The Phantom Princess

A Power Rangers In Space Fic

By: Malaizjan P.J. Shultz

***Since I normally write Batman Beyond and Young Justice fics, I had this fic collecting dust in a notebook. When my fellow DC co-author Reina Grayson decided to re-write her PR fic, I decided to take a break as well and get my own PR fic out. And she has helped me improve a few parts so it's way better than what I wrote WAAAAAAYYY back in 2000... I don't own Power Rangers or any of its seasons because if I did…it would have had at least a PG13 and above rating…As such, my fic is rated teen. Also, I had a reviewer that said that I need to add how the rangers are looking. I will do the best that I can with that. I'm not the best at that type of writing though. But I appreciate the honesty. ***

Chapter 6

Shadow was pacing the dining area with a nervousness that Cassie picked up right away. He didn't wear his helmet but he still wore the rest of his ranger outfit. He didn't even try to eat anything, and Cassie nibbled on hers, her brows frowning in thought.

The Pink Space Ranger decided to speak up. "Shadow…can you do what Cerina can do? Blind everyone with intense light?"

"No. But I can bend the light around me, just like her." Shadow stopped and saw how concerned Cassie was for him. He sighed and sat next to her. "I'm sorry."

"Shadow, you're worried. I understand. But…"

"I can talk to you," he finished for Cassie.

Cassie smiled. "Yes."

"Ok. I mourned my sister for 6 months before I threw myself into my ranger duties. She's my little sister, my only sister. We share the same parents." Shadow wanted to say more but he held back.

"And Fadus?" Cassie asked, curious.

"He's Zordon's son too. Different mom. He's much older than me." The look on Shadow's face told Cassie that there was a definite big brother/little brother mentality going on.

"Shadow…how about you power down? I mean, can I see you without your…ranger suit?"

"Oh! Oh yeah…sorry…" Shadow blushed as he stood up and demorphed. He wore black pants and a long sleeved black tee. What Cassie saw of his arms was near-translucent skin and muscles. He saw the blush Cassie had.

"Wow…" Cassie murmured, fanning herself.

"I do have to work out if I plan to run away on a moment's notice," Shadow teased her. He then flexed his arm and Cassie really saw how much he worked out.

"So…you can go invisible?" Cassie asked.

"It's more like camouflage…" And to prove it, Shadow closed his eyes and light refracted around him and he was gone.

Cassie could kinda see him, at least the outline of him and she reached out to touch where his chest was.

Shadow then reappeared. "My ranger powers make my camouflage more believable." He then took Cassie's hand and pulled her up to him. "Now…since no one is around…" He then kissed Cassie on the lips.

Cassie was shocked at first, then she gave in.

"Hey Shadow…Oops. Sorry," said Andros as he walked in on the pair. Blushing, he quickly walked back out.

Shadow broke the kiss first. "Damn."

Cassie laughed. "It's ok."

"We better go see what Andros needed." Hand in hand, Shadow and Cassie walked out of the dining area.

Back on the Omega Ship…

Cerina fired back with her light blasts, almost catching the Gold Ranger's head as he rounded a corner. He quickly ducked back and Cerina took the time to hide in the nearest room.

"You're making this far too hard on yourself, princess. Come on out…I promise your death will be fast." The Gold Ranger slowly walked forward, waiting for the smallest sign that Cerina would jump out at him. His Gold Staff was ready to blast her in case she did.

Cerina was afraid. Mercerites, she could be kick-ass with. They were just robot assassins. But the Gold Ranger? The Gold Ranger was one of the few rangers in the universe that was nearly all-powerful. And even with her connection to the morphin grid, it wasn't enough to go toe-to-toe with the Gold Ranger. Worse was that this wasn't Trey. This was a Gold Ranger from the future. Which meant, if Archerina and Gasket sent these robot assassin after her from the future, then he was working for them.

