Standing Outside the Fire
by Jeremy Ray Logsdon

"No more country," Adam muttered to himself.

"Huh?" Tommy grunted to himself.

"You were singing again," Adam said. "Come on, concentrate."

"This is so boring!" Tommy protested. "Man, I hate Chemistry."

"Well it's too late to switch to audit," Adam told him, "and you have to do good on this next test. Besides, it's just Freshmen chem."

"Man, I should have listened to Trini and taken a Humanity Gen Ed this semester," Tommy groaned.

"Or you could have done like the ZackMan and taken bowling," Zack said as he approached the two former Rangers. "Chemistry?"

"Trying," Tommy told him. "Have a seat."

"Can't," Zack said. "Me and Kim have to study."

The perky former Pink Ranger ran up to her friends and planted both palms on the table. "I'm gonna work on my 7-10 split," she smiled. "Gee, that sounds so much more interesting than Le Chatelier's Principle."

"Don't make me hurt you," Tommy teased as Kimberly and Zack left for the Student Center.

Adam rolled an eye at the pair's obvious flirting. Ever since Kimberly had returned to Angel Grove and Katherine had dumped Tommy before going to London, the two had been laying the charm on thick. For reasons Adam couldn't quite fathom, they weren't getting back together. He personally didn't mind. If Kimberly remained single, then there was still hope in some far corner of his pleading mind for a relationship with her. _She is a lot like Tanya,_ Adam thought to himself. He wasn't really ready to jump into a new relationship, however. He still hurt from being dumped by Tanya, and though he wouldn't have ever admitted it to himself, he wasn't very trusting of women at the moment.

Trini had admitted to Kimberly, and Kimberly alone, that she carried a very potent crush on Adam. She didn't know what it was about the shy teen. Maybe it was his shyness that attracted her. He did have a lot in common with Billy, Trini's first "love." Trini, Zack, Adam, Kimberly, and Tommy had formed their own clique at Angel Grove University. They weren't the only former Rangers still in Angel Grove. Jason and Rocky were around as well, although they were seldom seen. The two were extremely busy in the Scott DeSantos School of Martial Arts.

"All right," Tommy said, closing the book. "I'm crammed as much of this crap into my head as I can. I just want to take this test and get it over with so I can enjoy my Thanksgiving break."

"You'll never believe what I'm doing Friday after," Adam said, tapping his ink pen against his notebook.

"What's that?" Tommy asked, proceeding to stuff his books into his backpack.

"I'm going to work for Dean Watson," Adam told him.

"The dean?" Tommy asked in disbelief. "Maxwell Watson? The strangest man to hit Angel Grove since Lord Zedd?"

"He's actually been here since the forties, but yeah, him," Adam said. "I saw an ad in College Heights for somebody willing to pay five hundred bucks to clean out a basement. I called the number, got the job, found out it was the Dean. He also said it is a very big job, and I should probably look into finding a few somebodies to help me."

"Wow," Tommy said thoughtfully. "Dean Watson. What does he look like?"

"Ahem, I said he said I should probably look into finding a few somebodies to help me," Adam repeated.

"Oh," Tommy said. "Split the cash?"

"With however many people I can find," Adam said.

"Heck, I'll do it just to get a chance to see Dean Watson in person," Tommy said. The man was indeed a mystery. The only thing widely known about him was that he was a very rich old black man.

"Does that mean I don't have to pay you?" Adam tried hopefully.

"Yeah right," Tommy said. "You wish."

~*~

"I can't believe Adam talked me into this," Trini complained as she and Kimberly got ready to go help him clean out Dean Watson's basement.

"Oh please," Kimberly muttered. "Adam could have asked you to build a ladder to the moon and you would have tried."

"Am I that obvious?" Trini asked nonchalantly.

"Maybe it's because I know about your obsession," Kimberly told her firmly. "Talk to him. He and Tanya broke up. Just talk to him. You'll be engaged by Christmas."

"I don't want anything that serious," Trini laughed. "I was just thinking a date to see Scream 2."

"That too," Kimberly said. "Well, I'm ready. And for Adam's sake, we had better get to meet Dean Watson."

~*~

Tommy, Trini, Zack, Kimberly, and Adam stood at the front door of Watson Manor. "This place sure is big," Zack whispered, mostly to himself.

"Ring the bell again," Tommy suggested.

Just as Adam was about to push the lighted button, the door opened, revealing an old woman dressed in black. "Good day," the woman said. "Dean Watson has been expecting you." She escorted the five teens into the house. They were lead into a long entranceway which was decorated with various statues and paintings.

"Is the Dean here?" Adam asked hopefully.

"No, I'm afraid not," the woman said. Adam cringed at the four looks his friends suddenly shot at him. "If you'll follow me to the basement," she said, walking down a side corridor.

"Sorry guys," Adam muttered as they followed the maid to the basement.

"Eh, we'll still get paid," Zack said.

