Power Rangers: Generations

[os_prfan]

This is the first time in a long time that I've tried writing a PR fanfic, so bear with me.

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, technology or locations which appear in real Power Rangers continuity. They belong to Disney, Saban and whoever else owns the rights. This story begins at some point before "Wave Goodbye", a short while before Tommy becomes the Black Ranger.

Chapter I

The harsh winds blew fiercely across the barren desert terrain. A lone, cloaked figure moved with purpose through the barrage, his head bent slightly to prevent errant grains of sand from getting into his eyes. He was moving with a singular purpose. To retrieve an item which would put the plans of his master into motion. An item which was buried somewhere in the desert which stretched before him as far as the eye could see.

From within the folds of his cloak, the figure withdrew a handheld scanning device about the size of a palm pilot. Lifting the protective cover, he waved it in a circular arc in front of him, searching for the energy signature of the item he needed to find. The device began to beep as he directed it northeasterly. A smug expression came over him, and he walked confidently in that direction, the beeping becoming louder and more frequent as he moved. He stopped when the constant beeping became one long flatline, indicating that he was directly atop the item emitting the energy signature.

Returning the device to its place inside the recesses of his cloak, he concentrated a portion of his power into the palm of his hand, pointed it downward and released it. He large geyser of sand erupted, temporarily obscuring his view. When it had settled, he could see a small rectangular chest, emblazoned with a symbol which stood out from the rest of the intricately detailed design. The sunlight, which glinted off the chest, reflected in his eyes, and he smirked as he reached down to retrieve it.

His master would be most pleased.

- PRG -

The bell rang just as I finished my lesson. I shut the open textbook in my hand and addressed my students.

“Alright, guys, that's all for today. I want you to pay close attention to the methods of carbon dating found in Chapter 6. They'll be on your test next week, and it'll be your last chance to pull up your mark before the exam. Have a good weekend.” The students walked past me and out the door, saying goodbye as they passed. I watched them go, my peripheral vision registering that three had remained behind. Kira Ford, Ethan James and Conner McKnight. The newest generation of Power Rangers, defenders of the Earth. I motioned for them to come forward as I began putting my books into my briefcase.

“Any rumblings from Mesogog lately?” Conner asked. I shook my head and placed my briefcase on my desk.

“No, it's been quiet for the last few weeks, but that doesn’t mean he’s not up to something. Whenever the big bad goes into hiding, something big’s going to go down. I would think you guys had seen enough movies to know that.” The teens nodded at me, chuckling under their breaths at my joke. I smiled too, but the look I gave them let them know that I was serious. “I’m serious, guys, keep your guard up. In the meantime, you should all get to class. If Principal Randall gives you detention, you won’t be able to do anything when Mesogog does attack.” I reached down to retrieve my briefcase…

The pain came so suddenly that I didn't have time to prepare for it. I dropped to my knees in agony, clutching my sides. The others rushed forward to help me, but I shook them off. This was not something they could help me with. This was something internal, something that neither they nor I could control. My lungs constricted, making it difficult to breathe, the air coming in short wheezes. In my time as a Power Ranger, I had learned how to deal with the pain, to overcome it. A broken arm, cracked ribs, fractured tibia...I'd suffered nearly every injury you could think of during my tenure, both physical and psychological. My body was like a painter's canvas, covered with a virtual latticework of scars, some unnoticeable, most clearly visible. Luckily, my clothing usually served to cover up the majority of them. In fact, there was only one person who had seen the scars that weren't readily visible. Kimberly....

As I began to focus, slowing my breathing, concentrating on dealing with the pain, I found my thoughts drifting to her. I didn’t think of her much these days, not since I got the thing that broke my heart all those years ago. The Letter…I always found it a little bit strange, that something that hurt me so much could be given a name that sounded so cold and unfeeling. I’d gotten over her long ago, but I know that there will always be a part of me that will be brokenhearted.

I had drawn my mind from the physical pain, only to re-open old emotional wounds. I tried to push myself to my feet, but my legs didn't have the strength to support me. Luckily, the others were there, and caught me before I fell to the floor once more. Through the corners of my eyes, I noticed the Dino Gems on each of their wrists begin to glow brightly. Mere moments later, the pain had completely subsided.

I gulped in air greedily, being supported by the others, steadying myself.

“Doctor O, are you alright?” Kira asked, her voice full of concern. I swallowed, and smiled weakly.

“I'm fine, Kira. Don’t worry about me, get going.” The teens looked at me for a few moments, before finally nodding and leaving the room. I sighed, and slumped down into my chair. What the hell just happened? I asked myself. There's no logical explanation--

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a familiar sound, felt a vibration coming from the inside of my jacket. I massaged my brow with my left hand, while reaching to retrieve my cell phone with my right. I withdrew it, opened it and brought it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Tommy you’ve got to get back to the lab. Now.” The voice on the phone was Hayley’s.

“What’s going on, Hayley?”

“I don’t know. That’s the problem. Get back here now.”

“I’m on my way.” I turned off the phone, tapping it lightly against my chin. It was certainly odd. Hayley knew my lab almost as well as I did. My breath caught in my throat as I realized the severity of the situation. There was only one aspect of the lab that I hadn’t shown to Hayley, or anyone else for that matter. I snatched my briefcase and rushed out of the classroom, practically tripping over my feet in the process. I spent a few minutes arranging to have a substitute teacher handle the rest of my classes, before full out running to my jeep, and taking off towards home, the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach slowly growing.

- PRG -

I walked into the lab with the sense of apprehension still resonating inside me. My footsteps echoed loudly through the room, catching the attention of Hayley, who had been sitting at one of the consoles, chewing absently at her fingernails. There was a loud wailing sound coming from somewhere in front of me, which I recognized at once. Hayley’s eyes moved to the direction where I was approaching, and she practically leapt out of her seat when she saw me.

“I don’t know what’s going on, Tommy,” she said quickly. “I was scanning the city, keeping an eye out for disturbances, when this siren began going off.” She gestured in the direction of the siren, where a bright neon green light was flashing. I felt my hands ball into fists of their own volition, felt the sweat from my palm reacting to the skin of my fingertips.

“Leave,” I said, in a tone barely audible. Hayley looked at me, the confusion evident on her features.

“What?” I swallowed the lump growing in my throat.

“Leave, Hayley. Now.”

“Tommy, I don’t under-“

“Hayley,” I repeated, meeting her gaze. “This is something I have to take care of myself. Please, just go.” Hayley bit her lip, looking at me strangely, but finally nodded and left. I sighed, running my fingers through my closely cropped black hair. I walked quickly over to a console at the far end of the room, and began typing furiously at the keyboard linked to it.

A map of a desert area appeared on the screen, and was quickly overlaid with a GPS tracking grid. I inputted a command to zoom in on a specific area of the map, grid J10. The map zoomed in, and where there should have been a beacon, there was nothing. My mouth went dry, and I reached into my pocket, withdrawing my cell phone with a shaky hand. I searched through my digital phone book, and dialed the number I needed when I found it. It rang three times before someone picked up.

“It’s me. Get everyone together. Everyone. We’ve got problems.”

- PRG -

tibia - the inner and larger of the two bones of the lower human leg, extending from the knee to the ankle; also known as the shinbone.

- PRG -

So what do you guys think? I welcome everyone's opinions and criticisms, as I want to try and make this story as good as possible. That's all for now.

[BlueFireStorm]

I would truly have to say you have captured my attention and I can't wait to see what happens next. I really want to see where this is leading. :=)

[bushwacka666]

:eek:

Well I'm impressed. Very well written and a lot of tension going on. Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of fics written in first person, but (at least) so far this is an exception. Keep up the fine work! :023:

[Cuiran]

Hmmmm. Normally I'm not a very big fan of 'everyone' fics, but you've started this one off very well so far -- so I'll stick around and see how the rest of it turns out. Good job! =)

[Joravenel]

I am hooked. I can not wait to find out what will happen next. The thing that went missing I think are the coins of old. Thats all for now.
Captain J

[os_prfan]

I want to thank you guys for the warm reviews of the introduction. The next chapter will be up by Monday at the latest.

[os_prfan]

Hey everyone. Sorry it's taken so long to post the next chapter. Exams have been keeping me really busy lately. I honestly don't like the way this chapter turned out, specifically the fight, so I want some suggestions on how to rewrite it to make it better, if that's even possible.

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, technology or locations which appear in real Power Rangers continuity. They belong to Disney, Saban and whoever else owns the rights. There is a slight change in continuity. In the universe I am writing in, everything is the same, except that Rocky did become the Blue Turbo Ranger, and was replaced with Justin at the same time the others were replaced. That’s the only change. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter II

After hanging up the phone, I rushed up the steps connecting the lab to my house as quickly as my legs would take me. It took me about a half hour to get everything I needed together. I called the school to make sure there would be someone to cover the rest of my classes for the day. Luckily, it being Friday, I’d have a few days to figure whether I’d need to take a more extended leave of absence or not.

It took me about three hours to get to my destination. Angel Grove. The first place I’d really been able to call home. I’d moved so many times before I was sixteen, I felt like I was in a military family. Every time we moved, my parents swore that it would be the last time, but they never kept their promise until we settled in Angel Grove. It was the place where my life changed forever. The place where I took up the mantle of power, and became one of Zordon’s Power Rangers, after a brief spell with evil, if you’ll pardon the pun.

I was sitting in my jeep, in the parking lot of Angel Grove Park. I looked down at my watch apprehensively. It was 2:15. The meeting was set to begin in fifteen minutes. I let out a deep breath, and climbed out of the jeep, lightly slamming the door behind me. I walked slowly up the well-trodden path that snaked through the heart of the park, trying to collect my thoughts. It had been at least five years since I’d seen them, and I’d have to say that I was a little scared at how we would all react to one another.

Trini’s death had hit everyone hard, but it hit the originals worse than others. Jason Lee Scott, William Cranston, Zack Taylor, and…Kimberly Ann Hart. We had all heard in different ways, but the news was still the same: she had died, in a car crash with a drunk driver. I attended the funeral, of course, but after such a long time…I felt out of place, segregated from these people whom I had, and still did, call family. Even Billy, who was permanently living on Aquitar with his wife, Cestria, seemed more comfortable with them than I did.

Looking back on it now, I know why I acted the way I did. I couldn’t deal with it. We had been Power Rangers. After surviving countless life or death battles, it seemed so…unfair that she should die through circumstances completely out of her, and our, control. So I made no attempt to reconnect with them, any of them. I stayed cold and aloof. I went through the motions like a machine instead of allowing myself to feel. And for that, I was sure they hated me.

Of those four, I’d only been in contact with Jason, and even that was only for the mission on the moon. When it was completed, we said our goodbyes, and that was that. It wasn’t much better with the second group, either. The replacements, as some probably would have called them. Katherine Hillard, Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park and Tanya Sloan. I kept in touch with them casually, and even then, I’d only talk to them if they called me. For some reason, I found it necessary to keep myself separated from my past, but that was changing. Things you wanted to forget had a way of coming back to bite you in the ass. I’d learned that through personal experience. And now I needed my past more than ever.

I was going to need their help.

- PRG -

The figure’s footsteps echoed loudly off of the polished black onyx, which comprised the floor and walls of the corridor. The chest, tucked securely under his arm, glowed a pale green in stark contrast to the torchlight that lit his way. His cloak billowed open behind him, leaving his form visible for all to see.

He belonged to a race of people known as Tegrans, who lived on the third planet of the Tansen system, orbiting a yellow dwarf binary star. His home world was a mostly barren planet, the surface being uninhabitable for most civilized races, with extreme temperature changes being the norm. After a handful of generations living beneath the surface, evolution decided to hand the Tegrans a compensatory gift. The skin of their species changed from the type of skin found on Humans and most other humanoid species to take on a black, rock-like texture, which provided resistance to heat and cold, allowing them to outrageous temperatures.

