Green to White

Part Three

Five pairs of worried eyes followed the tracks of the young genius. His steps tapped methodically against the paved ground of his garage laboratory, fingers knit tightly behind him as he silently pondered just how to break the startling news.

Finally, he swallowed to moisten his dry throat, and began his announcement. "Well, after tinkering with the control systems that Trini noticed remained functional given the universal shutdown, I managed to access the door of energy we were detect-"

Kimberly sighed impatiently. "No offense, but can you just cut to the chase?"

"Yes," Trini prodded, "what exactly did you find in the Command Center?"

Billy swallowed again. "Alpha and Zordon are creating a new Ranger."

At first, stunned silence reigned as the Power Rangers slowly registered the enormity of Billy's discovery.

Then, the questions struck all at once.

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Man... another new Ranger?"

"Who is it, do you know?"

"Where exactly are they?"

"Could you be wrong?"

The Blue Ranger frowned at the last question. "I'm definitely not wrong."

"That explains why the Command Center was shut down," Jason noted.

Billy nodded. "Exactly. All the energy is being concentrated into the creation of this new Ranger."

The Rangers fell into awed silence again, considering the ramifications of this new teammate.

All except one, who couldn't seem to wrap her mind around a surprising oversight. "How come Tommy couldn't have gotten these new powers?" Kimberly wondered. "He's already one of us."

All eyes fell upon the Pink Ranger. Her voice was so plaintive that the awe that infused the other Rangers almost immediately transformed to outrage.

"Yeah... who's this new guy?" Zack demanded.

Realizing the connotations of his statement, the Black Ranger turned to Alexis, offering an embarrassed smile. "N...not that there's anything wrong with a new Ranger-"

Alexis grinned. "Don't worry; no offense taken."

"Guys, we need to get a grip," Jason uttered, folding his arms, "I'm sure Zordon's got a good reason for this."

His team nodded, falling into a contemplative silence once again. Moments later, a familiar six-tone signal pierced the dead air like a knife.

"Zordon must be finished," Zack realized.

The Rangers exchanged unsure looks as they huddled around their leader.

"This is Jason."

^RANGERS, PLEASE REPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY.^

"Right away."

"Remember, Zordon and Alpha know what they're doing," Billy assured his teammates.

In unison, the six active Power Rangers activated their wrist units, holding their collective breath as they wondered who their newest member could possibly be.

* * *

Zordon smiled widely as his Rangers materialized, standing in an attentive assembly before him in the revitalized Command Center. He couldn't keep his enthusiasm out of his voice if he'd wanted to. "WELCOME, POWER RANGERS. THIS PROMISES TO BE A MOMENTOUS OCCASION. YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM."

Surprisingly, the Rangers didn't seem overly shocked at the news. But their perceptive mentor noticed the discomfort they tried to cover. Especially Kimberly.

"AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE GREEN RANGER'S POWERS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DECIMATED BY HIS LAST FEW BATTLES. ALPHA AND I FELT IT WAS TIME TO CREATE A MORE POWERFUL RANGER TO COMBAT LORD ZEDD'S INCREASINGLY POWERFUL FORCES. TO THAT END, A CANDIDATE WAS SELECTED, AND A NEW POWER RANGER WAS CREATED."

After a dramatic pause, Zordon unveiled the mystery. "AND NOW, MY CHILDREN, I PRESENT TO YOU... THE WHITE RANGER."

The teens squinted as the blinding energy of the Hidden Chamber blazed into existence. Shielding their eyes warily, they noted a silhouette drift to the ground from above.

Finally, the light faded, and all eyes fell upon the White Ranger.

He (or she) stood proud and tall, lustrous white armor plated with black-gold accents. Unlike the other Rangers, no Power Coin was visible on the golden belt, and an ornate black and gold shield covered the chest area almost to the belt.

The White Ranger's uniform was such a deviation from the others that the Rangers were absolutely thunderstruck.

"WELCOME, WHITE RANGER. THE TIME HAS COME TO REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY."

The Rangers watched as their newest member reached up. With unnerving slowness, he undid the latches of his helmet, and pulled it off with expert ease.

The Rangers' worried expressions melted into astonishment as they registered the familiar face. Kimberly was so shocked she clutched a console, trying desperately to moderate her breath.

Finally losing her battle against gravity, the Pink Ranger fainted.

Tommy grinned. "Guess who's back!"

After a fraction of a second, Zack, Billy, Jason, and Trini recovered themselves. They swarmed around Tommy, offering welcoming hugs and handshakes.

"What's up, man?" Zack chimed, slapping the White Ranger's back, "You look good! When do I get a funky shield?"

Billy smiled his relief. "We were all hoping it would be you... especially Kimberly."

Zordon chuckled.

Alexis watched the reunion scene unfold, an overwhelming sense of not belonging preventing her from joining her friends.

For some inexplicable reason, seeing Tommy in that new uniform made her suddenly nauseous.

She blinked, trying to sort through her conflicting emotions as her confounded gaze leapt from Tommy's smiling face, to the other Ranger's jubilation, to Kimberly, whom she just noticed was lying unconscious on the ground.

"Speaking of Kimberly..." Jason uttered, jerking his thumb.

A small smile quirked Tommy's lip as he excused himself from the others. After offering a thumbs-up to Alexis, he knelt beside Kimberly, gently stroking the stray hairs from her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered.

"Hey Beautiful... time to wake up," he coaxed gently.

She blinked, her disoriented gaze slowly focusing on the man she had hoped against all hope would be within the strange new armor. She smiled, tears shining brightly in her eyes. "I don't believe it! I must be dreaming!" she declared, throwing her arms around him tightly. Tommy eagerly returned the gesture.

The other Rangers exchanged knowing smiles.

Once Tommy lifted Kimberly to her feet, the group congregated together once again.

"Man, awesome!" Zack gushed, "Simply awesome!"

Kim giggled in speechless agreement.

"SO POWER RANGERS, MAY I ASSUME YOU ARE PLEASED WITH THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE POWER TEAM?"

Jason's smile just couldn't get any wider. "This is just... incredible!"

"I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SECRETIVE. ALPHA AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR MONTHS, BUT I FEARED IT WOULD PROVE UNSUCCESSFUL. WE DECIDED NOT TO MENTION THIS TO YOU UNTIL WE WERE CERTAIN THE WHITE RANGER COULD BE BORN."

After what seemed like forever, Alexis recovered her voice. "But... how?" she wondered, "I thought Tommy lost his powers."

Alpha stepped forward to answer. "Not Tommy, the Green Ranger's powers were gone for good."

Alexis grimaced.

Alpha didn't notice the Purple Ranger's reaction, and continued. "The new Ranger will control the White Tiger Thunderzord, a Zord of strength and ferocity. Also, he will carry an enchanted sword known as Saba, who will assist him in battle as well as help him control the Tigerzord."

"EXTEND YOUR HAND, WHITE RANGER," Zordon directed, "AND ACCEPT ALL THAT HAS BEEN GRANTED TO YOU."

Tommy did as Zordon asked, and a majestic saber materialized in his waiting palm. Tommy lowered his arm, a new smile lighting up his face as he took in the intricate tiger's head engraved in the marbleized handle. "Man, it's good to be back!"

