Hope For the World
Chapter Thirty-Six : "Evil Arrival"
by WhiteZeo

"What about basketball?" Kerry Taylor asked, bouncing a basketball from hand to hand.

"Nahhhhhhh," Justin Stewart replied, "What day is it?" he inquired, taking his girlfriend's, Liyah Hillard, hand.

Sheryl Stewart turned around to face her twin. "It's not Wednesday, that's all I know," Sheryl answered, "I don't have any chores today."

Camellia Kaze set her hands on Justin's shoulders. "We don't have Karate classes at the Youth Center today," Camellia paused, "It's a Saturday."

"Sure doesn't feel like it," Ryan Park moaned, as he store at the sky while walking.

"Yeah, that's because we have time to kill and there's nothing to do with it," Liyah brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face, "Unless we go to the Youth Center and just kill time there, until it's time for us to go crash at Tamara's for dinner like we said we were gonna do tonight," she suggested, being the unofficial leader of the group.

"Sure, Liyah," Tamara Oliver smirked, "Remember, our brothers and sisters hang out there. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I certainly don't wanna count seeing Tommy as the highlight of my day."

"She's gotta point," Kerry agreed.

Liyah shrugged, as Ryan walked right into a light post. "OWWWWW!"

Tamara, Justin, Liyah, Kerry, Sheryl, and Camellia laughed, while Ryan rubbed his nose. "Not funny!" he cried, pouting.

Camellia slung her arm over his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone, Ryan. We'll just have put up in big lights, 'Ryan Park ran into a pole stupidly!'"

Everyone else burst into more laughter, as Ryan slapped Camellia in the arm.

"Welcome to the Angel Grove sparring competition! Starring Tommy Oliver, Jason Lee Scott, Adam Park, Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, and Rocky De Santos," Rocky pretended to be one of those cheesy sports commentators with an EXTREMELY dorky voice.

"Shut up and spar!" Shannon Kassandra Kaze shouted, sitting on the bleachers in the Youth Center.

The gang of twelve happened to have the Youth Center to themselves that Saturday morning and the guys decided to have a make-believe sparring competition, as the six girls watched from the bleachers.

"Fine, then," Rocky took off from the sidelines and started to spar with Zack, one-on-one.

Kimberly Anne Hart watched as her boyfriend, Jason, was brought to the ground easily by Billy. "I can't believe their doing this," she laughed to Aisha Campbell, who was sitting next to her.

"Well, believe it, cause they're doin' it," Aisha replied, as Rocky took Zack to the ground.

"I've never seen them so, so, so," Katherine Hillard {Kat} stuttered to find the word, "...........careless!"

"The last time I saw Tommy this careless was when.................," Shannon trailed off, "Well, what I mean is that they're so carefree because we don't have worry about that evil witch, Zesta!"

"It's great, isn't it? No worries in the world at all anymore," Trini Kwan exclaimed, as Adam took Billy down to the mat.

"It IS great," Tanya Sloan answered, "I love not having to worry about whether Zesta's gonna attack or not."

Kimberly nodded her head in agreement, as Tommy and Adam began to spar. "There's a sense of freedom that comes with it, ya know? And I'm just beginning to get used to it."

Shannon shook her head and laughed. "You guys are the lucky ones. I haven't had a single shred of freedom ever since Tommy found out the baby was his. It's always, don't do that, do that, but don't do that, and yada yada yada, and all that crap. And I'm going in my mind, 'Yes, Oliver. You're driving me crazy, Olive Oil. Whatever you say, dear. Yes I know that, Oliver. You can shut up now, Oliver'," Shannon paused, as the other five girls burst out laughing, "He's sweet, but he can drive ya insane sometimes!"

"I tell ya," Aisha lowered her voice, "Tommy is the perfect man. He's everything you look for. Sweet, caring, stands by your side through hell. Girl, I'll trade you any day!"

"Yeah, Shannon," Kat agreed, her voice hushed, "If I were in your shoes I wouldn't be complaining. I have to put up with Rocky! I mean, ROCKY!"

"Well, girls," Shannon whispered, "I know I've done something none of ya have done before," the White Zeo Ranger pointed at each and every one of her friends, "I've given birth. And let me be the first to tell ya, it ain't no Sunday walk in the park..............But I do love the extra attention. "

Tanya chuckled, while from the corner of her eye she saw Adam fall to the blue mats. "Well, of course you love the attention, Shannon," the girl paused, "That's reminds me, when are you and Tommy gonna tie the knot, huh?"

