This story is based just before Good as Gold, Billy is on Aquitar and the Machine Empire is still intact. Also in my timeline Scorpina never left Rita's service and has been working in the background since The Mutiny. This story is the first part in a series called Conquest of Evil.

Blast From the Past
by Shadow Ranger

Contact had been made. For what seemed like an eternity he had been trapped in the Dark Dimension, outside of reality. His physical body had been destroyed by the cursed Power Rangers. Of course even Zordon was unaware of the truth behind evil; it could be vanquished to a dimension where it could do no harm, but could never be destroyed.

As he floated in the void he remembered the time he had spent in Limbo. He had learnt the secret of the Dimensions; the fact that there are more than one version of the same being. There was more than one Lord Zedd, more than one Machine Empire and more than one Earth where the Power Rangers fought against evil. The Dark Dimension allowed him to view all the dimensions and to witness the fight between good and evil.

In some dimensions the Power Rangers were servants of the UAE, in some they were the evil rulers and in some they simply did not exist. The same was true about the villains he had come to know. Once in the Dark Dimension all the different versions joined together to form one being.

He had shortly after arriving discovered he still had a link to his physical body. It was through this link he had first discovered the difference between him and the others in the dimension. Whereas they had died powered by evil, he had been holding the powers of a Ranger. As such he had retained his powers and could leave at any time, although without a body he would be doomed to wander as a spirit.

"If I cannot escape from here, maybe I can make contact with someone in the real world and tell them what they need to do."

He looked down at the assembled villains, monsters and henchmen who were now loyal to him. With the power he had, conquering a group of powerless villains had been easy. His hand reached out and a book appeared. The book held the details of every being and artifact ever destroyed by the forces of good. He noted that from his dimension the Sword of Darkness still existed, as did three of the Badges of Darkness.

A plan began to form in his mind. He now knew who to talk to and how to gain his freedom. His chance for revenge was at hand, not just on those who had destroyed him, but also the being who had caused his death through sabotage.

A powerful staff appeared in his hand and he pointed it at the ground, "I command the portal to open!"

Jason Lee-Scott walked through the forest to the south of Angel Grove. He had been working out during the day and was now on his way home. The last time he had been in the forest it had been with Tommy, en-route to the Power Chamber to become the Gold Ranger. Now his powers were failing him. He had been warned that holding the Gold Ranger Power was dangerous for any human, but had accepted the risk to help his friends.

Zordon had warned him that Alpha had detected small fluctuations in his lifesigns when morphed and that it might be necessary to give up the powers. He had not mentioned the pain he felt when morphing. The longer he could hold out, the longer Trey would have to pull himself together, literally.

"Gold Ranger." The cold mechanical voice belonged to the leader of a group of Cogs. "Surrender and you will remain unharmed. Resist and you will be destroyed."

"It's Morphin Time!" Jason cried as the Golden Power Staff appeared in his hand. "Gold Ranger Power!"

The now familiar black and gold spandex formed around him. Jason winced as he was struck by a flash of pain in his side. He shook the pain off and fell into a defensive stance. He waited for the Cogs to move in close, gripping the Power Staff all the time. As soon as they were all in range Jason started to swing the Power Staff in a circle, striking each Cogs as they tried to grab it.

Once they had all fallen, Jason launched himself into the air and dropkicked the first Cog to try to stand up. A spinning savate kick caught another Cog and he used the tip of the Power Staff to smash a third Cog in the chest. Holding the Golden Power Staff in front of him Jason decided it was time to finish the undue workout and get home.

"Time for a Gold Rush!"

A tip of his staff glowed with power as the Gold Ranger charged forward. Suddenly the built up energy was released inside as he reached the Cogs, destroying all of them.

"Very good young Ranger," a mechanical voice with a strong Scottish accent remarked.

Jason turned to find Klank and Orbus, flanked by the King, Queen and youngest Prince of the Machine Empire. As he watched, another group of Cogs emerged from behind the King and started to advance.

"Now, why don't ye give ya self up and save us all the trouble?" Klank asked.

"Never!" Jason shouted in reply.

Weighing up the odds Jason decided he needed help. Thumbing his communicator he was not suprised to find the signal had been jammed. Instead of sticking around Jason ran into the forest, hoping Zordon would notice his problem and teleport the other Rangers in to help.

Sam sat at the table of the Youth Centre along with Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya. Five of them were Power Rangers, about to receive a call to action.

"Is Jason always this late?" Sam asked.

Although he had known Jason and the others for many years he had only become good friends with them in the last year or so. He had only officially met Jason when the other boy returned from Geneva.

"No," Tommy replied thoughtfully, "This isn't like him at all."

Further conversation was interupted by the tone of Tommy's communicator. Sam sensed how awkward this was going to be. The others needed a chance to get away without him becoming suspiscious. With an effort to hide what he knew Sam asked, "Is that your beeper?"

"Yeah," Tommy replied, silently grateful he didn't need to come up with another excuse. "We gotta go guys."

"I understand," Sam told them and stood to allow the Rangers to pass him and make their way to the back of the Youth Centre where they normally teleported.

Reaching into his pocket Sam touched the object hidden inside, using its power to extend his senses until he could hear the Rangers' conversation.

-what is it zordon

- rangers, the machine empire is after jason. you must teleport to his location and help him.

-we're on our way zordon.

Sam waited during the silence that meant Rocky was checking to ensure the Rangers were clear. Then he heard the Rangers morph and leave to save their friend. Sam severed the link before Zordon noticed him.

Clearing his plate Sam walked over to the counter, thanked Ernie for the food and left as quickly as he could. Ernie watched as the young man left, shaking his head. There was something familiar about the boy, but he couldn't place it. He had noticed Tommy saying the same thing on a previous occasion. He had thought to mention it to Tommy, but even if Tommy knew, Ernie doubted he would tell him. Tommy and friends rarely told him the whole story, normally leaving out small details they hoped he would not notice.

Sam exited the Youth Centre and after checking he was in the clear, teleported to where Jason was fighting for his life. In addition to the Machine Empire chasing him from one side, Rita and Zedd had also decided to take the powers.

Sam noticed Jason was moving slower than normal, as though he were struggling to move. He could almost see the power draining from the Gold Ranger. In addition something else was leaving the boy. As Sam watched Jason's lifeforce seemed to grow weaker.

Sam wondered why the Rangers had not arrived yet. A simple check revealed that Rita had created a zone into which the Zeo Rangers could not enter. Neither Rita, Zedd nor Mondo had planned on Sam though. He could have dealt with the problem by countering Rita's spell, but that would alert Zordon to his presence.