Suddenly, the alarms screamed to life. Alpha jumped in surprise, and activated the Viewing Globe. He gasped when he saw the lithe Nimrod monster at a titanic height, chuckling deeply as it rampaged. "Aye yi yi! What's going on?!" he stammered.

"IT APPEARS LORD ZEDD TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE MORPHIN' GRID'S DISRUPTION," Zordon realized, "I KNEW HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RESIST."

"So you know that our powers are acting funny?" Zack realized.

Alpha nodded. "In order to fully integrate the White Ranger Powers with yours, we had to physically add him to the Morphin' Grid. That process compromised your powers."

Alexis frowned. "But my powers worked fine."

"UNLIKE THE CORE RANGERS, THE PURPLE AND GREEN RANGERS WERE NEVER PART OF THE MORPHIN' GRID, AND AS SUCH CANNOT BE AFFECTED BY ANY FLUCTUATIONS IN THE GRID."

"But now that I'm ready for action, the Grid's good as new, right?" Tommy inquired.

Zordon nodded. "YOUR POWERS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO FULL, RANGERS. NOW, YOU MUST TAKE ACTION BEFORE THIS NEW MONSTER CAUSES FURTHER DAMAGE. THE CREATURE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS NIMROD, THE SCARLET SENTINEL. I HAVE SEEN HER BEFORE, AND SHE IS A GREAT THREAT."

Tommy frowned curiously. "What makes this monster so special?"

"NIMROD IS ONE OF AN ELITE FEW CALLED THE 'CLASS-A MONSTERS,'" Zordon revealed, "UNLIKE THE MORE TYPICAL CREATURES, THIS BEING IS ACTUALLY ALIVE. LORD ZEDD USES CLASS-A MONSTERS SPARINGLY, SINCE THEY CANNOT BE REANIMATED ONCE KILLED. THESE CREATURES NEED TO INCUBATE, BY POURING THEIR ESSENCE ONTO AN INANIMATE OBJECT FROM WHICH IT DRAWS ITS STRENGTH AND ATTRIBUTES."

"Essence..." Trini murmured, "That must've been the green slime we saw!"

"YES. NIMROD IS AN EXCEEDINGLY WILY CREATURE, SO WE MUST TREAD CAUTIOUSLY. THE CORE RANGERS WILL ADVANCE WITH THE THUNDER MEGAZORD. ALEXIS AND TOMMY WILL REMAIN BEHIND FOR NOW."

Tommy blinked. "Why? I'm ready to go!"

"Yeah!" Alexis chimed.

"YOU MUST FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH YOUR ZORDS BEFORE YOU ENTER THE BATTLE," Zordon pointed out, "NIMROD IS TOO DANGEROUS AN OPPONENT TO ENGAGE WITHOUT SOME PRACTICE."

Tommy nodded, but his disappointment was obvious.

"Don't worry," Jason said, squeezing his best friend's shoulder. He then threw Alexis a reassuring grin. "We'll tenderize her for you."

He then pulled out his Morpher, and glanced at Tommy again. "Care to do the honors, Bro?"

Tommy smiled weakly at the irony of Jason's request. I guess from now on... it'll be my job to say it... "It's Morphin' Time!"

The six un-Morphed Power Rangers banded together, each calling upon his power source in turn. Tommy watched numbly as the core five vanished, his eyes lingering on the faint afterimage of Jason's departure.

"Tommy? You okay?"

"Yeah, Lex," he murmured, his voice disturbingly weary. He pulled his own helmet on, and turned to Zordon. "What do we do now?"

"NOW, IT IS TIME TO SUMMON THE WHITE TIGERZORD AND EAGLEZORD."

* * *

A pair of dark brown eyes stared outside, watching the sun disappear behind the line of buildings along the visible horizon.

The sight triggered a yawn of absolute boredom. She pursed her full, red-glossed lips together in a vain effort to stifle it.

Thankfully, she didn't draw too much attention to herself.

She glanced at her wristwatch. This is so much more fun when Rocky and Adam are here... but someone needed to stay at Mom's store today...

"Miss Campbell?"

She lurched into full wakefulness.

"I can't find the 'Any' key."

The instructor smiled at her student's distressed expression. She leaned over the boy's shoulder, quickly reading over the white text sitting boldly on the solid black screen.

"The error message says 'Non-system disk or disk error.' You checked the floppy drive?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now, when the computer says 'Press any key to continue,' it means any of the keys on the keyboard. It doesn't matter which one."

The boy sat dumfounded for a second, until he heard the poorly veiled snickering of his peers.

"Okay," the instructor said loudly, standing at her full height and gazing at the dozen students, "That's enough! What did I say about laughing in the classroom?"

"Save it all for Rocky!" the group chorused.

"Good. And since Rocky's not here today, you'll have to make sure to laugh twice as hard at him next week."

Some of the children giggled at that. Then, the young woman turned to the boy she was helping, and patted his shoulder. "Any more questions, Justin?"

The boy shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Miss Campbell. I don't have a computer at home-"

She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "There's never any harm in asking a question. And in a few weeks, you'll be a computer whiz. I can tell you're a natural!"

He smiled widely. "Thanks, Miss Campbell!"

She wagged her finger in mock-reproof. "And that's enough 'Miss Campbell' stuff," she admonished, "I'm not that much older than you. Just call me Aisha."

The shy boy nodded obediently, and smiled.

Aisha backed towards the window, scanning the classroom carefully.

The Elementary School Computer Class had been Rocky's idea, and the three lifelong friends managed to pull it together. Adam, Rocky, and Aisha always had a soft spot for children, and holding computer tutorials in the high school computer room after hours was a stroke of brilliance. Due to the outlandish amount of tax money spent on repair of monster attacks, the Angel Grove- Stone Canyon Regional Board of Education had to make due with a very limited budget. Simply put, furnishing the area elementary schools with enough computers to hold classes was out of the question. The logical solution was to hold classes in the high school laboratories.

Four local children were signed up once the program was initiated, and over time other parents heard of the program, and the three responsible, good-natured teens that were spearheading the initiative, and soon the program tripled in size. Even kids from Angel Grove had begun attending.

"Okay class," she announced, digging a handful of sheets from her backpack, "once everyone gets into Microsoft Works, turn off the screens. We're starting with a typing drill, and I don't want anyone to try and look at the screen. Keep your eyes on the sheet, and copy the text word for word. If you finish before I yell 'time,' start again."

She began passing the practice sheets out, when suddenly a tall cup of pencils toppled from the teacher's desk. Aisha turned around, watching the yellow wooden sticks roll along the floor.

She froze completely when a shrill bell rang in everyone's ears.

The emergency alarm.

"Kids," she said, trying her utmost to keep her calm, "I think it's time we-"

Only moments later, a more powerful tremor shook the building.

The children screamed in panic, tripping over themselves to get out of the room.

Aisha inhaled sharply. "EVERYBODY STAY CALM!!"

The children froze at the surprising volume of their petite instructor.

"Rosa!"

The young Mexican girl with long brown pigtails stared up at Aisha.

Aisha knelt before her, tuning out the chaotic noises flooding her senses. "Honey, you've been to the gym before, right? To see your big brother in those martial arts contests?"

She nodded mutely.

