Vocabulary Terms:
* Okayee...This is a new feature, huh? ^_^ Actually, this'll only appear in this fanfic because it's NEEDED...meaning if you don't read this, you are gonna be as lost as Little Bo Peep's sheep when you start reading the fic! ;) Anyways, here's the terming:
Any Zeo Ranger: Zeo (insert name here)
Any Element Ranger: Element (insert name here)
Any Astro Ranger: Astro (insert name here)
Any Morphin Ranger: Morphin (insert name here)
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, here comes the weird part. This terming only comes into effect if a ranger has a double in the universe they've landed in. So if there happens to be two Tommys, one a Zeo Ranger and one a Morphin' Ranger, they'd be called Zeo Tommy and Morphin' Tommy, got it? *_* If someone DOESN'T have a double in the universe, like Shannon, she'll be just called Shannon - no additions. Sometimes, and this only happens once in the story, a ranger has the same exact powers as it's double, so this terming is not able to be used. Instead, I might term them by what they're wearing. Like if there were two Astro Zhanes and one was morphed and the other was in civilian clothing, they'd be morphed Zhane and civilian Zhane. I know, I know, this is confusing, but it's necessary as I said at the top. :)
Anyway, sorry for taking your time. Please continue to read on if you wish...
Universal Frequency 8208585
December 20th, 1998
6:45 PM
"How can you see the lights? You've had them up on the house for two weeks and you haven't fixed them yet?" Shannon Oliver squinted her eyes closely together, trying hard to see the Christmas lights that were supposedly decorating her house.
"What do you mean?" her husband, Tommy Oliver, questioned, pulling the brunette closer to him for warmth.
"I'm with Shannon. They're a little too dim, Tommy." Tanya Sloan agreed with her friend.
"I saw Santa Claus!" Rocky DeSantos teased, looking up towards the dark sky filled with nothing but stars.
"I think they're fine, Bro," Jason Lee Scott sided with Tommy, but suddenly added, "They just need some tweaking."
"Don't you DARE try to tweak those lights, Jason!" Kimberly Ann Hart yelled loudly at her boyfriend.
"Yeah! He'll blow them to Kingdom Come!" Trini Kwan laughed heartily at her friend.
"Where's Santa Claus?" Caroline Oliver tilted her head up towards the sky, clutching her stuffed unicorn under her arm while holding onto Cassie Chan's hand with her other hand. "I can't see him!"
"Rocky was just joking, Caroline," Cassie explained, kneeling down to the little girl's height. "Santa isn't here yet."
"Okay!" she giggled happily, running over to her father who was in a fun argument with Shannon over the Christmas lights.
"Santa?" a voice asked, as Cassie watched Caroline run away.
The Grid Guardian turned to her left to see Zhane casting a confused glance her way. "Santa Claus," she repeated for him, looping her arm through his playfully. "He's a mythical being that children believe brings their presents to them on Christmas morning while they are sleeping; bad children will get coal from him and good children will get toys."
The Silver Ranger nodded his head. "Now, I understand," he acknowledged. "This holiday has a lot of mythical beliefs, does it not? Santa Claus, elves, deer that can fly..."
"Reindeer," Cassie corrected.
"Whatever," Zhane dismissed, removing his arm from his girlfriend's and placing it lovingly against her shoulders. "It is very confusing at times."
The Asian girl looked up into the blonde's green eyes. "It's easy to remember, I think. Its real purpose is to be fun for the kids. I still have fun believing that Santa rides his reindeer and slides down chimneys, giving out presents. It's the sprit really. Santa embodies happiness for humans basically."
"He sounds like real fun," he smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "I bet you are a lot more fun though."
"Ha, ha," she mocked laughed. "Flattery will get you nowhere."
As they stared into each other's eyes for an instant, Katherine Hillard {Kat} suddenly wandered up to them, breaking the moment. "Did she tell you about the mistletoe yet, Zhane?" the Australian teenager queried, a twinkle in her blue eyes.
The Silver Astro Ranger wore a perplexed appearance on his face as he turned towards the Pink Zeo Ranger. "Mistletoe? What's that?"
Kat raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Cassie? This is your cue..."
"Since when did YOU become a match-maker?" the Grid Guardian called out merrily as the girl made a discreet exited towards her own boyfriend.
Returning her attention to Zhane, Cassie began, "The mistletoe is a green plant. When a couple stands underneath it, they HAVE to kiss. It's practically law!" the Asian teenager blushed crimson.
Zhane chuckled at his girlfriend's slight embarrassment. "Someday WE will have to stand under the mistletoe," he whispered into her ear sensually, causing the Green Ranger to blush even more.
Walking back to the other Rangers, the two began to hear drifts of the "heated" argument going on between Tommy and Shannon.
"I still can't see them Tommy!" Shannon cried, indicating to the lights as they stood across the street from their home. "They are WAY too dim," the auburn beauty told her husband.
"They're just fine!" the Red Zeo Ranger protested, carrying a gurgling six-month Makala Oliver in his arms. "Jason will agree with me on this one! Right, Bro?"
"Right," the Flame Ranger acknowledged, totally ignoring the Zeo Guardian's abrasive movements to get him not to agree with Tommy.
Shooting a fake scowl Jason's way, Shannon moved closer her lover while touching her baby girl's cheek ever so softly. "Jason's your best friend, Oliver! He's practically BUILT to agree with everything you say!" she laughed, sweetly planting a kiss onto the man's face. "Now, who are you gonna listen to: your best friend or the woman you go to bed with every night?"
"Wanna go for a walk?" Zhane whispered to Cassie, just as challenging moans arose from many of the Zeo and Element Rangers' throats, who all had came back to Angel Grove from college for Winter Break.
"Yeah; I'd like that." Cassie smiled at her Cindarien boyfriend, and took his hand. "We might as well jump ship while we can..."
6:51 PM
"Divatox," the Phantom Ranger strode onto the main bridge of the Subcraft, "Astronema is arriving in orbit, requesting your presence."
Divatox, Evil Harlot Of Eltare, suddenly jumped up from a black table she was sitting on doing the only thing she could do without Scorpio's permission: count her gold coins. "WHAT!" the purple-haired villainess cried, bewildered. "Who could it be? I haven't had a dang visitor in ages that Mother has allowed me to see. Maybe it's..."
"You stupid whore!" the Phantom yelled at her, stopping her rambling. "I said ASTRONEMA is here to see you! By the gods, are you going deaf as well as crazy!"
The doors to the Subcraft suddenly opened, revealing an attractive young woman - at least by evil standards. Her tight bodysuit armor hugged her body like a child would hug a toy teddy bear and her vinyl black high-heeled boots complimented the ensemble. Held in her right hand was a staff about five feet tall. Her ice blue eyes stared at Divatox, while her purple hair bounced off her shoulders casually; the hanging bobbles from her metallic headband making an ever so soft sound against her hair. "Mother," the woman spoke in a plain voice, nodding in the direction of Divatox.
"Astronema!" the Space Pirate exclaimed, producing large motions with her arms. "Oh, my darling! I haven't seen you in SUCH a long time!"
"You are being over-dramatic Mother," the purple-haired beauty gave a soft, but evil smile. "How is Grandmother doing? When I last spoke with Aunt Auora she said she last heard you and Great Uncle Ivan had been imprisoned for disobeying her direct commands."
Divatox sighed, taking notice that the Phantom Ranger was still in the room. *I've gotta watch what I say around that idiot. Any freaking bad report he has on me, could get me committed!* "She's doing wonderful," she praised her parent that she distinctly hated. "She has yet to succeed at defeating the rangers though. Perhaps with your help, my Astronema, and with your power to manipulate the universes and dimensions of the cosmos, together you can finally defeat those petty Power Rangers."
Astronema nodded her head in mute agreement. "I agree with you perfectly, Mother."
"Yes." Divatox cocked her head and smiled politely; for the sake of the Phantom Ranger. "Anyway dear, tell me why you are here."
"After the Earth Rangers so-called visit to KO-35," Astronema began in a cool voice, glancing the Phantom's way quickly, "and the trouble that ensued afterwards, Aunt Auora came to me and suggested I join up with the family reunion. I would have come earlier, but I was needed to rile up some overdue trouble for the Astro Rangers."
"Yes, that is nice," the harlot's attention began to wander as she eyed a small unusual coin purse hanging from her daughter's waist. "What is that lovely item hanging on your belt, Astronema?"
"Oh, this," she took the item off her belt and held it up for her mother to see, "Just some trinkets I picked up from Debian Four; I am waiting for a rainy day before I use them, though."
Greedily, Divatox tried reaching out to touch the pouch. "May I see, my dear Astronema?"
"Unfortunately, no," Astronema began to reattach the purse to her belt. "I do not want anyone knowing what is in this pouch."
"Alright," the older villainess agreed. "Oh! I have a wonderful idea! Why don't you use your gift to get rid of the rangers!"
Astronema smiled conceitedly. "Ahhhh, yes. My gift. That does sound like the perfect idea."
Divatox clapped her black gloves together. "I believe right now on Earth those ranger rejects are celebrating this...holiday of sorts. It's full of love and all of those other repulsive emotions."
Astronema pretended to have an over-dramatic seizure. "Love and emotions! All those feelings make me sick to my stomach. I COULD whisk them away from their homes and families and leave them in longing..."
Her mother gave a cry of happiness. "Yes! With no one left, Mother could take over the Universe!" *If that Phantom wasn't right there, I'd say something MUCH more different...*
Astronema bowed her head ever so slightly. "Then I will be on my way to meet the rangers," the young villain turned on her heel and walked over to the Phantom Ranger. "Phantom, may I ask you to be the one to introduce me to the Rangers of Earth?" she requested in a seductive voice.
He nodded his head. "Very well," he agreed, opening the door to the leave the main bridge of the Subcraft.
Watching the two exit the room, Divatox stuck her finger down her throat. "Uck! That child has some strange tastes in men, to say the least!"
7:14 PM
About a half-hour later, after walking around the neighborhood, the twelve Power Rangers and three children headed back towards the Oliver home to go warm up with some hot chocolate. "That was fun," Rocky commented, cuddling closely with his five-month pregnant girlfriend.
"Yeah," Aisha Campbell agreed, holding hands with Zack Taylor. "I absolutely loved that house with the huge Santa sleigh on the front lawn!"
"I know," the Flame Ranger piped up quickly. "That was pretty cool."
"I saw Rudolph!" Caroline squealed for the twentieth time as she sat on top of Billy Cranston's shoulders.
"Uh-huh," Shannon replied her daughter's remark, then whispered to the teenagers, "I think we're gonna have to sedate Caroline before she goes to sleep tonight; seeing Rudolph has got her all riled up!"
As chorus of laughter went around the large group, a sudden cold draft passed. "Ooo," Kimberly shivered involuntarily, pulling her coat around her tightly. "What was that?"
"It was just me," an icy male voice responded.
Turning to their left, the rangers all spotted him at once. "Phantom Ranger," Billy growled at the black figured man.
"You remembered," he gasped, moving his hand to his ruby. "Is had been a long time since we have last met."
"Enough chit-chat," Astronema silenced the Phantom with a wave of her hand. "Do your job or I shall send you somewhere along with them."
"And who are you?" Trini called out stiffly.
"You do not know me?" the villainess questioned, making smooth and large hand gestures.
Tommy arched his eyebrow at her. "Why? Should we know you?"
"Of course," she conceitedly answered. "Throughout the ages, there has been only one who has wielded the power to control the different dimensions and universes that litter the cosmos. That one is me, Divatox's daughter, Astronema..."
"Oh," Shannon nodded her head, now realizing who Astronema was after her long spiel. "You're that spoiled little brat that likes to use KO-35 as a playground, right?"
A staff materialized in the purple-haired woman's hand and she aimed the tip of it at the Zeo Guardian menacingly. "I would watch your tongue, Artemis," the Phantom warned her as Astronema literally seethed anger for a moment. "Astronema is known for her cool head, but she will attack when she is provoked."
A bemused smile lit the Sound Ranger's features. "You call an petty insult something to be provoked by, Phantom? My, you DO have a limited imagination."
The evil ranger rolled his eyes under his helmet and looked to the woman next to him. "Care to do the honors, Astronema?"
She gave him a curt dip of her head. "I would," she faced the twelve rangers and gave them a cruel, cold smile. "QUANTRONS...ATTACK!"
Out of nowhere and without very much warning, dozens of metallic-looking humanoids appeared from various colored lights and surrounded the rangers. "Shannon! Billy!" Tommy called out to the other two rangers. "Teleport to my parents' house! They can watch the kids for a few minutes!"
"Right!" they shouted back, disappearing from the sight of the fight with the Red Ranger.
Once those three were gone, Jason turned to face Katherine. "You think you're up for this, Kat?" he asked the blonde.
She gave him half of a smirk. "I think I can hold my own."
The Element Ranger returned the grin. "It's morphin' time!"
"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!" Katherine shouted.
"Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!" Tanya shouted.
"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!" Rocky shouted.
"Zeo Ranger IV, Green!" Adam shouted.
"Element Ranger, Flame!" Jason shouted.
"Element Ranger, Wave!" Aisha shouted.
"Element Ranger, Wind!" Trini shouted.
"Element Ranger, Nature!" Zack shouted.
"Element Ranger, Sound!" Kimberly shouted.
After they finished, Astronema chuckled. "Bravo Power Rangers, bravo," she sighed, "You have shown me that you can change into different clothing, but show me that you can actually fight."
"You really want us to fight your chrome-dome lackeys?" Zack inquired, quite confused at Astronema's motives.
"Not REALLY..." she trailed off, smiling hideously. "I was just hoping that you would do exactly what you have done."
"And what would that be?" the Blue Zeo Ranger folded his arms over his chest.
The villainess raised both her eyebrows and spun her staff around in her hands one time. "Divide," she simply answered, jerking the tip of the staff in the five Elements' direction. Purple bolts of energy hit the ground below them and immediately caused a purplish vortex to open underneath the group.
They didn't have a chance; the Element Rangers fell right into the portal and disappeared.
