On the Wings of Doom Part Three
The last thing Tommy remembered was agonizing pain, his entire body writhing in shock before hitting something hard and his morph giving away, despite all his efforts to hold on and keep fighting.
He had seen the demonic head appear in the sky and the silver titan leer at Kimberly and he was unable to stop them. His rangers were not trained with to deal with dark sorcery like this. Compared to Lokar, Rita, and Zedd, dealing with Mesagog, even with all his depraved experiments was a cakewalk.
Now, he opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of a desert… He had been here before.
And he knew he was either unconscious or maybe, worse…
It was the same place where he had fought the phantom consciousness of the Red Zeo ranger to prove that he was worthy of continuing his mortal life… and he was ready to do it all over again, especially knowing that his team… his kids and Kimberly were on the other side.
"Tommy Oliver."
He was expecting his own voice to call out to him, but this was different, although familiar… a voice he never thought he would hear again.
He turned around and saw him.
A blue skinned bald man adorned in white robes, a golden cloak cascading down from his shoulder, and wielding a bronze staff.
Even though he had never seen him in his entirety, Tommy had no problem recognizing him.
"Zordon!" He gasped in disbelief, seeing his old mentor.
"Yes." The eltarian sage smiled at him, and at that moment, Tommy felt tears welling up in his eyes. For a moment, all his anxieties, his guilt washed away and he looked at Zordon, the man who had become like a father to him and his friends, and had selflessly sacrificed his life so that the entire universe could live free from the tyranny of the universe's worst evils.
"It is okay, Tommy." He reassured, closing the distance between them, and wrapping his arms around him in a warm embrace, and Tommy felt all his resistance wither away. It was like a dam bursting. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he bawled like a newborn baby.
Zordon said nothing, merely patting his back even as his tears soaked into his ornate robes.
After a long time, Tommy felt safe. He felt at home.
Kimberly's shriek made them all run into Dr. O's bedroom in a hurry.
They saw Tommy's body floating a few inches above the bed and his body glowing in an ethereal light, that shifted between green, white, red, and black. Kim still held on to his arm, even as she looked frightened.
"What's happening?" Kim asked them fearfully.
"I don't know." Kira said helplessly.
Trent looked at them, unsure of what to do.
Then his body let out a wave of red light that expanded outwards, washing over them before dissipating. It did so again, with a wave of white energy. Then, green. After that, black and then again, red.
Every time the wave touched her, Kira felt a strange sadness envelop her. She turned to see Trent and saw the same look in his face.
"No." Kim croaked, standing up and holding on to Tommy. "NO."
"Kim…" Kira muttered sadly.
"No, we just found each other, Tommy Oliver." She yelled, her voice quivering with anger and fear. "Don't you dare leave me!"
Kim continued to yell, even as golden flakes started to fly up from Tommy's body and vanish into the air.
Kira and Trent looked at each other.
In all their times of crisis, they had Dr. O or Hayley to guide them, but now, they felt completely helpless.
Conner and Ethan were on their way back to Conner's car, when a familiar figure walked at them… Familiar but unwelcome.
"Principal Randall?" Ethan asked.
"I need you two to come with me." She said urgently, pulling them both into an abandoned alley. "I need to tell you two something important… all of you."
"Dude, can't you see we are not interested in whatever you want." Conner lashed out, as they shook off her grip. "Hayley's Cyber Café is GONE along with Hayley and five students… People we knew!"
That made her falter and that's when Ethan noticed it. There was a frantic look in the woman's eyes instead of the cold calculating predatory glare.
"What?" She murmured. "How can-"
"We don't know!" Conner glared. "Look, we deal with you enough in school, now is not the time… SO please, leave us alone."
"This is important…" She stressed.
Conner laughed mirthlessly. "Students of your school and a kind woman just died… And you think that does not matter. What can be more important than that?"
"Please…" She gulped, on the verge of tears, and that's when Conner stopped and looked at Ethan in confusion.
"What is wrong, Principal Randall?" Ethan asked hesitantly.
"I am sorry for everything and you might not believe me, but I was her… all this time, I was her. He made me do terrible things…" She said, crying. "Please, you must help me, otherwise he will find me again. She saved me but he will notice I am gone…"
"You are not making any sense." Conner said.
"I was her." She repeated and seeing the blank looks on their faces, she snapped her fingers and for a quick moment, her hair grew longer and her pantsuit disappeared to form a tight black leather outfit.
The two rangers immediately stepped back before she reverted to her civilian guise.
"I am not here to fight. Please help me." She told them earnestly. "For a year, he made me into someone else. Brainwashed me. Made me do horrible things."
Conner and Ethan sighed.
The blue ranger looked at his leader.
"This is your call." He told him.
"It could be a trap." Conner warned. "Striking us when we are already one member short."
