The Dragon and the Eagle

Part Four

With a toss of the head, Rita let the freshly brushed handful tumble behind her back. Then she separated another lock of hair, and the process began anew.

Of course, the sorceress could just as easily arrange her hair magically. In fact, that was the only way to create the tight cone-like twists that usually held her hair, keeping the long waves out of her way during the long day. But she found the practice of brushing her hair a relaxing luxury.

She'd been enjoying such simple pleasures much more often since her final victory of the Power Rangers.

True, she hadn't actually killed them yet; but that outcome was absolute... it was only a matter of time.

Goldar didn't know it, but he had dealt a fierce blow to the Power Rangers when four months ago, he and Scorpina attacked the Earth together. While both warriors returned to the palace battered and bloodied, they had unwittingly given Rita the greatest gift of all: the Green Ranger.

When Rita had finally emerged from her study, resolved to find some individual powerful enough to use the Sword of Darkness, Finster had immediately informed her of Goldar's plan to usurp her throne by defeating the Rangers himself. She was furious, but she managed to contain her wrath long enough to appreciate what was happening on Earth.

Somehow, the Green Ranger had changed. While previously he countered Rita's minions out of righteous indignation, on that occasion blind hatred and fury fueled his muscles.

The result was extraordinary. The Green Ranger was more powerful than ever... easily powerful enough to defeat any other single Ranger in combat. His anger allowed him to utilize the Power in a new and different way. His focus was impeccable as he plotted his revenge, and his cruelty knew no bounds. He wasn't far from killing his own teammate, and if left unchecked, he surely would've killed both Goldar and Scorpina without a second thought.

What had happened to the Green Ranger to cause this change? While Rita didn't quite understand, she saw a golden opportunity in the emerald hero.

He was a match for the Ranger team. With a little help from her magic, he would be undefeatable.

He was intelligent, savage, malicious, and impossibly strong. And the Sword of Darkness would only harness his fury and amplify it.

The Green Ranger, armed with the Sword of Darkness, would be the most powerful warrior in the galaxy.

It was simply delicious... using the Green Ranger to defeat his own dear allies! Surely, the other six Rangers would hesitate to engage their friend, making them all the more susceptible to his power. The Evil the Sword of Darkness contained would drown out all the love and devotion he once had for Earth, and make him the ultimate warrior.

She finally had the perfect specimen.

Rita was fortunate enough to manage to teleport the injured Green Ranger to her palace, along with Scorpina and Goldar. After making sure he was securely bound in the cellar, Rita had dealt admirably with the two rebellious warriors.

Goldar had lost his wings, but he was still a powerful warrior. And over the months of relative peace, he had made an admirable recovery. He regained proper balance, and while he was slightly slower than before, he still managed to hone battle techniques no longer relying upon the added agility his wings had given him.

And now, finally, Rita had broken his rebellious spirit. He was as obedient as a puppy, cowering whenever she threw a temper tantrum. True, he still certainly hated her... especially since he learned Scorpina had been banished... but he would never disobey her again.

That was all she needed. She had a soldier she could trust. And soon, preparations would be complete for her a new warrior... a warrior without peer.

A gentle, almost hesitant knock roused the queen from her musings. She smirked, laying the brush on her vanity and turning around.

"Come in, Goldar," she called. The towering warrior obliged, slowly opening the door and bowing the moment his eyes fell upon his manic queen.

"We have received word from Finster," he reported.

Rita clapped her hands gleefully. "Wonderful! Has he found everything?"

Goldar nodded, carefully keeping his head bowed. "He has just procured a sliver of malacite ore at an auction on Onyx, and completed negotiations with an Inquiran trader for a dozen blood rubies of Aphagnia. He is on his way back now."

Rita's smile widened. "He should be back within a week! I believe it is time to begin preparing my Knight for his destiny."

Goldar scowled, but the angle of his head hid the deep-set frown.

"Have you fed him yet today?"

"No, my Queen."

"I'll take him his meal, then."

Baboo sighed, stretching his feathered limbs as he leaned against the cold wall behind him. He frowned as he turned his gaze toward his charge.

As usual, the human boy lay in a corner of the dank cell, with his face to the wall. It was impossible to tell whether he was asleep or awake, especially given the darkness of the dungeon. It chilled Baboo to think that he may spend all his time plotting something.

Four months... that is how long they've had this particular guest. But on the whole, conditions had gotten much better. When the Green Ranger was first captured, he awoke to find himself in the cell. With a cry of rage, he morphed and managed to break free.

Baboo nearly got himself killed, for he happened to be the guard the moment the human regained consciousness.

Fortunately, Rita was nearby, and her magical spell forced the human to surrender. With a surprising amount of effort, Rita managed to erect a dampening spell to prevent him from morphin' again.

The following week, Rita had finally figured out the key to his powers... the black brand on his palm. By channeling black magic into his body, she forced the Power to reject him. The brand suddenly became a gold coin, which Rita quickly snatched and took with her to her study for closer inspection.

Now, the Green Ranger was powerless; but he was far from helpless.

First, he refused to eat. Both Squatt and Baboo were constantly assaulted by flying food particles and plates whenever they attempted to feed the boy. In fact, on one occasion Baboo suffered a broken nose for daring to step within arm's reach of the prisoner.

The human was resolved to die. But for some reason, Rita wouldn't allow it. So she personally made sure he ate enough to live, by casting a spell to temporarily hypnotize the stubborn human long enough for him to eat his meal.

Eventually, he learned the futility of his rebellion, and elected to eat of his own will.

But while he had gradually become quite passive, Baboo couldn't help but be terrified.

The boy's eyes sent chills up the alien's spine. They carried such bitter hatred that Baboo could've sworn he felt pain just by making eye contact.

He so hated guard duty, but there was little else to do. Especially since Rita had suspended her invasion plans ever since the Green Ranger's capture...

"Baboo? Get over here!"

Baboo jumped, genuinely surprised to hear the screeching voice of the queen in the lowly dungeons. He scrambled to his feet, and bowed as Rita passed him, carrying a meal tray.

He looked in wonder at a small crystal globe with swirling gold smoke trapped within.

"Y... yes, Your Wonderfulness?" he breathed.

"You are now off duty," she informed him, jerking her head to the exit, "Get lost. And sent Squatt in for his shift in ten minutes." She smiled. "I wish an audience with our guest."

Baboo frowned with confusion, but he knew better than to question the queen. He merely bowed, and scampered out of the dungeon lest he incur her wrath by delaying.

Rita painted an artless smile onto her face as she strode deeper into the dungeon.

"Breakfast time, Erol," she called.

Amazingly, the prisoner reacted to her voice. Erol sat up, and stared at the queen harshly. Still, Rita could see the surprise in his gaze.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, watching her carefully. He couldn't help but feel wary; Rita hadn't made a personal appearance since he started to cooperate.

"Just checking on my favorite Ranger," she said, a smirk spreading on her face as she pushed the tray into the cell. She watched him as he stared at the globe on the tray.

"And what's that?"

"A light source. But don't even think about it... it can't be used as a weapon in any way. The shell is diamond, so you cannot break it to form sharp shards. And there's no heat emitted that can be used to start a fire. It's just light."

Erol snorted. "Great. So I can see the mold on the walls grow?"

Rita folded her arms. "Well, if you cooperate, maybe I'll permit you something to read."

The Green Ranger scowled as he rose to his feet. He marched toward her, stepping to the very bars of the cell. He was so close to the Queen of Evil that she could feel his breath on her face.

"You won't get any help from me. Whatever it is you're planning, I will not help." He then smirked coldly. "Although I must admit, I'm amazed you're keeping me around. You really have no power, if you need me to help you stop the Rangers."

Rita's smile collapsed, and she glowered at the human. He didn't cringe at the hateful glare that made even Goldar tremble.

Just another stubborn man to break...

"You might as well give up," she cooed, "You won't be antagonizing me into killing you. You're just going to sit and wait until I'm ready for you."

Erol's smile dimmed. He simply couldn't sustain the inciting banter.

"You know, the last time I came here you insisted that the Rangers would be here to save you. And now, it looks like you've... given up?"

She couldn't resist rubbing salt into the wound. Her thirst for inflicting pain was partially satiated when she saw the boy tense.

"Four months..." she droned, "That's an awfully long time. I wonder what's taking them so long? It's not like I've been attacking Earth. I guess they have better things to do?"

She then began absently examining her fingernails. "Or... maybe they just haven't forgiven you for almost killing the Yellow Ranger? Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Erol remained silent as he picked up the tray. He took a seat in his dark corner, the glowing smoke of the crystal illuminating his face eerily.

His cold emerald eyes bored into Rita as he slowly took a sip of water from the waxen green cup.

The queen couldn't resist a smirk of triumph as she saw his fingers sink ever-so-slightly into the malleable drinking vessel.

Sweat glistened on her brow, tanned slightly from months of hard work in the summer sun. Wrinkles deepened, and a low growl of fierce tension rumbled her throat.

Her fingers tensed, frozen with her knuckles bent halfway. Her hands formed claws, and smoked slightly with energy.

Then, she closed her eyes. By sealing out the outside world, she focused on the power within her.

She didn't see the flashes of purple energy build around her body, sparking outward at random. She didn't feel the winds gather around her, sending her flowing platinum blonde hair in a frenzied aura around her entire body.

Every muscle in her body trembled with the intense exertion. Finally, the low growl wasn't enough to release the building power within... she parted her lips and screamed.

And in her right palm, hovering over the black brand of the Eagle, was a small sphere of purple and gold light.

Kreia opened her eyes, examining her achievement with a fierce gaze. The light swirled on its own, slowly building as it fed off the purple aura her body maintained.

She smiled faintly. Finally, she was able to make this small progression. She could manifest the Eagleheart Pulse without Morphin', or even using a battle cry. She could fire an energy bolt and completely surprise her opponent.

Her lips quirked as she tossed the Pulse into a large boulder. The impact reduced the rock into so much dust.

"Not quite there," she breathed, her body tensing once again. "I've got to go deeper..."

Four months of endless training. That had been her response to Erol's disappearance; or rather... abduction.

There was no proof that the Green Ranger was taken prisoner. There were no ransom demands, or even taunts to infuriate the Rangers. There had been nothing but silence from the moon forces since that horrible night that the Green Ranger unleashed his fury.

But it had to be more than coincidence that Erol vanished from the face of the Earth at the same time Goldar and Scorpina did.

The Rangers were able to witness the semi-conscious woman vanish from sight. And upon further investigation, they found the crater that was surely generated by Goldar's battle with Erol.

Four months of mind-numbing silence. It was more than Kreia could bear.

There was no way to find Erol. After weeks of intense scanning of the lunar surface, it was concluded that Rita must have erected some kind of energy dampening field, preventing any scans from picking up her presence. Her base was either gone, or completely invisible.

In either case, no rescue could even be attempted.

Zordon had tried to infuse hope into the despondent Rangers when he and Alpha began work on a scanner that could track a teleportation spell. Then, they'd be able to discern the exact destination of a teleportation, even if it were behind a shielded moon fortress.

But no one had teleported from the moon since. All was silent.

It was maddening how helpless the mighty Power Rangers had become.

Kreia could only battle the ocean of despair by practicing. She devoted every waking moment to training, usually magical in nature.

It was her fault Erol had gone rogue to begin with... and she would save him.

