tommy said. The last time they'd called the Zords together, the fight had ended quickly. This fight would be far trickier. Still... "We've run plenty of Zord training scenarios, and he'd done fine in... most... of them. I'm trying to concentrate here."
"Oh, I'm sure everything will work splendidly," Saba said. "Should I charge up the heartburn attack as soon as I can?"
That's what Saba liked to call the blast that shot from the tiger's mouth in the middle of the Zord's chest. "Yeah, you do that," Tommy said. "In the meantime, shut up."
He focused his attack on Dark Samurai, which was the most immediately threatening. The monster no longer had its jar, having been destroyed by Pop Star's escape attempt. However, it was still an excellent fighter, so Tommy had to be quick once he got its attention.
He hadn't given himself much time to think about it, but each of these monsters had connections to rather painful memories. He himself had fought beside Pop Star as the evil Green Ranger in the attack on the high school. Dark Samurai had kidnapped Kimberly, made easier by his own irresponsibility (which Zordon had reminded him of only recently), not to mention he had almost died that time around. Slippery Shark was the one who pitted him and Jason against each other in a rivalry spell. It had all worked out for the best, but they'd still hurt each other. Finally, Candleman had been there when he'd first lost his powers: one of his worst memories in a life already filled with not-so-great memories.
He couldn't help but wonder if Rita had chosen these monsters as a message to him... or if he was thinking too much of herself. Now that he was out of that cave dimension, he could feel her presence like an itch in the back of his head, but it was far away, as if she'd distanced herself. Perhaps she had. That was fine. He remembered Delphine's cautious words, about the dangers of keeping these connections.
Instead of dwelling, he focused on the fight. Dark Samurai was quick... but the White Tigerzord was quicker. He dodged another volley of attacks and prepared his chest blast. He needed to end this before he moved on to the next one.
In the meantime, the Thunder Megazord had finally formed, and the five Ranger took their stations.
"Okay, guys," Rocky said, finally sounding focused. "Tommy's got that weird jar dude, so we need to take out the shark first. Those waves look dangerous."
"Right on," Kimberly said. "Our sword attack is too slow for him, so we gotta improvise with something else."
"How about something he can't dodge?" Adam suggested.
"Right," Rocky said. He tapped the comm. "Tommy, the water might be dangerous in a minute. Might want to hop out."
"One sec," Tommy said.
As they waited, Rocky's fingers hovering over the controls to key in the commands, they watched as the White Tigerzord obliterated the Dark Samurai with a chest burst attack.
"Okay, go for it," Tommy said, as his Zord leapt high into the air.
Not wasting any time, Rocky initiated the attack. Mist poured from the Thunder Megazord's fingers, surrounding Slippery Shark and mixing with the sea spray. As soon as the monster was surrounded on all sides, Kimberly keyed in the command to electrify the mist. The shark exploded mid-jump, and the mist dissipated.
"Good work... but those were the easy ones," Tommy said. "I'd say Candleman and Pop Star are uncomfortably close to San Francisco, wouldn't you?"
"I would suggest destroying Pop Star first," Billy said. "Its sonic bursts could be devastating to the city."
"Right. Kim? We got our sword powered up?" Rocky said.
"A few more minutes," Kimberly said. "Keep the monsters engaged until then."
The two Zords put on a burst of speed and whipped around in front of the two monsters, barring the way to the city.
"Okay, that's good... now what?" Rocky said.
Tommy had already engaged Pop Star in combat, drawing its sword which was a replica of Saba. Rocky's hesitation, however, cost them dearly, as Candleman struck the Thunder Megazord head-on with a high-powered flame attack.
Alarms screamed, and the Zord tilted as Adam desperately tried to keep them on their feet and Aisha scrambled to boost the flagging shields. Thankfully, Billy had long ago installed seatbelts in the Thunder Megazord, so they weren't sliding on their shared benches.
"Shields at 60% and holding," Aisha said. "Rocky, don't let us take another one like that."
"A few of our power couplings have fused," Billy reported. "Repairs are impossible mid-combat. And we're taking on water, which will make our movements more sluggish."
"It's okay," Kimberly said, her voice tight with concentration. "We've got enough power still." They could hear the grin in her voice. "Rocky, how about we use some of that water."
"I got it." Rocky's voice was a bit shaky after his mistake, but he was recovering. "Adam, be prepared to catch us."
