Disclaimer: The bad guys, except for Jenga, belong to Saban. The Power Rangers, except for the ones that I made up, belong to Saban. The bad guys and the Rangers that I made up, belong to me. Nancy belongs to someone, who isn't me. I don't know who, exactly, but she belongs to the person who invented her for "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer." The Quickening thing mentioned in here is based loosely on the Mayor's upcoming Ascension in "Buffy."
Author's Note: I should warn you, this is a bridge fic. Not a lot of action. Just tying up some loose ends. And unraveling a few new threads, of course. And, as always, comments are both appreciated, wanted, and always get a reply.

Microcosms
by Jeremy Ray Logsdon

Jenga looked over at the sleeping form of her son, lying next to his very pregnant wife. She had only seen him in his human form on extremely rare occasions, and never had he been forced to take on that appearance. I'll fix him later, she promised herself. His powers were gone for good, but she could at least return him his demonic visage.

The sounds of sleeping persons was the only sound in the small, dank dungeon that had once rested beneath the Lunar Palace. Now, with the Palace torn down from above it, the sky could be seen through the gaping holes in the roof. Jenga wasn't even trying to sleep anymore. She just stared at the sky, thinking about the past day.

Good things had been accomplished, that was for sure. Zordon was dead. She wished that she could have delivered the fatal blow, but the end was still the same. The means didn't matter.

Bad things had happened too, though. Only a quarter of her Dynasty still remained. And given that she was the Queen of Evil, the entire UAE could be considered hers. In that case, more than 99% of her dynasty was gone. Her husband was gone...

At least I still have Zedd and Astronema, Jenga remarked to herself. As soon as those thoughts crossed her mind, she sat up angrily. Zedd... Astronema... I'm evil... I shouldn't have feelings like these.

She got out of her make-shift bed and strolled down the hallways of the dungeon. She climbed the stairs that had once lead into the bottom level of the Lunar Palace. Now, they just lead up to a field of destruction. Moving with great ease across the debris, she finally found a nice slab of stone to sit upon. "I've become too weak," Jenga remarked aloud. "That's why this happened... I'm not as evil as I should be. I'm a joke to those Rangers. I have to stop caring about people and just get the job done."

"But you're happy," a voice said behind her. "And you aren't a joke. You're just comfortable." She whirled around, seeing Klank standing at the top of the stairs.

"Where's Orbus?" Jenga asked, turning her attention back to the sky.

"Recharging," Klank said. "May I join you?"

"It's a free moon," she answered.

"So you're thinking about changing?" Klank asked.

"I've been here for eleven months," Jenga said. Klank didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent. "You know what I learned recently?"

"What's that?"

"Justin Cranston is my father," Jenga answered.

"Really?" Klank asked with true interest. "How does that work?"

"Time travel obviously," Jenga said. "When I was turned, I knew that I went back to the past. I am from Earth, after all. But... I thought I was from the early 1900's. Turns out I'm from the early 21st century."

"If you had destroyed Earth, you wouldn't be here," Klank said cautiously.

"True, true," Jenga agreed. "And now, I can't destroy Earth. If I destroy Earth, I'll never be born without some serious modifications."

"So what do we do now?" Klank asked. "Go attack some other planet, and hope that by the time the rest of the universe has fallen, you'll have been born on Earth?"

"It's certainly a possibility," Jenga said. "Or, we can make it our goal to capture the Earth Crystals. With their power, I could manipulate time just enough... Ugh, I hate time travel."

"You don't want to leave Earth, do you?"

Jenga was silent for a few moments, staring at the crescent-shaped Earth that loomed in the sky above them. "No, I don't," she said at last. "Earth is home. Whenever I think about it, I can remember my childhood a little. It's such a beautiful planet. I can't bring myself to just destroy it."

"So what's wrong with that?"

"The Queen of Evil shouldn't talk like that," Jenga sighed. "I'm the most evil person in existence! Satan's power flows through my veins, and I like pretty things! Tulips and cute, little, fuzzy bunnies..."

"Isn't this a recent development?"

"No, I've always been like this," she answered. "It's just that whenever I'm around Earth and Earthlings, it comes out full-force."

"It's a genetic thing, obviously," Klank said. "The most well-adjusted Earthers like pretty things. They enjoy being happy. Those that aren't happy are considered inferior on Earth."

"I like being happy," Jenga told him. "It's just that sometimes... I wonder what it would take for me to be truly happy."