"Good. I need you to do me a favor, Rosa. Show the other kids how to get there. I'm going to follow right behind you."

Rosa nodded quietly.

"I'm counting on you, Rosa," Aisha murmured, hugging the young girl tightly.

Rosa DeSantos then went to the exit, trembling as she fought against the desire to break into a terrified run. Aisha watched her students leave, mingling with the other people evacuating in the hallway, before turning back to window, now cracked by the continuous impact.

Wasting no time, she leapt out the window.

Outside the thick walls of Stone Canyon High School was a sight only seen on cheesy B-movies... or Angel Grove.

Even in the dim twilight, Aisha saw the cause of the chaos. An enormous creature stood less than a quarter mile from the school, waving what looked like a large red pole. The pole struck everything in its path; buildings, helicopters, and cars alike.

She knew the drill. The school had practiced for Monster Attack just like every other school had fire drills. Line up in single file, go to the underground shelter from the gym.

She yelped as a surprisingly harsh footfall made her lose her balance.

The creature had purposely stomped on a patrol car.

Shaking her head to orient herself, Aisha dragged herself to her feet and dashed back toward the building.

"It's coming this way," she gasped, her heart throbbing in her chest, "It's coming right for us!"

* * *

Two figures stood just outside the Command Center, peering down the steep, jagged cliff that elevated the secret base of the Power Rangers well above prying eyes.

"Let the driving lesson begin," Tommy murmured, pulling the saber from its hilt. He gazed at the sword in mute awe, again taking in the perfectly sculpted tiger's head that topped the handle.

"Didn't anyone teach you it's rude to stare?" a cultured voice suddenly spoke.

Tommy jumped, dropping the sword in surprise.

Both he and Alexis stared at the weapon that groaned "Oww" upon impact.

The Purple Ranger blinked. "Did that sword just... talk?"

"And it's even ruder to drop someone on their face!" the saber growled. This time, the voice was more than a little miffed.

A faint white aura built around the blade, and suddenly, the saber floated to eye level with its new partner. "So, you're the White Ranger?" he muttered, "I take it you've never seen a talking saber before?"

Tommy blinked as his thought processes slowly digested this latest development.

"Alpha did say I was 'enchanted,'" Saba pointed out, his tone slightly mocking, "What did you think that meant?"

"I... don't know," Tommy admitted, "I figured you fired laser beams or something."

Saba huffed. "Any saber worth it's steel can do that!"

Alexis felt her surprise fade, and began giggling. "I think I'll leave you two to get acquainted," she decided, golden wings carrying her into the air.

Tommy watched the Purple Ranger's timely retreat, and then turned his incredulous gaze back to his new "partner."

"Unless I misheard Zordon's direction, time is of the essence," Saba drawled, "Perhaps you should collect your limited wits and summon the White Tigerzord?"

Tommy frowned at the insult to his intelligence, but did as he was told. "White Tigerzord!"

In response to its master's voice, the earth rumbled as the powerful White Tigerzord raced into view, leaping into the air to gracefully land in the barren desert surrounding the cliffs.

"Whoa," Tommy awed.

"Teenagers," Saba sighed.

* * *

"Whoa," Alexis gasped, watching the gleaming white beast pause in the open field. From her vantage point, she could see Tommy's arms waving, possibly trying to communicate with the Zord.

Oddly, the Zord ran backwards, and somehow managed to flip onto its back, flailing its legs helplessly.

Tommy fell at the impact the Zord had created, and then seemed to direct his attention to Saba. Even from a distance, Alexis could hear Saba's screeching.

"I can't believe a sword could be so prissy!" she marveled, giggling at the very thought of it. But soon, the Tigerzord returned to its feet, and seemed to move smoothly after that.

"Okay, now for my Zord," she whispered, closing her eyes. Even though she'd never encountered the Eaglezord first hand, a part of her felt the bond between her coin and the battle machine. Apparently, that link was just another aspect of the Power.

Time to wake up, Eaglezord... the world needs you again.

* * *

Hundreds of thousands of miles away, the surface of the moon rocked. Sand and stone shifted under the spell of the tremor, startling Lord Zedd enough to leap from his throne in alarm.

Goldar raced into the throne room, eyes wide. "Sire! We're under attack!"

"Shut up, idiot!" Zedd hissed, steadying himself with his scepter, "The Rangers are occupied with the Nimrod! This is something... else..."

Carefully, the Emperor made his way to the balcony. Grasping the iron rail, red light flowed from his visor, magnifying the horizon from which the rumbling originated.

He gasped in surprise as a metallic bird shrieked to life, blasting from its dusty grave like a phoenix.

Before Zedd could even breathe, the vessel tore through the air, leaving a purple energy trail as it rocketed towards Earth.

"By all that is Evil..." he murmured, "There was a Zord buried on my moon... and no one told me?!"

Goldar wisely made himself as inconspicuous as possible.

* * *

The Red Ranger gnashed teeth as he stared at the columns of dense smoke that rose from smoldering buildings. Dozens of police vehicles were nothing but crumbled sheets of metal, destroyed beyond recognition.

The creature had damaged several border neighborhoods of Angel Grove, culminating her wanton destruction in Stone Canyon itself... all because the Rangers delayed in doing something about it.

Jason swallowed as the Nimrod shook off heavy gunfire like rainwater, and continued her path of destruction...

...straight toward Stone Canyon High School.

^What the hell is she tryin' to prove?^ Zack growled over the intercom.

^We've got to stop her!^ Kim admonished.

^We're really low on space,^ Trini pointed out, ^If we fight in Megazord form here, we'll only make things worse!^

"New plan," Jason decided, "I'll try to redirect Nimrod. Kim, you help me out. Hopefully, since we're airborne, we'll minimize damage."

^And the rest of us?^ Billy inquired.

"Get down there. Make sure all rescue workers are out of the way, and check if anyone's lingering in the school. I see lights on in there."

* * *

"Ah!" Aisha hissed, drawing her arm back hastily. She cringed at the streak of red blood that quickly soaked through her sleeve.

There's glass everywhere... she noted in dismay.

Biting her lip against the pain, she struggled to her feet once again, carefully maintaining her balance against the more oppressive pounding that shattered every single window on the east wing of the school building.

She looked up at the sky to see what had caused the newest rash of quakes. Her eyes widened at the blazing fire that lit the night sky, pouring from the throat of a red and silver leviathan that floated weightlessly in the heavens.

"The Power Rangers!" she gasped, the pain in her arm forgotten. She watched in awe as the mechanical beast wedged its glimmering teeth into the arm of the slim monster, catching its opponent halfway through a swing that could have sliced a building in half had it landed.

"Hey! Are you okay, Miss?"

Aisha jumped at the disembodied voice, turning full circle. No one was visible.

The speaker responded by leaping off the roof of the tall high school, somersaulting until she landed gracefully just feet from the startled girl.

"Yellow Ranger," Aisha gasped reverently.

Yellow's head tilted down, apparently noticing in the sharp glass that covered the grass.

She reached out to grasp Aisha's arm gently. "You're badly wounded."

"Not really," Aisha responded, gazing at the wound, "The amount of blood is misleading. It might need a few stitches, but I'm pretty lucky. I could've ruptured a vein."

