IMPORTANT UPDATE: Since I posted this chapter, I have closed the poll asking who Tobi should end up with because it became overwhelmingly one way and I also want to do a new poll: Who should Hunter end up with? PLEASE take just a moment to vote in this poll at the top of my profile page (click on Rogue Ranger to the top left of this). It will help me with chapter 31 if you happen to see that the poll has changed and vote right away! Thank you!
Shameless Promotion #1: I have started a new story called Dustin's First Crush based on Dustin's line from Chapter 10, "I liked a boy in Middle School." You can get to it by going to my profile.
Shameless Promotion #2: I have a DevianART account (rogue-ranger[dot]deviantart[dot]com). Although I've basically been just using images and Photoshop (not everyone can be Rebel Paisley and write and draw), I still think some of the stuff is good. And I made a poster for this chapter!
Author's Note: Although I envisioned this chapter as being some big epic climax, I wasn't really feeling it while I wrote it, so I kind of rushed through it. I have to apologize about that. Sorry in advance! But at least I have a whole bunch of past gen characters. And please vote in the poll!
If this sentence that I am now typing was not here when you read this chapter, I have added a very brief scene with Merrick and Zen-Aku to this chapter.
Review Comments: Wow! I've been getting a lot more reviews! I'm taking this as a good sign!
Thanks Ruon jian for your feedback on who Tobi should end up with and why! It's true that TZD's reaction before the rangers were tossed out of their dimension implies that he did actually care about Tobi after all. I've left other clues too. But, both the poll and the reviewers seem to be spit over this, so I'm willing to go either way. I wish there was an overwhelming direction everyone wanted me to go. Personally, I like goofy Dustin despite his indecisiveness, but that's just me. Consider this though: TZD would have one more thing in common (the first being they have been evil). They each love either the other Dustin or Tobi. So, that could be a bonding element. As far as Dustin and Marah, we'll have to see…
Thanks FinalJudgement for more praise for my story (and PRNS in general)! So, Tori is a guy's name too? I have to admit I didn't know this. And, yes, spandex beats out headbands and whatever jutsus are, especially if Dustin is in the spandex… And, yes, Tori will no longer have to be the only girl. I'm thinking of having Skyla train as a ninja, but not sure what her element would be. And, you can always get the show on DVD. I got them on Ebay pretty cheep and then downloaded the rest of the episodes online and burned them to DVDs. But, I'll admit that I'm obsessed.
Thanks griffin blackwood for your compliment and suggestions! But, I have to tell you that I decided against having Ryan and Hunter end up together. It would severely complicate things (which are already complicated), so I'll make you a deal. I'll find some way to work that into my story Dustin in Heat, since some crazy stuff already happens in there. I also have a request to add Tommy to that story, so I'll have to get around to typing something up soon. As far as Alyssa being pink, I decided to make a reference in here to why I consider her pink. However, when I was going through who the Pink Protectors should be, I realized that it would be too much of a coincidence if all the pink rangers turned good, so they should mostly be former villians. Oh, and I just have to brag that this chapter means that I have officially written more chapters for PRNS than you wrote for your story PRNS Hurricane Chronicles! So, Mwahaha right back at you!
Thanks Ghostwriter for your continued reviews and encouragement! I hope this chapter turns out to be better than I thought it did (based on what it could have been)!
Thanks YellowPrincess for your constant praise and support! I will do more with Skyla and Shane in the future and probably have her train as a ninja with him. As for Dustin and Tobi, I have to admit that it's nice to finally have them together. I hope it lasts, but the reviewers and the poll seem so close… As for Hunter, I'm thinking of a significant Tori/Hunter moment in the next chapter, but I'm not sure yet who he'll end up with (which probably means another poll!). And, lastly, more Ryan in this chapter, as well as a bunch of other past gen characters. They don't get that much time though because there's so many things happening at once.
Thanks Zach Denali for your unarticulated love of my story! ;) But how did you read everything in one day? That's over six and a half thousand words an hour (over 160,000 total), unless of course you actually took a break, but then I guess I'm not the only one who gets next to no sleep! I'm glad you liked it though! If you come up with a way to compliment my story more, I'm completely open to it! And, If you haven't done so already, please vote in the poll!
Thanks Magichalo for your much appreciated feedback! As for the switching between the spirit world and reality being slightly confusing, some of it may be a result of editing that I did, but I will say that it was also a challenge for me to write (but I'm always up for a challenge) and I'm glad to have everyone back into the world of the living. Now, speaking of confusing, since I wasn't really feeling this chapter as I wrote it and yet it's intended to have a bunch of things happening at once, I hope this chapter doesn't end up confusing. As for Hunter/TZD in regard to TZD's secret files, TZD having feelings for Tobi and Hunter having feelings for Dustin can be a bonding factor in the same way that similar feelings in Tori and Hunter can serve to bond them. But, I guess we'll see what happens…
Previously in Parallel Realities Ninja Storm:
Cam, Blake and Sensei meet Ryan Mitchell, Dana and Alyssa in their quest to get grumpy Sensei to help convince Cam's mother to help try to distract Dark Omega. Ryan agrees to have Kimberly ready to help too, despite her history of hunting down the other pink Power Rangers. Meanwhile, the others head up the Mountain of Lost Ninjas with Skyla and Tobi's body. Tobi overhears Tori telling Hunter that Dustin should choose Tobi over him. Later, in the Cavern of Spirits, Leanne tries to bring herself back to life while Tobi tries to convince Skyla to have the others use the Gem of Souls on her. In the end, Tobi is resurrected, the Bradley parents and Leanne have some parting words for Hunter, and Tobi heals Skyla, though in the process she becomes human. Meanwhile, Dustin tells Tobi that he chooses him. Then Dark Omega shows up and steals the remains of the Gem of Souls to power the Dragon Zord. The rangers become trapped in the collapsing cave and Tobi blows up the Mountain of Lost Ninjas to save them. They then proceed to the circus, where the Dragon Zord is headed to open the Abyss of Evil...
