Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger: Part 1
Tommy sat in the Juice Bar alone, at a secluded table away from anyone that may have been there at the time. It was only a few days after he had lost his powers, and Tommy was feeling the emptiness inside of himself growing. However, Tommy largely ignored it, and now only worried about his friends, and what the future would hold for them…
He had given his power to Jason now, and while he knew that the power was in good hands, he could not help but worry about the power void that he had left behind. Without him, the rangers were one man short, and with Zedd being far more powerful than Rita, the rangers would have to work very diligently in order to put a stop to the increasing danger. The former green ranger also worried about Jason, and while he knew he was a very capable ranger, and the leader of the Power Rangers, even he would need to strain his powers to the very maximum in order to fully utilize the power of the Red Dragon as well as the Dragon Zord, and even then they wouldn't nearly be as powerful as when Tommy had worked together with the rangers. No, Tommy knew that things wouldn't just work out as the other rangers, especially Kimberly, had so desperately believed… Zedd had a plan, Tommy could feel it in his gut, and it was something so terrifyingly wicked that the rangers would need someone to help them.
Knowing that Tommy was powerless against the forces of Lord Zedd, he quickly began formulating ideas on how to increase the power of the rangers, but to no avail. 'If there were a way to do that, Zordon, Alpha and Billy would have already found something.' He had come to the conclusion that if he were to get results, he would have to confront Zordon himself.
Without his powers or a way to contact Zordon, Tommy had no choice but to trek up to the command center on foot…
"Hey, where you goin' Tommy?" Ernie asked, having noticed that Tommy had spent far less time in the Juice Bar than usual. Tommy stopped for a second and turned to the owner of the establishment, shaking his head in what seemed to be disappointment.
"Sorry Ernie, no time to talk, I've got a lot to do today." And with that Tommy set out the door, leaving Ernie baffled as to what Tommy needed to do that was so important he couldn't be bothered to talk to a friend.
"Kids, just when you think you know em…" Ernie went back to work, shaking his head and wondering where the rest of the kids that hung around Tommy were.
Travelling to the Command Center took what seemed to be days to Tommy, but eventually he had made it, with little resistance along the way. Not knowing how exactly to get inside, he banged on the outside to try to get someone's attention, obviously either Alpha 5 or Zordon had heard, and teleported the teen into the command center immediately. Zordon greeted Tommy warmheartedly as ever, still feeling much affection for the ranger.
"Hello Tommy, what brings you here today?" Boomed the voice of Zordon of Eltar, as Alpha walked towards the former green ranger in excitement.
"Yes Tommy, it is good to see you!" Alpha said, jittery as always.
"Thanks guys," Tommy said "but I have a feeling that Zedd is up to no good." Alpha nodded, and Zordon grunted in acknowledgment.
"Indeed he is, as he is always." Zordon stated, wondering why Tommy had trekked this far for such a trivial thing to say. Tommy shook his head and continued with his speech;
"No Zordon, it's not just like all the other times, this time it has to be big." Tommy explained, as Alpha began some calculations in the background. "With a void of power, the rangers are weak and Zedd knows it, and he's going to take advantage of it."
"Hmm…" Zordon became quiet, taking what Tommy had said into account. "This all indeed is true, and without the Green Ranger, the others will be susceptible to an attack." Tommy nodded in acknowledgment while Alpha screamed his signature 'Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!' "What is wrong Alpha?" Zordon asked, while Alpha punched a few more buttons.
"I've done a scan of the moon palace and it seems that Lord Zedd is concentrating his forces!" Tommy shook his head, knowing that whatever was going to happen wouldn't be good for the rangers. "It appears that he is stockpiling monsters to unleash on the Power Rangers!"
"Damn, I knew this would happen!" Tommy said under his breath. Zordon analyzed the data himself for a few moments, and finally he knew how dangerous the situation was.
"Tommy, you were right, Zedd is up to something that he has never tried before, and without you on the team, the rangers will have an extremely difficult time keeping up with the monsters."
"Tell me something I don't know…" Tommy said, not unkindly. Zordon, ever thinking of ways to protect the planet, quickly decided that now was the time to unleash the hidden information that he had been saving for a moment such as this. After a brief silence, he began to speak;
"Tommy, there is one way that we may indeed save the Rangers." Zordon claimed, bringing Tommy's head back up to look at the wise being.
"How Zordon? Tell me anything and I'll do my best to help." Tommy said.
"Yes, but first the other rangers should be contacted. Alpha, contact the rangers and have them teleported here immediately." Alpha nodded. All three waited a few moments, and finally, Jason responded to the call.
"Zordon, we hear you." Jason said from the other end of the communicator.
