Disclaimer: Saban owns the Power Rangers, Masked Rider, Beetleborgs, VR Troopers and probably a large number of other things as well. I am using their characters without permission and for no profit whatsoever. Ellen Brand owns Chelsea and Teddy Oliver and I thank her again for letting me use them occasionally. The Doctor, Master, TARDIS, UNIT and Validium are all creations of Terry Nation and appeared in the BBC series Doctor Who. North Valley comes from the series Super Human Samurai Cyber Squad. Queen of the Crown was the villain from Galaxy Rangers and is owned by Saban. Mandarin is owned by Marvel and Golobulus belongs to whoever created Action Force the Movie.
Timeline: This story is immediately after cliffhanger at the end of Rangers Gone Psycho Part 3.
Authors Note: Anything written like ~this~ is a thought, anything like -this- is a conversation Sam is eaves dropping on, "this" is a computer message and anything appearing like *this* is a mental telepathic message.
This story is a part of my take on the IDWar storyline. It is an alternate version of the Conquest of Evil series, however events here are different.
The Ninth Colour
by Shadow Ranger
by Shadow Ranger
Somewhere in Kenya
Two weeks later
Sometimes you can be comfortable in a place without realizing that you don't belong there. Sometimes a short break no matter how traumatic, can open your eyes to reality. For one teenager the events of almost two months before had opened her eyes to what was important.
Aisha Campbell closed her eyes, tipping her face up to the cloudless sky above. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining down on the Savannah and the usual summer heat lifted by a cool breeze. It was days like this that made a girl glad to be alive. Dropping her face from the morning sky, Aisha scanned her surroundings, a wistful look in her dark eyes. She loved Africa, and loved working with animals, and nothing would ever change that. But somehow, it didn't seem like she belonged here anymore.
When she had been sent into the past, she had known it was right for her to remain and help the animals. It had been a long and torturous time trying to find a cure for the plague, but something told her she was close. Since tapping the power of the Zeo Crystal she had felt different somehow.
But, even the sensation of holding the Power had seemed odd. Something had felt odd about being the Yellow Zeo Ranger. Maybe it was because she had only ever held the Morphin powers in the past that the crystal seemed to be escaping from her. Shrugging she put it down to having only morphed a few times and turned her thoughts to other things.
Going home to Angel Grove had seemed strange at first, but even though she had been beaten, humiliated and tortured she had been reunited with her friends. She could still not believe how some of the Rangers had changed. Jason, the once headstrong Red Ranger, was now once again in charge of his own team. Experience had taught Jason to think before acting, something Aisha thought may have been due to the Peace Conference.
Adam had also changed. The once shy teenager seemed to have gained more confidence in himself. Those close to him might not have seen it, but Aisha had been away for ten years and noticed it almost immediately.
On the other hand some things, like Rocky never changed. The boy with the bottomless stomach could still empty a larder in less than two minutes.
Aisha sighed again. It was things like that she missed about her friends in Angel Grove and was the reason she had surrendered her powers. She had spoken to Zordon without the other Rangers to stop her, telling of the problems she was experiencing. Zordon had understood perfectly what she was going through. In his opinion it was something that Kimberly, Trini and Zack would soon experience; the stress of being away from their home and yet expected to defend it at a moment's notice.
It was the isolation that Aisha felt the most. Kimberly was at least in the same country as the other Rangers and Trini and Zack had each other. Aisha though was on her own in Kenya. True she loved the village and lived as comfortable a life as possible in the remote area of Kenya she had chosen for a home. She was able to study, had access to technology and clothing, and was able to speak to her friends via letter or on the phone. She shuddered at the thought of explaining to her parents why she was making international calls on their cell phone.
Zordon had suggested that she take her time to decide what to do. He had disconnected her from the Yellow Zeo Crystal so she would not be disturbed, but had insisted she kept her Zeoniser and communicator in case she needed anything.
"I know that you will make the right decision Aisha," Zordon had said as she teleported away.
~They can manage without a Yellow Zeo Ranger until they need Zords,~ she thought with slightly more bitterness than she expected.
Of course the chances of returning to America were slim and she knew it. Her mother loved her work with the tribe and her father was a renowned doctor. In the ten years they had been there, her parents had helped to ensure the plague had not spread to the human population.
With their help the tribe had grown and developed. It had never been primitive, but with the help of the Campbells and a few others the tribe was one of the most prosperous. They had dug new wells using an aid grant so that humans and animal no longer shared the water supply. The school they had built had ensured that the education system went beyond the radio-schooling Tanya had received.
Of course Aisha had found herself bored on occasion and had as a result worked to develop her own ninja skills. The schoolteacher, Joe Armstrong had surprised her by proving himself a worthy mentor. Although he was only slightly older than Aisha was, he was her equal in martial despite the training she had received from Ninjor. Together they had trained with both of them respecting the other's right to secrets.
"Something's wrong!"
She was not sure how she knew, but suddenly a feeling of darkness had closed in around her. Looking down she noticed the red beam of light reflecting off her clothing. With a squeal she jumped to her feet and dove for cover. She may not have been an expert, but she knew a targeting beam when she saw one. Hunters on Earth rarely used them, but they were, according to the brief conversations she had with Billy, all the rage on other worlds. The fact that such a beam had been highlighting her right arm made her suspicious and she decided to hide until she knew what was going on.
"Well?"
"She is reactive and smart. She chose to remain hidden when many Rangers might have attempted to morph and tackle me. I don't believe I will find her much of a challenge, but I will take the job strictly for my reward."
He nodded. It had been two weeks ago that Huntrax had proven herself to the members of the UAE. Upon finishing his conversation with Dark Specter, he had carefully studied his targets. He had decided to tackle the Rangers furthest from home first. And since Aisha was alone she made the perfect target.
After studying the failures of others, he had come to three main conclusions about future attempts to conquer Earth. Firstly, he realised he had failed, as had the other villains, to recognise the dedication the Rangers felt to their planet and each other. The human heart was one of the most powerful forces ever created and on Earth it was even stronger. He had underestimated the Rangers and that was a mistake, but since he had yet to attack he could change that without a great deal of effort.
Secondly, the most successful plans had been accomplished in stages and not using one off monsters. The Green Ranger, the theft of the Falcon Zord and Ninjor, and Minion's recent capture of the Zeo Rangers had been plans developed over time. Of course each plan had failed because at some stage the villains had failed to notice a small detail the Rangers could use.
That led to his third conclusion and with it a plan of how to destroy the Rangers. Rangers fight in teams. It was a simple statement but no less true, especially on Earth. If he could pick off the Rangers one at a time, he knew he could emerge victorious.
To that end he had sent out a request for a well-known sect of bounty hunters to join him. Huntrax had been the first to join him, but others were waiting should she fail. The huntress had at once ruled out any of the Rangers in Angel Grove, stating they would be able to receive almost immediate assistance. Likewise Trini and Zack would be able to help each other. The only real options had been Aisha and Kimberly. They had chosen Aisha, hoping her distance from Power Mountain would make it difficult to find her.
