Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.
Chapter 11 – Triassic Triumph
It took some time for Trent to acclimatize himself to both being on a team and also on the side of good. Like with other Rangers who had been brainwashed, he had gone through his time being evil in sort of a haze, entirely aware of what was going on, but not 100% in control of his actions for it was the evil the made him do things he normally would never do. As such he had to truly get used to his powers as every time he'd morphed previously it had been the evil that forced him to morph. He also had the standard Ranger guilt of having caused the destruction he did, but also the added brain overload of information that came with being a part of this particular team. Like with Ethan, Trent would become an integral part of the Dino Rangers, even though the White Ranger was not as involved as his red counterpart, and so they hadn't kept anything from him, telling him the same truth they'd told Ethan. Seeing a guy his own age so close to a kid was a shock to his system, one that was arguably bigger then anything else he'd had to face, but he saw pretty quickly that their relationship was merely that of close friends and purely platonic and after a few weeks he got used to it. With Trent on their side, and one of his warriors gone, Mesogog had run into a Ranger shaped barrier that he'd have to carefully discover a way to break. His attacks for the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, where the Rangers separated to spend time with their respective families, and also the weeks leading up to Christmas, were largely an attempt at keeping the Rangers busy and worn out; there was no big plan of attack that could destroy the city and gain him his ultimate goal, he had yet to figure out a way around all five Rangers.
"Christmas break!" Connor cried in jubilation as Kira climbed in the car as he, Trent and Ethan picked her up from school after their final day of classes for the year 2004.
"And practically no homework for the holidays!" She added just as happily.
"Lucky fifth grader." Muttered Trent. "Some of us have midterms coming up along with college applications."
"Don't hate me just cause I'm younger then you." Kira scolded, though it had no heat to it.
"So what is everyone doing for the break?" Ethan asked.
"The usual family stuff." Connor responded.
"No clue." Said Trent. "Dad usually puts some big Christmas day together just for the two of us but he's been acting weird lately, so I have no idea what's going on."
"I'm just doing the family thing too." Said Ethan. "What about you Kira?"
"Same. There's always a big party for the family at the Youth Centre in Angel Grove."
"Angel Grove?" Connor asked, realization dawning on him, and subsequently Kira. "How long will you be there?"
"All break…" Kira said despondently. Although their bond no longer required them to be in such close contact, or for any real length of time, there hadn't been a single day since the bond formed that they hadn't seen each other for at least a couple hours and the prospect of an entire two weeks apart appealed to neither of them.
"You could come up for the party." Kira suggested. "All of you. It's for the Ranger family, which you are now a part of. Everyone you and Ethan met back in September will be there, along with the other family members that know our identities, and it'll give Trent a chance to meet everyone."
'And mean we'd only have to go one week at a time, not two.' She added in their mutual head.
"I should be able to get away for a day or two." Said Ethan.
"Me too." Said Trent.
"Good. Then lets run it by mom and dad." Tommy and Kim quickly agreed to this plan, having wondered how Kira and Connor would handle two weeks a part. Though Kira and Connor knew they'd be uncomfortable all week until they saw each other again, this plan reassured them all, and ensured that those family members who knew nothing of the bond, like the Rangers' parents, would stay ignorant of it. The following day Tommy, Kim and Kira packed up and drove the three hours to Angel Grove, arriving at Kim's mother and step-father's house where they'd be spending the first part of their break.
"Grandma, grandpa!" Kira cried, jumping out of the car and rushing to two of her grandparents. She hadn't seen them since the summer, having spent Thanksgiving with Andrew's side of the family. Caroline and Pierre pulled their granddaughter into a group hug making the usual grandparent proclamations of how big she'd grown and how beautiful she was. They then made their way inside with Tommy and Kim trailing after them carrying the luggage. That evening, the Harts, DeLamperts, and Olivers, along with Tommy's brother David, all gathered at Bulkmeiers for dinner, none of them wanting to cook and their connections getting them a private dining room at what had become one of Angel Grove's most well known hotels. This suited Tommy and Kim just fine for there were two pieces of news they wished to share, one of them on a sensitive subject.
"Hey guys," Tommy called out after everyone had finished their main meal and waited on dessert. "Kim and I have some stuff to tell you." Gaining their undivided attention, Tommy knew there was no turning back; not from the imparting the news, and not from the expected tongue lashing that would follow.
"Ok, first off, for those of you who didn't figure it out by the news reports and my new sudden love of the colour black…I'm a Power Ranger again." Out of the five parents and one brother only David had known, for over the years he and Tommy had sparred together a lot and so he had gotten to know Tommy's fighting style well. Although the parents had not known, it did not come as a shock to them, the newest team of Rangers were from Reefside after all, and so there were a few murmurs of 'be careful' but other then that, this was not really news to them.
"Also…there's one more of us who's a Ranger…" Everyone's head turned to Kim who merely shook her head. It took a moment for the implication to sink in, before they turned their now truly shocked expressions on their niece and granddaughter.
