Power Rangers: Legacy

[ivoryranger]

As with my other fic, I really want some feedback on this. How long I continue posting will depend on how much response I get. Thanks.
(I apologize for the quality of the pictures. Please feel free to draw better ones yourself.)

Millions of years ago, a nameless evil threatened the very existence of the universe. Five heroes banded together to fight against the dark force. Their victory came at a tremendous cost, as they found their own souls corrupted by their massive powers. And so, the surviving warriors did the most difficult thing any of them could imagine: they walked away.

Now, a dark priest from a distant galaxy has come to Earth, intent on reviving the evil force that threatened the universe so long ago. The last surviving member of the ancient team chooses three new heroes to carry on the...


Power Rangers: Legacy


Rangers:

Dylan Fokker
Ruby Red Ranger
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze49gfr/lred.jpg
Age: 17
Zord: Legacy Dragon
Sp. Weapon: Ruby Mace
Sp. Attack: Ruby Paddlewheel
Dylan is a shy but gifted musician who would rather spend his days composing at the piano than saving the world. At first an uneasy-fit in the role of team leader, Dylan nonetheless has the heart of a warrior, and his poetic nature gives him a rare appreciation of beauty and tragedy, and makes him acutely aware of what's at stake in this battle. Though he tries not to make a show of it, he's more than a little besotted with Casey.

Stone Rikard
Sapphire Blue Ranger
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze49gfr/lblue.jpg
Age: 18
Zord: Gryphonzord
Sp. Weapon: Sapphire Axe
Sp. Attack: Sapphire Chain-saw
To say that Stone is a ladies' man is an understatement. Most people would call him a womanizer, but Stone prefers to think of himself as a connoisseur of romance. With a bit of a short fuse, Stone's boldness and cockiness tend to get him in over his head. Stone is not the misogynistic idiot he pretends to be, and is probably almost as smart as Casey.

Casey Valentine
Emerald Green Ranger
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze49gfr/lgreen.jpg
Age: 17
Zord: Chimerazord
Sp. Weapon: Emerald Whip
Sp. Attack: Emerald Sattelite
Casey Valentine, or "Bemai" as Stone insists on calling her is arrogant, abrasive, and probably the smartest person at Tribulation High School. She has no time or patience for people who aren't as smart as she is, which, to her mind, is just about everyone. She dresses to hide it, but Casey is really exceptionally attractive, and though she outwardly eschews all matters of the heart, even she is not totally immune to Stone's charms.

Enemies:

Dastari: Last of a long line of dark priests. When the Power Rangers of Atox decimated his forces, he relocated to Earth in a desperate attempt to release the nameless evil

Leyolas: Dastari's lieutenant.

Kirin, the Black Warrior: Millions of years ago, the other warriors were forced to imprison the black warrior in an obsidian statue when he turned on them. Now, Dastari has awakened Kirin as the Black Ranger, a soulless killer determined to destroy the other rangers.

Zealots: Dastari's footsoldiers. Once human, these beings have been so twisted by evil energies that they can only survive thanks to massive cybernetic implants. They expire instantly if their faceplates are removed.

Villarion: One of the most powerful enemies the ancient warriors faced. The Black Ranger had him resurrected to serve as a lieutenant in his army

Setussen: Of the same race as Finster. Master of a guild of monster-smiths dating to the time of the ancient warriors

Other Characters:

Kenobi, the White Warrior: Last of the ancient warriors, he has served as guardian to the Legacy Powers for millions of years. He reluctantly recruits Dylan, Stone, and Casey to carry on the legacy of his fallen teammates and serves as their mentor.

Sirius Kenner: A theology student at the local college, Sirius runs the coffee shop where the rangers spend much of their off-duty time. It seems that he knows more about their identities than he lets on, and has been acting mysteriously antagonistic toward the rangers.

Sara Convery: Sirius's sometimes-girlfriend. Though she looks and acts in many ways more like a little girl than an adult, she is a talented engineer, and may be even smarter than Casey. Her typical style of interaction is based on the principle of shock-and-awe, catching others off-guard with her often inappropriate personal revelations.

Episode Guide
01: Legacy, Part 1 -- In Tribulation Landing, three teenagers are selected to stop an ancient evil
02: Legacy, Part 2 -- The three teens gain the Legacy Rings, becoming Power Rangers
03: Waking the Titan -- The rangers must pass a difficult test to receive their Zords
04: A Stone and a Hard Place -- An anxiety-causing monster disables two of the rangers
05: The Other Guys, Part 1 -- The rangers meet their counterparts from Dastari's homeworld
06: The Other Guys, Part 2 -- Two ranger teams struggle to keep Dastari from aquiring the Onyx of Shadow
07: Enter the Dragon, Part 1 -- The emergence of a new evil force disables the rangers' powers
08: Enter the Dragon, Part 2 -- The rangers face off against their new enemy: The Black Ranger
09: Gemfire -- Dylan struggles to regain his confidence after losing the firegem to the Black Ranger
10: A Family Affair, Part 1 -- Now with his own Zord, the Black Ranger begins his deadliest assault yet.
11: A Family Affair, Part 2 -- The rangers lose one aly, and gain another
12: A Family Affair, Part 3 -- The field is finally leveled with the debut of the White Ranger
13: Song of the Dragon -- Dylan and Sirius struggle for leadership
14: Blue Fire -- The Black Ranger's latest plan incapacitates two rangers
15: Stick Figure -- To defeat a powerful monster, Sirius must hone his skills
16: Dragonfall, Part 1 -- The rangers decide to take the fight to the Black Ranger
17: Dragonfall, Part 2 -- On the moon, the battle with the Black Ranger reaches its climax
18: Dark Rising -- The rangers think they have finally prevailed -- but have they?
19: A Light in the Dark -- The rangers must stop the ultimate weapon from falling to their enemy
20: Return of the Dragon -- The toughest monster yet attacks, and only a new friend can help them -- if he can be trusted
21: For the Honor of Atox -- The rangers are called on to repay a debt to some old friends
22: Green With Envy -- Casey questions her role on the team
23: A Ranger for All Seasons -- A legend from the past comes to the rangers with a unique problem.
24: Out of the Ashes, Part 1
25: Out of the Ashes, Part 2
26: Losing My Religion
27: Densetsu no Sentai Ringuranger
28: Spell(un)bound
29: Phoenix Rising
30: Soulstone
31: Rolling Thunder
32: Dragonfire
33: The Sixth Man
34: Kirin-Kiri
35: Armageddon
36: To The End of the Earth, Part 1
37: To The End of the Earth, Part 2
38: The Legend Lives!

[ivoryranger]

Episode 01
Legacy
Ivoryranger@hotmail.com


A Very Long Time Ago
(In a galaxy far, far away)


"It's done." Elysium removed his crimson helmet and tucked it under his arm. His three companions did not move. The four warriors held their positions around the obsidian statue of a knight in battle dress, all but Elysium staring at it reverently. They had been five, once.

"Is it?" asked the warrior in green. "This could have been any one of us."

"But it wasn't." The warrior in white removed his own helmet. "Kirin chose the darkness."

"Did he?" Elysium asked. "Was the choice really his to make?" He extended a gloved finger toward the green warrior. "Erdos, are not the machines you created already massing an empire of evil?" Erdos pushed back his green visor, an expression of pain and guilt showing through on the Thanosian's gray face. "You were the wisest of us all," Elysium continued. "But even you fell pray to this... This madness."

He turned to the blue warrior. She leaned heavily on her battle axe, stains of blood corrupting the blue of her battle-dress. She coughed, and tried to remove her helmet, but it took all her remaining strength just to keep herself upright. Soon, they would be three. "And you, Chryssoula -- how much of your world, Natron, have your Orgs left intact?"

She coughed again, and felt the action bring up fresh blood. "Animaria is the home of my people now. But what of you, Elysium of Zatar? Would you stand here and tell us that your hands are spotless, after --"

He cut her off. "I know what I have done, what my own demons have unleashed -- I know better than any of you. We fought back darkness once before, but we were blind to the darkness in our own hearts. And that is why we must put a stop to it."

The warrior in white had never taken his eyes from the obsidian statue. Now, he looked to Elysium. "How?"

At the foot of the statue was a small black stone, a perfectly smooth onyx gemstone. Elysium picked it up, and with his supernatural strength, pitched it into the void of space. "By walking away. The powers we wield are too dangerous. Let this be our last act as the protectors of the universe." He held out his hand. Red energy flowed down his arm, coalescing in his palm. When the aura faded, his helmet and armor were gone, and small ruby rested in the Zatar's palm, its facets sparkling with an otherworldly light. "It's the only way."

"And what if the darkness comes again?" Erdos asked, his eyes transfixed by the glow of the gem.

Elysium thought for a moment. "One of us must act as guardian to these powers, must ensure that they are only ever used in the hour of greatest need."

"Who among us could shoulder such a burden?" the White Warrior asked.

The others all looked to him automatically. "You were the purest of any of us," Chryssoula managed. It was getting harder for her to breathe.

He shook his head. "Not me," he protested. "I don't have the power, the wisdom -- Erdos, with your wisdom --"

Erdos stopped him with a hand. "Not me. With the evil I have done in the name of achieving perfection... I only ever had the best of intentions, but I know now, I could never contain these powers. I would try to use them -- use them for good -- but use them all the same, and their power would destroy what remains of my soul. No, Elysium is right." He held out his hand and his own battle-dress dissolved into green light that condensed toward his hand, forming into a perfect emerald.

"Chryssoula, then," he said. "You are the mother-goddess of the Natron, who better to be steward --"

"A mother whose children have been driven from their home," she answered. "Besides," she coughed up fresh blood. "Kenobi, I'm dying."

Kenobi knew this, of course -- they all knew it, and they had all denied it to themselves. It took all her strength to hold her arm up as her own blue energy formed into a sapphire in her hand. With her armor gone, it was impossible to deny the severity of her injuries. Blood flowed freely from the wound on her side, from her nose, and from the base of the small horn that broke through her forehead, the Natron mark of royalty. Without her battle-axe to support her, Chryssoula stumbled, and it was only with Erdos's help that she managed to stay on her feet.

"Elysium?" Kenobi said. "You were the most powerful of us, how could I defend these powers as well as you?"

"It is because of my power that I can't. There's no way I could resist the temptations of that kind of power. No, Kenobi, only you have the purity of soul."

"But you saw what happened to Kirin," he said. "How can I trust myself with this power? If the power could do this--" he indicated the statue -- "To my own--"

"Because of this," Elysium said. "Because you understand the danger of these powers in a way the rest of us can not. Kenobi, White Warrior of Eltar, you are the guardian of our legacy." He held out his fist, offering the ruby. "I give you the ruby of power. May its strength never again be needed."

With trembling hand, Kenobi took the ruby. Chryssoula extended her hand, struggling to hold on to the sapphire until Kenobi was close enough to catch it. "I give you the sapphire of courage. May you remember the difference between courage and recklessness."

She closed her eyes, perhaps for the last time, and Erdos helped her to the ground before giving his own gem to Kenobi. "I give you the emerald of wisdom," he said, "May you use it more wisely than I did."

"Thank you," he said, "I will not betray the trust." He touched the shoulder of the statue. "And I will not forget the good man you were, once."

----

Six Months Ago
Atox Minor


Dastari stood at the balcony high in his dark tower. The tower rose above his castle as if it had not been built, but somehow grown from the bedrock itself. Far below him, his army of Zealot-drones surrounded a party of five masked warriors. Dastari pulled back the cowl of his black robe. His face had long ago been twisted into an evil scowl cut into a plate of black flesh as hard as steel by the darkness of his devotion. He looked to his lieutenant. "What are they?" he snarled.

Layolas had been Dastari's devoted apprentice since he had been a boy, and though his face remained human, he bore the mark of his religion in the form of a black brand that covered much of his face, an inverted ankh. "The Power Rangers of Atox Major, Lord. Defenders of this galaxy."

"Can five rangers really hope to defeat the forces of the One True God?"

"They are a formidable force, my lord."

As Dastari watched, the five rangers of Atox Major fought their way to the castle walls. In their wake, the legions of Zealot-drones stretched out for miles, their dissembled parts twitching and sparking. The rangers were closing on the tower.

"Truly," Dastari hissed, "We have lost the favor of the dark one."

Layolas could only shake his head in disbelief. Through all the years, through his own crisises of faith, Dastari's devotion had never faultered. Until now. "It can not be, Lord."

Dastari turned away. "Layolas, you have been my devoted servant these long years, but I wonder. Is your faith truly pure?"

"It is, my lord. I serve only the One True God, and His servant, my master."

Dastari nodded. His face was unable to form any expression beyond the permanent scowl, but Layolas liked to imagine he would have smiled if he could. "Layolas, bring me the book."

The apprentice trembled at the words. "The book, my lord?"

"It is time. Bring it."

Layolas retreated into the darkness of the tower, returning seconds later with a very old book. Its cover seemed to be woven from strips of human flesh. "Long have we served the One True God, the God that Sleeps." Dastary placed a reverent, clawed hand on the cover. Layolas bowed his head. "This book tells of our lord's defeat at the hands of the five ancient warriors, how, aeons ago, he was banished from this plane of existence." He looked over his shoulder to the battle below. "And now we, the last of his disciples, face defeat at the hands of they who are but a shadow of the five warriors."

He opened the book. "Neither I, nor any of the dark priests before me have ever dared to look upon the last page of this book. Never has any of our order attained the purity of evil in spirit to be considered fit for the task it lays out for us. But we have no choice now. If we fall to the Rangers, you shall never succeed me as dark priest, and our order shall be no more. There is no more time. There is no choice."

He turned to the last page of the book. The words had been neatly, painstakingly printed in the very blood of the first dark priest, in the ancient language. It was a secret tongue that had been passed from each dark priest to the next. Dastari looked up. "It tells how our Lord was banished from this realm. But before he vanished into the darkness, he left a splinter of himself behind in the hearts of the five warriors, cursing them and their line to fall victim to the very darkness they had sought to destroy... If their powers could be collected, corrupted to our cause..." he looked away.

"What, my lord?" Layolas asked. He dared not look upon the holy relic himself.

Dastari could barely form the words. "The dark one would live again in this world."

Layolas could not bring himself to speak. With every innocent he had slaughtered in his novitiate training, he had prayed for the day when their god would again exist on this plane. Never had he thought he would live to see the day.

"Gather the remaining faithful. We leave at once."

"To where, my lord?"

"The place of the final battle between the ancient warriors and our God." He touched the page's only illumination, a dot on the third of nine concentric rings drawn around a yellow star. "Earth."

----

Tribulation Landing, Present Day

The marker squeaked as it drew across the glass of Dylan Fokker's full-length mirror, but he couldn't hear it through the headphones. He would have preferred to compose at the piano downstairs, but his parents didn't appreciate his need to work whenever inspiration hit him, even if it was at sunrise on a Saturday. He turned back to the keyboard and tried a few chords. Disgusted, he turned back to the mirror and drew a harsh line through the last bar of music. In the mirror, he could see the reflection of his bedroom window, and, through it, the first rays of sunlight cresting the cliffs that overlooked the bay. He drew an eighth-note, and its tail seemed to rest on the cliff. He had no idea why, but he wanted very badly to go there.

-

"Wake up, Little Susie." The girl, whose name was almost certainly not Susie, twitched and woke up. Stone squeezed her shoulder. She blinked off sleep and looked out the windshield. The sun was over the trees, and the last trace of dawn was fading in the sky.

"Shit, how long was I --" She struggled to get her mind all back in one place. Stone shrugged. "My dad's going to kill me."

"Yeah, but is he going to kill me?"

She giggled and kissed his jaw. "I'll smooth things over. But I got to get home now."

"Easy enough," Stone said. He pushed in the clutch and the old Mustang started to roll backwards down the hill.

"There's a pretty good chance I'll be grounded for a few days," she said. "But afterward.... You'll call me, right?"

Stone needed his right arm to shift once he cranked the engine, but after he got the car in gear, he took the time to squeeze her thigh. "Of course, baby," he lied. Stone had hard and fast rules about how far the first date had to go for there to be a second date. And while he knew he probably would have gotten her top off if they hadn't fallen asleep, it just wouldn't be fair to make an exception. The rules were the rules. The rules were what separated man from the animals.

The car bucked and kicked up a spray of dust as it drifted off of the blacktop to the dirt shoulder. Stone pulled the car back onto the road and realized that he'd been daydreaming, his eyes scanning the rocks protruding from the face of the cliff that rose high above them. Since he'd woken up, he'd felt a very gentle tug at the edge of his consciousness, and it was tugging him toward the cliff-top.

-

Casey Valentine let herself appreciate the bitterness of the double espresso as she read the newspaper. She always tried to get to the café as soon as it opened, in case anyone from school happened by. The way she looked -- pigtails, tortoise-shell glasses, green flannel shirt and coveralls -- were all a calculated rouse to tell the world she wasn't worth bothering, but it only worked some of the time. She dressed to play down her high cheekbones, perfectly symmetric breasts, and pinup curves, because, while being totally ignored would have been ideal, being an object of derision and the occasional lesbian joke was still better than being constantly bombarded with propositions from hormone-crazed teenage boys. She wasn't totally opposed to romance, in theory, but she seriously doubted she would find a man even halfway smart enough to merit her attention in Tribulation Landing.

She took another sip of espresso and turned the page. Her eyes lighted on an article about the war on Terra Venture. The news was at least a year old -- it took that long for NASADA ships to make the trip to Earth -- and Casey wondered whether or not anyone was still left there now. She was bothered by the apathy the general public seemed to hold for Terra Venture. She guessed it was because the whole thing still seemed unreal to older people. She had been a little girl the first time the monsters had come to Earth, could barely remember a time when giant monsters hadn't lain siege to some town somewhere.

At first, the world at large hadn't wanted to believe it. Stories had run in all the big papers about the quaint little town of Angel Grove, where the entire population was hallucinating giant monsters. The doubts stopped one day when a giant space ship appeared in low orbit and dropped millions of robotic soldiers on the major cities of the Earth. No one was really clear on how the alien invaders had been stopped; most of the stories attributed it to some outfit called the "Power Rangers," but Casey didn't believe a word of it. In the wake of the invasion, the first off-world colony, Terra Venture, had been planned. The official line was that Terra Venture's purpose was to prove the viability of off-world colonies with an eye to the time when it would be necessary for mankind to spread out into the galaxy or face overcrowding at home. But everyone knew that was mostly just PR. The Earth could its population at least until the technology was really up to space colonization -- Terra Venture was built mostly from scavenged parts of the alien mothership, and it was a miracle it had gotten off the ground at all. No, the real reason that humanity had to get off the Earth, and get off now, was that, in light of the growing threat from aliens, monsters, even ancient demons, humanity was hedging its bets; spreading its seed far in the hope that if the worst came to pass, humanity would continue somewhere else.

It seemed like a damned good reason to Casey, which was why it bothered her so much that no one seemed to care if humanity's back-up plan nuked itself back to the stone age. She threw down the paper in disgust. The paper hit the table, sending up ripples in her coffee. When they died, she saw the side of the cliff reflected in the blackness and looked up. The view across the bay was one of the things that made the café such a success -- location, location, location. She watched the water, perfectly still in the windless morning, and saw the cliff reflected there too. She hadn't been up to the top in a long time, not since she'd been old enough to understand what a prime make-out spot was. She wanted to go there now.

-

With the sun at his back, Dylan looked down to the bay below. He still didn't know what had drawn him here, but he was glad he came. High above him, a bird flew across the sun, the light making it look like it was made of gold. The bird chittered out a song. Dylan didn't have any paper, so he wrote the notes on his arm in magic marker.

"Scenic, isn't it?"

Dylan jumped at the voice and turned around. He knew Stone Rikard mostly by reputation: he was the guy you warned your sister about. His classic red mustang was parked nearly on top of Dylan's Vespa, and he couldn't think how he hadn't heard him pull up.

"Never thought I'd find you here during daylight hours," Dylan stammered.

Stone shrugged. "Just felt like taking in the sunrise." He wouldn't admit it, but he was glad he wasn't the only one here. He didn't know Dylan by name, though he'd seen him around at school. Different circles. Stone wasted very little energy on men. Just didn't get as much out of it. "You, um, come up here a lot?" Instantly, Stone regretted saying that. He spent so much time on pick-up lines that he did it automatically. The last thing he wanted this nobody to think was that he was hitting on him.

Casey nearly turned around and left again when she crested the hill and saw that she wouldn't be alone at the top. And Stone Rikard, of all people. The bronze Adonis of Tribulation Landing High. If brains were dynamite... She vaguely knew the other boy. Dylan was probably the only person in school more private than she was. Him, at least, she could stand. She walked the rest of the way to the top, cursing herself for not being able to take her eyes off of Stone's backside. Stupid hormones.

Stone heard the leaves crunch under her feet and turned. "Bemai!" he said.

Casey just raised an eyebrow. Stone plucked a wildflower from the grass at his feet and offered it to her. "As in 'Be my Valentine.'"

She knocked the flower from his hand. "Neanderthal," she said.

"Homo Erectus, baby," Stone countered, punctuating the remark with a pelvic thrust.

Casey was very slightly impressed by the comment, if not by the gesture. It occurred to Dylan that it was strange that all three of them should just happen upon the cliff-top at the same time -- it clearly wasn't Stone's habit, and he knew it wasn't his own. Maybe Casey came here all the time, but he'd never thought of her as a nature-lover. Dylan could tell that Stone wasn't interested in her, was just keeping up his end of the tete-a-tete out of pride. He couldn't imagine why, though. How anyone could look at a girl like Casey Valentine and not see straight through the glasses, the pig-tails, and the coveralls. She was a 12/8 body in a 4/4 world.

Dylan refused to admit that he was a little jealous of Stone's way with women, and he took a evil satisfaction in the knowledge that his charms wouldn't work on Casey. Of course, for all he knew, maybe Casey didn't like men at all. He decided not to watch the verbal skirmish, and instead let his eyes fall to a large shadow on the ground. He'd been watching it grow for several seconds when it occurred to him that there wasn't anything up here to cast a shadow that large. He looked skyward. No. Nothing was casting that shadow. "Guys?" he interrupted.

Stone and Casey looked at him, then followed his eyes to the shadow. It was too dark, like a large ink-stain on the ground. And it was growing. "I'm not the only one who's bothered by that, am I?" Dylan asked.

"It looks sort of... Wrong," Casey said. She raised her arms defensively and backed away from the growing penumbra.

"I think," Stone said, measuring his words, "That some serious shit is going down here."

Dylan didn't say anything. He was watching the shadow. The shadow was doing something that shadows weren't supposed to do -- not that this particular shadow had behaved in a normal way so far. It was growing up. Columns of darkness were rising from the blackness, forming crudely anthropomorphic shapes. Shapes that were starting to move.

"Normally," Stone said, "I wouldn't do this. But under the circumstances, anyone want a lift back to town?"

Casey didn't need to be asked twice. Skirting the edge of the shadow, she started for the mustang. She had barely closed half the distance when one of the dark shapes detached from the umbra, and flew up in the air. It fell back to earth, taking the shape of a man in black robes with a symbol burned into his face. He landed on the hood of the mustang with enough force to dent the hood.

"Fucking shit, man," Stone exclaimed, gesturing toward his car. His hand crossed over the terminator into the space above the shadow and he drew it back as if burned.

"Excellent," the branded man said. "We needed a sacrifice to consecrate this ground."

Dylan and Casey took another step away from the shadow. Dylan felt pebbles shift under his feet and looked over his shoulder to see that he had backed all the way to the edge of the cliff. He looked at his Vespa. Maybe close enough to reach, but he would have to come within striking distance of the branded man. The man who was talking about sacrifices.

Besides, the Vespa would only hold two of them. Whatever he thought of Stone, he couldn't leave another human being to -- well, he didn't know what he'd be leaving him to.

The shadow was shrinking now, and the remaining shadow forms condensed. They wore robes like the branded man, and were human in shape, but they had no faces -- a solid, featureless plate of polished black was all that shone beneath their hoods. They looked very much like what they were -- shadows made solid.

"Zealots, attack!" the branded man ordered. The shadow beings were on them in a second. Dylan had never raised his hand in anger as long as he could remember, but this seemed like a good time to start. He threw a clumsy punch at the Zealot that descended upon him, catching it in the chest, but the blow barely even slowed it down.

Stone threw his body out of the way as a Zealot chopped down at him and elbowed a second one in the face. Casey punched and kicked, using the moves she'd learned in a rape prevention class, but the shadow beings clearly had nothing sensitive where normal men did. One of them caught her leg and she went down. Dylan dropped to the ground to duck below a Zealot's grasp, and it was then that he saw Casey on her back, struggling to break the grip on her legs. Dylan leapt forward, landing low on the Zealot's back. It tried to shake him off, momentarily distracted from his attack on the girl. Dylan got his hand inside creature's hood and pulled at its featureless face.

With a sickening squelch, the faceplate came off in Dylan's hand, and he dropped to his knees as the Zealot's body stopped supporting him. A wisp of black fog issued from the hood, and all that was left of the Zealot was his robe and the plate in Dylan's hand. He looked up at Stone. "Go for the faceplate!" he shouted. "They die if it comes off."

Great, Stone thought. Why couldn't they have a weak spot that was easy to get at? He tried to get a hand close to the head of the Zealot he was fighting, but it didn't take it long to realize his strategy, and it kept its hands high, blocking any attack Stone could attempt above the chest.

Another Zealot was almost on Dylan's back when Casey managed to sit up. She struck out over his shoulder and clutched at the face. She couldn't get a firm grip on the smooth surface, and lost her grip when she tried to pull it off. Dylan rolled to one side, kicking out as he did, trying to knock the creature off balance, but it remained firm.

Even knowing their weakness, the deck was stacked hard against Dylan, Stone, and Casey. Six on three were bad odds even if they had fighting experience. Stone finally got the faceplate off of his attacker, but another Zealot was already there to take its place. A single hard blow across his chest put Dylan on the ground, and when Casey tried to stand, she found that her ankle would no longer support her. Only Stone was still able to fight, but his strength was running out. He was throwing big, sloppy roundhouse punches, only about half of which were connecting, and none of which were accomplishing anything. The five remaining Zealots moved in for the kill.

Dylan heard it well before he saw it. A loud woosh like a jet passing overhead. At first, all Casey saw was a billow of white silk. It took her mind a long time to register that it was wrapped around a man -- this might have been because of the blows she'd taken to the head, or just because of the basic strangeness of an old man in a billowing white robe dropping down out of heaven. All things considered, it was not, however, the strangest thing she'd seen today.

The man was not withered despite his obvious great age. A beard of almost pure white hung down from his chin, and Dylan's instant impression was that he was a wizard -- it was only the basic bizarreness of his day so far that made this conclusion seem sane. Stone, coming from a different background, thought for an instant that the last blow he'd received had been fatal, and he was seeing God. Casey, ever rational even in the face of this, saw only a very old man with a long white staff.

Before she could say anything about it, however, the man was in motion again. His speed belied his years, and the staff flashed out, piercing the chest of the closest Zealot. It crumpled to the ground, sparks issuing from its chest. He swung the staff in a broad arc, throwing three more Zealots backward. As he brought the staff upward, it caught the fifth Zealot on the chin, catching his faceplate and tearing it free. The Zealot evaporated, its cloak left hanging from the end of the white staff. An open-handed strike to the chest from the man in white threw another Zealot over the cliff. He flicked the staff upward with a flourish, throwing the cloak over the head of another Zealot. Swinging the staff like a scythe, he connected with the neck of the blinded Zealot and the cloak bounced to the ground. The headless Zealot body crumpled. Thrusting with the lance, he impaled yet another Zealot, catching the last one in the face with the backswing. The Zealot stumbled, and the man in white came around quick, taking its legs out from under it with a low swing of his staff.

"Leave this place," the old man ordered, pressing his staff to the neck of the fallen Zealot. The branded man's eyes burned with fury. He made a gesture in the air with two fingers, and the Zealot's faceplate flew off, its body evaporated.

"My master will destroy you all," the branded man threatened. A pool of shadow formed below him, and he sank into it.

The man in white regarded Dylan, Casey, and Stone, who had finally sunk to his knees, panting. "They will return. Come with me if you want to live."

"Who were-- What were--" Dylan couldn't find a question that worked.

Stone settled on, "What the fuck, man?"

The man in white glowered. "Not now." He raised his staff and waved it over them. Dylan saw red.

-

When the red fog cleared from his vision, Dylan was still prostrate, but the earth beneath him had turned to stone. The air was cooler, and he could see rock walls rising up around him and disappearing into darkness above. Though he couldn't see any visible light source, the large chamber where he lay was lit well enough that he could see Casey and Stone, and also the man in white. Dylan pulled himself upright, then offered Casey his hand. She let him help her to a crouch, then seemed to realize what she was doing, and pushed him away. "Where are we?" she asked.

The old man had walked to an outcropping of white crystal near the center of the chamber. "My home," he said. He looked over his shoulder. "Few could have held their own against the Zealot-drones for so long."

"By, 'held their own,' I assume you mean, 'got their asses kicked'?" Dylan said. He was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, and he saw Casey wince as she noticed it. He wiped the blood away.

"This is the point where you are supposed to demand an explanation," the old man said.

Stone thought about this. "I for one have no intention of trying to order you to do anything," he said.

For the second time today, Casey was impressed by Stone. She had actually been about to demand an explanation herself, but he made a very good point. "But if you expect us to thank you or anything," she said, "You'll kind of have to convince us that we actually are rescued."

The old man regarded her with the sort of bemused condescension she herself often used with people who weren't quite stupid enough to piss her off. "You are not free to go, if that is what you mean."

"Oh," Dylan said. He was surprised by that. This wasn't the script he'd been playing out in his mind.

"As you are, the Zealots would make short work of you if you returned to the surface."

Casey caught on the first three words. "As we are?"

"In time," the old man said.

"Look," Stone said, "This is all very spooky and cryptic and all, and I can not stress enough that this is totally a request, and not a demand, but I could really do with some kind of exposition. Y'know, a heaping helping of what the hell, maybe with some where, who, and why on the side."

The old man smiled. "The important question is when, Stone Rikard. And yes, I know all your names, Casey Valentine, Dylan Fokker."

"Sure," Dylan said. "Why not? If no one minds, I think I'll just go sit in the corner and cry for a while. I may sing quietly to myself if that's all right."

"I am the White Warrior," the old man explained. "Since before your sun burned hot in space, before your race was born --"

"I have awaited a question," Casey interrupted.

The White Warrior smiled. "I have been here a very long time." He placed a hand on the large crystal and the air above them filled with a panorama of space. "Your television provides some distraction."

Stone had an excellent sarcastic comment about pay-per-view channels, but he decided it was wiser to keep it to himself. The White Warrior continued. "When the universe was still young, before the stars and the planets were formed, there were only two forces in the universe -- you would call them order and chaos; light and dark; good and evil.

"The light force and the dark force have fought throughout time, neither one can exist without the other... But at times, the forces move out of balance."

"By exposition, I was really hoping for something that would make some sense of what just happened," Stone said.

The White Warrior continued as if he hadn't heard Stone. "The dark force gave rise to an evil that had no name. An evil that sought nothing but the dissolution of all life, all existence." As he spoke, a dark stain spread across the panorama, blotting out the stars. "In those dark times, three heroes arose. Elysium, the hero of Zatar; Chryssoula, the princess of Natron, and Erdos, the scholar of Thanos. They scoured the universe in search of a power that could hold back the darkness, and they found it within themselves. They sealed the darkness away..."

"What happened to the light force?" Dylan asked.

"None can say," the White Warrior said. "But the three ancient warriors did not defeat all the minions of the nameless evil. A line of dark priests survived, building their strength in secret through the years." He touched the stone again, and the panorama changed, showing an evil mask of a face, similar to the Zealot faces, but with twisted features carved into in a grotesque parody of a human face. "Dastari, last of their line. He has come to Earth to seek out the power I defend, the power that can release the nameless evil from its prison."

"Dastari was the master that the, um," Casey gestured to her face, drawing the inverted ankh symbol in the air, "Was talking about?"

The White Warrior nodded. "I was chosen by the three, because I was the youngest and the purest of spirit, to guard their powers in case the evil ever returned."

"I don't like where this is going," Stone said.

"You must know by now that it was no accident that the three of you were brought to the cliff this morning. Fate has chosen you to carry on the legacy of Elysium, Chryssoula, and Erdos."

"Yeah, I'm going to have to pass on that," Stone said.

"You can not avoid your destiny," the White Warrior said. "None of you. Even if you left here now, Dastari's minions would smell the hand of fate on you. They would seek you out and destroy you."

"This is not a happy fun destiny," Dylan said.

"I can teach you," the White Warrior said. "I can help you to unlock the powers that lay dormant inside of you. You are the only ones who can hold the darkness at bay."

"Excuse me," Casey said, "You're the only reason we're not busy being human sacrifices right now. It seems like if anyone can take back the night, or beat back the darkness, or whatever, it's not us."

The White Warrior looked skyward. "Once, perhaps. What you saw before was only the smallest fraction of the dark powers Dastari has at his disposal. My only advantage over you in battle is my training -- once you have learned the arts, your strength will exceed my own as much as the oak does the smallest twig."

"And if we refuse?" Dylan asked.

"Then you will remain here with me," answered the White Warrior. "I can not let your powers fall into the hands of Dastari. You will not leave here until you can do so without inviting your own death."

"Well, I'm convinced then," Dylan said. He looked to the others.

Casey shrugged. "It's not like we have a choice."

Stone thought about that. "Unless you feel like trying to find another way out." He indicated the tunnels cut into the walls.

"You can not leave the cave by physical means," the White Warrior said. "But by all means, search the tunnels yourselves. I will be here when you return."

Stone sighed. "Oh what the hell. But do you expect this Dastari guy to just wait around for six months while you get all Mr. Miagi on us?"

The White Warrior extended his hand, clearly waiting for them to take it. "Your training will seem to take much longer than it does."

With only a little trepidation, first Dylan, then Casey, and finally Stone, touched the hand of the White Warrior.


To Be Continued...

[ivoryranger]

Episode 02
Legacy, Part 2


Previously, on Power Rangers Legacy


"It's done." Elysium removed his crimson helmet and tucked it under his arm. His three companions did not move. The four warriors held their positions around the obsidian statue of a knight in battle dress, all but Elysium staring at it reverently. They had been five, once.

At the foot of the statue was a small black stone, a perfectly smooth onyx gemstone. Elysium picked it up, and with his supernatural strength, pitched it into the void of space. "By walking away. The powers we wield are too dangerous. Let this be our last act as the protectors of the universe." He held out his hand. Red energy flowed down his arm, coalescing in his palm. When the aura faded, his helmet and armor were gone, and small ruby rested in the Zatar's palm, its facets sparkling with an otherworldly light. "It's the only way.

"Kenobi, White Warrior of Eltar, you are the guardian of our legacy." He held out his fist, offering the ruby. "I give you the ruby of power. May its strength never again be needed."

-

Dastari stood at the balcony high in his dark tower. The tower rose above his castle as if it had not been built, but somehow grown from the bedrock itself. Far below him, his army of zealot-drones surrounded a party of five masked warriors. Dastari pulled back the cowl of his black robe. His face had long ago been twisted into an evil scowl cut into a plate of black flesh as hard as steel by the darkness of his devotion.

"Gather the remaining faithful. We leave at once."

"To where, my lord?"

"The place of the final battle between the ancient warriors and our God." He touched the page's only illumination, a dot on the third of nine concentric rings drawn around a yellow star. "Earth."

-

The marker squeaked as it drew across the glass of Dylan Fokker's full-length mirror, but he couldn't hear it through the headphones. In the mirror, he could see the reflection of his bedroom window, and, through it, the first rays of sunlight cresting the cliffs that overlooked the bay.

-

"Wake up, Little Susie." The girl, whose name was almost certainly not Susie, twitched and woke up. Stone squeezed her shoulder. She blinked off sleep and looked out the windshield. The sun was over the trees, and the last trace of dawn was fading in the sky.

-

Casey Valentine let herself appreciate the bitterness of the double espresso as she read the newspaper. She always tried to get to the café as soon as it opened, in case anyone from school happened by. The paper hit the table, sending up ripples in her coffee. When they died, she saw the side of the cliff reflected in the blackness and looked up.

-

Dylan let his eyes fall to a large shadow on the ground. He'd been watching it grow for several seconds when it occurred to him that there wasn't anything up here to cast a shadow that large. He looked skyward. No. Nothing was casting that shadow.

"I think," Stone said, measuring his words, "That some serious shit is going down here."

Dylan didn't say anything. He was watching the shadow. The shadow was doing something that shadows weren't supposed to do -- not that this particular shadow had behaved in a normal way so far. It was growing up. Columns of darkness were rising from the blackness, forming crudely anthropomorphic shapes. Shapes that were starting to move.

One of the dark shapes detached from the umbra, and flew up in the air. It fell back to earth, taking the shape of a man in black robes with a symbol burned into his face. "Zealots, attack!" the branded man ordered. The shadow beings were on them in a second. Dylan had never raised his hand in anger as long as he could remember, but this seemed like a good time to start. He threw a clumsy punch at the zealot that descended upon him, catching it in the chest, but the blow barely even slowed it down.

Dylan heard it well before he saw it. A loud woosh like a jet passing overhead. At first, all Casey saw was a billow of white silk. It took her mind a long time to register that it was wrapped around a man -- this might have been because of the blows she'd taken to the head, or just because of the basic strangeness of an old man in a billowing white robe dropping down out of heaven.

The man in white regarded Dylan, Casey, and Stone, who had finally sunk to his knees, panting. "They will return. Come with me if you want to live."


----

Dylan had been tired for so long that he couldn't remember ever not being tired. The act of lifting himself off of the stone slab that served as his bed drained him. Left hook. Right hook. Kick. Roll. He went through the motions automatically. Tired as he was, the motions came easily. He made his way into the main chamber. The white warrior was bent over the crystal, deep in thought. Stone was perched on an outcropping of rock. He had taken to tying a strip of blue cloth around his forehead to keep the sweat out of his eyes. It made him look like a well-dressed Rambo. Casey lay on the floor, her fingers drumming against her abdomen, pretending to blow smoke rings.

"Glad you could join us," Stone said.

Dylan cracked his neck. "I think I'm getting vitamin D deficient," he said. Looking to the white warrior, he added, "Any estimate on how much longer we have to live like the mole people?"

"Your training is complete," the white warrior said, without turning to face them. "You return to the surface now."

Casey sat up. "Now? Just like that?" She knew they had made a lot of progress, but the more the white warrior had told them about Dastati, his lieutenant, and the armies of zealot-drones, the less optimistic she had become.

"Time is no longer a luxury we have," the white warrior said. "Dastari has already put his plans in motion. He has tapped into the darkness to create a monster that threatens Tribulation Landing." He touched the crystal and the panorama above sprang to life.

Stone recognized the backdrop of Burnside Park, near the center of town. It had some secluded spots big enough to conceal a car and its passengers. "That looks like..."

Dylan finished the thought for him as he saw the monster, pitching streams of steaming liquid as the passers-by ran in terror: "A giant lava lamp."

Casey hadn't wanted to say it herself, but it was an accurate assessment. The creature's entire body looked to be made of glass, with a wide midsection that tapered to a black fez-like cap. Through the glass, green liquid bubbled, disturbed by something white and viscous that flowed at the center. Red slashes of eye seemed to be painted low on the body, and a gash of a mouth was cut below the midsection. Its arms were thick tubes, spraying the boiling-hot green liquid.

"Dastari can summon the power of darkness, but it has no form of its own. To create a monster, he must infuse evil energy into a commonplace object," the white warrior explained.

"I guess we're lucky he waited as long as he did. How long have we been down here, anyway? I lost track of the days somewhere," Casey asked.

The white warrior looked skyward. "In the world above, eight hours have passed."

"Eight hours? That's impossible," Stone said. "We've been here for weeks."

"Time works differently within these walls," was the white warrior's only explanation, "But even so, it is fast running out."

Dylan knew that they didn't have time to argue. "How do we kill it?" he asked.

The white warrior touched another place on the crystal, and Casey had to roll out of the way as a pedestal grew out of the stone floor. "You'll need these."

Dylan, Stone, and Casey approached the pedestal. On top of it were a mace, an axe, and a coiled whip. Stone reached for the mace, the closest of the weapons, but he felt an invisible force guide his hand away from it, to the axe. Dylan took the mace instead. The weight felt good in his hand. The handle was a deep rose-colored wood that looked very, very old. The ball at the end looked like a large ruby, and the thick chain connecting them was a red metal. He swung it experimentally, and found the motion entirely natural. Stone picked up the axe. The wrapping on the shaft looked like blue latex, but it felt like real leather. The two large blades were blue steel, but the steel gave way to blue crystal at the edges. Casey took the green whip and cracked it, surprised by how easy it was to control. A shower of green sparks shot from the end. She studied it more closely, surprised to find it transparent, like green glass, but somehow as supple as if it had been made of hemp rope.

