The Players
The winter was harsh in Montana. The snow beat down like the rain from great flood, coating everything in a smooth white glaze. Tommy Oliver stared out the window at sight he hadn’t seen since his family moved to Angel Grove, a white Christmas. He’d never been sad during the week before his favorite holiday,
the time of year had always been one of hope. He loved watching his little cousins skating on the lake by the old barn, seeing their eyes lite up like a star when the opened their gifts, and seeing the look of happiness on the faces of his parents’ and uncle’s families had when ever they were together.
Yet, tonight, the night before Christmas Eve, happiness refused to come. So many things had happened in the course of three months. Having a father in the Navy, Tommy had to move around a lot, he didn’t mind it, he was hardly ever to make friends with the other military kids, and had a less than successful rate with the civilian kids. He didn’t mind going from house to apartment to house,
he was fighter, ready for any environment. It was that when his father retired, he came to a city called Angel Grove, and met five people, and a sorceress, who would change his life forever. Tommy was given the Dragon Power Coin, an anicent mystical power source, that gave him the strength and stamina that might rival Hercules. The only problem was that he was under a spell that filled him hate, and malice.
“It was like being trapped in a cage, while watching yourself doing horrible things,” he’d told Trini once. The experience was almost enough to crush his spirit, and would have been had he not been inspired by the five people who fought him, who were trying to save their home. He was eventually turned from that path by Jason Scott, his former rival in a Taekwondo tournament.
Tommy redeemed the evil he had done by fighting along side his new found friends, Zack, the hip, suave, ultra-cool (in his own mind) dancer, Trini, the wise and compassionate girl, Billy, the clumsy genius, and Jason, the natural leader. Tommy had often wondered why they had taken him in after the things he’d done, but never questioned that he was a member of the team, and of a new family.
Or, he was, until it was taken by Rita Repulsa. He was left powerless and beaten spiritually. He pretty much avoided the gang for time afterwards,
except for Kimberly, who he’d begun dating.
Now, he only wished to be back with them, fighting evil. But, he returned to his brooding, seeing that life had resigned him to the role of a spectator in the game between god and evil.
“Tommy?” his Aunt Lilith called, not phasing him from his silent vigil.
“Tommy?” this putting her small hand on his shoulder. Jumping, he turned his head to meet her.
“Yeah, Aunt Lil?” he said, allowing his breath to return after a sigh of relief.
“You have a phone call, honey. Line 1.”
“Oh, ok, can I take it in here?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Tommy’s aunt and uncle’s house may have looked like a simple farm house, but it had a phone set-up that would put a Technical Support line to shame.
“Hello?” he said into the reciever, wondering who it was on the other end.
“Tommy? Hey! Its Trini. How have you been?” came the muffled voice.
“Trini? Hey, I..I’m great, how are you?” he said with a slight stutter.
“A little sore, I just got back from Tai Chi practice.”
“I’ll bet, how are the guys?”
“Oh, we’re all ok, Jason has been training a lot more, now. Trying to get the hang of his new.. uh,”
“Don’t worry about it, Trini, it’s in the past. What about the others?”
“Oh, Billy has been hitting the books, he’s going to be valedictorian if it kills him.”
“He not gonna have any competition. Who else would even come close?”
“Marge, they haven’t been on friendly terms since the break-up.”
“Ooo, sorry to hear about that. I thought they’d would end up married before sophomore year.”
“Me too. Oh, Zack says ‘hi’.”
“Angela’s in the room, isn’t she?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“I heard her slap him.”
“Oh. Kim was gonna be here, but, she had to go the Command Center for while.”
“Why? Kim usually dosen’t like going there unless she has too.”
“I think Jason needed some help with something, they’ve been spending some time together recently.”
“Th..They are?” Tommy’s heart leapt into his throat. Tommy knew Jason used to have a crush on Kim, but he never thought that in the two weeks he’d been at his Uncle’s farm.
“Oh! I didn’t mean it to sound like that, it’s just she hasn’t had that…”
she stopped in mid-sentence.
“Trini? Trini? What’s going on? Hey, Aunt Lil, what’s wro..Oh my God!”
Tommy stopped, a look of shock hitting his face. The people in the normally busy household were frozen right where they stood. Tommy ran to his Mother,
and grabbed her shoulder, “Mom? Mom?”
After running to each member of his family, Tommy glanced out the window. The snow outside was suspended, like each individual flake hung from a string. He turned around, running back to the phone. Not like the Police could do anything, but he had returned his communicator to Billy after he left the Rangers. Nearly tripping, he stopped in front of the phone and made a grab for the receiver, but, his hand came away with air. Tommy tried again, but this time, hesaw something that scarred him worse than any of Rita’s monsters could.
Tommy’s hand had passed right through the phone as though it weren’t there!
Tommy paniced. He backed slowly up against the wall, only to fade right through it upon contact. He braced himself with his hands, and looked at his legs, only to see the wall. He jumped up, and began flail his hands wildly,
watching them pass through family members, pottery, and furniture. Never one for showing a lot emotion, Tommy did something that was as alien to his system as the Green Rangers evil was. He screamed.
“What’s going on! Rita if you did this me…I swear you’ll get yours when I get to Zordon!” he yelled, trying to sound confident,
Niether Rita or Zordon have anything to with this. said a voice from nowhere.
“Who said that?” Tommy said, a crack of fear breaking his voice.
I did. it said, this time coming from a near-by fire place.