"I'm the Yellow Dino Ranger." The ten-year-old answered, holding up her bracelet and activating her Morpher. While her father becoming a Ranger again wasn't news, Kira becoming one did shock them, especially as they knew how protective Kim and Tommy were of their daughter. After Justin it wasn't such a surprise that a child was a Ranger, but the fact that it was their granddaughter, and a person they'd all fully believed their children to never allow closer to the danger then absolutely necessary, was a complete shock to them.
"You made my niece a Power Ranger?!" David hissed as he grabbed her to him in a protective hug. This opened the floodgates for all the others to voice their protests.
"They didn't make me a Power Ranger." Kira said loudly over their raised voices. "The Power chose me. This," She flicked her wrist again, deactivating her Morpher and bringing back her bracelet. "Is my Dino Gem. They bond with your DNA, and not just anyone's DNA, but one specific person. This Dino Gem was meant for me, and since the Ranger powers are geared towards them, only I can be the Yellow Ranger." This didn't do anything to alleviate their fears, but they knew that, just like her parents, Kira was stubborn and if she'd decided on this, there was no way she wasn't going to do it.
"Besides, given who my parents are is it really any surprise? Finally becoming a Ranger is really just an inevitable formality." Once again this was not reassuring, but it stopped their parents and David long enough to re-direct their attention.
"And the final piece of news: I'm pregnant." Kim said quickly, earning more stunned silence, but this time not in a bad way…at least they hoped not. Kira smiled at her family's shocked expressions. Her parents had told her earlier that week that she was going to have a baby brother or sister and to say that Kira was excited would be an understatement. She was, naturally, worried about bringing a baby into their insane, evil being filled lives, but they had, after all, raised her in that environment and this time the new baby would have a big sister who was the most powerful person in the universe; people would mess with her baby brother or sister at their own peril. The news of another grandchild had Tommy and Kim's parents taking a complete 180, their attention fully diverted, which is exactly what Kim and Tommy had hoped for. Like with Tommy, the five parents were brought back to the first time their children had told them they were expecting, and were thankfully unable to find any of the same emotions that had filled them in that moment eleven years ago. Tommy and Kim weren't teenagers, they had jobs, a house, had raised a beautiful daughter, so apart from the obvious of them being Power Rangers, there was absolutely no reason for them not to be immediately happy about this second grandchild. Congratulations were given all around and Vivian entered nurse mode, asking Kim question after question. The tiny brunette answered them as best she could, informing her mother-in-law that they had the best OB/GYN in the area thanks to Dana, who while not needed as the doctor in this case, was still going to ensure that Kim got the best care possible, just as she'd done for Ashley three years ago, and Trini a few months ago. The rest of dinner passed by quickly and pleasantly and it wasn't long before Tommy, Kim and Kira were saying goodbye to the others who headed home while the three remained, awaiting the final group of people they wanted to impart their news to before everyone collectively found out at the Christmas party. This group consisted of the other Original Rangers, Kat, Angela, Bulk, Skull, Ernie and Alpha. All of them arrived within moments of each other, Alpha being the last to teleport in upon receiving the all clear from Tommy.
"Ok, so everyone's going to find out at the Christmas party this weekend, but we wanted to tell you first." Said Kim with a smile. "I'm pregnant." Trini, who had just entered her fourth month of pregnancy, squealed in delight before pulling her best friend into a bear hug, which all the Originals called her death grip hugs after Trini's Bear Spirit had been released.
"Oh my god, this is amazing! Our children will be born within a month of each other! They can grow up together like you and Jason, it'll be awesome!" Once Trini's hold on Kim had switched over to Tommy, Jason was the next to hug her.
"Congratulations Ptera."
"Thanks Rex." Congratulations all around were given before conversation about the upcoming births of two more Ranger babies began.
"So Monkey, how do you feel about a baby brother or sister?" Skull asked.
"It's great! I'm really happy." She said sincerely, not feeling anything else but happiness at the news of her mother's pregnancy, even after having had her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles attention all to herself for ten years. "And who knows, maybe with a new baby they'll let up on me a bit, not keep such a close eye on me."
"Yeah, that's never going to happen." Said Tommy from his spot conversing with Billy and Kat. "You're our daughter, doesn't matter how old or powerful you get, we'll always be keeping tabs on you." Kira groaned and rolled her eyes dramatically, but was truthfully pleased. Even though she wasn't concerned about her parents forgetting about her and focusing only on the new baby, it was still nice to hear it.
"And I shall assist from the Command Centre." Alpha imputed, earning a laugh and hug from Kira; that was Alpha's way of saying he'd always be looking out for her too.