"It is not, I promise. Just… I want help and I can help you to take him down. I will help you take Mesagog down." She insisted.
Conner facepalmed, hoping he did not regret doing this, but if what she was telling was true, leaving her to fend for herself against Mesagog would be nothing short of cruelty. As a ranger, it was their duty to help those who needed it, despite their personal biases. That was what Dr. O had grilled into their heads, leading by example.
"Follow us." He told her. "But if you try anything, I promise we will make you pay."
"I won't." She promised.
"What is happening?" Tommy finally asked, letting go of his mentor. "Last time I was here, I was almost dead."
"Yes." Zordon agreed. "You were and you are now, as well. It is nice to see you again, Tommy, though I wish it was under better circumstances."
Tommy sighed before an anxious look crossed his face.
"Wait, I don't need to fight you this time, do I?"
The eltarian chuckled.
"No Tommy. Rest easy. You have already proven your determination to live the last time you were in here." He reassured.
"Where is here?" He asked.
"This is a manifestation of the Astral Plane, a dimension where the barriers between the spirit and mortal worlds are fickle, the reason why I am able to communicate with you." Zordon said.
"Why am I here? The last thing I remember was… Lokar and Goldar…" He murmured.
"Silverback." Zordon corrected. "Lokar's attack did injure you, Tommy but nothing that your ranger healing can't undo."
"Then why am I here?" He asked. "If I am not dying or near death…"
"The timeline has been tampered with, Tommy. Very powerful forces are tampering with the space time continuum. Lokar was never supposed to break free from his own dimension, not for a few more decades." He informed.
"So, Lokar is behind this?"
"No. Lokar may be the Arch Demon of Talos, but this is beyond even his caliber… There are very few forces who could mess with reality to this level, but there is nothing we could do about it." The eltarian sighed. "The Grid has done what it could, to ensure our universe survives…"
"Like what?" Tommy asked.
"In the original timeline, you were never supposed to cross paths with Kimberly again. Fate has brought you two together, and you must find the others before Lokar's forces do." He spoke urgently.
"What do you mean…" Tommy murmured. "You are not making any sense, Zordon."
"You will understand it in time." He promised.
"It is all too much, Zordon. I failed you. I was supposed to be a Guardian of Earth, but I messed up… My experiments with Anton drew Mesagog. The technology I created… the Tyrannodrones are being used for evil…" He said looking down.
Zordon put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
"You did what you thought was best, and you will succeed in your quest to defeating Mesagog and rectifying your errors. You had good intentions, but destiny had other plans. You cannot blame yourself for it." He said wisely and even though his voice was no longer booming like it had been when he was trapped in the time warp, Tommy still felt the confidence in his mentor's voice. Like always, Zordon believed in him even when he did not believe in himself.
"My actions are the reason the dino gems needed to be activated… that the kids are being forced to fight instead of leading normal lives." He gulped.
Zordon chuckled.
"Do you think you are the only mentor to fail or create mistakes? Once can say Earth was attacked by Rita Repulsa because of her vendetta against me… Everyone makes mistakes, Tommy. Even I did, and my mistakes had far greater consequences than you can imagine."
"You made mistakes?" Tommy looked up at him in disbelief.
Zordon smiled sadly.
"I did, and my mistakes molded me into the person you knew." He paused. "Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Trini, and Billy were not the first rangers of Earth I chose. Decades before Rita broke free, Dark Specter sent his most trusted general- Psycho Green to free Rita and renew the war against Earth. I chose five humans to be rangers, and while they succeeded in stopping Psycho Green, out of five rangers, only two returned… I had little time and I did the best I could, but their deaths are on my hands. Those five were individuals of exemplary character, but they were each from different backgrounds. By the time they started working as a team, it was too late… Their first mission was their last."
"I didn't know that." Tommy whispered.
"I failed too, Tommy." Zordon said. "Others paid the price for my mistakes but I learnt from them. So, when I chose my next team, I chose people who already shared a strong bond with each other and knew how to function as a unit."
"Jason and the others…"
"Yes. Unlike me, when I chose the five rangers based on their individual strengths instead of their compatibility, you did not have a choice when the dino gems chose your team, but you guided them into helping each other grow and be better. You should give yourself more credit, Tommy." The eltarian smiled. "And for what it's worth, you haven't failed me, Tommy Oliver. I am proud of all you have done. All my rangers… my children have gone on to be heroes with or without the power, and that gave me peace in the Grid."
"Thank you." Tommy's lips trembled as tears escaped his eyes once more. "That means a lot."
"No, Tommy." Zordon smiled. "You, Kimberly, Jason, Billy, Zack, Trini, Nancy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Katherine, Tanya, Justin, Andros, Gosei… all of you are my living legacies. You might be human and your lives may be shorter than mine, but your actions will leave a legacy that lasts for eternity."
