Author's Notes: About a year ago, I started the Ninja Quest saga, saying that it would be written over the summer. Yeah… it's been a hell of a year. So, before you start this chapter, I'm going to do a quick recap of relevant plot details for those who need them.

At the beginning of Book 8, the Power Rangers find out that Cestria, Billy's Aquitian girlfriend, is wanted for murder. Zordon and Tommy have an argument about how to proceed, but before that goes any further, the Rangers sense an attack by one of the older skeletal monster, Bones. The attack is just a set-up, though. The attack is actually from Rito. In addition, when Rita had stolen Saba in the previous adventure, the sword had been sabotaged. All of this results in the destruction of the Zords and the powers. Zordon offers to give himself up to Zedd and Rita, but Alpha activates Operation Beta: he shuts Zordon away from his contact with this dimension and gets the Rangers' parents to activate a security field around Earth to keep Zedd and Rita from sending monsters or teleporting.

The Rangers go on a quest to gain powers from Ninjor, which involves them running from zombie skeletal dinosaurs. They're saved by Dulcea, the guardian of the Ninjetti powers, and she offers to get them to Ninjor, but only if they pass a test. (It's actually Ninjor's test, and Dulcea is in favor of just giving them the powers.) In this test, the Rangers are put in a dystopian future, where they've all made bad decisions and are about to destroy each other. They're able to break out of this test, and Ninjor says they've failed, since the test proved they couldn't be trusted with power. They decide to go back to Earth anyway, and Dulcea grants them what power she can, giving them the Ninjetti costumes.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Bulk and the rest of the student council has set up a refuge in the school gym. Skull goes to find Kimberly and the others, and he runs into Aisha's parents, who are looking for her. The Tengas have flown to Earth and are hatching a Vampirus monster, getting around the security field. Sylvia Cranston, Karen Scott, Frank Harris, and Aaron Park all load up in the RadBug to fight Tengas. Trapped on Earth with no instructions, Rito and Goldar go bowling, where they meet Catherine, who's not afraid of them.

Now that I've got you all caught up, let the games begin…

Thanks to all my reviewers: Ghostwriter, The-Knight2000, Nerdman3000 (I am reading the comics! They're really good!... Although I am getting a little tired of the Shattered Grid event. I'm just not all that fond of Drakkon, although the Ranger Slayer is really good. Not touching Shattered Grid, though… Too much of a headache!), Lord Jaric (You're probably thinking of Power/Ranger, and I'm definitely inspired by that. Especially sell-out Rocky; I really enjoyed James Van Der Beek in that. Oh, and they're still in the spandex. I basically only used Dulcea from the movie; the rest is taken from the series), Mirajane92, brankel1, covenantofsoulsVI (I really am embarrassed by the long gaps between chapters, so I'm really happy it's working for you in this case), Nil321 (No Ivan Ooze, sorry. I might name-drop him sometime, but he's never going to show up as a character. The Rangers are also going to lose their memories, although they might have moments of déjà vu about certain names and people…), secretangel106 (Thanks!), and KLR (I had a lot of fun with this one. I'm glad you enjoyed it).


Brighter Paths

Book 8: Quest for Power

Chapter 31: Transcendent

Zordon leaned against his monitors, not looking at them. They were broken anyway, and he did not care to fix them. He'd broken them just minutes before. Or had it been hours? Possibly days.

Without the anchor to Earth, time stretched vaguely, went in circles, sat still. And all around Zordon, there was nothingness. A broken dream, and sacrificed children.

Zordon thought he was going to be sick, and then remembered that he was incapable of being sick. Just as he was incapable of doing anything. An old, useless soldier. A head in a jar. A relic.

There was nothingness, and then there was something. A figure lost in the haze, drawing ever closer. The impossibility of it passed through Zordon. He should have reacted, but he couldn't. He stayed frozen in the moment and waited.

"When I left the war," the figure's voice echoed into the nothingness, "you were one of the most dangerous generals in the Alliance. What happened to you, Zordon?"

Zordon smiled bitterly, waving at the broken equipment. "You were right, Ninjor. You were right about everything, and most of all about me."

Ninjor nodded once. "I like to hear that I'm right. I don't like to see you like this. What happened? Did everything not go to plan?"

Zordon looked off into space. "You could say that. How are you here? Rita Repulsa assured that this dimension was my prison. The only other person who ever showed up here was…"

"Tommy Oliver?" Ninjor finished for him. "I just followed his trail. I can't stay long."

"Then why are you here?" Zordon felt himself coming back to reality, being anchored in time and space, but still the unreality of his oldest friend, the one who'd abandoned him for so long, come to visit…

Ninjor took a long time to answer, seeming to consider Zordon's form. Zordon thought about getting up, but he didn't bother. Perhaps Ninjor was a hallucination and would dissipate soon enough, leaving Zordon alone to his misery.

"Your Power Rangers journeyed to my temple," Ninjor finally said. "They requested new powers. They took my tests. Dulcea advocated for them."

