Disclaimer: Not mine, or else I would totally bring the Machine Empire back into the upcoming Power Rangers RPM series; I mean the Sentai villains would totally look fit the mold.

Note: Once again a really long time since updating. Sorry, what with school and work and God knows what else I haven't really gotten a chance to let the creative juices flow. Anyway in case you can't tell, after reading this, characters are starting to align, things will begin to connect, and…well that's all I have to say bout that.

Into The Darkness

"So what exactly lives here?" Cole examined the settings around him. It was a small fortress like town. The population seemed minimal and the streets…more accurately the paths didn't seem to busy.

"The Foils of course, this is one of their smaller villages. It's an outskirt settlement. Part of one of the much larger towns a couple miles up the valley, Betta and me work as the medic on demand here." Jacob replied, "There are several outposts like this one spread throughout the valley. With the growing number of incidents involving…let's just say less than friendly species…the outposts have been fairly active."

"Doctor, shall I take the child into the medical bay?" Betta asked as they approached a small, clay-like structure.

"That would be fine, clean the wound properly and prep my equipment I'll be in momentarily," Jacob answered the dark-skinned Foil, "and you, Cole, and your companions here are welcome to walk around the village, you may get a couple of odd stares, merely because the people here are not used to seeing such a large number of humans, but they are all friendly for the most part."

"What about her?" Cole nodded towards the clay building Betta had taken the young girl into.

"Don't worry, I've seen this many times, but you are more than welcome to hang outside the facility if you so choose," Jacob answered the White Ranger.

The other humans who had traveled with Cole stood around looking to him for what they should do. Cole hated having the responsibility, he had set out to get the others somewhere safe, and it seemed that they were safe here…for the time. He simply told them to walk around, but stay close to one another, just in case. He chose to remain near the medical bay for the time being.

Jacob Allistor entered into the small building, joining Betta and the little girl.

Finding a ladder aside the building Cole climbed to the roof to get a better view of the surrounding area, and to get a feel for the land itself. Though the roof didn't allow a great view, Cole felt as if he was hearing the sky speak to him. Closing his eyes, he opened his ears. He could hear the sounds carried on the winds; cries of unfamiliar animals, voices flowing from the mouths of the people…the Foils in the village. The whole of the planet seemed to be talking…but the voices were disconnected…the planet spoke with multiple voices…not seemed to mesh with the others.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Cole asked no one in particular.

The multitude of voices came back at him, some sorrowful, some in pain, some strong and commanding. One sound broke over all the others though. A loud cry…he heard it in particular…a voice that sounded in turmoil. Cole collapsed to the ground as the sharp cry shook him to the very core. His newfound Rangers powers could not quiet the anguish, immediately the helmet formed from his head band again, encasing his head completely. Only then could he decipher what the cry meant.

"Not again…no…please…no…" the voice he heard, was broken and distorted, but at the moment it was decipherable.

"Who are you? Where are you? What can I do?" Cole once again spoke to no one. He felt himself fall into a trance. He saw images flying before his eyes again. A woman with long, ragged brown hair, but something vaguely familiar about her, she was human he was certain of that, but he felt as if he should no her. The images, at first distorted, began to clarify. There were people bound together in tight rooms, there was blood and grime coating the faces and bodies of the people, there were weapons of all shape and sizes, creatures of unrecognizable origins, brutality, violence and pain.

Cole lost all track of time while in his trance, it could've been 5 minutes, or it could've been 5 hours, but he was brought back to reality by a firm pressure pressing against him, and a voice asking if he was okay.

It was the young girl; she had been brought up top by Jacob per her request to check on Cole. Her pale, thin figure contrasted greatly against the darkening sky, the light that shone on her gave her an almost ethereal appearance, "Are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm good. How about you?" Cole tried to regain focus.

"My leg hurts, but the poison is gone. Dr. Allistor told me that it would be better for me to relax here for the time being," the girl responded.

"Yeah, we'll stay here for a little while," Cole answered, trying to sound concerned but the fact was the images were telling him something, and he was actually trying to figure out what as opposed to listening to the little girl, whose name he didn't even know.

"No we won't…you…you have to go," the girl replied.

"What?" Cole was curious to what she had meant.

"You got us here; Jacob said we were welcome as long as we wanted. The others agreed that it was a good idea…but there's something calling you elsewhere isn't it. I mean you're a Power Ranger…that means there is something out there that needs to be faced," the young girl sounded almost sad at the sense she made.

The helmet around Cole's head retracted, as the headband reappeared, he smiled kindly, and knew that she was telling the truth. He didn't know how she knew, but she did.

