Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: A New Era
PROLOGUE: Winds of Change
As I look back at my life, I wonder….
Thirty Years Ago…
Five teenagers looked up in awe and disbelief as the disembodied head of a blue skinned alien hovering in a giant tube bestowed them with extraordinary powers and proclaimed them as superheroes destined to protect the world from the forces of evil.
How much of my past shapes who I am today?
The pink ranger joined her comrades in fighting yet another monster sent by the space witch Rita Repulsa to terrorize the planet, as she summoned her power bow and pelleted the monster with a volley of energy arrows, causing it to stumble back.
The monster, whose entire body was entirely formed of eyeballs let out a guttural howl, before shooting a bolt of crimson lightning towards her from the huge red eye, which encompassed the whole of his head.
The yellow ranger jumped in front of her, deflecting the blast swiftly with her daggers while the black and blue rangers charged ahead, slashing the monster with their axe and lance respectively.
Not giving him a chance to recover, the saffron ranger lashed out with her whip. After striking him back and forth, the whip wrapped around him, holding him in place as the red and green ranger attacked him with their power sword and dragon dagger respectively.
The saffron ranger reeled back her whip, as the monster stumbled backwards, sparks ripping through his body.
"Let's finish this, guys!" The red ranger called out, as the rangers combined their weapons into the Power Blaster, and let loose a torrent of multicoloured energies at the monster, destroying it in a huge explosion.
And how much of who I am today shapes how I see my past?
Kimberly caressed Tommy's face softly, as their lips were locked in a gentle kiss, their bodies leaning against each other, their eyes closed.
For a minute, it felt like nothing mattered aside of each other.
Not the ambient noise of the Angel Grove Park… of leaves rustling, birds chirping or the rippling of the lake waters.
Not the thought of what onlookers might think.
And not even the worries of their double lives as spandex clad superheroes who were the only defence the planet had against an evil space witch and her army, who were hellbent on subjugating humanity.
All she wanted was this moment to last forever.
What I do know is that it only takes one moment to change everything…
Twenty-nine Years ago…
Rita Repulsa looked around to see if anyone had followed her or not, before she stepped into Finister's laboratory. She should not need to be wary in her own castle, but she was not naïve enough to put her trust in her underlings, especially that gold plated titan.
"My queen?" Finister groveled as usual.
The only one in the castle she could trust completely, for Finister knew that she was the only one in the universe who truly accepted him for who he was… An artist and a scientist unburdened by ethical boundaries.
Any other warlord would always curtail his passion, but she let it flow unrestrained, for she relished in the chaos.
"His return is upon us." She said gravely. "I can feel it, and with him, he will bring mutiny."
Finister bowed deeply as he gingerly handed a sealed vial containing a sparkling red liquid over to her hands.
"The potion is ready, my queen." He said meekly, before looking up to meet her eyes.
"When he comes, his thoughts will be only of you." The leprechaun promised.
Rita's lips twisted into a sinister smile, as dreams of ruling the entire universe as its uncontested empress filled her thoughts.
The sorceress's blood boiled as she caught the titan's smug smile from the corner of her eyes, as she fell on her knees before her master, who was just as terrifying as he was ten thousand years ago, when he sent her on an accursed mission to destroy the eltarian sage in his name.
"My lord, give me another chance. I will not fail you again!" She wailed, faking tears, and making her voice quiver. It was the last time she ever stooped before the skinless brute or anyone. She had full faith in Finister's alchemy and her own enchantments. Very soon, it would be her everyone would bow down to.
"Quiet!" Lord Zedd thundered, crimson light emanating from his visor, as he slammed his staff on the floor.
Despite knowing what was to come, Rita felt a chill run down her spine, and the smallest shred of doubt to taint her confidence.
"Those power rangers are nothing but mere infants!" He snapped, his voice dripping with derision. "You were defeated by children, and you dare call yourself an empress of evil?! You are not fit to… fit to…"
Rita continued to look down, as she smirked, knowing the spell was taking hold.
"You are not fit to grovel on the floor like some simpleton swine." Zedd's voice became softer, his infuriation changing into something akin to adoration, as he extended a hand… a hand she wasted no time in accepting, and he pulled her into his arms, much to the shock of those watching. "Rise and take your place by my side!"
Rita kept her expressions neutral, though catching the stupefied look on Goldar's face made her want to burst out laughing. Did the titan really think it would be that easy to oust her from her rightful place as the empress of the universe?
"My lord?" She asked, batting her eyelashes and feigning confusion.
"How is it I have never noticed your beauty before?" Zedd asked, the red glow of his visor diminishing into a pale vermilion.
Sometimes for the better…
Twenty-eight years ago…
"The three teens from Angel Grove are Jason Lee Scott, Zachary Taylor and Trini Kwan."
As all of Angel Grove celebrated the announcement that three teens from their small city were selected to be amongst the youth representing their country in a global peace conference, seven friends met in the park as the sun set behind them.
"Guys! We are going to Switzerland!" Trini said excitedly.
"All three of you?" Kim asked. While she had complete confidence in her friends, the chances of three people being selected from the same city were unheard of.
"Yup!" Jason confirmed, while Zack could not stop smiling.
"That's awesome!" Tommy said the same time, Nancy stepped forward to hug Zack and Jason.
"Congratulations. It is the chance of a lifetime!" Billy said proudly, embracing Trini.
"But wait…" Zack paused, his eyes drooping. "What about the team?"
"What?" Nancy looked at him, and then at Jason and Trini. She had been so happy for her friends, the thought that they had to leave had not crossed her mind till now.
"Zack is right. If we are leaving, we should probably transfer our powers to new rangers." Trini said forlornly, and even Jason looked down sadly. Being selected to participate in a peace conference at their age was rare, but being a superhero was even more impossible, and now, they had to give that up… One chance of a lifetime for another…
"Might I remind you that we have the ability to teleport anywhere we are needed?" The blue ranger looked at them pointedly.
"Yeah, we are not letting you get away that easily." Kim laughed, hugging Trini. "The team stays together."
"Switzerland might as well be down the street!" Tommy added.
"But guys, with the peace conference, we will be busy, and it's one thing coming up with excuses to leave classes, but leaving in the middle of debates and conferences, with government officials watching might be harder." Trini said.
"We have been at this for two years. I think we can manage a few monster attacks on our own, and call you only when its necessary." Kim said.
"Besides if we choose new rangers, no matter how good they are, there will be a learning curve and rookie mistakes just like we did." Nancy pointed out. "It was one thing with Rita in charge, but with Rita and Zedd both on our tails, we cannot take chances. It is better that we have you fighting beside us in times of crises than having three new guys with us all the time."
"Nancy is right." Billy nodded.
"That's settled then." Jason smiled. "The team stays together!"
Twenty-eight years ago…
Kim couldn't believe her ears.
Coach Schmidt had given her the opportunity of a lifetime. To participate in the Pan Globals.
And if Jason and the others could balance a freaking peace conference with their ranger responsibilities, surely, she could also do this.
She nodded, as tears threatened to stream down her eyes.
Twenty-seven years ago…
The crowd erupted in cheers as Kim executed her routine in perfection, ending the performance with her characteristic backflip.
She took a bow, looking at the judges.
As all of them gave a perfect score of 10, she whooped in joy, and looked back to see the smiling faces of everyone who had come to support her… her parents and step-parents, Tommy, Trini, Billy, Jason, Nancy, Zack and even Miss Appleby, Ernie, Bulk and Skull!
A year of hard work…
But she finally did it.
Her lifelong aspirations were now a reality.
Twenty-six years ago…
The class of 1997 whooped in joy as they finally graduated. Caps flew high in the sky as they hugged each other. They had been in the epicenter of an alien invasion, and still managed to maintain a semblance of normalcy. It was not just the joy of venturing into adulthood, but the reassurance that even in these strange times, they had a future to look forward to.
