A/N: Chapter 15. Things get real in this chapter. There is a character death in this chapter; you have been warned.

A/N 2: I own nothing. Power Rangers once belonged to Saban, then they went to Disney and belong to Saban again.

Chapter 15 – Two Steps Forward One Step Back

Sunday, August 1, 2004

Angel Grove, CA

For the entire two hours that Hayley and Zordon had rode to Angel Grove, they had really done a great job bonding with each other. Zordon had told numerous stories about his work throughout the galaxy, while Hayley had poured a lot out to Zordon about her life too.

What surprised Zordon greatly was just how knowledgeable she seemed to be about the superhero business; because of her ties to Grimlord who laid siege to virtual reality and Crossworld City for a long while, she learned a lot about the dangers of putting on any sort of uniform at a very early age.

The tales that Hayley told of her adventures with the three VR Troopers intrigued Zordon; Zordon had heard of the VR Troopers and Professor Hart, and admired their work, but had never had the opportunity to work with them.

Admittedly, that was one of the attributes that drew Zordon to Hayley; that she understood what it took for any team of superheroes to hold off any sort of evil aliens. He also knew that she would come in handy when Kimberly went to court with her mother (it was going to happen sooner or later, in his mind, Caroline Dumas was too much of a bully to lay off her daughter); she as much as anyone else knew what it was like to come from a broken, dysfunctional family.

But, when Zordon and Hayley saw the two-story Oliver home in Angel Grove and the cars parked in the driveway, the talking ceased. He knew it was time to get down to business.

What he didn't quite expect was a green colored pickup truck parked on the other side of the house. Perhaps they would get some help?

At almost the same time, they heard a knock on the driver-side door. When Zordon saw who knocked, he couldn't help but smile. He also saw another figure standing not too far away which made him smile even wider.

'Just what the doctor ordered,' he thought.

"Need a hand?" David Trueheart suddenly said as he opened the driver-side door. "You must be Hayley…the tech advisor to Tommy's team. He told me all about you."

"And you must be David, his brother, the lawyer who's going to whip Kimberly's mother's butt in court," Hayley said. "Tommy told me about you too."

"I am he…and I'll do exactly what I said I would do if the time comes. Caroline and her lawyers would be stupid to get in a court room with me; her lawyers know that I'd take them apart but being the pig-headed egotistical lady that she is, she won't resist," David said, as he noticed someone coming out of the passenger side door. "But who's the other guy with you?"

"Ha, my companion isn't just some other guy," Hayley smirked. "David, let me introduce you to Tommy's mentor during his first tour of Ranger duty, Zordon of Eltar."

"It is finally a pleasure to meet you, David Trueheart; I apologize for how you came to know about us; we know how unpleasant it can be for aliens to hold Ranger allies hostage," Zordon said.

"Zordon of Eltar, the man who started this incredible legacy," another voice said as an older looking man stepped forward. "At long last we meet; when you sacrificed yourself, I admit even my hopes diminished for that to happen."

"Samuel Trueheart, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you at last," Zordon said as the two elderly men embraced like two old friends, though it was only the first time they'd met. "I assume we are all here for the same thing?"

"It sure seems that way doesn't it?" Sam said. "Come, we must get down to business. The Pink Crane must be protected at all costs."

30 minutes later…

Melissa and Joshua Oliver visibly shuddered about a half an hour later as the both of them listened to their four guests. They really hadn't been expecting guests, but the four who had arrived seemed nice enough and seemed to have an air of wisdom about them so they had let the four of them in, though of the four they only knew David.

They both knew and had known for years that Tommy, Kimberly, Jason and everyone else who had been around those three had been Power Rangers, but wisely, they had kept their mouths shut until after Tommy had passed on his powers during the Turbo crisis.

They did this knowing that whoever was in charge obviously wanted to keep the Rangers' identities out of the hands of the crooked politicians in Washington, amongst other reasons. It was also the first time that Mr. and Mrs. Oliver had met either Zordon or Sam, and they quickly felt at ease with both of them in their home.

