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Sunday was a busy day for Corry. She went to church with Dana in an attempt to settle her nerves. It helped. She was slowly finding herself calming down, even though home was an immeasurable distance and twenty years away. Watching the predicted snowfall helped her greatly. Snow was just something that Angel Grove didn't have. It was nice to see it falling in person.
In an attempt to find something to do with all of the time Corry suddenly realized she had, Omicron pulled a few magical strings and enrolled her in Western Kentucky University, as well as Lindsey Wilson. As Corry saw it, the only other thing she could do with her time is sit in Mammoth Cave and stagnate.
"This could be fun," Corry sighed. "Let's see... at nine fifteen, I'll have History with you, right?"
"Right," Dana said.
"And at eleven forty-five, Urban Folklore with me," Jeremy added.
"At one o'clock, you'll be in Sophomore Lit with me," Beth told her.
"I'm in that, too," Dana smiled.
"On Tuesdays at ten thirty," Tara tried, "you'll be with me in Abnormal Psych."
"After that, at twelve forty-five, you'll hop over to LW and take Pottery with me," Allison finished. "That'll be a full fifteen hour load."
"I travel through space and time to go to college," Corry sighed. "And to think Mom and Dad are already worried about me moving into a dorm." * * * "I can't believe you told Dr. Collins THAT Urban Legend!" Jeremy laughed. Corry had created quite a ruckus in class when she innocently mentioned the story commonly referred to as the Dance Club Cucumber. Dr. Collins, perpetually unflappable, didn't break form for even a moment.
"Well, the class seemed to enjoy it," Corry muttered. "Do you mind if I ride home with you? I'd kinda like to ride for once rather than just teleport."
"What about Lit with Beth?"
"Cancelled," Corry answered. "Professor freaked out over the predicted snowstorm."
"After what we had this weekend, the little flurry we're going to get today is a joke," Jeremy assured her.
"Can we play in the snow?" Corry asked, motioning toward a giant snowdrift near the sidewalk.
"I don't think we're supposed to," Jeremy commented.
"Those frat guys are," Corry said, pointing to a trio of jocks up to their waists in snow.
"Neither of us are frat guys."
"Cheap excuse," she said with a grin before she shoved him into the snow bank and leapt in herself. * * * He felt as though he had dove deep into the ocean, down below the sun's reach, and was looking back up. The sun-dappled surface was so far away.... A heaviness pulled him down further, into cooler waters. Blinking, he focused on emerald green eyes. Slowly the features of a woman became clear. He flinched as she reached out to touch his forehead with a cool hand.
Her lips moved, though all he heard was muted sounds. _Do I know her?_ She looked familiar, but trying to think was like swimming against a riptide. She was leaning towards him now, smiling. His eyes widened slightly as the front of her gown gaped, giving him a free view of her chest. Long ebony hair fell in curtains around either side of her face as she stared deep into his eyes.
He inhaled deeply, drinking in the seductive perfume that wafted from her. His pulse sped up, as she stroked his face and neck. One of her hands combed through his hair, and he closed his eyes as shivers raced down his spine.
Opening his eyes, he saw her lips moving again, and strained to make out words. _Dragon? What....?_ It was getting harder to think. Her hands were everywhere, caressing and teasing. Wave upon wave of sensation crashed over his mind, swamping whatever rational thought had been forming.
Just for one moment he had a flash of an image — a group of people standing together, smiling — then his mind was overwhelmed by his body's urgings.
With a groan, he reached up to pull her to him.
"We don't get it here all that often," Jeremy commented. A steady ringing filled the air as the white and red safety rails lowered. "Ugh, a train."
"A train?" Corry asked, whipping her gaze up. "Like on rails?"
"Train tracks," he said, pointing in front of his truck. "See."
"Amazing," Corry sighed. She unrolled the car window and stuck her head out for a better look. "It still blows my mind that there are modes of transportation that ROLL on the ground."
"You have Zords that walk on the ground."
"Walking is a totally different concept," she quipped as the train got ever closer. "Hey look. There's a train on those tracks way over there."
Squinting, Jeremy stared at the train flying over the bridge above a river about half a mile off. "Wait a minute," he realized. The truck suddenly shook as the first train began to roar past them. "Corry, that bridge is abandoned! Nobody uses it anymore!"
"Then how did the train get there?" she asked, poking her head back into the truck.
Jeremy pressed his thumb and index finger together, producing a shining sphere of blue light glowing from the digits. "Omicron, lock on our location. There is an extra train here that shouldn't be there!"
Corry jumped out of the truck and melted into a glowing cloud of white light. With a whoosh, she disappeared, teleporting the short distance to the other train tracks.
"Corry!" Jeremy yelled. He quickly drove his truck up onto the sidewalk, parking it there, and teleported over to her. As soon as he landed, he lifted his hand to his mouth and shouted, "Guys, we might need your help!" * * * Corry stopped right at the edge of the train tracks. Traffic continued to drive past her, oblivious to the train flying down the tracks. Just as she was about to stop traffic as best she could, golden and silver flashes of light appeared all around the road. "What-?" Mechanical reptilian creatures, made of gold or silver metal, resulted from the teleportation sequences.
"Gargoyles!" Jeremy shouted from far off.
A semi-truck, rolling steadily for the tracks, suddenly had a Gargoyle leap in front of it. The truck driver turned hard, and instantly lost control. Corry threw herself out of the road as the truck jack-knifed, sliding to a far-too-inconvenient stop directly in the path of the train.
"GET OUT!" Corry yelled. She ran up to the cab and threw herself up to the door, beating on the window. The startled driver turned to her with a look of disbelief on his face. "There's a train coming!" she shouted, pointing at it.
The driver, finally realizing he was in mortal danger, opened the door. Corry jumped down, giving the man room to escape. "Come on!" Corry cried, grabbing the man's arm as he landed on the pavement. The two ran off not more than a split second before the train collided with the truck. Shouting in alarm, Corry spun around and ducked down, shielding her face with her arms as bits of metal and glass showered down around her.
She opened her eyes just in time to see the man disappear in a streak of white light. "What the-?" she asked. She watched in awe as every human being in the place teleported away. Looking up, she saw that the other six Rangers were already morphed and fighting the Gargoyles.
Just as she was about to contact Omicron, she heard a short bark, not unlike that of a dog. However, she knew it wasn't a dog. It was the Wolf.
Looking up, she saw the Wolf standing in snow nearly up to its shoulder. It looked perfectly natural there. *Come with me,* it said before running off.
"No, wait!" Corry cried, bolting for her guardian animal. She bounded up the hill it had been standing on and followed its footsteps. As she reached the top of the hill, she found herself standing at the edge of a preternatural forest. It glowed within with a bright white light. Looking back, she saw the fight still going on in the street. Physically, it was just a short distance away, but it felt to be much further than that.
*I had some time finding you, Cub,* Wolf turned to face her. *Jett sent you far away this time, didn't she?*
"Why can't I morph?" Corry asked, hurrying up to his side. "How did Jett take my powers?"
*Did she?*
"What do you mean by that? Of course she did," Corry said quickly. "I can't call on my powers."
*Does that mean she took them? Cub, I made sure you came to this time and place for a reason,* Wolf snapped. He was obviously frustrated with her.
"You sent me here?"
*I guided you here. I sent you nowhere,* Wolf insisted. *These Rangers have no fear of losing their power. You have noticed that, right?*
"Of course they aren't afraid," Corry sighed. "They've got Sigma with that Sword of his. Even if they were taken, he could just whip up new powers for them."
*That is not their only reason,* Wolf shook its head. *They have had these powers for two and a half years with but one change in their power.*
"This is a different dimension with a totally different set of rules," Corry said. "They've kept their power for thirty months! It's practically an impossibility for someone to stay a Ranger in Angel Grove for thirty months! Only Dad and Tommy were Rangers for that long!" *You just don't get it, do you, Cub?*
"Did you come here to take me home or to insult me?" Corry snapped.
*Have confidence in yourself, Cub! I'm rather insulted that you even believe I left you!* The animal's ice blue eyes narrowed.
"You did leave me!" Corry yelled.
*Did I?* Wolf asked, walking toward the woods. *Remember, Cub. The Power never willingly leaves you. You willingly leave the Power.*
Corry tried to let that sink in, still a bit perplexed. *You can follow me to get home, Cub,* Wolf stopped and looked at her over its shoulder. *Or, you can stay here and help your friends.*
With a trembling hand, Corry twisted her hand. She gasped as her morpher appeared with a burst of pent-up energy. "Jett just made me think I had lost my powers," Corry realized.
*Very good, Cub, and it only took me spelling it out for fifteen minutes for you to learn,* Wolf smarted.
Corry frowned at the magical animal as she looked at her gleaming white morpher. "You said I could stay and help them?" Corry asked. "But why? They don't need me."
*If you truly believe that, then just follow me home,* Wolf said, starting for the woods.
