Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger: Part 3
The land on Mercury was barren, hot, and devoid of any life as far as Kimberly and Zack could tell. Both of them stood on the surface of the planet, trying to find some sort of bearing, but to no avail. This place was alien to them, and they had no idea if they were even close to Pralion at all.
"Yo Kim, did Zordon say anything about teleporting us close to Pralion?" Zack asked, Kimberly shook her head.
"I don't think so, but I would think that Alpha and Zordon would be smart enough to put us somewhere near him." Kim answered. Zack looked around once more, but found that all he could see was a barren wasteland, and no sign of Pralion at all.
"You would think so huh." Zack commented snidely, making Kim turn to him in disappointment.
"What's wrong with you Zack? You never say things like that." Zack shook his head.
"I don't know Kim, this whole mission seems just a little whack you know?" Kim tilted her head to the side slightly, but Zack could tell that Kimberly knew what he was saying. "Anyway, let's get going, there's no way for Zordon to contact us unless we take out Pralion."
"Right." Kim replied. They both set out, not knowing what they were in for.
The three rangers on Earth had stayed at the command center after Zack and Kimberly had left, each of them were equally worried about their comrades, but Billy had a burning question that he had to ask.
"Zordon?" Billy said, his mentor turning his attention away from Alpha for a brief second to acknowledge the blue ranger.
"Yes Billy? Is there something troubling you?" Zordon asked, Billy shook his head.
"No, I was just intrigued by a thought." Billy swung around and paced slightly "When Tommy was selected to be the green ranger, we all barely knew him, and the only reason Rita picked him was because of his superior martial arts skills." Turning back around, Billy looked back up at Zordon. "And although I'm sure we've all been expecting Tommy to become the new orange ranger, if I am correct in my assumption, Tommy has absorbed too much of the negative energies while he was the green ranger to take up the naturally good power coin, it would simply reject him because of the negative energies."
"Yeah, I thought about that too, but I figured that he would have proven himself to be worthy of the power coin by now." Jason said. Zordon shook his head in disappointment, knowing that Billy was correct.
"I am sorry rangers, but Billy is correct, Tommy has absorbed too much negative energy to become the next orange ranger." Jason and Trini both looked shocked, exchanging worried glances at one another.
"Well Zordon, the reason I brought up Tommy's recruitment was because we never actually had to recruit him, he was chosen by our enemies, and so we were extremely lucky to find such a great person to become a ranger." Billy explained, Zordon knew exactly where this was going.
"Fear not Billy, for I have a plan. Indeed we must make plans to recruit a new ranger, and I have already made the decision to have Tommy find one at Angel Grove High." All three rangers breathed a sigh of relief. "I have total faith that Tommy will be able to find a worthy recruit. Alpha, make contact with Tommy from the communicator that the rangers had given him yesterday."
"Of course Zordon." Alpha nodded and pressed a few buttons on the console. A short static was heard, but it soon cleared up. A few seconds later, a voice could be heard coming through the speakers;
"What is it Zordon?" Tommy asked, looking around to make sure that there was no one around to hear him.
"Zack and Kimberly have been transported to Mercury, how is Angel Grove High?" Zordon asked.
"It's weird Zordon" Tommy said, shaking his head "Everyone's been acting weird lately; they just seem so… depressed. They all say that the moon seems more evil at night." Zordon, ever stoic, had steeled himself for news such as this.
"Yes, that makes more than a great deal of sense, with Zedd's army growing, he is using more and more of his evil powers and corrupting the moon with it as well." Tommy grunted in anger. "However, we must not worry about that now. Tommy, you have served as a ranger with the utmost conviction, but I am afraid that you have absorbed too much negative energy from the power of the Dragonzord Power Coin, and your body will not accept the power from the Stegosaurus Power Coin." Tommy sighed, but had somehow known that this would be the case.
"That's alright Zordon, but if that's the case then we should really find a replacement ranger soon." Tommy proclaimed.
"Of course, which is why I'm trusting you, Tommy, to find a suitable person to take on the powers of the orange ranger." Tommy nodded.
"Of course, you can count on me." Tommy reassured.
"Thank you Tommy, may the power protect you."
"Back at ya, I'll contact you when I think I've found a candidate." After that, the Communication was cut.
"I wonder who Tommy will pick to be the new ranger…" Trini wondered aloud, the other two rangers had the same thoughts.
"Whoever it is, I'm sure that they'll be as great of a person as Tommy is." Jason said confidently, Billy and Trini nodding in agreement.
Up high on the moon palace, Lord Zedd stood, concentrating his power on finishing his monster army as quickly as possible. He knew that Zack and Kimberly had been sent to retrieve the lost Power Coin fragments, and so he had resolved to finish powering up his army as soon as possible to catch the rangers off guard. If he could take down the leader and two of the other rangers, then the newest addition to the team would be no trouble at all. While in his trance like state, Zedd could subconsciously hear Goldar's voice, and Zedd quickly snapped out of it.
"What is it you buffoon, can't you see that I'm in the middle of powering up my army?" Zedd shouted at his servant.
"My apologies Lord Zedd, but I think that I have a brilliant plan to destroy the rangers!" Zedd sighed and rested his palm against his forehead in disappointment.
"Not another one of your idiotic plans Goldar, none of them ever work!" Zedd shook his head and clenched his hand into a fist.
"But sire, what if you sent me down to Earth to distract the rangers? I could distract them from making a plan against you my lord, and perhaps I could even destroy them for you!"
"Idiot! Have you totally forgotten our conversation the other day?" Zedd yelled, he could be heard throughout the entire palace. "If you had half a brain, you would understand that the rangers left on Earth still have the powers of the Thunder Megazord and the Dragonzord together! I would be sending you to die if that plan were to go through. Not that I wouldn't enjoy the peace and quiet, but you are essential in my grand plan to destroy the rangers." Goldar looked towards the ground, ashamed that he had thought up a completely futile plan.
