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Jaden Rose
11-08-2008, 07:41 PM
A Universe Reborn: A Power Rangers Story

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Well, since MMPR reboots are so common nowadays, and there are legions of fans willing to change the PR Universe to abolish plot holes or simply make the Universe something that they have imagined, I figured I could reboot the entire PR Universe, starting (and most likely ending) with the Zordon era. Most fans will probably hate me for changing things around, breaking traditions and such, but a few might actually like it. Well… here it goes… (Oh, and by the way, this will be rated T to M for fluctuating language, violence, and adult situations, some sensual.)
******

Prologue
Eltar, 10,000 years ago

The sky was dark and cold as it let dazzling drops of transparently silver-colored rain come down on the tranquil planet, drenching any member of the human-like Eltarian race if they couldn’t get within their homes in time. Even though civilization on this planet was usually peaceful and far advanced, the ground wasn’t covered with the concrete ground or the asphalt roads we know today. Therefore, everyone caught in the rain had to wipe mud and dirt off their cloaks and clothing when they entered their golden, domed houses, which, oddly, did have appropriate flooring, made of the finest marble. None of these people were aware, however, of the incident going on within one of Eltar’s grandest buildings: the research lab.

The lab was supposed to be a beautiful place from the start, being built from the brightest gold, silver, and bronze from Eltar’s mines. It was supposed to be a place where Eltarians could further their knowledge, which was usually the most important thing for anyone on this planet. It was an unusually bright place, the halls having been illuminated by the best sorcerers Eltar had to offer, though it wasn’t necessarily a clean place. Each room often had scrolls and parchment all over the floor, maybe even a few wires here and there. While Eltar didn’t use electricity to fuel any sort of technology the planet had to offer, things like computers and robots were powered by other, more magical means. Often, loud crashes and explosions were heard as Eltarian scientists and creators failed at their experiments or actually managed to create something… if it was by accident.

Today, however, the lab seemed to be dreary and empty… even quiet, except for the rapid, urgent footfalls of two figures and small crackling explosions. One of these figures was a man, dressed in singed and smoking white robes, clutched a large metal case, which covered the burning hole in his chest, which was all too visible as it had pierced his back also. His bald head was covered with beads of sweat as he strained to keep consciousness and keep running. He had to get the case as far from the lab as possible. He had to get to a safe place where he might be able to deal with his wounds better. He had to get to the shuttle pod clearings, just outside of the main civilization.

The other figure was a short, somewhat blocky robot with a disk-shaped head. Across the middle of this disk was a red band, with a red light constantly streaming back and forth. His body was completely red, with blue colored arms, and a pulsating yellow lightning bolt on his chest. “Ai yi yi,” the robot exclaimed, as it tried to use its arm to support the bald man as they ran, but it was too small to reach up to the man’s shoulders. “Slow down, Zordon. I can’t keep up.”

“I can’t Alpha, and you know that,” Zordon panted, trying to increase his pace. As much as he tried to run, however, he actually started to slow anyways and, soon, Zordon’s pace slowed to a slow, limp-like jog. He put his hand over the hole in his chest, as if he was trying to keep air and stamina from pouring out of his body. “Maybe…” Zordon said quietly and breathlessly, as he finally slumped down the hallway wall, “you should go on ahead with the case, Alpha. I can hold them off long enough for you to get to the shuttles, I believe.”

“Zordon, no!” Alpha moaned, his squeaky robotic voice echoing through the lab halls. “I can’t leave you behind like this. It’s not in my programmi- ah!” A blazing red bolt of lightning shot out from the darkness at the end of the hall, going high and exploding against the ceiling in a shower of sparks, making Zordon get up quickly in surprise. He winced heavily, however, and leaned back on the wall. Staring at the other end of the hallway, Zordon shoved the metal case into Alpha’s arms, along with a glowing blue cube.

“Go to the shuttles and get to the planet we call Aquaterra. If I am able, I will meet you there, but, in the meantime, plant the cube in a deserted place. You’ll know what to do afterwards,” Zordon muttered, pressing a few buttons on Alpha’s back plate. Alpha slumped for a moment, making a soft whirring noise, before snapping back up and running towards the lab exit; his minor protocols having been changed. “May the power protect you, Zordon! I’m sorry,” Alpha called behind him, before he disappeared out of sight. Zordon smiled grimly, before standing up weakly.

“Come on out, Zedd… I know you want to at least see my face before you, shall I say, kill me,” Zordon called, stumbling towards the darkness of the other end of the hall. A sharp yell was heard, before a shockwave came rushing towards Zordon, making him dodge to the side. The shockwave crashed against the lab’s hall, blowing a large hole in it. “Rita, too, huh? Figures…” Zordon muttered, before casting an illumination spell in the hall.