"There are things you need to know." Regina looked up blankly, as she sat on the backseat with Ethan while Conner drove the car. "Things you probably won't believe and think I am trying to make up, but you need to know who Mesagog is."
"What do you mean who he is?" Conner snorted. "He is a dino freak!"
"He has an alter ego… a human. Think of it as a Jekyll and Hyde situation." Elsa said. "Mesagog is a psychic parasite who is cohabiting a human body."
"And who might it be?" Ethan asked.
"Anton Mercer." Came the quiet reply.
The car screeched to a stop, and Conner whirled around to look at her in the eye.
"You gotta be kidding!" Conner groaned. "Trent's dad is the big bad!"
"And you are not messing with us?" Ethan asked.
"If I wanted to, I would have continued the charade of being your principal." She snapped. "That monster took my life away, made me into someone horrible, warped my mind…"
"Man, Trent is going to be bummed…" Ethan sighed.
Conner narrowed his eyes, then looked at Regina, who hesitated to meet his eyes.
"He already knows, doesn't he?" He asked.
She nodded.
"Then why didn't he tell us?" Ethan asked.
"Maybe he is a mole working for his dad." Conner said darkly.
"No." Elsa cut him. "It is not like that. Anton and Mesagog may share the same body but they are not the same being but Anton, even in his current predicament, is extremely proud. He made Trent promise not to tell you, to concentrate on saving the city instead of trying to cure him or holding back."
"It makes sense, doesn't it? Anton being Mesagog… he worked with Dr O in his experiments and disappeared for a year, only coming back when Mesagog attacked Reefside. Kira found that weird bone monster that possessed her in one of his museums…" Ethan muttered.
"Trent still should have told us." Conner said, starting the car again. "There is a lot he needs to answer for."
"Give it up." She whispered in his ear, her finger tiptoeing across his chest.
"Never!" Jason Lee Scott grunted, even as he felt the rising inclination to just submit to her command… to do what she says without any hesitation, not care about anything else in the universe… But it was not the first time someone had tried to warp his brain.
Funny thing was that if someone had attempted to cast the same spell a few months ago, he probably would have submitted.
Till recently, Jason had been feeling aimless for a long time. How could he not? Being a ranger had taken up so much space in his life… a space that could not be replaced by anything… It had given him a purpose and a calling, which he had never felt again. That is why he had rushed back whenever he was needed even after passing on his powers. He had jumped at the chance to be a ranger again, despite the risks, and rushed back to Angel Grove, when Tommy had asked.
After that, he had tried to return to normal life, but that vacancy in his heart remained… the urge to do more.
Years later, he had answered the call eagerly when Tommy gathered up the red rangers and used the energy of the zeo crystal to temporarily repower his power coin but they knew it was a one-time deal, except this time, it was harder to let go of it… Harder to hide what he was longing for.
And others saw it.
Eric Myers and his old teammate Nancy Shah, who had now become the Commander of Lightspeed approached him with an offer he could not refuse… to be part of a new ranger team, a collaboration between Lightspeed, Silver Guardians and NASADA… to deal with all manner of threats to humanity.
The morphers were created by reverse engineering the futuristic technology of the Quantum Morpher by Dr. Angela Fairweather, Dr. Zaskin and their team, and infusing the designs of other ranger teams including his own power coin and morpher.
While he joined the team willingly, it felt different to follow someone else's lead. Giving the leadership duties to Tommy had been his choice, to prepare for the eventuality of his leaving. Following his lead during his time as the gold Zeo ranger despite Tommy's offer to step down was a strategic choice since he knew the other team members better and longer than him, but this time, it was not his choice.
Eric Myers was the leader of the Quantum Ranger team and the Red Ranger. He supposed it made sense because while he was a senior ranger, Eric had been in the military longer and professionally trained.
He was the Gold Ranger.
A few other former rangers were also on the team…
Cassie Chan, former Pink Turbo and Astro was their pink ranger.
Taylor Earhart, former Wild force Yellow and a fighter pilot was the yellow ranger.
The rest were not ranger veterans though that did not make them any less important to the team. Daniella Dandekar, a former Promethea operative was their blue ranger and Natalie Chase, a former NASADA operative was the green ranger.
His new team was different from his old, but just like before, it gave him a sense of fulfillment.
Feeling the energies of the Morphin Grid rejuvenate him and fighting for Earth once more gave him a purpose again… This was what he wanted to continue doing his entire life and no one was about to take it away from him again.
He pushed these thoughts to the forefront of his mind, like a barrier that shielded him from the dark magic. He tried to break free of the dark tendrils that wrapped around him, only for jolts of electricity to course through his body. Even with the protection of his ranger armour, he felt crippling pain and if he were not being magically suspended in midair, he would have fallen to his knees.