"So they have powers now?" Zordon asked, the dull spark of hope flaming reluctantly in his chest.

"No," Ninjor said simply. "They have what Dulcea could give them, the Ninjetti powers, but I did not give them new power coins."

Zordon felt himself grow hot with anger. "So you sent them to their deaths, just because they couldn't pass your tests?"

"You misunderstand, and you will be silent and listen, old friend," Ninjor said, flames flickering behind his visor.

Zordon, still angry, held his tongue.

"They passed my test," Ninjor said. "I showed them a horrific future, where they used their power in the worst ways, and they still wanted to protect the ones they loved. They still wanted to fight evil. That is more than worthy; that is transcendent."

"But you didn't give them the powers," Zordon said.

Ninjor rounded on him. "I said that they passed. You, however, have not. If I give them power, you benefit. You, Zordon, must prove yourself worthy. The test has begun."


"Don't bother parking! Just abandon the car and get inside!"

Bulk was yelling from the open doors of the gym as the Campbells' car slowed. Skull was first out of the car, trusting Aisha's parents to have the same sense their daughter had and follow right behind.

The doors closed behind the three of them, and Skull felt himself grabbed roughly by the shoulders. "What the hell did you think you were doing, going out there without backup?!"

Bulk looked like he was about to keel over, and he did a little bit, enough to make Skull's knees buckle. Skull steadied him. "It's okay. I'm here."

Bulk took a breath. "Just… just stop trying to be a hero."

Skull glanced around the room, after pulling himself away from Bulk. The gym was filled with people, all preparing to wait out the duration. Ernie was giving trays of sandwiches and drinks to the soccer team, who were bringing them to each group. The chaos of outside, and indeed the chaos that usually ran evacuation centers seemed largely absent.

Mary Katherine, head of the computer club, ran up to Bulk. "Is everyone in? Can we turn on the defenses? The surveillance footage doesn't look good, with those bird monsters flying around."

At the mention of bird monsters, Skull paled. "We don't want those things in here. They're worse than Putties."

Bulk sighed. "We still don't have everyone accounted for, but we can't wait any longer. Set up the defenses."

Mary Katherine nodded and ran for the P.E. teacher's office, where the computer club had set up shop.

Bulk grabbed up the megaphone. "Listen up, everyone! We're turning on the force field! It's just like the ones from the attack on the high school last year, so don't touch them. Stay away from the doors and windows, and we'll be safe from the monsters. Until the Power Rangers show up."

There was a smattering of applause at the mention of Power Rangers, but other than that there was just a tense kind of silence. There had been no word of the Power Rangers ever since the Zords had fallen just outside of town, so they were really taking it on faith that the Power Rangers hadn't died in the previous battle.

Bulk put down the megaphone and sat down heavily on a bleacher. Skull sat beside him, exhausted after the sprint across Angel Grove. They waited silently until the buzz and shimmering outside the window heralded the force field.


Rita Repulsa stood amidst a haze of red, her toes lightly grazing the ground as she levitated from the magics surrounding her, staring unblinkingly at the Earth clearly framed from the balcony. Yet she could see nothing with physical eyes. Instead, all her concentration was on the mental link she had with the Vampirus monster. It was a link she'd be able to maintain easily, all but for the security field that now tried to shut her away from Earth.

Lord Zedd stood close by, raising his staff to augment her power. While he had more raw power, Rita had more fine control, so it was now Rita directing the attack below.

"The Vampirus monster…" Rita said through gritted teeth, her voice betraying considerable strain, "has approached the gymnasium. It will draw the power from the force field. Rito and Goldar are waiting."

Her sentences were short and clipped; Zedd barely recognized her voice. "You have done enough, my love. Allow me to take over."

Rita held a hand up. "Strain hurts me. Could kill you. It's just until…"

She trailed off. She didn't need to say the plan. It was simple. With the Power Rangers gone, and Zordon taken from them, there was no real reason to attack Angel Grove. Except, of course, to gain leverage. The Power Rangers would come back to find their parents yet again held hostage, and they would have to relinquish Zordon this time to get them back. They could sweeten the deal by saying they promised to leave Earth alone.

They might even keep that promise, though it was unlikely. The Power Rangers, powered or not, had given them too much trouble. They had to pay.

It had taken time to establish a mental link first to Goldar and Rito, and then to the hatched Vampirus monster. Once the field around the gymnasium fell and they captured their hostages, the Vampirus monster could turn its attention to the field around the Earth.

Zedd watched Rita carefully as she directed the attack, ready to step in if she faltered or the strain overcame her. It was a good plan, but he'd be damned if she permanently harmed herself over it.

"The Rangers…" Rita said, her voice gone even quieter. "They're here, on Earth. They have… powers."

"What?!" Zedd surged forward, but then stopped himself as the flow of power from his staff faltered, making Rita wobble. He stilled himself.

"Not to worry." Rita hadn't noticed his slip. Instead, she was grinning maniacally. "These powers… aren't enough. They're… weak."

