Water Runs Dry

William James Mitchell awakens to the sound of birds chirping. They sounded a great deal like the birds that always made nests in the large tree right outside his bedroom window back home in Angel Grove. But Billy knows that the sounds he's hearing aren't the birds in his backyard. Rather, its a recording, programmed to awaken the young scientist bright and early in the morning. The Aquitians have tried their best to make Billy's life on Aquitar as pleasant as possible. But, no matter how technologically advanced this oceanic planet is, there is just no way to make synthetic birdsong sound real.

Billy rose from his bed, and stretched. He then glanced out the full wall window, watching as schools of alien fish swam by. Billy is revered as a great hero here on this planet of scholars, and so when he came here to stay, Delphine, the leader of the Aquitian Rangers and powerful politician because of her rank, arranged for him to stay in one of the most elegant rooms in Triton, the capital city of Aquitar. Triton is known for its magnificent view, most significantly of the Azure Mountain Chain, the only group of mountains tall enough to actually reach above sea level, if only by a few hundred feet. Although at first the sight of these collosal mountains was breathtaking, now Billy would much rather rise to the sight of a sunrise. Its amazing how people take the inspirational beauty of a sunrise for granted, until its gone.

I wonder if that's how the rangers think of me, Billy thought silently, preparing to take a bath, I wonder if they miss me, now that I'm gone. I wonder if they even realized how they... took me for granted.

Billy isn't bitter about his lot in life. However, he cannot deny he feels short-changed. After all, he had been a Power Ranger from the beginning, fighting to preserve humanity against an invading evil. At first, he felt extremely awkward about being a superhero, but he soon grew into it, and used his role as a hero, as well as his unbreakable bond with his friends, to grow as a person. He felt he was at his peak when he, Jason, Kimberly, Trini, Zack, and Tommy fought Rita Repulsa on nearly a daily basis, and they always managed to succeed. But from there, things slowly went downhill.

First, Jason, Zack, and Trini left Angel Grove to attend the Peace Conference. This distressed Billy more than he could ever admit, because he lost three of his best friends. But they were more than friends--they saved him. Saved him from a life of solitude. They, along with Kimberly, welcomed him, a 'computer geek', for a lack of a better term, into their fold, without trying to change him, or mold him into someone he's not. They accepted him for who he was, and they respected and loved him. But without them, he couldn't help feeling alone. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha viewed Billy in a somewhat different light. They saw him as a veteran, someone to be respected from afar, or admired for his amazing intelligence. But, they weren't the closest of friends. And Kimberly and Tommy became closer and closer, and without knowing it, they managed to alienate Billy.

As time passed, things only got worse. Kimberly, Billy's closest friend for years, left Angel Grove to compete in the Pan-Global Games, and after a month or so, greater amounts of time passed between letters and phone calls. When Mastervile changed the rangers into children, Billy managed to find a way to return his body to its true age. He then began working from behind the scenes, and watched as his friends went on quests, finding meaning in their lives. But Billy didn't go on this soul quest, and so he didn't have a place on the Zeo team. Billy graciously gave his spot to Tanya, even though he knew he'd miss the Power. But, deep down, he also knew how a chasm had formed between him and his friends. They didn't see him as a friend anymore. They saw him as another Zordon, always in the Command Center, ready to come up with a solution to their problems. After a while, they began to ignore Billy completely, as if he was part of the Power Chamber. Although Billy didn't show it, he was extremely hurt by his friends' lack of sensitivity. But Kimberly, the most sensitive person he's ever known, was away in Florida. The team was different, and Billy was just a shadow of the past. A shadow in the Power Chamber.

But the Aquitians admired Billy in a different way. They weren't merely impressed by his intelligence, they also were impressed by his modesty, character, and gentleness. It was these qualities that attracted the attention of Cestria, a cousin of the Aquitian Ranger Cestro. Cestria truly cared about Billy, and it was obvious when she came to Earth as soon as she learned Billy was aging at a dangerous rate. She did everything in her power to help Billy, and it wasn't because of duty. It was out of love. And Billy soon learned that he cared a great deal for Cestria. She was special to him. She was worth leaving Angel Grove. After all, the rangers didn't seem to care much when Billy sent the message, explaining that he'd found happiness. And he was right. They never, not even once, tried to contact him after he left. Billy understood that saving the world took precedence, but that didn't mean they could just forget about him, and never leave a quick message, just to check in. It would only take a few moments.

Billy sighed and got dressed. He then walked back into his bedroom, and gazed out as the water. Maybe he could learn to love the view of the Azure mountains, and even the sound of the computer generated bird song. At least he was appreciated on Aquitar. Here, he is engaged to marry a beautiful, compassionate, respected physician, and he is also an honorary member of the Aquitian Rangers. He also is making a name for himself as a skilled computer scientist. As Billy zipped up his black and silver uniform, a soft chime rang from the door.

"Come in," Billy called, turning to face the door. The door automatically slid into the wall, and a short young woman with bright eyes and short brown hair stepped into the room, her hands clasped behind her back. She smiled warmly at Billy.

"Good morning, Billy," she said, "I trust you rested soundly?"

"Indeed, Cestria," Billy answered, "I'm slowly acclimating to the colder temperatures and lack of direct sunlight."

"I'm glad," said Cestria, "Although I admit, your home planet Earth is indeed lovely. When we visited twenty-two axis rotations ago, to attend the festivities at your former center of education, I was impressed by the warmth of the climate and beauty of the scenery. I would like to visit for longer periods of time, if only I weren't so dependent on Aquitian water."

"Perhaps in the future we'll be able to develop a way for Aquitians to survive on Earth longer."

"Meanwhile, we had best join the others for First Meal. Cestro and Corcus have returned from their mission to the Azure Peak, and they have many interesting findings to report. Shall we?"

"Let's," said Billy, taking Cestria's hand. Together, they walked down the tunnel, leading out of the residential dome, towards the larger dome, which is home to the meeting halls.

Meanwhile, not too far away from the shimmering aqua-blue planet of Aquitar, a large bronze space submarine flies through the vastness of space, quickly approaching its destination. This submarine is the vessel owned by the dreaded pirate queen Divatox. Divatox was, once upon a time, a princess of the planet Venus. But her thirst for power led her astray, to the point where she challenged her sister Naya for the throne. But Divatox's coup failed, and she was forced to leave the planet, never to return. In a blinding rage, Divatox, one of the most skilled enchantresses of the isle, cast a powerful spell, which caused all the water on the lush planet to evaporate completely. Without life-sustaining water, Venus became the dry, hot, uninhabitable planet it is today, and the Venusians were forced to leave their beloved planet. They inhabited a small, magical isle on the neighboring planet Earth, and from then on lived in relative peace. Divatox, however, never lost her lust for power, and even though she is presently feared throughout the galaxy, she isn't satisfied. And she won't be satisfied until she is absolute ruler of the Milky Way.

Presently, Divatox sits upon her captain's chair, leafing through an ancient book, written on paper made of an extremely durable Aquitian seaplant. She continues her search, twirling the end of her purple ponytail on her index finger, while her crew steers the ship.

"We're coming up to Aquitar," said Elgar, the navigator, "ETA... twenty minutes."

"Excellent," said Divatox, looking up from her book, "Soon, we'll be at the planet, with the Tympanus Sword in my hand."

"What's the Tympanus Sword, Auntie D?"

"Its only one of the most powerful weapons in existence! Eons ago, the powerful Eltarian wizard Tympanus created two mighty weapons, the Tympanus Staff and the Tympanus Sword. Both were created by powerful magic, and were given as gifts to the ruling families of Aquitar and Triforia, as part of a treaty which binded the three planets in an alliance of justice. The staff is still being used by the Triforians, and its passed down to the second child generation after generation. The eldest becomes king, while his sibling becomes the Gold Ranger, leader of the Triforian armies. But the Aquitians, being a race of peaceful scholars, had no need for such a devestating weapon. So, it was hidden somewhere on the planet, by the King's first advisor. The secret of the location of the Tympanus Sword is kept within the family line of the King's first advisor, so what we need to do is locate his closest living relative, and find out exactly where the Tympanus Sword is hidden. With that power, the universe will be mine!"

"But, what about the Aquitian Rangers?" asked Porto, the round scientist.

"I have a plan, that'll keep those annoying fish out of my hair! If all goes well, the Aquitian government will surrender the sword without a hassel, to save their pathetic lives!"

"The Aquitian Rangers have allies, Captian," continued Porto, "If you recall your last conversation with Queen Rita Repulsa, there are a team of Power Rangers in command of the legendary Zeo Crystal."

"You mean the Earth Rangers?" laughed Divatox, "Why in the name of evil would the Earth Rangers bother me? They have their own problems, with Rita and that hideous hubbie of hers. What was his name? Ed? Fred?"

"Zedd," said Porto, "He is the ruler of the Venusians, in case you forgot."

"I don't care," snapped Divatox, "If that weak Syren wants to be the pawn of some... creature, then so be it! I have plans for the rest of the universe. She can have that little rock on the Earth. Now, don't talk to me until we've arrived! I'm still searching through the first advisor's family tree!"

Elgar and Porto immediately returned to their stations, allowing the pirate queen to continue her search through her bound book. Fifteen minutes later, she finally locates the lineage she was looking for, and stands up from her throne, to begin pacing around the bridge.

"The family of Filleus," she said aloud, "according to this document, the last relative of the first minister is Ariel of Filleus. But this text is over a century old..."

"Ariel could not still be alive, Captain," said Porto, "Aquitians live to be about fifty Aquitian years, which is pretty comparable to Earth years."

"True. Ah, here we are!"

Divatox sat back down on her captain's chair, smiling as the image of Aquitar appeared on the main screen. She clasped her hands in anticipation, and turned to Elgar.

"Elgar! Bring us to the capital Triton! I have to speak with ruler of Aquitar. Steer for the Azure Mountain range. Its the only land mass above sea level, so it should be simple enough to find. Even for you."

Elgar nodded, and brought the ship down to the shimmering blue sphere.

A group of nearly twenty Aquitians stand at a rectangular table, each about a foot away from the table itself. Upon the table was an elegant spread of Aquitian delicacies, mostly various kinds of native fish, along with some sea plants, as well as the extremely rare "soil plants", which must be grown in dry green houses. At the head of the table is a young Aquitian man, with a royal purple cape and scarf wrapped around his head. To his left and right were empty spots, and beside them were Billy and Cestria, facing each other. Next in line were Delphine and Aurico. Beside Aurico was Tideus. The rest of the table was filled with distinguished aids of the young prince, as well as famed scientists and politicians. The room fell into silence as two figures entered through the large oval opening. One was dressed in a solid blue uniform, with helmet, and white boots and gloves. Beside him was another dressed in an identical black uniform. The two figures stood side by side, and simultaneously greeted the prince first, and then the other diners with the traditional Aquitian hand movements. The prince nodded his recognition, and the others returned the gesture. Then, both colored figures were immersed in blinding light. When the light faded, the colored uniforms were gone, leaving both young men donned in the loose black robes worn by Aquitian warriors. They then took their places beside the prince.

"Now that our guests of honor have arrived," said the prince, stepping towards the table, "we can begin our meal."

The other diners all stepped towards the table, and they immediately began serving themselves. Delphine, who was standing beside Billy, glanced at him curiously.

"You did not bring a seat this time," she noted aloud.

"True," said Billy, "As they say on Earth, 'when in Rome, do as the Romans'."

Delphine looked at Billy strangely, and then nodded.

"I believe I understand the phrase," she said, "Basically, since you are living amongst Aquitians, you feel it best to follow our customs--one of which being to stand at a meal table."

"We can fetch you a seat if you are uncomfortable, Billy," said Cestria. Billy smiled.

"Negative. I'll have to adjust to eating while standing sooner or later."

"So," said the prince, "how did your mission go, Cestro and Corcus?"

"Everything went smoothly, Prince Phaemon," announced Cestro, "We were unable to discover the reason for the recent tremors from the previously believed defunct volcano in the Azure Mountain Range, but we have accumulated a great amount of seismic readings and data. Now that we have returned to Triton, the geologists can study the material, and determine the cause for the recent volcanic activity."

"How long has the volcano been inactive?" asked Billy.

"Centuries," said Corcus, "Until recently, the volcano was so quiet, many young ones didn't even know that it was a volcano. But now, it is beginning to show signs of life. It is indeed peculiar."

"If the volcano does erupt, will that pose a threat to Triton, or any of the city-states?" asked the prince.

"It is uncertain," said Cestro, "Until the data is studied thoroughly, no conclusions can be reached."

Suddenly, the entire room began to quake violently. The startled Aquitians fell to the ground, and braced themselves as objects began falling from the table. Soon, the quaking ended, and the Aquitians rose to their feet.

"What was that?" asked the Prince, "Was it seismic activity, due to the volcano?"

"I... I do not think so, Majesty," said Corcus.

Billy walked over to the large window, and stared out into the vast blue ocean. He looked towards the towering Azure Mountain range, but some large object obstructed his view. He gazed at in intently.

"Cestria," he asked, "is that some kind of gargantuan fish?"

Cestria rose, and followed Billy's gaze towards the large object. She frowned.

"It is like nothing I've ever seen before," she said, "But it doesn't look like an animal. It looks more like... a machine?"

"Its turning towards us!" said Cestro, turning towards Phaemon, "The Prince must be protected at all costs!"

Billy watched in surprise as two narrow golden objects flew towards Triton from the alien craft. It was too late when he realized what they were.

"Everyone!" he cried, "Take cover!!"

Billy grabbed Cestria's arm and ducked beneath the dining table. The Aquitian Rangers surrounded the prince protectively, fearing shattering glass or falling objects would injure the monarch. Soon the two golden cylinders exploded, crushing the glass and allowing tons of water into one of the neighboring domes. Water gushed through the halls, flooding much of the city, and the dining hall itself was automatically sealed by closing doors, to keep those within safe.

