Back From the Depths | FS

Disclaimer: I do not, have never and have no hope to own the Power Rangers. They are owned by Saban (Please don't sue me Mr Saban). I also do not own Doctor Who, which belong to the BBC or any associated characters. Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling and although not used directly in this series is an excellent read and deserves a mention.
I do not own VR Troopers, Big Bad Beetleborgs, Masked Rider, Galaxy Rangers, Transformers or GI Joe. Some of the concepts and character in this story are based on these shows as do any characters that make an appearance. They are all used without permission of the copyright owners.
I also need to credit Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Blake's Seven and Star Fleet/ X-Bomber for some of the ideas in this book and for general inspiration. References are made later in the series to Sailormoon, Digimon, Pokemon, Robotech, Zoids, Gundam Wing, Captain Planet, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future and Dragonball-Z and any character or idea taken from those series is done without permission. If there is anything I've forgotten such as MASK, Terrahawks, Thunderbirds or Ghostbusters, they're not mine either.
I would like to thank Jeremy Ray Logsdon, Ellen Brand and Randel for writing their respective series. They were an inspiration to me two years ago when I started writing this series and remain so regardless of the numerous rewrites I have produced. The basis of the Morphin Grid in this series is modified from Randel's version of Ellen's definition of the Morphin Grid. The idea of the Infinity Crystals in later chapters was inspired by Jeremy Ray's Earth Crystals and Marvel Comic's Infinity Quest. Any characters used have been taken with the permission of the author.
The mention of a series, book or television program in this disclaimer in no way guarantees characters, places or situations from those sources will appear in this series. Most are excellent programs that deserve a mention or that have had a positive influence on the direction of this series. No part of this series is used for profit.
Author's Note: This is a rewrite of the first part of Conquest of Evil first released at the Command Center Archives in 1998/99. This has been rewritten to allow for later seasons of Power Rangers including Wild Force.
Time Line: The series does not adhere to the Saban timeline. The year is 1996 and the series begins after Billy left for Aquitar, but before Jason started to lose the powers of the Gold Ranger.

Back From the Depths
by ShadowRanger

Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, trying to trick him into turning around. He did not know what the monster was, only that it wanted him and that was not good.

"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."

"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samoht Revilo!"

"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."

"I am Sam!" the seventeen-year-old boy shouted as he ran round another corner.

He skidded to a halt as the floor in front of him gave way. He had been here before and knew what came next. He would have a choice. He could face the monster now drawing nearer or he could jump into void below. The noise of the monster's footsteps drew nearer, making the decision even more urgent. Without a second thought he jumped into the void.

Falling, the sensation was strange. Before him he could see a group of six figures, each in a different color fighting another group of creatures who resembled demons. The first group was losing as a black hand closed around them.

A rope appeared in the darkness. Sam remembered this part of the dream; it was the monster giving him the chance to pull himself out of the pit. For a moment he considered it, but decided that an eternal fall must be better than the monster lurking above.

"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE AND COME BACK, PLE..."

The monster's words were lost as Sam noticed a set of spikes below him. He braced himself for the impact his mind told him would be coming soon.

"Nooo!"

"SAM?"

"SAM,"

"SAMOHT, WAKE UP!"

Sam opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by some of his best friends and a very concerned looking Mr Caplan. As he became aware of his surroundings he noticed he was on the School Bus. His class was off on a day trip as part of a class project.

"You all right Sam?" he heard the Principal ask.

Sam nodded, but did not say anything. The dream had been more real than ever and he still didn't know what it meant. Who was calling him? The Green Power Coin? His creator? Sam didn't know the answer, but knew he needed to say something to satisfy Mr Caplan.

"I'm sorry sir, it was just a bad dream."

Caplan looked a bit skeptical, but then nodded and returned to the front of the bus. Sam had been asleep and sometimes teenagers did have weird dreams. Caplan took out his notebook and wrote down a memo for the school nurse to arrange an appointment with Mr Revilo as soon as possible.

A very concerned looking Tommy Oliver replaced the Principal. "You want to talk about it?" Tommy asked.

Sam sighed, "I'm fine, I just need to get my head together." It wasn't that he disliked Tommy, it was just that he doubted the spell would hold for long if Tommy suspected who he was.

Sam was a clone of Thomas Oliver; powered by the Dragon, he was the Green Power Ranger, and last seen in Colonial Angel Grove. After two hundred years he was not sure how this news would affect the other boy, or his fellow Rangers for that matter. He was now two hundred years older than any of the Rangers on Earth and still looked like almost like he had the day they had last seen him. He was blessed or as he saw it cursed with almost eternal life.

