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"Hold up," Angela, the female bouncer, said.
"I need to go in the bathroom," Katherine said.
"I won't stop you, but you'll ruin the Bladder Blast if you do," Angela answered.
"No, I don't have to pee. I have to do something else."
"If you need to wash your hands, there's a sink behind the bar."
"No, I have to do something else."
"Such as?" Angela asked.
"I was just riding the mechanical bull," she whispered.
"And?"
"I need to pull my panties out of my bum!" Katherine shouted, frustrated. Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red, but no one heard her over the music.
"Sorry, can't let you in the bathroom," Angela said with a shrug, "unless you want to break Bladder Blast. Last girl who broke Bladder Blast ended up covered in mayonnaise in the parking lot."
"But I'm not going to pee!"
"Bladder Blast is over when the tape on the bathroom or main doors is broken," Angela said, fingering the hot pink tape stretched across the door.
"Well is there a closet I can go into?"
"Nope," Angela sighed. "I would let you go in the manager's office, but the last person I let do that ended up peeing in the aquarium."
"Then what do you suggest I do?"
"Try riding the bull backwards," Angela smiled.
~*~
"Come on, Kat," Rocky prodded. "Just do something to take your mind off of it. Let's go dance."
"I can't dance, I can barely move," she griped through clenched teeth.
"All right, guys, clear out," Kimberly ordered. "Chicks, help me with the table."
"What are you going to do?" Kat asked.
"As soon as the guys are gone, we are going to turn the table on its side so you can fix your drawers," Kimberly answered.
"In front of everyone?!" Katherine hissed.
"Either that, or you can wobble around all night," Beth suggested.
"A group of guys headed for the bar together," Jason commented as we all left. "Oh yeah, this looks good."
Curiosity got the best of us, and as soon as we were a safe distance away, we glanced back to see that the six girls were holding the table on its side. Katherine was nowhere to be seen, although a second later, she popped up and announced, "Finished!"
"That wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it might be," Justin complained.
"Hey cutie," a soft voice said behind Justin. Turning around, he saw a young college student standing there. "Can I buy you a drink?"
"Yeah!" Justin cried eagerly, following her like a love-struck puppy to the bar.
"I'll keep an eye on him," I volunteered.
"Now about that dance," Katherine said, looking greatly relieved as she walked up to Rocky.
"You're gonna have to wash your hands first," he announced.
~*~
Jenga's Universe
9:49 p.m.
Tasha lifted one eyelid. She had fallen asleep, apparently, because she was waking up in one of the nicest beds she had ever seen. "DECA?" Tasha grunted.
"You fell asleep," DECA answered. "I saw no need to wake you."
"How comes the Blue Senturion?" Tasha asked sleepily.
"Rather well, given what I have to work with," DECA said.
Tasha sat up in bed and saw that the Lexus was no longer a beautiful car. Instead, several large sections of the body had been cut away, and through the open hood, she saw that the engine was missing. "I am already downloading files from the UDAB headquarters," DECA said. "By four a.m., I will be finished. If you like, you can go back to sleep."
"Getting stalked through a mall is surprisingly draining," Tasha mumbled as she curled back up to drift off to sleep.
~*~
Sigma's Universe
10:43 p.m.
"I, for one, love the girly drinks!" I announced, holding my Strawberries and Creme in the air.
"Here, here!" Jason agreed, clinking his Fuzzy Navel to my glass.
"You guys are as bad as chicks," Beth complained, taking a swig from her Iced Tea.
"You all realize that these are nonalcoholic, right?" Skull asked.
"Doesn't matter," Allison answered. "You have to act out of it. Everyone does."
To illustrate Allison's point, Kimberly tilted her head back and let out a loud whoop. A few people scattered here and there across the entire bar echoed her "fake drunk call."
"Is the bladder blast over yet?" Dana whined, resting her head against the table.
"Just go pee," Beth said. "Somebody has to break it."
"I don't want to get covered in mayonnaise again," Dana groaned.
"We got you hosed off," Jason said. "No permanent damage."
"Besides, you went to the bathroom before ten o'clock last time," Tara told her. "That's what got you in trouble. It's almost ten thirty. Go ahead and go. In fact, go now."
"Tara has to pee, too," Allison whispered to me.
"Mayonnaise or not, I gotta go," Dana said firmly. Getting up, she walked to the bathroom. Tara and Kimberly looked at each other for a moment before following her.
"Check this out," Rocky said to Skull. "As soon as everybody realizes that Dana is going to break the Bladder Blast, every single woman in this room will race toward the bathrooms."
About five minutes later, the longest Bladder Blast in the history of Gregory's Place was over. Promptly, new drinks that had to be paid for were ordered.
"Attention," Beth said, tapping her glass with a fork. Standing up, she raised her glass to everyone at our table. "To the most exciting, interesting summer we've ever had, and to our friends from another dimension."
"To the best summer of our lives," Katherine agreed.
Smiling faces were all around as we clinked our glasses as a group for what would be the last time.
~*~
Jenga's Universe
August 23
4:12 a.m.
"Tasha, I hate to wake you, but I need assistance," DECA said, reaching out to gently shake the sleeping teen.
"Okay," Tasha murmured, getting out of bed. "What do you need me to do?"
"There is some internal workings that need to be done on our Senturion units," DECA answered. "I need an organic hand to help me."
"Units?" Tasha asked. As she swung her feet over the edge of the bed, she was startled to see two Senturion units, a Blue Senturion with a male's body and a Purple Senturion with the form of a female. She was a bit shorter than the six foot tall Blue Senturion, and her coloring was royal purple. She wore a purple helmet over her silver face, but lilac-colored metal hair reached down to her shoulders. "You made two?!"
"It turns out there is a lot of metal in automobiles," DECA said, "and I was able to replicate some more hard drives. Earth computers turned out to be astonishingly simplistic in design, but adequate as memory storage vesicles."
"Why is she purple?" Tasha asked. "Not that I mind, of course, but..."
"There are ten types of Senturion units," DECA said. "Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black, white, silver, and gold. Barring Red and Blue, each type of Senturion unit has something different to offer. Red and Blue Senturion units have their own rules they follow. Red Senturions are always evil, and Blue Senturions are always good. Each are methodical fighters. Purple Senturions, which can serve either good or evil, depending on their programming, are excellent strategists. Should the mode of fight change, then she will be able to come up with a new plan instantly."
"Awesome," Tasha said, summing up her entire thoughts with one word. Looking around, she saw that except for a few scraps, and the car seats, practically everything they had purchased the day before was gone. Even the tires from the Lexus were missing. "You actually got all of this stuff in these two robots? How come they aren't so heavy they're crashing through the floor?"
"I have a microprocessing laboratory in my internal cavity," DECA said. "I can manipulate the empty space in matter, decreasing or increasing said space to suit my needs. Essentially, a lot of our materials were shrunk so as to be more dense and be better conductors of electricity and knowledge. Understand?"
"Shrunk it, got it," Tasha said. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just activate them," DECA told her, her mechanical eyes winking happily. "Reach your hand into the compartment at the small of their backs. You'll probably have to go in up to your elbow. Reach in until you come across a thick wire. You may have to feel around, but there should be a plug for it. As soon as that is connected, our Senturion units will be activated."
Tasha walked over to the silent, still Blue Senturion. She found the tiny opening on his back. Plunging her arm in up to the elbow, she quickly found the large wire. A few seconds later, she had it connected. Pulling her arm out, she closed the compartment just as Blue Senturion was activated. "Greetings," he said in a calm voice. "I am Blue Senturion."
"It is an honor, Blue Senturion," DECA said, hovering before him. "My name is DECA, and this is Tasha. We created you."
"For that, I give you thanks," he said. "For what purpose have you created me?"
"Jenga Xett, head of the Dynasty of the Apocalypse, has created a set of evil Rangers from the Thunder Powers," DECA told him. "We need you to assist us in destroying her link to their powers."
"Then I shall do all I can to assist you," Blue Senturion said. He turned, seeing the still Purple Senturion nearby. "Is she my partner?"
Tasha smiled. She could actually hear hope in his voice. "Yes, she is," DECA said. "Tasha, would you please activate her so they make acquaint themselves?"
The young girl was unable to keep from shaking her head in disbelief as she reached in to activate the Purple Senturion. _Robot love. What a concept._
~*~
4:30 a.m.