(Outside Trini's village)

"It seems you have found a way to return to your regular appearance," a familiar voice approached Trini and Hayley as they stood outside of the village.

"Necrolai, we were wondering where you went off to," Hayley replied.

"As I said before, I'm not welcome into the Foils Village," Necrolai smiled coyly as she came into full view of the two other women, "where is the rest of the crowd?"

"Inside…probably asleep," Trini answered, "which is something we should do ourselves."

"Ah yes, you humans and your nocturnal sleeps. Everyone knows that the best hunting though takes place at night," Necrolai joked as she glared at Trini and Hayley.

"Hey, Power Ranger here," Hayley motioned towards Trini.

"Merely a joke child, but the real reason I'm here is to let you know what I've heard from the whispers in the dark," Necrolai's voice became more serious, "it seems that several other humans have been appearing throughout the land…humans that seem to share some commonalities with our Trini here.

"You mean like more Rangers?" Trini sounded surprised, "but who…where?"

"That I couldn't tell you, I just hear bits and pieces from the dwellers, I'm not particularly welcomed by the evil forces either," the Vampire's voice changed again.

"Are you welcome anywhere?" Hayley asked, trying not to sound rude.

"The night welcomes me," Necrolai answered, "but you ladies should probably get some sleep…I have a feeling things are going to get bumpy. Sleep well." With the final comment Necrolai took to the sky and vanished.

"Is it just me…or is she creepy?" Trini asked Hayley.

"She certainly not un-creepy," Hayley replied before motioning for the new Crimson Ranger to follow her.

(The Knothole)

"So this is your hide-out?" T. J. looked around surroundings they were in.

"Yeah, one of many," Elsa answered, "can't stay around in one place too long, like I said I'm a wanted woman."

"I kinda got that," T. J. replied, even more uncertain of the choice he made to follow this woman here. The more he thought about it, the more convenient it all seemed, something was off, but he wasn't sure what, "so how do we get back from…wherever this place is?"

"No clue," Elsa replied bluntly.

"So you're saying...we're pretty much stuck. If I can just find a place to contact the United Space Confederation, I can get help," T. J. tried to explain.

"No one knows about the USC on this planet, there's no way to contact anyone outside of the planet itself," Elsa started to build a fire.

So she did know of the USC, so that told T. J. that she was at least familiar with some basics of interstellar law. It didn't mean that he was more grounds to trust her, even the criminals in space knew of the USC.

"Anyway, I told you who I am, isn't it about time you told me yours," Elsa looked at the Blue Space Ranger.

"T. J.," he left the answer there, not wanting to give out too much information.

"Well T. J., I'm assuming you have some other title, since you seem to have a hotline to the USC, but that'll come in due time, I'm sure," Elsa returned to her fire.

T. J. chose to just watch the dark-haired woman in front of him, not saying anything else. Eventually the silence won out, there were a ton of questions T. J. had to ask, but those were for later…provided there would be a later. Elsa curled up into one of the blankets, and seemed to fall asleep rapidly. T. J. chose to remain awake for a little longer, but eventually he couldn't fight of the sleep, and soon he found himself drifting into a sleep, however light it would be.

The night either flew by, or was moving excessively slow, there was no way of telling in the deep underground of the, "Knothole." The sound of scraping against the walls is what woke T. J. It was a faint sound, but a sound none-the-less. Next there came a scream, it was Elsa…something had her…but why hadn't whatever had her approached him, was all T. J. thought.

"Run T. J., get out of here…don't let them get y…" Elsa's voice was muffled.

"Hold on!" T. J. responded. Thrusting out his arms T. J. shouted, "Let's Rocket," and entered in the morphing sequence he had used countless times. Expecting the sudden power boost that usually came with morphing he was shocked when nothing happened. "What the..?"

He didn't have time to try and figure anything out, whatever it was that had Elsa was now heading towards T. J. He had to act on the oncoming attackers, and he acted swiftly. It was a much easier skirmish that he had imagined; he had been prepared to fight off strong, fierce soldiers, not uncoordinated slow fighters. How had Elsa not managed to fend them off…maybe they just caught her off guard.

Elsa seemed to pick-up on the weakness of the attackers as well, immediately she broke free of her captives and planted them firmly on the ground. Reaching for one of the fallen creature's waist she withdrew a bladed weapon of sort and readied to thrust it into the chest of the fallen.

T. J. managed to notice the prepared attack and swiftly ran over towards Elsa, catching her hand mid-air, "Watch it, he's out…we should probably go before they get back up…or others show up."

"But…" Elsa replied.