Four months of diligent study had brought about vast improvements in her powers. She could fly of her own accord, even without the Power in its direct form. She could manifest the Eagleheart Pulse without Morphin'. And in her morphed state, she found she could absorb magical energy thrown at her to a limited extent, and channel it back into a reinforced Eagleheart Pulse.

But she couldn't Ascend. She couldn't tap into the power behind the Power Coin.

She couldn't reach that plateau of true Power. She couldn't even really understand how to do it.

There was so much she needed to learn. So much Regita could have shown her.

But she was forced to train for the past three months without his guidance.

"Kreia... I'm dying... I cannot imagine living for more than a few months at best."

He couldn't have known how accurate that estimation was.

Kreia sighed, observing the length of the shadow cast by the practice staff stuck in the earth not far from her.

She frowned slightly, relaxing her tired body and gazing up at the sun directly above her head.

"It's time."

The room was silent, with the exception of the heart monitor that beeped in time with the slow pulse of the ancient man's worn muscle.

Kreia stepped into the silence, her eyes soberly absorbing the room she visited every single day at noon.

Regita lied upon his bed, his eyes sealed shut for the past eighty-three days without even a tremor in the eyelids to denote he was even trying to awaken. His arms and body beneath his chest were hidden beneath crisp blankets. His chest was bare, allowing a metal device to connect directly with the skin above his heart, which was connected to the large machine at the head of the bed, which monitored his every vital function.

The room was eerie, with all the metal objects Kreia couldn't even hope to comprehend. In fact, only Cherise and Linis seemed to really embrace the "technology" Zordon brought into the world.

Kreia sighed quietly, pulling a stool from across the room to Regita's side. She sat heavily, bowing her head slightly as she set her elbows on the edge of the bed.

"I've done it," she announced, "I can manifest an Eagleheart Pulse in my unmorphed state. It takes a lot out of me, but at least it's a surprise attack I might be able to use to my advantage some point in the future."

She remained silent, watching her great-grandmother's brother as his chest rose and fell very slowly.

"I'm sure Rita has come up with some way to interrupt our Morph," she continued, "That's the only explanation for how she managed to keep Erol for so long. She knows how to prevent a Ranger from Morphin', so it's only logical for me to devise a battle strategy that doesn't depend on that ability."

The alternative reason for Erol's prolonged disappearance never crossed her mind. For some inexplicable reason, she was sure he was alive, and waiting for her to recover him.

"I... I don't know what else I can do. I've practiced for so long... but it's hard. What do I practice? I don't know how to Ascend, Uncle. You have to teach me!"

She closed her eyes tightly, cradling her head in her palm. "I need you."

Not long before Regita fell into his present coma, he had begun a new phase of training with the Purple Ranger. The goal was simply stated, but seemingly impossible to achieve.

"Kreia, you must learn to use your whole strength. That is the only way you can save Erol."

Her whole strength... what did that mean?

She hadn't held back anything since her training began in earnest. She didn't retire for the day until she could barely move her body, and she never released an energy blast that didn't fully expend the power she had managed to muster.

She thought she had been using her whole strength. But apparently, there was something more she couldn't reach yet; a new level of power that she had to keep pushing toward.

"How do I use my whole strength? How can I find it without someone to guide me?" she whispered, more to herself than Regita.

Kreia's glazed eyes leapt to the entrance when the sound of footsteps reached her ear. She straightened, quickly wiping away any evidence of tears. Moments later, Linis stepped into the room, carrying a tray covered with medical supplies. He smiled pleasantly at his friend, pausing at the door as if asking silent permission.

In response, Kreia rose to her feet. "I'm finished here. You can come in."

"You don't have to leave."

Kreia shrugged uneasily, resuming her seat on the stool. Her elbow once again fell onto the bed, and she watched as Linis connected a clear plastic bag to a chord. Its other end was embedded into Regita's arm.

She watched the young boy work, her gaze boring into him so deeply that he occasionally cast a worried glance in her direction.

"Is he getting any better?" she asked quietly.

Linis smile faded. "It's hard to say. His body has become so weak that he cannot muster the strength required to even open his eyes. But we do think he has some perception available. I am almost sure he can hear you speak to him. Hopefully these nutritional pouches will give his body the needed fuel, but it may not make him strong enough to really wake up."

He then offered a faint grin. "But I wouldn't count Regita out yet. Zordon is confident that his stubbornness alone won't let him die without a fight."

A hint of a smile cracked the expressionless mask of Kreia's face. Linis allowed himself to feel some pride at the achievement.

"We... haven't seen much of you," he said casually.

Kreia exhaustion hung in her eyes. "I know. My training has been pretty involved."

"You're not the only one. Kazu has been mercilessly drilling Sener, and Zale has kept Cherise on her toes. I doubt there's been another team of Rangers who trained so diligently. When Rita attacks again, she'll have a surprise in store."

Kreia stared at the Blue Ranger. She hadn't missed the subtle point he touched upon. "When Rita attacks?" she repeated. "Then there hasn't been any progress made in taking the battle directly to her."

Linis hesitantly met her stare. Whatever drop of mirth she expressed moments ago was gone. Her eyes were the black coals he most often saw when he gazed at her. Hard, cold, and focused.

No human being should know such interminable focus.

"We haven't given up searching," Linis assured her, uncomfortably turning away from her gaze to busy himself with Regita, "but I won't lie to you, Kreia. It's very difficult. Whatever is happening on the moon, Rita has taken great pains to hide it from us. So far, we haven't even determined what kind of shielding spell has been engaged. Unless the shield is disturbed by either teleportation or an object passing through, it won't read out on our scanners."

He steeled himself to meet her eyes again. "Four months ago, we weren't even this close."

Kreia frowned, rising to her feet abruptly. "It doesn't matter how close we are, Linis. We either can or can't attack Rita. And if we can't, then the next move is hers." Unsteady fingers rose to rub against her tense forehead. "I can't shake the feeling that, once she does make her move... we're all doomed."

Linis watched the agitated Purple Ranger leave. Once she had disappeared, he turned back to Regita.

"I agree with her," he admitted, exhaling slowly, "Rita has been planning something during these months of peace. When her offensive is ready, I doubt all of our training will be enough to-"

His soft voice died on his lips as the shrill sound of the alarm claxons startled him. Linis' eyes widened, a hopeful smile stretching his lips.

At last... the silence was over.

The Pink Ranger bounded from one console to another, her bright hazel eyes narrowing as she studied the image on the data screen. Wasting not even a moment, she hurried to yet another panel, and began typing in commands.

Throughout the mad hustling, Alpha stared in amazement at the surprising technological capabilities of the human girl.

"Aye yi yi!" he shrieked, throwing up his hands, "I've never seen a human so familiar with computers! I almost thought it was beyond your species."

Despite the precarious situation, Cherise smirked ruefully. "We may be throwing sticks and stones now, Alpha. But eventually, mankind will develop even greater machines than these."

She turned to the diminutive robot, confidently tucking a stray lock of strawberry hair behind her ear. "If there's one thing humans can do better than anyone else, it's imagine."

Zordon nodded his agreement. "HUMANITY HAS LIMITLESS CAPABILITIES. ONCE YOU RECORGNIZE THE COMPLETE NONEXISTENCE OF UNBREAKABLE BARRIERS, THEN YOU WILL PROGRESS SCIENTIFICALLY AT A RATE THAT WILL MARVEL EVEN THE GREATEST IMAGINATION."

The conversation was forgotten as the remaining Power Rangers poured into the Command Center in a knot.

Kreia moved directly to the scanner, watching the flashing dot progress along the black screen. "What is that?"

"A ship," Cherise explained, "We picked it up about half an hour ago, and it's heading into our solar system."

"Can it be heading toward the moon?" Kazu proposed.

Cherise smiled. "That's what we hope. If it's one of Rita's henchmen, then he'll have to pass through the field. We'll have the precise location of the palace, and maybe even the frequency on which the shield vibrates."

Sener's characteristically pleasant smile made way for a fierce grin. "Now we can take matters into our own hands."

"WE CANNOT TAKE ANY ACTION THAT MAY FURTHER ENDANGER YOU," Zordon advised. "I REFUSE TO LET YOU HASTILY RUSH TO THE MOON."

Kreia's eyes widened in alarm. "But Erol-!"

"I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL," he interrupted, in a softer tone, "BUT HASTY ACTION IS PRECISELY WHAT LEAD TO EROL'S ABDUCTION IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE MUST ASCERTAIN THE BEST WAY TO FACE RITA, AND EVEN IF WE ARE ABLE TO REACH THE PALACE. JUST KNOWING WHERE IT IS WILL NOT BE ENOUGH... I AM SURE SHE HAS OTHER DEFENSES IN PLACE."

The Purple Ranger frowned deeply, folding her arms tightly and fixing the ancient mentor with a cold glare. If he were able, Zordon would've shuddered at the ice in her eyes.

"Cherise," Zale advised, turning to the Pink Ranger, "keep an eye on that ship. Once it enters the palace, we can start scanning the area for magical energy. Hopefully we'll have some inkling to whatever traps Rita has laid for us."

She nodded sharply, and turned her attention back to the blinking light that brought hope to all the Rangers.

Finster exhaled with relief as he hovered his one-man cruiser just above the coordinates of the palace. He gazed through his eyeglass at the featureless terrain beneath him.

He grinned slightly as he pressed a sequence of buttons.

After a few moments, a faint light flashed, and slowly the palace appeared like a mirage in the desert.

Home sweet home.

He descended into a small plain just beside the palace, and exited the ship. After briefly stretching his exhausted muscles, he walked to the cargo door, and typed in a command.

It was at that moment that Goldar exited the palace. Finster couldn't help a shiver as he watched the towering villain, who until recently had a pair of majestic navy wings to give him a more noble appearance.

A Titan without wings... it was surely a sight very few individuals have ever witnessed. A Titan warrior would rather die than be so crippled.

And from the simmering hatred in Goldar's crimson eyes, Finster was quite sure the golden warrior was resolved to do something about this ultimate humiliation.

The diminutive scientist cringed as the warrior came into arm's reach.

"Where is the cargo?" Goldar snorted.

Finster gestured to the cargo hold. "There's a large crate...."

Goldar nodded gruffly, stepping into the hold. He lifted the large crate, nearly the size of Finster himself, and began marching back into the palace.

"Get moving," he growled, "Rita is waiting for your report."

Finster nodded, hastily falling into step behind him.

Rita hummed cheerfully as she traced the small knife along the edge of the green wax, carefully appraising each wedge she created.

Her eyes narrowed appraisingly, and turned from her workstation to the diagram scribbled in a tattered page of a yellowed magical volume.

She smiled wickedly, chuckling to herself as she slowly continued her work.

"My Queen?"

Rita pivoted, a gleeful smile on her face. "Finster! You're back!"

He nodded, bowing deeply to his mistress.

"And...?"

"Goldar has transported all the materials I have collected to my laboratory. I am ready to begin forging the Sword of Darkness. That is... whenever you are, my Queen."

Rita smirked, jerking a thumb to her latest project. "Just a moment, Finster. Once I'm done here, I shall summon you again."

Finster nodded, daring to glance at Rita's table. "A candle?"

"Not just any candle," she crooned, "This is a magic candle! I've discovered the perfect way to control my Green Ranger."