He had been married and widowed, had had children and watched them grow old and die. He had watched as time had taken its correct course, right up to the point where he went back in time with Tommy.

Rita and Zedd had made a few small changes when she had created him. Firstly they had given him a photographic memory so he would not suffer from Tommy's flaw. Secondly Zedd had linked him to the Green Power Coin. The coin was an exact duplicate of the coin Tommy had once held and was still connected to the Morphin Grid. As such until the coin was destroyed Sam would live and the coin had so far proven difficult to destroy. The Wizard of Deception had used upgraded the Power Coin's capability, giving it the special functions Zordon had given the other Rangers.

There were other differences too. Not long after Tommy had left Sam had discovered that he could focus magical powers of his own. _An after effect from the Wizard of Deception's spell, _ he had thought at the time. Using his powers he had granted himself a new identity and hidden himself from Zordon. He did not want to be part of the battle between good and evil; he only wanted a peaceful life.

"You sure?" Tommy asked, unconvinced.

"I'm fine," Sam confirmed, determined not to hold the conversation for any longer than necessary.

His friend nodded and returned to where his girlfriend was waiting. Sam watched them together. Kat was as beautiful as Kimberly had ever been, but he knew Tommy was fooling himself. Kim and Tommy had never really had a future and Kat and Tommy were even less likely to stay together in the long run.

~*~

"Rita, do you sense it?" Lord Zedd asked as he desperately scanned the Earth for a disturbance that he had felt not long ago.

"It can't be," Rita whispered as she joined her husband. "The Green Coin is powerless."

"I felt it just now. And we both know what we saw a few weeks back." Zedd insisted as he kept searching for the now hidden Ranger. "Zordon must have found a way to renew the Power Coin."

~*~

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it can't be," Alpha said.

"What is it Alpha?" Zordon asked.

"The computer says somebody just used the Green Power Coin," the small robot reported.

Zordon considered what Alpha said, part of him wanting to ignore it. In the back of his mind a memory began to form of a time once before when he had discovered a Green Ranger only for the Ranger to vanish. Then of course there had been the story the Rangers had told them a few weeks ago when he was losing his powers. At the time Zordon had been sure it was a side effect of the stress they were suffering. Now, he was not so sure.

"Alpha, scan the Power Chamber for any abnormal spells that might have caused this problem." In his mind Zordon knew the Green Ranger was about to return, he could sense the balance of power shifting again. Unfortunately he could not determine if it was shifting in the favor of the light or the darkness.

_Have Zedd and Rita somehow managed to find a new coin? _ he wondered.

If they had Zordon knew it meant bad news for the Rangers, but might hold the solution to another problem. Jason's powers were growing weaker with each battle. Since Trey was unable to take them back after the previously failed attempt, it was time to concede that the Gold Ranger could be lost forever. But if Rita and Zedd had a Power Coin and the Rangers could get it, they would have a way to replace a vital member of their team. It would be risky, but the rewards were incredible.

Zordon remained silent, but secretly planning should Alpha be successful.

~*~

Sam cursed under his breath. Somehow his dream had tapped into the Morphin Grid. Normally he would have been able to cover up for his powers, but his discussion with Tommy had cost him valuable time. Now Zedd, Rita and worst of all Zordon would know he was alive. His only hope was that they believed somebody else had the coin.

The bus continued on its journey through the hills outside Angel Grove towards the small town of North Valley where they were going to study the world's most powerful computer. Sam secretly suspected the trip had been Rocky's idea. The Blue Zeo Ranger was desperately trying to impress his girlfriend Jennifer Belle. Not that Jennifer needed impressing. She already thought Rocky and his friends were amazing.

He looked over to where Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Kat and Tanya were sitting. For some reason Adam had not joined his friends at the back of the bus and was currently engaged in a discussion with Mr Caplan.

Realizing there was nothing he could do to stop Zordon and Zedd detecting him, Sam decided to enjoy the trip. Even if someone had detected him they would not know where to look. As long as it did not happen again he would be all right. Besides, at least he only had to deal with Zordon or Zedd. Gasket was unlikely to notice since magic was a force the Machine Empire couldn't understand. Mondo might have shown some interest, but he was still deactivated along with his wife, youngest son and servants. Likewise Mondo's third son would have investigated, but he was lying under the Earth polar icecaps in a frozen tomb.