"But nothing…let's go…" the Space Ranger grabbed Elsa's wrist and pulled her behind him, as he ran off into…well he really didn't know where he was dragging her to.

"Slow down," Elsa pulled against T. J., "you don't even know where you're going."

"Well they're there, and we don't want to be, that's all I know," T. J. replied, not slowing down at all.

"Just give me a second to get our bearings," Elsa stopped in her tracks, "I think there's a way out somewhere…down….this…way." Elsa motioned for T. J. to follow her.

Not really having much other choice T. J. followed Elsa into the darkness. The trip was short before she stopped again.

Pressing against the wall, an opening appeared. Elsa stepped out into the cool night air, the Space Ranger behind her.

"Where are we?" T. J. looked around the area. The night was black, but stars lit the sky. Apparently the sleep had been a short one.

"Near the coliseum…" Elsa replied coolly.

"Oh…," T. J. answered.

In the distance a high pitched shriek sounded, like that of a very large monkey…

(The Dark One's Domain)

"My lord it seems as if Trakeena has failed to bring you the power you sought," Thrax spoke to the Dark One, "in fact she let yet another Ranger awaken…"

"I am aware of the goings on General," the Dark One replied.

"I assure you that I will not fail as the insect woman did. In fact I have something quite special for the humans. Provided your Advisor's troop keeps their part," Thrax's voice hissed almost when he spoke to the shadows beside his master.

The black clad Goldar stepped forward, narrowing his eyes on the son of both his former masters, "No your place Thrax," he growled towards the son of Rita and Zedd. "My servant will not fail."

"Yes sir," Thrax sarcastically replied, "then, my Titan shall be ready." A wicked smile crossed the face of the general.

"These warriors…Rangers…whatever they are could be a threat to my plans," the Dark One paid no mind to the bickering soldiers beneath him.

Goldar shifted his focus from Thrax towards the Dark One, "lord, Rangers have always been a thorn in the side of evil, but they are not invulnerable, they can be defeated."

(Outside Archerina's home)

"This is awesome, I mean a Ranger again, Tori will totally freak when she finds out she's not the only one whose powers were reactivated," Dustin was still marveling at his new found powers.

"It is amazing Dustin," Archerina replied, "but why did this happen?"

"I don't know, but I'm not complaining," the former Yellow, now Black Ranger answered back to the machine woman.

"So…umm…power down?" Dustin said questioningly. Immediately Dustin reverted back to his original black, Ninja Academy garb except with a head band around his forehead, "okay…umm…Ninja Storm, Ranger form?" Dustin tried his old morphing technique, nothing happened, "okay…how bout Shazam? No? Dino Thunder…something or another? No? What was some other calls…how bout," Dustin thrust his hands forwards, focused on what he was wanting to do, "I got it," he smiled, this is one from when I was a kid, "It's Morphin Time!" His head shot upward as the gem on his head began to glow and his body was engulfed in the black light as he found the increased strength returning, and he was in his Ranger form again, minus helmet.

"Impressive, looks like you figured it out," Archerina's voice sounded as if she would be smiling if that was possible, "what about the Zords?" Images flooded back into the former Princess' head, large creatures, massive mechanical battles, explosions, images that she vaguely remembered from her former life. "Zords?" How did she know that term?

"Seriously," Dustin laughed, "that would be awesome."

Archerina came from her thoughts back to reality, "so what do you plan to do now?"

"Good question," Dustin got serious again, "I should probably try to find a way home. Maybe we should go and find one of the villages, someone there may be able to help…maybe?" Dustin wasn't too sure of his plan; that really was never his strong suit.

"We? Dustin, I can't go there, what if they…"Archerina began; her fears of being destroyed and studied came to fruition.

"Come on, you're the only friend…well I guess we're friends…that I have here, you know you're way around, and you're an awesome cook…once again despite having no need to eat, or taste buds for that matter. I promise I won't let anything happen to you," the new Black Ranger smiled comfortingly at the machine woman.

Archerina believed his words, despite her fears she knew that the human would do all in his power to keep her safe. She nodded in confirmation, "well we should probably get ready. There is a village a couple of day's walk from here."

"Okay then, well let's get a little rest and we'll head out tomorrow," Dustin suggested, "Power down," he reverted once again to his Ninja Academy garb.

Both the former Machine Princess and the former Yellow Wind Ranger returned to Archerina's home, after a brief meal of leftovers, Dustin took up inside the bed again and the machine moved into her own sleep cycle by the fire place.

Unbeknownst to either, two pair of eyes circled the home, scanning and watching their surroundings. Tonight there would be no trespassers.

TBC