A polished red and black breastplate covered his chest, leaving only bony protrusions extending from his shoulders visible. Flexible black armor of the same makeup covered his legs and arms, allowing for maximum maneuverability. A long, curved broadsword lay in its sheath, hanging off of his left hip, within easy reach of his hand. Numerous scars covered his body, from a life fraught with battle, and anguish.

Draeph. The voice of his master resounded in his mind, blocking out all other thoughts. When his master communicated with him telepathically, it usually meant an important task was required of him, and he wasted no time in responding.

Yes, master?

The target is aware that our prize is missing. I want you to take care of him before he has a chance to gather allies. With that statement, the voice left him, and Draeph was free to think again. He reached the end of the hallway, trying to figure out what course of action would bring the best chance of success. Finally deciding that going himself, with a team of virebots, his personal foot soldiers, would be best, he stepped on to the teleport pad, keying the location of Tommy Oliver into the terminal to his left, and disappeared in a blanket of shimmering light.

- PRG -

I finally reached the wooden benches where I had told the others to meet me. There were a couple of trees towering close to the benches, providing shade from the heat of the sun overhead. I sat down, massaging the back of my neck, waiting patiently for the others to show up. I heard a humming coming from overhead, and looked up, seeing a dark form appear out of thin air, obviously from a teleport beam. I spun myself up, taking up a fighting stance on top of the bench, my right hand, palm out, near my forehead and my left hand, palm out, at my waist.

“Who the hell are you?” The form smirked, stepping forward to address me.

“My name is Draeph. I’ve been meeting to meet you for some time now, Thomas Oliver.” My eyebrows rose when I heard him say my name. He presented his right hand, spinning a very familiar chest on the tip of his index finger. “Recognize this?” he asked smugly. I extended my left arm, pointing at the chest.

“That doesn’t belong to you,” I retorted. Draeph stopped spinning the chest, letting it rest in his palm, and glared at me.

“It does now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I cracked my neck from side to side, preparing myself for battle.

“We’ll see about that.” Draeph snapped his fingers, and a dozen forms materialized in front of him. They weren’t much to look at, clad entirely in black save for two white slits where their eyes should have been and a stylized pentagram emblazoned in gold on their chests. They had long blades attached to each of their arms, making them look like cheap Baraka wannabes. I groaned inwardly.

Foot soldiers. Why did this have to happen now?

“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” I asked. Draeph chuckled evilly.

“Not on your life, Oliver. Attack, my virebots! Bring me his head!” The virebots rushed forward in force on the orders of their superior, blades reaching out towards me. I executed a side flip, landing lightly on my feet in the middle of them. I lunged forward, catching the virebot directly in front of me with a straight punch to the gut. I rolled across its back, executing a spinning heel kick that sent three of them flying, and snapped my leg out behind me, sending the bent-over grunt sprawling to the ground.

I turned around and leapt forward, taking the heads of two of them in the crook of my left arm and my legs, and rolled forward, using my forward momentum to send them somersaulting along the grassy earth. As I began to get to my feet, a pair of blades cut into me, leaving long jagged slashes in my chest. I grunted inaudibly, my right hand instinctively going to my chest, the pain searing like a white-hot poker inside me. I spun into a spinning leg sweep, keeping the virebots away from me as I tried to push the pain out of my mind.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the fallen virebots beginning to rise, shaking off the effects of the blows I had dealt to them. I put my hands on my hips, shaking my head in frustration. This isn’t getting me anywhere. It’s time to finish this. Two of the virebots rushed at me, one on each side of me. I blocked the attack from the one on my left, swiftly snapping its neck, and delivered a powerful uppercut to the one on my right. Before I could react, three of them came up behind me, restraining me as I struggled to get free. Another one stepped forward, and proceeded to thrust forward with one of its blades. It punctured the soft skin covering the right side of my stomach, coming out the back.

I let out a bloodcurdling scream when the blade entered me. I could feel my blood beginning to flow from the wound, the viscous liquid feeling warm against my skin, which was already starting to grow numb. Draeph waved off the virebots, and they gathered behind him, leaving me on my knees, trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood with my hands. He reached down, picking me up by my throat, and lifted me up so that our eyes met.

“I want you to listen to me, Oliver, and listen well. You are nothing to me. You will not stop us. We will not be denied.” I could feel my consciousness fading, and I thought I could hear the faint sound of an engine in the distance. Draeph’s head jerked to the right, and he let go of me suddenly, motioning to the virebots behind him. He pressed a button located on his belt, and they all disappeared in the same blanket of light that marked their arrival. I fell to the ground, weakening steadily with each passing moment. The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was the sound of footsteps rushing towards me, and then nothing.

- PRG -

Draeph – (DRAY-if)
Virebot – (VEE-ra-bot)

- PRG -

So what do you all think? Suggestions and comments are welcomed and very much encouraged.

[GeddonZord]

What I never got is how Tommy could go from pursuing a carreer as a race car driver to teaching Natural Science...lol

Good stuff btw...this is a good story, I can tell you've put alot of thought into it. :023:

[os_prfan]

Thanks for the kind comments, GeddonZord. Actually, I plan on addressing Tommy's sudden change in career paths a little bit later. I hope those of you who enjoy reading my story will stick around as I continue to write it.

[GeddonZord]

Your quite welcome os_prfan. As for sticking around, don't worry I will ;) .

One thing I was puzzled about is that Tommy didn't seem well, the scientific type in MMPR, Zeo, and the first half of Turbo. It would be interesting if you could tie in True of Heart and the Arrowhead plotline from Zeo(One of my favorites)..

[GreenRanger33]

This is a good fic, I'm defenitley gonna keep reading it.

[os_prfan]

I actually had every intention of tieing in the Arrowhead plotline from Zeo, as I always thought it was rather interesting as well. What did you guys think of the fight scene, by the way? I personally didn't like the way I wrote it, but if you guys liked it, then that's good enough for me.

[GeddonZord]

The fight was ok I suppose. Diffinitely continue with this.... :023:

[os_prfan]

I definitely intend to, GeddonZord. I'm going to make an effort to make the fights better, and I definitely want to hear any suggestions that anyone may have.

[GeddonZord]

A good idea is to use the fights, when possible, as a tool for drama. Have the villain(Not the foot soldiers of coarse) talk with Tommy, make him question his path, or bring back things from his past(Like the letter, his brother, or the Green Candle etc), to make him hesitate in his actions.

[Lunar Wolf Ranger]

Awesome. I'm hooked to it already.

[os_prfan]

That's not a bad idea, about having the fights drive the story. Speaking of which, the next chapter will be up by Monday, most likely.

[GeddonZord]

great news...looking forward to another installment. :023:

[keller]

love it so far

[bushwacka666]

:eek: It's getting good, isn't it? Nice to get an insight to how Tommy's feeling about his past, and yet the mystery still surrounds this future. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

[os_prfan]

DISCLAIMER: Insert standard disclaimer here, regarding Saban, Disney, and everyone else whom I am not ripping off.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I really need to stop setting deadlines for myself, because it's obvious that I rarely meet them. I’d like to thank you all for your readership, and I’m glad that you’re all enjoying the story so far.

Chapter III

“Well…this is pleasant,” I muttered aloud, as I swept my gaze across the unfamiliar landscape that was laid out before me. It seemed inherently blurred, painted in dull tones that made everything seem to blend together, and a thick layer of fog was heavy in the air all around me. I could hardly see three metres in front of me. I ran my hand across my jaw thoughtfully, feeling the stubble, raised slightly against my fingers. To my immediate right, I saw a large, dark shadow begin to materialize in the mist. I dropped into a fighting stance and waited for the form to exit the mist so that I could get a clear look at him or her. When the figure finally emerged, my jaw dropped in utter amazement.

“Sam?” I asked the figure. The elderly face of Sam Trueheart, the same face I remember that led to the discovery of my brother, smiled warmly, although it seemed more aged than it had been years before.

“It is good to see you again, Tommy,” he replied. I relaxed immediately, straightening as I moved towards him. I shook his hand firmly.

“Where am I? What are you doing here?”

“We are in your mind. This,” he said, gesturing around us, “is the dreamscape as you have envisioned it. As for why I am here, I’m here to help you.” I looked at him strangely.

“To help me? With what?” He was silent as I thought about it, and it took me a few moments before it finally occurred to me.

“You’re talking about the chest,” I said softly. He nodded.

“Yes, however, you do not know of the true importance of its contents.”

“Of course I know how important it is. What’s in that chest was a part of me…in some ways, it’s still a part of me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back. I can’t let it fall into evil hands. Not again.”

“It is time for you to wake up, Tommy. Enlist the aid of your friends. They may be the only ones who can help you.” Everything began to fade, his words echoing in my mind as the dreamscape began to disappear.

“Wait! What if I need to talk to you again?”

“I will send someone who can speak on my behalf when the time is right. Do not worry.” I nodded slightly, as a bright light flashed all around me, sending me tumbling into unconsciousness.

- PRG -

I could hear a myriad of sounds as I slowly regained consciousness. I groaned aloud and began to open my eyes, trying not to be blinded by the blaring lights beating down on me from overhead. I tried to push myself up, regretting it immediately as pain shot through my body, forcing me to lie back down. I heard footsteps approaching me, echoing loudly off the linoleum tiles that comprised the makeup of the floor. I turned my head to look to my left, and saw an average-sized man in a white coat, with a nametag that read Dr. Patterson, standing over me. I looked up at him and smiled weakly.

“How long have I been out, doc?”

“About three hours. Half that time was spent in surgery, trying to repair the cartilage damage in your abdomen. With the trauma and sheer amount of blood loss, coupled with the aftereffects of the anesthesia, I bet you’re not feeling so hot right now.” I scoffed.

“How would you feel if you had a gaping hole in your stomach, doc? Let’s just say I’ve definitely had better days. What’s my prognosis?” Doctor Patterson shook his head in amazement as he leaned down to check on the bandages covering the wound in my stomach.

“Whatever entered you, had it entered just three millimeters further to the right, it would have punctured your liver. If you weren’t in such good shape it probably would have been a lot worse. Nonetheless, you’re going to have to stay off your feet for a couple days, or you risk causing a tear and re-opening your wound. Would you mind telling me what happened?” I chuckled, trying not to let the pain affect my speech.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, doc,” I replied. Doctor Patterson crossed his arms across his chest.

“Try me.” Not wanting to discuss the matter with someone I may not be able to trust, I decided to feign fatigue. I half-closed my eyes and yawned audibly.

“I’ll tell you about it later. I’m kind of tired.” I wasn’t sure if he was going to buy it, but after a few moments he nodded slightly and left the room, saying he’d be back to check on me later. I let out a breath after he left, allowing my mind to drift back to the fight in the park.

How could this have happened? In my ranger days, I could have handled a dozen putties or cogs like they were nothing. But, then again, I had my powers back in those days. Apparently, the small ounce of power that still flowed through my body, the last remaining connection to the Morphing Grid, wasn’t strong enough to help me fight Draeph and his virebots. I groaned inwardly. This was going to make getting the chest back even more difficult than I originally thought it would be.

I heard the door creak open, interrupting my train of thought. I shut my eyes quickly, to feign sleep on the off chance that it should be Dr. Patterson coming to check up on me. To my surprise, instead of the almost soundless noise of Patterson’s shoes against the linoleum, I heard the loud echo of high heels reverberate off the walls, identifying this new person as a woman. I forced myself to open my eyes to see who it was, if only to satisfy my curiosity. My mouth grew dry as I saw who was approaching me. She was wearing a light pink blouse and matching miniskirt, with white high heels, and carrying a black purse in her left hand. Her straight, chestnut coloured hair cascaded down her neck to her shoulders, swaying gently from side to side as she walked. Her light brown eyes radiated concern and worry as she pulled a chair close to the bed, the chair legs sliding along the floor soundlessly, and sat down, brushing loose strands of hair from her face.