Jenga, now in the Lunar Palace on the moon, assembled an eclectic team of fighters. Quantrons, Piranhatrons, Putties of all types, Cogs, Tengas, and even a few Wulf Warriors stood in a group, waiting for further orders. "You will be easily defeated," she said to the enchanted fighters. "Fight only hard enough to make them believe you are trying to win. I want their confidence level as high as possible. The Thunder Rangers have been given their directions. Go." In a variety of teleport patterns, the fighters disappeared.
Divatox and Astronema flanked the auburn-haired space demon. "Do you expect to win?" Astronema asked.
"I've long since learned it is best to expect nothing," Jenga answered truthfully. "That way, you're always surprised."
~*~
"It's about time," David snarled.
"Forgive me for being two minutes late," Heather said, returning the same tone. She removed her glasses. All five Thunder Rangers looked remarkably eerie in the darkness of early morning. Without their pitch black sunglasses, their glowing eyes were all the more bright, while their faces were highlighted in the color. Marge, with her red eyes, looked particularly evil.
"They're almost defeated," Marge said. The five Turbo Rangers were the only ones called out for what Zordon and Alpha suspected to be a standard fight.
"Do we reveal our identities?" Molly asked.
"Never," Marge returned. "Let's do it, guys." In a leader voice, she shouted, "Thunder Bolt, Now!" The five Rangers thrust their right arm out before them, their glowing Thunder Orb held between their thumb and index fingers. Their left arm was bent at the elbow and pulled up and back, parallel with the shoulder. The fingers were opened, briefly haloing the side of their heads.
"Red Dragon Thunder Power!" Marge shouted.
"Green Lion Thunder Power!" Heather yelled.
"Blue Pegasus Thunder Power!" David cried.
"Yellow Kirin Thunder Power!" Molly called.
"Pink Firebird Thunder Power!" Maggie bellowed.
Each Thunder Orb glowed brightly and melted into their bodies. In a bright flash, each ordinary mortal instantly morphed into the shiny Thunder Armor. "Colored gloves," Maggie observed. Each pair of gloves and boots on each Ranger was their Ranger color. Instead of a white chest, as the Thunder Ranger Armor had originally been, it was now entirely colored, except for a white circle in the center.
"We fight, until the death," Marge said simply.
~*~
"Sie-kyuh!" TJ shouted as he spin-kicked the last of the Quantrons. He flipped away as soon as his feet touched the floor, and by the time he had righted himself, the Quantron was gone.
"Zordon, is there anything thing else out here?" Cassie asked.
"Turbo headlights," Carlos commanded quietly. He shined the lights around, trying to see if there was anything else. As far as he could see, the park was empty except for them.
"We are picking up some unusual readings near you," Alpha said.
"That would be us!"
The five Turbo Rangers quickly dropped in line as the five Thunder Rangers approached them. "What-?" Ashley asked.
"Power Rangers?" Carlos asked.
"Thunder Rangers," Heather said. Each Thunder Ranger lined up with the Turbo Ranger of their color. Marge and TJ, Heather and Carlos, David and Bulk, Cassie and Maggie, and Molly and Ashley. Neither team knew the other's identity, and at the moment, that thought was the furthest thing from everyone's mind.
"Zordon?" Bulk asked into his wrist. "We've got some weird stuff out here."
"Who- Where are you from?" Cassie asked. They had already told who they were.
"It doesn't matter where we're from," Marge said. "All that matters is where you're going."
In five flashes of blackest ebony, a weapon appeared in the hands of each Thunder Ranger. The weapon was purest black, absolutely no highlights of any color on it. Their evil was contained within those weapons. The Red Ranger held a cylinder with a claw at the top, the Thunder Whip. Green Ranger held a length of chain between her hands with a saw blade at the end, the Thunder Spinning Blade. Yellow Ranger possessed a set of metal claws, attached to a short handle. They were aptly named the Thunder Claws. Pink Ranger held two pair of Thunder Nunchaku. Blue Ranger's weapon was the simplest, and most efficient, of all, the Thunder Dagger.
"Rangers," Marge said softly. "Attack."
The Turbo Rangers weren't prepared for the onslaught that followed. Yellow Turbo Ranger just barely had time to summon her Star Chargers as Yellow Thunder Ranger brought her Thunder Claws down at her chest. "Don't do this!" Ashley cried, kicking her sister, unknowing to her, in the stomach. Molly stumbled back a few feet, but she wasn't deterred. She spin-flipped to Ashley's left, bringing her Thunder Claws down in a swipe at her leg. Ashley cried out in pain, not prepared for the intense rush of pain that followed. So far, the Power had led her to believe she was invincible. Although the pain quickly fled, leaving her none the worse for wear, it had hurt like nobody's business.
Maggie pressed forward with her nunchaku, keeping Cassie from gaining any ground with Wind Fire. "You should be fighting with me!" Cassie shouted. Maggie threw her weight forward, putting it on Cassie. She leapt into the air, sailing over Cassie's body. As she landed, she brought her Thunder Nunchaku together, slamming them into Cassie's helmeted head in unison.
Heather spun the tri-section blade in a circle above her head, much like a lasso. "Don't make me fire!" Carlos threatened, holding his Thunder Cannon out before him.
"Thunder Spinning Blade, Thunder Cannon, I wonder who'll win," Heather taunted. She took a broad stance and flicked the blade at him. The sharp, serrated edge knocked his weapon out of his grip. It melted away into sparks of green light as soon as he lost contact with it. He was so startled that Heather was easily able to launch into a tornado kick and knock him flat on his back. With a hard yank of her wrist, she sent the blade at the center of his chest. He rolled away, the blade sinking deep into the ground instead of hitting his armor. However, before he could be too happy, she launched the blade at him again, striking him full on the chest. As he rolled away, sparks glancing off of his armor, she said, "Looks like I win."
Bulk grabbed David by his biceps, planting his knee into the Blue Thunder Ranger's stomach. David, however, spun free, the back of his heel catching Bulk in the chin. The considerably larger Blue Turbo Ranger was futile to do anything as he spun wildly through the air. Slamming into the ground, he barely had time to turn around before the blade sliced across his back. Bulk's armor kept the blade from sinking into him, but David still managed to get in a painful hit.
"Hand Blasters!" Bulk shouted. Calling his weapons, he pointed them both at the Blue Thunder Ranger and fired a double shot. However, before he could relish in his temporary victory, a black saw blade streaked past him and slashed across his chest.
"Ha!" Heather taunted from a short distance away.
An ebony whip coiled up TJ's Lightning Sword, rendering the weapon useless. He yanked hard, but Marge's Thunder Whip held him tightly. She pulled equally hard, yanking him toward her. She leapt into the air, her red-booted foot slamming into his chest. Retracting her Whip, his Sword tumbled from his hands.
"Give in, Red Turbo Ranger," she snarled, "and I'll make your death quick." She thrust her Whip out before her, the tip flying toward him and striking him in the chest. With an oomph, he flew backwards through the air and landed in a painful heap.
"Zordon, we need help!" he yelled into his wrist.
"We can offer assistance," a calm voice said. Every player in the fight turned to see a Blue Senturion and a Purple Senturion approaching.
"What are those?" Yellow Thunder Ranger asked.
"I am Blue Senturion," Blue Senturion said. "My objectives are the destruction of the dark Thunder Weapons."
"I am Purple Senturion," Purple Senturion said. Her voice had a feminine lilt to it, not to mention a faint English accent. "My objective is to devise an effective solution to destroy the Dark Thunder Weapons while defending myself in any manner necessary."
"Hold on tight, guys!" Alpha cried through the radio systems. "Help is on the way!"
Blue, crimson, and purple fire spiraled up out of the ground, producing Jenga, Divatox, and Astronema, respectively. "Destroy them!" Jenga demanded. Ioaeu Sjknth appeared in her hands, and she, too, leapt into the fray.
~*~
"Crystal," Tommy whispered.
"You're in the wrong room, Tommy," Chelsea mumbled.
"What?" Crystal groaned from the cot beside Chelsea's bed.
"There's some stuff happening in the park," Tommy said. "Are you up for it?"
"Yeah," she grunted. He helped pulled her to her feet. "Squirrel," she muttered, morphing quickly, albeit half-heartedly, for the adrenaline rush. "Whoo! That's much better!" Touching her belt buckle, she melted away in a streak of red.
~*~
"Green Ranger, take the Senturions," Marge ordered.