~*~

"Why don't we send down a monster to attack the other Rangers?" Goldar asked. "Then when the Green Ranger shows up we can grab him."

"Monkey boy has a point," Rita agreed. "Even if we don't get the Green Ranger we can at least eliminate Jason."

Zedd considered his options. All six Rangers were on the bus, away from Zordon and with a lot of witnesses. Better yet Jason had given his word to the others that he would only use his powers in an emergency. If anything would draw the Green Ranger out this would. Zedd considered what to use as a monster. He noticed the old box camera on the seat next to the school's principal. Aiming his staff he summoned the Freeze Frame monster.

~*~

Adam Park had felt compelled to sit near the front of the bus. Something told him he needed to keep an eye on the road ahead. As the bus turned another corner he saw why. In the middle of the road stood Goldar and a flock of Tengas. Behind them stood what looked like a giant camera on legs.

The driver applied the brakes and stopped just short of where Goldar was waiting. Before he could reverse the simian warrior thrust his sword through the front grill, wrecking the engine. Tommy meanwhile had made his way to the back of the bus with Jason and had managed to get the emergency exit open.

"This way," he indicated to the other students. As they departed he joined the other Rangers at the front of the bus.

There was a bright flash outside the vehicle and as the Rangers turned they discovered their classmates frozen in place. Although part of Tommy worried in case the effects were permanent another part of him was relieved that the Rangers could morph without being seen.

Jason and Tommy were first off the bus, tackling the nearest Tengas. Kat and Tanya were out next followed closely by Rocky and Adam. Whilst Adam tackled Goldar Rocky squared off against Freeze Frame. Both of the Rangers were able to hold their own for a short time, despite being unmorphed. As the other four finished the last of the Tengas, Rito Revolto decided to join the fun. The Rangers soon found themselves losing as the odds shifted against them.

"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy and Jason called together.

"Zeo Ranger I - Pink," Kat called. Pink spandex formed around her body, padding out where necessary to provide extra protection. On her right hip her Zeo Pistol formed.

"Zeo Ranger II - Yellow," Tanya cried. Her yellow uniform merged from on top and below, bonding to her skin as her weapon appeared at the waist.

"Zeo Ranger III - Blue," Rocky continued, feeling his body mass increase as the power filled him.

"Zeo Ranger IV - Green," Adam prepared himself for the battle ahead as his suit formed. As the morph finished he drew his Zeo Sword and attacked.

"Zeo Ranger V - Red," Tommy did not think about his next move. Out of instinct he launched himself in Goldar's direction, catching the monkey as he was trying to sneak up on Tanya.

Jason took a deep breath and mentally crossed his fingers. The Golden Ranger powers were unstable at best. Although he would not last long in a battle and had agreed to use his powers only in a time of need, Jason felt the situation required the Gold Ranger.

"Gold Ranger Power!"

~*~

Sam crouched under the bus watching the fight between the Rangers and Zedd's forces. He was lucky Freeze Frame's power had been aimed at non-Rangers. Although inactive, Sam's link to the Green Coin had provided him with some protection. Casting a spell to make himself invisible had been easy, as had replacing himself with a fake image for anybody watching.

Sam watched as the Pink and Yellow Zeo Rangers finished off the few Tengas Rita and Zedd had sent as reinforcements. They flipped back to join Blue and Green Zeo battling the monster. Tommy meanwhile was having fun with Goldar. The Red Zeo Ranger had fought the simian monster so many times they knew each other's moves in advance. With a quick punch Tommy sent the monkey to the ground and moved in for the kill.

If Tommy was having fun with Goldar then Jason was enjoying himself even more so with Rito. The Gold Ranger thrust his Power Staff through the Rito's ribs before kicking him away. Jason raised his weapon ready to strike again when he suddenly stopped.

As Sam watched, the Gold Ranger doubled over in pain. His uniform began to flicker as his powers failed. Sam felt a wave of sympathy for the fallen Ranger. He had Tommy's memories from his time as Green Ranger and although, unlike Tommy, he was not racked with guilt over his actions during that time, he remembered the feeling of hopelessness whenever his powers gave out. He saw Rito move in for the kill and knew he had to do something, but what?

Although he was linked to the Green Coin he did not want to morph. He had tried for two hundred years to forget his past, but something had convinced him to return to Angel Grove and play the part of a school student. He had befriended Jason and the others and covered for them on occasions. Now one of his friends was in trouble and he knew he had to act.