Immediately, the light shined throughout the whole lab, instead of just the hall… a symbol of overcastting. Zordon stared down at the other two at the end of the hall, even though they were flanked by creatures that Eltarians would only have nightmares of. The shorter of the two leaders was a woman, wearing a more flamboyant set of brown and gold robes, accented by a ruff of bright blue flowers… the traditional dress of a Cimmerian, or so the woman claimed. The other was taller… he wore black robes as dark as space, while the glint of armor was visible underneath them. His face wasn’t visible under a low hood, but what looked like a red visor glowed dangerously within.

“Ah, Zordon, why don’t you just give up? We are all looking to eradicate evil… so what if it’s a little different between us? I promise we will be praised as saviors,” Zedd, the black-robed one, said. The scepter in his hand flashed, the Z-head at the top catching the light most of all.

“You want to eradicate everything, Zedd, and whatever survives will have to bow to you and Rita. I will not be involved with this, other than to stop it,” Zordon muttered. He stared at Zedd with the upmost resentment, before turning his eyes to Rita. She stared back for a long while… perhaps a flash or two of regret crossing the gleam in her eyes, before she said, “Come now, Zordon… can’t we get along? It’s going to be alright no matter what…” Her voice was seductive, and lovely, but it had no effect on Zordon.

“Go sit in a ditch and die,” Zordon spat, evoking the fury of the two winged beasts behind Rita. “Never talk to Empress that way!” one growled in a deep and heavy voice, drawing a golden sword and putting it before him. The other did the same, though his sword was white as a bone. “Sphinx, Goldar, shut up!” Rita said angrily, before she raised her staff, adorned with a circular head, and pointed it at Zordon.

“If you won’t join us, you will die,” Rita said, before she took in a deep breath. Quickly, Zordon shoved his palm forward, releasing a large palm-shaped ball of energy. As Rita screamed her shockwave, it rebounded off the palm, blowing the energy back at her throat. Hitting her, Rita was blown back, though she kept her balance. She coughed and sputtered, growling a high-pitched, scratchy voice. “What have you done?!?!” Rita yelled, causing everyone, including herself, to cringe. Her voice was ruined, completely.

Zordon, however, didn’t answer. Instead, he rapidly spoke under his breath, both of his hands glowing with bright bluish-white light. Zordon put his hands out, saying, “Imprisonment technique!” The light enveloped the entire hallway, before waves of energy were passed over Rita and her minions, all of them freezing in their tracks before they could move. However, their angry yells and screams could be heard as the light started to die down, creating a large gold container in the place of Rita and the others. With another flash of light, the container disappeared to the first place that Zordon could think of: a small, barren planetoid far away from Eltar and far away from any civilization….

Sighing softly, Zordon leaned against the hall again, feeling woozy. His vision darkened a bit, as his breathing increased, coming more rapid and deep. “It… it’s over…” he said quietly, talking as much about his life as the confrontation. However, he heard a deep, malicious cackling as Zedd emerged before Zordon once more, brandishing his staff with dark abandon. Zedd had realized all too quickly what Zordon was doing, but, instead of raising his staff to save Rita, he had moved out of the way, dodging into a side room before the light could contain him. Zordon struggled to stand up, trying to muster all of his concentration… Zedd would be his last challenge this day.

“So, you got rid of Rita. Bravo, Zordon. You managed to save me the trouble of getting rid of her myself,” Zedd said, his staff glowing with the deep red lightning that had scared Alpha. Zordon’s hands came up in front of him, trying to materialize a gold and white staff, but failing. His concentration was going in and out… “How can you win now, Zordon? You were so great, but, yet, a single blast from my Z-Scepter has all but killed you… but, that is about to be changed. Once I kill you, I’ll dismember that damned automaton and take the powers in that box for my own,” Zedd said, his visor flashing as if it was reacting to his sadistic glee.

“You will never get that box… those powers will never submit to the forces of evil,” Zordon muttered. Zedd laughed, saying, “Ah, yes… because you formed them, they are incorruptible… blah blah blah. There is one power in that box that I have created, remember? And with that power and my Scepter, I can corrupt the others within days.”

Zordon smiled grimly, yet again, saying, “Ah, but that power, as I recall, was last in Rita’s hands…”

“What is your point, fool?” Zedd retorted.

“She never gave it back… in fact, that coin is with her right now, stuck in a golden dumpster, and being quite useless in her hands. If I recall correctly, the power only chooses powerful ones… she was just defeated,” Zordon said, smiling still. “And, with your power, I’d say you’ll be able to find that dumpster in, oh, twenty thousand years or so.”

Zedd’s visor flashed dangerously. A low growl escaped his lips, which quickly became an infuriated scream. Zordon quickly started casting under his breath as Zedd swung his Z-Sceptor, shooting a wave of red lightning surging towards Zordon. With his last amounts of body stamina, Zordon rolled under the wave, coming within a foot of Zedd. Reaching out, Zordon yelled, “Release!”