Parallel Realities Ninja Storm: Chapter 30 (Battle for the Fate of the Twilight Zone)
When Shane, Skyla, Hunter, Tori and Tobi arrived at the circus, it was filled with humans, aliens and kelzacks, all of whom looked like they were preparing for something big. "Move aside!" what looked like a pink and silver robot called as several other plain gray robots carried an oversized cannon past the rangers. The cannon was then followed by several other humans and aliens in pink running by.
"Cogs!" Dustin declared happily, turning his head. "Like from Power Rangers Zeo! Oh, and it's Archerina! And Astronema and Trakeena! Oh, Toxica!" He was pointing wildly.
"Pardon us," a woman with a gold face covering and a dark pink and gold outfit that accentuated her cleavage said apologetically as they passed.
"Man, I'm never gonna get used to that," Shane commented.
"Get used to what?" Tori asked.
"That those guys are good and it's the Power Rangers that are evil," he explained.
"I think it's kinda cool," Dustin chimed in.
"Yeah," Tobi agreed. "Who says someone has to be evil because they're not quite human?"
"He has a point," Tori suggested. "Consider Sensei."
"I guess so," Shane conceded, watching Skyla. "There's definitely good aliens out there."
"Blake!" Hunter called, noticing his brother with Sensei on his shoulder looking around.
"Hey," Blake greeted his brother and the others as he ran over to them. "You guys are a mess!"
The others grinned sheepishly. "We, uh, had a little run in with dirt," Hunter explained.
"I can see that," Blake agreed.
"You should have been there!" Dustin chimed in. "It was awesome! TZT blew up a whole mountain!" He waved his arms and made a "boom" sound.
Blake raised an eyebrow. "You blew up the Mountain of Lost Ninjas?"
"It was either that or be buried alive," Hunter defended.
"Right," Blake said, eying Tobi suspiciously.
"Yo, where's Cam?" Shane asked, looking around.
"He's with the other Sensei and his mom," Blake explained, "but he said he'll be here as soon as he can." He shrugged. "Guess she's taking some real convincing. And, Tobi, glad to see you back in action."
"Yeah," Tobi agreed. "So, you're not gonna be paranoid about me kissing you anymore?"
"Paranoid?" Blake repeated defensively. "I wasn't paranoid."
"Bro, you were so paranoid," Hunter said with a nod.
Blake frowned at his brother. "I don't care if he kisses me," he insisted. Everyone gave him surprised looks. "Not that I want him to!" he quickly added. "I'm just not freaked out over it."
Tori eyed him suspiciously before looking over at her brother.
"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about," Tobi told Blake, glancing at Dustin. "Once you go yellow, you never go back."
"I thought that was black," Blake said, confused, before realizing. "Ah," he mumbled, eyes darting between Tobi and Dustin. "I get it." He then gave his brother a questioning look.
Dustin giggled to himself before pausing. His eyes glazed over for a moment, but, before they could ask him what was wrong, they felt the vibration too. Looking off into the distance, they saw the massive Dragon Zord stomping its way toward the carnival.
"Here it comes!" Frax called as he approached with several Golden Guardians. "Make certain Eric and Wes are ready."
"Yes, sir," one of his men agreed before running off.
"Ah, Frax," a pink haired woman in a large white outfit greeted. "I see we'll be working together again."
"So it appears, Nadira," Frax agreed. "Just make sure your Pink Protectors do not interfere with our operations."
Nadira frowned. "What is she doing here?"
The others turned to see Ryan approaching with two demon-like aliens who had Kimberly and Billy in chains.
"I have been assured that Mr. Mitchell has a good reason for his actions," Frax explained.
"I always do!" Ryan chimed in, approaching the rangers and glancing toward the Dragon Zord. "Looks like it's time."
"Yeah," Blake agreed. "And, Ryan, these are my friends, the Power Rangers. The good Power Rangers," he clarified.
"I was paying attention," Ryan promised him while looking Hunter up and down suggestively. "Hi, I'm Ryan Mitchell," he greeted.
"Uh, Hunter," the crimson ranger replied nervously as he was sized up like a piece of meat.
Tori watched this with suspicion. "And I'm Tori," she suddenly interrupted, but Ryan just gave her a passing glance.
Blake too noticed Ryan's wandering eyes. "Did I mention that Ryan is Goldwinger's lover?" he added.
Ryan blushed. "That's true," he admitted, "or was true at least."
The others exchanged surprised and slightly disgusted expressions.
Crash! The Dragon Zord smashed its way through the circus entrance, crushing the ticket and snack stands into just splinters.
"Sorry we're late," a voice called as Cam came running over with grumpy Sensei on his shoulder and his mother in tow.
"And Raijin Omino is really in that Zord?" she asked her son skeptically as the three approached.
"Yes," Cam answered. "We never said this was going to be easy."
"With Kanoi, nothing ever is," she mumbled.
"I heard that!" grumpy Sensei told her.
Shane turned to Dustin. "Dustin, take Skyla and Tobi back to Ninja Ops with the Senseis."
"What? Why?" Dustin protested. "You guys are gonna need Awesome Dude!" he reminded him while pointing toward the logo on his chest.