"How far along are you?" Angela asked Kim. Angela had been welcomed wholeheartedly into their group, and as Zack's wife, was welcomed even into the more inner circle that consisted of everyone here. While they, along with the other Zeo, Turbo and Space Rangers were all family, there was still an unavoidable barrier between them. It wasn't one of their own making, but one brought on by their shared experiences and the longevity of friendship. It was the kind of barrier that existed even within the Original Rangers. Kim and Jason had literally shared a crib and grown up together, their sibling bond was something none of the others could relate to, and so even though they were all the best of friends, there was still that barrier that had Jason knowing Kim better then anyone, Tommy notwithstanding. While Angela, Bulk, Skull, Kat and Ernie were not a part of the Original Rangers, three of them had been around in some capacity since the very beginning, that friendship growing until it was pretty much cemented by the time Kira had been born, and Kat had then been brought into their group next thanks to Rita and Zedd. Angela had been a part of their lives for as long as they could remember, but until recent years, only as a classmate. Once she and Zack got together things had changed and she'd been welcomed at these sort of gatherings, which to anyone else in their family, was clearly something termed an 'Originals gathering', Bulk, Skull, Ernie and Kat automatically being tacked on to that, all of them having been around since the time of the Originals and it was a testament to how much they all liked Angela that she did not feel out of place at these gatherings.
"Just over twelve weeks." Kim answered with a smile; she'd ended up getting pregnant barely a month after Trini, right around the time her daughter was becoming a Power Ranger; though she swore it was just before Kira had gotten her Morpher for in her anger over Tommy keeping things from her, he hadn't gotten close to touching his wife for a few weeks afterwards. "I'm due in mid June."
"We're so happy for you." Said Kat with a bright smile.
"You two are next." Tommy and Jason both said to Zack and Billy with a smirk. The colour drained from both their faces at the thought of their wives being pregnant and having kids of their own, but ultimately neither thought the idea was a bad one, just scary.
"No, Billy and I are waiting." Said Kat. "We're only twenty-six and we're both very busy with The Royal Ballet and Oxford. I don't think either of us are quite ready to give that up for kids, and we both know we would." Billy smiled in complete agreement. Their schedules were incredibly busy, not allowing time for raising children, and both knew they wanted to be in their children's lives 100% when they finally did have kids, so they knew it would have to wait until they were ready for that next chapter in their lives.
"And Zack's just not ready for kids." Said Angela with her own smirk.
"And you are?!" Zack countered.
"Maybe." Angela loved playing with Zack, especially as they had discussed children before and knew where both stood on the subject: they wanted them, but like Billy and Kat, not quite yet.
"What about you two?" He then shot to Bulk and Skull. The two both had mysterious girlfriends whom none of them had met. They assumed it was because it was still new and the two weren't sure about introducing them to the large overwhelming extended family; not to mention that with Bulk and Skull in the know about the Rangers identities, things were pretty open around them, and their secret might be revealed at the wrong time. The Rangers knew they'd eventually meet the mysterious girlfriends when Bulk and Skull were ready.
"Ok, one more thing before we head out." Said Tommy, once a lull in the conversation had formed. "Billy, Zack, we told you ten years ago that you were the godfathers to our next child." The two looked shocked for a moment, having forgotten that promise, but the shock wore off quickly as the memory returned.
"I'd be honoured." Said Billy with a smile.
"We both would."
"Good." Said Kim. "There's not gonna be an official godmother, but Kat, Angela, we fully expect you to keep these two in check."
"Well, Angela keep Zack in check." Tommy amended, knowing Billy wouldn't need a handler.
"I'm hurt." Zack said dramatically with a hand held to his heart.
"Boy, this is why you need to be kept on a leash." Growled Angela playfully. "I'd hate to think what havoc you'd cause otherwise. That poor child would never recover."
-C/K-
The week went by both quickly and slowly, depending on whom you asked; the majority of people would say quickly, though Kira most certainly would not. She'd gotten weaker and more agitated as the week wore on so by the time Saturday rolled around, the day Connor, Trent and Ethan were to arrive, she was about ready to latch onto her mate and never let go. The feeling was mutual for Connor, the week of separation had not been good to him either, and so knowing this, Tommy and Kim had arranged for their reunion to take place at the Command Centre not wanting to draw the attention of their parents. As per Tommy's instructions, the boys had gone to Bulkmeiers, where they were staying for free for the two days they were in Angel Grove, before contacting Tommy to be teleported to the Command Centre from the privacy of their hotel room. Connor's teleportation beam had not even dissipated yet when Kira rushed into his arms, the two obviously breathing easier now that they were back together.
"Is that normal?" Trent asked, used to the notion that Connor and Kira were bonded, but not having really seen too much evidence of it, so seeing how tightly they held each other and how relaxed Connor had become when the entire drive here he'd been completely on edge, was surprising to him.
"We're not sure." Kim admitted. "Tommy and I don't like it when we're apart, we never have, but it's never obviously taken a toll on us like it is with them."
"So what does that mean?" asked Ethan.
"Again, we're not sure." Tommy answered this time. "Best guess is it's because their bond is still pretty new. By the time Kim and I were apart for as long as they've been we'd been bonded for three years." Realizing they weren't going to get a better answer, simply cause there wasn't a better answer, Trent and Ethan let it drop and turned their attention to the building they were in.
"This is…?"
"The Command Centre." Said Alpha as he walked over to them. "This is the Command Centre of the Original Power Rangers."
"Nice." Said Ethan.
"Gotta admit, the twinkling lights along the pitch black walls are so…twinkly." Said Trent with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Said Tommy.
"Hey…isn't that us?" Ethan asked, having continued to look around and found the pictures of each Ranger team that were located around the chamber.