Reaching a decision Sam summoned his morpher. He aimed it at Jason and mentally connected to the Gold Ranger's mind. From his own power he fed the boy enough power to recharge. He smiled as Jason's armor reformed, frowning as he noticed the other boy was unconscious.

~*~

"Let me introduce you to my Flashgun," Freeze Frame told the four Rangers attacking him.

A transparent cube appeared in Freeze-Frame's hand and as he turned it the cube flash brightly. With each turn one of the Rangers found themselves frozen in place. Laughing maniacally he produced a length of film and whipped the disabled Rangers with it.

The Rangers' suits sparked as they were thrown backwards by the whip. There was a loud sucking noise as the Rangers were pulled inside Freeze Frame. He pointed his finger and four black and white copies of the Rangers were formed.

~*~

Tommy leapt through the air, drawing his Zeo V Power Sword as he did so. He pointed the blade down towards the spot where Goldar lay. The simian raised his own sword and knocked the Red Ranger aside.

Before Tommy could react he found himself surrounded by copies of his friends, each of them ready to rip him to pieces. Off to one side Rito was busy hacking at an unmoving Gold Ranger, the latter glowing with green light. Any thoughts he had about helping his colleague were lost as the copies pounced on him.

~*~

Sam knew he could wait no longer. If he did his friends would die and that was unacceptable. Silently he promised himself it was the last time he would morph.

"DragonZord!"

Something was wrong. Normally calling forth the Power was instantaneous and delay meant trouble. The coin sparked in his had as current arced between the coin and Red Zeo. Through the red uniform Sam could see an object, a second coin with the mark of the Dragon; the original Dragon Coin was within his reach once more.

A green lightning bolt shot from the sky, hitting the copies of the Zeo Rangers. The copies disappeared as quickly as they had been created. A second bolt struck Tommy, stripping him of the Green Power Coin he had forgotten was there. The heavens roared as a third bolt struck an unseen figure behind the school bus. A loud roar filled the air as more bolts struck the surround area.

Sam felt the lightning strike him and as it did so his uniform appeared. As another bolt of lightning struck the suit it was transformed from tight fitting spandex into a lightweight armor, a cross between plastic and steel. An advanced Blade Blaster formed at his hip and a Dragon Dagger appeared in each hand. Instinctively Sam pushed the two daggers together. They merged into a powerful sword. On the handle was the head of the Dragon, complimented by the inscription of the fleur-de-lis on the blade.

Finally the golden shield, which had protected the Dragon Ranger for many years formed on his shoulders, the Power telling him additional armor was available if needed. Sam looked around realizing the whole morph had taken less than a second to complete. The Dragon Ranger was back, for the time being.

~*~

Goldar and Rito exchanged worried glances as they saw the first two lightning bolts. Tommy was slowly picking himself up, slightly weaker than before. They had not seen the third lightning bolt and were looking around for the source of the lightning.

Tommy turned in time to see a green figure leap from the top of the bus, striking Goldar and Rito with a single blow. The figure ignored the Red Zeo Ranger, turning his attention to Freeze Frame. Leaping into the air a second time the Dragon Ranger produced a sword and stabbed the monster through the lens.

In a bright flash of light the four remaining Zeo Rangers were freed of the monster's power. The green figure turned to where the Rangers lay and pointed his sword. The spell preventing Zordon from teleporting them vanished and the six Rangers were removed from danger.

With Tommy and the others safe, Sam attacked again. He connected with a blow to all three monsters, causing them to retreat, leaving the other students frozen in place.

~*~

When the Rangers appeared in the Power Chamber Tommy ripped off his helmet, desperately gasping for breath. When he finally had the strength to look at his mentor he asked the question on everybody's mind.

"Zordon, who was that?"

"I am not sure," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I felt the presence of the Dragon Ranger earlier today, but we have been unable to find him. He disappeared after he rescued you and we have again lost him."

"What if he's not on our side?" Rocky asked, remembering the last time he had been face to face with the Green Ranger.

"If he was against us, he would not have stopped Rito from chopping me up," Jason replied. Now demorphed the Gold Ranger was being checked by Alpha.

"Whoever it is," Tommy said. "We can't just let him fight alone, he will need help and we could use the extra power."

Tanya and Kat had been watching the Viewing Globe to see if the other students had returned to normal. Usually the monster's death would have reversed the effects of any spells they had used. The fact the students and teacher remained frozen meant Freeze Frame was still alive.