"I'm with Shane on this," Hunter said, earning him a slightly surprised look from Shane.
"Yeah, we'll all feel better that way," Tori added as she looked directly at Tobi.
"The rangers are correct," Sensei said, hopping from Blake's to Tobi's shoulder. "We could all prove to be more of a distraction than an asset."
"My dad's right," Cam chimed in while lifting grumpy Sensei off his shoulder. "We don't want to lose any of you… again." His eyes met Tobi's and he looked like he was forcing himself to remain his usual unemotional self.
"Let me go!" grumpy Sensei demanded. "I want to stay with Miko."
"To make sure I follow your plan?" Cam's mother asked the squirming guinea pig.
"No," grumpy Sensei disagreed. "I… want to make sure nothing happens to you."
She gave him a surprised look.
"I'll make sure they're both safe," Ryan promised them just as the Dragon Zord obliterated a carousel, sending plastic horses flying in all directions as it continued to stomp forward. Suddenly a pink beam from the Pink Protectors' cannon hit its side, but otherwise the cannon did nothing to slow its progress.
"Now, the rest of you, get back to Ops," Shane said quickly to his unmorphed friends.
"Dustin's right," Tobi suggested. "We can help you."
At that moment, the Dragon Zord stopped walking and shot a glowing beam of energy out of its mouth. The beam blasted straight through a ferris wheel, sending it rolling off its supports and crashing into the Fun House. Then, as the beam reached the ground, it began drilling through it.
"We should go," Skyla told Dustin and Tobi as she watched the concern on Shane's face.
Tobi looked at Dustin's disappointed face, but gestured for them to go. As they turned, though, Dustin's eyes suddenly glossed over. "What's wrong?" Tobi asked him.
"This is so not good," he mumbled mostly to himself.
"Dustin, what do you—?" Tobi began just as Dark Omega streaked out of the Zord and landed near where the bean was drilling deep into the earth.
"Tommy…" Kimberly whispered to herself.
"Looks like it's time," Ryan said, glancing at Cam.
"Blake, Hunter," Cam addressed. "You mentioned before that your parents in this dimension gave you your Thunder Zords."
"That's right," Blake remembered.
"It's time to use them against the Dragon Zord," Shane said, nodding toward the brothers.
Hunter and Blake both pressed a button on their morphers and looked around while Cam turned to his mother. "Are you ready?" he asked her.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she grumbled. "I'm only doing this to save the world, like I said."
"Of course," Cam agreed with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Hunter and Blake spotted two insect-shaped Zords approaching. "That's our cue," Blake told the others.
"Good luck," Tori called as the two streaked off.
The two Insect Zords combined to form the Thunder Megazord, which promptly began attacking the Dragon Zord. The Dragon Zord stopped its beam of energy so that it could turn its attention to the attacking Thunder Megazord. Whipping its tail around, it began drilling through its opponent.
"Meddlers," Dark Omega called, raising his hands.
"Now!" Ryan told Kimberly.
"Tommy!" Kimberly called out, still in chains next to Billy.
Cam turned to his mother, who nodded hesitantly. "Raijin!" she called.
As predicted, Dark Omega paused, lowing his arms. "Those names no longer hold meaning to me." He grinned and two black tentacles shot out of his body and launched themselves toward the two women.
Cam and Shane managed to streak the two away just in time before prompting them to continue.
"It's me, Miko," Cam's mom continued, glancing at Cam's arms wrapped around her protectively.
"And it's me, Kimberly," the former pink ranger declared, adding, "Tommy, you have to listen! I love you!"
Dark Omega just stood there now, listening.
"And, Raijin, I…" Cam's mom hesitated.
"You can do this," Cam assured her, noticing the struggle on Dark Omega's face.
She nodded. "You know I always had an interest in you. I just didn't pursue it because…" She looked lost in thought.
"And you know I've always loved you!" Kimberly chimed in. "I killed Kat just to be with you!"
"I don't know why I didn't pursue it," Cam's mom continued. "There was something about Kanoi… He was so silly and…" She laughed at something she remembered. "And he used to not take anything too seriously. That's why I thought it would work out between us, especially when our son shared his qualities. But, after Kanoi became a guinea pig… he changed." She bit her lip. "But I think he can change again." She paused, turning to look at the guinea pig now near Ryan. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "I can't do this."
"Don't be stubborn!" grumpy Sensei demanded. "You can do it."
"No, I can't," she disagreed. "I love… you."
Grumpy Sensei gave her a surprised look before hopping onto her shoulder. "Really?" he asked.
She nodded. "You're not the only one surprised," she replied.
"We're going to lose this," Ryan warned as Dark Omega's body began to shake.
Shane looked from the two women to Dark Omega and decided to speak up. "Sensei Omino, we all saw your daughter Leanne when we were in the Mountain of Lost Ninjas. She said she forgives you and that… she loves you."
Dark Omega's body began to convulse as Kimberly called out that she loved Dr. Oliver.
"Aaaaaah!" Dark Omega screamed, his whole body blurring.
"Get ready!" Frax ordered. His men promptly readied their weapons as did Shane, Tori and Cam.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Zord paused in its attack against the Thunder Megazord. This allowed the Megazord a good strong punch that sent the Dragon Zord crashing to the ground.
Snap! Suddenly Dark Omega's body split in two and two separate figures fell to the ground, a small silver amulet dropping between them.
"Tommy!" Kimberly cried, her arms suddenly glowing with a pink light. The thick metal chains around her wrists sparkled for a moment before falling off her and, in an instant, she had streaked to the side of one of the two figures, Dr. Oliver.