"Right!" Heather shouted, coiling the slack of chain around her right forearm. Leaping away from Carlos, she hurried over to the Purple Senturion.
"Would it be possible for us to solve this dispute in a democratic manner?" Purple Senturion asked.
Rather than answer her verbally, Heather, holding the black blade in her left hand, slashed at the robot. "I presume not," Purple Senturion said. Heather attempted to punch the robot with her right hand, but Purple Senturion blocked the blow. Heather's green-gloved hands were a blur, but Purple Senturion blocked them all. The mechanical fighter lifted her leg and pushed her foot into Heather's stomach. Heather grunted as she was forced backwards. Falling to her knees, she lashed out with the chain. Purple Senturion cartwheeled backwards, the black chain whizzing uselessly past her ankles.
Heather caught a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. She dropped the blade and held the chain double-handed. Blue Senturion attempted to punch her, but she quickly wound the chain around his wrist. She flipped over his wrist and side-kicked him in the back.
Purple Senturion watched as Blue Senturion was being held captive by the Green Thunder Ranger. Purple Senturion pulled the pistol from her holster and pointed it at Heather. "Here goes," Purple Senturion said. She fired a single shot, which struck the black blade at the end of the black chain. Amazingly and miraculously, the black coloring fell off of the weapon, leaving it colored emerald green. Black beads of light dropped out of Heather, falling from every single inch of her body. They abruptly faded away, leaving her standing next to Blue Senturion, horribly confused.
"Green Ranger?" Purple Senturion asked.
"Oh my God," Heather gasped, placing one hand over her mouthplate. She let go of her Spinning Blade, which promptly dissolved away, freeing Blue Senturion. "What-?"
"There are two things you can do," Blue Senturion said. "You can feel sorry for yourself, or you can help us on this side of the fight."
"I'm in," Heather practically growled, clenching her fists tightly.
~*~
TJ dropped to the ground in a full-split, just as Jenga swung Ioaeu Sjknth at him. She kicked him, hard, in the chest, knocking him out of his split and onto his back. Jenga stood over him, holding Ioaeu Sjknth above his chest.
"No!" Cassie cried. Lifting Wind Fire, she fired two shots of pink energy at Jenga. "That Sword is very powerful! She could kill you with it!" The two beams of pink energy hit Jenga, causing her to stumble back a step and grunt. She glanced down at her body; Cassie had struck her on the chest and stomach. Both shots had burned through her clothing but otherwise done no real damage.
Jenga frowned as she lifted her gaze to the Pink Ranger. She thrust her Sword out before her like a scepter. A pink beam of energy shot out of it and slammed into the Pink Ranger, knocking her back, sprawling, several feet. "Mind your own business!" Jenga snapped. Her eyes flashed angrily as she looked back to TJ, lying at her feet.
He summoned Red Lightning in a flash of red light. Jenga chuckled. His Sword looked puny in comparison to her's. "Stand up," she ordered, kicking him in the ribs.
"What?" he asked, doing as she asked although he had no idea why.
"More honorable," she answered simply. Then, she swung Ioaeu Sjknth like a baseball bat. TJ put his Sword up to parry her thrust, when suddenly, white light exploded between them. Both the Ranger and the space demon were tossed backwards by the explosion.
"What the hell?" she grumped. However, as soon as she sat up, she realized what had happened. "Dimitria," she growled. The Inquirian had placed a spell of her own on the Sword. It could be used by evil, but the blade itself could never be used in a fight between the two sides. "No matter," she said, more to herself than anyone. Putting Ioaeu Sjknth away, she somersaulted backwards, rising to her feet. Then, she cartwheeled forwards, spinning around backwards and kicking straight out behind her, striking TJ in the stomach with her ordinary Reeboks.
White light split the sky in half, coming to land in the middle of the fight. As the teleportation beam dissolved away, what was actually the White Thunder Ranger was revealed. Aisha took a double take upon seeing the evil Thunder Rangers. The similarities in her helmet design and their's was apparent. _Zordon's gonna have some explaining to do later,_ Aisha decided. "Saba!" As she extended her arm, the enchanted saber was already there.
"White Ranger?" he asked.
"More evil Rangers," she said. "You up for it?"
"What else do I have to do?" he inquired.
Two streams of red light arrived at almost the same time, forming Crystal and Tommy as the Red Zeo Ranger.
"Tommy," David growled under his breath. He darted away from Bulk, lining himself up perfectly with his younger brother. David held the dagger by the tip of the handle. After lining it up, he threw it, straight as an arrow, at Tommy's chest.
"No!" Heather cried. She hurled the Spinning Blade straight out in front of her. The black dagger hurled toward the unknowing Red Ranger, but her shining green blade blocked it. The blade dropped straight down and the dagger flipped away, falling pitifully short of its intended target. She was about to grab the Thunder Dagger for one of the Senturion units, when a pair of powerful hands clamped around her throat. Her weapon fell from her hands as she clutched desperately at the blue gloves at her throat.
"You've betrayed us," David growled, the evil dripping from his voice startling her. He lifted the already tall Green Ranger off of the ground, her green booted feet swiping at the ground but missing. "You were supposed to help us."
"You're evil," she rasped. His hands couldn't actually close her airway, but the strength with which he held her was terrifying. "But it's not who you are!"
Purple Senturion hurried across the battlefield, her pistol out to shoot the evil Thunder Dagger. However, just as she fired at it, a tendril of blue light streaked across it, making it disappeared. She followed the tendril of light with her gaze, seeing it stop with Jenga. Jenga flicked her hand, breaking the string of magic. To David, she shouted, "Put your weapons away when you aren't holding them!"
"Nice claws," Molly taunted.
Crystal gasped and backed away from the evil Ranger. "Not another one," she spat. Her brief spat with the Phantom Ranger had been more than plenty for her.
The Yellow Thunder Ranger swung her blades at Crystal's chest. She hopped back, narrowly missing them. "Would a nice little pep talk help at all right now?" Crystal asked. She gave a sharp cry as Molly slashed both of her Thunder Claws at her again. Crystal crossed her Tyrannosaurus Talons and blocked the weapon. "You gotta remember, I've got nearly two years' experience." She inverted her wrists, knocking both Thunder Claws out of Molly's hands. She placed one foot on Molly's stomach and flipped, kicking her in the chest as she sailed past her. However, as Molly fell, she grabbed Crystal by the foot and yanked, throwing her flip off-kilter. Both Rangers fell to the ground, Crystal's weapons disappearing as she lost contact with them.
"Somebody help me!" Heather pleaded. David had no intention of releasing his grip on her.
Suddenly, a black form streaked past them. Heather, David, and the form in black all oomph-ed, falling to the ground. Turning her gaze, she saw the Black Morphin Ranger lying beside them. "Thanks!" Heather shouted. Launching herself into the air, she dove for Molly's Thunder Claws. Just as she was about to touch the black weapons, Molly made them disappear. Her fingers bit into the grass, instead. "Dammit!"
"YOU!" Molly shouted. Heather, practically lying on the grass, looked up to see Molly standing above her. Crying out, she rolled away as Molly brought her foot down where she was standing. Heather extended one hand, calling on her Spinning Blade. She swiped the blade behind Molly's feet, bringing her to the ground.
She then heard metal clinking against metal. Looking the other way, she saw the purple-haired Astronema running toward her. She rolled away again as Astronema's sharp diamond-shaped scepter plunged into the ground next to her. She grabbed a length of the chain in her hands and lashed it around Astronema's ankles. Then, giving a hard yank, she pulled her off of her feet. Hurriedly, she leapt to her own feet and somersaulted away before either could attack her again.
"Where's Zeo II?!" Bulk asked as Maggie approached him, her Nunchaku swinging wildly. The woman who wore the armor of the Yellow Zeo Ranger possessed the same weapon, and he theorized that she would be best to tackle the Pink Thunder Ranger.
"In an airplane on her way to the University of Kentucky," Adam answered, suddenly appearing beside them. He already had his Power Hatchets out, and he swung them both, catching Maggie in her wrists. She cried out as she dropped both weapons. Rather than be deterred, however, she punched Adam in the helmet, knocking him back a few steps.
Blue Senturion appeared beside them in a brief glimmer of blue. Without saying a word, he pointed his gun at one of Maggie's Nunchaku. He fired a single shot, which hit the ebony weapon. Black bubbles of evil rolled up and out of Maggie, disappearing into the air around her. "What?" she asked simply.