"Wait!" Corry cried. "You say that like they do need my help."
*What would I do? This isn't my realm,* Wolf told her.
"What will happen if I go, and they do need me?" Corry asked. "But... I can just follow you and get home right now? Will I get a chance to go home after the fight?" She looked back at the Rangers fighting the Gargoyles on the street. "It's just a fight!" Corry cried. "What good could one more Ranger do?!"
*Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon... and for the rest of your life,* Wolf quoted.
"What?" Corry asked.
*You are so young,* Wolf sighed.
"I'm going home," Corry insisted. She started to take a step for the woods, when a series of strange, unbidden thoughts occurred to her.
** "This isn't who you are!" Corry pleaded. She stepped up to the rat creature, delicately taking his black club from his hands. "This isn't you..." **
** "Oh my goodness," Jeremy sighed.
"What is that thing?" Allison asked, shining the headlights from her helmet around the large cavernous room.
"The Power Chamber," Corry realized. **
** "Sheila!" Corry yelled. "This time, it's for keeps!" **
** "Dana, no!" shouted Corry. She ran for her friend, the dry leaves beneath her keeping her from getting any traction. "DANA!!!" **
** "I've heard of this," Corry said, looking at Tara. She picked up the spiked object, glowing a soft grey color. "It's called the Crystal of Nightmares." **
** "You aren't real!" Corry screamed. "You're just a dream!" **
"I'm going home soon, Wolf," Corry said firmly.
*I knew you would make the right decision, Cub,* Wolf said. It took little imagination for Corry to see the smile on the canine's face. *I will see you soon enough.* He turned and ran into the woods. The entire area flared up brightly, and Corry shielded her face. When the light faded, the heavily wooded area was gone, replaced with a few trees overlooking a river.
"I'm going home soon," Corry repeated. She looked at her morpher again before holding it up before her. "WHITE RANGER POWER!!!"
"Mum?" Lon's glazed eyes swept the area, settling on Ted. "Da!" He grinned. "Are we gonna go for a swim later then?" The boy spoke with a thick Australian accent — something he hadn't done since he was a very small child.
"Uh...no, it's not warm enough yet, Lon." Ted smoothed the boy's hair back.
"Oh." With a crestfallen look, Lon nodded. "O..okay, Da."
"We'll go another time." _If we survive this!_ Ted began to silently pray. His nephew looked bad — worse than anyone Ted had ever seen wounded. _God, please, don't take Lon! He's so young, so full of light and love._ Tears burned the man's eyes as the boy muttered incoherently. He began to thrash around, and Ted had to restrain him, to keep him from hurting himself. _I don't know what to do, and I'm at my wits' end. Please.... "_
Brilliant white light flashed, making Ted wince and turn his head. Even through closed eyes, he had seen that! As it died down, he turned, fully ready to attack whatever it was that threatened his nephew.
Ted sat with a thump as he saw the creature standing before him. He swallowed hard, eyes wide. "You. Haven't seen you..."
*Long time no see, kit* Gold eyes full of laughter and mischief, the huge Coyote grinned at Ted. Its red-brown coat was thick, the ends of the fur touched with a burnished gold color. It's bushy tail waved back and forth, almost like a dog's tail, wagging.
"Why...? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but...." Ted was stunned. He hadn't seen Coyote since he had been the Green Ranger, fighting Rita, Zedd and the others.
*You haven't needed me.* If the Coyote could've shrugged, its tone indicated it would've. It tilted its head. *However, you seem to be in a tight spot here.* its tone was full of amusement. *Some things never change.*
"Ha, ha," Ted growled. He hadn't forgotten what a smart-ass the guardian animal was. "Can you help the boy?" He gestured to Lon.
Sobering, the Coyote padded silently over, pausing only to touch Ted's cheek with its cold nose. *I missed you too, kit.*
Ted smiled, reaching up to grip the thick fur on the animal's scruff. He gave the guardian a brief hug, then pulled back, eyes suspiciously wet. "He's not doing so good, is he?"
Coyote gently nuzzled the boy, sniffing at him slightly. *He is dying.* The animal turned to its human charge and gazed at him with somber eyes. *This place is not helping. It is an evil place, kit.*
"Yeah," Ted sighed, raking fingers through his hair. "That's my fault. We got in a jam, and I reacted by using this to bring us here." He pulled the arrowhead out from under his shirt. "Lon took a hit from one of the Wraiths."
The Coyote brightened seeing what Ted held. *You have the whole arrowhead!* It snuffled the artifact. *Good, it is not tainted by this place.*
"But, what does that have to do with Lon?" Ted shook his head. "He's-"
*You can use it to leave here, kit.* Coyote sighed, and shook its head. *It is too long and complicated to explain now, but you must trust me on this.* Gold eyes gazed at the man.
Ted didn't hesitate. "I trust you implicitly."
*Good.* Coyote's mental tone became impatient. *You'll have to pick him up and hold him for this to work.* As Ted bent to gently cradle his nephew in his arms, Coyote kicked and scratched dirt to cover up the blood that was on the ground. *The less of a trail they have to follow, the better. Come now, kit.* Coyote leaned against Ted's leg. The top of its head was at his waist. *You have the arrowhead?*
"Here." Ted had it in his left hand.
*Clear your mind. Allow me to picture the site we go to. You must channel the energy of the arrowhead, however.* Coyote watched the man concentrate, and nodded. *Good. Hold on, kit.*
The last thing Ted saw was the mischievous gleam in the Coyote's eyes, then the world flashed to white and disappeared.
Two were dressed all in black, form-fitting clothes. One stood as still as a statue — looking like a being carved from jade, embellished with gold.
"Why here?" Mirage frowned as he surveyed the acres of rides and funhouses. "Where is everyone?"
"We're only hunting five individuals, Mirage," Jett replied calmly. "Not the entire population of the city." She looked out at the park and gestured.
The rides came to life, as lights flashed on, and music began to play. A rollercoaster car began it's ascent to the top of "The MegaZord", one of the Park's main attractions.
Jett nodded. "That should get their attention."
She turned to the silent figure in green armor. "Dragon, go do same damage. Attract as much attention as possible." Jett caressed his helmet. "When the five Rangers show up...kill them." She looked into the visor as he nodded. "Take your sword and go."
An ebony blade, complete with a fierce green dragon on the hilt, appeared in his hand. Green Ranger raised it to his helmet in a salute, then disappeared in a wash of black flames.
"And what do we do?" Mirage crossed his arms, a petulant scowl marring his handsome features.
"Watch," Jett said with a shrug, "and enjoy the show."
"Raph, get here quick. We've got trouble." Will's voice was all business.
That snapped him awake. "On my way." He swung his legs out of bed, and stood. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a shirt, he teleported out in a flash of intense black light.
"Trouble."
"Okay." Deciding haste was necessary, Gavin didn't get dressed. _Pajamas are acceptable in this situation...._
Yellow light briefly filled the room as he 'ported out.
"We need you here right away." Will paused for a moment, and she could hear someone else talking. "Nisha, will you stop by the Scott home and wake Jared up? He's not responding."
"That lunk-head could sleep through the end of the world." She yawned. "Yeah. I'll get him." Pulling on a pair of shorts and a shirt, Nisha strapped on her communicator. Picturing the Scott's living room, she disappeared in a brilliant flare of red light.
Seconds later, red light lit the Scott's family room. Quietly, Nisha crept down the hall to Jared's room. The door was open, so she went in.
Jared was sprawled on his back, lightly snoring. He looked so peaceful and serene, Nisha smiled and shook her head. Still, this was someone you didn't sneak up on. "Jared," she hissed.
Nothing.
Creeping closer, Nisha bent over. "Jared!"
He smiled in his sleep. "Nish."
The warmth in his sigh made her face warm slightly. "Wake up!"
"You'll have to shake him awake."
Nisha whirled, almost falling. Jason was leaning against the doorframe. He smiled wearily. "I saw the red light as you 'ported in." He rubbed his eyes. "I wasn't sleeping any way."
"Oh...uh..."
"Here." Jason strode over to the bed and reached out to gently shake his son's shoulder. "Jay...wake up, kiddo." He winced as Jared grabbed his wrists at the same moment he came aware. "I'm not a Wraith, son."
"Dad?" Jared blinked, still not quite awake.
"Come on, Jared." Nisha crossed her arms. "Will called about five minutes ago. We've gotta go!"
Seeing her standing there, Jared's face went scarlet. He looked at his father, seeing only amusement written in his face. "Uh...okay, but give me a minute to get dressed."
"Jared," Nisha sighed. "I won't laugh at your boxers."
Jason's muffled snort of laughter made his son's embarrassment even more acute. "Nish, I sleep au natural, okay?"
"Oh." Nisha's face flamed, but she grinned. "Then I'll turn my back."
As she turned away, Jason handed his son his shorts. "She's a keeper, kiddo."