Instead Sam reached into his pocket, pulled out the Power Coin he always kept there and called forth his power. "Dragonzord!"

The Cogs and Tengas had succeeded in surrounding Jason. Rita and Zedd were arguing with Mondo and Machina over who should take the Gold Ranger's power. Jason was desperately trying to break away and teleport to safety.

"Leave now you arrogant organics," Mondo shouted as he pushed past Klank to stand eye to eye with Zedd.

"Never, you mechanical babboon," Zedd replied, gesturing for Rito and Goldar join him.

Jason howled in agony causing all present to look in his direction. His costume flickered for a moment and then disappeared, leaving him vulnerable and still holding the Golden Power Staff.

The Dragon Ranger leapt through the air, landing next to Jason. Without waiting for the attackers to respond he produced his Blade Blaster and fired as quickly as possible, disintegrating the Tengas on contact and causing the Cogs to fall back. Reching forward Sam touched Jason on the shoulder before teleporting back to his own home and powering down.

He checked himself to make sure he was intact and discovered his Blade Blaster had been damaged. With a sigh he placed the blaster back into its subspace pocket and promised himself he would never morph again, a promise he had made once before and only broken today.

Four weeks later,

Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, trying to trick him into turning around. He did not know what the monster was, only that it wanted him and that was not good.

"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."

"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samoht Revilo!"

"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."

"I am Sam!" the seventeen-year-old boy shouted as he ran round another corner.

He skidded to a halt as the floor in front of him gave way. He had been here before and knew what came next. He would have a choice. He could face the monster now drawing nearer or he could jump into void below. The noise of the monster's footsteps drew nearer, making the decision even more urgent. Without a second thought he jumped into the void.

Falling, the sensation was strange. Before him he could see a group of six figures, each in a different colour fighting another group of creatures who resembled demons. The first group was losing as a black hand closed around them.

A rope appeared in the darkness. Sam remembered this part of the dream; it was the monster giving him the chance to pull himself out of the pit. For a moment he considered it, but decided that an eternal fall must be better than the monster lurking above.

"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE AND COME BACK, PLE..."

The monster's words were lost as Sam noticed a set of spikes below him. He braced himself for the impact his mind told him would be coming soon.

"Nooo!"

"SAM?"

"SAM,"

"SAMOHT, WAKE UP!"

Sam opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by some of his best friends and a very concerned looking Mr Caplan. As he became aware of his surroundings he noticed he was on the School Bus. His class was off on a day trip as part of a class project.

"You all right Sam?" he heard the Principal ask.

Sam nodded, but did not say anything. The dream had been more real than ever and he still didn't know what it meant. Who was calling him? The Green Power Coin? His creator? Sam didn't know the answer, but knew he needed to say something to satisfy Mr Caplan.

"I'm sorry sir, it was just a bad dream."

Caplan looked a bit sceptical, but then nodded and returned to the front of the bus. Sam had been asleep and sometimes teenagers did have weird dreams. Caplan took out his notebook and wrote down a memo for the school nurse to arrange an appointment with Mr Revilo as soon as possible.

The Principal was replaced by a very concerned looking Tommy Oliver. "You want to talk about it?" Tommy asked.

Sam sighed, "I'm fine, I just need to get my head together." It wasn't that he disliked Tommy, it was just that he doubted the spell would hold for long if Tommy suspected who he was.

Sam was a clone of Thomas Oliver; powered by the Dragon, he was the Green Power Ranger, and last seen in Colonial Angel Grove. After two hundred years he was not sure how this news would affect the other boy, or his fellow Rangers for that matter. He was now two hundred years older than any of the Rangers on Earth and still looked like a seventeen year old.

He had been married and widowed, had had children and watched them grow old and die. He had watched as time had taken its correct course, right up to the point where he went back in time with Tommy.

Rita and Zedd had made a few small changes when she had created him. Firstly they had given him a photographic memory so he would not suffer from Tommy's flaw. Secondly Zedd had linked him to the Green Power Coin. The coin was an exact duplicate of the coin Tommy had once held and was still connected to the Morphin Grid. As such until the coin was destroyed Sam would live.

Not long after Tommy had left he had discovered that he could focus magical powers of his own. _An after effect from the Wizard of Deception's spell,_ he had thought at the time. Using his powers he had granted himself a new identity and hidden himself from Zordon. He did not want to be part of the battle between good and evil; he only wanted a peaceful life.

"You sure?" Tommy asked, unconvinced.

"I'm fine," Sam confirmed, determined not to hold the conversation for any longer than necessary..

His friend nodded and returned to where his girlfriend was waiting. Sam watched them together. Kat was as beautiful as Kimberly had ever been, but he knew Tommy was fooling himself. Kim and Tommy had never really had a future and Kat and Tommy were even less likely to stay together in the long run.

"Rita, do you sense it?" Lord Zedd asked as he desperately scanned the Earth for a disturbance that he had felt not long ago.

"It can't be," Rita whispered as she joined her husband. "The Green Coin is powerless."

"I felt it just now. And we both know what we saw a few weeks back." Zedd insisted as he kept searching for the now hidden Ranger. "Zordon must have found a way to renew the Power Coin."

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, it can't be," Alpha said.

"What is it Alpha?" Zordon asked.

"The computer says somebody just used the Green Power Coin," the small robot reported.

Zordon considered what Alpha said, part of him wanting to ignore it. In the back of his mind a memory began to form of a time once before when he had discovered a Green Ranger only for the Ranger to vanish. Then of course there had been the story Jason had told them a few weeks ago when he was losing his powers. At the time Zordon had been sure it was a side effect from the power drain. Now, he was not so sure.

"Alpha, scan the Power Chamber for any abnormal spells that might have caused this problem." In his mind Zordon knew the Green Ranger was about to return, he could sense the balance of power shfting again. Unfortunately he could not determine if it was shifting in the favour of the light or the darkness.

_Have Zedd and Rita somehow managed to find a new coin?_ he wondered.

If they had Zordon knew it meant bad news for the Rangers, but might hold the solution to another problem. Since the attack on Jason the Gold Ranger Powers had been restore to Trey. Although Jason still had some of the power in his system Zordon knew the power would soon fail and the team would be lacking a vital member.

_If Rita or Zedd have found a way to link to the Morphin Grid and I can copy it, I can restore Jason to full power,_ Zordon thought as he watched Alpha continuing to search.

Sam cursed under his breath. Somehow his dream had tapped into the Morphin Grid. Normally he would have been able to cover up for his powers, but his discussion with Tommy had cost him valuable time. Now Zedd, Rita and worst of all Zordon would know he was alive. His only hope was that they believed somebody else had the coin.