"Are you truly happy now?" Klank asked.

"I've been better," she admitted. "I like the Earth being beautiful, but I like the fight, too."

"Assume we win the fight," Klank said. "Imagine that we win the fight tomorrow. What then? What would be the standard protocol?"

"We'd invade Earth, enslave the people, destroy most... I'm not really sure, now that I think about it," Jenga said. "If you remember, I came here to get the Earth Crystals. Very powerful artifacts."

"The official UAE doctrine states that the purpose of all members is the proliferation and continuation of the UAE," Klank said. "And now, there is just nine of us. So, if you still want to go by the books, your goal is to keep us prolific and continued."

"Prolific," Jenga said softly. "Happy..."

"I love being me," Klank told her. "Being a part of the Dynasty is a great thing. Fighting the Power Rangers..."

"If I could have the Earth Crystals, I could destroy the Earth," Jenga said. "But I had planned on rebuilding it for my own personal means. A whole planet... as my throne. From there, I was going to oversee the destruction of the rest of the universe, which would be rebuilt for those of us who are evil. To actually say it, it sounds so... dull."

"Say what you want out loud," Klank said. "That's what your new goal can be."

"Klank, what I am about to tell you I have told no one beyond my closest family," Jenga said. "Can I trust you to keep this silent?"

"Who would I tell?" he asked sincerely.

"Search your files for a reference to the Quickening," Jenga told him. "That is what I want to do. Of course, that would require a totally different plan of action, but... I'd still like to do it."

"That's pretty ambitious," Klank remarked, "but quite impressive."

"Late March 1999 is the soonest I can perform the Quickening," she said. "The last time conditions were right was 1915, and I kind of forgot to come back to Earth then."

"So why don't we just hole up and wait?" Klank asked. "For us, sixteen months would be easy to pass."

"I don't feel like going into a self-induced coma," Jenga sighed. "No, I'm liable to forget to wake myself up until time has passed. So we need a new course of action." She looked up at the sky, her eyes glowing blue for a brief moment. "The Rangers are going to Phaedos. That means they're all getting Power Coins. So that is what I want. I want those Power Coins. all of them. Not the Rangers themselves, just their powers. I think I will perform the Quickening, and we'll just see where the power takes me."

"Also, we can start regathering all of the magical artifacts that were on the Space Base," Klank said. "They're falling to Earth as meteorites continually. They'll be scattered all over the globe. It'll probably take us a few decades to find them all."

"Since we're going to be doing so much of our work on Earth, and we have no real ties with space, it would probably make the most sense to have our new headquarters on Earth," Jenga mused. "The only problem with that is that if we stay in one place so close to the Rangers, they'll learn way too much about us. Can't have that."

"Maybe some kind of mobile base on Earth?" Klank suggested.

"Yes," Jenga agreed, narrowing her eyes and sending twin beams of blue light toward the Earth.

The sun rose much earlier in London than it did in Angel Grove. In fact, when the sliders teleported back to their apartment, the sun was already creeping over the horizon. Guy had already packed for them, and in less than half an hour, they were on their way back to Angel Grove via their private jet.

Most of the others were sleeping, but Jason didn't even bother to try. Every time he shut his eyes, all he could see was Zordon. He knew that if he had tried to sleep, his dreams would have been filled with their deceased mentor.

"You okay, Jason?" Guy asked, glancing over at him.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Jason answered. "Just... thinking."

"Looking forward to getting a semi-normal life back?"

"Oh yeah," Jason said. "Some people can be celebrities; I want no part of it."

"The Ranger part of you will always be a celebrity," Guy remarked.

"True enough," Jason agreed. "I used to think I could keep my private life and my Ranger life separate to an extent, but I can't. Our mentor died last night. It seems so weird to even think about it. You get so close to somebody, and then... they're gone."

"That's the way the whole world works, Jason," Guy said.

"And we'll likely not see you much anymore," Jason continued.

"Not necessarily," Guy said. "I do live in Angel Grove. And if you go to AGU, swing by the Folk Studies department and hunt me down. I teach a class for freshman, Urban Folklore. You could sign up for that."

"Good," Jason agreed. "'Cause, I think we've become pretty close over the past few months."

"I'm inclined to agree," Guy said with a smile. "Your mind is elsewhere. All of you. You keep looking off and just kind of glazing over."

"A close friend died last night," Jason said. "That's what the light was. Our friend dying."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Guy asked. "I had a Psych minor in undergrad."