"Thanks, Dad," Jared grumbled. He pulled his shorts on and grabbed a shirt. He scooped up his communicator. "Let's go."
Jason chuckled as the room was filled with a royal blue, and ruby red light. "What a pair." Running a hand over his hair, he headed back to bed.
Her long dark hair stuck out at all angles, making it look as though she'd gone through a wind storm.
Gavin held up both his hands, and turned away to grin.
Red and blue light signaled the last of the team to arrive, and Will gathered them together. "Okay, guys." There were dark circles under his eyes, and a haggard expression on his face that spoke of sleepless nights. "We knew this was coming, but I'm going to warn you now." He took a deep breath and toggled the switch that activated the holo. "Jett has sent Green Ranger down to the Boardwalk."
The five teens stared as their former teammate leaped from the top of the Ferris wheel to land lightly on the ground. Pointing the ebony sword in his hand, he unleashed a bolt of obsidian lightning that blew up one of the small game stands. He turned and started down the row of booths, blowing up one after another.
"Oh no...." Olivia covered her mouth.
Raph put a steadying arm around her shoulders. "Okay. We have to stop him." He smiled grimly at Olivia. "Stop doesn't mean kill, 'Livy."
"This is our chance to try and get him back," Gavin said quietly. He didn't sound very confident.
"Let's go!" Nisha said impatiently. "He's heading for my favorite ride!"
Jared shot her an odd look, and shook his head. You just never knew with that girl.
"Stay alert and watch each other's backs, gang." Will sighed. "Remember, Green Ranger is not the Thomas you knew." He held Olivia's gaze. "You can't trust him. Don't forget that."
"It's morphin time!"
Will felt a hand touch his back as the light from the Ranger's transformations filled the room with a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors. He turned to find Kimberly next to him, and put an arm around her shoulders.
"God speed," she whispered as the five armored figures teleported out.
"Let's go this way." Black Ranger pointed towards the section of the park that housed several older rides still in use.
Spreading out in a line as they walked down the midway, the five Rangers were silent. This enemy knew each of their weaknesses, each of their fighting techniques. He was one of their own, a fact none of them could easily forget.
Blue Ranger fisted his hands as he scanned using nightvision. He was hoping Jett would show. _Fat chance, but I can hope!_
Just as they were paralleling the Zipper, music blared out of the speakers and the cages began to whirl around.
"There!" Yellow Ranger pointed to the top of the ride.
"SCATTER!" Black Ranger dove to one side as he saw Green Ranger raise the ebony blade.
Black lightning rained down on the Rangers as they dove for cover. Pink stared a moment too long, and was thrown back as a bolt of dark lightning blasted against her armor. She skidded on the grass, plowing a slight furrow as chunks of sod were blasted up from more of the black bolts. Dirt and grass rained down all over her as she shook her head, feeling a little dizzy.
"He's playing hard ball!" Red growled.
"Head's up!"
Pink Ranger looked up just as the Green Ranger leaped down not two feet in front of her. She scrambled to her feet and took a step back. "T-Thomas..." For every step she took back, he advanced. She put her hands up, shaking her head. "Stay away from me!"
A red blur somersaulted over the Pink Ranger and barreled feet first into the figure in Green. Rolling to her feet, and stancing, Red Ranger growled, "She said back off!"
Silently, Green Ranger stood and regarded her for a moment. Bringing his sword up, he swung it through a complicated kata. The blade was missing his armor by millimeters, nothing more than a black blur in the grey-gloved hands.
"What is he doing?" Yellow murmured.
"Distracting us," Black retorted quietly. They stealthily moved to encircle the Green Ranger.
Blue Ranger shook his head as Red backed Pink away from the sword-wielding Ranger. "Two can play at that game, buddy." He pulled his sword as he stalked closer and closer.
"Thomas!" Pink yelled. "Where's Corry? What did they do to her?"
"'Livy!" Red Ranger hissed in irritation. _Why'd she have to go attract his attention again?_
He froze, sword mid-swing, and slowly turned to face the petite figure in Pink. The ebony sword came up again, but Green Ranger just shook his head, silently.
As he took a step towards the girls, Blue Ranger stepped forward to block him. "You wanna pick a fight, pal? Pick on me." Blue knocked the ebony blade aside with his sword. The blades clanged as Green Ranger slammed his blade against the silver sword.
"That blasted hot-head," Black Ranger said, scowling.
Blue and Green just stared for a long moment, visor to visor. Neither one backing down, or giving way. Blue was more muscular, but Green wasn't even straining to hold the ebony blade in place as the Ranger tried to shove him back.
Jared's eyes narrowed. "Back off!"
He almost fell forward as Green Ranger did just that, standing still as a statue before him.
"A whole lot of nothing," Mirage groused.
Ignoring the comment, Jett sighed. "Perhaps I was hasty in bringing him out to fight them."
"Maybe he's afraid."
"Mirage..." Jett turned to him and shook her head. "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." She shoved him hard and watched impassively as he stumbled off the platform and fell. "I wonder if he remembers he...." She nodded as the man morphed into a raven and flapped away. "At least he did that right."
She turned back to the scene playing out below. "Come on, Dragon...do something!"
Walking up to his door, she looked inside. He lay sleeping on his bed. She saw no need to wake him, as she didn't even know what she would have asked him if he was awake.
All Sheila knew, and all Sheila had to know, was that something was up, and Draanov was directly involved.
Whether he knew it or not.
"Sheila!" one of her henchmen, or henchwomen, in this case, cried. "I have found the book!"
"Book?" Sheila asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, you requested I bring you this piece of fiction when the White Ranger arrived," the henchwoman said. In her cat-like paws, she held a children's book called "The Bad Dream Machine."
"Ah, yes," Sheila recalled. The book in question was a junior novelization of an episode from the television show "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." In that episode, an artifact known as the Crystal of Nightmares was used. Waving her hand over the book, she summoned her Gargoyle Dagger. "Thank you. You may go."
As the henchwoman left, Sheila hurried to her own quarters. Upon entering her room, a series of purple and red curtains swung into placing, forming an impenetrable door. Those curtains closed and opened only for her.
The evil woman was bound and determined to do away with the Rangers in some form or another. While it wasn't quite as exciting as destroying them in an actual battle would be, what she had in mind would certainly get the job done. "I don't know where you came from or why you are here, White Ranger," Sheila muttered, "but I don't like it. And I will not put up with you."
Sheila sat on the edge of her purple heart-shaped bed. Holding her dagger in her right hand, she extended her left arm. Humming softly, she pressed the sharp edge of the blade against the soft flesh of her forearm. Still humming, she thrust forward, cutting into her arm. Purple blood spilled out of her self-inflicted wound. It trailed down her arm and pooled into her hand. The wound promptly closed shut, just as the purple pool of blood in her hand began to boil and bubble. Instantly, the blood began to crystallize, forming itself into a sphere with a halo of seven spikes around it. "Sweet dreams, Corry."
"Keep your foot on the clutch," Jeremy said.
"I am scared to death," Corry moaned. She pressed both fists against her forehead.
"You're doing fine, Corry," Jeremy assured her. "Now..."
"Foot on the clutch, stick thingie in f-"
"Gearshift."
"Gearshift in first gear," Corry said. "Hands on wheel at...?"
"Ten and two."
"Ten and two," Corry repeated, taking a death grip on the steering wheel.
"Too tight," Jeremy told her. "Loosen up your grip."
"What if we crash and burn?" Corry asked. "Unless I'm mistaken, this truck does not have auto-preventive crash measures."
"If we crash and burn, we crash and burn," Jeremy said. "Now relax... You know what to do... Do it."
Taking a deep breath, Corry slowly eased off of the clutch as she pressed the accelerator. The truck lurched as she let the clutch go, but it continued its slow movement forward. "You're doing it," Jeremy said, much to Corry's delight.
"I just keep going straight?" Corry asked. Just as he was about to tell her to shift into second, she did it on her own.
"See, I told you it came naturally!" he cried happily.
"Am I steering okay?"
"You're doing great," he said. "I haven't ever taught someone this easily. You must be a natural."
As she shifted into third, Corry realized, "I can go home and brag about this to everybody!" Laughing happily, she shifted into fourth as the speed crept past forty-five. "I don't know of anyone who actually learned to drive a car on a...- stick... c-"
"Stick shift. Or straight shift."
"This is just too cool!" she cried. As the needle approached fifty-five, Corry put it in fifth gear, giving a happy whoop as she did so. "This is amazing! You can actually feel the car beneath you! So much power! I know what I'm going to do when I get home."
"What's that?"
"I'm gonna get me a junker 20th century car and fix it up!" Corry shouted happily.
"A natural mechanic," Jeremy grinned. * * * Far underground, Draanov lurked just outside his Queen's chambers. He knew she was about to yell for him, and he didn't want Sheila to be upset with him. That meant being there as soon as she thought she needed him.
"Draanov!" Sheila cried.