Zedd gave a bark of laughter. "Then we shall play out this joke of an endgame, and win."


"Alpha, come in. What's going on?"

The Rangers, in their Ninjetti costumes, were grouped behind a car, which Aisha recognized as her parents'. Goldar, Rito, and the bird monsters were guarding all the entrances to the gym, and the monster was towering over the building, emitting a strange beam that glowed green all around the gym. It wasn't the most ideal circumstance, but it also didn't really make sense.

"Oh, ay-yi-yi, Rangers, I'm so glad you're back. I don't know how long I can maintain the security field around the Earth, but the gym is in even more danger. That's a Vampirus monster; it can suck energy like a vampire. It seems to be drawing energy from the force field that's surrounding the gym."

"Okay, but that's what I don't get," Kimberly remarked. "How come there's a force field around the gym?"

Aisha raised her hand. "That's what I've been working on with the student council. We used the force field tech that protected the high school last year. Most of the high school and people from the surrounding area should be in there, along with my parents, I guess." She patted the car.

"But now that you have powers, Rangers, you can…"

"We don't," Tommy cut Alpha off. "I mean, not really." He looked at the other Rangers, the fear shining in their eyes that he could just see past the masks. "It's gotta be enough."

The others nodded, somewhat heartened by the confidence he was projecting. Another mask, but that had to be enough, too.

"So what's the plan?" Rocky said. "How are we going to fight a giant monster with no Zords?"

"We have a Zord," Kimberly pointed out.

"I mean one that's not in pieces outside of town," Rocky said.

"You're talking about the one currently hidden in Angel Grove harbor," Billy said wearily. "It may be difficult…"

"But possible. That is a batshit insane plan, and I love you for it, Kim," Tommy said, shaking his head.

Kimberly shrugged. "Apparently batshit plans that probably won't work is my specialty lately."

"Well, that's half a plan," Aisha said. She kept looking over at the gym, obviously wondering if her parents were okay. "What about the goon patrol over there?"

"It's gonna take a whole lot of bluffing, but it may be the only shot we have. Alpha, I'm teleporting up to the Command Center. We're going to have to drop the security field around Earth, but once we do that…"

He teleported out, winking at Kimberly as he went.

Kimberly grinned. "Okay, this part should be easy… kinda. Keep them away from those doors if the force field goes down. Aisha, Billy, and I will take the front, Rocky and Adam will take the ones around back. Ready?"

"Not in the slightest," Billy said.

"Nope!" Rocky assented cheerfully.

"Absolutely not," Adam added.

"I'll have to go with the majority," Aisha finished.

"Good. Then let's move out," Kimberly said.


"A test," Zordon said. "You're testing me. You…"

Ninjor remained silent. Behind his armor, he may as well have been a statue.

Zordon got up. "You presume to stand in judgment over me. You, who left the war when it didn't exactly go your way. Because of you, there was a mad scramble for resources, since we knew no more powerful artifacts were forthcoming. You thought the war would end without you, didn't you?"

"I knew people would continue to fight." Ninjor's voice was quiet, almost lost in the echo of Zordon's angry shouts. "I also knew the war would scatter. Become smaller. That is what happened."

"After so many died," Zordon said. "After whole worlds burned. Power consolidated with a few generals and rulers."

"And you fought Rita, and you lost."

"I didn't lose," Zordon said. "I was banished, but I'm still…"

"Fighting?" Ninjor said. "Through children? Tell me, Zordon, why have you really not come out of this dimension? What's really keeping you here?"

"I tried," Zordon said. "I tried to leave. I'll die if I leave here."

"So what do you have to live for?"

Zordon opened his mouth, but then stopped.

"Huh."

Kimberly walked up to Goldar, Rito, and the Tenga warriors, flanked by Billy and Aisha. "Hey, bozos!"

"Hey, bozos?" Billy asked quietly.

"You could have at least said 'birdbrains,'" Billy said.

"Cut me some slack about the trash talk, it's been a weird day," Kimberly retorted.

Goldar turned to face them. "More humans to challenge us?" He turned to Rito. "Why don't we frighten humans anymore?"

Rito shrugged. "I think it's cuz we're so pretty."

"What do you mean, more humans?" Kimberly said. She looked at the others, baffled. "We're the ones you usually fight?"

Goldar stared at them, his head cocked. "The… the Power Rangers? Aren't you usually more impressive looking?"

"We look different, yeah," Kimberly said.

"Change of costume, powerful enough to kick your collective asses," Aisha added.

Rito looked up for a minute, and then laughed. "No, you don't. Security field's down, by the way. That was Sis. Says you three," he wiggled his fingers at them, "are full of shit."

Goldar nodded. "Seems about right. Let's see what you make of the Tengas. Rito…" he looked pained for a minute, "I guess you can take care of that other problem."

"You got it!" Rito said before disappearing.

Kimberly was about to ask where he'd gone, but before she could even think the Tengas were on her. And they were fast. So very very fast.