Shannon smiled. "It's only been five months since he proposed. But we were talking about it and we're probably gonna do it in the summer, after we graduate and all," Shannon patted her stomach, which wasn't very large, but larger than it usually was, "Though, I'm gonna be a potbelly pig by the time summer rolls around."

"Still," Kimberly teased, "You'll be a beautiful potbelly pig!"

Shannon playfully slapped Kimberly in the arm. "But, seriously, do you ever wonder if Auora or Divatox will come back to avenge Zesta's death?" Kimberly wondered, "They'd put a serious cramp in our 'peaceful' plans."

"I don't wonder, Kim. I know they're gonna come back. It's very obvious," Shannon remarked, as she turned away from Tommy and Rocky's sparring, "Divatox, Auora, and Zesta were extremely close."

Just as Rocky took Tommy to the mat with a simple spin kick, the rangers communicators went off.

Adam, Jason, Billy, Rocky, Zack, and Tommy walked over to the girls on the bleachers and Tommy activated his communicator. "What's up, Zordon?"

Zordon of Eltar's voice rang from the device, "Rangers, our sensors have picked up a strange ship heading towards Earth. Please, come to the Power Chamber immediately."

"We're on our way. Tommy out."

Trini, Aisha, Kimberly, Kat, Shannon, and Tanya climbed down from the bleachers. "How come you fell on a simple move?" Shannon asked her fiancé.

Tommy turned towards her. "I was somewhere else," was all he said, as the twelve teleported away in a rainbow of lights.

Twelve lights set down in the Power Chamber and materialized into the twelve teenagers. "Is it Divatox, Zordon?" Billy questioned, praying in the back of his mind that it wasn't.

Zordon nodded his head sorryly. "Yes, I'm afraid it is, Billy. Rangers, please view the Viewing Globe."

Everyone looked to the Viewing Globe and saw a map of the of the galaxy, a red light blinking near Jupiter and moving at a fast rate towards Earth. "Rangers, the red light is Divatox's subcraft, which is moving at top speed to make it to Earth," Alpha Five informed them.

"Well, we've gotta stop her," Shannon mumbled, leaning on the communications console, "with the Mini Zeo Zords."

Rocky gasped. "You've gotta be kidding, Shannon?"

"No, I'm not. The Mini Zords are capable of space travel and are easier to maneuver because their small and not bulky like the Super Zeo Zords. Plus, they pack a big punch even though they're so small."

"And what are we supposed to do? I mean we're not just gonna sit here and wait," Jason explained, looking at the White Zeo Ranger.

Before she could answer, a woman suddenly appeared on the Viewing Globe. "Hello, Artemis. Long time, no see."

Shannon's face hardened. *The purple hair. The funky golden mask. The icy and mocking voice. It's obvious.* "Hello, Divatox........"

"You remembered!" Divatox, Evil Harlot Of Eltar, cried gleefully, then her voice became cold, "As much you remember killing your own mother, huh?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"Revenge."

"Go to hell, slut."

A smile creeped onto Divatox's face. "Mother, will not be happy to know that you are disrespecting me so," she mocked.

Suddenly, the guardian turned pale. "Scorpio's there? Where is she? What does she want?" Shannon asked, her voice trembling in fear; but Divatox didn't answer.

"DAMN YOU, DIVATOX! ANSWER ME!" Shannon screamed, lashing out suddenly, "WHERE IS SCORPIO, YOU BITCH?!?!"

Tommy gazed over at the woman who was pregnant with his child. "Calm down, Shannon," he tried to approach her, but he was pushed away by Shannon's rage.

"Yes, calm Artemis down, Tommy," Divatox swept a stray hair out of her face and pointed her finger, "Mother will be very upset when she hears of this, Artemis. And when she does hear of it, you will be hers," with that the transmission was cut.

The White Zeo Ranger turned to the eleven rangers, her sky blue eyes wide open with fear. "Let's go......................................."

"Bravo, bravo, bravo," Auora, Evil Warrior Of Eltar, applauded her sister, Divatox.

Divatox took a small bow. "Thank you, thank you. That little bitch ass took the lie, hook, line, and sinker. She practically freaked out when I mentioned Mother."