"Be careful," the white warrior warned. "And may the power protect you."

Stone tried to ask how they were expected to get back to town -- his mustang certainly wasn't an option, and, frankly, he wasn't close enough to Dylan and Casey to consider trying to squeeze all three of them on to that little Vespa. But the words caught in his throat as a blue haze clouded his vision, just as it had when they had been brought to the cave. When the haze cleared, he found himself in the scorched grass of Burnside park.

Looking to either side, Stone saw that Casey and Dylan had been transported as well. He lifted the axe to his shoulder and leveled his gaze. About twenty yards directly before them was the lava-lamp monster. "Fresh sacrifices," it hissed. Canting its body, it seemed to sniff the air with its noseless face. "More than sacrifices," it said. "Chosen ones. My master will be pleased."

Dylan looked to Stone, then to Casey. "Ready?" he asked.

"Not in the least," Casey answered.

"Me either," Dylan confessed. "Let's do this." All at once, they charged the creature. Dylan pulled ahead of the others, reaching the monster first. He brought his mace down hard against his glass body, sending up a shower of sparks. Casey struck out with the whip, and its end wrapped around the monster's left arm.

"Give it up," Stone said, driving his axe into the monster's other arm.

Casey pulled on the whip, drawing the monster's snared arm away from Dylan, who was still hammering on its torso with the mace. Too late, she realized that she had pulled the hose arm directly toward herself. Dylan turned away from the monster when he heard her shriek. She had jumped clear of the green liquid, but the jet of steam had caught her side and she crumpled to the ground. The monster took advantage of Dylan's distraction, and body-slammed him to the ground before shaking Stone away.

"Are you okay?" Dylan called to Casey.

She checked herself. The jet of steam had eaten a hole in her shirt, exposing red and blistered flesh beneath. "I'll live," she said, "But I can't take much more of this."

Dylan struggled back to his feet and launched himself at the monster. The ground exploded beneath him as it sprayed the air with a mist of liquid. Dylan crashed to the ground again near Casey. His bare arms had been seared where he'd thrown them up to protect his face, and when he tried to push himself back up, they sent a wave of pain through his body that dropped him back down again. Stone was still on his feet, still at the monster's side, hacking at it, but he simply lacked the strength to do any real damage with the heavy axe.

Casey was back on her feet now, and she whipped at the monster's feet, unwilling to chance another encounter with its hose-arm. But the creature's stubby legs didn't make good targets; they were too wide and too well-covered by its girth to snare them with the whip, and simply striking them seemed to have no effect. The monster unleashed another jet of steam in her direction, and Casey had to back-flip out of the way. Stone's legs gave out as the monster's lowered right arm fired more steam, which licked at his legs.

Guarding her injured side, Casey flicked the whip back into a coil. "We're not going to beat him," she said, "Not like this. We've got to fall back."

"We can't just run away," Dylan said. He was back on his feet now, but his arks hurt so much he could barely even hold the mace, let alone raise it.

"We're no good to anyone if we're dead," she said.

Frankly, they didn't seem to be much good to anyone alive, but Dylan didn't get a chance to say anything. A flash of white cut through the air, turning into the white warrior's staff as it planted itself in the earth at the monster's feet.

"Leave this place." The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. The form of the white warrior coalesced from a white aura before the monster. "Now."

The monster reared up. "I am Lavalux, the destroyer!" it bellowed, "I do not take orders from an old man and his stick."

"Then you shall die," the white warrior said, his expression grim.

"Am I supposed to be afraid? Of you, old man?" Lavalux drew back an arm, prepared to strike.

"Of me," the white warrior said. He pulled his staff free. "And my stick."

Dylan shouted for him to look out as Lavalux released a jet of steam and green fluid, but the old man was already in the air, using the leverage of his staff to vault over the monster. Lavalux pivoted and fired again, but the white warrior was fast. Only Dylan's sharp eyes could keep up with his motions; to the others, he was just a white blur flashing around the monster, occasionally jabbing the monster with his staff. He vaulted over the monster for a second time, landing with his back to the monster. Time seemed to slow down as the white warrior, arm extended, turned through two hundred seventy degrees. In his hand, he spun the staff through a circle of its own, letting the staff slide through his fingers until he was holding it by the very end. The opposite end of the staff connected with the widest part of Lavalux's body with a resounding crack. Stone could see a spiderweb of fractures spreading out through its transparent body from the point of impact.

"You'll pay for this, old man!" Lavalux insisted. He pivoted his body around to get a last look at the others. "The same goes for your friends."

A pool of shadow opened beneath the monster and it vanished into it. The white warrior raised his staff and Casey's field of vision filled with a green haze as she and the others teleported back to the cavern.

"That could have gone better," Dylan said.

"We should have trained more," Casey said.

"You did well, all of you," the white warrior said. He seemed visibly aged by the battle, though Casey would have thought it impossible for him to get any older. "Stone, you displayed great courage, keeping up the fight despite the odds. Dylan, you fought like a true warrior. And Casey, you had the wisdom to back away when it became clear the battle could not be won."

"But we got our collective asses kicked," Stone said. He pushed himself up on an outcropping, his legs still unsure.

"Your skills will improve over time," the old man said. He produced a bottle from his robe and passed it to Casey. "This ointment will soothe your wounds."

"And in the mean time, the dark priest's legion of evil kitsch destroys our home town?" Stone said.

The warrior beckoned Dylan closer and indicated the crystal. "Place your hand here." Dylan touched the white crystal. "Reach out with your mind. This crystal controls the imaging system. Just as Dastari's minions can sense the legacy within you, you can sense their connection to the great evil. When the monster returns, you can use that power to locate it.

"I must retire now to regain my strength. If the Lavalux monster returns, awaken me." Leaning heavily on his staff, the white warrior disappeared down one of the tunnels.

"Any better?" Dylan asked as Casey finished rubbing the ointment on her exposed flesh.

"Some," she said, offering him the bottle.

He nodded to Stone. "Him first. He's hurt worse than I am. I ought to learn how to use this thing."

Dylan closed his eyes and tried to conjure up an image of Tribulation Landing. He opened his eyes. Casey had turned bright red. "Not bad for your first time," Stone said. Dylan looked up.

The panorama above them had come to life, but it wasn't Tribulation Landing that it showed. Instead, the display had become a collage of images of Casey. More than a few of the poses were far more seductive than anything Casey herself would ever have chosen. He quickly removed his hand from the stone and the image went dark. "Sorry?" he tried.

She just shook her head, disgusted.

"It's all about priorities, dude," Stone said. "Got to have... priorities..." his voice trailed off. "You guys feel that?"

Dylan and Casey had already turned toward a small tunnel cut into the far end of the chamber. "Yeah," Dylan said.

"One of us should stay here, in case Lavalux..." The incident with the imager faded from Casey's mind. She was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than the tunnel. The same force that had drawn her to the cliff had seized her mind, much stronger now.

"It'll keep," Stone said, standing. "Hey, I can walk," he said. He set down the bottle of ointment. "Good stuff."

Even with the curative power of the ointment, Stone was still a little awkward on his feet, and Dylan took the lead as they made their way into the tunnel. Despite the maze of passageways the tunnel led them to, the pull at the edge of each of their minds kept them on course until they reached a small chamber some distance from the main cavern.

The central feature of the small chamber was a pedestal not dissimilar from the one that had delivered their weapons. Instead of weapons, however, the surface of this pedestal contained three stone pegs. On each peg was a large gold ring set with a jewel. "Someone lost their superbowl rings," Stone said.

Dylan's eyes were transfixed by the light that reflected off of the red stone in the ring on the center peg. He reached for it, but as much as he wanted to take it, the sense of power it gave off frightened him. "It feels..." he tried to find the right word. "It feels like..."

Casey noticed that her hand, of its own volition, had reached out for the green ring. "Like it's mine," she finished for him.

Stone was reaching for the third ring. "Yeah," he said, "It's like this is the reason I'm here."

"There's..." words weren't Dylan's strong suit, and he struggled to find the right phrase. "There's some kind of choice," he said. "We can still walk away."

"Until we take the rings," Casey agreed.

It took some doing, but Stone lowered his hand. "Now or never," he said. "We didn't ask for this."

"But if we do -- if we walk away..." Casey's hand twitched closer to the green ring.

"Then there won't be anyone to stop Dastari. To stop the evil." Dylan made his choice. He looked to the others for support.

Stone let his hand drift back toward the ring. "All for one and one for all?" he asked.

Casey just nodded. It wasn't really a choice at all.

"Okay," Dylan said. "We're going to do this, then. All of us at once." The others seemed to agree. "On three."

"One," Casey said.

"Two," Stone said.

Dylan's hand closed around the center peg. "Three." Moving as one, they drew their hands away from the pedestal, holding their respective rings gingerly. Dylan's hand was shaking as he slipped the gold ring on his finger. Something new coursed through his body. He felt a sudden surge of strength -- but there was also something else, something darker. He felt suddenly aware of how weak everyone else in the world was, how much stronger he was.

"What have you done?" The voice made the three jump. They turned to see the white warrior, still putting most of his weight on the staff, leaning in the entranceway to the chamber.

"We, um," Dylan stammered.

"The rings," Casey tried. Now that she came to put it in words, it seemed insane, impossible. "They... I don't know, called to us, maybe."

The white warrior hung his head.

"What are they?" Stone asked.

The white warrior sounded very, very tired as he said, "When the three ancient warriors realized the danger in their powers, they sealed them in three stones: the ruby of power, the sapphire of courage, and the emerald of wisdom. I set the stones in those rings in case they ever needed to be called upon again. They have the power to transform you into the warriors of old. Transform you into... I suppose you would call them Power Rangers."

"Power Rangers?" Casey said, arching an eyebrow. "This is getting a little too surreal." And yet, something about the energy she had felt infuse her body when she had put the ring on told her this was the truth.

Dylan felt anger flare up inside him. "You had these all along, and you sent us out there to fight that monster without them? We could have been killed!"

Stone too felt the sting of betrayal. "After all that mistic mumbo-jumbo about fate and destiny? You didn't even trust us with this? Dylan's right. Lavalux nearly killed us. Didn't you give a damn about that?"

The white warrior raised his staff to silence them. "It was because I care that I had hoped to shield you from this. Listen to me. All power corrupts the one who wields it. And the universe has never known a power like the one you now possess. Do you really think I would have sent you against Dastari without the powers of a Ranger if there was not some price you would have to pay? Even now, all you can think of is the power I tried to deny you. I have seen it. The ancient warriors were my friends, closer to me than family. And I saw how the power changed them, how they thought themselves better than normal men. Elysium, Chryssoula, Erdos -- they unleashed terrible things on this universe because they could not control the power. And they trained for years before they had the abilities you have taken on in a second. I could not take the risk; could not force that danger on you unless I was certain there was no other way." He lowered the staff.

The words echoed in Dylan's mind, awakening a pang of guilt. They thought themselves better than normal men. It was the first thing that had entered his mind when he put the ring on. Half of him wanted to pull the ring from his finger and throw it. The other half was stronger. "There is no other way," he said.

Stone studied his ring. It was large, with black antiquing at the sides. Small symbols were engraved on the side plates -- the central feature was a gold disc showing a sun and moon juxtaposed in partial eclipse -- and some ancient script wound around the sapphire. It looked like a Hogwarts class ring. "How do they work?"

The white warrior let out a world-weary sigh. "Touch the stone to awaken it. The power is controlled by your mind."

Dylan covered his ring with his other hand and closed his eyes. When he opened them, nothing had happened. Stone and Casey were trying the same thing.

"I'm having a little trouble finding my happy thought," Casey said.

The white warrior wasn't surprised. "You may find that reciting a mantra helps you achieve the necessary focus. When the time comes, you will know what to do."

Before Casey could respond, she felt a strong tug from her ring. She saw that the others felt it too, and she pushed past the white warrior back into the tunnels and out into the main cavern. Without waiting for instruction, she brought her hand down hard on the milky crystal and an image formed in the air above them. "Lavalux is back," she said as the white warrior hobbled into the room. "At the promenade." The image showed the monster, spraying steam and green liquid at the terrified shoppers in the town's large open-air mall.

"Go," the old man said. Wearily, he added, "I do not know if I will have the strength to help you again."

Dylan answered for all three of them. "We can handle it." The white warrior raised his staff, and they disappeared in red, green, and blue columns of light.

When they materialized in the promenade, the last of the shoppers had already escaped. Lavalux, who had been venting his aggression on the now-abandoned merchant stalls, stopped to face them. A patch was visible where the white warrior had struck it before. "My, my," it hissed, "You three certainly are in a hurry to die. I won't deny you your chance."

Dylan looked to Casey, then to Stone. Each nodded in turn. "Lavalux!" he called, "You're big. You're evil. You're tacky. And you're going down." He flashed a sheepish look at the others. "Sorry. First time jitters," he whispered.

"No kidding," Stone said.

"Do we have a backup plan if this doesn't work?" Casey asked.

"I think it involves dying," Stone returned.

"We need a new backup plan then," Casey said.

"I think it's a little late to back down," Dylan said.

Casey canted her head. "Maybe if you hadn't insulted the monster."

"Badly," Stone added.

"Excuse me," Lavalux hissed. "I'm still here."

"Right," Dylan said, drawing the syllable out as far as he could. "Ready?"

"Ready," Casey said.

"What the hell," Stone said.

The three of them stood abreast. Dylan took a step forward and raised his fist. Keep it together. Stay focused. Don't lose control. You can do this. He drew his fist back, bringing up his right hand to lay two fingers across the stone on his ring. The others mirrored the gesture. Mantra, Dylan thought. The words came out of nowhere -- not ancient words of power, but rather the sound that his thoughts made. And though the phrase was just something he'd thought up on the spur of the moment, when he spoke, Stone and Casey spoke with him in perfect unison, Stone's deep radio voice and Casey's very slightly lyrical lilt turning the words into a perfect trichord. "Legacy force!" They all punched forward. "Armor on!"

Dylan was momentarily paralyzed as his body was encased in red crystal, tinting his vision red. The crystal shattered, the tiny red shards flowing toward his body where they merged into a form-fitting bodysuit, red, with a large white diamond low on the chest. The sleeves were a tight mesh that moved like Lyrca, but looked like a fine chain mail of the same red metal as the chain on his mace. He punched the air using the left hook-right hook combination his muscles had memorized, and as he did, white gloves formed around his hands, but his ring remained visible over the left glove. A breastplate of hard crimson material wrapped itself around his chest. On its front, a large gold seal showed the same eclipse symbol as the side of his ring. A red helmet fell out of nowhere, encasing his head. The silver trapezoid of the mouth-plate was flanked on either side by small black vents. As the black V of the visor slid into place, the words "MORPHING COMPLETE" appeared across the virtual display.

Stone's Ranger uniform formed around him in the same way, blue instead of red. His breastplate was smaller, tapering to a point just above the point of the white diamond on the suit. His axe was holstered on the right side of his belt, a pistol on the left.

Casey's uniform showed off all the curves she usually tried to hide, and while she was thankful not to find herself in a green miniskirt, she did notice that her boots were cut thigh-high. She had no breastplate at all, but the same gold seal formed in the white diamond on her chest. There was something strangely liberating about the way the uniform cupped her -- showing off her body while preserving her anonymity behind the black visor. Casey was not ashamed of her body -- what she hated was the way other people reacted to it.

"And you called me tacky?" Lavalux protested.

"He did not just call me tacky," Stone said. Then he looked down at his uniform, just to make sure it wasn't justified.

Dylan didn't waste time with a verbal retort. Pulling his mace from his belt, he launched himself at the monster. He was surprised by his own strength. He covered the distance in a single leap, which meant that he wasn't prepared to strike when he collided with Lavalux. Stone brandished his axe and ran for the monster. Casey, somewhat more pragmatic by nature, drew her pistol and fired. A white tongue of laser-light lashed out at Lavalux, sending up a shower of sparks as it hit near its mouth. Dylan was back on his feet and hammered at the monster with his mace as Stone's axe made contact high on Lavalux's body.

Lavalux stretched out both arms and fired the steaming green liquid at the red and blue rangers. Smoke and sparks shot from their breastplates as both were thrown aside. Rolling toward Stone, Dylan asked, "You okay?"

Stone had to exaggerate the nod for it to be visible through his helmet. "I'm fine, but we're not getting anywhere."

Dylan looked up as Casey fired another blast at the monster. Lavalux bucked under the impact. "I think Casey's got the right idea," Dylan said, rising. Stone did another exaggerated nod as he stood up and drew his own pistol. All three rangers fired at once and Lavalux reeled, but remained standing.

"Good, rangers," Lavalux hissed, "But not good enough." He turned in a quick circle, filling the air with steam. When the steam cleared, the monster was gone.

Casey kept her blaster leveled and looked from side to side. "Surprise!" came the hissing voice, and she turned too late to find Lavalux behind her. It struck her chest with a slashing motion, sending up sparks and throwing her backwards. Dylan pulled her back as a jet of steam and liquid sent up an explosion from the ground where she had landed. This time, she let him help her to her feet.

"I still think we need a new backup plan," she said.

Stone joined them. "We can shoot him till we're blue in the --" The irony broadsided him. "The point is, it's not doing any good. Damn, the white warrior cracked the damned thing with one blow."

Something clicked in Dylan's mind. "And he panicked," he said. "He's not vulnerable to lasers, but..."

"If we can shatter the glass..." Casey finished.

"Sounds like a job for you," Stone said, indicating Dylan's mace.

"I've been wailing on him something fierce," Dylan said. "It's not working."

Casey unhooked the whip from her belt, considering something. "Leverage," she said. "When the white warrior hit him, he was holding his staff at the end, not in the middle. It was the only way he could get enough leverage to hurt him."

Dylan looked at his mace. "I'm not going to get a whole lot of leverage with this thing."

"I can fix that," Casey said. "Ever been to a rodeo?" She took the mace from his hand and wrapped the end of her whip around the handle, then laced it between the links of the chain. She handed the whip to Dylan. "Force times lever-arm," she said.

"Awkward," Dylan said. "But it'll do."

"Need a little cover?" Stone asked.

Dylan nodded, realized that the gesture wasn't visible with the helmet on, and did it again, pitching his shoulders to make it obvious. Stone slapped his shoulders then head-butted him in a gesture of solidarity more macho than Dylan was prepared for. Stone and Casey backed away and aimed their blasters, catching Lavalux in the cross-fire.

Dylan held the whip near the end, swinging it in a slow circle. As the mace end picked up speed, he let the whip out, carefully, until the red ball was tracing a twenty foot circle around him. Stone and Casey had to back away to keep out of reach. "Careful, Red Ranger," Lavalux taunted. "That lasso's not regulation."

"It'll do in a fix," Dylan said. As the ball passed in front of Lavalux, Dylan took a long stride forward. Three hundred and thirty degrees later, the ball connected with the side of the monster. Dylan lost his grip on the whip and it flew from his hand. The mace slipped free and spun off in the opposite direction.

Lavalux stumbled, but did not fall. "Nice try, Ranger," it said. "Silver medal performance."

Stone and Casey backed away, alarmed at Dylan's failure. Dylan held his ground. "I broke one of my mom's good teacups once," he said. "Dropped it in the sink." His hand moved to the blaster holstered on his belt. "Thing was, I didn't notice it right away. Must have put all kinds of tiny little cracks all through it, but they were too small to see." He drew his blaster. "But guess what happened the next time someone tried to fill it up with hot tea?"

The other rangers took the hint, and all three fired at once. As the laser beams hit, their light illuminated the pattern of tiny fractures that covered his entire body. The three rangers turned away as Lavalux let out an inhuman scream before his body exploded. "Armor off," Dylan said. His suit hardened for a moment, then shattered into nothing. The others followed suit.

"Not bad for our first day in the job," Stone remarked.

----

Dastari surveyed the new landscape around his dark tower. The energy from the dark vortex had killed all the plant life in this valley, leaving only scorched earth. He liked that. He liked to think that the rest of this forsaken planet would look like that soon. "New Rangers?" he asked.

Leyolas nodded. "Yes, my lord. It seems they possess the power of our ancient enemies."

If Dastari were still capable of it, he would have smiled. "Then our triumph shall be that much sweeter. We must possess their powers."

"They defeated Lavalux with ease."

"So much the better. With each victory, their delusions will grow stronger."

"Delusions, lord?"

Dastari turned away from the balcony. "That they have any chance to win in the end."


----

Next Time on Power Rangers Legacy...
The ancient warriors commanded great and mighty weapons.
When Dastari sends a new monster to attack Tribulation Landing,
the new Rangers will have to take the fight to the next level --
or die trying.

Next Episode: Waking the Titan
...Evil has no name...

[Cuiran]

Very cool. Defined characters, decent quips, and well-written scenarios. I admit that this one sort of gave me a Dino Thunder feel, but only just enough to make me more interested. Looking forward to continuations of this as much as I was for Veridium! =)

[ivoryranger]

Cuiran -- Thanks for the thoughts. The DT feel is only partially intentional. When I was plotting out the series, I used DT as a guide on the pacing of major events (which is strange, since I always thought that DT's pacing was a little off). It's a lot more 'traditional' than Veridium. (And don't worry, I'm working on another story for that series too. It's just taking a while. In the mean time...)


Episode 03
Waking the Titan


Casey stopped to enjoy the scent of her coffee before taking the first sip. "Cool ring," the barrista said. She instinctively covered it with her hand. "Thanks, Sirius," she said, slightly surprised. She hated to be noticed as a general rule, but it was a new experience to be noticed for an accessory. Typically, if she strayed from her usual body-concealing attire, there was only one thing about her any man -- or ten percent of women -- noticed, at least since puberty had bitch-slapped her four years ago. She left a few dollars on the counter, took her usual seat, and unfolded the newspaper.

"Mornin', Bemai." The words cut through her concentration like a blue battle axe. She lowered the paper.

Stone stared not-quite-at her with those intense blue eyes that made lesser women weak at the knees. "If you value your left testicle," she said, pointing to her face, "Keep your eyes up here."

He smiled wolfishly. "Why just the left one?"

She arched an eyebrow. "So that I've got something to rip off in case you don't learn the first time."

He raised his hands. "I want you to know that I find it very sexy that you could kick my ass. But I'm really just here to find out if you wanted to get in some early morning ranger training."

She leaned across the table and grabbed his wrist hard enough to make him wince. "Keep it down, will you? You want the neighborhood to know?"

"You have any idea how much play I could get whipping out the old super powers?"

"Like you need it. Besides, you know what the white warrior said."

Stone shrugged. "I don't see the point. The bad guys already know who we are, and they're the only ones it's really be handy to keep it from."

Casey sighed. "You just don't get it."

He rolled his eyes. "I think you'd be a lot more pleasant to be around if you were getting it every once in a while."

"What are you doing up this early anyway? Flavor of the week's dad walk in?"

"Hey," Stone protested. "I take this gig seriously."

"Whatever. I notice it's me and not Dylan you're making this pitch to."

Stone shrugged. "He's even more dangerous than you if you bother him when he's working. Besides, you've got great buns."

Casey choked on her coffee as her eyes widened, then narrowed with rage. She brought it under control when she saw that he was pointing at the plastic plate in front of her. Stone picked up one of the two sticky buns and took a bite. "Your tits aren't bad, either," he added.

That did it. Instantly, Casey was on her feet, and her coffee was on the floor. "All right," she growled. "I am so going to kick your --"

Rangers. The word stopped Casey in mid-rant. Stone had heard it too, and was staring off into space. Neither of them was used to the white warrior's telepathic summons. Come to the crystal chamber at once.

They looked at each other and nodded. The altercation would have to wait. Stone took one last bite of his stolen sticky bun and followed Casey back to the alcove in front of the rest rooms. Casey concentrated and sent back the reply, We're ready.

Casey and Stone were engulfed in columns of light -- hers green, his blue -- that whisked them away to a large underground cavern. Dylan was already there, perched on one of the many rocky outcroppings that littered the cave. The sweater-vest he wore over his red turtleneck was threadbare, and his dark eyes were ringed with red. Ever since they had taken the three legacy rings, and with them, the powers of the ancient rangers, insomnia had been a companion he couldn't avoid.

"What's the good word, chief?" Stone asked.

The white warrior turned away from the large milky crystal that controlled -- well, other than the imaging system, they didn't really know what it controlled. His long white robes billowed around an ancient body that belied his still-formidable strength. If he'd had a pointed hat, he could have passed for a Lord of the Rings body-double.

"Dastari?" Dylan asked, his voice tired.

"Not yet," the warrior said. "But the signs are bad."

"Signs?" Casey asked.

The warrior touched the crystal. Instantly, the air above them filled with an image of the solar system. "These planets," he waved toward the images of Mercury and Venus, "Are moving into a rare configuration with respect to certain stars in the constellations you call Orion and Taurus. It is a dangerous time for you."

"Oh come on," Casey said, shaking her head. "You're not going to tell me you've taken up reading horoscopes." Monsters, she could take. Ranger powers, she could take. Ancient evil forces from the dawn of time, she could take. Astrology, she could not.

The white warrior shrugged. "Whether or not the celestial alignments have any real power is immaterial," he said. "The point is that Dastari's faith places great importance on such things. He will believe the configuration to be an omen -- a sign to attack from his god."

Casey did not believe in any sort of god herself, and she had a hard time accepting that anyone of any intelligence could. "This isn't telling us anything. Dastari's going to attack again. We already knew that."

"So far, Dastari has been holding back. Now that he believes his ultimate victory to be ordained by the stars, he is more dangerous than ever before. You will need a new weapon to face this challenge.

"I like the sound of that," Stone said. "Where do we sign up?"

The white warrior turned back to the crystal. "During their battles against the nameless evil, the ancient warriors befriended three mythical beasts. Their powers were vast separately, but when they attacked in concert, they were all but unstoppable." The panorama above them shifted to show a large red dragon, its serpentine body wound around a large asteroid as it breathed fire out into space. Elsewhere in the image, a beast with blue fur stood on another asteroid, its feline body giving way to an aquiline head covered in blue feathers, but with equine ears. A serpentine tail rose behind large eagle's wings, and the beast reared up, slashing at the air with its talons. Pitching its head back, it let out a cry that was half roar, half screech. Directly above Casey, the third beast appeared, a green counterpart to the blue beast, with the head of a lion. The forward half of its torso was covered in shaggy green fur that gave way to scales at the midsection and a reptilian posterior. It growled once, then spat flame.

"The three titans were all mortally wounded in the final battle," the white warrior explained, "But so strong was their dedication to their masters that as they died, their souls fused into robotic likenesses of the forms they had taken in life. They have slept here ever since, waiting for the heirs to their masters' legacy to arise. It is time for you to awaken the Legacy Zords."

Pragmatically, Dylan asked, "And we do that by..."

"I will transport you to their hiding places. Once there, you will have to circumvent the defenses in order to prove yourself worthy."

"Always with the tests of worthiness," Stone said. "Couldn't you guys just, like, use locks?"

The white warrior ignored him. "You should leave at once; we can not know when Dastari will make his --"

They all turned to the crystal as the telepathic bond between them activated. "He has moved faster than I expected," the white warrior said, changing the image above them. The monster that appeared was more human in form than the one they had fought before. About eight feet tall, the monster had the bronze color and vacant expression of a statue. Dock workers scattered as he stormed along, some leaping straight off the pier.

"Guess the trial of worthiness is going to have to wait," Dylan said.

"Be careful, Rangers," the white warrior warned. "This monster will be more difficult to defeat than Lavalux."

Dylan nodded in acknowledgement, then the white warrior raised his staff, teleporting them to the docks. The monster Axonite had his back to them, focused on firing amber rays from his eyes at the docked ships. Behind him, a troupe of zealot drones turned to face them.

"Ass-kicking time," Stone said, drawing back his fist. Dylan laid a hand on his shoulder. "Not yet. Too easy."

Stone nodded, slightly disappointed, and they rushed the awaiting zealots. Casey brought the first one down with a low kick while Stone clotheslined two more. Dylan punched left, then right, kicked a zealot in the chest, then rolled out of the way of its counterstrike, coming up behind the shadow creature. He wrapped his hand around its faceplate and pulled it free, causing the zealot to evaporate. They had taken down all but two of the zealots when Axonite turned to face them. "Enough!" it said. Its voice sounded far away, echoing as if across a concert hall. "I shall return." It pointed a metal hand skyward, then disappeared into a pool of shadow.

Dylan pointed toward the space where the monster had stood and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Shouldn't this have been harder?"

"I'm contacting the white warrior," Casey said, pressing her fingers to her left temple. "I have a feeling we're going to need those new weapons."

No matter how many times it happened, the sensation of teleportation disconcerted Dylan. When the red haze cleared from his vision, he shook his head a few times to clear out the feeling of vertigo. "Our new friend got away," he said.

The aged warrior nodded. "Typical behavior. The monster's first attack will be for the purpose of reconnaissance; it will want to know its enemy -- you. You are in great danger without the power of the Legacy Zords."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Stone asked. "Make with the beam-me-up-Scotty."

"There is little time," the warrior advised. "Axonite may return at any moment." He raised his staff, then suddenly lowered it, turning to the crystal. When he touched it, an image of the monster appeared. "He has returned even sooner than I expected." He looked to the three rangers as if, inexplicably, seeking guidance from them.

"Send me," Dylan said. "I'll keep him busy while you two get the zords."

"You will be at a disadvantage, fighting alone," the white warrior warned.

"Not as much of a disadvantage as if we don't get those zords," Dylan countered, acutely aware that he really had no idea what manner of weapons these "zords" were -- he imagined them to be some kind of robotic sword.

"Very well," said the old man. He raised his staff. Dylan braced himself. Teleporting twice in such a short time gave him the shakes, but he got it under control as the curtain of red faded into downtown Tribulation Landing. Axonite fired a warning shot near where Dylan had materialized, the amber beam igniting a small fireball.

"Only one of you?" the monster intoned. "You are either very brave or very foolish."

"Maybe," Dylan said. He looked around. The zealots were nowhere to be seen. "There's only one of you, too."

"Do you think that makes us evenly matched?" Axonite asked, a hint of a laugh audible in its voice.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I think this will change the odds a little." He drew his fist back, reaching across his chest to touch the gem in his ring. "Legacy force!" he yelled, punching forward, "Armor on!"

Dylan was encased in red crystal for a flash, then it shattered, lifting him into the air as the shards formed into his red uniform. He punched the air as gloves formed around his hands. He landed on the ground with a mighty crash, white boots forming on his feet. A red breastplate wrapped around his chest, and a red helmet, not entirely dissimilar in shape to a motorcycle helmet, fell onto his head. As the black visor slid down over his eyes, the words, "MORPHING COMPLETE," flashed on the display. He drew his blaster and fired. The beam reflected off of Axonite's polished chest like a mirror, sending up an explosion behind Dylan that knocked him off his feet.

"Not a good start," Dylan admitted.

----

Casey could hear the sounds of a storm raging outside the small stone room in which she had materialized. The chamber was small, and braziers in the corners of the room provided flickering illumination. She wondered how it was that they could be burning -- the only exit was an archway completely blocked by centuries of plant growth, so it was clear no one had refueled them in a very long time.

She tugged at the vines blocking the archway. They didn't want to move. "Okay," she decided, "Escalate." She drew back her fist, touching the emerald in her ring. Very calmly, she said, "Legacy force, armor on," and punched the air in front of her. As her ranger suit appeared around her, she reached for the blaster at her side. She waited until the, "MORPHING COMPLETE," message faded from her display, took dead aim, and fired into the tangle of vines. Nothing happened. She kept firing, but to no avail. When she holstered her weapon and touched the vines, they weren't even warm.

She looked at her crystal whip. Stone's axe would have been a lot more useful. "Okay. New plan," she said. She turned in a slow circle, taking in the features of the room. Between the two braziers opposite the archway, there was a stone pedestal. She studied it. Across its surface was a message in a language she didn't recognize. All at once, more words appeared, English this time. The new words were written in glowing gold letters that seemed to float in the air before her. It dawned on Casey that what she was seeing was actually text overlaid on her helmet display. It read:

My master, Erdos of Thanos, was, before anything else, a great scholar. His heir shall be a great warrior, true, but it is by the power of his mind that I will know him.

No sooner had Casey finished reading the words than they sank back into the surface of the pedestal. The markings shifted as though they'd been written in sand. Ten shapes were now carved into the pedestal in two rows. The top row showed a circle, an equilateral triangle, a square, a rectangle, and a pentagon. On the second row were an ellipse, a right triangle, a diamond, a trapezoid, and a hexagon. The shapes meant nothing to her. Except... She looked at the hexagon, the only shape to differ from the shape directly above in number of sides, and it occurred to her that it looked like it had been formed by taking the shape of the pentagon above, and stretching the topmost vertex out into an edge. She touched the diamond, the only shape to differ in orientation but not perimeter from the shape above.

The markings on the pedestal changed again. The shapes on the top row remained, but below them were a series of dots, arranged into groups. Three in the first group, then a single dot, then four, another single dot, then five. This one was easier. Casey touched the circle. This time, the pedestal showed an ancient script. As she looked at it, a translation appeared on the display of her visor:

Each time myself I find divided In those smaller thirteen parts Which, while not me, go inside me, I simply add them back together (Never having learned the fancier arts), And then -- behold -- my whole Is shown to be the sum of these parts. My end, in your hands, is like as my beginning As two brother peas in a pod of four; Id est, once I've seen my first fifty centuries I shall not hope for fifty more.

Below the riddle was another line of dot-blocks, this time the numbers one through nine.

She had to think about that one. Four digits. Between 5,000 and 10,000. Same first and last digit. And then that first part... Something about addition and division. The sum of... Of something. Something to do with factors. A perfect number. She touched eight, then one, then two, and finally eight again. A sound from behind her made the green ranger turn on her heel. The overgrowth in the archway had turned brown and was shriveling. In mere seconds, it was gone. Casey walked through the archway.

----

Stone took one look at the great glass dome that separated him from the ocean above and decided it would be a good time to morph. Checking the helmet display for his geographic location, he saw that he was actually quite close to town -- at the base of the continental shelf several miles outside the mouth of Tribulation Bay. Stone had never liked to go into water in any great detail. He took in his surroundings. He was at one end of a long chamber with stone walls that gave way to a glass domed ceiling. At the opposite end of the chamber, a small, round passage let a flicker of blue light through. Between Stone and the exit, however, was a deep, dark, hole.

He made a quick check of the room. The pit was too wide to jump, even with his ranger powers, though there was a rocky spire high on the wall that he thought he might be able to swing from if only he had Casey's whip handy. As his eyes crossed a section of the wall, text flashed gold on his visor. He stopped and stepped closer. The text, he realized, was a translation of the carvings on the wall -- he hadn't even realized the scratchings on the wall were meaningful. He read the translation.

The Princess of Natron's bravery was without equal. Whosoever would by my master must first prove their courage. Only by a leap of faith from the eagle's head can you prove yourself the true heir to Chryssoula.

The eagle's head. "Hm, I was hoping for something cryptic," Stone said, his voice honeyed with sarcasm. He drew his axe and drug it along the edge of the precipice, trying to come up with a plan. Again, he wished he had Casey with him. Strategy wasn't his strong suit.

There was a clank of metal on stone as his axe-blade struck something. He looked down. Protruding from the sheer rock wall was an avian bust. He tapped the flat of the axe against it. Seemed sturdy enough. The eagle's head. Somehow, he'd expected something less straightforward. He stepped out onto the eagle's head, then touched the side of his helmet, willing the visor to switch first to thermal, then X-ray imaging. Nothing. Just for good measure, he swung his axe through the space in front of the eagle bust. He'd seen the relevant Indiana Jones movie, but he hadn't expected it to be quite so big a leap. Collecting his thoughts, he lifted off his breastplate and dropped it to the cavern floor. He was going to need the agility. Stone closed his eyes and took one step forward.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing on air. Fighting off the rising panic in his gut, he raised the helmet visor. A ribbon of coherent blue light no wider than a tightrope stretched from the eagle's beak to the other side of the precipice. He dimly wondered whether he'd have seen it sooner if he hadn't morphed. Cautiously, he took another step.

----

Dylan rolled out of the way as Axonite's energy beams cut through the sidewalk. Axonite was slow, but with his blaster useless, Dylan was going to have to get a lot closer to do any damage.

A crane was parked by the side of the road, its load of steel I-beams hanging motionless where they had been left when the operator had abandoned it. Dylan climbed onto the tread, then vaulted to the top of the cab. The monster's eye beams flashed out again, but when they hit, blowing out the windshield, Dylan was already gone, halfway through a leap. As he came down in front of Axonite, he swung his mace. It struck the monster with a metallic clang.

Axonite swatted at the red ranger, his metal arm hitting Dylan in the chest like a baseball bat. He clubbed the monster in the head with his mace as he was thrown clear, and Axonite staggered.

Dylan caught his breath and stood up. Taking the ball of his mace in one hand, he pulled the chain tight. An image flashed on his visor, illustrating an attack pattern. Dylan wondered if he could pull it off. He released the ball of the mace, starting it in a rapid spin. The ball began to glow, leaving a red motion trail as it spun. "Ruby paddlewheel attack!" he cried out, launching himself forward. Time seemed to slow down as his ranger speed concentrated into a single burst, throwing him at the monster. The mace head, now a solid wheel of light, struck Axonite twice on his left side as Dylan shot past him, then turned on his heel and shot past him again, turning the mace in his hand so that it caught Axonite again on his right. As Dylan stopped and turned to face the monster, Axonite stumbled, and fell. Dylan drew his blaster.

Axonite looked up. His bronze face still showed no emotion, but Dylan thought he heard fear in its voice. "You can't finish me with that, red ranger."

"Maybe," Dylan said. "But I seem to recall that steel's stronger than bronze." He fired, not at Axonite, but above him. A shower of sparks shot up from the crane hook and tons of steel beams dropped onto the monster.

Dylan's shoulders slackened. It hadn't been an easy fight, that was for sure, but if he could bring down the monster himself, he wasn't sure exactly what all the fuss about the Legacy Zords was. A slow clap made him turn back to the crane.

Dastari's second, a young man in black zealot robes with a shaved head and a brand on his face in the shape of an inverted anhk, reclined on the hood of the crane as if it were a chaise lounge. "Well played, red ranger," he said.

Dylan shook his mace at the man. "You can send all the monsters you want, Leyolas," he said. "It won't make any difference."

Leyolas raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I think one will do." He raised his hand, tracing an arcane symbol in the air. He intoned, "God of darkness, master of night, empower your servant again to fight." The air through which he had drawn glowed yellow, forming a solid symbol that flew through the air, disappearing into the pile of steel. Dylan was thrown backward as bronze-colored light erupted from the pile, re-forming into the shape of Axonite. But much, much larger.

Dylan couldn't think of anything clever to say, so he said what occurred to him. "Shit."

He had to roll out of the way as Axonite's newly gigantic foot stomped the ground where he had been standing. He touched his temple. Guys, a little help here?

"Cavalry has arrived!" Dylan looked up at the sound of Stone's voice. Hanging in the air above him was a gigantic blue robot with the body of a lion. Huge metal wings beat slowly, sending up gusts of wind that Dylan could feel all the way on the ground. The eagle-head of the machine craned upward, releasing a war-cry identical to the screeching growl made by the image he had seen earlier. "Legacy Gryphonzord is on-line!" Stone exclaimed as the robot dove toward Axonite.

A mighty roar made Dylan pivot around. A green, lion-headed machine, only slightly smaller than the Gryphonzord was leaping from building to building. It stopped as it neared Axonite, let out another roar, then a great ball of flame erupted from its mouth. "Legacy Chimerazord, at your service," Casey said. "Thanks for holding down the fort, Dylan. You'd better snag your zord while the getting's good. We'll take care of things here."

Dylan could only stare at the two robotic beasts. He hadn't imagined anything like this, and thought of the dragon the white warrior had shown him. He sent a telepathic signal to the white warrior that he was ready for teleportation.

The haze of matter transference cleared, Dylan found himself in a tiny room cut from black rock. A small arch opened onto a room where the air itself glowed red with heat. Beside the arch was an engraved placard. As he looked at it, a translation glowed on his visor:

The hero Elysium of Zatar mastered many objects of power. But the hero's true strength came not from the weapons he held or the armor he wore, but from himself. Only he who follows in the footsteps of the red warrior shall command me as once he did.

Dylan looked through the arch. At the far side of the long room, he could see the third zord -- a serpentine dragon, like those of eastern mythology. It was curled as if asleep, its eyes dark. Dylan stepped across the threshold into the room, and instantly, a ball of fire caught him in the chest, forcing him back into the tiny antechamber.