In a rush, the black-armored rat entered her room. "Yes, my Queen," he asked.
"Crystal of Nightmares," Sheila said. "One by one, I'm going to destroy the Rangers from the inside out..."
"Why one by one?" Draanov asked without thinking. "Wouldn't it make more sense to destroy them all at once?"
"No," Sheila growled, flashing him a dirty look. "When one falls, the team will fall quickly behind her. And this way, I can dedicate the Crystal of Nightmares' power to just one person. Take an army of Gargoyles, and infect one of the Rangers."
"Which one?"
"Beth, preferably. Anyone, however, except Corry. She is of no use to me. In fact, I would like to dispose of her. If you wish, you may keep her for your own use." Sheila grinned at the twinkle in Draanov's eyes. "I've seen you lust after her. Feel free to do with her what you will. Now go." * * * "What do I do?" Corry asked, frightened.
"Just pull over," Jeremy said. Again, the alarm sounded. Beep beep beepbeep beep beep. "This isn't the first time we've been paged while driving. I read you, Omicron."
"Rangers, Sheila has sent Draanov and an army of Gargoyles to a forested region of the Park," Omicron answered. "Morph and teleport out there." * * * "What is wrong with you things today?!" Beth cried. With a loud battle cry, she planted her foot in a Gargoyle's chest and backflipped away. Draanov, brandishing the Crystal of Nightmares, ran at Beth.
Suddenly, white and blue light streaked through the air, producing the final two Power Rangers. As soon as Corry materialized, she saw Draanov running for the Pink Ranger. "Hey!" Corry yelled. She ran at the rat beast and leapt into the air, sailing toward him.
"Beth, watch out!" Red Ranger Crystal cried. Turning, Beth saw Draanov hurtling toward her. With a shout, Beth sailed up into the air, landing in the tree branches high above her.
Corry's feet collided with Draanov's back a split second later. Both Ranger and villain fell to the ground. As Corry sat back up, she realized she was holding a crystal in her hands. It flashed a bright white once, before returning to a simple, grey glow.
"NO!" Draanov yelled. Before Corry could say anything in reply, she was teleported away in a shower of white.
With an angry bellow, Draanov pointed his club out before him. Black strings of light leapt out of the end and sank into the ground. Draanov then disappeared in a flash of purple fire.
"What was that all about?" Allison asked, stepping forward with her purple machete hanging loosely in her hand. Before anyone could answer her, however, the ground shook violently. Trees were uprooted as a gargantuan, metallic spider jumped out of the ground. Hissing, it slammed its head into Allison, knocking the Purple Ranger back into a nearby tree.
"Whoa!" Tara cried, hurrying over to Allison. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Allison mumbled as Tara pulled her to safety.
"Let's do it, guys!" Beth shouted. "We need Assault Vehicle power, now!" * * * Corry placed the crystal down on a console before Omicron. "I need to go back," Corry said.
"They're already in their Assault Vehicles," Nadia told her.
"Unless...," Omicron mused.
"Unless what?" Corry asked.
"I've been working on designs for a White Assault Vehicle," Sigma said. "It's technically finished. If you like, we can create it for you."
"Do it," Corry said without a moment's hesitation.
Sigma's Sword flashed brightly. "Done," Sigma announced. "It's a White Crane Assault Vehicle."
"Crane?" Corry asked. "Is it one of those airplane-like things my mom used to fly?"
"More like a MegaZord," Omicron told her. "Screen on."
Corry smiled as she took in the image. "I like it," Corry said with a nod. Putting her hands on her morpher, she teleported away in a white flash. * * * "Ungh!" Crystal shouted. Icarus A.V., the dual assault vehicle for the Red and Purple Rangers, tumbled to the ground. The Spider had lashed out with one leg, bringing the bipedal fighting machine to the ground.
Aries A.V., piloted by Blue and Pink Rangers, leapt over to Icarus and pulled it to its feet. Aphrodite A.V. for Green and Yellow was close behind. "We gotta bring 'em together!" Dana cried.
In unison, the six Rangers shouted, "Dragon Assault Vehicle, Power Up!"
However, before they could do anything, the Spider leapt at them. All eight legs wrapped around the silver dragon, bringing it down.
Red lights flashed in the Dragon's cockpit. "He's squeezing us!" Tara yelled.
"Losing internal stability!" Allison announced.
"Arming weapons," Beth muttered.
"We gotta get rid of this guy!" Crystal cried.
"Don't worry guys," Corry said through the radio system. "I'm on my way."
"Does she have even have an A.V.?" Dana asked.
High above the earth, a gleaming, white crane was hovering effortlessly. It had long, lean legs, an equally long neck, and a small body. Corry, perched precariously in the Crane's head, armed her missiles. "On my way!" Corry promised. Pushing down on her control level, she darted for the ground.
"I've got her on my scanners!" Dana realized.
"Get ready to roll out of the way guys!" Corry shouted. Her eyes were steady as she watched the ground rush up to her. "Heat seeker, aimed, and launched!" A compartment opened on the chest of the crane, and a shining, white missile dripped out. Instantly, fins popped out of the missile, and it flew off. "Banking out..." Corry pulled back up into the atmosphere as the missile made a target out of the Spider.
"Brace yourselves, guys!" Tara shouted.
"Be ready to roll with it!" Beth agreed.
The white missile made contact with the Spider. It promptly exploded, pushing the Dragon as well. The six Rangers pushed the Dragon through its paces, making it somersault away. "She did it!" Crystal cried.
"Back to the Power Core, guys," Beth agreed. In a bright silver flash, the Dragon disappeared * * * "Is that hangar for me, too?" Corry asked as she ran into the Power Core with her helmet under her arm.
"Hangar?" Beth asked. "We don't have a hangar."
"We do now," Nadia said.
"Corry's Assault Vehicle is real at all times," Omicron told her.
"As opposed to ours that are imaginary some of the time?" Crystal asked sarcastically.
"Well, yeah," Omicron snorted.
"Your A.V.'s are stored in the same type of energy waves that your armor and weapons are stored in," Nadia explained. "Corry stills draws her armor from her Morphin Grid, so there is no way we could make her A.V. based on the same type of energy. Ergo, it's real."
"On a different note, I've been running scans on this crystal," Omicron said. "It's neither good nor evil in nature."
"It reminds me of something," Corry muttered. "I don't know what though."
Tara stepped up to Corry's side and looked at the crystal over her shoulder. "Does it have a name, Omicron?" Tara asked.
"I've heard of something like this," Corry mused, looking at Tara. She picked up the spiked object, glowing a soft grey color. "It was called the Crystal of Nightmares."
Pausing, she fingered the spikes. "Back when my parents were Rangers, Goldar used a crystal like this. I've read about it in the Power Chamber Archives... It made the Rangers insecure and, well, worthless." Corry wrinkled her nose. "It can't be the same one, though...can it?"
"Probably not. This one works on a slightly different principle," Omicron said. "It's targeted one Ranger, and it isn't going to make you insecure or worthless."
"Who's 'you?'" Corry asked.
"The only Ranger that has touched the Crystal," Omicron told her. "It's going to make you have nightmares."
"Nightmares?" Corry asked. "That's it? Just nightmares?"
"Give her something to keep her from dreaming," Tara suggested. "She'll be fine."
"Maybe I should start watching horror movies, so any nightmare I might have will seem tame by comparison," Corry suggested with a smirk. It was obvious she wasn't taking the threat of bad dreams seriously.
Of course, if she knew what would happen the very next time she fell asleep, she would have.
"No...." Pink took a step forward, only to be halted by Red Ranger.
Black watched the two one-time teammates, torn between admiration for the skill they exhibited, and horror for what had happened to his friend.
"Thomas!" Yellow stepped forward the moment there was a slight break in the fight. "Why are you letting Jett do this to you?" He yelped and jumped back as Green Ranger pulled the Dragon Dagger from thin air, and slashed at him. The blade whistled past his visor, almost nicking it.
Blue stepped over to roughly shove Yellow aside and block another strike of the ebony blade. Grunting from the strain of holding the blade back, Blue growled, "You sure took her side easy!"
Green swung the Dragon Dagger up, slamming the hilt against Blue's helmet. Jared staggered back, slightly dazed by the concussive blow.
Yellow ducked as Green suddenly vaulted backwards, lightly landing on one of the Ferris Wheel buckets. Crossing the blades, Green Ranger let the black energy build into a glowing ball for a split second, then launched it at Blue Ranger. The impact blasted Blue into the air, sending him crashing against the Tilt O'Wheel. The ride groaned as one side caved in from the impact.
Green pointed the ebony sword, raining down more bolts at the Rangers. One of the bolts hit Yellow who staggered back, then dove for cover.
"Jared!" Red ran over and knelt next to her teammate who wasn't moving. "Dammit, say something!" She pulled him from the caved-in side of the ride.
Groaning, Blue coughed, "Ouch."