Now he looked at his employee. Currently she had removed all her hunting costume and stood before him in the plain green flight suit she wore during space travel. Her long black hair had been tied into a single ponytail, in the end of which a blade had been inserted. Her eyes burned with an intensity he had not seen in a while. She was seductive and deadly, but most importantly she was an illusion.
He did not know what his employee looked like. He was unsure about height, weight or even what gender it was. The ability to confuse was one of his employee's greatest powers. The second greatest was the triple phased power enhancer it wore. The device boosted all it owner's powers, but had a failsafe so if a male target tried to use it he would be destroyed. Unfortunately female DNA was immune from the side effects.
"I believe you'll be wanting these then," he said as he held up a belt containing numerous clear balls, reflecting the light.
"Where are the rest, I need all of them?"
"Against one Ranger?" he asked, overdoing the surprise just enough to show he didn't believe a word of it.
"You promised to return them," Huntrax insisted. "All of them!"
"And I will!" he boomed. "But under my terms and when you have completed the task I have set you. Don't make me compel you to do as you are told."
"I will get you your Ranger," the bounty hunter spat. "And then you will give me what is mine."
Raising her left arm to reveal her power enhancer she tapped in the activation code. A loud beep signalled that her booster was powered up. She then tapped in two-seven-six summoning the cyber armour. The booster was in no way a morpher. It did not draw power from any source other than the user.
Silver plating attached to cover the knees, elbows, chest, throat and back. The suit she was wearing thickened and a helmet appeared to cover her head. A black visor slid down to cover the eyes. Black gloves and boots finished the armour.
"Weapon!" she called at last.
The rifle that had been fastened to her back floated around to her waiting hand. The belt she had been arguing about fastened around her waist.
"Voice command, teleport!"
It wasn't a normal Rangers teleport and he did not believe it was comfortable for the person using it. For a moment every cell in her was ripped apart and transferred separately to her destination. At the other end the body was reassembled almost perfectly. The model she used was limited to simple journeys using three dimensional references. Later versions allowed for fourth dimensional manipulation, a primitive method of time travel. Of course if one cell was out of place, it could destroy her, especially if it was a brain cell.
Aisha had already decided that waiting around was not in her best interest. Her first thought was to teleport to the Power Chamber and then back to the village. She didn't know who had been targeting her, but she had a bad feeling and that was enough to put her on alert.
"Alpha, Zordon," she said, activating her communicator.
There was no response, not unusual considering where she was, but no-less worrying. Teleportation also failed to respond so she had no choice but to set off on foot.
~At least it I get in trouble I can morph,~ she thought. ~Providing of course it's not poachers.~
Though her link to the Zeo Crystal was dormant, she still had a residual amount of power in her morpher. She prayed she would not need it.
The thought that it might be game hunters made her feel a little better. But she was still on guard as she made her way back towards the village. She stopped when she heard a faint click followed by a soft whine like an engine powering up. She saw a movement just ahead of her and recognised the barrel of a gun in the bushes.
Aisha ducked to the ground as a laser bolt flew over her head. That answered any doubts she had. She was under attack. Forcing herself to remain calm Aisha followed the process she had learnt when she first became a Ranger. After checking to ensure there were no civilians nearby she looked around for the nearest cover. Carefully calculating her chances, she took off, hoping to get into the undergrowth.
As she ran she called out, "It's Morphin Ti..."
The barrage of rifle shots meant she had no chance to stay still long enough to morph. Aisha realised this was one time she would have to survive on her own.
~I never thought I'd be so glad I'm a ninja,~ she thought.
Using the skills she had perfected under Joe's guidance combined with the knowledge Ninjor had provided and her own skills, Aisha concealed herself from view. Se took a deep breath and ducked as a shot rang out overhead.
~Whoever it is can hear me breathing.~
Aisha froze her entire body, using a meditation technique to slow her heart to the point where she was almost dead. Her eyes remained fixed on the position of her attacker, waiting for him or her to move so she could act.
For her part Huntrax was reloading her weapons and fine tuning the targeting system. She checked her power levels and decided she would need to finish the Ranger quickly. Her energy was maintained by Ranger powers, so unless she fed on them regularly, she would be powerless. Huntrax did not like being powerless.
Aisha continued to watch for a bit longer before changing position. Kneeling down she summoned one of the personal survival boxes Zordon had made available to each Ranger. Inside were some of the basic items a Ranger could use to stay alive until help could get there.
Opening the box, she looked at the items within: a torch, battery, a hand scanner, a small pistol, a knife, survival clothing, bandages, alcohol-based disinfectant and matches. Picking up the scanner first, she decided to find out what was lurking nearby. She carefully checked there were no natives in the area and logged the positions of the other creatures that seemed to be heading her way. She considered using the scanner to send an SOS, but decided whoever was shooting at her would track the signal. Instead she changed into the one piece black body suit, fastened the knife and pistol to her side and set a small trap for whatever was hunting her.
He checked his chronometer and signalled for his forces to stop. His studies of Zordon had found the White Master to be thorough in his daily routines. One such routine was the daily scan of the Earth for anything the Rangers should know about. And at this precise time everyday Zordon was scanning Kenya.
~If he discovers the Yellow Ranger in trouble the game is up,~ he realised. ~I need a diversion.~
Using the summoning abilities of his staff, he accessed the prison records for the correct candidate. He soon found his target: mid thirties, violent and no hope of release. The human also had some prize fighting experience, a factor that allowed him to locate the perfect demon to attach to his soul.
"Arise Boxalot," he instructed.
Human and demon combined, causing the human to cry out in a pain as his body and mind were terminated. The body reverted to its physical peek as metal bandages wrapped themselves around the fists. His eyes glowed green as the demon took control; the hair falling out until only a single long braid remained with a blade fitted in the end.
"Go to Angel Grove and keep the other Rangers distracted."
"Sure thing boss," Boxalot said. "I'll pulverize them."
Aisha moved cautiously through the undergrowth having set the hand scanner with a timing device. Finding a place where she could remain hidden she waited for the timer to hit zero. The timer completed its countdown and the scanner sent out the SOS Aisha had prepared. Rifle fire levelled her previous hiding place as Aisha moved around behind her attacker. Drawing her knife, she moved behind the woman firing at her scanner.
"A good trick Aisha," a man said behind her, as she was about to strike at the woman. Turning around Aisha caught her first look at the new threat. He looked human and was carrying a wooden staff, which he had aimed at her chest. "I must give you credit for being able to out think my employee."
WHACK!
Huntrax used the distraction as her chance and swung the butt of her rifle into Aisha's head. Twisting the weapon around she braced herself to fire.
"No," he told her. "I caught her not you. I have a use for this one."
Bending down he removed the mask from Aisha's face. Then he waited for her to wake up before acting further. At first the idea of killing her had been paramount in his mind, but now he had had a more dangerous idea. If Aisha was his puppet, he could use her to pick off the other Rangers.
"Who are you?" Aisha
"I'm your new master," the man told her as she was pulled back to her feet. "And this is Huntrax, bounty hunter and all round scum."