I was sure that she could sense the tension in the air as well as I did, and I knew that it wouldn’t be going anywhere until one of us spoke. It was she who broke the silence.

“Hi, Tommy,” she said tentatively, her voice as familiar as breathing to me. It sounded just like I remembered it in my dreams.

“Hi, Kim,” I replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. Unfortunately, I’d always been terrible at covering up my feelings, especially around her, and I was almost positive that she could see through the forced nonchalance. Even still, I tried to hide it, and changed the subject quickly. “What are you doing here?”

“We found you lying on the grass in the park, unconscious. There was so much blood…” Her voice started to crack, her mask of composure slowly slipping away. “I’ve never seen you hurt so badly.” She took my left hand in both of hers, their warmth flowing through me, counteracting the pain that I still felt. “How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly well, considering I got run through a couple hours ago.” I had meant it jokingly, but it seemed like she misinterpreted me, because tears began welling up in the corners of her eyes.

“I thought you hated me after I sent…it,” she started. “You barely said two words to me at the funeral, Tommy. You didn’t even make an effort to stay in touch, with any of us. After everything we’ve been through together, I don’t even warrant a phone call every now and then?” The tears in her eyes began falling freely, the barrier holding them back now completely broken. “I had to find out about this from Jason. You didn’t even have the decency to let me or the others know yourself. Do you know how much that hurts?” It hurt me to see her like this, even after all these years. Ignoring the pain it caused, I reached over with my right hand, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Kim, I really am. I just…I’ve changed. I’m not the same person I was when I was close to all of you. That much became clear to me at the funeral.” I drew my hands back, breaking contact with her. “I think you should go back outside. I have some things to think about before I see all of you, and…I don’t want you to see me like this.” She sniffled, got up and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she turned back to face me.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you when I sent it. You know that, right?” she asked hopefully. My anger and hurt over how she broke off our relationship had long since faded, and I smiled weakly to show her that.

“I know.” She returned my smile, and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

- PRG -

You let him get away!?!

Draeph visibly cringed at his master’s enraged voice. He licked his lips and made an attempt to save his hide. “I realize that I underestimated him, master, but I assure you, it will not happen again.”

See that it does not. I have invested too much in this operation to see it fail at the eleventh hour. Initiate phase two.

Draeph nodded as his master’s voice faded from his mind. He walked briskly to a communication panel and opened a channel to the barracks.

“Bring me Nirril,” he commanded, closing the channel before anyone on the other end had a chance to answer. He clenched his right fist and let his gaze stray to the chest, which lay unopened on a pedestal at the far end of the hall. He would make sure that Tommy Oliver wouldn’t live long enough to be a threat to his master’s plans.

[GeddonZord]

More goodstuff in this fic. Generations...hmmm, reminds me of Startrek:Generations... :023:

[os_prfan]

DISCLAIMER: Insert standard disclaimer here, regarding Saban, Disney, and everyone else whom I am not ripping off.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter provided quite a dilemma for me, as I was not sure exactly where to cut it off. I'm hoping that by ending it where I did, I'm able to keep some semblance of tension going. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter IV

Kimberly closed the door gently behind her, slumping back against it as tears threatened to engulf her once more. Jason, who had been leaning against the wall adjacent to the door solemnly, walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace, letting her cry softly into his shirt. It pained him to see her like this. In all the years that he had known her, he had always considered her to be his little sister, and he had done his best to protect her from harm, both physical and emotional. In fact, while leaving the rangers to go to the Peace Conference had been difficult to come to grips with, it was his subconscious need to protect Kimberly that almost made him change his mind. He would have stayed behind while Zack and Trini went if Kimberly herself hadn’t talked him into going. He remembered feeling secure in the knowledge that Tommy would be there to take care of her while he was gone. Unfortunately, when he returned to Angel Grove, some two and a half years later, things weren’t as he’d left them. Kimberly had left, to train for the Pan Global Games in Florida, giving her power coin to Katherine in the process. He had tried to talk to Tommy about it, a few times, but he would always have this sad look in his eyes in the split second it took to put on a superficial smile and change the subject. The only clue Jason got to what had happened was an off-hand remark about a letter that Kim had sent, and none of the other rangers or Billy felt it was their place to tell him.

They walked back to the crowded waiting room, located a little ways down the hallway. The area was sparsely furnished, with a scattering of chairs and a few small end-tables upon which rested the occasional issue of “Reader’s Digest” or “Cosmopolitan”. Most of the people seated sat huddled together, talking in hushed voices, though there were the occasional few who sat by themselves, immersed in their own thoughts. He led her to the far corner, where a black man in his mid-twenties was sitting, rubbing his neck, apparently in an effort to release some tension. The man was clad in a pair of black semi-dress pants, black dress shoes and a black suit jacket overtop a purple dress shirt. His recently shaved head had a thin layer of sweat on its surface, which reflected some of the light emanating from the bulbs overhead. When he saw Jason and Kimberly approaching him, he nearly jumped out of his seat.

“How is he?” he asked. He waved to a pair of chairs beside where he was sitting, motioning for them to sit down. They lowered themselves into their respective chairs, and Kimberly retrieved a tissue from her purse to wipe the dried tears from her eyes.

“He seems to be recovering from the wound…” she whispered, doing her best to keep her composure.

“He didn't let her stay for that long,” Jason commented softly. Zack sighed and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

“I have a feeling that we’re going to find out why this happened soon,” he said, in a half-joking, half-ominous tone of voice. Kimberly smiled, and Jason chuckled audibly, which broke the tension between the three of them.

“Where’d the others go?” Kimberly asked.

“Rocky and Adam took the girls to get a bite to eat while we took over the vigil,” Zack replied, referring to Kat and Tanya. “As for Billy…”

“You haven’t heard anything from Aquitar?” Jason asked. Zack shook his head.

“Nadda. Besides, I don’t have the equipment to even hope to set up interstellar communications with Aquitar.”

“We could try checking Billy’s old garage. It’s possible that his parents didn’t throw out any of his stuff,” Kimberly commented.

“Good point, Kim. As soon as we can get Tommy out of here, we should get over there and check things out.”

“We have to see him! It’s urgent!” Kimberly, Jason and Zack’s heads turned in unison to the nursing station located at the far end of the hallway.

“I’m afraid visiting hours ended half an hour ago. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else.” The teenager seemed about to shoot back a retort, but the girl in yellow to his left lay a restraining hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to bite his tongue. He stalked off towards the waiting area, where the three former Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers were sitting, followed closely behind by the girl and a young black man clad in blue.

“I can’t believe they won’t let us see him,” the teenager in blue said grumpily. The girl shrugged.

“You can’t really blame them, Ethan. They have regulations to follow, and it is past visiting hours.” The teenager in red crossed his arms.

“None of this is making any sense. First he has that attack in the classroom, then Hayley starts freaking out, and now he’s lying in a hospital bed. There’s something going down, guys, and I’ll bet you anything that Mesogog is behind it.” Ethan scratched his jaw thoughtfully.

“That’s a definite possibility, Conner. Mesogog knows that he’s the one who’s been helping us fight him, and it would make sense to try and take him out of the picture. What do you think, Kira?” He turned his head to look at her, noticing the worry playing lightly on her features.

“What does it matter who did it?” Conner seemed about to speak, opening his mouth, but closed his mouth soundlessly and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, as Ethan did the same.

“It’ll be alright, Kira. If it takes all of our powers, we’ll track down whoever did this and make them pay,” Conner said with conviction, as the three of them sat down in a corner of the waiting room, avoiding making eye contact with the group seated in the corner opposite them.

“There’s something strange about those kids, Jase,” Zack said suddenly.

“What makes you think that?”

“There are a couple of things. They were talking about fighting some guy named Mesogog. Plus, have you noticed the way they walk? It seems to me like they’ve seen some action, and the action I'm talking about isn't sports related.” Jason’s eyebrows rose.

“Do you think they’re rangers?”

“I don’t know, but it’s possible. Three new rangers popped up in Reefside—“

“Reefside?” Kimberly interrupted with a question.

“Yeah, it’s a city about the size of Angel Grove, a couple of hours away,” Zack continued. Jason shook his head in amazement.

“This is starting to make a little sense,” Jason said. Kimberly and Zack both looked at him.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Reefside is the city that Tommy told me he’d moved to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d been involved in the creation of these new rangers.” Conner’s ears perked up at hearing Tommy’s name, and he got up and walked over to Jason.

“Do you know Doctor O?”

“Who?” Jason asked, not bothering to look in Conner’s direction.

“Doctor Oliver.” Three pairs of eyes, belonging to former power rangers, turned to stare at Conner, a collective gasp of surprise caught in their throats.

“Doctor?” Kimberly asked, her voice thick with both surprise and amusement. Jason chuckled as Ethan and Kira walked over to join Conner.

“I always thought Tommy would end up becoming a race car driver. After karate, it was always his passion." Ethan’s eyebrows rose.

“Race cars? Our Doctor O? I don’t think so.” Zack smirked.

“It’s true. We didn’t believe it at first either, but he really was serious about it. I’m not sure what happened to him to change his mind about racing as a career.” Kira crossed her arms across her chest.

"Who exactly are you?" she asked.

“We were pow—” Jason began, but Kimberly clapped her hand over his mouth.

“We’re old friends of Tommy's. We went to high school together,” she answered, as Jason’s muffled voice tried to come through Kimberly’s mouth.

A crash responded to their discussion, just around the corner. The six of them reacted immediately, lining up in a row and dropping into fighting stances. They heard loud footsteps echoing off of the floor, coming at a steady pace, as the figure who caused the disturbance came closer and closer. It seemed to take an eternity for the form to come down the corridor. The six stood waiting as the form began to round the corner…and disappeared. They all whipped there heads in all directions, confusion setting in quickly. Before anyone could react, Conner, Ethan, Kira, Zack and Jason had all been thrown out of the way, crashing against the walls on either side of the waiting room. As they struggled to their feet, Kimberly felt a long, sharp blade pressed to her jugular, drawing a tiny pinprick of blood that trickled along her skin. The other five seemed about to rush forward, but the figure drew Kimberly closer to his chest.

“Ah-ah-ah, don’t do anything stupid now. I can easily cut her throat before you can get close enough to save her. All I need you to do is listen to what my master has to say.” Jason’s fists clenched, and he said nothing as his jaw tightened, exposing the veins popping out in stark contrast to the rest of his neck. The Dino Thunder teens exchanged a glance.

“Ready, guys?” Conner asked. Ethan and Kira nodded in unison. They each quickly rotated their left wrists, in a manner similar to the way both the Zeo and Turbo Rangers called their morphers, and their morphers appeared where there gem bracelets had been mere seconds earlier. They began to go through the motions for their morphing sequence, but were stopped by the figure’s words.

“What did I just say?” he asked, all hints of amusement gone from his voice. He pushed the blade tighter against Kimberly’s throat, drawing a grimace from her mouth.

“Listen to him. There’s too many people around, anyway,” Zack said, his words informing the teens that they knew of the teens’ secret. Conner swallowed hard, and moved his hand away from his morpher, as the others followed suit. They were completely at the figure’s mercy.