At this point things were starting to get tense though; they got tense the first time the name Caroline had escaped Zordon's lips, and the tension continued as Zordon, Sam and David outlined the current situation and part of why Kimberly had dropped off the face of the Earth all those years ago.

"I knew there was a reason I hated that woman. Hate is a strong word but that's how I feel about her. It's one thing to have a threat from aliens wanting to take over our world; it's another thing for someone you should be able to trust with your life to be a threat to you as well," Melissa hissed, her body trembling with anger. "Caroline was arrogant and obnoxious then, and it sounds like she hasn't changed. Kimberly spent as much time at our place as she did at her own home during her formative years."

"Missy and I are from San Antonio and proud of it. San Antonio is a city with a rich Hispanic culture which is a culture of hard work and family; I think those two concepts are foreign to that mother of Kimberly's," Joshua Oliver said. "Now just talking about her is starting to make me mad all over again; are you sure you can destroy her in court, David?"

"Let's just say that the best thing for Caroline would be to stay away from her daughter," Sam said; he had to restrain himself from using the moniker of the Pink Crane, knowing that Mr. and Mrs. Oliver knew very little about the Ninjetti, as Tommy had divulged little to them over the years about his Ranger activities.

"Because if she gets involved and tries to take the pink one away from her soulmate and her friends, the spirits that guard this land will frown greatly upon her and will render the proper justice on her. The pain she has known before would be nothing if she attempted to drag Kimberly into court," Sam said.

"I'm not sure I understand what you just said, but if it means that silver-spooned bitch has to pay a lot of money and doesn't get to use and abuse Kimberly and take her away from us, then I'm all for it," Josh said.

"So, if Kimberly's mother gets destroyed in court, then what's the problem?" Melissa said.

"Think about it, Miss," Josh said. "If Kimberly's mother flies over here and gets in Kimberly's face, it will be a nightmare. I am sure that is why they came here. They can't use Ranger powers on her because she's a civilian, remember?"

Melissa slapped her head in annoyance; it made so much sense now. Flashbacks of Kim's family problems, and potentially getting taken away from her friends and her lover again was something that Kimberly did not need at all.

"You want us to protect Kim until we possibly have to go to court," Melissa said. "I see; it's a good thing that we're being informed because if I know Caroline, a restraining order may or may not do us any good."

"Indeed," Zordon said. "That is why I need you to go to all the parents of those Tommy served with, at least here in town, and inform them of the situation."

"And there is no time to lose," Sam said. "If we do not move quickly, I fear something terrible will happen; it may still anyways."

"You can count on us," Melissa said, determination crossing her features. "If Caroline wants to get to Kimberly, she'll have to go through us first. And I mean all of us."

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Phaedos

"My God, look at the natural beauty," Kat said moments after she, Tanya, Jason, Trini, Zack and Justin, Zedd, Rita and Selena landed in almost the same place where Tommy, Kimberly and the others had landed nine years ago.

"It's hard to believe that so many thousands of years ago, this was a thriving planet. That is, until Master Vile and his family ruined it," Jason said. "Then again, his family has a knack for ruining lives."

"Take a number on that one; there are many evil beings out there who take pleasure in ruining lives like ours," Zedd said.

Something tells me we had better find Dulcea quickly," Justin said. "I don't know about you guys but the hair is standing up on the back of my neck. I feel something awful is about to happen."

"Wise words, young one, because I feel the same way. The thing is, even if and when we get our powers, I'm not sure we'll be in time to stop it," Rita said cryptically.

Tanya was about to open her mouth to protest, but she felt the same sensation too, so she shut her mouth quickly. Without another word, the group of nine headed off as they looked at the map their friends had provided for them. Meanwhile, on a perch high above, a small owl watched the group of nine as they continued on their way.

"See you at the temple, Rangers," the small owl said, as it took off into the sky and flew towards the sacred grounds of the Ninjetti Temple.

Crane Gymnastic Academy

12:30 p.m.

Angel Grove, CA

As she went back to her office for a lunch break after helping one of her assistants teach a group of young seven year-olds, Kimberly felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Something felt off about this day, almost like the air was teeming with ominous warnings of what was to come.

Without another moment of thought, she pressed a button on her brand new communicator that Billy had just made.