"So what of you want of me?" Aisha asked.
"Come now Yellow Ranger," he answered. "You must know that a Power Ranger can be very useful if working for the right person. Just look into my eyes and all will be explained. Good, now I am your master and you will obey me."
"You must be mad," Aisha responded as she looked around for an escape. Her pistol and knife had been discarded and Huntrax still had her rifle ready.
"You WILL OBEY ME!" he continued, his mind was reaching out to the Yellow Zeo Ranger, using the power of his mind and the strength of his will to crush her resolve. Many of his people had such abilities, but few could manage to enslave the mind so effectively. To do so took more than skill, it took the absolute desire to dominate another being.
Deep inside Aisha's mind a defence mechanism created through the Yellow Morphin and Yellow Zeo power came to life. A third power buried even deeper in her mind took control and shielded Aisha from the attempted hypnosis.
"I AM YOUR MASTER," he said one last time, certain he was winning. "YOU WILL OBEY ME!"
"I am Aisha Campbell and I have no master," she replied defiantly.
Angrily he lashed out with his fist, breaking the fragile connection. Aisha knocked the blow aside and flipped backwards to catch Huntrax off guard. Meanwhile he had fired a blast from his staff. Aisha duck just in time as the beam flew over her head and shrunk a tree behind her.
"A final chance Aisha, join me or I will have Huntrax and her fellow bounty hunters track you down."
"You want an answer?" Aisha asked sweetly. "Here's my answer..."
Now! A voice said.
"Zeo Ranger II -Yellow!"
A sharp pain caught Aisha in the shoulder seconds before she ducked into cover. Looking down she could see her uniform still smoking from where it been hit. Huntrax was standing over her with smoke billowing from her weapon. Another shot rang out followed by more. Aisha ducked and rolled away, avoiding some blasts but inevitably falling prey to others. Aisha was never more thankful for Ranger healing, which kicked in almost immediately to dull the pain and allowed her to concentrate. She was also grateful for the thick bushes that now allowed her to remain hidden.
Most importantly she knew she had been lucky Huntrax had set her rifle to kill. Her powers could take the high-powered small impact shots intended to kill, but a stun blast would have overwhelmed her powers and dropped her like a rock.
In the open she could see her enemies. He was no longer bothering to maintain his human form. He turned to where she was hiding, his foul face cracking into a sinister smile.
"Okay Miss Campbell. If you want to play games here are the rules. If you survive, you can leave, Huntrax and her fellow bounty hunters will shoot to kill and anything goes."
In a spiral of darkness he left, leaving Aisha to wonder where Huntrax had gone. She was soon answered as another shot narrowly missed her shoulder. Peering over the top of the bushes, she looked for the shooter. She could see nothing except the red targeting beam, which gave her an idea. Drawing her Zeo Pistol she followed the targeting beam back to its source and fired. The energy level had been low, but the fact something reflected told her where the shooter was.
Move!
Aisha jumped as a torrent of blaster fire ripped through her hiding place. Landing on the ground she drew her Zeo Pistol and fired at the same time rolling away from the shooter who was trying to hit her.
Look out, right!
Aisha shifted her attention to the right and saw a small clear ball lying in her path. She tried to stop rolling, but it was too late. The ball exploded, revealing a powerful rock creature. Instinctively Aisha ducked into a defensive stance, hoping the shooter would not take advantage of the distraction.
"I am Rockolem," the rock creature managed to tell her.
Then it attacked, the rock creature moving faster than Aisha thought possible, its massive fists striking the ground where she had been not moments before. Trading blows was useless, but it also allowed Aisha to search for a weakness she could exploit.
Back of the knees!
~How do I know that?~ Aisha wondered as she ducked another fist before blasting her opponent in the back of the knee.
Hit it again in the keystone!
"Zeo II Nunchuks!" Aisha called, immediately using the deadly weapon to strike at the back of the knee again. A small stone the size of a beach pebble fell away from the knee. A low groan emerged from the creature as first his knee and then the rest of his body disintegrated into a pile of rocks.
Zordon picked up on Boxalot as soon as the monster started his rampage through Angel Grove. After summoning the Zeo Rangers to fight the monster he waited to see if they needed help before calling in either Aisha or the Morphin Rangers. The Rangers studied the monster on the Viewing Screen and his attacks soon became apparent.
"Those fists are fast," Tommy commented as the monster detached his left fist and fired it at his targets. The fist exploded on impact before returning to the monster's arm.
"Not fast enough to hit five targets though," Trey pointed out.
"And we're not gonna be standing still like those cars," Rocky added.
"We still need a plan though," Adam said. "Alpha, can you show a street map of that area?"
Alpha complied and Adam studied the map for unpopulated areas.
"If we draw him down here," he said pointing to a blind ally.
"We can nail him," Rocky said excitedly.
"Zordon, shouldn't we call Aisha back to help?" Kat asked.
"No Katherine. If Aisha is needed, I will call her. In the meantime the Zeo Cannon will answer your calls and the Zords are ready if you need them."
"Then let's show that demon he's picked the wrong city," Tommy said. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Red!"
Tommy felt a slight twinge as he morphed, but put it down to his excitement. Deep inside his body a dark void developed. Then the pain and the void were gone as his morph was completed.
"Zeo Ranger X - Gold!"
"Alpha, contact Billy and bring him to the Power Chamber," Zordon instructed after the others had gone.
"Yes Zordon," Alpha Five answered, "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi!"
"One down, five to go," Huntrax said as Aisha stood over the crumbled rock monster.
Yellow Zeo looked around to see the five other life forms she had detected earlier. The first was a giant rhino. The second was a circus clown, the third dressed as a cop and armed with a deadly arsenal. The last two resembled ordinary humans, but were anything but normal. The first was made up of worms and the second was a deadly cyborg.
Huntrax pushed some buttons on her bracelet and the demons approached. Yellow Zeo dropped into a defensive stance ready to protect herself and all the time hoping her message got through.
"Get her!" Huntrax ordered.
Florida
"Wow, she is amazing," Sam commented as he and Jason watched Kimberly training. "I forgot what it was like to see her work out."
"I know what you mean," Jason replied as Kimberly performed a perfect dismount and started her next exercise. "Hey, you okay man?" Whilst watching Kimberly, Sam had grown pale and was almost falling over. "Sam?"
The Yellow Zeo Ranger was hit by another blow as the six remaining bounty hunters closed in on her. The clown threw another of his explosive balls and the rhino impaled her leg on his horn and ran through the landscape with his prey hanging helplessly. The others moved in as she demorphed and each delivered a deadly blow that left her a bloodied heap for their leader to kill.
"Sam?" Jason asked again.
"We need to go," Sam said. "Aisha's in danger."
"What's going on?" Kimberly asked after noticing the conversation.
"Aisha's in danger," Sam told her. "I felt it."
Jason motioned and the other two Rangers followed him to a private area. He tried to contact Zordon but received no reply. He then tried Aisha and found she was jammed as well.
"We need some help," Sam said. "Maybe we can reach Trini and Zack."