- PRG -

My eyes snapped open as I heard a crash coming from outside. I cursed under my breath. I hadn’t thought that Draeph would send someone for me so soon. I wasn’t prepared, but I would have to face whatever had come for me. I threw the blanket to the side, revealing the white hospital gown the nurses had obviously dressed me in after the operation. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and lowered myself to the floor, grunting in pain as my feet touched the cold linoleum. I moved slowly to a chair sitting at the foot of the bed, where my clothes were stacked, and threw off the gown, leaving me clad in only my boxers. I pulled on my socks and pants as quickly as I could, and retrieved my shoes. I threw on my shirt, not bothering to button it up, and swung open the door, lurching out into the hallway, my right hand clutching the side of my chest.

“What did I just say?” I heard a dark figure mutter seriously, as it pressed a blade to the neck of someone clad in pink…it was Kimberly. My left fist clenched tightly, and I staggered forward as quickly as I could, feeling the wound in my abdomen beginning to tear as I moved. I tightened my lips and whistled loudly, drawing attention to myself. The figure turned to face me, keeping the knife at Kimberly’s throat. Kimberly’s face bore an expression of fear as she looked at me.

“Hey asshole, it’s me you want. Let her go,” I demanded as strongly as I could. The figure smirked.

“What’s to stop me from slitting her throat right here and now?” I could feel the old rage building inside of me. I cracked my neck from side to side, embracing the feeling. I didn’t like who I became when I succumbed to the rage, but right now, I needed all the strength I could get. I moved my right hand away from my abdomen, feeling blood on my palm. I looked down to see the bandage soaked through with blood. I glared at the figure darkly, wanting nothing more than to beat the living hell out of this mercenary who threatened the life of the woman I love…loved.

“If you do that,” I said, boring holes in his body with my icy stare, “then I will snap your neck with my bare hands.” The tone of voice I was using was one I hadn’t used since my early days as a ranger, as Rita Repulsa’s evil Green Ranger. I sounded completely soulless, to the point where I was beginning to scare myself. My body was completely rigid, and I could feel the blood trickling down my abdomen to form a puddle on the rim of my pants. My blood was pounding in my veins as adrenaline surged through me. I felt invigorated, but not in a good way. I felt strong. Strong enough to kill.

In my peripheral vision, I saw the others staring at me with uncertainty in their eyes. I stared at Conner for a moment, and he returned my gaze. I shifted my eyes quickly from him, to the figure, and back again. I saw a brief wave of confusion come over him, but I didn’t have the time to give him the message again. I just hoped that he would realize what I had just asked him to do in time. The figure cackled in glee.

“Do you really believe that a mere human can kill the great Nirril? I would truly enjoy seeing you die making the attempt.” Nirril smirked evilly, and I knew immediately what he was going to do. I ran full out for him, the searing pain in my side becoming an inconsequential thought compared to what was about to happen. I can’t lose her! Not again! I heard myself screaming out as Nirril moved to bring the knife across Kimberly’s throat.

- PRG -

So what do you all think? I haven't gotten many comments from you guys concerning the last few chapters, and I really need some feedback now, so please reply and review.

[GeddonZord]

I really think this is great so far, keep it up, and this will be a classic..

[os_prfan]

Thanks for the reply, buddy. Come on, there must be some more people who have some comments. You know you wanna comment. :)

[GreenRanger33]

Absolutely awesome, as always, keep it up.

[Joravenel]

I like it. How could the evil green ranger be back? I hope that the teams will morph and take care of business. Thats all for now.
Captain J

[os_prfan]

Thanks for the comments, but, Joravenel, I think you may have the wrong idea. Tommy is tapping into the anger and mindset that made him so ruthless as the evil Green Ranger, not that he's become him again.

[FireOrangeRanger]

Great start so far. :023: Maybe you can get the ranger's to morph in the next few chapters? :eusa_whis

[os_prfan]

You guys will be getting a couple nostalgia moments in the next chapter, hopefully. And thanks for the comment, FireOrangeRanger.

[GeddonZord]

I wonder who exactly is after "the box"...and why does Tommy seem to know them. What exactly happened in between the Turbo era, Forever Red, and Dino Thunder you must wonder?

[sbb1513]

this is good.
~mag~ :007:

[os_prfan]

Thanks for the comments, you guys. I'm gonna try like hell to get the next chapter up by TONIGHT, so pay attention for an update.

[os_prfan]

DISCLAIMER: Insert standard disclaimer here, regarding Saban, Disney, and everyone else whom I am not ripping off. And now, the moment of truth. You’ll all finally find out what was in the chest that Draeph stole! Enojy.

Chapter V

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I was running towards Nirril in an attempt to save Kimberly, even though it was obvious that there was no way I’d be able to get to her in time. Luckily, Conner had gotten the message. Using the speed his gem afforded him, he knocked the knife away and pulled Kimberly to safety before Nirril was able to complete his killing stroke. I ate up the distance between us with a speed that startled me, and no sooner had Conner gotten Kimberly out of the way then I rammed into Nirril, driving my shoulder into his gut as I propelled the two of us towards the wall behind him. We burst through the wall, wood splinters and chunks of drywall cascading everywhere, our momentum propelling us forward, sending us sprawling to the ground in a heap.

I started pounding on him with my fists, trying to keep him grounded. I knew that if he was able to get up, I would be finished. I was hardly at full strength, and the wound in my stomach, once again bleeding freely, was a staunch reminder of that fact. My plan worked…at first. I was able to land blows on him quickly enough that he wasn’t able to fight back, until he grew wise, and planted his knee into my wound. The force of the blow threw me backward, and I crashed into the wall, the wind having been knocked out of me. An overhanging picture, which had been secured to the wall, was knocked loose by the force of my body impacting the wall, and it fell, the glass shattering as it landed on my skull. I lay there, dazed and confused, trying in vain to regain my bearings. I heard heavy footsteps approaching me, and, in my blurred vision, I saw Nirril standing over me, a sadistic grin on his face. He reached down and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off my feet. In my weakened condition, there was nothing I could do but wait for the inevitable.

“I said that you didn’t have a chance against me, human. Now, you pay for your folly with your life.” His grip on my throat tightened, and my hands flew up to grasp his hand on instinct, trying to break the hold before he broke my neck. Nirril glanced past me, and groaned at what he saw. His eyes met mine.

“We shall finish this another time.” He let go of me, leaving me crumpled in a heap on the ground, and pressed a button concealed on his belt. In a flash of light, he was gone, teleported away. I rolled onto my back, sucking air in greedily, as Conner, Ethan and Kira stood over me, concern evident in their eyes. My eyes drifted to their wrists, where their morphers de-materialized, leaving only their bracelets behind. The gems began to emit a glow, the same way they had done in the classroom. I began to feel better, and was soon strong enough to rise to my feet on my own. I clutched my side as I saw Jason, Kimberly and Zack running towards us. The dino gems grew dark, and I looked down to see that my wound had completely healed. I had known that the gems had power, but I didn’t realize how much power they wielded when used together. I smiled, and tore the bandage off of my stomach, revealing smooth skin. The only remnant of the injury was a pale scar that blended in with my skin, and was hardly noticeable. Jason, noticing that the teens were staring at the various scars on my chest, tossed me my discarded shirt. I nodded my thanks and pulled it on, swiftly buttoning up the front. I turned to the teens.

“I thought I told you guys to stay in Reefside.”

“Hayley found out that you were injured, and we were worried,” Kira replied.

“Yeah, Doctor O. We needed to make sure you were ok. I mean, if you had died, who would have helped us with—“ Conner said.

“—our labs,” Ethan interrupted, trying to silence Conner with a glance. “You know how much trouble we have with them.” I chuckled, seeing the amused expression on Zack and Jason’s faces. Kimberly seemed to be lightening up a little as well, though she still seemed a little pale after her experience with Nirril.

“It’s alright, guys. You don’t have to talk so cryptically with them. I’m sure they’ve figured it out by now.” Ethan turned to look at the former rangers.

“You mean you know?” Zack’s eyebrows rose.

“Know what? Know that you’re power rangers, or that the excuse you just gave was the flimsiest one I’ve ever heard?” Conner put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter as Ethan glared at him. I chuckled lightly.

“You three don’t have to worry about it. These guys will keep your secret,” I responded. Jason, Kimberly and Zack all nodded, and introductions were exchanged. I pulled Jason aside as the rangers, current and past, chatted.

“I have to go pick up a few things, bro. What say you get all the others together and meet me at Billy’s garage in about a half hour? I’ll explain everything there.” Jason nodded, and I grasped forearms with him briefly before I took off running down the hall of the hospital, tearing off my patient’s wristband and letting it fall lightly to the ground.

- PRG -

It felt strange teleporting again, after all these years. Hell, I was surprised that the teleportation grid was operational at all. The tingly feeling I always used to get was still there, albeit a little more intense then I remembered it. I glanced down at my old communicator, which I had made sure to bring with me before I left my place. The metallic centerpiece that couldn’t possibly have passed for a watch upon closer inspection still looked the way it did when it first came out of Billy’s garage. The likewise-metallic wristband, lined with fabric of three colours interwoven together, the colours I had once donned as a ranger, felt smooth against the skin of my palm. It felt good having it with me again; even if it was for a task I wished I didn’t have to do. I put the communicator back into my pocket and brought my arm up, using my forearm to shield my eyes against the bright sunshine that beat down from overhead. The dry, barren wasteland landscape that surrounded me brought back memories of my time as a ranger. The jagged, rocky cliffs, dust rolling off them in a dense cloud, jutted out among the flat desert terrain. My eyes swept across the view, the topography slowly becoming familiar again, until I found what I was looking for.

I adjusted the storage container on my shoulder and started at a jog, making my way around the obstacles and natural rock formations in my path until I reached the ruins. Malformed pieces of metal lay scattered within a radius of a metre from the focal point. Taking my time, being careful not to slice my palms open, I moved the largest fragments, tossing them into a pile a short distance from me, until I saw a hole leading downward. I crouched down, gazing at the steep rock face, trying to gauge whether or not I could climb down. The wall looked to be solid enough, with enough outcroppings that could be used as hand and footholds, so I began to make my way down slowly, knowing full well that one slip would most likely lead to my death. I scaled down the wall, each movement of my hands sending a small swirl of dust floating towards the ground, feeling my heart beginning to pound fervently against my ribcage. It didn’t stop until my feet were planted firmly on the sandy ground of the cavern, and even then it took a few deep breaths to stay the speedy beating of the organ.

The sunlight from above ground flooded into the cavern, illuminating my way, which was quite lucky, considering I had forgotten to bring anything that may have been useful in my endeavor. I glanced down at my watch. I had about fifteen minutes until I was supposed to meet the others. I picked up my pace, quickly making my way through until I reached a metallic door that lay partially open. I pulled the doors apart as much as I could and jumped through the opening, landing lightly on my feet on the other side. This was the room I had been looking for. It looked different then it did the last time I had been there. The familiar sights and sounds that I had been accustomed to were gone, replaced with a hollow silence, and a thick layer of dust on the ground. I crossed the expansive room, stopping to stand in front of a row of cylindrical tubes, set into the wall.

I reached out my hand to the nearest tube, brushing some of the dust from its surface. It clung to my hand, but I ignored it, and continued brushing it until I saw white light and the gleam of metal coming from inside. I set the storage container down, brushing the dust from my hand, and took off my shirt, rapping it tightly around my right fist. I took a breath, cocked it back and drove it forward as hard as I could. I felt it connect solidly with the tube…and promptly bounce off, sending a jolt through my arm. I groaned aloud, shaking my arm slightly to get the feeling back. I never thought it would be this tough to crack. I set myself up in front of the tube once more, channeling every ounce of energy I had into my fist. This time, the blow struck true, shattering the covering, letting light fall upon the objects inside for the first time in many years. Unwrapping my shirt from my fist, I put it back on and brushed the jagged shards of glass from the rim of the tube, being careful not to slice open my palms on the sharp edges. I picked the storage container up, setting it on the bottom of the tube, and touched my fingers to pads on either end of it. With a loud hiss, the container opened, and I quickly placed the objects inside the tube into the container. I paused at the last object. I smiled slightly as I felt its weight in my hand. It’s been a long time. I placed it into the container with the others, and closed it quickly. Near the back of the tube, there lay a chest, identical in design to the one Draeph had stolen, except for one major difference: on its lid, five symbols were emblazoned in gold. An oval. Two rectangular bars. A triangle. A rectangle. A five-pointed star. As I reached out to take it, the pain returned with a vengeance.