"Everything shall be all right," said Aurico, trying to keep the people from panicking.

"Yes," said Delphine, "we are all okay."

"No you're not," said a low female voice. Everyone turned around, and saw a woman appear in mid air behind them. She was wearing a revealing leather dress and black leather boots to her thighs. On her face was a golden mask/crown, and her long black hair, streaked with purple, was tied back from her face in a tight ponytail. She had her hands on her hips, and smiled as she slowly descended to the floor.

"Do I know how to make an entrance, or what?" she said, walking over to the Prince. Delphine stepped in her path.

"Who are you?" she asked. The woman smiled, revealing perfect, pearly white teeth.

"Divatox," she declared, "the Pirate Queen!"

"What do you want here?" Prince Phaemon asked.

"I am looking for the Sword of Tympanus, and you're going to give it to me."

"I don't know where it is," he said, "and even if I did, I would never give such a destructive weapon to the likes of you!"

"Really?" said Divatox, her cold blue eyes beginning to glow silver, "Are you sure?"

Prince Phaemon's eyes began to glow silver as well, and his body stiffened. The rangers turned to him worriedly.

"Your Highness?!" asked Delphine in panic.

"Don't worry, Sweetie," chuckled Divatox, "he's not hurt. No man can fight off the charms of a Venusian enchantress. Not even the fish-folk on this drippy planet."

Divatox pushed Delphine aside, trying to get to the prince. The four remaining rangers moved in front of her.

"You will not lay a hand on the prince," said Cestro, folding his arms.

"But, I don't mean him any harm," she said sweetly, her eyes once again glowing silver, "I just want to talk is all."

To Delphine's horror, Aurico, Cestro, Corcus, and Tideus stepped away, allowing Divatox to come dangerously close to the reigning sovereign of the entire planet. Delphine leapt to her feet.

"It's Morphin Time!" Delphine declared, "White Aquitar Ranger Power!!"

Delphine was immersed in bright white light, and transformed into the White Ranger. She turned towards Divatox and the prince.

"Don't come to close, White Ranger," snapped Divatox, "I won't kill him. But don't press the matter!"

Delphine warily stayed back, and clenched her fist angrily. Divatox chuckled and gazed back at Phaemon.

"Are you familiar with a woman named Ariel of Filleus?" she asked him.

"No, My Queen," he answered dryly. Divatox's confident grin fell.

"Do you know anyone of the house of Filleus?!" she snapped angrily. She then turned around, allowing her icy silver stare to hypnotize every man in the room. "Does anyone here know of the house of Filleus?!"

"I do," said Cestro dully. Divatox turned away from the entranced prince, and smiled at the blue Aquitian Ranger.

"Oh, really?" he asked, "Do you know Ariel?"

"Ariel was my great-grandmother," Cestro said dully, "She died before I was born, but her son, my grandfather, told me of her."

"So, you are of the house of Filleus," said Divatox, grinning widely, "Perfect! Tell me, where is the Sword of Tympanus?"

"I do not know of the sword. It is only a legend."

Divatox snarled and pushed Cestro away from her angrily. Cestro flew back, and crashed into the dining table. Delphine siezed the opportunity to attack, and leapt at the pirate queen. But Divatox held up her hand, and Delphine was suspended in mid air. Divatox rolled her eyes and floated up, so she was eye to eye with Delphine.

"Big mistake, Fish-Girl," Divatox snarled, "No one crosses Divatox and lives."

The White Ranger fell to the ground, and Divatox continued to rise until she nearly touched the ceiling. Her eyes flashed silver, and suddenly, all the men in the room were aware.

"Hear me, Aquitians!" Divatox roared in a mind-rattling voice, "You have exactly one hour to hand over the Sword of Tympanus. If not, I will destroy this entire planet. Now, I'll give you a small taste of my powers!"

With that, Divatox vanished from the chamber. Delphine rose to her feet, and powered down. The Aquitian Rangers regrouped around the Prince, who was touching his brow.

"Are you well, Majesty?" asked Aurico.

"I am," he said, "but Divatox's threat..."

"Can she truly destroy the whole planet?" asked Corcus, "It doesn't seem like she had a fleet of warriors to aid her."

"She gave us an hour," said Delphine, "and we should use this time to find out as much as we can about Divatox."

"How?" asked Tideus, "I have never even heard of a race of beings called 'Venusian'."

"I have," said Billy, "although I don't know much about them. But, the Zeo Rangers have encountered them before, and one of my friends back home is actually part Venusian."

"Then we must make contact with Zordon of Eltar," said Cestro, "Perhaps he can help us."

"Quickly," said Aurico, "Let us make contact with Earth."

The five Aquitian Rangers hurried towards the laboratory, the only place on Triton with the technology sufficient for sending a transmission all the way to Earth, which was hundreds of light years away. Billy was about to follow them, when Cestria reached out and clasped his hand.

"Cestria?" he asked, turning around. She looked up into his eyes sadly.

"Billy," she said, "Aquitar is in great danger, and its up to me to stop it. You must come with me."

"Cestria!" called Billy, stopping in his tracks to catch his breath, "Please, slow down!"

The young Aquitian stopped, and turned around. She walked over to Billy, and took his hand.

"I apologize for this, Billy, but time is of the essence! We must get to my chambers immediately."

"Why?" asked Billy, allowing Cestria to lead him down the hallway.

"I shall show you."

Soon, the young couple was in Cestria's quarters, which was near the level closest to the sea floor. Billy waited by the door while Cestria went into her clothing closet. She pulled out a small silver case, and brought it out of the closet. She laid in on a table near the full wall window, and Billy stood up and walked beside her.

"What is that?" he asked her.

"This is a treasure, and a responsibility, that has been passed down in my family for generations. It hasn't been needed until now."

Cestria opened the case, and inside it was a white pearl, about the size of a fist. She picked it up with both hands, and looked up at Billy.

"I know what is causing the volcanic activity, Billy."

Billy was astonished. "But, how? Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Listen, Billy, this is the Eye of Tympanus. It is a compass, that guides one to the Sword of Tympanus. It is prophesied that the mountains will roar when the Sword calls to its owner. That means the time of destiny is upon us."

Cestria placed the white pearl into Billy's hands. It gave off a warm, silvery glow. "Billy, do you recall the day when your body was infused with the negative proton energy?"

"Yes," he said, almost bitterly, "I couldn't become the Gold Ranger because of it."

"You weren't meant to become the Gold Ranger. By absorbing the negative proton energy, your body has been prepared to accept the power of the opposite. The Sword of Tympanus is a weapon related to the Staff of Tympanus, also known as the Gold Ranger staff."

"You mean, I'm the one destined to retrieve the Sword?"

"Yes. That may be why I was so drawn to you, Billy. Our destinies are intertwined. As a member of the house of Filleus, I was charged with the responsibility of protecting the Eye, so that the Chosen One will be able to receive it, and be guided to his goal. You must go."

"Go where?" he asked, still having trouble with the concept of destiny.

"To wherever the Eye leads you. Divatox cannot be allowed to possess the Sword, Billy. A being such as herself is unworthy of the gift, and she would no doubt misuse the power to wreak havoc throughout the cosmos. We must hurry. Divatox will be back soon."

Cestria led Billy outside of the residential dome, and into the docking area, where many undersea vessels were kept. Right before he left, she kissed him lightly on the lips. "Be strong, My Love," she said, "The path you must now walk isn't easy. You must prove worthy of the power, or you will certainly perish while trying to claim it."

"I will," he said, "Please be careful. I don't know what Divatox has in store, but she seems to be willing to do anything to get what she wants."

Divatox marched onto the bridge of the space-submarine, a bitter scowl on her face. She stood in the center of the room, with her hands on her hips.

"So, the little trout-people think they can stop me?" she snarled, "Well, I'll show them! I'm the premier enchantress of Venus! Well, at least I was, before I destroyed it. Now, I'm going to do the same to this backwater planet. Elgar!"

"Yeah, Auntie D?"

"Take the ship into orbit around the planet," she said, sitting down on the captain's chair, "I need to get a good distance before I can cast the spell."

"What spell?"

"The spell of dehydration! The one spell that will forever destroy the Aquitian culture. Now move it! I gave them an hour, and it'll take me that long to fully cast the spell."

"But, what if they concede to your demands?" asked Porto.

"Hey, no skin off my back. Now, move it!"

"Time to go," said Elgar, turning on the thrusters. The bronze space submarine lifted off, out of the water, and through the thick atmosphere of the submerged planet. Once they were out of the atmosphere, Elgar programmed the ships computers for synchronous orbit, so the ship would remain over Triton as the planet rotated on its axis. Divatox rose from her throne, and marched into her bed chambers. She opened up a book of spells, and her eyes began to glow with silver light.

"Let's see how long these fish can survive out of the ocean," she chuckled, and then the Pirate Queen began to cast the deadly spell.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the senior class of Angel Grove High is busy in graduation practice. Rocky has a frown on his face, and taps his foot impatiently. Tommy, who is sitting beside him, turns around to look at his friend.

"What's the matter, Rocko?" he asks.

"I'm bored as heck," Rocky whispers, "How many times do we have to line up, and march in step down the football field, only to sit down and listen as the Valedictorian gives the same speech? I'm getting tired of this."

"Well, it'll all be over soon. Thursday night, we get our diplomas, and get out of here."

"Yeah," said Rocky, "its kinda scary, when you think about it."

"I know," said Tommy, "In a few days, both of us will have graduated! Did you make any plans, Rocko?"

"I'm going to open up my own dojo in Stone Canyon," he said with a smile, "Its been my dream since I was a kid!"

"That's good," said Tommy, "I'm going to Brown in the fall."

"Wow," gasped Rocky, "you got into an Ivy League university?!"

"Don't be too surprised," said Tommy with a smirk.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

"Its okay, it was a big shock to me too. I never thought I'd be accepted, but my dad insisted I apply. And I'm in. So I'm going."

"You don't sound too happy about it," Rocky observed.

"Yeah, well I can't stay on the team if I go to Rhode Island," he said in an even lower voice, "I won't have the time, much less the fact that I won't even be on the West Coast anymore. You guys'll need a replacement."

"Well, we don't have to worry about it yet," said Rocky, "You don't start school until the end of August. I'm sure You-Know-Who knows what to do in this situation."

Just then, Tommy's communicator sounds. Tommy quickly covers his wrist, and looks around warily. As of now, they were sitting down in the back row of the graduating class.

"We gotta sneak out," whispered Tommy, quietly pushing the folding chair he was sitting on back. Rocky followed Tommy's example, and the two managed to push their chairs out of the row. Then, they quickly got up, and took cover beneath the bleachers. "What's happening, Zordon?" asked Tommy.

^YOU MUST REPORT TO THE POWER CHAMBER IMMEDIATELY,^ the old sage said, ^WE HAVE RECEIVED AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM AQUITAR.^

"Oh no," whispered Rocky, "Do you think something happened to Billy?"

"We'd better find out," said Tommy, and the Red and Blue Zeo Rangers vanished. Momentarily, they appeared in the Power Chamber, accompanied by fellow rangers Katherine Hillard, Adam Park, and Tanya Sloan.

"What's happening?" asked Rocky.

"TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE VIEWING GLOBE," said Zordon. The five rangers turned around, and saw the five Aquitian Rangers-- Delphine, Aurico, Cestro, Tideus, and, and Corcus.

^Rangers of Earth,^ said Delphine, ^it is good to see you again. If that it were not such dire circumstances that now bring us together.^

"What's going on, Delphine?" asked Tommy.

^Rangers, Aquitar has been attacked by a space pirate named Divatox.^

"Who?" asked Tanya.

"DIVATOX WAS A VENUSIAN PRINCESS," explained Zordon, "BUT SHE TRIED TO USURP HER SISTER NAYA'S THRONE. SHE WAS DEFEATED, AND BANISHED FROM VENUS FOREVER..."

"I remember this story!" said Katherine, "She cast a spell, draining all the water from Venus, making the entire planet uninhabitable. That's why the Venusians now live on Earth, on Venus Island."

^We are not familiar with the Venusians,^ said Cestro, ^but Billy suggested we contact you to learn more of their abilities.^

"Why did she attack Aquitar?" asked Adam.

^She wants to Sword of Tympanus,^ said Aurico, ^and she threatens to destroy Aquitar if we do not deliver it.^

"The Sword of Tympanus?" asked Tommy, turning to Zordon.

"THE SWORD OF TYMPANUS IS THE SIBLING WEAPON OF THE STAFF OF TYMPANUS, THAT EMPOWERS THE GOLD RANGER. THE SWORD IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL, AND CONTAINS ENERGIES COMPARABLE TO THE ZEO CRYSTAL."

"Then we have to keep Divatox from getting her hands on it," said Rocky, turning back to the Viewing Globe, "Aquitians, Divatox has magical powers capable of destroying planets! You have to take her out fast!"

"RANGERS, IF DIVATOX DRAINS EVEN A LITTLE WATER FROM AQUITAR, THE AQUITIAN RANGERS WILL BE GREATLY WEAKENED. THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DEFEND THE PLANET WITHOUT HELP."

"Well, there's only one option," said Tommy, "we have to go help them."

^Your aid would be greatly appreciated, Rangers of Earth,^ said Corcus.

"Its the least we can do," said Katherine, "If it weren't for you five coming to Earth when Mastervile made us all children, the entire planet would be under his control. Or worse."

"But, if we go all the way to Aquitar, what happens to Earth?" asked Rocky.

"Yeah," said Tanya, "I doubt Zedd would miss out on a chance to attack when the rangers aren't around."

"THERE IS ONE OPTION. ALPHA FIVE, PLEASE ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WITH VENUS ISLAND."

"You're gonna call Kim?" asked Tommy.