A brief conversation later and the five Rangers were assembled. Checking one last time and deciding to risk a false alarm, the Rangers morphed into action.
"Pink Ranger Power!"
"Red Ranger Power!"
"Yellow Ranger Power!"
"Black Ranger Power!"
"Green Ranger Power!"
"Six on six," Red Ranger said as his team appeared in front of the fallen Yellow Zeo. "That seems fair."
"Except one of you is already defeated," Huntrax pointed out. "Take them!"
"Hah, float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. There's nothing you Rangers can do to ever beat me!" Boxalot jibed as he unleashed another volley of punches.
"I've had enough of this guy," Red Zeo said as he picked himself up after being on the receiving end of one too many punches. "Let's hit him back!"
"Right!" the others responded.
"Zeo Power Sword!"
Red Zeo leapt into the air and charged his sword with the energy of the Red Zeo Crystal. A burst of energy erupted from his visor, striking the monster seconds before he plunged his sword downwards.
"Zeo I Fire Cloud!" Pink Zeo called.
A ball of pink energy covered the monster, burning his skin. Powering up her Zeo Power Shield, she ploughed into her opponent, before teleporting back to her fellow Rangers.
"Zeo III Arm Blades!"
"Zeo IV Power Hatchets!"
"Zeo Power Punch!"
"Zeo Power Kick!"
Using their teamwork, Blue and Green Zeo overpowered the boxing monster until he was barely able to stand. Then the Zeo Rangers decided it was time for the knockout blow.
"Zeo Cannon!"
The loaded weapon floated onto the shoulders of Zeo Ranger I, III, IV and V as Gold Zeo used his own attack.
"Golden Power staff!"
Using the weapon as a club he bludgeoned the monster before regrouping ready for his finisher.
"Gold Rush!"
The surge of golden energy struck the monster as the other Ranger called, "Fire!" The combined volley was too much and the monster collapsed to the ground and exploded.
"Round Two!" the monster called as he adjusted the compression feature he had been given so he could grow.
"Red Battlezord, power up!" Red Zeo called once again experiencing a twinge of pain.
"Warrior Wheel, online!" Trey called.
As the self-sufficient Warrior Wheel circled the monster to land a few cheap shots, Red Zeo used his Red Battlezord to match Boxalot punch for punch. Their blows started out slow, but soon accelerated as both Ranger and monster realised the first to deliver a clear blow would win. Red Zeo adjusted the height of his blows so they struck the monster in the abdomen.
"Gatling Cannons, fire!"
The rapid fists stopped as the Zord's powerful weapons opened fire. Tommy stopped the barrage before the monster could explode, and backed away. Picking up the now wheel-shaped Warrior Wheel, he threw the powerful Zord to finish the job.
"It's over guys," Red Zeo remarked. "Let's go home!"
"Damn!" Huntrax swore as she surveyed the scene. Her fellow bounty hunters were getting beaten before her eyes.
Green Ranger was playing with the rhino. As it charged him, he moved to the side and slashed it with his Dragon Blade. The rhino charged again, and this time connected with Sam's chest, pushed him into a nearby tree.
"So you want to play rough huh?" Green Ranger asked. "Green Ranger Battle Suit!"
Dressed in his powerful armour the Green Ranger charged his pile driver fists. The rhino charged again, but Green Ranger engaged the traction spikes on his boots and stood solid. Releasing the energy in his armoured fists he watched with satisfaction as the rhino's horn broke off.
"Dragon Blade!" His sword forged from the power of two Dragon Daggers appeared in his hands. "Hell Fire!" A green fireball engulfed the bounty hunter and reduced him to dust.
Black meanwhile was dealing with the clown. The monster had tried to spray him with acid from its deadly flower and chained to balloons of explosive gas.
"Rolling Thunder!" Zack called.
Dark clouds engulfed the clown as Zack struggled to free himself from the balloons. Tying them to the clown he fired his Blade Blaster and watched as the explosions rocked the clown.
"Power Axe!"
Using his personal weapon Black Ranger landed a few good shots to destroy the clown's weapons. He ducked as the clown threw one of its energy balls at him.
"Cosmic Cannon!"
Switching his weapon to a more powerful mode, he fired a single shot. The clown fell to the ground and disappeared.
"Ow!" Pink Ranger complained as she discovered how tough the cyborg's skin really was.
She had already tried a Thunderclap attack and succeeded in angering the robotic creature. She was quickly discovering that it could match her for speed and was resistant to her Blade Blaster.
"Pterodactyl Thunder Whip!" she called.
Using the weapon Billy had built for her during one of his inventive sessions, she dragged the cyborg's legs out from underneath. Throwing the handle of the whip over a nearby tree limb, she used her slight body weight to lift the monster into the air.
"Power Bow!"
Firing a single arrow, she managed to locate the cyborg's power source. The machine powered down as the arrow destroyed its energy banks.
"Enough!" Huntrax called, her rifle placed firmly against Aisha's skull. "Wormal, Tigra, return!"
The worm man and female warrior vanished from view just as Red and Yellow Rangers were about to finish them.
"I shall give you one chance Rangers," Huntrax said. "Defeat me in combat and she lives. Lose and you all feed my power."
"You're on!" Red Ranger told her.
"And you Rangers have already lost!" Throwing her head back Huntrax started to laugh as her powers were activated fully. The Rangers were in for a shock.
"Zordon, what was that all about?" Tommy asked as the Zeo Rangers powered down.
"We're not sure," Billy answered. "We thought it was a diversion, but we can't find any other attacks in Angel Grove."
"What about Charterville or Leewood?" Kat asked.
"Negative," Billy replied.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it's no use Zordon I can't fix it," Alpha said.
"Alpha Five, what are you trying to fix?" Zordon asked. He had hardly noticed the robot had been busy.
"The computer says there are five Rangers fighting in Kenya," Alpha said.
"Kenya!" Adam cried. "That's where Aisha is."
Despite the fact her relationship with Rocky and Adam was nowhere near as strong as it had been before the Zeo Quest, Aisha had reawakened feelings inside the Green and Blue Zeo Rangers. For Rocky it had been a return to old times with the terrific trio of Stone Canyon transferees resuming their friendship. For Adam it had been a mix of conflicting emotions. He was glad to see Aisha back, but felt confused about his relationship with Tanya. Sometimes he wondered whether he would have asked Tanya out if Aisha had been around.
As Adam and Billy moved to a console to try to discover what was happening in Kenya, the remaining Rangers arrived. Tommy and Zordon quickly filly Tanya and David in on what was happening.
"Got it!" Billy exclaimed at last.
"Uh oh, this doesn't look good," Adam added.
On the Viewing Screen the Rangers watched as Red, Green, Yellow, Black and Pink Morphin Rangers fought a losing battle against an armoured warrior.
"Who is that?" Rocky asked.
"I am not sure," Zordon replied. "However, I believe she may represent some new villain who has made Earth his or her target."
"Allow me to enlighten you, Zordon," the villain in question said as his image appeared on the Viewing Screen.
"You!" Zordon spat and for the first time Rangers believed they could hear hatred in Zordon's voice. "I see you have decided to allow your face to reflect the ugliness within."