The bus continued on its journey through the hills outside Angel Grove towards the small town of North Valley where they were going to study the world's most powerful computer. Sam secretly suspected the trip had been Rocky's idea. The Blue Zeo Ranger was desperately trying to impress one of the girls in his computer class.

He looked over to where Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Kat and Tanya were sitting. For some reason Adam had not joined his friends at the back of the bus and was currently engaged in a discussion with Mr Caplan.

Realising there was nothing he could do to stop Zordon and Zedd detecting him, Sam decided to enjoy the trip. Even if someone had detected him they would not know where to look. As long as it did not happen again he would be all right. Besides, at least he only had to deal with Zordon or Zedd. The Emperor of Evil had succeeded where the Rangers had failed and blown up the entire Machine Empire. Sam knew they would be back one day, but in the meantime at least they were out of the picture.

"Why don't we send down a monster to attack the other Rangers?" Goldar asked. "Then when the Green Ranger shows up we can grab him."

"Monkey boy has a point," Rita agreed. "Even if we don't get the Green Ranger we can at least eliminate Jason."

Zedd considered his options. All six Rangers were on the bus, away from Zordon and with a lot of witnesses. Better yet Jason had given his powers back to Trey of Triforia, leaving him with only a small link to the Zeo Power. If anything would draw the Green Ranger out this would. Zedd considered what to use as a monster. He noticed the old box camera on the seat next to the school's principal. Aiming his staff he summoned the Freeze Frame monster.

Adam Park had felt compelled to sit near the front of the bus. Something told him he needed to keep an eye on the road ahead. As the bus turned another corner he saw why. In the middle of the road stood Goldar and a flock of Tengas. Behind them stood what looked like a giant camera on legs.

The driver applied the brakes and stopped just short of where Goldar was waiting. Before he could reverse the simian warrior thrust his sword through the front grill, wrecking the engine.

Tommy meanwhile had made his way to the back of the bus with Jason and had managed to get the emergency exit open. "This way," he indicated to the other students. As they departed he joined the other Rangers at the front of the bus.

There was a bright flash outside the vehicle and as the Rangers turned they discovered their classmates frozen in place. Although part of him worried in case the effects were permanent another part of him was relieved that the Rangers could morph without being seen.

Jason and Tommy were first off the bus, tackling the nearest Tengas. Kat and Tanya were out next followed closely by Rocky and Adam. Whilst Adam tackle Goldar Rocky squared off against Freeze Frame. Both of the Rangers were able to hold their own for a short time, despite being unmorphed.

As the other four finished the last of the Tengas Rito Revolto decided to join the fun. The Rangers soon found themselves losing as the odds shifted against them.

"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy and Jason called together.

"Zeo Ranger I - Pink," Kat called. Pink spandex formed around her body, padding out where necessary to provide extra protection. On her right hip her Zeo Pistol formed.

"Zeo Ranger II - Yellow," Tanya cried. Her yellow uniform merged from on top and below, bonding to her skin as her weapon appeared at the waist.

"Zeo Ranger III - Blue," Rocky continued, feeling his body mass increase as the power filled him.

"Zeo Ranger IV - Green," Adam prepared himself for the battle ahead as his suit formed. As the morph finished he drew his Zeo Sword and attacked.

"Zeo Ranger V - Red," Tommy did not think about his next move. Out of instinct he launched himself in Goldar's direction, catching the monkey as he was trying to sneak up on Tanya.

Jason took a deep breath and mentally crossed his fingers. The Golden Power Staff had left a small trace of energy in his body. Although he would not last long in a battle and had agreed to use his powers only in a time of need, Jason felt the situation required the Gold Ranger.

"Gold Ranger Power!"

He found himself covered in a different uniform. Although the golden shield was there, along with the other parts of his costume, the rest of the uniform resembled his Red Ranger days. He held out his hand expecting to receive the Golden Power Staff he was surprised when a golden broadsword formed instead.

Instead of taking time to consider why the suit had changed he made a mental note to ask Zordon later and charged at Rito as fast as he could.

Sam crouched under the bus watching the fight between the Rangers and Zedd's forces. He was lucky Freeze Frame's power had been aimed at non-Rangers. Although inactive, Sam's link to the Green Coin had provided him with some protection. Casting a spell to make himself invisible had been easy, as had replacing himself with a fake image for anybody watching.

Sam watched as the Pink and Yellow Zeo Rangers finished off the few Tengas Rita and Zedd had sent as reinforcements. They flipped back to join Blue and Green Zeo battling the monster. Tommy meanwhile was having fun with Goldar. The Red Zeo Ranger had fought the simian monster so many times they knew each other's moves in advance. With a quick punch Tommy sent the monkey to the ground and moved in for the kill.

If Tommy was having fun with Goldar then Jason was enjoying himself even more. The Gold Ranger thrust his sword through the Alien's rib before kicking him away. Jason raised his sword ready to strike again when he suddenly stopped.

As Sam watched, the Gold Ranger doubled over in pain. His uniform began to flicker as his powers failed. Sam felt a wave of sympathy for the fallen Ranger. He had Tommy's memories from his time as Green Ranger and although, unlike Tommy, he was not racked with guilt over his actions during that time, he remembered the feeling of hopelessness whenever his powers gave out. He saw Rito move in for the kill and knew he had to do something, but what?

Although he was linked to the Green Coin he did not want to morph. He had tried for two hundred years to forget his past, but something had convinced him to return to Angel Grove and play the part of a school student. He had befriended Jason and the others and covered for them on occasions. Now one of his friends was in trouble and he knew he had to act.

Reaching a decision Sam summoned his morpher. He aimed it at Jason and mentally connected to the Gold Ranger's mind. From his own power he fed the boy enough power to recharge. He smiled as Jason's armour reformed, frowning as he noticed the other boy was unconscious.

"Let me introduce you to my Flashgun," Freeze Frame told the four Rangers attacking him.

A transparent cube appeared in Freeze Frame's hand and as he turned it the cube flash brightly. With each turn one of the Rangers found themselves frozen in place. Laughing maniacally he produced a length of film and whipped the disabled Rangers with it.

The Rangers' suits sparked as they were thrown backwards by the whip. There was a loud sucking noise as the Rangers were pulled inside Freeze Frame. He pointed his finger and four black and white copies of the Rangers were formed.

Tommy leapt through the air, drawing his Zeo V Power Sword as he did so. He pointed the blade down towards the spot where Goldar lay. The simian raised his own sword and knocked the Red Ranger aside.