"Anything I tell you, you can't tell anyone," Jason told him. "But yeah, I'd like to talk to somebody other than one of us."

"Talk away," Guy offered. "My lips are sealed."

Dimitria watched as a starburst of blue energy exploded into being in the center of the Power Station. A man who was physically unfamiliar appeared before her, but she and Alpha Five knew exactly who he was. "Ninjor?" she asked anyway.

"Greetings, Dimitria," Ninjor said calmly. "I am glad to see you have taken Zordon's post."

"I only hope I can perform this job as well as he."

"You'll do great, I'm sure."

"Where you will be stationed?" Dimitria asked. "Surely you will not return to the Desert of Despair."

"Oh, no. I'm going to the UDAB to help Catalina and the others," he answered. "But first, I have come to fulfill one of Zordon's wishes. His master plan, if you will."

"Zordon had a master plan?"

"He wanted all Rangers to be powered with Power Coins," Ninjor answered. "Back when he was a Ranger, it was the only power source that Rangers had."

"Back in the days when there was only one team," Dimitria said. "It's been eons since I've worn pink..."

"With your permission, I would like to take the Zeo Crystal, the Phantom Ruby, and Zhane's Darian Space Morpher to Phaedos and rework their power into coins."

"It would certainly be great for all of our Rangers to have the Ninja power," Alpha agreed.

"Alpha, do you believe DECA will allow Ninjor to do the same with the Thunder Rangers?" Dimitria asked.

"I can ask," Alpha offered, turning to the new controls to contact the mentor and leader of the Thunder Rangers.

"Zhane, it is time for you to wake up," Michele said sweetly. "You have slept for the requested nine hours."

"Wha' time ist?" Zhane snorted, burying his face in his pillow.

"It is eleven a.m.," Michele answered. "Dimitria and Alpha have contacted us. Ninjor and Dulcea wish to take you and the other Turbo Rangers to Phaedos to receive a Power Coin and the Ninja Power."

"Those come with NinjaZords, don't they?" Zhane asked.

"I'm sure they do," Michele said. "Shall I tell them you will be attending?"

"Please do," Zhane told her.

"Also, I feel that you should be informed that the Orb is opening. If left to its own vices, it will be completely opened at 5 p.m. this afternoon. Shall I speed the process along?"

"The orb is opening?" Zhane asked. "Yes! Open it!" He jumped out of bed, grabbing clothes and dressing as he fled his room. "Program the lift to take me there!"

"Programmed, Zhane," Michele said. "You need to calm down some."

"I'll calm down later," he said, jumping into the lift. The doors slid shut, and when they reopened a split second later, he was in the room that had once held the Orb. Now, there were five Power Morphers lying on the ground, and a young man in a silver and red jumpsuit with long, brown and blonde hair.

"My powers?!" Zedd cried hopefully. He tried to summon his staff, but it was to no avail.

"Sorry, Zedd," Rita apologized. "I just used some of mine to give you your form back. Are you upset?"

"Of course not," he sighed. "Thank you."

"Zedd, you'll just have to build up your strength again," Jenga told him. "It might take you a while, but you've done it once before."

"You seem to be in an improved mood today," Divatox remarked.

"Oh, I am," Jenga said, smiling. "Klank and I had a nice little talk. And I've come to a few conclusions. We are no longer the Dynasty of the Apocalypse. Now, we are the United Alliance of Evil, en toto. And we have a new mission.

"Our goal is to destroy the Rangers' powers. Not the Ranger teens. This is now strictly forbidden. The existence of quite a few of us depends on their survival. We will also be mining the Earth for the magical artifacts that we lost when the Space Base exploded."

"Why don't we just grab those that are still in orbit while we can?" Astronema asked.

"Tried it, won't work," Jenga said. "They aren't really ours, anymore. They belong to the Earth, and we have to physically take it for our own for it to be ours. It'll take us a few years, but eventually, they'll be ours, again. By the time we've regathered them all, our existence will be secured, and we'll have all of the power that had once been distributed across the entire universe for our own use. Then, we'll be in control. Questions? Comments?"

"Where will we live?" Rito asked.

"Excellent question, Rito," Jenga said. "We're going to live on Earth. Gather up what little things you still have around. We're moving today."