Twenty-Three years ago…
Kimberly gasped in surprise. She had known it was an eventuality… that Tommy was the only man she ever saw living out the rest of her life with, and yet, his proposal took him by surprise.
Tommy looked up at her hopefully.
"Yes!" She squealed, sliding her finger through the ring.
The wedding was a joyous spectacle. All their friends were present, cheering them on as they took the next step in their lives.
And the party following the ceremony was pure chaos in the best way, their team watching them as Kim smushed a piece of cake onto Tommy's face as they all laughed.
Sometimes for the worse…
The Cimmerian Planet
Rita cackled gleefully, as she and Zedd cut through the wedding cake with a giant sword, as putties and monsters from all over the universe cheered. Their hands were intertwined with each other and she could feel the warlord's tender gaze upon her face, a dim red glow lighting up her dark veil and she could not stop herself from smiling.
Ambassadors from the United Alliance of Evil were in attendance, and Rita smiled contently. The legitimacy of their union can no longer be questioned, but if her own mother had taught her something worthwhile, there was only one thing that could make her position as the empress irrefutable… an heir.
The last thing she wanted was to consummate her marriage. Even sharing the same bed chambers with her husband made her nauseous, but there was no avoiding it.
Ugh, the things she had to do for power!
Twenty-two Years Ago…
Nancy bit back a curse as her communicator beeped. The professor glared at her and other students whispered amongst each other, as she scurried out of the lecture hall and into the nearest washroom, so that she could teleport.
Jason coughed as his partner put the oxygen mask over his face, enabling him to take a breath of clean air and flush out the smoke he had inhaled earlier.
"You got to stop being a hotshot, Jason." Emily admonished.
He gave a noncommittal nod, as he saw the infant he rescued be hugged by her parents, and smiled.
Maybe he was taking unnecessary risks, but saving people was his calling, whether he was morphed or not.
He was a ranger… a hero, through and through.
Zack Taylor laughed, as he high-fived his cousin, Curtis.
"This is the best party ever!" One of the college students yelled, and several others joined in, their excited whoops almost drowning out the loud music.
When he had decided to pursue music instead of a lawyer, even after his successful stint as a Youth Ambassador for the Global Peace Conference, his parents had been disappointed and hoped he would come to his senses and follow in their footsteps as a lawyer, but this moment made it all worth it.
He was starting out with small jobs like DJing local parties at the Youth Center and Angel Grove College Festivals, and gaining traction with the crowd, as well as networking with popular artists.
It was a long road, and not guaranteed to lead to success, but he believed in his dream.
Music and dance… They were his life.
Just then, his communicator beeped.
He turned to his cousin, who frowned.
"Bro…" He sighed.
"You know I have to take this." Zack winced. Though he and his friends had tried to adhere to Zordon's secret identity rules, it had got progressively harder as every year passed, and Curtis was one of the few who had stumbled onto the closely guarded secret, and thankfully so.
"Be safe." He said, taking place and Zack gave him a grateful nod. The audience was too engrossed in their dancing to notice the exchange or Zack quietly exiting the stage.
Despite his professors in MIT fawning over him, and his excellent grades, Billy's college experience was far from stellar.
His communicator beeped, even as he was conducting an experiment, and his lab partners exchanged a knowing smirk.
"Off again, Cranston?" Dexter Morgan snidely asked.
"Unfortunately, so." Billy said politely, carefully placing the test-tubes back in the stand. "I have already perfected the calculations. You just need to carry out the…"
"We know." Lacey Goldstein interrupted. "Go, wherever you want to. Just know we will be telling Professor Sterling you ditched in the middle of an experiment again."
It was not the first time that other students had tried to gang up on him, but given he did most of the theoretical work as well as his share of the experiments in the extra time after class hours were over and beyond, no one could prove he was a slacker.
Students being jealous of him wasn't a new thing, but it was an unnecessary nuisance, and his responsibilities as a ranger only added more fuel to the fire.
Unlike Jason and Zack, who had gone on other paths, Trini Kwan had been enamored by all she had learned from the Peace Conference.
Laws made a difference, and people needed to be heard.
Global peace started with peace at the grassroots level… making sure everyone, especially those without any privileges or powers had a voice.
However, being a law student was not easy, especially when she had to juggle her ranger duties along with it.
Trini looked a lot different to how she had looked as a teenager. She wore a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, and her long hair was tied into a tight bun, as she scurried from one class to the next, her arms filled with a variety of books and documents.
And then, her communicator beeped, the sudden sound making her drop her books.
She groaned, picking them up and looking for a secluded corner in the hallway to teleport.
"Hiyah!" Tommy performed a flying sweep kick, followed by a series of punches and kicks, and then turned around to face his students.
He explained how to perfect the steps, and watched as the young students, who were about the same age he was when he started learning karate, listened with rapt attention.
He moved along the rows of students, as they practiced the kata, he had just explained to them, offering guidance and tips.
He stole a glance sideways to see Kim demonstrate a simple gymnastics routine and do her characteristic flip for her own class a bit further away from their group.
Alongside a diploma course in business, he was teaching regular martial arts classes, which he held in the Youth Center or the Park, like he was doing now. He charged a nominal fee, and even taught the students hailing from the Angel Grove Orphanage and foster families for free, and that went into the money he and Kim were saving up for making their own dojo.
Kimberly's gymnastics classes were in high demand, given her stardom as a gold medalist in the Pan Globals, and she had already started looking for properties in the city that they could afford to buy and renovate into their studio.
Even though Angel Grove was still under attack, their lives hadn't stopped, and they were marching towards the future.
All those years ago when he moved into this city, he could have never thought that this place and the community residing within would become so dear to him.
Rita sneered, seeing the antics the rangers were up to. She had seen them grow up from flimsy hormonal teenagers to adults. All these years seemed all the same to her, but for them, their entire lives changed, and despite the burden of their new responsibilities, they continued to foil her plans.
It was not fair!
She had sacrificed thousands of years of her life fighting this battle, and even given herself up to a political marriage… How is it that even with all the power she held in the universe, Zordon's whelps continued to defy her!
The closest she had ever come to victory was years ago, when the rangers were new to their powers… when she had selected a champion of her own. An evil green ranger.
Hmph! What a waste that was!
The other rangers were able to break the spell over him, and he had been a thorn in her side ever since.
Even her last resort of recovering the green ranger powers with the cursed candle had failed thanks to the pesky red ranger's interference!
But that plan was still the one with which she had nearly defeated Zordon's rangers.
Maybe it had enough merit to try a second time.
A pawn of her own.
A ruthless warrior wielding the same power as the rangers.
It would have been so easy if she could just bestow the powers of the Morphin Grid upon herself or some of her minions and get the job done herself… If only the enchantments woven into the power coins didn't prevent anyone but the worthy from accessing its power… the reason why she had to go through all the trouble of finding a noble warrior and then brainwashing him into doing her bidding, instead of just imbuing Goldar or one of Finister's monsters with the green ranger powers.
But there were rumors.
Legends so old that it might as well be make-belief…
Of power coins that were stolen before their maker could place the enchantments that protected the power from those with darkened hearts.
Rita scurried into her private chambers, and snapped her fingers. A wooden box flew out of the many shelves filled with dusty books and numerous antiques into her waiting hands.
"The scrolls of Zordnia." She smirked. Maybe this time, victory would finally be hers.
Goldar, Scorpina and Baboo returned from their mission successful with a chest full of power coins, and despite that, the coins rejected all her generals and even Zedd and herself.
Rita fumed.
"Please, my poison pie…" Zedd put a placating hand on her shoulder, and she resisted the urge to puke. Even after these years, close contact with the flesh-bag she had to marry, made her nauseous.
"You don't get it Zeddykins." She snapped. "These coins are not protected like the ones Zordon's rangers use, and even now, they resist us."
"The power chooses you, not the other way around." Zedd said. "A saying common with rangers all over the universe. The problem lies not with us nor the coins, but the totems inscribed within them. It does not matter if we are good or evil, it matters if the wielder is compatible with the totem."