I fell to my knees, cursing inwardly, as the pain coursed through me like wildfire. If something like this had happened once, I could have written it off as coincidence, perhaps some sort of backlash from the injuries I received as a ranger, but twice, I knew instinctively that it had something to do with the contents of the chest. It was no coincidence that as soon as it fell into evil hands, my attacks had started. I gritted my teeth, trying to focus through the pain. The pain intensified, and I knew that if I didn’t do something in the next few moments, I would become unconscious. I crawled forward, pain racking my body. I reached up, extending my arm to grasp for the chest, but it was just out of reach. With one final burst of strength, I lunged forward, and managed to knock the chest off, into my outstretched hand. I sighed with relief as the pain finally began to subside. Evidently, the power emanating from the chest helped stave off the pain in the same way the Dino Gems did. As I lay on the ground, cheek touching the cold floor, hand firmly gripping the chest, I came to a realization. If these attacks get any worse, they could kill me. I slowly pushed myself to my feet, wiping the sweat from my brow, glancing at my watch in the process. Cursing inwardly, I slung the storage container over my shoulder, retrieved my communicator from my pocket, and initiated transport, losing myself in the blinding light.

- PRG -

The room was dark, save for a small candle casting its pale glow against the onyx-coloured wall. Various symbols, support and protection glyphs, lined the walls, engraved with care on every square inch of the walls. The room had no furniture in it, nor any objects of comfort. It was in this room that Draeph sat, deep in meditation. His broadsword, housed firmly in its sheath, lay on the floor beside him. He had spent many hours in this room: training, resting, thinking. These rooms allowed him to get away from his duties, for however brief a time, and think freely, without the need to conform his thoughts to his actions. Even his master chose to respect his occasional need for solitude, and did not disturb him there, except for emergencies.

Draeph had been a renowned warrior in the universe long before his master had found him. During his days as a mercenary, Draeph’s reputation allowed him the luxury of having the choicest of jobs laid before him on the proverbial silver platter. Indeed, he was not used to failure, of any kind, which is why Nirril’s defeat and subsequent retreat enraged him. He rose to his feet, cracking his knuckles as he bent to retrieve his sword. Slinging it to rest on his hip, he turned and walked out of the room; pausing briefly to blow out the candle, ready to face his master’s wrath.

- PRG -

I had teleported myself back to the park, so that I could pick up my jeep. Imagine my surprise when I found that I received a parking ticket! Apparently, I had parked in a no-parking zone, and got busted for it. I groaned, half-crumpling the yellow ticket in my hand before stuffing it in my glove compartment. My detour to pick up the jeep cost me a good fifteen minutes, and when I got to Billy’s old house, everyone else was already there, waiting for me. I got out of the jeep, slamming the door lightly behind me, and retrieved both the storage container and the chest from the backseat. I walked with purpose towards the others, who moved to get up from their seats. I motioned for them to sit back down. The closer I got, the more of the garage I was able to see. It had changed quite dramatically since the last time I’d been there. All of the odds and ends, the various gadgets that Billy had created to help us in our battles against Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, were all gone, leaving the garage a shell of what it once was. All that remained was the metallic, waist-level table, at which everyone was seated. I placed the two objects I was carrying on a nearby counter, and turned to address the group. Apparently, Jason had been able to find a reason to send the Dino teens back to Reefside, because only the other Ranger alumni were here.

“First of all, I just want to say that it’s great seeing you all together again. It’s been a long time. After all that’s happened over the past day, I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called you together. A little over a day ago, something that I had hidden long ago was taken from it’s resting place by a warrior named Draeph. His reputation throughout the universe is second to none. Before becoming second-in-command to a supremely powerful evil entity whose identity I don’t know, he was the greatest mercenary in the known worlds. He has never failed to complete an assignment, and has collected every major bounty issued in the last decade.” Adam crossed his arms across his chest.

“Enough with the suspense, Tommy. What did he take?” I took a deep breath to steady myself.

“There were two items in the chest that Draeph stole. One was the Dragon Dagger. The other, the Dragonzord power coin.”

- PRG -

So what do you all think? I need reviews, because I'm coming to a crossroads on a key event in the upcoming plot, so I need input. Thanks in advance.

[T-Rexor Ranger]

Holy crap! That was awesome! Is he gonna give Jason, Kim, Zack there power coins? and is he gonna give the others there Zeo crystals?

[xaviera]

Didn't see the dragonzord power coin coming. Keep up the suspense, so far it works. Though did had the same curiousity if the others will get powers of their own again. Oh well, can't wait to read more.

[The Original Green Ranger]

Great freaking fic so far and am anxiously awaiting more.

[greenwc]

when you described the oval shaped and the 5 star pattern of the crystals,did you leave out the green zeo crystal?

[greenwc]

nevermind i saw it
sweet story

[Cuiran]

Very nice. You're writing this story very effectively -- though the blocks of text are pretty hefty and can be a bit to get through, your writing makes it considerably more interesting and worth reading. Keep at it! The Saga of Tommy grows more interesting by the moment. =)

[TSoldier]

This story is incredible. I've seen the thread in the forum but when I opened it and read thru the beginning it had DT characters so I passed on it. My interests in PR remain nostalgic (except I'm watch TF on PRG now) so unless a fic is about MMPR, i have no interest in reading it. I saw Kim's name on the second page earlier this week and made a note to read this fic. I've finally got around o it and can't believe such a great stoyr has been up since January and it's taken me 3 mos. to get it. I've nominated it for FFOTM. I hope to see more from this some time in the near future.

Given the time that's elapsed between each chpater, perhaps it's a good thing I didn't read it til now. I'd have gone crazy waiting for a story this good to update as long as it's taken in the past. I'll be crossing my fingers hoping not to wait as long as others have for these updates.

So, you write the chapters as you go along, waiting to post one before starting the next? That seems to be EVERYONE'S formula on RB (for Fan Fics), so I'm curious as to whether or not it's the same for you, or if you're just waiting to post the next one after a certain amount of time,

[TSoldier]

Oh, yeah,my small complaint.

I dn't mind the 1st person thing. The thing I don't like is that you have one person speak, and within the same paragraph, describe the actions of someone else, making it seem like that person said it. It gets confusing, cuz then you have to note that the next person speaking is actually the person referred to at the end of the last paragraph which was actually comprised of another character's speech.

This is an example of what I mean (not an actual excerpt.)

"He doesn't look well". Jason shakes his head indisappointment.

"Don't worry, Kimberly. Tommy's going to be okay". Zack crosses his arms, a stern look adorning his face.

"I hope so".

To me, the way that's written looks like Jason said the 1st thing, Zack said the second, and maybe Kim said the 3rd, but the way you've written your story would translate it to the 1st thing being said by Kim, the 2nd by Jason, and the 3rd thing said by Zack.

The way I've explained it is probably more confusing than what it is I'm trying to describe, but hopefully you know what I mean. If not, I can clarify; rephrase it. Let me know.

[Ryuranger]

I've only read a few parts, but I really like this fic. You're one of the best writers here.

[os_prfan]

I've only read a few parts, but I really like this fic. You're one of the best writers here.

Thanks a lot for that, Ryuranger. That means a lot coming from a writer as talented as you.

[y3k]

Damn....just damn dude...you fucking rock. This has to be the first time I've ever seen a first person PR fic. Defenetly original.

I absolutly love it when authors try to explain loose ends and tie things together. It makes the PR universe so much more interesting.

Also, your discriptions are just...magnificent. Your vocabulary is twice the size of a normal fic.

Your fics are right up there with Betheswallow as far as sheer intelligence. In short, this is one of the best fics I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

[os_prfan]

Hey, everyone. I'm just here to tell you all that I'm going to be out of the country for about a week, so the next chapter won't be up until at least the weekend of the 16th. Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone. Hopefully, you guys can be patient until then. Later.

[GeddonZord]

Good chapter...can't wait to see what happens with this... :023:

[dragomuseveni]

cool fic i luv how u encorperated mmpr into the mix and the twist with the dragonzord power coin and dagger is awsome i hope we get to see tommy morph into green ranger if he gets his coin bak, but thats doubtful cuz it lost its power....didnt it?

Keep rocking :023:

[os_prfan]

DISCLAIMER: Insert standard disclaimer here, regarding Saban, Disney, and everyone else whom I am not ripping off.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Wow, I got nominated for Fanfic of the Month. That’s really an honour, and I want to thank all of you for your support, and for continuing to read. This chapter is going to lay down a lot of the main plotline for the rest of the story, though there are some subplots that won’t be revealed for a while yet. I hope you all like it. Keep an eye out for callbacks to past PR episodes. And I think you guys would like to know that I intentionally made this chapter a hell of a lot longer because you guys seemed to think that it was good enough to be FFotM. Enjoy!

Chapter VI

Seven pairs of eyes stared at me in shock after the revelation I had just laid on them. Jason was the first to speak.

“How is that possible?” he asked.

“It’s a long story. It all started about 10 years ago, with a lock of hair. A lock of my hair, to be more precise.”

“Of course. The Wizard of Deception,” Adam replied, snapping his fingers as the realization hit him. I nodded, noticing that Jason and Zack had no idea what he was talking about. It made sense, of course, considering they had been in Switzerland at the Peace Conference when the even happened.

“That’s right, Adam. As you all know, the power of the original Dragonzord coin was completely drained after the fight with Turbanshell. However, when the Wizard of Deception created the clone from my lock of hair, he somehow managed to draw out the residual green morphing energy in my body. Using that energy, and amplifying it using the power of his staff, he created a duplicate Dragonzord coin, which was equal in power to my White Tiger coin. After Tom and I were able to bring you guys back to the present, I tried to convince him to come back with me, but he refused. He wanted to start a new life for himself, and didn’t want anything to do with Zordon or the rest of us. After a little bit of convincing, I was able to get him to agree to hide the coin and Dragon Dagger in a chest with a built-in homing device that was designed by Zordon. We buried it together in the desert a few hundred kilometers north of Angel Grove. I’ve been monitoring the signal since I was in grad school, but yesterday, Draeph unearthed the chest and dampened the signal from the beacon, making it impossible to track.” Zack crossed his arms across his chest.

“What possible reason could anyone have to want the coin? I mean, the dagger I can understand, but the coin? Surely there have to be morphing technologies that are more sophisticated and more powerful than our coins were.”

“That’s a bit harder to explain, Zack. After I passed on my Turbo morpher to T.J., I went to drive for my uncle’s stock car team. Things were going great at first, but halfway through the season I got into a pretty serious crash. I suffered a severe concussion, and I was forced to sit out the rest of the season, watching my teammates drive from the sidelines.” They listened in mute silence, the surprise evident on their faces, as I described what had happened after the events leading up to the passing on of the Turbo powers. I continued.

“I tried various things to keep myself occupied, but nothing seemed to stick. Eventually, one afternoon, I found myself cleaning up my apartment, of all things. While sorting through a box of meaningless trinkets I had accumulated over the years, I came across this.” I retrieved the communicator from my pocket and showed them all, emphasizing the point.