Dr. Oliver looked up, looking dazed until his eyes met with Kimberly's. "Kim, I didn't mean to do any of it. I'm… sorry. And I love you too."
"I know," she agreed, hugging him.
The other figure looked up, glancing around himself as the Golden Guardians and the Pink Protectors moved in on him and Kimberly. "What have I done…?" the reformed Sensei Omino breathed, blinking back tears. "Leanne…"
"Like, how come I can't do that?" Billy complained, trying to free himself but not succeeding.
Cam turned to his mother, grumpy Sensei still on her shoulder. "Thank you," he told her sincerely.
"No, thank you," she replied, glancing at her guinea pig husband. "I realized something tonight."
"I think we all did," grumpy Sensei agreed.
Meanwhile, Tobi, Sensei, Dustin and Skyla looked back at the others from a distance. "I guess they didn't need us after all," Tobi commented.
Dustin frowned. "It's because I'm not a Power Ranger," he declared.
"But you're still Awesome Dude!" Tobi reminded him.
Dustin grinned slightly. "Yeah," he said, biting his bottom lip.
"And that's more than enough," Tobi told him, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze.
"They were just worried about our safety," Skyla added.
"Right," Tobi agreed, frowning. "Hey, Sensei," he asked the guinea pig on his shoulder. "You know how I was able to train to be a ninja? Do you think Skyla could too?" He offered Skyla a smile.
"I don't know if I could ever be…" Skyla began.
"You can do anything you put your mind to," Sensei replied.
"What about my destiny?" she asked him.
He twitched his nose. "I may have been wrong about the absolute nature of destiny," he conceded.
Tobi gave him a surprised look before noticing the vacant expression on Dustin's normally animated face. "Dustin, what's wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"We have to warn the others," Dustin said, running back toward the carnival.
Overhead, the Dragon Zord had completely stopped moving and the Bradley brothers were having a field day knocking it around with their Thunder Megazord.
Tobi and Skyla exchanged confused looks before following Dustin.
"Look out!" Dustin called just as the ground began to rumble.
Crack! Suddenly the hole where the Dragon Zord's beam had been drilling broke open, the ground collapsing at its sides. A couple Golden Guardians were caught off guard and fell into the earth.
"I thought we told you guys to go back to Ops," Shane scolded as the others caught up with Dustin.
Just then the ground spit in two down the center of the carnival. The Pink Protectors managed to jump away, but their cannon was swallowed up as a huge chasm formed.
Shane streaked over the gap to grab Skyla and streak her out of the way while Dustin dove into Tobi, knocking him away from the slitting ground. The earth ranger ended up on top of the long haired blonde in the process.
"Thanks," Tobi breathed, gazing up at Dustin as he felt the weight of his body on him.
Dustin just stared at Tobi for a moment, blinking.
"I like this position too, but we're going to have to move," Tobi reminded him.
"Oh, sorry," Dustin mumbled. "I just…" He then stood up, helping Tobi to his feet.
"Just…?" Tobi prompted.
Dustin grinned nervously. "I'll tell you later, TZT."
Tobi just nodded, watching Dustin as he checked on the others.
With the Dragon Zord down for the count, Hunter and Blake streaked out of their Thunder Megazord and down to their friends. "You guys okay?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah," Dustin assured him before glancing back at the growing chasm.
"What now?" Blake asked, gesturing toward the cracked ground.
"Something's like coming out of the earth," Dustin explained as a gust of steam shot into the air from the crack.
"From the Abyss of Evil," Cam added, giving the others a worried look.
"Ahhhhhhh," a booming voice sighed loudly. Everyone watched as a glowing figure rose out of the abyss, its body slightly blurred by the steam. "I called the amulet to me and it obeyed," the figure declared, reaching out a hand. Instantly, the silver Shade Amulet flew from the collapsing ground to him.
"That's why no matter who possessed the amulet, they wanted to come here," Cam realized outloud, "to open the Abyss of Evil using the Dragon Zord."
"It can't be…" Dr. Oliver mouthed as Kimberly tried to fight off the Golden Guardians that were holding the two down.
"Arise my children!" the figure called back down into the abyss.
Flash! A rainbow of every color of Power Rangers climbed out of the earth and stood below the hovering figure.
"More Power Rangers?" Shane asked, confused.
"They're Power Rangers who were killed," Ryan said, approaching with an arm around Dana.
"I said I'm fine," Dana told her brother, shrugging his arm away.
"None of us will be," Ryan commented.
"Why not?" Blake asked.
"Because he's back," Ryan replied.
"Who?" Hunter asked.
"Zordon," Frax answered as he signaled for his men to attack.
"Zordon?" Dustin repeated. "Isn't he supposed to like be some big head in a tube?"
Ryan gave him a confused look. "This is his human form," he explained, "the one that was killed. He turned to Frax. "Frax, contact my dad and let him know what's happened."
Frax nodded before signaling for Wes.
Behind the evil Power Rangers emerged two more figures, one fat and the other skinny. "The fresh air of freedom," the skinny one commented, "right Professor Bulk?"
"Air? Where?" the fat one replied. "Oh, Master Skull, I made a rhyme!"
The skinny one sighed loudly.
"But Zordon's dead," Tobi commented outloud. "I watched him be destroyed. He can't be…" He waved his hands, but didn't finish his sentence.
Tori put a hand on Tobi's arm. "Tobi calm down," she said quietly.
"He was there," Tobi replied. "He made the Zords and he created the Power Rangers. He's responsible for our mom's death."