The flames burst forth, advancing toward Tommy. The orange flames slowly changed color to a light blue, and began to form a vaguely human shape. A figure in armor the same shade of the flames emerged, I am Ninjor. I am here to help you.
Angel Grove, four years later…
Adam’s breath was knocked from him as he hit the tree, hard. The kick had come from nowhere, like a gail force wind, throwing him thirty feet from the path he had been walking on with his girlfriend, Tanya. He sat for a moment,
unable to breathe. Each gasp for air easier than the one before it, but still pained. Being hit like that was new experience. He tried to stand up, but hunched over, his lungs still burning from lack of air. Tanya rushed over too him, standing over him, grabbing his shoulders.
“Are you ok?” she said, the worry in her voice evident.
Adam nodded.
“You really need to worry about yourself,” said a faceless voice, as Tanya’s head flew back at an almost unnatural angle, as if hit by a brick. She fell to the ground in a heap. Seeing her there drove Adam into a mindless rage. He threw a side-kick at where he thought the attack had come from. He struck thin air. Something grabbed his wrist, and thrust it and his arm behind his back.
Holding it there, pain lanced up the asian boy’s arm, causing him to scream.
He felt something strike him in the stomach, repeatedly. His grimace only intensified.
Tanya awoke. Being a Power ranger had taught her to recover quickly or leve yourself in a position of weakness. Raising her communicator to her mouth, she touched the stud that opened the communication wavelengths. “Tommy! Kat!
Anybody, Adam and I are being attacked in the par_” She stopped when she saw the communicator fly from her wrist. “No fair calling in your buddies, girl.”
Tanya then felt pressure on her neck, and felt the air slowly being used up in her lungs.
Adam looked on, feeling the fire in his gut from where he had been beaten,
seeing Tanya standing at least six inches off the ground, almost blue. He decided to take a chance, he ran around behind her and kicked several times in to what looked like thin air. His gamble paid off when he hit the creature at least twice. Tanya suddenly fell to ground, clutching her throat, as Adam moved to protect her this time, a look fo grim determination replaced his pained one.
The voice spoke again, “Not bad, young one, ready for round two?”
Tommy’s communicator chimed, cutting the air like a missile. Kat and Rocky snapped out of a conversation they had with Jason.
“Uh, Tommy? Remember, you, Kat and Rocky were going to go down to that new children’s shelter to apply for some positions?” Jason said, trying to give them a reason for leaving he and Emily abruptly.
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, guys, we better get going if we’re going to make it,” Tommy said, giving Jason a quick wink as if to say, ‘Good thinking.’
“Oh, thanks for reminding me Jason, you’re a life-saver,” Kat said, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the cheek.
“What? What shelter? I…OW!” Rocky said, as Kat quickly jammed her foot into his shin.
“Remember the ‘shelter’, Rocky,” Kat said through gritted teeth.
“Oh! Yeah! Bye Em! Bye Jace!” he said before running like a mad man for the door.
“He’s anxious…” Kat said, before turning for the door, and quietly telling Tommy she was going to kill Rocky later.
After finding a secluded place, Tommy spoke into his communicator, “Go ahead,
Zordon.”
Adam and Tanya are being attacked in the park by an invisible assailant,
said the teens’ mentor.
“We’re on it, Zordon! Let’s go guys!” Tommy said, before the three dissappeared in a flashe of bright light.
They appeared in a secluded area of the park where they saw the battle in progress, Adam was being held by the throat, at least a half-foot off the ground, and Tanya was kicking and punching at the air in front of him.
Suddenly, Adam flew towards them, with Tanya running behind him.
“Are you guys ok?” Rocky asked, fear on his face.
“Yeah, yeah, just a little banged up,” Tanya replied, short of breath.
All of a sudden, only a few feet from them, the air began to become translucent, taking a very human shape, then opaque as the Rangers looked upon the face of their enemy at last. A warrior in the guise of a Ninja Ranger.
“What the hell!” Tommy said, his face a picture of shock.
He had on a costume like Adam’s when he was the Black Ranger, except there was a falcon on the chest, poised to strike at it’s prey. And on his shoulders, a shield like Tommy had worn when he was White Ranger. “It’s about time, I was getting bored. But, don’t you think you should change before we fight, though?
I’d mean a lot to me.”
“Well, what do you say guys? Do we give him what he wants?” Tommy knew it was stupid to ask, but witty repartee had become a requirement for being a hero. “Tanya, would you do the honors?”
“I’d be happy to. IT MORPHIN’ TIME!” The Rangers summoned their Zeonizers,
and combined the two halves.
“Zeo Ranger 1, Pink,” Kat said.
“Zeo Ranger 2, Yellow,” said Tanya, a look of fierce determination on her face.
“Zeo Ranger 3, Blue,” Rocky yelled, ready for action.
“Zeo Ranger 4, Green,” Adam screamed, his strength returning.
“Zeo Ranger 5, Red,” Tommy finished.
Light cascaded over them, bathing them until they were until they became incandesent. It exploded outward, and a beautiful note sounded on the air.
The light then died, and standing in their place were five beings in different colored costumes, each adorned with white gloves and boots, that were golden at the top, with circuitry-like patterns imposed over them. The helmets each had different designs, one, a circle, another, a balance, the third, a triangle,
the fourth, a square, and finally a star.
Adam steped forward, “lets try that again, shall we,” a renewed confidence gracing his face, under his helmet.
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