It was plain to see the queen was pleased with her own brilliance. "I've imprinted Erol's energy signature into this candle, so his energy is interminably connected to it. Once the candle burns out, so will the Green Ranger." Her smile transformed into a malicious smirk. "If he gets out of line, I shall light the candle. Within minutes the Green Ranger will be reduced to the weak little husk of a human he once was."

Finster nodded, clearly impressed. "An excellent strategy, my Queen."

The witch nodded energetically, turning back to her project. She couldn't contain her enormous pride at her seamless plan. "You know, he actually had to touch the wax. He had to imprint his energy into the wax for it to bond with him."

"How'd you get him to do that?" he inquired, honestly curious.

"Simple. I gave him a little lamp. He was so suspicious about that gift, he didn't even notice the oddity of drinking out of a waxen cup."

The scientist smiled in appreciation. "Very devious, my Queen."

A prickling of ionized air gave Zale all the warning he needed. Without hesitation, he ducked behind a large boulder and raised his arms protectively over his head in anticipation.

The explosion was almost deafening, and as he had suspected, bits of debris reached him.

With a sigh, he brushed off the dust and continued down the narrow pathway. She wasn't yet in sight, but the strange purple energy she manifested was.

"Kreia!" he called, "Unarmed man approaching!"

In response, the flying shards of debris ended. Zale smiled, quickening his pace toward his teammate.

At least she isn't completely irrational, he decided, in an effort to look on the brighter side, She could've vaporized me for intruding.

By the time he reached the lower plateau that served as the Purple Ranger's training ground, he was nearly out of breath. Still, what little breath he had caught in his throat when he met the harsh black scowl of the young woman.

She glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest. And even though she wasn't actually using it, her magical energy hovered around her body like a cloud of pulsing light.

Kreia stared at her leader almost scornfully, her once large, trusting eyes narrowed with impatience. "There is no news of Erol, so what brings you here?"

"I thought I could help you train," Zale offered, "It's always easier to improve with assistance."

Kreia snorted. "You can't help me."

"But you do need help," Zale pointed out, bolding taking a seat on a tree stump, "You asked Regita for help today."

A small smile pulled her lips, but there was no humor in it. "So Linis listened in on my visit with my uncle."

Zale shrugged innocently. "It's not like you've had any conversations with the rest of us," he pointed out, "We've all been deeply worried-"

Kreia turned to face him fully. Zale unconsciously leaned away from her.

"Don't worry about me," she muttered, "I can take care of myself. And when the time comes, I'll take care of Rita as well."

"Not alone," Zale commanded, rising from his seat and setting his powerful gaze against her own. "We are Power Rangers, Kreia. The most important lesson Zordon and Regita taught us is that we are a team. When we are united, there is nothing we cannot accomplish, but when we insist upon fighting alone, we succumb to the evil forces we face. Think about it! If Erol had only kept that lesson to heart, he never would've been abducted."

Kreia bristled at that comment, her upper lip curling into a snarl. "Do not talk against Erol!" she growled, "He is not here to defend himself!"

Zale folded his arms, his usually warm gaze narrowing into chips of blue ice. "I love Erol," he reminded her, his tone defensive, "Not in the same manner or magnitude as you, but he is my brother now. I want him back too, but I won't blind myself to his error. Mistakes are to learn from, Kreia, and we must all learn from his. He faced an unknown threat alone, and refused our help. He even wounded Kazu, expending his energy against an ally. Then, he dared challenge Goldar, Rita's mightiest soldier, all alone, and distant from the rest of us. If he hadn't let his anger run away with him, he would've realized the trap he had fallen into. If we were present, he would've have been whisked away! And now, will you make the very same mistake, and run off to the moon alone to try and avenge him? What chance does one Ranger have?"

"I'm no ordinary Ranger," she stated icily.

"There is no such thing as an 'ordinary' Ranger," he countered.

Zale watched as her energy brightened. "No, Kreia... anger isn't the key to your whole strength."

Kreia stiffened. "What do you know about one's 'whole strength'?"

"I know that anger is not the path to take. Anger clouds judgment, drains one's very soul, and warps the senses. Acting out of pure anger is like walking through life with blinders on; you can't see to the right nor the left, only straight in front. While this may have the illusion of focus, it prevents you from seeing the whole picture. You may walk into a trap lying just outside your field of vision. How can you explore when you cannot turn your neck?"

Kreia cocked her eyebrow. "You've spent far too much time with Sener."

Zale smiled at the observation. "Poetry is about expression, Kreia... and I hope I can express to you the dangers of taking all responsibility upon yourself. I am not a prophet, but I know where this is going: if you attack Rita alone, no matter how powerful you are, you will never return."

"And what would you have me do?" she challenged, "Sit around and wait for Rita to attack us?"

"No... we wait until we have definitive plan of action. While you've been out here venting, Cherise has already identified the approximate location of the palace. It shouldn't take more than a few days for us to discern the best attack strategy, and if she hasn't attacked us by then, we can take the battle to her."

"And what about Erol? Should he just sit and wait for us?"

"If he has survived four months as Rita's prisoner, he can surely last a few more days."

Zale then turned his gaze back toward the Command Center. "The rest of us are working out a strategy using the data we've so far compiled on the palace. We would welcome your input."

Kreia sighed, her gaze sliding downward as she turned the proposition over. "I'll... think about it," she decided, "I need a few minutes to work off all this energy."

Zale nodded, approaching the Purple Ranger. He cradled her shoulder in his hand. "Remember, Kreia... your whole strength isn't just exerting yourself to the limit. Rather than exercise your body, meditate on it. Allow your intelligence to help you solve the puzzle."

He then kissed her forehead. "Please, Sister... let us help you."

Kreia's eyes widened in surprise at the open display of affection. Slightly puzzled, she watched Zale turn to leave. He ascended the small pathway back to the summit of the cliff, not once turning back to her.

The Purple Ranger pursed her lips, tears wetting her eyes. For the first time in quite a while, she didn't try to fight them.

Was she mistaken in her plan of action? Could she find her whole strength alone? Or was it in the nature of the Power Rangers to rely upon one another?

There never was only one Power Ranger. And their most powerful attacks were always combined efforts. Her Eagleheart Pulse was becoming impressively strong, but it still didn't compare to the Maelstrom, her joint attack with Erol. Something about fighting with the other Rangers made the Power feel... complete. There was something uncanny... almost perfect in the fusion of energies. That was the true state of the Power, separated only so it could support a number of champions, but always strongest when united.

But then again, in its ultimate form the Power fused into one person. When Ghedaliah Ascended, he became the Power... or so it seemed. The Ascension included taking all of the Power into oneself... not the team.

Would she be strongest alone, or would she fare better if she cooperated, and allowed herself to be led once again?

It was so confus-

Suddenly, Kreia's eyes widened to new proportions.

Something inside her heart... her soul... had without warning froze.

The feeling was indescribable. Something had frozen, and the chill shot through her body like a crash of lightning.

Only one word came to her mouth, and all other thoughts vanished.

"Erol!"

"Where...?" Erol asked, his question coming out of his throat in a gust of breath that was barely audible... if anyone was nearby to hear.

He blinked his eyes several times, hoping desperately that he could clear the fog that filled his vision.

No... the fog didn't dissipate. So it wasn't in his head.

He tried to sit up. It was then he first felt the bonds that held his ankles and wrists, forcing him to remain still on what felt like a bed of stone. Erol grimaced, struggling against the bonds.

Then, a faint glint of light appeared at the side of his head. He gazed at the flickering yellow in surprise, and watched as one by one, matching bits of light flashed into existence.

After a few moments, he was surrounded by a ring of light.

"Rita?" he growled through gritted teeth.

He couldn't recall what had happened. One minute, he was in his cell, staring at the ceiling while, as usual, plotting some way of escaping. Rita's appearance that morning had set him on edge... he knew his time was quickly running out.

If he couldn't save his own life, he surely could find a way of ending it before he became a threat to the others.

But then he lost consciousness... and awoke in the dark fog.

The lights then began flickering madly, and a warm gust of wind flooded the chamber. Erol blinked to moisten his eyes, and then lifted his head above him, where the wind seemed to originate.

His breath lodged in his throat as he saw silver blade, the razor edge reflecting faint light and blood red gemstones decorating the hilt.

The sword began to spin like the hand of a compass, leaving a trace of faintly green energy in its wake. It created a circle of darkness, that slowly began to shrink upon itself.

The murky green color began to brighten, filling the chamber with an eerie green light. Erol watched in astonishment as the sword generated so much green energy, it visually began a sphere of light.

Then, the sword stopped spinning. It pointed directly down at him, and slowly descended.

In the darkness, a faint voice could be heard. "Machti nolem hoi, siki-lan justil. Machti nolem hoi, siki-lan justil. Machti nolem hoi, siki-lan justil..."

The strange alien incantation continued to repeat in a breathy voice, lowering in volume with each word. Shortly, the voice was completely gone, but Erol was convinced the chanting continued, only at a volume he could no longer hear.

Sweat beaded on his skin as the sword hovered over his chest, right above his heart. He closed his eyes, holding his breath to brace himself.

Without warning, the sword plunged into his heart.

First, Erol felt the pain associated with a mortal wound. But this felt unlike any other blade wound he'd experienced. It felt like a blunt icicle had been forced into his skin.

Dizzily, he opened his eyes. He couldn't see the sword, nor any blood that gave testimony to the wound inflicted. His clothing, while tattered from his months of captivity, was not torn above his chest.

But he still felt the icicle in his heart. And he shivered as the cold, numbing feeling spread. First, his entire torso froze. Then, the feeling crept down his thighs, settling into his very toes. His arms and fingers succumbed to the chill.

Finally, his neck, jaw, and face felt the bite, and froze in place. His mind became completely addled, and his vision blurred completely.

All he could see was a steady, glowing green light.

Erol tried to blink, but the green light remained. He could no longer sense whether his eyes were open or closed.

All thought vanished. Nothing was left... save glowing green light.

"Machti nolem hoi, siki-lan justil. Machti nolem hoi, siki-lan justil..." Rita breathed, watching intently from a magical portal. She could see within her Dark Dimension, but the line of sight was one way. There was no way the boy could discern her presence, though he likely heard her chanting.

She then exhaled, the incantation dying on her lips at an almost inaudible volume. She clasped her hands together, rubbing her palms in excitement.

"It worked!" she breathed, both amazed and enthusiastic. She then leaned forward, and pulled her body into the portal. Moments later, she stepped into her Dark Dimension, and hovered at the side of her entranced prisoner.

His eyes glowed a vibrant green, and his body was completely frozen as if he were a waxen likeness of a human being.

She held out her hand, and in a flash of energy, the Sword of Darkness appeared within her grasp.

"Rise, my Champion," she commanded, holding the sword over his body, "and take your place at my side."

Erol blinked once, and stiffly rose from the platform. Rita stepped back, giving him enough room, and he lowered himself to one knee.

"Now, who are you," she asked, "and whom do you serve?"

"I am the Green Ranger," he answered, his voice toneless, "and I serve you, my Empress."

"And who is your enemy?" she pressed.

His smooth face wrinkled, the green light flashing in his eyes as his body tensed. "The Power Rangers," he spat out hatefully.

"And why is that?"

"They... abandoned me," he reflected, his snarl deepening, "They used and abandoned me. I owe them no loyalty." He then lifted his eyes to her. "Also, they are your enemies, and I am your Champion."