"What did you do to them?!?!" Adam cried, running over the swirling mass in the ground as it closed up.
"Oh, I just sent them on a trip," the daughter of Divatox paused, "I mean, you rangers work SO hard, you deserve one of those things."
"And what if we don't want to take a trip?" Tanya snapped crudely.
"You do not have a choice," Astronema hissed, aiming her staff once again and blasting the ground below the Zeo Rangers' feet with her purple lighting.
"You won't get away..." Katherine's voice faded away as the other three rangers and her plummeted into the unknown.
Wandering up to the side of the swirling vortex, the Phantom Ranger bent over it and took a momentary glance inside. "Do you think they survived, Astronema?"
She simply brushed her hair with her hand and shrugged. "Personally, I do not care," she stared into the purple pit of nothingness and then turned away, "Now, where are those other rangers?"
7:17 PM
The beautiful December night was slowly beginning to glitter as the many stars appeared in the sky. "It is gorgeous out here," Zhane commented, wrapping an arm around Cassie.
"It is," the Green Ranger agreed, smiling.
The blond touched Cassie's cheek with his hand. "Just like you," he murmured softly.
The Asian blushed. The Grid Guardian was glad for the darkness.
Out of nowhere, a figure in black and silver and her companion suddenly appeared, causing both rangers to stop in their tracks. "Sorry to ruin your...romantic evening," the woman snickered lightly, "but I am sure you will like it just as much when you enter the OTHER universe."
"Astronema!" Zhane shouted, falling into a defensive posture.
"I am glad you remember me; last time I saw you, you were Scorpina's slave. You change girls just as often as I change hairstyles."
"He doesn't work for evil anymore, Bitch!" Cassie retorted, standing alongside her boyfriend. "He's the Silver Astro Ranger!"
"And I am an innocent child," Astronema mocked, rolling her cold blue eyes. "I could care less if he was Darkonda in disguise; which means you are in a lot of trouble."
Aiming her silver staff, she fired viciously at the couple.
"DUCK!" the Cindarien man yelled, pushing Cassie aside to the ground. The Silver Astro Ranger was still standing in his original spot when the portal opened underneath him though and it swallowed him whole, vanishing completely from sight.
"ZHANE!" the Asian girl cried out, running towards the spot where he had been.
"Do not worry. You are going where your boyfriend is," was the last thing the Grid Guardian heard before she felt herself falling into oblivion.
7:20 PM
"Thanks so much, Mom," Tommy acknowledged deeply, walking into the living room with Shannon and Billy.
Coreen Oliver patted her son on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it," she replied happily. "Now, don't you three have somewhere to be?"
Billy grinned, nodding his head. "Yup. We'd better get going."
Just as the three Power Rangers were about to teleport, an icy voice stopped them. "I would not leave JUST yet," it spoke.
Glancing towards the front door of the house, which was wide open, Shannon, Billy, and Tommy saw Astronema standing directly in the doorway. "CRAP!" Shannon yelled loudly, earning her a look from her husband's mother. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"We were actually looking for you three," the Phantom Ranger piped up behind the villainess.
His eyes darting back and forth for a plan, one finally fell upon Tommy and he moved into action. "Mom, get out of here!" he motioned his mother to go upstairs.
"Of course!" she agreed quickly, striding up the steps.
"Oh," Astronema sighed with feigned sweetness, "Are you not the sweet one, Syryn; watching out for you mother."
The brunette man's jaw dropped. "How do you..."
"...your name?" she filled in the rest of the question, while chuckling. "Everyone in the universe knows who you and Artemis are, Syryn. Children of all races are taught of your plights against my family line from a VERY young age."
"I don't care," Shannon moaned nastily and rolled her eyes. "Just leave us alone and get the hell out of here!"
Astronema cocked her head, a wicked smirk coating her black lips. "Alright," she shrugged. "I will leave you alone...after I do this!"
Speedily, her staff rose in her hand and a shot of purple energy was aimed directly at the three Power Rangers' feet. "What the..." Billy trailed off as he fell into the purple portal, Tommy and Shannon also following him.
As the hole closed up in the ground, the villainess held the tip of her diamond staff and blew on it smartly. "Oh, I am SO good," she laughed evilly.
7:24 PM
"Iyaiyaiyaiyai!" Alpha Five cried in surprise. "Zordon, all of the Rangers except for the Turbo Rangers, have disappeared off of the sensors!"
"Where are the Turbo Rangers?" Zordon asked, his voice filled with worry.
"They are still in the training room below," Alpha reported, frantically fiddling with the controls before him.
Zordon was silent for a moment as he took the time to think about the situation. "Alpha, scan for any new space crafts near the Subcraft," he told the little robot, hoping for the best.
Unfortunately, he was met with grim news. "It appears that Astronema's Dark Fortress is now in orbit of Earth!" he remarked, his voice high. "Astronema must have attacked the Rangers without us knowing!"
"Yes," the ancient Eltarien agreed with his friend. "Astronema is the only one of the Dark Specter's family line that has that ability."
Just as the two were about to run some more tests before calling the Turbo Rangers, Alpha began to receive a transmission. "Zordon, the Astro Rangers are calling us!"
"Place it onto the Viewing Screen, Alpha," the Power Rangers' mentor instructed, turning to look over at the screen.
"Very well," Alpha responded, using the controls to patch the transmission onto the screen.
Soon enough, Andros' face appeared on the Viewing Screen. "Zordon, we know what has happened to the other Power Rangers..."
Universal Frequency 8218587
October 4th, 1998
4:23 PM
"AHHHHHHHH...OOF!" Cassie screamed as she fell out of the purple portal and onto a hard surface.
Opening her tightly shut eyes, the Green Ranger found herself staring down at a silver gray surface. *Oh, yeah, Cass. Stare at the ground. That'll help you a whole bunch!* she mentally scoffed to herself as she stood up from the floor. *Forget that, why am I morphed??* Cassie stared at her gloved hands, very confused.
"The Astro MegaShip?" she gawked out loud, looking at her surroundings. "How did I end up on the MegaShip?"
*Andros? Zhane? Can anyone hear me?* Cassie mentally called to her friends.
*Cassie?* Zhane's mental voice called back.
*Zhane!* she cried, as she started walking down the corridor of the MegaShip. *Are you on the MegaShip?*
*Yeah. I am on the bridge; Cassie, something strange is going on. I do not know if Astronema did it, but...I think we are in another universe.*
*WHAT?!?!* Cassie had now started running towards the bridge of the space ship. *Where's your evidence?*
*Just come here!* the Silver Astro Ranger insisted, severing their telepathic communication.
Nearing her companion's position, Cassie removed her helmet just in case there was a Green Morphin' Ranger in this universe also. *Damn, Astronema. I was looking forward to introducing Zhane to Christmas this year!*
The doors to the MegaShip's bridge opened and she stepped in to see a sight.
At one side of the bridge, was a morphed Zhane and standing near the main screen at the front of the ship was a demorphed Zhane in civilian clothing.
"Calypso?" the civilian clothed Zhane called out to the raven-haired beauty; he had a tendency to slip at calling her real name when he was nervous.
"Zhane?" she looked at the one who had called her name first, then to the morphed Zhane. "What is going on?
"That's the same question I've got," Cassie heard an all too familiar voice remark.
Turning behind her, the Green Morphin' Ranger found herself staring at her identical image.
"Who are you?" the Pink Astro Ranger, Cassie Chan, demanded as she faced an identical image of herself dressed in a green Power Ranger suit.
Grid Guardian Cassie stepped back from the other Cassie in surprise, running into a console. "I'm Cassie," she whispered quietly, her brown eyes wide with amazement and fright at the same time.
"Sure you are," Astro Cassie scoffed, her voice edgy as her four friends stood behind her shocked beyond belief, "and I'm Queen Elizabeth. Now..."
Before the Pink Ranger could continue, the morphed Zhane cut her off. "Cassie! She's not an imposter and she doesn't work for Astronema," he quickly explained, making his way over to the two identical women. "She's from another universe."
Morphin' Cassie stared at the morphed Zhane nearly standing next to her. "You spoke in a contraction!" she cried, her eyes wide in amazement.
"Yeah," the morphed Zhane moved so that he was standing with his friends at the back of the bridge. "And that's supposed to mean..."
"I do not speak in contractions," the civilian-clothed Zhane piped up, finding his way to the Grid Guardian's side. "And he is telling the truth. We had a run-in with Astronema..."
"Astronema?" Andros spoke up, stepping to the front of the group of six that was facing down the couple. "She hasn't attacked for the last few days!"
Morphin' Cassie rolled her eyes at Andros. *Just like OUR Andros* she groaned mentally to her lover.
*I would not be saying that just yet* civilian Zhane replied back mentally. "Obviously, I am speaking of the Astronema in OUR universe," he paused, taking a heavy sigh. "In our universe she has the ability to control the universes, as I was telling YOUR Zhane just a few minutes before. She sent Cassie and I here."
"And how do we know if you're not lying?" T.J. Johnson stepped forward so that he could be seen clearly by the two "perpetrators".
Almost immediately, Morphin' Cassie's hand flew up to her mouth as she stared directly at the blue-clad man. "Davius?" she questioned shyly, surprised by the fact of seeing him.
A look of pure confusion crossed T.J.'s face quickly. "Davius?" he repeated, totally unsure of what the green-clad Cassie in front of him was speaking of.
"Yeah," civilian Zhane answered for his shocked girlfriend. "You look just like OUR Blue Astro Ranger, Davius..."
4:34
"Cindaria?" Andros said the word with lots of difficulty. "That is your home planet?" He glanced over at the demorphed Zhane, sitting beside the green-clad, also demorphed, Cassie in the Glider Bay.
Replying the question, Morphin Cassie spoke up for her boyfriend. "That's HIS home planet," she motioned to her immediate left, where her Zhane sat. "I'm from Earth; my predecessor was Cindarien. So is our entire Astro Ranger team in our universe."
"Cindaria is a type Y class planet," D.E.C.A. announced, her red eye peering down at them as she also listened to the conversation. "It is a gaseous, volcanically active planet with no type of life."
"That certainly is not what it is in out universe," the civilian Zhane, who had told everyone to refer to him as Cheridian to straighten the confusion out, replied D.E.C.A.'s statement. "It is a paradise; a lot like Earth in many ways, but I was only born and trained there. In my childhood, I lived on the Cindarien Colony of KO-35." Cheridian raised an eyebrow at Andros and Zhane's surprise. "Do you know of it?"
Andros nodded. "That's my home planet," he replied, quite interested. "Except KO-35 had a human population."
For a moment, there was silence until Morphin' Cassie, who had chosen to go by Calypso for the time being, spoke up. "I still can't believe it," she gave a soft smile to the Astro Rangers sitting around the table with her. "I never thought I could be the PINK Ranger; it never occurred to me. I always thought Jenna was the perfect Pink Astro Ranger." She sighed, directing her last sentence towards Cheridian.
"Well, if it helps," Astro Cassie remarked with a grin, "I never thought of myself as a green person either."
"It's not only that, though," Calypso stood up from her stool and began to pace the length of the Glider Bay just like she'd sometimes do during breakfast on the Astro MegaShip back home. "I mean, your T.J. looks like our Davius," she glanced at T.J., who sat next to Cassie. "Your Carlos looks like our Troy," she looked at Carlos for a moment. "Your Zhane is just like my Zhane and your Andros simply scares the hell out of me!" She let out a small chuckle.
"What do you mean, Andros scares you?" Ashley Hammond gave Calypso an even stare for her odd statement.
Cheridian gave a laugh at Ashley's peculiar look. "She did not mean to insult Andros. She simply means that our Andros is more..." he trailed off, thinking of the perfect way to describe his best friend, "He is very uptight and strict. Not as laid back as you," he waved his hand at the Andros in his presence.
"So," Carlos sighed after a temporary silence, "looks like you two are stuck here for now; until we can find away to send you back."
"For now," Calypso agreed, then grinned mischievously. "Hey, what do you guys do for fun around here?"
Universal Frequency 8208597
March 3rd, 2001
1:47 PM
"What do you think about blue?" Rocky DeSantos asked his female companion.
Shannon Oliver chuckled heartily, hooking arms with the Hispanic man. "You know how I feel about blue," she teased, running a hand through her chin-length brunette hair. "I despise the color; white would be a better color to go with anyway, Rocky."
As the two continued to walk barefoot across the sandy shores of Angel Grove Lake, he pouted. "Why not blue?" he retorted just as playfully. "I mean I happen to know you look fabulous in blue!"
"You do, do you?" the blue-eyed woman arched her eyebrow in interest. "And how would you know that?"
Before Rocky could answer her question though, a glowing purple portal opened up before their feet and six-color-clad Power Rangers fell out. "Oh man..." the Red Ranger groaned, slowly standing up from the sand. "That warped ride gave me a hell of a headache!"
"Ohmigod..." Rocky muttered quietly under his breath, staring at the gathering of Power Rangers; more precisely, Element Rangers.
Shocked beyond belief, Shannon stared at the Red Ranger. "Jason?" she whispered, her voice quivering. "Is that really you?"
"Of course it's me," Jason replied, removing his helmet and revealing his face. "Hey, aren't you, Billy, and Tommy supposed to be with the kids?"
At the mention of the Red Zeo Ranger's name, Shannon began to hyperventilate. "Shannon?" Rocky wrapped his arms around her shoulders and tried to soothingly calm her down. "Calm down, alright? Just calm down, honey."
The other five Element Rangers, who had cleaned themselves up within the time the Flame Ranger had been speaking with their two friends, glanced at each other at Rocky's calling of Shannon. "What's wrong with Shannon?" Kimberly stepped up and inquired, watching her best friend in a frenzy state.
Once assured that his brunette companion was starting to calm down, Rocky turned to the group of six and eyed them warily. "What's wrong is that all of you are supposed to be dead!"
"WHAT?"
The six unison voices of the Element Rangers nearly rang across the park; their surprise most evident. "SHHH!" Rocky snapped at them, helping Shannon up from her crouched position. "Demorph before you attract attention to us!"