His hand glowed a very bright bluish-white color as it released a large jet of flames of the same color. The flames quickly enveloped Zedd, burning the flesh from his body, and making his robes alight with the fire. It was all consuming and furious, causing Zedd to scream out in pure agony and fear for his life. It was a horrible smelling mess as his metal armor fused to the muscle mass and bone that was left, causing him to look like a semi-skeletal monster. With his Z-Scepter falling to the ground, Zedd fell back… defeated.

Zordon didn’t smile at all now. Zedd used to be his most trusted friend. Rita, as well. Now, one was dead, and the other was likely to be doomed to be stuck in a container for all of eternity with at least 5 ferocious monsters… that was just as much as a death sentence as well. However, with his vision fading all too quickly and a sort of weightlessness creeping through his body, Zordon fell to his knees, struggling to keep his breath. With all of his magical energy just about gone, he had no hope of saving this body… Quietly whispering, Zordon’s eyes started to glow. Thinking of nothing but his family and his own last rites of his living being, Zordon felt his soul separate from his body. He could still think, but he could no longer feel physically. He only held deep regret for his fallen comrades, even if they were still alive in body, their good spirits were all but gone… Zordon let the spiritual magic guide him into another dimension, a time warp for spirits, if you will. Even in spirit, he would continue on… he would fight evils for years to come…

However, as soon as Zordon’s body slumped and died physically, the charred and beaten body of Zedd reached out pathetically for his Z-Scepter. The people surely would have heard the explosions and the flame spell that had enveloped Zedd. They would come to check. Thanking himself, and only himself, for shooting Zordon with that energy bolt when he was unaware, Zedd let his arm crawl out and retrieve the scepter. Zordon had been too weak to kill him all at once, Zedd thought. But, now, he would end this pathetic world and become something more, even in this stunted state. He would learn to live with it. Holding the scepter in his hand, he willed it to release a massive amount of energy, letting it go off like a nuclear bomb… Thousands of Eltarians died, but the ones that survived never found Zedd’s body, nor any trace of the laboratory left. Just Zordon’s body and thousands of dead Eltarians.

As one shuttle launched towards the planet the Eltarians called Aquaterra, or, rather, what we call planet Earth, another one shot off towards other planets. They would all fall by the power of Zedd’s hand. He would become a Lord to these conquered planets. However, Alpha would plant that cube in the middle of a desert that would later become a part of California… and that’s where everything will begin… where everything would stand together in unity… or fall in pieces.

Jaden Rose
11-08-2008, 07:44 PM
Chapter 1
Go, Go, Power Rangers… or… whatever… (Part 1)
Angel Grove, California, 2005


“Ah, damn. Damn, damn, damn,” was all that came out of Jason Lee Scott’s mouth that morning as he rushed around to finish some last minute homework, grab his backpack, and some good looking clothes. Though Angel Grove High wasn’t really full of itself on fashion, it always helped Jason’s chances with the ladies to dress for success. Maybe it was his dress and looks that made him somewhat well-known and popular. Maybe it was his personality. In any case, Jason didn’t mind much. He wasn’t exactly into all of that stuff, especially not keeping the whole popularity thing. To him, it was ridiculously annoying and best left to the valley girls and WASP-y boys: people who were stereotypical for that kind of “greatness”. Smiling suddenly to himself as his black, neck-length hair bounced around in his face, Jason threw on his usual colors of red and black, stuffed his backpack with his homework and ran downstairs.

His mom was waiting for him there, having made breakfast for herself and his father. It had been years since she made breakfast for him during the school week, but it was expected with Jason’s get-up-and-go-to-school attitude. “Hi mom, hi dad. Bye mom, bye dad,” Jason said, rushing past them both. He patted his dad’s shoulder and kissed his mom’s cheek as they muttered their greetings and farewells. He went to the garage, which was already open, and walked towards his red Jeep: his 16th birthday present, which he had gotten last year.

Waiting for him by leaning against the Jeep, was another young man, with dark hair and an even darker expression. His ears were both pierced and gauged, while he wore mostly black. He turned towards Jason, his slightly Asian eyes staring at Jason with fake apprehension. “You’re going to be late, which means I’m gonna be late,” Tommy Oliver said, his voice full of arrogance. He, like Jason, was popular, but unlike Jason, Tommy rather liked his popularity. He wasn’t quite an asshole, but he wasn’t exactly humble like Jason.

“So? If you don’t like it, get a new friend with a car,” Jason said, grinning slightly. Jason had gotten his driver’s license last year, scoring almost perfectly; he had only knocked over a cone while preparing to parallel park. Tommy, however, ran over three fake pedestrians and nearly crashed the car before the driving instructor got too scared to continue.

“I could hit Billy up for a few rides,” Tommy said, opening the passenger’s side door and hopping in. The jeep was topless for the sunny California weather, but Jason usually had a thing against just jumping in without using the doors.