"Hey Beautiful," Tommy said as his voice came through moments later. "Lunch break?"

"Yeah, just helped one of my employees teach a group of seven year-olds. What's most fun to me about what I do now is teaching younger kids the sport and the ins and outs. It's fun to watch them develop," Kimberly said. "That's not the reason I called though. Do you feel that something's off?"

"You know, either I haven't been paying much attention, or my brain is as dense as it used to be, but now that I think about it, something does feel strange," Tommy said. "Almost like the spirits that be are restless…waiting for something. I'm not sure if it's good or bad."

"Yeah, exactly," Kimberly said. "Jason called me this morning and said the same thing. They and some of the others went to Phaedos so they'll be back in a little while."

"Well, just remember that if we're ever around our folks, we don't have to hold back anymore. Well, except for the lowlife piece of scum in Paris," Tommy said.

"Yeah and the good thing about that is that when she does decide to show her face here again, she's going to have to go through all of us to get to me. It's a good thing our parents know about…us, so that will help too," Kimberly said. "Well, I gotta get going, kids need me. Later, Handsome."

"Toodles, Beautiful," Tommy said as the line clicked dead. Kimberly still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was about to happen, but having Tommy for support made her feel a little bit better.

Shaking her head, she finished her lunch and then went back out to oversee the operations once more.

Ninjetti Temple

Phaedos

Before long, the map that had been provided the group of nine had led them straight to the Ninjetti Temple, and the group of nine marveled at the aura of power that surrounded the place. Zedd, Rita and Selena knew the place well, but for the six that had come here for the first time, it was an eye opening experience.

"It's almost like…you can touch the power, you can feel the animal spirits calling to you," Trini said.

"Back in the day, this temple used to carry even more power than it does now," a heavily accented voice said. Instantaneously, the team whipped around to see where the voice came from, but saw nothing there. Ironically, it was Justin that spotted where the voice came from first.

"Look, over on that rock," Justin said, pointing to a nearby piece of rock where a small owl was sitting. The owl regarded Justin with glowing eyes, then flew straight in front of them and transformed into a tall, well-trained woman who looked young, but was really thousands of years old. The first thing the visitors noticed about her was that she was chuckling a little bit in amusement.

"Dulcea, what's so funny?" Rita said.

"Just that the youngest one of this group of Rangers spotted where I was before anyone else did," Dulcea said. "I find it amusing."

"We finally meet nine years after Tommy and his group of six first came here to save us from Ivan; it's a pleasure to meet you," Jason said.

"I assure you I have been looking forward to this for some time too," Dulcea said. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for what you accomplished while you were leader. Come, we must not waste time; the spirits are restless."

"I'll handle this, Dulcea, after all, we've been here before," Rita said, turning to the younger Rangers. "Rangers, come, let us stand in a circle."

Once the circle had been formed, just as it had been all those years ago, Rita observed Dulcea preparing herself for the ceremony, turned to the younger Rangers, and said, "Inside the six of you is an animal spirit that is part of you. Close your eyes, look deep inside of you and allow this spirit to be released."

As Dulcea poured the contents of her pouch into the fire, and the fire raged, the group of nine could feel the power flow through them; three felt the power touch them for the second time, although in some ways things were a bit different.

For the six who were here for the first time, they could feel a different sort of power than any they'd had before.

"Zedd, Rita and Selena, of these nine you three have had by far the hardest path. You were part of the first team, who had to build your own legacy, and then you were corrupted by the three-headed snake and his wife. Your willingness to come back to the light and your courage will serve you well," Dulcea said, as she turned to the three dressed in lavender, white and green. Rita being in lavender got some snickers from the younger Rangers, which were quickly silenced by a death glare from Zedd.

"Rita, though you touch the power for the second time, you have acquired different powers this time," Dulcea said. "You were the first to hold the Crane powers, but in Kimberly Hart the Crane powers found their true owner. Nonetheless, your toughness, and willingness to do what is right have done a large part in helping the spirits find favor with you. Observant and truthful, you are the lavender hawk."