But why? Her face showed the number of things running through her head, and none of them were pleasant. As far as she knew, the Gold Ranger powers weren't transferable. So who else could be it be but Trey?...Unless Trey was killed for his powers…

Cerina waited until the footsteps were faint and far away before leaving the room she hid in. She headed to her lab-she wondered if the Green Ranger and the power of the Dragonzord could take on this Gold Ranger.

On the Astro Mega Ship…

Trini Kwan found her childhood best friend in the Astro MegaShip's lab, tinkering with several devices. She smiled, for he hadn't realized that she was there yet. There a flutter in her heart for Billy. Had she been honest with herself, she loved Billy Cranston. Most likely since freshman year in Angel Grove High.

But she was honored to have his friendship and she never wanted to ruin that.

Billy added one last wire to a remote-looking box and he sat up straight... and saw Trini there, smiling at him in an odd way… like she was thinking something pleasant.

"Is everything okay?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. What is that?" Trini stepped into the lab, and she stood next to him.

"This is a negative chomoton bomb. Just throw it and it blows." Billy looked as if he wanted to say more but didn't.

Trini had missed his scientific explanations and wanted to know more. "What's a chomoton?"

"Chomotons messes with a robot's internal structure and eats it from the inside out. I'm sure if the Space Rangers come across Gasket and Archerina, this bomb will end them."

"Where did you learn about those?" Trini asked sincerely.

"Aquitar."

"Billy...I listened to Jason tell us about being the Gold Ranger...but why couldn't you have taken that power?"

"When Master Vile, Rita's father, returned to Earth to take it over because his daughter was so incompetent...he turned the world back in time and we all became kids."

"Wait…someone actually wanted to claim Rita as their daughter?" Trini crunched up her face in revulsion over that. "So…how did you get back to your right ages?"

"Well, I worked on something to restore our ages, and it worked on me, but then it was destroyed. The others had to go on quests to find the Zeo Crystals. After time returned to normal, they were back. After testing myself when Trey of Triforia needed to transfer his powers, I found the residual energy from my invention had made it IMPOSSIBLE for me to be a ranger ever again."

Trini saw that there was a but in that. "Billy...? Are you not telling me something?" she asked, a slight tease in her eyes and Billy caught that look too. His eyes softened.

"While I was on Aquitar...the Aquitan Rangers helped me get a second chance at being a ranger. The residual energy is gone. It's...permanent now. But don't tell anyone."

Trini laughed, happy for her best friend. "I promise."

Billy inhaled sharply and let it out rather quietly. Trini knew he was thinking now.

"Why didn't you come back to Earth? When Jason was part of the Zeo team, he knew very little of what happened to you."

"I...I couldn't leave Cerina all by herself in space while I lived my normal life on Earth. Few people can say they've to space, let alone see new planets and people."

"That's true, the both of us have that in common."

Trini merely smiled. "I do have a secret too." And then Trini realized that she had put her hand on top of his. Her face was red with embarrassment.

Billy's face was just as red.

"Oh, what's that?" Billy questioned, trying to stay calm, but his heart raced as he asked.

Trini reached into her pocket and pulled out a bracelet...with a miniature version of their morphers attached.

Billy's eyes widened when he saw the smaller power coin in the middle of the morpher. But the animal etched in it was the Griffin. "I don't believe it..."

"Cerina was able to restore my morphin powers," Trini said happily in a hushed whisper.

Billy looked like he saw the holy grail in person. "I can't believe it; her connection to the morphing grid must be powerful."

"It's limited though. She was sick for weeks," Trini admitted.

"How could someone like her have a connection that powerful?"

"Billy, she's Zordon's daughter."

Billy looked ready to pee himself.

"And so is the Phantom Ranger," Trini added.

"Incredible." That was all he could say.

"Billy...Cerina is not your typical princess."

"I saw."

"And she helped me realize something too..." Trini stared at Billy intently.

"Trini...?"

"Her love for the Silver Ranger, Zhane, was as strong as a love I have...for you."

Billy wanted to make a run for it. He couldn't believe that his best friend was in love with him. He still had her hand on top of his so he took it gently.