A few moments later, the maid led them into the largest most cluttered room any of the quintet had seen. "This basement is bigger than my whole house!" Kimberly cried.

"There isn't anything to be thrown away," the maid said. "You just need to clean, polish, and reorganize."

"You got it," Tommy told her. "Let's get to work guys."

~*~

They worked all day long, stopping only for a delicious lunch served by the maid. By the time the sun had set, they were nearly finished. "Hey you guys!" Kimberly called. "Check this out!" She pulled a wooden chest from a hidden nook under a work bench. Coughing, she wiped the dust from the lid. The chest was made of dark wood, and its edges were bronzed. A silver emblem was on the lid, carrying a hideous visage of a twisted face. A silver lock held the chest shut, but as soon as Kimberly touched the look, it opened in her hand.

"A chest?" Trini remarked, kneeling beside it. "This is so cool! That face is pretty freaky though."

"That looks familiar," Adam said thoughtfully.

"It's like the seal from Ivan Ooze's tomb!" Tommy cried. "It's identical to it!"

"You're right," Kimberly agreed. "It is. Huh, what are the odds?"

"Well, clean it and let's get finished," Adam said.

"Oh come on," Kimberly said. "It's not even locked. Let's open it."

"Kimberly, it's not ours," Adam told her.

"This guy has had us rummaging through his stuff all day long," Kimberly rebutted. "I doubt he's gonna care if we open the trunk. Besides, from all of this dust on it, he's probably forgotten its even down here."

Zack picked the chest up and carried it to a nearby table so they could all gather around it. "It's too light to have anything in it," Zack said. "What's it gonna hurt to open it?"

"I'm not gonna open it," Adam said firmly.

"Well, I will," Kimberly volunteered. She pulled the unlocked lock off and stared thoughtfully at the chest. Suddenly, she was having second thoughts. She pushed them to the back of her mind, though, and opened the chest.

"It's empty," Zack muttered. "Told you."

Before Kimberly could say anything in reply, red light began to shine from within the chest. A multitude of laughs, coming from a variety of voices, began to bubble up from the depths.

"What did you do?" Adam asked.

"I just opened the lid!" Kimberly cried.

Flames began to rise up from the glowing chest. Kimberly and Zack screamed in alarm and scrambled away. A giant ball of fire shot out of the chest. It hovered above the chest for a moment, and then tore straight up the stairs. The five ex-Rangers stared at each other for a moment and then followed. The ball of fire reached the top of the stairwell and arched to the right, flying down the long corridor leading to the front entrance. Tommy was closest behind the fireball with the others right on his heels. The fireball burst through the front door, blowing it off of its hinges. The laughter from the chest suddenly became much louder and more jovial. The five teens followed it outside just as it arched high up into the sky. It traveled high into the air and exploded into thirteen smaller beads of fire. The evil laughter dissipated along with the thirteen beads of fire, and the brief supernatural phenomena was over.

"What was that?" Tommy asked.

Suddenly, red fire burst from the ground before them. It burned straight up into the air as though trailing up an invisible column. Upon reaching a height of about six feet, it coalesced into the form of an old black man. "What did you do?" he asked sternly.

The five teens glanced at each other nervously, for a moment not saying a word. Tommy finally spoke up and said, "We opened a chest in the basement, and a ball of fire burst out."

The man frowned angrily, and then turned to look at the sky. "Who opened it?" he asked again.

"I-I did," Kimberly said nervously.

"You are not a relative of mine," the man said.

"Who are you?" Trini asked nervously.

"Maxwell Watson," the man said gravely. "Guardian of the chest. Come with me," he told them as he walked into his house. "We have much to do and less than a month to do it in."

~*~

"Master Watson," the maid said, obviously startled at seeing her boss home. "What brings you home so soon?"

"The chest. Graciela, please call my granddaughter. Have her here immediately."

"Yes sir," she whispered, obviously shaken.

"Follow me," Maxwell Watson said. He walked down the corridor and turned to the left, leading them into a huge living room, decorated in shades of maroon. "Have a seat." The teens did as they were told. "Are any of you scared yet? You should be."

"What are you going to do to us?" Kimberly asked nervously.

Maxwell looked at her for a moment and then began to laugh out loud. "What am I going to do to you?" he laughed. "I'm not going to do anything to you. What you let out of that chest is going to do it to you.

"You're probably wondering about that chest," he began. "That chest is as old as man itself. It contains thirteen spirits of pure, unadulterated evil. My family, for reasons I do not even understand, are the chest's guardians. We are to prevent it from being opened. "Not anyone can open the chest. A shaman placed a spell on the chest many centuries ago, allowing only a member of my family or a holder of great power to open the chest and free the evil. How did you open the chest?"

Kimberly looked at her friends for support. Tommy flashed her a single glance with his eyes, and she then said, "I used to be a Power Ranger."