Rita smirked gleefully. It worked! The spell worked! He serves me, the forger of the Sword of Darkness, and the darkness within has blinded him to love and devotion. Now, he is truly mighty, not crippled by compassion or mercy. The Rangers will quickly fall.

"Excellent, Green Ranger," she commended, resting the hilt of the sword against his shoulder. "Now, take your weapon, and your destiny."

His hand rose to grasp the sword. He rose to his feet, scrutinizing the majestic blade with a keen eye.

A vicious smirk pulled his lips as he turned away from Rita, and experimentally swung the sword. The blade sang as it sliced through air.

"Marvelous," Erol whispered, truly awed.

Rita smirked proudly. "Of course it is. And here is the rest of your power."

She held out her palm, revealing the golden Dragon Coin. Erol gazed at it thoughtfully, a sense of familiarity rushing through him.

"You remember this?"

He nodded, taking the coin from her and turning it in his fingers. "Yes. I was the Green Ranger, defending Earth against you." His gaze then shifted, and a cold smirk appeared as he looked upon Rita. "But I know better now."

Rita nodded, her hands falling on her hips. "You may stay here and practice with that sword," she decided, "After a few weeks, you will be ready to face the Rangers."

Erol frowned. "I'm strong enough to fight them now."

Rita glared at him, her expression brooking no protest. "Not yet you aren't," she growled, "You will fight the Rangers when I say so, and not sooner."

Erol quickly bowed at the waist. "My apologies, Empress."

Rita gave him a nod, and then exited through her portal.

"He's still quite stubborn," she mused, as she returned to her private chamber, "His thirst for blood is even greater than I calculated. He wants to fight. But the evil is so new to him... there is no way to predict his behavior. I can't count on him not to recall his love for the Rangers."

She then smirked. "All in due time."

"With discipline, you can even transcend my abilities..."

"...that is the ultimate goal of your training..."

"...you must learn to use your whole strength."

"When we are united, there is nothing we cannot accomplish..."

"...anger isn't the key to your whole strength..."

"Allow your intelligence to help you solve the puzzle..."

Some believe the voices heard in dreams are the mind's way of piecing together slivers of an impossible puzzle. Others believe the voices are attempts at communication, from the gods or passed ancestors. Still another hypothesis is that the unconscious can tap into the minds of loved ones, hearing their concern for them.

whole strength... transcend my abilities... united... UNITED...

Whichever the case, when Kreia awoke, she was inspired.

"Kreia! Thank the gods you're alright!"

Kreia blinked, instinctively trying to piece together her situation. She was in her room, tucked into her bed with something warm on her brow. Slowly, a face moved into her field of view.

"Cherise," she breathed, her voice surprisingly raw, "What...?"

"Zale found you unconscious outside," the Pink Ranger explained, removing the damp cloth from her patient's forehead, "You were feverish, so we brought you inside. I think you've been practicing your spells too much recently. Rest is the best medicine in this case."

Kreia frowned thoughtfully. She did recall a horrible chill that claimed her entire body. Her vision became fuzzy, and her body grew numb. She must have collapsed after that.

But, what caused it?

Her eyes widened when she remembered. Erol... something happened to Erol!

She couldn't really say why she knew that. Somehow, she could feel his distress. He had been utterly terrified of something, and then... nothing. Nothing but cold.

Kreia puzzled over the meaning of it. Alpha had advised them not long ago that the moon in the sky was a body like Earth, but it had no air to breathe, and no atmosphere to hold warmth. Therefore, when the sun set on the moon, the temperatures were too cold to support life.

Could Rita have perhaps thrown him from the protective grounds of the palace, to make him freeze and suffocate?

No... that couldn't be it. The cold she felt was an internal cold. It was like something inside him froze, and spread through his body. The cold didn't assault his body from the environment.

Her eyes narrowed in calculation.

Erol is in distress... there is no time to waste. I know Zale will not take action, and I understand why. I don't want to risk the others' lives either... especially if this does turn into a trap. I have no right to risk anyone but myself. But the key is unity.

Finally, she understood what Regita meant. Or at least, she thought she did.

My whole strength can only be realized with Regita's help. He wanted me to reach his level of magical prowess... but I can never do that just by learning from him. To do that would mean taking his experience as well as knowledge, and the experience of over a hundred years of life cannot be learned in a few months. I must take those experiences from him.

It was a long shot... but there was no feasible alternative.

"Kreia?" Cherise asked, her brow furrowed with concern, "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

"Where are the others?" Kreia asked.

"They're asleep. It's hours until dawn."

Kreia nodded, pulling off her blankets. "I must check on Regita."

Cherise frowned. "What's the matter?"

"I... I sensed he is weakening, but I'm not sure if it was just a dream. Please, Cherise... I just need to check."

The Pink Ranger nodded. "I'll come with you."

Kreia had always hated lying. It was never easy for her, either to think up a plausible lie or to deliver it properly. Erol had always made fun of her for not being able to pull a decent prank, simply because she always tripped over her tongue when she lied.

This time, the lie rolled off her tongue like water. But it wasn't that she wanted to lie... she had no choice.

Cherise glanced over her shoulder, watching with interest as Kreia touched her hands to Regita's head. Kreia had decided to try and reach out to speak to him. She had never done so before, but sometimes it felt like he could read her mind. He knew what she was thinking so often, it was unnerving.

Maybe it was more than an intuition. Maybe he really could make a connection. And if that were true... perhaps that connection went both ways.

She did have a connection to Erol, after all. What it was she didn't know, but it existed. Perhaps she had another bond with her uncle.

I need your strength, uncle, she thought to him, You are my mentor, and I am still your student. I can never have my whole strength without you. My strength is your strength. Please... help me!

The plea was so desperate it would've melted a heart of stone. She could only pray that it was powerful enough to transcend reality to reach wherever her uncle's consciousness lay.

At great length, a faint voice finally answered her.

*My strength is your strength.*

Kreia's eyes snapped open. "Uncle!"

Cherise jumped at that, rushing to Regita's other side so she can observe them both. "Is he alright? Is he waking up?"

Kreia ignored the Pink Ranger, focusing on the voice she heard. I have reached you.

*You have. I am so proud of you... I never thought you could. But our training has paid off... we are bound in power.*

What does that mean?

*We are as one. We were both the Purple Ranger, and we have both trained in mental discipline. These forces combined have linked us in a way no humans could be linked. This is also the link that binds you to Erol.*

Kreia startled. So I did feel Erol.

*Yes, for as the Dragon and the Eagle, you are united in power. You are partners, and your energies match. Also, your love for each other opened your minds and hearts to each other's feelings. That is what you are feeling now.*

Can I save him?

*I will grant you what is left of my power. You will absorb all I've learned... spells, telepathy... all of it. I only pray will be enough.*

Kreia frowned. But you have so little strength left-

*This is the day of reckoning,* Regita insisted, *The day I trained you for. I have lived to this day, so my mission in life is fulfilled. When I fuse my power with yours, I will have achieved my purpose. I will have helped forge Earth's savior.*

Grim silence fell.

Kreia opened her eyes, gazing at the peaceful expression on Regita's still face.

Then, it happened.

Purple energy flared around her body, building from her fingers where she touched Regita's face. It slowly built up her arms, gathering and whirling around her body like solar flares bouncing off the sun's surface.

Cherise looked on, completely startled. She backed away, too stunned to retreat or call for help.

After several minutes, the light began to fade. Still, a strange glow remained around Kreia's body.

"Safe journey, uncle," she whispered, her voice carrying an eerie echo. She leaned over, and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much, for all your help. I understand now why you did what you did, and I am grateful for your efforts."

She then backed away from him, her dark eyes falling upon Cherise.

"Kreia? What...?"

"I'm sorry I can't answer that now," Kreia responded, lifting her hand, "I'm sorry for this as well."

Cherise opened her mouth to scream, but her breath caught in her throat as the purple aura crept to her body.

Suddenly, her eyes could no longer stay open.

Kreia was quick to catch Cherise before she collapsed completely. She gently lay her on the floor, tucking some of her wayward strawberry hair from her face.

"Now, no one will be able to follow me."

The screaming alarms drew four startled Power Rangers to the main control room once again.

"What's going on?" Kazu asked, folding his arms.

Sener rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he looked around. "Where's Cherise?"

"And Kreia?" Zale noticed, his frown deepening. "No... she didn't..."

Zordon responded, his voice somber. "THE EAGLEZORD HAS LEFT THE ZORD HANGAR. IT IS CURRENTLY ON COURSE FOR THE MOON."

"She's thrown her life away," Zale sighed, his hands rising to his temples, "Another Ranger..."

"Not yet," Linis countered, "We can follow in the Megazord! We can still catch her!"

"And do what, shoot her out of the sky?" Kazu proposed, "We are in no position to launch an attack against the moon, so our only course of action would be to stop her from doing so."

"Where's Cherise?" Sener repeated, this time duly alarmed, "No one can sleep through that alarm."

Zordon frowned in concern as well. "ALPHA, DETECT THE PINK RANGER'S LOCATION."

Alpha hurried to the appropriate console. "She's in Regita's room."

"Bring up a visual," Zale ordered.

The four Rangers gazed at the Viewing Globe, and were stunned by the scene before them.

Sener broke into a run, the others right on his heels. In mere moments they had barged into Regita's chamber, and surrounded the unconscious Pink Ranger.

Sener cradled her to his lap while Linis quickly checked vital signs. "She's asleep," he reported.

"No natural sleep," Kazu noted with a deep scowl, "No one just collapses."

Linis bit his lip, his fingers moving to his sister's face. Gently, he forced one eyelid open.

He shuddered at the flash of purple light that greeted him.

"She's enchanted!"

"Kreia," Sener breathed, his eyes wide. "Why would she do this?"

"To keep her out of the way, perhaps," Kazu hypothesized, "If Cherise was in here, then she certainly wasn't asleep. She may have tried to stop Kreia from leaving."

"She's also the only other Ranger with a flying Zord," Linis realized grimly, "And without the Pterodactyl, we can't form the Megazord either. We're grounded."

Zale sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Kreia has done all she can to make sure we don't try and stop her. Now, there's nothing we can do to help."

The Purple Ranger's face was grim as she watched the image of the moon slowly enlarge with proximity. She frequently glanced back at the coordinates she had retrieved.

When she hovered a mile from the proposed location of the moon palace, she lowered the aerodynamic craft to the ground. Then, she exited through the hatch, and hovered to the ground with her own energy.

"Just in case," she decided, lifting her hand. Her fingers sparked with energy, creating a weak breeze in the vacuum of space. Moon dust stirred, blowing over the craft and covering the gleaming metal.

After a few minutes, there was no trace of the vessel.

Satisfied, the Purple Ranger oriented herself in the direction she decided the palace must have been. She bent her knees and pushed forward, carefully modulating her physical strength so as not to fly off the surface of the moon due to the low gravity. With each bound, she covered meters of terrain.

She chewed her lip, her brow beading with exertion. Physically, she was under no strain, but with the added effort required to hide her newly intensified magical power, she could barely think.

For a brief moment, she considered that her action was too hasty. She had never known the true extent of Regita's power until she experienced it. The flood of energy nearly enveloped her... it was all she could do to maintain consciousness. At first, it was hard to keep her own memories straight from Regita's.