Rocky swung the Megazord's leg in a roundhouse kick. Candleman easily evaded the slow, telegraphed kick, but they weren't aiming to hit the monster. Instead, the water collected in the Megazord's leg doused the monster, causing it to lose its flame for the first time. Candleman looked at its two arms and concentrated, obviously trying to summon flame again.
"Too late!" Kimberly yelled. "We've got the sword charged! Rocky, hit it!"
Before the monster could summon its flame, the Thunder Megazord drew its sword and sliced. Candleman exploded just as the others had.
"Guys! Block him!" Tommy yelled over the comm.
The White Tigerzord had been chasing after Pop Star during the entire fight, trying to keep the monster in one place to strike a hit. Pop Star was too fast... for one Zord. As it tried to speed past, Rocky drew the Megazord's sword and this time merely used it to trip Pop Star mid-sprint. Pop Star flipped and fell spectacularly into the waves. Without hesitation, the two Zords keyed in their final moves, obliterating the monster before it could even get up.
"We won?!" Rocky yelled. "We won!"
His exclamations were answered by cheers in the Megazord cockpit.
Tommy smiled at the cheers erupting from his comm. "We won..." he said under his breath. "For now, at least." He switched the comm over to the Command Center. "Zordon, do you read? We took care of the monsters. Any other bad news for us?"
"Yes, Tommy," Alpha said in a small voice. "Please report to the Command Center."
Alarms went off in Tommy's head, sounding suspiciously like the alarms in the Command Center. "Alpha, what's wrong?"
"Zordon is gone." Alpha sounded beyond any panic, almost like a frightened child. "I can't find him."
Zordon had been trained in combat. Had been around fighters most of his life. He'd fought for the side of good, taking various guises to hide his Eltarian identity.
And he'd watched these particular fighters countless times. Had helped train them and watched them grow. And still, he was barely keeping up.
The clones of his students whirled around him. They were morphed yet helmetless, obviously an order from the Wizard to reinforce their humanity to Zordon.
As if he needed that. Even in the midst of battle, even when they thought their helmets hid their faces, Zordon could see them clearly. He knew them: their capabilities, their weaknesses... But right now, with their eyes and faces uncovered, Zordon had expected dead, emotionless eyes, or eyes full of rage. Instead, he fought them as they showed him their true selves: Jason's determination, Trini's kindness, Zack's humor, Billy's curiosity, Kimberly's joy, and Tommy's hope. Their best qualities were shining through their faces, even as their bodies tried to kill him.
Gritting his teeth, Zordon set about doing what he must. Exploit the Rangers' weaknesses.
He chose Jason first, as the most overtly aggressive fighter. Jason was a smart fighter, but he tended to rely far too much on his strength. He hadn't quite learned not to telegraph certain punches, even after a year of fighting stronger opponents. Zordon wasn't stronger, at least in physical strength, but a simple judo throw was well within his capabilities. Reminding himself that this was a clone, and the real Jason was in Geneva far from the war, Zordon made sure Jason landed on his head, and a wet snapping sound filled the air.
Suddenly, Zordon was assaulted by visions. Jason bleeding to death in the Command Center, a sword wound through his chest. Jason sobbing, tears mixing with blood from his broken nose, after he'd failed to save Tommy's powers. Jason admitting to torturing Goldar. Jason punching Billy. Jason...
And the visions stopped. The five remaining Rangers circled him, waiting for him to gain his senses. Zordon understood. This was not truly a physical fight. The Wizard wanted him to defeat his Rangers, and then to see them at their worst moments. The moments when they'd failed, or failed themselves.
Zack attacked next, his face laughing at a secret joke. His fighting style, as usual, was wild, and Zordon was quickly able to find an opening. Zack's weakness had always been that, despite his skepticism of Jason's plans, and despite his reluctance to accept Tommy, he'd always been far too trusting in a fight. He always expected everyone to play fair, so Zordon didn't. He got Zack off balance, and Zack fell. Zordon used the opportunity to kick Zack when he was down. He could feel the eyes of the other Rangers on him as he kicked Zack down repeatedly, until Zack was only making feeble movements, still smiling bloodily up at him.
Zordon was prepared for the visions this time, but that didn't make it any better. Zack attacking a laughing Tommy in the Youth Center as Scorpina watched on. Zack arguing with Billy over Tommy's loyalty. Zack and his family attacked by Dionysus. Zack shot in the shoulder by Kimberly, with an arrow laced with poison. Zack struggling through the long illness, contemplating his own death...