Before Tommy could react he found himself surrounded by copies of his friends, each of them ready to rip him to pieces. Off to one side Rito was busy hacking at an unmoving Gold Ranger, the latter glowing with green light. Any thoughts he had about helping his colleague were lost as the copies pounced on him.

Sam knew he could wait no longer. If he did his friends would die and that was unacceptable. Silently he promised himself it was the last time he would morph.

"Dragonzord!"

A green lightning bolt shot from the sky, hitting the copies of the Zeo Rangers. The copies disappeared as quickly as they had been created. A second bolt struck Tommy, stripping him of his Green Power Coin and his Dragon Dagger. The heavens roared as a third bolt struck an unseen figure behind the school bus.

Sam felt the lightning strike him. His green uniform had already formed around him. As the lightning struck the suit it was transformed from tight fitting spandex into a lightweight armour, a cross between plastic and steel. An advanced Blade Blaster formed at his hip and a Dragon Dagger appeared in each hand. Instinctively Sam pushed the two daggers together. They merged into a powerful sword. On the handle was the head of the Dragon, complimented by the inscription of the fleur-de-lis on the blade.

Finally the golden shield, which had protected the Dragon Ranger for many years form on his shoulders, the power telling him additional armour was available if needed. Sam looked around realising the whole morph had taken less than a second to complete. The Dragon Ranger was back, for the time being.

Goldar and Rito exchanged worried glances as they saw the first two lightning bolts. Tommy was slowly picking himself up, slightly weaker than before. They had not seen the third lightning bolt and were looking around for the source of the lightning.

Tommy turned in time to see a green figure leap from the top of the bus, striking Goldar and Rito with a single blow. The figure ignored the Red Zeo Ranger, turning his attention to Freeze Frame. Leaping into the air a second time the Dragon Ranger produced a sword and stabbed the monster through the lens.

In a bright flash of light the four remaining Zeo Rangers were freed of the monster's power. The green figure turned to where the Rangers lay and pointed his sword. The spell preventing Zordon from teleporting them vanished and the six Rangers were removed from danger.

With Tommy and the others safe, Sam attacked again. He connected with a blow to all three monsters, causing them to retreat, leaving the other students frozen in place.

When the Rangers appeared in the Power Chamber Tommy ripped off his helmet, desperately gasping for breath. When he finally had the strength to look at his mentor he asked the question on everybody's' mind.

"Zordon, who was that?"

"I am not sure," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I felt the presence of the Dragon Ranger earlier today, but we have been unable to find him. He disappeared after he rescued you and we have again lost him."

"What if he's not on our side?" Rocky asked, remembering the last time he had been face to face with the Green Ranger.

"If he was against us, he would not have stopped Rito from chopping me up," Jason replied. Now demorphed the Gold Ranger was being checked by Alpha.

"Whoever it is," Tommy said. "We can't just let him fight alone, he will need help and we could use the extra power."

Tanya and Kat had been watching the Viewing Globe to see if the other students had returned to normal. Usually the monster's death would have reversed the effects of any spells they had used. The fact the students and teacher remained frozen meant Freeze Frame was still alive.

"What do we do?" Kat asked.

"Unfortunately Katherine, we will need to wait for Freeze Frame to return. The computer says that is the only way to free them." Zordon silently hoped it would not take too long.

"WELCOME BACK THOMAS," the voice said once again.

Sam realised he was day dreaming. He had already demorphed and appeared near the docks in Angel Grove's Harbour District. Opening his hand he summoned his morpher for the last time. He encased it in a special spell and threw it into the sea, towards the sleeping Dragonzord.

"YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME THAT EASILY," the voice said. "YOU ARE PART OF ME AND I AM PART OF YOU FOREVER."

"No," Sam said to the voice. "I don't know who you are or why you want me, but the Green Ranger is gone."

In his head he could hear a small voice say, "THEN SO IS ALL HOPE."

"How dare you show your faces in here!" Zedd shouted as Rito, Goldar and Freeze Frame appeared in his throne room. "You were told to destroy either the Green Ranger or the Gold Ranger and you could not even manage that!"

"It wasn't my fault Ed," Rito protested, "Goldar ran first."

"He is lying my Lord," Goldar grovelled as he entered the room.

"Silence!" Zedd commanded. "You are both useless cowards."

Faster than Rito could have imagine Zedd turned and struck him with the tip of his staff. Rito's head fell to the ground and the evil monarch watched as his brother-in-law tried to find it again. "Let that be your final warning, my name is Zedd, NOT Ed!"

Satisfied that he could continue Zedd turned back to the other two monsters. "Goldar your cowardice will not be tolerated, kneel."

Zedd aimed his staff at the grovelling simian, a blast of energy hit the monkey. Goldar grew larger, his fangs sharper and for a moment Zedd feared he had gone too far.

"Thank you Lord Zedd," Goldar said at last. He rose from the floor and bowed to Rita, who until that point had remained in the backgound. "Lady Rita, how may I serve you?"

"Zeddy, this might be the best thing you have ever done," Rita laughed happily.

Zedd finally turned to Freeze Frame. "You have failed to carry out you mission. Return to the bus and destroy those humans under you spell. If the Rangers return, kill them all."

Freeze Frame bowed and disappeared from the throne room, leaving Rita with a shocked expression on her face.

"You let him go, just like that?" she asked angrily.

"Yes," Zedd replied. "If he succeeds all the better, if he fails I need to be ready. Tell me Rita, what do you know of the Dark Dimension?"

He had done it. He had managed to gain his freedom and prevent the traitor from doing more damage. He had told his contact where the real Sword of Darkness had been hidden and given him the power to tap the Dark Dimension and restore his minions to their former state.

Now all that was required was a body and then victory would be his. "Soon, real soon!"

Sam returned to the school bus and replaced the image he had planted there some time before. He was still unsure why he was bothering to live a lie. He was two hundred years old trying to live like a seventeen year old. He had even created a family for himself just in case anyone asked.

But, like anything else made of magic they were not real. Sometimes Sam wondered if he were real or just a poor clone trying to be real. He had no real friends, no real family. Those who were near to being his friends were friends with Sam, not him. It was an illusion he did not want to maintain, but was scared to lose.

He had even changed his appearance so nobody would guess who he was, but that was nothing compared to the effort it had taken to stop say "Siek-yiah" when he attacked.