"What do we do?" Kat asked.

"Unfortunately Katherine, we will need to wait for Freeze Frame to return. The computer says that is the only way to free them." Zordon silently hoped it would not take too long.

~*~

"WELCOME BACK THOMAS," the voice said once again.

Sam realized he was day dreaming. He had already demorphed and appeared near the docks in Angel Grove's Harbor District. Opening his hand he summoned his morpher for the last time. He encased it in a special spell and threw it into the sea, towards the sleeping DragonZord.

"YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME THAT EASILY," the voice said. "YOU ARE PART OF ME AND I AM PART OF YOU FOREVER."

"No," Sam said to the voice. "I don't know who you are or why you want me, but the Green Ranger is gone."

In his head he could hear a small voice say, "THEN SO IS ALL HOPE."

~*~

"How dare you show your faces in here!" Zedd shouted as Rito, Goldar and Freeze Frame appeared in his throne room. "You were told to destroy either the Green Ranger or the Gold Ranger and you could not even manage that!"

"It wasn't my fault Ed," Rito protested, "Goldar ran first."

"He is lying my Lord," Goldar groveled as he entered the room.

"Silence!" Zedd commanded. "You are both useless cowards."

Faster than Rito could have imagined Zedd turned and struck him with the tip of his staff. Rito's head fell to the ground and the evil monarch watched as his brother-in-law tried to find it again. "Let that be your final warning, my name is Zedd, NOT Ed!"

Satisfied that he could continue Zedd turned back to the other two monsters. "Goldar your cowardice will not be tolerated, kneel."

Zedd aimed his staff at the groveling simian; a blast of energy hit the monkey. Goldar cried out as his wing sprang forth from their hiding place in the seam of his back. Zedd moved quickly and sliced through both wings, leaving Goldar, as he had been when the Emperor had first arrived.

"Thank you Lord Zedd," Goldar groveled. He had failed and been punished for his weakness. There was little he could do now except cringe and hope Zedd would allow him to live. He rose from the floor and bowed to Rita, who until that point had remained in the background. "Lady Rita, how may I serve you?"

"Zeddy, this might be the best thing you have ever done," Rita laughed happily.

Zedd finally turned to Freeze Frame. "You have failed to carry out you mission. Return to the bus and destroy those humans under you spell. If the Rangers return, kill them all."

Freeze Frame bowed and disappeared from the throne room, leaving Rita with a shocked expression on her face.

"You let him go, just like that?" she asked angrily.

"Yes," Zedd replied. "I did."

~*~

Sam returned to the school bus and replaced the image he had planted there some time before. He was still unsure why he was bothering to live a lie. He was two hundred years old trying to live like a teenager. He had even created a family for himself just in case anyone asked.

But, like anything else he did, his need for a family was an illusion. Sometimes Sam wondered if he were real or just a poor clone trying to be real. He had no real friends, no real family. Those who were near to being his friends were friends with Sam, not him. It was an illusion he did not want to maintain, but was scared to lose.

He had even changed his appearance so nobody would guess who he was, but that was nothing compared to the effort it had taken to stop say "Siek-yah" when he attacked. Of course when he became excited he let his old cry slip out.

He looked at himself in the mirror he had summoned with his magic, remembering when his appearance had helped him when fighting during the Second World War. He had worked for Army Intelligence in Germany, where his blond hair and blue eyes had even the most untrusting Nazi convinced he was on their side. He shook his head sadly at how easily one man had been able to turn honest and decent citizens into an army infamous for the worst acts of genocide Earth had known. Even the villains the Rangers fought did not kill due for racial reasons; they simply destroyed anything in their way.

His hair was now shoulder length and he had used his powers to alter the shape and shade of his face so he would not be recognized. Of course if Zordon scanned him, his true identity would be revealed. Of course, first of all Zordon had to detect him. The spell he had cast years prevented Zordon from even considering the fact that he was alive.

With a gesture he returned the mirror to the place he summoned it from. Remaining perfectly still Sam waited for either the Rangers to return or Rita and Zedd to send another monster down to finish the job.

~*~

"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."

"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samoht Revilo!"

"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."

"I am Sam!" the seventeen-year-old boy shouted as he ran round another corner.

Falling, the sensation was strange. Before him he could see a group of six figures, each in a different color, fighting another group of creatures who resembled demons. The first group was losing as a black hand closed around them.