"He's okay!" Red stayed next to him, shielding him from Green Ranger.
"You," Nisha pointed, "are toast!"
Black Ranger ran over to Yellow. "You okay?"
Gavin nodded, examining his armor for scorch marks. "Just kinda surprised me."
"Pink! Stay down!" Black stood and glared at his ex-teammate. "Thomas, you're still in there. Listen to me." He slowly walked forward.
"I'm in on this!" Red joined him, Blue right by her side. Yellow came up on Raph's other side. Tentatively Pink walked over to join them.
"We are your teammates. You don't want to hurt us, do you?" Raph felt his heart pounding a mile a minute.
All the Rangers jumped back, stancing as the figure in Green armor jumped lightly down to join them. He held the sword down at his side.
"Thomas, we can help you," Pink said quietly.
"Will and I can find a way to bring you back." Yellow's voice cracked, betraying his nervousness. He didn't flinch though as the dark visor turned his direction.
Slowly Black Ranger moved the team until they had encircled the Green Ranger. He knew Will was monitoring them, but until Thomas gave up the sword, they couldn't risk bringing him in. "Give us the sword, Thomas." The sword had been what held the other Green Ranger in Rita's control. Raph wondered if it was the same — he hoped so.
Black held out his hand. "Give me the sword. Come back to us."
"Careful, " Blue growled as Green slowly raised the sword.
Red tensed as Green Ranger raised the sword to above his waist, pointing it up. What new trick was this?
With a flick of his wrist, Green sent the sword to its interdimensional pocket. He looked at Black and shrugged.
_Not exactly what I wanted...._ Raph sighed. He'd hoped to destroy the sword.
"Will you come with us?" Pink asked.
Raph glanced over at Blue as the Green Ranger turned to face Pink Ranger. Before he could even think of tackling Thomas while his back was to him, the Green Ranger kicked out, hitting him right in the chest and sending him reeling back.
Green spun, and lashed out, catching Blue in a brutal roundhouse that would've taken off his head if he weren't in armor. Before Red could move to react, he caught her with the second roundhouse.
Olivia had seen Thomas spar enough to know there was a third one coming. She ducked and dove back.
As Green touched down, he spun, turning towards Yellow. Yellow stanced and blocked the flurry of punches. He was panting, as Green kept advancing on him. "Uh...guys?!" In a second of inattention, Yellow felt his arm caught and twisted, as he was lifted. "Whoa!" He flew through the air, slamming into one of the rides. "Ugh...."
Pink ran over to Red who was shaking her head still. "Nisha!" She looked up to see Green going at it again, fighting Black Ranger at the same time as Blue.
It was like fighting a madman. His fists moved too fast to block, he spun and dodged before they could land a blow and he anticipated their moves. Blue waded in, ignoring the blows, letting his anger carry him.
Green ducked a tornado kick, and swept Blue's legs out from under him. He pulled back and brutally punched the coin set on Blue's chest.
"UNGH!"
Black tackled Green Ranger, and the two rolled past Blue, wrestling for a hold on one another. Green managed to get his foot under, and kicked Black Ranger back. As Black staggered to his feet, Green spun and kicked, catching him right under the chin.
Black went down as Red popped up, nunchukus swinging. "Back...off." The cold tone in her voice spoke of deadly intent. She didn't want to hurt her former teammate, but it looked like he wasn't holding back.
Pink hands shook as she pulled the Power Bow. "Leave us alone, Thomas."
Yellow slowly stood, hearing the tears in her voice. He staggered over to Blue. "You okay?
"I feel like crap." Blue slowly sat up, with help from Yellow. "He's not screwing around."
"No." Yellow felt a lump rise in his throat as he said it. It was like sounding the death knell on their friendship with Thomas.
Green Ranger stood straight, taking the time to look over each and every one of his former teammates. He gave a mocking bow and began to laugh as green and black flames consumed him.
"Damn," Black Ranger sighed. The mocking laughter echoed in his ears. "Let's get back to Will."
It was a shaken group that gathered together. Five brilliant beams of color flared to life and sped off towards the heart of Angel Grove.
The green teleportation booth flashed as Dana arrived. "You beckoned?" Dana asked. A purple flash close behind her heralded Allison's arrival.
"Brace yourselves!" Omicron warned. The entire room suddenly shook violently.
"What was that?!" Allison cried, holding tightly to the neon banister of the stairwell. She continued down to the main floor of the Power Core.
Blue and yellow booms of light in quick succession produced Jeremy and Tara.
"Earthquake?" Corry asked.
"Possibly," Omicron surmised as she turned the alarms off. "Dana-"
"I'm on it," Dana volunteered. She wasn't at the console for more than a few seconds before announcing, "New Madrid fault is perfectly stable."
"I'll scan for any abnormalities in the Cave itself," Tara volunteered.
"Here comes another one," Omicron said, reading the energy display set into the wall.
"I'll track it," Allison said hurriedly, bolting over to a nearby console. Her fingers flew across the memorized console. Just then, the room began to rock.
"If the Power Core's a rockin'," Nadia teased as she shimmered into being.
"Funny, angel girl," Allison smarted. "Did you see anything?"
"There is some rock movement due east," Sigma told them as he appeared.
"Scanning for it, now," Jeremy said.
"Jeremy, follow these coordinates," Allison started. "Eight, ninety-six, twelve, twelve, seven."
"Gotcha," he agreed. "Tara, help me with this."
"I've got a visual, but... it's too dark to see anything," Tara announced.
"Switch to infrared," Corry suggested.
"Switching... now." Tara looked up from the console, brushing her brown hair out of her face.
"Full screen," Omicron ordered. Sections of the wall slid back and formed a much larger video screen. The image was mostly black, with a faint tinge of reddish light right around the perimeter of the screen.
"Sonic testing, now," Dana said.
"Do you think it's an empty room?" Omicron asked.
Dana waited a few seconds for the results to come back before announcing, "I know it's an empty room..."
"This is bizarre," Tara said, reading over Dana's shoulder. "There are four walls, a roof, and a ceiling. No way in, no way out."
"Just like the Power Core," Allison realized.
"Let's go check it out," Corry said.
"It's Morphin Time!" Dana shouted.
"Lion!" Jeremy cried, morphing into the Blue Ranger.
Purple Ranger Allison shouted, "Frog!"
"Sparrow!" Green Ranger Dana yelled.
"Fox!" Tara, Yellow Ranger, bellowed.
"White Ranger Power!" Corry finished. In five streaks of light, the Rangers disappeared. * * * By the time the Rangers had completely reformed inside the strange cavern, the light from their teleportation was gone. "This is the darkest I believe I have ever seen," Corry announced.
"Mastodon Power Beams!" Allison cried. The purple Mastodon atop her helmet lifted up slightly, its eyes opening wide. Bright halogen lights shone out, providing a welcome reprieve from the darkness.
"Whoa!" Tara shouted. As Allison swept her light beams past them, a tan colored wall was just a few feet away from them. "What is this?!"
"Oh my goodness," Jeremy sighed.
"What is that thing?" Allison asked, shining the headlights from her helmet around the large cavernous room.
"The Power Chamber," Corry realized.
Both the Blue and Yellow Ranger simultaneously stretched out to touch the wall. "It's solid," Jeremy announced.
"Like granite," Tara agreed.
"Sorta pebbly," Jeremy said, nodding his head.
"Brachiosaurus Power Vision!" Dana shouted. The two tiny eyes in the Brachiosaurus head attached to the neck that stretched down through her visor blinked green. As if alive, the neck raised up into the air, separating itself from the visor. Green-tinged light shone from the dinosaur's eyes, landing on the stone wall. A perfect circle of green light rested there for a moment.
"What-?" Corry started.
Then, the wall that was touched by the green light became transparent. Looking through the circle in the wall, they saw a dimly lit room with silver walls. "It's a building," Dana realized.
"Activating audio enhancers!" Tara cried. The tiny ears on her yellow helmet perked up and pointed forward. She was silent for a moment, before asking, with a smile in her voice, "Does anyone know a Zordon?"
"Zordon?!" Corry cried. She ran up to the wall and reached out to touch it.
"Not yet," Allison said, pulling her back. "It's just a visual."
"Reality alterer!" Dana shouted. A burst of white shot out of the Brachiosaurus head and hit the wall. A crackle of electricity passed through it. "Hurry through," Dana said, ushering Corry to the entrance.
"Zordon!" Corry shouted, jumping through the wall. The other Rangers were close behind. As soon as they entered the silver room, the lights immediately flashed on. "This is the outer room!" Corry cried. She ran up to a pair of blue and silver sliding doors.
"How do we get in?" Allison asked.
Corry removed her helmet, walking up to the sliding doors. "Corriane Cranston, White Ranger. Perform retina scan."
With that, the doors slid open with a whoosh. A frantic "ay-yi-yi" followed. "Alpha!" Corry shouted, darting through the doors.
"Corry?!" Alpha cried, turning to look at her.