"SHE HAS THE POWER OF THE NINJETTI TO FIGHT WITH, AS WELL AS AN ARMY OF LOYAL VENUSIAN WARRIORS. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DEFEND EARTH UNTIL YOU RETURN."

Meanwhile, far away from any other land mass, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, is the mystical Venus Island. This island is entirely populated by a race of beautiful, yet powerful women who were originally from Venus, but were forced to take refuge on Earth when Divatox destroyed the planet by eliminating the water supply. Atop the high mountain on the center of the isle is a city of silver and white. This city is where the Venusians dwell, called Ambrosia. The highest structure in Ambrosia is a pearly white palace. Behind the palace is an elegant rose garden, with blossoms of every color imaginable. Here is where Kimberly, the Queen of the island, is spending her afternoon, watering the flowers.

"Kim!" called a voice from the palace. Kimberly looked up, and smiled when she saw her good friend Renee Ryan wave at her. The tall, dark enchantress clad in an orange toga ran over to the queen, and kneeled beside her on the grass.

"Kim, what are you doing? I've been looking for you for ages!"

"I'm watering the flowers, of course," said Kimberly, "It hasn't rained in ages, and roses need water."

"Why are you doing it?" Renee inquired, "You could've asked me to conjure up a little raincloud or something."

"Nah, its okay," said Kimberly, turning back to the bush of lavender roses, "Back home, I took care of a garden. I watered each plant by hand, and sang to them, and everything. I enjoyed it. Actually, I kinda missed it."

"Well, sorry to disturb you, but there's a message for you on the Mirror."

"Really?" asked Kim, standing up, "From Zordon?"

"Yep."

Kimberly looked up at the highest tower of the palace, where her bedroom is. She sighed.

"Well," she said, "its much easier to fly up there than walk up those stairs."

Kimberly closed her eyes, and was bathed in a soft pink light. When the light faded, Kimberly's human form melted, revealing a graceful pink crane. The crane spread its wings, and soared high into the air, and into the large open window of her bedroom. She landed in front of the full length mirror, and transformed back into human form. She waved her hand over the glass of the mirror, and an image of the Power Chamber appeared. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, "I was in the garden."

^IT IS ALRIGHT. KIMBERLY, I HAVE DIRE NEWS. AQUITAR HAS BEEN ATTACKED.^

Kimberly gasped. "Is Billy okay?"

^For now,^ said Tommy, ^but the Aquitian Rangers need help. They've never battled anyone like this before.^

"Who are they up against?"

^Divatox,^ said Tanya grimly. Kimberly scowled.

"You're right then, they do need help! If Divatox casts the dehydration spell, the entire planet will be dry as a desert!"

^We're getting ready to go now,^ said Adam, ^Hopefully the Zeo Rangers can help out. But, we don't want to leave Earth unprotected.^

"Relax, gang," said Kimberly, "I can have a team of Venusians at the Power Chamber within the hour. We can watch over Earth while you're gone."

^Thanks, Kim,^ said Rocky.

"Don't mention it. Besides, this is my planet too, and no way am I gonna let some alien scumbags try to conquer it! I'll be there as soon as I can."

Kim once again waved her hand over the mirror, and the image reverted back to her reflection. Kim sighed, as she gazed at her reflection.

"Well," she said, "its time to get cracking! I summon the power of Ninjetti!!"

Kim held her hand to the sky, and a badge of silver, with an image of a Crane appeared. It sparked with pink electricity, and the electricity transformed Kim's dress into her Ninjetti uniform. She was wearing a long-sleeved hot pink leotard, trimmed with black, and a silver badge on the center of her chest, with the Crane emblazoned on its surface. She wore high black boots, silver armbands, and a soft pink cape, which reached her ankles. Kim ran to the window, and leapt to the ground level, twenty stories down. She landed as gracefully as a feather. Renee's eyes were wide, and she let out a sigh.

"Don't you ever do that again!" she cried, "You scared the crap outta me!!"

"We gotta get to the Power Chamber," said Kimberly, "Where are the Guardians?"

"Practicing their new Ninjetti skills, most likely," said Renee, "That's all they've been doing since they made the trip to Phaedos to unite with their spirit guides."

"Well, get ready to rock and roll, Tiger!"

In the Power Chamber, five streaks of bright light cut through the relative darkness, pink, orange, gold, lavender, and turquoise. When the light faded, the five Zeo Rangers were standing face to face with five beautiful women. The ones in orange, lavender, and turquoise all wore identical colored uniforms, consisting of bikini tops and leggings of their color, a black sheer skirt, long black boots and gloves, a band on their foreheads, and a golden badge on their chests with various animals on them. The blonde woman wore gold armor with yellow leggings, and the pink one wore a leotard trimmed with silver and black. The pink one smiled at everyone, and immediately was greeted with a tight embrace from Tommy.

"Hey, Beautiful," he said, lifting her off the ground, "Long time no see."

"Too long," Kimberly giggled, as he put her back down. She then stood on her toes, and kissed him. Rocky rolled his eyes, and cleared his throat.

"Sorry," he said, "but we don't have much time--"

"Right," Kim said, her cheeks reddening, "Zeo Rangers, I'd like you to meet... the Guardians! These four are my band of elite fighters, in case of an emergency. You already know Renee and Dalal," she said, pointing to the ones in orange and gold, "but you may not know the other two. They just returned from their mission to Phaedos, to be trained by Dulcea in the art of Ninjetti. The one in lavender is Jezebel, guided by the swift and powerful Horse, and the one in turquoise is Sophia, guided by the silent and steady Deer."

"Is Dalal a Ninjetti?" asked Tanya, "She's not wearing a badge."

"I am not Ninjetti," Dalal said, "I am an enchantress, but I am well trained in the art of combat. Although Renee is also an enchantress, she was exposed to the Great Power, and so she is acquainted with her spirit animal. I have yet to make the pilgrimage to Phaedos."

"So," said Renee, "where's Jason anyway?"

"He and his family went to the Bahamas for a week," said Rocky, "They haven't been on a family vacation in a while."

"Well, we'd better get going," said Tommy, twisting his wrists. His Zeonizers appeared at his command. "We have a long trip ahead of us. Its Morphin Time!!"

"Zeo Ranger One-- Pink!!" cried Katherine.

"Zeo Ranger Two-- Yellow!!" called Tanya.

"Zeo Ranger Three-- Blue!!" yelled Rocky.

"Zeo Ranger Four-- Green!!" shouted Adam.

"Zeo Ranger Five-- Red!!" bellowed Tommy. In a blinding flash of light, all five teenagers morphed into the Zeo Rangers. They all touched their belt buckles simultaneously.

"We'll get outside and summon the Super Zeo Zords," said the Red Ranger, "Then, we'll fly to Aquitar."

"Right!" said the other four, and all five vanished from the Power Chamber. The five Guardians, Alpha, and Zordon all watched as the Zeo Rangers summoned their colossal Zords, and combined them to form the Super Zeo Megazord. Then, the thrusters on the feet of the huge robot activated, and the Zord launched itself into the atmosphere.

"How long will it take them to get to Aquitar?" asked Kimberly, turning to the wise sage.

"IT WILL TAKE THEM NEARLY A DAY TO REACH AQUITAR, EVEN WITH THE NEWLY INSTALLED WARP ENGINES."

"I sure hope Aquitar lasts that long," said Renee solemnly.

Meanwhile, Lord Zedd sits upon his throne, tapping his metallic chin in thought.

"Now let me see," he muttered, "how do I destroy the Power Rangers?"

Suddenly, the entire palace quaked violently, and from the balcony Lord Zedd saw a large machine fly past the Moon, and out into space. Zedd leapt off his throne, and rushed to the balcony to get a better look. He gasped as he saw the Super Zeo Megazord fly away into the blackness of space at speeds defying the basic laws of physics.

"Where in the universe are they headed?" he asked himself. He then started to chuckle. "It doesn't matter!" he declared, "So long as they are away from Earth, the entire planet is mine for the taking! Rita! Goldar! Rito! Scorpina! Get in here!!"

Rita Repulsa, Rito Revolto, Goldar, and Scorpina all entered the throne room at the same time. Goldar and Scorpina bowed low to the throne, and Rito waved at the emperor, but Rita walked right up to Zedd and stuck her index finger in his face.

"Never, ever yell at me like that!!" she screamed, "Who do you think you are?!"

Zedd ignored her. "Everyone, I have an announcement. It appears the Zeo Rangers have business somewhere other than Earth. They have just taken the Zeo Megazord into space."

"Why didn't they just teleport?" asked Rito, "That would be quicker."

"They can't teleport the Zords, Moron!" roared Zedd, "Wherever they are going, they'll be needing the use of the Megazord. They'll most likely be gone for days. Now's our chance to destroy Zordon, and the Earth, before they get back!!"

A small silver submarine pulls away from the capitol city of Aquitar. Inside, at the helm of the one-man vessel, is a young human man, clad in a black wetsuit. Beside him is some scuba gear, and a harpoon gun, in case he is confronted by some enemy. He also has an energy pistol, just in case. In his right hand is a fist-sized pearl, glowing faintly.

"I guess its time for you to tell me which way to go," Billy said to the pearl, "I wonder how I am supposed to activate you?"

Suddenly, a black hole appeared on the surface of the pearl, making it resemble an enlarged eye. From the hole, a beam of silver light streamed forth, and pointed out the glass. Billy followed the beam with his eyes, until he recognized a mountain range in the distance.

"Now I see why you're called the Eye," he said, "Well then, the Azure Mountains it is."

Billy turned the vessel around, and sped towards the high mountains, whose peak reaches above the surface of the vast sea.

Cestria slowly walks into the laboratory of Triton, where the five Aquitian Rangers had just sent a distress call to Earth.

"Cestria, my cousin," said Cestro, "are you alright?"

"Yes," she said, "Cestro, rangers, I have something to confess. When Divatox came here earlier, and asked if anyone knew of the house of Filleus, she was looking for me."

"Why?" asked Tideus.

"Because, I am the one of our generation honored with the duty of protecting the Sword of Tympanus."

The Aquitian Rangers were shocked. "Why did you not say something to us immediately?"

"I had to first ensure that the Chosen One was sent on his mission to retrieve the Sword."

"I do not understand," said Aurico.

"The legend is that the Sword of Tympanus was hidden by the first minister, because it wasn't needed, and the lure of power may be dangerous. But, the possibility always remained that the Sword may at some time be needed, if ever Aquitar were placed under attack--"

"But, isn't that what the Power Rangers are for?" asked Corcus.

"Essentially, but the Sword possesses great powers that can aid the Power Rangers if they ever need it. The problem is that the Sword of Tympanus can cause great harm to he that uses it, because of the vast amount of power it contains. Also, the Sword and the Staff, its sister weapon that is owned by the Gold Ranger, are polar opposites in power, so they actually cancel each other out if they were ever fighting against each other. Not just anyone can safely wield the Sword, so it was said that a Chosen One would be born, who has sustained the bodily changes necessary to obtain such power. He was also described as being wise, and specifically to have lived both as a young man and as an old man, so he would have gained knowledge through his experiences. When the time came that the Chosen One would need to claim the Sword, the mountains would quake, and spew fire."

"The Azure Mountains," said Delphine in surprise, "You knew what caused the seismic activity?"

"Yes. It is a sign that the time has come. I have sent the Chosen One to claim the Sword of Tympanus. It may be the only power that can save us from Divatox."

"Does the Sword possess the same abilities as the Staff?" asked Aurico.

"According to the legend, the Staff is more of a weapon, and the Sword is more of a healing device."

"That is ironic," said Delphine, "One would think the opposite. Staffs are used more commonly by Healers, and swords are used by warriors."

"Not on ancient Eltar," said Cestro, "Swords were used often as surgical tools, or at least something similar to a sword. Staffs were the fighting weapons of choice."

"Who is this Chosen One?" asked Tideus.

"William."

"But, William is a human!" said Cestro, "Can he sustain the power that was originally meant for an Aquitian?"

"By absorbing the negative protons that repelled the Staff of Tympanus, he has made his body compatible with the opposite power-- that of the Sword. Also, he fits the legend of the Chosen One. I have given him the Eye, so he can find the Sword. I pray he can find it before Divatox has her way."

Suddenly, alarms began going off from consoles all over the laboratory. The other rangers watched as Cestro activated the main computer.

"What is the emergency?" asked Delphine.

"The water level across the planet has dropped thirty-two meters, and it is continuing to drop at an alarming rate! The computer estimates it is continuing to recede at a rate of a kilometer every three hours."

"What?!" said Aurico, "How is it possible? Not even Hydro-Hog can dehydrate the planet at such a speed!"

"It must be Divatox," said Corcus, "Cestro, if this rate of evaporation continues, how long shall it take for the entire ocean to evaporate?"

"So long as the rate of evaporation remains constant, Aquitar will be completely dry in about fifty hours."

"We have two axis rotations," said Delphine, "until everything that is Aquitar is destroyed. We cannot wait for the Earth Rangers to come to our aid. There is no way to know if the damage being done can be reversed. We must take action."

The five Aquitian Rangers stood in a row, with Delphine in the center. "Its Morphin Time!" she cried, "White Aquitar Ranger Power!"

"Blue Aquitar Ranger Power!" bellowed Cestro.

"Red Aquitar Ranger Power!" yelled Aurico.

"Black Aquitar Ranger Power!" called Corcus.

"Yellow Aquitar Ranger Power!" shouted Tideus.

The five Aquitian Rangers instantly morphed, and the Blue Ranger turned to Cestria, his cousin. "We shall teleport directly into the Battle Borgs," he said.

"But, you always pilot the Battle Borgs telepathically!" she said in surprise.

"True," said Tideus, "but we cannot properly control the Battle Borgs at so great a distance as outer space. And that is where Divatox is presently."

"But, you have never fought from within the Borgs!"

"That is why I am asking you to monitor us," said Cestro, "If anything goes wrong, teleport us back to Triton."