Jason shook his head. “Billy really doesn’t like you, remember? You called his VW Beetle a ‘chick car’, then proceeded to make fun of his choice of music,” Jason said, getting in the driver’s side and starting up the Jeep. He backed out of the garage and started towards Angel Grove High.

“What can I say?” Tommy continued, “I don’t like Freezepop. Not enough guitars and too much synthesizers. And if he didn’t want me to call his Beetle a chick car, he shouldn’t have gotten a yellow one.”

“Dude, you know full well that he wants to paint it black,” Jason said, but that only got more from Tommy. “You see? The Rolling Stones didn’t use freakin’ synthesizers and they are one of the greatest bands of all time,” Tommy muttered. Jason nodded his head, before taking a right at a traffic light.

“Yeah, but we shouldn’t make fun of his taste in music,” Jason said, taking a chance to look at Tommy with irritation.

“Oh, you’re right. We should make fun of him for having no chance in hell with any of the girls in that school… except for maybe Hailey,” Tommy said. Jason smiled brightly at this, saying, “Not even Hailey because she is too busy being in looooove with you.”

Tommy cringed a bit, “Shut up. It’s not my fault that I’m cute.” Jason didn’t stop, however, as he was now singing, “Tommy and Hailey sitting in a tree…”

“What are you? Six? Besides, I could say the same for you and Trini… oh, wait, I can’t, because she hates your guts,” Tommy replied, which earned him another irritated look.

“Screw you,” Jason muttered. Trini Kwan was Jason’s ex-girlfriend, even though they had been on and off for years. In fact, during the beginning of those years, they shared their very first kisses for either of them together, and their first relationship. Now, Trini wasn’t exactly happy when Jason even came near her and Jason wouldn’t talk about why they broke up.

“Oh, you’re only pissed off because she won’t talk to you. Admit it: you still like her… or should I say, love her?” Tommy said, grinning. Jason gave him a rude gesture and said, “I don’t know why I hang out with you anymore.” For the rest of their ride, Jason and Tommy both took potshots at each other, ranging from girls, to taste in music, to clothes… anything wasn’t above getting made fun of by these two best friends. They only quieted down a little when they got to Angel Grove High.

******
Unknown California Deserts

The labors of the glowing cube from all those years ago were in full swing, having been transformed into a fort of sorts; a place for rest for the forces of good. In the 10,000 years since the Eltar Incident, the only reason the Earth and most of the galaxies surrounding it were safe was because of this solitary fort. It had been upgraded over the years as well, receiving gifts and upgrades from thankful planets and people, in order to make the fort the best it could be. However, now, it was inactive and quiet. Inside, the two entities that were the self-burdened crusaders of justice were dormant… until one woke up.

The large, glowing blue tube in the room flickered, and then suddenly came to life with a few bolts of lighting cascading down the glass of the tube. Inside, a ghostly white face stared down at the rest of the room, with its glowing buttons and panels. In the very center of the room was the robot the face had known and trusted for years. However, the robot was depowered for the moment; all of its glowing parts and lights having shut down.

“Alpha, wake up,” the white face said softly, but with a great deal of command and control… leadership, rather. “I sense… a disturbance. Something great… well skilled in the knowledge and teachings of evil.”

The robot flickered back to life with the face’s voice, springing its disk-shaped head up so it could see the face’s tube. “Ai yi yi! Did you just sense it, Zordon? I mean, the alarms haven’t even gone off yet,” Alpha said, looking at the spiritual face of Zordon that was stuck in the time warped dimension.

Zordon’s face made a nodding motion, but said, “It seems the Command Center is offline since our last battles. Please start it up.” Alpha immediately nodded and started towards the largest panel in the room. Quickly, it pressed several buttons, causing the whole Command Center to come alive with lights. Almost immediately, the alarm lights in the room spun, shining yellow and red, as a loud sound went off. “It seems you were right, Zordon,” Alpha said, as Zordon then said, “Bring it up on the Viewing Globe.”

Alpha pressed a combination of buttons, which brought the threat up on a white ball-like object in the corner of the room. As soon as Alpha turned towards the Globe, he immediately said, “Ai yi yi yi yi yi! Zordon, what should we do?”

“Make preparations and get the metal case. Rita is coming back,” Zordon said, as he nodded towards the Viewing Globe. The golden dumpster had broken free from its planetoid and was heading straight for the moon…

******
Angel Grove High School

“… reports of a large, shining meteor heading towards the Moon has been reported by NASADA base. They are watching the meteor with all the satellites possible, but there has been no official statement released on what it is. In other news…”

A young man with metal rimmed glasses quietly turned off the radio in his hands, sighing slightly. This sort of thing interested Billy Cranston, but, yet, no one else really paid any attention to it, which he expected after two years in high school. Now, it was Billy’s third year, and nothing had really changed, including his dirty blonde hair, soft green eyes, and skinny body. He wore more average clothing, with just a light blue t-shirt, a grey hoodie, and a pair of black Converse All-Stars. He was friends with several beautiful girls, but never had a date, had jocks and bullies make fun of him everyday, while he was expected by his parents to actually like all of this. This was why a teen with the average IQ of 177 was still in high school, instead of in a place like Harvard or MIT. However, certain people, like the girls standing beside him made it bearable.