Jason hesitantly looked back to his five other teammates, who all gave him small nods of agreement. "Alright," he replied, motioning to his friends.
"Element Rangers, Power Down!"
"Good," Rocky sighed, the woman on his arm still slightly pale. "Can you stand up on your own, Shannon?" he turned to face the brunette.
"Yeah," Shannon's voice came out hoarse, but strong. "I'm fine."
Removing himself from her body, Rocky faced the six Element Rangers. "You must be from an alternate universe," he commented, walking amongst the group of six. "There's no other possible way that you could be alive."
"Wait!" Aisha piped up, still a little stunned but aware. "I just realized something. What's the date?"
"The date?" Shannon spoke up, hobbling her way up to the group. "Today is March 3rd, 2001. Why?"
The Elements' eyes widened at the mention of the date. "That's important because from where we were it was December 20th, 1998," the Yellow Wind Ranger slowly explained on behalf of her team.
"Ohmigod!" Shannon cried out of realization, turning to face Rocky. "Rocko, remember three years ago around Christmas time when we felt that tremor up at the Power Chamber?"
"Yeah," he nodded his head expectantly. "That was the exact same day Scorpius showed up on our scanners and began attacking Earth," he paused, finally comprehending what Shannon was trying to say. "You think that they have something in common?"
"They must!" she shrieked excitedly, her face no longer pale but bright with discovery. "We've gotta call the team in and get a look at this. With Astrid and Billy both working together, they might be able to pinpoint the exact moment it happened!"
"Right," Rocky agreed with the blue-eyed woman. He glanced over at the Element Rangers. "Do you mind coming with us to the Power Chamber?"
A little off-balance mentally because of the confusion of being in a totally different world, the Flame Ranger took a moment longer than usual to respond. "Alright," he replied firmly, hoping he was making the right choice. "How do we get there?"
Shannon smiled, tapping her wrist; a communicator attached to it. "The same way we've always."
Returning her smile, Jason and the other five Power Rangers followed Rocky and Shannon's lead, all disappearing into flashes of WHITE light.
1:53 PM
The eight bright lights touched down in the Power Chamber and instantly materialized into the group of eight. "For some reason that didn't feel like a regular teleport," Zack commented, shuddering involuntarily at the new feeling.
"The teleportation signals been adjusted for long-range teleportation," a new voice responded to his declaration.
Everyone looked over to their right just in time to see a beautiful brunette teenager emerging from behind the communications console. "Astrid!" Shannon laughed, calling to the girl. "Rocky and I were just talking about you, ya know."
Astrid walked over to her fellow brunette and gave her a small hug. "My European History got cancelled at the last minute and I had nowhere to go, so I came up here," she explained, removing from the hug and glancing over at the six newcomers. "Besides, you're always talking about me. Now, introduce me to our universe travelers."
"How'd you know that?" Rocky arched an eyebrow at the younger girl.
"Intuition," Astrid teased, pointing to her head.
Letting her joke slide, Rocky motioned to the Element Rangers. "Astrid Sutherland, these are the Element Rangers."
One by one, the Elements went down the line introducing themselves. "Jason Lee Scott, Flame Ranger." He raised his hand politely.
Kimberly flashed the girl her friendliest smile. "Kim Ann Hart, Sound Ranger."
"Trini Kwan, Wind Ranger." She made a moment's eye contact with Astrid.
"Wave Ranger, Aisha Campbell." She waved her hand.
"Nature Ranger, Zack Taylor."
Last in line, Billy simply gave a small, inviting smile. "Light Ranger, Billy Cranston."
Now, Rocky motioned towards Astrid. "Element Rangers, this Astrid Sutherland. She's the Green Galaxy Ranger, our Australian team member, and our resident genius."
"I am not, Rocko!" the Green Ranger protested, her hazel eyes flashing with amusement. "Everyone knows that that title belongs to Mackenzie!"
"As much as I love Mackenzie," Shannon sighed in the middle of her remark, "the girl couldn't program her VCR even if her life depended on it."
"Very, very true," Rocky sided with Shannon, leaving Astrid in a feigned huff.
"Anyway," Shannon continued, becoming serious, "we need you to find out where these six Element Rangers came from, what their universal frequency is and how to get them back."
Astrid stared at her mentor in shock. "And you want me to do this all by myself?"
"Of course not," Rocky reassured the Green Ranger. "I'm sure Billy would be willing to help you."
As the Hispanic man looked towards the White Ranger, he smiled. "I'm always up for challenge," Billy chimed in, moving towards Astrid.
"Great!" Shannon rubbed her hands together happily as she quickly glanced towards the other five rangers, shooting them all a bouncy smile. Then she turned to Rocky. "So do you want to call the team in, or should I?"
2:13 PM
About twenty minutes later, Shannon, Kimberly, Aisha and Trini stepped out of an aqua blue mini-van. "So, who are we picking up?" Aisha questioned, looking over at a near by sign that read, "Angel Grove Primary School".
"Kathy," Shannon replied, pulling on a black jacket over her plain white t-shirt. "School should be over for her right about now."
Locking the doors behind them, the four girls walked up a short flight of stairs onto the school's outdoor playground, where about twenty preschoolers were screaming, frolicking and just playing around. A teacher standing nearby spotted the group and waved her hand at them; Shannon returning the wave politely.
As they stood at the edge of the blacktop, one little child in particular caught Trini's eye. It was a little girl with curly brunette pigtails and deep hazel eyes, running towards their group. Only until the girl actually jumped up into Shannon's out-stretched arms was she able to realize that the child must have been the Kathy they were picking up.
"Mommy!" the girl screamed, as she wrapped herself around the twenty-three year old's body.
"Hi, Kathy!" Shannon replied in a gleeful tone, kissing Kathy on the cheek and then turning her attention back to her three universe-traveling friends. "Wanna meet Mommy's friends?"
Universal Frequency 8218690
August 9th, 1999
5:07 PM
The clash of blades could be heard as the blazing summer sun shone down on the Business District of Angel Grove. "You don't know how to give up do you, do you Scorpio?" Katherine Hillard, the Red Morphin' Ranger, smarted as she waved her Power Sword at the other woman.
"Never," Scorpio sneered back, her form-fitting red and black armor glittering with color. "Not as long you are alive, Red Ranger. You and I have a score to settle; you betrayed M'Ela!"
While Katherine and the villainess continued to battle one on one, around them, a battle took place between the six other Morphin' Rangers and dull red dragon-looking creatures. "Katherine!" Billy Cranston, the Black Morphin' Ranger, yelled out to her just as he whip kicked one of the red minions into a nearby fountain. "Adam and Cassie just went down! Kim teleported them to Power Central!"
Instantly, Katherine's anger rose at her opponent. "You HAD to make this personal, didn't you Scorpio?" she growled in her thick Australian accent, knocking Scorpio's own sword from her hand.
"Of course," the raven-haired woman laughed viciously, backing away from the pissed off Red Ranger. "But I can see that you have me at an advantage now," she drawled, casting a futile glance at her discarded sword.
"Yes," the Power Ranger agreed, allowing the tip of her weapon to graze the skin of Scorpio's cheek. "'Til we meet again, I suppose?"
Pushing the blade away from her face, the villainess blinked her red eyes as she nodded in a polite gesture. "Correct," she replied quickly and snapped her fingers, causing all of the dragon creatures and her to disappear.
Soon as she vanished, Katherine hit the edge of her sword on the pavement in frustration. "You lost her again, huh?" a voice crept up on her.
Turning around, she saw the four remaining Morphin' Rangers approaching her; the White Ranger had been the one to speak. "Yeah," she half-smirked underneath her helmet. "For once, I wish Scorpio would stop playing games and duel to the death with me. One of us always ends up retreating at the last moments whenever we meet."
"That's the way Scorpio is," Kimberly Ann Hart, the Yellow Morphin' Ranger, sighed. "Besides that, M'Ela loves to torture us all with suspense," she chuckled voluntarily.
"Ain't that the truth!" Tanya Sloan, the Green Morphin' Ranger, chimed in.
"Well," Katherine began, looking towards the horizon, "we'd better get back to Power Central and see if Adam and Cassie are alright."
The other four made grunts of acknowledgement and they were about to teleport, when a purple hole opened up in front of them and out rolled six OTHER Power Rangers; the Zeo Rangers to be precise.
The team of five stared at the six bodies in complete shock as the Red Zeo Ranger lifted himself up off the cement. "I don't remember being in Zeo Ninja mode before we left," he groaned, his back to the Morphin' Rangers as he smoothed out his garb.
"Uh, Tommy?" the Blue Zeo Ninja, Rocky, called to his leader.
"What?" Tommy shrugged absently as the other five Ninjas began to pick themselves up.
"Turn around," the Green Zeo Ninja, Adam, told.
Quite perplexed, the Red Zeo Ninja did what he was told and came face to face with the Red Morphin' Ranger. "What the..." he backed into Shannon at his own surprise. "Who are you?" he demanded sternly, after regaining his composure quickly.
"I could ask you the same," Morphin' Katherine snapped at the man, her voice slightly distorted. "Where did you come from?"
Zeo Tommy hesitated for a very long time before Zeo Katherine spoke up for him. "We're from a different Angel Grove, I do believe," she stepped between the two leaders, and looked back at Zeo Tommy. "Astronema must have sent us through dimensions or something."
His eyes still fixated on the morphed Red Morphin' Ranger, he nodded his head slowly. "It figures; I've never seen him around before," Zeo Tommy nodded towards Morphin' Katherine.
As stifled laughter erupted from parts of the Morphin' Ranger team, Morphin' Katherine's anger grew once more. "I'm female, you idiot!" She nearly jumped over Zeo Katherine to try and ring his neck.
"KATHERINE!" Morphin' Tanya grabbed her friend by the shoulders and pulled her away from the other ranger.
Hearing the Green Morphin' Ranger call her Katherine, the six Zeo Rangers chorused in unison:
"Katherine?"
"You're Katherine?" Zeo Katherine repeated by herself, pushing Tommy aside so she could confront her supposed double. "Katherine Hillard?"
Morphin' Katherine growled angrily at Morphin' Tanya, obviously angered that her identity had been revealed and at the same time that these "trespassers" on her turf knew who the hell she really was. "Yes," she snapped from underneath her helmet, fixing her mouthpiece so that her voice wasn't distorted. "How do you know that?"
"Take off your helmet," the Australian Zeo Ranger urged gently from under her cloth mask, "Please. Then I'll explain everything."
The Red Morphin' Ranger arched her eyebrow strangely, her scowl fading away from her covered face. "Alright," she calmly acknowledged, placing her hands up to her helmet latches. "You take your hood off at the same time though."
Zeo Kat nodded her head compliantly, just as her boyfriend grabbed onto her shoulder. "Are you crazy, Kat?" Zeo Rocky told his girlfriend with a hesitant voice. "What if she's some kind of freak or something?"
Instantly, Morphin' Katherine's mouth opened to snap something at the Zeo Power Shifter but the White Morphin' Ranger, Tommy, nudged her in the side. "Your name is Kat?" Morphin' Tommy closed the distance between him and the Pink Zeo Ranger with a step.
Looking into his helmet, Zeo Katherine nodded her head. "Yes, my nickname is Kat," she softly confessed, her blue eyes shining brightly. "My full name is Katherine Hillard."
Gasps emitted from the four Morphin' Rangers, excluding their leader. "I won't believe it until I see it," Morphin' Katherine growled suspiciously.
A little frustrated by her double, the Pink Zeo Ninja quickly removed her ninja hood to reveal her face. "There," she grunted, pulling her hair out of her clothing. "Happy now?"
Finally, after a long time in coming, the Red Morphin' Ranger gasped. "This can't be possible," Morphin' Katherine breathed, while removing her own helmet to reveal an identical face to Zeo Kat's. "I AM Katherine Hillard!"
"Calm down, Katherine," Morphin' Tommy pulled his leader aside, trying to calm her down. "They DID say that they were from another universe."
Instead, the aggressive Morphin' Katherine jerked the White Morphin' Ranger's hand off of her shoulder. "Let go of me, Tommy. I know what I'm doing," she growled back at her second-in command.
"No you don't," Morphin' Tommy yapped at her, as the stunned Zeo Rangers just stood by and watched the "drama" unfold. "You're mad cause Adam got taken down by the dragens and you're taking all your anger out on them!"
"Alright then, Mister," Morphin' Katherine was nose to helmet with her teammate. "If you think that's it, then take off your helmet for the world to see!"
Pissed beyond recognition by the Red Morphin' Ranger's actions, the White Morphin' Ranger easily complied. Unlatching his helmet, he placed it underneath his arm and stared Morphin' Katherine down. "There, I did it," he snapped. "Now what do you say?"
A silence befalling the two groups of Zeo and Morphin' Rangers, it was broken when a light voice spoke. "You two are crazy," the voice mocked.
With one spinning motion, the twelve Power Rangers turned towards the voice's origination to find a petite Purple Morphin' Ranger and a Blue Morphin' Ranger standing with her. "Cassie?" Morphin' Tommy called out to the Purple Ranger who had spoken.
"It's me, Hun," she replied affectionately, causing both Zeo Tommy and Shannon to give each other awkward looks. "A few of M'Ela's dragens aren't going to keep me down."
"Why are you two here?" Morphin' Katherine's attitude had completely changed from blazing angry to timidly worried as she stared at the Blue and Purple Rangers that began to walk towards them; her gazed fixed on the blue one. "You should be at Power Central, recovering."
Before anyone else could answer the female Red Ranger's question though, Zeo Tanya interrupted. "I don't mean to be a bug, but we're Power Rangers stuck in the wrong universe, and we lost you," she motioned to the Morphin' Rangers, "at the last bus stop; so, mind picking us up?"
5:25 PM
Ten minutes later, both the Zeo Rangers and Morphin Rangers stood in lines across from each other in the Morphin Rangers base, Power Central. The Morphin' Rangers had completely demorphed while the Zeo Rangers simply took off their mouthpieces on their hoods.