"Zedd, you had an even tougher road mentally; about 10 Earth years ago, you drained the Green Power Coin of which you once held dear," Dulcea said, "However, much like Rita, since returning to the light, you have done all you can to help Tommy, his Dino Rangers, Kimberly and all their friends. Intelligent and loyal, once again, you are the fierce Green Dragon."

Dulcea moved next to Zordon's younger sister, who gave a wry smile; after all these years of torment, she had reclaimed what was rightfully hers.

"Though you are of Zordon's bloodline, you have maybe had the hardest road of all, Selena," Dulcea said. "In addition to bearing a more enhanced version of the powers that Tommy possessed later, you became Vile's enforcer when you were corrupted and became a cold blooded killer. Yet you persevered and came back to the light, and will be an integral part of the upcoming war."

"Mystical and noble, Selena, you are once again the White Tiger Ninjetti and the possession of Saba is yours once again," Dulcea said. This got a few chuckles from the younger Rangers, which caused Dulcea to look at them strangely.

"What's so funny?" Dulcea said.

"I thought Tommy was the White Ninjetti," Jason said.

"Did I say there can't be two White Rangers, young one?" Dulcea said sharply, causing Jason to shut up.

"What matters is the spirit animal, Jason. There have been several Pink Ninjetti Rangers to come through here, but no two individuals can hold the same spirit animal; this is why I no longer hold the Crane powers and why Katherine cannot hold the Crane powers either," Rita said.

"Now, as for you six," Dulcea said, as Rita, Zedd and Selena stepped aside, "The power of the Ninjetti flows freely within you for the first time, although Katherine briefly touched it; this power is unlike anything you have ever held."

"Unlike the Dino Powers which were built on strength, unlike the Zeo Powers which were built on technology and unlike the Turbo Powers whose basis was blinding speed, these powers are built on intelligence, skill and quickness."

"Justin Stewart, who took the mantle when the team needed it and then used it to fight off Divatox; you then selflessly gave up your power to return to your family when your team was called into space. Innocent and joyful, Justin, you have claimed the power of the Turquoise Dolphin," Dulcea said.

"Tanya Park, husband to my dear friend the Frog," Dulcea said as she moved to the violet colored Ranger before her. "You came to us at a time where everything was in flux, but you proved to yourself and everyone else around you that your voice was just as important and worthy of being heard."

"Confident and patient, you are the Violet Elephant, Tanya Park. Have faith that your voice and beauty matters and you will not be stopped," Dulcea said.

"How do you know Adam?" Tanya asked. Dulcea gave a wry grin as she was almost expecting the question.

"That is something that needs to be discussed at a later time, but suffice to say, I have a soft spot in my heart for him," Dulcea said. "I would never take him away from you, but he is a favorite of mine."

"Katherine, the mighty Pink Crane's successor," Dulcea said. "Much like many of your teammates here, you did not start off as you would have liked; you started as another of Zedd and Rita's enforcers. From those experiences have come a strong, ambitious woman whose ability knows no limits. Ancient and graceful, Katherine, you are the Orange Jaguar."

"Trini Scott, though you have been separated from many of your friends for many years, life has served you well," Dulcea said. "In the process of leaving the team, you found a way to benefit the world in a different way and found your soulmate. Loving and understanding, you are the silver dove."

"Zackary Taylor," Dulcea said, "A man whose quick-wittedness and upbeat nature pulled your team out of many a tight spot. You too made a difference when you went abroad, just in a different way. Steadfast and energetic, Zackary, you are the Beige Moose."

"Jason Scott, the first leader of Earth's Power Team," Dulcea said. "Without you, the Earth would have crumbled a long time ago. Yet, when Zordon made the Falcon the leader, you selflessly stepped aside and later helped Earth in other ways. Balanced and wise, you are the Golden Eagle."

"Will we have to journey to the Monolith, Dulcea?" Jason asked.

"No, young Eagle. Because you received your powers in the company of experienced Ninjetti, and because the previous six Ninjetti received their powers which unlocked these, you will not have to journey there. Besides all of that we don't have time," Dulcea said as she pulled a small box from her pouch; the Rangers gasped when the saw six Power Morphers and Coins inside.