"Looks like it's just going to be you and me for a while, kiddo," Emily remarked, looking at the line of monitors in one of the side wings of the Power Station. Emily and Justin still remained on their screens of the Turbo lineup. The other four Turbo monitors, however, were vacant. Now, there were five extra Ranger powers, and the four Sophomore team members had chosen to move on to a new power source.

"It makes sense for them to go on," Justin said. "They're all in the same grade. We were the oddballs of the team. Besides, Dimitria said we can pick the other four Turbo Rangers. You got anybody in mind?"

"Not really. You?"

"Uh... no, not yet."

"Justin, Emily?" Dulcea asked. "We're ready to go to Phaedos."

"We'll all get to know each other better when we get back," Ashley promised, touching Andros lightly on the arm.

"I'd like that," Andros said with a slight smile.

"Teleporting now," Alpha interrupted. In ten streams of multicolored light, they all disappeared from the Power Station.

"Buried within each of us," Dulcea said, "is our own spirit guide. An animal that has been with us since birth and guides us through life. This totem reflects our inner being in a way that mere words cannot." She looked over at Justin and Emily who had already discovered their guides.

"The knowledge of your totem will have a profound effect on your life," Ninjor added. "Do not be upset if your totem is what you initially deem as a worthless animal. Your guide will soon be one of the most important things in your life."

"Please give Ninjor your morphers," Dulcea requested.

"Justin, your Power Coin as well," Ninjor requested. Justin produced his Turbo morpher and his golden Power Coin and pressed them into Ninjor's palm. As soon as all twelve morphers had been collected, he walked over to the fire Dulcea had been building and tossed them into the flames. It promptly came alive with all of the possible Ranger colors. "Those of you who are changing armor, you may find yourself a different color. Do not be alarmed. The Power in any form will serve you well."

"Rangers, look deep within," Dulcea said. "Your spirit guide will come to you." She opened both hands and blew magical dust onto the fire, which exploded in even brighter colors.

Instantly, all eight Rangers glimmered brightly and were promptly clad in their appropriately colored Ninjetti suits. Justin and Emily both glanced at each other, smiling securely. This was old news for both of them. The others, however, were eager to learn all about the animal that was positioned on the golden emblem of their Ninjetti suits. TJ, in blue, looked more than a little disappointed. As they pulled their hoods and sashes down, Dulcea moved over to them.

"Zhane, you are the Silver Ninjetti, as am I. While you and Andros would have had different totems on your home planet, your move to Earth has not caused your totem to abandon you. They have merely taken on different forms. On Earth, your spirit guide is the Heron. The Heron is unique in that it can follow its own path, caring not what others think should they disagree with your journey.

"Andros, Red Ninjetti, you are the Armadillo, the animal of personal protection, discrimination, and empathy. Remember that others can love you, if you let them. Don't be afraid to let others in."

"You are red, the color destined to you," Ninjor added. "Wear it well."

"Ashley, wearer of Yellow, you are the Skunk, animal of sensuality, respect, and self-esteem. You are yourself, and you let no one tell you different. Like the Skunk, you are peaceful but fearless.

"Carlos, Black Ninjetti, you carry with you Raccoon magic. Like the Raccoon, you are curious, dexterous, and agile. Be yourself, and the Raccoon will serve you well.

"TJ- TJ, what's wrong?"

"I'm blue," he said, trying not to sound as disappointed as he was. "I used to be red."

"What's wrong with blue?" Ninjor asked. "I'm blue."

"But I used to be red," he said.

"TJ, I didn't-," Andros stammered.

"No, I'm not... mad, or anything, just-"

"Blue is a good color for you, TJ," Dulcea said, smiling. "Is it the color of bravery and intelligence. And it goes exceptionally with your totem of the Tiger. The Tiger stirs up respect in all who seem him. This is why you are so popular and have not a single enemy." She patted him on the shoulder and moved on to the next in line.

"And lastly, Cassie, Pink Ninjetti, you are the Goose. The Canadian Goose, to be exact. You feel the call of the quest and a desire to travel. Like the Goose, you are a master of communication. In your case, this is your love of music."

In numerous flashes of light, all of the Ninjetti demorphed. "You now possess a Golden Power Coin, and you, along with all of the other Rangers on Earth, have a new morphin call," Ninjor said. "You will know it when you need it. You may return to Earth. Jenga has not attacked yet, but it is just a matter of time before she does."

"If you ask me, this is just a ploy to trick us out of our secret identities," Maggie announced.