"This is amazing!" Yellow Morphin Ranger, Kimberly, awed; which was strange for herself! "I never really believed that we could ever have doubles from other universes..."
"What I wanna know is how Astronema got us from THERE..." Zeo Rocky made a large motion towards the air behind him, "...to HERE." He pointed at the marble smooth black floor below his feet in Power Central. "I need to learn that trick," he joked lightly.
Zeo Kat moaned and nudged him in the gut. "Shut up, Rocko. The last thing we need is you cracking your jokes."
The Green Morphin' Ranger arched her eyebrow strangely at Rocky. "You are very...different," the African-American pointed out gently.
The Blue Zeo Ranger simply shrugged. "I thought that was a good thing?" he jested, looking back at the Yellow Zeo Ninja's double. "Besides, what are we standing here waiting for?"
At that time, Morphin' Katherine finally spoke up after a stern silence. "We're waiting for one of our team members," she stated flatly, still ticked off obviously.
Before Rocky could snap back with another one of his rude comments, Shannon jumped in and pushed him out of his limelight. Giving a weak smile to the other Power Ranger team's leader, she suggested, "Why don't we introduce ourselves?" Morphin' Katherine gave her a wary look. "I mean, we're all on shaky ground; maybe it'll help if we know who we're dealing with?" The brunette gave the blonde another warming smile, trying to get on the girl's good side.
"Alright," the female Red Ranger mumbled, lining up next to the Morphin' Adam closely. "Your team starts first though."
Shannon nodded readily. She was willing to do anything to avoid a war between the two teams. With a jerk of her head, the Zeo Guardian flipped her white hood off of her head and pulled her hair out of her Ninja garb, letting it brush her shoulders gently. "I'm Shannon Oliver, the White Zeo Ranger of our universe."
Morphin Tommy gave the female ranger an odd, curious look, as Morphin Katherine slowly introducing herself, "I am Katherine Hillard," her voice came out slightly tense, "the Red Morphin' Ranger and leader of the Power Rangers in this universe."
Quickly and swiftly, Zeo Tommy stepped up next to his wife in the Zeo Rangers' line. "Tommy Oliver, Red Zeo Ranger, the Zeo team's leader, AND the current Technicolor Ranger," he chuckled his last words out with joking voice as the other Zeo Rangers laughed along, getting the joke.
"Huh?" Morphin Tommy questioned, but then dismissed it. "I'm also Tommy Oliver, but I'm the White Morphin' Ranger, second-in-command of my team..." he trailed off quietly and abruptly.
The other introductions went off just as simple; the Morphin and Zeo Rangers both learning that nearly two-thirds of their respective teams were also a part of other Power Ranger teams.
As the two groups now examined each other in a strained silence, another light-accented voice spoke, "Now isn't that ironic?"
"Dulcea!" the Morphin' team chorused with a sigh of relief.
As a woman stepped out of the darkness, the Zeo Rangers could see that in fact the woman was Dulcea...dressed in blue jeans and a simple black T-shirt; actual clothing.
"Dulcea?" the Zeo team chorused in obvious confusion.
Universal Frequency 8208585
December 20th, 1998
7:34 PM
"So, where are they exactly?" Liyah Hillard asked, holding her red helmet underneath her arm while tapping her foot impatiently.
Turning away from where his sister was working with the Power Chamber's sensors, Andros calmly and smoothly answered, "We do not know yet."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Kerry Taylor arched her eyebrow skeptically, almost as if challenging the Astro Ranger's words.
With a groan, Justin Stewart slid out from underneath the sensor console and stood up, brushing his blue Turbo uniform off absently. "Andros means the consoles aren't calibrated to detect our biorhythms in other universes," he explained easily, moving himself next to Karone, helping her. "Other galaxies, sure. Just not other universes."
"So can you guys fix that?" Ryan Park, Green Turbo Ranger, found himself looking up at Zordon in his warp.
In assurance, Zordon nodded his head. "We can, and it should not take long," the Power Rangers' mentor replied, "but Turbo Rangers, please turn your attention to the Viewing Screen for a moment."
The group of six, leaving Justin working at the sensors with Karone, moved over to the Viewing Screen near the exit/entrance doors and examined the woman pictured for a short moment. "Is this the chic that sent the others off 'exploring'?" Camellia Kaze motioned to the picture hesitantly, a disgusted look shown on her face.
"That is Astronema, Divatox's only daughter," Alpha informed, scuttling up behind them. "She is the cause of the other rangers disappearances, yes, but it wasn't only her."
The screen's picture quickly flipped to a black picture of Astronema's long diamond-topped staff. "Her staff, nicknamed around the universe as her 'Wrath Staff', is what allows her to send people AND things into other universes. None of the power actually comes from her."
As Alpha finished his monologue, Sheryl Stewart looked to the robot and questioned, "If this "Wrath Staff" is so powerful and special, why hasn't anyone taken it from her yet or destroyed it, period?"
As the six teenagers returned to where Justin, Karone and Andros were working, Karone spoke up to answer the White Ranger's poignant question. "We have not tried because she is too clever," the Astro Ranger sighed unhappily, turning away from the console and facing the six Turbo Rangers. "She really does not look clever, but she is! And it is quite amazing sometimes..."
Her voice trailing off, the monster alarm began blaring in its place. "It is just as I feared. Astronema is at the Galleria attacking the citizens with her quantrons," Zordon reported to the rangers, gazing down on them from his high perch. "She is looking to lure you out so she can send you away like the others."
"Well, if she's inviting us we should go, shouldn't we?" Tamara Oliver looked to her teammates with a glimmer of mischief in her brown eyes.
7:40 PM
Six Turbo Rangers went flipping out over the Galleria's open plaza on the December night, letting out their traditional calls. "Where is she?" Liyah growled lowly, looking around the now deserted area where civilians had run from.
"It is about time..." Astronema's sultry voice yawned as she emerged from behind a darken telephone booth. Her towering staff at hand, the villainess flawlessly moved towards the teenagers. "I have been waiting for you, Turbo Rangers."
Kerry forcibly shivered at the iciness of woman's cold-toned voice. "What did you do with our friends!" she shouted hotly at Astronema, ignoring her other feelings.
"Same thing I am going to do with you," she simply spoke, a smirk playing upon her frozen lips just as she began to lift her staff up slowly.
With her split-second instinct, Liyah cried out, "SCATTER!"
The six, excluding Justin still back at the Power Chamber, all rolled and jumped off in different directions just as a purple bolt of energy popped out from her staff, discharging into the solid pavement ground. "You'll have to be quicker than that, Astronema," Tamara mocked, pulling herself from the bottom of a flight of stairs she has rolled over to.
"AUGH!" she cried in frustration, stomping her foot on the ground like a small child. "You were supposed to stay STILL!"
Walking up to group together with the rest of the Turbo Rangers once more, the Green Turbo Ranger rolled his eyes at the childish villainess. "You need help," Ryan spat easily, nodding his head. "You need DEFINITE help..."
With a glint of anger in her eyes, the young villainess responded his taunt. "I do, do I?" she scoffed with a slight growl in her voice. "Maybe you are right...QUANTRONS, ATTACK!!!"
Her metallic silver lackeys immediately responded to her call, weapons in hand. And they began to loom around the rangers, Camellia looked at her boyfriend and groaned. "Good going, Ryan," the Yellow Ranger threw her hands into the air. "Remind her she's got hired help!"
Shrugging quickly, he pulled out his auto-blaster and began shooting at the quantrons. "How was I supposed to know she'd take it literally?!?!"
7:43
After the Turbo Rangers had gone off to confront Astronema, a quiet hush had fallen over the Power Chamber until Justin cried out excitedly.
"I FOUND THEM!"
"Where?!" Andros nearly hopped over to the young Blue Ranger's side, glancing at the scanning screen on the console over Justin's shoulder as Karone joined the two in the same manner.
Justin pointed to the six white bleeps on the screen before them and replied, "Here. I found Shannon and the Zeo Rangers; they're showing up white because that's their foundation color, but I'm positive it's them."
Karone looked a little curious. "Foundation color?" She had never heard of a foundation color for a team of Power Rangers before.
"Yeah," he pressed a button alongside the screen, printing out his results. "The foundation colors is basically the Guardian Ranger's color. So the Zeo Rangers would be white, the Turbo Rangers would be black, the Element Rangers would be orange and so on. For special cases, like your team," he motioned to Andros, "the leader's color would be the foundation color, so yours would be red.
"Anyway," Justin walked over to the printer and tore the readouts out of the machine, "you two said once we found the others, it would be easy to bring them back." He eyed the two Kerovians. "How are you planning on doing that?"
"Simple," Karone gave the fourteen year-old a wry grin. "We are going to go pick them up."
Universal Frequency 8218587
October 4th 1998
7:46 PM
"I'm sorry we don't have any other rooms," Ashley apologized, leading Cheridian and Calypso down the corridor of the MegaShip. "I hope it won't be too cramped."
Calypso simply brushed it off with a smile. "Forget about it!" she urged the Yellow Astro Ranger. "Last time I spent a night on the MegaShip, I didn't exactly call the chambers 'Penthouse Suite'."
Ashley gave a gentle smile as she approached the chambers and keyed in the code. "You're just like Cassie," the blonde glanced towards Calypso. "It's completely amazing!"
The Green Morphin Ranger took her comment as a compliment and grinned. "Well, let's hope she has the same taste in clothes!" Taking Cheridian by the hand, she dragged him into the chambers. "Goodnight, Ashley!"
"Goodnight!" the girl's voice trailed away as the door shut behind her.
With a sigh, Calypso collapsed onto the lower bunk. "Well, this was a strange day," she simply stated, looking down at the pink clothing that was sitting on the bunk. "Oh joy; pink."
"I have heard stories from Andros about being warped to another universe by Astronema, but I never thought it could be like this!" the blond Silver Ranger let out a heavy breath, as he sat down next to his girlfriend. "It is STRANGE alright; very strange."
Calypso sat up and laid her head solemnly on Cheridian's shoulder. "At least we know that the others will come for us soon."
"Right now, 'soon' could mean anything from an hour to a month from now." He pointed out. From the stories he had heard, time sometimes was different in other universes. And as far as he could tell, it appeared that time was a bit faster here than back home. "What do you think of these Astro Rangers?"
Surprised slightly by the change of subject, Calypso stood up and wandered the room absently. "They're okay," she answered with a shrug. "I mean, it's hard to say what I make of them because I'm basing them off of our Astro Rangers.
"Carlos reminds me NOTHING of Troy," the twenty-year old laughed, looking into the full-length mirror before her. "Troy distinctly dislikes you and me. Carlos didn't seem that way with their Cassie and Zhane, or towards us. He seems more emotional though; not as tough as our Troy."
Cheridian nodded his head in agreement. "True."
"And then there's T.J. and Davius, who are somewhat similar. T.J. seems much more tense than Davius. And then there's the face that T.J. seems to have more responsibility in this universe."
He let out a small laugh as he watched Calypso pace the room in thought. "Since when did you decide to psycho-analyze our entire team?" he questioned lightly.
The Asian woman stopped pacing and shrugged. "I'm not psycho-analyzing; I'm just comparing.
"Anyway, then there's Andros," she continued on with her comparison. "Our Andros is ever protective, skeptical, a worry-wart and butt-headed."
Cheridian arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Butt-headed?" he repeated confused by the new term that he had never heard before. He had heard of the term "worry-wart" before; Calypso used it continually to describe his best friend.
"Yeah," she acknowledged, turning to watch him start to untie his shoes to take them off. "Butt-headed: Really stubborn and won't listen to reason sometimes."
"Oh."
"This universe's Andros seems more relaxed, less worried about rules and regulations. He seems open to any theories on anything...especially our theory on where we came from," she sighed, sitting back down on the bunk. "I like this Andros better."
This time Calypso's boyfriend laughed out loud and she was confused to his reason for laughing. "What's so funny?" she shoved him in the arm gently.
Kicking his shoes off of his feet, the Silver Ranger fell back onto the bunk as he calmed down. "The thought of you actually liking Andros is funny," he remarked, turning his head to the right to glance at the Green Ranger sitting beside him. "Besides, even if you do like this Andros better than my best friend back home, it's not like we can uplift him from his universe and take him to ours!"
With a sly smirk, Calypso slid down to lie next to Cheridian. "Why not?"
Wrapping his arm around her body, he gave her a wry smile. "Why yes?" he paused, kissing her forehead. "Both Andros' already have what they in their respective universes; our Andros has Jenna, Karone, Artemis, Camellia, his mother and the team. This Andros, if you have not noticed Cassie, has Ashley and his team. They do not have any reason to leave their homes for another one."
"Oh well. It was just a thought," she dismissed, thinking back for a moment. "Which reminds me: Why in the seven seas of hell did you choose to call yourself Cheridian, Zhane?"
"You do not like it?" He grinned widely. "At least, I did not tell them to refer to me as Leo." Calypso grabbed the nearest pillow and bashed him in the head with it. Taking the pillow from her and throwing it off the bunk, he continued to answer her question. "It was actually the first name that came to my mind; I had been talking with Cheridian earlier today in the Power Chamber."
"What did he want? Was he trying to get you to go back home for his mother?" She rolled her eyes. Cheridian was Monarch Cyane's oldest son and the head of the Cindaria's defense team. To say the least, Calypso disagreed with him and disliked him just as much as she did his mother; he was literally his mother in a man's body...almost.
"Actually, he was not," her lover replied with a little surprise in his voice. "We were talking about the Galaxy Rangers; apparently he is on the on the council that is deciding who is chosen for the powers along with his mother."
The Grid Guardian forced back her surprise. Cheridian was on the Galaxy Ranger Council? *Between him and his mother, Kai won't even have a fair shot at a spot on that team!* she cried mentally for her older brother. "So what did he say about the Galaxy Rangers?" she questioned; her curiosity was now getting the best of her.
"They have only have two positions left on the team: Blue and Yellow," he answered. "Most of the time though, Cheridian kept on asking me questions about your brother."