Dustin looked from Tobi's expression to Tori's hand and reached out his own hand to touch Tobi's opposite arm. "It'll be okay, TZT," Dustin assured him. "If the dude can die once, he can do it again."
"Right," Tobi nodded, blinking.
"And now, to reclaim the Earth," Zordon exhaled, waving an arm toward the Dragon Zord.
Instantly, the Dragon Zord began transforming into a Megazord. Its arms and legs extended to resemble a more humanoid shape. The new Dragon Megazord then reached out and a staff appeared in its metal hand.
"Go forth and conquer!" Zordon called and the Dragon Megazord began stomping its way back toward downtown Blue Bay Harbor.
Hunter and Blake nodded before streaking back into their Thunder Megazord and following the Dragon Megazord.
Meanwhile, the Pink Protectors and Golden Guardians began attacking the evil Power Rangers. Zordon looked down at Dr. Oliver, Kimberly and Billy. "My children, join the fun," he called. Instantly, the three former rangers spontaneously morphed.
"Woah, like I never saw that coming!" Billy yelled, snapping out of his chains and examining his blue Power Ranger Suit.
"For old time's sake?" Kimberly, now in her pink Power Ranger suit, asked Dr. Oliver, who was in white and gold.
"Kim…" a voice growled, causing Kimberly to look over and see a Power Ranger in an identical suit to hers.
"Kat?" Kimberly replied. "But I killed you…"
"Yeah, so now it's my chance to return the favor," Katherine said before kicking her fellow pink ranger back.
Dr. Oliver started to attack, but, as the two pink rangers tumbled around, he quickly lost track of which one was which. That was when a Power Ranger in red attacked him.
"Rocky?" Billy asked, running over.
The red ranger paused, looking at the blue ranger. "Billy," he greeted.
"Ohmygod!" Billy screamed. "It is you!"
"That's right, butt boy," Rocky said. "It's time to get your ass pounded." He then kicked Billy to the ground before tackling him.
"This is actually really fun," Alyssa commented as she grabbed an evil ranger's head and smashed it into her fist rather than let the fist do the punching.
"Don't get carried away, Alyssa" Dana warned while dodging a rolling attack from Professor Bulk. "We're medics now, not Power Rangers."
"Did I ever tell you why they called me the pink ranger even though I wore white?" Alyssa asked while kicking a male Power Ranger in the crotch.
"Because there was no pink Power Ranger on your team and you frequently wear pink," Dana concluded.
"Yeah, we'll go with that," Alyssa said with a laugh, "and ignore the fact that smeared blood looks pink on a white outfit."
Just then, a tall creature with two long horns on his head approached with Mayor Lothor and several other aliens.
"Dad?" Ryan declared, surprised.
"Governor Diabolico," Frax greeted. "How did you get here so fast?"
"Lothor has been in contact with President Org and I was made aware of the situation," Diabolico explained. "And I'm not alone." He motioned behind him as six enlarged aliens stomped their way toward the battling Dragon Megazord and Thunder Megazord.
"The insect Megazord is on our side," Ryan explained quickly. "Only the Dragon Megazord is being controlled by Zordon, so maybe you can spare a few of them to take on Zordon himself."
"A wise decision, my son," Governor Diabolico agreed.
"Let's do this!" a black wolf growled.
"I'm with Zen-Aku," another demon-like alien agreed.
Diabolico just nodded and the aliens immediately took on the evil Power Rangers.
"Ah, toys," Zordon declared from high in the air above the carnival. He waved a hand and the Dragon Megazord aimed its staff at a giant alien. Instantly, the alien was vaporized. All that remained was falling powder.
"Tengas, attack!" a voice called as two figures appeared out of thin air.
"Former President Zedd! Madam Repulsa!" Frax declared, surprised.
"I hope we're not too late," Zedd commented. "Although I have such a headache."
"Poor baby," Rita Repulsa told him. "You work too hard. It's vacation time after we finally defeat Zordon once and for all."
"You've got a deal, snookums!" Zedd happily agreed before the two looked up at Zordon as a swarm of black bird-like creatures attacked the hovering being.
Zordon crossed his arms for only a moment and the flying tengas instantly became nothing more than falling feathers. "And, now," Zordon called down, "I sense my other amulet is also near." He waved an arm and several kelzacks that Mayor Lothor had brought flew off the ground before shooting through the air and hitting one of the oversized aliens. Upon contact, both the kelzacks and the enlarged alien vaporized. "No, not there," Zordon declared.
Suddenly Frax and Divatox were sucked into the air. "Frax!" Eric and Wes called from below.
Nadira jumped toward Frax and Divatox, managing to grab each by a foot before Eric and Wes dove after them.
"Gold, but not what I'm looking for," Zordon's booming voice called as the five were sent flying through the air.
Just before they collided with one of the giant aliens, Shane and Tori had streaked up and grabbed them. But, as the seven reached the ground, the large alien still vaporized.
"I'm afraid there is no salvation for those I have decided to do away with," Zordon said, wagging his finger before pulling his hands back. An enormous black ball began to form in his palms. Then, pushing his hands forward, the ball launched toward the seven.
As they scattered, Tobi streaked between them and the massive black ball. Raising his arms, he sent out a wave of energy. Instantly the ball flew back toward Zordon, who just knocked it aside. As the ball then hit the ground, it vaporized a building as well as the surrounding kelzacks, Golden Guardians and even evil Power Rangers.
Grumpy Sensei managed to jump into Mayor Lothor, knocking him out of the way just in time. "Thanks," Lothor told him.
"What are brothers for?" grumpy Sensei commented before hopping back to check on his wife.