He looked at himself in the mirror he had summoned with his magic, remembering when his appearance had helped him when fighting during the Second World War. He had worked for Army Intelligence in Germany, where his blond hair and blue eyes had even the most untrusting Nazi convinced he was on their side. He shook his head sadly at how easily one man had been able to turn honest and decent citizens into an army infamous for the worst acts of genocide Earth had known. Even the villains the Rangers fought did not kill due for racial reasons; they simply destroyed anything in their way.

His hair was now shoulder length and he had used his powers to alter the shape and shade of his face so he would not be recognised. Of course if Zordon scanned him, his true identity would be revealed. Of course, first of all Zordon had to detect him. The spell he had cast years prevented Zordon from even considering the fact that he was alive.

With a gesture he returned the mirror to the place he summoned it from. Remaining perfectly still Sam waited for either the Rangers to return or Rita and Zedd to send another monster down to finish the job.

"Are you sure about this Zeddy?" Rita asked. Her husband had had some insane plans before, but this...

"I am certain Rita," Zedd replied. "With the Badges of Darkness I can open the portal to the Dark Dimension and bring back a monster even the Rangers cannot beat."

"Excuse me Lord Zedd," Finster said quickly. "But if the Dark Dimension is where our failed monsters go, how do you expect to find a monster the Rangers cannot beat?"

"You are wrong Finster," Zedd hissed quietly. "The Dark Dimension contains more than monsters Rita and I never used. All the evil beings who have ever fallen in battle are imprisoned in the Dark Dimension. Once there they are unable to return to our dimension because they lack a physical form. I intend to provide a new form and allow one of our greatest creations to rejoin us."

"Is that what you did to Monkey Boy?" Rita asked.

"Not Exactly," Zedd replied. "The Dark Dimension is used to hold the evil of every other dimension. In some of the other dimensions Goldar has been destroyed. I simply merged the other Goldars with our own. This has made him stronger, smarter and more powerful than ever."

"But my Lord," Finster protested. "We only have one of the Badges of Darkness. The others were destroyed by the Power Rangers."

Zedd seemed to grow angry for a moment. His eye piece glowed red as he turned to Rita and asked her, "Tell me Rita, when did you first notice that your plans were failing to work as you had hoped?"

Rita thought about it for a moment. For years she had been the most respected witch in the Universe. Even her father had been forced to tell her how good she was at being evil. Babboo, Squatt, Scorpina and Goldar had served her loyally for many centuries, destroying world after world in the name of evil.

Then, Finster had enetered her service as a monster maker. For the first few years everything had seemed to be going as normal. But then, Squatt and Babboo had seemed to become stupid and incompetent. Back then she had hardly noticed the change, it had been so subtle. Shortly after Rita had stopped making spells after Finster had insisted she use his monsters instead.

The image flashed into her head of Finster on the day she had unleashed the Green Ranger. Throughout the whole time he had been trying to get Goldar to talk her into using a monster instead. Goldar had of course refused, the simian had always been loyal until Zedd had arrived.

A lot of things started to come together in Rita's mind. The way Zordon knew how to beat monsters that he had never seen. The way the Sword of Darkness had been destroyed by nothing more than a feeble Blade Blaster. And, perhaps the one thing she had overlooked at the time; how two of the Mutant Rangers had disappeared leaving only three to face the Rangers.

"You!" Rita said, pointing at Finster. "You betrayed me. Why?"

"My Queen," Finster stammered, trying to think up a way to distract everyone while he ran to his chamber. "I have always been loyal to you."

Rita looked at Zedd and noticed the hand he had placed behind his back. She nodded, giving him permission to do what needed to be done. Faster than the eye could see Zedd produced the Sword of Darkness from behind his back and thrust it into Finster's heart.

"You knew?" Rita asked.

"I was told Finster had been working against us for a long time. Even while I was making my own monsters he was poisoning me with his good magic." Zedd pulled the sword out of his former monster maker and placed it on the table behind him.

"Baboo, Squatt, Rito, Scorpina, come here!" Zedd's voice boomed throughout the castle.

As his subjects arrived he held his staff above his head and did something Rita had rarely seen him do; he cast a spell using words instead of his staff. As he spoke magical symbols formed in the air around them.

"By battles fought and battles won, let Finster's spells now be undone!"

A black mist rose from the centre of the Sword of Darkness, enveloping all those gathered in the room. Rita, Zedd and all their servants soon collapsed to the ground as they breathed the cloud of pure evil.

Zedd awoke a few hours later and took the opportunity to look himself over. His body was bursting with evil energy. He turned and nodded to Goldar who had kept guard for the time they were out.

Rita awoke next. Her entire appearance had changed. Instead on the ridiculous looking cones on her head and the ugly brown garment she found herself in the tradition costume the witches on her homeworld had used for centuries. Her long grey hair reached down to her waist, her black clothes were covered with various symbols of power, used to attract energy from outside her body. Finally she picked up her wand and discovered it had been recharged to the level it had been before the Grid Wars.

Scorpina had quietly got to her feet and joined Goldar on guard. Her armour had a deadly hint to it that had not been there before.

Squatt awoke feeling better than he had ever felt before. Gone was the desire to make himself seem important to Rita. He had a new mission in life, to help crush the forces of good and destroy Zordon of Eltare. It was good to be back.

Baboo had changed phsically as well as mentally. His claws had grown into talons, his monical had developed into an energy weapon and his entire body had developed a metal skin. He no longer looked like a joke, instead resembling a smaller version of Goldar.

Finster was the final creature to stand. The Sword of Drakness had purged the goodness from his soul. Although he looked the same his monster making powers had increased exponentially.

"We did it!" Rita cried as she understood how much she had changed in a matter of hours.

Finster kneeled before the Emperor and Empress his hand outstretched. Inside were three of the Badges of Evil Rita had once used. In his over hand he held the method through which Zedd's new monster could be created.

"Thank you Finster," Zedd said. "The Crystal of Lin Kuei when combined with the Badges of Darkness will create a force so powerful even the Rangers will be unable to stop it."

"And the Sword of Darkness will allow our new creation to create any monster from the Dark Dimension he desires," Rita added.

"And we can carry out our other mission," Lord Zedd told her.

"Excuse me Lord Zedd," Squatt said. For a moment Zedd and Rita stared at the newly empowered blueberry. Then Zedd nodded for him to continue. "What is the other mission and will you be needing my services? I have a score I would like to settle on Aquitar."

Lord Zedd glanced at Rita to find her as shocked as he was. Squatt had been an imbecile ever since Zedd had first met him. Rita had once explained that Baboo and Squatt had once been a force to be reckoned with, working as a team. Now Zedd was starting to believe it.

"Finster's betrayal affected the whole of the UAE, not just Rita and myself. Every evil being who has ever been in contact with us has been affected."