"So, you take the twenty on the right and I take the twenty on the left?" Rocky said quietly.

Adam stared at the squadron of Tengas crowded at the back door of the gym. The force field was holding, but only just. Already they were testing its strength, so the smell of burned feathers hung heavy in the air.

"Doesn't seem like a good plan," Adam said.

"See any other options?" Rocky said.

Adam looked around. "We only have to distract them, not fight them. We need to get them away from the gym or any other civilians."

"I guess we could get them to chase us," Rocky said uncertainly. "Seems just as likely to fail."

"Or you could ask for help."

Rocky and Adam nearly fell out of their hiding space at the corner of the building. They turned to see Aaron, smiling but exhausted and holding some kind of alien gun.

"You scared us out of our wits!" Rocky said in a harsh whisper.

"Aaron, why aren't you in there?" Adam said, pointing to a gym window. "Or Billy's house? Or literally anywhere but here?"

Aaron grinned. "And let you have all the fun saving the world? Besides, it feels like you two need reinforcements. I don't know why you're not calling your Zords, but…"

"We still don't have them," Rocky said. "Well, I guess we have one? That's gonna take a minute, though." He laughed. "You mentioned backup?"

"What do you need?" Aaron said.

Adam gestured at the Tengas. "Those birds away from that door."

Aaron held a wrist communicator up to his mouth. "You heard that?"

"I'm on it," Billy's mother's voice came over the speaker. "About to make a pass. Be ready."

"Is that… what is she…?" Rocky began.

At that moment, the RadBug came barreling in from the parking lot, skimming over the curb and headed right for the group of Tengas. Right before it hit, the RadBug took off in the air. Most of the Tengas, squawking in outrage, took off after the car, but it was slightly too fast for the monsters. Someone shot a laser cannon out of the passenger's window, hitting one Tenga and keeping the attention of the rest.

There were now six Tengas guarding the door.

"Think you can take care of them?" Aaron said.

Rocky laughed. "I don't think that'll be a problem."

Trumpet music, followed by a shriek, signaled the return of the Dragonzord. It moved more slowly than it usually did, basically running on the fumes of leftover power, but it could still move. Tommy used that movement to awkwardly tackle the Vampirus monster.

"Good work, Tommy," Alpha called over the speaker. "The Vampirus monster is no longer drawing power from the force field. But be careful. It could draw from you, and you don't have much power to lose."

"Story of my life," Tommy grumbled. "Don't worry so much, Alpha. Soon as I get the Vampirus away, you're going to force the gym force field to drop and teleport everyone in there away. Once we do that, we can retreat and come up with more options."

Even as Tommy said it, the words rang false to him. Retreat… There would be no retreat this time. They didn't have the power to hold off Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd for much longer. Calling his old Zord had gambled away what remained of their power. They were out of allies, out of options, out of time.

Tommy thought of the nightmarish future world, how he had maimed his body and turned against his friends, becoming as much of a monster as he'd always feared he would be. He couldn't remember every detail, but he knew he'd justified every decision, every compromise, every time.

Rita had recruited him in the beginning because he could compromise. Those words mocked him now as he scrambled for the last bit of power they had left over, just so they could evacuate the people they cared about.

This was it. The end of the line. There would be no more compromises. They had to break Zedd and Rita's power, or be broken by it.

And maybe, Tommy thought as he lurched the Dragonzord back into battle, herding the monster away from the gym, another group of Rangers could take up the mantle after they were gone.


Goldar looked up at the Dragonzord, clumsily yet effectively grappling with the monster. "Son of a bitch," he said softly.

Kimberly took his moment of distraction to launch herself from the Tenga fight and aim a flying kick right at Goldar's face. It did little more than make him stumble back and piss him off. Man, she missed having powers.

"You know," Goldar said as he easily countered her next attack, "all this? This reeks of desperation."

"You're the one to talk about reeking," she said in a weak attempt at humor.

His grin was chilling. "The thing is, now that you don't have powers, because really this is embarrassing, you're little more than annoyances. We're after Zordon now. Remember, you can make all this go away if you just give him up."

"Not on your life," Kimberly spat out, evading a sword swing.

Goldar chuckled. "That's not the life we're talking about. How about ones you actually care about? I know you'd willingly sacrifice yourself, but…"

Kimberly looked at the gym, and then at the group of Tengas. There were fewer now, and she could see a few flying up, and then disappearing.

"Alpha!" she screamed into her communicator. "Knock out the force field, now! The Tengas can get in."

"Weak spot on the top, thanks to the Vampirus monster" Goldar commented. "And it's too late. We've already got what we came for." He smirked. "Meet you by the wreckage of your Zords, once you've figured out what's happened."

Goldar and the Tengas disappeared in a whirl of flame and feathers, leaving Kimberly, Billy, and Aisha fighting thin air.

"What happened?" Billy asked. "We couldn't have won."

Kimberly didn't answer. She ran into the gym, expecting the worst. What greeted her was the sight of shellshocked people, a few injured, but otherwise intact. A crowd was gathered around one large figure, who was out cold.