"Maybe we should consider coming out," Heather added. "We-"

"There's no need," Marge interrupted. "We're already allies. We share information as it is. I think it's best we're kept... totally separate. If we join them, then it's just an added risk to us. Or to them. It's best to have two distinct Ranger groups. Them and us."

"I agree," David said, nodding.

"Then how do we go to Phaedos?" Molly asked. "Can we go alone?"

"Maybe we can go in disguise?" Heather suggested. "Masks or something?"

"Do we even have to do this?" Maggie asked with a sigh. "Our powers work fine."

"Power Coins are the most secure form of powers," DECA explained. "It would be foolish to pass up such an opportunity."

"This guy... you say his name is Ninjor?" Marge asked. "Does he work on Earth much?"

"He is seldom on Earth as of late," DECA answered.

"Then let's strike up a deal with him," Marge said. "We'll go to Phaedos, get Power Coins, and he never divulges our identity, under any circumstance."

"Would he go for that, DECA?" David asked, looking over at their mentor's voice-monitor.

"I believe he would," DECA said. "I will contact him with our proposal."

"Why don't you two come with us?" Cassie offered, looking over at Justin and Emily sitting at the bar.

"No, go on," Emily said with a smile. "We've got some teammates to find."

"We'll catch up with you later," Justin promised.

"All right," Ashley grinned. "Andros, on behalf of my planet, welcome."

"Thanks," Andros chuckled. "I look forward to learning of your ways."

"Andros, buddy, this planet is cool," Zhane said, glancing over at his old friend from Daria. "People can have sex here without being mated."

"Sex?" Andros asked eagerly. "As in intercourse?! You've had sexual intercourse?!"

"Well, no, but I've seen it on television," Zhane told him, his eyes shining with delight.

"Looks like it's up to us to teach Andros that it isn't okay to be so...," Ashley trailed off, looking for the right word. "Blunt."

"Come on, guys, let's get to the Galleria," Cassie said, skipping over to the door. "Come on!"

"So, Justin, potential teammate... Dimitria said we can have as much time as we want to pick four new guys. But, do you have anyone you'd like to be on the team?" Emily asked.

"Sydney," Justin blurted out. "I mean, if that's okay with you."

"Why don't you go ask her now," Emily suggested.

"You'd be okay with it?"

"Go ask," Emily said, still grinning. "I'm gonna go scout around myself." As Justin got up and ran off, Emily walked over to the bar. Just as she was about to step behind it, a curly-haired brunette wearing black leather pants and open vest with a scant white t-shirt beneath stopped her.

"Hold it," the mystery woman said gruffly. "Employees only."

"I am an employee," Emily insisted.

"Oh, you're Emily," the woman realized. "Sorry 'bout that. Ernie just hired me this morning. I'm Nancy."

"Hi Nancy," Emily said curtly. "I didn't realize we needed help around here."

"They're opening a restaurant called the Surf Spot," Nancy explained, "and planning on hiring a new wave of employees. I'm New Chick Number One." Sighing, Nancy added, "Do you want to pat me down to see that I didn't steal anything. Go ask Ernie. Hell, I'll save you the trouble and ask him myself. Yo, Ernie! Tell your chick that I work here!"

"Nancy works here, Emily!" Ernie shouted from a back room.

"See," Nancy said smugly.

"Your little biker chick facade works pretty good for you, doesn't it?" Emily asked. "Well, you spend long in here, and you'll end up looking just like me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I used to be a biker chick, too," Emily said. "I tried the tough girl thing. Didn't work. You'll get fluffified, just like me."

"We'll see," Nancy told her.

"I don't like her," Emily said to Ernie.

"Huh? Who?" Ernie asked, looking up.

"The new bartender," Emily said. "Nancy. I don't like her."

"Emily, we need help," Ernie said calmly. "If you don't like her, you can go work with Adelle at the Surf Spot."

"I like working here," Emily told him. "Send Nancy there."

"She's a real bartender," Ernie replied. "We could use her experience here."

"What would a real bartender be doing at a Youth Center?"

"I dunno. Something about her last boss being murdered," Ernie said dismissively. "She didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't press."

"I'd be willing to bet money that she did it," Emily murmured, looking at her new co-worker over her shoulder.

"Oh, good afternoon, Justin," Mai-Ly said warmly.

"Hi, Mai-Ly," Justin beamed. "Is Syd here?"

"She's in the backyard watching meteors," Mai-Ly told him.

"You can see them in the daylight?" Justin asked.