"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE AND COME BACK, PLE..."

The monster's words were lost as Sam noticed a set of spikes below him. He braced himself for the impact his mind told him would be coming soon.

"Nooo!"

A green rope appeared next to him, dangling in the air, inviting him to grab hold. In his mind Sam could still hear the voice of the monster chasing after him.

"THOMAS PLEASE DON'T RUN. YOU ARE NEEDED NOW, I AM NEEDED NOW. PLEASE ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY."

A thought started to dawn on Sam. Whoever was talking to him knew he was Tommy's clone. It had to be either Rita or Zedd. The villains must have discovered his identity. The voices had been quiet until he had used his coin to save Jason.

_I will not be evil, _ Sam thought to himself.

Determined to put an end to the force that was tempting him Sam grabbed the rope. In a flash of green he felt himself teleported to another place, still within his mind.

~*~

Freeze Frame reappeared next to the school bus. A quick push sent the vehicle off the road giving him a clear shot at the helpless humans, still frozen in place following his Flashgun attack.

"Siek-yah!"

The Red Zeo Ranger replaced the Zeo V Power Sword in its subspace pocket and launched himself at the monster for a second time. He looked up, as his five teammates appeared to back him up.

"Time for team work," Tommy said, indicating for the Rangers to get into position.

Tommy produced his Power Sword and ran at his fellow Rangers. Kat and Tanya had crouched down with their hands ready to act as a step. As Tommy stepped on their hands Kat and Tanya pushed him into the air. Tommy landed horizontally on Adam and Rocky, who had stretched their arms upward to receive their leader. Tommy held his sword towards Freeze Frame. Kat and Tanya gave his feet a push to send flying into the monster.

"Now!" Rocky called.

The four Rangers ducked as Jason took aim with his Golden Power Staff. He braced it against his hip and unleashed a burst of golden energy. The blast engulfed Tommy and drove him onward. Tommy's Power Sword disarmed the monster as the energy blast from the Golden Power Staff pierced the monster's lens. Freeze Frame fell back, his lens exploding in a shower of sparks.

"Time to get big!" Freeze Frame called as he started to grow.

~*~

Sam appeared in the old Command Center. He could sense no life within, wherever he was Zordon and Alpha were not nearby to help him. The room was green, surrounded by images taken from his mind. In one corner were the deeds he had done as the Green Ranger. In the other were the deeds he had done since he had been left in Angel Grove in 1795.

The images formed of his wife Rosalita Hermandez. They had met not long after he had been in Angel Grove, she had been the Spanish daughter of the chief of a nearby colony. Their love had secured peace between the English and Spanish settlers and he had moved to be with her in Los Angeles.

Sam had been happy married to Rosalita. They had had children together and it pained him to see her die. From then on he had kept an eye on all his descendants until they adopted a young boy named Thomas. The shock had been almost too much for him; he was the ancestor of the people who would someday adopt the boy from whom he was clone.

A fuzzy image in another corner caught his eye. The image showed the world he had created for himself so he would be accepted. It showed the lives of the people he had invented going about their own daily routines. In a way they were as real as Sam was.

"SO, YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO LISTEN DID YOU?" the voice asked.

"I came here to destroy you," Sam shouted angrily. "You are not going to make me evil again."

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE EVIL THOMAS, I WANT YOU TO ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY AND RETURN TO ME."

"Show yourself!" Sam snapped.

"VERY WELL," the voice replied.

A green mist filled the room and as it cleared Sam found himself face to face with the Green Ranger.

~*~

The Rangers were having a tough time dealing with Freeze Frame. The giant sized monster had survived the Zords' strongest attacks and was still standing. The new Flashgun in his hand had paralyzed the Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel, leaving only the Super Zeo Megazord and Red BattleZord to fight.

"Pyramidas, full power!" Gold Ranger ordered.

As the massive Zord rushed towards them, Freeze Frame was prepared. His FlashGun fired and the mighty battle machine dropped to the ground, powerless. The monster aimed his lens at the three disabled Zords, pulling them inside and producing two black and white copies. As the monster stepped back the copies attacked, taking the Rangers by surprise.

~*~

"What are you?" Sam asked. "Are you my darkside?"

"No," the Green Ranger replied. "You have never denied your darkside and by accepting it you have destroyed it. I am the part of you that you are not willing to accept the part you must accept. It is your destiny."

"You're the Green Ranger," Sam realized, finally understanding.