"And where can I find such a wielder?" She asked.
"Maybe you don't need to find anyone darling… We can simply make one." Zedd said, and Rita balked.
"Excuse me?" She shrieked.
"Not like that, not yet anyway." Zedd chuckled, and the sorceress breathed a sigh of relief.
"Finister can sculpt a champion well suited to a totem, and we can bring them to life with our dark magic." Zedd suggested, and Rita's eyes widened.
"That's…" She blinked, before rushing forward and pressing a kiss onto his grilled faceplate. "That's brilliant!"
Zedd pulled away shyly, and Rita realized just what she had just done, her face turning a deep shade of red.
She cleared her throat.
"Finister!" She screeched.
"Yes, my queen?" He asked, hurrying towards the evil warlords.
"You heard what my husband dearest said. Get to work." She ordered.
"At once, my queen." He bowed, before pausing. "But which totem should I model my creation after, your evilness?"
"Hmm." Rita tapped her chin thoughtfully, making her way over to the chest and looking through the golden medallions, inscribed with totems of all sorts of creatures… velociraptor, cyclops, brachiosaurus, crane, ape, bear, tiger, dragon, phoenix, mermaid, sprite, minotaur, thunderbird… Heck, there were even ones with pyramids, trains, and the primitive locomotive devices these humans preferred to use. Who in their right mind made all these?
She picked up a coin with the image of a snowflake and scoffed before tossing it back into the chest.
Then, one totem caught her eye.
She blinked, picking up the coin, astonished that it even exists. A totem of a rogue entity from a fey realm that even she was wary of, and a twisted smile graced her features.
This would do just fine.
The rangers will not know what hit them.
The evil purple ranger laughed menacingly, as she pointed her double scimitars at the defenders of Angel Grove.
Her morphed form resembled their own, except the diamonds in her chest were black and her helmet was downright terrifying with a red visor and a silver faceplate styled with jagged teeth that resembled that of Lord Zedd himself. Like the green ranger, she had a shield, but hers was silver instead of gold, and a black cloak cascaded down her shoulders. Two pointy ears jutted out from either side of her helmet and above her visor were two beady crimson orbs and what barely resembled the snout of a feline creature.
"This world belongs to my masters now." She proclaimed, as the Youth Centre burned behind her, and putties held down Ernie and several customers, who were unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire.
"Not so fast." Jason grunted, digging his power sword to the ground, and using it to stand up. "Earth's defenders never surrender!"
"What defenders?" She leered. "All I see are worn out warriors."
"We may be tired but we are not giving up." Tommy said, standing up as well, the rest of the rangers following suit. "Whoever you are, you are stronger than Rita and Zedd. You can break whatever spell they have put on you."
She started cackling in response to the green ranger's impassionate speech.
"Oh, I am sorry… Did you think I was like you? A human enthralled by my queen's grace? I can assure you that I am neither a human nor under any spell." She scoffed. "I was created by my masters with only one directive… to destroy the power rangers."
"Then we will take you down, just like any other monster." Kimberly said firmly.
"You can certainly try." She smirked. "It's time for you all to meet my zord… CHESHIRE ZORD POWER NOW!"
The rangers watched with bated breath as a gigantic zord towered over them. It seemed to be a feline creature not unlike the yellow ranger's Saber-Toothed Tiger zord, but its face was downright demented, much like its namesake… the Cheshire Cat.
The rangers looked at each other in worry. They could all feel the dark energies emanating out of the zord… an unnerving feeling that gripped them, and it went without saying, even with all their zords, it would not be easy to win against this beast.
Jason sat alone in a table in the Youth Center clad in his firefighter uniform, as he massaged his head, his gaze fixated on the cup of coffee he ordered nearly ten minutes ago but his thoughts straying to the encounter with their latest foe.
It was the first time in many years that the rangers lost a battle. Their zords were heavily damaged, and according to Billy and Alpha, repairs would take an entire week… time they couldn't spare, with the evil purple ranger running around.
The only solace Jason had was that even though they didn't manage to defeat the Cheshire zord, they did successfully draw its ire outside the city and away from the populace.
However, if the ranger attacked a second time, he had no idea how they would manage to save the city, especially without their zords.
Ugh, he had no idea that when he became a ranger, the battle would last so long… maybe till the day he became too old to fight.
Rita, Zedd, and their generals were effectively immortal, given their considerably vast alien life spans.
As much as he loved being a superhero, the idea that he could never rest… that he would be forced to hand over the burden of this power to someone else eventually, haunted him.
Everything was falling apart. His relationship with Emily was nonexistent given all the secrets between them. He knew she would support him if he revealed his double life, but the last thing he wanted was for her to be caught in the crossfire.
The one thing he could always rely on was his competence as the leader of the Power Rangers, but now, he was doubting that as well.
"What did that coffee do to you?" A soft voice interrupted his train of thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
"Huh?" He blinked, looking up to see a beautiful blond woman smiling at him.
"I am sorry if I am intruding, but you looked like something was bothering you." She said gently.
"No, I am alright." Jason managed to fake a laughter of reassurance. Alright, his foot! The entire world depended on him, and he might let them all down.
"If you say so. You should drink that, or it will get cold." She said, pointing at the coffee cup.
"Yeah, thanks." Jason smiled, taking the cup in his hands.
"See you around, Mr. Firefighter." She winked at him, before walking away.
He started sipping the coffee. It had gone cold.
Wait, was that girl just flirting with him?
He blushed. She was cute, and nice too.
Jason shook his head. he had no time for relationships. Heck, he couldn't make it work with someone as kind and empathic as Emily, the chances were that he would remain single his entire life.
Not everyone was as lucky as Tommy and Kimberly or Billy and Trini for that matter.
Even Zack had that thing going on with the veterinarian he met when he had a concert in Stone Canyon, and somehow, he managed to make it work despite his gigs and ranger responsibilities.
And Nancy, she had no desire to be in any romantic relationships in the first place and was perfectly happy being single. Heck, he wished he was like her sometimes, but he wanted it all… someone to start a family with, to grow old with, someone to love and someone who could love him back…
But he could not.
Not yet anyway.
Not unless Earth was safe.
"You?" Jason asked, looking at the coughing girl he had just rescued from the burning building… the same girl who he had met a few days ago in the Youth Center.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah. Thanks to you." She smiled. "You saved me."
"Ask her out." Emily elbowed him.
"Em… We do not even know each other." Jason rolled his eyes.
"Then get to know her."
"I am not… You know I am not boyfriend material, Em." He sighed.
"We tried to make it work, Jase." Emily smiled kindly. "We had something beautiful, but it was not meant to last. It is okay."
"And you think this will?" He scoffed.
"If you want it to, yes." She said pointedly. "Besides she has been watching you nonstop, and don't think I didn't see you sneaking glances at her."
"Okay." He shrugged, before making his way to where the girl was tending to other victims, offering them water bottles.
"Hey, Mr. Firefighter." She flashed a grin at him.
"I have a name, you know." Jason laughed.
"Yes, and I have been waiting patiently to hear it." She smiled.
"Jason."
"Nice to know." She nodded.
Jason looked at her expectantly.
"Usually, you are supposed to introduce yourself too." He said after an awkward pause where they just looked at each other.
"Oh… Well, you can find that out tonight." She said cheekily.
"What?" Jason's face became the colour of his ranger suit in an instant.
The woman giggled.
"I meant take me out to dinner tonight, and I will tell you." She said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"You are not making this easy, you know that right?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Does that mean dinner is out?" She asked.
"Not a chance." He smirked. "Where should I pick you up?"
"Let's meet at Jungle Karma Pizza. Seven o clock alright for you?" She said, without missing a beat.
"Works fine by me."
"Don't be late, Mr. Firefighter."
"Won't dream of it."
Kim, Trini, and Zack's eyes were on him like a hawk the moment he entered Youth Center.
He knew introducing Emily to his other friends would come to bite him in the back someday.