"What are you guys doing here?!" Corry cried happily. Running over to the automaton, she threw her arms around him in a big hug.
"It is good to know that you are alive and well, Corriane," Zordon said. "Where, exactly, are we?"
"April, 1998. Totally different dimension," Corry explained. "How did you end up here?"
"I attempted to bring the energy of the Zeo Crystal into my private dimension," Zordon explained. "In doing so, we somehow ended up here."
"Before we completely lost contact with the outside world, I did find readings from another dimension in the energy flux field around the Power Chamber," Alpha said. "I- who are you friends?"
"Oh, come on in, guys. These are four of the Rangers from this dimension."
"This is the most incredible thing ever," Jeremy sighed. "I mean... it's Zordon of Eltare!"
"You're on a television show, here," Corry told him, grinning.
"My name is Tara," Tara said, introducing herself. "Green Ranger is Dana, Purple Ranger is Allison, and that guy is Jeremy. It's very nice to meet you."
"It is nice to meet you as well," Zordon said.
"Do you have a way home?" Corry asked hopefully.
"Unfortunately, we don't," Alpha said.
"Why don't we get you guys in the Power Core?" Allison suggested.
"Yeah," Corry agreed. "That would be wonderful. I mean, we might as well..." Looking to Jeremy and Tara, she tried a new rural saying. "Put all our chickens in one basket."
"Um, Corry," Tara tried not to laugh as Jeremy began to snicker. She elbowed him.
"That's eggs in one basket," Dana supplied with a grin.
"Oops." Corry shrugged and grinned. "Chickens, eggs...." She started giggling with the others. "I was close!"
"Keep trying, " Tara advised with a smile. "For a city kid, you're doing okay."
"Let's go," Jeremy said, still laughing. "We'll work on the sayings. Maybe the accent too."
"What's wrong with my accent?" Corry stopped, and stared at him.
"You don't have one, " Dana told her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "You have to speak slower and draw the words out more."
"If I talk any slower I'll be in tomorrow!" She laughed as Jeremy nodded.
"I'll remember that, Cranston!" Jeremy shook his head at Tara. "She could be an auctioneer the way she rattles stuff off."
Corry stuck her tongue out. "You should hear Chelsea." With that, she teleported out.
"I don't think I want to go to California," Jeremy sighed. "We'll just let all of them come visit us, right?"
"Right." Tara grinned. "Come on." * * * "Are you comfortable with this arrangement?" Sigma asked.
"Quite," Zordon boomed. Sigma had used his Sword to create a six-foot tall tube, set against one wall, for Zordon to project his image through. Alpha was currently hobbling about, trying to get the feel of his new temporary home as Omicron showed him the quirks of their new system.
"Zordon, earlier, you said that you were trying to take the energy of the Zeo Crystal into your dimension, right?" Dana asked.
"That is correct."
"And we're currently registering it on our scanners," Dana continued. "But that's nowhere near enough energy to come all the way here. Assuming you knew how to harness it correctly, you could use it to leave one dimension, but..."
"The odds of us coming to the same dimension Corriane came to are astronmical," Zordon finished.
"The readings from another dimension were obviously this one," Tara realized.
"Right," Dana said. "Do you have those recordings in your datafile?"
"I know how to access them," Corry said hurriedly. Running over to the nearest console, she sat her white Wolf helmet on the back of it. Her gloved fingers flew across the controls for a few moments, before she announced, "Found 'em."
Energy crackled as Nadia appeared at the top of the stairwell. "Cross reference villains," she ordered. The computers instantly followed her command.
Omicron and Alpha turned to look, as did everyone else in the Power Core. A few seconds later, the computer beeped. "Match found," Corry said softly.
"Who is it?" Sigma asked.
"No name, but a reference," Corry said.
"Calling it up, now," Jeremy announced. One section of the wall to the left of the room opened up, revealing a video screen. Immediately, a computer-generated image appeared.
"Draanov," Corry whispered.
"He pulled you here?" Tara asked.
"More specifically than that," Sigma started, "Draanov's Club... Cross reference Diamond, Pink Garnet, and Sapphire Swords."
The three Swords in the bed of crystals on the top level all flashed in unison. "Oh my goodness," Nadia sighed as it occurred to her.
"Could you fill in the rest of us?" Allison asked.
"Draanov's Club," Omicron muttered. "It's the missing Onyx Sword... He's one of the SwordKeepers."
"And I've got drinks," Beth said, holding a tray with seven glasses on it.
"I finally figured out WHO you remind me of," Tara said.
"Oh?" Corry asked.
"Keri Russell," Tara told her. "She was in _Honey, I Blew Up the Kid_ and the New Mickey Mouse Club. You're identical. Well, you look a little younger, and your hair isn't as curly, but other than that, identical."
"Is she in any of these movies?" Corry asked, pointing to the stack of movies sitting in front of Beth.
"Most of these movies are too old," Beth said. "We've got Friday the 13th, Part Four, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Nightmare on Elm Street, the remake of Night of the Living Dead, and my personal favorite, Scream."
"So help me, if I have nightmares, I am going to come sleep with somebody," Corry muttered nervously.
"O- ow!" Jeremy cried, just as Allison smacked him for a smart-alec comment he was a second from making.
"We don't have time to watch more than three tonight," Beth said. "How about Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th?"
Corry took her seat on the couch and got a pillow ready to shield her face. Allison was close by her side with a similar pillow. "The chickens are ready," Allison answered for the both of them.
"Pop it in," Corry said, grabbing a nervous handful of popcorn before settling back into the couch. * * * "You will be okay, right?" Beth asked.
"You can come stay in our guest room, if you like," Jeremy offered.
"No, I'll be fine," Corry said. "If I have to, I'll go make friendly with Omicron tonight."
"Well, good night," Jeremy and Beth said in eerie unison before they teleported away in streams of blue and pink, leaving Corry alone in the living area.
"Horror movies aren't so bad," Corry decided, going back to her room.
Stretching her neck, she sat down on the edge of her bed. She had sat still for far too long. "I think I will read before bed, though," she said aloud. "And I guess I should also stop talking to myself."
Just as she reached for a book on her nightstand, the old-fashioned phone sitting by her bed rang. The number was private, and it was relayed through the Power Core. Wrong numbers were an impossibility, and the only people who had it were the Rangers. Of course, Omicron also used it to contact her if it wasn't actual Ranger business. That's probably what it was.
"Hello?" Corry asked, sweeping her hair over one shoulder as she nestled the white and gold handset against her neck.
"Hello."
"Hi," Corry said again. The voice was male. "Sigma?"
"No, not Sigma."
"Jeremy?"
"Not him either."
"Ah, it's Beth then. So you got one of those voice changers like they had in the movie?"
"Do you want to die tonight, Corry?"
Frowning, Corry hung up the phone with a thump. She immediately had a flash from her guilty conscious. It was Beth playing a harmful prank on her, and she had just slammed the phone in her ear. She quickly picked up the receiver and pushed the auto-dial button for Beth.
"Hello?" Beth asked in a confused voice.
"Sorry about hanging up on you like that," Corry apologized, laughing nervously. "I guess those movies startled me more than I thought."
"What are you talking about?" Beth asked.
"Didn't you just call me?" Corry asked.
"No, I just got through talking with my dad. I just this second stepped into my bedroom. Are you okay?"
"I just got a prank call like in the movie," Corry said. "I thought it was you."
"Not me," Beth told her sympathetically. "I wouldn't put it past Jeremy. Heck, I wouldn't put it past Omicron. That girl has got a wicked sense of humor."
"Just me being paranoid," Corry said, smiling. "Sorry I bothered you. Good night."
"G'night."
Corry sat the phone down again, shaking her head. _Way to go, Cranston._ She had no more than stretched out on the bed when the phone rang again.
"Hello?" she asked again, trying to sound just as sweet as before.
"Hi," the same male voice said. "Who is this?"
"This is Corry," she said. "Who is this?"
"Guess."
"Jeremy?"
"Maybe."
"Omicron?"
"Perhaps?"
"Or are you my worst nightmare?" Corry giggled. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you intend to scare me, Logsdon."
"Have you checked on the children, Corry?"
"Why no, I haven't, Mr. Killer, sir. Did you kill them?"
"Not yet... I've got a knife with your name on it, Corry... I can't wait to hear you scream..."
"This isn't funny," Corry snarled.
"It's not supposed to be funny. It's supposed to be scary."
Scowling, Corry slammed the phone down hard. "Omic-!" she started to call out, only to be interrupted by the ringing phone.
She waited nervously as the phone continued to ring. Finally, swallowing hard, she picked up the phone and shouted, "What?!"
The voice was singing this time. "One, two, I'm comin' for you... Three, four, better lock your door..."
Corry instantly hit the receiver and pushed the button for Omicron.
"Corry?" Omicron's cheerful voice said. The White Ranger instantly felt relief.