After taking some time to orient herself during the trip to the moon, she managed to get a decent grip upon her new powers.

But she still didn't know quite how to Ascend.

That fact disturbed her, for she still couldn't reach her whole strength. She could only pray to whatever deity listened that she had enough strength to get Erol and get out.

Originally, her blind fury had convinced her to eradicate Rita and her entire troupe. But with Regita's calm logic relaxing her frustrated mind, she realized how foolhardy it would be to face the queen in this state. She would come back in a few weeks, after she had fully mastered her new capabilities. And with Erol and the other Rangers at her side, the moon forces would collapse.

Get in, get Erol, get out. A simple plan, but the execution of it was far more complex.

After half an hour of careful bounding, Kreia paused. Through her armor she felt a strange... tickle that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She recognized the sensation, even though it was slightly different.

There was no air on the lunar surface, so there was nothing to actually carry the magical charge. But she could still perceive the aura of faint magical energy. It was too weak for her to have discerned before, but her magical senses were heightened a dozen-fold thanks to Regita's added power.

Closing her eyes, Kreia blocked out the physical world and relied on her sixth sense. Her palms held out in front of her, she slowly crept in the direction of the magical energy, feeling a buzz on her hands that intensified as she drew closer.

Finally, she stopped short. She could almost feel the wall erected before her.

Her eyes slid open, marveling at the flat expanse that met her gaze.

"A cloaking shield," she analyzed, "creating the illusion of blank space. And if I disturb the energy field, it'll alert Rita to my presence."

One hand lowered, balling into a fist. The other inched slightly closer to the invisible shield, right to the point that just preceded making contact.

Silently, she summoned a flare of purple energy around her body. Then, with the caution of expertise, she gradually modified it. The energy flickered and died, until finally, she vanished from visual perception.

Her own aura had matched the exact frequency of the energy field.

Then, with no further hesitation, she stepped through.

Goldar lumbered into the queen's private quarters, as always bowing his head immediately. "You summoned me, my Queen?"

Rita faced the balcony, gazing absently at the starry sky unhindered by an atmosphere. "The palace grounds have been compromised. We have a visitor, Goldar."

The Titan startled visibly. "That's not possible!"

Rita sighed with a tone of long suffering. "Anything is possible," she corrected, folding her hands behind her, "As we speak, the Purple Ranger is approaching the palace gate. She thinks I have not detected her presence, but she has grossly underestimated me."

Goldar rumbled with fury. "I will eliminate her."

Much to the warrior's consternation, Rita laughed derisively. "A Ranger who has the ability to penetrate my shield is more than a match for you," she mocked, finally turning around. She fixed him with an appraising glare. "You couldn't even defeat the Green Ranger."

Goldar bristled... literally. Rita smirked at his anger, knowing full well he would never act upon it.

"I no longer have a weakness," he reminded her bitterly, "Her attacks will not penetrate my armor."

Rita waved him away. "Just keep her busy for a few moments. I must assemble my own assault." She grinned wickedly. "Oh, this is going to be such fun!"

Goldar shivered at the murderous look in his mistress' eye. Not waiting another moment, he hurried out the door.

Each step she took was taken with the greatest of caution. Within the invisible bubble of synthetic atmosphere, the rules of Earth gravity applied. Also, there was air to breathe, and the temperature was even warmer than the sunniest summer day in Gateway City.

It was more or less hospitable for human life. But that didn't mean traps didn't lie beneath the gray dust under her feet, or behind a large boulder.

Kreia paused a few yards from a rather small doorway on one side of the imposing alien palace. Her observation trailed to the small ship parked nearby, which barely had enough room for a single passenger.

"This must be the vessel Cherise detected," she realized, "This entrance can't be the main one. If I'm lucky, it will bring me to some lower level, perhaps a storage room. The easiest way to go unnoticed."

"If your goal was to come unnoticed," came a sharp growl, "then you have failed quite miserably."

Kreia whirled, her gaze falling upon Goldar. He strode toward her confidently, apparently appearing out of nowhere.

In the darkness of the lunar night, his usually brilliant armor failed to gleam. And his obvious lack of wings made his overall appearance much less intimidating than she recalled.

Still, part of her newfound confidence had to do with the incredible bounds her abilities had taken.

"Is that you, Goldar?" she asked, her tone mock disbelief, "Without those magnificent wings, you're nothing more than a blue monkey!"

The beast's face twisted into a horrible snarl. "You've just guaranteed a painful death, Girl."

With that, he released a feral shriek, and launched himself into the air.

Kreia found herself greatly impressed; even without the wings, Goldar was able to practically glide through the air. His agility was phenomenal, and his speed was almost blinding.

Goldar launched a series of flaming golden spheres from his sword, each pelting the ground below with meteoric force. A series of handsprings kept the Purple Ranger out of harm's way, and she kept zig-zagging around the area to keep Goldar from detecting a pattern.

Goldar landed, a cold smirk on his face as he raced toward the Purple Ranger, who had just recovered her balance.

His eyes widened when his body froze in place.

"I suppose it's not the honorable way to get rid of you," Kreia sighed, her hand glistening with purple energy, "But I have no time to waste."

While one hand kept the Titan steadily in place, the other crackled with a potent sphere of purple-gold energy.

"Now hold still," she advised, her voice without mockery nor malice, "This will only hurt for a moment."

All Goldar could do was watch in astonishment as the sphere of energy, almost the size of the Purple Ranger's helmet, crashed into his abdomen.

"Idiot," Rita grumbled, pressing her fingers to her forehead as she leaned heavily into the back of her throne. "He just had to announce his presence, instead of taking advantage with a surprise attack. Oh...I have a headache..."

"Relax, Empress," the warrior at her side advised, "Goldar is no match for her. But she will not raise a hand against me."

Rita glared at her champion. "Don't presume such," she advised, "You have to be ready for surprises. This Purple Ranger is almost as much of a loose cannon as you are."

He smirked with amusement, his face hidden behind his helmet. "Almost."

After a few more minutes Kreia discovered her prime entrance: the balcony at the highest tower of the palace. She could sense powerful emanations from within... including a faintly familiar one.

"But, what would Erol be doing there?" she wondered, "No dungeon has a balcony."

She frowned, chewing her lip in agitation. "Well," she resolved, "Rita must know I'm here or she wouldn't have released her guard dog. So there's no point in being discreet."

With that, her ankle wings began to pound against the artificial air, sending her catapulting into the sky. She tore through the air, her fists brimming with focused energy lest she needed to make a hasty attack. She then flipped, landing gracefully at the edge of the balcony.

Her eyes narrowed as she gazed into the smoky darkness. She stepped inside cautiously, an aura of bright purple flooding the room upon entry.

"Welcome, Purple Ranger."

Kreia jumped, shivering at the chill voice that seemed to emanate from a dense cloud of blackness. She turned, holding her fist out in preparation.

The wall of smoke slowly ebbed, revealing a throne sitting high above slabs of marble. Sitting atop that throne was Rita Repulsa herself, smirking cruelly with her fingertips tapping against one another.

"Goldar wasn't much of a welcome wagon," Kreia spat, letting her anger and determination quench her building fear. She could feel the magical strength cascading from the sorceress, and it was like nothing she'd ever felt before.

"Yes," Rita sighed, "I suppose the simpleton has outlived his usefulness. It matters not... I have a new champion. One that will fight you to the death in defense of his Empress."

Kreia scowled, missing the meaning behind those words. "I'm not here for you," she muttered, "I'm here for Erol. And I'm not leaving without him."

Rita chuckled, snapping her fingers.

A figure stepped out of the shadows behind the occluded throne. "Then you're not leaving."

Kreia startled, staring in open shock as he stepped down from the platform with exaggerated slowness.

His uniform glimmered in the faint light, a deep emerald green. For some reason, he seemed more luminescent than before... as if he glowed with raw power.

Kreia was completely mortified. She felt the anger billowing off him like smoke from a fire. The intensity of his fury was overwhelming to her sensitive mind.

He stopped before the throne, folding his arms and standing with his legs set apart. "You face me now, Purple Ranger."

Kreia took an involuntary step back.

"Ooo, now it's getting good! Did you see the look on her face?!"

Baboo rolled his eyes dramatically. "No, but neither did you, Blueberry! She's got a helmet on!"

Squatt grimaced. "Yeah, well... I can imagine the look on her face! And man oh man, what a look!"

The short alien then leaned closer to the small window, cheering excitedly as the Green Ranger's outstretched arms began to glow.

Baboo, unlike his companion, found he couldn't enjoy the match. Sure, it was intriguing to see the Green Ranger face off against his former partner. But the Green Ranger would always be worthy of suspicion.

"He's dangerous," the feathered alien muttered with a rare dose of insight, "Spell or no spell, that one will always be dangerous."

Squatt guffawed. "Stop worrying so much! Rita knows what she's doing! And now that the Green Ranger's on our side, we'll finish up this dirt ball in days! And you know the best thing? We're finally off guard duty!"

Baboo suppressed his dread long enough to grin at that.

"Good point, Squatt," he admitted.

Nothing could be worse than guard duty... right?

The face-off was excruciatingly long, in Rita's opinion. The Purple Ranger's mind was so muddled by the situation that she couldn't even move. That was obviously a good thing... but it seemed the Green Ranger was too absorbed in relishing the moment to take advantage of it.

Rita groaned, leaning her head against one hand in absolute boredom. "Are you just going to stare at her all day?" she growled.

The Green Ranger's hands fell from their folded position, his fists opening as he slowly maneuvered them to arm's length. "Of course not," he sighed, with no small amount of disappointment, "I just want to enjoy this."

Kreia was still too overwhelmed to offer any defense, even after she saw the green energy gathering at a point between his outstretched hands.

Moments later, without the warning cry of the attack's name, a massive Dragonheart Pulse slammed into her chest, knocking her clear off her feet and embedding her into the far wall. The impact forced a cry of agony from her throat, and once the energy had subsided, she remained depressed within the hard stone.

Kreia breathed heavily, gravity finally taking effect and dropping her to the floor in a broken heap. Her body trembled as she tried desperately to orient herself. She heard the cool laughter float toward her, mocking her brutally.

She was in unspeakable pain, but she couldn't quite tell whether it was the Pulse that caused it, or just the fact that Erol... her love... had been the one to inflict it; and to mock her afterward.

"And I thought you'd be the biggest challenge of the Rangers," he sighed, "but you just can't even defend yourself. It's a shame all that torture Regita put you through didn't pan out, Kreia."

While the Purple Ranger's thoughts were hazy, the grim significance of her opponent's little speech didn't evade her. She gazed hard at the emerald knight, who hovered above her like a bad omen.

"You... you remember who I am," she noted, her voice weak with disbelief.

"Of course," he confirmed, his hands falling to his hips. "What? Did you think Rita erased my memory to force me into fighting you? Trust me, Kreia, she didn't have to. If she'd erased my memory, she'd have taken away the primary fuel of my power... my hatred of you."

Kreia bristled, a tremor of anxiety shocking her body into awareness. She dragged herself to her feet, clenching her fists with determination. "You can't mean that!" she shouted with renewed strength, "You can't hate me! Rita's... done something to you!"

The Green Ranger shook his head. "No, she didn't do anything to me... but give me true Power. It was you who betrayed me, who turned your back on me for the sake of that decrepit old man, throwing away all we had together without a second thought. And then, all of you abandoned me for four months, while I wasted away in a dungeon."