"Now now Zordon, no need for the personal remarks. Is that anyway to greet an old comrade in arms? I'd have expected that from some, but never Zordon of Eltare."
"What do you want?" Zordon demanded. He could still remember back to the days of the Grid War when he had fought alongside two noble warriors. He remembered watching helpless as one had betrayed them, trying to play all sides against each other so he could walk in and take over. His plan had failed and he had become a pariah on both sides. Zordon had never forgiven him for turning his back on the light.
"As you can see Zordon I have changed as much as you," he replied after shifting into his demon form. "I am now the Emissary of the Dark One and I want you to surrender."
If he had been expecting a reply, it would have been an outraged lecture on how evil would never triumph and that he would pay for hurting his Rangers. Instead Zordon laughed. It was a rare noise that Alpha had missed since Zordon had been imprisoned in his time warp.
"Do you really believe the Rangers will surrender to you?" Zordon asked.
"Of course they will. The Yellow Zeo Ranger has already fallen and her five friends will not be far behind," he smiled.
"The Rangers have not yet failed," Zordon said quietly.
"Oh but they have," he said. "You just can't see it yet."
"Why don't you remove your block and allow us to see what is really happening?"
"You don't trust me Zordon, what a shame." His face faded to show the Rangers regrouping. "Of course, Aisha is not out of danger yet and the Rangers will soon fall. You would do well to surrender now."
As if reading Zordon's mind, Alpha cut the transmission. No doubt existed in the mind of either Zordon or Alpha that the Rangers would triumph. Even if he had to send in the Zeo Rangers to ensure they were victorious.
"Zordon, I'm picking up a strange energy signal from that woman," Billy said. "It's a combination of Morphin and Zeo energy."
"Alpha, identify that woman and transmit the data to my tube," Zordon ordered. There was a pause. "You are correct Billy, her transformation device has been configured to use the Morphin Grid and the Zeo Crystal as a power source."
"I thought it was impossible to merge the Zeo Crystal and Morphin powers," Tommy said. "The Gem Coins were the closest we came and they failed almost immediately."
"Not impossible," Alpha told him, "just difficult."
"Indeed," Zordon agreed. "Many attempts were made, but few have succeeded. Only nine such devices were ever completed. The first model was a simple morpher, capable of using the two power sources independently, allowing a Ranger to switch between powers. The second design allowed the user to merge the energy using a special template. However it could not draw on either source and required the wearer to charge it. The third design merged multiple power sources and could draw from them in the same way as your Power Morphers and Zeonisers, but only if they were connected to the powers. Otherwise the device functioned on a backup supply."
"And the next set?"
"Worked perfectly," Zordon stated. "Unfortunately all six units were stolen by the dark forces and never seen again. They were capable of drawing on any power source and mimicking the appearance of any Ranger once the device identified their power source."
"You mean she can morph with that thing?" Kat asked.
"Negative," Billy said after reviewing the schematics. "Based on Zordon's description, that device is probably the third model. The bracelet needs both a Morphin and Zeo cnnection to allow morphing, but with a backup supply, it will power the armour she is wearing."
"So who is she?" David asked.
"According to the computer she is Huntrax, a demonic bounty hunter who eats her quarry as a reward. She is the mistress of an order of minor demons trained to help her hunt down her prey."
"It looks like she's gaining the upper hand," Tanya said as Huntrax zapped Kimberly with an energy blast.
"Teleportation is jammed," Alpha said. "I can bring the Rangers here, but I cannot teleport anybody in."
"Bring them back," Tommy ordered.
Five columns of light appeared as Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Trini and Sam were teleported into the Power Chamber. Conspicuous by her absence was Aisha, still trapped in Kenya.
"Alpha, reconnect the Yellow Zeo Crystal," Zordon instructed.
"I can't, Zordon," Alpha replied. "Aisha is rejecting the Zeo Crystal!"
"Now where were we?" Huntrax asked after the Rangers had vanished. "Oh yes, Rockolem was about to destroy you."
"Hey!" Aisha protested. "I already beat that guy."
"Girl, you've got a lot to learn," Huntrax's shot back.
Pressing a few buttons on her power booster she fired a ray of green light at the fallen creature, which made it grow. She had hoped the Rockolem would be enough to finish the pesky little Yellow Zeo Ranger. It turned out she was wrong. If she had been allowed access to all her Bomb Balls she would have had more monsters to use. As it was, she only had one and four grenades.
Still, with the monster at full size she hoped Aisha would be weakened enough for her to attack directly.
"It's Morphin Time! Zeo Ranger II - Yellow!"
Calling on her power she knew there was little time left because of her separation from the Zeo Crystal.
"Super Zeo Zord II!" Aisha called, hoping the fact her communicator was jammed would not affect her Zord. She breathed a sigh of relief as the huge Zord came into view.
A plan started to form as the Zord answered her call. Super Zeo Zord II was smaller than the monster, but its ability to fly gave her an edge. Using her weapons she drew the monster towards the nearest source of water, thankful nobody used it anymore. When she had him where she wanted him she called for help. "Zeo Zord II, power up!"
Deep inside Power Mountain the Yellow Zeo Zord tried to answer Aisha's call. Normally one of the other Zords would drag it into action, but that was not possible at this time. Instead the Zord's computer diverted power from the Power Chamber into its own teleport system and after remote setting the controls answered the call.
Aisha smiled when the arsenal appeared behind the monster. She only had one real shot at this, so it had to work. Communications were still out, even using the powerful Zord communicator.
"Fire!" she commanded.
Energy blasts hit the monster repeatedly, causing it to superheat. Aisha checked the temperature waiting for it to hit the maximum and hoping her weapons would not drain first. When it hit the right temperature she flew around to join Zeo Zord II.
"Fire!" she said again.
This time a single blast fired from the Zeo Zord's cannon blowing the monster into the cold water. Just as a glass exposed to ice water immediately after holding boiling water cracks and shatters so the rock monster split apart almost immediately, the magic holding the creature together faded and it sank to the bottom.
Power Chamber
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Zordon Zeo Zord II and Super Zeo Zord II are gone and Aisha has morphed!"
"Quickly Alpha, locate Aisha and use her Zords to break through the teleportation block," Zordon replied.
He looked at the Zeo Crystal in the corner of the Power Chamber, noting the way it was glowing yellow with white tinges. He had noticed the same thing when Aisha had first morphed and had sensed a change in her since taking on the powers of Zeo. Although part of him dared not to hope it was true, he suspected that the reason would lead to the most powerful Zeo Ranger so far emerging in the near future.
"I have a visual link Zordon," Alpha reported. "Communications and teleport are unavailable though."
"There is no need," Zordon answered, watching as the Yellow Zords put the unknown monster down for the count.
"Zeo Ranger II - Power Down!"
As Aisha's uniform vanished, the Zords returned to their hiding place Aisha breathed a sigh of relief. The limited reserve power inside her Zeoniser was still holding out. She had felt Zordon's attempt to reconnect the Yellow Zeo Sub-crystal to her powers and had felt the pain as her body rejected the power.