"Kai?" she spoke her sibling's name. "Do you think they're considering him for the Yellow or Blue Galaxy Ranger?"
The blond gave a quaint shrug. "I think so; Kai has a pretty good chance, I think." He chuckled as Calypso sighed in relief. "What did you think was going to happen, Cassie? Kai would be taken out of the running because he is your brother?"
"Something like that," she replied her cheeks growing red. "I guess it's true then..."
"What is true?"
Calypso rolled out of her lover's arms and onto her back so that she was staring up at the bunk above her. "I AM becoming more and more like Andros." she groaned playfully.
Next thing she knew, she got a face full of pillow.
11:20 PM
"Finally!" Cassie sighed exasperatedly as she took her plate of spaghetti out of he synthetron and sat down at the table in the Glider Bay that doubled for a kitchen/dining room.
"Late dinner?" a voice joined her in the room. She turned around to see Andros and Zhane heading towards the synthetron themselves.
Cassie gave a short snort as she took her fork and jabbed it into the make of noodles. "More like near-midnight snack." She ate a mouthful of spaghetti, watching while the two Astro Rangers come over with mugs of steaming something. "I couldn't sleep."
"I wonder why?" Zhane teased, pulling up a stool to the table. "Calypso and Cheridian got you all freaked out?"
"You mean our doubles," she reiterated tactfully. The petite teenager shrugged just as Andros sat down. "I don't know really. It's like looking in a fun house mirror; the reflection is you in the mirror, but it's different...Distorted."
"Fun house mirror?" Andros spoke up, taking a swig of whatever was in his mug. As the smell of the drink slowly made it's way to Cassie's nostrils, she realized it was coffee.
"It's a mirror that they use in carnival fun houses sometimes," the Earth Ranger explained. "They distort your reflection to make you look fat, short, tall or skinny."
"Oh, your saying that Calypso looks just like you, but she isn't you right?" Zhane responded with his own explanation, while his friend took another large bite from her food.
She nodded, swallowing. "What about you?" inquired Cassie with a peculiar look at the Silver Ranger. "What do you think of your double, Zhane?"
The blond Kerovian cocked his head, appearing to be in thought. "I like him," he declared simply with a grin. "He's a lot like me, except for the fact that he's dating YOUR double, Cassie."
"What?!" Andros and Cassie nearly spit out the food and drinks that were in their mouths.
Zhane laughed heartily at the expressions of complete surprise and shock on the Red and Pink Rangers. "You mean you didn't notice?"
Both shook their heads in the negative.
"You didn't know?" he inquired again, in semi-shock of his own. He thought they had noticed the chemistry between the two traveling Power Rangers too! "I thought everyone knew!"
"Well, apparently, we don't," Andros clarified bluntly, looking to his best friend. "How do YOU know?"
"Cheridian and I were talking about it when we were on the Simudeck, creating a simulation he's gonna show tomorrow. He asked if I was dating Cassie in this universe, and I said no." Cassie let out a small sigh and Zhane gave her a playful glare, continuing to explain. "Then we started talking about the differences between our universes, but that's pretty much it."
Cassie finished off the last of her spaghetti and began to stand up with yawn. "You guys staying up tonight?"
The two Kerovians nodded their heads. "Burning the midnight oil, right?" Andros chuckled gently, hoping he had gotten the Earthling saying right.
The Pink Ranger grinned as she exited the Glider Bay. "That's pretty much right!"
October 5th, 1998 9:08 AM
"D.E.C.A., what time is it?"
"It is 9:08 in the morning."
"Hmmm, you don't use military time. That's a nice change. Thanks D.E.C.A."
"You are welcome, Calypso."
"Mmmmmm...You are already awake, Cassie?"
Calypso smiled, snuggling into Cheridian's chest. "Yeah; D.E.C.A. says it's only nine in the morning though. Just go back to sleep."
Both weary and tired from yesterday's activities, both quickly fell back to sleep to be re-awakened by a klaxon alarm, followed by an alert. "Alert: Astronema is attacking downtown Angel Grove..."
Universal Frequency 8208597
March 3rd, 2001
3:37 PM
"So what's the prognosis, Billy?" the Light Ranger turned around to face Rocky. "Is it ready?"
"Pretty much," Astrid spoke up for the two of them as she calibrated the sensors. "We've fixed the sensors to scan you guys," she nodded towards the three Element Rangers, "for your bio-rhythms, so we can use 'em in a universal memory game."
"Memory game?" Zack looked skeptical at Galaxy Ranger's use of words.
Looking back at the Nature Ranger, she gave a grin. "Oh; that's what were call searching for sensor matches. One of our teammates thought it up because memory game is all about matching up stuff; besides it's easier to say."
"Who came up with that one?" Billy queried, watching the Green Galaxy Ranger fix the last sensor. "It's an interesting nickname."
A sheepish voice came from across the Power Chamber. "That would be me."
The five turned around to see a petite strawberry-blonde girl dressed in blue babydoll dress, smiling at them meekly. "Hi, y'alls!" she waved, walking over to them. "I'll be Mackenzie, the Blue Galaxy Ranger!"
Jason, Billy and Zack gawked for a second, then shut their mouths politely as Astrid struggled to hold in her laughter. Jason nudged Rocky in the gut and whispered, "You never told us the BLUE Ranger was a Valley Girl!"
Rocky let out a whoop out laughter and looked towards Mackenzie. "Hey Mac, they think you're a Valley Girl!"
The Blue Ranger gave her mentor a quick hug and winked. "Wasn't that the joke, Rocko?" Her voice completely changed and she sounded like a semi-normal Californian, no longer with the heavy Valley Girl tone. She glanced over at the confused Element Rangers and smiled. "Mackenzie Miera at your service!"
Just as Zack was about to speak up, Rocky's communicator chimed. "Rocko here," he answered his page quickly.
"Rocky!" Shannon's frantic and shrill voice came over the speaker, sounds of fighting heard in the background. "We're in a little trouble here! How come you didn't detect the Stingwingers?!"
Astrid and Mackenzie both rushed over to the sensors, pushing the other four guys aside. "Damn!" the brunette voiced angrily, slamming her fist on the console. "We were putting all power into the memory game. That's why we didn't pick them up!"
Turning away from the console, Mackenzie faced the others seriously. "We had better get down there," she paused, gnawing at her lip gently. "Scorpius has sent Treacheron also."
Following the Pink Ranger's words, Rocky cussed a lengthy blue streak and teleported out quickly.
3:45 PM
"DADDY!" Rocky heard his three-year old daughter's shrill voice call out to him just as soon as he materialized out of his teleportation light. Turning in the direction of the voice, he saw the little girl cowering behind the bushes in their front yard as her mother fought off the ward of Stingwingers valiantly without powers.
"KATHY!" he cried back, running over to her quickly and scooping her up into his arms. He kissed her cheek gently as a reassurance she was in safe arms. "I'm here...It's okay."
Tears dribbled down the three-year old's cheeks as she shook with fear as they ran around to the side of the house, watching the fight take place while they were out of the Stingwingers' sights. "Is Momma okay?" she sniffled, clutching to her daddy tightly.
Rocky gave Kathy a big smile, trying to cheer her up. "Momma will be fine; she's strong," he whispered, just as he watched Astrid, Mackenzie, Billy, Jason, and Zack appear on the scene morphed and ready for action; Trini, Kimberly and Aisha had already morphed and were fighting.
There was only one thing that worried Rocky though, as he watched the fight progress. Scorpius wanted Shannon, and Treacheron was loyal to Scorpius. Treacheron would get Shannon for Scorpius...Dead or alive.
3:51 PM
"Who are you new friends, Blue Ranger?" Treacheron hissed as Mackenzie suddenly appeared, blocking his path to where Shannon was battling a group of Stingwingers. "Do you fear that your team is too weak without extra help?"
"Well, that is for me to know and for you to find out, now isn't it?" she mocked, removing her Quazar Saber from her belt and taking a defense stance.
"Please move, Blue Ranger, before I am required to destroy you and THEN capture my target," the general spoke semi-politely in his evil tone. He also held his sword on guard, ready for Mackenzie's first swipe.
"Required?" Mackenzie laughed haughtily. "Now you make it sound as if destroying me was an obligation!"
Treacheron snarled as he noticed that Shannon had finished off the Stingwingers and had gone off to safety, away from the battle and out of his sight. "It is my ONLY obligation now, you foolish little ranger!" he snapped, turning his full attention to the Galaxy Ranger and swinging his blade at her.
She managed to dodge his swing quite easily, clanging her saber against his sword. "You don't stand a chance, Treacheron," a voice from nearby growled.
Both of them turning to their right, they saw the remaining four Galaxy Rangers formed in group; other six Element Rangers lingering in the background. "I won't let you get your hands on our guardian or destroy any of us!" the Red Galaxy Ranger standing at the front of the group sneered viciously at Scorpius' general. "You don't stand a chance..."
Surprised by the suddenness of the battle's ending, Treacheron quickly stepped away from Mackenzie and sheathed his sword. "I will be back for Artemis!" he pledged defiantly, dissipating into the clear sky.
Grinning underneath her helmet, Mackenzie turned to face her leader. "Well, wasn't that easy now! I should call on you more often, Gabe!" she laughed jokingly, giving the only male Galaxy Ranger a half-sided hug.
Gabriel Torres, the Red Galaxy Ranger, returned her gentle laugh and then called out absently, almost as if to the air, "We're clear, Shannon!"
Once those words were spoken, a figure shimmered within the air for a moment and cleared, revealing the hidden woman. "I'm starting to get sick of doing that...It's getting harder to do," she complained in a light manner. Shannon glanced over to the Element Rangers, who were simply watching the spectacle and awing over the battle that had just taken place. "Jason, did you guys find the universal frequency we need?"
"Not yet," the Flame Ranger replied. "The sensors are working on it though."
Kimberly smiled quaintly to herself. She had been meaning to ask Shannon, Rocky and the Galaxy Rangers so many questions about their world, especially about what happened to the Element Rangers of their universe. Even though, she already feared the worst for her doppelganger, since it was well known to her early on that her boyfriend's double was dead, as Rocky had exclaimed when they first met. "I guess we have some time to kill then, hmm?" the Sound Ranger voiced slowly, everyone looking in her direction. "How about a little game of catch-up?"
Universal Frequency 8218690
August 9th, 1997
5:46 PM
"...So that's what happened to us," Shannon finished her explanation, sitting on a device that resembled their diagnostic table back home; but was called an Analyzer here for some odd reason. At least to her it was odd. "Can you help us?"
Dulcea, who was leaning against a console in a relaxed fashion, scanned her gaze along the six Zeo Rangers who had just spent the last ten minutes explaining their story to her. She then glanced over to her own team, who were giving her mixed signals to say the least; she ended going on her gut instinct, so she really didn't care if Katherine was the only one who objected to the Zeo Rangers presence. "I believe you," Duclea relayed, to the relief of both Shannon and Tommy, who both had been on-guard from the start. "And since you have been so kind as to deal with my temper-mental leader," she shot the Morphin' Katherine a quick glare, "and tell us about you, I will tell you about us.
"You've met the team of course, but let me explain how this team came to be," Dulcea paused momentarily, thinking of a place to start and then began. "About two years ago, the villainess M'Ela arrived on Earth seeking to conquer it to add to her vast amount of victories. With her she brought her generals Scorpio and Scorpina."
Shannon simply arched her brow in interest at the mention of the two familiar names.
"I had been living on Earth at the time and became aware of M'Ela's presence. I was the guardian of the Morphin coins and soon enough I chose the new team quickly. At that time, Tommy was the Blue Ranger, Tanya was the White Ranger, Rocky was the Green Ranger, Katherine was the Red Ranger and Cassie was the Purple Ranger.
"Unfortunately about two years ago, circumstances changed and Tanya relinquished her powers, passing them down to Tommy, who in turn relinquished his powers to Adam. A little while later, the two long lost coins of the Yellow and Black Rangers were found and given to Kimberly and Billy.
"Two months ago, Rocky was injured in a karate tournament and suffered a back injury. That was when Tanya was called upon to be a temporary replacement of sorts for him until he has fully recovered, which should be within the next two to three months," the older woman flashed the group of teenagers a warm smile. "I guess that's the summary about the Morphin Rangers."
After a pause of silence, Katherine spoke up; bluntly stating how she still felt about the Zeo team, "So how are we going to get them home?"
7:44 PM
Shannon leaned against the railing surrounding the balcony of Cassie's apartment and heaved out a heavy sigh. "Tired?"
The brunette turned away from the view of the city and met gaze with Tommy; Morphin' Tommy of course. She nodded gently, smiling softly. "Yeah, that and I miss my home," she remarked, returning her eyes to the sunset. "So different and yet so alike."
"So are you," he came up beside her and joined her on the railing.
Slightly confused, Shannon gave him a peculiar look. "What do you mean?"
For a moment, Tommy hesitated to tell her. *It would only upset her more* he told himself. But he ended up explaining what he meant anyway. "I knew a Shannon Kassandra Kaze. She was my best friend AND my girlfriend," he took a long pause, even though he knew he had caught Shannon's attention. It was just hard for him to tell someone even after four years. "She died four years ago giving birth to our son."
The White Zeo Ranger's full-focus was now on the young man. "When she died, it was like someone had tore a piece of my heart out of me. I knew it had been my fault that she died; she had only been fourteen years old and it had been the first time for both of us. Her parents had insisted on her having an abortion, but she wanted to let the baby live," he sighed quietly. "Carrying the baby the full term was hard enough because her parents kicked her out of the house and she was living with my family. My parents weren't exactly thrilled about the baby, but they didn't believe in abortion," he chuckled ruefully. "One could say we were lucky; those nine months weren't the greatest time of our life together but I wouldn't have traded them for the world.
"Now, I just wish she had survived long enough to see her son...To see her light in his eyes. To see how much he resembled her."
Soft-spoken, Shannon slowly asked him a question. "What happened to the baby?"