Trini's heart fluttered.

"I love you too, Trini Kwan."

Trini almost fainted but she was caught by her true love.

"Easy." Trini smiled as he held her against him. "I do believe this is the perfect moment."

She blushed. "For wh-?" Trini's eyes were full of shock as Billy kissed her with tenderness.

For Billy, this moment was perfect.

Back on the Omega Ship…

Justin was crawling through the vents, trying to find an exit. He had been in the vents for over 20 minutes, just trying to find an exit. He did hear the blasts in the distance, and he wanted to help Cerina. He was mentally kicking himself for letting her tell him to hide.

He then saw blinking lights up ahead and crawled as fast as he could to the lights. Justin quietly pushed on the grate and he swung open. Relieved, he crawled out and found himself in the engine room. The multi-colored lights were the engine's working reactors. He ran over to see if he could stop the engines.

Justin was looking at the attached computer terminal with confusion. On the screen read:

OMEGA ENGINE SKIMATICS. ENTER PASSWORD.

Which he didn't know.

It then hit him...the one person that was upset but worried about Cerina...HIS name had to be the password.

Justin they typed on the keyboard and it displayed:

ZHANE

The computer chimed and the next screen showed Justin the inside of the Omega Ship's engine core.

Justin stared at the screen, recognition setting in. "Hey…This is like the Power Chamber's power core...there's just a slight variance in the recipical flow..." Justin's eyes widened in understanding...

He knew what to do.

Justin typed up an overload sequence and another screen came up.

It said:

OVERRIDE PROTOCOL ENGAGED. ENTER PASSWORD.

Justin typed in Zhane's name.

INCORRECT came across the screen.

Justin tried Silver Ranger and Super Silverizer.

Both were incorrect.

Meanwhile Cerina dodged another blast from the Gold Ranger as she ran away.

He then aimed his staff and fired as she turned to head for the lift to another floor.

She screamed as one of those blasts nailed her in the back of her leg, just above the knee area.

Cerina turned onto her back and pulled out her space blaster, only to have the Gold Ranger step on her wrist. Cerina stared up angrily at the evil Gold Ranger.

Justic tried everything he could to figure out the password...but then it hit him and he started typing fast.

ZORDON OF ELTAR

Yet again the password was incorrect.

He ran out of the engine room to find Cerina.

Cerina watched as he stood over her.

"I told you that you were making this hard," he said with sarcasm in his voice.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

"I'm never telling...princess..." He raised his gold staff up above her.

Cerina stared him down. "You better not miss," she taunted him.

"Don't plan on it." He paused for dramatic effect. "This is for Queen Archerina, murderer!" The staff came down-

Dual hand blasters had blasted him, and the Gold Ranger was thrown back far away from Cerina.

Justin, in full turbo ranger gear, ran to Cerina and pulled her up. "You ok?"

"I got blasted, what do you think!?"

Beta then ran to them, both arm cannons ready to unload. "Go. Get her fixed up. I got this ranger wannabe!" Beta replied in his monotone voice.

As Justin shouldered the Eltarian Princess and walked her to the Infirmary, Beta opened fired.

Justin wrapped up Cerina's thigh area as she watched the doorway with a shadowed fear in her eyes.

"How do I shut down the engines?" he asked.

"Double encrypted."

"I know. I tried."

"How far did you get?"

"Part one was Zhane."

"You're good."

"I try. What's the next password?"

"You will NOT crash my ship!" Cerina exclaimed in a tight, fearful voice.

"If you want the Gold Ranger off your ship, this is the only choice!" Justin hissed urgently.

"Beta can hold him off."

"Until he gets beat, then Gold Ranger will come after us."

Cerina sighed. She got up and limped heavily over to a panel and tore it open. "Give me your comm."

Justin eyed her with worry. "Why?"

"Call your Earth Ranger friends. We need help."

Justin's eyes were wide with happiness. He handed his over and Cerina opened the bottom of the comm and hooked it up into the panel itself. She then hit a code under the layers of wires and tapped the comm. "Go for it," she said.