"Jason, you and the other rangers must teleport here immediately, Lord Zedd is up to something and Tommy is here to help." Zordon explained. Jason waited a few moments, and then responded;
"Zack's at a movie, but the rest of us are coming." And with that, four marvelous streaks of color landed down on the command center floor, and from them came four of the five remaining Power Rangers.
"Glad to see you here rangers." Zordon said as most of the rangers started greeting Tommy.
"It's excellent to see you." Billy said, the others also sharing his sentiments. However, all of the rangers quickly turned to Zordon, as Alpha 5 had apparently contacted Zack and teleported him to the command center.
"Hey Zack, Zordon has something he needs to tell us." Trini explained to her teammate. Zack nodded and turned to Zordon.
"What's going on?" Jason asked, waiting for their wise teacher to give them the information.
"As Tommy has pointed out to me and Alpha 5, Lord Zedd is planning something nefarious in order to take advantage of the Green Ranger losing his powers." This came as no surprise to the teens, who were used to this thing by now.
"It's nothing we can't handle; we've kicked his and Rita's butts enough that we're pro's at it by now!" Zack said, ever confident in his and his friend's abilities.
"That may not be the case anymore Zack, Zedd has been stockpiling monsters in his palace ever since Tommy had lost his powers, and it is only a matter of time before he is complete in his preparations. This time rangers, he will have enough monsters to completely overtake the ThunderMegazord as well as the Dragon Zord." Kimberly gasped, shaking her head in horror.
"But Zordon, we can't let that happen! Is there some way that we can beat Zedd's monsters?" Kimberly asked, clinging to Tommy's arm.
"Yes, but it's extremely risky." Zordon stated. "Observe the viewing globe." All of the rangers turned around and watched as a grotesque headless knight looking creature with glowing white armor draw a sword.
"Who is that Zordon?" Tommy asked, just as confused as the rest of the rangers.
"That, Tommy, is Pralion the Shining Knight." Zordon explained. As the teens continued to watch, Pralion began to swing his sword at the air and finally point it towards someone.
"Who's he pointing at?" Zack wondered aloud, watching further. On the other end of the battle, a new ranger appeared, orange, and wielding a sword in which the blade looked like the spines of a stegosaurus. All at once, the rangers donned a look of surprise, wondering who this ranger could be.
"Zordon, there's a seventh ranger?" Jason asked, not even turning away from the battle.
"Keep viewing Jason, for the globe will tell you why he is not helping us at this very moment." Zordon stated as the rangers continued to view the ensuing battle. Pralion and the orange ranger swung their swords at each other; Pralion's being much larger in comparison. When the swords clashed, there was a power struggle for a brief moment, but Pralion won out and pushed the ranger away, knocking him to the ground. The ranger recovered and the two were at it again, exchanging blow after blow for what seemed to be hours, with Pralion easily owning the fight.
"Oh no…" Trini said, concerned for this ranger whom she had never met. In one last act of desperation, the orange ranger seemed to try to call for the power of a Zord, but was unable to for unknown reasons, and without the Zord, he was left powerless. With no other option, the ranger demorphed and, in a stunning display of bravery and defiance, smashed his power coin into pieces, enraging Pralion who stabbed the man through the chest, killing him. At this point, Zordon had turned off the globe, and the rangers all turned to Zordon for answers.
"Who was that? What was going on Zordon?" Jason asked, more confused now than he had ever been as a Power Ranger. Taking a moment to process the information himself, Zordon finally began answering questions.
"That was the Orange Power Ranger, the first ranger that I had ever called upon to save Earth." Zordon explained "Many years before Rita had escaped, Pralion was a growing threat to the galaxy, he had very limited power however, and could not use his powers anywhere but on the planet Mercury, which was where he resided, therefore he could not conquer Earth as he so desired. That is until he discovered a passing asteroid that could take him to the planet Earth." Zordon paused for a few moments, letting the rangers take in the information. "Fearing for Earth, I elected a teen of the time to take on a temporary role as the Orange Power Ranger, knowing that the Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink and Black Power Morphers were not yet powerful or stable enough for use. I then trained this ranger for as long as I could, before sending him off the planet Mercury to try and stall Pralion long enough for the asteroid to pass by his planet without Pralion knowing." Zordon paused once more, wondering if the rangers had any questions. Seeing that they didn't, he moved on. "While they fought, the Orange Ranger had bought just enough time for Pralion to miss the asteroid, but I could not assist the Orange Ranger any longer, as Pralion had then put some sort of force field around the planet, stopping me from transporting the orange ranger or sending him his Zord. In a last ditch effort, knowing that Pralion would have enough power to return to Earth with the Stegosaurus Power Coin, he destroyed it, and any means of Pralion getting back to Earth." Alpha 5 shook his head, still saddened by the loss of the old Orange Ranger. Billy seemed to be the most interested in the story after Zordon had finished.