"Yeah." Said Kira as she and Connor joined the others. The picture had changed from when she'd last seen it for Trent had joined them. "There's one of each Ranger team to ever exist. They automatically show up when a new Ranger team is formed."
"That used to be Zordon's energy tube." Alpha explained. "It now houses a picture of the Original Power Rangers." The three boys looked up, seeing there was indeed a picture of some very recognizable people, though with obvious differences.
"Your hair used to be longer then Mrs. O's?" Ethan asked.
"I liked his long hair. The mullet he had when he first came to Angel Grove, however…" Kim teased, earning a mock glare from Tommy.
"A mullet?" Connor laughed, being joined by the other boys.
"Hey, that was the style back then." Tommy defended. Some more sniggers were heard but they left it at that.
"So the baby Alpha is holding would be you?" Connor asked his mate. He'd been in the Command Centre once before, but seeing as they were on their way to Phaedos to try and stop her from dying, he hadn't been paying attention to pictures along the walls.
"Yeah. She was only days old there." Kim replied in Kira's stead with fondness as she thought back to that day. "It was the first time Alpha and Zordon got to meet her. And the first time I'd morphed since I found out I was pregnant, even if I only morphed then for a group photo. Thankfully Tommy wrapping his arms around me acted as a shield for my still large post-baby belly. Let me tell you, the spandex does not flatter a pregnant woman, or one who still has baby weight; it hides nothing."
"Hey, you were not fat then, and you won't be fat this time either." Tommy said, coming up behind her.
"Wait, what?!" Said Ethan, being the first to catch on. "Mrs. O's pregnant?" Tommy laughed at his little slip up, they'd wanted to wait till the party later tonight, but nodded nonetheless. Trent's mouth fell open in shock while Ethan looked a little scared. Connor was the only one who wasn't surprised by this news for he'd known since Kira had found out, their bond not letting her hide it from him even if she wanted to.
"Breathe, guys." Said Kim. "Yes I'm pregnant, but it's not that big a deal."
"I'd beg to differ. You carrying our second child is definitely a big deal." Interrupted Tommy.
"Yeah, well, as the father you're biased." She said without missing a beat. "Millions of women are pregnant every year, it's nothing big or scary."
"I think we'd beg to differ on that one Mrs. O." said Trent and Kim rolled her eyes.
"You'll see that I'm right as time goes on. And none of you had better treat me any different." She warned the three boys. "If last time's anything to go by I'm gonna get enough of that from him," She nodded her head in Tommy's direction, mentally daring him to deny it. "I don't need it from you." All three nodded immediately, even Trent who had only been around for a few weeks, knowing it was better to just agree with her most of the time.
"So then the floating head would be Zordon." Connor said, changing the subject and pointing once again to the picture.
"Yeah, that's him." Said Tommy happiness and sorrow both lacing his voice as it always did when they thought of their fallen family member. "The one who created us. Literally speaking, Power Rangers would, could, not exist without him."
"Really?" Asked Ethan, his joy of learning over taking him. They'd been told briefly of Zordon but had never heard the full story.
"He, along with Alpha, created the Morphing Grid, which transfers The Power into usable energy that we in turn tap into to become Rangers." Said Kim.
"We should be getting back for lunch." Said Tommy. "We'll head to the Youth Centre, we gotta help set up for tonight anyways, and we'll tell you everything we can while we eat." The three who would be hearing this story for the first time nodded in agreement and they all said goodbye to Alpha, for now as he'd be coming to the party tonight, before teleporting directly into the Youth Centre, thankful that Ernie had closed it down for today. They introduced Tommy's students to Ernie, and said hello to the other Rangers and Bulk and Skull who were helping out as well, before sitting down to a lunch of burgers, fries and shakes, Connor, Trent and Ethan being assured that Ernie's cooking was the best, to which the teenage boys, who lived off burgers and fries, couldn't deny. Over lunch they explained all about Zordon; what they knew of his past, what he'd done to protect the universe, and what he'd done for, and meant to, them personally, each Ranger giving their input where they could. After lunch, everyone got down to business and began preparing the Youth Centre for their party that evening. The Youth Centre still hosted its annual holiday party, but as Ernie did not want to give one holiday more attention then the other no decorations were put up, instead it was simply a party.
But for their family's party, everyone celebrated Christmas and so to make it special they decorated for one night, meaning everything had to be set up in the afternoon, and taken down after the party. With as many hands as there were, it wasn't hard to get everything done on time. With three of his students joining their family's holiday party Tommy had to explain that they were all Rangers as well, which didn't go over so well with his parents. Although they were still upset and worried about their granddaughter becoming a Ranger, after thinking about it for a bit, they had to admit that Kira had been right, that with everything she'd been through as the daughter of two Power Rangers, it really wasn't a surprise that she'd become one, nor were they under any illusions that she couldn't defend herself. But making three unsuspecting teenagers Rangers had them up in arms again, especially as it brought back memories of when they'd found out that their own unsuspecting teenagers had been made Power Rangers. This feeling, and the questions on what their parents thought, and the subsequent anger when they learned that Trent, Connor and Ethan's parents all had no idea they were Rangers, was not limited to Tommy and Kim's parents, but all of them, and so Tommy expertly re-directed attention by once again announcing Kim was pregnant, this being news for most people there. When everyone then converged on Kim and Tommy, Kira pulled her three teammates away, allowing them a breather from her family's incessant questions and nagging.