*Look out! To your left!*
Aisha looked a moment too late as a figure in green leapt at her. Her ninja training took over and she rolled through depositing her opponent on his or her back. Quickly she got back to her feet looking for some way to escape her attacker.
"You won't get away from me that quickly Yellow Ranger," the green figure said. "I am Huntrax, master of my art."
Although her eyes were fixed on the blaster carbine trained on her chest, Aisha's mind was searching for the quickest escape or any alternative to combat. On the plus side Aisha could see Huntrax had powered down, but she was equally defenceless.
"Your Zeonisers, now!" Huntrax demanded.
Aisha quickly weighed up her chances of being able to morph and attack before Huntrax could fire. She decided there was no chance of doing so especially if she also wanted a chance to get away. Instead she decided to surrender the Zeonisers.
"Zeoniser discharge!" she called as Huntrax took the morpher from her. By discharging the morpher's power, Aisha had rendered the device useless. Since the only way to re-establish the link was to touch the Zeo Crystal, Huntrax could not use the Yellow Zeo power. In addition the bright yellow flash-blinded Huntrax long enough for Aisha to make a quick retreat.
"No!" Huntrax shouted. "You shall not escape me, Yellow Ranger."
Huntrax opened fire and Aisha stopped dead in her tracks. A sudden fear washed over her. If she ran back towards her village, she would endanger her parents and friends. That was something she could not allow.
"I'll have to play this another way," she said to herself.
Running into the undergrowth she looked for anywhere she could hide. The fact the other Rangers had not shown up meant she was in trouble. She intended to lay low and hope she could work out some type of trap. ~Of course if I wanted to not be seen I would have worn a darker colour,~ she thought. ~I need an advantage.~
Morphing had somehow disposed of the ninja costume Aisha had worn earlier. She was now back in her everyday clothes. She pushed her way deeper into the thick bushes all the time aware of Huntrax stalking not far behind and starting to catch up.
*Study your enemy.*
The words made sense almost as if the Power was talking to her. But the powers she had held had never offered strategic advice. The instructions had always been empathic and nowhere near as blatant. Still the advice was sound and Aisha found herself doing just that.
She could see her opponent moving toward her and noticed for the first time Huntrax's reliance on a device strapped to her wrist. As Aisha watched, Huntrax punched in the combination three-five-nine and floated into the air.
~I've got to get undercover quickly,~ Aisha thought, well aware that Huntrax would spot her from the air.
Lightning bolts crackled from Huntrax's gauntlets and struck the ground as Huntrax attempted to shock her out of hiding. Aisha crouched as low to the ground as she could, hoping there was a way to distract her opponent. She looked around and noticed the leaves of a nearby bush or more importantly the berries.
~These berries react with acid,~ she thought remembering the lessons Billy had given her and what the tribe had said. She had at one point wondered if the combination of acid rain and the berries were poisoning the animals, but she decided against it when she noted the berries were not poisonous. ~Still, that reaction could buy me some time.~
She removed her yellow top and gathering as many berries as possible she bundled them into it. Next she opened her water bottle and placed it inside her top. Before doing so she opened her lunch satchel and carefully removed the sour lemon she had bought along. The plan was simple: draw Huntrax over, make her shoot at the small package Aisha had prepared and hope that the water in her top combined, with the lemon, would make an acidic reaction.
Standing up she looked for Huntrax, ducking again as a blaster bolt grace her left leg. Playing on the injury, she cried out, hoping Huntrax would come to investigate. Huntrax did and as soon as she was within range, Aisha threw her top. Huntrax fired and paid the price. As the top disintegrated a fiery red mist exploded into her face, burning the exposed skin and blinding her scanners.
Aisha saw her chance not only to escape but maybe to remove Huntrax's advantage. Pushing her to the ground, Aisha struggled and eventually succeeded in ripping the bracelet off Huntrax's arm. Huntrax responded by opening fire again. Aisha held on for dear life as the energy blast destroyed the bracelet and revealed a perfectly formed blank Power Coin.
Aisha instinctively grabbed the coin and felt its power. As the bounty hunter fired again, a ripple of energy blocked the blast and reflected it back at Huntrax.
*Welcome Aisha Campbell to your new powers. It's about time!*
Certain that it was the Power guiding her actions, Aisha summoned Zeonisers. She removed them and sent them back to the Power Chamber. She was somehow certain that everything was going to be all right. From deep inside Aisha felt an awareness she had only experienced as the Yellow Ninja Ranger. But this was different. The Yellow Bear appeared in her mind eye only to wave and walk away.
"Huntrax, return!" he ordered. "I did not hire you to fail."
As the still burning Huntrax reappeared, he studied the other balls he had taken from her. He found three labelled as monsters and sent them all to Kenya.
"Let's see how she deals with these."
"Welcome child," an old woman said as Aisha opened her eyes. "I am the representation of the Power you serve and right now you have a choice. You can either return to the battle as Aisha, the powerless Yellow Zeo Ranger or you may take the next step in the evolution of your powers."
"I choose to save my world," Aisha said.
"Then it is time for you to advance. You are the carrier of your team Aisha. You are protective of those you care for and always there should they need you. You are the Brachiosaurus, the Turtle, the Giraffe and the Brown Ranger. You are the Brown Morphin Ranger!"
Aisha felt the Power enter her body. In her mind she could see the other spirit animals kneeling before her as she summoned her strength and morphed.
"Brown Ranger Power!"
Aisha found herself morphed into a combination of the armoured Morphin and Zeo uniforms. The basic design was based on the original Ranger uniforms with the gold threads from the Zeo uniform inserted around the neck. On the chest was a Power Ball depicting her Morphin powers. Her helmet was plain with the face of the Brachiosaur mounted on top. Despite the appearance though, she was a Morphin Ranger. Her Brown Armour had a Blade Blaster attached to the right hip. On her back was a brown pole.
Snapping back into reality, she found herself staring at the faded image of Huntrax. Behind the bounty hunter she noticed the three figures moving towards her. A quick scan showed their true form and identified them. The first was known as a Dreadnought. Normally they were used as defence, but this one had been reprogrammed. Aisha noted its primary weapons were the shoulder mounted cannons. The second registered as a Firemonger. Highly combustible, fire mongers could level a city with no problem. They had absolute control of fire. The third was a creeper. Made from the pods available on other planets, Huntrax had created intelligent organic warriors. Aisha had no doubts that weed killer would be of little use.
~Well I guess I'm going to test these new powers early,~ she thought.
"Zordon, what is that?" Kat asked as she saw the new armour Aisha was wearing.
"Aisha has transformed into the Brown Morphin Ranger," Alpha said.
"She's the Ninth Ranger?" Tanya asked in amazement.
"According to the computer, yes," Alpha said.
The ninth colour of the Morphin Grid was a legend even the eldest Morphin Masters were unsure about. Existing only where a team of Rangers was able to access all the levels of the Grid, this was the first time it had been seen. The Brown Ranger wasn't stronger than the others, but since so little was known about its abilities no one was sure exactly what it could do.