Kreia forced back the bile that crept up her throat. All that she had done to Erol had eaten away at her very soul for the entire duration of his ordeal... but she never dreamed he would hate her for it.

"Erol, it was Rita who imprisoned you," she reminded him, trying to calm her frantic mind with great effort, "If you should want to avenge yourself against anyone, it should be her."

He shook his head again, and slowly moved closer. "No, Kreia," he said in a soft, menacing tone, "You're not getting off that easy..."

And with that, his leg jumped straight toward her in a fierce kick, connecting right at her chin. Kreia's head jerked back with jarring force, knocking her back once again. She crumpled, but struggled to her feet again.

"I see you're not a total disappointment," he reflected, "That kick will probably sever Linis' head from his shoulders!"

Kreia grew considerably paler beneath her Ranger armor. "You may have reason to be angry at me, but Linis hasn't done anything. Nor has any of the others." She rose to her feet, balancing her body on the balls of her feet and lifting her arms defensively. "This is between you and me."

The Green Ranger took a fighting posture of his own. "I agree," he decided, "It always has been."

After over half an hour of flying punches, kicks, and sweeps, Rita decided that they were more or less evenly matched in terms of physical ability.

It was surprising, considering the Purple Ranger's short, smallish frame. But then again, the Green Ranger was quite lithe himself. Neither were by any means the greatest fighters on the Ranger team... that was without a doubt the Yellow Ranger, with Red coming in a close second.

Still, it was immensely enjoyable to watch.

Rita hovered at the edge of her seat, gripping her armrests tensely. Her wicked smile widened when one of the Green Ranger's furious jabs connected, passing Purple's defenses and embedding his fist into her abdomen right beneath the peak of her protective gold shield.

Once he had an opening, Green pressed it. He followed that jab with another, smashing into her body at the exact same location. Purple screeched as ribs cracked, and stumbled forward once Green moved out of the way.

Then, Green's two hands clenched together, and pummeled the small of her back, sending her flat into the hard stone floor.

Rita giggled as she watched fine cracks stretch along the ground from the impact.

Much to Green's credit, he didn't let the fact that the Purple Ranger was down hinder him in the least. He jammed his foot into her side, shoving it roughly beneath her and flipping her onto her back. She lay spread-eagle, gasping for breath but otherwise still.

"Don't get too comfortable, Kreia," Green growled, when he realized she made no move to rise.

"Rita... wants you to kill me," she breathed.

Green shrugged. "Well, yes... but it doesn't conflict with my new moral code, so it's fine by me."

"She wants me dead... because I'm a threat to her power," she continued weakly, "We all are... even you, if you're strong enough to finish me... but... why do you want to kill me?"

Rita frowned, rising from her throne. "Finish her off," she commanded, pointing an accusing finger at Kreia, "Now!"

"You... say you're fighting because you want to..." Kreia pressed, forcing air through her pained lungs, "But... why?"

Green grumbled, casting a wary glance at his queen. He sighed, squatting beside the Purple Ranger and clutching the neck of her armor. He then rose, pulling her up with him.

Her limp body dangled in the air, her feet hovering inches from the ground as Green held her at eye level. "Because I hate you," he answered, his voice deep.

She fell silent as if waiting. He reached out with his free hand, and brutally tore off the purple and white helmet obstructing her face. She hissed as the latch dug into her cheek, slashing her pale skin and causing blood to brim along the cut.

Green glanced at the helmet for a moment before tossing it aside. He then fixed his gaze on Kreia's face.

He smirked, lifting his free hand to her skin. His index finger traced the trickle of blood that flowed from the corner of mouth, as well as the blood oozing from her newest wound. "You've certainly looked better," he noted with a touch of black humor.

Her eyes fluttered open, black as onyx and shimmering with unshed tears. She blinked, trying desperately to bring him into focus.

"You should close them," he advised, moving his bloodstained glove away from her cheek. He spread his palm just in front of her nose, green and gold energy seething at the very center. "You don't want to see this."

He froze when he felt both her hands latch onto the wrist of his attacking arm. Her eyes fixed him with a steady stare, both pleading and determined.

"I know why you hate me," she stated, her voice stronger than before, "Please, Erol... just listen for a moment. We were friends for so many years... you remember how special you've always been to me. Just give me a moment..."

"Erol!" Rita warned, her anger building.

Erol blinked as confusion settled into his heart for the first time since his transformation. He said nothing, but Kreia noticed the energy he was gathering had blinked out of existence.

She had her moment.

"You hate me because of Rita's magic," she continued, "I know you don't believe me, but I can sense something in your energy. When I came into the tower, I did sense you... but your aura was only vaguely familiar. She's... tainted the Power somehow. She made you Evil... and the evil she fed you turned your frustration and anger into hatred."

Her grip on his wrist tightened. "You couldn't truly hate me. You may be angry with me, and you might want to see me suffer for abandoning you... but to hate me? To wish me dead? To stain your gloves with my blood? Erol, you must realize it... this isn't you!"

She couldn't see his face, but she could feel his tension rise. The arm that held her trembled as he dealt with some inner struggle.

Then, just when her hope was beginning to rise, she felt another eerie chill at the core of her being.

In response to whatever trick Rita had used, the tension in his muscles relaxed. "It's me now," he growled, lifting her so near his face her nose grazed his helmet. "It's so much easier this way... not to feel so much pain. Now, all I feel is anger... and that can be remedied easily enough."

Kreia swallowed, closing her eyes to shield herself from the festering power she knew he began building in the arm she had latched on to. She sighed quietly, a tear sliding down her bleeding cheek.

"I'm sorry..." she breathed, "but I can't let you win."

The Green Ranger's cruel chuckle froze in his throat as a strange purple aura built around his attacking arm. He struggled against the force, but it proved fruitless... as the aura channeled along his skin he froze in place.

Kreia opened her eyes, now pulsing with purple energy. They flashed once, and his fingers released their grip on her shield, allowing her to fall gracefully to the ground.

She lifted her gaze, staring at his posture for a moment. She straightened, waving her fingers almost absently.

He fell to his knees, shoulders heaving as he regained control of his own body. He lifted his head, staring at her with incalculable venom.

Her tears still fell, mingling with the blood that stained her smooth features. She wiped her cheek, reddening her dirtied glove. Her fingers smoothed the thick, rust-hued liquid thoughtfully, and her eyes slid to Erol, who struggled to his feet.

"I don't know how to dispel the evil Rita infused you with," she confessed, raising one hand above her head. Energy began crackling about her body like static, causing her hair to slowly flare with an unfelt breeze. "But I will not leave you in her hands. I promise... I'll free you. The only way I know how."

By now, the entire throne room seemed to crackle with purple energy that began cascading toward Kreia and whirling around her in a dazzling spiral. The spiral of glittering energy moved constantly upward, gathering at the tip of her upraised finger.

Once the spiral ebbed, a tight sphere of energy hovered just over her index finger.

She swallowed hard against her struggling emotions. "This should be clean and painless," she told him, in an effort to comfort both of them, "but no less effective."

No more words were spoken. She tensed, and whipped her arm toward him. The sphere leapt from her finger and streaked toward Green Ranger like a comet.

However, it didn't make contact with his chest plate, which was her target. Instead, it collided with the cold metal of an ornate sword, which the Green Ranger unsheathed with uncanny speed.

The energy flared brightly as it crashed into the magical sword, and then evaporated into a small trickle of smoke.

Kreia froze, shock painted plainly on her bloodied face.

Green breathed heavily, his shoulders slumped slightly and the Sword of Darkness held protectively in front of him. "Not bad," he admitted, crouching into an attack pose, "I didn't think you had it in you. That little beam would've killed me. And I respect your effort; at least you're taking me seriously... for once."

Then, with a monstrous howl that could've woken the dead, Green dove at her, sword upraised. Kreia yelped in alarm, instinctively dodging as the sword sliced not far from her body.

Rolling back onto her feet, she quickly gathered her wits and went on the defensive, ducking and dodging the unnaturally sharp sword.

Desperately, she tossed a haphazard Eagleheart Pulse at the opposing Ranger, only to watch in blank astonishment as he batted it away with his sword without even breaking stride. He followed up that slice with another, aimed clearly for her chest. She threw herself to the ground, watching helplessly as fine strands of seared blonde hair tumbled to the ground after her.

Green chuckled. "I'm surprised Regita even let you grow your hair long. Sure, it makes a nice effect when weaving spells, but it really gets in the way in a close-quarters duel. Wouldn't you agree?"

Kreia seethed, rising to her feet. She spared a glance to the ground, her frown deepening at the pile of platinum hair she'd left behind.

But, it was more than the mere loss of hair that had infuriated her. There was a strange spirit of anger that suddenly touched her mind.

Astonished at the realization, her ebony gaze fell again to the mysterious sword her opponent wielded.

"Snap out of it!" Green growled, raising his sword once again, "I don't want this to end too quickly."

Rather than move, her eyes narrowed as she stayed her ground. Green swung the sword, this time aiming for her neck.

Impossibly, her hand moved faster than thought, catching him by the wrist and holding him tightly. Green stammered in amazement, struggling against her supernatural grip. He saw the purple energy building around her body, and renewed his efforts to free himself.

Kreia gazed at the sword, and then back to the Green Ranger. "Rita gave you this," she noted, "Its magical power is extraordinary... I could feel it through my hair. But, I must know more..."

She lifted her finger, and carefully grazed it against the sword. As she suspected, it pierced her glove like air, and drew blood with the merest touch.

She shivered as a familiar icy chill enveloped her entire body. Her eyes bulged, her body shaking as she struggled to remain standing.

Her grip loosened, allowing the startled Green Ranger to recover his balance.

"It's the sword!" she realized, shaking her body in an attempt to ward off the inner cold she sensed, "It's all the sword!"

Her eyes narrowed keenly as she leapt backwards, making room between them. Her hand blindly reached for her belt, clasping the hilt of her purple leather whip.

Without a word, she let the biting leather fly. She expertly latched onto the sword, and tightened her grip. Energy channeled along the leather, sending sparking bolts of purple energy into Green's entire body.

He yelped in surprise and panic, releasing the sword and collapsing to his knees. Kreia held out her hand, pulling the sword toward her in the bonds of the whip.

She caught the sword by the hilt, and held it high above her head.

"No!" Rita screeched, her fists clenched tightly. She threw a glance of bitter hatred toward the Purple Ranger, who had so effectively ruined her carefully-forged plan.

She was surprised when her fierce glare was met by one just as potent.

Purple energy sparked around Kreia's hand, and began flooding the sword all at once. In a blinding display of purple energy, the Sword of Darkness disintegrated.

At that very moment, a low howl tore through Erol's throat. He collapsed completely, sprawling out into a boneless heap on the throne room floor. Slowly, green energy wafted off his body, until the green armor completely vanished.

With a desperate sob of relief, and without even glancing at the Empress of Evil, Kreia dashed toward Erol.

It was a mistake she would quickly regret.

Kreia gasped as sudden energy threw her back into the wall. She struggled impotently against invisible bonds that held her wrists and ankles in place.

A dull clapping sound grasped her attention. She threw a cold grimace as the Empress of Evil descended from her platform, tapping her fingertips against the palm of her opposite hand in mocking applause.