"They're really bright still, apparently," she answered. She let him in, and he hurried through the house, finding Sydney reclining on a lounge chair.

"Hey Syd!" he called as he stepped out on the back porch. "Hey, you look different."

"I got rid of the back brace," Sydney answered. "I feel mucho better today. Come have a sit down with me."

"Sydney, I've got like a major important question to ask you," Justin said, sitting down beside her chair.

"Oh God," she groaned, sitting. "Justin, we've been through this."

"Huh- Oh no, not that," he said, dismissing the unspoken subject with a wave of his hand. "That's... old, old, ancient news. I'm here on Ranger business."

"Then talk away. Ooh, there was a bright one."

"We have a new set of Rangers," he explained, "and four vacancies. Do you want to be a Turbo Ranger?"

She looked at him disbelieving for a few moments. Then, she answered him with a simple, "Huh?"

"You can be a Power Ranger," he said, smiling all over himself. "And you're the first one we've asked, me and Emily, so you can be Red, Green, Pink, or Yellow. Isn't that amazing?!"

Sydney smiled sincerely and sat further upright. "Justin, it's a really nice offer, but... no, thanks," she said nervously. "Please don't be offended, but being a Ranger... Not my gig."

"You're turning down the chance at being a Power Ranger?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well... yeah."

"Why?! This is every kid's dream!"

"Not mine," she said. "You aren't mad, are you?"

"No... I'm not mad. I'm just... astounded," he said woodenly. "You're like... the only person in the entire city who doesn't want to be a Ranger."

"I really do appreciate you asking me first though," she told him.

"Can I ask why? Why don't you want to be a Ranger?"

"Well, let's see," she said. Counting off on her fingers, she said, "One, I don't like to fight. Two, I'm not a good fighter. I only got my purple sash because I was sleeping with my sensei. I'm really like... advanced white. Three, oh wait. Before you totally freak out, the sensei was my boyfriend. I wasn't being like a total slut. Just partially."

"Yeah, whew," Justin muttered.

"Three, I like being on the outside. Since I've been in Angel Grove, just how many times has the world been in danger of being destroyed?"

"How many weeks have you been here?"

"About... twelve."

"Uhm... figure... twenty-four times," he answered quickly.

"See, that's knowledge I can do without," she said. "Four, I like having a great variety of colors in my wardrobe. You wear a lot more blue than you realize."

"We can wear other colors," he said.

"You wear mostly blue with maybe two other colors a week," she told him. "I want a buncha colors all the time. Oh, and five, fighting demons just seems freakin' scary. I'd really rather not be on evil's Crap List. I've got a lot more; want me to go on?"

"Are you really sure you don't want to be a Ranger?" he asked. "The chance may not come up for you again."

"I'm sure," she said, smiling sweetly. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "But thank you for asking me, really."

"Well," he sighed, standing up. "Guess I'm off to find someone else."

"Besides," she started as he started to walk away, "I'm going to be very busy for the next few months."

"Rocky," Kimberly called, walking over to his seat at the back of the jet and sitting down next to him, "Ernie is having a dance next weekend."

"You're asking me?" he asked incredulously. "What will Skull think?!"

"Not quite," Kimberly grinned. "I have a question about your potential love life."

"Ask away."

"Just out of curiosity," Kimberly mused, "if I were to set you up with someone... Would you be interested in that?"

"I like blondes," he answered quickly with a typical Rocky grin.

"And what is wrong with us brunettes?"

"Not a thing," he said. "I'd even date a redhead. Though I had better not hear you've tried to set me up with Jenga."

"Any qualms with dating someone younger than yourself?"

"How younger?"

"Senior in high school?"

"I can handle that," he said.

"How about cheerleaders?"

"I like cheerleaders," Rocky agreed.

"Any qualms with dating someone taller than yourself?" she asked.

"I get the sneaking suspicion you've already got someone in mind," Rocky realized.

"How about five-eleven Molly Hammond?" she suggested. "I know for a fact that Molly likes karate guys, and I was talking to Ashley, new Yellow Turbo, yesterday, and she mentioned that Molly hasn't found a date yet for the Angel Grove Winter Dance..."

"Is that a fact? Well, if you can convince a Molly Hammond to go out with five-ten Rocky DeSantos, then I'll hop to," Rocky said proudly.

"Good," Kimberly said. "Because I've already had word passed that you would go. Now call her when you get home."

"Okay," Divatox whispered, "he's leaving... now."