"I shall," she said. The five rangers then vanished in five bright beams of light. Cestria turned on her monitor, and watched as the five humanoid Battle Borgs launched from within the seafloor, and quickly shot through the deep ocean towards outer space. She sighed deeply, and then turned to another screen, which showed the entire sphere of Aquitar. The water levels were continuing to recede. Cestria chewed on her lower lip nervously.

At least the water isn't completely gone, Cestria thought, Scans show that the atmosphere is becoming saturated. I deduce that the spell first evaporates all the water, and somehow prevents the clouds from raining. Then, the clouds somehow disperse into outer space, leaving the planet desolate. There must be a way to force the rainclouds to shower. But how--?

Meanwhile, the five Battle Borgs race into outer space. The White Battle Borg flies in the front, with the Blue Borg bringing up the rear. The White Ranger turns on the intership communications relay, so she can speak to the other Aquitian Rangers.

"Rangers," she said, "we are approaching the bronze Space Submarine. Prepare all weapons for firing."

^I read, Delphine,^ said the Red Ranger.

^Weapons locked,^ said the Black Ranger.

^Affirmative,^ said the Yellow Ranger.

^Delphine,^ said the Blue Ranger, ^I'm having difficulty maintaining a target lock, as well as communications...^

"What's the matter Cestro?"

^The Blue Borg is low on energy!^ he said in surprise, ^The stored energy is down to sixty percent, and still dropping!^

^Could there be a leak somewhere in the energy pathway?^ suggested the Yellow Ranger.

^Negative, Tideus. There shows no malfunction in any system... just a lack of power.^

"Perhaps you should return to Aquitar, Cestro," suggested Delphine, "You can determine exactly what is wrong with the Blue Borg. I'd rather not risk it."

^Very well,^ said Cestro, turning around. The four remaining Battle Borgs continued to the space submarine.

"Prepare to fire at the wings of the ship, to disable it," ordered Delphine, "On my mark--!"

Inside the space submarine, inside a large silver chamber, is Divatox. She is sitting cross-legged on her large bed, her eyes squeezed tightly. In front of her is an ancient book of spells. She had finished casting the first stage of the dehydration spell, which causes all the water to evaporate into clouds that would not recycle the water into rain. The second phase of the spell is when the clouds containing all the water pass through the planet's atmosphere, forever leaving the planet. Divatox is busy studying the ancient encantation, to make sure she recites it flawlessly. She would begin casting the second phase of the spell shortly.

"Soon," she whispered, opening her ice-blue eyes, "it shall be time to cast the second phase of the spell. Then, Aquitar's fate is eternally sealed! I think I'll approach Phaemon once again, just in case he has the Tympanus Sword for me. That'll make it much easier than if I have to go find it myself. That is only a last resort."

Suddenly, the entire ship began to quake violently. Divatox fell off her bed, and landed unceremonially on the carpetted floor. She scowled angrily and sat up, flinging her long ponytail out of her face.

"ELGAR!!!!" she roared furiously, rising to her feet. Moments later, the navigator appeared at her chamber door.

"You roared, Auntie D?"

"What's going on?" she asked, straightening her velvet cape.

"Four zords have flown through the Aquitian atmosphere, and are attacking us. The first volley damaged the ship's wings."

"The Aquitian Rangers just don't know when to quit, eh?" she said with a wicked smile, "Well, I'll show them not to mess with the Queen of the Galaxy!"

Divatox stormed out of her room, with Elgar at her heels. She marched right onto the bridge of the ship, and stood with her hands on her hips in front of her chair.

"Damage report!" she bellowed. Rygog cringed, and then read off the screen.

"Um, left wing inoperational," he said, "but right wing has sustained minimal damage."

"Fire the acid torpedos!"

Rygog nodded, and looked down at the weapons console. There were four colored buttons-- red, blue, yellow and green. The red button sent out the torpedos that magically made creatures grow. The blue button launched explosive torpedos. The yellow button launched the new experimental drill torpedo. Finally, the green button launched acid torpedos.

"Firing torpedos!" Rygog called, launching two torpedos. They both converged, and flew at the White Borg at blinding speeds. Delphine managed to destroy one torpedo with her sword, but the other struck the zord in the stomach.

"Rangers!" Delphine cried hysterically, "The acid is eating its way through my Borg's outer hull!"

Inside the undersea city Triton, Cestria gasps in horror as the White Borg is half coated with a glowing green substance. It was plain to see the Borg was damaged seriously. Suddenly, a flash of blue light heralds the arrival of Cestro, the Blue Aquitian Ranger.

"What is the matter?" asked Cestria, turning to face her cousin.

"I was sent back because of a malfunction in the Blue Borg," Cestro explained, removing his helmet, "I piloted it back to the hangar, and did a thorough diagnostic. The water supply within the Borg has been nearly completely depleted!"

"Of course!" said Cestria, "All five Battle Borgs are powered by an element-- water, fire, wind, earth, and light. Each Borg converts these elements into raw energy, which is used to operate all the Borg's functions. In your case, the depletion of water means that even the water energy that runs the Blue Borg has evaporated. Is it competely inoperable?"

"Negative. However, the energy readings continue to recede at an alarming rate. It would be extremely dangerous to use the Borg in battle, because it is impossible to predict how long it can last."

Cestro walked to Cestria's side, and glanced at the computer screen showing the planet's condition.

"The water supply still decreases," he muttered.

"Yes, but I discovered something interesting," Cestria began, "The water takes the form of clouds, but for some reason, the clouds do not reach a maximum amount of water, and burst. However, the clouds do not disappear, or in any way leave the planet's atmosphere. If we can discover a way to force the clouds to rain, Aquitar is saved!"

"It is most difficult to fight magic with science," Cestro said, rubbing his chin in thought, "mostly because magic breaks all the laws of science. Aquitar is a planet of scientific achievement, not witchcraft. The only magical power here is that of the Power Rangers."

"As well as the Sword of Tympanus," Cestria added.

"Do you think it can reverse the spell Divatox cast?"

"I do not know, but it is a creation meant for healing. Perhaps it is within its power to negate evil magic, and heal on a greater level."

"Have you heard anything from William?" Cestro asked.

"Not yet," Cestria sighed.

"Very well," said Cestro, snapping his helmet back on, "I shall make sure the Prince is safe. You monitor the battle, as well as see keep an ear out for William and the Earth Rangers. Once I have determined Phaemon is safe, I shall return, and together we can study the spell Divatox cast. Perhaps we can find a scientific means of breaking her enchantment."

Cestria nodded and watched as her cousin ran out of the laboratory, to check on the monarch. Cestria then turned back to the screen, and watched the battle taking place above. She cringed when she saw the Red Borg knocked back by an exploding torpedo. The force of the blast pushed the Red Borg into the Yellow Borg, causing both to spin uncontrollably towards Aquitar. The White Borg was still a little slow, and it had a gaping hole in its abdomen. But, at least it was still functioning. The Black Borg opened fire on the submarine, and the sub sustained some damage. However, strange metallic tentacles stretched forth from the sub, and wrapped around the Black Borg before it had a chance to move. Cestria could see the bright light of thousands of volts of electricity flow through the tentacles and into the Black Borg. The White Borg tried to break the sub's grip by slashing the bronze tentacles, but it only caused the electicity to also pour into the White Borg through the sword. Both the White and Black Borgs were powerless, and the Red and Yellow Borgs finally regained control, before falling completely through Aquitar's atmosphere. Cestria sighed deeply.

"The rangers cannot keep this up much longer," she decided, "I must bring them back to base."

Meanwhile a small silver submarine lands on the sea floor in front of the largest mountain in the Azure Mountain Range. Inside this small craft is Billy Mitchell, who is busy strapping on his oxygen tanks. Since Aquitar doesn't have any species who cannot live under water, they have no technology for such ones to breathe underwater. Therefore, simple Earth scuba equipment is his only means of surviving outside Triton itself. Although it is difficult to don the heavy equipment by himself, he manages expertly. After all, he has gone scuba-diving dozens of times with his friends back home before even coming to Aquitar.

"Now, its time for the quest to really begin," he said to himself, putting on his goggles. In one hand, he carries a harpoon gun, which is the only weapon he has that can fire underwater. In the other hand he holds a large, fist-sized pearl. Once all his equipment was in place, Billy closed and sealed the door of the cockpit, preventing flooding. He then put in his mouthpiece, and pressed another button, slowly filling the small chamber he was in with ocean water. Once the chamber was filled, the door opened, and Billy swam out. He turned on the flashlight on his waist, which filled the dark waters with bright white light. He surveyed the slopes of the Azure Mountains with his eyes, and then swam up off the ocean floor, where his sub was parked. He floated in front of the rocks, and held out the small pearl. Once again, a black hole appeared on its surface, and light shone from the hole, pointing to the base of the mountain. Billy followed the light beam, and touched the spot on the rock where the light hit. He traced his fingers along the surface, and found a small crevice, about the size of a penny. He placed his index finger into the crevice, and he felt a jolt of energy. Billy backed away in surprise when the crevice grew larger, until it was about the size of a porthole. Billy tried to squeeze in, but his oxygen tanks made him too large to fit through.

I only have one option, he decided, taking a deep breath, and its certainly a risk!

Billy unstrapped the oxygen tanks, and turned the valve off. He let them sink to the ocean floor, and then squeezed through the hole in the mountain. He found himself in a pool of clear fresh water, with a light source above. Billy followed the light source, and was surprised to break out of the water. He gratefully took a breath, and looked around the strange chamber he found himself in. It was made of stone, which seemed to be covered in a silver metal. The source of light was a large torch, flickering with orange-yellow flames, which was attached to the wall beside a flight of stairs. Billy climbed out of the water, and took off his goggles to get a better look.

"Its strange that the water from outside didn't flow into this chamber and flood it," he mused aloud, "The only possibility is some kind of force-field that let me through, but kept the ocean water out. That would keep this fresh water unpolluted by salt water. Amazing."

Billy walked over to the stair case, and noticed that they led upwards, into an all-consuming darkness. In fact, the only source of light was the bright flames of the silver torch. Billy looked down at his waist, and frowned when he noticed his flashlight wasn't working. He tried to turn it on again, but it wouldn't light.

"I suppose I am to bring the torch with me," he said, glancing at his hands. In one hand he carried the Eye of Tympanus, which served as the compass to find this amazing chamber within the collosal mountain. In the other hand was his harpoon gun, his only source of protection against whatever may be awaiting him. He had to leave one behind to carry the torch.

"The Eye has brought me this far," Billy decided aloud, putting his harpoon gun on the silver floor, "and from the look of things, I'm not meant to be armed while going through this mission."

Billy took the torch in his free hand, and slowly climbed the massive, narrow staircase.

Cestria slammed her fist against the computer console in exhasperation. The four Battle Borgs were faring miserably against Divatox's heavily armmed submarine, and with the Blue Battle Borg out of the fight, there was no way they'd gain the upper hand. Also, the Power Rangers of Earth, who offered to come to Aquitar's assistance, were still light years away. It would take hours for them to reach Aquitar, even at warp speed. Cestria knew the Aquitian Rangers couldn't hold the fight for that long.

"They entrusted me to teleport them back to Triton if their chances seemed bleak," she recalled out loud, activating the communicator, "Delphine. Tideus. Corcus. Aurico. This is Cestria. Do you read me?"

^Yes,^ answered Delphine.

^Affirmative,^ said Tideus.

^Barely,^ commented Corcus.

^Go ahead, Cestria,^ said Aurico.

"Aquitian Rangers, you cannot last against Divatox's submarine for much longer. The longer you remain in battle, the more serious damage is done to your Battle Borgs. I must insist you return to Aquitar immediately. Prepare for emergency teleport."

Cestria typed in a few commands, and watched the screen. The four Zords vanished from the battle scene, circling Aquitar in outer space. Soon, four bright flashes of light heralded the arrival of the Red, White, Black, and Yellow Aquitian Rangers. The four simultaneously removed their helmets, and joined Cestria at the computer screen.

"Where is Cestro?" asked Delphine.

"He went to insure Prince Phaemon's safety," answered Cestria.

"That is an excellent idea," said Tideus, "however, he is the expert on the Battle Borgs. He must aid in their repair. We must be at full power when the Earth Rangers arrive. They will need our help to defeat Divatox."

"I agree," said Corcus, "but we cannot leave the Prince unguarded. Now that no one is battling Divatox, she may strike Triton. Or the Prince specifically."

"Very well," said Delphine, "Aurico and I shall guard the Prince and the rest of the council. Tideus and Corcus shall assist Cestro in the repair of the Battle Borgs. Cestria--"

"I would like to remain here, Delphine," interrupted the young physician, "The laboratory is the only place on Triton with a communications system advanced enough to reach Zordon as well as the Earth Rangers in transit. Also, I would like to keep an ear out for Billy."

"You should go somewhere safe," said Aurico, "This laboratory is the highest dome in Triton. It is an easy target, if Divatox should attack."

"Then I shall take the chance," said Cestria defiantly, "Someone must remain here. Besides, I am trying to figure out a way to negate the dehydration spell Divatox cast."

"I shall stay with you, then," said Tideus, "I can be of more assistance to you than to Cestro and Corcus."

"Let's be off, then," said Delphine, as the White, Red, and Black Rangers vanished in streaks of bright light.

Divatox laughs triumphantly, and rises to her feet. "Viva la Diva!" she declares, throwing her hands up, "The Aquitian Rangers have called it quits! Now, no one stands in my way!"

"So, what are ya gonna do now, Auntie D?" asked Elgar.

"Finish casting the second phase of the dehydration spell," she said simply, standing up, "Everyone, remain on standby. Contact me as soon as anything happens."

"Aye, Captain!" all three henchmen said. Divatox nodded her approval, and left the bridge, heading for her bed chamber. Once she reached her room, she looked around in disgust. All her neatly arranged beauty products that lined her vanity were strewn about randomly, and all her clothing and other belongings were in disarray. Divatox growled.