One looked at Billy and smiled with a sort of happiness that still suggested internal conflict with unknown thoughts and feelings. Her deep brown eyes showed hurt under layers of sparkling beauty. She had distinctively Asian features, her mother being Vietnamese and Caucasian, while her father had Chinese ancestry, while she wore a bright yellow t-shirt and light colored khakis, with a pair of grey and yellow Nikes. Trini Kwan, who was quite possibly the second smartest person in the entire school, just behind Billy, and one of the most beautiful, said, “Billy, make sure you remind me to get that back after-school. I’m going to need it for my current events assignment for Mr. Rhodes.”

As soon as Billy could say, “Okay, Trini, thanks for letting me use it,” the other girl, turned and said, “Oh, crap. I need something out of my locker. Can we swing by and get it?” This girl wasn’t necessarily as smart as Billy or Trini, but she could hold her own with B grades. She had somewhat short blonde hair, while her eyes were a bubbly-color blue. She had a perfect smile, but she had a sort of more edgy tone to her with her dark eye shadow and baggy black jeans. However, this edge was kinda set aside by her pink shirt, wristbands, and tennis shoes. Kimberly Ann Hart smiled softly as she said, “Pleaaaase?”

“Fine,” Trini said, almost coldly, but she softened her tone soon after. “Just as long as you don’t need to get something stupid like make-up.”

“Just because you only wear lip gloss on occasions where you want Jason to notice you doesn’t mean I can’t look good. But, it’s not make-up,” Kim said, which earned a dirty look from Trini, but Kim ignored her to press on. “I need to get my notes for Appleby’s class.”

Billy looked up and awkwardly said, “Oh, there’s no need for that. I can lend you my notes if you need them.” Kim shook her head, however, saying, “Thanks, Billy, but you use all those terms… and I can’t get Trini to whisper what they mean every ten seconds.” Billy looked down, but Kim patted his back and said, “Really, I’m thankful for your help. It’s just I’m not as smart as you two, that’s all.” Billy looked back up and blushed a little bit, as he and Kim smiled at each other.

These three had been good friends for years, and had included Jason also, but now the break up between Jason and Trini, plus the fact that Jason’s best friend was Tommy almost always came up and made it difficult for all of them to hang out peacefully. Now, it was limited to usually just Kim, Trini, and Billy. Billy wasn’t complaining, but hanging out with two beautiful girls all the time and not dating either was often frustrating.

As they finally approached Kim’s locker through the crowds of teens, they found Jason and Tommy nearby, talking to another guy around their age and of African-American descent. He had a smile wide on his face, while he wore baggy, but sometimes colorful, clothing. His black hair was cut into a short fade, while his bright, shining earrings did take the focus off of his hair. With baggy black jeans, a black t-shirt, a pair of boots, and a multicolored hoodie, Zachary “Zack” Taylor turned around, smiling even wider as he waved to Billy, Trini, and Kim. “Hey,” Zack said, when everyone grouped together. “I was trying to talk Tommy and Jason into helping me teach some karate lessons, since we’ve had our instructor ranks for a couple of weeks. Do ya’ll think they’d be good teachers?”

Billy absentmindedly nodded, muttering, “Yeah, I think Jason would be a good teacher…” Tommy took a look at him, saying, “And what about me?”

“Oh, you. Well, you’re an asshole,” Trini said pointedly, her eyes seeming strained and painful as she tried to avoid Jason and keep the focus on Tommy. However, she couldn’t help but look at him a few times, turning her head quickly if he looked at her. Billy, on the other hand, chuckled, earning him another dirty look from Tommy, who started to step towards him, clenching his fists angrily. Jason pulled Tommy back, however, quietly muttering, “Don’t. He hasn’t done anything be mean to you.” Tommy shook Jason’s hand off, but, instead of going towards Billy again, he turned towards Kim.

“What about you? Do you think I could teach someone?” Tommy asked, smiling slightly at the sight of her. Kim shook her head, saying, “Oh, I dunno. I think that’s more in your own head than in others. If you think you can teach, you might be able to… as long as you keep your attitude in check.”

Tommy smirked a bit at this, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he leaned against the lockers, smiling to himself. He only moved when Kim said, “That’s my locker. Could you move, please?” Tommy pushed himself off as Kim quickly opened it, grabbing a soft pink note book, but before Kim could completely close it, Tommy threw a piece of crumpled up paper inside, which Kim didn’t notice. “See you in class, guys,” Kim said, as she nodded for Trini and Billy to follow.