This was not going to be easy.

----

The Chimerazord loosed a volley of fireballs as it leapt past Axonite. Casey was surprised by how easy it was to operate -- the two control sticks and three foot-pedals let her direct the robot's motions, but it really seemed to be directing itself, like a living creature, under her control, but with its own mind.

Axonite swatted the green zord, and it crashed to earth on its back. Casey looked for a control that would right the zord. The Chimerazord was powerful, but its range of motion was limited. She saw controls for the weapons and a panel on the side wall marked Interlink, but what she was interested in was a trackball that seemed to control the robot's tail. She spun the ball, thrashing the lizard-tail at the ground. The Chimerazord rocked.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size," Stone shouted as he folded the Gryphonzord's metal wings back, landing in front of the bronze monster. Even rearing up on its hind legs, Stone's zord only came up to Axonite's chest, but it was still larger than the Chimerazord. The eagle head let forth another war-cry, and it slashed at the monster with gigantic metal talons. Axonite fired gold beams from its eyes, pushing the Gryphonzord over.

As the Gryphonzord crashed to the ground, it caught the Chimerazord, now on its side, with a hindpaw, righting it. "You okay?" Casey asked.

"No damage," Stone said.

Casey shook her head. "I was talking about you, dumbass."

Stone smiled behind his visor. She really cared. "Nothing hurt but my pride, Bemai." He brought the Gryphonzord back to its feet and pecked at Axonite with the break. "But I don't think we're making any progress."

Stray beams from the monster's eyes cut into a nearby building. "We have to end this before he destroys the whole damn city," Casey said.

"It's our timing," Stone said. "Instead of taking turns at him, we need to combine our attacks. Fight as one."

Casey nodded. "Fight as one," she repeated. "Combine our..." Her voice trailed off as the lights went on in her mind. "Stone! Check the walls. There should be a panel somewhere marked Interlink." While she waited for a reply, Casey pulled the cover-plate open. The console inside was segmented into four display plates. One plate was glowing blue with a schematic diagram of the Gryphonzord.

Stone checked the cockpit. Sure enough, the panel was there on the right wall. "Got it," he said.

"Open it up and hit the button," Casey ordered.

The blue ranger opened his panel. On one of the four plates inside, a schematic of the Chimerazord glowed green. "You have any idea what this does?" he asked.

"Nope," Casey confessed. "Do it anyway."

In unison, they pressed the illuminated panels on their respective consoles. A computerized female voice said, "Interlink sequence activated."

The Gryphonzord beat its wings, lifting off the ground. The snake-tail of the robot folded against its back while large sections of the hindquarters pivoted downward. The hindpaws of the zord collapsed into feet as it landed on the ground. As the forelegs retracted, the zord's wings folded over its chest, knitting together into an armored breastplate.

Meanwhile, the Chimerazord leapt into the air, its body splitting lengthwise from the neck back. The two halves of its body telescoped away from the head on metal pilars as each half shifted and transformed, the reptilian hind feet folding down into claw-like hands. The upper section of each of the Gryphonzord's wings lifted up as the transformed Chimerazord crashed against it, then folded down again, covering the support pillars. The Chimerazord's body formed arms on the combined zord, its leonine head releasing a growl as it locked into place as a crest at the center of the breastplate. The Gryphonzord's head split open, each side rotating around and folding against the shoulders. Where the head had been, a smaller, roughly humanoid head remained. Its eyes glowed yellow.

Casey jumped at the sound of metal-on-metal as the cockpit crashed to a halt around her. Her control rig had changed -- the two sticks had separated from the console, docking with a strip of track which circled her. As she pulled the sticks along the track, the combined zord's arms moved in response. Stone's voice crackled on the intercom. "What are we, some kind of SuperZord now?"

"Double the trouble, I hope," she answered. She thrust both sticks forward, and the zord's fists crashed against Axonite.

----

Dylan tried sticking just his hand through the arch. He barely had time to feel the blistering heat before another fireball forced him back. "There must be something around the arch -- a sensor or something," he reasoned. He studied the arch, but saw nothing, then placed his hand against it. He couldn't feel anything, but then, he couldn't feel much through the glove. He took it off.

As soon as his bare hand came in contact with the stone of the arch, he realized just how much the suit was protecting him from the environment: touching the stone was like putting his hand on the engine block of his Vespa after a long ride. He recoiled, flailing his arm out. As he rubbed his burnt flesh, something occurred to him. When he had recoiled from the wall, he'd pulled his arm away in a circle -- not straight back. He had reached past the arch by several inches. He tried it again, sticking his bare hand past the threshold into the red-hot chamber beyond. No fireball. The hero's true strength came not from the weapons he held or the armor he wore, but from himself. Damn.

He took a deep breath. It was maybe fifty yards to the zord. It seemed like miles. The suit was the only thing protecting him from spontaneous combustion even now, it seemed. But the others needed him. He bit his lip. "Armor off!" he yelled, and ran.

----

Axonite delivered a straight-armed strike to the combined zord making it stagger backward. Casey returned the favor with a series of quick jabs. Stone managed to move the zord's body out of the way of Axonite's next strike, but there was really too much zord for the two of them to control effectively, and their control over it was awkward. This super-zord had none of the grace or agility of the separate zords. Still, they were at least keeping Axonite from doing any more damage to the city, even if it was beginning to look like they could hammer on his metal skin until the end of time without actually incapacitating him.

"Get your arms out of the way," Stone called. "I want to try something."

Casey got off one more left-hook, then released the sticks, dropping the zord's arms to its sides. "Lion strike!" Stone yelled. The eyes of the lion-head glowed red and it opened its mouth in a roar before releasing a flaming orb of energy that pushed Axonite back.

"My turn," the metal giant said, and its golden laser beams cut across the zord's chest. The explosion almost unseated Stone as the zord fell backwards, crashing into an office building. Casey had to struggle with the control sticks to make the zord push itself back up.

"You guys look look like you could use a hand." The sound of Dylan's voice made Casey look upward, and the zord craned its neck. There, shining bright red against the setting sun, was a large robotic dragon, its long, segmented body twisting as it flew. Its wings sliced through the air like a razor. Astride the dragon's head, skin red and blistered, clothing still smoldering, was Dylan.

"Legacy Dragon, reporting for duty," Dylan said. "Is this a private party or can anyone play?" He drew back his fist. "Legacy force! Armor on!"

He dropped into the cockpit of the zord as his ranger uniform materialized around him, and the Dragon let out a savage cry, then sprayed the air with flames. It soared past Axonite, wrapping the monster's neck with its tail and dragging it away from the still-staggering super-zord. The Dragon zord released Axonite, and it fell backwards, crushing the crane.

As the monster tried to stand, Casey looked at the interlink console. A second panel had illuminated, the image of the Dragon glowing in red. "Dylan, what say we finish this?"

Dylan had already guessed the purpose of the interlink console, and touched the green and blue panels. He felt the rush of sudden acceleration as the Dragon's head separated from its body. Two more body sections broke free from the Dragon, leaving behind a thin central column. The detatched body segments dropped onto the upstretched hands of the combined zord, forming bracers on its wrists. The dragon wings attached higher on the arms, contracting into blades. The rest of the dragon body contracted, the segments locking together while the limbs folded into compartments. The combined zord caught the Dragon-lance by the narrow handle section. The jaw of the Dragon's head opened wide and it landed atop the robot head as a helmet. Dylan heard the grinding sound of metal against metal as the side walls of the cockpit retracted, and he found himself between Casey and Stone, their three cockpits linked together to form a small command deck. The computer voice said, "Interlink sequence completed. Legacy Megazord on-line."

Axonite was back on its feet now, and fired another laser blast. Moving as one, Casey raised the Megazord's arm, and Dylan turned the wrist, using the dragon lance to block the blow. With a third set of hands to operate the controls, the Megazord was more agile, easily twisting its body out of the way of Axonite's next punch, then bringing the lance down in a flycasting motion against the monster's shoulder.

Planting the tip of the lance in the ground, the Legacy Megazord vaulted over the monster, and Stone delivered three high, fast kicks from behind. The Megazord rolled to one side as Axonite spun around, his laser beams glancing off of nearby buildings as they missed.

Coming up on one knee, the Megazord pulled the lance out of the ground with both hands, holding it up overhead just in time to catch an overhand chop from the monster. It thrust the horizontal lance upward, pushing Axonite away as Stone raised the Megazord back to a standing position. "Let's finish this," Dylan said.

The Megazord again thrust its lance into the ground, using the leverage to vault into the air, but this time, it pulled the lance with it as it rose. With one voice, the rangers called out, "Dragon lance, flying wedge!" The Megazord dropped back to earth, thrusting the lance downward. It pierced the crown of Axonite's head, splitting him from stem to stern. It took some effort to withdraw the lance before turning the Megazord away from Axonite's fragmented and exploding body.

----

Dylan sank low in his chair. Across the table from him, Casey read the newspaper. MONSTER ATTACKS CITY had made the front page, of course. The sudden disappearance of a bronze statue of a city founder from Burnside Park got only a small mention on page six, and was considered unrelated. "That was awesome beyond words," Stone said. "Let me tell you, I honestly do not care what Dastari sends next. My Gryphonzord is going to tear it to pieces."

"Don't be so cocky," Casey said. "And keep your voice down, will you?" The barrista kept glancing in their direction. "Axonite was a lot tougher than Lavalux. I think it's a fair bet that the next one will be tougher than Axonite," she whispered.

Dylan scratched his head and bit into a jelly doughnut, powdered sugar dusting his red turtleneck. "They get tougher, we get tougher. It's our job."

Stone nudged Casey's shoulder. "You're not yelling at him about being cocky."

She dropped the paper and smiled at Stone. "Maybe I just don't like you."

He placed a crooked finger under her chin, lifting her head. "Why you got to play me like that, Bemai?" He looked down. "Will you believe this?"

Dylan raised an eyebrow.

Stone read a line from the paper. "As astonished onlookers fled to safety, the monster grew to gigantic proportions. It was then that three large robots, a dragon, a lion, and a pegasus appeared to fight it. Pegasus? Who the hell can't tell a gryphon from a pegasus?"

"Right," Dylan said, sarcastically, "Because most people run into gryphons all the time."

"Hey," Casey added, "My Chimerazord isn't a lion, but you don't see me bitching."

Stone rolled his eyes. "And how come he gets top billing?" he said, indicating Dylan. "He wasn't even there for half the fight. We could have taken that thing down all on our own."

Dylan scoffed. "You could barely drive the thing until I got there. Besides," he ran a finger along the back of his still-reddened hand, blanching the skin momentarily, "I'm the one who ended up medium-well. I think I deserve some mad props for that."

"Ha! I crossed a bottomless pit on an invisible bridge, don't forget. Besides, your Dragon was the lance and hat. Let's not forget which zord made up a good two-thirds of the Megazord."

"Girls," Casey said, condescending, "You're both pretty."

Dylan chuckled. Stone didn't. "You're one to talk. You just had to solve a couple of SAT questions to get your zord."

"Yeah," she said. "Lucky it wasn't you; you'd be down there still."

"At least my zord can roll over on its own."

"Guys," Dylan said, taking his turn at being the voice of reason. "You do realize that this is turning into a giant robot pissing contest?"

Casey laughed in spite of herself. "If it were a real pissing contest, you'd win, hands down."

Dylan arched an eyebrow. "I don't know what that means."

She shrugged. "I'm just saying. Snake dragon that turns into a great big lance? Just a teensy bit phallic."

"Oh," Dylan said. Then, "I can live with that."

This time, all three of them laughed.


----

Next time on Power Rangers Legacy...
When Dastari's attack hits close to home, the Red Ranger will learn that not all challenges come on the battlefield.
And when the Blue Ranger learns a new skill, will he pay the price with his soul?


Next Episode: A Stone and a Hard Place

... Evil has no name...

[ivoryranger]

Episode 04:
A Stone and a Hard Place

Ivoryranger@hotmail.com


"And as you all know, the music department is sponsoring a recital in the school auditorium this Friday night. While I can't require you to attend, I do want to remind you that the proceeds will supplement the music department budget this year." The teacher turned back to the black board and scribbled down the time and date. "Which is why I'm offering 25 points of extra credit to everyone who attends." The bell rang, and most of the class was halfway to the door even before he had dismissed them with a wave.

It was only the ringing of the bell that brought Dylan Fokker back to the real world. He scribbled a few more notes down on a notebook page littered with staffs, clefts, and crude sketches of a sun and moon in partial eclipse. He shut the notebook and thrust it into his backpack before standing up.

"Dylan," The teacher said without looking up.

"Mr. Andrews?" Dylan answered.

"I was wondering if you were planning to attend the recital."

Dylan glanced around furtively. "I'd like to," he said. "I don't really know if I'll be free."

Andrews finally looked up from the papers on his desk. "I didn't see you at the last one. I know you've enjoyed them in the past, so I was surprised not to see you."

"I've had some other commitments," Dylan said. That was putting it mildly. During the last recital, he'd been fighting a thirty-story-tall shiatsu neck massager. He headed for the door.

"I know extra credit isn't much enticement for you."

Dylan shrugged. "I enjoy it," he said. "And it's a good cause."

Andrews stood up. "I was hoping you felt that way," he said. "Dylan, have you ever considered performing?"

Dylan was not sure how long it took for his heart to start beating again. When he finally said, "No, sir," it came out as a croak.

Andrews glanced over some papers. "You don't participate in any extracurricular activities, do you, Dylan?"

Dylan had already had this conversation with the guidance counselor twice.. He didn't like where it was going. "I have a lot of personal commitments," he said. Like fighting off an evil priest determined to resurrect an evil force from the dawn of time.

"I can understand that," Andrews said, "But we both know you have a pretty rare gift."

You don't know the half of it, Dylan thought, glancing down at his ruby ring. The teacher continued. "With the right training, you could really go places. But the best schools are all looking for something beyond academics." He walked to Dylan and placed his hand on Dylan's shoulder. "I have it on good authority that some people from the Stone Canyon Conservatory will be in attendance."

Dylan's heart skipped a beat. He must have been about ten behind by now. When he didn't answer, Andrews went on. "Dylan, I won't force you to do this. But I think that performing at this recital would be good for you. Good for your future, and good for you." He fixed Dylan with a knowing look.

"I, um," Dylan stammered. "I need to think about it."

"I'll need to know soon."

Dylan looked to the clock for some solace. Three minutes to the next bell. "I'll let you know tomorrow," he said, and bolted for the door.

----

"Dude, you're pensive," Stone said. "And have you guys ever noticed how much coffee we've been drinking lately?"

Dylan was actually drinking chai tea, but he nodded. "Caffeine buzz good against evil," he said.

Casey savored her espresso. She'd been giving some thought to the new vanilla latte, but change scared her. "Dastari roll out some kind of body-switching ray?" she asked. "That was painfully, painfully fragmentary. And Stone, how do you even know what 'pensive' means?"

"Hey, me talk good," Stone said. "You could stand to be a little less abrasive, Bemai."

Casey arched an eyebrow. "I don't recall inviting you to start invading my favorite coffee shop." She blew a lock of hair out of her face. "Pensive? Abrasive? You start buying word-a-day condoms or something?"

"You should smile more. You've got really nice teeth," Stone said. Casey was so taken aback that she didn't respond.

Stone shot Dylan an unwarranted conspiratorial glance. "I thought you were supposed to be the red guy." Casey realized she was blushing and hid behind the newspaper.

Dylan finally decided to have it out. "My music theory teacher asked me to play in the recital Friday."

"Are you going to do it?" Casey asked from behind her newspaper. She didn't actually care, but it seemed like the question was expected of her.

"I don't know. Public performances aren't really my thing."

Stone scoffed. "Come on, man. Chicks dig musicians."

Casey dropped the paper again to add her own glare to the one already fixing Stone from Dylan. "I'm not writing music for the chicks," Dylan said. He saw Casey's eyes move, and quickly corrected himself: "Girls. Women."

"Babes. Hotties. Dames. Broads. Dolls," Stone added, deflecting Casey's death-glare away from Dylan. He leaned toward her. "And you should hear how many words I know for boobies." He looked off into space. "Man, though, that's a fun word to say. Boobies. Boobies."

"There are worlds, worlds of pain I'm going to show you," Casey said.

"I always kinda suspected that you liked it rough," Stone said.

Casey placed one finger on top of her ring. "Don't tempt me."

Dylan's mind had wandered off. "How many words do you need?" he asked. "Case," Dylan used his most diplomatic tone. "You've got to give him a break. It is a fun word to say."

Stone leaned over. "Yeah, but it really breaks the mood if you use if when you're actually..." He made a groping gesture.

"I'm leaving," Casey said. "Before I kill both of you." She threw down her paper and stormed off.

"She wants me," Stone reflected. "Not that I'd lower myself. You see the way she dresses? Who wears overalls at her age?" He raised an eyebrow. "Still, nice boobies." He laughed.

Sirius, who Dylan and Stone were beginning to suspect was the café's only employee, walked past their table, snatching up Casey's abandoned cup and newspaper. "You're an ass, Rikard. A world-class ass."

Stone ignored the comment. "So, seriously, man. Recital? Should I clear my schedule?"

It was Dylan's turn to arch an eyebrow. "You'd come to a music recital? On a Friday night? For me?"

Stone shrugged. "I have no idea about these things, but I think that's what friends do, right?"

"Is that what we are now?" Dylan asked. It actually seemed bizarre.

"Hell, I don't know. I'm not any good at the whole friend thing. I mostly see the world in terms of sexual-partner, potential-sexual-partner and non-potential-sexual-partner." A fraction of a second later, his mind played out the implications of that. "You're 'non', by the way. But I guess maybe 'friend' creeps in there somewhere when you're trying to save the world with someone."

"Your car still doesn't work," Dylan concluded.

"Can't for the life of me work out what's wrong with the starter motor. Can't take the bus on a date. Besides, artsy chicks: rowr."

----

Dastari studied the ancient script in the holy book of his order. So intent was his concentration, he barely noticed his lieutenant as he approached.

"What news, Leyolas?" he finally asked.

Leyolas pushed his hood back and kneeled before his master. "It is as you have prophesied, my lord. Even now, the comet draws near this planet."

"Good. But time is short. We must distract the rangers, lest it fall into their hands."

"One of our spies brings news of the Red Ranger. I can not see how this intelligence can be turned to our advantage, but perhaps, in your wisdom..."

"Tell me," Dastari said, closing the book.

"The Red Ranger is reputed as a minstrel of some sort, my lord. He is to give a performance in four days' time. Yet he is unsure of his skill, and worries that he will be unable to perform."

Dastari turned away and thought about this. "Perhaps we can use these feelings of inadequacy to distract him. I shall create a monster with the power to amplify his anxieties."

"I have brought you one of the tools of his trade," Leyolas said, producing a metronome from the folds of his robe.

Dastari set it in motion with a touch of his skeletal finger. The arm swung back and forth, keeping time. "A curious instrument," he reflected. "We shall begin the ritual in two days."

----

Casey was no fan of the park per se. Places full of people never did much for her, especially people engaged in the mindlessness of a beer-fueled neighborhood kickball league. Still, she could appreciate the peace of a reflective walk in the park over being a TV shut-in. She was in Burnside Park this afternoon mostly because it was in a straight line between school and the coffee shop, and she was in no real hurry to get there. Stone seemed to have developed some kind of radar that was making it hard for her to enjoy a solitary espresso. The powers of a ranger seemed to extend to the mundane as well as the exceptional.

Shouts of alarm caught her attention, and Casey automatically sprang into a battle stance. Once she'd pinpointed the direction of the screams, she took off running. As she cleared a copse of trees, she could see what had caused the shouts. About a dozen people were running in terror from a team of Zealots. She considered morphing, but there were still too many civilians in the area. Damned idiots.

It didn't matter. Against Zealots, she didn't need to morph. Hopefully. Since it would have been foolhearty not to, she fired off a telepathic warning to the White Warrior before she charged into battle.

Casey cut through the air feet-first, colliding with a Zealot. It went down, then back-flipped onto its feet as Casey connected an open-handed blow to another Zealot's chest. The first Zealot punched high, and Casey ducked under the fist while executing a sweep-kick that put it on the ground again. When a third Zealot lunged at her, she sidestepped, then caught the edge of its faceplate as it sailed past. The empty cloak flopped to the ground, and Casey snatched it up as she cartwheeled to avoid a high kick.

Holding the cloak like a toreador's cape, she waved a Zealot on. She released the cape as it passed her, and the cape fell over the Zealot's head. It struggled blindly for several seconds while Casey bought herself some room with a quick series of punches and kicks at the other Zealots. She wheeled around and pulled the cloak off of the Zealot, pulling the faceplate beneath away with her.

Jumping over a low kick, Casey crashed directly into a high karate-chop from another Zealot, and missed her landing, crashing to the ground.

"Got everything under control?" Casey craned her neck around to see Stone near the edge of the clearing, arms akimbo.

She burned with embarrassment at his obvious amusement. "I do," she yelled.

Stone shrugged. A Zealot kicked Casey while she was down. "I can leave if you like."

Casey caught another Zealot leg as it swung toward her and gave it a twist. If the creature was prone to such an injury, she would have broken its ankle. The Zealot spun in the air and crashed to earth beside her. "Stay or go," she called, "But don't just stand there looking like an idiot."

Stone mock-sighed as he launched himself at the pack of Zealots. "You know I have a weakness for damsels in distress." He kicked over a Zealot, then helped Casey to her feet.

Standing back to back, Casey and Stone watched as the Zealots circled them, then seemed to inexplicably lose interest. A pool of shadow opened beneath them, and they disappeared.

"Any idea what that was about?" Stone asked.

Casey shrugged. "I'm starting to think they don't really need a reason."

"We should get back to base. I don't like this."

"Neither do I. This whole attack-at-random thing seems kind of..." Casey mused.

"Stupid?"

"Yeah. Where's Dylan?"

"Practicing. I told the White Warrior not to bother him." Stone studied the grass.

"Speaking of stupid," Casey said. Then, "What are you looking at?"

Stone shook his head. "I don't know. I was hoping there was something here. Doesn't seem right that they'd just attack for no reason, and then break off for no reason."

----

"The attack at the park was ill-conceived."

Leyolas hung his head at the admonishment as he stood beside his master at the edge of the swirling black vortex. "I am sorry, lord. Our agents did not know that the Green Ranger was nearby. We had hoped to inspire terror that would discourage humans from approaching the landing area."

"You were premature," Dastari rebuked. "These humans have short memories. Even if you had succeeded, humans would have returned again the next day. Worse, you have alerted the rangers to our interest in the area."

"Forgive me for my lack of judgment, lord." Leyolas bowed in supplication.

Dastari turned to the vortex. "A minor setback, nothing more." He produced the metronome from beneath his robe and held it over the vortex. "Dark lord, we beseech you. Let your divine evil fill this unworthy vessel. Create from this insignificant form a tool of your perfect will."

Dastari released the metronome and stepped back as a tendril of darkness rose from the vortex, catching the device. The metronome hovered in the air, floating toward the center of the dark hole. A kind of un-light flowed up the tendril, engulfing the small metronome. Slowly, it began to grow.

With his fingers steepled, Dastari watched the growing metronome, focusing his own evil energies into giving the darkness form. It took several hours to transmute the metal and plastic into a parody of life. Arms and legs, crude at first, took shape as the metronome grew to human proportions. Screw holes on the face of the device broadened into eyes, and a thin line of a mouth emerged below its midline. The dark tendril released the newly-formed monster just as the first rays of sunlight struck the tower outside.

As the monster landed beside the pit, it tried to bow to Dastari, though its inflexible midsection made this a futile attempt. "Lord Dastari," the monster growled, "For what purpose have you summoned me to life?"

Dastari inspected the monster. Not the most promising of his creations, but good enough for the present purpose. "Metronex," Dastari hissed, "Tomorrow afternoon, a meteor will strike this planet in the area the humans call Burnside Park. This meteor is of great value to our cause."

"You wish me to retrieve it?"

Dastari released an amused laugh. It was not a pleasant sound. "No, Metronex. Your task shall be far more simple -- but no less critical to our success."

"I exist only to serve you."

Dastari nodded, dismissively. "The Power Rangers must remain unaware of our activities. The Red Ranger suffers from a fear of public performance. I have gifted you with the power to exploit this weakness. You will render him afraid even to be seen."

"It shall be as you command."

Dastari pointed a bony finger at Metronex. "Your only purpose is to keep the Rangers from Burnside Park. Do not fail me in this."

"As you command, lord Dastari."

----

"I still think we should tell Dylan," Casey said. "Isn't he supposed to be in charge, in some vague technical way?"

Stone placed his hand on the large crystal that controlled the cavern imaging system. He produced a few stripes of color, but nothing meaningful. Stone had never been any good at controlling it. "He's got enough on his mind with this recital," he said. "You shoulda seen him, Bemai. I think it's dangerously close to freaking out."

"Not to lay too fine a point on it, but I think that 'piano recital' falls in a different category from 'evil overlord.' Just my opinion."

The White Warrior stepped forward. "You must not forsake your civilian duties. When you forget that you have responsibilities as a human as well as a ranger, you begin the process of losing that which sets you apart from the evil you fight."

Stone winced. "Could you try, just every once in a while, to sound a little less like a fortune cookie?"

"Hazard of my occupation," the White Warrior said.

"So, what do you think?" Casey asked. "I can't stop thinking about that attack at the park. If they were trying to accomplish something, I can't tell you what."

The White Warrior nudged Stone's hand away from the crystal and replaced it with his own. The panorama showed the solar system. "I will monitor the situation," he said. "But you should not jump to conclusions. It is possible Dastari's attack was merely probative, intended to gauge your response."

"I don't like it," Casey said. "Doesn't feel right."

"Your instincts should not be ignored," said the White Warrior.

Stone checked his watch. "We really ought to get to school," he said. "How about making with the teleport?"

"As you wish," the old man said. As he raised his staff, however, Casey motioned for him to stop.

"Those instincts I'm supposed to trust are ringing," she explained.

The White Warrior touched the crystal. "Dastari has sent a monster to attack the city."

"Burnside Park?" Casey asked.

The image above them flared to life. "No," the White Warrior said, mildly surprised, "The docks."

"Guess we're not leaving Fokker out of it after all," Stone said. To the White Warrior, he added, "You'd better get him on the brain-horn. And write a letter to my first period teacher."

The two rangers backed away from the old man and drew back their fists. In unison, they called out, "Legacy force! Armor on!"

----

"Rangers?" Metronex taunted, "Come out, come out wherever you are!" He raked the street with energy blasts.

"Looking for us?" Stone called out. His blue axe rested on his shoulder. Beside him, Casey held her coiled whip loosely in her right hand. She surveyed the area quickly. The monster was alone -- no Zealots. None of the dock workers were in sight, though her infrared scanner picked up a man-shaped few heat signatures cowering behind boxes and equipment.

Pointing a finger at the monster, Casey said, "You're making me late for calculus, and you're going to pay for that." When she glanced over to Stone, she had the sudden feeling he could see the grimace through her helmet.

"Aw, screw it," Stone said. "Let's just kick its ass." He charged Metronex, swinging his axe before him. The monster sidestepped at the last moment, and Stone, with nothing to break his charge, stumbled to a halt several yards behind him.

Casey cracked her whip, striking sparks against the white creature. She leapt into the air, tucking into a roll from which she uncurled just in time to land both feet in Metronex's face. The monster fired an energy blast which threw her from him.

Once the Red Ranger had rounded the corner, he stopped for a second to catch his breath, his hands on his knees. That was when he saw the dock worker, curled into a fetal ball behind a stack of containers. Dylan crouched down beside the cowering man. "Are you okay?" he asked.

The man looked up, panic obvious in his eyes. "They're still here, aren't they?"

Dylan looked over the containers. He could see Stone and Casey in the distance, battling the monster. His mind locked in on one word. "They?" he pressed. "More than one?"

The man shook his head in confusion. "Of course there's more than one. They're everywhere." He recoiled. "Stop looking at me. What are you looking at?"

"Who?" Dylan asked. He was starting to suspect that the man's mind had cracked under the pressure. "Who's everywhere?"

The man gave Dylan an incredulous look, as if he couldn't believe he didn't get it. "People. They're everywhere. They're all looking at me. They know..."

Dylan was getting more and more lost. "Know what?"

The man just shook his head and curled back into a ball. Dylan realized that he wasn't going to get through. He decided that his earlier suspicion was correct; the man hadn't been able to cope with the stress of meeting a monster face-to-face. Dylan wondered how many more there were like him, in Tribulation Landing, Angel Grove, Mariner Bay, and half a dozen other cities where monsters like these had appeared over the years. Dylan couldn't do anything for him, but he could do his best to prevent more people from being destroyed like this.

Stone slashed twice at the monster before a bolt of energy threw him to the ground. He looked up just in time to see Dylan vault over a stack of containers at the far end of the docks. "Sorry I'm late," the Red Ranger said. "Miss me?"

Metronex turned away from Stone to face this new quarry. "Red Ranger," he said, "I've been waiting for you."

Dylan sized the monster up, recognizing it only when its pendulum started ticking off the seconds. He dashed toward Metronex, his mace tracing a red circle through the air as he called out, "Ruby paddlewheel attack!" The mace caught Metronex as he passed, and then again on his other side as he made his second pass. The monster fell to its knees. Dylan shook his head slightly. "You have no idea how much I've been wanting to beat the crap out of a metronome this week."

As the monster pulled itself back to its feet, the weight slid down the pendulum, causing the arm to tick back and forth faster. "Come now, Red Ranger," the monster taunted. Its voice sounded somehow almost soothing. The pendulum ticked back and forth. "You won't destroy me..." The weight moved again and the pendulum swung faster. Dylan thought he could hear it echoing in his skull. "Not with everyone watching..."

Casey drew her blaster, but Dylan waved her off. She doesn't think I can do this, he thought. He drew his own blaster. His hand was shaking. That ticking sound was getting to him.

Stone could see some sort of energy cloud extending from Dylan to the monster. It was clear from Dylan's reaction that he didn't see it.

Something's wrong, Dylan thought. Why haven't I shot yet? His eyes strayed to Stone. Stone was staring at him. He knows. They all know.

Even if Dylan couldn't see the cloud, it was having an effect on him. Stone looked from the monster to the Red Ranger. Dylan was just standing there, holding his blaster as if he didn't know how to use it. Stone had the sudden notion that Dylan was caught like a fly in amber. Stone rushed him, trying to knock Dylan out of harm's way. When their bodies connected, Stone felt something course through him. He didn't know what it was at first -- it wasn't a sensation that he had a lot of personal experience with. Both rangers crashed to the ground hard, giving Stone time to reflect on the sensation. It was a kind of undirected fear of inadequacy.

"I think that's enough for now," Metronex said. "See you later. Well, some of you." The monster disappeared into a pool of shadow.

Stone's stiff muscles finally responded and he stood, then looked down to where he and Dylan had landed. The Red Ranger was gone.

----

Stone leaned against his locker and tried to look cool. It just wasn't happening today. Stone couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this far off his game. He felt drained from the effort it had taken to sweet-talk his way out of detention for missing most of first period. Must be spending too much time in tights. He almost didn't notice Melanie Sanchez was talking to him.

Melanie was a raven-haired beauty with high cheekbones, exquisitely arched eyebrows, and the most incredible backside that had ever been shoehorned into black denim. "And I heard you were having trouble with your car," she was saying. Stone fumbled uncomfortably. Man, she was pretty. "That sucks. It's such a beautiful old car. What is that, a sixty-eight?"

"Sixty-nine," Stone said quickly. God. She probably thinks I'm a gearhead. Wake up, Stone, you're acting like a geek.

"Sixty-nine? I love that," she said. When she realized what she'd said, she blushed hard enough for it to show in spite of her dark complexion. Hell, Stone thought. You're embarrassing her. "I mean. I love old cars. I, uh," she played with her hair, "I got an eighty-two Trans Am, you know, the Knight Rider car." Stone laughed nervously. Should I know what that is? God. I should know that. I'm such an idiot. She must think I'm a freaking moron.

"Yeah," she said, "So, like, anyway..." She crossed her arms, pseudo-accidentally brushing her stripper-quality breasts. "I know it's nothing compared to your sixty-nine--" she giggled, the motion causing her to lift her breasts a little -- "But, if you'd like to see it some time..."

Something clicked in Stone's mind. She's coming on to me. Me? Why would -- His entire posture changed as he snapped out of it. Of course she was flirting with him. Women did that. "I'd love to see it, yeah," he said. "Maybe we could go cruising some time?"

Her face lit up. "Like maybe tomorrow?" she offered "Around nine?"

Stone hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her face slightly. "Kind of hard to see your car that late."

Melanie smiled mischievously. "I'm sure you'll see plenty."

Once they'd fleshed out the details and Melanie had disappeared to smoke in the girls' room, Stone fell back against the wall of lockers. He was back.

It was only then that something else intruded into his thoughts. Tomorrow. Friday. He'd told Dylan he'd go to that stupid recital. He felt guilt, which was something of a new emotion for him. Well, he'd better go tell him.

Stone had filed away the class schedules of about three dozen girls already, so it hadn't taken him much more effort to memorize the schedules of his fellow rangers after Casey'd suggested that it would be a good idea. Dylan was free this period, so Stone imagined he'd find him in the band room, practicing.

He was surprised when he didn't see Dylan at the piano upon entering the band room, surprised enough that he wondered if he's gotten the right room after all. Tribulation High's band room had strange diamond projections on the walls, as well as narrow ventilation slits. Stone had heard -- though he couldn't imagine where he'd heard it -- that the room was originally designed for an indoor swimming pool, but at the last minute, someone had noticed that a music department had been accidentally omitted from the plans. Personally, he'd have preferred the pool. His shoes sent up a funny echo on the floor as he walked in, and the sound prompted a loud whimper from behind a drum set. Stone circled around cautiously, his hand automatically reaching for his sapphire ring. When he reached the far side of the drum set, he found Dylan curled up on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" Dylan chittered nervously. "What did I do? Did I do something?"

Stone looked around. "Dude," he said, pointedly, "Calm down." He grimaced. "Tell me you weren't, like..." He made a pumping gesture in the air.

"I didn't do anything. I swear. Stop staring at me. Why are you staring at me?"

Stone backed away, hands up. "Hey, nothing's wrong. Stop freaking. I just came here to talk about the recital."

"Recital?" Dylan asked. He seemed confused.

"Yeah. About that. See, something sort of came up..."

"I can't do it," Dylan said. "I'm not doing it."

Stone was thrown. "You're bailing on the recital? Why?"

Dylan looked around, nervously. "They'll see me. They'll know."

Now, Stone was completely lost. Dylan seemed to be having a full-blown panic attack. Stone leaned in close, summoning the comforting tone he'd learned specifically to calm down dates who woke up to find they'd gone a lot further than they'd intended. "Dude. Just relax. You can handle this; you're a freaking Power Ranger."

Dylan shook his head and buried it between his knees. "I can't. Not with everyone watching." His hand shook as he took off his ring and thrust it out toward Stone. "Take it," he insisted. "I can't. I'll just keep messing everything up."

Stone could tell it wasn't going to do any good to argue. He took Dylan's ring, mostly because he was worried that he'd lose it in this state. The bell rang. "Hey, man," Stone said. "Whatever the problem is, we can get through this."

Dylan looked up at him, his eyes wide with panic or terror. "Just go. Stop looking at me. Please," he pleaded.

----

"I don't know," Stone said. "You should try talking to him. He just freaked out. This recital was really important to him."

Casey watched the ground as she and Stone walked across the park toward the coffee shop. "Forget the recital. It's quitting the rangers I'm worried about."

"Well, yeah. I don't know what's got into him. I mean, I knew he was nervous about playing, but, it's like he's blown a fuse or something."

"You really think this is about that stupid recital?"

Stone shrugged. "It's the man's passion, babe," he said. "And passion happens to be one of the things I know a lot about."

Casey shook her head. If Stone wasn't embellishing, Dylan was having some sort of full-on episode, and the fact that Stone was holding the ruby ring seemed to confirm his story. She couldn't imagine that he could have gotten so worked up over music. "I don't know. Maybe the White Warrior can talk some sense into him." She fumbled with small device that reminded Stone of the adding machine his mom kept beside the couch during tax season.

"What's the gizmo?" he asked, nodding toward the device.

"Hand-held EEG, more or less. You can find plans for anything on-line."

"Good. You can figure out which breaker's tripped in our unfearless leader's head."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Actually, I was going to use it on the White Warrior," she said.

Stone raised an eyebrow. "I know he gets a little cryptic, but I'm pretty sure his brain's intact."

Casey put the device away. She was running out of patience. "Teleport," she said. Stone blinked non-comprehension. She shook her head in disgust. "We know that teleportation is one of the powers we get from our rings. We can teleport to our Zord bays, but to go anywhere else, the White Warrior has to do it." Stone opened his hands, accepting that much. "Why?" Casey continued, "Because he's got like a million years of practice. Just like everything else, teleportation is controlled by our minds, so."

Stone finally worked it out. "So, you figure that you can scan the old man's brain to figure out how to do it."

"Well it's not that simple, but yeah."

Stone's response was drowned out by shouts near the edge of the park. Stone and Casey exchanged a glance, then charged down the path. As Casey crested the hill, she was knocked over by a running woman. The handheld EEG bounced out of her bag and Stone stopped to pick it up. The woman looked around, confused and frightened. "Oh God!" she said, "I'm sorry. Don't hurt me. It was an accident, I swear." She stared at Stone as if afraid he was about to jump her. "Don't look at me!" she exclaimed, covering her face. "Oh God!" she exclaimed again. "I didn't do it. Stop looking at me." Her tone suddenly changed to accusatory. "You know, don't you? Oh God, just stop looking at me!" She ran before Stone could say anything.

Casey wouldn't let Stone help her to her feet. When she got up, she took two steps before realizing that Stone wasn't following her. She looked back, and saw that he was still watching the retreating woman. "Stone!" she called. "This is no time. And she's old enough to be your mother."

Stone turned to Casey, confused. "She said I knew something," he puzzled. "That's the same thing Dylan said."

"Later," Casey insisted, gesturing down the hill. He nodded and ran after her.

It was clear when they reached the street that Metronex was waiting for them. The rest of the street was empty, and the monster stood, arms akimbo, facing them as they approached. "You kept me waiting, Rangers. Tick tock."

"Sorry," Stone said, adopting a fighting stance beside Casey, "You should have called ahead." He nodded to Casey, who brought her left hand back into a fist. "Legacy force!" they both said, laying two fingers across their rings, "Armor on!"

The ground seemed to drop away as Stone was encased in blue crystal, which shattered to form his ranger suit. As he hit the ground, his vision narrowed as his helmet restricted the field of his view to the broad angle of his V-shaped visor. His vision narrowed further as the center of the visor was covered by a block of text informing him that his morph sequence was complete.

Stone's first inclination, as always, was to charge with his axe, but Casey was drawing her blaster, and Stone thought it was sound plan. Metronex was agile in spite of his girth, and Stone didn't really want to make the same mistake twice. He drew his own blaster and fired. The beams struck the monster and sent up an explosion, but Metronex managed to stay on his feet.

The monster countered with two fast blasts, and Stone jumped forward, taking his own blast as well as the one intended for Casey. He crumpled to the ground, his senses momentarily overwhelmed. Casey drew her whip and attacked, planting her foot on Stone's back to boost herself into a high jump. This would have been fine if Stone had been prepared, but as he was, his muscles weren't able to tighten at the right time, and he ended up face-down against the pavement.

Casey caught Metronex with the whip once in the air, and ensnared him as she landed. She pulled the whip tight, sending a crackle of green sparks through the monster. Her blaster was back in her hand a second after she landed, and she fired at the trapped monster point-blank. Metronex fell backward and took several seconds to stand up again.

Casey was ready, but she had an irrational desire to savor the moment. It would be her first personal kill. She placed the barrel of her blaster against the monster's body. The pendulum arm swung, knocking the blaster from her hand. Casey raised her whip, about to strike all the same, but her arm didn't seem to be under her control. She stood, inches from the monster, transfixed by the swinging pendulum. "We have an audience," Metronex said. Without moving her head, Casey looked to her side, following the monster's eyes. A few of the bolder neighborhood residents had come out to their stoops to watch. Some of them looked to be cheering, but Casey couldn't hear them over the ticking sound the monster's pendulum made as it counted off seconds, then half-seconds, then quarter-seconds. "They know," it whispered.

The monster staggered suddenly backward as a blast from Stone's pistol cut between Casey's legs to strike low on its body. "Two down!" Metronex snorted, then it vanished into a shadow.

Stone was beside Casey a few seconds later. She hadn't moved -- she was still holding her whip up, ready to strike a monster that was no longer present. Her other hand, half-open, pointed to where her blaster had fallen.