"The fight with the rangers caused the ship to shake, throwing all my stuff around," she snarled, throwing her pillows to the ground, "Where is the spell book--?"

Her eyes widened when she saw the ancient text on the floor, underneath a economy sized bottle of nail polish remover. Her fists tightened when she picked up the bottle, which was now empty. The entire contents of the bottle spilled on the spellbook, smearing the text into an illegible mess.

"NO!" she barked, "I can't cast the rest of the spell! I don't remember the exact words!"

Divatox snatched up the spellbook, and hurried back to the bridge. This is the only copy of the dehydration spell in existence! I must salvage this book!

She steps through the gate, and marches right to Porto, the brains of her operation.

"Back so soon?" he asked.

"Shut up and tell me if you can restore the text in this book," she ordered, handing him the smeared text. Porto leafed through the pages, shaking his head.

"I can run a restoration program on the computer, and print you a new copy--"

"Fine," Divatox interrupted, "Hop to it then!"

"--but, it'll take several weeks to complete the process."

"Several weeks ?!"

"Well, it is a rather large book, Captain."

"Just restore these three pages," Divatox said, tearing the dehydration spell out of the leather-bound volume, "and make it snappy. The longer we delay, the more likely the Fish Rangers will launch another attack. I want to destroy that planet, get the Sword of Tympanus, and get outta here."

"Computer restoration is a very delicate process," Porto explained, "Even though only three pages are here, the computer has to hypothesize the words that were originally present, and run various syntax and semantic tests to make sure the hypthesized words make sense--"

"Please get to the point," Divatox growled.

"I'll need at least five hours to make sure the spell is perfect."

Divatox rolled her eyes, and folded her arms. "Fine. You have five hours, and not a minute more. Now, get going! And don't speak to me until you're done."

"Yes, Captain," said Porto, turning back to his station, "I can do it here, if you'd like."

"Fine," she said, sitting back on her captain's chair. Porto immediately got to work, feeding the three pages into the computer.

"Five hours," Divatox muttered, tapping her chin, "We need to buy ourselves time. Rygog!"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Fire the torpedos!"

"Where?" he asked, shrugging.

"Good question," Divatox said, twirling her ponytail over her index finger, "Where would a torpedo have the most devestating affect? Elgar, bring up a visual of Triton on the main viewer."

"You got it, Auntie D," he replied, typing a list of commands into the main computer. Divatox stepped toward the screen and studied the layout of the underwater capital. She walked right up to the screen, and touched her index finger to the highest pod in the complex.

"Here is your target," she said finally, "the main laboratory. Its the highest dome, which means it'll sustain damage easier, and if we're lucky, we'll be able to pick off some of Aquitar's head scientists, and maybe even a ranger or two. Also, its the communications hub of the entire planet. If the Aquitians do intend to call for help, they can't do it from here. Fire at will."

Elgar turned to his aunt in confusion. "Who's W--"

"DON'T even say it!" she yelled, her ice blue eyes flashing. Elgar cringed and remained silent. Rygog shook his head in disbelief, and turned to the weapons display.

"Torpedos away," he said, pressing the blue button. Two sleek bronze torpedoes streaked from the space submarine, aimed for their target.

Inside the laboratory, Cestria continues to study the data of the planet's atmosphere, taken from satellites surrounding the planet.

"Nearly 48% of the ocean has evaporated," she read off the screen, "and the entire percentage is accounted for in the cloud cover around the planet. This means Divatox has not yet dispersed the clouds."

"So, there is still time," said Tideus, the Yellow Aquitian Ranger, "The spell is not yet irreversible."

"But how do we make the clouds rain? They are magical in nature, so--"

Suddenly, red lights flash around the laboratory. Cestria gasps, and switches the view on the main screen.

"What is happening?" asked Tideus.

"The alarms have sounded," Cestria said, "We are under attack! Look!"

On the viewscreen, two small bronze cylinders quickly approached the underwater complex. Tideus frowned, and strapped his helmet back on.

"The torpedos are heading directly for us!" he yelled, "We must leave immediately."

Cestria nodded, and the two hurried across the spacious laboratory. But, they didn't reach the exit in time. One of the torpedoes exploded beneath them, destroying the pillars that held the elevated pod nearly a kilometer above the sea floor. The dome quickly began sinking, shaking everything inside, and causing both the Yellow Ranger and Cestria to fall helplessly. The second torpedo smashed into the lab itself, punching a hole in the ceiling, sending tons of salt water into the chamber.

"We've got to get out of here!" yelled Tideus, "The water will short out the computers! They weren't meant to be submerged!"

Cestria tried to rise to her feet, but the main computer exploded, throwing the young scientist into the concrete wall on the other end of the lab. Tideus waded through the rising water to Cestria's side. She was face down in the water, unmoving.

"Cestria! Do you hear me?" he called, lifting her into his arms. She didn't respond. Tideus frowned under his helmet, and looked out the wall window. He gasped in horror as he saw the seafloor getting dangerously close.

"If we remain here, we will certainly be crushed on impact," he said aloud, "Our only chance is to swim for it!"

Tideus threw a mighty kick at the glass, shattering it with his enhanced strength. He mustered all his strength, and fought against the water pressure, swimming outside of the dome while still carrying the unconscious Cestria. He swam upwards, and watched as the laboratory crashed into the seafloor.

Our best chance is to get back inside Triton via the Battle Borg hangar, he thought, swimming across the complex to the bunker under the seafloor. He removed his glove, and touched his hand to the fingerprint scanner. His identity was verified, and the small gate opened, allowing Tideus and Cestria access to the underground facility. He peaked up in a pool of water, where he saw the five gargantuan Battle Borgs standing. He swam to the edge of the pool, and pulled himself and Cestria out of the water. Tideus breathed heavily, and saw Cestro and Corcus standing on a hoverpad, welding a gash in the upper leg of the Red Battle Borg.

"Cestro!" Tideus called, "Corcus!"

Both Aquitian Rangers turned around, and their eyes widened when they saw their teammate and Cestria down by the main computer console.

"Tideus," said Cestro, programming the hoverpad to descend, "what happened?"

"Divatox destroyed the laboratory," Tideus explained, "We've been cut off from long-range communications, as well as teleportation. Fortunately, we still have the zord hangar."

"Cestria has serious wounds, including a broken leg, deep cuts, and a concussion," Cestro said solemnly, "She needs medical assistance."

"Teleport her to the medical wing," suggested Corcus.

"We can't," said Cestro, "We have to reserve power, so I cut off all systems to divert power to the repair of the zords. It'll take some time to turn the teleporter back on."

"You should turn it on anyway," said Tideus, "Now that the laboratory has been destroyed, this teleporter is the only one remaining in Triton. I shall take her to the medical wing."

"Thank you," said Cestro, as the Yellow Ranger gently picked up Cestria, and hurried out of the hangar. Cestro immediately activated the teleportation system, and began rerouting energy to that system. "I shall contact Delphine," said Corcus, "Now that Divatox has attacked Triton, nowhere is safe above the sea floor. She must bring Prince Phaemon and the rest of the court here. Also, we must regroup."

On Earth's Moon, Lord Zedd sits upon his throne. Scorpina, Goldar, and Rito Revolto wait patiently before the throne, and over a dozen Tenga Warriors squawk and shuffle about behind them. Rita stands beside Zedd's throne, tapping her foot impatiently.

"What on Earth are you waiting for, Zeddie?" she shrieked angrily, "Send the troops!"

"Patience, Rita," he said calmly, "Finster's preparing a little surprise for Earth."

As if on cue, Finster walked into the throne room. He bowed to Zedd and Rita, and stepped beside the entrance.

"Okay, boys, you may come in," he called. Dozens of Finster's famous Putty Patrolers marched into the room. Each was a dark grey, with black stripes on their shoulders and chests. Rita's eyebrow rose skeptically, and she rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you are sending those things to Earth!" she barked, "The Power Rangers were able to defeat them without even morphin! Just because the Zeo Rangers are away on a mission doesn't mean the rest of the planet is comprised of push-overs!"

"That is true," said Finster, "but my Putty Patrolers are the only troops we have at our disposal that we have in unlimited supply, my Queen. Lord Zedd's Putties may be more durable than my original batches, but they deplete his magical energy. Also, they have a weak spot that can be easily exploited. Finally, these aren't ordinary Putties. I found a wad of Super Putty remaining in my laboratory. It wasn't enough to make a full batch of Super Putties, so I mixed it in with the standard putty. These Putties are stronger than Zedd's Putties, as well as more durable."

"Don't you think we should send a monster?" asked Rita.

"Why? I think Goldar, Rito, and Scorpina, aided by legions of Putties and Tengas, are quite capable of destroying Angel Grove. Especially considering the Power Rangers are gone. We will raze their beloved home to the ground, capture their loved ones, and eliminate the Command Center. We'll start by destroying Angel Grove itself, and hording the citizens as captives. Goldar!"

"Yes, Lord?"

"You are in charge of this operation. Try to keep casualties to a minimum, but destruction to a maximum."

"As you wish," growled Goldar.

In the Power Chamber, the Venusian Guardians-- Renee Ryan, Dalal, Sophia, and Jezebel, patiently wait for something to happen. Their leader Kimberly, on the other hand, is pacing around the Power Chamber nervously, with her hands clenched behind her back.

"Zordon," she said, "why hasn't Tommy contacted us?"

"PERHAPS HE DOESN'T FEEL IT IS NECESSARY," said Zordon, "WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE ZEO RANGERS' TRAVEL, AND SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY DANGER."

"Its been hours !" moaned Kimberly, stretching her arms.

"It has been exactly nineteen hours, thirty-eight minutes, and twelve seconds since the Zeo Rangers departed," said Alpha 5.

"So, how much longer will it be 'til they reach Aquitar?"

"APPROXIMATELY FOUR MORE HOURS. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD REST, KIMBERLY. IF LORD ZEDD SHOULD ATTACK, YOU AND YOUR TROOPS SHOULD BE WELL-RESTED."

"I'm too worried to sleep," Kimberly muttered, a frown crossing her face, "My friends have a big challenge ahead of them..."

"I'm sure the Power Rangers have fought aliens tons of times," said Renee reassuringly, "They can take care of themselves. Why worry?"

"Firstly, the Megazord wasn't designed for battle either in the ocean or in outer space," Kim said, "It has always been used on land. The rangers aren't used to fighting in the environment they are going to, and they are fighting Divatox. She has destroyed planets, including her own. No one could be as wicked as that. And I can't help but feel something horrible has happened."

"But the rangers haven't even gotten to Aquitar yet!" said Alpha.

"I know, but still... I just can't shake the feeling..."

"Zordon," said Sophia, standing up, "perhaps we should contact the Aquitians, to ease Her Majesty's mind?"

"AN EXCELLENT IDEA," said Zordon, "ALPHA, SEND OUT A SIGNAL TO AQUITAR."

"You got it Zordon," said Alpha, "I'll patch it into the Viewing Globe."

Kimberly turned to the globe, and frowned when the only thing coming through was static. She turned back to Zordon.

"What does that mean?"

"THE AQUITIANS ARE NOT ACCEPTING THE COMMUNIQUE."

"That can't be good news," Jezebel said quietly.

"ALPHA, SEND A MESSAGE TO THE ZEO MEGAZORD. PERHAPS THEY ARE BETTER ABLE TO CONTACT THE AQUITIANS, SINCE THEY ARE MUCH CLOSER."

"Good idea, Zordon," said Alpha, typing in the commands. The image of static gave way to view of the cockpit of the Super Zeo Megazord, with the Red, Green, Pink, Yellow, and Blue Rangers all at their posts.

^What's up, Zordon?^ asked the Red Ranger.

"TOMMY, WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE AQUITIAN RANGERS. HAVE YOU HAD THE SAME PROBLEM?"

^We haven't sent them a message in a few hours,^ said Tanya, ^but I can try to page them now.^

Everyone waited as Tanya turned sent a message to the Aquitian Rangers on Triton. No one answered the beacon.

^No answer,^ she said quietly.

^That's bad,^ said Adam, ^Even if the Aquitian Rangers are fighting Divatox, Cestria and Billy should be around to answer the call.^

^Is there anything we can do, Zordon?^ asked Katherine.

"NO. JUST CONTINUE TO AQUITAR. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SPELL DIVATOX CAST ON THE PLANET IS AFFECTING LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATIONS. PERHAPS WHEN YOU ARE CLOSER, YOU WILL GET THROUGH."

^Let's hope so,^ said Rocky.

^So, have you guys heard anything from Zedd and Rita yet?^ asked Tanya.

"Nope," said Kimberly, "things've been pretty quiet around here."

^Good,^ said Tommy, ^and hopefully, they'll stay that way. Megazord out.^

The screen went blank, and Kimberly ran a hand through her caramel locks. "Now I'm really starting to worry about Billy," she sighed.

Suddenly, the alarms scream to life. All five Guardians stand in a row, and look up to Zordon.

"What is happening?" asked Dalal.

"THE SENSORS SHOW THAT AN ARMY OF LORD ZEDD AND RITA REPULSA'S SERVANTS HAVE ARRIVED IN DOWNTOWN ANGEL GROVE."

"Excuse me," said Renee, "but did you say an army ?!"

"Aye yi yi!" shrieked Alpha.

"AN ARMY. TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE VIEWING GLOBE."

The five women and Alpha turn around, and witness Scorpina, Goldar, and Rito Revolto guiding a legion of Tengas and Putty Patrolers through the crowded streets. The villains laugh maniacally while the populace runs and screams in panic at the invasion. Kimberly's face hardens, and she puts her hands on her hips.

"Zedd must be planning on taking over the entire world while the rangers are gone!" she cried. "Starting with Angel Grove," said Jezebel.

"How many creatures are there, Zordon?" asked Sophia.

