"Zack?" I called, running around the corner that led to the training rooms. The main one was open, lighting pooling on the ground where the door was propped open. Zipping into the room, Tommy and I came to a sudden stop. Standing in the middle of the room was Jason and Zack. Between them, a red and gold colored robot stood. Alpha 5 was frozen in his spot, the circular diameter of his head dark where his red visor usually shined. The yellow lightning bolt on his chest was also dark and his arms hung limp at his sides. "Oh, Alpha." I whispered, stepping towards him.
"This doesn't make any sense. Alpha went to Eltar with Zordon. What is he doing here?" Jason asked.
"None of this makes sense." Zack said, shaking his head. Reaching out, I pressed my palm against the bolt of lightning on Alpha's chest. He was cold to the touch and didn't buzz with electricity like he used to.
"Is he dead?" I whispered, terrified to glanced at any of the men beside me. Jason gripped my shoulder in his hand.
"His batteries probably are. Maybe Billy can find a way to boot him up. Alpha might have some answers." He said, looking at me with a small reassuring smile. I nodded, drawing my hand back from Alpha. "C'mon. Let's get Billy so he can take a look." The four of us turned to leave when a loud popping noise filled the room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that smoke was starting to come from the back of the small robot.
"R-R-R-R-R-Rangers." A mechanic voice bellowed, echoing off the walls. Alpha's fingers twitched as the lights on his front panel began to faintly glow.
"Guys! Look!" Zack called, pointing at Alpha. The small band on the golden dome of his head lit up, the red bead of light moving back and forth across the small screen.
"Rangers. Rangers. R-R-R-R-R-Rangers." The robot spoke, his body moving more now. His knees and elbows bent slightly as he waved his limbs in simply motions.
"Alpha! It's us." Jason said, stepping over to him. Alpha looked up at Jason.
"Jason! It is you!" He peered over at the rest of us. "Rangers! You are no longer teenagers."
"No. It's been quite some time since we have been. Alpha, what are you doing here?" The robot shrugged, holding his arms up.
"I'm not sure. The last thing I can recall I was standing on Eltar speaking to a class of prospective students and now you are here. Where is here?" He asked, looking around the room.
"It's the Command Center." Tommy said. Alpha shook his head.
"That cannot be accurate, Tommy. It was destroyed while you were still a Ranger. We moved to the Power Chamber then."
"I know, Alpha but it's true. Something brought you and the Command Center back here. Do you have any idea who?"
"No. I would need to use the computer to calculate what happened." He started walked towards the door. "Oh, I'm so stiff!" He exclaimed, wiggling his body the best he could as he walked. The four of us followed him as he made his way back to the main chamber of the Command Center. Trini and Billy were still pouring themselves over the control panel when the metallic sound of Alpha's footsteps made them look up. Both looked at the automaton in shock.
"Alpha!" Trini said, running forward and throwing her arms around him. He returned the gesture, patting her on the back.
"Trini, it's so nice to see you again. You too, Billy. It's nice to see all of you together. Please, allow me to see what has happened to bring us all back together." He stated. Billy and Trini stepped aside, allowing him to access the controls. Like they had done, he pressed buttons and dials. Due to his lack of facial features, I couldn't tell if it was working or not. "Ai, yi yi! Something is trying to come through!" He exclaimed. The floor below our feet started to shake, a faint rumbling noise coming from above our heads as the structure swayed with the shaking.
"What is it, Alpha?" Trini asked, gripping Jason's arm for support.
"I don't know. It's trying to come in from above. I'm trying to stop it." He frantically pushed more buttons as the shaking increased.
"Everyone hold on to something!" Tommy called out, wrapping a protective arm around my waist. The ground trembled under my tennis shoes and for the second time that day, I could barely stay on my own two feet. Around the room, what felt like static electricity began to form. It crackled in the air and made mine and Trini's hair stand almost on end. The crackling continued, visible sparks of electricity filling in the air above our heads. It grew with power as the ground shook more.
"Ai yi yi yi! I can't hold it off anymore!" Alpha cried as he was knocked off his feet. Zack and Billy lost their footing, sending them crashing into Jason and Trini. They fell to the floor, Tommy and I following shortly behind. A bright white light pierced through the room, spinning in a similar fashion as the lights of our colors had before. I watched as it bounced off the walls in its travels before slamming into the glass chamber that was in the front of the room, not breaking the glass. It hovered in there for a moment before disappearing, with it the shaking.
"Alpha 5, can you read me?" A deep man's voice said from the tube as it began to glow. Alpha climbed to his feet, meekly looking up at the tube. "Alpha 5, can you read me?"
"Z-Z-Z-Zordon?" Alpha asked in a hushed voice.
"Alpha! Channel in on my location. I'm losing my connection!" The voice called. Alpha leapt towards the control panel, furiously pressing buttons. I rose to my feet, watching as the light in the chamber started to form the shape of a humanoid head. I could make out facial features such as a pair of eyes and a nose.
"Almost there! Come on, Zordon!" Alpha called, banging his fist on the panel. The image cleared quickly, the father like figure that we once looked up to peered down at the original group of Rangers that were clambering to their feet.
"Thank you, Alpha. Rangers!" Zordon said, the intergalactic being smiling down at us. "It's so good to see you."
"Zordon? Is that really you?" Tommy asked, stepping in front of us. Zordon nodded.