"Well, that's what we were going for. Plus, her being pregnant helped just as much to get her to freak," Auora remarked, as Divatox headed towards the periscope, "Now, if my plan goes according, we should be attacked by Artemis and the Zeo Rangers in the next fifteen..........."

Divatox cut her sister off with a yelp, "WHOO!"

The green-haired beauty stood up and asked, "What the hell was that for, Diva?"

Divatox removed her eyes from the periscope and replied, "I was just looking into the periscope and it was focused on Angel Grove Park. And in the picture were these seven little brats..........."

"Your point?"

"These seven little brats look just like the Turbo Rangers," Divatox spit out.

"WHAT?!?!" Auora yelled, grabbing the periscope, "Lemme see."

Auora looked into the periscope and saw exactly what Divatox had described. "Send Elgar to the park," Auora lifted her head up from the periscope, "We're just in range for teleportation. Those little twirps died once at our mercy and they will die again......................"

Before Shannon could make another move, Zordon immediately protested, "You are in no condition to go after Divatox. You should be resting, not pushing your stamina to the limit."

"I'm with Zordon, Sweetcheeks. After what happened with Zesta, I don't think you should be coming with us," Tommy agreed with Zordon's words, "You shouldn't even be here."

Shannon's fear melted away quickly and revealed an angered ranger. "Who made you two gods! I own my body! I HAVE to go after Divatox, no matter the costs," Shannon screamed, crying as she did.

Tommy tried to approach Shannon again, but she managed to keep him away from herself. "Come on, Sweetcheeks," Tommy tried to calm Shannon down once again, reaching out for her as he did, "It's just the moodswings. Come on. Let's go home."

"I can't, Tommy. I love you, but I just can't," she spoke in a hushed voice, tears still falling from her eyes.

With her whispered words, the brunette immediately hit a button on the teleportation console and was whooshed away in a flash of white. "Shannon, no!" Tommy tried to stop her, but was too late.

The eleven rangers watched the Viewing Globe as the White Zeo Mini Zord flew into the sunlit sky, Shannon piloting the zord.

Tamara, Justin, Sheryl, Liyah, Ryan, Kerry, and Camellia were sitting under a huge tree in the park, talking. "This is the lamest weekend ever," Ryan complained.

"Well, for you, yeah," Camellia grinned, "You practically broke your nose."

The other five laughed as Ryan stuck his tongue out. "Ha, ha."

"That wasn't funny," a voice crept up on the seven.

All of them snapped around to see a pointed head mutant behind them and an army of humanoid fish backing him up. "Who the hell are you?" Liyah dropped into a battle stance instinctively.

"I'm Elgar. Your worst nightmare," Elgar snapped, then commanded the fish, "Get them, piranhatrons!"

"RUN!" Sheryl screamed, as the seven took off running, the piranhatrons following them.

"This is crazy! What do they want with us?!?!" Tamara shouted, as she looked behind herself.

*Maybe they want us because we are all connected to the rangers, in one way or another* Camellia told herself, continuing to run.

"Stop," Liyah suddenly ordered her friends, as she stopped in her tracks and boldly faced the piranhatrons that were closing in.

"Are you crazy?!?!" Ryan cried, stopping for a moment.

Liyah store him in the eyes. "Just stop. I've got this got feeling," Ryan still looked wary, "Have done anything stupid before?"

Knowing she had never been wrong before, the six took their chances and stood with her.

Instinct kicking in, the feeling took over her and Liyah shouted, "Shift into turbo!"

Starting a trigger reaction, all of her friends reacted to the unfamiliar, yet familiar call. "Mountain Blaster, Turbo Power!" Justin shouted, a blast of blue light engulfing him and then revealing him in a blue spandex suit, just like the rangers', but his uniform was very reminiscent of a car.

"Desert Thunder, Turbo Power!" Ryan shouted and an bright green light came over him, leaving him in a spandex suit just like Justin's, except he was donning green.

"Dune Star, Turbo Power!" Camellia shouted as a yellow light flashed over her body and she was in a yellow version of the other two boys' uniforms, hers rigged with a skirt.

"Wind Chaser, Turbo Power!" Kerry shouted, a pink light flashing around her, leaving her dressed in a pink version of Camellia's suit.

"Red Lighting, Turbo Power!" Liyah shouted, as a red light covered her body and revealed her in a red uniform with a skirt.