Finster could not bring himself to look Zedd or Rita in the eye. How could he have ever betrayed them. His monsters would serve them now and he would start by bringing the Rangers to their knees. "With your permission Lord Zedd, I will remain here with your newest monster and assist him in defeating the Rangers. He can provide the monsters and I will provide the bodies."

Zedd nodded at Finster's request. In every other dimension Zedd had a memory of Finster willingly working for the forces of evil. Only in this dimension had Rita been required to force him into service.

"Finster, you may remain here and help my new monster. Squatt and Baboo, you are to go to Aquitar. Settle any scores you may have, but kill all the Rangers. Goldar and Scorpina, you may accompany Rita and myself to the UAE."

Rita listened to what her husband said. As much as she hated to leave the Earth she knew the UAE needed to be cured before they were destroyed by incompetance. Aiming her wand at the surface below she cast a spell to rebuild the Machine Empire and send them to the UAE headquarters, now located on Onyx.

Before he left with his wife Zedd used his power to increase the power of Freeze Frame and to send Serpenterra to Earth as a backup plan.

He watched as the gateway to the real world opened for him. Finster had prepared the perfect body for him and with the Badges of Darkness to guide him, Sword of Darkness as a weapon and the Lin Kuei Crystal to renew his powers he was able to leave the Dark Dimension forever.

He found himself in the body of a ninja. His uniform was a black material reinforced by a thick vest over the chest and back. A black mask hid most of his face allowing only the glowing red eyes to be seen. A metal guard protected the forearms and lower legs from attack. Finally, in the centre of his chest the Crystal of Lin Kuei inserted itself, soon to be replaced by a golden coin bearing the image of the Jackyl.

He looked down and found the Sword of Darkness attatched to his leg. Floating in front of him were the three Badges of Darkness, now restored to their full power. He ignored them and turned his attention to where Zedd and Rita were watching.

"Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa," he said, removing his mask to reveal his face to his saviours. "I am in your service once again."

"Zeddy, you are a genius!" Rita cried as she saw the monster Zedd had selected. Both Rita and Zedd had long believed that the only way to beat a Ranger was with another Ranger. Turning back to the monster she asked, "What is your name?"

"I am the combination of this form from all the dimensions. I am the complete opposite of the goody goody I was created from. I have his memories, skills and knowledge. But most importantly, I am your servant. I am Minion, servant of the Dark Powers and swear loyalty to the forces of Evil."

He watched the smile form on Rita's facing, satisfied she had been convinced to trust him. For the time being helping Zedd and Rita was exactly what he need to do. Deciding to see what the Rangers were like he stretched out his senses, touching the minds of all those holding Power Coins or Zeo Crystals. He sensed the active Rangers; Tommy, Katherine, Rocky, Adam, Tanya and Trey. He also detected two others; Jason and someone who would soon arrive.

"No!" he yelled at the top of his voice.

"Freeze Frame, destroy the humans immediately!" he ordered. Whatever had caused the sudden fear deep in his soul would soon be extinguished.

"The Earth is yours to conquer," Zedd told him, deciding to ignore the outburst. "Rita and I shall return in due course. I expect you to be victorious by then."

"As you wish my Lord," he said, watching as Rita and the others left, leaving only Finster and himself. He glanced at his new assistant and smiled. "Let's get started."

Sam ran along the metal corridor, determined to escape the monster looming somewhere behind him. In his mind he could hear the voice calling him, trying to trick him into turning around. He did not know what the monster was, only that it wanted him and that was not good.

"THOMAS!" the voice said again, gaining volume as it echoed down the corridor, "WHY DO YOU RUN FROM ME? YOU KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."

"No!" Sam shouted over his shoulder. "I am not Thomas, I am Samoht Revilo!"

"COME BACK TO ME THOMAS AND KNOW ME," the voice pleaded. "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY."

"I am Sam!" the seventeen-year-old boy shouted as he ran round another corner.

He skidded to a halt as the floor in front of him gave way. He had been here before and knew what came next. He would have a choice. He could face the monster now drawing nearer or he could jump into void below. The noise of the monster's footsteps drew nearer, making the decision even more urgent. Without a second thought he jumped into the void.

Falling, the sensation was strange. Before him he could see a group of six figures, each in a different colour, fighting another group of creatures who resembled demons. The first group was losing as a black hand closed around them.

A rope appeared in the darkness. Sam remembered this part of the dream; it was the monster giving him the chance to pull himself out of the pit. For a moment he considered it, but decided that an eternal fall must be better than the monster lurking above.

"THOMAS, THEY NEED YOU, I NEED YOU." The voice was growing quieter as Sam fell deeper into the void. "PLEASE THOMAS, ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE AND COME BACK, PLE..."

The monster's words were lost as Sam noticed a set of spikes below him. He braced himself for the impact his mind told him would be coming soon.

"Nooo!"

A green rope appeared next to him, dangling in the air, inviting him to grab hold. In his mind Sam could still hear the voice of the monster chasing after him.

"THOMAS PLEASE DON'T RUN. YOU ARE NEEDED NOW, I AM NEEDED NOW. PLEASE ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY."

A thought started to dawn on Sam. Whoever was talking to him knew he was Tommy's clone. It had to be either Rita or Zedd. The villains must have discovered his identity. The voices had been quiet until he had used his coin to save Jason.

_I will not be evil,_ Sam thought to himself.

Determined to put an end to the force that was tempting him Sam grabbed the rope. In a flash of green he felt himself teleported to another place, still within his mind.

Freeze Frame reappeared next to the school bus. A quick push sent the vehicle off the road giving him a clear shot at the helpless humans still frozen in place following his Flashgun attack.

"Siek-yiah!"

The Red Zeo Ranger replaced the Zeo V Power Sword in its subspace pocket and launched himselt at the monster for a second time. He looked up as his five teammates appeared to back him up.

"Time for team work," Tommy said, indicating for the Rangers to get into position.

Tommy and Jason produced their Power Swords and ran at their fellow Rangers. Kat and Tanya had crouched down with their hands ready to act as a step for their fellow Rangers. As Tommy and Jason stepped on their hands Kat and Tanya pushed them into the air. Tommy and Jason found themselves landing horizontally on Adam and Rocky, who had stretched their arms upwards to recevie their leaders. Tommy and Jason held their swords pointed towards Freeze Frame. Kat and gathering gave them a push to send both the Rangers into the monster.

Tommy's Power Sword disarmed the monster whilst Jason used his sword to pierce the monster's lens. Freeze Frame fell back, his lens exploding in a shower of sparks.