"An evil spell that was placed on you has just been broken," Blue Senturion said. "Purple Senturion!" Purple light flickered beside him as the gleaming purple robot appeared.
"I will explain, but we must be quick," Purple Senturion said. Purple Senturion started to lead her away, but Maggie held still, looking back at the fight. She saw the Yellow Thunder Ranger fighting with the Red Zeo Ranger.
"No," Maggie said. "I want to help."
Without waiting for permission, she ran between Molly and Tommy. "Don't!" she cried, putting her hands on Molly's wrist. "You don't know what you're doing!"
"I know what I'm doing better than you!" Molly growled. Maggie pushed her backwards, away from Tommy and out of the fight. She looked around her, and then she reached up to her helmet, unlatching it.
"Molly, don't," Maggie pleaded, her voice rich with sympathy. Her eyes were not glowing pink. Instead, they had returned to their vibrant but pale blue color. "Just give me your weapons, and everything will be all right."
Molly gently raised one hand, still holding a Thunder Claw in it, to Maggie's face. She rested the sharp points on her sister's face. Maggie's heart was beating painfully fast in her chest. She suddenly realized she was in way over her head. "Molly, don't hurt me," Maggie said bravely. "Please."
"Sorry," Molly said. "You don't order me around anymore." She pulled her hand back and thrust it forward.
Maggie screamed as what she could only describe as chaos whirled up around her. Pink light flashed and black metal scraped across her field of vision. In a start, she realized that her helmet was back on her head, and Molly's Thunder Claws had scraped across the hard material instead of her face.
"Fine!" Maggie yelled. Not even realizing the full extent of her new abilities, she jump-kicked her sister, making her stumble backwards.
A black leather whip coiled around Ashley's arm. "Hah!" Marge taunted. Ashley attempted to pull away, but Marge's Thunder Whip held her far too tightly.
"No!" Ashley yelled. She pulled her Auto Blaster out with her spare hand and fired. However, Marge blocked the shot with her free hand. Then, turning around, she flipped Ashley over her head, the Yellow Turbo Ranger sailing high into the air. Ashley landed on her feet, albeit off-balance. The Thunder Whip retracted, but Marge ran toward her. Stopping on her right foot, she pivoted and thrust the full of her left foot into Ashley's chest. Ashley grunted as she was thrown airborne.
"Oh yeah," Marge sighed happily.
"Hi-yaah!" Aisha and Zack cried in unison as they flipped forward. They landed, each on one side, around the Blue Thunder Ranger. Aisha had Saba in her hand, and Zack had his Power Axe out before him. David held his Thunder Dagger loosely in his hand.
"Don't do this, man," Aisha said slowly.
"We can help you!" Saba agreed.
"I don't want your help," David growled. He kicked Saba out of Aisha's hand, startling everyone. Then, he slammed his elbow into Zack's chest and snapped his hand upwards, slamming it into his face. He took advantage of the brief disorientation and flipped away.
Cassie found herself being double-teamed by Astronema and Divatox. The space pirate she wasn't worried about, but Astronema was proving to be a worthy opponent. As Astronema brought her scepter up for a good hit, Cassie thrust Wind Fire down, blocking the blow. However, with both hands filled with her weapon, Divatox was able to back hand her with more force than Cassie had expected. She yanked Wind Fire away and slammed it into Divatox's chest. Then, in a fluid return motion, she did the same to Astronema.
Unfortunately, before she had time to relish in her temporary victory, a pair of human hands grabbed her bow. Jerking her head up, she saw Jenga standing before her. "Ahh!" Cassie screamed, startled at the Earth's prime nemesis before her.
"Good to see you, too," Jenga smarted. Holding tight onto Wind Fire, she turned in a quick circle. Cassie, somewhat disoriented, held on. Then, Jenga let go of the weapon, the momentum sending Cassie across the park. Spinning, the Pink Turbo Ranger screamed as she flew through the air. She hit a nearby tree full-on, falling to the ground on her hands and knees.
"Cassie!" Carlos cried, flipping over to her. He clasped her forearm and pulled her up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm alr- Duck!" she shouted. She pushed Carlos aside as she threw herself backwards. With a thunk, the Thunder Dagger was buried up to the hilt in the tree.
Purple Senturion took sight of this. Raising her weapon, she fired a shot at the enchanted weapon. Unfortunately, David called it back to him. The weapon disappeared, and nothing but chips of wood rained down on Cassie and Carlos.
"Triple team!" Adam encouraged. He fired his Zeo pistol at Molly, who easily dodged the bolt. However, she couldn't dart away, because Maggie was standing in her way.
"It's for your own good!" Maggie cried. She hooked her leg behind Molly's and pushed her forward.
"I got her!" Heather shouted. Holding the blade close against her body, she lashed out with the chain attached to it. It coiled around both of the Yellow Thunder Ranger's feet. Combined with Maggie's attack, Molly was forced to the ground, her Thunder Claws falling away.
Blue Senturion ran toward them, his weapon drawn. He fired a shot while moving. It struck the edge of one of her Thunder Claws, but it was enough. The twin weapons turned canary yellow, and black energy bubbled up out of Molly. Maggie reached down to her and clasped her hand. She pulled her sister to her feet and promptly pulled her into a tight hug, much to Adam's surprise.
"It's okay," Maggie whispered in her ear. "You'll be all right."
Crystal skidded to a halt. A gargantuan oak tree was before her. Turning around, she saw the Blue Thunder Ranger racing for her. "Going up!" Crystal shouted, leaping effortlessly into the tree. High above the ground, at least fifty or sixty feet, she landed on a sturdy branch. Glancing straight down, she saw David getting ready to leap up into the tree. She hopped to a nearby limb so he wouldn't come straight up beneath her. It swayed unnervingly with her weight, but it was big enough that it wouldn't break.
"Power Scan," she whispered. There were so many leaves all around her, visibility was limited. That was on top of the near total darkness due to it being before dawn. The leaves rustled and the whole tree seemed to shake as David landed in the branches with her.
"Turbo headlights!" Bulk shouted. Light streamed through the tree branches.
_Bulk is up here with me,_ Crystal realized. But then, David jumped onto her branch. With a shout, Crystal jumped away. His Thunder Dagger swiped at her, catching nothing but leaves.
She hopped from tree limb to tree limb with David close behind. The branches and leaves slapped against her helmet, adding to her disorientation. Crystal jumped off of her branch and grabbed onto one above her head with her hands. Swinging, she spun around and kicked a Blue Ranger in the back with both feet.
"Crystal!" Bulk shouted as he fell out of the tree.
"Sorry Bulk!" Crystal apologized, horrified. Sharp pain suddenly shot across her back. Spinning around, she almost slipped off of the branch. However, with a hop back, she righted herself and saw the Blue Thunder Ranger standing on her branch. She stepped back a few feet, although it was quickly apparent she could go back only so much. "All right," she growled. "Bring it on!"
The light didn't glint off of his Thunder Dagger, and were it not for her enhanced vision, she wouldn't have been able to see it at all. Looking down at the ground, she saw Blue Senturion standing nearby. "Hang on tight!" she yelled. She ran at David, grabbed onto his biceps with both hands, and then jumped backwards.
She saw nothing but his decorative helmet as they sailed backwards. Painfully, she slammed into the ground. David brought the Dagger up over his head, but she put her feet up and kicked him away. Blue Senturion shot at the Dagger, but David was ahead of him. The Dagger disappeared, and the shot streaked past him.
"Go Saba!" Aisha cried. She threw her saber at the leader of the Thunder Rangers. The silver and white weapon flew of its own accord at Marge, spinning in circles around her. However, much to Aisha's horror, Marge stuck her hand out and caught Saba effortlessly. "Saba!"
Saba twitched in Marge's hand, trying to get away. Her grip tightened, crushing Saba's hilt. "NO!" Aisha yelled again, running toward her. "Saba!"
"Stay back, White Ranger!" Saba ordered. His eyes were shooting red lasers at Marge, but the shots only bounced off of her red armor.
Aisha knew the weapon couldn't be permanently destroyed. However, Saba was sentient, and she had no idea if that could be restored. Aisha looked around her quickly, and seeing no one, she dropped to the ground, extending her right leg. "Power down!" she cried. As her armor dissolved away, Saba did likewise. Marge pointed her whip at Aisha. The long, black whip snaked out of the cylinder, headed for Aisha. "White Tiger —- Bear!" she cried quickly. White light welled up around her, and she was the White Ranger again only a split second before the whip lashed around her forearm.