“It got me thinking about the good old days. About the Dragonzord. Of all the zords I’ve ever controlled or piloted, the Dragonzord has always been the closest to my heart. It seemed to show some innate intelligence that I didn’t think was possible in a piece of technology. I began researching dinosaurs and other ancient beasts that lived during that time, absorbing every piece of information I could get my hands on. I found my interest in the subject not decreasing, but increasing, at what seemed like an exponential rate. I inquired at several nearby colleges and universities about attending school in the field of archaeology. Every school I tried told me that I either didn’t have the grades or I didn’t have all of the required classes, so I went back to Angel Grove High, and talked to Mr. Kaplan. He was able to help me find some night classes that would help me boost my average enough that I could get into the program I wanted.”

“During my third year of grad school, while on a dig with my former colleague, Anton Mercer, I stumbled upon three dino gems, buried a few metres away from the skull of a Styracosaurus in southern Alberta, Canada. The moment I picked them up, I could sense the power laying dormant inside of them, and I knew that eventually someone would come along who would try and harness their powers for evil. I realized what I had to do. A friend of mine who I met in school, Hayley, who’s a technical genius on a par with Billy, agreed to help me create Dino Morphers, to be used in an emergency situation should the Earth need Power Rangers once more. During the design process, while doing research on power conversion techniques, I came across an obscure reference to an ancient set of armor, called the Armor of Os-Worim, in a text I had borrowed from Angela Fairweather at Lightspeed. She had an extensive library of tomes and texts containing information on demons and other non-human species from ancient times, and agreed to allow me to use them. Eventually, I was able to sift through the myth and legends, and come up with a reasonably plausible extrapolated history of the origin of the armor.”

“Many generations ago, long before Ninjor created our original power coins, there lived a wise sage known as Os-worim. He belonged to a sect of sorcerers known as the Morphing Masters, the same Morphing Masters who hid the Power Eggs that Rita Repulsa tried to recover years ago. He was skilled in the ancient arts of sorcery and alchemy, and his sect created what we know of as the Morphing Grid. Os-worim’s six chosen warriors, knights of the highest order of Tyris, were the first Power Rangers, and fought against Master Vile, who, at that point, was not content with controlling only Galaxy M51. With the aid of his children, Rita and Rito, they created a warrior of immense power, Yerath, who was too strong for the rangers to overcome. The war was going badly, and the free peoples of the galaxy feared that they would fall under the iron fist of Vile. Os-worim, in order to help his warriors combat Yerath and Vile, created a set of armor for the rangers to use to battle them. He distributed one piece to each ranger: weapon to red, left forearm to blue, right forearm to black, left shin to pink, right shin to yellow, and shield to green. Using the armor, the rangers were able to handily defeat Yerath, and turned the tide of the war, eventually forcing Vile into a tactical retreat back to his own territory. After the final victory, Os-worim retrieved the armor and scattered it throughout his king’s castle, informing each ranger of the location of their specific piece, and their piece only, to keep their locations safe.”

“All was well for a time, but that was shattered by a shocking action perpetrated by the most unlikely of people. The blue ranger, Ilero, who was second in command, had allowed his lust for the power of the complete set of armor grow, to the point where it became his obsession. Under the pretense of helping an old friend, he convinced Os-worim to allow him to take his piece of the armor, after which he promptly attacked him, knocking him unconscious. After hiding his body, he informed his comrades of their master’s ‘disappearance’, and told them they would need the power of the armor to defeat whatever had kidnapped him. After they retrieved the armor, however, Ilero killed them, and stole their pieces, bringing him closer both to ultimate power and insanity. Kelt, the green ranger, caught wind of Ilero’s plot, and managed to retrieve his shield and evade him, choosing a battleground that he was familiar with for their final confrontation. A large-scale battle between the two former friends ensued, destroying much of the landscape around them. When all was said and done, Kelt, who was near death himself, had killed Ilero, and retrieved the armor from his prone, battered corpse. After returning the armor to Os-worim, he was rewarded by being allowed to keep his shield permanently. It was bonded to the source of his power, and would remain so for all time.”

“Exactly how powerful is this armor?” Kat asked.

“If all six pieces are worn by the same person, their power would rival that of a god.” Silence filled the garage as my words sank in.

“So how does the Dragonzord coin figure in to all of this?” Rocky asked.

“The way that Os-worim designed the armor, it can only be wielded by someone in possession of powers connected in some way, however small, to the Morphing Grid. Obviously, the coin still holds a connection, but more so than that, Ninjor created the power coins by basing them off of the original powers created by Os-worim, which included the power of the original green ranger. The Dragon Shield is one of the six pieces of the Armor of Os-worim.”

”Which means that Draeph has one of the pieces,” Jason finished for me. I nodded solemnly.

“That’s right, Jase, and that’s why I’ve called you all together.” I turned to the counter behind me, retrieved the two storage containers and placed them on the table. “I need you to help me.”

- PRG -

The sound of steel clashing against steel reverberated loudly in the sparring chamber, echoing off the walls. Nirril entered the room tentatively, unsure of what reaction to expect from Draeph regarding his failure to kill Tommy Oliver. He stood near the entrance to the room, leaning against the wall, watching with interest as Draeph worked out. Even against five virebots equipped with advanced tactical programming and a mastery in sword fighting, the speed and fluidity of his movements utterly baffled Nirril. Parrying, countering, evading, striking. It was like watching a dance. A dance with death. It was obvious to Nirril that Draeph was holding back considerably. How could he have such skill with a blade? With the ability Draeph obviously had, there was no apparent use for Nirril’s services.

Draeph, apparently realizing he was being watched, picked up the pace, and effortlessly reduced the virebots to smoldering heaps of debris, smoking and sizzling on the ground. He sheathed his sword and turned to Nirril, gesturing him to come forward. Nirril approached, stepping carefully over the remains of the virebots and bowed slightly to his employer.

“Draeph,” he said, in a respectful, almost reverent tone. Draeph crossed his arms across his chest, boring holes through Nirril with his cold gaze.

“You have failed me, Nirril. Oliver is not dead, and he has contacted his allies. They will soon try to circumvent my master’s plans.” Nirril cringed at Draeph’s words.

“I am sorry. I was not prepared for the presence of those bearing the power. With no hostage to threaten with, my tactical edge was lost. I was forced to retreat, there was no other alternative.” Nirril lowered himself to one knee. “Please, give me another chance. I will prove to you that your money was well spent.” Draeph motioned for him to rise, moving to stand directly in front of him.

“My master does not accept failure, Nirril.” What came next happened too quickly for Nirril to comprehend. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, and looked down to see Draeph’s sword driven though his breastplate. He looked into Draeph’s eyes, blood bubbling out of his mouth to splatter to the floor.

“And neither do I,” Draeph finished, jerking his sword out of Nirril’s body and wiping the blood off of the blade with Nirril’s sleeve. He kicked Nirril in the chest, sending him tumbling down to lie amongst the debris of the virebots. He snapped his fingers, and a subservient entered the room.

“Yes, my lord?”

“Take this pathetic excuse for a mercenary to the infirmary, and send someone in here to clean up this mess.” He walked out of the room, leaving the subservient to stare in awe at Nirril’s barely breathing form.

- PRG -

“We understand that you need help, Tommy, but how do you expect us to do anything without our powers?” Tanya asked quizzically. Her question brought a slight smile to my lips.

“I was wondering when one of you would ask that. About two years ago, I recruited nine other red rangers, including Jason, for a covert operation codenamed Forever Red. Billy managed to stabilize the Morphing Grid enough to allow the power coins to be used safely, albeit on a limited basis. Did you all bring them?” Jason, Kimberly and Zack all nodded, bringing forth their old morphers out of their pockets. The morphers looked damaged; the coins, once bright and shining, were now streaked through with black char marks. Adam leaned forward.

“Are you sure about that, Tommy? The last time I tried to morph using the Mastadon coin, it damn near killed me.” Zack turned to face Adam.

“It’s alright, man. I trust Tommy, and if Billy was the one who was working on the Grid, then I have nothing to worry about.” Jason and Kimberly nodded in agreement simultaneously.

“Besides, I used my Tyrannosaurus coin during the mission, and I didn’t have any problems with it.” Rocky raised his hand.

“Uh, question: why wasn’t I invited to come on this mission? I was a red ranger too, you know.” I chuckled slightly.

“There’s two reasons why, Rocko. First, there’s only one Tyrannosaurus power coin, and there were two of you. I had to go with the one with more experience. Second, in case you forgot, I did ask you to come, but you refused, remember?” Rocky smiled meekly as the memory came back to him.

“Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” The others burst out laughing, and even Rocky couldn’t help but chuckle at his own spotty memory.

“And I thought I was the one who was supposed to be terrible at remembering things,” I said, sending the others into another fit of laughter. I took my own morpher out of my back pocket, subconsciously spinning it slowly in my hand. With my other hand, I drew one of the storage containers towards me, opened it, and withdrew the small chest inside it. Clipping my old morpher to my belt buckle, I took the chest in both hands, opened the lid, and turned it to face the others. Five small crystals lay inside, each in the shape of a piece of the Zeo Crystal. I placed the chest in the center of the table, withdrawing my own star-shaped piece from the soft velvet. The power of the crystal flowed through my body once again, as my skin gained a faint red glow as my nervous system grew accustomed to the powers once more. The others similarly reached for their crystals, and gained a similar glow.

“I’m sure you guys recognize these. These crystal fragments are a part of the Zeo Sub-crystals. They’ll allow each of you access to your zeonizers again.” I flicked my wrists, one clockwise, the other counter-clockwise, and my zeonizers materialized in twin flashes of red light.

“Hey, Tommy, what’s in the other container, man?” Zack asked. I smiled slightly.

“That’s what I’m going to show you right now.” I moved the now empty storage container to the ground and moved the other one towards me. I opened it, and reached my hand inside, feeling my fingers brush against cold metal. I removed the top-most item from the container and held it reverently in my hands for the other to see. Jason pushed himself to his feet, his hands planted firmly on the table.

“My sword…” he whispered, licking his chapped lips. I nodded slightly, and extended it to him. He took it from me, gripping the hilt in his right hand and running the fingertips of his left hand along the blade. His head turned slightly as he examined his weapon. “It’s different than I remember it.”

“That’s because it is different. Just prior to the destruction of our powers, Zordon was working with Ninjor on a way to upgrade our power weapons. They have many of the same properties as the originals, with a few significant changes. They’re much lighter than their normal counterparts, and can be used at full strength even when you aren’t morphed.” I quickly withdrew the others’ weapons and handed them over. I lay the final pair original weapons lightly on the table.

“What about those?” Kimberly asked, pointing to the Power Daggers and Power Lance.

“I’m going to keep them with me. As soon as I can get a hold of Aisha and Billy, I’m going to give them to them. But until then, they won’t do anyone much good lying here collecting dust,” I replied, gesturing at the container. I reached in to withdraw the last of the weapons laying in the container. I held it, hilt up, and brought it close to my face, my eyes shining in remembrance. “Welcome back, Saba.”

- PRG -

The man stopped the motorcycle in front of the steps to the temple, removing the key from the ignition and putting it in the pocket of his leather jacket. He removed his helmet, running his hand through his short blond hair. He placed the helmet on the seat of the bike, and walked with purpose up the front steps to stand in front of the large bell in the middle of the temple. This was the final time he would ever come here. This had once been a place where he had reminisced about his father, but now it only served to be a painful reminder of what he had lost.

“I thought I might find you here.” The man turned to find a white-haired black man in black sweater, with a pendant hanging around his neck, approaching him. His eyes narrowed, a look of disgust in his gaze.

“You’ve got some balls coming here, Professor,” he said, his fists clenching involuntarily at his sides.