Yellow gazed at her, clearly impressed. "You know first aid?"
Aisha nodded proudly. "My dad's a doctor, so basic medicine is what we talk about over dinner."

To demonstrate her knowledge of dressing wounds, Aisha tore the sleeve off her uninjured arm. Holding one end with her teeth, she deftly wrapped the yellow cotton around the wound tightly, knotting the ends together.

Both girls turned around when the screeching of metal assailed their ears.

"Pink!" Trini gasped, staring in horror as the Firebird Thunderzord collided with the red pole of the creature. The Nimrod laughed deeply, redoubling its efforts to knock the mighty Red Dragon from the skies.

Yellow shook her head to recover her bearings, and then grasped Aisha's shoulder. "How many people would be in the school after-hours?"

"By now... none," Aisha reported, "We've got an underground bomb shelter, and it's policy to evacuate when the Monster Alarm goes off."

Yellow sighed in relief. "Good. Then get yourself in there pronto."

Aisha nodded, hurrying back into the school. Yellow raised her wrist. "Guys, the building's been evacuated. There's an underground bomb shelter, so everyone should be okay."

^Good work, Yellow!^ Blue commented.

^Excellent!^ Black added, ^We're heading back to the Zords.^

* * *

Nimrod's cackle wheezed into a groan of pain as the thick tail of the Red Dragon speared into her abdomen, just beneath the rock encasing.

The monster's eyes narrowed when he noted the appearance of the Griffin, Unicorn, and Lion, all carefully gliding down the emptied streets of the abandoned neighborhood.

The Scarlet Sentinel responded to the new challenge with a cruel smirk. "Time to up the stakes, Rangers!"

Faster than any Zord could respond, Nimrod flipped into the air. All the Rangers could do is watch in horror as the behemoth dropped to the ground... right into the east wing of Stone Canyon High School.

"Oh my God!" Kimberly gasped, "The school!"

* * *

Miles away, the White Tigerzord stood stationary, head angled towards Angel Grove. Its eyes glowed faintly, as if it were staring past the horizon.

Even from the distance of the cliffs bordering the coast, columns of thick smoke were visible.

Within the Tigerzord, the White Ranger got a far different view... thanks to the satellite link that allowed the Zord to see anything that happened on the face of the planet.

^Oh my God!^ Tommy heard his girlfriend fret, ^The school!^

Tommy clenched his fist in anger as he silently poured over the situation.

"Let's move, White Ranger!" Saba huffed, "I thought your job was to protect people."

"Maybe if you and I worked together, we might actually be useful!" Tommy hissed, his voice uncharacteristically dangerous.

Saba blinked his ruby eyes. "Well... I suppose-"

"If we dash head first into Stone Canyon, we'll only make things worse," Tommy rationalized, "I'm new at the wheel, and I might wind up leveling buildings just trying to reach the others. We need to get that thing to a reasonable battleground."

Tommy chewed his lip, fingers hovering hesitantly over a panel of keys. "Uh... is this the control panel for the view screen?"

"Yes, but you don't know how to use it," Saba pointed out.

"Then you do it."

Saba didn't answer, but Tommy saw the keys depress on their own. The view screen that displayed the horrifying destruction of Stone Canyon pulled out, covering a greater area but neglecting detail.

"Keep going," the White Ranger urged, "We're looking for a wide open space. Anything... so long as it's pretty close to the school."

"How about this," Saba asked. A white cube appeared over a green patch. "It's Stone Canyon's athletic field. Over 130 yards of empty space, and it's nearly a quarter mile from the school, up a hill."

Tommy huffed. "What's near it?"

"No houses, if that's your concern. The football and soccer fields are about a hundred yards apart. There are metal bleachers and food stands, but definitely no people visible on satellite."

"Perfect. Thanks, partner."

The edges of Saba's mouth quirked up just a little.

"Jason, this is Tommy. Do you read?"

^Yeah, Bro... tell me you're ready to rumble.^

"Definitely. But not there! Listen Bro, think you can carry Nimrod?"

^If she's as light as she looks, I can probably get her off the ground. But not for long.^

"There's an empty football field about a quarter mile north of where you are. It's on a hill... you might be able to see it."

^To the north? Yeah... I see it.^

"I'll meet you there."

Tommy then switched off the direct link to the Red Dragon, and connected to the all-call. "Okay everyone, new plan. Head for the football field north of Stone Canyon High."

* * *

^She's moving too fast,^ Jason groaned over the communicator, ^I can't get my claws on her!^

Kimberly frowned, hands clenching on the steering rods. "Maybe I can help."
She held her breath, and released it slowly as she pulled closer to the wily Nimrod. The last time she'd gotten particularly close, the beast nearly knocked her clear out of the sky. Her ears still rang from the deafening clang of metal on metal as the rod smacked the underbelly of the Firebird as if she were a golf ball.

"All right, big, tall, and gruesome..." she murmured, steering the agile Zord above Nimrod's head, "let's see if you like a visit to Oz."

She smirked, watching Nimrod's head angle up towards her. "Firebird Cyclone... Activated!"

Kim pressed the commands, and watched as pink energy swirled below her, creating a tornado that spun Nimrod so quickly it blurred out of view.

* * *

"Eaglezord," Alexis gasped, her eyes watching the glint of metal that descended from the twilight sky, "you're beautiful..."

The Zord delivered a shriek, trumpeting its return to Earth's atmosphere after ten thousand years of exile on the barren lunar surface. The Zord's wings were spread open, the mirror-like feathers resembling highly-polished sterling silver. Countless metal feathers lay nestled together, the top layers changing tint to purple hues. The body of the Zord was sleek, individual metal feathers ranging from deep purple to glistening silver, with a fan of ivory white feathers as the tail. Finally, the head of the Zord was covered in sheets of perfect white metal, its curved beak gleaming in the remaining sunlight.

The Zord was so incredibly bright it was almost impossible to look at directly. The polished metal reflected all the light directed towards it, and its own purple luminescence trailed like a comet's tail as it streaked downward.

After it cleared the height of the Command Center, the Eaglezord angled horizontal to the Earth, wings flapping once as its silver legs hung downward. However, rather than land on the dry ground, it hovered in the air at eye level with the floating Purple Ranger.

Alexis stared as the ruby eyes of the Zord seemed to glow. Maybe it was her imagination... but for some odd reason, those eyes seemed to stare right at her.

The Purple Ranger blinked to break the illusion, but that eerie glint of intelligence remained.

"Maybe I have a partner after all..."

* * *

Nimrod murmured quietly, gasping to reorient herself as the towering skyscrapers of Stone Canyon buzzed passed her in a sickening swirl. Thankfully, the beast had no digestive system to speak of, or whatever would have been in it would surely have seen the light of day once again.

The Sentinel continued stumbling helplessly, even after the streaks of pink laser vanished from sight. Slowly, her dazed thought process recognized that meant the Pink Ranger's surprise attack had run its course. But while the winds rapidly died down to normal, Nimrod still couldn't find her footing.

Before she could collapse into an uncoordinated heap, she gasped as razors pinched into her shoulders.

Suddenly, she was airborne, hanging limp as the decimated school building grew smaller and smaller.

Nimrod blinked, watching the smoldering building disappear, slowly replaced by a parking lot, stretches of concrete, wide planes of grass, and finally... a row of Thunderzords silently awaiting her arrival.