"I… am sorry my lord."
"Bah!" Zedd shouted, turning around and looking out the balcony at the measly planet he wished to conquer. Suddenly, however, an idea had crept upon the lord of evil. "Bahaha…" Zedd chuckled slightly as he turned back towards his minion.
"You have given me a wonderful idea Goldar, a wonderful idea indeed."
Back on Mercury, Zack and Kim were still on the lookout for Pralion. They had no way to contact Zordon, so they were completely on their own for this mission, something neither of them were particularly happy about. For the past few hours they had been searching the planet, but to no avail, and everything around them seemed to be exactly the same as before. Some trivial thoughts came to each of their heads, such as how the gravity felt the same as if they were on Earth, but Zack quickly hand waved that as an effect of the suit or Power Coin.
"Hey Kim, I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever find this Pralion guy." Zack said to Kimberly, who shook her head.
"I was starting to think the same thing, but we can't give up…" The both walked for a while longer, but after a few more minutes, had decided to rest for a bit. They both sat on different rocks, watching the stars as it was pitch black on the planet at the time. Mercury was on a strange pattern to the rangers, where it would be completely bright one hour and totally dark the next, and so they switched their night vision on during the dark periods and switched it off during the bright ones.
"How much of a chance do you think we stand?" Kim asked, twiddling with her fingers nervously. Zack looked away, not knowing how to respond at first.
"Well…" He said, also nervously "let's just hope that these power-ups Zordon gave us are enough." The response did not ease Kimberly's mind one bit, and after she had thought about it, decided to tell Zack something in case the whole situation turned out horribly wrong.
"Zack, I think I should say a few things… in case we don't get back to Earth." Zack looked back, but was unsure of what Kim was thinking of due to the helmet covering her face.
"Don't say things like that Kim, we're gonna find this guy and get back to Earth, I promise." Zack assured her, balling his hand into a fist in a sign of optimism.
"Even so, I need to say this just in case." Kim sighed and shook her head a bit. "I know I shouldn't think like that, and I know Zordon is going to take care of us but-"
"Zordon you say? I haven't heard that name in a long time." Both Zack and Kimberly looked over to the side, quickly bolting up as soon as they recognized the monstrosity that stood before them. His voice was deep and booming, and sounded as if it was muffled by some sort of metal helmet even though he was without a head.
"Pralion! There you are!" Zack shouted, getting himself into a fighting stance. "Why don't you tell me where the Power Coin fragments are before you get seriously hurt!" Pralion chuckled at the ranger.
"Tsk tsk little ranger, Zordon was foolish to think that two of you could stand against my might." The knight began to pace, his black cape flowing behind him in contrast to his white armor. "Even so, I have been planning this event for many years, and I will need your help if I am to escape this wretched planet." Kim gasped at the thought.
"You think that we would help you after the things that you've done?" Kimberly screamed at Pralion, who stopped pacing and stood in one place for a moment, as if he were thinking. Zack and Kim both looked at each other, not sure of what to make of the situation, but they were both brought back to attention when Pralion spoke.
"I assume that Zordon had told you of when I was turned evil by Master Vile." Both of the rangers stood in silence, Pralion continued "Indeed it's true, I was once a great and virtuous knight, protecting the innocence, fighting injustice, and doing what was perceived to be 'right'." Now Zack and Kim were completely confused, they weren't expecting this at all.
"What are you trying to tell us Pralion?" Zack asked, not letting down his guard for a second.
"What I'm saying is that no matter how much evil you put into a being, there is always that bit of good left, especially for one as pure as I used to be." Pralion turned to face the rangers once more. "That Orange Ranger that had come to face me… he was naïve, I explained to him the same thing I will explain to you, but he was too blindly loyal to accept what I was telling him, and so he had to be destroyed." Kim shook her head.
"Shut up! You're no better than Zedd and Rita! Trying to trick us like that is rotten to the core!" Kim screamed, Pralion sighed and began pacing once more.
"You have been blinded by Zordon young girl, why don't you listen to my side of the story before you jump to conclusions? I'm giving you a chance to live; for there is no way that you can withstand a battle with me."
"You're too cocky Pralion." Zack proclaimed. "Zordon has never steered us wrong before, and I'm not about to betray him for you!" Pralion sighed once more.
"Please Black Ranger, listen to my story, I do not wish to kill you as with the Orange Ranger." Kim looked at Zack and shook her head no, but Zack was intrigued.
"What's in it for us Pralion? Will you give us those Power Coin fragments?" Zack asked, Pralion crossed his arms.
"I have no reason not to, but only if you help me, and if you listen to my story."
"Why should we? Zordon gave us enough reason to kill you here and now! Come on Zack, don't give him a chance to trick us!" Kim shouted, Zack was deep in thought however.
"Kim…" Zack looked up into the vastness of space "we're Power Rangers, we have to give everyone a chance, even this guy." Zack looked back over to Kim, who looked away quickly. She didn't like it, but she had to go with it anyway.
"Fine." Was all she said. Pralion stood patiently, waiting for Zack to say something.
"Go ahead Pralion, I'm listening, but don't expect me to believe you." The Black Ranger said, dropping his fighting stance.
"Heh… you may want to take a seat rangers, this story is not a short one." Zack and Kim both stood still, refusing his suggestion. "Well, suit yourselves." Pralion turned around uncrossed his arms. "Brace yourselves, this story is not for the light of heart." The rangers both looked at one another as Pralion began his tale…
Next Chapter: History of Pralion. Who was Pralion and what was his relationship with Zordon? Find out next time! Remember to review, and I promise that there will be a battle in the next chapter for those of you who are really anxious for one!