"Ah, so there it is," Zordon called, staring down at Tobi.
Tobi felt the amulet being pulled toward Zordon, so he held it tightly. Of course, this made him fly off the ground.
"Tobi!" Tori called.
"Stubborn child," Zordon told Tobi, "but easily remedied."
A wall of dark energy flew toward Tobi and he focused all his effort on pushing against it. As he pushed harder, the wall dissipated.
"You have something of mine," Zordon told him. "Give it to me and I will allow you to live."
"If you're talking about the Sun Amulet, it's not yours," Tobi replied, while struggling to keep a hold on the amulet in his hands.
"Of course it's mine," Zordon argued. "Who do you think founded the Dawn Temple thousands of years ago? It will never obey you the way it does me." He tilted his palm and immediately the Sun Amulet began to burn against Tobi's grip.
"Ah!" Tobi screamed as his hands turned black. He wanted to release his grip, but instead he focused on healing his charred palms. "You killed my mother," he said through gritted teeth, "and I'm going to be the one to kill you."
"You'll have to be more specific," Zordon declared. "I have killed so many humans."
"She was an overworked, underpaid mother of twins, myself and my sister," Tobi explained. "We were never the same after that. No one was ever the same."
"So, you care about what became of the survivors," Zordon mused. "I suppose you would be heartbroken if everyone below us were to die at this moment."
Tobi's eyes grew wide as Zordon shot high up into the air until he could no longer be seen. The pull on Tobi's body stopped and he felt back down to the earth. But, before he hit the ground, Dustin had streaked up and caught him. When they landed, Dustin was carrying him bridal style.
"My hero!" Tobi couldn't help but declare as he put his arms around Dustin's neck.
Dustin blushed and shook his head.
"What's that?" Shane asked, drawing their attention to the sky.
Overhead, their view of the moon and stars was obscured in a large, circular area.
"No…" Shane mumbled before turning to the others. "Something… big is coming down on us."
Tobi jumped out of Dustin's arms and looked up while forcing a wave of energy against the massive descending black ball. This time, the ball of dark energy was several miles wide and he had a hard time forcing a wave of energy against all of it.
Blast! Tobi's repelling force managed to bounce back most of the dark energy, but it still left a narrow circular line in a several mile wide radius around the circus. Where the band of dark energy hit, building and even streets were turned to dust.
High in the air, Zordon knocked the ball aside, but Tobi was ready for this and forced it back upward. It kept going until it left the atmosphere. As the moon came into view, a new crater formed on its surface, one so large that it could be seen from Earth.
"Tobi, use the Gem of Souls," Skyla told him as she approached.
"What?" Tobi asked.
"I don't know," Skyla replied while Shane streaked to her and put an arm around her protectively. She looked at Shane. "It's just a feeling."
Shane looked from Skyla to Tobi, shaking his head. "We're not doing this."
"No, wait," Tobi objected. "I have an idea. The Gem of Souls is in the Dragon Megazord, right?"
"Yes," Cam said as he gave Tobi a warning look.
"Okay," Tobi replied, nodding.
"If your plan involves sacrificing yourself again, you can forget about it," Tori warned.
"It's not that kind of a plan," he assured them. "When I touched the Dragon Zord, it started to transform. I might be able to get inside it and control it."
"I'm not sure about this plan," Tori said, concerned.
"If you have another idea, let me know," Tobi suggested.
The others exchanged concerned looks before the Sensei on Tobi's shoulder spoke up. "You can do it."
Tobi turned to him, surprised.
"It may be your destiny," Sensei told him.
"Even though I'm choosing it?" Tobi asked.
"Because you are choosing it," Sensei concluded.
"Right," Tobi said, grinning as Sensei hopped over to Cam's shoulder.
Dustin put his hands on both Tobi's arms, stopping him. "TZT," he said slowly, "I belive in you, but I… I want you to know why I believe in you. I…" He bit his bottom lip.
"Dustin," Tobi said with a smile, "I love you too." He gave him a quick kiss before streaking off toward the Dragon Megazord, leaving Dustin's arms empty.
"He'll be okay," Tori told Dustin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He has to be…"
"Blake and Hunter," Shane called into his morpher. "Guys, hold up on attacking the Dragon Megazord. Tobi's gonna try… something." Hunter could clearly be heard making a growl-like sigh.
Nearby, Cam commented, "I hope he knows what he's doing."
"He is following his inner ninja," Sensei assured his son.
Cam just nodded while Tobi streaked to the top of the Dragon Megazord and looked around for a hatch or door. When he spotted it, he touched the metal surface with one hand while holding the Sun Amulet in the other. Immediately, the hatch turned gold and then opened. He took one look around at all the massive aliens and Thunder Megazord before slipping inside.
As he climbed down the head of the Dragon Megazord, he passed a cockpit. Continuing down the ladder, he looked for the heart of the giant robot. At last, he came to a hollowed out area filled with a collection of small glowing gem fragments. They cast an eerie green light around him as he quickly went about gathering up the fragments.
Once the last fragment was removed, he turned to leave. As he did so, he leaned on the interior of the Dragon Megazord's heart that he was in. As he did so, energy flowed from the Sun Amulet toward the wall and it began to turn gold. He paused, turning back to the center of the small enclosure and thinking. He reached out and set the Sun Amulet down carefully where the fragments of the Gem of Souls had been. Immediately, both the amulet and the interior began to glow.
"I hope this works," Tobi said as he turned around and climbed back up to the cockpit that he had seen earlier. Clank! Click! Thump! All around him, the Dragon Megazord began to transform and turn gold.