Stone raised his visor in spite of the onlookers -- they were too far away and at the wrong angle to make out any detail. "You okay, Bemai?"

"We have to get out of here," she said softly, panic growing in her voice. "Now. Call the warrior."

He was surprised that she would ask him to do it, but Stone could tell from her tone that her mind wasn't going to be focused enough to make contact. He touched his temple, sending a telepathic summons.

----

When Casey didn't show up for coffee before school, Stone was surprised. When he didn't see her exiting the room where she had first period, he was concerned. But when he stopped by the library at lunch and didn't find her there either, he was outright worried. He slipped into a stall in the men's room, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

The White Warrior gave him no argument when Stone asked to be teleported to the cavern. As soon as Stone materialized, he strode to the control crystal. "I can't find Casey," Stone said. "Show me how to work this thing."

"She is here," the White Warrior said, not apparently concerned.

Stone didn't believe it. "Skipping school?" he asked. "You're kidding."

The old man gestured to one of the tunnels. "She did not depart last night. She spoke of an urgent project."

"Something to do with Dylan?" he asked. He hadn't been able to find Dylan either this morning.

"I am sure she is concerned about his condition, as am I. But she said nothing as to the nature of her work."

"What happened to Dylan," Stone said, "The more I think about it, the more I think it must be connected to the monster. That woman we saw in the park." He shook his head. "He might have put some kind of mojo on Casey too."

"And yet she has not forsaken her Ranger duties," the White Warrior said. "But it is possible. A creature such as this could have many dark powers."

Stone didn't respond, instead making for the tunnel. In the maze of hallways, it took him several minutes to find Casey, bent over a stone table, working a soldering iron at a fevered pitch. When she heard him enter, she jerked upright hard enough that the iron slipped from her hand, skittering across the table. She turned to face him, clearly alarmed. "What are you doing here?" she insisted. "Go away; I'm working."

"Bemai, you skipped school today. Bad form. What's so important?" he asked, trying to look around her to the table.

She moved to block his view. "It's nothing. I haven't done anything. Why are you staring at me like that?"

Stone held up both hands. He didn't like where this was going. "I'm not staring. Casey, you're not acting like yourself."

She backed around to the far side of the table. "What does that mean? I'm not doing anything wrong, I swear. I promise. Look for yourself." She glanced down quickly to the table. "It's nothing. Nothing. It's just--It's a teleport remote. So I can teleport without telling the White Warrior. I've got to finish it."

"And you skipped school for that?"

"It can get me to school. And home. And here. I need it."

Stone took a very slow step toward her. "You need it?"

"So they won't see me."

He shook his head, confused. "Who?"

"Everyone. They'll see me, and they'll know."

"Casey, calm down," Stone insisted. "I think the monster did something to you. I don't know what, but I think he did the same thing to Dylan. Now, just relax, and help me work it out before you go giving me your ring too."

She clapped her hand over the ring as if he'd threatened to take it from her. "You can't have it. I need it. The teleporter won't work without out. I can't morph without it." She was speaking faster now, almost rambling. "If I can't morph, they'll all see me."

Stone took another step. "Keep back," she threatened. She picked up the soldering iron and brandished it like a weapon.

"Casey, relax. Put the soldering iron down. No one's going to hurt you."

"Stop looking at me!" she insisted. She looked around furtively. "I've got to get out of here. It's not safe." She dropped the soldering iron and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes. Stone moved to intercept her, but she vanished in a pillar of green light.

Stone swore out loud as his hand passed through the space she'd occupied, then slammed his fist into the stone table, regretting it instantly. He looked at the table. There were a pile of paper ribbons from her portable EEG device laying there. He gathered them up, tore the newest ribbon from the device, and ran back to the main chamber.

"She's gone," he announced as he entered. He fumbled with the paper tapes, throwing the ones that didn't interest him to the floor. "It's just like Dylan."

He found the three tapes he was looking for and held them up. "I don't suppose you have any idea how to read these?"

The White Warrior studied the tapes. "Casey described the basic principles when she attempted to use her device on me, but I can not interpret these in any substantial detail."

Stone juggled the slips. "This is Casey. It was running when I saw her. This one's Casey yesterday, and this one is from the woman in the park. It must have switched on when she ran into her." He pointed to a place on the printout where one of the meter lines broke into an erratic ripple. "Right here," he said. "This is on the new one but not the old one. It's on the park woman's too. Do you have any idea what it means?"

The White Warrior studied the printout, then touched the control crystal. The panorama above them showed a medical textbook. Pages of text and diagrams flashed past, finally stopping on a diagram of a wave pattern that looked similar to the image on the tape, but with substantially less pronounced peaks Stone read the caption aloud. "This pattern is typically associated with acute social anxiety disorder. Compare with figure 225, showing neural activity during an anxiety attack, and figure 304, indicative of delusional paranoia." He looked to the warrior. "That's it. That monster gave them some kind of permanent panic attack. I think when I tackled Dylan I got some kind of mild dose; I was out of it for a couple hours."

The old man nodded. "If this is the case, you must proceed carefully. Even your natural confidence will not render you immune to its powers."

"Can you reverse it?"

"In time, perhaps, but we do not know how many others have been afflicted. To restore all of them, you will need to destroy the monster."

"I think I'm about to get my chance," Stone said as he felt the familiar tug at his consciousness. The image on the panorama changed to show Metronex, firing his energy blasts at a crowd of screaming pedestrians in downtown Tribulation Landing.

The White Warrior started to speak, but Dylan cut him off with a hand. "I know. I'll be careful." He dropped the three paper tapes and reached for his ring. "Legacy force! Armor on!"

----

Dylan sat on his bed, curled into a ball. He'd been trying for the past three hours to find the strength to leave his room. He was going to have to tell Mr. Andrews that he wasn't playing tonight. He was also going to have to explain to his mother why he was still here. But all of that was contingent on his leaving the room. And that meant people. He wasn't even thrilled about them being on the television.

He looked at the television now. Breaking news about a monster attack downtown. As he watched, he felt guilty about quitting the rangers. Another reason to hate himself. But he knew Stone and Casey could handle it.

The camera zoomed in on Stone, clad in the uniform of the Blue Ranger, as he materialized a few yards from the monster. Dylan couldn't see Casey. He watched until the camera zoomed out. She wasn't there.

A few seconds later, a stray blast from Metronex cut off the television feed, leaving a startled anchor on the screen, struggling for words. As he editorialized a speculation on the suspicious correspondence between the appearance of monsters in various cities around the world and the subsequent appearance of a ranger team, Dylan's thoughts rushed to the absent Green Ranger. Why wasn't Casey with Stone? Was she hurt?

He felt a tightness in his chest. Casey was in trouble, maybe hurt, maybe badly. Stone was in trouble too, fighting the monster alone. Damn. He snatched the Vespa keys from his nightstand.

----

Stone ducked under an energy blast and fired his blaster. After what had happened to Dylan and Casey, he was going to keep his distance from the monster. "Come on, Ranger," Metronex insisted, "Time's wasting."

The Blue Ranger felt his hand tighten around the grip of his axe. Not yet, he told himself. That was what the monster wanted him to do. He couldn't chance getting close until he was sure he could cut Metronex down. He fired again, grazing the monster.

Metronex fired a quick barrage of blasts at Stone, catching him with the last one. Stone's patience ran out and he charged, holding his axe high over his head. The ticking pendulum stopped Stone in his tracks a yard from the monster. Don't watch it, Stone told himself, but his eyes were locked on the swinging pendulum. He felt paralysis grip his body, and that same sensation of undirected panic he'd felt before.

And then it was gone. Metronex was on the ground. A few feet away, a blue Vespa lay on its side. Stone looked around. Some distance away, Dylan was standing on a low brick wall, having jumped off the scooter before the collision. "Hey, Stone," Dylan called out, his panic audible but suppressed, "I think you've got something of mine."

Under his helmet, Stone smiled. He felt under his glove to the small pocket in the cuff of his unitard. He took the ruby ring and pitched it at Dylan. Though his hands were shaking, Dylan slipped the ring on his finger, then drew back his fist and shouted, "Legacy force! Armor on!"

Dylan dropped behind the brick wall, using it for cover as he fired a salvo at Metronex. The monster, not yet all the way back to his feet, fell again. Stone fired as well after backflipping to put some distance between them. "Good to have you back," Stone called over to Dylan.

"One time only," Dylan insisted. "Where's Casey?"

"Freaking out, just like you." He was going to explain that killing the monster would end its effect on Dylan, but in his current state of mind, Stone thought the Red Ranger might take it as an accusation.

Metronex finally made it back to its feet and fired a wave of energy that threw Stone back. Dylan ducked behind the brick wall. He was back on his feet once the wave had passed and caught the monster with a blast.

When Stone shook off the effects of the blast, he saw that he'd lost his blaster when he'd fallen. Wherever it had bounced off to, he couldn't see it now. "Dude, how about one of those paddlewheel attacks of yours?" Stone shouted.

Dylan reached for his mace, but his hand was trembling too badly to grab it. "I can't," he called back. "It's too open out there. You have to do it."

Stone looked down at the axe in his hand. If he tried to get in close again, he would probably be ensnared by Metronex's powers. Something flashed at the edge of his visor, a short phrase. Stone knew what to do.Holding his axe with both hands, Dylan extended his arms straight out in front of him and turned in a slow circle. As he picked up speed, the crystal edge of the blade drew a blue disc around him. "Sapphire Chain-Saw Attack!" he shouted.

Like a top, Stone bounced around the intersection, spinning so fast that his body was a blur inside a flat blue ring. He struck Metronex, bounced off, then collided three more times before Stone stumbled to a halt, dropping to one knee until the dizziness passed. Behind him, the white monster exploded into rubble.

Dylan grabbed his helmet as his head was filled with a sensation like a cork popping. The panic he'd been dealing with for the past day evaporated, and he blinked several times in befuddlement. The way he'd been acting didn't feel like it was part of him. It had all made perfect sense at the time, but now it seemed insane. He suspected this was what a hangover felt like.

His contemplation was cut short as he saw a burning yellow symbol appear in the air. He'd seen it before, but Dastari's lieutenant was nowhere in sight this time. Of course, Dylan had no reason to believe he couldn't perform this trick from a distance, and he knew what it meant. He thrust his hand skyward. "Legacy Zords, arise!"

Many miles away, smoke issued from a volcano that had been dormant for centuries. The cloud of smoke parted around the long red body of the Legacy Dragon. Closer to Tribulation Landing, Casey heard Stone's voice in her thoughts as she tried to piece together what exactly had possessed her to morph, then curl up in the pilot's seat of her Chimerazord, crying. //Bemai, we could use a little help here.// The controls flared to life.

Stone jumped in the air as his Gryphonzord flew overhead, artfully dodging the flailing arm of the giant Metronex. As he landed in the cockpit, he could see the Chimerazord bounding toward him, and high above, the Legacy Dragon eclipsed the sun, its wings spread wide.

The Gryphonzord flapped its wings, pulling its body vertical as the forepaws folded against its chest. The hindquarters separated and extended downward into legs. The body of the Chimerazord split lengthwise, and it crashed against the Gryphonzord as its wings folded inward. The wings, head, and two forward sections separated from the Legacy Dragon's straightened body. As the eagle-head of the Gryphonzord separated and folded down against the shoulders, the wings and body sections of the Legacy Dragon docked on the arms that had formed from the Chimerazord. The dragon body, straightened into a lance, landed in its hand.

Stone pressed the controls forward, sending the Megazord into a charge. "Let's do this," he said. The Megazord slashed at the large white monster with its lance, following it up with a punch that failed to connect, instead raking the monster with the large blade on its arm. Metronex fired an energy blast that made the Megazord stumble, but not fall. Casey swung her control stick, repeatedly thrusting the lance-tip into the monster. "Anyone want to tell me what's going on?" she asked.

"Later," Dylan said.

"Big monster. 'Nuff said," Stone called over.

"Fair enough," Casey accepted.

"What the hell is that?" Dylan shouted. Stone's gaze followed the Red Ranger's outstretched arm skyward. A large flaming ball had appeared in the sky.

With the Rangers looking to the sky, Metronex took advantage of their distraction to land a heavy blow to the side of the Megazord. It had already overbalanced when Dylan and Stone got their hands back to the controls, and they could only watch as they fell the rest of the way to the ground.

"Worry about it later," Casey yelled as they forced the Megazord to stand. Metronex punched at the Megazord, which rolled to the right, dodging the blow. As it came up, it swung the lance in a sweeping motion, catching the monster's legs, and making it fall into a building.

"Keep the collateral damage down," Dylan warned. The burning meteor skipped off of Metronex's head as the monster tried to stand, causing it to fall back into the building. Undaunted, the meteor continued on, clipping the Megazord shoulder. "Minor damage," Casey called out, checking her displays. "Looks like it was just a normal space rock. What are the odds of that?"

"Fair enough. Time to end this," Stone said. "Lion strike!"

The lion head that formed the breastplate of the Megazord opened its massive jaw. A red orb formed between the jaws. The lion head spat massive ball of energy toward Metronex just as the monster stood up. The explosion engulfed Metronex in flame. The monster staggered, canted, then pitched forward and fell into the Megazord's arms. Casey brought her control sticks together. The Megazord's arms closed around the monster in a kind of bear hug. As they tightened, sparks and small explosions lit up the giant's body. The monster's rigid body cracked, distorted, and finally crumpled. Casey pulled the sticks apart and the Megazord released Metronex. The crushed body dropped to Earth and exploded.

Dylan sank down in his seat. "Okay. One down, one to go."

"One to go?" Casey asked.

Dylan raised his visor and looked at her. "I've got a recital tonight."

----

Dylan fought to control the tremors in his hand as the lights came up. "We're very fortunate tonight," Mr. Andrews was saying, "To have an original composition by one of our most promising students. Dylan Fokker."

As Dylan's fingers danced over the keys, he glanced out at the audience, and was surprised when the sight of them didn't make him miss a note. Casey looked distracted, but she was still there in the back row. In the front row, he saw Stone, and he thought he could detect the hint of a tear in his eye. Dylan spared just enough thought to wonder if it was genuine, or designed to impress the incredibly attractive Hispanic girl beside him whose skirt left very little to the imagination. When he finished, the applause made him blush and feel a little guilty; this was not the polite but reserved applause that everyone else got out of duty, but real enthusiasm. Even Casey was standing in ovation. It happened so fast that he wasn't sure he'd actually seen it, but in the shadows at the back of the auditorium, he thought he saw a flutter of white.

----

"Metronex was not nearly so formidable as we had hoped," Leyolas said.

Dastari dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. "He accomplished his task."

They walked in from the balcony to where a half dozen Zealots chipped at the large black meteor with picks. "Progress is slow," Leyolas said. "Can we not use our powers?"

"I have no desire to risk damaging it," Dastari said. "We have time."

One Zealot struck the rock hard and a large piece of rock broke off. As it fell, it revealed the polished black stone of a knight's helmet.


----

Next time on Power Rangers: Legacy...

Something from a distant galaxy is heading for Earth...
Is this visitor friend or foe?
And what does its arrival herald for the Rangers?

Next Episode: The Other Guys, Part One

... Evil Has No Name...

[Zord_Crazy]

Sweet fic, my friend. The inter-Ranger conflict b/t Casey and Stone looks to go the way of the awkward romance. And the possibility of the Rangers Being turned by Dastari and his brotherhood makes for some great plot threads down the line. I love it and I'll be back for more. KIU!

[ivoryranger]

Glad you're enjoying it. I think you'll be pleased with some of the directions the story goes from here.
(By the way, I can't keep up this rate of posting indefinately; it just happens that I'd written several of these before I started posting them)

Episode 05:
The Other Guys, Part 1


"Separate!" Leyolas ordered. As the faceless drones withdrew, he pushed back the cowl of his robe, revealing his shaved, bronzed head. With his dark skin and patrician features, he could have passed for a high priest of ancient Egypt, except for his tattoo. The entire right side of his face was covered by a brand in the shape of an inverted ahnk. He turned to one of the drones. "Your progress?"

The faceless zealot's head bobbed as if speaking, though it produced no sound. It gestured with its pickaxe toward the obsidian statue. They had cleared almost all of the rock from around it, revealing a life-sized statue of a knight in full battle dress. Leyolas studied the statue with obvious disdain, then looked back to the zealot "You have served our master well," he said. "And for that, I give you your freedom." He extended two fingers, then turned his wrist in a quick, twisting motion. The zealot's faceplate flew of. The pickaxe clattered to the ground as the zealot's body evaporated.

----

"Vanilla latte? Feeling adventurous?"

Casey Valentine smiled. She hated to admit it, but she liked the fact that he remembered her habits so well. She also liked that he had never once lingered around her breasts as he looked down from her face to the cash she put on the counter. Also, he usually under-charged her for sticky buns. "There's a lot more to me than I let on," she said.

A slap on her backside made Casey jump. "Mornin, Bemai," said Stone Rikard. He had just enough sense to cover his crotch in anticipation of her response. He flashed his toothpaste-commercial smile at Sirius. "Iced cappuccino, coffee jerk," he ordered.

"I'll thank you not to assault my customers," Sirius said as he foamed a pitcher of milk.

"I'll thank you to mind your own damned business," Stone countered. Casey was worried. Ever since he'd mastered the chain-saw attack, Stone had seemed cockier than ever. He was almost convinced of his own invincibility, and that was changing his sense of sense of right and wrong. Sirius poured espresso and foamed milk over a glass of ice and put it in the counter. Stone tossed down a crumpled bill. Sirius took it, then pushed the cup across the counter. As it neared the edge, he gave it a little tap, and the cup tipped over, splashing Stone's blue blazer.

"You incompetent jackass!" Stone exclaimed, pulling his shirt away from his chest and shaking it.

Sirius smiled cruelly. "That's not what your mom said last night."

Before Casey could stop him, Stone threw a punch. It was a good punch, and should have dropped Sirius, but he wasn't there any more when Stone's fist reached the space where he had been.

"Tell your boyfriend he telegraphs his punches," Sirius said.

Anger flashed in Casey's eyes. "He's not my--"

Stone cut her off. "Telegraph this, coffee boy!" He drew his left fist back, laying two fingers of his right hand across his sapphire ring.

Casey slapped his arm down. "Stone! " Leaning in close, she hissed in his ear, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Grudgingly, Stone lowered his hand and thrust it into his pocket. "On second thought," he said, fighting to suppress his anger, "I'm really not in the mood for coffee right now." He turned away and started for the door.

Sirius wouldn't let it drop. "Don't come back for a while," he said. "Looks like you need to cut down on the caffiene."

Stone looked over his shoulder. "Next time I run into you, you'd better hope she's around to keep me in line."

The door slammed behind him. Casey just shook her head in confusion. "Sorry," she said. "He's been strung pretty high recently. Circumstances."

Sirius smiled. "We all have our circumstances to deal with."

"You were kind of rough with him."

Shrugging, Sirius said, "If he can't take a little abuse from a coffee jerk, he's never going to be able to deal with... circumstances."

It sent a chill up Casey's spine. It was almost as if he knew. He went on. "At any rate, sorry I called him your boyfriend."

"He's not. We're just friends." She looked over her shoulder. "Sometimes."

Emotion flashed in Sirius's eyes. "I'm glad."

Casey felt a flush rise in her cheeks. "Are you..." she struggled. "You're not..." It was rare and disconcerting for her to be at a loss for words. "You're..."

The wicked smile came back. "Crushing on you?" he asked. He laughed. "As if. What are you? Seventeen? You're still in high school."

The color drained from Casey's face. Embarrassment gave way to, well, greater embarrassment. "I--Um. I wasn't--I didn't mean... You're not in school?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever seen me in high school?"

She looked at her shoes. "There's a lot of people I don't see in school."

Sirius's smile lost most of its wickedness. "I go to state," he said, nodding in the general direction. "Theology student."

She looked up, puzzled. He seemed too smart for that. "You're studying to be a..."

"Minister, eventually, though you can't get a divinity degree at state."

Casey didn't have anything to say to that. It did not improve her opinion of him. "I'll, um. I'll see you later," she said, too embarrassed to stay in the café any longer.

No sooner had the café door closed behind her than she heard a telepathic summons. She sucked down a mouthful of coffee, her annoyance at not having the time to finish it doubling at the smooth flavor. She tossed the cup into a trash can, then ducked into the alley across the street.

She materialized in the crystal cavern. "Where's the rest of the gang?" she asked.

The white warrior, an ancient man in long white robes, turned to her. "I did not summon them."

Casey's curiosity was piqued. The white warrior touched the large white crystal, activating the panoramic display above. Space. The white warrior indicated a rainbow-colored stripe that cut through the heavens. "There is an alien energy signature heading to Earth. It appears to be a teleportation beam."

"Bad?" she asked.

"I do not know. I have traced the origin of the signal to the Atox system." He pointed to a star on the panorama, and the view expanded to show a system dominated by a yellow star. The fourth and fifth planets shared an orbit, orbiting around each other as they orbited their sun. "Atox Minor was Dastari's homeworld, until he was driven out several months ago."

Casey nodded. "So, the question is, are they the driven or the drivers?"

The warrior nodded. "The teleportation beam will reach Earth shortly, several miles outside of Tribulation Landing. You will meet it, discover whether it brings a new ally, or a new threat."

"Why just me?"

The white warrior chose his words carefully. "I do not believe the others have the... tact necessary. Assess the situation. I will send the other rangers if they are needed."

"Right," Casey said, secretly pleased by the show of faith. She drew back her fist, touching the emerald in her ring. "Legacy force!" She punched the air. "Armor on!"

Her vision tinted green as she was encased in crystal. The crystal shattered, the shards forming into her green uniform. In the center of the white diamond pattern on her chest, a gold crest showing a sun and moon in partial eclipse appeared. A green helmet dropped onto her head, the words MORPHING COMPLETE flashing across the visor as it closed. The cavern faded to green as she teleported.

She found herself in a rock quarry that could have been anywhere. She checked her locator telemetry to verify that she was still near Tribulation Landing. She looked around for some kind of cover in case she needed it, but the search was cut short as the rainbow stripe became visible in the sky. As it fell earthward, Casey could see that it was not a single column of light, but rather five distinct beams -- red, yellow, blue, green, and pink. She could see now where the five beams would touch down and turned to face the spot.

That was when Casey saw it. A pool of shadow was forming on the rocky ground. Zealots. Whether the newcomers would consider them friends or foes, she knew it wasn't good news for her. She drew her whip and her blaster.

Twelve zealot-drones rose out of the shadow as the teleportation beams struck earth. Casey fired into the crowd of zealots. If the newcomers were on her side, she was going to give them a clear landing. If they weren't -- well, it was just as well to get the zealots out of the way now.

Several of the zealots charged her, but most stayed in formation around the light beams as they coalesced. Caseys whip wrapped around the leg of a zealot, and she gave a sharp tug, pulling the shadow creature around in an arc until it collided with another drone. Both zealots exploded into a shower of sparks, and their broken bodies lay twitching on the ground.

It was only then that Casey could turn her attention back to the teleportation beams. Rematerialization had finished, and Casey knew at once what she was looking at. The uniforms were different -- solid colors, buttoned at the shoulder; stiff fins projecting from the sleeves, with a reflective metal stripe that stretched from the thumb, up the sleeve and across the shoulders. They wore spherical helmets bisected by thick bars of black -- but it was clear what the newcomers were.

The red alien ranger took a step forward. "Zealots!" he exclaimed. He had a thick accent not quite like anything Casey had ever heard. The five rangers sprang into action, moving so fast that they seemed to Casey like little more than streaks of colored light. But what really impressed Casey was their teamwork -- the red and green rangers moved as one as their batons pierced two zealot bodies, while the blue and yellow rangers held a third zealot immobile while the pink ranger decapitated it with a flying kick.

Casey fired her blaster three times, then charged the pack of zealots, but she barely had time to pull the faceplates from two zealots before she found herself pinned. The alien rangers had formed a pentacle around her, their batons extended to yoke her neck.

She could only tell that it was the pink ranger who spoke because its head bobbed with the words. Its accent was so thick that Casey could not even discern its gender, and had to struggle to make out the words: "Do you serve the dark priest?"

Casey slowly tried to raise her hands in surrender. The blue ranger raised his baton. "She's a ranger," he said. "Anyone can see that."

"We've been tricked before," red ranger said.

"Are there rangers on Earth?" asked the ranger in yellow.

Green ranger nodded. "There are stories of a Thanosian minter named Ninjor, who came to Earth thousands of years ago. They say he had the skill of Erdos."

The red ranger's baton pressed hard into Casey's neck. "Do you know Ninjor?" he asked.

Casey shook her head quickly, but slowly raised her left hand. "But I know of Erdos," she said. "I'm his heir."

The alien rangers looked at each other. She felt the batons press harder against her neck. "Can you prove this?" asked the red ranger.

Very cautiously, Casey said, "If you let me raise my hand."

The rangers exchanged another look, then the red one nodded. The rangers withdrew their batons from around her neck, all but the blue one keeping them at the ready.

Casey closed her hand into a fist and raised it high enough for them all to see.

"The emerald of wisdom!" the pink ranger exclaimed. "She is the heir of Erdos."

"They say the powers are cursed," said the red ranger. "We can't trust her."

"What choice do we have?" asked the blue ranger.

The red ranger considered this. Leveling his baton at Casey's chest, he gestured for her to stand. "We seek the white warrior. Can you take us to him?"

Casey wasn't sure. Her first instinct when she had seen the rangers was to trust them, but she saw that all the points they had made about her could apply just as well to them -- she had no way to be sure this wasn't some elaborate trap. "If I could," she said, weighing her words, "I would need some kind of assurance that you really are who you say you are."

"We haven't said," the red ranger reminded her.

"Yeah. You'll have to do that too."

The red ranger holstered his baton and the other rangers followed suit. "We are the Power Rangers of Atox Major," he said.

"That was less informative than I had hoped," she said, "But it will do. So here's the deal: I'll take one of you to meet with the white warrior. If he decides you're okay, we'll teleport the rest of you in. If you decide we're not okay, then there's still four of you out here to plan your counter-attack."

The red ranger nodded. "Acceptable," he said. "I will go." He turned to his fellow rangers. "You know what to do if I do not return." The other rangers nodded once. The red ranger took a step closer to Casey.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

----

Dylan paced the width of the cavern. "I can't believe you made her go alone," he said, not for the first time.

The white warrior did not turn from the crystal outcropping. "I did not wish to threaten the newcomers."

"And if they're not friendly?" he asked.

"That is why you are here now."

Stone just sat on a ledge and chewed his thumb-nail. He hadn't even had time to change out of his coffee-stained shirt.

"Can you at least get a visual?" Dylan asked.

"No," the white warrior said. "The energy field produced by an intergalactic teleportation beam creates an electromagnetic disruption that will cloud our scanning beam for several hours."

"Any news from Dastari?" Stone asked.

"Nothing yet," the white warrior said. "But whether they be friend or foe, it stands to reason that Dastari's forces will come to meet them... But we may have another concern."

Dylan stopped pacing. The white warrior continued. "There is a spacecraft approaching Earth."

"More aliens," Stone said, standing up.

"The configuration is consistent with Merovian design."

"Merovian?" asked Dylan.

"A race of scavengers. They seek rare artifacts which they sell to the highest bidder. Their means for acquiring such artifacts are not always honest."

"Picking up or dropping off?" Stone asked.

"I can not say. Merovians can prove dangerous when confronted. I will monitor the ship. If he is here to collect some object, you should only engage him if he places other lives in danger."

"I say we just kick his ass and be done with it," Stone said.

Dylan shook his head. "For all we know, he's just here to pick up some pizza or something. We don't want to go starting an intergalactic war over something stupid."

Stone thought about that. He frankly didn't have a problem with killing an alien even if he was just here sightseeing. Besides, their track record made it unlikely that this alien would be friendly. "And if he's dropping off?"

"As far as we know, Dastari is the only one on this planet with the ability to contact a Merovian scavenger."

"And anything he's looking to buy is bad news for us," Dylan finished.

The white warrior nodded, then looked up. "Casey is returning."

Stone sprang into a defensive stance as he saw not one but two columns of green light form in the center of the chamber. Dylan canted his head as he saw Casey's passenger.

"Another red ranger?" he asked.

"There's four more where he came from," Casey said. "Armor off!" Her ranger uniform dissolved. To the white warrior, she said, "They said they were looking for you. Friends?"

On seeing the white warrior, the alien red ranger crossed his arms in front of his chest and bowed. "Kenobi of Eltar," he said, "Greetings."

The white warrior sized the alien red ranger up, as the human rangers exchanged a glance. The white warrior had never given them a name before -- it hadn't even really occurred to them that he might have one. Finally, the white warrior spoke. "Miranor?" he asked. "The tales of your exploits are well known even in this galaxy." He returned the cross-armed bow. "Welcome to Earth." Looking to the rangers, he nodded. "He can be trusted. Miranor is the leader of Power Rangers of Atox Major. It was they who drove Dastari from his homeworld."

The alien red ranger hung his head. "We allowed his evil to plague our system for too long. Many hundreds of thousands of our people were turned to his vile faith."

"So you sent him to us," Stone said, condescendingly.

Miranor looked at him. "We regret that we were not able to put an end to him for good."

The white warrior waved his hand dismissively. "You did more than your share. But what has led you to journey so far?"

"I wish it was under happier circumstances that we could meet," Miranor said. "I bring tidings of a great threat."

Kenobi raised a hand to halt him. The human rangers felt it too. The white warrior touched his crystal and the display came alive. The Merovian ship had landed in the suburbs of Tribulation Landing. Waiting to meet it were a throng of zealot-drones. At their center was Dastari himself.

"Then we are too late..." Miranor said.

"Dropping off," Stone reflected.

The white warrior nodded. "Go."

Dylan looked at his alien counterpart. "What about him?"

"We will render what assistance we can," the alien red ranger said.

"We don't need your help," Stone insisted. Casey shot him a dirty look.

Dylan pre-empted further discussion with a single word. "Ready?"

Stone and Casey nodded. And drew back their fists. "Legacy force! Armor on!" shouted the three in unison. Once morphed, they drew their blasters. Kenobi raised his staff, and all four rangers disappeared.

----

When the four rangers materialized, the other four alien rangers were already in the midst of battle. Over the sounds of struggle, Dylan could hear a coarse voice. "You said nothing of rangers on this world!"

"We will conclude our arrangement later," came the response, a hissing, snake-like voice that Dylan realized belonged to Dastari. He fired his blaster into the crowd. Dastari's body dropped into a pool of shadow a fraction of a second before the beam passed through the space he had occupied.

The alien red ranger drew his baton and launched himself into the throng, incapacitating three zealots with a single mighty swing of the baton. Dylan sidestepped around the crowd, picking his shots to avoid hitting the alien rangers. One look at the Merovian told Dylan he was going to be trouble. He was as big as a bear, with the head of a bull and webbed fingers. Stone was right. Big scary alien monsters never meant anything good for them. He fired into the zealots, trying to clear a path. Miranor got there first.

Holding his baton at the ends, the Atoxian ranger pinned the large creature against his ship. Rather than striking him, however, Dylan saw Miranor move his head close to the Merovian's horn. He spoke low, but not so low Dylan couldn't hear him. "Whatever Dastari is paying you, we'll double. You can walk away from this."

Dylan thought he saw something close to a smile on the bestial face of the creature. "I don't make deals with power rangers," it said. With a single swipe of its mighty hand, it swatted the red ranger away, sidestepped, and backpedaled into the hatchway. Dylan swung his mace, but caught only the closing hatch. He leapt back from the ship just in time to avoid getting hit by the engine backwash. Half a dozen zealots were not so lucky.

By now, Stone was tired of the fight. He cartwheeled to the space where the ship had been and held his axe at arm's length. "Sapphire chain-saw!" he shouted, bringing the axe out in front of himself. He grabbed the handle with his other hand and turned his entire body in a slow circle. As he picked up speed, the blue crystal edges of the axe cut a stripe of light in a circle around his body. He moved through the zealots like a top, bisecting any that came too close.

The alien rangers didn't need to be told to keep their distance. They moved closer to Casey. Casey was never the first to rush into a fight -- she wasn't a coward, but she knew she wasn't as strong as the others. She couldn't afford to be impulsive. Besides, she was too smart to attack without a plan. While Stone cut down the Zealots, she was more interested in the Merovian ship. She switched her visor to thermographic imaging. She didn't know much about space ships, but she guessed that the important parts gave off heat. She raised her blaster.

Then the ship wasn't there any more. She raised her visor, blinking off the unfiltered sunlight. For a split second, she could see the dim outline of the ship, then it was gone. The Atoxian Blue Ranger saw where she was looking. "The ship is cloaked," he said. "We will not be able to track it."

Stone came out of his spin and let his axe fall to the ground while he canted forward, panting. The few remaining Zealots vanished into a shadow, taking the dismembered bodies of their fallen companions with them. "We're done here," Miranor called. "Take us back to your base."

Dylan didn't like being ordered around, but he said nothing. //Bring us back.//

----

At the sight of the White Warrior, the four Atoxian Rangers performed the same cross-armed bow their leader had. "Power down!" Miranor called as the White Warrior returned the gesture.

"Armor off!" Dylan called. As his suit dissolved, he approached the White Warrior.

"He tried to make some kind of deal with the Merovian," he said, his voice rife with accusation.

Casey took in the natural forms of the five aliens. They wore identical white outfits, differentiated only by the colors painted on the clasps of their tunics. Four of the rangers had short hair which they wore in tight ringlets. Miranor and his Blue Ranger had bright orange hair, while the yellow and green rangers had green hair. She suspected the colors were gender-associated; the green and yellow rangers were obviously female. The pink Atoxian ranger was an oddity -- Casey wondered if she was the same species as the others. Her hair was long, straight, and jet black. She had the androgynous look Casey typically associated with prepubescent girls, but her proportions were those of an adult.

"You know this Merovian?" the White Warrior asked.

Miranor nodded. "He is the reason we have come to you. His name is Toralinth, and none among his race is more free of ethics or morality."

Dylan walked toward Miranor until their faces nearly touched -- a difficult trick as Miranor had almost a foot on him. "Then why were you trying to make a deal with him?"

The Atoxian did not flinch. Calmly, he said, "Because if the dark priest acquires what Toralinth has come to sell, we are all finished."

"Excuse me cutting in," Stone said, impatiently, "But I missed a meeting or something. I thought we were the only Power Rangers still around."

The blue Atoxian ranger turned to his counterpart. "Typically no more than one team of rangers is empowered on any given planet at one time, but there are many such ranger teams throughout the galaxy. The rangers of Aquitar, of Thanos, and of KO-35 are especially well known in the galactic lore." He quickly added, "As are the rangers of Earth. Our order was founded many thousands of years ago by Elysium himself."

"There will be time for this later," the White Warrior said. "Miranor, you spoke of a great threat, and now of something Dastari must not buy from the Merovian. Why have you come here?"

The Atoxians looked at each other for a moment, as if exchanging a silent conference. Miranor nodded to them, then turned back to the White Warrior. "Aramus," he gestured toward Stone's counterpart, "Was patrolling the fifth sector of the Pegasus Galaxy when he intercepted a transmission from Toralinth. We were able to decipher only a small part of the message, but we determined that it was being transmitted to Earth. We believe that Toralinth has acquired the Onyx of Shadow."

Dylan would not have thought it possible, but the old man's face went even whiter than normal. The news seemed to have struck him with all the force of a blow to the chest, and he staggered backward, leaning on the crystal outcropping. "You are certain of this?" he asked, and Dylan could hear something in his voice so unexpected that at first he didn't recognize it. Fear.

"Almost certain," Aramus said, stepping forward. "The message was encrypted. However, we know of no other prize that could command the price Toralinth is asking."

The White Warrior nodded slowly. "Then there is no choice. He must be stopped."

"Wait a second," Casey said. "What's this 'Onyx of Shadow,' and why is it such a bad idea for Dastari to get his grubby little hands on it?" She noticed the Atoxians recoil as she said the name, as if she'd just sworn at them. It occurred to her that Dastari's name was probably a curse in their culture.

Miranor looked in confusion to the White Warrior. "You have not told them?"

A look of shame crossed the White Warrior's face. "I had hoped to spare them from it."

Miranor crossed his chest and bowed. "Forgive me for my indiscretion."

Gathering himself up, the White Warrior laid a hand on Miranor's shoulder. "You did right. I had thought this day would never come. But if it has, they must be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Stone prodded.

The White Warrior raised his staff to silence them. "Rangers," he said. He sounded more tired than any living being had a right to be. "I told you of the great battle between the nameless evil and the ancient warriors." They nodded. "What I did not tell you was that I was with them that day."

"Guessed that, actually," Casey interrupted. The White Warrior's gaze silenced her.

"As was another, Kirin of Eltar. We were great friends in the days before the war, but we were younger than the others -- scarcely more than boys. We were not prepared for the burden our power brought with it.

"I told you how the powers -- your powers -- bent the minds of my friends." He nodded, painfully. "Kirin, too, gave in to the seduction of those powers. He turned against us, believed that, because of his great power, he was fit to rule the universe -- he thought himself a god." The White Warrior laughed wryly. "We had no choice to but to stop him...

"But we made a mistake." He shook his head. "Or, maybe it wasn't. It seems so long ago now, I can not say. But he had been our friend, and we believed that there was still good inside him. We did not destroy him."

"What did you do?" Dylan asked, though he was starting to get a sense of the answer.

"The Black Warrior was imprisoned. We combined our powers to turn his body to stone and seal his soul -- and with it his power -- in a gem. It was that battle that convinced the others to forsake their powers and name me as their keeper."

"The Onyx of Shadow," Casey reflected. It made sense. "So this onyx, it would be just like our rings, right? And whoever put it on..."

Stone finished for her. "Would become, what, a black ranger?"

"Elysium threw the stone into the void," the White Warrior said. "I thought it would be lost forever."

"Dastari thinks that he can bring back the ancient nameless evil thing if he can get his hands on all our ranger powers," Casey said. "So getting the black gem would be a step in the right direction for him."

Stone seemed to have fallen back a step. "So, if Dastari gives the ring to someone, they become an evil black ranger?" he asked. "Who ever heard of an evil Power Ranger?"

"It has happened before," said the White Warrior. Casey thought of Stone's behavior in the café. An evil ranger didn't seem like much of a stretch to her.

"Okay," Dylan said, thoughtfully, "So Dastari creates an evil ranger. There's still only one of him and three of us." He indicated the Atoxians. "Eight if you guys stick around for it. I'll admit that it's not optimal, but I don't see how an evil black ranger is going to be any worse than the monsters we've been fighting already."

"I think that Dastari has more planned than to simply create a new black ranger," the White Warrior said. "I fear the powers he stands to unlock will be far greater than anything you have yet to face... Right now, you have tapped into only a fraction of the power the ancient warriors possessed. The Black Warrior's powers were not as great as theirs, but if you faced his full power now, you would be no match."

"I'm not following," Dylan said.

The White Warrior seemed too drained to go on, and it was Miranor who continued. "The powers are corrupt, and in the dark priest's hands they can only be tainted further. In his hands, the stone could bring untold destruction."

"That's bad, then," Dylan said. Words were not his forte.


To Be Continued...

[ivoryranger]

Episode 06:
The Other Guys, Part 2


Previously, On Power Rangers Legacy...

Leyolas pushed back the cowl of his robe, revealing his shaved, bronzed head. The entire right side of his face was covered by a brand in the shape of an inverted ahnk. He turned to one of the drones. "Your progress?"

The faceless zealot gestured with its pickaxe toward the obsidian statue. They had cleared almost all of the rock from around it, revealing a life-sized statue of a knight in full battle dress.

-

The white warrior touched the large white crystal, activating the panoramic display above. Space. The white warrior indicated a rainbow-colored stripe that cut through the heavens. "There is an alien energy signature heading to Earth. It appears to be a teleportation beam."

"Bad?" she asked.

"I do not know. I have traced the origin of the signal to the Atox system." He pointed to a star on the panorama, and the view expanded to show a system dominated by a yellow star. The fourth and fifth planets shared an orbit, orbiting around each other as they orbited their sun. "Atox Minor was Dastari's homeworld, until he was driven out several months ago."

-

A rainbow stripe became visible in the sky. As it fell earthward, Casey could see that it was not a single column of light, but rather five distinct beams -- red, yellow, blue, green, and pink. She could see now where the five beams would touch down and turned to face the spot.

Rematerialization finished, and Casey knew at once what she was looking at. The uniforms were different -- solid colors, buttoned at the shoulder; stiff fins projecting from the sleeves, and spherical helmets bisected by thick bars of black -- but it was clear what the newcomers were.

-

On seeing the white warrior, the alien red ranger crossed his arms in front of his chest and bowed. "Kenobi of Eltar," he said, "Greetings."