"These are yours to take; come claim the power of these Coins," Dulcea said as Rangers old and new came to gather their Coins and Morphers one by one.

Jason was about to open his mouth again when his communicator beeped. Dulcea gave a wry grin and the three veteran Ninjetti looked at her; she had the most immaculate timing sometimes.

"Hey Jase, you guys got your powers yet? If so, meet us in Angel Grove. It seems that Monkey-For-Brains is snooping around your parents' house for something. We see another energy signature there but we're not sure what it is," Tommy said. "I've called the other Ninjetti and the Dino Rangers and I'm heading out now."

"Goldar is at my folks house? What the hell does he want there?" Jason said. "OK, we're heading out now."

"I will be coming with you, my friends," Dulcea said. "Ninjor is fully capable of guarding the Powers and I do not need to be here anymore. This is as much my fight as it is yours and you will need my insight into our enemy."

"OK, then," Jason said, "Let's do it, guys."

"Ninjetti! The Owl!" Dulcea called as she suddenly morphed into a suit that was the exact same color as Trini's, only with the insignia of the Owl on it.

"Back to action!" Jason called as everyone teleported out.

Scott Household

Angel Grove, CA

As one, a group of 21 Power Rangers landed on the front lawn of the Scott residence in residential Angel Grove; cautious but ready to fight; the Dino Rangers were already fully morphed, with the 16 Ninjas still in Ninja gear.

"Ah, it's about time, Power Rangers, as I was getting sick of waiting for your arrival!" Goldar taunted.

"So Adrianna finally decided to come out to play, did she?" Kimberly snapped. "Seems that she's such a coward that she stayed in the M-51 Galaxy instead of coming to fight us herself, and has to resort to picking on civilians to lure us into fights."

"You should be very proud of a yellow-bellied freak like that, Goldar," Jason said sarcastically.

"We'll see who the coward is before this is over, Gold Ranger," Goldar taunted. "In the meantime, let's have some fun, shall we? Tengas, assemble!"

Instantly, approximately thirty Tengas appeared before Goldar.

"Typical, Goldilocks," Tommy said. "Always having to get foot soldiers to hide behind."

"That's what you think, Tommy. Attack them!" Goldar roared.

"Time to Ranger Up, guys," Aisha said.

"I agree," Tommy said. "Let's do it. We call upon the Power of the Sacred Ninjetti. It's Morphin Time!"

"Silver Owl Ranger Power!"

"Lavender Hawk Ranger Power!"

"White Tiger Ranger Power!"

"Green Dragon Ranger Power!"

"Turquoise Dolphin Ranger Power!"

"Violet Elephant Ranger Power!"

"Orange Jaguar Ranger Power!"

"Silver Dove Ranger Power!"

"Beige Moose Ranger Power!"

"Gold Eagle Ranger Power!"

"White Falcon Ranger Power!"

"Black Frog Ranger Power!"

"Pink Crane Ranger Power!"

"Blue Wolf Ranger Power!"

"Yellow Bear Ranger Power!"

"Red Ape Ranger Power!"

In a brilliant flash of light that made the Tengas stumble back, 16 fully morphed Rangers stood before the army of Tengas, ready to defend the Scott household.

"Wow, bro, that was…something," the Black Dino Ranger said.

"David…is that you?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, the Black Dino Powers seem to run in the family, I guess," David Trueheart said. "Dad was sort of surprised."

"I am too," Tommy said. "Listen, take the Dino Rangers inside once the battle starts and make sure nothing terrible happens in there. I've got a bad feeling about this. We'll handle the Tengas."

"You got it," David said as he watched his brother and his brother's friends engage the Tengas and Goldar. Once that battle began, David whistled towards the young Dino team and the Dino Rangers snuck around the back and into the house.

Though it had been a while since the veterans had fought the Tengas, they were mowing through them with ease. Meanwhile, Tommy and Kimberly battled Goldar with all the ferocity that they'd used to battle the golden monkey with all those years ago. However, Goldar had clearly gotten better than he had been all those years ago, as he ducked one of Kimberly's swift kicks and landed a powerful punch on Kimberly, causing her to careen into Tommy and causing the Falcon and Crane to regroup.