The sight of the Power Rangers shook the creature to his senses. Quickly, her arms reached up, catching the cold iron claws that held her in the air.

"Think you can hold me, Ranger?" she hissed. Balancing her weight through her arms, Nimrod swung her body forward. The rocking caused the Red Dragonzord to waver in its path towards the green field, pulling the Zord closer to the ground.

The Scarlet Sentinel chuckled at her impending victory. "You're grounded, Red Ranger!"

With unnatural speed and precision, Nimrod plowed her heavy feet directly into the neck of the Red Dragonzord. The machine screeched, sparks and flames jutting from the terrible hit it had taken.

Nimrod giggled cruelly, wiggling out of the Red Ranger's loosened grip. She dropped lazily to the ground, and watched gleefully as the Red Dragon began to spin uncontrollably.

The sickening echo of crunching metal tore through the air as the Thunderzord crashed into the bleachers, reducing the grid into a pile of smoking, melted, twisted metal.

* * *

^Jason! Can you hear me? Ohmigosh... please answer me!^

Jason groaned, opening his eyes slowly. For some reason, he felt obscenely dizzy, and his arms simply didn't want to do anything but hang... up?

I'm upside down... he realized. With a frustrated huff, Jason struggled to regain his bearings, and activated his communicator. "I'm... I'm fine, Kim," he breathed, "I'm okay, guys."

Then, a new voice came over the intercom. ^Aye yi yi! Jason-!^

"I'm okay, Alpha," Jason grumbled. He didn't intend to inflect irritation, but it was there.

^CAN YOU ASSESS THE DAMAGES DONE TO YOUR ZORD?^

Jason struggled to regulate his breathing as he played with each control panel. "Impact damage minimal... just a few dents. I'm more worried about the bleachers than the Zord. But... I'm getting structural integrity damage... dammit!"

^JASON?^

The Red Ranger grit his teeth in impotent fury. "When Nimrod kicked my neck, she fractured the steel caging beneath the armor. I can't Morph the Zord at all..."

His hand smacked against his helmet. "No Megazord..."

After a momentary silence, Zordon's calm voice returned. ^JASON, TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY. ALPHA V WILL SEND THE RED DRAGON INTO THE ZORD HANGAR, AND DETERMINE HOW QUICKLY THE MEGAZORD-MORPH SEQUENCE CAN BE REPAIRED.^

Jason opened his mouth to argue, but clamped it shut. Rather than respond, he tapped his wrist unit, and vanished in a ruby sheen of energy.

* * *

The Black Ranger watched as the Red Dragon disappeared into the night, leaving the charred remains of the Stone Canyon High School bleachers in its wake.

He sighed deeply, shifting his view to Nimrod's raucous laughter. "Guys, we're royally screwed."

Trini's measured voice responded. ^Zack, there's no need to be so dramatic.^

"Fine. Then we're not royally screwed. We're just screwed."

Then, Nimrod's laughing fit eased, and the monster stood up straight again. ^Well Rangers,^ her screeching voice declared, ^even with your leader's departure, this battle is still quite unfair. Five to one, eh? Maybe I can even the odds just a bit...^

Zack's dark eyes widened in horror as the Nimrod extended her arms fully, one at each side. Yellow and pink energy erupted from her temples, stretching out into the air and slowly taking shape.

Zack sighed again, shaking his head in disbelief when the two amorphous light formations transmuted into two more colossal soldiers, each the size of Nimrod herself.

"I take that back, Trini. We are royally screwed!"

* * *

"Okay, Saba... advise me on all the Morphin' sequences White Tigerzord is capable of. Please tell me this is a true Thunderzord!"

"Yes, it is. It is very similar to the Red Dragonzord, as a matter of fact. It can transform from Animal to Battle Mode-"

"And can it Morph with the others? Like the Dragonzord did with the Dinozords?"

"Yes... the Mega Tigerzord. The Thunderzords the others are piloting have always been programmed for the addition of a sixth Zord. They should be able to activate the sequence."

"Good. Now, here's the million-dollar question: does the Mega Tigerzord need the Red Dragon?"

Saba grinned. "Fortunately, no. The Tigerzord replaces the Red Dragon in the Megazord formation. And it is more powerful than the Thunder Megazord."

Tommy smirked. "Nimrod's sure in for a major surprise!"

* * *

Billy ducked his head instinctively as he angled the Unicorn's head down, just missing what would have been a staggering kick from the creature he had dubbed 'Clone One'.

His experienced fingers flew from steering to weapons, letting loose with energy beams launching from the metal horn on his Zord's forehead.

The Blue Ranger found himself smugly surprised as the energy bolts made contact, sweeping Clone One off its legs.

A quick shift in his attention led Billy to realize that Trini and Zack fared equally well against Clone Two.

It would appear these two clones are inferior to the original, the genius analyzed, Not a match in terms of dexterity, endurance, or sheer strength and speed. But the presence of three targets rather than one does complicate matters, and Nimrod doesn't appear any weaker after splitting herself into thirds.

Billy then watched the others. Kimberly was continuing their engagement with Clone One, keeping the creature off balance with a few well-placed laser strikes, while the Tigerzord and Nimrod circled each other warily.

Then, something happened. A faint glow of energy washed over the Tigerzord, lifting the machine onto two feet... connected to two long, humanoid legs.

"The Tigerzord has a humanoid Battle Mode, just like the Red Dragon," Billy realized. He watched in awe as the Zord stood eye to eye with Nimrod, a golden saber clutched in its anthropomorphic arm.

"Prodigious..."

* * *

"This Nimrod is sure tougher than she looks," Tommy muttered unnecessarily. So far, his shift into Battle Mode had yet to give him the upper hand. Nimrod's rod blocked Tigerzord's saber blow for blow, neither getting a decent hit in.

"Tommy, this might interest you," Saba piped up, "It seems the other Rangers are doing quite well against the two clones Nimrod manifested."

"Good. Maybe they can help me when they're done."

"Perhaps, rather than spreading out our resources, we should channel them together against a target."

Tommy frowned thoughtfully, backing away from Nimrod to give himself space to think. "But can the Mega Tigerzord take on three oppon-?"

His thoughts were lost as a loud, mighty caw cut through his speakers.

^Whoops! I guess that's the horn!^

"Alexis! Where've you been?"

^Getting a hang of this baby!^ she giggled, her excitement obvious, ^Sound barrier... eat my dust!^

Tommy couldn't help but chuckle as he watched a flying purple and silver object torpedo past him, zipping right over the heads of the tallest fighters. Nimrod was distracted enough to watch the newest Zord pass, leaving her wide open for a bone-crunching jab to her granite chest.

"Guys!" Tommy called into his communicator, "Assemble by the south goal post! Alexis, you run interference."

^You got it, Tiger!^

* * *

Nimrod yelped as the large flying Zord appeared out of nowhere, cutting far too close to the top of her head for her liking. Forgetting about her opponent for the moment, she carefully watched the new machine tear through the skies, emitting a fierce cry as it circled the smoldering battleground.

That Zord isn't doing anything...she recognized, warily watching the Eaglezord slip between one clone and the Lion.

Then, the Sentinel noticed something unexpected... the Thunderzords were retreating.