The White Morphin' Ranger was solemn as he replied, "After she passed away, I gave him up for adoption. There was no way I could raise our child without her with me. No way at all."
For the longest time, Shannon simply stared at Tommy with saddened eyes, contemplating his story once more. "Does Cassie know?"
He nodded his head. "She's known ever since you arrived."
"So what do you think about me?"
"Hmmm?"
"What do you think of me?"
He blinked at her in confusion, until her realized the gist of her question. "You remind me of Shannon and how much I loved her when she was living...but I love Cassie now."
Shannon sighed, taking notice of his forlorn expression. She touched his shoulder with her hand comfortingly. "That's reassuring to know," she relayed to him. "As far as I know, if your Shannon was anything like me, she doesn't blame you for her death. I should know," she gave a light-hearted giggle, "I've died and come back a few times myself."
Tommy arched his eyebrows her way. "Just how MANY times?" he asked, hints of curiosity in his voice.
With a wink, she carefully dodged the question entirely, not exactly wiling to go into great detail on the subject. "Never mind that. We'd better go back inside before the other send out a search party for us."
Tugging him gently by the arm, the Zeo Ranger dragged the Morphin' Ranger into the apartment. "Hey, where'd you two go? You missed the BEST story!" Zeo Rocky greeted as he cuddled with his girlfriend.
"And what was that?" Morphin' Tommy took a seat next to Cassie, casting her a wary glance. "You didn't tell them any embarrassing stories, did you?"
The Purple Morphin' Ranger winked at him mischievously. "Nope," she paused, thinking back. "Unless you consider the one time M'Ela sent down the Mr. Potato Head monster to be embarrassing," she assured with a chuckle as the doorbell rang. "Oh, I'll get it. That must be the rest of the gang."
As Cassie went off to get the door, Shannon sat down on the living room floor between her husband and Zeo Tanya. "You okay?" the Yellow Zeo Ranger leaned over and whispered in her ear.
Smiling in a reassuring manner at her friend, she replied, "Sure I'm fine! Just a little stressed out and shook up by the whole universe displacement thing."
Still looking slightly skeptical at the Zeo Guardian, Tanya excepted her excuse reluctantly. "Alright."
9:06 PM
Zeo Kat and Rocky stood out of the balcony as the warm wind passed through the open sliding glass door and into the apartment's living room. Cuddling with loving words and touches, they were both unaware of the presence watching them from inside.
"Katherine?" Morphin' Adam came up to Morphin' Katherine and laid his hands on her shoulders softly, following her gaze as she stared out the window at the couple.
"Hmmm?" she moaned quietly, turning her face to him while he sat down with her on the sofa near the balcony window.
Sliding his arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer to him, Adam laughed gently. "Are we being a 'Peeping Katherine' and watching our new guests' private moments?"
Katherine snuggled into her boyfriend's arms and sighed reluctantly. "Not really...I just couldn't help but notice those two together," she paused, trying to say the words she wanted to say. "She's pregnant."
Adam nodded solemnly, stroking her light blonde hair. "I saw that," he looked down deeply into her eyes, watching flickers of different emotions pass through them. "Does it bother you?"
The Red Morphin' Ranger leaned her head into his shoulder, gnawing on her lower lip in contemplation. "It doesn't actually bother me, in the sense that it drives me crazy...but yeah, the fact that she is pregnant and Rocky is the father does bother me."
"You know, he's not our Rocky and you're not her."
"I know that, but it's still eerie in a way. I never imagined Rocky with anyone BUT Tanya. They've been together ever since the eighth grade...four years," Katherine smiled to herself contentedly, remembering all the good times she had witnessed between her two friends. "They've never considered anyone else. They've always been SO faithful to one another.
"And then, I never imagined myself with anyone but you," she glanced up into Adam's deep brown eyes and kissed his lips softly. "Before we met, I never considered having a 'boyfriend'; it was a foreign thought to me. But when you joined the team, you managed to break into my heart..."
"Your COLD heart," the Blue Morphin' Ranger interrupted her with a chuckle.
"Yes, my COLD heart," Katherine playfully glared at him and stuck her tongue out. "But you know, since we've been together I never thought I could be with someone other than you; you know me the best of anybody."
"I do," he agreed, hugging her to his chest. "Besides, just because that Katherine has a thing for her Rocky doesn't mean you'll fall for our Rocky. I won't let that happen," he murmured soothingly.
The leader of the Morphin' Rangers grinned. "I know you won't."
Universal Frequency 8208585
December 20th, 1998
7:45 PM
Five minutes of fighting had progressed since the Turbo Rangers' arrival and things were starting to get better.
At first not knowing how to combat the strange robotic-like lackeys of Astronema's the six teenagers suffered. But once they realized how the Quantrons fought, battling them with their Turbo weapons was simple as pie.
Now, at the present moment, most of Astronema's quantrons were running away from the threat of the six teens. Soon enough, they all left and their "queen" was left to pick up the pieces. "How do you like them apples, Astroturf?" Sheryl snapped readily, as the villainess approached them alone.
Astronema rolled her eyes at the White Turbo Ranger's snap and stood before the Turbo Rangers; her eyes locked on the ground, almost as if she was thinking up a counterattack. "Let's get her NOW!" Ryan growled into his helmet comm. "While she's TRYING to think!"
His teammates just as antsy to pounce on the defenseless witch, Liyah's voice cut into their helmets. "No." She stated strongly. "We can't attack without being provoked; the Rules of Power, you guys...remember?"
"Dangit!" Kerry cursed lightly into her comm, stomping her foot.
Following the noise of Kerry's stomp, Astronema slowly looked upwards at the group of six, her eyes focused on Sheryl. "I heard about your mishap on KO-35, White Turbo," she spoke so coldly that she could have frozen water. "You're zord was shot down by the Phantom Ranger?"
Justin's twin blinked calmly underneath her helmet as she stepped out of the group and closer to the purple-haired woman. "Yeah," the brunette replied in a dark tone. "My zord has been repaired since then."
Astronema and Sheryl both began to circle one another as Kerry, Ryan, Camellia, Tamara and Liyah looked on with careful eyes. They did this until the villainess stopped and whispered, "I also heard you have not recovered since then either." And with a jabbing motion of Astronema's hands, her sharp diamond-topped staff appeared suddenly.
"NO!!" the five Turbo Rangers screamed painfully as they saw the sharp end of the staff go straight through Sheryl's suit and into her gut. All they heard from Sheryl was a soft gasp into her helmet comm.
With an evil chuckle, Astronema jerked her staff out of the White Turbo Ranger, allowing her to fall to the pavement limply. "Oh, yes Turbo Rangers," she hissed quite happily. "Oh yes..."
The evil woman quickly disappeared into a purple flash of light while the Turbo Rangers ran over to Sheryl's stabbed body. "Sheryl!" Tamara cried, trying to remove the girl's helmet.
Camellia pulled the Black Ranger's hands away from her friend's helmet. "No," she insisted. "Don't take her helmet off; you'll cause her to revert to her normal height and that'll just make things worse." Shannon's younger sister bit her lip extra hard to keep her from breaking down into tears. "We have to get her to the Power Chamber; it's her only chance."
7:51 PM
"SHERYL!" Justin cried out as he saw his sister being cradled in the arms of his best friend. Running over to Ryan, who had just appeared out of a green teleportation streak, the fourteen year-old looked frantic. "What happened to her?!"
"Astronema happened," Tamara growled angrily, approaching Zordon's warp. "We have to do something, Zordon! We can't just let Astronema get away with stabbing Sheryl!"
"We will not," Karone told Tamara, while she helped Ryan lower the White Ranger down onto the diagnostic table. "We have a plan."
"What plan?" the Red Turbo Ranger scoffed. "We're down two Power Ranger teams, Sheryl's JUST been stabbed and Astronema has the upper hand. You've gotta have a miracle for us to win this one."
"Then," Zordon replied the young leader, "we have a miracle for you, Liyah."
For a moment, the room fell unusually silent except for the beeping sound coming from the Diagnostic table every few seconds. "We found the other rangers," Andros announced, banishing the quietness.
As Karone, Justin and Alpha went to work to save Sheryl, the Red Astro Ranger motioned the other rangers over to where he was standing near the sensors console. "So, you found them," Liyah replied with slight awe in her voice, while looking down at the computer screen covered with blinking lights of white, orange, red and green. "But how do you plan on getting them back here?"
"The Astro Rangers have a device that modifies their Astro Morphers. It alone allows them to travel through different universes," their Eltarien mentor responded. "They will be the ones to find and return with the other rangers hopefully..."
7:53 PM
"You are doing fairly well," Phantom's shadowed voice called out to Astronema in the middle of the Galleria as the younger woman stared at her staff, stained with blood. "Your first draw of blood I take it?"
"First draw of Power Ranger blood," she shrugged in a nonchalant voice. "Besides, blood just happens to hold something with me. Blood and I are in agreement with one another."
The Phantom Ranger heartily laughed. "An agreement?" he scoffed at the villainess, emerging from his hiding spot, ripples surrounding him and quickly disappearing.
Turning her gaze from the bloodied tip of the staff and to the man, she spoke, "Yes, an agreement. I shed it from its prison and it provides me with my power." Then, with a smooth lift of her arm, Astronema brought the tip of the staff to her mouth and licked it gently, savoring the blood's taste and quietly enjoying it.
The Phantom Ranger nearly vomited, but steadied himself before he actually did. "I take it this is your little twisted behavior?"
Astronema nodded with an evil smirk, twirling the Wrath Staff in her hands now that she had finished her 'snack'. "Mother has her craziness, Grandmother has her lust for sex, and I have my taste for blood."
8:10 PM
"How is Sheryl holding up, Camellia?" Karone questioned the younger ranger, struggling to slip on a yellow suit over her MegaShip uniform.
"She's doing better, thanks to you," Camellia sighed in relief, walking into the living quarters Karone was in. "Now, if only I could ring my hands around Astronema's neck and squeeze..."
Karone finally stuck one of her arms into the suit and began to work on getting the other one in. "I would not suggest it. Astronema is one of those psycho villains you do not want to try those kind of things with," the Astro Ranger warned the Turbo Ranger as she stuck her tongue out, trying to fudge her arm into the suit still.
Camellia couldn't help but almost chuckle, watching her sister. After a few minutes, she suggested, "Maybe you might need my help?"
The blonde smiled graciously. "That just might work," she agreed as the brunette came up to her side and navigated her arm into the sleeve of the suit.
"Aren't all villains psycho?" she resumed their conversation while helping Karone get her legs into the suit.
"Of course," she responded, sticking her left foot through the leg of the suit, "but no one is as psycho as Astronema. She had this coldness about her and at the same time she can manage to be a little bratty child. Sometimes, I think she has more than one soul living in that body of hers."
Karone easily fudged her right leg into the suit and zipped it up to her neck. "I guess I am ready to go find the others now," she laughed, staring down at herself. "I look like a giant ginina!"
"Ginina?" Camellia looked at her in confusion, not recognizing the word.
"Ah, what do you call it on Earth?" she pondered for a moment, before remembering its Earth name. "Ah! Sunflower. Gininas are a type of sunflower native to Cindaria and its colonies."
The Yellow Turbo Ranger laughed, finally understanding. "Then I guess you DO look like a ginina! What are those suits for anyways?"
"If you are 'riding' through the portals unprotected, you will be forcefully morphed by the magic contained within it. These suits prevent us from morphing while we are in the portals. That way we are able to use our Astro morphers to find the correct universal frequency and stop in the correct universe without actually 'bumping' into one." she explained as they exited the quarters and strode down the stairs into the Power Chamber.
"Are you ready, Karone?" Davius questioned his girlfriend as she emerged from the staircase with Camellia.
She quirked a grin at him, while he zipped up his own blue suit. "Pretty much," she replied definitely. "So who is going after who?"
"I am taking Artemis and the Zeo Rangers," Andros declared, turning away from the console and facing his sister. "You are taking Zhane and Calypso, Karone. Davius will find the Element Rangers."
Camellia watched quietly as the three expert Astro Rangers on this matter communicated.
"What universal frequency is that?" Karone queried, pushing the yellow sleeve higher up her arm so she could adjust her Astro Morpher.
"Universal frequency 8218587," Andros answered, repeating the long frequency number off of the console near him.
Once she had the number programmed into her morpher, Karone gave a nod of her head. "Got it. We had better get going."
"Right," Davius agreed, fiddling with his Astro Morpher once last time. "You ready, Andros?"
"As ready as I will ever be," he shrugged, zipping up the front of his red suit. "Alpha?"
The quiet robot looked up from the teleportation console and gave Andros a "thumbs-up" sign. "I'm tapping into your Astro Morphers...now," he slowly slid his robotic fingers up the touch-sensitive controls.
Suddenly a purple portal that resembled the ones Astronema had used on the other rangers opened up in the center of the Power Chamber's black marble floor. Camellia gasped at the phenomenon's beauty and power while Karone smiled. "I have not done this in awhile," she winked at her two guy companions.
Davius rolled his eyes at the blonde. "Oh, just go would you!"
"Alright," she replied slowly, approaching the edge of the purple pit and jumping feet first into it; Davius quickly followed her inside.
Andros lingered back for a few seconds, meeting his younger sister's gaze. *I will be back with Artemis. You do not have to worry, Camellia* he assured, literally diving into the purple hole.
Running up to the purple portal before it closed, the Yellow Ranger took a little peek into the swirling purple abyss. *I pray you do come back with them all, Andros. All safe and sound...*
Universal Frequency 8218587
October 5th 1998
9:11 AM
Jumping out of their bed and dressing quickly, Calypso and Cheridian made it to the MegaShip's bridge in record time. "What's going down?" Calypso breathlessly wheezed as they both exited the Megalift.
"Astronema sent down a monster," Andros informed briefly, him and Zhane already heading out towards the corridor. "You guys stay here. We'll take care of it," were the Red Ranger's last words as he disappeared off of the bridge.
Cheridian rolled his eyes in annoyance at their simple dismissal. "He acts as if he knows we cannot fight!"