“I know that you’re hurting, Ryan, but you can’t turn your back on your duty. If there’s ever another threat…”

“I don’t care!” Ryan yelled, taking two fistfuls of the professor’s shirt. “I lost two people I loved because I did my ‘duty’!” Ryan reached upwards, to his own neck, got a grip on a thin string, and gave a sharp tug, snapping it. He held the object, a pendant with a circular topaz embedded in its center, in front of the professor’s face. He jerked his hand to his right, tossing the pendant away. He heard it bounce against the steps, and let go of the professor. “I’m through with you. I’m through with all of it.” He turned, and began to walk quickly back to his bike. The professor moved to follow him.

“Ryan…” Ryan stopped, and glanced back over his shoulder, a cold look in his eyes.

“Fuck you, professor. I don’t give a damn how sorry you are. This is my decision, and I’ve made it. Stay out of my life.” Without a second glance, he stalked off towards his bike. The professor sighed as he watched a bitter, angry young man walk away from everything he had once believed in. Crouching on the roof of the temple, a virebot saw the entire encounter, storing it in his memory banks, before disappearing in a bright teleport beam to report to his master. Laying discarded on the steps of the temple, the pendant glowed brightly, reflecting the sunlight shining from above.

- PRG -

A tall, formidable looking form materialized in the middle of Angel Grove Park, to the astonishment of a group of children playing nearby. Their jaws dropped in awe as the form looked first left, then right, sweeping his gaze across the green landscape. It was clad in bright yellow and black armor. Its breastplate had a large emerald embedded in its center, with five smaller ones branching out in different directions: one each to the northeast and northwest, one each to the southeast and southwest, and one to the south. They were embedded in depressions in the plate, connected by grey lines to converge on the large emerald. Its legs were clad in a black Kevlar-like material, with yellow shin guards and boots. Its helmet was silver, with a black strip running from the back of the helmet to the top of the visor, about two-thirds the width of the helmet. Twin antennae extended from either side of it. It carried two weapons: a mechanized broadsword hanging from its right hip, and a silver, one-handed double-barreled shotgun-like weapon, sitting comfortably in a holster on its left hip.

It walked forward at an even pace, approaching the area where, mere hours before, Tommy Oliver had nearly been killed. It glanced down at the ground beside the picnic table. It knelt on its right knee, taking a handful of dirt in its gauntleted hand. It held the earth up to its visor, scanning it for traces of anything unusual. Its heads-up displayed flashed rapidly inside its helmet as the scan picked up what he was looking for. It rose to its feet, letting the soil fall from its hand.

“He’s here,” he muttered grimly. Taking one last sweeping glance around itself, it leapt into the air, using its speed to disappear from view. The hunt had begun.

- PRG -

Whew, that was a lot of exposition. Now that that's out of the way, hopefully you guys will have a bit better understanding of where this story will generally be going. But don't worry, I still have plenty of curveballs to throw you guys. Well, 'till the next time, I hope you enjoy the longer chapter. Comments and suggestions are welcome, as always. Later.

[T-Rexor Ranger]

Coolies man, this is getting sw33ter chapter by chapter.

[TSoldier]

Glad it didn't take months for an update. I have my suspicions about this Ryan person and so-called "Professor". Can't wait to see how this plays out. And I love the power Weapons. Glad to see they're coming into play.

Yeah it was a lot of exposition, but I don't mind. A lot of what makes this story good is the foundation it stands on and it's cuz of episodes like this that the rest of story has and hopefully will continue to stand strong. Til next time....

[os_prfan]

Glad it didn't take months for an update. I have my suspicions about this Ryan person and so-called "Professor". Can't wait to see how this plays out. And I love the power Weapons. Glad to see they're coming into play.

Yeah it was a lot of exposition, but I don't mind. A lot of what makes this story good is the foundation it stands on and it's cuz of episodes like this that the rest of story has and hopefully will continue to stand strong. Til next time....

I'm glad it didn't take so long to update too, buddy. Your suspicions about Ryan and the Professor may be well founded, but you'll have to wait a little while before you'll know for certain. Thanks for thinking so highly of the story. I hope I can meet yours and others' expectations of it in the future.

[y3k]

Hmmm....what can be said about this fic that has not already been said?

I like the detail to put into Tommy's backstory between Turbo, Forever Red, and Dino Thunder, based on the little amount of information we have been given on the show. Also, the idea of the power weapons being upgraded, but never being givin a chance to be used is also quite clever. Oh, and Saba pwns. ;)

Something I'd just like to point out, however, is the way how you write dialoug is a bit...different then what I'm used to. Instead of starting the paragraph with who's talking next, you end it that way. Example:

What I'm usually used to: "Blahblahblahblah" said the person (or) The person said "Blahblahblahblah"

Your way of writing is different: "Blahblahblah" Another person responds to that.

Not critisizing you or anything...but what got you to write it this way? Certainly not from the majority of the writers on this board. I'm just curious.

[Angelfox]

OK THIS FIC IS JUST SWEET....BUT WHERE DID RYAN COME FROM??? I DONT MEMBER HIM FROM ANYWHERE OR IS HE SOMEBODY NEW :confused: :confused:

[y3k]

OK THIS FIC IS JUST SWEET....BUT WHERE DID RYAN COME FROM??? I DONT MEMBER HIM FROM ANYWHERE OR IS HE SOMEBODY NEW :confused: :confused:


RAWR!!!!! I R BIGGER MAN BECAUSE I R USE BIGGER FONtZ0RZ!!!111 RAWR!!!!11111

*ahem* Sorry, reflex.

[os_prfan]

RAWR!!!!! I R BIGGER MAN BECAUSE I R USE BIGGER FONtZ0RZ!!!111 RAWR!!!!11111

*ahem* Sorry, reflex.

No worries, man. It's quite an understandable reflex. And in answer to your question, I'm not really sure where I got the mechanics of how I write. As far back as I can remember, I've always written conversations that way, because they seemed to flow better. *shrugs*

[dragomuseveni]

that was an awsome installment u rock :023:

[xaviera]

Getting better and better. Great stuffs. No surprise this should be nominated. :) I especially like the history flash back, that really made a strong storyline altogether. Thumbs up.

[GeddonZord]

I think I know who that Ryan guy and the professor was....but I'm not talking... ;)

[Splush]

Hey man I got your PM, I reviewed the first two chapters and will get to the others later. Sorry if some of the spelling is bad, I am on a computer that only has wordpad to type on.

---

Review of Chapter One:

Well this is just a format suggestion, but you might want to put the title of your story and the chapter above every new chapter.

... a good start, you have a decent amount of talent. But... I do not claim to know the extent of your vocabulary but as I read I get the image that you had a dictionary and/or a on your lap as you wrote. I mean to say your choice of diction does not seem to fit, it appears to be faked... Like your going out of your way to use words you would not use. Trying to hard I guess is better to be said.

this is just me being anal, but I think your using comma's way to much. Try to cut down on there use and use periods a little more.

Good. I think the chapter could have contained a little more events. The was decent but I think more could have taken place.

Chapter Two:

Again with the comma's!

Okay I'm dreading doing this for I don't want to end up giving you bad advice. This is something you have to learn how to do on your own, and there is a good chance it might come off forced or corny. I think in your writing you could contain more detail

It took me about three hours to get to my destination. Angel Grove. The first place I’d really been able to call home. I’d moved so many times before I was sixteen, I felt like I was in a military family. Every time we moved, my parents swore that it would be the last time, but they never kept their promise until we settled in Angel Grove. It was the place where my life changed forever. The place where I took up the mantle of power, and became one of ’ Power Rangers, after a brief spell with evil, if you’ pardon the pun.

Okay you could always add certain details like, how was the ride, how was he during the ride, what did the tires on the road sound/symbolize? show him entering Angel Grove, and describe a strange sensation or memories as he passed the welcome .

Looking back on it now, I know why I acted the way I did. I ’ deal with it. We had been Power Rangers. After surviving countless life or death battles, it seemed so…unfair that she should die through circumstances completely out of her, and our, control. So I made no attempt to reconnect with them, any of them. I stayed cold and aloof. I went through the motions like a machine instead of allowing myself to feel. And for that, I was sure they hated me.

Of those four, I’d only been in contact with Jason, and even that was only for the mission on the moon. When it was completed, we said our , and that was that. It ’ much better with the second group, either. The replacements, as some probably would have called them. Katherine , Rocky , Adam Park and . I kept in touch with them casually, and even then, I’d only talk to them if they called me. For some reason, I found it necessary to keep myself separated from my past, but that was changing. Things you wanted to forget had a way of coming back to bite you in the ass. I’d learned that through personal experience. And now I needed my past more than ever.

I was going to need their help.

A little random but I think you could expand upon this more... Add more detail about his feelings, go beyond the surface of the character, but at the same time overdue it.

Okay I'm at the first fight scene and I know your writing in first person but you using I way to much. Try being more creative with your sentences limiting the use of the word I.

Once again the lenght was decent, but it was kind of un-eventfull....

[os_prfan]

Thanks for your comments, dragomuseveni, xaviera and GeddonZord. And thank you as well, Splush, for your frankness. I've been waiting for someone else to give me a critical review of this, and that was about as critical as I've gotten. Hopefully when you get to the next couple chapters it will be better, because I've found that the descriptiveness I've used has gotten better as the chapters have gone on. That's all for now, and sorry it took so long to respond to the comments. I should have the next chapter up within the next couple of days. 'Till then.

[os_prfan]

Okay, so my prediction was off. Again. I apologize to those of you who have been waiting for an update, I've been busy preparing for a concert that I'm performing in, which is tomorrow night. That having been said, I will be posting the next chapter on Friday, without fail, and updates will come much more frequently, I hope. To compensate for the lateness of the update, this chapter will be MUCH longer than previous chapters have been. It will change everything...and no, I'm not going to give away anything beyond that. All I will tell you is that there actually is a fight, plus an appearance by someone you may not expect. So, until Friday.

[TSoldier]

You should be sorry.

We have it in writing now...
I will be posting the next chapter on Friday, without fail
So I'm gonna hold you to the Friday deadline. Otherwise.........well, there's pretty much nothing I can do about it.

Anyway, Good luck with your concert. I'll be looking forward to seeing more from you on Friday. Don't let me down........again..........or else.

Later.

[y3k]

If we don't get another chapter on friday, I'll throw you into Impy's hole of sad, understand?

[os_prfan]

If we don't get another chapter on friday, I'll throw you into Impy's hole of sad, understand?

I understand perfectly, man. Don't worry, though, the chapter is well worth the wait, I assure you.

[os_prfan]

DISCLAIMER: Insert standard disclaimer here, regarding Saban, Disney, and everyone else whom I am not ripping off.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I know. I know. I’ve taken way too long to update. I lay myself at the mercy of my readers, and hope that this chapter will make up for some of it. If it doesn't, well then just point me in the direction of Impy's hole of sad, and I'll fall into it willingly. As always, comments (good or bad) are welcome. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter VII

It started with a punch, and then a sting to the jaw. A fighter clad in a black gi tumbled to the ground, while his opponent, clad in a white gi, stood over him, his attention remaining focused on his fallen foe. The two were competing in the final match of the annual Angel Grove Grand Dragon Tournament, a martial arts competition inviting fighters from Angel Grove and the surrounding cities and towns to compete for the Grand Dragon Trophy. The tournament, which focused exclusively on point-based singles match-ups, was run in conjunction with the Golden Pipe Tournament, which focused on form and katas, and was typically the highlight of the martial arts calendar year.