Aisha ran up to the group first. A few people stood aside to let her through. Bulk lay there, his face bloody, a metal pole still clutched in one hand.

"Pink! We gotta get him to the hospital!" Aisha called. "I'll teleport him there."

"Right," Kimberly said. "Meet back at the Command Center after."

As Aisha disappeared, Kimberly approached a white and shaking Skull. "What happened?"

"They…" he swallowed hard, "they got in. From the room. Everybody scattered and tried to get under the bleachers. A few of us tried to fight them off, but Bulky…" He looked around, confused. "Where did he go?"

"Yellow Ranger has gotten him to the hospital," Kimberly said. "Don't worry, he'll be okay. We'll make sure of that."

Billy ran up. "Doesn't look like anyone else was hurt too bad. Just some cuts and scrapes. Bulk hit his head when he fell, so there's a concussion worry, but…"

Skull grabbed Kimberly's hand. "Aisha's parents… Aisha Campbell, one of the other kids, she's not here, but her parents. Those bird monsters took them."


"You haven't answered my question, Zordon," Ninjor said. "What do you have to live for?"

Zordon didn't respond. He knew that Ninjor was goading him, and it must be because he knew something, that things were becoming desperate on Earth, and that they were running out of time. But Zordon knew that if he didn't figure out whatever Ninjor expected him to, if he didn't pass his "test," that Ninjor would go back into isolation and let them all burn. After all, problems looked less serious when you're far away.

"I… I don't know what you want me to say," Zordon admitted. "I could beg for the lives of my Rangers, but I'm not sure that would do any good."

Ninjor looked disappointed. "I don't want you to beg, Zordon. I don't want to humiliate you." He sighed. "Zordon, whether you realize it or not, you're asking me to rejoin the war."

Zordon looked away.

Ninjor cocked his head. "You didn't ask this of me. It was the Rangers themselves, wasn't it?"

Zordon chuckled weakly. "I never would have sent them to you. Not unless we were truly out of options."

"You were going to give yourself up before you allowed them to come to me," Ninjor said. "What did you think I was going to do to them?"

"Not them," Zordon said. "I didn't want to face you." He chuckled again in bitter humor. "I suppose you never realized how much of a coward I've always been."

Ninjor shook his head. "Zordon, we're getting sidetracked. Whether you wanted this to happen or not, this is happening. I've come farther to joining the war than I have in thousands of years, and it's all because of those heroes you've recruited, gambling everything for a war they can barely comprehend." He took a breath. "I need to know it's for the right reasons. I need to know if your heart is in the right place."

Zordon's eyes widened. It… it wasn't a test. Ninjor was pleading with him. Give him a reason, any reason, and Ninjor would accept it. He would give the Rangers powers, he would rejoin the war. It would be a massive blow against the forces of Dark Specter, and it could be a rallying cry to unite the once mighty alliance for good. The elders on Eltar could be persuaded to rejoin and…

That wasn't the right reason. Dammit, that wasn't the right reason.

Zordon had stayed closed off for thousands of years, even before he was imprisoned in this dimension. Rita had been fitting in her idea for a blow against Zordon. He'd been cold as a general, maintaining a careful distance from his warriors, the better to cope with their loss. The better to sacrifice them if need be.

He'd ordered the Rangers to sacrifice him, and they'd refused. Alpha had shut him away. He'd been a fool to expect they'd allow him to sacrifice himself. They were hardly the ones to take the easy way out. That's why he'd chosen them. They were as Ninjor said: transcendent.

Because they cared for others. Because they made connections. They didn't shut themselves away to make things easier. They risked everything, over and over, not to fight in a war. It was to save the ones they loved. And for the first time, he realized he was included in that.

"I live for them," Zordon said. "They're my family, Ninjor. It's not about the war… it's about them."


Aisha had slumped to the ground. On the Viewing Globe, among the wreckage of their Zords, stood not only Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, but also Sylvia Cranston, Aaron Park, Frank Harris, and Karen Scott: all the Ranger parents that weren't secured at the Cranston house. The Campbells looked bewildered, but the other four look grimly determined. They were shielding the Campbells and remaining silent.

"I should have told them," Aisha said dully. "I should have just told them, and they would be safe. They would have stayed put and not gone looking for me."

Kimberly put a hand on Aisha's shoulder, and Aisha could feel it shaking. She remembered that her parents weren't the only ones at risk.

"Can you tell me, right now, that your parents wouldn't have been as brave and idiotic as my stepdad?" Kimberly said softly.

Aisha acknowledged this possibility with a nod. "They would have known what they were getting into, though."

"That's it," Billy said. "I'm taking mom's security clearance to the garage away."

"Rangers, your families could not stand by and let evil prevail," Alpha said. "Not while they could do something about it. Maintaining the security field around the Earth wasn't enough; they had to actually fight. Zordon has been trying to keep them uninvolved, but even the parents of the Rangers who have retired just won't give up."