"So, anything you want to tell us, Jason?" Zack smirked at him.
"Something about a cute girl asking you on a date?" Kim prodded.
"And you not able to take your eyes off her the entire time." Trini added.
"Guys, I don't know what Em has told you guys, but it's not that serious." Jason started, just when Tommy, Nancy and Billy came over to their table.
"What's not that serious?" Tommy asked, as he bent to kiss Kim.
"Oh, our fearless leader finally got himself a date." Zack informed with a teasing smile.
"That's great, man!" Tommy clapped his back.
"Yeah, happy for you, Jase." Nancy nodded.
"That is unexpected but quite welcome news." Billy said.
"Guys, I don't even know her name yet." Jason said defensively.
"It's a blind date?" Tommy asked.
"Nope." Kim smirked. "But given how Jason gawks at her, his eyes will dry up and he might be blind before the night is over."
"That's not how that works." Billy said.
"It is a metaphor, Billy." Kim said, waving him off. "Give us the deets, Jase!"
Jason groaned.
"Well, I met her the other day in the Youth Center, and I met her again today."
"You meant to say, you saved her today." Trini corrected.
"Two meetings by chance! What were the odds?" Kim said. "Jason, she might be the one!"
"Guys, keep your expectations low. You don't know her. Heck, even I don't know her yet."
"But you want to, don't you?" Zack cooed.
"You guys are the worst!" Jason huffed, crossing his arms as his friends broke into laughter.
Jason pulled out a chair for the woman, who was clad in a nice violet dress.
"A gentleman, I see." She laughed, as he took his own seat opposite her. "I always thought firefighters were supposed to be rough and gruff."
"Well, we come in all shapes and forms." Jason deadpanned. "So, do I finally get to know your name, or are you going to make me wait till the next date?"
"Oh, nice to know you think we have a future." She smirked.
Jason looked at her pointedly.
"Fine…" She pouted. "I am Katherine."
"You guys are so fun!" Katherine laughed, linking arms with Trini and Kim, as Jason, Billy and Tommy followed them, their arms full with numerous shopping bags, exchanging sighs.
"You are not bad yourself, Kat." Kim laughed. "And you have a great taste in clothes."
Jason clapped with the others as Katherine completed a ballet recitation as part of a theatre show.
Katherine and Jason walked arm in arm, the former leaning against the later, as they strolled through the park, towards the ice cream truck.
"It's been quiet." Nancy said to the other six.
"Too quiet." Zack agreed.
"Don't jinx it, please." Kim whacked them both. "Maybe Rita and Zedd are finally on their honeymoon or something. Whatever it is, I am happy to have some free time."
Just then, their communicators beeped.
Kim glared at the two.
"You two needed to bring it up, didn't you?"
Tommy Oliver materialized fully morphed in the streets of Angel Grove, only to witness the citizens running away from a platoon of putties led by Goldar.
"Green Ranger!" Goldar snarled, waving his sword at him. "I will defeat you this time!"
Tommy rolled his eyes underneath his helmet, as he drew on his dragon dagger, and charged at the titan, whilst slashing through the putties in his way.
"Don't you get tired of saying that, flea brain?" He taunted, swinging his dagger at the general, who immediately blocked it with his sword.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw the putties converging on an elderly couple.
Tommy swiftly kicked Goldar back, and took out his blade blaster, with which he took down the putties.
He turned just in time to see Goldar throw a bolt of golden light from his sword at him. He slashed his dagger, deflecting the blast.
"Ready to give up, Goldilocks?" He sneered, baiting the titan.
Tommy was no fool, and despite his numerous victories against the titan, he knew he could not grow complacent. Goldar was fighting to kill. A single mistake on his part could mean death, however he knew Goldar's one flaw… his hubris.
No matter how many times they defeated him, Goldar still thought he was superior than them.
Add a couple of taunts to that, and the warrior was guaranteed to go mad with indignation and make lousy attacks, which were easy to deflect.
Tommy dodged a strike, and retaliated with a jab to Goldar's jaw, sending him skittering back.
He gripped his dagger, yet he didn't strike. It would be so easy to defeat him then and there, but Zordon's rules were clear. Destroying Finister's creations were unavoidable, mainly because they were little more than automatons enhanced with fragile psychic constructs, but unfortunately, same was not true for Rita, Zedd or their generals. As evil as they were, they were still living beings with souls, and as such, slaying them was a last resort.
Goldar caught his breath, wagged his sword at Tommy, and teleported away in a burst of golden flames, just like always.
The green ranger sighed, before looking around to see if anyone needed any immediate help, only to see the local police and firefighters were already on the scene. He gave them a thumbs up, before teleporting away.
Scorpina and her putty patrol appeared in the middle of Times Square, New York.
To her surprise, instead of scurrying away, the citizens whooped and clapped. And some even whistled, casting lewd and suggestive glances at her, making her even more disgusted.
"Silly humans…" She muttered, before snapping her fingers. "ATTACK!"
Finally, these primates displayed that they had something akin to common sense and scattered as the putties lunged at them, their hands twisting into blades.
Screams of panic and fear filled the streets, like music to her ears.
Just then, a bolt of yellow light appeared before them, and a pair of daggers flew across the area in a circular fashion, cutting through the putties before converging back to their owner, who caught them effortlessly.
"I was hoping it would be you." Scorpina smacked her lips, as the yellow ranger twirled her daggers, a clear invitation for combat.
"The city of love!" Tourists dropped their cameras, as they scattered away from the creature who stood out in her vibrant pink armour and matching hammer amongst the army of grey golems. "I just love L-O-V-E!"
She ran towards the Eiffel Tower and squealed.
"This monument would be the perfect gift for my darling Sledge-ums!"
She gripped her hammer tightly, swinging it backwards and preparing to slam it against the base of the massive structure, when a volley of arrows rained down from above, taking out her putty reinforcements.
"Hold your horses, you fashion reject!" The pink ranger said, teleporting behind her. "The Eiffel Tower is not some trinket you can just pluck and hand over to your poor excuse of a fiancé, Poisandra."
The bounty hunter gasped audibly.
"You take that back, meanie!" She said, swinging her hammer at the ranger, only for her to roll out of the way, and fire at her from her bow.
Poisandra yelped as the impact of the arrows sent her skidding backwards.
"Am I wrong though? You guys have been engaged for what, sixty-five million years, and you still haven't tied the knot? That totally screams serious commitment issues."
The pink monster growled, slamming her hammer to the ground, creating a seismic wave that tore through the ground, cracking the pavement, before a burst of energy was expelled right underneath the pink ranger, sending her flying upwards.
Kim bit her lips.
Maybe she had underestimated her opponent. She should have taken Zordon more seriously, when he had briefed them on the newest allies the terrible two had recruited to their side… the bounty hunter Sledge and his hopeless romantic of a fiancé Poisandra.
She wouldn't make that mistake again.
Despite her cartoonish appearance, the other woman had some serious power.
Kim landed on her feet gracefully, thanks to years of gymnastics backed with the superhuman enhancements of the power.
She didn't get a moment to catch her breath, as Poisandra lunged at her, her hammer held high.
It was times like these when she wished she had a weapon for close combat in addition to her bow. The blade blaster did have a blade mode, but it would be of no use against Poisandra's hammer.
She shook the thoughts out of her head, and ran at Poisandra, dodging her hammer, and grabbing hold of her, pummeling her to the ground before whacking her with the side of her bow. She sat on top of her, and aimed her bow right at her opponent's face.
"Ready to give up now?" She smirked.
Poisandra huffed one last time, before teleporting away in a burst of pink glitter.
Kim cringed, as she got up. She loved her colour, but Poisandra's obsession with pink made her uncomfortable. That girl knew nothing about moderation.
The civilians came out of their hiding spots and started clapping. Some even snapped their cameras at her, taking pictures of her in the backdrop of Paris.
"Au revoir!" She called out in her amateur French and waved at them, before teleporting back to the Command Center.