"Omicron, something's wrong with the phone," Corry said. _That's an understatement._ "I mean, I'm getting menacing phone calls."
"Corry, that's not possible," Omicron told her. "No one has your number except us and the Rangers."
"Would you check, just in (beep, beep) case. Call waiting..."
"Keep whoever it is on the line, and I'll scan the call, okay?" Omicron suggested. "It's possible you're just getting radio signals or anything on it."
"Okay," Corry said. "Thanks Omicron." Corry waited a second before switching to the other line. "Hello?"
"Why did you hang up on me?" the voice asked.
Corry walked over to her closet, the cord stretching out behind her. She was careful not to knock things over with it, as she had done when she first started using phones with cords. "Because I didn't like what you were saying." _Weak, Cranston. Weak._
Corry slid the closet door open. She loved the spacious closet Omicron had prepared for her. It was humongous. "DO you want to die tonight?"
"That's a stupid question," Corry said. "Of course not."
She heard a click, and Omicron was promptly on the line. "Corry, get out of your room!" Omicron cried.
"What?" Corry asked.
"The calls are coming from in your closet!"
"Omicron, that's ridiculous," Corry chastised. "I'm in my closet right- (click)." The phone line went dead instantly. "Omicron?" Pulling the phone away from her ear, Corry immediately saw that the cord had been cut. It had been sliced, while she was talking on it. Her eyes widened as she took in that realization. "LIGHTS ON!" Corry screamed. The lights had no more than turned on when a black shrouded figure, standing just a few inches from her, turned around, revealing a white, masked face. Corry let loose with an ear-shattering scream, ducking just as a gleaming dagger was swung at her face.
She hurled herself from the closet, spinning around as she ran away. The killer, dressed as the murderer from _Scream,_ was close behind her. "Door open!" Corry shouted. She bolted out of her living quarters and ran down the small hallway connecting her to the Power Core. She rounded the right cornered curve of the hallway, running to the end of the corridor that either lead her into the Power Core or her Zord's hangar. Corry was horrified to find it closed tight. "OMICRON! Let me in!" She beat both hands the sliding doors. "Alpha! Zordon! Sigma! PLEASE!!!"
At the corner of the hallway, the masked man appeared, still holding his dagger. "White Ranger Power!" Corry shouted, realizing at that moment that her powers were temporarily blocked again. With a chortled cry, she pushed open the swinging door that led to the Zord hangar.
"Sigma!" she shouted. The hangar wasn't as nice as the Power Core. With the exception of catwalks stretched everywhere, the room was nothing more than a hollowed out cavern of the cave. Lights were positioned at the very top of the hangar, but the room still had a dark feeling to it. Corry's White CraneZord sat, silently, in the center. Catwalks and scaffolding surrounded the mammoth vehicle, giving Omicron or Alpha easy access to the Zord's wiring.
Corry waited on the scaffolding, unsure of what to do. The doors were standing still; whoever that was could easily push through them. _Maybe he's not coming in here._ However, just as soon as she began to think about safety, the doors flew open with lightning force, slamming into the walls on each side of them. Gasping, Corry threw herself down the closest stairwell, her feet scrambling over the steps, taking them two and even three at a time.
As Corry rounded the corner, she looked up behind her. The cloaked figure was methodically stalking her. He wasn't running in the same blind panic she was; he definitely had the upper hand. Corry stopped at the side of the scaffolding and placed her right foot on the utmost ladder rung. Holding tight to the railing, she swung her left leg over the rail. Balanced there precariously but just for a moment, she hurriedly got her right leg over the railing as well and back on the rung. Climbing down quickly, she descended a good forty feet before the ladder ran out.
She let go and dropped, gingerly, to a metal walkway beneath her. She was still hundreds of feet above the floor of the cavern. The Crane's head was the only part of the massive Zord that loomed above her.
Suddenly, Corry was struck with terror. She didn't know where the cloaked killer was. She had lost sight of him during her descent down the ladder. At the moment, she stood on a square of metal. There were no railings anywhere, and no way off she could see, except for a rickety set of stairs. However, when she realized that the killer was still somewhere around, she headed for the rickety stairs.
They swayed rhythmically with her weight. She clutched desperately at the hand railing until she reached the next landing that was considerably more stable. She could hear the shrouded figure moving around above her; she just couldn't see him. However, she didn't have to see him to know that he was too close for comfort.
She continued running down the stairs, unsure of what she would do when she reached the bottom. Then, she caught sight of the service elevator. That could take her back up to the Power Core and give her enough time to figure out something. There was no way that person could run up stairs as fast as an elevator.
Finally, she stepped off of the last step. She looked up above her to see if she could spot the masked assailant. His image not forthcoming, she ran for the elevator. She repeatedly tapped the up button, and realized unhappily that the elevator was at the Power Core. "Come on," she pleaded, tapping the button faster and more forcefully. "Please..."
Something compelled her to turn around, and when she did, she saw the shrouded figure step off of the stairs. _NO!_ Whimpering, Corry began to tap the button frantically. The stalker began to slowly walk toward her, his knife held out before him.
Thankfully, the elevator chimed and the door slid open. Corry forced her way in as soon as the door parted. The stalker immediately began to speed up. Before the doors were even closed, Corry had pressed the button for the Power Core. Then, she pushed herself back into the furthest corner of the elevator, praying that the doors would just hurry up and close.
The killer ran up to the doors just as they slid closed, and it was all Corry could do to keep from sliding to the floor. However, she forced herself to stand up straight. She had to be quick. Sheila was behind this, and she had to stay on her toes.
Several long seconds later, the door opened. Corry cautiously walked out of the elevator, glancing around her for the killer. Seeing that the small hallway was clear, she walked toward the Power Core. "Please open this time," Corry pleaded. As she walked near the sliding doors to the Power Core, she saw that they were open.
Inside, she was greeted to a horrifying sight. None of the lights were working, save for the emergency overhead lights. Zordon's tube was cracked, Alpha lay on his back on the ground, deactivated, and all three Swords were missing from the pedestal at the top of the room.
"Omicron!" Corry cried. She hurried to the back of the Power Core and into the small room that served as Omicron's bedroom. There was one lamp that was turned on, but everything else was trashed. A dark circle of liquid surrounded the bed which housed a lump under a bloody cover. _Oh God no..._
"Omicron?" Corry whimpered. She crept near the bed, whimpering and cowering as the toes of her sneakers touched what she assumed to be a pool of blood. Praying as hard as she could, she reached out and touched the bedcovers. "Please, not Omicron," she pleaded. Then, she yanked hard.
Immediately, the black cloaked stalker leapt up from beneath the covers, still holding his gleaming dagger. Corry screamed and tried to run, but her feet slid in the blood around her ankles. Her tailbone connected, hard, with the floor, and the killer began to move toward her. She heard the door to the bedroom slide shut behind her. "No," she choked out in a weak voice, reaching out to touch it.
The killer stopped, and then knocked the only lamp to the ground. As the light extinguished, Corry found herself trapped in the darkest place she had ever seen in her life. "LIGHTS ON!" she screamed.
Shrieking in terror, she sat up, the bedsheets tangled all around her. As the lights in her room came on, she realized that she had been dreaming. She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart rumbling frantically. "Omicron!" she was finally able to cry.
"Hmm?" Chin in his hand, elbow on the table, the teen stared morosely at the notepad in front of him.
"You've been staring at that same problem for over thirty minutes, son. Are you okay?"
Sighing, Raph turned in his chair to face his father. "If we're going to Sedona for Christmas, why are we decorating?" He gestured to the tree and the wreath Rocky was struggling with.
"That's not for three more weeks." Rocky set the wreath down and regarded his son seriously. "I haven't forgotten, Raph. I just want to...." He shrugged, and looked down, tugging on the pine branches. "We didn't do much for Christmas the past couple of years."
A hopeful light sparked Raph's dark eyes. "So...we are still going to Sedona?"
"I promised you, Raph. I'm not gonna go back on that." Rocky's mouth twisted into a goofy grin as he looked up. "Now go down and get those boxes of Christmas decorations, will ya?" He tossed a sprig of pine at his son.
Swatting it back at him, Raph stood, an equally silly grin on his face. "Sure." He walked into the kitchen and flipped the switch to the lights in the basement. The door swung shut behind him as he descended the wood stairs.
Rubbing his arms, Raph looked around the large area. It had been the first dojo his dad and mom had opened — years ago. Now it was dusty, full of storage containers and equipment they stored from the dojo. With a sigh, Raph pushed away his sad feelings and began searching for the containers marked with a pine tree. His mother had been meticulous, and had known where every single thing was kept down here.
_Dad and I haven't exactly kept that up...._ Raph waved a cobweb away from his face, coughing slightly at the dust he was stirring up.
With a flicker, the light died, dropping the basement into complete darkness.