"This guy needs to be put back in his place. Let's try a modified version of an old trick, Beautiful. You up for a good shot?" Tommy said.

"Always, Handsome," Kimberly said as she called forth her Power Bow and Tommy lent a little bit of his energy towards one of her arrows. With the deadly precision of a seasoned archer, Kimberly let white lightning charged arrow fly. The arrow pierced Goldar's armor, causing him to screech in pain.

As Goldar stumbled to his feet and prepared to engage the Original Power Couple once again, he suddenly received a mental message.

"You got the best of me today, but we got what we came for, Rangers! Good luck explaining this one away! In the meanwhile, we shall meet again!" Goldar roared as he and the Tengas disappeared.

"I can't be the only one who didn't like how he was acting," Kimberly said. "It's almost like he wasn't totally focused and he still beat us around for a bit. He was waiting for something, almost."

"Yeah, I agree; clearly we were not the focus of his attack."

At that very moment, Tommy's communicator chimed.

"Tommy here."

"Dr. O, we have a serious problem," Conner McKnight's voice said. "There was a guy working in a study and I think he got stabbed. Blood is everywhere and…well…"

Jason's face was under a mask but he was visibly shaken.

"Oh my God, I think they killed Dad…" Jason shakily said.

"We'll be right up, Conner," Tommy said as he cut the communication short.

6:30 p.m.

The Oliver Home

Angel Grove, CA

The mood in the Oliver house, needless to say, was despondent.

At this point, the veteran Rangers and their parents (minus Caroline and Pierre of course) were there to console each other, although no one felt any better at this point. Zedd, Rita and Selena had chosen to somberly return home, and the Dino Rangers sans David had gone back to Reefside as well; they would all meet again at the funeral.

For even the veteran Rangers, this was something new. No villain that they'd ever faced had ever done something as cold and callous as what had just happened this afternoon. Mr. Scott had been rushed to the hospital soon after being stabbed, but had been pronounced dead on arrival.

It had turned out the Dino Rangers had made the correct move to go inside, but had been a touch too late; they'd arrived in the study just in time to see Prince Gasket and his blood-stained sword teleporting out.

"It's been the first time since we've put on that uniform that someone this close to us has been killed," Kimberly said. "I can't believe this."

"We may be older, but this one hurts so badly," Tommy said.

"You may not have been able to save his life, but thank you, guys, all of you," Katie Scott said. "I'm surprised with all the battles that have gone down here before that one of us hasn't passed yet because of who you are."

"My question is, why would they go after Jim, Katie?" Melissa Oliver said. "Why not me or someone else associated with us?"

"That's a damn good question," Katie said. All seemed to be lost in somber thought until a panicked expression formed on Kimberly's face.

"Kim, what's wrong, dear?" Jill Park said.

"Guys, think about it; this is all about my obnoxious mother again. Adrianna Repulsa is using my mother as a pawn in her game. I have to admit even though I hate her guts already, Adrianna's really smart," Kimberly said. "Who is closer to Caroline than you, Mama Scott? Who was closer to her than anyone besides you? Your husband, that's who."

"Are you saying…" Rosalina DeSantos said in her thick Mexican accent.

"Yeah that's exactly what I'm saying. I am almost certain that my mother when she hears this news will be booking airline tickets and will try and force me to go to Paris with her. That's exactly what Adrianna wants; she wants Tommy and I apart any way possible," Kimberly said. "And I'm almost certain that we need to get a restraining order against her and that I will be suing her when she comes for me, David."

"Say no more, I will get right on that," David said. "I should have that done within two days at the most."

"Good because the funeral is going to be on Friday and I am almost certain that Mommy dearest is going to be there," Kimberly said.

"It sounds like it's time for Operation Form A Wall Around Kimberly," Melissa said. "Don't worry, sweetie, we'll send your mother packing back to Paris until we have to go to court."

Katie Scott looked down at the bloodied, lifeless form of her husband.

"I promise you, darling, we're going to win this war. Whoever this Adrianna bitch is, she just made things personal," Katie said as she sobbed a million tears.

Review box is at the bottom. Please leave one if you wouldn't mind.