The white warrior touched his crystal and the display came alive. The Merovian ship had landed in the suburbs of Tribulation Landing. Waiting to meet it were a throng of zealot-drones. At their center was Dastari himself.

"Then we are too late..." Miranor said.

-

Holding his baton at the ends, the Atoxian ranger pinned the large creature against his ship. Rather than striking him, however, Dylan saw Miranor move his head close to the Merovian's horn. He spoke low, but not so low Dylan couldn't hear him. "Whatever Dastari is paying you, we'll double. You can walk away from this."

Dylan thought he saw something close to a smile on the bestial face of the creature. "I don't make deals with power rangers," it said.

-

"You know this Merovian?" the White Warrior asked.

Miranor nodded. "He is the reason we have come to you. His name is Toralinth." Calmly, he said, "If the dark priest acquires what Toralinth has come to sell, we are all finished. We believe that Toralinth has acquired the Onyx of Shadow."

Stone seemed to have fallen back a step. "So, if Dastari gives the ring to someone, they become an evil black ranger?" he asked. "Who ever heard of an evil Power Ranger?"

"It has happened before," said the White Warrior.

----

Casey took a long pull on her vanilla latte. As much as she hated the waiting, it was nice to have some down time. Coraliw, the pink Atoxian ranger regarded her cappuccino in wonderment. She was the only one of the alien rangers whose appearance was human enough for her to appear in public undisguised. The other four rangers wore an assortment of wide-brimmed hats to play down their alien features.

"We have nothing like this on Atox," said Aramus, the blue ranger.

"How do you get up for work in the morning?" Stone asked. He was sitting a few feet back from the table. After his showing this morning, he thought it would be wise to keep close enough to the edge of the veranda that Sirius couldn't see him from the counter inside. The Atoxians clearly did not understand the reference.

"Caffeine is a stimulant," Casey explained.

The aliens exchanged a quick look. The yellow ranger set down her cup. Casey opened her mouth to say something, but Aramus fixed her with a look that told her it was none of her business. He produced a handful of twigs from his belt-pouch. "We have root with similar properties," he said, placing the twigs on the table. Coraliw took one and chewed it. Tentatively, Casey did the same. It reminded her of anise, and the taste electrified her, driving the exhaustion from her head.

She thrust the root toward Dylan. "You got to try this," she said.

Dylan waved his hand. "I've got enough trouble with coffee."

"It's called Talis," the yellow ranger said. Casey wasn't quite sure, thanks to her Atoxian accent, but she thought she detected longing in her voice. "It's used to make a breakfast pastry."

Lylwella, the green ranger, took a root and chewed on it. "They would go well with this coffee."

"This is fascinating," Stone said in a mildly mocking tone. He took one of the Talis roots. "But shouldn't we be talking about--" he bit into the root. "Hey, this is fantastic." It took Stone a second to get his thoughts back in line. "Still. We've still got Dastari on the loose, Toralinth on the loose, and this Onyx of Evil thing to deal with."

"Shadows," Miranor corrected.

"Whatever. The point is, they're out there and we're sitting around here enjoying an International Coffees Moment."

With slight bemusement, Aramus asked, "Do the rangers of Earth have the power to summon Toralinth out of hiding?" Stone looked at his feet. Something like smugness flashed on Aramus's face. "You would do well to learn patience, blue ranger of Earth." He drank his coffee.

Casey was explaining the difference between espresso, cappuccino, latte, and americano to Coraliw. Dylan leaned across the table toward his counterpart. "So. There's five of you. I don't get how Dastari got away." He saw the Atoxians flinch at the name. He'd noticed that they never called their common enemy by name.

"The dark priest has only shown you a fraction of his power so far." Miranor looked away. In spite of his explanation, Dylan could see he was shamed by the failure. "We did not know he had anywhere left to run."

Dylan let it drop. "So what do you guys do back home, now that Dastari's our problem?"

"Evil breeds evil," the yellow ranger said. "The dark priest no longer plagues our world, but the remnants of his legacy remain."

"Do they give you guys lessons in being cryptic?" Stone asked.

Miranor started to answer, but Dylan waved him off. //Rangers,// came the voice of the White Warrior, //Toralinth has returned.//

The three human rangers leapt to their feet. Seeing this, the Atoxians did the same. Dylan looked around. Aside from the barrista, no one seemed to be in sight. As if on cue, he turned from the counter and disappeared into the back room. "Clear!" he called.

The three humans drew back their fists and touched their rings. "Legacy force! Armor on!"

The Axosians crossed their arms in front of their chests, linking the electronic bracers they wore on each wrist. "For the honor of Atox!" they all shouted.

----

Eight Power Rangers dashed around a corner to find the Merovian beside his ship. A group of Zealots were in the process of disappearing into a shadow pool. "Rangers!" Toralinth called, "Stand down. This is no business of yours."

"You came to Earth, that makes it our business," Dylan said.

Toralinth snorted. "Then let us close this deal." He reared back, shooting lightning bolts from his scaly chest. The Atoxians rolled out of the way, but the human rangers, slower on the uptake, took the full force of the blast, falling to the ground as the attack end up a fireball.

Miranor and his rangers charged the Merovian, batons drawn. Aramus and Lylwella were both knocked to the ground by more lightning bolts, but the three remaining rangers got close enough to strike him with their batons.

As Casey struggled back to her feet, she noticed that the red, yellow, and pink rangers didn't seem to have the same co-ordination in their attacks as she'd seen them display before. With the Atoxians in the way, she couldn't risk her blaster. Dylan was on his feet, but staggering. Casey drew her whip as the three aliens were thrown off of the Merovian. Aramus and Lylwella jumped forward to replace them.

Casey held her whip at the ends like a jumprope and skipped over it. As she repeated the motion, the whip began to cut a green stripe through the air. Dylan saw what she was doing, and shouted, "Make a hole!" at the alien rangers.

As the green stripe turned into a solid shell of light around the green ranger, she called out, "Emerald Sattelite attack!" Encased in a ball of light, Casey shot forward. The green and blue alien rangers released Toralinth just before she collided with him. The creature collapsed in an explosion of smoke.

As Casey, winded from the attack, struggled away on hands and knees, however, Toralinth pulled himself back to his feet. From a pouch on his belt, he produced a large spherical bottle with a round cap. "This would have brought me a good price," the Merovian growled. He threw the cap aside and quaffed the potion. The creature had time enough to blow smoke from its large nostrils before he grew to colossal size.

The alien rangers stared up at the giant helplessly. Stone touched Aramus's shoulder. "Better leave this one to the home team."

He thrust his hand in the air, fingers splayed. Dylan and Casey did the same as they called out, "Legacy Zords, arise!"

Seconds later, the Legacy Dragon and Gryphonzord appeared in the air above the city. The green Chimerazord announced itself with a loud roar as it leapt between rooftops. The Chimerazord landed on its hindpaws, its wings folding protectively over its chest. The Chimerazord leapt into the air, split along its midline, and docked with the erect Gryphonzord, forming arms. The head and front two sections of the serpentine Legacy Dragon detatched. The cylindrical sections dropped over the hands of the large Zord, locking in place over its wrists. The straightened Legacy Dragon body fell into the Zord's hand as the head of the red dragon unfolded, forming a helmet.

The Legacy Megazord caught Toralinth across the chest with a slashing blow from its dragon lance, then parried two blows from the monster before another lightning attack forced the Megazord to stumble back. "Lion strike!" Stone called out. The chimera head that formed the breastplate of the Legacy Megazord spat a ball of flaming energy that pushed Toralinth back a step. Toralinth countered with his lightning attack, but the rangers were prepared. Bringing the lance around in a quick circle, they caught the blast, and returned it with a powerful thrust of the lance.

Toralinth tried to move out of the way of the strike, but the lance-tip caught him in the shoulder, and he threw his bull-like head back in a savage cry of pain. "Let's finish this," Dylan said. The others nodded their assent. Using the lance for leverage, the Legacy Megazord vaulted into the air. It raised the lance above its head as it reached the zenith of its leap, then thrust it downward. With one voice, the three rangers shouted, "Dragon lance! Flying wedge!"

The Megazord fell, but just as the lance was about to pierce Toralinth's skull, the monster wasn't there any more. The lance-tip buried itself in the earth, and as the Megazord fought to free it, the monster grabbed hold of the Megazord's left arm.

Toralinth seemed smaller now, but no less determined. As it strained against the Megazord arm, Casey could hear the metal groan. The lion-head of the Chimerazord let out a roar of pain. She fought with the controls, trying to shake the monster off. "Dylan!" she shouted, "I can't get this thing off me."

"I have an idea," Dylan said. He touched the image of his Legacy Dragon on the interlink console. He was thrown back in his seat as the walls of his cockpit sealed him off from the others. The dragon head lifted off of the Megazord, leaving the smaller Gryphonzord head beneath. The head and forward sections of the Legacy Dragon docked with the body of the lance as the Legacy Dragon transformed back to its natural state.

A blast of fire from the dragon's mouth engulfed both Toralinth and the arm of the super-zord. Toralinth bellowed and released the Zord arm. The red Zord wrapped its long body around the monster and squeezed.

Dylan released the controls when he heard the clank of metal-on-metal. The dragon uncoiled. Toralinth was gone.

It took a moment for Dylan to find the Merovian. The cockpit display zoomed in on the Atoxian rangers below. Toralinth had returned to his original size. Dylan leapt down from his Zord in time to see Toralinth clasp his hands, focusing his power into a concentrated bolt of lightning aimed directly at the yellow ranger. Dylan leapt at Toralinth, but he was too far away. The beast fired.

Aramus became a blur of blue as he raced out, interposing himself between Toralinth and the yellow ranger. He took the full force of the blast and remained standing. For a second. The blue alien ranger dropped to his knees, then to his back. He remained morphed, but his uniform was torn, and Dylan could see charred flesh through the hole in his uniform. Toralinth laughed evilly.

Some things were more important than the fight. Dylan touched his temple. //Get us out of here! Now!// His vision filled with the red haze of teleporation.

----

The precipice had always been Casey's favorite part of the network of caves. A six foot projection was the only imperfection in a sheer rock wall that extended up into darkness further than she could see, and down a similar distance, with a mist and sound of rushing water from some underground waterfall in the darkness below.

She was surprised to find Coraliw at the precipice. She had removed her helmet, but hadn't unmorphed. As Casey sat beside her on the overhang, she could see that the Atoxian's eyes were puffy. She had been crying.

Casey produced a Talis root and snapped it in half. She offered half to Coraliw. "Kenobi thinks he'll be okay," she said. It felt strange to call the White Warrior by his given name. "But he'll need real medical treatment when you get home."

The black-haired Atoxian nodded. "We are taught to pity our enemies, not to hate them..." She chewed on the root. "I would take great pleasure in killing Toralinth."

"Yeah," Casey said. She could dig that. "But don't let it get you. You start thinking with your heart, you start making mistakes."

"You panicked," Coraliw said. Her tone was flat. "When Toralinth latched on to your Megazord."

Casey bit her lip. "Maybe a little," she confessed. "We underestimated him. He's stronger than the monsters we've had to fight before."

"We should have taken the lead in the battle. We more experience, superior numbers."

Casey felt her blood pressure elevate. She really needed to cut back on the coffee. "Look. We're all upset. I know he's on your team, not ours, but we're all rangers here. We're all on the same side."

Coraliw looked away. "My apologies... Aramus and I are... Closer than teammates."

"He's your..." she considered the word. "Boyfriend?" Not quite right. "Husband?"

The pink ranger looked down, the slightest hint of a smile breaking through her dour. "Your language doesn't have a good word for our relationship."

Casey didn't know what to make of that. "What he did. It was pretty damned heroic."

"I should have done the--" her voice caught halfway through the sentence, and Casey finally got it. Should, not would. She'd still been inside the Megazord, too far away and facing the wrong direction to see it. Dylan had run for Toralinth. Aramus had run for Toralinth. She would have to ask Dylan, though there was a good chance he hadn't noticed. Coraliw had hesitated.

"You were right," Casey said, experimentally. "I panicked. In the Megazord. We do the best we can, but we're not perfect. You have a dozen different things going through your head. You can't always tell right away what the right thing to do is."

Coraliw looked up at Casey then, mind belief flashing on her features. "My duty should have been clear."

Casey was lost again. Coraliw held up the root she'd been chewing. "Stimulants such as Talis are not recommended when one is with child."

Casey flashed back to the café. "Lyada?"

The pink ranger nodded. "She is carrying my child."

Casey had to move away from the edge, lest a breath knocked her off. "Your-- She's-- But--"

Coraliw almost smiled at Casey's confusion. "I'm sure you noticed that I am unlike the others."

Casey nodded. "I didn't think it would be polite to ask."

"The details of our biology are no secret." She thought for a second. "You consider me female, don't you?" Casey nodded. "That's not strictly correct." Coraliw shook her head. "Or maybe it is; I'm not sure how your concept of gender best translates to our species."

The idea was so alien to Casey she almost missed it. "It takes three of you?"

Coraliw nodded. "Aramus and I contributed the, um, genetic material."

"So Lyada is, like, a surrogate?"

Coraliw had to think about that. "The word carries the wrong connotations in your language."

Casey reflected on that. "Three of you? How does that work?" She reflected more. "No. I don't want to know."

Her reverie broken, Coraliw stood up. "I should be with Aramus."

----

With both hands on the white crystal, Dylan summoned an image of the Chimerazord's forest lair. The green robot lay on rough stone floor, howling like a wounded animal. With one side of its body hyperextended, the Zord hadn't been able to reconnect the two halves of its torso.

"It'll recover, but it's going to take a while," he said as Stone approached him.

"Think we should be worrying about Casey's Zord right now?"

Dylan looked over to the slab where Aramus was laid out. The White Warrior and three of the Atoxians were gathered around him. "Nothing I can do there. Maybe something I can do here."

Stone nodded. He was holding Aramus's ranger helmet. It was cracked. Stone looked down at the helmet, as if just noticing that he was carrying it. He traced the line of the crack, and his hands shook. He released the helmet and it bounced to the ground.

Dylan's thoughts meandered, and the image above changed to a replay of their battle with Toralinth. "Look at this," he said.

"How can I not be?" Stone asked.

The sarcasm rolled off Dylan. "Here." His hands shifted on the controls. The panorama changed, and a legend told Stone he was now seeing the view from the Gryphonzord's camera. This was later in the battle, when Toralinth had grappled onto the Megazord arm. "Look. The monster is about thirty percent smaller here than in the first clip."

"I thought he looked smaller," Stone said. He looked over his shoulder as Casey and the Atoxian pink ranger entered from one of the side tunnels. As they joined the group around Aramus, the White Warrior broke away to join Dylan and Stone at the panorama.

"Toralinth grew and then shrunk again," Dylan said, indicating the display. "We've never seen a monster do that before... And I don't think he was doing it on purpose."

The White Warrior nodded. "The monsters you have faced so far have been Dastari's creations. Their increased size was due to an influx of evil energy. Other methods to bring about similar effects have been devised by alchemists and wizards throughout the centuries. Criminals and pirates seek these to gain an advantage in battle."

Dylan nodded. "He said it would bring a good price."

The White Warrior placed his own hand on the crystal, changing the view to the point where Toralinth assumed his gigantic size. He indicated the spherical bottle.

"Magic potion?" Stone asked.

"In a sense. It is quite old. Much of its potency must have been lost. That is why the Merovian was not able to maintain his increased size."

"Then he won't be able to do it again," Stone concluded.

The White Warrior caught him with a grave look. "A scavenger such as Toralinth would be unlikely to carry only one such item."

"That's nicely ominous," Stone said.

The urge struck Dylan to touch the stone, and when he did, the panorama changed to show a beach fronting Tribulation Bay. "Guess who's back," he said.

The other rangers looked to the image. Toralinth rampaged as beach-goers evacuated. "Back to action?" Dylan asked.

----

Seven rangers materialized on the beach. Toralinth stopped his rampage long enough to face them. "Welcome back, Rangers. You've cost me a lot of business."

Miranor stepped out ahead of the others. "We still have one transaction to complete," he said. Casey and Dylan exchanged a look. Miranor looked back at his rangers. "Baton blasters!" he ordered.

The Atoxians drew their batons and twisted the ends. Holding them up like pistols, the fired at the Merovian in unison. Dylan nodded to Stone and Casey, and the three humans added their own blasts to the fire. Toralinth struggled, then dropped to his knees.

Blowing steam from his large nostrils, the creature reached for his belt. "This battle is becoming very expensive," he complained, then produced a scroll of parchment. "Do you know what this is, Rangers?"

"Grocery list?" Stone asked, unhelpfully.

Toralinth unfurled the scroll. The string of Kanji printed on it was projected into the air in giant red print. The letters flared bright, then coalesced into the figure of Toralinth, once again increased to gigantic proportion.

"Problem," Dylan said.

"He looks even bigger this time," Stone added.

"Chimerazord's still out of action," Casey said. "Any chance you guys can handle this one alone?"

"Tricky," Dylan confessed.

//You may have additional problems,// came the voice of the White Warrior. //I have detected another signal approaching Earth.//

"Crap," Stone said. He looked over to Miranor. Miranor and the others were staring at the sky.

"I think our odds may have just improved," the red alien ranger said. "Tersarzords!"

The rangers leapt into the air, reappearing seconds later astride four mechanical beasts. Three identical robots, painted to match their riders, descended through the air. They looked like wolves, but with the heartier builds of bears. The red Tersarzord, larger than the others, dove on the giant, sinking its robotic jaws into Toralinth's arm. The Merovian howled, and shook the Tersarzord off. The pink and yellow Tersarzords cashed into Toralinth around his knees. Toralinth managed to get off a lightning attack, and the green Tersarzord had to break off its attack to dodge it. The red robot reared up, striking the monster's scaly chest with its claws.

"We don't have the Megazord, we're not helpless," Stone said. "I'm calling the Gryphonzord."

Dylan nodded. "I'll do the same with the Legacy Dragon."

"Wait," Casey said. She pulled Dylan aside. "I need you to teleport me to the Legacy Dragon's lair. I've got an idea."

Dylan looked up at the fight. The four Tersarzords didn't seem to be taking any damage from the struggling Merovian, but they also didn't appear to be making any headway. "Whatever it is, it better be quick." He placed his hand on Casey's shoulder and they vanished in the light of teleportation.

Stone thrust his open hand in the air and commanded the Gryphonzord to arise. Seconds later, the water of Tribulation bay was broken by the large blue metallic wings of the Legacy Gryphonzord. Water spilled off its body as it beat its wings to gain air. Approaching Toralinth from behind, Stone found a clear shot and spat fire from the eagle-head of the zord. Toralinth twisted around, smacking at Stone's zord.

The Gryphonzord lost its air, and Stone again lamented the damage to the Chimerazord. It was rare for them to use their zords separately, and he missed the greater power they achieved by working in concert. He wondered if the Atoxian zords could also combine.

As if in answer to his question, the radio crackled. He recognized the voice of Aramus, pained and straining, but still full of confidence. "You look like you need some help."

Looking to the sky, Stone could see the Atoxian blue ranger, astride a fifth Tersarzord. "Withdraw!" Miranor commanded. "You are injured."

"My place is with my teammates," Aramus countered, descending into the cockpit. "And as I am here, let us put an end to this before Toralinth eludes us again."

A grunt from Miranor was the most acceptance he was going to get. The red, pink, yellow, and green Tersarzords released the Merovian, and leapt into the air. With one voice, the rangers called out, "Maxima Tersus, formation!"

As the zords cut through the air, the blue and yellow Tersarzords moved out in front of the red, while the pink and green zords flanked it. Miranor's Tersarzord flipped onto its back as the formation dipped into a steep dive. While Stone used the Gryphonzord's talons to occupy the Merovian, the leg sections of the smaller zords retracted. The blue and yellow Tersarzords struck the ground head-first, the wolfish heads folding as they bit earth. The pink and yellow zords were enrobed in blue electricity as they docked to what had been the red zord's forepaws. The red Tersarzord's head folded into a compartment on the chest of the zord. The panel which covered it showed a gold Atoxian crest, an abstract geometric shape not enitrely dissimilar from the crest on Stone's own breastplate. The red zord crashed on top of the two other Tersarzords, which locked into place like legs. A head, similar in marking to the Atoxian rangers' helmet rose between the shoulders. A silver mouthplate was set in a slight smile. Maxima Tersus raised its robotic arms as if to flex its muscles, then charged the Merovian.

----

Dylan tried to snake his head under the side console in the Legacy Dragon's cockpit. This brough him uncomfortably close to Casey's crotch as she hung, upside down, over the side of the seat. The cockpit had really only been designed for one person. "What are you trying to do?"

Casey pulled on a bundle of wires, sending up sparks. "I'm trying to override the safety lockout on the interlink controls?"

"Is that safe?" he asked.

"Of course it's not safe. It's a safety lockout. By definition, turning it off is unsafe." Another shower of sparks danced over the console.

"Then..." Dylan prompted.

Casey pulled her head out. Sweat had matted her hair to her forehead. "This is not easy. Stop bothering me."

"You're breaking my zord. I want to know why."

Casey disappeared under the console again. "Normally, the interlink console only becomes active when you're in proximity to the other two zords..." Another shower of sparks. "If I can bypass the safety, you can transform the Legacy Dragon into the dragon lance even without the other zords nearby."

"And that gets me what?"

"You, nothing. But..." She pulled one final cable, and the panel above illuminated. She gestured for Dylan to help her up. She looked at the interlink panel. All four of its indicators were now glowing. The top two panels showed the schematic diagrams of the Chimerazord and Gryphonzord. The lower panels showed additional schematics. Casey filed that information away for later use. "Our friends from out of town, maybe an advantage. I'm done here."

Dylan examined the panel, apparently taking no notice of the two new indicators. "Okay. I think I get the plan. Get back to the cavern and see what you can do about the Chimerazord in case this doesn't work."

----

Maxima Tersus wrapped its massive arms around the Merovian and squeezed. Toralinth howled and thrashed, unable to free himself. The Atoxian Megazord slammed its head into Toralinth, forcing the monster back. Maxima Tersus punched repeatedly, catching the giant twice in the chest, and once on the jaw.

The Merovian managed to break away, pulling back a few yards, then pitched its head forward and charged Maxima Tersus. Toralinth's horns caught on the breastplate, knocking the robot off its feet. Inside the command deck of the zord, a console exploded in a shower of sparks. "Port energizer is off-line," Aramus announced. "We're losing power." Miranor fought with the controls to bring Maxima Tersus back to its feet, but the entire left side had gone limp. Toralinth brought his hands together, charging up the killing blast. Miranor stared straight ahead at the looming monster. He wasn't able to do anything, but he would face death like a ranger.

The killing blow never came. Maxima Tersus reverberated with the sound of the Legacy Gryphonzord's savage war-cry as the blue zord twisted in the air before them, taking the full force of the blast. The ground seemed to liquefy when Stone's zord crashed, sending up a cloud of dust and a wave of heavier earth. The Gryphonzord crowed one final time, then the eagle-head fell, its power depleted. "We can't waste this chance," Miranor announced. He nodded to Coraliw, whose hands flew over the controls. Maxima Tersus pulled itself unsteadily to its feet, its left arm hanging limp.

"We're going to need the port energizer to finish this," Aramus wheezed. "I'll see what I can do." He climbed out of his seat and lowered himself through a hatch into the bowels of the robot.

Toralinth swing its fists at Maxima Tersus as the zord struggled to block the blows with its functional arm. Maxima Tersus took a tentative step, the blue leg dragging behind, and the robot half-turned, shielding its damaged side. Toralinth charged again, but the Atoxian rangers dodged the blow. The pink Tersarzord head which formed Maxima Tersus's right arm bit down into Toralinth's left horn, diverting the monster around them.

Inside, the concussion of the glancing blow threw the unrestrained blue ranger into a support beam. Clutching his injured side, he slid down the length of the beam, landing where the central power conduit for the red Tersarzord forked off into the main energizer lines leading to each side of Maxima Tersus's body. He could see at once that the damage wasn't severe, but he was at a loss as to how to make the repair. One of the supports for the zord's chestplate had buckled, cutting through the port energizer conduit. A section of conduit nearly two meters long was simply gone.

Outside, Maxima Tersus blocked more blows from the enraged Merovian, but with only one arm and one leg, it was an uphill battle. The Atoxian zord was losing ground. It took all of Lyada's dexterity to keep their weight balanced on the good leg.

Dylan's voice crackled on the radio: "You guys have room for one more?" The Atoxian rangers looked up to see the Legacy Dragon unfurl its wings as it flew in front of the sun.

Straightening his zord's body as he brought it into a dive, Dylan touched one of the panels on the interlink console. As the head, wings, and two body sections jettisoned from the zord, he teleported into Maxima Tersus's command deck.

The Atoxians didn't need to be told what to do. Coraliw thrust the zord arm upward, catching the dragon lance in the pink Tersarzord's jaws. She swung the long lance like a sword, and Toralinth backflipped out of its way.

Below, Aramus coughed inside his helmet, and saw blood splatter the visor. His vision doubled. He touched his side and felt more blood seeping through his blue uniform where his wound had reopened. He looked down at his hand, then at the stripe of metal that terminated at his thumb. It was the only way. He took hold of one end of the conduit.

The scream could be heard all the way on the command deck as Maxima Tersus's left side came back to life. Dylan, at the blue ranger's console, brought the left arm up to support the middle of the dragon lance. Coraliw looked away from the display screen and whispered, "Aramus," just loudly enough to be audible beyond her helmet.

Miranor didn't allow himself to react to his friend's scream. "Dragon charge!" he ordered.

The lance-head glowed a fierce red as the zord started forward. Its speed increased until it was nothing but a blue of rainbow. Toralinth tried to move out of the way, but he was too slow. A brilliant flash of white obscured his vision. When it cleared, he was staring into the blank, smiling face of Maxima Tersus, mere feet from his head. Toralinth slowly looked down. The hilt of the dragon lance disappeared into his abdomen, and looking over his shoulder, he could see the rest of it prodtruding from his back. In a quick fly-casting motion, Maxima Tersus lifted the impaled monster and flung him toward Tribulation Bay. Toralinth slid free of the lance, and struck the water as he exploded, sending up an enormous tidal wave. Maxima Tersus went limp.

Though Dylan had been closest to the hatch, he let the other rangers push past him to climb down inside the Tersarzord's inner workings. He reached the energizer junction just in time to see Aramus's ranger uniform dissolve into light.

His face, hands, all his exposed flesh was blistered and charred. The side of his tunic was soaked through with blood. He still hung from one end of the severed conduit, clearly lacking even the strength to lower himself to the deck plate. Wordlessly, Miranor lifted Aramus's limp body and cradled him in his lap like a child. Aramus's eyes flashed open, focusing on a point left of Miranor's face. "Toralinth?" he asked, weakly.

"Destroyed."

Aramus managed a nod. "It had to be done." He coughed up blood. "For the honor of Atox."

"For the honor of Atox," Miranor repeated.

With great effort, Aramus raised his trembling hands. Coraliw and Lyada each took one. Lylwella turned away. Miranor turned his head. Sensing that this was a private exchange, Dylan too turned from the dying ranger. He caught only a few words, "child," and, "love." Then he heard sobbing. When he looked back, Coraliw was on her knees with her head against Aramus's chest. His eyes were open, but vacant.

----

The White Warrior bowed to Miranor, his arms crossed over his chest. Miranor returned the gesture. He looked very tired. "I am sorry for your loss," the White Warrior said.

"Aramus died defending those he loved," Miranor said. "No ranger could ask for more."

"When we defeat the dark priest, we will speak his name," the White Warrior said. "His sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Miranor nodded.

"What will you do now?" Casey asked.

"Return to Atox Major, and bury our friend in his native soil. Find one to whom to pass the mantle of the blue ranger." Miranor looked over his shoulder to where the three remaining rangers were wrapping Aramus's body in a blue shroud. "You found no trace of the Onyx of Shadow?"

The White Warrior shook his head. "Let us pray that it was destroyed with Toralinth." He didn't sound optimistic.

"I don't know any way we could repay you," Dylan said. "But if you ever need our help..."

Miranor clapped Dylan's shoulder. "You have the spirit of a noble warrior, red ranger of Earth. I am honored to have fought by your side."

Casey produced a two-pound bag of french roast. "It's not much of a going away present," she said, "But I thought you should have something of Earth."

Miranor accepted the bag and bowed to her. "In the days ahead, take strength from the knowledge that you are not alone."

The other Atoxians moved to Miranor's side. In unison, they bowed again. "May the power protect you, Kenobi of Eltar," said Miranor.

The White Warrior and the three humans bowed also. "And you, Miranor of Atox," The White Warrior said.

As the Atoxians vanished in a rainbow, Stone broke away from the others and perched on an outcropping, staring off into space.

"You okay?" Casey asked, drawing close to him.

"I was just thinking," he said.

"Dangerous habit."

Stone didn't smile. "I've been kind of a jackass recently, haven't I?"

"How recently?"

Humor wasn't working on him. "After what happened to Aramus... I don't know." He thought for a while, then added, "Not all of us are going to make it, are we?"

Casey put her hand on his shoulder. "I don't know. I think we just do the best that we can."

----

"The Merovian has been destroyed," Leyolas said.

Dastari did not turn from his balcony. "Good. It sickened me to think we should be beholden to one such as him. And the rangers of Atox?"

"Our watchers observed Maxima Tersus departing the solar system," Leyolas said. He waited a second before adding, "They detected only four life signs."

Now, Dastari turned to his apprentice. "Even better. Though I long for the day when we can make them suffer for every one of the faithful they destroyed on our homeworld."

Leyolas bowed. "It shall be as you command, my lord."

Dastari walked back inside the tower. "You will prepare another monster at once," he ordered.

"So soon, master?"

Dastari's empty eyes fixed Leyolas. "An event such as this will require a herald. There must be sacrifices to homor the eve of our ultimate victory."

"As you command."

Dastari's skeletal hand reached out from under his robes to touch the face of the obsidian statue. "Once, you dared to strike down the one true god," he said. "At last, you shall atone for your sins."

He reached out his other hand. In it, he held a smooth black stone, set in a gold ring. He slipped the ring onto the statue's finger. A spiderweb of yellow cracks formed across the obsidian surface.


----

Next Time on Power Rangers: Legacy

Once, he stood alongside them, then he tore them apart.
The rangers' most powerful enemy is one of their own.

Next episode: Enter the Dragon, Part 1

... Evil has no name...

[ivoryranger]

Episode 07:
Enter the Dragon, Part 1
Ivoryranger@hotmail.com


Previously on Power Rangers Legacy

"It's done." Elysium removed his crimson helmet and tucked it under his arm. His three companions did not move. The four warriors held their positions around the obsidian statue of a knight in battle dress, all but Elysium staring at it reverently. They had been five, once.

-

"I told you how the powers -- your powers -- bent the minds of my friends." He nodded, painfully. "Kirin, too, gave in to the seduction of those powers. He turned against us, believed that, because of his great power, he was fit to rule the universe -- he thought himself a god." The White Warrior laughed wryly. "We had no choice to but to stop him...

"But we made a mistake." He shook his head. "Or, maybe it wasn't. It seems so long ago now, I can not say. But he had been our friend, and we believed that there was still good inside him. We did not destroy him."

"What did you do?" Dylan asked, though he was starting to get a sense of the answer.

"The Black Warrior was imprisoned. We combined our powers to turn his body to stone and seal his soul -- and with it his power -- in a gem. It was that battle that convinced the others to forsake their powers and name me as their keeper."

"The Onyx of Shadow," Casey reflected.

-

Dastari's skeletal hand reached out from under his robes to touch the face of the obsidian statue. "Once, you dared to strike down the one true god," he said. "At last, you shall atone for your sins."

He reached out his other hand. In it, he held a smooth black stone, set in a gold ring. He slipped the ring onto the statue's finger. A spiderweb of yellow cracks formed across the obsidian surface.

----

All at once, the obsidian shattered, leaving in its place a warrior in black armor. His robe swirled around him. He turned toward Dastari, black sword at the ready. "What is this place? Why have you awakened me?"

"You will show respect before the priest of the one true god!" Leyolas shouted, he moved to strike the Black Warrior, but Dastari raised a hand to restrain him.

"I am Dastari," he said, "Servant to the one you banished so long ago. And you are at my mercy."

"Kirin of Eltar is at the mercy of no man!" The Black Warrior insisted, raising his sword.

A motion of Dastari's bony hand, barely enough to be visible, tore the sword from the Black Warrior's hand. He stood motionless, fixed in place as if still encased in stone. Dastari moved closer to him, the mask of his face nearly touching the warrior's helmet. "My apprentice is correct. You must be taught respect. Kneel before me, Kirin of Eltar."

Dastari gestured downward, and the Black Warrior fell to his knees. "You have sinned against the one true god," Dastari continued. "By right, I should kill you where you stand. But instead, I give you back your life." He opened his hand, granting the Black Warrior the power to speak.

"My life is worth nothing as your slave," he spat.

A chuckle issued from Dastari's emotionless face. "My, but you are proud." He looked to Leyolas. "Did you know that in the mythology of this world, pride was the first sin?"

"I care nothing for this planet's false gods," Leyolas said.

Dastari laughed. "You should expand your mind, my servant. In our limited existence, we can only appreciate the majesty of the one true god fully when we see how feeble and weak are the false gods of our enemies." He looked back to the immobilized Black Warrior. "What of you? Do you claim a god?"

"I am my own god," said the Black Warrior.

Dastari looked to Leyolas again. "You see? He thinks himself a god, and yet his god is powerless before I who am but a shadow of the one true god."

He gave the Black Warrior a dismissive shove. "So you would choose death over being my slave?" he asked. "But I offer you so much more than that."

"You could offer nothing to me."

Dastari laughed again. "Your friends betrayed you," he said. "Do you not wish revenge against them?"

The Black Warrior was surprised to find himself able to look up into Dastari's unblinking eyes. "They live?"

Dastari turned away. "The warriors who banished my god have long since gone to dust, but their legacy lives on." With a wave of his hand, Dastari summoned an image of the three Power Rangers. "These have come to take their place." The image focussed on the hands of the three rangers. The Black Warrior saw the rings they wore.

"These are the successors to Elysium, Chryssoula, and Erdos? These children?"

"No younger than you, when you joined their ranks," Dastari countered. "Will you destroy them for me?"

The Black Warrior felt the bile rising as he watched the images of the three rangers. They seemed almost to taunt him. Slowly, he nodded.

"Bring me their rings, and I will grant you your freedom," Dastari lied. "You will be absolved in the eyes of my god."

The Black Warrior sensed the lie, but went along with it. It would serve his purpose for now. "What of the White Warrior?"

The Black Warrior could have sworn he saw Dastari's fixed face try to smile. "Kenobi of Eltar still lives. Like a coward, he hides beneath the Earth. Destroy these three, and you may yet draw him out and have your chance at vengeance."

The Black Warrior smiled. "Then I am your servant," he said.

"Good." Dastari raised his hand again, releasing his hold on the Black Warrior. "One final matter. Something to better befit this world."

The dark priest waved his hand, and the Black Warrior's armor changed. The heavy suit of mail he wore was replaced by a black form-fitting unitard. His onyx ring showed over white gloves. Black armor plates covered his shoulders, and a large breastplate covered his torso, its shape molded into a caricature of the humanoid musculature enhanced to Herculean proportion. The center of the breastplate showed a black circle. His features were hidden behind a black helmet, the slight hint of a fin breaking the smoothness of the dome. The visor, a broad angle of white, seemed almost like a gaping mouth.

----

"I can't get a break," Stone said. He pushed his coffee across the table to Casey. "Taste this. I think the coffee guy peed in it."

Casey put down her paper and glared at Stone. "I will not."

"And you shouldn't keep pissing him off," Dylan said.

"Or on as the case may be," Casey added.

"Or on, as the case may be," Dylan echoed.

"I didn't do anything," Stone protested. Indeed, he had toned down his usual cockiness. It had only been a few days since he had been made painfully aware of his own mortality when his alien counterpart had been killed in battle. "Tell me I'm not the only one he's doing this to."

Dylan took a sip from his own cup. "I think he might have slipped me Colombian instead of French roast, the bastard."

Casey shrugged. "He's been fine to me," she said. She decided to leave out the subtle comment he'd made about the relative merits of a high school education. He probably hadn't meant it as an insult. Probably didn't even realize he was implying she was stupid.

Dylan leaned forward over the table, his tone suddenly serious. "Do you get the feeling we're being watched?"

Casey cast a quick glance around them. Stone looked over his shoulder. He couldn't see anyone. "I think you're letting the job get to you," he said.

Dylan relaxed. "Probably. What's on the docket for today?"

Stone raised his coffee cup to his lips, then thought better of it and set it down again. "Working on my car. Radiator's been leaking since tattoo-boy did his tap-dance on the hood."

"I've got a paper to write," Casey said. She cast a glare across the table. "Why am I the only one who ever seems to do any schoolwork?"

Dylan shrugged it off. "I'm going to try to get some writing done. I've had this tune in my head for a couple of days now, and I can't quite get it on paper."

Stone clapped his hands together as a memory hit him. He stood. "Just remembered. I'm supposed to pick up a part. Bemai, Beethoven," he held up his hand, splaying his thumb and pinky to mime a telephone. "Buzz me if the giant monsters attack."

Casey rolled her eyes as Stone walked off. Partly, she disdained his cavalier attitude. Mostly, she wanted to avoid looking at Stone's backside. God, he had a nice butt.

Dylan tapped the back of her hand and Casey twitched. "You zoned out there for a minute."

"Sorry. Thinking."

"I'm going to head over to the base for a while. There's a cavern near the sleeping quarters with pretty good acoustics. Want to come with? Lots of room, good for thinking."

Casey shook her head, though she genuinely appreciated the consideration. Dylan was such a contrast to Stone. "Not until the White Warrior gets Wi-Fi. 'Sides, I will be damned if I don't get to finish one cup of coffee this week."

----

The White Warrior sat on the bare stone floor of the main chamber, arms akimbo, eyes closed. The peace that mediation usually brought would not come today. He had hoped it was just his guilt over the death of the Atoxian ranger, but he could sense something else, beneath the surface. He stood up and touched the white crystal of the control column. Nothing.

The ancient warrior reached into his tunic and untucked a fine gold chain. Hanging from it was a shard of diamond that glowed with a very faint white light. Wrapping his hand around the jewel, he pressed it to his chest. "I'm sorry," he said.

----

Stone lay on his back underneath his Mustang and reached up, feeling for the breach in the radiator. His finger caught on something sharp, and he recoiled. He sucked his throbbing finger, the metallic taste of his own blood mixing with road dirt and the sickly-sweet taste of coolant. He spat. This was getting nowhere. He was getting close to admitting defeat and replacing the entire radiator.

As he wheeled himself out from under the car, he cracked his neck. As much time as he spent on his back, he would have thought he wouldn't stiffen up like this. He stood up and tore paper towels from a roll on his tool cart to wipe his hands. He looked down at his gold ring, sitting among the metric sockets, where he wasn't liable to get it dirty while groping for a tool. He'd have preferred to have left it inside, but he knew better than to get too far 11from it. Even now, it seemed like it was emitting a slight magnetic pull toward him.

Without the ring, he wouldn't be able to hear a summons from the White Warrior. While it suited him fine, he knew the consequences of being MIA whenever Dastari got around to striking. He checked his palms, picking the least dirty of the two, and placed his hand on top of the sapphire to check in.

As soon as he touched the stone, he recoiled even more forcefully than he had from the car part that had raked his finger. His ring was freezing cold.

----

Casey stared at the screen of her computer and tried to summon a thousand words on the role of the plow in the settlement of Nebraska. To hell with the role of the plow in the settlement of Nebraska. She switched windows.

She tried again to make sense of the article. It was one of about a dozen recently declassified documents her search had turned up when she'd added the phrase, "Project Lightspeed," to her search parameters. She wasn't clear on what the phrase referred to, but it appeared in the digital watermark on one of the papers she'd downloaded.

Unfortunately, nothing she found seemed to make her any headway. The titles had been promising, but once she got past the abstract, Casey was no longer certain that the papers were even in English. Casey wasn't accustomed to feeling stupid, but by the fifth page describing a class one morphic translocation made her feel like a five year old with a developmental disorder who'd been asked to analyze Tolstoy's use of symbolism in Anna Karenina. In the original Russian. After about six margaritas.

She printed off a copy of, "On the morphological summoning of material about a non-fixed associated target with mobile morphing locus," and flipped off her computer screen. She thought about Dylan's suggestion that she come to the caves. Tempting, but she didn't really want that much solitude. She cleared her mind and teleported.