"Agreed," Tommy said, walking in. "I got the Dragonzord in the big empty hangar. Figure that's more secure than Angel Grove docks. So… ideas."

"Without powers?" Rocky gave an unpleasant laugh. "I dunno… giant anvils? Works in cartoons."

"Ideas that don't involve cartoon logic or cynicism," Tommy said.

"Any chance of getting the security field back up?" Adam asked Alpha.

"Unfortunately not," Alpha said. "Charging the Dragonzord drained that power."

"Teleport them into space?" Kimberly said. "I mean, Goldar, Rito and the Tengas, not our parents."

"They'd just teleport back, and we don't have to worry about them as much as we do Zedd and Rita," Tommy said.

"We take their place," Aisha said.

Tommy closed his eyes; that was the idea he'd settled on, but he didn't really want to say it.

"Rangers, you can't do that," Alpha said. "They would just use you to manipulate Zordon, and in the meantime you'd be throwing your lives away. I can't let that happen."

"You can't stop us," Adam said. "We have no powers, nothing to barter with… it's just us for their safety." He ground his teeth. "I lost my parents, but I'm not going to lose Aaron."

"Okay, but, this is a trick," Rocky said. "I mean, we've done this kind of thing before. Didn't you all literally do this before? You lost your powers and saved your parents and…"

"We had power to work with," Tommy said. "And even then it went… really badly." Tommy shook his head, partly to shake the tears away at the reminder of the day his dad died. "No playing with lives this time. No compromises." He looked up. "I can't speak for everyone, but I'm going. I can't force anyone else."

"I'm going, no question," Aisha said.

"And me," Adam agreed quietly.

Billy and Kimberly merely nodded.

Rocky glared at all of them. "Seriously, you think I wouldn't go? I'm not… I'm not like I was in that weird test. Aaron and the Campbells have been more parents to me than my own ever have been." He swallowed hard. "I'm in it til the end."

Tommy nodded shakily. "Then let's go. Alpha, tell Zordon…" he grinned. "Tell him we tried."


Rita looked at Zedd with a smirk. "Looks like we've almost won. Their only recourse is to barter themselves for the lives of their families, and then we'll have Zordon."

Zedd considered this. "You really think the old fool will give himself up? Their lives are fleeting, in the grand scheme of things."

"Yes," Rita said, returning her gaze to the events unfolding on Earth. "I really think so."


The six Rangers teleported down in their Ninjetti costumes. What powers they had, they wouldn't use. Not this time. But it gave them the strength to keep going.

"It's about time," Goldar said. He held his sword loosely, on guard for if their prisoners planned to escape. It was also a reminder that while he was a threat to the Rangers, the Rangers were no longer a threat to him. His grin told them that he was well aware of that.

Tommy stepped forward, his hands up to show that he was unarmed. "We're not here to fight. We're not even here to negotiate, beyond taking their place." He motioned at the prisoners. "Take us and let them walk free. We're more valuable anyway."

"Barely," Goldar growled, but he was drowned out by protests from the prisoners.

"You can't do this," Sylvia pleaded. "Get out of here."

"We understood the risks," Karen said.

"You're not taking our place," Frank said. "Get back to safety."

The Campbells looked in shock from one fellow prisoner to the other. How they were willing to give their lives for the people who were supposed to save them. Their relief at being saved turned to terror, a terror reflected in the other parents' eyes. They understood.

"Run, Aisha," Mrs. Campbell said. "We'll… we'll be okay."

Rito looked from the Campbells to Aisha. "Hey, I thought they didn't know who the Yellow Ranger was. That's what you told me," he aimed at Goldar. "That's neat! How'd you figure it out?"

Goldar closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "That's touching and all, but we're wasting time, and I'd really like to stop working with this asshole. I swear to you, if you don't surrender yourselves right now, I will kill all of them and make you watch, right here and now. The Yellow Ranger's parents go first."

Aisha ran forward, shouting in desperation, and then stopped as Tommy held her back.

"We're surrendering, Goldar," Tommy said firmly. "Like I said, no terms or conditions. They go free, we come with you." He glared at the assembled parents. "We don't have to make it more difficult than it has to be."

He motioned to the others, and they dropped their guises, letting go of the small amount of power they had. Tears were streaming down Aisha's face as she stared at her parents, who looked anguished.

Goldar motioned, and the Tengas flocked over to the Rangers, leaving the parents standing with only Rito to guard them. "Now," Goldar said, "ask the robot to teleport your parents away, and then throw your communicators away. You won't need them anymore."

The Rangers reluctantly undid the catches on their communicator watches, and Tommy tapped his. "Alpha, it should be clear to teleport them away."

"Teleporting now, Rangers," Zordon's voice came over the communicator.

Rito was stepping away from the parents as the Rangers gave a startled cry at the voice. Goldar yelled out a warning, but a shimmer was already forming around them, only to be replaced by…

"On the ground, Rangers!" Ninjor yelled.