Zack let out a battle cry as he swung his power axe, letting loose an arc of a black and purple energies, that collided against the putties.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sledge take to the air, propelled by his jetpack, and dodged just in time.
"I will get you, power ranger!" The hunter fumed, swerving to charge against him again.
"We will see." Zack scoffed, shifting his axe to blaster mode, and opening fire on the monster, deterring his path.
Sledge activated his forcefield, deflecting the attacks.
"You think those blasters are impressive?" He laughed, before taking out his hand blasters, and opening a barrage of laser fire that sent the black ranger staggering back. "This is!"
Zack changed his blaster back to his axe mode, and threw it like a boomerang, striking the hunter.
The first thing Billy noticed when he arrived in Cairo, was the lack of putties. A single monster… identified by Alpha-5 as the bounty hunter Villamax stood alone, waiting for him. Civilians or tourists ran away from him all the same, but unlike other monsters he had faced, this creature made no motion to attack them, nor did he employ an army of foot-soldiers.
It told him two things.
Villamax was confident and that he had a code of honour. He was here for the fight, not the twisted pleasure of terrorizing people who couldn't fight back against him.
"One of Zordon's students…" He mused. "I was hoping to fight the yellow, red or green rangers… But I suppose you will suffice."
With that, he was upon him, sword unsheathed in the blink of an eye.
Billy summoned his power lance in the nick of time to block his attack, but he wasn't able to catch a breather.
Villamax was relentless.
One attack after the other.
Even with years of training with Jason, Trini, and Tommy, as well as his enhanced reflexes due to his power coin, Billy found it hard to keep up with the master swordsman.
Though he was glad that there was no putty patrol accompanying him, for if there were, he would have been surely defeated by now.
Billy shook the doubts from his mind, trusting his instincts.
He had fought innumerable monsters before, and emerged victorious. There was no reason to question himself now.
It was as Trini had often told him, trust in oneself was the key to winning every battle.
Trakeena sniffed, breathing in the foul stench of pollution rampant in almost everywhere in this miserable planet. She was clad in her green battle armour, and accompanied by a squad of putties.
People ran away from her in terror, and she smirked.
She was a princess, not a bounty hunter, and yet, much like her aunt before her, she had to leave her royal life behind her, when his father informed her that to succeed him as the leader of their empire, she must shed her humanoid form for an insectoid one, just like he did.
She left hesitantly, crossed paths with Villamax, who promptly rescued her from an unpleasant situation and offered to train her.
She grew enamored with him, and slowly as she became his equal in the ways of war, she started falling in love with him… feelings he eventually reciprocated.
And since then, she hasn't looked back even once.
They went from planet to planet, one successful bounty after the other.
Her life wasn't as luxurious as it once was, but it was much more fulfilling. Just the two of them, and the universe as their battlefield. Oh, and she supposed there was Kegler too, but though he was annoying at times, she had grown used to his presence.
But then, a few days ago, she got a transmission from her aunt, Scorpina, about a mission that has a huge bounty… a bounty that would be enough for them to leave the business altogether, and set some roots on some neutral planet.
And so here she was, waiting to fight a power ranger.
They had crossed paths with rangers before, sometimes as enemies, and sometimes as allies, so she knew what made them tick.
They weren't that different from Villamax… bound by honour and rules, but Villamax was strong enough that following his codes didn't deter him from losing battles.
Rangers on the other hand, would be easy pickings.
She tapped her staff on the ground impatiently, waiting for a ranger to teleport.
Maybe… they needed a little incentive to hurry up.
She snapped her fingers, beckoning the putties to listen.
"Do something useful and capture these humans, instead of just scaring them away." She ordered.
The putties nodded, and charged at the civilians.
She had no idea how these golems understood her. These beings had no life, unlike her father's stingwingers, and yet, they were just as efficient.
As they caught the civilians, dragging them and throwing them at her feet, she looked up.
"Anytime now, power rangers! Or I start killing them, one by one!"
Just then, a laser beam hurtled towards her, but she was ready, deflecting it with her staff.
"Don't you dare!" The Saffron ranger jumped in front of her, lashing out with her whip, which glowed with an orange light, as it cut through the putties.
"Huh…" Trakeena scoffed. She was mistaken perhaps. The putties may be capable of understanding commands, but they weren't nearly as durable as her father's henchmen.
"Go! Run!" The ranger yelled to the civilians whom she had just freed, before turning towards her.
The ranger threw her whip at her, in response to which she held up her staff, the whip wrapping around it.
The ranger tugged hoping to disarm her, but she had predicted it, and held on tightly, before running at her opponent, and kicking her back, forcing her to withdraw her whip.
"Yield and submit your power coin." Trakeena scoffed. "And I will spare your life."
It would be nice to have a trinket of her own, especially after seeing her father try and acquire the quasar saber for years, and failing every time.
"Never!" The ranger said scathingly.
Trakeena rolled her eyes. Well, Villamax can't say she didn't try to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
She lunged at the ranger, who met her midway, more determined than before to stop her.
The Purple ranger attacked him with an unparalleled fury.
Last time, she had single handedly defeated all six rangers, though they had all been holding back, considering the possibility of the evil ranger being an unwilling victim of Rita and Zedd's schemes.
This time, he couldn't hold back, even if he wanted to, not if he wanted to survive.
And he feared, even with his all, it might not be enough.
Rita and Zedd had deliberately sent their forces, including hired bounty hunters to attack different locations of the world, splitting the team.
He tried to dodge the blows, but he wasn't fast enough. She crossed her double blades, slashing him across his chest, sending him staggering back.
"Power Sword!" He summoned, in a flash of red light, and also took out his blade blaster, converting it to blade mode. He didn't remember the last time he used both weapons in conjunction outside of training sessions. It wasn't his preferred mode of attack, but it will have to do.
Blades clashed against each other.
It was a intricate dance… a battle seemingly locked in a stalemate.
He got some blows in, but the other ranger recovered fast, and he didn't even get a single moment to catch his breath. At this rate, only the power of the coin was sustaining him, and the moment he demorphed, he will be too exhausted to even stand.
He hoped that the other rangers would be able to finish off whatever foes they were facing to come to his aid, even as he got the wind knocked out of him from a powerful kick to his chest.
If he hadn't been morphed, some of his ribs would have definitely shattered from it.
"Enough!" The purple ranger snarled. The first time she had spoken since they started fighting. Her voice was oddly familiar, despite being distorted. "Submit and you might live."
"Never!" Jason yelled, running towards her again, his sword raised. He channeled all his strength, slamming his body against her, knocking her off balance. Taking advantage of her slight disorientation, he slashed his sword and blade, knocking her weapons out of her hands, and immediately leapt on her, forcing her on the ground and crossing his weapons around her neck.
"Now, you surrender!"
The ranger snorted.
"I am impressed!" She drawled. "It seems you have more bite than I expected, red ranger, but sadly, it is not enough."
Suddenly, Jason felt an unbearable pain in his abdomen, as his armour gave away, and he looked down in horror to see threw metallic claws protruding from the purple ranger's knuckles and piercing his gut. His flannel shirt was soaked in blood, and his body felt limp.
The purple ranger retracted her now bloody claws, and Jason spat out blood, as he collapsed on top of her.
Surprisingly, she stroked his face tenderly, as she gently got up to a sitting position, keeping his head on her lap.
"I am sorry, Jason, but you forgot that this kitty has claws…" She murmured, almost sadly.
Something just clicked inside his brain.
"Katherine…" He stuttered, and he felt her stiffen, even as his vision started to get blurry and everything seemed to feel a bit lighter.
Was he dying?
He always knew it was a possibility, but not like this… Not by someone he knew and trusted.
"I am sorry…" Katherine whispered, as everything went black.
When Jason came to, he saw his friends and Alpha stare at him.
He looked down to see his torso healed, with the faintest circular scars along his abdomen… the only sign that he was even attacked.
"Oh god!" Kim gasped, her eyes red. "You are okay."