"White Blazer, Turbo Power!" Sheryl shouted and the white light surrounded her, immediately donning her in a white uniform with a skirt.

"Black Bolt, Turbo Power!" Tamara shouted, as a black light shrouded her in darkness and faded away to reveal her in a black version of all the other girls' suits.

The seven young teens struck a pose and cried, "POWER RANGERS TURBO!"

"Set an intercept course for Divatox's subcraft," Shannon commanded her zord, as she checked her weapons systems.

"Setting intercept course with subcraft," the zord's computer responded in its, somewhat, feminine voice, "Time till interception, eleven minutes and seventeen seconds."

"Good. That gives me sometime to program the weapons system," Shannon began manually programming the system.

Just after she began to program the computer, a small red light started to flash on the computer panel in front of her, accompanied by a buzzing sound. "Computer, who's trying call me?" the girl asked the computer, annoyed and pissed off.

"The rangers are trying to contact you from the Power Chamber."

"Tell them to go to hell."

"I am not programmed to respond to communications."

Shannon growled under her breath. "Computers........."

Standing up from her chair, she lingered over to the communications panel and pressed a silver button. Speaking into the speaker, she spat, "Go to hell, Tommy. I'm not comin' back."

"Ya gotta, Shannon. You can't do this alone. You could DIE!" Tommy's voice rang throughout the Mini zord, the trembling of his lips evident in his voice.

"That's a price I'm willin' to pay," Shannon yapped, "You're welcome to come stop me. But it'll probably be too late."

There was a silence over the speaker for a moment, before Tommy responded, "Then we'll take your offer, Sweetcheeks. I'm not about to let you risk your life and the life of our child to suffice some evil force."

The connection was severed and the zord's computer spoke up, "The rest of the Zeo Mini zords are on a direct intercept course with us."

"How much longer until we intercept the subcraft?"

"Eight minutes and fifty-one seconds."

"They'll be too late to stop me........................"

"I shoulda never let her go," Tommy muttered, as he piloted his Mini Zeo Zord, "Once she has an idea her mind never wanders far from it!"

The communication systems open between the five Mini Zords; Kat heard everything Tommy said in her zord and reassured over the speaker, "It wasn't you fault, Tommy. I mean, you didn't know she was gonna try something like this. Probably by the time we catch up with her, Shannon will have come to her senses and she'll be waiting for us."

"Yeah, Tommy," Rocky joined the conversation, "Who knew Shannon would hop into a zord, set a collision course with Divatox's subcraft, and try to kill herself?"

Tommy shook his head at the remark, as if was some nonsense. "That really makes me feel better, Rocko."

"Sorry," the Blue Ranger apologized.

"Look," Tommy told, "I appreciate all of your support, even though some of it was stupid support, but I think I really need to be to myself for awhile. Our ETA is ten minutes and eleven seconds. I'll talk to ya guys later," with that, Tommy turned off his communication system and slumped into his seat.

Staring out the glass window in front of him, all he saw were stars, yet they still reminded him of Shannon somehow.

Closing his eyes, Tommy looked back on the night the two of them spent at the Lady Of The Sun temple, after receiving their Zeo Powers.

{FLASHBACK}
After dinner the sprits went off to do their 'stuff' and Kat, Rocky, Tanya, and Adam went exploring, while Shannon was doing something, and Tommy sat at the foot of the temple, looking up at the stars.

*So many things, so little time.* Tommy thought to himself.

A white blob sat next to him and he recognized the blob as Shannon. She leaned on him and put her head on his shoulder. "What'd you looking at?" she asked.

"Nothing really, just thinking," he replied.

Shannon shivered and Tommy brought her closer to himself. "Thinking about us. Caroline. The rangers." Tommy spilled to his fiancé.

"What about us?" Shannon wondered, looking up at Tommy's face.

"How we've known each other for so many years and never thought we'd be defending the Earth from evil space aliens.......And that you half alien yourself," Tommy joked.

"Hey!" Shannon playfully hit his chest.

"Sorry!" Tommy apologized, "But really, if we went to a fortune teller when we were ten, which we shoulda done, and she told us our futures held this, woulda ya believe it?"

"Nah........." Shannon agreed, sleepily.

Suddenly their communicators went off. "Y'ello." Tommy answered.

"Time to go to bed, Honeymooners," a familiar voice told them over the communicator.

As Tommy listened, he realized who it was after he heard laughing in the background. "Go to bed, Rocky!" he shouted into the communicator and turned it off.