"THE SCANNERS SHOW FOURTEEN TENGA WARRIORS, AND SIXTY-SEVEN PUTTY PATROLERS."

"You can be sure there're more where those came from," said Renee quietly.

"Well, ladies, let's get going," said Kimberly, "Zedd's counting on the fact that there's no one left to protect Angel Grove. We're going to prove him wrong."

"Right!" said the four Guardians, and all five women vanished from the Power Chamber in streaks of pink, orange, gold, turquoise, and lavender light.

Inside the Azure Mountain Range beneath the receeding oceans of Aquitar, Billy continues to climb the narrow staircase. He is sweating profusely in his insulated wetsuit, since he has been ascending the stairs for over an hour, and the air has gotten increasingly hot and humid.

"I wonder if this is some kind of test of my stamina," Billy mused aloud, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He sat down on the step to catch his breath, when suddenly, he felt a breeze. His head perked up, and he gazed into the darkness before him.

"There must be an exit up there somewhere," he said, resuming his climb with newfound strength. As he suspected, a small, dim light was at the end of the staircase, and once he reached it, he found a small hole, about two feet in diameter.

"Whoever built this chamber must be extremely small," Billy muttered, squeezing his body through the hole. He found himself inside a large chamber of rock. The far wall was a rather jagged wall, and there was an open window at the very top of the wall. Billy frowned as he estimated the height of the wall.

"At least thirty meters," he whispered to himself, "and there is no rope to help me scale the wall. I guess I'll have to climb up without help."

Billy blew out the torch, tucked the Eye of Tympanus under his chin, and by the dim light of the chamber, began to climb the wall by grabbing onto the rocks that were sticking out slightly. After he climbed about two meters, he felt his pulse quicken, and his palms sweat.

Fear of heights has always plagued Trini, not me, he thought, More likely, I am experiencing a fear of the fact that I have no idea what awaits me atop this cliff.

As Billy ascended, the wall got smoother and smoother, and he had difficulty grabbing hold of the wall. Once Billy was about halfway up the cliff, he made the mistake of looking down. To his shock, the floor that was beneath him previously separated down the middle, revealing a pool of molten lava. Billy chewed his lower lip as he watched the floor disappear completely, leaving only the bubbling magma beneath him. The magma filled the chamber with intense heat, flickering red light, and powerful fumes that made Billy's stomach churn. He cast his eyes back to the wall he was climbing , and took a deep breath. One mistake could mean doom, and he realized that. He also realized that everyone was counting on him. Cestria was counting on him. As he climbed, instead of thinking about the pool of lava that bubbled beneath him, he focussed on everything he loves. Everything he's willing to fight for. Before he knew it, Billy had reached the open window. He released the breath he didn't realize he was holding, and squeezed through the window. He found himself on a small ledge overlooking another deep, flaming pit of lava. There was a small rope bridge leading from the ledge to a floating silver tiled platform. Standing on the platform, on the side furthest away from Billy, stood a six foot tall warrior, clad in a suit of gleaming silver armor, and holding a shimmering silver sword. Billy stood erect, holding the eye with both hands, and watching the warrior.

"So, you are the one the prophecy spoke of?" said the warrior in a deep voice.

"Affirmative," Billy responded.

"A human, correct? A former Power Ranger who absorbed negative-proton particles? Who lived both as a young and an old man?"

"Yes."

"Well, welcome to the Azure Mountains. This will either be the place of your empowerment, or your grave! In either case, it is your destiny. Approach me."

Billy walked across the rope bridge, and as soon as his feet touched the silver platform, the rope ignited, and burned to ash. Billy was trapped on the platform, about fifteen yards by fifteen yards, with a masked warrior.

"In order to win the Sword of Tympanus, you must prove your worth," the warrior explained, "You have come this far, so you are certainly resourceful, intelligent, and determined. Now, for the final test. You must defeat me in single combat."

With that, the warrior raised his sword into the air.

"Am I to fight bare handed?" Billy asked, not flinching.

"No. The Eye of Tympanus will transform into whatever non-projectile weapon you desire. Just close your eyes, and envision the weapon you feel most comfortable with."

Billy looked at the warrior distrustingly.

"I will not attack you until you are ready, Human. I fight fairly."

Billy closed his eyes, and he felt the fist sized pearl shift its shape. It stretched into a long, thin pole. When Billy opened his eyes, he saw and impressive, pearly white lance, much like the Power Lance he mastered during his tenure as the Blue Power Ranger. He held his weapon in both hands, and balanced himself.

"Ready?" asked the warrior.

"Affirmative."

"Then as they say on your planet, have at thee!"

"We're coming up on Aquitar," said Rocky, the Blue Zeo Ranger, "We should be in orbit in about ten minutes."

"Good," said Tommy, "I just hope we're in time. Adam, bring us out of warp. I'll try to magnify the visual of Aquitar."

"You got it, Tommy," said Adam, turning to his console. Tommy typed a few commands, and watched as the screen image changed from bright stars streaking by to a large gray sphere hovering in space.

"Uh, are you sure that's Aquitar?" said Rocky, "I mean, its supposed to be blue!"

"Well, according to all the star charts, that's Aquitar," said Tommy, "Its gray because of the increased cloud cover. The entire atmosphere is saturated by cumulonimbus."

"Storm clouds," said Katherine quietly, "That must be how Divatox dehydrates a planet!"

"According to our sensors, the planet's water supply is down to 8.2 kilometers in depth. Normally the average depth of the ocean is seventeen. So over half the ocean has been evaporated."

Suddenly, the rangers see a small bronze object come around the gray planet. Tanya squinted at it beneath her yellow helmet.

"Can you enlarge the middle-left edge of the planet?" she asked.

"Sure," said Tommy, zooming in on that section. The small bronze dot enlarged into a clearer shape. It appeared to be a bullet with wings.

"Divatox's ship," Adam said, "It has to be."

"Let's try to contact the Aquitians before we get any closer," suggested Katherine, "We should come up with a plan of attack."

"I'll send out another signal," Tanya offered, "I just hope they answer this time."

Once again, Tanya sent a beacon to Triton. After a few seconds of static, the leader of the Alien Rangers appeared on screen.

"Delphine," said Tommy, "is anything wrong? When we tried to contact you earlier, the message didn't go through."

^Unfortunately, the laboratory, where our only long-range communications relay is kept, was destroyed when Divatox sent a volley of torpedoes. The only other communicator is by far inferior.^

"My God," whispered Katherine, "Was anyone hurt?"

^I'm afraid so. Cestria was wounded, but she is alive.^

"Where are you now?" asked Rocky.

^The other Aquitian Rangers and I are inside our underground Battle Borg hangar. Cestro is leading the others in the repair of our Battle Borgs, which took serious damage when we battled Divatox a few hours ago.^

"How serious is the damage?" asked Adam.

^The White Borg sustained extremely serious damage, and the Blue Borg has suffered a loss of energy because of the water drain. The other three Borgs are operational, yet they too aren't quite up to par.^

"Try to get the Borgs ready to fight," said Tommy, "Send them up whenever you can. We're going after Divatox."

^Very well, but be careful,^ said Delphine, ^I shall send you the coordinates of the Borg hangar, in case you need to teleport here. There is plenty of room for your zords if need be.^

"Thank you Delphine. We'll see you soon."

Tanya de-activated the communicator, and turned to Tommy. "So, what do we do now?"

"We attack Divatox's ship."

"But, we can't escalate a battle!" Adam objected.

"I know," said Tommy, "but we can't sit here and wait. We'll send Divatox a warning."

"That last set of torpedoes completely destroyed the laboratory, Captain," said Rygog, "What should we do now?"

"I... I don't know," Divatox said angrily, "Porto still hasn't finished fixing my spell book, and his time's nearly up. Maybe we'll launch another set of torpedoes, just to keep the fish on their toes. Or whatever it is they have."

"Uh, Auntie D," said Elgar, "there's a bogie coming into scanner range, and its coming this way."

"Really?" said Divatox, sitting up in her chair, "Can you identify it?"

"I've never seen it before," Elgar said with a shrug, "but it kinda looks like a Battle Borg."

"It must be another team of Power Rangers," Divatox snarled, "The Aquitians managed to send for help."

"Captain, we're receiving a transmission," Rygog said.

"Well, patch it in!"

Rygog nodded, and Divatox focussed her attention onto the viewscreen. The image of outer space faded, and was replaced by an interior view of the cockpit. Five rangers in color-coded uniforms appeared, with the red one in the center.

^Divatox, we are the Zeo Rangers of Earth. If you don't leave orbit of Aquitar immediately, we will open fire. This is your only warning.^

Divatox turned off the screen, and her eyebrow rose. "A warning?! Well, I won't be quite so hospitable to give them such a warning. Porto!"

The white scientist turned from his computer screen. "Yes, Captain?"

"Did you finish the spell restoration yet?"

"I... I need more time--"

"Well, put it on hold for now," she said, standing up and approaching him, "we've got bigger fish to fry. The Zeo Rangers are arguably the most powerful team of Power Rangers in this galaxy, and we need to destroy them. Prepare one of those experimental drill torpedos for me, and step on it!"

"Yes ma'am," said Porto, hurrying out of the bridge, "I'll load one immediately!"

"Excellent," said Divatox with a grin, "Rygog! Send a transmission to that Megazord."

"Aye," he replied, and the Zeo Rangers once again appeared on the viewscreen. Divatox smiled at them.

"Well, hello Zeo Rangers," she said, "Welcome to the little party. Unfortunately, I'm not about to pack up and leave, just because a team of humans have decided to stick their noses where they don't belong. Now, because you have interfered, you can share the fate of your fish-tailed allies below. Rygog!"

Rygog turned off the communicator, and the screen returned to a view of outer space, with both the planet Aquitar and the Megazord appearing on screen. Divatox sat back in her throne, and clasped her hands on her lap.

"Let's give them an appetizer, and the drill torpedo will be the main course. Fire a set of explosive torpedos."

"Locked... and firing!" said Rygog, obeying his mistress's command.

"Well, so much for avoiding a conflict," sighed Rocky.

"Everyone, get ready," said Adam, "She's got something planned."

Just then, the alarms started sounding.

"She's firing at us!" yelled Tanya, "Two torpedos heading straight for us!"

"I'm on it," said Katherine, "Taking evasive action."

The Megazord swerved to the right seconds before the two torpedos streaked by them. Suddenly, the torpedos turned around, once again heading for the rangers.

"Its been programmed!" said Rocky, "It's not gonna quit until it hits us!"

"Then we'd better destroy them," said Tommy, "Let's give 'em an energy blast of our own!"

A blast of powerful energy shot forth from the fist of the Megazord, instantly reducing one torpedo to dust. The Megazord quickly moved to the side to avoid the second torpedo, and then fired another energy bolt to destroy the final one.

"That's it?" said Rocky in surprise, "That's all Divatox has for us?"

"I somehow doubt it," said Tanya, "Sensors show another torpedo is launching."

A rather large silver torpedo appeared from the submarine, and streaked towards the rangers. Once again, the rangers tried to side-step the torpedo, but this one was substantially faster than the others, and also more maneuvreable. Once it got close, the bullet tip opened, revealing shining razor sharp blades.

"What... what kind of torpedo is this?!" cried Tanya.

"We can't dodge it," said Katherine, "Its gonna hit!"

"Brace for impact!" Tommy ordered, as the Megazord jolted when the torpedo struck its abdomen.

"Why didn't it explode?" Adam wondered aloud, "Don't torpedos usually explode?"

Suddenly, the entire Megazord began shaking violently, and all the lights blinked on and off.

"What's happening?" Katherine cried.

"Its... drilling through the abdomen of the Megazord!" Tanya said in alarm, "Its actually making a hole through the midsection!"

"We're in trouble," Tommy said quietly, "The torpedo must've hit the weapon relay. We're a sitting duck!"

The rangers watched helplessly as the drill completely cut through the Megazord, and came out the other end. Then, the submarine came closer, and fired beams of white energy.

"We can't move fast enough to dodge!" Adam said frustratedly.

"The Megazord has no chance," said Tommy, "but its only damaged in the mid-section-- Super Zeozord V. Our only chance is to disengage Megazord, and have the four operational zords take on Divatox."

"Let's just pray the stabilizers weren't damaged," said Tanya quietly.

"Guys, get back to your individual cockpits," Tommy ordered.

"Right," the four other rangers responded, as they all vanished from their seats. Tommy then activated the separation sequence, and Super Zeozords I-IV separated from the torso, and took their android forms. The red zord, however, was completely powerless. As soon as the other zords separated, the lights went out in Tommy's cockpit.

"Damn," he muttered, "the main power relay was hit. The only thing keeping Megazord functioning was the energy siphoned from the four other zords. I'm dead in the water!"

Meanwhile, in Super Zeozord I, Katherine gets her bearings. She quickly sees the three other zords prepared for battle, as well as Tommy's zord remaining in the shape of the Megazord torso, with cut wires sparking in the darkness of space.

"Tommy?" she said into her communicator, "Tommy, do you read?"

There was nothing but silence. Katherine jerked her head when she saw more white energy lasers lighting up from the submarine, streaking dangerously close to the helpless red zord.

"Oh no! Divatox is planning to pick off Tommy while he's down! And he can't maneuvre, or fight back!"

^Katherine, Tanya, Rocky, do you read me?^ came a voice over Kat's communicator.

"Adam?"

^Guys, Tommy's communications are down, and I'm willing to bet so is every other zord function-- including life support. We gotta get him out of harm's way.^

^Right,^ said Rocky's voice through the intercom, ^Tanya, Adam, and I can draw Diva's fire from Tommy, while Kat contacts the Aquitians to see if they can somehow teleport the zord to their hangar.^

"Good idea," said Katherine, "I'm on it."