"I must say, I'm impressed," Rita confessed with a vicious smirk. "The power you managed to command was more than I expected of a human... especially one so young. You really were more than a match for my Green Ranger." She sighed, tapping her chin as she mused. "Well, I knew he wasn't really ready for battle just yet. The evil was so new to him... I had wanted him to get used to it." She then threw another cold grin at the helpless Purple Ranger. "But you took matters out of my hands, I'm afraid."

Kreia's dark eyes widened with sudden panic. "What do you mean?"

Rita shrugged, as if helpless to alter his destiny. "I'm afraid he is valueless now," she explained. She sauntered toward Erol, who lay perfectly helpless. A lump closed Kreia's throat as Rita kneeled beside him.

"He really was a wonderful champion," she lamented, "He had a great future... much better than you pitiful humans. He would've been the champion warrior of the greatest empire to be forged in millennia! But now that you've destroyed the Sword of Darkness, I'm wary of trying that little trick again. I'll have to get a new Green Ranger... maybe one that's not already attached to the Rangers. He'll be harder for the Rangers to confuse."

She nodded, pleased with her decision. "Time to come out!"

Erol groaned quietly, and a flash of energy erupted from his limp hand. Rita smirked as the Dragon coin fell into her palm, glowing with faint power.

Kreia gasped. "You corrupted the Power!" she shouted in fury, "Not only did you entrance Erol, but you polluted the Green coin!"

Rita flashed another wicked smile. "You're a fool to believe I had no such capability," she pointed out, slipping the coin into the folds of her gown, "The Green Ranger is mine forever! You silly Rangers have given me the greatest weapon I could ever hope for! Congratulations!"

Rita then snapped her fingers, causing Kreia to fall gracelessly to the ground. The Purple Ranger hissed indignantly, rising to her feet and immediately falling into a fighting stance. Rita cackled wildly.

"Brace yourself, little girl," she mocked, stretching her arms above her head, "It's going to be a bumpy ride!"

Kreia gasped, finding herself forced to follow that suggestion as a monsoon erupted in the very heart of the lunar palace's throne room.

Her eyes slid open very slowly. The light over her head assaulted her vision, making her grimace and close her lids abruptly.

But her watcher didn't miss the small sign of consciousness, and a warm hand grasped hers tightly.

"Ah, my muse! You've returned to us!"

A small smile quirked the Pink Ranger's lip, and she opened her eyes to gaze at Sener. "I know I didn't invite you to my room," she whispered, "So what are you doing here?"

A frown marred his dark complexion. "You don't remember what happened?"

Cherise blinked, slowly rising to sit on her bed. She rubbed her forehead, weeding through jumbled memories. Her eyes widened when she put everything together. "Yes! It was Kreia!"

Sener wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Start from the beginning," he coaxed.

"She awoke and begged to see Regita," she recalled, "I'm not sure what she did, but she tried to communicate with him. She touched her hands to his head, and it seemed like she reached him. Then, some kind of energy emerged, and she... she struck me!"

Sener paled, cradling Cherise tighter. "What kind of energy?"

"It was purple," Cherise elaborated, "and it looked like Kreia was pulling it out of him!"

The Pink Ranger shivered at the memory. "I... I don't know what's become of Kreia," she said quietly, her head bowed with exhaustion, "Ever since Erol vanished, she has become... a stranger."

The Black Ranger nodded his consent, his arms tightening around the young woman who had managed to claim his heart so completely with her intriguing mixture of shy pride. As one of the only two female Power Rangers, it was easy to understand her concern for the Purple Ranger. They weren't best friends, but they were quite close... almost sisters.

The betrayal had cut Cherise far deeper than she would care to admit.

"She's out of control," Cherise decided, her face hardening as resolve took her, "We must rein her in. As her friends, it is our duty to save her from herself."

Sener sighed quietly. "We are too late to save her," he confessed, "Kreia has taken all power from our hands. She left for the moon several hours ago."

Cherise swallowed. "Alone? What insanity has possessed her to throw her life away?"

Sener's lip curled into an almost imperceptible smile. It was by no means a smile of joy, or even amusement. It was a smile of understanding. For he knew that, despite all logic and caution, he would choose the same course as Kreia had if something had happened to Cherise.

So very few people could truly understand the biting torture of having one's heart so hopelessly dashed. The only way to recover from such a loss was to put an end to the questions and doubts.

To lose Cherise to the grave would be agony... but to lose her to an unknown fate, quite possibly worse than death... that would be worse than all the obscure depths of the Underworld.

Sener frowned as he pushed the icy thoughts from his mind. Now was no time to reflect on some horrid nightmare he could only pray would not darken his soul. Now, two dear friends were likely fighting for their very lives.

"Come," he stated, rising to his feet. He offered his hand to her. "We must rejoin the other Rangers. Zale is in the Command Center with Alpha, trying to get some reading on the events transpiring on the moon. Kazu and Linis are tending to Regita."

"How is he?" Cherise murmured.

"He is dead," Sener reported quietly. "We can only hope Kazu and Linis gain some insight as to what Kreia did to him to drink the very essence of life from his body."

Cherise shuddered once again, the image of Kreia leaning over Regita still fresh in her mind. And then her friend had turned her terrifying power against her... without any warning.

There were legends of such beings that stole the life out of victims. Whether through the drinking of blood, or some other soul-stealing ritual.

That dear young Kreia, once such an innocent child, could become such an abomination was the ultimate terror.

What has become of you?

He awoke to the screeching sound of bloody rage. Mixed into the chaos were shouts of distress, and the unmistakable whistle of energy bolts singing through the air.

His body felt heavy, and mysteriously void. As if something had been torn from his soul, leaving a hollow cavity in its wake. He pushed aside the queasy feeling of emptiness, desperately trying to piece together the fractured memories.

He did recall quite clearly speaking with Rita that morning. He remembered a room of darkness, with flickering candles and an eerie voice whispering some alien mantra.

Dimly, the sight of Kreia flashed into his mind. But not the image he had so often dreamed about during his long sentence. Rather than glowing in the beauty of the moonlight, she was hanging from his own hand, blood dripping from a terrible gash that would surely scar her skin forever.

His stomach retched at the very thought. That couldn't have really happened...

A wave of ice crashed into his entire frame when he lifted his head just enough to see what was happening before him.

"Give it up, Kreia! You already knew you were no match for me!"

The Purple Ranger was silent, ignoring the taunts from the ancient sorceress. Her entire concentration was settled into the flickering force bubble that protected her body from the torrent of bolts streaking from the witch's scepter.

Erol swallowed, forcing back the bile that surged up his throat. He had never seen Rita use her scepter... she only walked around with it as if it were some kind of trophy. But now, she had focused her well of dark energies into the golden rod, sending crackling energies into the air that threatened all life on the moon.

Erol had regained the presence of mind to recognize the crisis. He nimbly rolled further away from the conflict, jade eyes flashing with purpose as he absorbed his surroundings. The throne room, constructed entirely of durable granite and marble, was in shambles. Huge holes pot-marked the ground, and deep gouges in the walls gave testimony to the powers that fought before him.

As for the combatants... Rita seemed utterly thrilled, her face flushed with the excitement and adrenaline rush that accompanied a true challenge. She cackled like one possessed, her flowing silver hair tumbling from confinement and whirling about in the cyclone her potent energies generated. She seemed to have avoided any physical harm, for no marks cut her skin, nor tore her gown. If anything, she was absolutely reveling in the battle at hand.

Not so for Kreia. She shivered constantly, as if battling an inner cold as well as the force without. Perhaps, Erol realized with sudden horror, she had already expended her own abilities, and had been forced to tap into the deepest recesses of her soul to give her the strength to remain standing. And she was only barely standing... shaking with strain and exhaustion, her hair fluttering in madness behind her. She struggled against the forcible winds Rita had generated, but it was clear she was losing ground. She couldn't even manage to hold her position... the winds slowly pushed her ever backwards.

Rita's jubilant cackle finally died, all mirth leaving her face. "Well, Honey, this isn't much fun anymore," she sighed, waving her hand negligently, "I really do appreciate the visit... I get so few guests these days."

Kreia frowned deeper, her hands falling from her wind-burnt face to glance at Rita once last time. She watched in dread as the witch raised one hand toward her.

She suddenly felt a magical chill channel through her body as Rita cast some sort of spell through her. With dawning realization, the Purple Ranger turned her head around.

The wall that stood just behind her, once battered with holes caused by destructive energy blasts, had suddenly sprung dozens of razor-sharp spikes. Each spike's tip glinted with magical light, easily a full yard in length.

Kreia swallowed hard, her eyes shining with tears of horrible resignation.

She could barely breathe any longer... she knew she didn't have the strength to fortify herself against Rita's assault. She would be impaled on the wall... and when she died, all of Regita's hopes and Erol's chances died with her.

Suddenly, Kreia heard a loud screech through the winds that rang in her ear. Instantly, the powerful gale ebbed, letting Kreia tumble forward a foot in front of the deadly spikes. She lifted her head in alarm, wondering at her sudden rescue.

A sob nearly escaped her when she saw Erol struggling against Rita's fierce grip.

"You... you can't have her!" Erol screamed, his eyes brimming with unshed tears as his arms wrapped Rita's throat, "You won't take her from me!"

Rita growled, her eyes flashing with fury. "You dare lay your hands on me, human?!" she screeched. Suddenly, her body began flashing with slivers of white electricity that ran along Erol's exposed flesh. The former Green Ranger roared in pain, his hands releasing the empress as he crumbled to the floor, shaking off the charge.

"Erol," Kreia released in a quaking breath. She struggled to her feet, the world spinning around her as she tried desperately to save the man who saved her life.

She yelped in surprise at the vice-like grip that suddenly squeezed the breath out of her.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance, Girl," a cold, menacing voice whispered into her ear, "Now you've just lost the war."

Kreia's eyes blazed with fury as she struggled against Goldar's grip. However, the Titan had managed to muster more than enough strength to keep the nearly powerless Ranger at bay.

Rita tossed a mildly amused smirk at her former champion. "Well, I guess I underestimated you, Goldar," she admitted.

The Titan only nodded sharply in reply.

Rita then turned her frightening gaze to Erol, who still gasped in precious air.

"You'll pay," she swore, "but I'll be kinder to you than to her. She will have to watch you die."

With that, Rita straddled the helpless young man, stretching her fingers in the air. "I haven't had blood on my hands in several centuries," she mused, "But sometimes, you just want to take the life of your enemy... personally."

Without further ado, she dug her impossibly sharp claws into the base of Erol's neck.

The young man screamed... the blood-freezing holler of dizzying pain and the slow ebb of one's life force.

"No... get back!" Kreia screamed, her eyes spilling tears.

Suddenly... she froze.

The sound of the horrifying scream... one that would haunt her every moment for the rest of her life... rang in her ear. Her body shook as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. She felt the cruel laughter of the demon-beast that still held her. Thick blood poured in torrents from Erol's neck, bathing his tattered clothing and Rita's maroon gown to the point of soaking.

The feelings raged within... terror, sorrow, panic, love, hate... and her very soul caught fire.

Shaking, her soul drowning in something, Kreia lifted her head and screamed.

Goldar, suddenly overwhelmed with an overpowering instinct of self-preservation, released the girl and ran for his life.

At first, it faintly looked like the girl was blanching. But it wasn't her skin that was overcome with an eerie pallor... but her entire form. Her hair and uniform also began to lose color as whiteness permeated her entire body.