Tommy smirked to himself even more, but Jason stood there in deep thought, his eyes staring down at the floor as Trini turned away from him. Sitting there for a long while, which even prompted Zack to say, “Jason? Earth to Jason,” Jason suddenly looked up and said, “Hey, wait up! We’ll walk to class together!”

******
Space: The Moon

The golden dumpster rapidly hurled towards the moon, gathering violently orange flames around the body of the container. As it got closer and closer, the dumpster itself started to quake, the lid cracking with what would have been audible sounds… if it wasn’t for the void of space. More and more, the dumpster started to shake violently, before it slammed into the surface of the moon, causing a large crater to be cleared, while the sheer force of the impact disintegrated any dust or rocks that could have flown up… the dumpster stood still for a few moments, letting everything settle down.

Suddenly, however, the lid blew off the dumpster, landing in the crater with a slowed grace. A sharp voice rumbled with a victory shout as the figure rose up, wearing the robes that the figure had always claimed to be Cimmerian. She waved her staff, allowing herself and her creatures to instantly breathe in the airless void, while also creating a livable and breathable atmosphere around the entire Moon. With another wave, Rita Repulsa levitated herself out of the dumpster, sneering, “After 10,000 years stuck in that hell hole, I’m finally free… but, I sense… good.”

Slowly, another creature came out after her; a golden armored cross between a jackal and a monkey. Goldar growled as he said, “That is because we are close to Aquaterra, my Empress. Isn’t that where Zordon told his robotic lackey to set up?” Another monster, this time a white, bird-like thing, said, “That is quite correct. My queen, I have our castle ready to be set up.” Finster held out his hand, showing a dirt-brown cube, which Rita quickly grabbed and threw off to the side.

It shattered, making the Moon rumble and quake as a fissure opened up, letting the pieces of the cube fall in. Within only a few moments, a castle, as grand as Finster could make within the darkness of the dumpster, rose from the fissure, even though Rita kept a hateful gaze towards the Earth, which she believed was still Aquaterra. As this castle rose, three other monsters fought over their freedom from the wretched dumpster, angry growls and loud connections of fists against monstrous skin. As the growls and hits subsided, a large white monster similar to Goldar, King Sphinx, leaped from the dumpster, laughing with deep, wheezing chuckles. Coming from behind was a bloated, armored, blue hobgoblin by the name of Squatt, who groaned from the hits rained upon him by King Sphinx. The same was true for another monster, the last, an odd monkey and bat hybrid, named Baboo, who stood next to Squatt, letting the hobgoblin’s big body support him.

Rita, turning angrily towards her castle, screeched, “Let’s go, you bunch of idiots! We must start our fight against Aquaterra and Zordon himself.” Finster chuckled with glee. He hadn’t been able to work his creativity out in years, and this was his chance to shine. However, he knew he would have to create something that wasn’t necessarily wild and creative, but would satisfy Rita’s need to get troops ready to face the Earthen forces and to hold Zordon’s attention.

Goldar noticed Finster’s glee himself, staring at the eagle monster with a bit of contempt. He never exactly trusted Finster, who Rita apparently liked more than her other generals for his abilities to replace fallen monsters and create new ones… in fact, Finster was Rita’s very first general and he came up with the idea of Goldar. Growling with hatred, but managing to pat Finster’s shoulder in a comradely way, Goldar led the others after his Empress… except for Finster, who had sped up his pace to walk right next to Rita herself. Growling again, Goldar promised himself that he would prove his worth… even if it came to killing Rita’s most trusted.

If he had a more human mouth, Goldar would have smiled at the thought.

******
Angel Grove High School


As Jason sat in the middle of Ms. Appleby’s classroom, hoping the bell would ring, he stared at the blackboard hard. His mind swirled with thoughts of setting up the karate class, Trini, what grade he was going to get on Ms. Appleby’s assignment, Trini, basketball practice, Trini… irritated, he swung his head back to her to satisfy his brain and get his mind off of her. She was looking at him as well, but she played it cool this time. She pointed to Ms. Appleby and mouthed “Pay attention before you get caught.”

Jason turned back towards the blackboard, barely hearing Tommy’s whisper of “At least that wasn’t a ‘screw you’.” Jason absentmindedly nodded, trying to tune into Ms. Appleby’s words. Before he could, however, the bell rang, followed by the shifting, stuffing, and lifting of backpacks. Jason did the same, though he looked to Tommy and asked, “Did you take any notes? I spaced out…”

“Nah, man. I already read Hamlet last week. Why don’t you hit Billy up for some study help? God knows he’s written down the entire class and more,” Tommy muttered, pointing towards Billy, who was stuffing three notebooks away while Trini and Kim watched. Sighing, Jason walked over and said, “Um, hey, Billy. Can I borrow some notes from today? I totally spaced out earlier.”