Tommy looked at his half asleep fiancé. "Come on. Rocky's right. We'd better go to bed if we want to get to the dungeon early."

He got no response.

"Sweetcheeks?"

Tommy looked down at her and she was asleep. He picked her up and carried her back to the temple.
{END OF FLASHBACK}

"Will we ever get that honeymoon, Sweetcheeks?" Tommy asked no one in particular.

Even as he asked the question, somehow he knew they wouldn't get that honeymoon, ever.

Jason paced across the Power Chamber floor, anxiously awaiting news from any of the Zeo Rangers.

"Jason. Man," Zack told the Flame Ranger, as he held onto the console next to him for support, "you're makin' me dizzy!"

Jason stopped pacing for a moment and answered, worriedly, "Sorry, Zack. I can't stop moving, I'm too worried!"

Suddenly the alarms went off in the chamber and Billy asked, "What's going on?"

Before Zordon could answer, an image of the Turbo Rangers fighting Elgar and the piranhatrons appeared and Aisha gasped, "Woah, who are they?"

"The mutant fish are Divatox's henchmen, Piranhatrons. The mutant fighting along side them is Elgar, Auora's son. The others fighting against them, are unfamiliar to me," Zordon answered, as the Red Turbo Ranger took a piranhatron to the ground, "But, these, rangers so to speak, look as if they're in trouble. I think you should go help them, Rangers."

"What about Shannon?" Kimberly questioned, the worry in her voice as tangible as Jason's had been.

Alpha placed a mechanical hand on Kimberly's shoulder. "Don't worry, Kimberly. As soon as we get news from Tommy and the others we will alert you."

"Okay," Kimberly reluctantly agreed.

"Alright. It's morphin' time!" Jason called, as all of the Elements' flicked their wrists to reveal their crystalizers.

"Element Ranger, Flame!" Jason shouted.

"Element Ranger, Wave!" Aisha shouted.

"Element Ranger, Wind!" Trini shouted.

"Element Ranger, Nature!" Zack shouted.

"Element Ranger, Light!" Billy shouted.

"Element Ranger, Sound!" Kimberly shouted.

The Element Rangers morphed and teleported to the park.

"She's coming!" Auora cried, her eyes glued in the view finder watching Shannon's Mini Zeo Zord approach.

Divatox let out a yelp of glee and excitedly ordered a piranhatron, "Open a communication channel with the zord! We're gonna kill the guardian of the Zeo Crystals!"

As Shannon's zord rapidly approached the subcraft, she watched the ship come into clear view through the windshield in front of her. "Finally," she mumbled under her breath, even though she had no reason to.

Suddenly, Shannon could hear Auora's mocking voice through the communication speaker. "Artemis! Glad you could make it? How's life?"

"Shut up, you bitch," the White Ranger spat, "I don't need to take your crap. I've just come her to kill you, and that's it. No little chit chats, no heart to heart talks. Now prepare for death," Shannon coldly spoke her voice taking a deep, bitter tone.

"I think you should be preparing," Divatox snarled in the background.

Ignoring Divatox's remark, Shannon turned to the weapons console and began to power up her lasers. Just as she was almost finished doing that, another transmission, this time from Tommy, patched through the speaker, totally ruining her concentration. "Shannon, please stop! I'm begging you!"

"I have to do this, Tommy. I'm sorry if I have hurt you. Good-bye," Shannon cut her communication with Tommy short and began to power up her lasers again.

Not paying any attention to the subcraft, the guardian didn't notice two missiles being launched directly at her.

"Good-bye, Artemis. Hope your feel at home in hell," Auora's words came over the speaker, before the missiles collided with the front of the Panda Mini Zeo Zord, instantly killing the magical protector of the Zeo Crystals, Shannon Kassandra Kaze.

"God, please say we're not too late," Tommy prayed, as him, Kat, Rocky, Tanya, and Adam raced towards the subcraft in their zords, where Shannon had stopped.

As the five approached the subcraft, the evidence of destruction was clear as the remains of a zord were floating in the space around them and the subcraft. "Adam," Tommy's voice cracked, as he watched a chunk of white metal float by his zord, "Adam, scan the debris. Tell me what was it."

Tommy worriedly waited, when he heard Adam's shaky voice on the speaker, "Tom, Tommy, they're the remains of..............." he hesitated, but then stated, "They're the remains of Shannon's zord."