As soon as she said that, the entire area darkened. Astronema crept forward and peered through the darkness, watching Museum Curator Dedrick O'Connell as he left.

"I'm not sensing anyone on board," Jenga said, "but there's a heckuva security system."

"Wouldn't it be simpler to just create a replica for us to use?" Zedd whispered.

"I don't want the replica, I want the real one," Jenga answered. She lifted one hand up in the air. "Ready?" With a flick of her hand, blue tendrils of light shot out from her fingertips and whirled all around the 'RMS Lusitania.' For a brief second, the harbor was empty. And then, it was promptly replaced with an exact duplicate of what was now a floating museum for maritime tragedies.

Smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a nice patch of weather, a gargantuan ship that had never sailed in the Pacific waters appeared. The water displaced was great, but with nothing around except for said ship, nothing unpleasant resulted.

"Welcome home," Jenga smiled, gesturing to the spacious luxury liner about her. The nine were standing in the D-deck Reception Area, filled with wicker furniture and a smaller version of the Grand Staircase that led up to the lowest first-class promenade deck. "We are not changing her appearance in the least. The engines have been replaced with a simple Bookalan Power Crystal. What was once the Engine Room is now Klank and Orbus' laboratory. The Captain's Quarters are mine, of course, and the rest of you may bunk where you like. The ship's name will stay the same. Now we are going to need to create new fighters. If anyone has an idea, feel free to suggest.

"Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got some exploring to do."

"Billy!" Justin called from an upstairs window. "Kimberly! You're back!"

"Hey Justin!" Billy cried, waving from the sidewalk.

"Billy's home!" Justin shouted, running out of his room. Lex, intrigued, was close behind. "Billy's home, Billy's home!" he chanted, running down the stairs.

"We're back!" Kimberly cried happily, throwing the front door open.

"Billy! Kim!" Rebecca called, hurrying over and scooping both teenagers up in a hug. "How was your trip?"

"Too exciting," Billy remarked.

"Kimberly! Billy!" Justin continued shouting. He rushed across the living room and threw himself at the two teens he saw as two older siblings.

"Geeze, Justin, you saw us yesterday," Kimberly laughed, returning his hug.

"So how have things been in Angel Grove?" Billy asked, looking around. His dad came by him, and the two Cranston men shared a brief, quick-back-slap hug.

"We've got a new team of Rangers," Justin remarked. "And four new Turbo Rangers to find."

"You mind if I call my dad?" Kimberly asked, already headed toward the wall phone in the kitchen.

"Jenga tried anything?" Billy asked.

"We don't even know where she is," Justin answered. "No activity on the moon. We're not able to get a lock on her anywhere in space. No attacks, though. And we know she's out there, we just don't know where."

"She wouldn't be on Earth, would she?"

"I can't imagine why," Justin said.

"This is a cool ship," Astronema commented, sitting on the top rail of the captain's promenade deck with one leg on each side.

The entire length of the ship was well-lit with electric lights. Most of the portholes were lit up, casting light on the calm waters all around her. Jenga, Astronema, and Divatox were standing on the highest promenade deck, having a vantage point of the entire ship, and a complete one hundred and eighty degrees of dark, star-filled sky.

"Yes," Jenga agreed. "It is."

"I'm inclined to agree," a soft-spoken female voice said. The three villains turned their gaze toward the voice's source. A young woman was leaning against the railing, her stance loose and lazy.

"Who the hell are you?" Jenga asked, bristling.

"I think a better question would be, 'what the hell do you want,'" the woman said. "And I want to join the UAE."

"How did you survive?" Divatox asked.

"Zordon killed most evil, but he freed my true nature from my prison," the woman told her.

"How can you help us?" Divatox asked.

"I've performed the Quickening," she said. "I'm a product of the Quickening. Who better to assist you, Jenga?"

"How do you know I want to perform the Quickening?" Jenga asked, her eyes narrowed.

"I can smell the desire in you," she answered. "I could be a big help to you."

"Then what's in it for you?" Jenga asked.

The woman paused, unsure if she should say. Then, she admitted in a sad tone, "I'm lonely."

"What's your name?" Astronema asked.

"I have no identity as you would understand it," she said. "Gender, species... none of that means anything to me. May I join you?"

"What can we call you?" Jenga asked, smiling just enough to let the woman know she was welcome to join the group.

Their visitor brushed a strand of grey hair out of her face, beaming. "Just call me Sydney."

End