"Time to get big!" Freeze Frame called as he started to grow.

Sam appeared in the old Command Centre. He could sense no life within, wherever he was Zordon and Alpha were not nearby to help him. The room was green, surrounded by images taken from his mind. In one corner were the deeds he had done as the Green Ranger. In the other were the deeds he had done since he had been left in Angel Grove in 1795.

The images formed of his wife; Rosalita Hermandez. They had met not long after he had been in Angel Grove, she had been the Spanish daughter of the chief of a nearby colony. Their love had secured peace between the English and Spanish settlers and he had moved to be with her in Los Angeles.

Sam had been happy married to Rosalita. They had had children togther and it pained him to see her die. From then on he had kept an eye on all his descendants until they adopted a young boy named Thomas. The shock had been almost too much for him; he was the ancestor of the people who would someday adopt the boy from whom he was clone.

A fuzzy image in another corner caught his eye. The image showed the world he had created for himself so he would be accepted. It showed the lives of the people he had invented going about their own daily routines. In a way they were as real as Sam.

"SO, YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO LISTEN DID YOU?" the voice asked.

"I came here to destroy you," Sam shouted angrily. "You are not going to make me evil again."

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE EVIL THOMAS, I WANT YOU TO ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY AND RETURN TO ME."

"Show yourself!" Sam snapped.

"VERY WELL," the voice replied.

A green mist filled the room and as it cleared Sam found himself face to face with the Green Ranger.

The Rangers were having a tough time dealing with Freeze Frame. The giant sized monster had survived the Zords' strongest attacks and was still standing. The new Flashgun in his hand had paralyzed the Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel, leaving only the Super Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord.to fight.

"It's times like this I miss Pyramidas," Jason noted from the Super Zeo Megazord's cockpit. He had taken over from Tommy while the team leader piloted his own Zord.

The monster aimed his lens at the two disabled Zords, pulling them inside and producing two black and white copies. As the monster stepped back the copies attacked, taking the Rangers by surprise.

"What are you?" Sam asked. "Are you my darkside?"

"No," the Green Ranger replied. "You have never denied your darkside and by accepting it you have destroyed it. I am the part of you that you are not willing to accept, the part you must accept. It is your destiny."

"You're the Green Ranger," Sam realised, finally understanding.

He had been denying his power for so long it had finally decided to beg for release. He knew the power would not corrupt him, but it would mean getting involved again.

"No," the voice replied. "You have never denied your powers. You have refused to use them because you have denied me. You used your power when you needed to and didn't when the Rangers could handle it. You have become responsible since the day you were created, but you still deny me."

Sam was really confused. The Green Ranger was not part of his darkside, nor was it the spirit of is coin. It said he had denied him, but he had no idea who it was. Finally the frustration was too great, he turned to where the Green Ranger stood and moved towards the image.

"Who are you?"

In response the Green Ranger lifted his hands to the side of his neck and undid the clasped holding his helmet in place. Carefully he removed the helmet and placed it under his arm. Looking Sam straight in the eye and smiled. "Hello Bro,"

Sam was shocked. He had expected a lot of faces to be under the mask but the one he was faces with was his own. Not the face he had created through magic to trick those he was hiding from. This was the face of Thomas Tyler Oliver, Clone of the Green Ranger.

"Now do you understand?" Thomas asked. "I am you and represent everything you have tried to deny for two hundred years."

Thomas saw the look of horror in Sam's face and understood. The original Tommy had managed to survive his ordeal as the Green Ranger by pushing himself into the role of leader. Whenever Tommy lost his powers the doubts and fears he had experienced would resurface with a vengence.

The clone was different; he had accepted his darkside and thus conquered it. What he had not been able to deal with was the fact he was a clone. Everything he believed was based on the values taught to him at a young age by Tommy's parents. He had nothing of his own. His powers, face, friends and even life belonged to Tommy.

"You are wrong," Thomas told him. "You are unique. You have experienced things Tommy will never experience. You have made friends Tommy will never know. You have conquered the most difficult horrors to face; your own fears. You don't need to be Tommy, but you cannot deny the part of you that is Tommy. Accept me and become whole."

Seeing Sam was on the verge of making a decision Thomas made one final plea. "You are Sam. Part of you is Tommy, part of you is the clone, but until you accept both parts you can never be whole."

Sam nodded slowly. The whole reason he had rejected the powers was because people related them to Tommy. Now he knew it didn't matter. It was time to be whole.

Reaching out Sam touched the image of Thomas on the shoulder. In a blur of light the image merged with him and for the first time ever he felt real.

The copy of the Zeo Megazord threw the Warrior Wheel into the Red Battlezord for the third time, causing the Battlezord to crash to the ground in a shower of sparks. The Super Zeo Megazord found itself on the receiving end of a blast from the copy Megazord's cannon.

Jason had even tried calling forth Auric the Conqueror in the hope the mystical warrior could help them. Auric had fought well for a short time, but facing two foes had soon caused him to retreat back into his Tiki.

Freeze Frame recalled the copy Zords back into himself, deciding to finish the Rangers personally. Summoning a sword he stood over the fallen Zords and prepared to finish the job he had started only half and hour before.

Sam teleported to the Angel Grove docks and held his hand out towards the spot where the Dragonzord lay sleeping. "Time to wake up old friend."

In his hand appeared the fully charged morpher of the Green Ranger. Sam looked at it for a moment and then teleported to the bus where he had last seen the monster. As he arrived he saw the Rangers' Megazords being hit by two other Zords. The monster had called his copy Zords and dumped the captured Zords on the ground.

Sam watched as Freeze Frame drew a sword and moved in to finish the job. Without a second though Sam pulled out his morpher, no longer worried who knew his identity. "Dragonzord!"

As his green armour finished forming Sam had already drawn his sword. Pointing it at the sky he concentrated on the sleeping Zord deep beneath the sea. A connection formed between sam and the mighty machine, the power telling him how to call the Zord.

"I need Dinozord power, now!"

In his mind Sam could hear the sound of the Dragon Flute, summoning his old companion to the fight. As the Zord drew near he leapt into the cockpit, taking control.

"Warrior Wheel is offline, Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord will take time to restore and the Super Zeo Megazord is out of power," Tanya reported.

"How about forming the Zeo MegaBattleZord or just separating for individual attacks?" Jason asked.

"No good," Adam replied. "We haven't got enough power. I doubt we could even summon Cannon Power and aim the helmet."

"Defender Wheel is operational," Kat told them. "But unless we can get upright it's trapped inside the Phoenix."