"So Zordon, what's the story behind Pralion anyway?" Billy asked, Zordon complied;
"Pralion was once a brave and noble knight, fighting for good and destroying evil wherever he went. However, Master Vile, a terribly evil mastermind, tricked Pralion into becoming evil with his magic, and also taking his head in the process. Pralion then started to destroy the very things which he had fought to protect." Tommy shook his head.
"So it's like how I became the Green Ranger?" Tommy asked.
"Precisely, but unfortunately for Pralion, this evil is irreversible, and has corrupted his very soul." Zordon explained, some of the rangers shook their heads in disappointment.
"How did he end up on Mercury anyway?" Zack asked, Zordon preparing to answer his question.
"Years before I became trapped on Earth, I had a run in with Pralion, and we had a battle. It was obvious that Pralion had me beaten in brute strength, but through my powers, I had him banished to a planet in the Milky Way galaxy, unknown to me that one day I would be trapped in that very galaxy with him, albeit on a different planet." Zordon stated, the other rangers still had one burning question on their minds however. "You all must be wondering why I showed you this." All of the rangers nodded their heads, not knowing what to ask. "Because of the new situation that we are all in, it is now no longer an option to ignore the orange ranger's broken coin fragments on Mercury. If they are not obtained soon, and an orange ranger selected, then the Earth is surly doomed." Even though Zordon had answered many questions, there was one that still remained to be answered…
"Why haven't we been told about this up until now?" Jason asked, with quizzed look on his face. This was one question Zordon knew that he had to be careful in answering, for it was quite a touchy subject.
"Very good question Jason, and unfortunately I have no good answer." Zordon said, baffling the rest of the rangers. "I originally withheld this information due to Pralion easily being one of the most powerful villains that I know, able to go one on one with even Lord Zedd." As Zordon continued, there was a hint of frustration in his voice, which was extremely rare for the wise mentor of the rangers, and many of them noticed it. "When the power coin was destroyed, I knew then and there that all hope was lost for returning it, and the reason being Pralion, who in the growing years since the asteroid passed, has sworn to protect the fragments of the Power Coin, as to never allow anyone else to reuse it, all in revenge for the lone ranger who stopped him from coming to Earth." The rangers all took in the information, still unsure of why Zordon kept the information from them.
"But Zordon, we could have used this power before, like when Cyplosis appeared and totally thrashed us!" said Kimberly as the rest of the rangers nodded.
"Ah, but Kimberly, you and the other rangers defeated Lokar and Cyclopsis!" Alpha 5 added.
"It still would have helped…" Trini said.
"That is not the point rangers, all of the trials that you have faced up until this point I knew you could overcome. However, we are in dire need of assistance, and I can see almost no other alternative than traveling to Mercury and gaining the fragments of the Stegosaurus Power Coin." The ever wise Zordon said, the other rangers decided to agree with their mentor.
"But how will we be able to get the fragments Zordon? With Zedd readying to attack, and Pralion guarding the fragments, it's going to be improbable to get them without endangering ourselves and the planet." Billy explained, Zordon of course agreed with all of Billy's reasoning, but yet something had to be done.
"There is no doubt that we will be putting the world at great risk by doing so, but I must send two rangers to Mercury to recover the fragments of the Stegosaurus power coin." Almost immediately, Jason volunteered.
"I'll go Zordon." However, Zordon had other plans.
"No Jason, you stay here. You are the only other Ranger who can operate the Dragon Zord in case of an emergency." Jason, looking a little more than disappointed, stepped back. "Zack, Kimberly, you two shall be the ones to recover the shattered power coin, while Jason, Trini and Billy will keep a look out for lord Zedd and his monsters." Zach and Kimberly nodded, looking at each other with concerned faces. "Unfortunately, you will not have the power of the Zords to rely on, but you will not need them, as Pralion has no means to grow larger." All of the rangers heaved a sigh of relief, all but Billy.
"How has Zedd not discovered Pralion yet?" Billy asked.
"Zedd has always known of the location of Pralion, but holds a grudge from when Pralion fought for the side of good." Zordon explained "Although now Zedd most likely fears that if he attempts to use Pralion's powers, that he may be overpowered and overthrown, and thus refuses to enlist his aid out of fear." After his explanation, Tommy had finally realized that he had no role to serve in any of this.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Tommy asked, stepping forward.
"Not at this moment Tommy, it is too dangerous to send you to Mercury without a suit, and asking you to fight Zedd's monsters is suicide." Zordon explained. Although Tommy agreed, he was still disappointed.
"How long do we have Zordon?" Jason asked as Alpha started to pipe up.
"This is still a very rough plan, but I would say that we should be ready within a day or two." Alpha said, Zordon speaking up immediately after.