Down on the ground, the others looked up as the Dragon Megazord began to form a massive winged gold bird, a phoenix.
"Woah, dude!" Dustin declared. "TZT did it!"
Hunter and Blake streaked down to the others. "Does he know what he's doing?" Hunter immediately asked.
"I hope so," Tori told him quietly as the Phoenix Zord flew up into the air toward Zordon.
"I'm here!" a voice called as the others turned to see Kapri running over.
"Kapri!" Dustin called. "Where's Marah?"
"Geo and Destiny are asleep, so she's like keeping an eye on them," Kapri explained.
"Our last Pink Protector made it," Nadira greeted Kapri.
"You're a Pink Protector?" Tori asked skeptically.
"It's the pink hair," Shane whispered.
"Nadira's my…" Kapri began, thinking, "great great great granddaughter."
The others looked at Nadira.
"So, she missed a few greats," Nadira commented. "A thousand years in the future is a long time."
The others stared at her blankly, except for Dustin, who nodded. "Totally," he agreed.
Kapri then joined the fight against the evil Power Rangers, using a freeze ability on them.
Zap! A blast of energy shot from a puffy looking blue ninja ranger, but Dana dove in front of it before the beam could hit her brother Ryan. The impact sent her flying into the abyss.
Suddenly a hand gripper hers and stopped her descent. She looked up to see Governor Diabolico. "Dad?" she asked as Ryan helped them both up.
"Why did you feel it necessary to nearly give your own life for your brother's?" Diabolico asked.
"Because you've always loved him more," Dana confessed as the two climbed back to the surface.
"Why would you think…" Diabolico began before pausing. "It is true that I have shown some favoritism in the past," he conceded, "but I never knew it affected you so. You never were one to make your feelings known." He held her closer. "I am sorry and I love you both… equally."
She smiled up at her father.
"Ah, a smile from my daughter," Diabolico commented. "This must be the end of the world."
"Pretty much," Ryan agreed, looking around.
Behind them, Bulk and Skull were blasted back by Rita and Zedd, but the two quickly regained their footing.
"Cannonball?" Bulk asked.
"Cannonball," Skull repeated and Bulk rolled his body into Rita and Zedd, who were knocked over like bowling pins.
Nearby, Zen-Aku jumped aside just before he spotted an evil ranger in a blue wolf suit. "Ah, Merrick," he growled, "so our paths cross again."
"I had a lot of time in the abyss to think about what I did," Merrick told him. "And I regret it."
"Somehow I doubt that," Zen-Aku replied with a strong kick to Merrick's gut.
"I don't want to fight you," Merrick pleaded, raising his hands.
"But I want to fight you," Zen-Aku assured him.
Merrick blocked his attack this time. "Look inside yourself and you'll see that we're still one."
Zen-Aku paused in the middle of his attack before suddenly turning to the side and smashing Skull into Bulk with his fist. He glanced at Merrick, but didn't say anything more.
Merrick nodded before turning to attack his fellow evil Power Rangers, Zen-Aku by his side.
Meanwhile, high up in the air, the Phoenix Zord shot a ray of concentrated gold light at Zordon, but he simply waved the energy away. "You are no match for me," he declared.
The hatch on top of the Phoenix Zord opened and Tobi climbed out, his hair blowing wildly in the wind. "Five years ago, I was helpless," he said, stepping onto the top of the Phoenix Zord's head. "I couldn't save my mom and my sister had to leave her to save me." He shook his head. "But now, I'm anything but helpless and it's time for you to pay."
"Ah, but it is you who will pay," Zordon disagreed, waving his hand.
Tobi was nearly thrown off the Phoenix Zord as it bucked wildly in the air. He fell to his knees while trying to stay balanced.
"As you can see, I am ultimately in control," Zordon told him with a laugh. "The Shade and Sun amulets are equally matched, just as light and dark are equal, and I control them both."
Tobi looked up at the glowing figure before him. "That's where you're wrong. Shadows are just the absence of light. Darkness is nothing by itself, but light is something."
"Ah, but darkness can also be something," Zordon disagreed. "It can be death." He pointed to the ground and Tobi tried to deflect whatever he was doing, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. He wasn't sure if his friends were okay. He wasn't even sure if Dustin was okay… And, as he looked down at his wrist, he saw that he no longer had a communicator to find out.
Tobi felt his eyes begin to glow as his hands closed into fists. This had to end now, he thought to himself. In his tight palm, he felt the fragments of the Gem of Souls and could sense the strands of life reaching out from the pieces and intertwining with his own life force. That was when he threw them directly at Zordon and pictured fire in his mind.
Instantly, the fragments exploded on contact with Zordon in a blazing flash of light and burning energy. When the light faded, he began to drop from the sky.
At the same time, so did the Phoenix Zord. Unfortunately, this also meant that Tobi was falling too. Climbing back into the Phoenix Zord, he managed to regain control and land just as Zordon's body hit the earth.
Flash! On the ground, the array of different colored Power Rangers suddenly unmorphed. This included Dr. Oliver and Kimberly, who approached the fallen Zordon as the glowing from his body began to flicker.
Dr. Oliver reached out, taking the Shade Amulet out of Zordon's hand.
Suddenly Zordon's eyes shot open and he looked up at Dr. Oliver. "Stop!" he demanded, reaching out weakly. "Traitor! But I will have the last laugh. It obeys only me!"
Kimberly looked at Dr. Oliver, concern in her eyes as he looked from her down to the amulet in his hands. He paused before shrugging and then tossing the Shade Amulet into the chasm behind him, where it tumbled down into the Abyss of Evil.