Countless training sessions made the Rangers react instantly. They immediately dropped, there was a blast of wind above them, and when they looked up the Tengas were no longer there.

Goldar and Rito brandished their swords, attacking Ninjor from two sides. There was a flash and a ringing sound, and when it was over both Rito and Goldar were on the ground, unconscious. Ninjor held a sword in front of them: no one had seen him draw it.

The Rangers scrambled from the ground and ran over to him. "What's going on?" Aisha asked. "Where did our parents go?"

"Your parents are safe," Ninjor reassured them. "I timed my entrance when they were out of danger; I was afraid I would endanger them. I am glad you managed to get them out."

Billy scowled. "Not that we don't appreciate the save, but…"

"What are you doing here?" Rocky asked bluntly.

Ninjor clasped his hands behind his back. He looked very different from the stubborn, belligerent hermit from before. He looked hesitant.

"I have come to give you what you requested in the first place: power. If you'll have any of my help, of course."

The Rangers merely stared at him. They were too shellshocked to react. In the same day, they'd lost their Zords and powers, gone on a harrowing quest to recover them, experienced a hellish future, been refused, and been forced to sacrifice themselves to save their parents. This last minute save and abrupt change hadn't really sunk in yet.

Ninjor sighed. "Rangers, I am so very sorry. I criticize Zordon for how he treats his warriors, but I have managed to be somehow worse, despite my best intentions. I merely wanted to be sure."

"To see if we'd sacrifice everything?" Tommy said. His voice was neutral; he was trying not to get upset.

"I knew you would," Ninjor said. "I wanted to make sure of Zordon. He and I are old friends. He has lost his way for a long time. As have I," Ninjor admitted. "I needed that time to talk to him. To make sure he was worthy of you. It was necessary, but I didn't want it to be."

There was a crash in the distance, toward the center of Angel Grove. The Rangers looked toward it, but Ninjor motioned for their attention again.

"Zedd and Rita are furious; they're using that Vampirus monster to attack the city, so we must hurry," Ninjor said. He opened his hand in front of him, and six power coins floated through the air toward each of them, each trailing a different, familiar color as they went.

"I hereby grant you the power coins," Ninjor said solemnly. "The first artifacts I have forged in thousands of years. They are part of the Ninjetti powers Dulcea awakened in you, and you'll still be able to access your Ninjetti uniforms for small threats. However, with these coins you are able to access the Morphing Grid, to morph as Power Rangers, and to call upon your new Ninja Zords. In addition, I will join you in battle whenever you should call on me."

The Rangers regarded their coins, these engraved with their animals. In a flash, morphers formed around them, identical to the ones they had before, only now one of the Z's was turned to an N, showing their new patronage.

"Ninjor, I don't know what to say." Tommy looked at the others, overwhelmed. After so much had gone wrong, it was almost too much that everything was suddenly going right.

"You've only been powerless for a little more than a day," Ninjor said, chuckling. "I didn't think I'd have to remind you of what to say."

Tommy smirked. "It's morphin' time!"


The Vampirus monster strode through the town, looking for power. It was not like the monster Finster molded from clay, or the ones Zedd called to life. It had hatched alongside the Tenga eggs, and it was hungry. The force field had done little to sustain it.

Power hummed in each building, but far too little. It needed more. The currents led to a location on the far side of town, and the Vampirus monster followed, wanting to hit the source of all the tiny sparks of power.

It was almost to the Angel Grove power station when something came between it and its prize. The Vampirus monster reared back, overwhelmed by the power radiating off the metal giant. It was power, but it was… wrong. The Vampirus monster reached out to it, trying to feed off the power, but it hurt. Made it sick. It stopped and railed against the giant, desperate to get past it.

The Ninja Megazord took the hit from the monster with barely a spark. Rocky looked around at the rest of the Rangers behind him, who were staring at their readouts in disbelief.

"Did… did he mean that attack seriously?" Adam

"I guess?" Kimberly said.

Aisha smirked. "I feel like I'm playing a computer game on easy mode."

The Ninja Megazord whirled around, smashing into the Vampirus monster. The monster stumbled back, but seemed to collect itself. Suddenly its sleeves shot forward and wrapped around the Megazord, electric shocks coursing through the fabric.

"We felt that!" Aisha shouted. "Now can we not get cocky?"

"Redirecting power to compensate," Billy said. "I say we end this fight quickly."

"Gotcha," Rocky said, preparing for another attack. "Maybe Tommy will join us soon… if he's not too busy having fun."


"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really missed Saba," Tommy said happily. "Even if it makes no damn sense with my powers now."

"Good to be back, ugly," Saba said tartly.

"Why won't you stay down?!" Goldar roared.

Tommy sidestepped Goldar's sword thrust and then countered with his own. The swords clashed; Tommy was pushed back from the force, but he didn't fall. Tommy felt more than powerful. He felt like everything was moving in slow motion, and he was perfectly calm. It was battle as he'd never experienced before.