"Thanks." Said Trent sincerely, not having expected that at all.
"Are they always like that?" Ethan asked.
"Yep. Though I'm told they were worse when I was little,"
"You're still little." Inputted Connor.
"And they first found out mom and dad were Rangers." Kira finished as if Connor had never spoken, though she did swat him in the stomach.
"So then this is your whole family? Like we're not missing anyone are we?" Ethan double checked, wondering if they should be on guard for more arrivals.
"No, this is everyone." Kira laughed. "My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and most of my aunts and uncles parents."
"Most?" Trent asked.
"Yeah, some, like Andros and Karone's, and Zhane's parents aren't alive. They died during Astronema's attack on KO-35."
"You mean-"
"Yes, " Kira interrupted. "As Astronema, Karone's forces attacked her home planet and subsequently killed her parents."
"And the others?" Ethan asked, hoping no one else had lost their parents.
"Most of the Space Rangers parents aren't here. Cassie doesn't really get along with her parents, Ashley's parents are a bit stuck up, and although she trusts them with our identities, she doesn't want them anywhere near us. Or rather, near mom, dad and I. Apparently there was this whole thing with her mom being mean to my mom cause she was pregnant while still a teenager, and Ashley's mother's opinion hasn't really changed, so neither of her parents are here, though her grandmother is; Granny Hammond is awesome. Then there's just Carlos' parents who are here, and TJ's dad; his parents got divorced years ago and he doesn't see his mom very often. I remember he said that it took three months before his mom contacted him after his identity was revealed. Even Cassie's parents called right away when they learned their daughter was a Power Ranger."
"That sucks." Muttered Ethan.
"So…are we supposed to tell our parents?" Connor asked.
"If you think you can trust them with the secret, I don't see why not." Kira answered. "That's the main thing, our identities are secret for a reason. If you think they'll blab or if they can't handle it then you can't tell them. Especially as long as Mesogog's alive." The three teens nodded, Connor and Ethan knowing they'd eventually tell their parents, and Connor his twin brother Eric, but not yet, later when all of them were ready. Trent, on the other, hand wasn't so sure, at least not with the way his father had been acting these last few months, he'd have to wait and see.
"Dude, did Dr. O put on a wig?" Ethan asked as he looked at the door to where someone who looked exactly like Tommy, though with long hair, had entered. The three boys looked over to where their teacher had been and saw that he and Mrs. O were indeed still being fawned and fussed over, before turning their attention back to the newcomer.
"No, that's my Uncle David." Said Kira with a laugh. "I guess there was one uncle missing. Uncle David!" She cried as she rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. She then led him back over to the teens to do the introductions.
"Uncle David, these are three of my dad's students and the newest Rangers. This is Connor, Ethan and Trent, the Red, Blue and White Dino Rangers."
"David Trueheart, nice to meet you." He answered, shaking each of their hands.
"I didn't know we were giving gifts tonight." Kira commented, seeing the wrapped box in her uncle's hand.
"It's not a Christmas present. It's for your mom."
"Since when do you give mom random gifts?"
"Since she's pregnant." He answered before opening the box and showing his niece and the boys the carved wooden eagle pendant that rested inside. "The eagle is the symbol of our tribe, the tribe's protector. It's tradition for the parents of an expectant mother to give her an eagle on some kind of jewellery she can wear while pregnant. It's supposed to protect her and the unborn child and see that the baby's delivered safe and healthy. Grandpa gave this to our mother when she was pregnant with Tommy. By right it should have been given to Kim when she was pregnant with you."
"But dad didn't know you existed at the time."
"And since mom and dad aren't here it falls to me to give it to Kim."
"Cool." Kira said. "You'd better get in there though." She added nodding to where the large group around Tommy and Kim had thinned. "Aunt Trini's liable to not let go of mom for the rest of the night once the others have congratulated her."
"Alright." David laughed, bending down to give his niece a hug and kiss. "It was nice meeting you guys." He said to the boys before heading off towards his brother and sister-in-law.
"Ok…what just happened?" Connor asked.
"Even I'm completely confused."
"David is my biological uncle, my dad's brother, and the only one out of all my aunts and uncles who is biologically related to me." Kira answered. "He's from a First Nation tribe located a few miles from here. Dad was born there too, four years after Uncle David, but when he was only a few months old their parents were in a car crash and died. My great-grandpa couldn't afford to raise both his grandsons and it was kinder to give dad up for adoption cause Uncle David had had four years of forming attachments when dad wouldn't remember anything; he was adopted by grandma and grandpa, who couldn't have children of their own. Dad always knew he was adopted from a Native family named Trueheart, but that was it until I was two, when he met great-grandpa and Uncle David by chance one day."