Kim turned to Trini whispered, “That’s because a certain girl in yellow was wearing lip gloss during class again. Messed with his hormones.” Trini smacked Kim’s arm, but smirked a little in agreement. Just like Kim had said earlier, Trini and lip gloss made her irresistible to Jason. Billy, however, looked up at Jason and nervously muttered, “Yeah, sure. I mean, it was just simple Language Arts today, but I can give you what I have on Hamlet, which is what we are reading. It’s a very good and well praised play by William Shakespeare…” He frowned and then said, “I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“Just a little, but, that’s okay,” Jason said, grinning, as he ignored Kim’s comments. “Think we could go over it after school?”

Billy smiled a little himself and said, “Sure, if you don’t mind hanging out with Kim and Trini, too. We were all going to study together… Kim’s having trouble with it all, too.”

“Um, sure. That’s not a problem,” Jason said, still grinning a bit. Trini looked somewhat annoyed and Kim was staring at Billy with a look that suggested a betrayal in confidence. She didn’t like everyone to know that she had trouble with understanding what she read. In her eyes, it made her seem… dumb. Jason, however, looked over and gave them a reassuring smile. “I’m sure Kim understands more than I do. I’m almost completely lost.”

Trini glared at Jason for a second, before she realized what he was doing… then, she smiled softly. “Good. Then, let’s all meet up out front of the school and we’ll go to the Juice Bar, then Billy’s.” Jason nodded and said, “Sounds good.” He smiled awkwardly at Trini, staring into her eyes and realizing the pain within them… pain that he probably caused. He looked farther and farther, until she looked away; anguish was clear on her face.

Just as Jason was about to say something, Zack called, “Are you coming? We are gonna be late!” He waved towards himself and Tommy, who were waiting by the doorway.

“Yeah,” Jason called back. “I have to go. See you guys after school,” he said, nodding towards Billy, then Kim and Trini. Trini didn’t even look at him as he walked away.

“What’s wrong with you, Trini? One minute, you look happy that you messed with his head, the next, it’s guilt, then, it’s acceptance of him… now, it’s pain. What happened?” Kim asked, looking at Trini with worry. Billy did the same, but Trini shook her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing,” she muttered, her voice coming close to cracking. “Come on. We gotta get to Mrs. O’Brien’s class.”

“You sure you’re okay?” Billy asked, but Trini nodded and smiled, making him fall silent. “Yeah, come on,” she said, more confidently now, before walking out of the door and into the bustle before second period. Staring after her, and eventually walking after Trini themselves, Kim muttered, “How long has the break up been?”

“A month,” Billy replied, shaking his head. “She’s not doing so well about it, is she?”

“I think she needs to go back to Jason. Maybe realize why she broke up with him in the first place, then be more ready to move on. She did break it off really sudden,” Kim reasoned, but Billy shook his head slightly.

“What if she ends up getting her heart broken again? That’ll set her off… badly,” Billy muttered, keeping his head down. In fact, it was Billy keeping his head down that made him bump into a big and burly type of guy, dressed in a vintage Van Halen t-shirt with stains all over it and a leather vest. Even though Billy was the one thrown back from this collision, the leather-clad guy said, “Hey, watch it… oh, look, it’s Billy boy! Still a virgin, Billy boy? I mean, really, you’d think you were at least tappin’ that Asian chick… or… do you bat for the other team?”

“Leave him alone, Bulk,” Kim said, running over and helping Billy to his feet. Bulk smiled as he said, “Awwww… Billy’s little shopping buddy has to fight his battles for him.”

“Hehe, yeah. What does that say about Billy, Bulky?” Bulk’s lackey, Skull asked, joining in. He was just as badly dressed as Bulk, though he lacked the food stains that Bulk had on his shirt. Instead, Skull’s hair was as greasy as an oil slick. “It says,” Bulk said, pausing dramatically, “that Billy boy is a total wuss and needs a chick to even fight him.”

“I’m sorry, Bulk,” Billy muttered, but this only made Bulk go on. “Billy boy is sorry? Huh? Say it louder, so we all can hear! Louder, Billy boy!” Bulk said, almost yelling. Billy looked down and said, “Sorry,” even louder, but Bulk yelled, “Louder!!”

“That’s enough!” Trini said, walking through the crowd that was forming. “He said sorry, so leave him alone.” Skull was the first to her, saying, “Sorry, sweetheart, but this is between Bulky and Billy boy… however, in the meantime, how ‘bout we set up a date? You, me, the Juice Bar, after school.”

“You wish,” Trini said, but Skull grabbed her and pulled her close, as if to kiss her. In a flash, Jason was there, pushing Skull off into Bulk. When Bulk turned around, Jason took a step towards him. “She said no, and Billy said sorry. That’s enough,” Jason said, his voice deep with a commanding and dark tone. Trini looked at him with a bit of surprise. He had never been this way in front of her… he had always been sweet or jeering, with a grin or a smile; maybe even a normal face or a frown on a bad day. Now, his eyes were unyielding and his voice was calm and in control… but, frightening.