Kat watched in her screen as the Blue, Green, and Yellow Super Zeozords flew into action, firing upon the bronze space sub as well as dodging the lasers that spat at them. Then, she activated her communicator again, and sent a message to Aquitar. Delphine's image appeared on the viewer.

"Delphine, we've got trouble up here," Kat said.

^We know,^ Delphine said, ^We saw the fight via satellite signal. Is Tommy alright?^

"I don't know, but he's not answering our signals. I don't think he can, and his zord is seriously damaged. He's no good in this fight."

^I shall teleport him here immediately,^ said Delphine.

"Thanks. Pink Ranger out."

Kat turned off her communicator, and watched in her screen as Super Zeozord V vanished in a flash of bright red light. Satisfied that Tommy was out of harm's way, she activated her thrusters to join the fray.

The streets of Angel Grove are in chaos. Hundreds of terrified citizens run for their lives as armies of Finster's Putties, enhanced by a dose of Super Putty, march through the downtown area, destroying everything in their path. The Tenga Warriors fly overhead, knocking over telephone poles, traffic lights, and street lights. In the center of the maylay stand Rito Revolto, Goldar, and Scorpina, directing the hordes of magical monsters.

"Remember!" growled Goldar, "Tear everything apart!"

"This is too easy," said Rito, "Nobody's fighting back."

"There is no one _to_ fight back!" said Scorpina, "The police department has never had to confront magical creatures. Their weapons are completely ineffective. And humans are easily frightened. They don't stand a chance, and with the Power Rangers gone, there is no one to come to their aid."

"I beg to differ!" called a commanding voice from above. The three villains looked overhead, and saw five women atop a building. They all leapt down from the building, in order of lavender, turquoise, orange, gold, and pink. The woman in pink descended slower, because her long, silken cape caught the air, causing her to glide down. She landed in front of the four other warriors, who stood with their hands on their hips. Goldar scowled.

"So, if it isn't Little Kimberly and her fan club," he chuckled, gripping his large gold broad sword. Scorpina's eyes flashed as she surveyed the team of her fellow Venusians. She recognized the lavender one as Jezebel, a young guard at the palace while Syren reigned. The turquoise one was Sophia, one of the rebels who remained imprisoned in the dungeons for being loyal to Queen Naya, even after her death. The one in orange was obviously Renee Ryan, Kimberly's friend from Florida, and the daughter of the enchantress Leila, who died at Scorpina's own hand. A small grin crossed her face as her onyx eyes locked with the blue ones of the woman dressed in gold armor. It was Dalal, Syren's right-hand warrior and enchantress. Scorpina knew where Dalal's loyalties truly lay. After all, centuries of loyal service to the forces of evil can't be simply disregarded.

"Okay," whispered Kimberly, "I'll take Goldar. He's the strongest, and I've fought him before. Sophia, you fight Rito. He's an idiot, and shouldn't be too tough to take on. Renee--"

"Scorpina's mine," Renee said, her teeth clenched tightly.

"Are you sure?" asked Kimberly, "Scorpina is one of the most powerful Venusian warriors ever!"

"And she killed my mother!" Renee barked, "Its payback time!"

"Fine," said Kimberly, "just keep your head on. Dalal, you take on the Tengas, and Jezebel, you keep those Putties busy. Everyone, keep the rest of the team in the corner of your eye. Someone may need some help."

"Then let's do it!" said Renee, leaping into the air. Scorpina smiled when she saw the girl flip in her direction. She leapt back, so Renee landed about a yard in front of her. Scorpina unsheathed her Stinger sword, and in reply, Renee's hands wavered, and her nails became razor sharp claws. Tiger claws.

"Let's see what you can do, Tiger," said Scorpina.

"You'll pay for what you did to my mother!" Renee cried, slicing at Scorpina. Scorpina ducked quickly, and swung her blade at Renee. Renee stepped back, and then pointed her claws at Scorpina. Orange bolts of energy flew from her fingertips, and Scorpina deflected them with her sword. Renee snarled angrily, the spirit of the Tiger taking over her senses. She let the ferocity reign, and growled as she lept at Scorpina. She struck the surprised warrior in the stomach, knocking both warriors to the ground.

Meanwhile, Kimberly stood her ground as Goldar circled her, chuckling. "You know, Kimberly," he said, "it wasn't all that long ago when the very sight of me terrified you. Even in your Pink Ranger armor, you knew you weren't safe from me. You weren't a match for me."

"Things have changed," Kimberly said coolly, "and most of all, I've changed. I've grown up, and you've gone downhill. You're not such a big deal anymore."

Goldar growled at the insult, and leapt at the Pink Ninjetti at an incredible speed. Kimberly managed to leap out of the way, and watched Goldar land on his feet in a squatting position. He growled again, and raised his sword. Kimberly was unarmed, but she deflected the weapon with her silver armbands, which encased her forearms. She then delivered a powerful front kick, hitting Goldar in the stomach. To his surprise, she actually hurt him, since her Ninjetti power enhances her already immense Venusian strength. His red eyes flashed with anger as he released a terrifying roar, causing Kimberly to cringe. She gasped as the golden plated monster charged at her again, clamping down on her arm with his fangs. Fortunately, he bit her armband, and Kimberly's own eyes flashed-- with pink light. She transformed into the shape of a pink crane, and scratched Goldar's snout with her own claws. He snarled, and spread his wings, chasing Kimberly into the sky.

On the ground, Dalal fired small spheres of golden energy into the flock of Tenga Warriors, reducing them to piles of feathers one by one. She noticed how Scorpina and Renee were fighting ferally, with both of them bleeding from scratch wounds. Jezebel was tearing through the huge army of Putties in her animal form, trampling them with her mighty Horse hooves. Sophia was facing off against Rito, easily dodging his clumsy sword strokes, and delivering her own attacks while he was off balance. In the skies, Kimberly was still in the form of a crane, and Goldar was on her tail, flapping his wings madly to keep up with her. Dalal smiled, and waved at the Queen. Kimberly noticed Dalal, and saw the flock of Tengas, just ahead of her. She picked up speed, flying right for the closely packed birds dodging Dalal's spheres of energy. Goldar had to fly at his fastest speed to catch up. Suddenly, just feet in front of the massive cluster of Tengas, Kimberly vanished in a flash of pink light. But Goldar didn't have the power of teleportation. He flew directly into the swarm of Tengas, colliding with a good number of them before they all fell to the ground in a heap. Kimberly appeared beside Dalal, back in her human form. She smiled, and gave Dalal a high five.

On the moon, Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa watch the fight from the palace. Rita rolls her eyes impatiently.

"I don't believe this," she barks, "Your oh-so-mighty team of Putties and Tengas are falling like flies! And of course Goldar is getting his butt whipped by Kimberly!"

"Oh shut up, woman!" roared Zedd, "Its not like your brother is faring any better. He probably couldn't hit the broad side of an asteroid! And Scorpina is just barely managing to hold back that Orange Ninjetti."

"Well, Scorpina's your soldier, not mine," Rita snapped. Zedd held out his palm, and a silver sphere appeared.

"Its time to raise the stakes," he said, "Kimberly and her Venusians may be as formidible as the Zeo Rangers in hand-to-hand battle, but they don't have a squad of Zords to use. Once Goldar, Rito, and Scorpina are fully grown, they'll trample Angel Grove, and the Venusians, into dust!!"

Zedd threw the enlarging sphere down to Earth. It flew purposefully through the atmosphere, and landed in the open palm of Goldar, who had just risen to his feet, and was still a little dizzy from his run in with the Tengas. He smiled when he saw the sphere.

"Rito! Scorpina!" he roared. His two allies both managed to escape their opponents, and stood on opposite sides of Goldar. The Guardians also regrouped, and stood facing their enemies.

"Now its time to end this," said Goldar, detonating the grenade. In a bright flash of light, accompanied by a thick cloud of gray smoke, Goldar, Rito, and Scorpina grew to monster size. Also, Scorpina transformed into her animal form, becoming a vicious, venomous scorpion monster. The five Guardians were knocked back by the energy release. Renee brushed herself off, and looked up at the villains.

"Uh oh," she said, "We're in trouble!"

Tommy opened his eyes, and realized he was no longer wearing his Red Zeo Ranger helmet. He looked around, and to his surprise, he saw an unfamiliar Aquitian man standing over him, running a small scanning device over his forehead. Tommy blinked, and scanned the rest of the room. He tried to move his head, but the Aquitian restrained him.

"Please," he said, "do not move until I have finished the scan. It shall only take another minute."

"Okay," Tommy said, and remained absolutely still. Just then, he heard the door open.

"How is he, Aquiva?" asked a familiar voice. Tommy instantly recognized it as belonging to Tideus, the Yellow Aquitian Ranger.

"He should be fine," the old Aquitian said, "His armor protected him against the explosion, but he did lose consciousness when he was thrown across the cockpit of his zord. I have healed his wounds."

"What happened?" Tommy whispered.

"You went into battle against Divatox's ship," Tideus explained, "and your zord was seriously damaged. The main power relay imploded as soon as the ship was teleported into the Battle Borg hangar. You suffered some minor wounds, and lost consciousness."

"How long was I out?" Tommy asked, sitting up on the bed.

"Eighteen minutes," said Aquiva.

Tommy looked around the medical room. There were a few other beds, which were all empty. Then, in the corner was a tube, lying horizontal and filled with crystal clear water. The tube was connected to a few rather large pieces of medical scanners and equipment. Tommy gasped as he realized he recognized the Aquitian, floating inside the water, her eyes closed and her golden brown hair wavering in the water. He has only seen this young woman a handful of times in his life, but he knew he wasn't mistaken.

"Oh my God," he said, standing up and walking to the machine, "Is that--?"

"Cestria," Tideus said solemnly.

"What happened to her?"

"Divatox destroyed the main laboratory, where Cestria and I were located. She sustained serious wounds."

Tommy stood beside the tube, and gazed at the young woman intently. He could tell from all the complex machinery that she was connected to that her condition was critical.

"Billy must be crushed--" Tommy began, but then he was struck by a revelation. "Tideus, just where is Billy anyway? I haven't seen or heard from him during this entire ordeal, and I know that he would be right here, trying his best to save Cestria. Is he okay?"

"I... I do not know for certain," Tideus explained, "Cestria sent him on a quest to find the Sword of Tympanus, to protect if from Divatox. He left not long after she first arrived, and we haven't heard from him yet."

Tommy nodded, and then turned back to Cestria. "So, he doesn't even know she's been hurt."

Tideus shook his head. "She was waiting for him to contact us when we were attacked."

"Uh, Doctor Aquiva?" said Tommy, turning to the elderly man, "How serious are her wounds?"

"Extremely," Aquiva said, "Her ribs were shattered, and her skull was fractured. There is a serious brain hemmorage as well. We are trying to stop the internal bleeding, but several major organs have been damaged. We don't have the technology to save her."

"You're sure?" said Tommy.

"Yes," said Aquiva, "There is nothing we can do to save her. At this point, it is only a matter of time."

"Tommy," said Tideus, "I must return to the Battle Borg hangar to assist in the repairs of your zord. Do you wish to come with me?"

"No," Tommy said, "I'll keep and eye on Cestria. For Billy."

Sweat beaded on Billy's forehead, and trickled down his skin. He leapt back from his opponent, taking a second to wipe the sweat from his eyes. He panted heavily and his eyes narrowed as the mighty silver warrior charged, pointing his sword menacingly. Billy blocked the sword with a quick swing of his pearly white lance, and kicked the warrior in the small of his back before he had a chance to regain his balance. Billy leapt back again, and watched with alarm as his opponent immediately rose to his feet, and turned to the young man again. Billy took a cautious step back, to insure that he wasn't too close to the edge of the floating silver platform. He was about a yard away, and Billy caught a glance of the boiling lava pool beneath the platform as he turned his head. He just barely managed to step to the side in time, avoiding another swing of the sword. This time, however, he wasn't as lucky, and the warrior swung at Billy's feet with the blunt side of the sword, knocking the former Power Ranger off his feet. Billy collapsed to the floor, and rolled out of the way as the warrior stomped on the tile he was lying on milliseconds earlier. Billy then leapt to his feet, and held his lance with both hands.

After fifteen minutes of fighting, Billy could feel himself tiring. Its been nearly a year since he was an active Power Ranger, serving his planet as a warrior. Ever since the Power Coins were destroyed by Goldar, Billy had been on the sidelines, helping the Aquitian Rangers from behind the scenes in the Command Center, while his friends went on Zeo Quests, to regain a new power source. Although he expected to join the team, someone had to give up a place. There were six Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but there could only be five Zeo Rangers.

Billy, being the veteran on the team, easily had earned a position on the Zeo team. However, he felt he could be of more help from behind the scenes, aiding the Zeo Rangers as he had the Aquitian Rangers. A few weeks of this was fine, but slowly, it became a boring, demeaning existence. Especially considering his friends took him for granted. He relished the idea of becoming the Gold Ranger awhile later, but it just wasn't his destiny. After learning he couldn't take this power, he felt completely useless. The Command Center used to feel like a second home, but the Power Chamber quickly became a prison. A prison he had to escape. And he found his escape when he fell in love with Cestria.

Now, a year since the last time he wielded a lance in battle, he is fighting against a mighty armored warrior for his life. It reminded him of his battles against the golden-armored warrior Goldar. But this warrior was far different. He wasn't as strong as Goldar, which certainly doesn't make him weak in any sense of the word. This warrior is still incredibly strong, and fast. But what is most surprising to Billy is his strategy of attack. The enemy thinks his actions through, and Billy was sure that he could beat a strong warrior by fighting intelligently. Fortunately for Billy, he too could fight intelligently.