Justin didn't waste any time. He spoke into it. "Tej?! It's Justin!" he said with a frantic worry in his voice.

On the Astro Megaship...

TJ sat at the helm as Jason relayed a tale to the others of his time as the Gold Ranger.

Zhane listened while leaning against the wall, arms folded. His thoughts were on Cerina, but that didn't mean he was listening to Jason.

"Tej! It's Justin!" came Justin's voice over the comm.

"Justin?! Where are you?!" TJ asked, acting like an older brother.

"On the Omega Ship. Lock onto my comm. We need help!"

"Justin, what's wrong?!" Carlos asked as Tommy and Trey walked onto the bridge.

Zhane was right behind TJ.

"The Gold Ranger is attacking Cerina! And she's hurt!" Justin explained in a rush.

Zhane moved right next to TJ. He pushed him right out of the chair and sat in it.

"Hey!" TJ cried from the floor.

"Cerina?!" Zhane yelled frantically. "Speak to me!"

"I'm here Zhane." Cerina sounded hurt and tired.

"Trey is here with us," came Andros' voice as it made Zhane jump.

TJ got up off the floor.

"This one's from the future. He came to kill me."

"I won't let that happen," Zhane told her confidently. However... he looked anything but.

"I...Zhane, you can't catch me as I fall out of the sky this time." There was a fondness in her voice over the memory.

"Awww..." Kimberly said.

"You remember..." Zhane said in awe.

"How could I forget, but you guys need to find us fast."

"Done!" yelled Cassie. "Deca, set course to intercept!"

"Course changed," Deca announced.

"And I also remember your lame proposal: 'I like you, you like me, let's get together and be married.' "Cerina recited.

"You did NOT do that!?" Ashley cried.

Zhane was beet red.

"He did." Cerina said over the comm.

Kimberly laughed. "Oh...my...

"What kind of proposal was that!?" Cassie laughed.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Cerina," Trini said.

"Trini?!" Cerina cried. "I told you to go home!"

"I'm not abandoning you."

"You didn't. I told you to go on," Cerina admonish.

"I spent three years fighting at your side; I'm not going to quit with this future gold ranger after you."

Cerina shook her head, which only Justin could see.

"Don't worry Trini. I'll protect her!" Justin promised.

"You better," Zhane warned.

"Hey, I AM a power ranger; I can take care of myself and protect others."

"And the great Silver Ranger leaves the protection of his beloved to a kid. Being on ice did leave something to desire," came the Gold Ranger's voice. It was cold and heartless.

"Leave her alone!" Zhane yelled over the comm.

"You can't have her!" Justin ran at him but two blocked kicks and a punch later and the Gold Ranger knocked Justin into a wall with a well-placed kick.

"Deca, can you go any faster?" Tommy asked, worry all over his face.

Cerina then attacked and she got in a punch to his shoulder before he swept her leg and caught her around the throat as she fell.

"You destroyed Queen Archerina. Your life is forfeit," the Gold Ranger said.

Cerina was gasping for air and the unwatched comm was still transmitting.

"Forfeit...THIS!" she spat out, her hand went to his visor and sent a light blast into it.

"MY EYES!" The Gold Ranger screamed in shock as he dropped her. He fell back, unable to see.

Cerina limped to Justin as he got up slowly and they ran. Well, Cerina tried to at least.

"You two are DEAD! I will find you both! And your deaths will be painful!" he screeched.

Jason heard that and he knew. He knew who the Gold Ranger from the future was. And he couldn't believe it.

"DECA-MOVE IT!" Andros yelled at the ship.

"The engines are at maximum, Andros," Deca said calmly.

Cerina got Justin back to the engine room. "It's SHADOW. Shut off sub engines 3 & 5 first. Then the other 3, one at a time. It takes up to a minute each."

"Wait-what're going to do?!" he asked.

"Just do it!" she said as she ran-limped from him, her bossiness finally emerging.