"Yes, Tommy. It is indeed. I know you all must be confused as to why you are here. I will explain everything to you. Alpha, please restore the viewing globe while I speak with the Rangers. I will need it."
"Yes, Zordon." Alpha replied, turning back to the controls.
"Rangers, it's been a long time since I've seen you all together. I understand that the last time I saw most of you, you were putting this life in the past. Something has happened though that has made me need to call you back into action."
"Back in action? Zordon, none of us are Rangers anymore. Trini, Jason, Kim and I all traded our coins off to other people." Zack said, crossing his arms in front of him.
"That is true, Zack. When all of you were asked to join the Rangers, you were given Power Coins and told that they would bring you great powers that you used to defend the Earth. This was not true though. The coins did contain power but it was the power that you were born with inside of your being. The Power Coins only made it that much easier for you to control. When you handed your Power Coins to other people, the coins just brought out their powers. Our futures are planned for us before we are born. The morphing grid is able to find those who possess the power needed to be a Ranger and bring them forth when their time has come. This is why Rita was able to find you, Tommy. When she needed her Green Ranger, she invested in the power of the morphing grid to bring forward the person that would be able to handle it. You were all destined to be Power Rangers because that is what the fates allowed for. Even after passing your powers, you still possess the powers you were born with."
"You mean, we had the power in ourselves all this time?" Jase asked, glancing up at Zordon.
"Yes, Jason. It was locked away when you passed on your coins to the next candidate. Only when they are tapped into with a receptacle are they useable."
"Like the power coins." Billy responded.
"Correct, Billy. With the Power Coins, they harness the power and directed them into your morphers and the power grid."
"Zordon, I don't mean to be rude or anything but aren't you supposed to be dead?" Tommy asked. "We all heard how the Space Rangers were forced to release your energy in order to defeat Zedd, Rita and Divatox."
"When Andros punctures my protective column, it did release my energy and my life force. This did not end my life however. I've spent the last decade travelling through space, watching over Earth and the teams of Rangers that followed after I left. Tommy, I was able to observe your time as a lead of the Dino Thunder Rangers. You did an excellent job leading that team to greatness. This is why I made sure to call you as well as the original five rangers as I made my way back to Earth."
"What's happened?" I asked, wringing my hands in front of me.
"A new enemy has made their way to Earth. They've hidden themselves somewhere in Angel Grove, waiting for the perfect time to attack. That time has come now that Angel Grove is prepping for the reunion. Alpha, do you have the viewing globe ready?"
"Yes, Zordon." We all shifted to look at the glowing sphere at the end of the room. Inside, the image of a person appeared in a fuzzy way. It began to clear though and I let out a gasp when I saw who it was.
"That's the bartender from the hotel." I said, looking up at Tommy. He nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"It is. Who is she Zordon?"
"Her name is Rosita, the Great. She is the daughter of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd." He replied. I made a face.
"Does that mean that the two of them actually had sex?" I muttered under my breath. Trini grimaced in disgust, shaking her head.
"I hope not. Gross."
"Rosita was born from a transfer of power performed by Rita and Zedd before their deaths. Divatox was given the job to guard and raise Rosita to be evil until the time came for her to bring havoc down to Earth. When Divatox was purified, Rosita was shipped to another planet where she continued to learn from those who had served under Zedd prior to his arrival on the moon. She came to Earth a few years ago and has hidden herself among those here in the city. The hotel is the basis of her operations, giving homage to her late parents." The image of Rosita turned from her to the hotel exterior.
"Explains the color scheme." Jason said, scratching the top of his head. "So, what? Do we go and take out the hotel?"
"There's civilians inside." I responded, frowning. "We would need to clear them out before attacking."
"Affirmative. An attack on a building that size will also require some careful planning." Billy stared at the viewing globe for a long moment. "I'm not sure if we have that type of power without the use of Zords."
"Billy is correct. A plan will be needed to care out this type of attack. Also, we will need to develop an item to charter your powers through so that you will have the ability to morph again. The original power coins were destroyed. Something new will be needed to help you transform." Zordon turned his attention to Tommy. "Tommy, do you believe that the power of the dino gems has been successfully drained from them?"
"Well, yeah. They lost their powers after our final battle. The kids even still try to morph but it doesn't work. There's only five of those colors though."
"There are two remaining dino gems that are in hiding. Alpha, try to locate their position now. Tommy, once Alpha tracks them down, you will need to find them and bring them back here to the Command Center. Then, we can transform them into Power Gems."
"Two? We only need a pink one though, Zordon." I said, giving Tommy a confused look. "Black for Zack, red for Jason, blue for Billy, yellow for Trini and white for Tommy. I'm the only one who needs one."
"Unfortunately, the white dino gem will not work with Tommy. He will need a the green dino gem. His powers originated with the green power. It's is the one he is destined to carry. Tommy was only able to use the white mantel because it used the remaining amount of power from the green power coin. He was allowed to tap into it because of its link to the green power."
"Zordon, it's going to take time to track down the dino gems. The computer has been down for so long. It will need to be reprogrammed so that I will be able to use it properly." Alpha said, Billy trying to assist him.
"Alright, Alpha. Rangers, please take your communicators from the equipment room and head back to Angel Grove. Once Alpha locates the gem, we will contact you."
"What is Rosita attacks before that?" Trini asked.
"We will need to find another way to reach your powers then. I believe she is waiting for the perfect moment before attacking. The earthquake that my presence has caused will more than likely cause her to wait to be sure no one has discovered her identity."