When she materialized in the Chimerazord's lair, the huge robot's eyes glowed yellow for a moment, sized her up, then darkened again. She stroked her zord's hoof with her right hand. "How you doing, boy?" she asked. Casey had no serious reason to think the zord was actually "alive" in any meaningful sense, even less that it could understand her, but it pleased her to talk to it sometimes. She thought she finally understood why people talked to their pets. She felt a slight tremor of machinery inside the zord. The Legacy Gryphonzord had been badly damaged in its last battle, and she didn't have the technical knowledge to do anything but the most basic repairs. All the same, its self-repair system seemed to be getting the job done. The last time she'd seen the Gryphonzord, it hadn't been able to convert all the way back from Megazord mode. At least it had returned to its normal configuration now. "Hang in there," she said as she turned away, patting the large hoof with her other hand.

As her ring struck a loud clang against the metal of the zord's armor, the green robot recoiled as if she's somehow hurt it. She held up both hands, palms out. "What is it, boy?" she asked, then shook her head at the folly of it. She reached out her hand for the Chimerazord, but it pulled away, unwilling to let her touch it. The Chimerazord was scared for some reason. And it seemed to be scared of her.

She wondered if she should morph -- if the Chimerazord was out of control, decided to charge her or something, she was in big trouble. She reached out to touch her ring.

That was when Casey saw it, and it made her jump. Spreading out over her hand, apparently spreading from her ring, was a mottled green stain. She slapped at the ring with her right hand until it fell from her finger. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Chimerazord relax visibly as the ring struck the rough stone floor.

----

Dylan used a piece of chalk to scratch musical symbols into the cavern floor. He was halfway through the third measure before he sensed that he wasn't alone. He looked up at the White Warrior. "I hope you don't mind," he said, glancing furtively at the markings he'd made.

"It is unimportant," The White Warrior said, distractedly. Dylan could see that his hand was wrapped around something that he clutched to his chest.

"You all right?" he asked.

The White Warrior looked off into the darkness at the far end of the cavern. "I sense a great power," he said, "A darkness descending over the land."

"Oh," Dylan said. He never would get used to his mentor's strange mode of speech.

"I can not contact the other rangers," he said. "I fear for their safety."

That was more direct. Dylan stood up. "Dastari? Do you know where they are?"

The White Warrior shook his head without looking at Dylan. "Not Dastari. The darkness I sense is... Closer. A power linked to our own."

Dylan finally got it. "The Onyx of Shadow," he said. "Someone's..." he groped for the right word. "Someone's activated it?"

"I fear so. Even now, its darkness is clouding my powers."

Dylan dropped the chalk. The sound it made as it shattered on the floor of the cavern seemed very far away. "You think it has them, Stone and Casey?"

"That, I can not say. I know only that it is close."

"We have to find it, stop it somehow," Dylan said. "There must be something you can -- Ow! God!" He reached for his left hand as pain shot up his arm. He tugged at his ring until it slid off his finger, then juggled it. The ring was so hot he thought it must be melting. He finally pulled at the tail of his shirt and caught the ring in it. "What the hell?"

The White Warrior looked down at the ruby ring, half covered by Dylan's shirt-tail. "It is as I feared," he said. His bony hand tightened against his chest. "Come," he said. "There is much to discuss."

Dylan followed the old man back to the main chamber. The warrior sat down on an outcropping, leaning heavily on his staff. "The disruption has prevented me from seeing the other rangers; I do not know if they are alone, but under the circumstances, I see no other choice."" It seemed to take all his strength to raise his staff.

Stone and Casey materialized close to Dylan. Like him, they were not wearing their rings. Stone held his through a yellow chamois cloth, while Casey's emerald ring materialized on the cavern floor a few feet in front of her. They both looked up at the White Warrior, somehow sensing that questions were redundant.

"Rangers, I fear a dark hour is upon us," The White Warrior said. "Your powers have failed you because they are, in a sense, in shock. Dastari has activated the Onyx of Shadow."

"Oh hell," Casey said.

Stone strained to remember what he had been told about the Onyx of Shadow. "You mean he's made his own ranger?"

The White Warrior looked down. "More than that. He has not simply created a new ranger."

Dylan was lost. "What, then?"

"I believe he has used the Onyx of Shadow to awaken the Black Warrior."

A quick glance at the boys told Casey she was the only one who had worked it out. She explained it for them. "The Black Warrior was the ancient warrior you and your buddies turned to stone however many million years ago?" She phrased it as a question, though she already knew the answer. The White Warrior nodded, content to let her handle the exposition. She thought he seemed relieved not to have to tell the story himself.

"Then," she reasoned, "He doesn't just have ranger powers -- he's got all the experience and skill you guys had when you put away the dark force back in the day."

The White Warrior nodded again. "Dastari must be truly insane to have awakened the Black Warrior. His is a power the dark priest can not hope to control."

"Wait..." Dylan said, his mind racing to keep up. "The Black Warrior used to be one of the good guys, right?"

"That was a long time ago," the White Warrior said, mournfully.

Dylan shook his hand, indicating that he didn't mean it that way. "What I mean is, shouldn't Dastari hate this Black Warrior even more than he hates us? I mean, didn't he kill his god and stuff?"

"More evidence of the lengths the dark priest will go to. Rangers, you must be extremely careful. The Black Warrior's soul has had millions of years to darken further with lust for power and vengeance. He knows the full depths of powers you have only just begun to explore. As you are now, he is more than your equal."

"Which is going to be a problem," Stone said, "Because I don't think I can even morph at the moment." He held up his ring. "This damned thing has gone crazy."

Casey nodded. "I was with the Chimerazord. It freaked out all of the sudden, like it was scared of me."

"Scared of the power," the White Warrior said. "The energies of the four stones are linked. When the Onyx of Shadow became active, your own stones reacted to the new power. Because the power of the Onyx is tainted by evil, they reacted defensively."

"Good for them. Bad for us," Dylan said.

"It will pass in time. Until then, you must remain close by. Without access to your powers, you will be unable to morph, to communicate telepathically, or to summon your zords. I may not be able to locate you for teleport. You would be easy targets for Dastari, or for the Black Warrior."

"We can't just stay here," Dylan said.

"Why not? Seems to beat the alternative," Casey said.

"You really think Dastari is just going to hang around while we wait for our powers to stop playing possum?"

"There's not a lot we can do like this," Stone said.

Frustrated, Dylan walked to the control crystal and put his hand on it forcefully. An aerial view of Tribulation Landing appeared in the air above them. He couldn't sense anything from it. He let go of the stone feeling helpless. The image dissolved.

"Do that again," Casey said. She was staring at a point in the empty air over Stone's head. Dylan touched the crystal again.

Stone had to take a few steps back to see what Casey and now Dylan were looking at on the panorama. "Can you get it any closer?" he asked as his eyes distinguished the cloud of smoke.

"I got it," Casey said. She moved beside Dylan and nudged his hand from the crystal. The image zoomed in until it showed the industrial district. Five Zealots flanked a metal-skinned monster that seemed to resemble a man-sized Zippo lighter as it sprayed buildings with flame.

"Shit," Stone said. It seemed to summarize things well.

"We need to be there," Dylan said, facing the White Warrior. "Now."

"In your present state, there is nothing you can do."

Dylan gestured at the image. "We have to try."

"As a ranger, you can not allow your desire to help outweigh your responsibility to the big picture."

Dylan looked down to where he still held his ring through his shirt. "Well, I'm not a ranger right now." He dropped his hand to his side, and the ring bounced to the floor. "Give the speech to the next guy. I'm going."

The White Warrior sighed and raised his staff.

----

"Destroy everything!" Flintor commanded his legion of Zealots. "Leave nothing!"

"Show's over." The metallic monster wheeled about to find Dylan at the edge of the square. "Don't you know that smoking can be hazardous to your health?"

Flintor responded by spraying the air with a plume of fire. At a gesture from the monster, the Zealots charged. Dylan stayed low as he ran forward. The Zealots weren't his problem. He launched himself into a tackle as he got close to Flintor, just managing to get his arms all the way around the creature's girth.

If Dylan had expected to knock Flintor to the ground, he was sadly mistaken. Instead, he just hung there, body outstretched, arms wrapped around the metal monster for a moment before his purchase on Flintor's polished surface failed him and he slipped to the ground.

"Is that the best you can do, Ranger?" the monster gloated. Dylan rolled out of the way a fraction of a second before Flintor's fist cracked the pavement. Dylan scissor-kicked at the monster's legs, and it teetered, but remained on its feet.

A back-flip got Dylan upright again, in time to roll out of the way of a blast of fire. He ran toward Flintor, throwing his entire weight into a straight right. The narrow silver hood closed over the monster's head and Dylan struck metal. The creature lost its balance and fell over, but Dylan was left clutching his hand in pain.

While the monster struggled back to its feet, Dylan was finally forced to deal with the Zealots. Two had gotten close enough to grab his arm, lifting him off his feet. Dylan kicked in both directions, forcing the Zealots to release him. He punched the Zealot to his right in the faceplate, assuming he couldn't do any more damage to his hand. The Zealot was stunned long enough for Dylan to pry the mask off with his left hand and the Zealot vaporized.

It was getting hard for Dylan to concentrate with the pain surging through his right arm. He managed to knock the other Zealot's faceplate off with a jump-kick, but by then more Zealots were on him. Flintor, now on his feet, staggered toward Dylan as the Zealots grabbed him, holding him immobile.

"Is this really the Red Ranger my master warned me of?" Flintor asked, moving close enough to Dylan's face that he could smell his breath -- it smelled like naptha. "Do you invite death?"

Dylan spat in the monster's face. "That ought to dampen you down a little."

Flintor's metal face showed no emotion. "I will take great pleasure in making you suffer for that. But first, my master would like a souvenir." He reached for Dylan's left hand and turned it over.

"A ranger..." Flintor said, seeing Dylan's ringless hand, "But no power..." He squeezed Dylan's hand until he heard his joints pop. "Where is it?"

"Where you'll never get it," Dylan said through clenched teeth.

Flintor released Dylan's hand and punched him in the gut. If not for the Zealots restraining him, Dylan would have doubled over. "Fine," the monster said, "Your head will be trophy enough."

Before Flintor could make good on his threat, Dylan felt the grip on his arms slacken. He looked to his side and saw the Zealot's body standing just as it was before -- but without its head. As the Zealot collapsed, he saw Stone, his axe drawn. "Thought you might need this," he said, tossing the ruby mace to Dylan.

Dylan could barely hold the mace with his injured hand, but he somehow found the strength to swing it at Flintor. The red ball caught the corner of the monster's rectangular body as it tried to step back from the blow. The other Zealot released Dylan as Casey pulled it away by its neck, which was ensnared by her green whip. Dylan swung again, taking an unsteady step toward Flintor. He hit only air, but his third blow caught the monster's head and it staggered. The metal hood slammed shut, catching Dylan's sleeve. As the monster wheeled around, Dylan was dragged with it., He fell to the ground and rolled as Flintor opened his hood. A tongue of fire lashed out for him, too close and too wide for him to evade. Everything went red.

----

It took Dylan a moment to realize he wasn't dead. He blinked off the haze of teleportation and found himself in the White Warrior's cavern. The battle still raged on in the image that surrounded him, with Stone and Casey dispatching the Zealots, but keeping clear of the seemingly invincible monster.

"You've got to send me back. They don't stand a chance on their own," Dylan said. He could see the blue and green rings on the floor not far from his own.

"You are hurt too badly to fight. I may not be able to teleport you back here in time if you are endangered again."

Dylan shook his head. "I don't care. You said a ranger doesn't forget the big picture. I say a ranger doesn't run from a battle."

The White Warrior looked to the three rings on the floor. "You yourself said that you were not a ranger."

Dylan just glared at the old man. Finally, the White Warrior nodded. "You have the spirit of a great warrior," he admitted. He lifted the fine gold chain from his neck. "Take this."

Dylan looked at the chain, with its tiny diamond shard. It was the thing he'd seen the White Warrior clutch to his chest before. "What is it?" Dylan said. He reached toward it, but didn't touch it.

The White Warrior let the stone fall into Dylan's hand and looked away. "When one of my race is near death, we are able to transform our physical bodies into a form of energy. It is a rare and dangerous skill; few in our history have even attempted it, even fewer have succeeded. In most cases, the energy is not stable, and loses cohesion without a vessel to contain it." He took a deep breath.

"When the Black Warrior turned to evil, he turned his rage on me and my family. I was not fast enough to save them... The stone you hold is a firegem. It contains what little I could save of my wife."

Dylan looked into the stone. It seemed impossibly deep. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Her name was Zaria," the White Warrior said. Dylan wasn't sure he was listening. "Her beauty was matched only by the purity of her spirit."

A look to the panorama told Dylan that the situation was urgent back in town, but he was reluctant to interrupt the old man's reverie. Fortunately, he didn't have to. The White Warrior picked up Dylan's ruby ring from where it had fallen. Dylan was too befuddled to resist as the old man slipped it back onto Dylan's finger. "The firegem will counteract the effect of the dark power on your ring. As long as you wear it, you will be able to become the red ranger once again."

Dylan looked at his ring in wonder. The burning heat was gone. In fact, despite the pain that still lingered in his hand from Flintor's attack, the ring felt cool against his skin. Reverently, he hung the chain around his neck.

----

Stone threw his axe at the last Zealot, decapitating it just as it lunged for Casey. She let out an atyplically girlish squeal of alarm as the headless body collapsed on her.

"Well done, Rangers," Flintor said. "But don't think you've won yet." It released a fireball that threw Stone to the ground.

"You're hurting my friends. I don't stand for that." Casey, Stone, and Flintor all looked up. Dylan still looked uncertain on his feet, but he stood all the same, holding up his left hand, palm inward, displaying his ring. "I think you said something about a souvenir?"

Flintor turned his body toward Dylan and sent up a plume of flame.

"That's what I thought," Dylan said. He drew his hand back into a fist and reached across his chest to touch the stone. "Legacy force! Armor on!"

Dylan wasted no time charging at Flintor as soon as his morphing sequence completed. The monster did the same, and their collision sent up a cloud of explosion. Dylan kicked up dust as he spun around for another charge. "Ruby paddlewheel attack!" he shouted, as he charged, spinning his mace at his side until it traced a glowing circle in the air.

As the burning circle cut across Flintor's midsection, the monster's metal hood slammed shut with an audible clang. Dylan pivoted for another pass, and only when he had stopped did the monster raise its hood. "Close, ranger, but not close enough." It spat fire, sending up an explosion that Dylan barely managed to avoid. He skirted the flames until he was at Casey's side and drew his blaster.

"It's not going to pierce his armor," she warned.

"It doesn't have to," Dylan said. "Can you make this blow up?"'

She looked to Flintor, then at Dylan's blaster. She got it. Her fingers flew over the blaster controls, then twisted the barrel and pulled the trigger. "You've got about forty-five seconds."

Dylan rose to his full height and began spinning his mace again. He charged Flintor, his mace in his left hand, the blaster in his right. Flintor faced him, motionless, and brought his hood down just as Dylan broke off his attack at the last second, instead thrusting his right arm forward. As the hood clanged shut, Dylan released his mace and threw both arms over the top of the monster, raising his legs to hang from the top of the monster.

Through the shell, Dylan could hear the creature's voice. "You can't get in that way."

"I don't have to get in," Dylan said. "But I think you might want to consider getting out."

Under the hood, Flintor looked around. At the edge of its periphery, it could see a blinking light. The blinking stopped.

Dylan was finally thrown free as the metal body of the monster shook under the force of the explosion. Flintor fell to the ground, its hood falling ajar to reveal the smoking ruins inside.

Dylan pitched forward, hands on his knees, panting. Stone and Casey ran to his side. "Dude," Stone said. "That was serious mojo."

"You could have mentioned that our morphers were back on-line," Casey said.

"They're not," Dylan explained, raising his visor. "I kinda got a bye on that."

There was a sound like cymbals crashing. It took Dylan a moment to realize that he was hearing applause. He pulled himself upright, turned toward the south side of the square, and stared dead ahead.

Into the white visor of the Black Ranger.


To Be Continued...

[Cuiran]

Great job, man! Though he's been more serious lately, White Warrior = coolest mentor ever. He has a sense of humor (when he shows it)! Loved the entire Atoxian Rangers arc, and looking forward to hints of Aramus coming back later in the series (it's giving Stone some interesting angles). Great stuff so far! Looking forward to more... =)

[ivoryranger]

Episode 08:
Enter the Dragon, Part 2
Ivoryranger@hotmail.com


Previously on Power Rangers Legacy

All at once, the obsidian shattered, leaving in its place a warrior in black armor. His robe swirled around him. He turned toward Dastari, black sword at the ready.

-

The White Warrior sat on the bare stone floor of the main chamber, arms akimbo, eyes closed. The peace that mediation usually brought would not come today. He had hoped it was just his guilt over the death of the Atoxian ranger, but he could sense something else, beneath the surface. He stood up and touched the white crystal of the control column. Nothing.

The ancient warrior reached into his tunic and untucked a fine gold chain. Hanging from it was a shard of diamond that glowed with a very faint white light. Wrapping his hand around the jewel, he pressed it to his chest. "I'm sorry," he said.

-

"Rangers, I fear a dark hour is upon us," The White Warrior said. "Your powers have failed you because they are, in a sense, in shock. Dastari has activated the Onyx of Shadow.

"Rangers, you must be extremely careful. The Black Warrior's soul has had millions of years to darken further with lust for power and vengeance. He knows the full depths of powers you have only just begun to explore. As you are now, he is more than your equal."

"Which is going to be a problem," Stone said, "Because I don't think I can even morph at the moment." He held up his ring. "This damned thing has gone crazy."

Casey nodded. "I was with the Chimerazord. It freaked out all of the sudden, like it was scared of me."

"Scared of the power," the White Warrior said. "The energies of the four stones are linked. When the Onyx of Shadow became active, your own stones reacted to the new power. Because the power of the Onyx is tainted by evil, they reacted defensively."

-

The White Warrior let the stone fall into Dylan's hand and looked away. "When the Black Warrior turned to evil, he turned his rage on me and my family. I was not fast enough to save them... The stone you hold is a firegem. It contains what little I could save of my wife."

Dylan looked into the stone. It seemed impossibly deep. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Her name was Zaria," the White Warrior said. Dylan wasn't sure he was listening. "Her beauty was matched only by the purity of her spirit."

A look to the panorama told Dylan that the situation was urgent back in town, but he was reluctant to interrupt the old man's reverie. Fortunately, he didn't have to. The White Warrior picked up Dylan's ruby ring from where it had fallen. Dylan was too befuddled to resist as the old man slipped it back onto Dylan's finger. "The firegem will counteract the effect of the dark power on your ring. As long as you wear it, you will be able to become the red ranger once again."

-

There was a sound like cymbals crashing. It took Dylan a moment to realize that he was hearing applause. He pulled himself upright, turned toward the south side of the square, and stared dead ahead.

Into the white visor of the Black Ranger.

----

"A strategy worthy of Erdos himself," the Black Ranger said, punctuating the sentence with a final clap. "I see that you are not a total novice." He drew a small cylinder of black lacquer. With a twisting motion, he pulled the cylinder apart, the two lacquer sections revealing themselves as the grips on a pair of jagged black daggers that seemed to be made of polished stone. "How sure are your skills?"

Dylan looked to Stone and Casey. In a low voice, he said, "Get out of here."

Stone shook his head. Casey protested, "You can't be thinking of taking him on all alone."

"I'm not," Dylan lied. "I'm just covering you two. Get back to base and stay there until you get your powers back."

He took a step forward, placing himself between the Black Ranger and the other Rangers. His visor lowered. "Sure enough," he said. He raised his mace, and then his left hand in a beckoning gesture. "Bring it."

For a long time, the Black Ranger stood perfectly motionless, as if frozen mid-stride with his body canted slightly forward, legs bent, holding one dagger out in front of him, and the other in his hand.

Dylan didn't see him move, but the next instant, the Black Ranger's visor was inches from his own. He felt a surge of pain as one of the daggers struck his side. Dylan tried to bring his mace up into the Black Ranger's head, but the other ranger seemed to read his mind. The handle of the mace struck the Black Ranger's arm. Again, Dylan didn't even see him move; his arm just was raised to block the blow.

Even without his blaster, Dylan knew it was a good idea to put some distance between himself and the Black Ranger. He tried to backflip out of striking range, and the Black Ranger slapped him out of the air with the grip of his dagger. Dylan landed on his back and tried to push himself away. The Black Ranger stepped slowly forward to keep position relative to the fallen Red Ranger. It was the first time Dylan had actually seen him move since he'd stopped clapping.

As Dylan moved back, the Black Ranger kept pace. He didn't make any overtly threatening gestures -- he didn't have to. Dylan was gripped by the sudden realization that the Black Ranger could kill him whenever the mood struck. "I'll admit, Red Ranger, I don't know what to think." He took another step. "I expected this would be more difficult. You," he leaned down, closer to Dylan's helmet, "The heir to Elysium. He would have been the last to fall. I thought the heir of Chryssoula would be the first." He kicked Dylan in the ribs, sending him airborne in a roll that landed him several feet away, but in too much pain to make use of the distance he'd gained. "I killed her, you know." Tapping one of his daggers against the side of the helmet, he added, "I didn't see her die, of course. But not even the princess of Natron could have survived that."

Dylan was slipping in and out. He wondered if one of his ribs was broken -- never having broken one before, he had no idea how to tell a bruise from a fracture from a break. Standing up wasn't an option yet, so he went back to trying to drag himself further away from the Black Ranger, who seemed to be studying his black daggers. "With this one, I think," he said, holding out the dagger in his right hand. "The Natron have a essential gland, just about here." He touched the tip of the dagger to a spot on the left side of his lower abdomen. "Evolutionary disadvantage... I'd be surprised if they hadn't forsaken it by now."

He had to increase his pace to make up for Dylan's lead, but not by much. When he reached the Red Ranger, he put his foot on Dylan's chest, immobilizing him. "As I said. I'm not sure how I feel."

The Black Ranger crouched down until his helmet pressed against Dylan's. "I would have killed Elysium, if he'd given me the chance. But I had respect for him. I don't know whether to be glad that Elysium's successor is such a weakling, or offended that you would claim his legacy."

Dylan couldn't see much of a chance, but he took it anyway. He shouted, "Armor off!" In a flash, his ranger uniform shattered like glass, his vaporizing faceplate leaving a gap of three inches between the Black Ranger's visor and Dylan's face, and a similar inch of space under the Black Ranger's foot where his breastplate had been. In the fraction of a second before gravity brought the Black Ranger's boot to his chest, Dylan kicked as hard as he could and slipped free. Rolling onto his stomach sent ripples of pain through Dylan's ribs, but he fought it off and pulled himself into a crawl, and finally to his feet. He ran.

"If you think I won't shoot an unarmed man in the back, you're wrong, Red Ranger. It's not what I'd prefer, but I'm not above it. If you won't face death like a ranger, at least face it like a man."

Dylan turned back to the ranger in black. His left dagger had been replaced by a blaster, similar to Dylan's, but solid black with a long barrel. Dylan tried to stare him down. He felt the Black Ranger would give him time to remorph, but he knew it wasn't going to do any good.

"On second thought," the Black Ranger said, waving him off with the barrel of the blaster, "Go. I'd rather kill you last."

Dylan cast a furtive glance down a side street, deciding what to do. "I'll kill you if I have to, Red Ranger," the Black Ranger added, "Don't test me. But give this message to Kenobi: I still remember what he did. I'm not done with him yet. We will have our reckoning."

----

When Dylan's adrenaline finally gave out, he had just enough time to find a discarded mattress in the alley he had run down to land on. He almost wished for the relief of unconsciousness, but it didn't come. His chest burned, his side burned, and his hands felt like they'd been crushed.

He wasn't sure how long he lay on the ratty old mattress before the power to move returned to him, but he stayed down another five minutes, until movement didn't induce nausea. His first few steps were uncertain, as his legs remembered how to work. His next few were equally uncertain as he tried to work out where to go next. He made a half-hearted attempt to contact the White Warrior, but telepathy required a level of concentration that exhaustion, panic, and terror precluded. He had to find the others.

----

It was half an hour before Dylan staggered onto the coffee shop portico. Stone and Casey were on their feet in a flash and rushed over to help him to a chair. "Thought I'd find you two here," he panted.

Casey nodded. "We figured this was the only place you'd come looking."

Dylan hung his head, struggling to get his breath back. "Good thing I didn't try the cliffs."

"I'm guessing you didn't put the Black Ranger in his place, then?" Stone asked.

Dylan gathered the strength to look up long enough to shoot Stone an icy look.

"You have to contact the White Warrior," Casey said, "He must not be able to find us since we're not wearing our rings."

Dylan shook his head. "I'm too burned." He grabbed his side in pain. "I think that son of a bitch broke one of my ribs."

Gingerly, Casey touched the spot on Dylan's side. He winced. "What do you think?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I have no idea," she said. "It always looks more telling on TV."

"Terrific," Stone said. "You're the only one who can morph, only you can't, because you just got the stuffing beat out of you."

"Just give me a little while," Dylan said.

"But how long do we have?" Casey said. "I want to try something." She placed her hand over Dylan's, covering his ring, she threw a look at Stone and he did the same, despite a look of obvious discomfort.

"We were connected to the powers even before we had the rings," Casey said. "It might be enough to let us boost Dylan's power."

"Dandy. How?" Stone asked.

Casey grimaced. "I'm not sure. I think we should all just try to make contact. Just concentrate on one message. Something short and to the point."

"Such as?" Stone said.

Dylan bit his lip. He appreciated the moral support, but the weight of his friends' hands on his own was a painful reminder of his recent battle with Flintor. "I think help sums it up nicely." The others nodded. Stone and Casey closed their eyes, and Dylan would have done the same, but he was afraid that the action would be enough to finally convince his body it was time to pass out.

His concentration waxed and waned, but whenever it peaked, he could just sense the presence of his two companions in his thoughts, as if they were chanting very softly. He added his own inner voice to the chant.

Inside the café, Sirius Kenner glanced up from his copy of The Divine Milieu at a flash of light at the edge of his vision. Looking back down to his book, he reached over and switched off the percolator.

----

The White Warrior tended to Dylan's wounds and wrapped a heavy bandage around his lower torso. Dylan related his encounter with the Black Ranger.

"It seems his long imprisonment has done nothing to soften his temperament," the White Warrior said.

"It doesn't seem real," Casey said. "How can he be that much stronger than us?"

"I tried to explain it to you before," the White Warrior said, "You have the power within you to be his equal, but he has had centuries of training in how to use his power, and even longer to build his rage."

"I don't suppose we're any closer to getting our powers back?" Stone asked. To answer his own question, he reached out to touch his ring, still on the chamber floor where he had left it, only to recoil as a numbing cold bit into his fingers. "Right, then. We're toast. I'm going to die, and I never even finished fixing my car. Do you have any idea how many dates I've had to cancel?"

"Only you, Stone. Only you," Casey said.

Dylan tried to sit up, and the pain in his side reminded him that this wasn't a good idea. "I have increased the flow of time within these walls as much as I can," said the White Warrior. "I doubt it will give you enough time to perfect your skills, but it is the most I can do." He pointed his staff toward one of the side tunnels they knew lead to a training room. To Stone and Casey, he said, "Come. Time is short and you have much to learn."

----

"You disappoint me, Black Ranger," Dastari hissed. "The Red Ranger was at your mercy and you not only failed to kill him, but did not even deprive him of his stone."

The Black Ranger rose from a crouch and moved close enough to Dastari that the white of his visor reflected on the dark priest's polished mask. "All things in their time, Dastari."

"Our god does not reward mercy. You would do well to remember that, Black Ranger."

"I will kill the rangers in my own time." The Black Ranger cocked his head. "Surely you can appreciate my desire to enjoy the process."

Dastari took a step back. "What you enjoy is no concern of mine."

"My master desires results, not games," Leyolas added.

Dastari held up his hand to silence him. "You would do well to remember that, Black Ranger," he said, "But I think I will allow you to play your game with them for a while longer. Because I enjoy the process."

As the Black Ranger turned to walk away, Dastari added, "I warn you, Black Ranger, If I find that your game is with me, your own death will be equally slow."

Without facing Dastari, the Black Ranger summoned a teleportation beam. As his body dissolved, he breathed, "Death is the only constant in this universe. You will do well to remember that."

----

The Red Ranger leapt over Stone's low tackle, straight into the path of Casey's roundhouse kick. Her foot connected with his helmet, and his helmet connected with his skull. Casey managed to land on her feet, but Dylan's backside took the force of his landing.

"Okay," Dylan said. "Uncle. Armor off." His ranger uniform disintegrated and he stood up. The firegem allowed him to access his powers, but Sapphire of Courage and the Emerald of Wisdom were still locked in a defensive state -- hardly surprising; outside the caves, no more than a few hours had passed.

"What do you say, Dylan," Stone said. "Why don't you let me have a go with the magic rock?"

Dylan's hand instinctively went to the tiny gem he wore on a chain around his neck. "The White Warrior gave this to me," he said. "If he tells me to give it to you, fine. But it's not my place to decide who has it." It had the advantage of being true, even if it concealed his real reasons. He had his powers. They didn't. He preferred it that way, given the alternative.

Stone stretched and cracked his neck. "I should talk to the Warrior about letting me bring my car here. As it is, I'm probably going to have to cancel another date before I fix the damned radiator."

"I'm incredibly sorry to hear that," Casey said, indignantly. "I need a shower."

"Want some company?" Stone asked.

Casey's glower put a chip in his smile. "Just thought you might be a little too sore to reach everywhere," he added.

She turned to storm off, stopping to turn back as she reached the tunnel. "I catch either of you within fifty feet, and you're getting all ten feet of my whip in a place you'd rather not have it."

"Kinky," Stone said. Casey flipped him off without looking back at him.

Dylan rubbed his side. His rib hadn't been broken after all, but it was bruised, and even the accelerated time within the cavern hadn't been enough for it to heal completely. While Casey had deliberately avoided it, Stone knew that the Black Ranger would show no similar consideration, and had caught him there twice with very deliberate jabs. "Okay," he said. "Let's run the third combo again. I think I can shave about half a second off my counter-strike." Stone nodded. "But for the love of God," Dylan added, "Not in the ribs again."

Halfway through their second run-through, Dylan looked away just as Stone's foot approached his head. Stone had to twist in the air to avoid breaking Dylan's jaw, and crashed to the ground. "Dude," he said, "Eyes on the prize."

"They are," Dylan said. "The Black Ranger. I can feel him."

Without a word, Stone darted for the tunnel, with Dylan behind. He called out an alert to Casey as he ran.

When they reached the main chamber, the White Warrior was at the control crystal, searching the panorama for any trace of the Black Ranger. Seconds later, Casey emerged into the chamber with a green towel around her waist. Her wet hair was plastered to her head, and her tank top was similarly adhered to her chest. "Stare and I kill," she said to Stone as she passed.

"He's somewhere in town, I can feel it," Dylan said.

The White Warrior nodded. "To find him, I will need to restore the normal flow of time. Once I have done this, it will be several days before I have the strength to alter time here again."

"And if we're not ready?" Dylan asked.

"Then we'll be dead by then," Casey said.

Stone looked to Dylan. "Your call, man. You're the one in red."

"Do it," Dylan said.

The White Warrior traced a figure in the air with the end of his staff. The three rangers felt nothing, but the panorama resolved to show the Black Ranger, near Flintor's remains.

Dylan nodded to the White Warrior. "Let's do this. Legacy force! Armor on!"

----

"I don't think you're going to find what you're looking for there," said the Red Ranger. "You caught me off guard last time. That's not going to happen again."

The Black Ranger looked up from Flintor's remains. Dylan had never noticed before how much the V-shape of their visors looked like a grin. "Red Ranger," he said, as if they were old friends, "I was wondering when you would show up." He looked around. "Just the two of us?"

Dylan tilted his head to one side. "I thought this would be fair."

The Black Ranger considered this. "Your friends can't morph," he concluded. He looked at his onyx ring. "I should have known..."

In a flash, he was at Dylan's side. Dylan had his mace ready, but was surprised when the Black Ranger made no aggressive move. "But you can," he said, sizing Dylan up. "I underestimated you before, heir of Elysium." He produced his lacquer cylinder. "I would see your true power, Red Ranger."

Dylan took a step backward and started whirling his mace. In his mind, he recited what he had learned from the White Warrior. You can not best the Black Ranger with speed. Make his aggression his weakness. He will not think to his own defense when he attacks. Move as little as possible. When you are in motion, his speed will be his advantage. Instantly, the Black Ranger was inches from Dylan. Dylan's instincts told him to duck as one of the black daggers flashed toward his throat. His training said to take the blow, wait for his chance to counterstrike. But he didn't think that the material of his collar would block the slash. He made his decision.

At the last possible moment, the Black Ranger changed the angle of his swing, anticipating a reaction that didn't come. The dagger glanced off Dylan's breastplate. At the same time, Dylan brought his mace up, catching the Black Ranger under his arm. The Black Ranger recoiled, his surprise obvious. He opened his arms wide, inviting an attack. "You surprise me again, Red Ranger." Dylan didn't take the bait. He stood his ground, waiting for the Black Ranger to attack.

He didn't have to wait long. Once it became clear that the Red Ranger wasn't going to charge him, the Black Ranger sprang forward with a diagonal slash Dylan didn't bother trying to block. The force of the blow sent up sparks from his armor and threw him backward. He turned in the air and landed on his feet, bringing his mace up as he landed to connect with the Black Ranger's jaw. The Black Ranger kicked low and Dylan jumped, landing a high kick against the evil ranger's chest.

The Black Ranger dropped his daggers and caught Dylan's foot, twisting it so that Dylan spun in the air. Dylan crashed to the earth. The Black Ranger straddled him. "You fought well, Red Ranger. There is no shame in defeat at the hands of a superior force." He drew his blaster. "Stay down, and I'll make this quick."

If there was one thing Dylan disliked about his ranger suit, it was the way the helmet affected his field of view. He had to rely entirely on his memory of something he'd only seen for a fraction of a second on his way down. He stared straight down the barrel of the black blaster. "Sorry," he said. His hand closed. "I've never been any good at doing things the easy way."

Before the Black Ranger could realize what was happening, he dug the obsidian blade of one of the Black Ranger's daggers into the evil ranger's calf. As the Black Ranger threw his head back with a howl, Dylan kicked upward, which had the desired effect.

While the Black Ranger staggered backward, clutching himself, Dylan sprang back to his feet and drew his own blaster. He fired at the Black Ranger's chest, but the beam struck a black beam from the other ranger's suddenly-raised blaster. With audible pain in his voice, the Black Ranger said, "I tried to make this easy for you. I won't offer mercy again." He fired twice, and while Dylan was able to dodge the blasts, it bought the Black Ranger time to roll forward, exchanging his blaster for the two fallen daggers.

Forgetting his training, Dylan tried to duck out of the way of the rising Black Ranger, and was caught by a glancing blow across his arm with a dagger, and a sharp kick to his sore rib. At this point, Dylan already knew the fight was over. The Black Ranger punched fast and furious, and Dylan managed to block only about half of them -- by now he was just trying to survive; victory was out of the question.

Dylan tried to land a blow as he ducked under the Black Ranger's fist. His fist slid under the Black Ranger's arm as his own jaw caught an uppercut that took him off his feet. Dylan tasted blood in his mouth, and saw a red droplet roll down his visor. He crashed to the ground, and his skull slammed into the back of his helmet. His concentration broke, and his ranger uniform shattered. The world was spinning too much for Dylan to stand.

The Black Ranger moved to his side and looked down at him. "We've been here before, haven't we, Red Ranger?" he asked. "You should really send someone else next time." He tapped his foot. "Of course, sending yourself won't be an option next time." He lunged at Dylan with a dagger. Dylan closed his eyes and thought of Casey as he'd last seen her. The impropriety of it bothered him, and instead he thought of her as the Green Ranger. Casey would have beaten him senseless if she'd known, but at that moment, he thought of how much weaker she was than him, how much less prepared to deal with the Black Ranger, especially without her powers. If he died now -- and that seemed inevitable -- she would be next. He had failed the rangers, failed Elysium, failed Casey. And there was nothing he could do.

The fatal blow never came. Dylan opened his eyes. The tip of the Black Ranger's dagger was against the diamond chip that hung from Dylan's neck. The firegem was glowing. The Black Ranger's visor slid up, and Dylan could see his dark eyes, wide in surprise. "The firegem?" he asked, his voice lacking the confidence it had always held before. "Kenobi trusted you with this?" When Dylan said nothing, the Black Ranger pressed his other dagger to Dylan's neck, drawing blood. "Answer," he commanded.

Dylan managed a nod, shallow, to avoid cutting his chin on the sharp blade. The Black Ranger just stared at the glowing gem. After what seemed to Dylan like an eternity, the Black Ranger's visor slid back into place and he removed the dagger from Dylan's neck. The other dagger remained against the firegem.

"It's your lucky day, Red Ranger," he said. "I can't remember the last time I left the same opponent alive twice in the same day." With a motion faster than Dylan could see, the Black Ranger's dagger slipped under the gold chain and pulled it upward. The soft metal broke and the firegem flew into the air. The Black Ranger caught it and stepped away. "Until we meet again," he said, taking a step back. As the evil ranger vanished in black flame, Dylan pounded his fist against the pavement. His ring had already started to burn.

----

"Again, you have the Red Ranger at your mercy, and again you failed to kill him," Dastari hissed. The Black Ranger had been surprised when the dark priest had materialized beside him. He had thought he wouldn't be interrupted here. He looked up through the cloud of rock and dust, toward the red spot on the gas giant above.

"In my own time, Dastari. I told you that."

"Do not test my patience, ranger," Dastari spat. "It takes all my self-control not to kill you where you stand for your heresy."

"Whatever I've done in the past, we're on the same side now, priest."

Dastari turned away. "We are not allies. You are a tool I choose to use." He laughed. "You would call yourself my ally? Did you not stand with those who thought to kill the one true god?"

The Black Ranger took a step toward Dastari. "And if I told you that I had seen the error of my ways? That I had repented?" He almost touched the dark priest's shoulder. "That your god is my god?"

Dastari turned to face the Black Ranger. "And you would have me believe this?" Dastari scoffed. "You insult our lord with your blasphemy."

"I mean it, Dastari." He looked over his shoulder. "I had a very long time to think about my past. If I could take those early days back, I would. I see the value now in the power I once feared... I will have my revenge on the rangers, yes, but I can offer you so much more. I want to help you restore the one true god to his rightful place as master of this entire universe."

Dastari sized him up. He didn't believe a word of it. "And yet, you failed to kill the Red Ranger." Dastari paused for effect. "You must realize that a... conversion like yours would require... A show of faith."

The Black Ranger opened his hand, letting the firegem hang down from its chain. "Then a show you shall have... Though I would watch from a distance." He jerked the chain, returning the firegem to his palm.

Dastari could see that the conversation was over, and vanished into a shadow. The Black ranger thrust his fist downward, slamming the firegem into the dark surface of the meteoroid.

The meteoroid moved.

----

Casey rubbed ointment on Dylan's bloodied knuckles as the White Warrior studied the crystal. Dylan shook his head and stared at his ring on the floor. "I wish he had just finished me off. It would have been faster."

"Aw, don't talk like that, man," Stone said, rubbing his brow. "We caught most of the fight. You were on fire for a while."

"Until I fucked up," Dylan said. "And he got the firegem." He looked to the White Warrior. "I'm sorry."

The White Warrior looked to Dylan. There was a great sadness in his eyes, but no hint of reprimand. "Put it out of your mind. Guilt will only weaken you. It is enough that you are alive."

Dylan tried to stand, and failed. "It's not enough. I couldn't beat him, and now he's got the firegem. I know what it meant to you."

A look from the White Warrior silenced Dylan. The others did not know the gemstone's significance. "What do you think he'll do with it?" Casey asked.

"I do not know," the White Warrior said. "Perhaps nothing. Perhaps he took it only as a message to me."

"There's more to it than that," Dylan said. "I don't know. There was something about his eyes when he saw it."

"The firegem has great power," the White Warrior said. "But they are not powers the Black Ranger could ever wield."

"So where do we go from here?" Stone asked. "He's got the magic rock, we still can't morph -- hell, Dylan can't even stand up straight.

The White Warrior returned his attention to the milky crystal, as if its depths would provide some answer. "For now, we wait."


----

Next Time on Power Rangers Legacy...


A new evil is loose on Earth, and the Rangers are powerless to stop him.
With his ability to lead called into question, will the Red Ranger call it quits...
Or will he rise to the challenge?

Next Episode: Gemfire

... Evil has no name ...

[Cuiran]

o.O Awesome! It was good -- and pretty logical -- to see Dylan get the upper hand the second round and -then- get kicked again. Better than the sudden-amazing-win storylines that most fighting anime seem to go through. It's still fun seeing the interplay between your characters, which means that you've managed to keep them very fresh and interesting. Good work!