"Wow. You learn something new about your teacher every day." Trent muttered, knowing the 'about your teacher' bit was uncommon. As the rest of the evening continued, the three teens grew more comfortable with their surroundings and the people they were with, though it helped that the other Rangers wouldn't let them stand against the wall all night and continuously pulled them in, Ashley even handing her twins to the boys at one point, Ethan escaping having to hold one by seeing the intent in Ashley's eyes and taking a step back. Connor and Trent spent ten terrifying minutes holding the two year olds before Kira freed them, holding Anthony in one arm while she led Laurina by the hand back to their parents, Laurina having started to walk before her brother. Their evening was beginning to wind down when things took a turn for the worst. Mesogog must have known that the Rangers were all out of town this weekend for he launched an attack that night. As the first group of people made their way out of the Youth Centre to head home, they found they couldn't, the doors would not open. TJ and Andros, who were a part of the group, used their enhanced strength given to them as Rangers to try and pry the door open, but they too had no luck.
"We're trapped!" Andros yelled to the main room, catching the attention of every Ranger there, all of who immediately sprang into action, spreading out and trying every door and window. It was no use though; they could neither open them nor even break them down. They then tried to teleport out, Alpha even tapping into the Command Centre's transport core by remote, but still they were stuck.
"Aye yai yai!" He cried. "It's no use! Not even the plasmatic gems of the transport core are enough to get through whatever shield is surrounding us!"
"Karone." Said Zhane, looking to his wife. The former Queen of Evil nodded and called on her powers, those she'd used as Astronema. She felt the usual feeling of her vanishing act well up, but it did not overwhelm her. It did, however, give her an idea.
"Ecliptor." She called, summoning her right hand who guarded the Dark Fortress and watched over all evil beings in her place, until Astronema was needed again to control them.
"My Queen." He answered, appearing instantly by her side. Though Ecliptor was fully aware that Karone was no longer evil, he refused to call her anything else. Although the reminder of her past was a little unnerving, Karone allowed it so long as it was only he who called her that when she wasn't pretending to be Astronema. He was, after all, completely loyal to her, and had been her one constant companion and friend since she was five. The two had truly come to care for each other, Ecliptor becoming a sort of father, for Karone could not remember hers, and it was that affection within Ecliptor that had saved him from Zordon's energy. Something within Ecliptor had broken through his programming, for he was, like all the other monsters they fought, a physical manifestation of pure negative energy; he was not truly alive, there was no good in him, yet he'd been able to learn goodness and show it was possible for a being created solely from evil to have good inside them.
"Whatever's blocking us is only blocking positive energy signatures." Karone told the others, when her theory had been proven right. Her own powers were not evil, though they'd been used for evil purposes for so long that the shield recognized a part of that, which was why she was able feel something when she tried to use them. Although technically working for the side of good, Ecliptor was still a being created from evil, and so his energy signature allowed him through.
"So how do we get out of here then?" Justin asked.
"We find out what's causing this and destroy it." Karone replied. "Ecliptor, return to the Dark Fortress and run a scan over this building. I want a full report on what and who is blocking us. Then I want you to destroy it."
"Yes, my Queen." He answered with a short bow before disappearing. Seeing Karone order her minions around as she once did was still weird for those who had only known she had once been Astronema and not actually known her at the time. Karone had learned quickly once she'd reunited with Ecliptor and reclaimed the Dark Fortress that being nice and asking them to do things wasn't very efficient, nor did it exactly work. She could still be nice, or rather nicer, then she'd been, not insulting anyone or destroying them cause they failed her, but she still gave orders.
"I think we already know who is doing this." Said Tommy from his spot next to Kim and Kira.
"Mesogog." Kira agreed, along with the other Dino Rangers. A couple minutes later Ecliptor returned and confirmed just that. He also said that it would require a powerful blast from both sides of the shield, fired at exactly the same spot at exactly the same time, to break through the shield.
"Ready the Satelasers at my command." Karone instructed. The Satelasers weren't just good for growing monsters to epic proportions, but also for being used as regular lasers.
"I'll handle it from this side." Said Andros, knowing out of all the Rangers here he had the most firepower, Zords not included. Everyone was herded against the back wall, as they hoped to just bust down the door and not destroy the Youth Centre, Kim and Trini being forced by their husbands to take cover with their parents as the Rangers stood in front of them. It was weird for them to stand back, especially as Kira stood in front, but they acknowledged that in their current pregnant states, anything to do with Ranger battles was off limits, that included potentially flying debris and unknown forces congregating outside the door.
"Red Battlized Ranger!" It was a point of pride for Andros that he was the first Ranger to ever have a battlizer, though he had to admit that some of the newer ones made his truly look old school. "Battlizer Missiles!"
"Fire!" He and his sister called at once, Andros' missiles being that second slower then the Satelasers, allowing them to compensate for the distance from space the Satelasers had to travel. The two blasts broke through the shield and sent the door flying, though luckily as the shield had taken most of their power, what was left wasn't enough to destroy walls. Once they'd broken through, Tyrannodrones in immense numbers streamed through the door, obviously having been placed there in case they did break through. Seeing their enemies, the Dino Rangers stepped forward.