All the others were crying as well.
"You guys saved me?" He asked, looking around to see the med-bay, one which they rarely needed to use.
"No, you teleported yourself here, just in nick of time. If you were even a second late, I am not sure if we could have saved you, even with the support of the advanced medical technologies of the Command Center." Billy told him grimly.
"Ay, ay, ay… You really scared us, Jason." Alpha added, and the others nodded.
"Don't you ever do that again, Jason Lee Scott!" Trini shouted.
"Yeah, we weren't sure if you were going to make it." Nancy said.
"Guys, I didn't teleport here." Jason said slowly.
"You must have forgotten. The evil purple ranger did a number on you, Jason." Zack said. "The next time I see her, I will give her a piece of my mind!"
"Guys… I think she saved me." He said slowly.
The others looked at each other.
"Bro, she is the reason you are in the med bay." Tommy said. "She stabbed you at three sites. You would have died if it…"
"No guys, I know that, but I also know she saved me. She must have activated my communicator. After our battle, I didn't have any strength left to even think about using the communicator to teleport away."
"Okay, let's say we believe you, but why would she go out of her way to save you after fatally injuring you?" Trini asked.
"Because she is Kat." He sighed. Saying the words only made it seem more real, despite how ridiculous it sounded… Accusing his angel of a girlfriend of being the ruthless purple ranger.
"Dude, maybe you need to rest for a while…" Zack said.
"Yeah, we shouldn't be putting so much strain on you right after you got up." Trini said. "Alpha and Billy might have been able to patch you up physically, but you still went through a near death experience…"
"I am not making this up, guys!" Jason yelled frustratedly.
"Jason, think about what you are saying. You finally have someone you really care about and someone who adores you… Saying that Katherine Hillard, a normal girl is the same person who tried to kill you is…" Kim trailed off.
"You all think I am crazy?" Jason spluttered.
"Of course not, Jason." Nancy said immediately, touching his hand. "Just that you have been through a lot and maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions without thinking them through…"
"Guys…" Jason said.
"You might be right." Tommy said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Tommy, man, you can't be serious!" Zack rolled his eyes.
"You guys thought I was a normal guy too." He retorted. "Think about it. Kat appears just after the purple ranger appeared, and she kept on meeting with Jason through sheer coincidence. And her name… Katherine, and the purple ranger's totem is the Cheshire Cat."
"Dude, a lot of people are named Katherine in Angel Grove. It doesn't mean all of them are secretly evil rangers?" Zack shrugged. "Besides, we have all hung out with her. We would have known if she was evil, right?"
"We did hang out with her." Kim said slowly. "Did you notice she never told us about where she was from? Or ever tell us about her family?"
"That doesn't necessarily mean…" Billy pursed his lips before looking at Jason. "You know her best out of all of us. What made you think it was her?"
"Her voice was familiar, but after she defeated me, she called me by my name, and her voice… it was as if she was sorry, and felt like she really cared about me." Jason said, his face contorting.
"Oh, Jason…" Kim sighed sadly.
"If you are right…" Zack shook his head. "I didn't want this to be real, but let's face it, after we became rangers, there haven't been any coincidences in our lives… If Kat is the purple ranger, what do we do about it? What if this is another one of Zedd and Rita's tricks?"
"She did impale you… thrice." Trini said. "If she wanted to get our trust, there were better ways to go about it."
"How sure are we that she isn't being controlled, like Tommy was?" Kim said.
"Except her own word, nothing…" Billy mused.
"She isn't." Tommy said.
"How can you be so sure?" Jason asked.
"Because when I was under Rita's spell, I only had one thing on my mind… how to serve her, and destroy you guys. A single obsession that governed all my thoughts. During that time, I could barely speak properly to anyone, even my parents, or properly concentrate on schoolwork." Tommy said. "Kat acted normally. I am no expert in magic, but if she is under a spell, it is not like the one I was under."
Jason made a motion to get out from his bed, only for Zack to catch him and force him back on it.
"I need to talk to Zordon." He said, shoving off Zack's hand. "Let me go. Maybe he knows how we can help Kat."
"I AM HERE, JASON." A computer screen in front of them instantly activated, showing Zordon's face. "I HAVE BEEN MONITORING YOUR CONVERSATION, AND UNFORTUNATELY TOMMY'S ASSUMPTION IS CORRECT. MIND ALTERING SPELLS HAVE A TENDENCY OF ALTERING THE VICTIM'S ORIGINAL PERSONALITY AND MAKE THEM INCAPABLE OF PERFORMING ANY TASK THAT IS INSIGNIFICANT TO THE CASTER'S GOALS."
"So, whatever Katherine did, she did of her own accord?" Jason asked, his face falling.
"IF YOU ARE CORRECT AND I BELIEVE YOU ARE, IN ASSUMING THAT SHE IS THE PURPLE RANGER, THEN IT IS POSSIBLE… BUT IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR HER TO CHANGE HER WAYS EVEN IF SHE WASN'T UNDER A SPELL."
"If we go by what she said the first time she fought us, she isn't even human." Billy mused. "Is she like one of Finister's monsters."
"SHE MIGHT NOT BE HUMAN, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT SHE IS NOT ALIVE. THE VERY FACT THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO WIELD A POWER COIN IMPLIES SHE IS MORE THAN A DARK MAGIC CONSTRUCT."
"So, she can be saved?" Jason asked.
"Jason, she doesn't need saving." Zack said. "She tried to skewer you to death. Maybe she is not a monster, but that doesn't mean she is capable of being good."
"Zack is right. She might be like Scorpina, who looks human for the most part and we all know how depraved she can be." Trini pointed out before grimacing at Jason. "I am sorry, but if she is the purple ranger, she needs to be taken down."
"But… I love her." Jason whispered, before looking at his mentor. "Zordon, is there truly no other way?"
"I CANNOT ASCERTAIN THAT, BUT I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE UP ON HER, JUST YET. IF YOU ARE RIGHT, KATHERINE COULD HAVE LET YOU DIE, BUT INSTEAD SHE SAVED YOUR LIFE."
"No." Kim said strongly. "She didn't save Jason. Alpha and Billy did. She was the reason Jason even needed saving…. And she tricked us all. What are the chances this isn't some twisted mind game?"
"Because, whatever Rita and Zedd are, they aren't subtle." Tommy said. "I think becoming our friend wasn't part of anything she was ordered to do. Heck, she beat all of us the first time by herself. She didn't need to have a civilian guise, and try to be a part of our lives."
"Her totem is the cheshire cat, a trickster, who likes to play with their food before eating…" Nancy said. "What makes you think she wasn't just toying with us… with Jason?"
"Because I know she loves me too." Jason said.
"Jason, she STABBED you!" Kim hissed.
"And I am okay now, aren't I? No permanent damage, nothing that I couldn't come back from." The red ranger protested.
The other rangers looked at each other worriedly.
"I am going to save her, guys." Jason said determinedly.
Jason couldn't find Katherine after he returned home. She hadn't returned any of his calls. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the Earth, and she probably had.
Any lingering doubts he had over her double identity faded.
Jason slumped on his couch, covering his face with his hands, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Damn it! Meeting Katherine was the best thing that had happened to him in years. Something that made him feel normal… Something with nothing to do with the Power Rangers…
But instead, it was all a sham.
He had been strong before his friends, because he knew how protective they could be of each other.
Regardless of his personal feelings, he needed to ensure that Katherine got a fair chance to explain herself.
He lifted his shirt and placed his hands over the area he had been stabbed. He looked down to see it completely healed, and there being no trace of him ever being injured.
But he could still remember the pain.
Everything coming to a stop.
And the sting of betrayal.
He loved her. He truly did.
And he knew that she loved him too… that she saved him.
However, he wasn't sure if her love for him was enough to convince her to leave the forces of evil…
"I wont fight you, Katherine." Jason said, dropping his sword and staring at the purple ranger.
"Are you daft?" She said scornfully, pointing her blades at him. "I almost killed you."