[The Avenging Angel]

This is awesome, keep it up.

[ivoryranger]

Guys, thanks. I'll try not to keep you in too much suspense.

Episode 09:
Gemfire

Ivoryranger@hotmail.com


Dylan jumped when Stone announced his presence by clapping him on the back. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, man," Stone said. "Still jumpy about --" he looked around the band room to make sure they were alone -- "The Black Ranger?"

Dylan played a short melody on the piano. "Aren't you?" he asked.

Stone shrugged. "Can't dwell on it, it'll make you crazy."

"The waiting is the worst part," Dylan said. "Knowing he could swoop in at any time and we're defenseless."

Stone raised an eyebrow. "I think the dying would be the worst part, and as long as he's off doing God knows what, he's not making with the killing of us."

Stone's circumlocution was making Dylan dizzy. "Why are you here, anyway?"

Stone gestured broadly. "To watch the artist at work."

"No, really."

Stone smiled wolfishly. "To brag. Fixed the leak in my radiator. The sixty-nine of sixty-nine is roadworthy again."

"Congratulations. I'm not clear on why I care, exactly. I'm less clear on why you're here telling me instead of, like, making the relevant announcements at cheerleading practice."

"Ouch, man," Stone said. "You've been reading from the green-eyed monster's book, haven't you?"

Dylan laughed slightly. "Sorry. I'm just not in a great mood. I've been working on this piece for days and I'm not making any headway."

"We've all been a little out of it." Stone looked at his hand, at the slight shine on his third finger where he normally wore his sapphire ring. "Feels kind of like there's a part of me missing."

"I noticed." Dylan shook his head. "I wish we at least knew how long it would be before we got our powers back."

Stone sighed. "Well, I got to get back to the grind. There's a little piece I've been working on too, and now I've got a car."

Dylan couldn't help but smile. "Melanie?" Stone nodded, flashing his toothpaste-commercial smile. "Is this your second date or third?"

"Third," Stone said. "You know what that means."

Dylan didn't, but he also didn't want to.

----

As Casey Valentine paid for her strawberry mochaccino, she caught a vaguely familiar aroma as the oscillating fan at the end of the counter blew a gentle breeze over a funny-looking shrub on the counter. Casey reached over when the barrista looked to the register and snapped off a twig. When Sirius placed her change on the counter, she bit into the twig. "Where did you get this?" she said, her tone accusatory.

Sirius shrugged and picked up the stainless steel pitcher her used to steam milk. Cleaning it with a rag, he said, "Found some clippings out on the portico. Grows like gangbusters. I was thinking about trying to make tea from it."

"It's called Talis," Casey said. "The leaves are toxic, though. You have to use the roots and branches."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You know botany?"

She looked down at her coffee. "Not really."

"I didn't think so."

Casey didn't have an answer to that. She headed for the door, but the rain stopped her, so she sat at the only free table inside the café. She unfolded her newspaper and looked in vain for a headline that didn't depress her. Disgusted, she threw the paper down.

That was when she noticed the girl at the next table. She was a lanky waif with long, straight almost-blonde hair that had even less body than Casey's. She was incredibly plain, but there was a certain otherworldly beauty in her plainness. And she was staring at Casey.

"Something I can help you with?" Casey asked, guardedly.

The girl smiled. "Sorry. I was going to ask if I could have that paper if you're done with it."

Casey folded the paper and tossed it to her, only mildly annoyed. "Nothing good in the news today anyway."

The girl smiled again and cocked her head. "That's okay. I wanted it for my paper mache." She had a slight drawl.

Casey rolled her eyes. What was this girl, six? Uninvited, she got up and moved to Casey's table. "I'm Sara," she said, offering her hand. She had long, elegant fingers that reminded Casey of Dylan's pianist hands. Casey didn't shake her hand, and didn't offer her own name. She hadn't invited a conversation, and didn't really want one.

After a long time, Sara realized that Casey wasn't going to accept her hand and took it back. "You're Casey, right? I see you around here a lot."

Casey arched an eyebrow. "How did you know my name?" she accused.

Sara's eyes wandered over to the counter. "Sirius mentioned you. We go to school together."

Casey glanced nervously at Sirius, who stood at the counter with his back to them as he cleaned the various appliances. "Sirius talks about me?" She fought off the desire to blush.

Sara shrugged. Casey was amazed that anyone could be that narrow. "He talks about a lot of the regulars." She leaned toward Casey and, in a conspiratorial whisper, added, "He thinks you've got a crush on him."

This time, Casey couldn't prevent the blush. The sudden intimacy of the conversation made her uncomfortable, and she looked out the window, trying to will a break in the rain. "That's crazy." She glared at Sara. "Sirius has been a real jerk these past couple of weeks."

Sara leaned back and watched him work for a few seconds. "He can get a little impatient, but he's not a bad guy."

Casey wasn't any kind of an expert, but she felt she'd said something unwelcome. "I'm sorry. I guess you guys are pretty good friends." She watched Sara's eyes, fixed on Sirius. She arched an eyebrow. "More than friends?"

Sara turned back to her. "We're not really a couple, not officially. But we do..." She smiled a sly smile that looked cutely inappropriate on her little-girl face. "Couple things."

Casey was disgusted by how girly she felt, but she was interested. She leaned in toward Sara. "He's a man of the cloth," she said.

Sara shrugged with a broad, asymmetric smile that would have been sexy if she had the build to carry it off. "Nobody's perfect."

----

The Black Ranger paced impatiently. Finally, Dastari strode out onto the balcony to meet him. "Why have you summoned me?" asked the Black Ranger impatiently.

"Black Ranger," the dark priest hissed, "You have promised your allegiance, sworn yourself to the one true god." He looked off to the sky. "Has my memory failed me, or is my recollection of these events correct?"

"You speak true, priest," the Black Ranger said.

Dastari turned back to the Black Ranger and gestured toward his chest with the back of his claw-like hand. "Then why do the Power Rangers still live? It has been several days since your last attack, and my spies tell me that the rangers are still without their powers. They would be an easy target. I'm sure you can understand my... confusion at your procrastination."

The Black Ranger seethed, but he bowed to Dastari all the same. "My apologies, lord," he said, fighting to suppress the rage in his voice. "I have had many preparations to make. I see now that I have wasted precious time. I will attack them at once."

"See that you do." The Black Ranger turned away. "And Black Ranger," Dastari added, "When next we meet, I hope for your sake that you can bring me news of a substantive victory."

----

Dylan tried scratching a few more notes into the stone floor. He just couldn't find the right chord to complete the melody. He drummed his fingers on the stone.

"Your mind is clouded, Red Ranger."

Dylan looked up to see the White Warrior. The old man seemed to have withered even since the last time Dylan had seen him. "Can't find my tune."

"Your gift is substantial. In time, you will find the way to use it."

Dylan scratched out the last bar he'd written and took a deep breath. "It's not just the music," he said. "But you know that, don't you?"

"The Black Ranger has shaken your confidence."

Dylan stood up and started pacing. "I'm not really sure about my future with the rangers, even if we do get our powers back."

"This is not the first time you have faced such a crisis."

Dylan nodded. A few weeks ago, his mind had been so addled by a monster that he'd actually given up his ring. But this wasn't the same; he wasn't under a spell now. "I'm not going to quit again, if that's what you mean. But, I don't know. I'm supposed to be the leader, right?"

The White Warrior nodded. "As Elysium before you."

Dylan sighed. "That's the part I'm having issues with. I mean, Casey's a freaking genius. Stone's great with people. I've got nothing; I'm just a two-bit hack who can't even finish his damned song." He walked away. "There's bits I like about being a ranger. Not everything, but enough things. But I don't know if red is really my color, you know?" He bit his lip. "It's my fault that the Black Ranger got the firegem. When I think about what it meant to you... I keep thinking that maybe the reason I can't put on the ring is that this ring isn't for me any more."

The White Warrior considered this for a long time. "There may be truth in what you say. Or you may simply be reacting to your fear at the Black Ranger's power. Dylan, fate chose you as the Red Ranger. But fate is not everything. Every man must choose his own path. The power has chosen you. When you can choose the power, you will once again be the Red Ranger."

Dylan followed the warrior back to the main chamber, where Stone was stretched out on the floor a few feet from Casey, who was surrounded by a mass of EEG tapes and circuit diagrams. "Any progress?" Dylan asked.

Casey shrugged. "I can't tell. Even if I've got it right, it's not going to work until we get out powers back."

"Rangers," the White Warrior said, silencing them, "I believe the Black Ranger has returned." He placed his hand on the control crystal, and the panorama lit up with an image of Burnside Park. The last few civilians were retreating as the Black Ranger raked the ground with laser fire.

He looked up, and Dylan had a terrible feeling that he was staring directly as him. "Rangers!" he commanded, "How much of your city must I destroy before you will face me?"

The White Warrior looked to Dylan. He was the only one of them who had faced the Black Ranger, and twice had narrowly escaped death. Dylan looked at his feet. He couldn't make this decision.

"I'm game," Stone said.

Casey nodded. "I don't think we have much choice."

Dylan didn't look up. "We can't morph. We can't call the Zords. If we fight now, we die now."

The hush that fell over them seemed audible. "He's not going to stop, not until he has us," Casey said. "There's more at stake than just us."

"If we fight now," Dylan repeated, "We die now." He thought some more. "If we fight later, we die later." He looked up. "We aren't going to beat him." He fixed Casey with a stare. "He's not going to stop," he said, echoing her words. "And we're not going to beat him. We fight now, we die now. We fight later, we die later. So the only difference is how many other people die first. Remember that." He looked at the White Warrior. "I'm ready."

----

The Black Ranger was tiring of this. He incinerated a tree to relieve the monotony. If the decision were his, he would just as soon return to his work, but he knew he had to do something to placate Dastari. He wasn't ready to move against the dark priest. Yet.

Finally, the three rangers arrived to face him. He turned when he caught the shimmer of their materialization at the edge of his visor. Dastari's intelligence had been correct; they couldn't morph.

The Black Ranger recognized the Red Ranger at once. The other two he had seen before, but he hadn't gotten a good look. If clothing was an indication, the one who spoke first was the Blue Ranger. He smiled at the irony, and wondered what the princess of Natron would have thought of her heir. "Hope we didn't keep you waiting," he said.

"I recognize that patience is a virtue," the Black Ranger said, "Though not one I possess in abundance." He drew his daggers and looked from Stone to Dylan and back. "Did the Red Ranger tell you what I did to your predecessor?"

Stone and Dylan exchanged a look. Dylan hadn't.

"She fought bravely," the Black Ranger said, taking a step toward Stone. "And died slowly."

Stone lifted his axe to his shoulder. "Well I'm no princess," he said. "And I fight dirty. Let's dance."

Stone charged the Black Ranger -- a mistake he should have known better than to make. Just as he brought his axe down toward the Black Ranger's shoulder, the evil ranger seemed to vanish, so fast were his movements as he bolted around behind Stone. Before Stone could turn, the Black Ranger planted the handle of his dagger in Stone's neck hard enough to send him to the ground. Casey took a few steps closer to them and her whip flashed out, wrapping around the Black Ranger's left leg. She pulled, trying to drag the Black Ranger from Stone, but he wouldn't budge.

The Black Ranger looked over his shoulder to the whip, and dropped -- just dropped -- one of his daggers. The blade sliced through Casey's whip like it wasn't there. He turned back to Stone and struck him again. This time, he stayed down. The Black Ranger vanished from where he was standing, and appeared again in the same instant beside Casey. He backhanded her hard enough to send her flying.

When the light caught the Black Ranger's chest, Dylan could see a tiny sparkle where he was wearing the firegem on a chain around his neck. Dylan's composure failed, and he threw a sloppy punch.

The Black Ranger caught his hand effortlessly, and squeezed Dylan's fist until he dropped to his knees. "I thought I told you, Red Ranger, you die last." He struck Dylan across his jaw and the Red Ranger saw stars. Dylan swiped at the glittering diamond hanging against the Black Ranger's chest, and the Black Ranger punched him in his gut. Dylan doubled over from the pain. The Black Ranger turned back to Casey.

He raised his dagger, clearly preparing to charge her, when Dylan crashed into him at a full sprint. The Black Ranger staggered and dropped his dagger. "Fine," he said, coldly. "If you're in such a hurry to die, be my guest." He grabbed Dylan's arm as the Red Ranger took another swipe at the firegem and pulled. Dylan heard a pop, and felt a swell of pain as his shoulder dislocated. With one hand, the Black Ranger lifted Dylan like he was a rag doll, and then threw him to the ground.

Pain spread out in a spiderweb from the place where Dylan's head first contacted the packed earth. He heard lots of pops and crunches. He tasted blood and bile. His thoughts scattered, like the confetti in a snowglobe. Unconsciousness came, but not soon enough.

----

Dastari watched the projection of the battle with pleasure. He turned to his lieutenant. "The Red Ranger's life force ebbs by the minute."

"Perhaps the Black Ranger will accomplish his task after all," Leyolas said, though he didn't sound pleased.

Dastari returned his attention to the projection. "You do not approve of my use of the Black Ranger?"

Leyolas's breath caught. "It is not my place to question your will, my lord," he said, bowing his head. "But it sickens me that we rely on a heretic."

"Leyolas," Dastari hissed, drawing the name out, "Do you not think the very existence of that infidel offends me as much as it does you? Do you think that when we are finished with him, I will not savor ripping his heart out with my own hands? Do not forget that we will need the power of shadow along with the others to complete our divine quest."

"Forgive me for the weakness of my mind," Leyolas said, "But I do not see then why we rely on his help now?"

Dastari let out a sinister chuckle. "Because it gives me pleasure to see one of the five arch-heretics so completely betray the principals he once championed. Come, Leyolas; see the power of our god: he makes even his greatest enemies into his own playthings."

"I think I understand, my lord. The Black Ranger's death will be sweeter if we strip him first of his honor."

"You begin to see," Dastari nodded. "Is Cactarok ready?"

"It is, lord."

"Then send it to fight the rangers. I would like to see how the Black Ranger reacts."

----

Stone's head ached where he'd been struck, and a wash of dizziness kept him from standing as he saw the Black Ranger striding slowly toward him. He could see Casey some distance away, on her side, looking dazed. Dylan was about halfway between them, and he looked dead.

When the Black Ranger was about two yards from Stone, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. Stone craned his neck back to see. A bulky green monster was standing several yards past him. The creature was roughly humanoid, with rigid green skin that was smooth and shiny. It was covered with short spines, and it had a round, distended mouth that reminded Stone of those inflatable sex-dolls. Not that he had any personal experience.

"What are you doing here?" the Black Ranger insisted of the monster.

"Lord Dastari is pleased with your progress," the monster said. Its voice twanged like a guitar badly out of tune. "He sent me to finish the rangers off for you -- in case you wished to return to your other business."

The Black Ranger looked down at Stone. "What do you say, Blue Ranger? At whose hand would you prefer to die?"

Stone knew his odds were better against the monster, but he wasn't ready to admit that. "You can always kill me later if he fails," he finally said.

The Black Ranger shrugged as if the difference didn't mean much to him. "As you wish." He walked to Stone's side and extended a hand to help him up. Stone balked.

The Black Ranger turned his hand palm-upward. "You're wise not to trust me." He thought a second. "I find mindless slaughter unsatisfying. Here." He took his long-barreled black blaster from its holster and offered it to Stone by the barrel. "Take it, Blue Ranger. I would see what you can do."

Stone hesitated. This could be a trick. On the other hand, it did fit with the way the Black Ranger seemed to enjoy toying with them. Stone glanced at the monster. He took the blaster.

The Black Ranger stepped back, opening his arms wide. For a second, Stone considered shooting him. At this range, he doubted even the Black Ranger could withstand the blast. Damned principles. The Black Ranger looked at Cactarok and gestured toward a park bench. "I'll just be over here. If you need help."

He strode easily to the bench and reclined on it. Stone stood and leveled the blaster at the monster. His body ached. "If you think that will save you, Ranger, take your shot."

At the same time Stone fired, the monster swung its arm, throwing off a half-dozen spines which struck up small explosions as they hit the ground. Stone reacted too slowly, and took a spine in the arm. It was all he could do to hold on to the Black Ranger's blaster. He got off another shot, sidestepping to avoid another shower of spines and glanced around for his axe. Casey was on her feet now too, but too far away to do anything with her broken whip. She edged cautiously closer.

When Stone managed to get hold of his axe, he charged at Cactarok, trying to use the blaster to keep his path clear. The monster dodged and blocked the blasts with his arms, unable to fire off any spines without dropping his guard. But when Stone finally reached striking distance, his timing was a split-second off as he swung his axe, and Cactarok's arm caught him hard in the chest. Stone staggered back. Four spines were planted in his chest, and blood began to soak through his blue turtleneck.

Casey lashed at the monster with her whip. The severed whip-end connected without doing any obvious damage to the creature. It returned the favor with a spray of exploding spines that threw her to the ground. From his vantage point on the bench, the Black Ranger watched without much concern.

----

Who are you?

Dylan.

Is that all you are?

I'm the Red Ranger.

Are you? Really?

I... I don't know. I was.

And now?

I want to be.

Really?

I... I'm not sure.

You'll have to do better than that.

I can't help it.

Why are you here?

I don't know.

I think you do.

Am I dead?

Do you want to be?

Of course not.

I don't know.

I'm scared.

Of death? Or of life?

Of failing.

Not every battle can be won.

But if I lose this battle...

There will be others.

Not for me. Not if I'm dead.

Is that what you want?

No.

Are you sure?

I think... Does being the Red Ranger mean that I have to die?

Perhaps. Is that why you are afraid?

I don't know.

Who are you?

I have had many names.

How about one?

One you know already. But you can call me Light. You will know me by, I think, two others.

I don't understand.

You don't have to.

Did you bring me here?

Yes. Also no. I brought you to me, and you came to me.

I don't understand.

You don't have to.

What do you want from me?

What do you want from me?

I don't know how to answer that.

You will.

Can I defeat the Black Ranger?

Is that what you want?

I think so. Yes.

Is he your enemy?

Isn't he?

He is an instrument, like you. An instrument can serve many masters.

Are you the one I serve?

Do you want to be?

I don't know. I don't know who you are.

I thought I told you.

I didn't understand.

You will. Is the Black Ranger your enemy?

No. The Black Ranger is an instrument, I get that.

Then who is your enemy?

Dastari?

He is a better instrument.

I think I understand. His master is my enemy. The thing that doesn't have a name.

It is also my enemy.

That makes sense.

A long time ago, I chose a hero, a princess, a scholar, a priest and a knight to be my instruments.

I know about them.

I chose them, but they also chose me. They chose to become the sword, the grail, the hammer, the cross, and the dragon.

Elysium, Chryssoula, Erdos, Kenobi, and the Black Ranger.

Yes. The dragon forgot me, but I have not forgotten him. But he can be reminded.

How?

Send him to me.

I can't.

Why not?

I'm not strong enough. I tried. I can't even morph.

Why not?

I don't know any more. I don't think the power belongs to me any more.

I chose my warriors. And they chose me. I have chosen you as my sword.

Then why can't I morph?

If the power is not yours, it is because you have not chosen to take it. I will have you as my champion, if you will take me.

How?

You know how.

I do?

Become the sword. Send the dragon to me. The power is yours. You have only to take it.

I can't. I'm not strong enough.

Do you want to be my champion?

Yes.

Hello?

Hello?

----

Dylan opened his eyes. He was aware of his injuries -- mild concussion; dislocated shoulder; fractured ribs; sprains; bruises -- but they caused him no pain. Pain was for later. When he stood, his shoulder popped back in, but he still felt no pain. He could see Stone and Casey fighting a big green monster in what seemed like slow motion. They were all right for the moment, but their prospects didn't look good.

The Black Ranger jumped to his feet and stared at Dylan in obvious shock. "How?" he asked, perhaps rhetorically, in a low voice.

"Black Ranger!" Dylan said, in a voice so commanding that it even stopped the fight between Cactarok and the other rangers. "You have something that belongs to me."

The Black Ranger opened his arms in an inviting gesture. "Then take it. If you can."

"I can," Dylan said. "You may have forgotten where your power comes from..." He reached into his pocket. When his hand closed around the ruby ring, it burned so fiercely that it left a red welt on his palm. He ignored it and drew the ring from his pocket. "But I haven't."

When he slipped the ring on his finger, his mind contracted so tightly that he morphed without saying a word. The others rangers, the monster, the whole world seemed to slip away until all he could see was the Black Ranger. He charged.

The Black Ranger could have dodged the blow, but he hadn't expected the Red Ranger to be so fast. Dylan's left hand curled into a fist and struck the Black Ranger's chest hard enough to send him flying. When he crashed to the ground, the Black Ranger looked down at his breastplate. The gold chain around his neck was broken. The firegem was gone.

Dylan strode toward the fallen Black Ranger as if it was the easiest thing in the world. He glanced down at his ring. The firegem was embedded in the red stone. A small gold fitting had appeared around it, as if the accent stone had always been there. He drew his mace.

The Black Ranger scrambled to his feet just in time to block a blow from the heavy red ball of Dylan's flail, but the blow still pushed him back. He drew his onyx daggers and swung at the Red Ranger. Dylan dodged the slashes easily and landed an open-handed blow to the Black Ranger's chin. He stumbled.

"Touche, Red Ranger," the Black Ranger said, taking a step away. He saluted Dylan with his dagger. "I conceed the round. Until we meet again." The Black Ranger leapt into the air and disappeared.

Cactarok knocked Stone and Casey both to the ground with a flurry of exploding spines. They looked to Dylan. "Do you think this means--" Casey started.

Stone thrust his hand into his pocket. His ring was still bitingly cold. He shook his head and tried to stand. Cactarok spat venom at him from his o-shaped mouth, and Stone recoiled at the stinging pain.

Dylan walked toward the monster. His adrenaline rush was starting to wear off, and he staggered when a salvo of spines caught him. Become the sword. The words echoed in his head. He stopped.

He thrust his left fist out in front of him and called out, "Firegem, activate!" His body was wrapped in a bright red curl of flame. Tendrils of flame licked in at him, changing his uniform wherever they touched. His breastplate caught a flame and thickened, turning almost black as it developed curves that made it resemble enlarged pectoralis muscles. The new breastplate was piped with gold. Flame licked his arms and the mesh of his sleeves grew fine and lightened into the same bright red as the rest of the uniform, and shimmered like cut glass. Fire touched both his elbows simultaneously, leaving behind long spikes of red crystal. Smaller spikes appeared at his shoulders and heels. The flame washed over his hands, turning his gloves red, with a flame pattern at the end of the cuffs which now extended most of the way to his elbows. As he stepped forward, out of the flame, it caressed his helmet and the world developed a slight red tint. "Gemfire Red Ranger!" he announced from behind a red crystal visor that was rimmed with gold.

"Am I supposed to be scared?" Cactarok said, holding up his arms in preparation for another spine attack.

Dylan extended his arms, holding them down in front of his waist. In each hand, a curved crystal sword appeared. "I don't really care," Dylan said. "I've got about five minutes before I run out of steam and remember how much pain I'm in. That's how long you have."

"It won't take that long," Cactarok said. It fired a barrage of spines.

Dylan didn't flinch as the spines exploded around him, but after the volley had stopped, his body became a crimson blur as he darted forward to within inches of the monster. "No," he said, "Probably not." With his right sword, he performed a quick overhand strike, at the same time he thrust his left sword. Sparks flew up from the monster, which groaned in protest.

The monster spat venom, and Dylan twisted out of the way, planting his long elbow spike in its chest. In one fluid motion, he wrapped his left leg around Cactarok's and pulled it back. The monster fell. Dylan dropped to his knees, bringing his forearms together, fists up, to drive his elbow spikes again into the monster. The force of a small explosion pushed Dylan back and onto his feet. "Four minutes," he said, waiting for Cactarok to stand again.

The monster spat more venom and fired more spines. Dylan let himself be hit; it didn't make any difference at this point. He flipped his swords upside down and held them out at either side. Again, he dashed toward the monster, crossing his arms. The swords scissored together, bisecting Cactarok across his midsection. The monster had time to look down in wonder at the slash through his body before the upper half of his torso teetered and fell to the ground.

"One minute thirty," Dylan said. "Not bad."

Stone ran to Dylan's side and clapped him on the shoulder, carefully avoiding his shoulder spike. "Wow, man," he said. "I can't believe you just did that." He gestured at the Gemfire accessories on his suit. "I can't believe this."

"How'd you do it?" Casey asked.

"Don't ask," Dylan said, shaking his head. "It's all wacky and existential and I don't understand most of it myself."

----

"Where is the Black Ranger?" Dastari demanded.

"Our seekers have not located him yet," Leyolas reported.

"An interesting development, do you not think?" asked the dark priest, gesturing toward the projection.

"The Red Ranger destroyed Cactarok with ease, and even the Black Ranger was frightened to face him."

"Then perhaps it is time to escalate the battle?" Dastari suggested.

"As you command, lord." Leyolas stepped out to the balcony and traced a shape in the air. "God of darkness, master of night, empower your servant again to fight."

----

Dylan and the others had to jump back as the burning symbol appeared in the air over Cactarok's remains. As the symbol formed into a gigantic reproduction of the fallen monster, Dylan thrust his hand skyward. "Legacy Dragon, arise!"

The Gemfire Red Ranger leapt into the air to meet his Zord. Stone looked to Casey. "He's going to need our help up there."

Casey nodded. "If Dylan can handle it, so can we."

Stone took hold of his ring. His hand trembled at the pain that shot through his hand, but he struggled to put his ring on. Casey did the same. "Legacy force!" they shouted, "Armor on!"

The other two Legacy Zords arrived as Dylan was using the dragon claws to slash at the giant Cactarok. He had powered down from Gemfire mode, because his elbow spikes were getting in the way as he operated the controls. He pulled the Legacy Dragon into a steep ascent and punched the interlink control.

Once the Megazord had formed, Cactarok launched spines, now the size of telephone poles. Casey brought up the Megazord 's arm to deflect most of the spines with blade of the dragon wing. The Megazord cartwheeled out of the path of a spray of venom, then used the lance to vault over the monster. It landed a crushing blow before retrieving the lance and lashing Cacrarok.

Cactarok managed to get in another spine attack, and Dylan sank in his seat. "I'm getting really tired of this."

"I'm just getting warmed up," Stone said. "I never thought I'd be this happy to be wearing spandex."

"I know where this is going," Casey said, "And I'm not having it. Dragon charge!"

The Megazord extended the lance straight out in front of itself, using its other arm to support its length, and broke into a dash. The lance impaled Cactarok. The monster looked down from the Megazord's face to see the hilt of the lance through its chest. The Megazord took a step back, pulling the lance most of the way out, then raised it, and the monster, over its head. The Megazord whipped the lance forward, launching Cactarok. The monster exploded in the air, raining down green chunks over the city.

Dylan released his controls, causing the Megazord to slouch somewhat. The cockpit window faced the roof of a nearby building.

"Well done, Rangers." The voice echoed through the cockpit, startling Dylan, Stone and Casey. The voice of the Black Ranger.

Dylan touched a control to magnify the image on his screen. The Black Ranger stood on the roof below the Megazord, staring up at them from behind his white visor. "Blue Ranger, you said I could kill you later if Cactarok didn't. How's now?"

Stone looked to Casey. "Swat him, would you?" She wasn't thrilled about the use of disproportionate force, but this was Black Ranger.

As the Megazord raised its giant hand, the Black Ranger called out, "I'd look behind you before I did that, Rangers."

That sounded like a pretty lame trick, but Casey knew better than to ignore it. She summoned a rear view on her side of the viewscreen. A black, flaming object was streaking toward Earth, and looked to be heading straight for them.

"Another meteor?" Dylan asked. A few weeks ago, the Megazord had been grazed by a freak meteor strike during battle. Casey had later worked out the odds. Dylan had no idea what the odds were of it happening twice.

"Doubt it. It just changed course."

Dylan turned the Megazord as the flaming object crashed to Earth, leveling a building. As it unfolded, the Black Ranger leapt atop it.

Casey started to understand what she was seeing as soon as the flamed died enough for her to recognize the black metallic finish. It unfolded to reveal a broad, square body with short legs, a long neck, a slightly round head, and a long, thick tail. A jagged, black metal blade ran down the robot's back. It looked something like a tyrannosaurus, but with a flatter face and arms of roughly human proportions. Its eyes glowed bright red, and it opened its mouth to emit a flat, high-pitched roar. Staring into the face of the Legacy Megazord, the Black Ranger shouted, "Black Dragonzord, activate!"


----

Next time on Power Rangers: Legacy

The battle is on between the Power Rangers and their Evil counterpart.
Will the Gemfire Red Ranger be able to save the day?
Or will the Black Ranger triumph after all?
And when the Black Ranger reveals his true plan,
One hero will not survive.

Next Episode: A Family Affair, Part One

...Evil has no name...

[Cuiran]

Fantastic. For the most part i loved the way you handled Dylan's inner dialogue, and the ways that the Rangers were coping without their powers was equally interesting to read. You've got a lot of skill in both the areas of character development and fight choreography, and I hope you keep at it -- looking forward to the next part of this Black Ranger saga!

[ivoryranger]

Episode 10:
A Family Affair, Part One


Previously, on Power Rangers: Legacy...

Casey summoned a rear view on her side of the viewscreen. A black, flaming object was streaking toward Earth, and looked to be heading straight for them.

Dylan turned the Megazord as the flaming object crashed to Earth, leveling a building. As it unfolded, the Black Ranger leapt atop it.

Casey started to understand what she was seeing as soon as the flamed died enough for her to recognize the black metallic finish. It unfolded to reveal a broad, square body with short legs, a long neck, a slightly round head, and a long, thick tail. A jagged, black metal blade ran down the robot's back. It looked something like a tyrannosaurus, but with a flatter face and arms of roughly human proportions. Its eyes glowed bright red, and it opened its mouth to emit a flat, high-pitched roar. Staring into the face of the Legacy Megazord, the Black Ranger shouted, "Black Dragonzord, activate!"

----

The Black Dragonzord stood almost as tall as the Legacy Megazord, and it reared back as the Black Ranger dropped into the cockpit. Casey wasted no time raising the Megazord's fists defensively. The Black Dragonzord opened its mouth and emitted a dense blue cone of charged particles that struck up flame as they struck the Megazord. It backed away, striking awkwardly with the dragon lance.

"That last hit repolarized the starboard power conduit," Casey announced.

"In English, Casey," Dylan demanded. It sounded a lot more hostile than he's wanted.

Casey turned to him. "I'm having a hard time controlling the right arm. Everything's taking twice as much power as it should because it's losing half of it on the way down the arm."

The Legacy Megazord twisted and sidestepped to dodge a sweeping crimson beam from the Black Dragonzord's eyes. "What do we do about it?" Dylan asked.

"The polarity will switch back in a couple of minutes, but try not to get hit by that breath weapon again."

Dylan sighed. That much was obvious. "Lion strike!" he shouted, firing an orb of energy from the lion head on the Megazord's breastplate. The Black Dragon swatted the orb with its metal arm, and the deflected blast decapitated a nearby building.

Next, the Black Ranger's Zord extended its right hand. The fingertips retracted, revealing four red missiles. Dylan and Stone managed to dodge two of them, but the other two caught the Megazord's knees. It staggered, and would have fallen had Casey not brought up the left arm to break the robot's fall. As it righted itself, the large metal hand left a giant palm-shaped impression in the roof of the building it had used for leverage.

The Megazord executed a slow jab with the lance. The Black Dragonzord caught a blow to the chest, then craned its neck and bit into the lance. Casey couldn't put enough force behind the Megazord's damaged arm to pull it free, and the lance slipped out of its hand.

Dylan shuddered as he heard the metal body of his Zord groan under the force of the Black Dragonzord's jaw before it spat the red lance to the ground. The Megazord lurched forward and punched the Black Ranger's Zord in the head, being careful to avoid getting to close to its still-open maw. The dragon released a shrill "Wark! " and swung around, lashing toward the Megazord's legs with its tail. The Megazord somersaulted, trying to avoid it, but the serrated blade that ran down the Zord's back caught the Megazord in its midsection, and the robot crashed to the ground.

Inside, Casey fought with the controls to right the Megazord. "Our structural integrity field is losing power," Casey said.

"In English!" both Dylan and Stone demanded.

Gritting her teeth, Casey explained in a condescending tone that the structural integrity field was what kept the Megazord from collapsing under its own weight. "We won't survive another hit like that," she added.

Stone thought she was overstaring her case. Dylan was starting to become troubled by the fact that someone as smart as Casey had fallen into the habit of announcing the obvious. He worried she was starting to come unglued. He twisted the Megazord's upper torso, and Casey grabbed the fallen dragon lance near the tip. Using the lance as a crutch, the Megazord struggled uneasily to its feet. The gash on its midsection sparked. "What do we have left?" Dylan asked.

Casey checked her panel. "Not a lot. Forty percent power, main weapons are down, and the lance is the only thing holding us up."

Dylan thought about this. "We haven't got a lot of time left," he said. "Casey, route all our power into the right arm. Give us one last good punch."

"You can't do that," she protested. "The polarity is still reversed. It'll generate a huge magnetic field. It could rip the arm off."

Dylan punched his console. Years of half-paying attention in science classes flashed through Stone's head. "That's it," he said suddenly.

"What?" Dylan asked. Stone ignored him.

"Bemai," he said, "The power conduit, does it run all the way to the cuff?"

Casey cocked her head, not understanding. "Does it?" Stone pressed.

"No. The power system for the Legacy Dragon components is isolated."

Stone nodded. "Okay. Do like Dylan said. Dump everything we've got into the arm and punch. Throw a straight right, but stop short. Don't connect."

"Don't connect? We'll lose the arm," Casey said.

"What does it matter at this point?"

"For nothing," Casey added.

"Trust me," was Stone's only reply. He looked to Dylan for support.

The Red Ranger nodded. "Casey. Do it."

Grudgingly, Casey's fingers flew to the power distribution control. Stone called up an energy diagram of the Megazord, showing the electrical field through the robot.

Dylan could feel the Megazord shudder as the components inside the arm tried to pull away. The Dragonzord opened its mouth, preparing to fire again. The Megazord's right arm shot out, and the Black Ranger, knowing they were too far away, didn't flinch. When the arm reached its maximum extension, Stone slammed his fist into the interlink panel.

The Megazord's arm stopped several yards from the Dragonzord's torso, but the red bracer did not. The force of the tremendous magnetic field generated in the arm induced massive amounts of kinetic energy in the undocked bracer, and it moved in the only direction it could. The bracer shot off the end of the arm at tremendous speed and caught the Black Dragonzord in the neck with a tremendous crash.

Dylan punched the interlink panel to stop the undocking sequence before his cockpit separated. "I can't believe that worked," he said.

Casey looked across him to Stone. "I can't believe you knew that would work."

Stone shrugged. "Pretty simple, isn't it? You dump a bunch of power down that conduit, it switches back to the right polarity, creating a massive magnetic field. Since the cuff already had the right polarity, the like poles repel, and with the docking clamps retracted, well, bang."

"I know that. I'm just surprised you knew that."

"Guys," Dylan said, silencing them, "I think we've got a more pressing problem." He indicated the viewscreen. The Black Dragonzord was getting back up.

"Right," Stone said. "We're boned."

Dylan looked to Casey. "What have we got?"

She shook her head with as much disbelief as if he'd asked her to undress. "Nothing. That was it, Dylan. We're running off the batteries. We've got just enough power to undock and get the Zords home."

"Yeah. That's not going to happen. Fix it."

She threw up her hands. "There's nothing to fix, Dylan," she said, exasperated. "I can't just make power out of nothing."

Dylan slammed his fist into the console. "You said we had the batteries. Can you dump them into the lion striker? I'm just asking for one more shot."

"We won't have anything left to leave town," Stone said.

"What does it matter at this point?" Dylan demanded.

"It'd be like spitting at a tank," Casey said. "You're not talking about enough power to make a difference. Dylan, we're done."

"I'm not accepting that. There's got to be something we can do."

"What about the explosive bolts?" Stone asked. Dylan turned.

"What, have you been reading the blueprints?" Casey asked.

Stone ignored her. "It's not much," he said, "But it's something."

"I don't understand," Dylan said.

"The whole Megazord's lined with explosive couplings so that the Zords can undock in an emergency. If we fire them all off at once without releasing the docking clamps, it should redirect the force of the explosion into the inertial compensators. It would be like winding a spring."

"How much power would we get?" Dylan asked.

"Maybe enough to get off one shot with the lion striker."

"Do it," Dylan ordered.

"It'll take me a minute to disable the safeties."

"I don't know if we have that long," Dylan said. The Black Dragonzord was back on its feet.

The Black Ranger climbed from the cockpit and stood atop his Zord, arms akimbo. A large gash was visible in the thick dragon neck. "Close, Rangers," he shouted. "You almost did it." He looked down to his Zord and barked an order: "Black Dragonzord, finish them."

As the Zord opened its mouth, Dylan shouted at Casey. "I need that power now."

"Just another second," she shouted back from under the console.

It was too late. The blue cone of the Black Dragonzord's breath weapon hit the hobbled Megazord full-on with enough force to throw the rangers from the cockpit. Stone hit the ground hard, tried to sit up, then fell on his back. His morph failed and he lay on the ground, looking up at the lifeless Megazord as it stood slack, face to face with the Black Dragonzord.

Inside the cockpit of the black Zord, the Black Ranger tried to force the Dragonzord to deliver the killing blow. The controls fought him. They had been stiff for the entire battle. He had assumed this was because the robot was still sluggish from its long dormancy. Now, they were completely refusing him, almost as if the Dragonzord didn't want to destroy the Megazord. The damage he'd taken in that last exchange must have been worse than he had thought. Resigned, the Black Ranger decided that he'd done as much as he'd set out to. The Black Dragonzord leapt high into the air, disappearing to a single dark point in the sky as it shot out of sight.

On the ground, Dylan rubbed his aching side and called for teleport.

----

Stone slumped against the rock wall and watched on the panorama as their three Zords disassembled and limped away. "The Gryphonzord took a lot of damage," Casey said, "And they're all going to need a while to recharge, but all things considered, I think we got off easy." Stone snorted.

"Good job out there, guys," Dylan said, reassuringly.

"Good job? We're lucky he didn't kill all three of us," Stone protested.

Dylan put his hand on Stone's shoulder. "We got our powers back. We got the firegem back. And we were close against the Black Ranger's Zord."

"Not close enough," Stone said. He bit his thumbnail and spat.

"Where did the Black Ranger get a Zord from, anyway?" Casey asked. "He should have been locked away in a statue when they were built." She was thinking of the other two panels on the interlink console.

The White Warrior leaned on his staff. "The Zords were built by an ancient Eltari engineer named Zor. I only knew of three, but it is likely that Zor built a fourth Zord in the hope that the Black Ranger would one day be redeemed. The Black Ranger is of the house of Zor."

"That seems to have worked out well," Stone reflected.

"Just another thing for us to deal with," Dylan said. "We'll take care of it." He pointed two fingers to Casey. "Take a look at the Zords. Whatever you can do to get them back on their feet. And anything you can come up with to give us a better chance when we go up against the Black Dragonzord the next time."

"I'm not sure what I can do," Casey said, "But I'll take a look." Something about Dylan's manner felt strange to her. He was acting like they hadn't just suffered a major defeat. There was something a lot more commanding about his attitude, his tone of voice, even his body language, than she had seen in him before. She didn't feel able to refuse him.

"Stone," Dylan ordered, "Go with her. That was good thinking on the bracer thing. Maybe you can come up with something else. And take a look at the flight recorder while you're there. See if anything jumps out at you.. The Black Dragonzord has to have some kind of weakness somewhere."

"I'm on it," Stone said. He offered his hand to Casey and she grabbed his wrist.

Only after they had teleported away did Dylan allow himself to collapse. The White Warrior moved to his side and inspected his injuries. "You are fortunate that your injuries were not more severe," he said. "I do not know how you have been able to withstand them for so long."

"They needed me," Dylan said, glancing to the place where Stone and Casey had been. "I didn't want them to lose hope."

"Then may I assume you have decided to remain as leader of the rangers?"

Dylan stretched out on the floor, using his arm to prop up his aching head. The White Warrior moved away to prepare some sort of potion. "Yeah. It's not something that I'd have chosen out of the blue, but something happened to me when the Black Ranger knocked me out... I don't really know how to explain it. I guess you'd say I had a vision."

"I see," the White Warrior said, handing the flask to Dylan.

"You see? Could you explain it to me, then, because I don't have a clue what happened to me out there."

"What do you remember?"

Dylan drank from the flask. It tasted like NyQuil, molassas, and scotch, but it made his head hurt a lot less. "Not much. A voice. A light. I mostly remember feelings."

"And how did it feel?"