Immediately, Kimberly hugged him and he hesitated only momentarily before hugging her back.
"You're under arrest!" Wes called, approaching Zordon with Eric as the glow from Zordon's body stopped completely and he became a shriveled up old bald man.
"Have pity on me!" Zordon begged. "My powers are gone. I am helpless."
"I happen to know from experience never to trust you," Zedd warned as he approached Eric and Wes. "And I think President Org feels the same way."
"Yay!" Rita cheered. "Now it's vacation time!"
Zedd did a little dance with Rita as Tobi streaked down to check on the others. "Guys?" he called out.
"TZT, dude, you were awesome!" Dustin called, running up to him with Skyla, who had Sensei on her shoulder.
"Is everyone okay?" Tobi asked. "My communicator's gone for some reason, so I couldn't check on you guys from up there."
"We're fine, Tobi," Tori told him as she approached.
"Hey, Tor!" Dustin greeted. "Check out TZT's new Zord!"
"It's a phoenix," Cam commented, approaching with his mother. "Born from the ashes of death to new life." The others looked at him blankly. "Or so the legend goes," he added.
"Hold on," Tobi called, streaking back to the Zord before returning with the Sun Amulet.
"What happened to the Shade Amulet?" Cam asked.
"It was thrown into the abyss," Shane explained as he approached with Hunter and Blake.
Tobi turned to the massive gap in the earth and then back to Dustin. "We need to seal this thing."
Dustin grinned. "Finally, a job for Awesome Dude!" He placed his hands on his hips before bending over and touching the ground.
Rumble! The ground began to shake as the abyss slowly sealed itself, the two pieces of land reforming together. The others looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Now I bet you guys are glad we didn't bail on you," Dustin declared happily.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Shane apologized, throwing an arm over Dustin's shoulder and another around Skyla, "but we worry about you."
"I thought Tori's supposed to be the one who worries," Dustin pointed out.
"We all worry about the people we care about," Cam told him while glancing at his mother with grumpy Sensei on her shoulder.
"Cam's right," Hunter agreed, nodding.
"So, that means you care about me?" Tobi asked, surprised.
Hunter furrowed his brow. "Yeah," he agreed. "You're my friend."
Tobi offered him a smile before wondering outloud, "So, where do we keep the Zord?"
"I'll think of something," Cam offered.
"Don't worry about a thing," Goldwinger said, landing next to them. "I've got things covered!"
Just then, Ryan ran over to him. "Goldie!" he greeted happily. "Thanks for convincing the others to help out and explaining the whole not all Power Rangers are evil thing."
"Anything for my studmuffin Ry!" Goldwinger replied.
"Goldwinger," Sensei addressed from on Skyla's shoulder. "Have you already checked on the other dimension as I asked?"
"Been there, done that," Goldwinger replied. "I think they're asleep. All's quiet in human-run Blue Bay Harbor.
"Thank you," Sensei told him.
"Anytime," Goldwinger replied before turning to Ryan. "Ah, look, sunrise is approaching. Care to grab a morning coffee and then… who knows?"
Ryan looked Hunter up and down once more before turning back to Goldwinger. "Sure," he agreed. "Let me just ask Frax something."
"What is it, Mr. Mitchell?" Frax asked as he watched Wes and Eric haul Zordon away while the Golden Guardians, Pink Protectors and kelzacks rounded up the now unmorphed evil Power Rangers as well as Professor Bulk and Master Skull.
"I'm thinking of calling it a day, or night," Ryan told Frax. "How are things?"
"We will be alright from here on out," Frax assured him. "We appreciate your help, and so does your father. "He pointed to Diabolico, who was talking to Dana.
"I guess things worked out in the end," Ryan commented before turning to Goldwinger, who put his winged arm in Ryan's as they walked toward the sunrise.
"Did you see that blonde hunk back there?" Goldwinger asked Ryan.
"How could I miss him?" Ryan replied, chuckling as they departed.
"Aw, man, saving the Twilight Zone is hard work," Dustin commented, yawning.
"So, Sensei," Shane addressed, "do you want us to go back to our dimension in Goldwinger's Zord right now?"
"Right now?" Blake repeated.
"They'll probably detect us crossing over," Cam interrupted before Sensei could answer, "and we're in no condition to fight."
"We're not?" Tobi asked.
"He's saying we're tired, Tobi," Tori chimed in.
"Under the circumstances, I agree with Cam," Sensei stated. "We will rest before devising a plan and returning to our proper dimension."
"Yeah, and I have some people I wanna say goodbye to," Dustin added.
Tobi and Hunter both looked at him with raised eyebrows. They knew that wasn't going to be easy.
"Yeah," Cam agreed. "I know how you feel, Dustin." He looked over at his mother as grumpy Sensei motioned her away to talk more privately.
"Then it's settled," Shane declared, turning to Skyla. "We head back to Ninja Ops and… rest."
The others nodded. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm still kinda hyped up on adrenaline and I was dead for a while, so…" Tobi began before noticing the looks from the others. "Um, nevermind. Sleep sounds good."
The group returned to Ninja Ops and, despite what Tobi had said, even he was out cold the moment his head hit the floor of the main room. And, as he drifted off to sleep while the others found various spots in Ninja Ops to crash, Dustin curled up next to him and fell asleep too.
To be continued...
Author's Note: So it looks like no one will be quite the same when they get back to their dimension as when they left. I will use the previous poll to decide who goes back, but PLEASE remember to vote in the new poll too!
And, remember, if you're bored, you can check out the story Any Moment by Rebel Paisley (listed under my Favorites) or some of my other stories.