He had been denying his power for so long it had finally decided to beg for release. He knew the power would not corrupt him, but it would mean getting involved again.

"No," the voice replied. "You have never denied your powers. You have refused to use them because you have denied me. You used your power when you needed to and didn't when the Rangers could handle it. You have become responsible since the day you were created, but you still deny me."

Sam was really confused. The Green Ranger was not part of his darkside, nor was it the spirit of is coin. It said he had denied him, but he had no idea who it was. Finally the frustration was too great, he turned to where the Green Ranger stood and moved towards the image.

"Who are you?"

In response the Green Ranger lifted his hands to the side of his neck and undid the clasp holding his helmet in place. Carefully he removed the helmet and placed it under his arm. Looking Sam straight in the eye and smiled. "Hello Bro,"

Sam was shocked. He had expected a lot of faces to be under the mask but the one he was faced with was his own. Not the face he had created through magic to trick those he was hiding from. This was the face of Thomas Tyler Oliver, Clone of the Green Ranger.

"Now do you understand?" Thomas asked. "I am you and represent everything you have tried to deny for two hundred years."

Thomas saw the look of horror in Sam's face and understood. The original Tommy had managed to survive his ordeal as the Green Ranger by pushing himself into the role of leader. Whenever Tommy lost his powers the doubts and fears he had experienced would resurface with a vengeance.

The clone was different; he had accepted his darkside and thus conquered it. What he had not been able to deal with was the fact he was a clone. Everything he believed was based on the values taught to him at a young age by Tommy's parents. He had nothing of his own. His powers, face, friends and even life belonged to Tommy.

"You are wrong," Thomas told him. "You are unique. You have experienced things Tommy will never experience. You have made friends Tommy will never know. You have conquered the most difficult horrors to face: your own fears. You don't need to be Tommy, but you cannot deny the part of you that is Tommy. Accept me and become whole."

Seeing Sam was on the verge of making a decision Thomas made one final plea. "You are Sam. Part of you is Tommy, part of you is the clone, but until you accept both parts you can never be whole."

Sam nodded slowly. The whole reason he had rejected the powers was because people related them to Tommy. Now he knew it didn't matter. It was time to be whole.

Reaching out Sam touched the image of Thomas on the shoulder. In a blur of light the image merged with him and for the first time ever he felt real.

~*~

The copy of the Zeo Megazord threw the Warrior Wheel into the Red BattleZord for the third time, causing the BattleZord to crash to the ground in a shower of sparks. The Super Zeo Megazord found itself on the receiving end of a blast from the copy MegaZord's cannon.

Jason had even tried calling forth Auric the Conqueror in the hope the mystical warrior could help them. Auric had fought well for a short time, but facing two foes had soon caused him to retreat back into his Tiki.

Freeze Frame recalled the copy Zords back into himself, deciding to finish the Rangers personally. Summoning a sword he stood over the fallen Zords and prepared to finish the job he had started only half and hour before.

~*~

Sam teleported to the Angel Grove docks and held his hand out towards the spot where the DragonZord lay sleeping. "Time to wake up old friend."

In his hand appeared the fully charged morpher of the Green Ranger. Sam looked at it for a moment and then teleported to the bus where he had last seen the monster. As he arrived he saw the Rangers' MegaZords being hit by two other Zords. The monster had called his copy Zords and dumped the captured Zords on the ground.

Sam watched as Freeze Frame drew a sword and moved in to finish the job. Without a second though Sam pulled out his morpher, no longer worried who knew his identity. "DragonZord!"

As his green armor finished forming Sam had already drawn his sword. Pointing it at the sky he concentrated on the sleeping Zord deep beneath the sea. A connection formed between Sam and the mighty machine, the power telling him how to call the Zord.

"I need DinoZord power, now!"

In his mind Sam could hear the sound of the Dragon Flute, summoning his old companion to the fight. As the Zord drew near he leapt into the cockpit, taking control.

~*~

"Warrior Wheel is offline, Zeo Megazord and Red BattleZord will take time to restore and the Super Zeo Megazord is out of power," Tanya reported.

"How about forming the Zeo MegaBattleZord or just separating for individual attacks?" Jason asked.

"No good," Adam replied. "We haven't got enough power. I doubt we could even summon Cannon Power and aim the helmet."

"Defender Wheel is operational," Kat told them. "But unless we can get upright it's trapped inside the Phoenix."