Tommy began to breathe heavily suddenly, as if there was no air in his zord. "Oh god, oh god, oh god," the leader shook his head, tears cascading from his eyes.

"Tommy, are you okay?" Tanya asked, being very concerned for the welfare of her leader, knowing that the Zeo Guardian's death would have a very emotional effect on him.

While catching his breath, he answered in three simple words, "I'm not okay," then Red Ranger began to give out orders, "Rocky, I want you make contact with the subcraft somehow and spit some nasty words at Divatox and Auora, cuss as much as you need. I know you'll do a good job. Kat, make contact with Zordon and the Power Chamber. Tell'em the news. Tanya, Adam, check up on me every five minutes and if don't respond to you, you have my permission to teleport into my zord. Now, let's get out of here," Tommy looked one last time at the debris, "This is not a scene I want to savor."

Silence plaguing the five Zeo Rangers, they headed back towards Earth, all mourning the death of their beloved guardian, Tommy the most.

Following the orders of her leader, in her zord, Kat made contact with the Power Chamber. "Hello? Zordon?" she questioned over the speaker.

"Katherine? What has happened?" Kat recognized Zordon's concerned voice.

Taking a deep breath, Kat began to tell Zordon what had happened. "Well, Zordon, we caught up with Shannon.................But we were too late. Divatox and Auora had already destroyed her by the time we arrived onto the battle scene to try and stop her."

"Iyaiyaiyaiyaiyaiyaiyaiyai!" Kat heard Alpha cry as sadly as he could.

As a silence descended from the speaker for a minute, Kat looked out the window in front of her and began to cry silently. *Who knows how many times you've saved our butts from Zesta, Shannon. I'm sorry we could return the favor......................*

Also following Tommy's orders, Rocky had made contact with the subcraft and was just starting to curse up a storm.

"You mother fucking bitches! You can't even kill with the least bit of decency!" Rocky growled, steaming hot tears streaming down his face.

"We don't kill with..........." just as Auora tried to edge a word in, Rocky began to curse again.

"DON'T GIVE EXCUSES, YOU ASSHOLES! US RANGERS STICK TOGETHER AND WHEN ONE GOES DOWN, THE OTHERS COME A CHARGIN'! SO DON'T EXPECT US TO BACK DOWN SO EASILY, FUCKERS!"

As Rocky swept his tears from his face, he swore he could hear Divatox laughing on the other end. "Such words coming from a prominent ranger. I always thought Zordon choose little goody-goodies to be Power Rangers," Divatox mocked over the small speaker.

"Guess not," Auora agreed.

"Go to hell and come back with the devil's horns shoved up your asses. Maybe that'll straighten you pieces of shit out," Rocky spat, then added, "And Zordon may not choose goody-goodies as rangers, but he chooses people better than that. He chooses people with a heart and a soul. That's all you need to be a ranger."

Slamming his hand down on the silver button, the Blue Zeo Ranger severed the communication line with the subcraft and leaned back into his chair.

As he watched the stars go by, Rocky began to cry again, remembering the good times and the bad times he had with Shannon. *Why did you have to die, Shannon? Why?*

"KIA!" Sheryl spin kicked a piranhatron into a near by tree.

"Were totally outnumbered. Ya think we could use some help?" the White Turbo Ranger asked Liyah as they fought back to back.

Liyah pulled her autoblaster from it's holster and shot a piranhatron square in the chest. "No shit, Sherlock," she sarcastically replied, "If only the other Power Rangers were here, it'd help a whole bunch!"

As if on cue, a rainbow of lights set down near the fight revealing the Element Rangers, ready to kick major evil ass.

Jumping into the battle, Aisha ended up fighting along side Justin, each not knowing who the other was. "What's goin' here?" Aisha asked him, 'washing' a piranhatron away with her water essence.

"What's it look like?" Justin responded, jumping away from a kick from a piranhatron, "The prostitute sent down her workers."

"Prostitute?" Aisha asked curiously, not surprised that he said it because to her, Justin looked like a normal ranger; his height had been heightened a few inches during the morphing process.

Punching a piranhatron, he replied, "Divatox."

"Oh."

"Turbo Rangers! Time to bring out the artillery!" Justin heard Liyah yell across the sea of rangers and piranhatrons.

"Enjoy!" he told Aisha, as he made his way over to the other six rangers.