"But you didn't." Jason said, stepping forwards slowly, till the blades were touching his chest.
He saw the other ranger flinch.
"I don't care that you are the purple ranger. I know you." He said, demorphing.
"Morph, red ranger." She snarled. "You don't know anything! I was created with the singular objective of destroying the power rangers and securing this planet for my masters."
"Maybe… But you are more than that." Jason continued, even as he saw the other rangers struggle against Goldar, Scorpina, bounty hunters and the putties to get to them from the corner of his eyes. "You are your own person, Katherine. And I love you."
"Jason…" The purple ranger's voice faltered, as she dropped her swords, and Jason pulled her in for a hug. Her armour faded away, and she cried on to his shoulders.
"I am sorry…" She sniffed. "I am so sorry for hurting you. I love you too!"
"I know." Jason said, continuing to embrace her.
"You got to be kidding me!" Rita blinked, stepping away from the Repulsa-scope. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, seeing the same unbelievable scene of Katherine and Jason hugging each other in the middle of the battlefield, and the other rangers slowly defeating their opponents. "Of all things to happen…"
She had been so sure, when she selected the totem for her perfect weapon… A trickster so unpredictable that would keep the rangers running around in circles…
Instead, she was the one who was tricked, once again.
She knew they should have finished the rangers shortly after the purple ranger's initial attack was victorious, but no… Zedd wanted to celebrate. One thing led to another, and they lost track of time.
She slowly placed her hands on her stomach, as Zedd came up behind her.
"Don't fret, my poison pie." He whispered into her ear. "The purple ranger might have betrayed us, but even that can't save the rangers from what is coming."
Rita felt her mood lighten once more, knowing that her husband wasn't mistaken.
Soon… Angel Grove would burn and the Earth would be nothing more than a wasteland.
And the rangers would see the futility of it all…
Seven rangers fought together, forcing the bounty hunters to flee from Earth.
Jason looked beside him, at the purple ranger, and smiled. It had taken the others a while to trust her, more time than it had ever taken them to welcome Tommy into the fold, but now Katherine was part of the team.
Twenty-One Years Ago…
"And you may now kiss the bride."
Kimberly cheered loudly as Billy and Trini kissed on the altar. They looked so happy.
She leaned against Tommy, and looked all around. All her friends were here. Jason, Kat, Zack and his girlfriend Aisha, Bulk, Skull, Emily, Ernie, Aisha's friends from Stone Canyon, Principal Caplan who had now retired, Miss Appleby, and even Alpha-5 was here with a holographic disguise.
Trini and Billy grinned at each other, as they broke the kiss, both flushing as their friends whistled and teased them.
Trini turned around, her back against them, as she threw her bouquet.
Kim watched happily as Aisha caught it, and Zack blushed.
They had all grown up from teenagers to adults, who were now entering the next stages of their lives, but one thing remained constant… They had all stayed together, and she hoped that they continued to do so for the rest of their lives.
They weren't just friends anymore… They were a family.
"No matter what, it will be okay, Kim." Trini told her calmly.
They were seated next to each other in Trini's bed, and it felt like they were back in high school, having almost daily sleepovers.
"Are you sure?" Kim asked, her voice wavering.
"I am here, no matter what." Trini assured her.
Kim nodded tearfully, moving over to see the small plastic stick she had kept on the bedstand, and gasped seeing the double vertical lines on it.
She showed it to Trini, and they squealed, crying and hugging each other.
"You are going to be an amazing mom, Kim!" Trini laughed.
Kim couldn't find the words to respond, sniffing as she held on to her best friend, still unable to believe that she was about to have a child!
But no matter how hard I try to remember the good…
"Are you ready, my empress?" Zedd extended his hand towards her, as he got up from his throne.
"I was born ready for this." Rita smirked, taking his hand, as he pulled her into his arms, and instantly teleported themselves into the cockpit of Serpenterra.
Rita couldn't discern the feeling churning inside her.
At first, Zedd was a means to an end.
However, after consummating their marriage and the birth of their child, she had grown softer towards him.
Oh no, she wasn't falling in love with him, and she certainly wasn't delusional enough to even consider lifting the love spell on Zedd and hope that their child would be enough for him to willingly accept her as his partner… No, she was certain that he wouldn't waste a second in butchering her and their child, for her treachery.
But she had come to rely on him.
Maybe it was like how the humans of Earth often sought companionship in dogs and cats, slowly neutering their feral instincts and domesticating them… keeping them on a leash… making them think that they were the only ones who were worthy of their undying loyalty, when those poor beasts were nothing but slaves.
Yes, that was what she felt… Zedd was like a pet she had grown accustomed to.
She shifted those thoughts out of her mind, instead focusing on the task at hand.
While her plan involving the evil purple ranger was an utter failure, Zedd had surprised her by finding a silver lining.
The chest of power coins their subjects had recovered from Zordnia had more than one use… Due to their link to the Morphin Grid, they could be used like batteries to power Serpenterra.
They did briefly think of using all the coins, but Finister was quick to point out, even though Serpenterra was quite the formidable war machine, it would not be able to sustain the influx of grid energy from more than one coin.
After careful consideration, they selected a singular coin… that of the Wyvern, and used it to empower Serpenterra.
And so, after months of alchemy and arcane rituals, they were able to bound the coin to Serpenterra, and for the first time, since Zedd conquered the zord, it was fully energized.
"Poison Pie, anything on your mind?" Zedd asked, as they took their seats near the controls.
"No, only thinking how far we have come, Zeddikins." Rita flashed him a sinister smile.
Serpenterra towered over the city.
Kim's throat dried in horror.
Lord Zedd had deployed Serpenterra against them before, but this time was different.
Their usual strategy was to preoccupy the zord, till its power levels run down and it was forced to retreat.
Zedd and Rita seemed to have found a way around that.
"No…" Trini whispered beside her inside the megazord cockpit seeing an entire warehouse district be razed to the ground by the energy blast from Serpenterra's draconian jaws. Thankfully, Alpha had managed to teleport all people away in the nick of time.
The zord towered over their zords, making them seem like ants in comparison.
Then to their surprise, Serpenterra took to the air again, and went in the other direction. Their short relief of the zord leaving the city was replaced by terror as they realized their new target.
The Dragonzord fired a volley of missiles, which did nothing to deter its path.
The Cheshire Zord jumped on its tail, climbing up the villainous zord only to be shaken off.
"We have to stop him, guys!" Jason yelled. The Megazord raised their power sword, charging it up, before swinging it at Serpenterra, but the sword shattered on impact.
Zedd's laughter and Rita's cackles filled the skies, their horrendous voices magnified by magic.
"Say goodbye to Zordon, rangers!" Rita said scratchily, as Serpenterra launched another energy beam headed straight at the Command Center.
For a mere instant, the forcefield surrounding the compound flared to life, but it was no match for the sheer power unleashed by Zedd's vehicle of destruction.
"NO!" Kim screamed as the Command Center was enveloped in a huge explosion.
I can't forget the bad.
As Serpenterra left for the moon, the Megazord raised its mastodon shield, the trunk of the mechanical mammoth releasing its ice blast, that extinguished the flames and smoke.
"Zordon! Alpha!" Billy yelled, as they jumped down from the zords, and headed for the ruins of their base, hoping against hope that their mentor and friend survived.
Zordon always had a backup plan when it came to Rita and Zedd's schemes. Surely, he would have foreseen this, and come up with a way to protect himself and Alpha.
What they saw shocked them to their core.
They removed their helmets, seeing the ruins… the disaster their foes had unleashed in a single day.
"No…" Jason said, dropping to his knees. Kat and Tommy stood still and emotionless.
Trini and Nancy broke into sobs, Zack embracing them.
Billy cradled the gold-plated head of their robotic friend… all that remained of him.
Kim gasped, seeing the shattered tube of their mentor. She wanted to break into tears, but she could not.
She had to be strong now.
If not for herself and her team, then for her unborn child.