A few yards away, Ninjor was clashing with Rito. They'd both woken up when the Rangers had morphed, and so Tommy had decided to stay and help Ninjor fight them. He'd been sort of itching to try out his new powers on his old foe, and they hadn't disappointed yet.

Rito was clearly enjoying himself as much as Tommy was, and in fact as much as Ninjor was. In fact, the only one who wasn't having a good time was Goldar.

Mid-fight, Rito held up a bony finger as a signal to pause. "Hold up a minute, got a call from my sis. Shouldn't take a minute."

"You can listen to her and still fight!" Goldar yelled in exasperation, but Rito wasn't listening. He was holding one finger to his ear, as if there was a communicator and Rita wasn't communicating with him telepathically. As he carried on his conversation, Goldar and Tommy stopped to watch.

"Yeah?... Hold on, sis, calm down….. Well, it's not MY fault they got powers….. The Vampirus monster? No, I didn't get it on discount….. Do I have to?... Yeah… Okay… I'll get right on it… Love you, sis!"

He took his finger away from his ear. "Sorry about that! You know how it is." He shrugged, and seemed to disassemble as he teleported away.

Tommy looked over at where he'd disappeared and then back at Goldar. "Seriously? You have to work with this guy?"

Goldar rolled his eyes, looking deeply and profoundly tired.

"Tommy, Rito Revolto is going to help the Vampirus monster," Ninjor called out. "You need to join that fight in your Falcon Zord."

"Right," Tommy said, and then saluted Goldar with a sword flourish before teleporting away.

Ninjor turned his attention to Goldar. "I remember you. You used to be a warrior for light." He nodded at Goldar's sword. "I forged that."

"I remember as well," Goldar said. "I remember you leaving." He laughed bitterly. "Things were better without you."

"In some ways I agree," Ninjor said. "In other ways…" He gestured with his sword. "Is there any point in continuing this? I'm game, but I suspect you are not."

Goldar spat on the ground. "You think so little of the ones you battle again. You always have. That will catch up with you."

Ninjor nodded. "I've never been able to abide evil, and especially not evil from the ones who consider themselves honorable. There's no honor in this charade you have going on, and it will only mean you're at the mercy of those you serve."

Ninjor sheathed his sword and teleported away. With him went the broken Thunder Zords. The hill was now empty and silent, all except Goldar.

"I've never had any illusions about that," Goldar said quietly, and then teleported away himself.


"Hey, Vampirus!" Rito yelled. "You're making me look bad!"

Rito appeared just in time to catch the Vampirus monster. He set it on its feet and punched its arm. "You're a wedding present, and you're making me look like I bought you in a bargain bin. Which I did, but that's not the point."

The Vampirus monster renewed its attack, but it was too tapped out to do any good. Rito, however, felt refreshed after his involuntary nap, so he attacked the Ninja Megazord in retaliation.

The Ninja Megazord flew backward, the Rangers scrambling to get their bearings.

"I felt that!" Aisha called out. "When did this guy become the big guns?"

"He's Rita's brother, remember?" Kimberly answered. "He may be dumb as a box of rocks, but he's powerful!"

The Vampirus monster, having been drained of energy, melted into the ground, completely forgotten by the combatants. The Rangers scrambled to fight Rito, who, when he wasn't distracted or talking incessantly, was a strong and unpredictable fighter.

"This guy sure is giving the Ninja Megazord a test run!" Rocky said. "I keep hitting him and he won't go down!"

A shriek pierced the air, and Rito had to duck as a white Falcon Zord dived at him. He tried to bat the Zord away, but Tommy maneuvered the craft away for another pass.

"As fun as this is," Tommy's voice came through the speaker, "I think we need to form up. You ready?"

The Rangers keyed in the sequence, and Tommy docked the Falcon Zord to form the Ninja Mega Falconzord.

"Power levels through the roof!" Kimberly yelled.

A door opened in the back of the cockpit, and Tommy's chair slid in to the top position. "You guys do alright without me?"

"Let's just say we can always use a little help," Rocky said. "We ready to beat this guy? Our main attack is powered up."

"Let's show 'em what we're made of," Tommy said.

Rito was pulling himself to his feet after having hit the deck to avoid the Falcon Zord, and he was dusting himself off. He looked up only to see a now fully-formed Megazord flying toward him, fists charged with energy. The spectres of an ape and a wolf formed around each fist.

"Nope!" Rito yelled, and before the blow could hit he teleported away.

At that moment, the Vampirus monster was getting to its feet, having gathered the last of its reserves. The blow meant for Rito hit it dead on, and it blew up with a satisfying explosion.

"Did we actually just win?!" Rocky said. "Or am I still asleep in Ninjor's dimension?"

The Rangers laughed, and then cheered when a voice came across their speakers.

"You have won, Rangers." Zordon's voice sounded happier than it had in a long time. "The Earth is no longer in danger at this time."

Tommy laughed. "That's good to hear."


Author's note: One more chapter in Book 8. We've wrapped up all the punchy problems, now let's work on the feelings problems.