Or... regrouping.

She smirked. "We've got them on the run, Brothers!" she declared, hands falling to her slim hips, "Now, our victory is in sight!"

* * *

Tommy smiled smugly, his hand grasping a central control lever. "Ready, Rangers?"

^Ready!^ came the unanimous reply.

"Activate Mega Tigerzord sequence... now!"

He pulled the lever toward him, and watched white light bathe his battle machine.

Some limbs folded, as others extended. Craniums and chest plates split apart, revealing clamps, hooks, and new anatomy.

Nimrod and her partners watched in mute surprise as five Zords reshaped and reformed, floating towards each other and snapping together at joints.

The Unicorn and Griffin morphed into two legs, that then snapped into the shortened legs of the Tigerzord in Battle Mode. The Lion split apart, its legs connecting to the Tigerzord's shoulders, while the body transformed into the Mega Tigerzord's chest. The Firebird folded around the right arm, it's ornate gold tail creating a sharp, jagged blade.

Within the cockpit of the Zord, the Rangers all assembled at their stations, with the White Ranger settled in the center.

"Nice," Zack commented, nodding his approval, "Thunder Megazord 2.0!"

"What kind of offensive capabilities does this have?" Billy wondered.
Kimberly grinned widely beneath her helmet, eyes dancing across the control screen fed to her from the Firebird component. "Leave that to me! Just try and get the Sentinels lined up for one shot."

* * *

Nimrod nodded her head, and the two other Sentinels hurried forward, each targeting an opposite side of the new Megazord.

Impossibly, the bulky Zord managed to stay toe to toe with both monsters at once, swift arms blocking and assaulting with force even greater than the clones could muster.

Nimrod gawked in naked surprise as the Zord's right hand clenched around the forearm of the yellow Sentinel. With apparently no effort, Mega Tigerzord tossed the wiry monster into the pink Sentinel, sending both crashing to the ground with a resounding *thud*.

"Get up!" Nimrod snarled, "I won't be humiliated by a pack of-"

She never finished her sentence. Instead, a building aura of red light turned her attention to the Megazord.

Its left arm was held out, the Firebird Zord catching fire. Suddenly, the Zord leapt from its position wrapped around the Megazord's forearm, radiant heat cloaking the hull as it tore through the sky.

It ripped right through both clones, atomizing them on impact.

Nimrod blinked, realization slowly dawning that the Rangers were far more formidable than they had been earlier that afternoon. Far more formidable than they should have been, given the absence of the Red Ranger.

Biting back an infuriated growl, the limber Scarlet Sentinel pivoted, and dashed away from the football field.

* * *

Alexis laughed as her view screen displayed the Mega Tigerzord's victory pose, the Firebird sliding back into place amidst the smoldering fire of the Rangers' newest finishing attack.

Then, she noticed one opponent remained.

"Oh hell no!" she declared, the Eaglezord taking off from its perch atop the high school, "You're gonna sit and take your medicine, Nimrod!"

The Eaglezord tore through the sky, angling to cut off Nimrod before it could reach the school, and any other more populated areas. A cruel smirk on her lips, her right hand descended to the primary weapon controls.

"Wing Blades... fire!"

* * *

Nimrod dove for the ground as the Eaglezord seemed to appear out of nowhere, angling right for her. She hit the ground with a loud crash, scrambling to her feet to swat the pesky Zord from the skies.

However, rather than turn around for a second swoop, Eaglezord rose slightly, flattening its wings until they lay perfectly perpendicular with the Scarlet Sentinel's towering form.

Flames emitted from beneath the wings, and suddenly, a dozen or so of the silver "feathers" that lined the bottom of the wing zipped towards Nimrod like missiles.

Only these projectiles were only feather like in appearance... for in truth they were thin, eight-foot long double edged swords, every edge sharpened to such a fine point that they could slice through nearly any surface.

Half the Wing Blades made contact, despite Nimrod's desperate attempt to destroy them with her rod. Nimrod screeched, staggering backwards to make as much room as she could between herself and the surprisingly deadly aerial Zord.

In her confused state, Nimrod didn't even notice the Mega Tigerzord until its iron fist landed directly into the creature's granite nose.

* * *

"Yesss!" Jason bellowed, pumping his mighty fist in the air. Every fiber of his being was focused exclusively on the battle that took place within the sloped sphere of the Viewing Globe.

He smirked gleefully when the Mega Tigerzord landed a second expert punch, sending the struggling Scarlet Sentinel reeling.

His smirk softened into a genuine smile. A smile of joy... a smile of pride. For the White Ranger was simply awe-inspiring... and knowing it was Tommy behind the white and gold helmet made the coming victory all the sweeter.

"Zordon," the Red Ranger spoke, his eyes never leaving the Viewing Globe, "Thanks for giving Tommy this second chance. Being a Ranger means so much to him."

Zordon nodded from within his crystal cylinder. "TOMMY HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE AN EXCELLENT YOUNG MAN," the sage agreed. "HE HAS MASTERED THE FIGHTING ABILITIES OF THE POWER RANGERS VERY WELL." Zordon fell silent for a moment, before he completed his thought. "I FEEL HE WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT LEADER."

It took a long moment before Jason actually registered what his mentor had said. No... not "would" make an excellent leader... "will."

Suddenly, the leader of the Power Rangers found it very difficult to breathe.

"Jason?" Alpha murmured.

"ALPHA, I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE LEFT THE PHASE-CAPACITANCE PROGRAM RUNNING," Zordon suddenly announced. "I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD ENTER THE HIDDEN CHAMBER AND DEACTIVATE IT."

After ten thousand years in Zordon's service, Alpha was able to recognize a dismissal when he heard it. "Aye yi yi..." he sighed, scuttling to the control panel.

Jason barely registered the flash of light through which the robot departed. Instead, he found himself staring at his hands, clenched into tight fists in front of him.

"Y... you're right, Zordon," Jason decided, his voice painfully toneless. "He's much stronger than I am. And he never messed up. It was my fault he lost his powers in the first place... it's only fair I step down..." he paused, taking a long, steady breath. "He deserves it."

"MY DECISION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR RELATIVE STRENGTH, OR YOUR PERCEIVED MISTAKES," Zordon assured him, his booming voice uncharacteristically soft. "LOOK AT THE VIEWING GLOBE, AND TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE."

Jason inclined his head, glassy eyes drinking in the sight of flames as Nimrod exploded. "They've destroyed the monster. Without me..."

At first, Jason felt a dull pain in the core of his being. They don't need me...they don't even need my Zord!

But then, another thought came to him. He watched quietly as the Viewing Globe's screen entered the cockpit of the Mega Tigerzord once again.

Despite the questions swimming in his mind, or the devastating wound his pride had just endured, a small smile graced his lips. "Tommy's in the cockpit. He was never in the cockpit before... he always used his flute to control the Dragonzord remotely."

Zordon beamed with pride at Jason's observation. "EXACTLY. FOR ALL OF TOMMY'S SKILLS, HE ALWAYS LACKED THE SENSE OF UNITY THE REST OF YOU RANGERS DISPLAY. THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE GREEN COIN. HE SERVED ON THE PERIPHERY... AND WHILE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS WERE ALWAYS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TEAM, HE LACKED THE TEAM PERSPECTIVE. I FEEL THE ADDED RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LEADERSHIP MAY HELP HIM DEVELOP A NEW OUTLOOK, AND A BATTLE STRATEGY THAT INCORPORATES THE SKILLS OF THOSE AROUND HIM."