Dylan pondered that. He regretted saying that he remembered the feelings, because now that it came time to put it into words, he found himself at a loss. He dug up the least inappropriate word he could think of. "Safe." The White Warrior nodded, knowingly, but said nothing. Dylan thought some more. "There's these images. Not even images, really. I don't know how to describe it. There was a voice, and the voice gave me these five images. Words. They were words and they were images at the same time. I don't know how else to describe it."

"What words?" the White Warrior asked, clearly concerned.

Dylan struggled to remember. No, that wasn't quite right. He could remember it clearly, but the events seemed so detatched from his normal existence that he found it hard to speak about it. He couldn't convey how much sense it had all made at the time, in light of how little sense it all made now. "Sword," he finally said. "I am the sword."

The White Warrior didn't seem surprised. "What else?"

"Grail." It was coming more easily now. "Hammer. Cross. Dragon. Do you know what it means?"

The White Warrior turned away from him. "Can you stand?"

Dylan checked his legs. It was painful, but he managed to rise. As soon as he did, he found himself swept up in the red fog of teleportation. The color faded and he found himself in a chamber he had never seen before. It was large, though far smaller than the main chamber It looked unfinished. Positioned around the room were four statues of warriors in battle dress. A fifth pedestal bore no statue. Though Dylan had never seen them before, he knew at once who he was looking at. Elysium. Erdos. Chryssoula. Kenobi. "The sword, the grail, the hammer, the cross, and the dragon," the White Warrior echoed, "Are very ancient symbols. They represent five aspects of the light force -- the force that opposes our enemy. These symbols have been passed down through the ages -- you can see reflections of these even in your Earth cultures."

He indicated the statue of Elysium. The warrior wore heavy armor that looked nothing like Dylan's ranger suit, except for a certain similarity about the breastplate. In his hands, he held a large broadsword at the ready. "The sword. Strength. Before he founded our order, Elysium was a warlord on the planet Zatar. He united a dozen warring tribes on that world, and forged one of the most powerful and unified governments in the galaxy."

Dylan felt smaller than he had in a long time under the cold stare of the statue. "What happened to them? On Zatar?"

"Six million years ago, the star of Zatar went supernova." The White Warrior moved on, turning to the second statue. Chryssoula was so sturdily built that she barely looked female beneath her heavy armor. The statue held a chalice to its lips. "The grail. Life. Among her people, Chryssoula was honored as the living incarnation of the fertility god."

"I don't think you should mention that to Stone," Dylan said.

The White Warrior smiled very slightly. He indicated the third statue. "The hammer. Transformation." Erdos was built more slightly than the others. He had deep-set eyes and a high brow that made him seem built more for the tweed jacket of a college professor than the light armor he wore. He carried a large hammer whose head rested against his shoulder. "The hammer is one of the first tools invented by any civilization. And it is with the ability to make tools that civilization, and with it, all learning, begins.

Dylan had already looked ahead to the fourth statue. It was strange to see the White Warrior as a young man. The statue was dressed in the same robes as the man, but sported a heavy breastplate that reminded Dylan of the one the Black Ranger wore. The living White Warrior indicated the statue's staff, which bore a loop at the top like a Bishop's cross. "The cross. Faith."

"You were a priest," Dylan said, remembering a fragment of the vision.

The White Warrior nodded. "Eltar is a very old planet, but even we believed that there was something before us. I was a novice when I joined the warriors. When I returned home to marry, I took my final vows. I was to become the high priest of the house of Zor, but when the Black Ranger betrayed us, I was forced to answer a different calling." He closed his eyes at the painful memory, and turned to the empty pedestal.

"Even as a child, Kirin was called 'The Dragon'. Death. He was first knight of the house of Zor."

"Death is one of the five aspects of the light?" Dylan was confused.

The White Warrior nodded. "The only constant in the universe is creation. An endless cycle of creation and more creation. But endless creation requires endless destruction. Everything that lives must someday die, and return its energy to the universe so that more life can be created. Death is an essential aspect of the light, because it is only through death that the cycle can continue forever."

Dylan took it all in. "Does this help you make sense of your vision?" the White Warrior asked.

"Not really." Dylan stared at the void atop the fifth pedestal. "But I wish you hadn't told me that the Black Ranger was the symbol for death."

"It is important that you know what you face."

Become the sword. Send the dragon to me. The words flashed through Dylan's mind. "The light," he said. "I think I was talking to the light." He looked down at his ring. The space at the center of the gemstone seemed to unfold to reveal the firegem in its setting. "The firegem," he said, slowly.

"It is yours now. I have protected it for many years, but it was never truly mine. There is nothing more to say."

Dylan stared at the firegem. "The light said that I already knew it by one name... Your wife?"

The White Warrior looked away. "We all loved the light. It was the reason we fought. The light takes many forms. As Zaria, she chose me, perhaps because I was the most pure in my devotion, perhaps for other reasons. Zaria was my wife, but she was also a part of something greater than any of us. I liked to believe that it was Zaria who had survived within the firegem, but she is gone. It is the way of things."

Dylan touched the tiny diamond. "I'll take good care of it."

----

"I'm surprised, Black Ranger," Dastari said. The Black Ranger crossed his arms. This wasn't going to be pleasant. "The rangers still live. They have even recovered their powers. And yet you have the... Optimism to show your face to me?"

Beneath his helmet, the Black Ranger smiled. "The rangers defeated your monster -- I only intervened at all because the Black Dragonzord had been so eager to stretch its legs. You sat that I had the rangers at my mercy."

"Then," the dark priest hissed, "Why didn't you finish the job?"

"I only get to kill them once, Lord Dastari--" He nearly choked on the title -- "Once I kill them, my fun will be over."

"I have no more patience for your fun," Dastari hissed.

"As you wish," the Black Ranger said.

Dastari crooked a bony finger at the Black Ranger. "If you come here again without a ranger's ring, I will have to lay claim to yours."

Sneering behind his visor, the Black Ranger bowed.

----

Casey drummed her fingers on the counter as she waited for Sirius to make change. "Lovely weather we're having," he said, amiably. "Nothing like a giant monster attack to make you appreciate the monster-free things in life. Also, that building that got knocked down gave me a great view from my apartment."

"I don't really have time for this, Sirius," she said. The circles under her eyes had developed circles of their own. "I'm late for school."

Sirius arched an eyebrow and brushed coffee grounds from the cuff of his white cricket sweater. "I'm touched, Miss Valentine. I'd have never pegged you as the kind that would risk detention to come visit me." He flashed teeth that were far whiter than anyone who worked in a coffee shop had any right to have.

Casey pointed at her mouth. "Coffee. Now."

"How literate," he said, pouring her espresso from the steel pitcher into a tiny little foam cup with its own tiny little vented lid.

Casey pulled the cup from his hand and clumsily scooped her change from the counter. She was three quarters of the way to the door when Sirius called after her, "You know they closed Tribulation High today? Big chunk of monster landed on the gym. They need to send inspectors through to make sure there's no structural damage."

Casey stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face Sirius. The coffee cup shook in her hand. "You could have mentioned that."

"I could have. Would you like me to dilute that espresso?"

"I should have stayed in bed," Casey reflected. She put the tiny cup back on the counter and waited while Sirius transferred it to a larger cup, then poured steamed milk over it.

"No charge," he said, as if he was doing her a huge favor. "But don't tell anyone."

Casey turned back toward the door and nearly tripped over a chair which had been suddenly kicked into her path. "Hello Sara," Casey said, grumpily.

"Want to join me?" Sara asked. Her perkiness fed Casey's urge to kill.

"Not as such, no," Casey said. She couldn't work out what she'd done to make Sara think they were friends all of a sudden.

"You'll feel better after you've had some coffee," she said, pointing her book toward the chair. Grudgingly, Casey sat. "You look all kinds of beat," Sara drawled. Her innocent eyes went suddenly wide. "Did Valentine's day come early this year?" she asked, her face breaking into an excited grin so wide it threatened to bisect her face.

"Valentine's day did not come at all," Casey said, then turned red. "Oh god. I don't believe I said that."

Sara snickered girlishly and disappeared behind her book. It was really hard for Casey to believe this girl was older than her. She looked at the cover of the book. Power Rangers, Farcus Bulkmeier. The cover art showed five rangers, posed in the shadow of what she assumed was their Megazord. It looked more like a toy. The ranger costumes were simpler, except for the helmets, and the gold half-plate worn by the green ranger -- it looked more than a little like Stone's Blue Ranger shield -- but she could see some familial resemblance. "Any good?" Casey asked, gesturing at the book in a desperate attempt to shift the conversation.

"No," Sara said. "I think the guy who wrote it must have had some kind of brain damage. But it's supposed to be the definitive source."

"Interesting," Casey said. She knew she had to tread carefully, but this was still a more comfortable topic than the last one.

Sara shrugged. "I figured that what with the monsters making with the world destruction in Tribulation Landing, I should bone up on the local superheroes. Why did you change the subject?"

Casey blinked. "Why did what?" She needed to stop contemplating her latte and start drinking it.

"You changed the subject when I speculated --" she put too much emphasis on the word, like a child playing with a new vocabulary word--"About your nocturnal activities."

Casey's nocturnal activities had consisted of ten hours of trying to rig a massive inductor around the Chimerazord's central power conduit, but she wasn't about to tell Sara that. "My nocturnal activities are none of your business," she said. She'd been too flustered this morning to pick up a newspaper. She regretted it now, because she desperately wanted something to hide behind. Instead, she stared at the green ranger on the cover of Sara's book. Sideways now, because she'd set it down on the table.

"It's Stone, isn't it?" Sara pressed. "He's really something. In a high school way," she added, blushing. "If I was a couple of years younger..." She glanced down at her chest. "And had boobies."

Casey sneered. "Stone's a jackass who thinks a smooth smile and a nice ass hides the fact that the Marquis de Sade had healthier views on women."

"He does have a really nice ass," Sara reflected wistfully. She shook it off. "But seriously. He likes to flatter women. Who doesn't like to get flattered." She switched gears again. "You're really pretty. You could definitely make him drool if you wanted."

"Like I want to be treated like a sex object." Casey shook her head, disgusted. "Who wants that?"

"If you've got it, flaunt it, sister," Sara said, punctuating the remark with a little jiggle that looked ridiculous on her frame. She leaned forward. "Look, I am many, many things. I'm an artist. I'm an engineer. I'm an honors student. I'm part-time helpdesk operator. I'm a captain of the girls' lacrosse team. I am also a woman and a sexual being." She flopped back in her chair and pulled her shoulders in to accentuate her modest breasts. Somewhere behind the counter, Sirius dropped a pitcher on his foot. "So yeah, it's nice some times when people remember that I'm a girl."

Casey stared at her with vague distress. "You're an engineer?"

"You're changing the subject again, but yes. Civil engineering major, art history minor. I want to build great big things. Skyscrapers. Monuments." She tapped the cover of the book. "City-smashing robots." She drummed her fingers. "So, if it's not Stone... Dylan?"

"Are you spying on me?"

"Perceptive. That's another one of the many, many things that I am. Dylan's not bad either. Not as nice of an ass, but he's all deep and artsy. God. Artsy guys. The men have passion."

"I'm standing right here," Sirius called out.

Sara rolled her eyes. "So, Dylan?"

"We're friends. That's it. Hell, we're not even friends a lot of the time."

Sara blushed. "Oh my God, you three are so in a love triangle." She smiled her wickedest smile. "Threesome? God, no wonder you're so tired." She leaned back and looked to the counter. "Sirius, will we go to hell if we have a threesome?"

"Depends," Sirius said. "Two men or two women?"

"Why would that matter?" Casey asked, curious in spite of herself.

"It determines how hard I'll look to find a loophole in Leviticus."

Casey was getting a lot of mileage out of her disgusted expression. If she'd had a little more sleep, she'd have reduced her volume by half when she shouted, "I did not have a threesome with Stone and Dylan last night!"

At which point Dylan walked into the café. Casey changed color, put her head between her knees, and took deep, slow breaths. Dylan walked cautiously to the counter.

"No caffeine for you today," Sirius said. "I won't have it on my conscience if you die of dehydration. Would you like a delicious fruit smoothie?"

Dylan adopted a deer-in-the-headlights expression and looked from Sirius, to Sara, then to Casey. "I want to ask," he said, "But I'm scared of what you'll do to me."

Casey sat up and fixed him with a glare. "Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum have got it into their heads that I spent last night at an orgy. Tell them that you, me, and Stone are not sleeping together."

Dylan thought about this. "I don't know if you and Stone are sleeping together," he said, honestly. Casey's brow tightened. "But I know you're not sleeping with me. And I'm certainly not sleeping with Stone." He looked around, dazed. "I think I'm going to go outside now, and then come back in. Just in case I accidentally slipped into some weird parallel universe. We can all pretend this didn't happen if you like."

----

"What news?" Dastari demanded as soon as Leyolas had emerged from inside the tower.

"Little of consequence, my lord. Our spies have the red and green rangers under observation, but have not learned anything of value."

"And the Blue Ranger?"

"His location is not known to us."

Dastari looked out from the balcony. "What of the monsters?"

"Three are nearing completion as we speak, lord. It taxes our reserves to create so many at once."

"I know. But we must be prepared to deal swiftly with the Black Ranger once he has served his purpose."

"Shall I send them when they are ready?"

"No. I want our monsters at full power to battle the Black Ranger once the other rangers have been defeated."

----

"I'm surprised you didn't sleep in this morning," Dylan said. He picked up a stone from the path at his feet and skimmed it across the park lawn. "What time did you give up working on the Zords? Two?"

"Three. I didn't know school was cancelled," Casey said. She rubbed her eyes with a hand jittery from the third latte. "What are you doing up this early?"

"I haven't been to bed. Too wound up."

"Don't burn yourself out."

Dylan shrugged and skimmed another stone. "I'm sure I'll nod off at some point. I'll be fine unless the Black Ranger decides to attack us, like, right now."

The stone bounced down the dirt path until it struck something. The Black Ranger's boot. Dylan looked at the boot, then he looked at the Black Ranger. "Poop," was the only thing it occurred to Dylan to say.

"Sorry if this is a bad time," the Black Ranger said, coldly. "But I have a quota."

Casey reached for her ring. Dylan dropped his smoothie and did the same. "Legacy force!" they shouted, "Armor on!"

Dylan and Casey were momentarily encased in crystal that shattered inward, the particles wrapping around them to form their ranger suits. Dylan's crimson breastplate formed around him, and their helmets fell from nowhere. The black visors of their helmets lowered into place, displaying the text "MORPHING COMPLETE" to their wearers.

"We weren't looking for a fight," Dylan said, "But we won't run from one."

"Good," said the Black Ranger. He drew the black lacquer cylinder from his belt, separating it to reveal his daggers. Dylan drew his mace, and beckoned the Black Ranger with his other hand.

The Black Ranger's body became a blur as he darted toward Dylan. Dylan swung his mace before the Black Ranger rematerialized in front of him, and the ball crashed into the evil ranger's shoulder. The Black Ranger countered with a slash across Dylan's chest that sent up sparks and forced the Red Ranger back a step.

Casey snared his arm with her whip and pulled. She managed to stop him short of connecting another slash with Dylan's breastplate, but could not gain any more ground. The Black Ranger lowered his arm in a quick gesture that pulled the whip from Casey's hand. He shook free of the whip end and strode calmly toward Casey. She took advantage of his apparent lethargy and threw herself into a flying kick. She struck him feet first as if he were a brick wall, and literally bounced off. She managed to roll in the air and landed on her feet, disheartened, but far enough away that she had time to draw her blaster.

The Black Ranger casually caught each shot she fired with the black blades of his daggers and continued walking toward her. Some distance away, Dylan was staring at his ring, trying to summon the firegem in spite of his exhaustion. The Black Ranger swatted Casey's blaster down and pointed his left dagger at the center of the Green Ranger's visor.

"Are you really in such a hurry to die?"

"If I have to," Casey said, keeping his cool. She threw a flurry of quick kicks and jabs, most of them connecting, but doing little visible damage. The Black Ranger rolled out of the way of a high kick and struck her leg, making Casey stumble. Before rising, Casey threw a straight, slow right at the Black Ranger's groin, and there was clearly enough humanity left in him that he backflipped to avoid it.

She saw the Black Ranger's white visor turn toward Dylan, and as he vanished into a dash, Casey wheeled around to call out a warning to Dylan, still trying to summon the firegem.

The small diamond accent unfolded onto the upper surface of his ruby, but he didn't get the chance to activate it. Casey's shout was cut off suddenly and he looked to her.

The Black Ranger had changed direction mid-stride and was standing behind her, his body pressed to hers with an arm around her waist. Slowly, Casey looked down and to the left.

The blade of a black dagger extended out from the front of her shoulder.


To be continued...

[Cuiran]

In mid-battle! Gasp! -- The scene right -before- that had me cracking up, though, which isn't always easy. As always, great character writing. =D

[Zord_Crazy]

"The stone bounced down the dirt path until it struck something. The Black Ranger's boot. Dylan looked at the boot, then he looked at the Black Ranger. "Poop," was the only thing it occurred to Dylan to say."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Man, that's classic!

[ivoryranger]

Zord_Crazy... Yeah, I debated whether or not to use it, since it really changes the tone of the scene, but ultimately, it just wasn't something I could pass up.

Curian -- I know how much you like the White Warrior. I'm really sorry about this...

Episode 11:
A Family Affair, Part 2


Previously on Power Rangers: Legacy...

The Megazord's arm stopped several yards from the Dragonzord's torso, but the red bracer did not. The force of the tremendous magnetic field generated in the arm induced massive amounts of kinetic energy in the undocked bracer, and it moved in the only direction it could. The bracer shot off the end of the arm at tremendous speed and caught the Black Dragonzord in the neck with a tremendous crash.

-

"Guys," Dylan said, silencing them, "I think we've got a more pressing problem." He indicated the viewscreen. The Black Dragonzord was getting back up.

-

The White Warrior indicated the statue of Elysium. The warrior wore heavy armor that looked nothing like Dylan's ranger suit, except for a certain similarity about the breastplate. In his hands, he held a large broadsword at the ready. "The sword. Strength." The White Warrior moved on, turning to the second statue. Chryssoula was so sturdily built that she barely looked female beneath her heavy armor. The statue held a chalice to its lips. "The grail. Life." He indicated the third statue. "The hammer. Transformation." Dylan had already looked ahead to the fourth statue. It was strange to see the White Warrior as a young man. The statue was dressed in the same robes as the man, but sported a heavy breastplate that reminded Dylan of the one the Black Ranger wore. The living White Warrior indicated the statue's staff, which bore a loop at the top like a Bishop's cross. "The cross. Faith." He closed his eyes and turned to the empty pedestal. "Even as a child, Kirin was called 'The Dragon'. Death."

-

Dastari crooked a bony finger at the Black Ranger. "If you come here again without a ranger's ring, I will have to lay claim to yours."

-

The small diamond accent unfolded onto the upper surface of his ruby, but he didn't get the chance to activate it. Casey's shout was cut off suddenly and he looked to her.

The Black Ranger had changed direction mid-stride and was standing behind her, his body pressed to hers with an arm around her waist. Slowly, Casey looked down and to the left.

The blade of a black dagger extended out from the front of her shoulder.

----

Blood began to soak through the front of Casey's uniform, a dark stain that grew out around the blade, then spread downward like the tail of a comet. She twitched, and her morph failed, her green uniform shattering into glitter.

She winced as the Black Ranger forced her arm up and pulled the green ring from her finger. The Black Ranger held the emerald ring up for Dylan to see.

"I'm feeling generous, Red Ranger," he said. "Give me your ring, and I'll release her. You can both walk away from this."

"If you hurt her..." Dylan started.

"You may still be adolescent enough to make idle threats, Red Ranger," the Black Ranger interrupted. "But I am not." He punctuated the remark by twisting his dagger slightly in Casey's wound. She cried out. "You have a simple choice. You can give me your ring, and I will leave you in peace. Or take another step, and I kill her. Then we will fight, and I will kill you. Either way, I leave here with both rings."

"Don't do it, Dylan," Casey shouted. "Use Gemfire; you can beat him."

"Gemfire?" said the Black Ranger in surprise. He inclined his head. "Then you have unlocked the power of the firegem?" He mused on that for a second. "That changes things, Red Ranger," he finally said. "With the Gemfire, you might just be able to kill me." He thought some more. "In fact, I'd say the odds weren't bad. I'm not at all sure I'm strong enough to defeat that kind of power." Dylan actually felt him smirk. "But she still dies. Entirely your choice."

----

Stone nearly missed Dylan as he scanned the waiting room. Dylan was siting on the edge of a couch with his head in his hands and his body pulled in so tight that he almost disappeared. He jumped when Stone touched his shoulder.

"How is she? Where is she? What happened, man?"

Dylan looked up at him and shook his head in disorientation. His eyes were rimmed with red. He'd either been crying or close to it. "I don't know. They haven't told me anything. I'm not family. They can't reach her parents. I couldn't do anything. It all happened so fast. And they won't tell me how she is."

Stone considered slapping him, the way people did with hysterical women in the movies. "Dude. Slow down."

Dylan took a deep breath, then looked around, making sure they had some measure of privacy. "The Black Ranger. He attacked us in the park. Casey got cut up pretty bad." He rubbed his shoulder empathetically. He showed Stone his hand, and Stone's eyes fixed on the indentation in Dylan's third finger where his ring usually rested. "It was the only way. He would have killed her if I'd tried to fight."

"Yeah," Stone said, sounding not-quite-convinced. He threw himself onto the couch beside Dylan. "You got her out of there alive, that's the important thing. God, I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

"You're going to have to," Dylan said. "You're the only one left."

Stone nodded. "That's a problem. What did you tell the doctors happened to her?"

"The truth, more or less," Dylan said. "I told them that the Black Ranger attacked us, then the Power Rangers showed up and chased him off."

Stone leaned back and rested his head on the back of the couch. He wasn't sure how long exactly he sat like that, contemplating his chances against the Black Ranger alone. At some point, though, he sat up in response to a familiar voice.

"We came as soon as we heard. Any news?" Stone sighed. What was Sirius doing here?

Sirius had traded his apron for a white nylon windbreaker. He had his thumbs hooked through the loops in his painter's pants, and Sara, standing beside him, had her arm linked under his. Stone squinted at her, feeling the déjà vu of partial-recognition. He'd seen her at the coffee shop before, but they had never spoken. Sirius nodded at her. "Sara wanted to well-wish," he said, as if he needed an excuse for being there.

"I wanted to well-wish," Sara echoed. She threw herself on the couch. She was so lanky and her movements so jerky that Stone had the sudden and inexplicable impression that he was watching a muppet. "So, did they say anything?"

"No. I'm not family. They won't talk to me," Dylan said.

"So did the Power Rangers save you?" Sara asked. She was bouncing like a child. "Man, that must have been something. I've never seen them in person, myself, but man." She rocked back. "Mmm... I'd do that Blue Ranger in a heartbeat."

Stone smiled in spite of himself, but Sara's general ADHD behavior was freaking him out.

"Yeah," Dylan said through gritted teeth. "The rangers saved us."

"No more double espressos for you," Sirius said, glaring at Sara. He threw a pained expression to Dylan and Stone. "She gets a little crazy when she's upset."

No one said anything for several minutes, until a doctor came in. "Dylan Fokker?" he asked. Dylan stood.

The doctor looked around, as if checking that they were along. "We've finally been able to reach Miss Valentine's parents. Her mother is on her way."

"Thank God," Dylan said. "I know you can't tell me anything, but..."

The doctor raised his hand. "I can't talk to you in an official capacity. But Miss Valentine asked me to let you know that she's going to be fine. It looks like the blade went out of its way to avoid hitting any major arteries. She lost some blood, but not a life-threatening amount. Our main concern now is infection of the wound track."

"Can we see her?"

"We can only allow family right now. She's sleeping right now."

Stone felt the couch shift as Sara climbed over it and wandered off. Stone tried to press the doctor for more details, but he had apparently said as much as he was going to say.

Sara walked half-way to the restrooms, then doubled back and found Casey's room. Making sure that no one nearby was watching, she slipped inside and stood beside Casey's bed. The monitor beeped softly, and Casey was snoring slightly as hanging bags replenished her lost fluids, filled her with antibiotics, and provided the painkillers that allowed her to sleep in spite of the slit in her shoulder. Sara pulled a small copper disc from her pocket and placed it on Casey's chest. Then, making sure again that she wasn't being watched, reached over and switched off the monitor alarm.

----

Sirius stood with his back against the wall and pitched the butt of his cigarette a safe distance away from the building. "They're considered a force of nature, you know. For legal purposes."

Dylan furrowed his brow, not following.

"The Power Rangers," Sirius explained. "There was a court case a few years ago. The people v. Blue Bay Harbor Insurance Company. Sara was telling me about it. It's the small business owners who really suffer. My boss was complaining to me just the other day. He had to shell out God knows how much to add Ranger-related damage coverage to his insurance policy. You think they ever consider who's paying the bill when they start tossing giant monsters around the city?"

Dylan glared. "I imagine they have more pressing things on their minds. Do you have something against the Power Rangers?"

Sirius shrugged. "Nope. We all have a part to play in God's plan. I just worry that hero-worshiping a bunch of spandex-clad vigilantes makes people forget who the real heroes are. The rangers are just doing their job. The real heroes are the rest of us, getting up every day and trying to make this world a better place in spite of the dangers. The people who can still get up and go to work in the morning knowing that at any minute, a rampaging monster might stomp down their home, their school, their workplace."

"Amen," Dylan said. Stone sneered. It was uncanny how good Sirius was at subtly berating them.

Sirius glanced down at Dylan's hands. He was twiddling his thumbs uncomfortably. "You lose your ring?" he asked.

Dylan clutched his hand in surprise. He was starting to get worried. It seemed like Sirius knew something he shouldn't. "My ring?" he asked. His voice cracked.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. You usually wear a class ring, don't you? Mine stopped fitting years ago. I only noticed because you like to bang it on the counter while you're waiting on a drink."

Dylan rubbed his finger. "I guess I lost it in the park," he said, distracted.

"Hope it's insured. Must have cost a mint."

Dylan nodded, not paying attention. Something was moving toward them through the dark. As it drew closer, he could make out a broad angle of white, and then the armor of the Black Ranger.

Dylan and Stone moved automatically to fighting posture, and were surprised to see Sirius do the same. "You'd better get out of here," Dylan hissed, but he couldn't give him a good reason.

"You stay, I stay," Sirius insisted.

"So we meet again," the Black Ranger said, coldly. Looking at Stone, he said, "I think you know what I'm here for."

Stone leaned over and whispered to Dylan, "I can't morph in front of the coffee jerk. Get him out of here."

"You can't handle him on your own," Dylan warned.

"I have to. Now get out of here."

The Black Ranger fired a warning shot over their heads, and Dylan took advantage of the confusion to grab Sirius by the wrist and push him through the door back into the hospital. Stone watched the door close, then turned back to the Black Ranger, raising his fist at his side. "This is a fight between rangers," he said.

"Indeed," the Black Ranger responded. He held up his left hand. In addition to his own onyx ring, he was also wearing Dylan's and Casey's rings. "I need one more for a set."

"Over my dead body," Stone said, laying two fingers across the gem.

"If you so desire."

"Legacy force!" Stone shouted, "Armor on!" He transformed into the Blue Ranger with his axe at the ready.

"You really have no idea how predictable you are, Blue Ranger," the Black Ranger said as they exchanged blows. "Do you know how long it took me to find you?"

Stone ducked under a thrust from the black dagger and countered with a slash across the Black Ranger's midsection. "I wasn't hiding."

The Black Ranger's knee caught Stone hard in the chest. "You should have." He backhanded the Blue Ranger across his helmet.

Stone rolled to his side and tried to catch the Black Ranger across the calves with his axe. The Black Ranger jumped over the blade and kicked Stone in the face. The Blue Ranger fell back. He flipped over and returned to his feet when the Black Ranger fired his blaster, hitting Stone squarely in the chest. Stone swayed, then fell forward.

Before he could rise, the Black Ranger was at his side, his foot pinning Stone's left arm to the ground. "I tire of this," he said. He reached down and forced the ring from Stone's hand. His ranger uniform dissolved. As the Black Ranger placed the fourth ring on his little finger, he said, "Beg for your life and I may spare you. I still have the White Warrior to deal with."

Stone closed his eyes and waited for the pain to come. He wasn't going to give the Black Ranger the satisfaction, even if it cost him his life. The pavement suddenly became cold and the restraint from his arm vanished. He had been teleported.

----

Dylan paced nervously and watched the panorama. "You teleported me right out from in front of Sirius," he complained. "So much for the secret identity."

Stone rose unsteadily to his feet. "We are all kinds of hosed now," he said, looking around. Casey was propped up against an outcropping, only half-awake.

"I know," the White Warrior said. "The situation is indeed desperate. But we have not been defeated yet."

"We don't have anything left," Stone said. "He got my ring. The Zords aren't fixed yet. Casey's got a freaking hole in her shoulder. I think we're done."

"No," Dylan said, commandingly, "As long as we're alive, there's always a chance. I just don't know what it is."

The White Warrior looked down. "I hoped it would not come to this. I will fight Kirin myself."

Casey shook her head, still groggy. "You can't. Look, you're great and everything, but you're no match for him."

"We have no other choice. I will finish what I should have done many years ago. It was my decision to imprison Kirin rather than kill him; this is my responsibility."

"You can't blame yourself," Dylan said. "You aren't responsible for him turning evil. You aren't his keeper."

In a measured tone, the White Warrior said, "I am his brother."

The revelation shook Dylan. He had known they were both from the same ancient Eltari clan, but it had never occurred to him that they might be brothers. He looked up, not sure what to say.

Instead, his eyes fixed on the panorama. It had drifted to the skies over Tribulation Landing. "Oh hell," he said, pointing. The Black Dragonzord was returning to Earth.

"Any chance that we can command the Zords without morphing?" Dylan asked.

"At their full strength, perhaps," the White Warrior said. "But as they are now, they will not respond to you."

"Hey, um," Casey said, "This cave. It's under the cliff, right?" The White Warrior nodded. "I just ask because it looks a lot like the Black Ranger's Zord is heading right for us."

The others had just enough time to look to the panorama before the cavern shook under the force of the impact as the Black Dragonzord struck the cliff-face. The Dragonzord unfolded and began hammering at the cliff with its tail and missiles. Rocks began to slide down the cliff and chunks of stone tumbled down the walls of the cavern. "He's going to tear the place apart," Dylan shouted.

"You're right." It took a second for it to register with the rangers that the voice hadn't come from any of them. They turned to face the Black Ranger. "Is this what you've come to, little brother? Cowering in a cave?"

The White Warrior moved between the Black Ranger and his own rangers, extending his arms protectively. "Kirin," he said, pointedly. "Return what you have taken from my students. You are not fit to wear the rings of our friends."

The Black Warrior took a step forward. "The years have not been kind to you, brother." He crooked a finger at the White Warrior. "Strength is the only qualification to wield these powers." He extended his thumb, the only finger on his left hand still unadorned. "And I'll wield your power too, brother."

The White Warrior sneered. "You have brought dishonor to the house of Zor and to the memory of our friends." He stepped toward the Black Ranger and spoke slowly, with more force and anger in his voice than any of them had ever heard before. "I. Have. No. Brother."

The Black Warrior did not flinch. "Good," he said. "Then I can kill you without any regret." He raised one of his daggers and seemed to slice a hole in the air itself. A black scar formed in the space between the Black Ranger and his brother.

Dylan felt his ears pop suddenly. The same thing had happened the first time he'd flown in an airplane. The cavern shook violently as rocks were dislodged from the walls and were drawn into the black scar. Behind them, a large chunk of stone smashed the control crystal. Dylan felt himself being pulled toward the gaping cut. Beyond it, the Black Ranger stood, arms akimbo, with his head canted back as if frozen mid-laugh.

The White Warrior held his staff with both hands and raised it above his head as if it were a shield to ward off the vacuum. Small objects and crumbling stone were swept into the vortex as progressively larger chunks of rock broke loose. The floor pitched and the sound of stone scraping against stone grew louder.

The White Warrior bucked under the effort of whatever it was he was doing. Stone saw Casey start to leave the ground under the force of the vortex and clamped his hand to her bandaged shoulder, holding her down. Casey let out a little shriek at the pain, and wrapped her other arm around Dylan's midsection. The three ducked down in the shadow of the White Warrior.

"Stop this, Kirin. Your battle is with me. Let them leave."

The Black Warrior stepped around the black scar. "The battle comes later, old man." He opened his arms and gestured at the destruction. "This is just... Foreplay." Behind the White Warrior, Stone's face crinkled in disgust at the malapropism. "I don't just want to kill you, little brother. I want to hurt you. And I plan to keep hurting you for a very long time." He performed an overly dramatic bow and flourish with his daggers, then dematerialized.

The black scar he had cut in the air grew larger, sucking in boulders now. The entire cavern was on the edge of collapse. The White Warrior turned to the rangers. "We must leave this place at once. Come." He turned his staff, enveloping them in a teleportation field.

----

"The Black Ranger is returning," Leyolas reported.

Dastari studied the vortex at the tower's center. "You witnessed his battle with the rangers?"

"I did, lord. Our spies believe that he has captured the powers at least of the red and green rangers."

"Finally. Send the Ursavores to Tribulation Landing. I do not wish for him to discover their existence before we are ready."

"As you command."

----

Casey and Dylan dropped to their knees as they rematerialized on the clifftop. They could see the Black Dragonzord rising into the sky like a rocket. The clifftop had been beaten into a slight grade and rocky debris covered the road below.

"So what do we do now?" Stone asked. "We don't even have the base any more."

"The moment has been prepared for," the White Warrior said. "The time for waiting is over. It is time to take the fight to our enemy."

"I don't understand," Casey said.

The White Warrior reached into his robe and produced a small electronic device. Casey's portable EEG. He tore off the tape and handed it to her. "Can you make your teleportation device reproduce this?"

Casey looked at the strip of paper quizzically. "It won't work without our powers."

"I will power the device," the White Warrior said. "Can you do it?"

She nodded, reluctantly. "What is it?"

"Dastari's dark tower is protected from teleportation by a barrier spell. It is only possible to enter it by using a form of telepathic key. The dark priest must have given the key to the Black Ranger."

Casey held up the strip, then took the keypad device from her pocket. "And this is the key?"

The White Warrior nodded. "Kirin was able to enter our cavern because he observed Stone as I teleported him. It is fitting that I use the same technique to put an end to his evil."

It only took Casey a few seconds to program the pattern into her keypad. She handed it to the White Warrior.

"If I do not return, know that I have complete faith in your ability to prevail, even in the face of what has happened"

Dylan stepped forward and put his hand on top of the keypad. "We're going with you."

"I can not allow that. This battle is for me alone."

Dylan shook his head. "We're the Power Rangers. We don't let one of our own face something like this alone. Those are our powers. Let's go get them back."

Stone placed his hand on Dylan's. "He's the boss," he said, nodding toward Dylan. "One for all and all for one."

Casey did the same. "You've always been there for us. It's time we were there for you."

The White Warrior closed his eyes and nodded.

----

"I trust you have at last come to me with news of victory?" Dastari asked.

The Black Ranger held up his hand, displaying the three captured rings. "The rangers are powerless. All that remains is to put an end to my brother."

"You have done well," Dastari hissed, fighting hard to suppress the tone of contempt. "The one true god smiles on your efforts."

Leyolas ran into the chamber, burning eyes fixed on the Black Ranger. "We are betrayed, my lord!" he exclaimed. "The rangers have broken through our defenses."

Dastari pointed an accusing finger at the Black Ranger. "Is this your doing?" he asked.

The Black Ranger shrugged nonchalantly. "I thought you would like to witness their final defeat for yourself. They are no threat."

"You should not have led them here," Leyolas said.

The Black Ranger snorted. "One place is as good as another." He looked to the dark priest. "Lord Dastari, would you not see with your own eyes as I prove my devotion to our god?"

Dastari considered this. "Very well. Leyolas, let us withdraw. Hold the Zealots at bay. We will see if the Black Ranger can finish what he has started." He fixed the Black Ranger with his empty eyes. "Do not make me regret my patience."

The dark priest and his lieutenant had barely disappeared into the shadows when four stripes of color, red, blue, green, and white struck the ground near the mouth of the dark energy vortex. The light resolved into the figures of Dylan, Stone, Casey, and Kenobi.

The Black Ranger sized them up. "I see that you brought the children to watch you die. I think it's good that they learn of such things."

"There is still some hope for you, Kirin," the White Warrior said, "Renounce this path."

The Black Ranger drew his daggers. "Haven't you heard? I serve the one true god now."

The White Warrior sneered. "How can you align yourself the very evil we swore ourselves to fight?" He pointed his staff at his brother and took a step closer.

Slowly circling around, the Black Ranger said, "You're a fool, Kenobi. We were all fools. Even after all these years, can you still not see? There is no evil, no good. There is only power. And the universe has never known a power like this." He sprang forward, slashing downward with both daggers.

The White Warrior parried the blows with his staff, and then brought it up into the Black Ranger's jaw. "And you would claim this power for your own?"

He was forced to jump backward as the Black Ranger slashed at his abdomen. "You never could appreciate true power, little brother."

The White Warrior thrust his staff, catching the Black Ranger squarely in his breastplate. "And you could never understand what we were fighting for."

"I should have killed you when I killed your wife." The words stung, and the White Warrior froze for a second. The Black Ranger caught his brother on the arm, drawing blood. Too late, the White Warrior returned the blow with his staff. The Black Ranger caught the staff's end and torqued it out of his hand. He struck his brother across his temple with the staff before throwing it aside. The White Warrior cartwheeled out of his way.

"Even if you strike me down," the White Warrior said, "You will never put out the light." As he rolled back to his feet, he caught hold of his fallen staff and brought it down hard on the Black Ranger's left hand. He dropped the dagger and as he flailed out, the three stolen rings slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ground. Dylan, Stone, and Casey jumped forward, snatching the rings up before the Black Ranger could move to retrieve them.

Moving as one, the three rangers stood, slipping their rings onto their fingers before drawing their fists back. Before they could call out, the White Warrior raised his hand to stop them. "This is between us," he said.

The Black Ranger looked at them, then back at his brother. "Your honor outweighs your intelligence," he said. "You never change, Kenobi."

"Unlike you." He charged at the Black Ranger, spinning his staff like a drum major's baton. The Black Ranger blocked it with his remaining dagger, but lost ground, edging dangerously close to the vortex.

The White Warrior swung his staff at the Black Ranger's legs. He jumped over it, then kicked the swinging staff. It flew from the White Warrior's hands and Dylan caught it. Faster than the three rangers could see, the Black Ranger had his dagger at Kenobi's throat.

The White Warrior stood up slowly and allowed himself to be backed against the wall. "Don't do this, Kirin," he said.

"Beg me for your life, brother."

The White Warrior's expression turned cold. "I beg for your soul."

Very slowly, the Black Ranger said, "I have no soul."

He moved the blade from the White Warrior's throat and pointed it straight at his chest instead. The White Warrior closed his eyes and started to chant.

The Black Ranger's visor retracted. His eyes were as dark and cold as two dead coals. "Join your wife, little brother." He thrust the dagger forward.

Dylan thought he heard Casey scream. Or maybe it was himself. He felt strangely detached from what was going on around him. He had the sudden awareness that he was seeing the world through the visor of his ranger helmet, though he had no awareness of having morphed. He wanted to call on the firegem, but he felt paralyzed by his rage, by the basic insult to his sense of morality. He burned at the thought that the White Warrior could be killed like this.

He was almost so blinded by feelings of hate, fear, and anger, that it barely registered that the Black Ranger's dagger had never actually struck anything. He stood stock still, looking at the place where his brother had been. For a second -- though it seemed longer -- the White Warrior's robe hung in the air as if he was still in it, then fell onto the Black Ranger's still-outstretched arm. He just looked to the place it had been in wonder.

Finally, he turned toward Dylan and the others. Dylan found the strength to move, and punched the air with his left hand, summoning the firegem. Before he could call out for it to activate, however, he wasn't there any more.

----

Dylan pulled off his helmet as he materialized. His face was red with anger.

"Where the hell are we?" Stone asked, looking around.

It took Dylan a moment to realize that he had seen this place before; it was the small chamber with the four statues of their predecessors. "The White Warrior showed me this chamber before," he said. "But it should have been destroyed with the rest of the cavern." He looked at Casey. She was holding the teleportation keypad. "Why did you teleport us out like that?"

She shook her head. "I didn't. Even if I wanted to, I don't have a transmission pattern to get us here. Wherever here is."

Stone's brow creased. "If you didn't bring us here, then who did?"

"I did."

It took them a second to identify the voice. The three rangers turned around slowly to see who it was that stood behind them.

Sirius Kenner.


To Be Continued...