A familiar sound filled the air causing Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Adam to look towards the sky. "Did you hear that?" Adam asked.

"It sounded like..." Jason began.

"It can't be..." Rocky said, wishing it were possible.

"Look!" Tanya called.

"Is that?" Kat asked, looking at Tommy.

"Dragonzord," Tommy said as he watched his first Zord make its way towards them.

Freeze Frame stood over the Red Battlezord, his sword pointed towards the cockpit. One simple thrust and the Red Ranger and his Zord would be history. He listened briefly to the Rangers trying to find a way to fight back. He laughed as he heard one of the Rangers find a solution and in the same breath realise it was impossible. Lifting his sword a bit higher he prepared to thrust.

Then he heard the sound all monsters were able to recognised. It was a call for help, a shout of warning and a greeting to friends. It was the sound of the Dragon Flute. For a moment Freeze Frame shrugged off the fear he had felt. A moment later it was back as he heard the Dragonzord roar, and watched as the Green Ranger jumped into his Zord.

Minion's sharp senses detected the arrival of a new enemy. Rita and Zedd had overlooked the fact that Minion could not use the Repulsor Scope and he could not produce an eye beam like Zedd to watch the events on Earth. Luckily Minion was a genius, and soon managed to reprogram the Earth's satellites to send pictures back to him.

As expected he saw the Dragonzord active again and about to attack Zedd's latest monster. _Let them destroy him,_ Minion thought. _He's served his purpose._

He turned towards Finster's lab and walked in just in time to hear the monster maker muttering to himself. He stopped to listened, he had learnt from meeting Finster in the Dark Dimension that he could find out how the monster maker was getting on by listening to him talk to himself.

"...and just a bit more padding here and you're done."

"How's the work going Finster?" Minion asked as he walked into the workshop.

"Five down, one to go," Finster replied. "I thought this might do as the alternate form for the sixth one."

"Perfect," Minion said as he looked the monster over. "Finish his normal form and bring them to the throne room. We'll send them tomorrow."

"As you wish," Finster said as Minion left.

It had taken him a while to reaquaint himself with the Zord. Just as his uniform had changed so had the Dragonzord. Its tail drill had been modified, so in addition to the normal spinning attack, two blades could extend to provide an extra edge. Sam looked at the controls and noticed three new controls along with an empty slot where the control stick used to be.

The power told him to insert his sword into the slot. As he did so the Zord came alive and moved towards the threat.

"Fire!" Sam commanded.

The arm rockets fired, striking the monster and causing it to fly back away from the Rangers. He waited until the monster stood again and the used the new tail blade to smash him across the face before using the drill to smash the lens.

Freeze Frame retaliated, striking the Dragonzord's chest with his sword. Sam pushed the first button on his control board. The arms of the Dragonzord extended outward, hitting Freeze Frame in the chest. The head and neck changed position as the Zord's body dropped forward so it was standing on four legs. The Dragonzord's mouth opened, releasing a fireball at the monster.

Freeze Frame screamed in pain as the fire started to burn him. He turned back towards his attacker and froze.

Sam pressed the second button on his control panel and pulled the control stick back. The Dragonzord reverted to biped form. The Zord's tail inserted into the ground lifting it into the air. The arms and legs were pulled into the body as they had when forming the Battle Dragonzord.

From nearby the lumbering form of Tor, the Shuttle Zord moved into view and converted to stand upright. The top split from the bottom, which had transformed into a pair of legs. With the Dragonzord dropping into place on top of the legs to form the body and head, the top part of Tor split in half from top to bottom, both halves transforming and connecting to the body as arms. Finally the Dragonzord's tail transformed to form the lance the Rangers had once used as part of the old Battle Dragonzord combination.

"Turtle Battle Dragonzord, online!" Sam called as the machine powered up.

With a final effort Freeze Frame gave a howl and charged the giant Zord. Lightning struck the lance, feeding power into it. The Zord lifted the lance into the air and drove the point into the charging monster.

As the Rangers watched Freeze Frame exploded, simultaneously restoring the bus and its passengers to their previous state. As the students woke up they noticed the four Megazords lying on the floor with the Turtle Battle Dragonzord standing over them. Knowing this was bad for public relations, Sam used his Zord to help the Red Battlezord and Super Zeo Megazord back to their feet, at the same time recharging the remaining Zords with enough energy to teleport back to their holding bay.

Satisfied that the job was finished Sam pulled the sword from the control board, sending his Zords back to their hiding places. He then demorphed and sneaked back to the other students, noticing Tommy and company emerge from the bus where apparently they had been frozen.

"Alright people," Mr Caplan said, taking a final look at the wreaked monster in front of them and thankful the Power Rangers had been there to help. "It's time we were back in Angel Grove. The trip will have to wait."

Later in the Power Chamber,

With Alpha's help Adam and the others had finaly managed to restore the Zords to fighting condition. The Warrior Wheel would be offline for some time, but the main discussion had been about the Green Ranger.

"Do you have any idea who he is?" Tommy asked Zordon when Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya had left.

"I am not sure Tommy," Zordon replied. "I think we can assume he is on our side since the power has accepted him."

Listening to the conversation Jason remembered something he had meant to ask earlier, "Zordon, why did my uniform change?"

"There are three reasons why this had happened," Zordon told him. "Firstly the Gold Ranger Powers were designed for Trey, you were never their true owner so they kept the form Trey had selected. The power you are using now is based partly on your connection to Trey's power and partly your link to the Morphin Grid. Therefore the power allowed you to choose a form you were comfortable with."

"Secondly, your powers are weaker and providing the full Gold Ranger suit would drain them faster. The Power Sword will help you to make up for the lack of defence with a more effective offense."

"Finally, when I gave you the power boost to allow you to tap the power, part of my subconscious helped decide the uniform. I always thought red suited you better than black."

"Oh," Jason said as he teleported out of the Power Chamber with Tommy.

Once he was sure they were alone Zordon turned his attention to Alpha. "Have you managed to locate the abnormality I detected?"

"No Zordon, I cannot find any readings on the Moon," Alpha replied. "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Rita and Zedd have gone!"

Zordon double checked Alpha's findings and discovered he was correct. He checked the Machine Empire and found they had also vanished. _Perhaps Earth is safe again,_ he thought. He doubted this was the case, but it never hurt to hope.

He silently watched as his Rangers went on with their lives, happy they had survived another fight. "Alpha, if you need me I shall be in my chamber," he said as he teleported away.

Alpha continued to work as the Power Chamber went dark, the little machine happy the Rangers were safe and away from the fighting.