"No Alpha, if we are to stop Zedd, we must act quickly." The wise being explained "Rangers, be ready at any time, get some rest, tomorrow morning we shall be ready to transport Zack and Kimberly to Mercury. The rest of you, good luck, and may the power protect all of you." As all of the teens nodded, the five Power Rangers prepared to teleport away.
"Good luck Tommy, I hope that you can find a way to help us after all." Zack said, Tommy smiled and nodded, and finally, all the rangers had teleported away, all but Tommy.
"Zordon, I'll stay here and do whatever I can to help the rangers." Tommy said, making Zordon smile.
"Tommy, you are a wonderful friend and Ranger, we are all truly lucky to have you on our side." Zordon proclaimed. "However, if you truly wish to help, I shall teleport you back to Angel Grove High School." Tommy was perplexed.
"But why Zordon? How could I possibly help the rangers there?" Zordon, always with a plan, assured Tommy of his importance to play at the School.
"If Zedd attacks, I will need you there to help the children of Angel Grove be safe. I know I can count on you Tommy." Smiling, Tommy nodded.
"Thanks for everything Zordon…" Finally, he was teleported to the Angel Grove High School. Alpha 5 shook his head in disappointment.
"I can't believe we missed this Zordon." Alpha said, Zordon agreed.
"Indeed, it is a large oversight that I should have spotted earlier." As Alpha began work, an idea had come to both of them almost at the same time.
"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!" Alpha screamed "are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked Zordon, who nodded.
"Yes Alpha, perhaps it is time to inform the Aquatian rangers of our situation…" Alpha nodded back, trying to connect with the Alien Rangers. After a few minutes of tinkering with the communications coordinates, Alpha managed to lock onto the planet Aquitar.
"Were ready to begin communications Zordon!" Alpha said as he rested his hand over a button.
"Very good Alpha, we've no time to waste." Zordon said. Alpha finally pressed the button;
"Hello Aquatian Rangers? This is Alpha five here with Zordon." Alpha said in hopes that the communications array had enough power to reach a planet as far as Aquitar. After a few moments of static and silence, a voice came through, followed by a fuzzy face on the viewing globe.
"Hello, my name i-…-stro" The static cut off part of the rangers speech "the other range-…-rently fighting Hydro Hog, what is…-ituation?" he asked, Zordon knew exactly who was talking.
"It is good to hear from you Cestro, although it is terrible that you have been attacked by Hydro Hog." As Zordon talked, Alpha was working on making the connection clearer. "Would there be any way for the Aquatian rangers to possibly come to Earth and help us? We are in dire need of allies." His face nearly clear on the viewing globe, Cestro was obviously deep in thought.
"I am truly sorry Zordon, but we are also in peril at this moment, and can give you no aid."
"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!" Alpha screamed, knowing that the only plan that would work now was a terribly dangerous one.
"While at any other time we would gladly aid you, Hydro Hog has been in a winning fight against us, and we need all of the strength we can get if we are to survive." Cestro said, disappointed in himself.
"Do not worry Cestro, for Alpha and I have a backup plan." Zordon proclaimed, easing the emotional burden of Cestro slightly.
"That is good to hear my friend, for now I must go and help the others, they need me." After Cestro had said his goodbyes, Alpha cut the connection. Neither of the two in the command center spoke for what had to be at least ten minutes, both contemplating the risks and consequences of sending the rangers on such a dangerous mission.
"Alpha," Zordon finally broke the silence "if Zack and Kimberly fail to bring the fragments of the Stegosaurus Power Coin back, the world as we know it may be doomed." All Alpha could do was nod. "However, if we do nothing, than the power of Lord Zedd's monsters will surely destroy the rangers."
"I've done some calculating Zordon." Alpha added in "I have concluded that if we send the rangers Zack and Kimberly to Mercury, and they do indeed bring us the Stegosaurus Power Coin, than we will only have a slightly higher chance of defeating Zedd's army of monsters!" Hearing this, Zordon nearly considered forgoing his plans, but even if the chances for the ranger's success was just a bit higher, than it was a risk that had to be taken.
"Even so Alpha, if Zack and Kimberly succeed in returning the Stegosaurus Power Coin fragments, than that means the galaxy will be rid of Pralion," Zordon paused "as well as having a better chance to stop Zedd, and whatever he's planning." The viewing globe instantly turned on, showing the moon palace of the evil Lord Zedd, and finally it switched to the view of the shining knight Pralion, sword in hand, standing ever so still, and ready to destroy any living thing that would come near the fragments of the Power Coin.
So give it to me straight, crap or decent so far? I really would like to continue this, so any criticism/praise you give me will go a long way in deciding if I should just stop, change the way I do things or just keep trucking in the direction I'm going.