Chapter 3: Recovery and Discovery

A/N: Argh, I just wrote this huge long authors note, and then it didnt save properly :/ RAGE! Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed etc. It keeps me motivated to write more :) You are all lovely people, why didnt I start writing fanfiction years ago? If I'd known that you lovely people were here, I would have! :P

Okay, I'm going to be uploading multiple chapters today. Two reasons. One, I am home looking after my sick dog. I mean, I'm sure Digger will be fine, but, y'know, I'm hear just in case. Therfore, while 'm at home, I'm doing this. Two, I go back to school next week, meaning that I wont have a lot of time to update during the school term. Sorry, but school HAS to come first. I should be doing holiday homework right now, but instead, I'm updating for you fine people :) And, thats fine by me, just not my teachers...

So, even though I may not get to update as often during the school term, that doesnt mean that I dont want reviews. So, everyone, please review if you like it. Heck, review even if you didnt like it! I'm open to constructive criticisms, etc. :)

Oh... did I ever say that I was replacing Jason just because he's not the Gold Ranger? ... I dont think I did :P

And, while we were watching Zeo, we all wanted Billy to be the Gold Ranger, didnt we? Well, who knows? These two originals might be coming back... "Back to Action!" ... anything can happen in this story...

So, anyways, I'll try to update when I can. I have ten chapters written so far, but I'm not sure if I'll upload them all today. We'll see how it goes. And how much looking after Digger needs.

Power Protect my Power Pals!

Alura xx

It had been an hour since Rocky and Tommy had left with the Gold Ranger, and the others were beginning to get anxious. Billy paced around the first aid room while the others were gathered in the command centers main room, the power chamber. They had powered sown, conserving their energy and resting from the fight. Adam and Rocky were trying to write a battle report, but they found themselves extremely distracted. The Pink Ranger was the first to break the silence.

"They should have been back by now!" she exclaimed. "Do you think something has gone wrong, Zordon?"

"I do not know, Kat," said Zordon. "Any matter of things could have happened. All we can do right now is hope for the best."

The green ranger shook his head. "I shouldn't have been so negative," he said. "I should have supported Tommy and Rocky in their decision. After all, they have both been Red Rangers at some stage."

The yellow ranger put her hand on the green rangers shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Adam. We all felt uncomfortable with their decision. It's okay."

In the other room, Billy and Alpha were feeling just as uncertain.

"I could have removed the knife, Alpha. I was just freaking out a bit at the amount of power that guy had. I mean, when he threw you across the room, even in such a weakened state-"

"You did the right thing, Billy. Besides, he didn't damage any of my circuits, and surgery is something that is best left to professional hands," said the little robot, trying to reassure his friend.

"But what if it was left too late…?"

There was a sudden flash of red and blue light as Tommy and Rocky teleported back to the command center and with them was… the Gold Ranger. Billy ran back into the power chamber as the others whooped with joy. The Gold ranger was heavily supporting his weight on Rocky and Tommy, he didn't appear to have the strength to stand up by himself. They led him back to the bed, and the gold ranger sat on it, not wanting to lie down in the presence of strangers. He nursed his side carefully.

"So," said the Green ranger "What happened?"

"The surgeon just operated and stitched her up," said Tommy. "It was apparently easy to operate on. The blade didn't pierce any of her organs."

"You need to work on your grammar, Tommy," said Tanya, the yellow ranger crossing her arms in a joking manner. "You just said 'her' twice."

"That's what I meant," said Tommy. "She's a girl."

"What?" Tanya raised her eyebrows out of surprise and amusement.

"How… do you know?" said the Gold ranger. Her voice sounded like that of a male, just like it had when she had helped them against certain other enemies before.

"The shape of your hips," Billy concluded. "You're like the first yellow ranger, Trini. She had the armour of a boy but she was a girl."

"Alright… you win." Her voice immediately changed to a feminine tone, changing her accent too. Kat could have sworn that she sounded Australian. The Gold Ranger weakly pointed a small black wire which she had built discreetly into the neck of her ranger armour. "I've been using a translation wire. Even my enemies don't know what gender I am. You know more than they do."

"But if you've spoken to us before, why did you speak telepathically to Tommy now?" asked Billy.

"In… my weakened state… I was sure that the translation wire wouldn't work. I didn't want anyone to hear my real voice…"

She flinched slightly as a pain rocketed out from her side. "Rangers…" she said. "I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I can't stay here. Rita, Zedd and Mondo will go to great lengths to find out any information on me. And now that you know things about, me, your all in danger."

"But what if we can help you?" said the pink ranger.

"Thanks, but I don't need your help. I am here to help you, not the other way around. Helping rangers is what I do." She stood shakily but would have fallen completely if Billy hadn't caught her.

"I am afraid that we can't let you go in this state," said Zordon. "You must stay at the command center until you are healed."

Billy sat Alura down on the bed again. She obviously wasn't happy about it, but she knew that they wouldn't let her leave without good reason.

"According to our tracking devices, you were running from Zedd and Mondo for almost a month. You're fatigued! You must rest."