His vision cleared as the images dispersed, and he blinked through what he realized were tears. He brushed them away impatiently in time to see Trini smiling at him and slashing at him with her daggers. Zordon hesitated. He knew what he had to do, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He allowed Trini to cut him, and he felt physical pain for the first time in centuries. He cried out, and already his instincts were kicking in. Trini was a disciplined fighter, often to the point that she had trouble improvising. Zordon feinted a judo hold like he'd done for Jason, but then turned it around by grabbing Trini's dagger. It was the work of a moment to slam the dagger into Trini's chest.
This time Zordon fell as the visions slammed into him, coupled with the image of Trini bleeding to death on the floor. Trini slicing her arm open as she tested each serum formula. Trini held at knife-point as Tommy tried to barter his way out of his cell. Trini stepping in the way of the other Rangers as they faced Dark Samurai, terrified that they would get the trapped Kimberly hurt. Trini strapped to Billy's bed, listening as the creature she thinks is Billy tortures Tommy. Trini holding a broken piece of glass over a beaten and bleeding Kimberly...
Zordon felt bile rise in his throat as he struggled to his feet. Three Rangers remained before him. They'd stopped circling. They merely stood there, quietly waiting for Zordon to resume the sadistic game.
"No more!" Zordon called out, not to the clones of his Rangers, but to the Wizard. He knew the Wizard was there, invisible but silently watching. "Please, end this. Don't make me do this."
Silence answered Zordon, and the three remaining Rangers stared on, smiling at him. None of them made a move toward him, and the message was clear. This time he was to choose.
"I can't," Zordon said. "I can't choose. I can't do this again. Please, don't make me."
But he stopped himself. He knew the Wizard of Deception had no concept of mercy, and he knew giving up now would have too high a price. If he surrendered now to the forces of Evil, he would provide Dark Specter with the power necessary to take hold of the rest of the universe. Millions would come under his rule, and the real Rangers, the ones now safely playing on a beach on Earth, would die first.
He steeled himself, gritting his teeth as he considered the three remaining clones and the sadistic choice offered to him. Zordon finally forced himself to say the word. "Billy."
As he'd suspected, this was a Billy who was largely untrained, who over-relied on the instinct and knowledge of the Morphing Grid. Zordon was able to meet his attacks easily. It was the work of a minute to deal Billy a crushing blow to the head. His glasses broke, and he fell, going still very quickly.
Zordon wasn't looking at him. Instead, he was sinking to the floor, overcome by the visions he knew he would see. Billy looking in dismay at the wreckage of the Command Center, being told that he had to work on repairs before searching for the interdimensional being he'd come to regard as a father. Billy hanging from a chin-up bar in his own living room, tortured by the Green Ranger, his own mother's life in the balance. Billy lying in a hospital bed, convinced that he could no longer wield the power. Billy under Rita's spell, stealing the Rangers' power coins while trying to kill Tommy. Billy at the funeral of the man he'd expected to become his step-father, blaming himself for the death. Billy dealing with the ramifications of the clone he'd created, the clone that had tormented his friends. Billy begging Zordon not to tell his friends, and then accepting Zordon's discipline after everyone had found out, after he'd been forced to kill his clone. Billy mourning Tommy's death, even as he denied its reality...
It took Zordon a long time to recover after the visions ended. When his eyes finally opened, he saw pink and white boots next to his head. He let out a shuddering sob, perversely grateful he wouldn't have to choose again. He got to his feet to face Kimberly, who looked for all the world like she'd just made a joke about helmet hair. Before he could talk himself out of it, he lunged for her blade blaster, locked it into blaster mode, and shot her before she could make a single move. He knew her weaknesses-her wild and untamed fighting style that occasionally verged on sloppy-but he couldn't face fighting her. He wanted it over.
Even as the visions slammed into him, he could still make out Tommy patiently waiting for him. But then that image dissolved, replaced by Kimberly. Kimberly crying in a car, overcome by the loss of the Command Center. Kimberly humiliated by Tommy in the middle of a party. Kimberly trapped in a jar, having to rely on others to rescue her. Kimberly sitting on Tommy's bed, realizing he was leaving forever. Kimberly angrily yelling about secret identities in the wake of Tommy's father's death. Kimberly panicking over the loss of her brother. Kimberly fighting Tommy in order to sacrifice herself for her brother's life. Kimberly shooting an arrow and hearing a scream behind her, only to be greeted by the ashes of her dead love. Kimberly coming under Zedd's spell, attacking the Rangers and shooting Zack with a poison arrow. Kimberly fighting Trini and slowly being beaten. Kimberly running from Zedd, fighting the spell, and finally admitting to killing Tommy...