A familiar sound filled the air causing Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Adam to look towards the sky. "Did you hear that?" Adam asked.

"It sounded like..." Jason began.

"It can't be..." Rocky said, wishing it were possible.

"Look!" Tanya called.

"Is that?" Kat asked, looking at Tommy.

"DragonZord," Tommy said as he watched his first Zord make its way towards them.

~*~

Freeze Frame stood over the Red BattleZord, his sword pointed towards the cockpit. One simple thrust and the Red Ranger and his Zord would be history. He listened briefly to the Rangers trying to find a way to fight back. He laughed as he heard one of the Rangers find a solution and in the same breath realized it was impossible. Lifting his sword a bit higher he prepared to thrust.

Then he heard the sound all monsters were able to recognize. It was a call for help, a shout of warning and a greeting to friends. It was the sound of the Dragon Flute. For a moment Freeze Frame shrugged off the fear he had felt. A moment later it was back as he heard the DragonZord roar, and watched as the Green Ranger jumped into his Zord.

~*~

It had taken him a while to reacquaint himself with the Zord. Just as his uniform had changed so had the DragonZord. Its tail drill had been modified, so in addition to the normal spinning attack, two blades could extend to provide an extra edge. Sam looked at the controls and noticed three new controls along with an empty slot where the control stick used to be.

The power told him to insert his sword into the slot. As he did so the Zord came alive and moved towards the threat.

"Fire!" Sam commanded.

The arm rockets fired, striking the monster and causing it to fly back away from the Rangers. He waited until the monster stood again and the used the new tail blade to smash him across the face before using the drill to smash the lens.

Freeze Frame retaliated, striking the DragonZord's chest with his sword. Sam pushed the first button on his control board. The arms of the DragonZord extended outward, hitting Freeze Frame in the chest. The head and neck changed position as the Zord's body dropped forward so it was standing on four legs. The DragonZord's mouth opened, releasing a fireball at the monster.

Freeze Frame screamed in pain as the fire started to burn him. He turned back towards his attacker and froze.

Sam pressed the second button on his control panel and pulled the control stick back. The DragonZord reverted to biped form. The Zord's tail inserted into the ground lifting it into the air. The arms and legs were pulled into the body as they had when forming the Battle DragonZord.

From nearby the lumbering form of Tor, the Shuttle Zord moved into view and converted to stand upright. The top split from the bottom, which had transformed into a pair of legs. With the DragonZord dropping into place on top of the legs to form the body and head, the top part of Tor split in half from top to bottom, both halves transforming and connecting to the body as arms. Finally the DragonZord's tail transformed to form the lance the Rangers had once used as part of the old Battle DragonZord combination.

"Turtle Battle DragonZord, online!" Sam called as the machine powered up.

With a final effort Freeze Frame gave a howl and charged the giant Zord. Lightning struck the lance, feeding power into it. The Zord lifted the lance into the air and drove the point into the charging monster.

As the Rangers watched Freeze Frame exploded, simultaneously restoring the bus and its passengers to their previous state. As the students woke up they noticed the four MegaZords lying on the floor with the Turtle Battle DragonZord standing over them. Knowing this was bad for public relations, Sam used his Zord to help the Red BattleZord and Super Zeo Megazord back to their feet, at the same time recharging the remaining Zords with enough energy to teleport back to their holding bay.

Satisfied that the job was finished Sam pulled the sword from the control board, sending his Zords back to their hiding places. He then demorphed and sneaked back to the other students, noticing Tommy and company emerge from the bus where apparently they had been frozen.

"Alright people," Mr Caplan said, taking a final look at the wreaked monster in front of them and thankful the Power Rangers had been there to help. "It's time we were back in Angel Grove. The trip will have to wait."

~*~

Later in the Power Chamber

With Alpha's help Adam and the others had finally managed to restore the Zords to fighting condition. The Warrior Wheel would be offline for some time, but the main discussion had been about the Green Ranger.

"Do you have any idea who he is?" Tommy asked Zordon when Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya had left.

"I am not sure Tommy," Zordon replied. "I think we can assume he is on our side since the power has accepted him."

He silently watched as his Rangers teleported away and went on with their lives, happy they had survived another fight. "Alpha, if you need me I shall be in my chamber," he said as he teleported away. Alpha continued to work as the Power Chamber went dark, the little machine happy the Rangers were safe and away from the fighting.

Back From the Depths by ShadowRanger

End

Back From the Depths
by ShadowRanger