Tommy spin-kicked the Blue Thunder Ranger, the thought that it might be his brother the furthest thing from his mind. Adam and Zack double-teamed David, hitting him with such force that he flew through the air and landed beside Marge.
"Fire!" Blue Senturion shouted to Purple Senturion. Both robots lifted their guns and fired. The black coloring fell off of the Thunder Whip and the Dagger as the shot hit them. Black light flowed out of both Marge and David. The entire fight halted as the balance of power shifted. Then, each of the Thunder Rangers began to glow their color. The amorphous figures of light faded away, leaving the park empty. Blue and Purple Senturion were close behind in shimmers of their color.
"Is it over?" TJ asked, his voice echoing strangely in the now-silent park.
Jenga produced Ioaeu Sjknth again. Spinning the blade in her hand, she said, quite simply, "No, it isn't." Thrusting her Sword out before her, white light leapt off of the end and plunged into the ground. A hole gaped open, flames shooting out of it. With a snarl, a metallic dog-like creature, more of a partial exoskeleton than anything, leapt out. Red and orange flames danced across his shiny black surface. Jenga, Astronema, and Divatox disappeared, leaving the Rangers and the dog alone.
The flames were never-ending, burning without fuel. At the end of each paw was a series of sharp, curved claws. "Now what?" Ashley asked.
Blue lightning danced across the sky before reaching down to strike the dog. With a boom, he surged skywards, growing to mammoth proportions. "We need TurboZord power, now!" TJ shouted.
~*~
The Thunder Rangers found themselves in a large, circular room. The walls glowed with a white-silver light, and silver and black computer consoles lined the entire room. The ground was glowing as well, and standing in the middle of the room were five colored pedestals, one for each Ranger color. The two Senturions were nowhere to be seen.
"Rangers," a female voice said from above them. The voice boomed in the large room. "You may remove your helmets. You are safe here." A black screen on one wall had a green line stretched across it. As the voice spoke, the line oscillated.
They were all very slow to move. There were no questions to be asked; they all knew exactly what they had done. After a painfully silent pause, Heather asked, "Where are we?"
"You are in the internal cavity of DECA, a Didactic Electronic Computerized Amalgamation," the voice answered. "Your stature has been reduced so that you can safely fit inside me, as my actual size is only two feet in diameter. I am currently residing in the Angel Grove Hilton."
"What do we do now?" Marge asked, her voice sounding flat.
"Rather than feel sorry for yourselves because you were violated, you can help in the fight," DECA answered. "Yes, you were evil, and yes, you did essentially become evil of your own accord."
That struck deeper than any physical wound they could have been given. They had all voluntarily accepted their Thunder Orbs. Granted, for each, the only alternative was death, but it had still been voluntary. No one could bring themselves to look any of the others in the eye.
"But that is in the past. You know hold a great wealth of power," DECA said, "and no one but I could take it from you. I am the guardian of the Thunder Powers, and if it is to your agreement, then we can form a secondary force to fight against Jenga."
"Ally with the Power Rangers?" David asked. "My brother is a Power Ranger."
"It's a way to set right what we did wrong," Marge said. "I'm in."
"Me too," Heather agreed. David nodded.
"Totally," Maggie and Molly said in unison.
"Should we tell them who we are?" Heather asked. "I mean... I would be pretty upset if someone had done to us what we did to them. It might be best if we kept our identity secret."
"I agree wholeheartedly," DECA said. "While Zordon of Eltare is a fine individual, and I firmly support his role on this planet, the UDAB has decreed that it is within his power to mentor any and all Rangers protecting the planet Earth. If you keep your identities secret, then I can mentor you myself."
"A secret identity," Maggie giggled. "It sounds so... exciting!"
"But we're all from different ways of life," Heather said. "I'm not in high school anymore. I'm about to become an anchorwoman who will be broadcast over most of the West Coast."
"I live on the Reservation outside of Angel Grove," David said.
"The rest of us are Seniors in High School," Marge announced.
"I will devise a method of communication so that we can all stay in touch," DECA told them. "Your different lives will not be an interference. Also, it is not as if we are the only force defending the Earth. We are a supplement to the Power Rangers, not a replacement."
Marge looked at the oscillating green line that was apparently DECA's voice. "Are we still called the Thunder Rangers?"
"If you so desire," DECA answered. "But for now, you can begin to pay back your debts to the Power Rangers." The floor between the five colored pedestals lit up like a movie screen. The five Rangers moved toward it, unconsciously aligning themselves with the pedestal of their color. The scene playing in the floor was that of the Turbo MegaZord fighting with a flaming, metallic dog. "You also have Zords. The ThunderZords, used several years ago by the Morphin Rangers after their DinoZords were destroyed, can now be called on by you. Go pilot them into battle."
"Let's do it, guys," Marge agreed. A phrase occurred to her naturally. In a proud, loud voice, she shouted, "Back to Action!"
~*~
The five Thunder Rangers watched in amazement as the ThunderZords responded to their call. "Awesome!" Maggie cried.
"All right, Rangers," Marge said.
In unison, the five shouted, "ThunderZords, Power up!" They all disappeared in a swirl of color, only to reappear in the cockpits of their ThunderZords.
What had originally been the Blue UnicornZord, the Yellow GriffinZord, and the Black LionZord underwent a sudden change as they were reunited with the Rangers who were meant to pilot them. David's Zord became the PegasusZord, complete with shining wings on its back giving it flight. The GriffinZord turned into the KirinZord, a shining horn on its forehead. The black LionZord turned green, and all three changed in shape. No longer were they bulky, solid Zords. They became agile, capable of running, jumping, and leaping.
"Unbelievable!" Marge cried. "The computer system in this Zord is mind-boggling!"
"Man, this is incredible!" David shouted.
"All the pretty lights!" Molly sighed.
"Nice stereo," Maggie giggled. She and Marge flew high above the other ThunderZords.
"Marge, what's the plan?" Heather asked.
"Am I the leader?" Marge asked back.
"You're wearing red," David reminded her.
"Well, in the case, let's split up," Marge suggested. "We regroup at the dog... thing."
"Right!" the others agreed. The quintet separated, sailing off into all directions of the desert.
~*~
The Turbo MegaZord brought its Sword down on top of the Dog. However, the flaming beast rolled out of the way, clanking noisily.
"We're gonna have to try a different tactic!" Ashley cried. "A quadropedal creature has too many advantages over a biped with a sword!"
"What?!" TJ cried, spinning around in his seat.
"We're gettin' our butts whooped!" Carlos translated.
"Perhaps we can off own sunglasses back on and said, "I'm gone. I'll see y
"We'll take any help we can get," Bulk answered.
"Then step back!" another voice returned.
~*~
Maggie circled high over the fight in the pink FirebirdZord. "Is it clear?" she asked.
"Go for it!" TJ answered.
"All right!" she cried. She flipped a row of switches on her console, activating the missiles. She pushed her control lever forward, zooming toward the Earth. "Ooh, I'm high up."
"You're looking great, si- Pink Ranger," Molly said.
The flaming dog beneath her got larger and larger. "FIRE!" she yelled, pushing the button on the control lever. Sections on her wings opened, and a rush of pink missiles shot out. The dog glanced up, seeing what could have been his doom. However, it rolled away, the missiles striking the sandy desert floor. As a punishment for Maggie, he lashed his flaming tail up, striking her Zord. She was thrown off-course, sailing far off into the desert.
"I'm okay!" she cried as she sailed off.
Heather ran up to the Dog in LionZord, the green paws biting into the loose sand beneath her. "Loading hydraulics!" she said. The Lion sat back on its haunches, getting ready to leap. However, she was sorely surprised when the flaming dog leapt at her. "WHOA! I'm down!" LionZord tumbled onto her back as the Dog clawed and scratched at her.
RedDragonZord flew like an arrow at the Dog. Smoothly, the RedDragonZord transformed into Warrior Mode, turning into a bipedal "man." As she touched down on the ground, a silver bo appeared in her Zord's hands. "Is everybody ready?!"
"Ready!" David shouted, swinging PegasusZord around.
"And willing!" Molly finished.
"Hurry please!" Heather pleaded.