“Oh, I don’t think so. Billy boy has scuffed up my vest and I want some kind of real apology,” Bulk said, but his voice had a lack of confidence.

“I think you need to work on keeping the food in your mouth instead of on your shirt before you complain about your vest, piggy,” Jason said, taking another step. Bulk flinched a bit, but he turned towards Skull and winked. Suddenly, Bulk and Skull both charged at Jason, trying to tackle him. Moving out of the way, and bringing Trini with him so she wasn’t harmed, Jason dodged and stuck his foot out, tripping up Skull, who flew out and crashed into Bulk, sending them both to the floor.

“Walk much?” Jason asked, smirking with grim satisfaction. Angrily, Bulk and Skull tried to get back up, but Tommy and Zack, taking their chance, pushed them back down with forceful shove of their feet. Kim and Billy walked over as well, as the crowd started to laugh at the bumbling Bulk and Skull.

When they finally got up, they put up their fists, prompting Tommy to go into a combat ready stance. He was itching for a fight… he always was. Jason’s body tensed for the worst, while Trini also tensed a bit. Kim took Billy off to the side, while Zack started to move and sway a bit, almost as if he was starting to move in a rhythm. However, before anyone could move, the bell rang, prompting everyone to clear out.

Along with the bell, came a stiff, suited man, with a toupee that made Donald Trump’s hair look natural. Mr. Kaplan, the principal, looked at the fighters with a stern and angry glare, his face turning red as a beet. “Eugene, Farcas, Thomas, Jason, Kimberly, William, Trini, and Zachary! Either you get to class, or it’s a detention for a week for all of you. And, so help me, if I catch you fighting again, I will make it a month! Now, march!”

Bulk and Skull looked embarrassed to be called Farcas and Eugene, but they reluctantly cleared out, but as Mr. Kaplan turned his back and walked off, Bulk bumped into Jason, saying, “This isn’t over. Fight, during the lunch period. Me and Skull against you, that asshole Tommy, Zack, or Billy boy. Any two of you will work. See you around, dead men walking.”

Tommy, however, angrily said, “Wouldn’t that interfere with your 7-course lunch, Farcas?” Bulk started towards him instead, again, but Skull pulled on him, saying, “We’ll get them at lunch, Bulky.” Smirking as Bulk and Skull walked away, Tommy said, “I’ve wanted to beat on those two since 9th grade. You got my back, Jason?”

Jason shook his head, his voice still forceful as he said, “No and you really shouldn’t do this either. It’s stupid, full of useless pride, and not the way of Karate. You know this, Tommy, and you need to start remembering if we are gonna teach these things to others.”

“So, what? Are you gonna let them call us wusses behind our backs? Are you gonna let them push everyone around? We need to teach them a lesson and make sure they understand it,” Tommy said, looking at Jason with annoyance.

“There are other ways to teach them things like that, Tommy. Violence isn’t going to get us anywhere but in detention or expelled,” Jason said. “Just calm down, and we’ll handle it without beating the crap out of anyone.”

“Whatever. Zack, you gonna back me up?” Tommy said, turning to Zack, but Zack simply said, “I’ll back you up if it turns violent, but I’d rather do Jason’s plan.” Tommy nodded in silence, before quickly stalking off towards Mrs. O’Brien’s class, alone.

“He can be such an ass,” Zack muttered, to which Jason and Billy nodded. Kim and Trini, on the other hand, started walking to O’Brien’s class themselves, with Kim turning and asking, “You guys coming? We’re already gonna get extra homework for being late. Don’t make it worse.” Even faster than Tommy, Jason, Zack, and Billy started walking after the girls, thinking of how they were going to get out of this whole fighting thing.

******
The Command Center

“Is that who you’ve picked, Zordon?” Alpha asked, peering at the teens from the Viewing Globe, as they walked through the halls of their school. He turned towards the blue tube, where Zordon’s white face nodded in agreement.

“They are the ones. Mostly pure of heart, even if they have typical human or teenage flaws within. They will be Earth’s first defense against Rita…” Zordon said. Alpha walked towards the box and opened it, checking on the creations that Zordon, Rita, and Zedd had worked on all those years ago. Faintly, he could hear them roar with preparation and restlessness. They hadn’t been used since their creation… they were ready. Alpha did note, however, that two of the creations were missing from the box… a great loss by their standards.

“One in Rita’s hands… the other lost and only found within our memories,” Zordon muttered. “But, no matter. Prepare the transporting unit. I want them up and running so we can be prepared.”

“Right, Zordon,” Alpha said, pressing a few buttons on a nearby panel. These transporters would bring Earth’s first defense… and, most likely, the last against Rita. “Let’s just hope they are ready,” Alpha prayed as the transporter unit started to recharge itself...

(Discussion thread is HERE (http://www.rangertalk.com/showthread.php?t=2446))