"Why are you being so stubborn!" Scorpina hissed, her hands clutching his helmet like one would a football. Dark golden energies flared around her hands, as she attempted to crush his helmet sans skull. The helmet shattered and he looked up at her with rage.
"A ranger never gives up!" He grunted.
"Is that so, Jason?" She laughed, letting go of him and waving at their surroundings… the destroyed headquarters of the Silver Guardians in Silver Hills and his team and other silver guardian operatives standing behind her like mindless zombies.
"They belong to me now." She said maniacally. "My Master will let me keep them as my pets… my own ranger hounds!"
"Let them go, Scorpina!" Jason snarled, struggling against his binds.
"Why should I?" She giggled. "If Master didn't need you, I would have killed you now, but I guess you will rot in the dungeons with dear old Billy!"
"Billy?" Jason looked up in alarm. "You got him too!"
"Oh, not just him… After you, I am going to get all your old friends… Trini, Zack, Kimmy, Nancy, that goofball who replaced you-Rocky, that blasted Aisha, the traitorous two- Tommy and Kitty… Oh, and of course, the delectable Adam!" She winked at him, licking her lips.
"You are sick!" Jason spat. "I don't what you want, but you won't get away with this!"
"What I want, dear is my Master's will." She said, lifting his chin with her gloved hand and smiled. "And of course, a bit of fun along the way."
She snapped her fingers, and the red quantum ranger stepped forward, his helmet dematerializing to reveal Eric's blank face.
"Eric, you can fight this!" He shouted. "You have to!"
"He can't hear you, Jason." Scorpina pouted at him, before turning to her brainwashed minion. "Eric, is it… He wears your old colour, looks a bit like you too… handsome, rugged… come to think of it, reminds me of my Adam too."
"Stay away from him!" He yelled, his voice hoarse, as Scorpina grabbed Eric's face and leaned in for a kiss, only to be hit by a barrage of golden and red energies.
The restraints binding him disappeared and Jason fell to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Nancy asked as she and Wes ran over to him, both already morphed.
"I am… But you are using-" Jason said to the Saffron ranger.
"I know." She said gravely. "But the odds are against us."
"What have they done to our friends and all these people?" Wes asked in horror, as the mind-controlled rangers walked towards them, their arms drooped to their sides and their legs moving unnaturally. The silver guardians, their eyes pitch black, raised their energy weapons at them.
"Ah, Nancy!" Scorpina greeted, staggering to her feet and brushing the dirt off her armour. "You decided to save me the trouble of hunting down, and you brought me another ranger too!"
"We will take you down." Jason vowed.
"Don't be delusional, Red. Your team and your soldiers are mine… And your new friends, they are joining me soon too…" She smirked.
"Like hell, we will!" Wes snarled, summoning his battlizer and deflecting the incoming barrage of laser attacks by the Silver Guardians with his sword.
"Eric, I don't want to hurt you." He said as his partner lunged at him with his quantum defender.
"Too bad, he wants to hurt you…" Scorpina taunted, as the other rangers and soldiers advanced on Jason and Nancy.
Just then, a wave of white energy washed over the battlefield and everything stopped.
The silver guardians lowered their blasters, looking at each other in a daze.
Eric and the other rangers stopped attacking the three.
"What…" Eric muttered. "What is going on!"
"You are back!" Wes cried happily, hugging him, which Eric returned confusedly.
"This wasn't supposed to happen!" Scorpina yelled furiously, looking around for the perpetrator, just to be hit by a blast of silver energy that flung her to the ground.
"Your mind games are over, Scorpina!" A booming voice said, as a blue skinned alien with a goatee wearing robes appeared in front of the rangers, wielding a staff.
"You!" She spat.
"Yes." He said, pointing his staff at her. Orbs of white light congregated on the tip of the staff, growing larger and about to be unleashed on the villainess, when she disappeared in a swirl of golden light.
"You saved us." Taylor said, shaking her head. "Thank you."
"It was the least I could do." He said gravely.
"Who are you?" Eric asked.
"You are an eltarian, aren't you?" Cassie wondered.
"Wait, I recognize that voice…" Jason looked at Nancy.
"So do I." The saffron ranger said, her armour shattering. "Lord Zedd?"
"I do not go by that name anymore." He said somberly. "I am Zophram of Eltar and your old friends need our help."
Hope you liked this chapter and please review.
Nancy Shah is my OC, and appears in quite a few of my stories. She is the Saffron Mighty Morphin Ranger, the holder of the Garuda power coin and a pilot, who joined the military and later Operation Lightspeed Rescue after her time as a ranger was over.
The idea of a whole team of Quantum rangers was inspired by the art that was released for the Power Rangers RPG.
Also, this is going to be my last update in a while, since I decided to take some time off the internet for the next few months. So, wishing you all a Happy New Year in advance!