RedDragonZord thrust the bo between the Dog and the Lion. With a mighty heave, she knocked the Dog away. It landed on its back, but it quickly rolled over.
"FIRE!" David yelled. A flurry of blue lasers streaked out of Pegasus' eyes, striking the Dog and knocked it asunder.
Then, before it could right itself, a web of yellow energy surrounded it. A long, thin, yellow tendril of light from Kirin's rounded horn held the web. "Electro-static field, initialized!" Molly cried. Tilting her Zord's head back, the web, with the Dog held in it, was lifted into the air.
"Turbo Saber!" the Turbo Rangers shouted. The Turbo MegaZord stepped toward the Dog and slashed down through Molly's web, destroying the beast. Flames shot out as metal parts flew everywhere.
"It's gone!" Cassie cried happily.
"Hey, you guys," Bulk said slowly. "Look. They're already gone." The five Turbo Rangers looked all about them, but the ThunderZords had already disappeared, just as mysteriously as they had arrived.
"Let's head back to the Command Center," Carlos suggested. "Maybe Zordon will know something."
~*~
The five Turbo Rangers had demorphed without thinking first as they arrived in the Command Center. They were all in varying states of dress, ranging from brightly colored boxer-like gym shorts for Carlos and TJ, a thin, pink nightgown for Cassie, and full-fledged pajamas for Ashley and Bulk. However, not intending to stay any longer than possible so as to get a few more hours sleep before they had to wake up, no one bothered to morph back.
"But... why won't they join us?" Cassie asked.
"They are not setting off any alarms, so they must be in the UDAB's registry," Alpha said. "Unless they serve evil, we have no right to attempt to determine their identity."
"They are the Thunder Rangers, which means they serve under DECA's watch," Zordon said. "I am sure she will have them fight alongside you, only in secrecy. We should welcome their presence."
"Maybe they'll tell us who they are," Carlos said. "But in the mean time, it's just nice knowing we have five more allies."
~*~
"I wonder who they actually are," Maggie said. "Think about it. Those Turbo Rangers could be someone we know."
"Like Ashley?" Molly giggled.
"As if," Maggie said, shaking her head.
"Rangers," DECA announced, "I have devised a method of communication." Atop each pedestal, there was a glimmer of light. Sitting on each was a silver sheet of paper.
"What is this?" David asked, picking his up. Turning it over, he saw a blue Pegasus drawn on it.
"Tattoos," DECA answered. "Place the emblem on the back of either hand. The image will be transferred to your skin painlessly. By touching it, you will be able to communicate with me and each other. You will also be able to teleport yourself into my body cavity with it. It will be visible only when you are using it, when I am paging you, and even then, only by your fellow Thunder Rangers."
"I've always wanted a tattoo," Maggie said. She pressed it to her skin, and when she peeled it away, a faintly glowing emblem of a firebird remained on her skin. As she stared at it, it faded away.
"These will really keep us in contact with each other?" David asked.
"We're the tattooed teenage alien fighters from Angel Grove," Molly announced, taking a defensive stance, giggling.
"DECA, where will you stay?" Heather asked. "If you need a place, I'm moving into an apartment this afternoon. You can stay with me, if you need to."
"Thank you, Heather," DECA said. "If it is no trouble, I will take you up on your offer."
"You guys, it's almost dawn," Marge announced. "I need to get home."
"We all do," David agreed.
"You may go," DECA told them. "But before you go, I must thank you. I have waited millennia to receive a group of warriors. I thank you for giving me a purpose, again."
~*~
9:04 a.m.
Frantic, Ernie ran down his sidewalk. He had overslept and was an hour late for opening the Youth Center.
"I don't believe I've ever seen you panicked," his neighbor said. Glancing over the white fence separating his property from the Fergusons', he saw Adelle watering her flower garden.
"I've never been late before!" Ernie cried. "I've just got too much going on. What I need is a miracle."
"What kind of miracle?" Adelle asked. She reached up to adjust her wide-brimmed hat, sunlight glinting off of her silver wedding ring.
"What I really need is someone I can trust who would be interested in being a co-partner," Ernie said. "I've got the Youth Center, the Beachside Club, the Outdoor Diner, too much! But I could never risk selling half my business to a total stranger."
Adelle turned off her waterhose and removed her hat. "How 'bout someone who's just totally strange?"
~*~
Molly lay flat on her stomach in bed, one arm behind the headboard and another off the mattress. Her pillow was missing, and the covers lay half-on and half-off the bed. "Is someone going through my closet?" she grunted.
Maggie sat up in her bed on the other side of the room. "It's just Ashley," she answered. Wiping her eyes, she picked up the alarm clock from her nightstand. "Geeze! It's after nine o'clock!"
"Ashley?" Molly asked.
"I had a thought this morning," Ashley told Molly. "I know that you don't like yellow, and I love it, so I thought we might trade some clothes."
"Touch anything of mine that's yellow and die!" Molly warned, jumping out of bed.
Ashley rolled her eyes. She didn't even question her older sisters' eccentricities anymore. "How about you, Maggie?" Ashley asked. "Can I trade you for some yellow stuff?"
"No, she gave it to me," Molly insisted.
"I will trade you for anything pink, though," Maggie offered.
~*~
"I can't wait to get home," Crystal said. "It's been real being here, but... I want to go home."
"Eight hours isn't long to wait," Tommy reminded her. "How do you want to spend your final day in Angel Grove?"
"We don't have any beaches in Kentucky," Crystal said. "Can we go to the beach?"
"Absolutely," Tommy told her. "I'll get as many of these bums together as I can, and we'll rock the coast."
~*~
"Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah," Maggie sang as she all-but danced down the sidewalk. "Two is twice as nice as one..."
"Hey, Maggie," Marge said. She waved at the Pink Thunder Ranger from her parked car.
"Hi Marge," Maggie said back. Smiling, she jogged over to Marge.
"It occurred to me that if we're going to be on the same team, we should probably get to know each other," Marge said as she got out of her vehicle. "I mean, if you don't want to, that's okay, but I thought, it might be good to..."
"Hang out or something?" Maggie asked. "Yeah, that'd be great!"
"Yeah?" Marge asked happily, her eyes lit up.
"I was going to wait for Molly to show up in the Youth Center," Maggie said. "Want to wait with me? We're going to the mall later."
"Sounds like fun," Marge smiled. "I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Smiling as well, Maggie said, "Okay."
~*~
"They're already here?" Heather asked. She looked up at Andre as he came into her office.
"A green contact for your left eye, and a clear one for your right," Andre said, opening the box.
Heather pulled a mirror out of her desk and took the sealed package containing her contacts from Andre. A few moments later, she had both of her contacts in. "Does it look the same as my right eye?" she asked, opening both eyes wide.
"That's a beautiful shade of green," Andre said. "You look gorgeous."
"I am a bit partial to green," Heather told him. "So, I hear we have more pictures to take?"
"Public relations never ends as far as I'm concerned," he announced. "Meet me on the set in five minutes."
"You got it," she said with a smile. He left her alone in her office. She was there for a few last moment photos and video clips to plaster all over the broadcast for the weekend. On Monday night, she was going to be on her first, official live broadcast. Spinning around in her seat, she was able to look out over the city of Angel Grove.
This was her city. Her home. And now, she was one of its protectors. She touched her right hand, briefly seeing the green lion tattoo there flare up. "I'm the first female Green Ranger," she realized, not knowing that Aisha Campbell had briefly worn the Green Dragon Morphin Armor. "I'm making history all over the place." Smiling and unable to stop, she left her office and headed for the photographer's set.
~*~
Tasha had said her proper good-byes with DECA early that morning. The Blue and Purple Senturions were currently residing inside of DECA. She had teleported them into her internal cavity after they had helped her get the room back in order.
Now, as she lay on her back in her room, she couldn't help but realize how boring her life was. Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she said, sitting up.
"It's just me, Tasha," Akiko said. "I've got some mail for you, first of all." She handed Tasha an envelope. "And, some wonderful news."
"How wonderful?" Tasha asked.
"You've been adopted by a prominent family from Washington, D.C.," Akiko told her. "The paperwork came into our office last night, marked urgent, we got off our butts, you were approved at ten o'clock, and they're flying out here this morning to pick you up."
Tasha suddenly felt numb. "I'm adopted?" she asked in awe. "Who... What are their names?"