Once again, the warrior charged at Billy. This time, though, Billy could tell he wasn't planning on running his sword through him. He was holding his sword to the side, apparently intending to swing across. Billy realized the warrior's intent-- to force him too close to the edge. Billy smiled, and ran towards the oncoming knight. Once Billy picked up speed, he pushed one of the ends of the lance into the silver floor, and pole-vaulted over the knight. The knight was obviously startled by Billy's sudden move, and tried to slow down to a stop. Billy landed nimbly, and rushed towards his enemy. The tiles had gotten rather slippery from Billy's sweat, and the knight was having difficulty keeping his balance. This time, Billy had the knight too close to the edge.

"I shall not be defeated!" the knight cried, swinging his sword downwards. Billy caught the blade between the three blades on the end of the lance, and pulled the weapon from the knight. At the same time, the opposite end of the lance slammed the knight in the chest, throwing him off the edge. Billy was startled, since he didn't intend to knock the knight into the lava. He cautiously peeked over the edge, and saw the knight hanging off the edge by his fingers. Billy immediately dropped his weapons, and grabbed the knight's arm.

"Hold...on!" Billy commanded, pulling the warrior up. Despite his bulky armor, the knight was surprisingly light. Billy managed to pull the knight back onto the platform. The knight rose to his feet, and looked down at Billy, who was still on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Billy glanced up at the warrior, and was suprised when the latter offered his hand. Billy accepted, and the knight pulled the young man to his feet.

"Why did you save me?" the knight asked, "I would have killed you, you realize."

"Yes, I realize that," said Billy, "but you aren't my enemy. This battle was a test, to make sure I was worthy of the Sword of Tympanus. Defeating you in combat doesn't include killing. And I don't kill unless absolutely necessary."

The knight nodded. "You have passed your test then, William James Mitchell. I have made the right decision."

Billy looked to the ground, and noticed his lance revert back into the Eye of Tympanus. He picked up the pearly sphere, and looked back at the knight. To Billy's surprise, the knight was now shorter than he.

"You... you shrunk?" Billy said in astonishment. The knight nodded, and reached up to his helmet.

"Well, I had to look intimidating," he said, "and a short old man isn't a very intimidating opponent."

Billy's eyes widened as the knight pulled off the helmet, revealing the face of an ancient man, with snow white hair and beard. He only had one eye.

"Who are you?" Billy asked, still overcome with astonishment. He watched in amazement as the silver armor faded, transforming into a loose silver robe, much like the one Zordon wore the one time his time-warp column was shattered by Ivan Ooze.

"Who do you think?" the old man asked.

"Tympanus...? But... that's impossible!"

"Come on, Boy! Surely you have learned that _nothing_ is impossible! I am Eltarian. We live for thousands of your Earth years."

"But... why are you here?"

"I'll tell you," said the old man, "You see, Billy, it all started on Eltar, over ten thousand years ago. I was the prominent wizard on the planet, and some say even in the entire galaxy. I cast incredible spells, and created many wonderous devices, but undoubtably my greatest achievement was the creation of the sword and staff. When Eltar forged an alliance with Aquitar and Triforia, I gave the sword and staff as gifts of friendship to the ruling families. But, my sword was useless on Aquitar, since the people are so peaceful by nature. So, the first minister contacted me and asked me what he should do about the sword. I knew that this weapon is indeed dangerous, especially if it ever fell into the wrong hands, so I told him I'd hide it myself. The only way to ever find the hiding place is my Eye, which acts as a compass. May I have it back, by the way?"

Billy arched his eyebrow, and handed the eye back to the old man. Tympanus smiled, and the fist-sized pearl shrunk back to the size of an eye in his hand. He then placed it in his empty socket. Billy felt his stomach wretch when he saw the pearl look back at him from the head of the famed wizard.

"Ah, that's much better," Tympanus said, blinking, "You don't know how annoying it is to get used to having only one eye! Now where was I? Oh yes... I hid the sword here, but I knew it had to be protected. I could have created a magical being to guard it, but such beings get weak quickly. After a few years, the spell dissipates, and all that's left is a vestige of a once powerful warrior. I then thought about sending an actual person to guard the sword, but firstly, not many were willing to devote their lives to guarding a sword. Not much fun, I'll tell you. Also, there is always the problem of trust. I can't send anyone I don't trust implicitly, because the sword is very powerful, and very tempting. So, I decided there was only one person for the job-- me. I lived here for over ten-thousand years, waiting for this moment. Now, the time of destiny is upon us."

"But, why now?" asked Billy, "And why me?"

"Billy, you were literally born to be the first Silver Ranger, guardian of the Sword of Tympanus. The sword was created to protect the galaxy from evil, and especially to protect Aquitar. Aquitar has never before been under siege as it is now. Divatox has the potential to destroy the planet easily. Only the power you possess can stop her. The reason why it is you, is because you have the wisdom, the courage, the knowledge, and the honesty to use such vast power only for the good of the galaxy, and not for personal gain. You were born with the capacity to think and learn that no human being before you ever had. Your years as one of Zordon's Power Rangers taught you responsibility, your time as a mere assistant taught you humility, and your time as an old man taught you mortality. You have been forged to be a great hero, William, and it is now time to claim what you have earned. The negative protons you absorbed made it possible for a human being to fully unite with the power of Silver, in a way that was impossible with your friend and the Gold Ranger powers. Your trials have made you strong, and I proudly grant you this new power."

Tympanus lead Billy through a narrow tunnel, which lead outside the mountain. Billy looked in awe at the planet as seen from the only point above sea level. He noticed with alarm how low the water level was-- so low that a good amount of the mountain range now peaked over the water's surface. Billy then turned to see Tympanus at the very peak of the mountain. Billy smiled when he saw a silver hilt, encrusted with pearls, sticking out of the rock.

"No better place to hide something than in plain sight," Billy said to Tympanus.

"I couldn't agree more. Now, pull the sword, and point it to the suns."

Billy looked up, and noticed that the two suns Aquitar circled were directly overhead in a single patch of cloudless sky. He grabbed the hilt with both hands, and pulled the sword out with ease. The long two-edged weapon gleamed in the bright sunlight, and a beam of light fell from the suns to the point of the blade. Billy watched in surprise as the light was absorbed by the sword, and converted into silver light. The silver light surrounded Billy, and when the light faded, the Silver Ranger appeared. His uniform was exactly like the Gold Ranger's, but instead of black armor with gold shield, it was a white uniform with silver shield and accents. Billy staggered after the rush of power, but the wave of dizziness soon faded.

"Your body will get accustomed to the Power soon," said Tympanus.

"Its great to be a ranger again," said Billy, examining the sword, "After all this time..."

"Just like the Gold Ranger, your powers are compatible with those of the Zeo Rangers. Your zord is the Silvertip Shark, an ancient and deadly Aquitian animal very similar to the Great White Shark of Earth. When not in water, your Shark Zord can transform into Battle Mode, when it takes an android form. Your zord also has the ability to transform into any zord you desire it to, but only for a short period of time. You can use this ability to assume the place of a teammate whose zord was damaged, so the team can still create the Megazord. However, you cannot form any combination zords, like the Megazord. You can only form single zords."

"Incredible," said Billy.

"As you know, the Power teaches you how to use the weapons given you--"

Suddenly, a large object plummeted from the skies. It crashed into the remaining ocean, and the impact shook the mountain violently.

"My God," said Billy, "that was Super Zeozord I! Katherine could be hurt!"

"Your friends appear to be in battle at this moment," Tympanus said solemnly, "They need your assistance, William."

"Right," said Billy, holding his sword over the water, "Silvertip Sharkzord, power up!!"

Once again, the large mountain Tympanus and the Silver Ranger stood upon shook violently, and a loud grinding sound was heard. Billy ran to the side of the mountain, and saw a sleek, silver and white machine swim out of the rock. It was as large as a whale, and a huge gleaming silver dorsal fin sliced through the water's surface. The sight of the gargantuan machine sent chills up Billy's spine. Since childhood, he had feared fish. And the shark was the most dangerous, powerful fish in the ocean.

"The Sharkzord can swim as quickly as any zord can fly," Tympanus explained, "and it can swim through the air as it does the sea. However, if you need to fight on land, it must be transformed into Battle Mode. And whenever it is transformed into another zord, it drains energy very quickly. Like the Dragonzord that I'm sure you've encountered on Earth, the Sharkzord must be kept beneath the seas. Since this machine was designed for Aquitian use, it can be controlled completely by the mind, with a special helmet that you would wear instead of your Silver Ranger helmet. The zord will respond quicker, but since you haven't practiced the telepathic control of a zord, I suggest you not use this feature yet. Now, you'd best hurry. Your pink friend hasn't broken out of the seas, and the zord must've taken serious damage to lose control as it did."

"I'd better help her," said Billy, "How do I get into the zord?"

"You need to teleport," Tympanus explained, "but since you've never been inside the cockpit, you don't know how to visualize it for teleportation. So, I shall help you this first time."

Tympanus waved his hand before Billy's helmet. When Billy opened his eyes, he found himself inside a spacious, well-lit chamber, with a large screen panning the entire wall in front of him. He had three consoles within his reach-- one directly in front of him, with a steering wheel among other devices, one to his left, with a small screen, joystick and other buttons, and one on his right, with a small screen and more buttons. Behind the main pilot's seat, which was a comfortable leather chair with a seatbelt and its own controls on the armrest, was a row of six seats against the back wall, three on either side of a large door. Hovering above the pilot's seat was a large silver helmet, with a soft blue visor to cover the eyes. After taking a quick look around, Billy buckled his seatbelt and nodded once.

"From the look of things, the ships navigational systems and steering in front of me, the communications and teleportational systems are to my right, and finally weapons and tracking systems are to my left. The ship even has room for passengers. Incredible. Now, to find Kat."

Billy reached out his left hand, and activated the tracking system. A bullseye appeared, and the radar turned on. A pink dot flashed on the screen, and the exact coordinates registered in the corner of the screen.

"Kat's about seven miles from my present position. She landed... dangerously close to Triton. I hope the impact didn't further damage the city."

Billy frowned under his helmet, and took the steering wheel with both hands. He pressed the red button on the side, and pushed the wheel forward, just like an airplane's steering. The Silvertip Sharkzord pushed itself through the salt water, and Billy expertly steered the strange vessel towards Katherine's location. Although the ocean was dark, the main viewer showed the environment clearly. Super Zeozord I had crashed into the barren seafloor not far from Triton. Billy could see from a distance that the zord sustained serious damage, with sparks flying even underneath the waters. Billy held his breath, and activated his communicator.

"Katherine," he said into the microphone, "Its Billy! Are you okay? Do you read me?"

The words "Please Wait" appeared on the blank screen. Billy couldn't help but smile. "Somehow, the zord has modified itself for a human host fluent in English. It must be from when I first called upon it, yelling its name in English. Extraordinary."

As Billy watched, the screen read "Communique Accepted", and Katherine appeared on the screen, holding onto her chair and trying desperately to stay conscious. Billy gasped when he noticed the cockpit steadily beginning to flood.

^Billy?^ she said, peering at the screen, ^Is that you? What happened to you?^

"I'll explain later," Billy said, relieved to see his friend was okay, "Suffice it to say that I'm the Silver Ranger now. Are you injured?"

^Just a few scratches,^ Katherine said, ^but my zord's hull has been compromised. Divatox's acid torpedo ate right through the top of the head, straight into the cockpit! I'm lucky the water washed away the acid, but its still gushing in, and all the systems are offline.^

"We need to get the ship into the Aquitian hangar. Hopefully, Cestro can patch it together again fast. Hang on, Kat, I'm teleporting you in."

^In where?^ she asked. Billy smiled.

"Turn on your rear viewer."

Katherine did as she was told, and gasped when she saw the gargantuan sharkzord on her screen. She turned back to the communications screen.

^Nice zord, Billy,^ Katherine said, ^You've moved up in the world.^

"Thanks," said Billy, locking the teleporter onto Katherine's coordinates. In a streak of bright pink light, Zeo Ranger I appeared beside Billy. She looked around in awe at the high-tech surroundings that comprised the zord's cockpit.

"This place is even more complicated than the Megazord!" Katherine said, shaking her head, "Whoever built this thing picked the perfect person for the job. You probably feel right at home in here."

"Its second nature," he said, turning his communicator back on, "Listen, Kat, I'll teleport you and your zord to Triton, and then I'll join Tommy and the others in space."

"Tommy's zord was damaged too," Katherine said, folding her arms, "Super Zeozord V was the first to crash. He's in Triton now."

"That's not good," Billy said, "Only three zords are fighting Divatox? I'd better get up there immediately."

After about five minutes, Delphine appeared on the communications viewscreen. Billy was visibly surprised.

"Delphine?" he said.

^Yes. I apologize for taking so long to respond, William, but the laboratory was attacked by Divatox prior to the Power Rangers' arrival. The communications systems there have been damaged, so I had to use the hangar's short-range communicators.^

"Cestria was monitoring communications," Billy said quietly. Delphine was quiet for a moment.

^Yes, she was,^ Delphine said finally, ^She was in the laboratory at the time of the attack.^

Billy remained quiet, as if in shock. Katherine placed a consoling hand on Billy's shoulder, and then turned to the screen.

"Delphine, is Cestria okay?"

^She is injured, but Aquiva is taking care of her. However, I shall not lie to you. Her injuries are serious. Had Tideus not reached her when he did, she wouldn't have survived.^

"I'm coming--" Billy said.

"I'm sorry, Billy, but you can't," Katherine interrupted, "The rangers need you. You're the only one who can turn the tide of the battle."

^The Pink Ranger is correct,^ Delphine said, ^Our scanners are showing that the Green, Yellow, and Blue Zeozords are barely holding their own. If Divatox is to be defeated, they need backup immediately.^

"How is Tommy's zord?" asked Billy.

^Cestro is working on it now,^ Delphine said, ^He abandoned his work on the other zords to focus on it. The drill torpedo cut completely through the zord's abdomen, and compromised the energy tanks as well. The damage is extensive.^

"Tell Cestro to stop working on the red zord, and immediately begin patching the head of the pink zord," Billy said, "We just need the Megazord."

"