"Ready?" Connor called, activating his Morpher.
"Ready! Dino Thunder Power Up!"
"White Ranger Dino Power!" The five Dino Rangers took on the Tyrannodrones, which normally would have been no problem, except that there were a lot of them. The other Rangers took on those that made it past the Dino Rangers, but with their families to protect, none of them wanted to do anything more then defense, especially Andros and Ashley who had their twins to worry about. Andros handled that particular problem by flying over to the twins' playpen, situated in the same place Kira's had been against the back wall and next to the bar, which was where their family huddled, and using his Battlizer to blast anything that came towards his children. Ashley stood next to the playpen, ready to help if needed, but since mere foot soldiers didn't stand a chance against a Battlizer, she used her energy to protect her grandmother, though still kept an eye on her children.
"Tommy, Elsa and Zeltrax are launching an attack on Angel Grove!" Came Hayley's voice, who'd rushed to the Dino Lab upon her alarms going off.
"Yeah, we got that Hayley." Muttered Tommy, sending a kick to one of the Tyrannodrones.
"No, I mean Elsa and Zeltrax themselves are attacking Angel Grove while the Tyrannodrones are keeping you busy."
"Dammit!" Tommy cried louder this time.
"You guys have to go protect the city!" Yelled Jason.
"We can't leave you guys! Even with this many Rangers you'll never be able to protect our family and take them all on, there's too many of them!" Kira yelled back.
"So then let's let others do the fighting." Karone said as she snapped her fingers, calling on a large group of Quantrons. "Let's see how your Tyrannodrones handle my Quantrons. Attack!" The mindless Quantrons did as instructed and took on the Tyrannodrones in a never before seen battle of foot soldier against foot soldier. But it had the desired effect and allowed the remaining Rangers to stay on the defense of their family, only having to fight the few that got passed the Quantrons. With a hesitant nod, the Dino Rangers ran out of the Youth Centre towards the screams, blasts and subsequent fireballs.
"The park." Tommy grumbled as he jumped into the fray, going against Zeltrax. "Why is it always the park?"
"You'd think by now you'd have stopped asking that and just embraced it." Said Kira as she fought Elsa, the other three having been waylaid by Mesogog's newest monster and its army of Tyrannodrones. "You know this park like the back of your hand; you're on home turf here." Tommy conceded Kira's point, he did know it that well, which did give him an advantage.
"Any idea why they're attacking Angel Grove park in the first place?" Asked Ethan. "Doesn't Mesogog want to conquer Reefside?"
"Not just Reefside, the world." Said Tommy. "But to do that he has to destroy us all. A gathering of that many Rangers in one place must have been too much of an incentive for him." The Rangers fought for awhile, gaining no ground, but losing a lot. Eventually, the monster grew big as it always did, and the Rangers wondered how long it would take for the Brachiozord to get to Angel Grove with the rest of their Zords, only to have the Brachiozord appear seconds later, opening up to release the Tyrannozord, Pterazord and Tricerazord. It was then that Kim called to Tommy through their bond saying the Quantrons had dealt with the Tyrannodrones and they'd all teleported to the Command Centre, allowing Alpha to teleport the Brachiozord to Angel Grove, and them all to watch the fight on the Viewing Globe. Kira, Connor and Ethan formed the Thundersaurus Megazord to combat the giant monster while Tommy and Trent kept Elsa and Zeltrax busy. Not long into the Megazord battle, the monster got in a good hit, breaking the Megazord down into the individual Zords and tumbling the Rangers from the cockpit.
"Thundersaurus is damaged!" Connor yelled. "Trent you're up!" Trent nodded and called on the Dragozord and Stegazord, the two combining to form his own personal Megazord. The Pterazord was the most damaged from the battle and so Kira sent it back to the Brachiozord, joining her father in battle while Connor and Ethan used their Zords to offer assistance to Trent. Their new plan of attack seemed to be going well, until Elsa managed to get a hit on Kira, forcing her to de-morph, then gave her monster one final order before Trent's Megazord could destroy it.
"Terrorsaurus destroy her!" Elsa directed. The Rangers' heads all shot to Kira, while hers shot to the monster.
"Kira move!" Connor roared as he began sprinting towards her. Kira tried to stand, but having lost her morph meant she was injured enough that it took her long enough to stand, let alone move away, so the monster had had more then enough time to power up its attack. When she saw it release the blast she closed her eyes waiting for the hit and hoping its aim would be off and she'd merely be injured, not dead. However, the impact never came. Instead a bright golden light erupted before her and Kira opened her eyes to see a tall familiar figure standing in front of her, his arms held before him, stopping the attack. When the light died down, it was to reveal the Red Ranger, but not as they were used to him. The white spikes all around the side of his suit had turned purple with a golden border around it. The crest on his chest had grown and he'd gained a golden border around his visor along with shoulder pads. He also carried a shield, not unlike Ethan's Tricera Shield, which had been the source of protection from the giant monster's attack. If Connor himself was surprised by the changes whatever this power was had given his suit he didn't show it, merely turned to assure his mate was safe before turning angry eyes on Elsa. Following his instincts, and the directions of the new power that surged through him, he raised his new shield above his head.