She walked through the rubble and stared at the moon that shone brightly amidst the night sky. The others slowly tood up and gathered around her.
"What do we do now?" Trini asked.
"If Serpenterra attacks again, our zords won't be enough to stop it, and without the teleportation matrix of the Command Center, teleporting citizens away from the blast like Alpha did today is out of the question." Billy said.
"There is only thing we can do…" She said, looking at Jason and Tommy, and seeing in their faces, that they were thinking the same thing.
"We take the fight to them." Tommy said, his voice shaking with anger.
"And we end this." Jason said heavily. "Once and for all."
I know I cannot change what happened.
Everything happened in a blur.
They planned everything within a couple of days, not knowing when their enemies would deign to strike again.
The plan was simple.
Two phases.
A frontier attack with the zords, and a covert operation by Kat, Kim, and Tommy to plant the Benevolator (a device which Billy was able to create due to thankfully having spare eltarian technology in his garage… a device which would harness raw Morphin Grid energy and act like a bomb, generating a powerful explosion of good energy that would literally wash away the evil, and theoretically make Rita, Zedd and all their subjects 'good') inside the Lunar Palace.
Everything went according to plan, till they were discovered by Rita, Finister and the putties, and the ensuing battle damaged the Benevolator, needing it to be set manually.
Tommy ordered Kat to teleport away with Kim and his power coin, while he stayed behind to ensure the completion of their plan.
"We did it." Trini said as they teleported back to the ruins of the Command Centre.
"We did it!" Trini repeated, this time shouting the words at the top of her lungs, as Billy hugged her.
"Is it really over?" Jason asked, half laughing, half crying as he removed his helmet.
None of them had noticed Kimberly collapse on her knees, clutching Tommy's morpher.
"Wait…" Nancy paused, as she spotted the pink ranger. The others paused, looking around as realization dawned on them.
"Guys, where is Tommy?" Jason asked, his voice cracking.
Trini and Kat immediately reached to hug the pink ranger, as her helmet dematerialized, revealing her terror-stricken face. She did not say anything, just looked up.
They saw a huge flash of light in the sky… the moon had come apart, several chunks now lying close to each other, but distinctly separate, even from where they were standing.
"NO!" Kim screamed, as the tears she was holding back till now, came splashing down her cheeks. "TOMMY!"
Just then, there was a burst of green light before them.
"Thank the Grid…" Billy whispered as the light subsided to reveal their friend.
"You made it!" Kimberly cried, looking at her husband. "You made it!"
"I did." He smiled at her.
She smiled through tears of grief turned to happiness as she ran towards him, only to discover he was not alone. He was carrying a small bundle in his arms… a baby girl with silver hair and dressed in an ornate brown dress.
"Who… This isn't…" She paused, looking back at him.
"I couldn't leave her… She is a child." He said simply, as the girl started to cry.
The other rangers came over to them, looking at the girl.
"You did the right thing…" Kim agreed, looking at the crying orphan.
No sooner than she had spoken, Kim felt a wave of uneasiness wash over herself, as she leaned on Tommy for support. She was not the only one.
"Guys!" Katherine yelped as Trini, Billy, Zack, Nancy, and Jason fell on their knees. Bands of white light wrapped around their body, slowly eating away at their armour, till it disappeared completely, and their morphers dropped to the barren terrain underneath them.
"What happened?" Tommy asked, as he nudged Kim, who shook her head.
"I don't know… I feel okay, but I feel…"
"Weak." Jason completed, picking up his morpher from the ground.
"Our powers…" Trini murmured.
"It is gone." Zack realized.
Billy pursed his lips, looking at Kat, who was still in her purple ranger suit.
"Then why am I still morphed?" She asked.
"Because your power is different from ours." Billy said. "Tommy, can you try morphing?"
"Okay?" He nodded, passing the baby over to Kim, as he took his coin from her hands, and hoisted it to the skies. "It's Morphin Time! Dragon zord!"
Nothing happened, save for a few green sparks that erupted from the morpher.
"I don't get it. How can our powers be gone?" Nancy asked. "And why is Kat's still active?"
"Because her coin is different from ours." Billy sighed. "And our powers are not gone… Merely locked."
"What do you mean?" Kim asked as she passed the child back to Tommy and bent over to pick up her coin.
"I get it." Kat nodded. "My coin wasn't enchanted the same way yours were."
"Think of what we did." Billy took a deep breath. "We broke Zordon's rule. We escalated the battle, but more than that, we completely eradicated our enemies."
"We have destroyed monsters before." Jason pointed out.
"Yes, but to protect innocents and in self-defense." Trini closed her eyes painfully, catching up to what Billy was saying.
"We had no choice." Zack stressed. "They attacked the Command Centre, destroyed Zordon and Alpha. If we hadn't stopped them when we did, who knows what they would have attacked next!"
"I concur, but if Zordon was here, he would have never sanctioned this mission." Billy said. "Zordon told us that our coins were enchanted so that they can only be used by those good of heart."
"The same enchantment that wasn't in mine." Kat nodded.
"But Rita made me attack you guys as the evil green ranger?" Tommy said, while gently rocking the baby in his arms, trying to calm her.
"A technicality Rita exploited. Your mind wasn't your own, but your heart was. She basically hijacked your coin." Billy explained.
"So, what are you saying? We are not good anymore?" Zack snarked.
"It doesn't matter what I say or think, Zack." Billy sighed. "But as of this moment, our coins no longer recognize us as rangers."
"So, we are unworthy of being rangers now, after years of spending our lives fighting evil!" Jason yelled angrily, and the baby started crying again.
"Hey!" Kim called, trying to shush the baby. "It doesn't matter, alright? Rita and Zedd are gone, this time for good. It doesn't matter if we are power rangers anymore because the world doesn't need to have rangers from now on. It is safe! All of us are here. Tommy made it back. We won."
"She is right." Trini smiled, placing a hand on the red ranger's shoulder. "We won!"
Jason nodded, but could not tear his eyes away from his coin.
"We still have one thing to worry about." Zack said grimly.
"What?" Kim asked.
"Her." The black ranger pointed at the baby in Tommy's arms. "What do we do with her?"
Tommy and Kim looked at each other, before looking back at the child, who could not stop crying.
But I can be in control of how I move forward.
"Are we doing the right thing?" Kim asked Tommy, as she looked at him and back at the child in his arms, now dressed in a nice pink frock and playing with a green ranger action figure as they stood in front of the orphanage.
"Kim, you know we can't keep her." Tommy said sadly.
Because to persevere is to re-imagine who you are, by submitting to the winds of change.
Seventeen Years Ago…
Kim threaded her fingers through Tommy's, and gave it a tight squeeze, as they saw their daughters chase each other in the playground.
They had been through so much but this was all worth it.
She might not be a ranger anymore but she was strangely at peace with it. She had done her part protecting the planet, and it was only fair that she gets to enjoy what she was fighting for.
A future.
HAPPY POWER RANGERS DAY!
Parts of this prologue and some elements of the story going forward are inspired by Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson's comics "Re-imagine" and "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return," mainly in that Jason, Trini and Zack stays with the team.
Like the Return continuity, the MMPR team did not break up, but like the prime continuity, MMPR are not the only rangers of this universe, though that is going to be explored in other stories, not this one. Some teams will be like the teams we know, while others will be different and a few teams will be completely new, either adaptations of un-adapted Super Sentai or teams with original designs for zords, suits and OCs made by yours truly.
Nancy the Saffron Ranger is my OC, who recurs in some of my other stories as well, though this is the start of a totally different continuity than any of my previous stories.
Katherine as the Purple ranger was an idea that I came up with while developing this story, and her story kind of took over this prologue.
I felt that the rangers losing their power would be apt for both the trajectory of this story as well as in driving home the consequences of defying Zordon's rules.
Also, I sprinkled in some cameos and Easter eggs of the wider PR universe in here. ;)
Hope you all enjoy this story and please review. :)