The white-clad fighter remained stoic, his muscles still tensed, observing his fallen adversary with evident caution playing across his features. The black-clad fighter punched the mat, cursing under his breath as the referee awarded his opponent two points for the successful takedown. The score read ten points a piece. With less than a minute remaining in the match, it was apparent to the spectators, as well as the fighters, that a well-executed series of maneuvers in the final moments of the match would determine the victor. Allowing his anger at being taken down so easily cloud his judgment, the black-clad figure charged his opponent recklessly, his left hand reaching out while his right hand drew back, preparing to strike a blow that threatened to nigh on flatten his opponent. Sadly, for the fighter, the intended blow never struck home. His black belt fluttering slightly as he moved, the white-clad fighter easily sidestepped, clamping his hands upon his opponent’s outstretched left arm, and handily tossed him over his shoulder, landing a quick punch to his gut while he lay sprawled on the mat. The referee signaled a break, and awarded four points for the throw and takedown, as the final bell sounded, making the final score fourteen to ten in favour of the fighter in white.

“The winner of the Grand Dragon Tournament, representing Tao Dojo, J.B. Reese,” the referee announced, raising the hand on J.B.’s side in victory. “Bow to me, bow to each other.” The fighters did so, and afterwards shook hands, congratulating the other on a well-fought match. As they parted ways, J.B. accepted the proffered trophy from the referee, nodded his thanks and, with a smile, walked over to Tao, the head of the dojo and his good friend.

“Well done, J.B. You represented the dojo honourably,” Tao said, placing a hand warmly on J.B.’s shoulder.

“Thank you, sensei,” J.B. replied, bowing slightly. He opened his mouth to say more, but he heard the distinct ring of his cell phone cut through the peripheral noise. Excusing himself apologetically, he walked over to his gear bag, still smiling. He set down the trophy, retrieved his cell phone and answered it, bringing it swiftly to his ear.

“Hello?” The smile slowly faded from his face as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. His face visibly paled, and it took some effort to swallow past the lump slowly growing in his throat. “I’ll be right there, professor,” he replied, quickly hanging up. His hands moved quickly, placing all of his effects into his bag, and zipping it up. He slung it over his right shoulder, picked up the trophy once more, and walked swiftly over to Tao. He handed his sensei the trophy.

“There’s something I need to take care of, sensei. Can you take this back to the dojo for me?” he asked quickly. While his voice remained calm, his eyes belied the impatience and doubt he was feeling. Tao looked at his pupil uncertainly.

“Of course, J.B. What is the matter?” J.B.’s mind scrambled to come up with an excuse.

“It’s a…family emergency,” he said quickly. In reality, it was probably the nearest answer he could give to the truth, without putting Tao in unnecessary danger. “I’ll explain as soon as I can.” Without another word, he dashed out of the Juice Bar, leaving a bewildered Tao standing with the trophy in his hands.

- PRG -

“Do we have any way of tracking down the coin?” Adam asked. I scratched my chin thoughtfully, glancing down at Saba. He was not speaking, a sign that he didn’t have any suggestions on the matter, which I found rather odd, considering how opinionated he had been while I was the White Ranger. A thought occurred to me.

“We might, but it’s a long-shot,” I said, putting my thought into words. “The Dragon Dagger.” The others looked at me in confusion.

“Whoa, hold up,” Zack said skeptically. “I thought you just said that this Draeph guy has it.” I shook my head.

“Not exactly. You see, what he has are the identical copies of both the coin and Dagger, the ones created by the Wizard of Deception. I still have the original Dragon Dagger. I held on to it as a keepsake; a memento of my time as the Green Ranger. It’s still in my lab at Reefside.” I withdrew my cell phone from the depths of my pocket. “I’ll call Hayley right now, and get her to bring it up to us. Plus, if we’re lucky, she’ll be able to help us establish contact with Aquitar, so we can get in touch with Billy.” I dialed Hayley’s number, and placed the phone on the table, putting it on speaker so that everyone could hear. It rang twice before she picked up.

“Hayley, it’s me. Are you in my lab?”

“Yes, Tommy,” her voice answered. “Are you feeling better?” I smiled.

“Yeah, much better, thanks. I need you to do something for me. Go to the southwestern corner of the lab, by the power generator. Place your right hand on the largest Dino Thunder symbol you see on the wall. It’s a palm print reader. It will give you access to my vault. I need you to take out the Dagger that’s inside of it. Quickly.” I stopped talking, listening as intently as the others were while her footsteps resounded from the earpiece of the phone.

“Alright, Tommy, I have it, but I think something’s wrong.” In the background, I heard a faint melancholic melody playing softly.

“What is it?”

“The blade is glowing green…and there’s some kind of song coming from the hilt.” I swallowed hard.

“Hold it up to the receiver. I need to hear the song more clearly.” The melody grew louder as she did what I asked. It was a melody that I had heard only once before, in a discussion with Zordon while he was explaining to me the power of the Dagger. “I need you to bring it here as quickly as possible, Hayley. I’m with my jeep, so you can follow the GPS signal.”

“Alright. I’ll be there in a couple hours. What should I tell the kids?” I thought for a moment.

“Don’t tell them anything. It’s better if they don’t know. They’re going to need to stay alert for Mesogog with neither of us there to help them. I’ll talk to you when you get here.” I hung up the phone, putting it back in its place in my pocket.

“What does that song mean?” Kat asked, voicing the question everyone so obviously had.

“That melody means that the power has been accessed. Someone has morphed with the coin.”

- PRG -

J.B. turned the engine to his car off, and got out slowly, surveying his surroundings cautiously. The professor had asked him to meet him here, in West Union Park, as soon as he possibly could. He pondered the professor’s final statement of their conversation as he walked. “Be prepared for anything,” he had said. Gently fingering the pendent around his neck, J.B. knew that he was ready for the “anything” that had been spoken of.

He eventually saw the professor sitting against the base of a large statue, facing away from him. He picked up his pace, continuing to walk until he was standing approximately a metre behind him. He stopped, appraising the situation cautiously. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the immediate vicinity, but something just didn’t feel right to him. Perhaps it was the noise, or rather, the lack of noise, that bothered him. The sounds one might typically find in a park, kids’ laughter, birds chirping, were all absent, replaced by an eerie silence that unnerved him greatly.

“Professor?” he asked tentatively, reaching a hand out to place on the man’s shoulder. As soon as he made contact, the body slumped on its side, revealing the large pool of blood that lay beneath it. He took a step back, paling visibly at the horrific sight in front of him. The corpse of Professor Hart, his mentor, lay cold on the grass, a gaping hole where his heart should have been. He was jarred from his feelings of grief by the sound of laughter. He spun around in confusion, trying to pinpoint the laughter, which seemed to be coming from nowhere in particular. The laughter seemed to intensify, growing more maniacal in nature the louder it got.

“Show yourself, damn it!!” he yelled, his fists balling of their own accord at his sides. He heard a soft thud behind him, and he whirled instinctively, lunging forward with a right cross. His attack never landed. He found his fist being gripped firmly in a white-gloved hand.

“Guess who.”

- PRG -

“Where’s she going?” Conner asked, pointing at Hayley, who was walking swiftly out of Tommy’s house, a small object clutched tightly to her chest. The Dino teens were crouched behind some shrubs flanking the driveway, out of sight.

“Maybe she’s going to make a delivery,” Ethan replied, not realizing the irony of his statement. Conner scoffed.

“Dude, we just met her a few hours ago and you already know her schedule?” he said derisively.

“It’s just a guess,” Ethan said, not meeting Conner’s gaze. Kira shook her head.

“Will you two stop it? Look,” she said, gesturing back to Hayley, who had just opened the door to a car parked in the driveway. Shutting the door behind her, she gunned the engine, and took off out of the driveway, tires screeching in her wake. As soon as Hayley had turned onto the street, Conner got to his feet and jogged over to his dad’s car, which the teens had used to get toe Tommy’s house. Ethan and Kira followed him, more slowly.

“What are you doing?” she asked. Conner lowered himself into the driver’s seat.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m following her.” He turned the key in the ignition, gunning the engine. “Are you guys coming or not?” Ethan and Kira exchanged a glance before climbing into the car.

- PRG -

J.B. cried out in surprise as a fist struck him in the chest, sending him hurtling backward. A moan of pain escaped his lips as his back connected solidly with the thick tree trunk where the professor’s corpse lay. He found himself laying facedown on the grass, wheezing as he tried to breathe, his right arm immersed in the crimson pool of blood that streamed from the professor’s body. He pushed himself to his knees, spitting up blood and sucking in air greedily, and stared hatefully at his attacker.

He walked slowly, steadily towards J.B., obviously taking great pleasure in inflicting pain, bodily and otherwise. He was clad from head to toe in green and white body armor, with diamond patterns, large and small, wrapping around his figure. His white boots and gloves with golden lining moved back and forth in rhythm as he approached J.B.’s fallen form. A black-hilted dagger hung on his right hip, within easy reach of his hand, and a red blade-like weapon hung from his left hip. A large golden shield, extending past the shoulder in both directions, covered the majority of his torso and neck. His helmet was one that the media and general population of Angel Grove was very familiar with, although it had been years since its last appearance; a helmet in the shape of a dragon’s head, whose visor lay within the mouth, with a grey mouthpiece located just below it.

Green Ranger chuckled as J.B. pushed himself to his feet, breathing heavily. His gloved hand pulled the dagger out of its holster, and presented it to J.B. for inspection. Its blade was still stained a deep crimson from the professor’s blood.

“You don’t have to worry about him. He didn’t suffer…ok, that’s a lie, but I made his death quick when I was finished with him, which is more than I can say for you.”

“Why?” J.B. asked angrily, through gritted teeth. Green Ranger shrugged.

“He was a mistake that needed to be corrected,” he stated simply, gesturing at the corpse with the bloody dagger. “I only have a problem with you if you make one. Don’t do anything stupid.” J.B. pointed directly at Green Ranger.

“You’re not going to get away with killing the professor. I’ll make sure of that,” he swore, gripping his pendent tightly. He held it up in front of him, saying the words he had not spoken for quite some time, the words he never thought he’d need to say again. “Trooper Transform!”

The sapphire embedded in the pendent glowed with power as the transformation began to occur. The suit materialized in a bright flash of light, and with it came the same surge of adrenaline he remembered from the old days. It barely took a moment, but when it was finished the form of J.B. Reese no longer stood in the park. In his place stood a VR Trooper. His armor was coloured in alternating sections of red and black, with the occasional silver streak. His gauntlets were silver, and connected straight into forearm guards, which were also silver. His lower body consisted of reinforced black leggings covered with silver boots that extended up a little ways past his knees. A blaster holster hung off his right hip, within easy reach of his hand, and a small cylindrical object hung off the other hip.

The two combatants circled each other grimly, neither giving the other an inch of ground. J.B. could feel his heart pounding against his rib cage inside the suit as he took the object from his hip. With the press of a button, a blade sprung out of one end. He could get the vision of the bloodstained dagger out of his mind. His neck tensed of its own accord as he felt his anger boiling beneath the surface. His gloved fist tightened around the hilt of the sword, and he addressed Green Ranger.

“You picked the wrong man to fuck with,” he said. Green Ranger chuckled loudly, shaking his head.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you? Well, you’ll get what’s coming to you. What say we get this over with, hmm?” J.B. nodded grimly.

“Lets.” The sunlight overhead reflected off their visors as they rushed towards each other, weapons held at the ready. The blades clashed together, sending shockwaves of reverberation through the arms of each fighter. J.B. gritted his teeth as he tried to overpower his opponent’s dagger, but could do nothing more than keep the stalemate. Green Ranger grunted slightly.

“Not bad. You’re as strong as I remember.” Putting more strength into his right arm, he slowly began to turn J.B.’s blade to the side, until it was perpendicular to their bodies. Drawing the blade blaster from its