"Andros is simply looking out for your best interests," Alpha Six chimed in, making his way around the room. "It wouldn't be any good to have your injured, now would it?"
"I guess not," Calypso sighed, plopping herself into herself into the weapons console's seat. "I just feel so helpless, sitting here doing nothing and just waiting for someone to come pick us up and take us home! I wanna get some action in!"
Cheridian laughed at his girlfriend's whining. "I never knew you to be so anxious for a fight!"
Calypso shrugged in a dejected fashion, running her fingers along the control console in front of her. "Well, fighting would be a lot better than just sitting around and doing nothing! We can't even go down to Angel Grove without looking suspicious!"
At her words, Cheridian gave her a mischievous look. Calypso returned his look with a wary gaze of her own. *You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?*
He grinned innocently. *Hey, you are the one with the ability to hear my thoughts...you tell ME!*
"Yes," Calypso blurted out as she answered him, a grin spreading across her face quickly.
"Yes what?" Both D.E.C.A. and Alpha chimed at the same time, looking to the Grid Guardian.
Cheridian quickly dismissed the question with a casual, "Nothing." Heading off of the bridge with his girlfriend in tow, he said, "We will be down in Angel Grove if you need us."
"Angel Grove?!" the robot protested, stunned at their announcement. "You CAN'T go down to Angel Grove! Who knows what could happen if you two go down there?"
Now standing in the back doorway, the couple gave heavy sighs. *We were SO close!* Cheridian cried out in their thoughts.
"Alpha, please," the Asian woman began to speak, spinning her words of wisdom. "Keeping us cooped up on the MegaShip is inhumane! I need to get out and actually breathe real oxygen! Not the synthesized kind!" She paused for effect, so that her words could take a moment to sink in. "Besides, it'll only be this ONE time..."
Calypso was quickly cut off D.E.C.A. "It appears that the Rangers are having trouble restraining Astronema's monster, Reflectolite."
"See, they NEED us out there to help them!" Cheridian added to his girlfriend's plea to be let off of the ship. *What kind of name is Reflectolite?*
*Apparently, Astronema has never sent down monsters to attack KO-35 before, has she?*
*No. Our Astronema prefers hand-to-hand combat.*
*Well then, you're gonna find out what it's like to fight a stupid, idiotic, synthesized monster...*
9:20 AM
"Kiyah!" Andros cried as he power kicked Reflectolite, but as his foot met the monster's chest he ricocheted backwards into the nearest tree.
"ANDROS!" Ashley called out, running over to the Red Ranger's side. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he gasped out, clutching his hand over his chest for a split second. Watching his other four teammates try to tackle Astronema's latest monster and fail miserably once more, Andros pulled himself up from the ground. "This monster is so stupid, and yet so strong!"
Ashley let out a small, strained chuckle. "You're telling me! I've tried scanning him for weaknesses, but he always seems to be able to reflect my sensor scans!"
Rushing over to their fallen comrades, the Yellow and Red Rangers quickly helped them get up and take a defensive stance of a group. "Oh lookie here! They're still fighting...I've got to beat them!" Reflectolite hiccupped, his ungainly hands glowing with a black light.
Just as the monster was about to throw the powerful blast at the Astro Rangers, a green beam directly hit his black ball of energy, discharging it right away. "Wha..." T.J. gawked in shock, turning to face the direction of where the green light had come from.
"Calypso! Cheridian!" Andros snapped, as he saw the pair of Power Rangers jogging onto the scene. "I told you to stay on the ship and let us handle this!"
Cheridian shrugged, wielding his Super Silverizer on his arm. "D.E.C.A. told us you six were in trouble and we just came down to help you get rid of this 'Reflectolite' thing."
"Whoa...two Silver Rangers!" Reflectolite squealed happily, not at all fazed by the fact that his energy attack had been foiled. "Astronema will be happy when I destroy both of you!"
Cassie groaned underneath her pink helmet. "What an idiot..."
Abruptly, Astronema's monster began to charge both Zhane and Cheridian...head first. "Oh geez!" Zhane cried, jumping off to the side and out of harm's way.
Unlike Zhane, Cheridian didn't move and simply whipped out his Silverizer and shot at Reflectolite. As she finished his target practice, the large monster fell over onto its back and with moans of pain, blew up and was destroyed. "How did you do that?!" Carlos gaped, staring at Cheridian. "Zhane tried blowing him up with his Silverizer, but it had no effect!"
"Calypso took out the important thing," he nodded towards the Green Morphin' Ranger. "He was able to reflect your attacks because he was hording up his energy inside of him. When he created that energy attack, he used a lot of that horded energy, which she was able to destroy with her Blade Blaster. Thus, he didn't have enough energy to block our attacks any longer."
"How did you know that?" T.J. questioned warily, leaning against a tree in one of the denser parts of Angel Grove Park.
Before Calypso could answer the Blue Astro Ranger, a circular portal of purple light opened up in front of the seven Power Rangers and a familiar figure stepped out of it. As soon as she did, the portal closed behind her. "Zhane? Calypso?" the figure dressed yellow queried, eyeing the group closely.
A grin quickly spread across Calypso's face and she removed her helmet anxiously. "Karone?!"
Universal Frequency 8208597
March 3rd, 2001
5:45 PM
"How long has it been since my 'double' past away?" Kimberly questioned gently as she sat across from Shannon, nursing a small cup of coffee.
Shannon stared down at the kitchen table and then glanced up to face the same exact face of her long-deceased friend. "It's so hard to look at you, Kimberly, and actually tell you this," she struggled to smile as tears threatened to breech her eyes. "It's been four years since she passed away; like I said before to everyone, everyone but Rocky and I died trying to save Earth."
"And it's been three years since we were thrown into this mess of mentoring a new group of Power Rangers," Rocky teased, trying to lighten the mood while he grabbed himself a cup of coffee also. Though, it was evident that this subject of talk had a deep profound affect on him too.
"How did it all happen? How did it become so hard for you two?"
Rocky pulled up a chair to the kitchen table next to Shannon and took her hand into his. "We never saw it coming, that's how it happened. After we freed Kimberly, Aisha, Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack from Zesta's spell, Dark Specter simply came out of nowhere and blindsided us Rangers. Suddenly we weren't facing some stupid little idiot with a puny little monster and minion force. We were facing the real deal..." he trailed off, shutting his eyes painfully. He then reopened them, meeting Kimberly's gaze with his own tear-ridden one. "And as much as we hated to admit it, we weren't READY for the real deal."
"We lost Tommy and Kat in the first wave of attacks. They never felt any pain; they got caught in the first of many refinery explosions in and around Angel Grove," Shannon murmured painstakingly, slowly trying to numb herself to the pain of the memories.
"Then we lost Kimberly, Adam, Billy and Aisha in the second wave. Kim died at the hand of a mob of vampites. Billy and Aisha were stabbed to death by Astronema. Adam broke his leg and suffered a severe infection because we didn't have the medical abilities to heal him. That eventually killed him too."
Rocky instantly took up the story-telling when gigantic tears swelled from Shannon's eyes. "There were only six of us left then: Trini, Tanya, Jason, Zack and us. Trini, Tanya and Zack died trying to infiltrate one of Dark Specter's lead scout ships; we tried saving them, but there was nothing we could do. We were practically useless. So Zordon finally told us something that could save the entire universe," he paused, glancing down at his cup of coffee, "Shattering his tube and, in essence, killing him all together.
"First, the three of us all said no. It wasn't worth Zordon's life, but as we fought more battles, barely managing to get out alive, our perspective changed. We knew it was the only way and we saw everything Zordon was seeing, just standing by and watching us fall like flies one by one..."
"I broke his tube with my Star Staff," Shannon sputtered out through her quiet sobs. "When we did that, a golden wave emitted from the broken warp and literally bathed the universe in its power. That golden wave destroyed all the evil in our universe and we three lone rangers were left to clean up the aftermath."
"We began reconstruction on Angel Grove quickly. The three of us had retained our powers so we were able to help without revealing our identities," Rocky's voice hushed slowly, "Then about a month after, Jason committed suicide. We found him lying dead, up in the living quarters of the Power Chamber. Later, when the computers came back online, we were able to figure out that he had overdosed on painkillers."
"Painkillers?" Kimberly gulped down, her fingers firmly twined around her mug. Even though she knew this wasn't HER Jason they were talking about, the thought of ANY Jason from ANY universe loosing so much hope as to even THINK about suicide sent a shudder through her spine.
Shannon nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It was after Jason's death when Rocky and I finally saw that we were truly alone. Thinking we were in love, we quickly got together and started making love frequently," the brunette paused, pushing her short curly bangs out of her face. "Not until did I find out I was pregnant with Kathy did we realize that all the sex and closeness we had was all out of loneliness. We were the last two of our species and we knew we had to stick together to survive."
"We didn't get back together until the very night Kathy was born," Rocky slowly let a gentle smile grace his lips. "We had been working in the Power Chamber that night and we were completely alone; no connection to the outside world. Spending those long hours with her during the labor...I don't know, I guess it changed the way I saw things. The way I saw you," he gazed lovingly at Shannon and kissed her back of her hand gingerly. "Kathryn Syryn DeSantos was what bonded us and what made see us each other. And I continue to thank God everyday for where destiny has led us. We may have lost our friends along the way, but their great sacrifice helped give us a higher understanding of what life is."
A pregnant pause followed Zeo Ranger's words and Kimberly took that time to process all the information that she had just heard. Unfortunately she was quickly interrupted from her thoughts as Zack suddenly burst into the kitchen during the solemn moment. "KIM! Come 'ere quick!" he cried exuberantly, pulling the Sound Ranger up and out her chair where she had been rooted for the last ten minutes.
"What?" she replied startled, stumbling out of the room, her two other friends hot on their trail. "What's going on, Zack!?"
"Just follow me," he assured, dragging out of the house that belonged to Shannon and Rocky into the front yard. All the Element and Galaxy Rangers, unmorphed of course, appearing to be gathered around someone on the lawn and casually talking to them.
"What's going on, Vivian?" Rocky called out to the Pink Galaxy Ranger, while walking up to the group.
Vivian Chu spun around, her short black bob bouncing against her cheeks. "Rocko! You won't believe this! We've got another dimension-traveler!"
Universal Frequency 8218690
August 9th, 1997
5:12 AM
"Hahhhh," Zeo Tommy yawned semi-loudly, slowly rising from his make-shift bed on the floor of the living room. He glanced down next to where he had been sleeping to see Shannon still curled up underneath the blanket they had been sharing.
"Eeewww! Morning breath!" another voice squeaked quietly from across the darkened room.
The Red Ranger chuckled to himself, rubbing his watery eyes tenderly with his hands. "Is that you, Cassie?" he replied with another gentle yawn.
"Yup," the Purple Morphin' Ranger's soft voice answered. "I just woke up too. Where are you, Tommy?"
"I was sleeping next to the fireplace," Zeo Tommy paused for a second. "You DO know which Tommy this is, right?"
"My Tommy is sleeping next to me still," she relayed, her grin evident in her voice. "So I'm assuming that you're Shannon's Tommy."
"Yeah, but I think we should go into the kitchen before we start waking everyone else up," he suggested, as he noted both Zeo Adam and Zeo Tanya stirring near by his little sleeping area.
"You're probably right," Cassie agreed, and he could hear her rising from the floor after his remark.
Tommy also carefully stood up in the small sea of bodies that were still sleeping in Cassie's apartment.
The night before, after Morphin' Kimberly, Billy, Katherine and Adam left Cassie's, they had fixed the sleeping arrangements. Since Cassie was the only one who had her own apartment of all the Morphin' Rangers and Power Central wasn't equipped with living quarters, the six Zeo Rangers had to jam themselves in. Cassie gave up her bed to Rocky and Kat for the night because of Kat's condition, and both her and Morphin' Tommy had spent the night sleeping in the living room with the other four Zeo Rangers.
Creeping through quietly, Zeo Tommy made it into the kitchen and winced as the bright light suddenly rushed into his eyes. "Ow!" he blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to adjust to the drastic change in lighting.
"Oops!" Cassie said, lowering the power level of the lighting in the kitchen. "That any better?"
"A little bit. Thanks," Tommy rubbed his eyes once more.
"Do you want a cup of coffee?" she offered, moving towards one of the higher cabinets in the kitchen.
He smiled tiredly, nodding his head. "Coffee would be good."
As Cassie went to work making the coffee, she also started a conversation. "So, how long have you and Shannon been married?"
Tommy arched his eyebrow a tiny bit as he took at seat at the kitchen counter. "How'd you know we were married?"
"It's sorta hard to miss those rings you and her are sporting," she teased, taking the coffee canister out of another cupboard.
"I guess so," he shrugged sheepishly. "We've been married for about five months now."
"Any kids?"
Running his hands through his long brown hair and brushing it away from his face, Tommy replied, "Yeah, three. A four-year old and six-month old twins." Pausing and thinking about her questions, he asked her a question of his own. "How long have you and Tommy been together?"
Finishing with the coffee, Cassie turned around and leaned against the edge of the sink. "We've together for two years." She was about to talk about Morphin' Tommy's former girlfriend, but decided to hold her tongue with that information, not knowing how Zeo Tommy would react. "Been inseparable ever since we became Power Rangers."
The Asian teenager was about to say more, when suddenly she heard a noise. "What's that?"
Tommy looked at her in confusion. "What's what?"
Hearing the same noise once more, a sort of rattling sound, she literally jumped up and down. "THAT noise!" she cried in a whispered voice.
Now that Tommy had heard it the second time, he carefully stood up from the stool he was sitting on. "Sounds like someone's at your front door," he paused, placing his hand on the light switch. "I'm gonna turn off the lights; follow me out."
Silently, he switched the lights off and with Cassie covering his behind, they both crept into the living room and hid in a secluded corner close to the front door of the apartment. "When they come in, you pounce them and I'll turn on the lights," Cassie sketched out a simple plan for Tommy and her to follow.
The Red Ranger nodded. "You got it."