"Can she beat those things on her own?" Tommy asked.
"No," Zordon replied. "Even with her new powers she is outnumbered. Your greatest strength is still teamwork. On her own Aisha is vulnerable."
"So we need a way to get through that teleport jam," Trey said.
"Or we could fly over it," Rocky stated.
The comment made a lot of sense to all the Rangers. The jamming affected both communications and teleportation, but they doubted it would affect the Super Zeo Zords.
"Alpha, prepare the Super Zeo Zords for flight."
"Yes Zordon, Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi."
"It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger I - Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger III - Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV - Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V - Red!"
"Zeo Ranger X - Gold!"
Aisha felt the increased power flowing through her body as she prepared to fight the three monsters. It was something she had missed as the Yellow Zeo Ranger. She had never felt the same connection to her powers that she possessed during her time as Yellow Ninja. Now that she had been connected to her true spirit animals she was at full strength. As she felt the power, it quickly became apparent that no single Aspect had total control of her powers. All four levels guided her: Dino, Thunder, Ninja, Ranger and Ranger. Although her version of each attack was weaker, she had access to the Battle Armour, Energy attacks, Ninja Ranger powers and Spectral powers.
"Bring it on!" she said confidently to the three monsters moving towards her.
"Aisha Campbell, you are ordered to surrender. You have ten seconds to comply," Dreadnought said, its powerful cannons moving into position. "One, two, three, four, five..."
Concentrating on her powers, Aisha summoned her Power Weapon. As the image formed in her mind of the weapon she wanted, the pole detached from her back.
"Power Sticks!"
A weapon similar to a policeman's nightstick appeared in each hand. Testing the grip Aisha started swinging the two sticks in her hands, forming circles that clearly marked her defensive zone.
"Six, seven, eight..."
Sliding the weapon around so she was holding the weapon like a throwing star she waited.
"Nine..."
Aisha released the club in her right hand and watched it spin end over end towards Dreadnought. The robot watched the stick approach and disregarded any threat it posed as minimal.
"Ten, I am now au..."
The stick struck Dreadnought in the head. Brown Ranger was already airborne, the other stick now being held like a club following a wide arc towards the machine's head.
"Full power!"
The energized club connected, driving Dreadnought to the ground. Retrieving the other Power Stick, she brought both weapons together before moving one to a position above her head and the over out to her left side in a deactivation pose. Turning away from Dreadnought she listened as it exploded in the background.
He watched as the people in Aisha's village ran for cover as Firemonger started its rampage. When the last human had left, he made his way to the building in which Doctor Campbell had stored his findings. Searching through he found the broken orb the Campbells had recovered without realizing it and the sample of the tracking agent Doctor Campbell had been studying.
"Mission complete," he laughed to himself as he left.
It had long been said that he was the greatest con artist in the known universe. His ability to distract his opponents with false targets was legendary. True he could have just entered the village and stolen what he wanted, but the idea of making Aisha the focus for the Rangers shielded his true intentions.
~Besides, if those monsters kill Aisha, I won't need these items,~ he thought.
The appearance of a new Ranger was unexpected, but he knew he would still triumph. Eventually even the Rangers' luck would run out and when it did, he would be there to stand victorious over their corpses.
"What are you doing in here?" a voice demanded.
"Ah, the mysterious Joe Armstrong I presume," he said as he held out his staff.
An in depth study of Aisha had revealed that Joe had trained with her since the age of twelve. He was now eighteen, muscular with short blonde hair. He had been discovered on a Pacific Island aged eleven and had been taken to Kenya by one of Doctor Campbell's associates. Joe's adopted family had been teachers and Joe had followed their example by helping to run the school. Then for no reason, the teacher had left Joe behind and run away with a tribes-woman. Joe had never seen him again.
He had done some research and discovered that the boy had received training in Ninjitsu during his first eleven years. His adopted father had left because he could no longer stand Kenya. Being given the choice between staying with his adopted son or leaving for a new life the man had abandoned Joe and taken the next flight.
"You shouldn't be in here," Joe said.
"And you're supposed to be away," he responded.
"My trip was only for a few days," Joe said truthfully.
"A shame," he answered. "Still, I have an offer for you, Mr Armstrong, if you would accompany me,"
"I don't know you," Joe answered. "I don't trust you, so I'm not going with you."
Raising his hand, he threw down a gas grenade and watched with satisfaction as Joe dropped to the ground.
"Always something new to learn Joe," he gloated. "But I won't harm you, yet!"
If Aisha had been confident before, then she felt even more confident as the other Rangers appeared. Splitting off into two teams they soon had the monsters on the run. Trey, Kat and Tommy dealt with the Firemonger, while Adam, Aisha and Rocky care of Creeper.
Red, Pink and Gold Zeo quickly found themselves under fire from the Firemonger. Everything around them was burning as Firemonger aimed another shot at them.
"Zeo I Power Shield!" Pink Zeo called.
As the fire struck the small pink disk in her hand, a bubble of pink energy extended around the three Rangers. Holding the shield out towards the Firemonger she started to spin through the air, striking the monster with the edge of her shield. Firemonger moved before she could inflict further harm and Kat teleported back to her friends.
Red Zeo then used a combination of Zeo Pistol and Zeo V Power Sword to knock the burning monster down. He ducked out of the way as Gold Zeo used his Power Staff as a club. Firemonger retaliated by summoning a typhoon of fire to drag the two Rangers off their feet. Red and Gold Ranger quickly found themselves deposited on the butts.
"We need a fire break," Red Zeo commented.
"Or a box effect," Gold Zeo replied. Quickly he explained his plan and Red Zeo agreed it was a good one.
"Gold Ranger Triple Team!" Gold Zeo called.
Once separated into his three parts the Gold Rangers formed a triangle around Firemonger. Ensuring Tommy was in position they made their next move.
"Time for a Gold Rush!"
Three simultaneous blasts of golden energy struck Firemonger from different directions, engulfing him in golden light. Now it was Red Zeo's turn. Jumping from his hiding place he summoned the power of his Zeo Crystal and used it to create a star shape energy barrier across the top of the triangle of golden energy.
Now trapped inside a wall of burning energy on all sides, Firemonger had nothing to ignite and could not see what the Rangers were doing.
"Gold Rush, Power Down!"
"Try some of your own medicine!" Pink Zeo told the monster. "Pink Zeo Fire Cloud!"
The burst of superheated clouds engulfed the monster, burning his eyes so he could not see.
"Now!" Red Zeo commanded as he struggled against a twinge of pain in his chest.
As the golden energy vanished, Heart fire left, Wisdom fired right and Courage hit their opponent dead centre. Red Zeo then dropped from on high, cleaving the monster in half with his sword. ~Two down, and one to go.~
Green and Blue Zeo had the hardest job. Creeper lived up to his name, able to creep up behind the two Rangers and knock them about. His vine like arms were able to keep the Rangers at bay and had succeeded in removing their Zeo Pistols leaving them with the only their Zeo Swords and Zeo Power Weapons.