Zordon got to his feet unsteadily and faced the last remaining Ranger. Tommy. This Ranger, though, was no longer smiling. He was leering sadistically, his hazel eyes flashing green. This was Tommy as he'd first met him, under Rita's spell and ready to unleash pain and suffering to all around him.
There was no easy win here, Zordon realized. Tommy had his weaknesses, but nothing Zordon could exploit. He tried. He attacked Tommy, but Tommy seemed to anticipate every movement. And it wasn't that Tommy was a better fighter than the others, though Tommy was quickly becoming the most gifted fighter Zordon had ever known. It was that Tommy knew him. Tommy had seen his true face, and somehow this shadow clone of Tommy's seemed to know him as well. And for every blow, Zordon saw visions of Tommy's suffering. Tommy standing in the Command Center, fighting against the spell even as he was scrambling Zordon's signal. Tommy terrorizing the Rangers: beating up Billy, shaming Kimberly, trapping Jason, taunting Zack and Trini... Tommy desperately clinging to the spell even as they forced him to break it. Tommy losing his powers, losing his father, losing his life, even as he clung to each hope, that hope seemed to slip through his fingers.
"I believe that's quite enough."
Zordon laid on the floor, and he realized the pain he was feeling was no longer from the visions, or from Tommy's physical attacks. The pain had been there the whole time, just under the surface. It was a burning, starting in his center and working its way out. It was like his power was being twisted in on itself, consuming him.
He was dying. He had been ever since he entered this dimension... ever since he'd left the dimension Rita had trapped him in.
He raised his eyes to see the Wizard of Deception materialize. Immediate, Tommy's clone pulled back and stood to the side, as if at attention.
"You understand now," the Wizard said, the flames in his head flashing brighter.
Zordon coughed, feeling himself grow weaker by the second. "You... you have taught your lesson well. Your shadow puppet Rangers, your visions... I know what suffering I've caused. But then, I've always known."
"Not the point," the Wizard said acidly, "but then I don't expect you to truly understand, with your limited perspective. However, I will still give you a choice. Die here, in the dust, and I imagine Empress Rita and her new husband will make short work of your Rangers before moving on to the next planet. Or they may spare them... who knows," the Wizard ended in a rumbling laugh. "But the war for you would be over, and you wouldn't cause any more suffering. Your second choice: I can send you back to the dimension Rita gave you, and you would heal immediately. Your life of being a parasite to child soldiers would continue, just as your pointless war would continue. So... what's it to be?"
Zordon did not have to hesitate. The Wizard accused him of having limited perspective, but Zordon knew of the role he would have to play in the coming war. There was the prophesy, the long-haired male Red Ranger who would kill him. Zordon knew, as he had always known, that that prophesy was the last great hope for the universe, for ending Dark Specter finally.
He looked at Tommy's clone, who was staring at him, as if understanding the decision he was making. Zordon knew that the real Tommy, the one who currently carried the white power coin, but would not indefinitely... he was the one. The one who had seen his true face, the one who would eventually kill him.
I'm sorry, Tommy, Zordon thought, even as his eyes slid to the Wizard.
"I choose the second option," Zordon said, his pained voice barely above a whisper. "Send me back to my prison."
The Wizard laughed, and even the Tommy clone seemed to shake in silent laughter. The pain rose, and Zordon knew he didn't have a lot of time, but without his machine to return to his dimension-now long lost-there was little he could do about it but wait.
The Wizard loomed over him, and then stooped, the face of fire and bone filling Zordon's vision.
"Beg," the Wizard said. "Beg for me to spare your life."
Zordon was long beyond pride. "Please. Please, spare me." He could not go on, as the pain burned through his throat and choked his voice out.
The Wizard stared down at him, laughing in contempt. "Thank you, Zordon. I could find no better wedding present for Rita than you begging to be put back in the dimension she made especially for you. Now she knows that she truly defeated you... or she will know, after I play back this recording of you begging like a worm."
Before Zordon could respond, the Wizard of Deception waved his wand, and the dusty dimension disappeared. Zordon closed his eyes, and then opened them. The white abyss of his dimension... HIS dimension, the only one he could ever know for the rest of his life... greeted him.