They stood together motionless for a few minutes until their "intruder" was finally able unlock the door and make their way into the room. After watching them take a few cautious steps forward, Tommy immediately jumped into action and tackled the intruder to the ground, muffling groans and moans from the both of them.
Cassie dashed over to the light and flipped them on, startling the other sleeping campers in the living room. "Hey!" Adam groaned, rubbing his eyes furiously to get them to adjust to the brightness as fast as possible. "What was that for?"
"Someone was trying to break in," the raven-haired sixteen year old murmured in a semi-ominous voice.
"Was it M'Ela?" Shannon questioned with a slight yawn.
Answering her, Zeo Tommy came shuffling into the open area, holding a figure dressed from head to toe in some kind of red suit captive. "Does this look like one of M'Ela's goons?" he directed his comment towards the now wide-awake Morphin' Tommy.
The White Morphin' Ranger simply shrugged. "If it is, then I've never seen it before," he stated while staring at the intruder.
The intruder wriggled in Zeo Tommy's grip for awhile as suppressed grunts came from it underneath its mask. "Take off its mask, Tommy," Tanya suggested, her curiosity piqued by the appearance the red thing. "It sounds like it's trying to say something!"
Reluctantly, the Red Zeo Ranger loosen his grip on the intruder and allowed it to remove its mask. Instantly, a gasp was issued from Shannon and she laughed gleefully, "ANDROS!"
Universal Frequency 8218587
October 5th, 1998
9:25 AM
"The one and only!" Karone chuckled as she went to hug Calypso tightly. "Well, technically not the one and only, but the one I think you're looking for!"
Cheridian smiled gladly underneath his helmet. "That didn't take you too long; we only had to wait a day," he relayed to the Yellow Astro Ranger of their universe.
"A day?" she arched her eyebrow, slightly amused. "It's only been about an hour since Astronema zapped you here!"
"Uhhhh, I hate to break up your reunion," Zhane cut in as politely as could possibly be expected of him at that moment, shifting his gaze over to Karone, "but did she just call you Karone?"
Karone nodded at Zhane slowly. "Yeah, she did. Is there something wrong with that?"
Andros has now taken his helmet off and was gawking at the petite blonde girl. "This can't be..." he heaved quietly under his breath.
"What cannot be?" Both Karone and Cheridian echoed together.
"Karone is my sister," Andros gasped, shock shining from his eyes.
"I know," Karone chuckled, not knowing the seriousness of the matter. "Andros is my brother back in our universe also."
Emotionally distressed, Andros turned his back to the group and began to walk away; Ashley sharp at his heels. "Did we say something wrong?" Calypso inquired, confused at the Red Astro Ranger's attitude.
Giving a glance behind himself, T.J. saw Ashley comforting Andros a good twenty feet away from where the rest of them were standing. "Karone IS Andros' sister," he paused, letting part of his explanation hang in the air...making the effect of his coming words stronger. "Andros' LONG-LOST sister; she was kidnapped from their home when he was a child."
Karone's face switched from a nice peachy color to sheet white. Then, she gave herself a few mental slaps for forgetting one of THE most major rules of universe-jumping: Not everything is the same in every universe. "I am sorry," she murmured apologetically. "I really had no idea."
"It's not your fault," Carlos assured, also removing his own helmet. "You couldn't have known any better."
Karone took a little peek at Andros and Ashley, who were conversing between each other near by some pine tree saplings. "Maybe I should go talk to him," she suggested slowly, not sure if it would be the best thing or not.
Cassie met Karone's saddened glance and smiled kindly. "I don't think it would hurt to try..."
9:29 AM
Ashley walked away from Andros distraught at her own boyfriend's distress. She knew he had every right to feel the way he was...he was shocked knowing that somewhere Karone was NEVER kidnapped and THAT Andros had managed to keep his sister safe throughout her young years.
Lifting her eyes from staring down at her fidgeting gloved hands she caught gaze with Karone's hazel eyes that had been looking at her curiously. "Can I talk to him?" she asked quietly, almost in an embarrassed manner.
"Yeah," Ashley stopped walking for a moment and looked behind her to see Andros' back as his eyes watched the puffy white clouds float by in the blue October sky. "He won't talk to me, but I have a feeling he'll be willing to talk to you."
Karone and Ashley shared a friendly smile before Karone headed towards Andros with her mission in hand. "Andros?"
He didn't respond and his back continued to face the girl.
Karone moved closer to Andros until she was standing right beside him; taking an interested notice in that he didn't flinch when she slipped her hand into his and held onto it. "What are you looking at?" she waited for a response. Once again, she got none from the stoic Power Ranger.
They stood quietly for a few minutes before Andros finally took notice of Karone's fingers laced between his own. "She used to hold my hand like that," he commented, and it would have sounded almost as if he didn't care if she hadn't seen the pain etched into his soft features.
"I still hold his hand like that," Karone replied with a soft smile. "He always used to hate being in public places with me holding his hand like that. He always thought it made him look like a baby."
"And she was always so scared of leaving my side," Andros returned, facing her and also smiling softly. "She was always a tag-a-long."
Karone gave him a simple mocking pout and raised her free hand to Andros' shoulder. "She does not think it is your fault, you know," she tried to assure.
Instantly, he became bitter once more. "How would you know?"
Even with his abrupt sneer, Karone maintained her ground and continued to chisel her way into his pain. "I know because I am her." Her voice was tender, soft and caressing, soothing him, just like that same voice would always manage to soothe her OWN brother's restless anger. "I may be from a different universe and everything, but that really does not matter at ALL. When you look hard into the core of things, deep down all of us Karones are all the same! We love our brothers with a fierce loyalty, no matter the circumstances..."
For awhile, Andros was quiet, regarding the woman presented before him. And as much as Andros tried to convince himself that this Karone couldn't possibly know what his sister was like, he realized he was just grabbing straws.
She WAS his sister.
She was Karone.
And with his realization, Andros hugged Karone fiercely with the touch only a brother could give his sister.
Universal Frequency 8208597
March 3rd, 2001
5:57 PM
Vivian moved away from the circle to reveal Davius standing in the middle of the group, standing in some kind of funky looking blue suit. "Uh, hi," Davius spoke plainly, waving at both Shannon and Rocky in semi-confusion. "I am here to pick up the Element Rangers."
"Pick up?" Aisha teased. "You make it sound as if we were in jail or something!"
Davius rolled his eyes slightly at the Wave Ranger as the claustrophobic circle broke up from around him and everyone gave him room to actually breathe. "How long have you all been here?" He changed the subject, turning to look at Jason.
But instead of Jason speaking, Astrid piped up the answer of, "Nearly five hours already."
The Blue Astro Ranger now faced the Green Galaxy Ranger, a look of hope flickering in his eyes. "Did you start a multi-universal scan with the Element Rangers' biorhythms?"
"Yup," the auburn-haired girl replied, pushing her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose. "Is that important?"
Davius nodded excitedly. "Very important. The fact that you have the equipment to perform that scan is what I really wanted to know. It will help me communicate with my teammates."
"Wait," Jason gave a quick motion of his hands for Davius to stop speaking, "you mean, we're not the only ones who got into this sticky situation?"
"No, you are not," he remarked, pulling his Astro morpher from underneath the sleeve of his suit. Davius popped open a hatch that was located near the back of the morpher and stared down at a small chip that was lighting up in different colors. "Andros and Karone were sent to go get the Zeo Rangers, and Cassie and Zhane respectively. It looks as if they have found them also. Now, all we need to do is contact our home universe and we're all taken care of."
"Wouldn't your home universe be the one where you all are originally are from?" Greer McDougal, the Yellow Galaxy Ranger, queried. She was the only one who was having some trouble understanding all this universe-talk.
Gabriel chuckled and quickly answered the red head. "A home universe would be like a base universe; a universe where all the teams involved could meet up before they went back to their domestic universe," he paused, watching Greer's confusion add up even more on her face. "I think you may want to stick to majoring in World History, Greer."
A few chuckles went around the group, before Rocky approached Davius. "I assume you're going to get your hands on our equipment so you can contact your home universe and your friends?"
The Astro Ranger smiled graciously. "If you are willing to offer their use to me, I would appreciate it."
Rocky grinned at the young man. "Well, I'm offering it!"
Universal Frequency 8218690
August 9th, 1997
5:30 AM
"Yes, it is me," Andros responded with short smile as Zeo Tommy let go of his arms completely. "I have come to take you home, Sister."
Shannon hugged her brother tenderly as everyone else sighed, grunted and whatever-ed in relief. "How'd you find us?"
"With Justin's help we were able to fix the sensors and scan for your biorhythms. Afterwards, Karone, Davius and I used our modified morphers to trigger a portal and now I am here," he summarized factually and clinically, sounding a slightly bit bored with himself.
"Oh, you make it sound so easy," Zeo Adam groaned with sarcasm tiredly, plopping onto the nearby sofa. "Why couldn't you come when we WEREN'T sleeping? I'm dead tired."
Murmurs of agreement came from Zeo Tanya and Morphin' Tommy.
"You have been missing from our universe for only an hour."
Adam nearly fell off the sofa and onto the living room floor. "You have to be kidding! How come we're so tired then?"
Andros was able to efficiently answer the Green Ranger's question with one sentence. "Your powers adjusted your internal clock to the universe's 'clock'."
"Alright, that explains a lot," Adam replied with a yawn, then immediately conked out on the sofa into dreamland.
Shannon chuckled at her friend, and then turned to face her brother. "So, you're going to take us home?"
"No, Shannon. Andros is just here to model the newest line in Power Ranger fashion," Tanya sighed sarcastically, her attitude a little edgy due to being interrupted out of her sleep. "Of course he's going to take us home!"
Shannon stuck her tongue out at Tanya playfully just as Rocky and Katherine wandered their way into the living room, both boasting disheveled and tired appearances. "What is this racket about?" Rocky groaned, literally about to fall asleep on his feet. "It's only 5:30 in the morning."
Cassie gave Rocky a pleased grin. "You guys are going home."
Cassie and Tanya immediately jumped into to re-explain what had taken placed moments before to the two Zeo Rangers, and Shannon watched them happily. Smiling widely, she wrapped her arm around her husband, leaning on his shoulder. *We're going home!* she mentally squealed to Zeo Tommy as Andros began to converse with Morphin' Tommy.
The Red Zeo Ranger cracked a smirk at her mental remark. *Aren't we the perky one early this morning. I really need to get you off that stuff Kimberly is feeding you...*
The Zeo Guardian pinched him in the side, muffling a laugh. *You stop it with your horrible jokes!* She glanced up to meet his beautiful brown eyes with her own glistening blue ones. *You can't tell me you're not happy about going home.*
He moved his hand up to brush her cheek softly. *Of course, I'm happy and glad. I'd like to resume our Winter Break with some normalcy.*
*You mean, YOUR Winter Break. Have you forgotten that I play the full-time mommy at home?* she grinned deliberately.
*How can I forget? You won't LET me forget!*
Their mental bantering was put to halt when Rocky finally asked Andros the million-dollar question, "How are you going to get us there?"
Andros tapped on his Astro morpher with her hand. "I will use my morpher to open up a portal to our home universe. Once we get there, we will meet up with the other rangers and we will adjust our morphers to get us back to our domestic universe," he paused, glancing around the room of Zeo and Morphin' Rangers who looked like the semi-understood him. "I think it would be best if we leave now. We probably would be able get back much faster if we do."
"Alright then," Zeo Tommy agreed. "Looks like we're leaving."
"It would be better if you morphed," Andros suggested as he re-calibrated his morpher.
"Whatever you say," Shannon shrugged, turning to Tanya. "You mind waking him up?" She nudged her head towards the couch where Adam was sleeping.
Tanya grunted her affirmative answer, and gently kicked Adam in the shin. "Get up, Adam. We're leaving."
"Wha...?" the Green Zeo Ranger abruptly popped up from his sleeping position and stood up.
Zeo Tommy simply shook his head, stifling a small bout of laughter within him. "It's Morphin' Time!" he shouted, just as his counterpart and Cassie moved a few feet away from the group of six.
"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV, Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V, Red!"
"Zeo Ranger VI, White!"
"Ready?" the Red Astro Ranger questioned, pulling his red hood back over his head completely.
"Ready," the six Zeo Ranger responded in unison.
Slowly, almost as if a giant mouth yawning, a swirling mass of purple opened up in the middle of the floor. One by one, each of them jumped into the portal until Shannon was only left standing with Cassie and Morphin' Tommy.
"Thank you for putting up with us, even if it was only for half a day," she thanked graciously, removing her helmet momentarily.
"You're more than welcome," Cassie acknowledged whole-heartedly. "It was a new experience I think all of us learned from."
Shannon nodded her head gently, turning to face Tommy. "Don't forget about our talk, Tommy," she placed her hand against his arm and winked. "If it's any consolation, you still got me."
He smiled faintly, and both Morphin' Rangers watched Shannon latch on her helmet and jump feet first into the purple portal, the mass disappearing from sight after she entered it.
Cassie twisted her head cockily to look at her boyfriend, who was still staring fondly at the spot where the purple portal had been. "What was that about?"
Chuckling softly, Tommy wrapped an arm around Cassie's shoulder and brought her in close, kissing her forehead. "Nothing too special, Cass. Just some old memories..."
Universal Frequency 8208597
March 3rd, 2001
6:10 PM
Davius turned way from the communications console to meet Rocky's intent gaze. "So, did you get that message through to the home universe?"
Davius nodded and smiled, holding up his fingers which were crossed for good luck. "I am hoping it got through," he answered the question to his best ability. "I will not be sure until we actually try to access the universe."
Shannon looked to the Element Rangers with a faint smile. "I guess this is good-bye then, isn't it?"
"Good-bye for now," Kimberly reiterated, hugging Shannon tightly. "You never know when we'll be back."
"Yeah, I mean I wouldn't mind getting thrown back here by Astronema if it meant visiting you all again," Aisha chirped brightly with a laugh, trying to make up for the sadness surrounding their parting.
A silence fell over all of them and that was when Davius chose to open the portal with his morpher. The purple portal opened in the middle