"Can I… ask you all some questions first? Sorry, but now that I am marooned on your planet, I need to ask you all about how things work here."

Tommy looked at the others, and then nodded. "Go ahead."

"I know that I've helped you fight before, but… who are you? Are you human?"

"This is Billy," Tommy gestured to the non-ranger. "Green ranger is Adam, Blue ranger is Rocky, Yellow is Tanya, and the Pink ranger is Kat. We're all human. That's Alpha," he gestured to the robot. "And our mentor, Zordon of Eltar." He pointed to the floating head in the tube.

Now that her vision was clearer, she saw the humans better. The Red and Blue Rangers powered down, standing with the other humans. Rocky was slightly tanned with short brown hair, and Adam had black hair and lighter skin. Tanya had dark skin and soft lips while Kat was pale and blonde. "And I'm Tommy."

Tommy was tanned with muscular arms and long brown hair, cut to the style of the time, and Alura recognized him immediately, but didn't say anything. "Well you're obviously not human. Who are you?" Tommy asked.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you. I'm sorry Rangers, everything must be revealed in time. Please tell me how you get your powers on Earth. Where are they derived?"

"The Zeo Powers that we currently have are derived from the Zeo crystal." Explained Kat.

"And you, Billy… where do you fit into all of this?"

"I used to be the Blue Ranger on the original mighty morphin team." He explained.

I thought I recognized your voice… Thought Alura, but the others didn't hear her.

"But I've since retired as an active ranger as I believe that I am of more use here at the Command Center." Billy adjusted his glasses in an intelligent sort of way.

"And Zordon and Alpha have been here over the past four years, during the time of that team?"

The others were silent. "How… how do you know that?" asked Tommy, both bewildered and suspicious.

"I'll tell you in time," said the Gold Ranger, a wave of fatigue washing over her, and she swayed, Billy had to keep her upright by holding onto her shouldershield so she didn't fall off the bed.

"Why don't you power down?" suggested Billy. "You would probably be more comfortable."

"I can't allow you to see my face. I need to keep my identity secret, at least for now."

"But why all the secrecy?" asked Tommy.

"Just ask Zordon what happened to my home planet… then you will know what lengths people would go to in order to get my powers." Alura was suddenly reminded of her destroyed home planet, she stood up. "I'm sorry, I absolutely cannot stay." Holding in her pain she stood slowly. "I need to get back to the Pyramid; I'll be ok if I can get to it."

Billy sighed, knowing that she didn't completely trust them for the time being, even though the other Rangers didn't seem to realize this. "Here then, take this." Billy rummaged through a drawer and handed her a small metal wristband. "It's a communicator" he explained. "It allows you to contact Zordon and the other rangers, and it can teleport you anywhere within a 50 mile radius of Angel Grove."

"And various other locations that we have coordinates to." Added Alpha.

"Thank you all" said the Gold Ranger, putting it on her wrist. Tommy noticed that she was also wearing a bracelet with a red stone on it, and that her skin was a bit tanned like Rocky's was, "No doubt I'll be in touch soon. I would keep your guard up if I were you."

"We never let it down." said Adam, smiling slightly.

The Gold Ranger gave them a two fingered salute weakly, before teleporting out, leaving the humans alone in the command center. Billy immediately dived on the controls in an attempt to track her signal using the communicator. He managed to find it, but he lost the signal a few seconds later.

"It appears that she disabled the tracking device I put into the communicators." Billy was a little frustrated.

"How can we trust this ranger if she doesn't even trust us?" asked Rocky in aggravation.

"We still cannot be certain that she is an ally, but we can be certain that she is out there alone." said Zordon. "And next time she appears, we must get to her before the United Alliance of Evil does."

They glanced worriedly at each other. Tommy sat aside from the others and ran a strong hand through his long hair.

"What's on your mind, Tommy?" Asked Tanya.

"I was just thinking…" said Tommy.

"Watch it," said Rocky, trying to conceal a smile. "You might hurt yourself."

Tommy smiled too. "Ha ha, Rocky." He said sarcastically. "Actually, we'd better get back to the Youth center, guys. I've got Karate class in ten minutes."

"And I've got to go work out," said Rocky, flexing his muscles.

"You're only saying that because that new girl came into the youth centre earlier." Laughed Adam, punching Rocky on the shoulder. "Man, you've got no chance."

Kat and Tanya rolled their eye at each other as Rocky and Adam grabbed each other in a headlock and began wrestling.

"I'll catch up with you guys soon," said Billy. "I've got some experiments to do in my lab."

"C'mon guys, quit brawling." Tanya grabbed Adam and Rocky by their ears. "You coming, Tommy?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." The others all teleported out, leaving Tommy, Alpha and Zordon alone in the power chamber.

"Zordon…" said Tommy. "Do… do I know the Gold Ranger from somewhere?"

"I do not think so, Tommy. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. It's like, I've met her before. I mean, before we fought Wolfbane… but I can't remember when."

"We will discuss this at a later date if you wish to pursue your curiosity." Said Zordon.

"Okay. See you round, Zordon." Tommy teleported out of the command center and to the youth center, and resumed his normal life for the time being.