"Marcia and Laurence Bradley," Akiko answered. "They have another adopted daughter, about fifteen named Kay, and a younger child of their own named Angelica."
"Why would they adopt me?" Tasha asked, still shocked.
"You aren't upset, are you?"
"No, of course not," Tasha said. "I'm just... surprised, is all. Do you know why?"
"Well, I don't want to say this to make you feel bad, but they're just your run-of-the-mill Good Samaritans," Akiko answered. "You just happened to be the one they went for."
"I'm gonna be adopted," Tasha said again. She was so happy, she couldn't even express it. She just felt numb. "Oh my God..."
"I'll leave you alone for a while," Akiko said, patting her on the shoulder. "I'll stop by in a while to help you pack."
As soon as she was left alone, Tasha tore the letter open. Inside, she found another envelope and a letter. It was printed with a machine, rather than by hand. "DECA," she realized with a smile.
If you're reading this, then you must have found out my surprise. I hope you don't mind that I pulled a few strings and got you adopted. The best family for you is from Washington, D.C. I tried to keep you in Angel Grove, but that didn't pan out. But, on the plus side, you will be rich. Your new family is very prominent in the nation's capital.
Tasha, I really enjoyed working with you, and I am very appreciative of your friendship. And please, stay in touch. My e-mail address is deca@deca.com. E-mail me as soon as you arrive in your new home.
The world owes you a debt this morning, Tasha. Without your assistance, I would not have been able to build the Senturion units that successfully destroyed the Thunder Rangers' evil weapons. Although the world can never know the truth, you should be rewarded. There should be another envelope.
Smiling, Tasha took the envelope out. Inside it was a bank book from Washington, D.C. Opening it, she laughed out loud when she saw the balance. "Twenty thousand dollars."
~*~
"Are you sure about all this?" Adelle asked. They were at Ernie's lawyers, getting the official papers drawn up.
"Adelle, you and Andre are the best neighbors I've ever had," Ernie said. "I'd be honored to share my business with you."
Ann, the lawyer in question, looked over the paperwork one final time. "Well, congratulations Mrs. Ferguson," Ann said, extending her hand. "It's official."
"Great!" Adelle cried. "Okay, now I'm thinking we could get us some Hooters women to wait on the tables, and some Hooters men for the beach. You know, the kinds who strut around shirtless in those really tight bicycle shorts."
"Ha ha," Ernie chuckled as they left Ann's office. "Although I do think all the guys who frequent the Bar wouldn't mind being waited on by scantily clad women."
"I don't do scantily clad," Adelle informed him.
~*~
Sigma's Universe
White light swirled around Justin. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was small again. With a heavy sigh, he looked at his hands. "Well, it was fun while it lasted."
"Please work, please work, please work," Sydney pleaded.
"Here goes," Omicron said. After tweaking a few of the controls on the console before her, the three Swords began to glow. Light surrounded Sydney. She began to slowly grow up, her clothing magically changing so as to keep her from tearing through it.
"It's working!" she cried happily. However, she had no more than said it when the light disappeared and she shrank back down again, fourteen years old. "Nooo...."
"It could be worse, Sydney," Trini said sympathetically.
"If we can't get you aged up before we have to leave, we'll make sure everything is taken care of in Angel Grove," Katherine agreed.
"Maybe someone's parent will adopt me," Sydney sighed.
~*~
Jenga's Universe
"Hi," the waitress said as she sat menus down on the table in front of Maggie and Marge. "And welcome to Ernie and Adelle's Outdoor Diner. My name is Kittie, and I'll be your server today."
"Ernie and Adelle?" Marge asked. "What?"
"Ernie took on a partner this morning," Kittie said. "Take some time to look over the menus, and I'll be back in a moment."
As she walked away from the table, she passed Molly with her hand out-extended. "Thanks," Molly smiled as she took a menu. "Ladies."
"Have a sit-down, Molly," Maggie said, kicking a chair out for her.
"Can I join you?" a male voice asked. Without waiting for permission, David pulled a chair out and sat down with them.
The four friends looked at each other almost nervously. In just twenty-four short hours, they had been through more than practically any mortal had ever been through.
"I thought I might find you all here," Heather called as she ran up to their table.
"Heather?!" Molly and Maggie cried in unison.
"Lunch break," she said. "They can't expect me to stand around and do nothing while they take pictures of me all morning long, can they?"
There couldn't have been a more eclectic group of people. The only two with anything at all in common were Maggie and Molly. Marge was mature beyond her years with a fierce intellect. David was an incredible fighter with just enough angst to keep him interesting without being depressing. Heather was a grown woman with a powerful job, while Maggie and Molly were the most stereotypical Valley Girls someone was going to find in southern California. At that moment, as the five sat looking at each other, they knew they were all going to the best of friends.
~*~
Later that afternoon, Heather put the final touches on her article about Jenga. All that remained was the final paragraph, the conclusion. She had been inspired to write the article after everything that had happened.
Even though she had finished the article, she still held her breath as she opened the envelope Jenga had given her. There were just two simple sentences on the card, and it confused her at first. However, after just a few seconds thought, it made all the sense in the world, and it frightened her beyond measure.
"Enjoy yourself. These are the good old days you're going to miss in the years ahead."
Heather couldn't help but chuckle, however. She should have known that Jenga would find some way to make her intentions known without actually threatening. She quickly typed it at the end of the article, adding a few thoughts of her own around it.
But when she looked back at the card, there was a new message there. A grin stretched across her face at the new message. She deleted the conclusion and wrote a new one.
'Who is better to close this article than the Queen of evil herself, Jenga Xett? "No one knows what I want. Not even myself all the time. But I do know that I want to be happy. My happiness might not be your happiness, and I'm quite certain the opposite is true. But nonetheless, be happy. Let your light shine. Don't let anyone or anything put it out, including my desire to own the Earth. And above all, be thankful for whatever you have. A man by the name of Alphonse Karr sums it up best. 'Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses.'"'
~*~
2:15 p.m.
"They're here for you, Tasha," Akiko said.
Tasha put her backpack on as Akiko slid her arm around her shoulders. She had already had her goodbyes with all of her friends at the shelter. A black limousine was parked in front of Little Angel's Haven. She couldn't help but grin.
An attractive black couple got out of the back, hurrying over to Tasha's side. "You must be Tasha," the woman said. "My name is Marcia Bradley."
"Hello, Mrs. Bradley," Tasha smiled.
"Call me Marcia," she insisted, grinning a smile that made Tasha feel warm all over.
"And my name is Laurence," her husband said.
Two girls got out of the car, a young girl who was apparently Marcia and Laurence's flesh and blood, and a fifteen year old white girl. "Hi, my name's Kay," the white girl said.
"You're white," Tasha said, honestly not meaning to.
"I'm white?" Kay asked. Slowly, she lifted her arms up before her. She stared at her limbs for a few seconds before opening her mouth and letting out an ear-piercing scream.
"Kay," Marcia said sternly. "You'll have to excuse Kay. She's a thespian."
"Mama called you a lesbian," Angelica giggled, earning a glance from her father.
"I'm sorry," Tasha apologized. "It just slipped out."
"I don't mind," Kay said sincerely. "Honestly. Come on, Tasha. Let's get to know each other better."
"Let's go home," Laurence said with a smile.
Kay took her backpack as Tasha turned around to look at the shelter. Everyone she had lived with for so long was out to greet her. Then, she saw something that really made her smile. Floating above the roof was a tiny, blue U.F.O. A silver, metallic, skeletal arm was extended from the top, slowly waving at her. Tasha smiled one final time, waved at everyone, and got in the limousine. Her time in the shelter hadn't been unpleasant, and although she wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, she had always wanted to be adopted. DECA had helped her with that wish. Tasha was finally going home.
~*~
6:46 p.m.
Crystal and all of the Power Rangers stood in the desert before the Command Center. "It just reached zero," she said, chewing on her bottom lip. She had said her goodbyes with everyone. Tanya had even teleported back from her new dorm room to see her off. Opening the device, she pushed the button on it.
Nothing happened.
"Why didn't it work?" she asked, pushing the button again. Still, nothing happened.
"Because you aren't a Ninja Ranger," Tommy realized. "I'll have to go with you."
"Tommy?" Adam asked.
"We gotta get Crystal home and our friends back here," he said. "If I'm gonna end up gone for several days, then... well, whoever among you is the best runner can tell my family." Taking the slider from Crystal, he pushed the button. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the gleaming white wormhole appeared before them.