"Damn," Maxwell Watson said, not phased by that admission in the least. "I never expected this to happen. If I had known I would have a Power Ranger in my basement, I never would have left you unattended." He rubbed a sapphire ring on his right ring finger thoughtfully. "You have until midnight of Christmas Eve to capture those thirteen spirits you just set free," Maxwell told them. "My granddaughter will go with you, as only she can successfully capture the spirits."

"Why Christmas Eve?" Trini asked.

"Christmas day, regardless of religious preference, is a day that carries a lot of good will and peace toward mankind. If the evil that was in that chest is free during the passing of one Christmas day, then the evil is free forever. The world will not survive to see a new year."

"Your granddaughter is here, sir," Graciela said. "She hurried over as soon as I told her of the chest."

"Very well," Maxwell said. He smiled warmly as his granddaughter, next in line to wear the Ring and guard the Chest, entered the living room. "Hello, Angela."

Zack's head whipped in her direction at the mention of her name. She wore a short purple dress, white stockings, and had a white scarf wrapped around her neck and a white band in her hair. She looked as though she had just stepped out of the sixties, but it was definitely her- Angela Watson, the girl Zack had spent all of his waking hours trying to catch. "Hello, grandfather," she said warmly, rushing across the living room to hug him. "How did this happen?"

"These teenagers opened the chest," Maxwell said. "Don't judge them harshly. They didn't know."

"Kimberly?" Angela asked in shock. "Tommy? Trini? You guys?"

"Hi, Angela," Zack said, standing up and feebly waving at her. She stared at him once and contempt immediately filled her eyes.

"Oh," she remarked. "Figures you would have something to do with the destruction of the world as we know it." Zack's face immediately dropped into an unhappy frown, but Angela paid no mind.

"Be nice, Angela," Maxwell said. "Kimberly, she was a Power Ranger."

"I suspected as much," Angela added. "Pink? And the rest of you as well, I'm willing to wager."

"Yeah," Kimberly said. "Uhm, that's the kind of thing I would like to be kept quiet, though."

"Of course," Angela agreed, unwrapping the white scarf from her neck. "So grandfather, what is the plan?"

"The six of you are going to recapture the spirits," he told her. "I'll help you from here. My heart can't handle going on the adventures you all will face. You leave at daybreak. All of you, go home, get what you need. I will take care of explaining this to your parents."

"What about school?" Tommy asked.

"Hold on a second!" Zack protested. "This is happening way too fast. Not ten minutes ago, nothing was wrong. What is going on?!"

"Listen up, bub," Angela said. "The chest has been opened, you were there, you're a part of this. We're going to recapture the thirteen spirits that were freed. Or else. You have two options. Come with me, or die. That's literally the only other option you have. Got it?" Maxwell smiled at his granddaughter. She certainly had his stubborn spirit, that was for sure.

"Got it," Zack said nervously.

"As for school," Maxwell said, "I am the dean. I'll take care of everything. I'll attempt to track the first spirit tonight. That way, I'll know where to send you in the morning. Now go." Dean Maxwell Watson watched as Angela led the five teenagers out of the house. She was no doubt going to smooth the corners out for them a bit, give them a slightly rounder view of the situation. It was then that the reality of the situation settled upon him, and he sat down with a heavy thump. The world was endangered because he hadn't done his job properly.

~*~

"It's going to be sort of like being a Power Ranger again," Tommy said thoughtfully. He and Adam were the first two at Watson Manor the next morning.

"Only we don't have our powers this time," Adam muttered.

"True," Tommy agreed. "We've certainly got our work cut out for us, that's for sure. Hey, there's Kim, Trini, and Zack." The three were driving up the long driveway to the estate.

"Out of the frying pan, into the fire," Adam moaned.

"Huh?"

"This sounds like something we would have gotten ourselves into as Rangers," Adam told him. "Now here we are, post Ranger days, getting back into another mess."

The smile Tommy gave him told Adam that this was exactly what Tommy needed. Tommy was actually looking forward to this little quest they were about to go on. Action was apparently what he lived for.

Angela and Maxwell joined Tommy and Adam on the front lawn. Maxwell had a briefcase full of various computer odds and ends, including a powerful laptop, modem, and cellular phone, while Angela carried a suitcase full of clothes and the empty Chest. "Don't let this out of your sight," Maxwell said.

"Carry on," Angela told him. "Got it."

Trini, Kimberly, and Zack joined the others on the lawn, each carrying enough clothing to last several days. "I have tracked the first spirit," Maxwell said. He handed them a first class ticket to Sydney, Australia. "I'll tell you more when you get there. My driver will take you to the airport." He motioned to a long black limousine which suddenly pulled up to the house. "And please, be careful."

The six teenagers looked at each other for a moment, until Angela broke the silence. "Let's go."

Maxwell Watson watched as the limo took his granddaughter and five of her friends away. "Please be careful," he whispered.