"Oh...great," Raph muttered. He whirled as something skittered past him. Touching the container behind him to keep his direction, Raph turned. _Just a rat....or something._ He shivered as the room's temperature dropped suddenly, and more scratching noises came from behind him. Something ran across his hand, and he pulled it back, taking a step back.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs and he whirled to face that direction. "Dad?" His voice sounded a little too hopeful, even to his ears. _Get a grip!_
The lock on the door clicked with a thunk.
Raph tried not to shiver, but it was cold, and memories of what Jett had done to him still haunted his nightmares. He brought a hand up to his chest and backed away until his back touched the wall. "Who's there?" He growled. _No way she's doing that to me again!_
Green light flared in the center of the room, and Raph winced away from the sudden intrusion of brightness. Once his eyes had adjusted, he looked again.
And froze.
Thomas stood, staring at him. The eerie green light was coming from him somehow. He glowed in the darkness, his eyes a deep, unnatural gleaming green.
Raph swallowed hard and began to inch his way towards the stairs.
The glowing figure smiled chillingly. "Leaving so soon, Raph?"
Forgetting all about being macho, Raph turned and ran for the stairs. He stopped after two strides.
The stairs had vanished.
Whirling, Raph ran. The green glare from Thomas only affected the immediate area, leaving the rest of the basement in complete darkness. Panicked, Raph ran headlong into one of the shelves, toppling it over with a horrendous crash. He turned, seeing a green glow.
Thomas leaped up on top on the shelf and stalked towards him, looking like a jungle cat on the prowl as he slunk forward on his hands and knees. His eyes glowed green.
Trapped in the corner, and getting angry, Raph stood his ground, hands fisted. "What the hell do you want?"
Thomas shrugged, the wicked grin growing. "To see how the new...leader...of the Rangers is doing." He leaped gracefully down, then stopped as if examining his nails. Green light danced in whirls over his body. "So...." He looked up, dark eyes as cold as the void of space. "How are you holding up? Dreaming a lot lately?"
"Go to hell!" Raph stanced as the man took another step closer. The cold seemed to be radiating from his ex-teammate.
Shrugging carelessly, Thomas stopped. "Trust me, Raph. I won't be alone." Flashing a smile that showed white teeth, the man came closer. "Before long, all of you will join me here." He raised a dark eyebrow. "We'll have a Power Ranger reunion. Should be one...hell...of a party."
Raph couldn't help but cringe away as Thomas laughed. It was a laugh so full of darkness, so full of cold, it scared him. "Stay back!"
A flash of light hit right in front of Raph, and when it cleared the Jaguar crouched, ready to pounce on Thomas. *You will not touch this one!* It dug wickedly sharp claws into the cement floor as it tensed its muscles.
"Fine," Thomas said in a flat voice. Taking a step back, he smirked at Raph. "Sweet dreams, Raphael." Green-black light consumed him in a rush of flames.
The light came on as suddenly as it had gone out, and Raph sagged down to sit against the stairs. His heart was beating hard enough to bruise his ribs. "I'm too young for this kinda stress," he muttered.
"Hey, Raph!" Rocky's voice carried down the stairs. "What's the holdup? You okay?"
*Stay on the alert, Cub,* The Jaguar warned. *They will keep trying to wear you down.* Nudging the boy with its head, the animal disappeared in a grey-white flash.
"I'll remember," Raph assured it grimly. "I'm okay, Dad!" Pulling himself up, Raph again went on search of the elusive Christmas decorations.
Walking towards the bus stop, Nisha tried not to feel left out. Jared and Raph were teaching their usual Karate class, Olivia was in the class and Gavin was doing something with Will. _I'm just used to hanging out with Corry,_ she told herself. Thanksgiving had been a bummer. It just wasn't the same without all of them together.
_This was supposed to be Thomas' first Thanksgiving with all of us too._ Thoughts of their newest friend depressed Nisha, and she sighed. _How could so much have happened in so short a time? We've been Rangers....four months?_
Wind blew against the girl and she pulled her coat tighter. She always had thought that being a Ranger like her parents would give her the feeling of invulnerability.
It didn't. Far from it. _I was happier ignorant._ Nisha sighed. _Well, the rush is great, but the downside of losing friends sucks._
She couldn't shake the feeling they might never see Corry or Thomas again.
The bus pulled up with a quiet whoosh. Lost in her own musings, Nisha didn't pay much attention as she swiped her card through the payunit. She trudged back to the last seat and sat. As the bus pulled away from the stop, Nisha realized what she wasn't hearing.
Other passengers.
She looked up, startled to see the entire bus empty.
The driver was the only other passenger.
_During Christmas season?_ Nisha shook her head. _Unheard of!_ Her anxiety increased as she got a better look at the route they were taking.
They were heading out of town, not Southdale.
Nisha stood. "Excuse me, but we're going the wrong direction."
"Are we?"
Frowning, Nisha grabbed her bag and walked forward several seats. "Yeah. Southdale is the other direction!" She tried to get a look at the driver, but the hat hid his face. "Who are you? Doesn't Glen usually have this route?"
A low chuckle was her response. It sent chills down her spine. Nisha grabbed the seat to keep from falling as the bus suddenly swerved, jumping the center divider, and heading into the oncoming traffic. Eyes wide, the girl sat, clutching the seat back. "Are you crazy?!"
Her nails dug into the soft padding as the driver let go of the steering wheel, stood, and slowly turned to face her. Glowing green eyes peered out of a shadowed face, and the temperature on the bus suddenly dropped. "I thought you liked challenges, Nisha."
The bus was all over the place, swerving from one lane to the next, always barely missing the oncoming car. Horns blared, as the angry drivers avoided sure death. The bus continued on its wrong-way route.
Crossing his arms, the driver leaned nonchalantly against the pole. No matter how hard the bus swerved, nothing upset his balance. "But, then, you like to be in the driver's seat, don't you?"
"Damn you, Thomas!" Nisha pulled herself to her feet, reaching behind her.
"Ah-aah!" Thomas made a gesture and Nisha's hand met only thin air.
Narrowing her eyes, the girl realized she wasn't going to be allowed to morph. Her gaze was caught by the massive bulk of an oncoming truck. Deciding living was better than arguing, Nisha gestured wildly. "Thomas! The truck!"
"Hmm?" With languid grace, he half turned, and shrugged. "I see it."
"Oh....God...." Nisha thought briefly of her family and friends as the huge semi barreled towards them, unable to move in time to avoid a collision. Air horn blaring, the truck tried to change lanes, but was trapped by traffic. Murmuring a quick prayer, Nisha braced herself.
It all went into slow motion as the semi rushed towards them, grill glinting silver in the afternoon sunlight, airhorn blasting. Nisha could see the driver's horrified expression as he threw his arms up in front of his face. Winds strong as cyclones began to blow around the bus, whipping Nisha's long braids around. With a rush of cold air, strongly tainted by the smell of garlic, the semi met the bus head-on....
Nisha felt the hair on her arms prickle as a ghostly image of the semi rushed at her, then through her. She felt as though she was on fire for a moment, and green light filled the interior of the bus, dancing over the image of the semi. Her ears were filled with the sounds of crackling energy, the air horn and the rushing of wind.....
Then...silence.
Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her fingers, dug deeply into the foam of the cushion in front of her, trembled. Slowly, almost afraid to see what would greet her, Nisha opened her eyes.
"Boo."
Screaming at the sight of the glowing green face right in front of her, Nisha scrambled out of the seat and fell into the aisle. Fear turned to anger as Thomas laughed mockingly at her. Shakily climbing to her feet, Nisha glared at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Nothing frightens you, Nisha. I wanted to see if I could find...something that would." He smirked at her. "Looks like I did." The bus driver uniform shimmered and became black clothing.
Fisting her hands, she shook with reaction and anger. "You...."
Raising a dark eyebrow, Thomas shook a finger at her. "Be careful what you say, Nisha." He gestured out the window. "You might end up here...."
She glanced out the windows and took a step back.
They were at Angel's Rest Cemetery.
"Or maybe you already are, and none of this is real...."
"No...," Nisha whispered. She stumbled past Thomas, down the stairs and staggered over to the headstone. Dropping to her knees, she traced the letters carved into the white marble. Nisha Kethri Taylor. Died, 2018. Beloved daughter, now with the angels. She shook her head. "NO!"
Mocking laughter filled her ears as she covered her face with her hands.
"Nisha?"
Nisha jumped, and stared wildly at the man in front of her. "What? Where....?" She was on the bus, in front of the mall. Several other passengers gave her curious looks. Nisha looked blankly at the driver. "Glen?"
"Yeah." A kind smile tugged at the portly man's mouth. His green eyes twinkled. "You fell asleep, kid. This is where you wanted to go, right?"
Gripping his hand in a tight hold, Nisha nodded. "Thank you!" She jumped up, grabbed her bag, and bolted off the bus, heading for the women's bathroom.
Glen just shook his head, and walked back up to sit at the wheel. "Next stop, downtown Angel Grove."