"Zeo Power Hatchets!" Green Zeo called.
"Zeo Power Arm Blades!" Blue Ranger called.
Green Ranger used her hatchets and began hacking the vines away from her. At the same time Blue Zeo used his Zeo Power Arm Blades to beat the vines away.
"Zeo Power Spin!"
Holding his arms wide Rocky started to spin like a top, breaking through the vines and finally striking the monster. Bringing both arms down onto the head, he forced the monster to release his green teammate.
"Zeo IV Power Punch!"
Green Zeo drove his fist into Creeper's head causing further damage. Now it was time to finish the job.
"Ready when you are Aisha," Blue Zeo said.
"On my way," Brown Ranger replied.
Green and Blue Zeo crossed their hands to form a trampoline, which Brown Ranger then used to launch herself high over the monster. She summoned her Power Sticks again, this time in staff mode. As she neared the monster, she tapped it gently before landing.
"What was that supposed to do?" Creeper asked in amazement as he turned to where Brown Ranger was standing.
"Get your attention," Aisha replied.
"What!" Creeper exclaimed as he turned back towards Green and Blue Zeo. The two Rangers had summoned the Zeo cannon and fired as it was talking.
"Just like old times," Blue Zeo commented as the three exchange high fives.
From a remote location he watched the defeat of the three monsters.
"Not so fast Rangers!" he called angrily.
Using the controls he revived the fallen monsters and increased their size.
"We need Super Zeo Zord Power, now!"
"Zeo Megazord Power!"
"Red Battlezord!"
Warrior Wheel!"
"Super Zeo Zord X - online!"
Knowing they had to split their forces to control five Zords, Red Zeo took control of the Red Battlezord, Blue Zeo took control of the Warrior Wheel and Pink Zeo controlled the Super Zeo Megazord. Green Zeo commanded the Zeo Megazord and Gold Ranger made himself at home at the controls of Super Zeo Zord X.
Faced with almost two-on-one odds, the three monsters fought back ferociously, knowing they could not afford to let the Rangers control the momentum. As Firemonger attacked with his flame attacks, Creeper sank his vines into the ground and entangled the Zords. As the vines threatened to strangle the Megazords, Aisha decided to act.
"I call on the power of the Brown Shogun Zord!" Brown Ranger called.
The newly formed Zord ran towards its new owner. As it approached, Aisha teleported aboard. Zord sized versions of her Power Sticks appeared in the Zord's metallic hands.
"Pyramidas, full power!" Trey called.
Lightning fired from the pyramid, striking the ground and destroying the vines. Another burst of energy struck Dreadnought and Firemonger, scattering the two monsters.
"Zeo Zords, reactivate!" Brown Ranger ordered.
A ray of brown energy flowed from the Shogun Zord and struck the five Zords, restoring their power to full. The Super Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel fought back against Dreadnought. As the Wheel Warrior started its finishing move, Dreadnought realised it was finished. Firemonger fared as badly against the Zeo Megazord, Red Battlezord and Super Zeo Zord X. As the Super Zeo Zord whacked the monster, Tommy and Adam combined their Zords to form the Zeo MegaBattlezord.
With both Firemonger and Dreadnought gone the Rangers turned their attention to Creeper.
"Super Zeo Ultrazord!" Red Zeo called.
The Super Zeo Megazord, Red Battlezord and Pyramidas joined together and blasted the monsters into oblivion, leaving the Rangers to stand victorious.
Sometime later in the Power Chamber, after the others had left, Aisha had a chance to talk to Zordon about what had happened. The responsibility of holding the combined power was a burden she was willing to should, but she wondered whether she was capable of fulfilling the role.
"Maybe I should give the powers to Tommy or Jason," she said.
"Aisha, you have been granted the power of the Brown Morphin Ranger for a reason," Zordon said. He sighed before continuing, "The powers you have been given are also known as the Carrier Ranger powers. They are the only powers capable of growing with time. As the Carrier Ranger you are able to help a team of Rangers by directing the Carrier Zords in battle. You are also the representative of both the Morphin and Zeo disciplines. Although you no longer hold the Zeo powers, you are the liaison between each team, able to take charge in times of need or to follow the orders of others when necessary."
"But why me Zordon?" Aisha asked.
"Because of all the Rangers the Yellow Ranger is best known for carrying her teammates and protecting them in battle. Trini has only ever held the Morphin powers and Tanya has only held the power of Yellow Zeo. You have held both sets of power and were therefore the perfect choice."
"I hope you're right Zordon," Aisha said.
"Trust me Aisha," Zordon said. "Things will work out."
"If you need to be sure Aisha, look at your morpher," Alpha urged.
Her morpher? Aisha had used the blank Power Coin to transform, but it hadn't occurred to her that the coin would be part of a morphing device. She summoned it and was surprised by its appearance. She had expected something that resembled a Zeoniser, or a Power Morpher, or even a combination of the two. What she had summoned was a very different device containing a vast variety of slots and buttons. It closely resembled the brace that Huntrax had worn.
"As you can see Aisha, the Power has altered Huntrax's brace, returning it to its true function as the morpher of the Carrier Ranger. The Carrier Ranger powers are not limited to the Zeo and Morphin powers," Zordon rumbled. "The Carrier Ranger was expected to act as support to all types of Ranger team and as the variation of powers increased, so the Carrier Ranger powers were adapted."
"Your new morpher can be updated to work with any number of Ranger powers," Alpha added, "even those that haven't been developed yet. All you need is to allow your morpher to build a new template based on a sample of their power."
"As you learn about your powers, you will discover how to switch modes when needed," Zordon promised.
"In that case I want to return to active duty," Aisha said.
"Of course," Zordon replied. "It will be an honour to have you back. Welcome Aisha Campbell, the Brown Ranger."
He was not happy. He had summoned Huntrax to help him eliminate Aisha, not give her new powers. Still, all was not lost. After all, he still had Huntrax and with a few modifications she would become a deadly weapon and succeed. The Power Rangers would still fall.
"It's only a matter of time," he said.
Altering the controls, he prepared for his revenge. He watched as the bodies of Huntrax, the Worm man and Tigra spasmed. He continued the adjustments, allowing their demonic souls to become even more dominant. Next to them was the body he had collected early and using the machine Prince Gasket had once built he downloaded new fighting techniques into the bounty hunters' minds.
As a final preparation he loaded the tracking enzyme he had created into the glass orb he had stolen. The orb was capable of finding a target and that was just what he had in mind. Aisha might have survived, but his next target would not be so lucky.
~Huntrax will repay her debt to me even if it kills her!~
An airport in Kenya
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Doctor Campbell asked his daughter.
"I'm sure dad," Aisha answered. "I need to go to Angel Grove."
"Well, good luck Aisha," her mother said. "I think it's wonderful that your friends are willing to offer you a place to stay. Especially when you've only spoken to them a few times by phone."
After an emotional goodbye, Aisha boarded the plane and settled in for the long journey ahead. She didn't mind flying, although she would have preferred teleporting. Still as the plane took off only one thought burnt its way into her mind, ~I'm going home!~
End of Part
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