The whiteness suddenly erupted, swallowing the entire moon palace in an overpowering tidal wave of purifying heat.

Zale's throat closed, and he stumbled away from the Viewing Globe as if he were burned. He backed into the steadfast form of Kazu. While the Yellow Ranger didn't seem to react as strongly, Zale noted the deathly pallor that had suddenly enveloped the man's skin.

The whiteness reflected in the Globe then succumbed to a blanket of static.

No one spoke, moved, or even breathed audibly for some time. The heavy silence was only interrupted by faint footsteps, rushing to the Command Center with urgency.

"I think I found what we were looking for!" Linis called, waving a handful of scrolls, "It seems Regita made a study of a technique he called 'Ascension', which gives a single Power Ranger unspeakable ability..."

The young boy frowned, moving deeper into the circular chamber to see what had so thoroughly grasped the attention of his four allies.

He came to a pause beside his sister, who suddenly enveloped him in a tight embrace. Linis choked out his surprise, gazing beyond her to the Viewing Globe.

"What's with the distortion?" he asked, his voice quiet with dread, "Did Rita put up a new kind of force field?"

Zale exhaled slowly, glassy eyes turning to the youngest team member. "It's over, Linis."

Linis blinked. "What's over?"

"OUR SCANNERS HAVE BEEN OVERLOADED BY THE ENERGY THAT HAS JUST ERUPTED WITHIN THE MOON PALACE," Zordon explained, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "ALPHA, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET EVERYTHING BACK ONLINE?"

The small robot gulped, turning his spinning attention back to a diagnostic. "At the very least, two hours."

"Then we should wait until all scans can be completed," Kazu suggested, dropping his arms to his sides, "Once that has been accomplished, we must examine what remains of the palace, and see if we can find anything."

Linis paled. "Remains...?"

"Finally, we should honor Kreia and Erol with a ceremony, to aid their spirits into the afterlife."

Kazu took in a sharp breath, as if it physically pained his lungs to put to words what everyone feared.

The Dragon and the Eagle

Epilogue

The Black Ranger released a low growl of effort as he hefted a heavy marble slab. His muscles straining, he tossed it to the side, idly watching it float away under the moon's weak gravitational pull.

He then looked down at the area he uncovered, and cringed at the battered, crooked hand poking out of even more marble rubble.

"I found her!" he called through his helmet radio, kneeling beside the hand and digging fiercely. Almost immediately, he was joined by the Pink and Blue Rangers, who assisted him in unearthing the victim.

It was the first time they actually laid eyes upon Rita Repulsa, self-proclaimed Empress of Evil, at such proximity.

"She's out cold," Cherise diagnosed, "and wounded. But I think she'll live."

"Just like the other four," Linis noted bitterly.

Once the scanners were operational, Alpha conducted a full-scale sweep of the entire lunar surface, just to be sure no stone was unturned. The result was five life signatures... each one of a different species.

Not one signature matched anything human.

So the conclusion was evident: Kreia and Erol had died, while Rita and her henchmen lived.

Fate was cruel sometimes.

Sener released a deep sigh, as if unearthing the final survivor of the inexplicable explosion gave irreproachable evidence that the scans hadn't been mistaken. No human survived.

"Then let's put her with the others," he decided, lifting the woman in his arms. Together, the three Rangers crossed the scorched rubble of what was a magnificent palace only hours ago.

The Yellow Ranger nodded toward them, standing stiffly beside what appeared to be a golden cauldron. Beside him, the Red Ranger carried a large gold disk, decorated with a red jewel in the center.

"We've found them all," Linis noted, "Rita, Goldar, the goat-man, the bird-man, and the... the short blue thing."

"All of Rita's court... virtually intact," Cherise whispered numbly.

Sener growled deeply, passing Rita into Kazu's arms. He watched with smoldering rage as Kazu leapt onto the brim of the cauldron, and dropped her within.

"Why are we doing this?" he seethed, watching as the Yellow and Red Rangers topped the golden pot with the matching lid, "Why don't we destroy them all? Make them pay for what they did to Kreia and Erol? And the entire planet?"

"Zordon decided to imprison them in this dumpster," Kazu reminded him, his voice firm with resolve. "It is magically sealed... it cannot be opened from the inside. And if left here on the barren moon, no one will ever stumble upon it to free them. They will cause no more damage."

Kazu then relaxed his poise slightly, and laid his hand on Sener's tense shoulder. "It is the honorable thing to do, my friend. I refuse to attack my enemy when he is unconscious and unable to defend himself... but now with the Green and Purple Rangers lost, there is the very real possibility that we are no longer strong enough to face Rita's attacks if she did recover. By imprisoning her legion, we save Earth while maintaining our code of honor."

Sener bowed his head, clenching his fists against the building anger that assailed his body. "It... it just isn't fair," he choked.

"We cannot presume to understand the gods' hand in this," Zale decided, stepping away from the dumpster. He fired a deep hole in the ground nearby, and motioned his hand.

Together, five Power Rangers pushed the dumpster into the hole, and buried it beneath the arid gray moon dust.

"We're almost done," Zale stated, his gaze turning toward the Megazord. The team carefully leapt across the surface of the moon, passing the Megazord and pausing at the registered coordinates.

The five stood in a line, gazing at the silver and purple machine half-buried in dust.

"What do we do with it?" Cherise asked quietly, "It's such a powerful Zord..."

"The Eaglezord is dead without the Purple Coin," Sener reminded her, entwining his fingers with hers, "It is best to lay her to rest as well."

Zale gazed at the Zord for a moment before stepping away from his team. "Then let us split up."

Slowly, the group separated, forming a pentagonal shape around the Eaglezord.

"Blade-Blasters up!" Red commanded.

The five pulled their weapons in unison, poising the energy gun at the ground on which the Eaglezord laid.

"Fire!"

Five lasers impacted with the ground at once, causing rock and dust to crumble like eggshells. Slowly, the ground beneath the Eaglezord caved in, causing the majestic winged vessel to tumble into its own icy grave.

Wordlessly, the Power Rangers stopped firing, and watched the cloud of dust and smoke waft away. They stared at the rock and dirt that settled atop the grave, covering the final resting place of the Purple Ranger's greatest weapon.

"What of the Dragonzord?" Linis asked quietly.

Zale closed his eyes. "It is already buried... beneath the sea. It will never be summoned again."

Kazu fell to one knee, bowing his head before the tomb. "The Dragon and the Eagle now rest," he mused, "Their battle has been won. They left us as heroes, and in our memory we will treasure their lives, and appreciate their sacrifice."

Zordon floated idly in the void that forever imprisoned his consciousness.

"My children..."

They were gone. He couldn't bring himself to watch on the Viewing Globe as the remaining Rangers carried out their mission, and took care of matters.

Those five children were far stronger than he. He could never bring himself to bury his lost Rangers... even after the deaths of dozens of devoted, treasured children, he still had incredible difficulty dealing with their loss.

And this time, the situation couldn't be more grim.

His Rangers died, no doubt sacrificing their lives to end Rita's wicked reign once and for all. But while they died, Rita had lived.

Fate was so bitterly cruel... Rita and her court were essentially unharmed, while Kreia and Erol had been completely obliterated.

No bodies to be brought back to Earth, to be buried properly on ancestral ground. Not even a Power Coin for them to pass on to future generations.

No... Kreia and Erol were gone forever.

"Never again," Zordon vowed, "No Ranger will ever make such a sacrifice..."

That would be their legacy, he decided. In their honor, he would re-craft the remaining Power Coins. The Rangers would be more durable... less prone to die in battle.

All future Rangers would live to see their victory.

She released a low groan, the first sound of life to pass her dry lips for days. The groan spoke of prolonged agony, and was maintained throughout the slow process of opening her eyes.

Her dazed puzzlement lasted a few moments more, as her hard onyx eyes stared at the blazing white above her. She blinked repeatedly, and tried to move her head. However, a sharp pain raced through her entire body, warning her against performing such a feat again.

She exhaled slowly, panic settling in as memories of her last moments of consciousness assaulted her.

The palace. Rita. Erol. The Ascension.

The magical shield she managed to erect around herself and her love, protecting them from the primal energy that would tear the palace apart.

The spell she had managed to weave... thanks to the assimilated knowledge from Regita... that transported them to safety.

The sight of frigid whiteness, stretching for miles without end.

That was the last thing she saw before overwhelming pain and exhaustion forced her eyes shut.

How long ago was that? Clearly, from the numbing cold that chilled her exposed flesh, she was still in that environment.

To her astonishment, a face appeared within her view. It was of a child, probably fourteen or so, with a warm smile to contrast the bitter cold. Her eyes were the shape of almonds, similar to Kazu's but narrower, and her skin was nearly as dark as Sener. From beneath her heavy hood of animal skin fell a few locks of jet-black hair.

Hair like Erol's.

Erol.

("You are awake,") the girl said, in a tongue so foreign to Kreia that it didn't even sound like speech. She blinked a few times, before finally reaching her hand to the girl.

The girl watched Kreia's movement in astonishment. ("Don't move! You're hurt!") Silently, she was awed by the beautiful black design on the stranger's ivory palm.

Kreia could not heed the girl's warning. Still, the intense pain made it clear her body did not want to perform this task.

It dawned on her in that instant. She was dying. Her body was so weak it could barely perform simple motor functions.

She wasn't strong enough to survive the Ascension after all.

Still, she had enough life in her to perform her duty.

Gingerly, she touched the girl's hand. The girl understood, and clutched the pale hand of her guest. Her eyes widened in shock as a charge of energy sprang through her.

*Now I can understand you,* Kreia revealed, her voice echoing in the girl's mind like a warm breeze, *And you can understand me. Where am I? Think the answer.*

The girl was puzzled. *You are in my igloo. My family and I found you over the frozen lake, where we fish. Poppa and Momma carried you and your friend here, so we could take care of you.*

A feeble smile stretched Kreia's lips. *My friend... where is he?*

The girl cast her gaze to the ground. *I'm sorry. He was dead when we found him. We buried him in the snow.*

Kreia's smile fell with cold finality. *Please bury me beside him.*

The girl startled. *But you are not dead!*

*I am.*

Her hand fell from the girl's, and hung limply for a moment. The child stared in fear at the suddenly still body. Then, Kreia's face wrinkled in a frown of pure determination, as her hand formed a fist. Her eyes squeezed shut as a billowy purple energy built around her.

The girl stepped back in awed wonder as the energy streamed into her hand. Finally, after all the light died, Kreia opened her palm.

The black brand on her palm was replaced by a gold disc with a matching design on its face.

With one powerful thrust, Kreia catapulted her hand to the girl beside her. Understanding, the girl grabbed the hand before it fell, and once again that magical charge chilled her.

*What is your name?*

*I am Chilali,* the girl answered.

*Take this, Chilali. This is my gift to you. Keep it safe for me.*

*It is beautiful!* Chilali thought. *It is the color of the sun. What is this flying creature?*

*It is called the Eagle, a noble, powerful bird. Keep this charm, and the Eagle will always protect you, and your children after you.*

Chilali felt the hand grow flaccid, and gently shook it. ("Hello? Wake up!")

Tears blurring her vision, the young girl laid the listless hand on the pale stranger's heart, and touched the Power Coin to her own. ("May the gods carry you safely, Lady Eagle.")