"Shield of Triumph!" He called, causing that golden power to surge from and around the shield, completely engulfing Connor. "Triassic Ranger Battlizer, energize!" Fire shot out from the shield and circled Connor dissipating to reveal Connor with his own Battlizer armour. Using his super speed, Connor ran at Elsa, using his new weapon and knocking her back into Zeltrax.
"Super Fire Power!" He cried, powering up his Battlizer for the final hit. Unfortunately, being two of Mesogog's top minions allowed them the power to survive such an attack, though it did make them see that they were in way over their heads and so they wisely retreated. Connor then turned towards the monster, growling through the comm system for Trent to stand down and the Zords to return to their spots within the Brachiozord. He raised his left arm, and it was then that they noticed his Morpher had changed shape and turned to gold.
"Mezodon Rover!" A light shot out of the Morpher heading towards an area near the monster and no one was sure if it activated a Zord that was already there, or if the power of the Morpher summoned the new Bio-Zord from wherever on Earth it had been hidden. "Megazord mode!" The new Zord proved to be like Tommy's Dragonzord and Tigerzord in having it's own Megazord mode without having to join with any other Zords. Connor, still in full Battlizer armour, jumped up and entered his new Megazord. Tommy came over at that point and checked on his daughter. Ethan and Trent joined them and the four Rangers watched as one hit from the Mezodon Megazord destroyed the monster. Connor returned to his mate's side moments later, his Battlizer armour disappearing though his new Triassic Ranger state remained.
"You alright?" Connor asked her, and after a word from Kim that all their family, parents included, were watching on the Viewing Globe, Tommy was immensely glad that Connor remained morphed and they couldn't see the look on his face for both Tommy and Kim knew it would give Connor and Kira's relationship away.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Connor growled when she said fine, for the cuts and bruises and the way she held her arm clearly indicated she wasn't. "Ok, fine, I'll live." Kira amended having heard Connor's train of thought.
"We should be getting back." Said Tommy. "Alpha should take a look at you, Kira, and the police will be arriving soon." No argument was heard and so Alpha, who'd been standing by, hit a few buttons and teleported them in. Kim was at her daughter's side the moment she arrived, serving both to alleviate a bit of her own worry, and to help block the death grip the new Triassic Ranger had on her daughter. Though truthfully she needn't have worried so much about their parents suspecting anything for all of them were pretty much in shock over having just witnessed first hand a Ranger gaining the biggest power up a Ranger could get, and their granddaughter fighting monsters ten times her size. The other Rangers, however, weren't in such shock and so they congregated around the rookies, offering their congratulations on defeating the monster, their take on the battle, and advice for future battles. Kim and Tommy pried Kira away from Connor to take her to the Med Bay so Alpha could look after her and it was left to Andros to stop Connor from following them.
"Your Battlizer is awesome." He told the newest Red Ranger. "There's been significant upgrades in the time since I got my Battlizer."
"Y-yours is still cool." Connor said, powering down at last and trying to focus on those around him and not on his mate in the Med Bay. It was easier said then done, but with all the people around him, and the view from Kira's eyes that there was nothing more wrong with her then the cuts, bruises and a minor fracture in her arm, all which would heal quickly with their accelerated healing. When Kira returned she stuck to Connor's side, though with everyone around she was just part of the group. With his mate safely by his side, Connor's mind was able to turn to his new Triassic power. There was no question that this power didn't have anything to do with the Ninjetti. The Triassic Ranger, the new Mezodonzord, this power was certainly a part of their Dino powers, and not some ancient prophecy. This fact boosted Connor's confidence in himself as a Ranger. Before, any extra power he'd had had all seemed to come from that prophecy, but this, this was his own power, and that made a great deal of difference to Connor, though he didn't exactly know why it was so important. Kira squeezed his hand in understanding for she'd felt the same thing when she became a Ranger, when The Power had chosen her, not for being The Child of Power, but simply because it deemed her worthy. She knew all about that feeling, and was glad that even though Connor had not seen he was worthy when he'd first become a Ranger, he saw it now; he saw that it wasn't an ancient power at play, but he himself that was worthy of The Power, and that made all the difference.
A/N - Quite an eventful Christmas break. lol. I enjoyed writing that bit with Ecliptor and Karone using her powers, I must admit, and I think it's well within the realm of possibility that she'd use them in a scenario like this.
To give you guys a concrete timeline as to Trini and Kim's pregnancies, Trini got pregnant sometime in August and Kim sometime in September, they're due in May and June respectively. Also some of you have been asking if Kim and Tommy's baby would have Tommy's invisibility power. So to clarify, I'd say yes if the baby had been conceived after Tommy became the Black Ranger, but it was conceived before. I actually went back and double checked my timeline and Tommy didn't get his Dino Gem till October, so it's close...but I'm not gonna go back and change my entire timeline in multiple chapters, including some that haven't been posted, so...sorry to those who wanted the baby to have that power...
Review please!