"Thank you all for having me here!" Crystal said, waving. Then, she ran at the portal and leapt into it.
"I'll be back!" Tommy promised. Holding the timer tightly in his hands, he jumped into the portal. Stained red, it closed shut, leaving nothing behind.
~*~
Sigma's Universe
"Crystal!" Allison cried.
"I'm home?!" Crystal asked hopefully. The Purple Ranger pulled her to her feet and wrapped her arms around her.
"Tommy!" Katherine shouted as her boyfriend tumbled out of thin air and landed on the manicured grass of Mammoth Cave National Park.
"Check the timer, Tommy," Billy encouraged.
Tommy, still sprawled out on the ground, flipped the device open. All color dropped from his face as he took in the read out. "Forty-seven," he answered numbly.
"Forty-seven days?!" Rocky cried.
"Or hours?" Jason asked.
"Seconds," Tommy answered.
I raised my hand to my mouth as I pushed my index finger and thumb together. "Omicron, set up an energy corral and teleport everything out to us."
"Done, and done," she said. White light streaked through the sky and landed around us, producing several duffel bags filled with the clothing she had synthesized for them earlier that summer, the things they had collected during their stay, and a complete collection of Power Ranger episodes, movies, and toys.
"We're actually going home," Katherine murmured.
"I can't believe it's happening so quickly," Beth said.
"Thirty seconds, guys," Tommy announced.
"Looks like I'm gonna stay a teenager," Sydney said to herself with a shrug.
"Everything'll turn out okay, Syd," Justin assured her.
"Oh my God, we love you all," Kimberly said. Beth stepped up to her and pulled her into a hug. Hugs were all around, as we realized our close friends for the summer were leaving very soon.
"Zero," Tommy said. He held the timer out before him and pushed the button. With a rush of wind, a white wormhole opened up.
"We still have Sigma, Nadia, and Catalina," Dana said. "We can stay in touch."
Justin and Sydney picked up the duffel bags and moved toward the portal. "Go on through, kid," Tommy said. The two tossed the duffel bags into the portal, where they disappeared with nary a color change.
"Let's go, Justin," Sydney said. Taking his hand in her's, the two ran at the portal and jumped into it. It flashed blue and white.
Skull, Trini, and Tommy, sensing that the others would want a few extra seconds, prepared to slide. Tommy pressed the slider into Billy's hands. The three Rangers leapt into the wormhole as one.
The eleven of us remaining, Billy, Jason, Rocky, Katherine, Kimberly, Tara, Dana, Allison, Crystal, Beth, and I all joined in a big group hug. Many an eye was moist with unshed tears as we said our goodbyes, silently. "Make sure you stay in touch," Tara said. Her cheeks were shiny with tears. She could be tough, but she also had an emotional side to beat all others.
"Let's go home, guys," Jason said. He walked toward the portal, staring into it. Kimberly was at his side. They turned to look behind them.
"You better leave," I reminded them.
"Thanks for the memories!" Allison called out.
Rocky, Billy, and Katherine joined their friends at the precipice of the portal home. All five friends cast one look back at us. The six of us had grouped together, knowing it was more likely that we would never see them again than that we would. "Home," Katherine said simply. As one, the five Rangers leapt into the portal. It gave off an explosion of blue, pink, and red light, and then, everything was silent.
Instantly, our communications system beeped. "Nadia says they made it home safely," was all Omicron said. Then, it was silent.
We stood in a circle, looking somewhat confused. Then, Beth wrapped an arm around my shoulders with her left arm and Crystal's with her right. The six of us linked up like that as we walked out of the park.
"Do you think we'll ever get used to things being quiet around here?" Tara asked as we walked away. The sun was slowly setting, casting orange and pink light over the whole world.
"Have things ever been quiet around here?" Dana asked in turn.
"It's good to have you back, Crystal," I said.
"It's good to be back," she agreed.
"This has been the most incredible summer of my life," Allison said, "but everything has to end at some point."
"No it doesn't," Beth told her. We were walking away, the spot where five strangers had arrived and five friends had left disappearing further and further into the distance. "It just changes."
~*~
Home
Billy and Justin raced into the house, nearly knocking the door off of the hinges. Kimberly was close behind, making a beeline for the phone.
"We're home!" Billy called.
"Billy?" Rebecca asked. She gasped as hot tears sprang to her eyes. "Justin? Is it really you?!"
"We're home, Mom," Justin smiled. Rebecca didn't even attempt to stop the sob that followed as she rushed to her sons, pulling them into her arms. David, hearing the commotion, rushed out to join the hug, crying as well.
Kimberly's voice left her when she heard, ever-so-casual, "Hello?"
"Dad?" she asked.
"Kimberly?" he asked, his voice so rich with hope that she broke into happy tears.
"It's me, Daddy."
~*~
"Do I smell lasagna?" Rocky asked as he bounded into his living room.
Rosa was the first to gasp at seeing her older brother in the flesh for the first time all summer. Maria, his mother, came out of the kitchen, still wearing an apron. "Hijo?"
"Si, Mama," Rocky said, his eyes tearing up at seeing his mother.
"Rocky!" she cried, bursting into tears as she rushed at her son. She had just wrapped her arms around him when the rest of his siblings swamped him, nearly pulling him to the floor.
"Thank the Lord, I've missed you so much," Maria sobbed. "And you're grounded for forever."
~*~
"'Member me?" Katherine asked.
The silence that followed was the most unbelievable thing Katherine had ever heard, or not heard, as it were. Her younger sisters, Tracy and Brooke, looked up from their spot in front of the television in complete awe. Lisa Hillard, her mother, walked into the living room, holding a clay pot she had spent the past few days working on. "Katherine?" she asked in disbelief. The pot tumbled from her hands, collapsing on itself as it hit the ground. "KATHERINE!"
Her mother raced across the living room, grabbing tall daughter.
"Kitten?!" a deep voice shouted.
"I'm home, Daddy!" Katherine shouted.
"Kat!" Brooke and Tracy finally cried in unison. The twelve and eight year-olds launched themselves at their sister, latching onto her. Ryan came racing down the stairs a second later. He, too, wrapped his arms around his Nordic-looking family, everyone sobbing uncontrollably.
"I didn't know if I would ever see you again," Katherine sighed, losing herself in her family's arms.
~*~
Jason rang the doorbell, waiting impatiently for one of his parents to answer the door.
"Yes?" Karen Scott asked, opening the wooden door. Her eyes widened and her knees nearly gave out beneath her as she saw her son standing a few feet away, just a storm door between them.
"Mom," he sighed. He hadn't expected it to be so emotional, but he suddenly felt like crying. "Mama..."
Karen Scott's cry of glee was so loud, it gave all of Evergreen Terrace something to wonder about. John Scott practically tore the storm door off as he joined them. A few of the neighbors came out on their porches and front lawns to look at the crying, hugging pile of Scotts.
~*~
10:30 p.m.
It had been an impossibility to actually break away from the parents, so soon after arriving. Instead, everyone had opted to have a spur-of-the-minute party at the Scott's house. Situated near the outskirts of town, but still in suburbia, with a thick patch of trees that could practically be described as woods, the Scott house was a prime place for parties. All of the Rangers were there, including the Turbo Rangers, and a good portion of parents.
Five of the teenagers managed to get away from everything. They sat on a swell in the yard, looking up at the sky above them.
"It just makes you feel small, doesn't it?" Jason asked.
"Minute," Billy agreed.
"The stars are the same," Kimberly murmured. "It's amazing."
"You realize we'll be lucky to get to bed before dawn," Katherine giggled. She had never seen so many happy people in her life.
"Rocky!" Maria's voice suddenly called out.
"I better get back," Rocky said. "Mama goes nuts if I disappear on her again for more than five minutes."
"We'll go with you," Kimberly said, speaking for everyone. As the five Rangers walked back to the bustling party, thoughts and friends from two distinct worlds filled their minds and memories.
A slow song began to play from the speakers, set up about the well-lit patio. "May I have this dance?" Tommy asked as he slithered up to Katherine's side.
"It would be an honor," Kat returned as Tommy took her into his arms. As the two danced, she looked up at the sky. "The stars really do look the same."
"Hmm?" Tommy asked, looking down at her.
"Nothing," she said, kissing him on his cheek. "I'm just glad to be here with you."