Jason nodded, slowly pulling off his helmet. For the first time since the stunning announcement, he turned to his mentor and met his gaze. "I... see."

"IT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE STRENGTH OF YOUR TEAMMATES."

Jason blinked at the connotation. "I know they're strong!" he countered, his tone defensive.

"JASON, WHEN YOU INSIST UPON TAKING EVERY RISK, YOU SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE OTHER RANGERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY THEMSELVES," Zordon explained patiently. "LOOK AGAIN AT THE GLOBE."

With an audible exhalation, Jason did as his mentor asked.

"LOOK AT YOUR TEAMMATES, WHO RISE TO TAKE UP EVERY CHALLENGE WITH YOU. LOOK AT THE SHOULDERS THAT CAN HELP ALLEVIATE YOUR BURDEN... BUT ONLY IF YOU LET THEM. LEARN TO RELY UPON THEM, AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS RELIED UPON YOU."

Jason stared at his team... at his friends... as they cheered excitedly at their victory. And the pride that first swelled his heart bubbled forth again at their victory. Their strength.

A burst of purple energy dissolved Jason's contemplation. He turned around just in time to see Alexis tear off her helmet, shaking her head to loosen her copper hair.

"Did you see the Eaglezord?" she gushed, hurrying to the Red Ranger's side, "She's sooo cool..."

Alexis continued to bubble about her Zord, but Jason didn't hear the rest. "She"? Alexis thinks of the Eaglezord as an actual person! Just like Tommy and the Dragonzord...

He felt his concern rise, remembering Zordon's comments from just moments ago. She's just like Tommy...a periphery Ranger.

And as such, she was in the same danger that Tommy had been... of fighting a battle all on her own, serving as a "lone" Ranger instead of cooperating with the efforts of the remaining team.

"Lex," he suddenly blurted, "you did great today."

The Purple Ranger immediately shut up, staring in blatant surprise. But soon, the surprise melted into a hesitant smile. "...Thanks."

"I... I want you to know that you're a part of this team," Jason continued.

Alexis' eyebrow rose. "Well, duh."

Her brash answer brought the smile back to Jason's face. "I'm serious. I know the Dragon and the Eagle are supposed to be their own little team, but don't ever think you're alone. Those wings and that shield don't matter... you're just as much a member of this team as me."

Alexis found herself staring at him again, mildly perplexed at the comment. Yet... she couldn't deny that on some level, she really needed to hear that.

Deep down, she needed that reassurance... that she belonged, despite the fact that her Zord didn't merge with everyone else's, or her weapon didn't snap together with the other ones.

Without warning, the overwhelmed Purple Ranger threw her arms around Jason's neck, hugging him fiercely.

Jason gaped at her reaction, before finally winding his arms around her in return.

The embrace lingered... longer than either one had intended or expected it to.

"Ahem... did we come at a bad time?" Zack called.

The Red and Purple Rangers pulled apart immediately. Alexis blushed at the attention of her fellow Rangers, but Jason laughed off the embarrassment with ease.

"Not a bad job at all, guys!" he said, trading high fives with his team, "With that new Mega Tigerzord on the watch, I can take a vacation!"

Tommy's eyes widened.

"YOU HAVE ALL PERFORMED EXCELLENTLY," Zordon stated, "THE SCARLET SENTINEL WAS ONE OF LORD ZEDD'S MOST DEVIOUS MONSTERS, AND YET YOU PREVAILED."

Then, his bold blue gaze fell to the White Ranger. "AND TOMMY, YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF CAPABLE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY I NOW PLACE ON YOUR SHOULDERS..."

Tommy held his breath.

"...AS THE NEW LEADER OF THE POWER RANGERS."

While Tommy kept his head held up to Zordon, he found he couldn't meet his mentor's eyes. Or turn around, and face the bewildered stares of his teammates. His friends.

Especially his best friend.

Zack, Kim, Trini, and Billy were completely thunderstruck at the news. Slowly, the shock wore off, replaced by a dull sense of confusion as they shifted their gazes from Zordon, to Tommy, to Jason, and then to each other.

Alexis found she couldn't take her eyes off of Jason... who seemed far less shaken than everyone else in the room.

After a lengthy silence, Jason stepped forward. Gently, he placed his hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You're gonna be a great leader, Bro."

Tommy turned, his face guilt-ridden. "Jase-"

The Red Ranger lifted his finger. "If you think I'm gonna let you stand there and apologize, you've been hit on the head one time too many. I, for one, and one-hundred and ten percent behind you."

For a long moment, Tommy's dark brown eyes stared intently into Jason's, disbelief plain on his face. But slowly, a faint grin conquered the White Ranger's crestfallen face. After their months of close friendship, Tommy had developed the insight to recognize when Jason was upset.

And to Tommy's utter astonishment... he wasn't.

An unbearable weight was lifted from his stalwart shoulders at the genuine smile on his predecessor's face. "All I can hope to do is follow in your footsteps, Bro."

Kimberly smiled, tears in her eyes at the exchange between the two great heroes. "Come on," she urged. The entire group convened around the Red and White Rangers, smiles on all their faces.

"We're all a team," Jason stated, holding out his fist, "Now, we're a team of seven... and Zedd doesn't stand a change against the new and improved Power Rangers!"

The others joined their fists with his, in a powerful display of strength, dedication, and most of all... unity.

* * *

"Jeez, Tommy... why is there so much stuff?" Zack groaned as he balanced a large box between his hands.

The new White Ranger grinned helplessly. "Hey, I practically moved in here!" he answered, waving his hand to encompass his uncle's Spartan cabin. "Since he's always busy racing all over the country, Uncle Jeff never much uses the place. I had to bring all the necessities with me- food, towels, bathroom stuff..."

"And you couldn't pack anything before we got here?" Kim grumbled as she haphazardly threw clothes into another cardboard box.

"No... I said 'the end of the week' in my letter," he reminded her. "I didn't plan on coming back to Angel Grove so suddenly." He couldn't suppress the fierce grin on his lips as he lifted his new Morpher. "I still can't believe it!"

Kim smiled serenely, bathing in the glow of Tommy's excitement. Absently, she began folding the green flannel shirt she pulled from the near-empty closet.

Tommy frowned thoughtfully, moving to stand beside the Pink Ranger. He reached into the box and lifted the checkered shirt. "Dear God... you guys let me leave the house in this?"

Both Kim and Zack answered with loud laughter.

"I think it's cute!" Kim retorted, snatching the item back and hugging it to her chest, "If you don't want it, I'll keep it."

A grin slowly pulled Tommy's face. "You know... hideous as it might be, it'd actually look fantastic on you."

She giggled in response, holding it up to her shoulders as if to model the article. "You think?"

His hands joined hers at her shoulders. "Just about anything looks fantastic on you."

Tommy lowered his head as his eyes closed, his intention obvious. But as the reunited couple inched closer together, the sudden choke of poorly-contained snickering ruined the moment.

Both looked up, and gave the mirthful Black Ranger a baleful glower.

"'Just about anything looks fantastic on you'," Zack repeated under his breath. "Dear God, you guys are worse than newlyweds..."

"Ha ha," Tommy grumbled.

The sound of Tommy's scornful laugh killed the smirk on Zack's face. "Uh... I think Trini, Billy, and Jase will need my help packing up the cars..." he muttered, hurrying outside.

Tommy shook his head, inhaling slowly. Kimberly held her hand to her lips, trying her best to fight her own laughter.

"Kim!" Tommy whined.

"I'm not laughing at you!" she insisted, though the glimmer in her eye said otherwise.

Tommy sighed again.

Kim couldn't help it any longer; she laughed outright. Then, without warning, she grabbed the collar of Tommy's white polo shirt, and pulled him down for a tender kiss.

When their lips parted, Tommy was too surprised to speak.

"Glad to have you back, Tommy," Kim breathed, snuggling against his chest.

* * *

She was completely speechless.

Just five minutes ago, everything was rainbows and sunshine. The Rangers had destroyed Lord Zedd's newest fiend. While there was a great deal of damage to Stone Canyon, thankfully very few lives were lost. Also, Tommy was back in action, stronger than ever before. Even Jason seemed to be taking his unexpected demotion in stride.

All in all... a resounding victory.

But as she helped pack up Tommy's belongings with the others, in the effort to move him back to Angel Grove and get some ice cream to celebrate his restoration, she'd stumbled upon something disturbing.

Though, "stumble" didn't seem to be the right word. Something had pulled her to it; some kind of sensation. It had to be... for there was no logical reason why she'd felt the urge to dig through a box of neatly arranged bathroom supplies.

She'd found a green plastic soapbox. Normal enough... but she couldn't turn her eyes away.

So, she did the only thing she could. She opened it.

The Green Dragon Coin fell into her waiting palm.

And suddenly, all the joy and sunshine faded... just a bit.

Tommy's back, good as new, she reminded herself. I've only known him a few days, but I could tell how much it hurt him losing his powers.

But what she didn't realize, until that moment, was how much it hurt her that he had lost his powers.

And despite the fact that he'd been restored, the feeling wouldn't simply go away.

Tommy might be back, but the Green Ranger's gone, she reflected. For some reason she couldn't explain, her eyes stung at the thought. Now... I'm all alone.

Why did it hurt so much? She'd never really served with the Green Ranger anyway! Just one short battle, and suddenly, his loss felt like a burning wound in her heart.

Could it possibly be Kreia's influence? No... it can't be! The Morpher buries her thoughts... keeps our minds separate. It must have something to do with the Power... an affinity for my teammate beyond simple friendship.

Whatever explanation she could give it, the ache didn't lessen.

"Alexis? You still here?"

The Purple Ranger startled, jumping off the sink and quickly glancing at her reflection. Great... I actually look like I've been crying!

She sighed in defeat. "I'm coming!"

She pulled open the bathroom door, bowing her head at the surprised expression on her new leader's face.

"What happened?"

She couldn't explain what had happened... what had unnerved her to such a degree. Instead, she held out her hand.

Tommy sighed as he stared at his erstwhile coin. "I'm sorry, Lex. I didn't realize-"

She interrupted him with a frustrated huff. "Of course you didn't realize. It doesn't make any damn sense. I have no reason to be upset... none at all."

She laughed ruefully. "Zordon should've told me up front that my Power Coin would drive me insane. First, I buy every purple outfit at the mall. Then, I learn I have to live off plums and grapeade. And now... now I see this coin... so lifeless... and... and I..."

She couldn't complete her sentence. She pursed her lips, mutely staring at the golden dragon's paw.

She felt Tommy's strong hands on her shoulders.

"It makes perfect sense," he said quietly, "I've been there."

She stared up at him, questions lurking in her dark green gaze.

He nodded. "Absolutely. I could feel something... off when I was the Green Ranger. I never felt like I was really part of the team. There wasn't any solid reason behind it... I mean, the guys always did their best to make me feel like one of the gang. But for some reason, no matter how close I got to any of the Rangers, on the battlefield I was always a loner."

He shrugged. "The nature of the coin, I think. The other five are the Core Rangers, designed to work as a team. You and I... we were a team within a team. The Dragon and the Eagle. And neither of us got to really experience that."

He sighed again. "I know this sounds crazy... but I really miss being the Green Ranger. I know I'm more powerful now, and Saba's a real help... but... you're not gonna believe this... I miss Dragonzord."

Alexis giggled, causing her leader to grin sheepishly. "I think of him all alone, at the bottom of the ocean, never to move again... and I feel sick."

He then shook off his discomfort. "But this isn't about me," he recalled, "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about."

The Purple Ranger folded her arms, attempting to suppress a shiver. "I... I know it's completely irrational, but I feel like Batman without Robin. Or worse... Robin without Batman."

"The Power Rangers work as a team. And you're an integral part of the team... shiny shield or no shiny shield. I've always known that intellectually, but you have to believe it now."

Tommy watched as a perplexing grin suddenly pulled his teammate's despondent face.

"What?" he wondered, stepping back slightly, "You're not laughing at me too, are you?"

She almost laughed at the panic in his voice. "No... it's just that Jason said the exact same thing earlier."

"And you'd rather hear it from him, right?"

She stared at him, eyes wide. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Tommy pointed his thumb to the bathroom mirror. "You're blushing."

Her jaw hanging open, Alexis pivoted. Her hands flew to her pink cheeks. "Damn this pasty skin!" she hissed.

"You know..." he continued, trying to sound casual, "Jase isn't seeing anyone. And there is a Halloween Ball com-"

Alexis huffed, tossing a hand towel at her torturer. Tommy laughed as he caught the projectile effortlessly.

"You're definitely gonna need to work on your throw," he joked.

Her hand continued feeling around the packed box, a haughty smirk pulling her lip as slender fingers wrapped around something hard. "Really?"

Tommy's hands flew up in defeat at the bottle of cologne that emerged from the box. "Lex, that's stuff's expensive!"

She stared at his horrified expression, and fell into peals of laughter. Tommy joined her merriment, but expertly maneuvered his hand to snatch the cologne before she changed her mind.

"I think this is everything," Tommy remarked. He carefully hid the bottle beneath some towels, and folded the flaps of the final cardboard box to close it.

"What about this?" Alexis asked, holding out the Dragon Coin.

Tommy gazed at it for a moment, then hefted the closed box. "I really don't have a use for it. You keep it."

She frowned at the coin, wondering what she'd do with it. Then, a small smile appeared. "Thanks. I know just where to keep it."

Tommy grinned back, and began walking. "The others are outside waiting. And then it's off for ice cream."

"You know, Kim wanted to throw you a surprise party," Alexis informed him, "But with the 'saving the world' stuff, we didn't have time to prepare one."

Tommy smiled at the very mention of the Pink Ranger's name. "I thought she would, but I'd settle for ice cream with six great friends any day!"

Alexis smirked mischievously, poking the new White Ranger with her elbow. "Just be sure not to order pistachio. Rushing you to the hospital is not what I'd call a fun evening."

"So, they told you about that."

"Uh-huh."

Tommy grinned. "Not to worry. Suddenly, I've got this incredible craving for... vanilla."

The End