"Turbo R.A.M!" Liyah called.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a small go-cart built of weapons sped towards the Turbos. Approaching it, the Turbo Rangers grabbed their Turbo weapons off of it. "Turbo Wind Fire!" Kerry shouted, targeting a piranhatron with her pink bow.

"Turbo Star Chargers!" Camellia shouted, the two blade weapons held defensively in her gloved hands.

"Turbo Hand Blasters!" Justin shouted, positioning the two guns at two near by piranhatrons.

"Turbo Thunder Cannon!" Ryan shouted, targeting Elgar's huge head.

"Turbo Lighting Sword!" Liyah shouted, expertly handling the powerful sword.

"Turbo Blazer Lance!" Sheryl shouted, gripping it like a javelin.

"Turbo Bolt Staff!" Tamara shouted, pointing her staff at a group of piranhatrons.

Automatically, as Liyah had predicted, the piranhatrons and Elgar disappeared, feeling outnumbered by the large weapons.

The Elements jogged over to the Turbo Rangers, and Trini asked, "Who are you?"

"Just call us friends," Tamara replied.

Before Zack could ask another question, the Turbo Rangers crossed their arms across their chests and teleported away. "Your welcome!" Zack hollered at the streaks of light.

"Talk about weird," Aisha scoffed, "We'd better get back to the Power Chamber. The guys might be back already."

"I hope," Billy mumbled, just as their communicators went off.

Checking the area for citizens quickly, Jason removed his helmet and answered the page. "Zordon? What's up?"

"Rangers, I have," Zordon's voice cracked slightly, "I have dire news. Katherine has just informed us from her zord that Divatox and Auora," there was a period of silence as the Element Rangers took off their helmets and gathered around their leader, hoping for the best, "Divatox and Auora have destroyed Artemis."

Shock overwhelmed the six teenagers faces, as Zordon continued speaking, "I am truly sorry, Rangers. We all know that Artemis did not deserve this. Please come to the Power Chamber. When the Zeo Rangers come back, we will all have time to mourn for our great loss."

"Right, Zordon," Jason whispered into his communicator, tears running down his cheeks.

Once silence descended upon them, Kimberly started to scream loudly, burying her face into Jason's spandex clad shoulder, crying heavily, "NOOOOO!!!!!!!! SHANNON CAN'T BE DEAD!!!!! SHE CAN'T BE!"

"Kim, please stop," Billy tried to comfort his friend, brushing his tears from his eyes, "We all can't believe it, but it's gotta be true if Zordon told us. Shannon wasn't immortal, and she was eventually gonna leave us."

Kimberly looked at Billy and remarked, "But she wasn't supposed to leave us like this!"

"Come on, Kim," Jason stared into Kimberly's watery eyes, "Think about Tommy here. What's he gotta be goin' through?"

"Oh, God," Kimberly mumbled, thinking about what her ex-boyfriend might be going through at that moment.

"Come on. Let's go," Zack suggested, "Zordon was right about being able to mourn for our losses once the guys are back."

The six teleported to the Power Chamber in a rainbow of colors.

"IDIOTS!"

The screeching scream rang from Divatox, as Elgar walked through the main chamber doors. "THEY WERE JUST CHILDREN! AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN DISPOSE OF THEM!"

"But Auntie Di, they had help........" Elgar was cut off by his own mother.

"From the Power Rangers," Auora mocked, "That's NO excuse, Elgar. You disgrace you mother," Auora whip kicked Elgar to the ground.

The, now, calm Divatox turned to her sister. "Time for our second plan?"

"Yes. For us to destroy the Turbo Rangers now, we need to free our dear brother, Maligore, from Muiranthias," Auora paused, looking at Elgar who was pulling himself up from the floor, "While we're at it, let's throw Elgar in the blige to teach him a lesson."

"NO!" Elgar cried.

"Piranhatrons," Divatox waved her hand, as they towed her nephew away, "Take him away........"

The Turbo Rangers, who had been hiding in a group of bushes near where the Element Rangers once were, stood up in shock.

"Zack, a Power Ranger?" Kerry gasped.

"Kat's a Zeo Ranger?" Liyah breathed.

"Tommy's a Power Ranger?" Tamara shook her head.

"Shannon's a Power Ranger?" Sheryl covered her mouth.

"SHANNON'S DEAD!!!!!!!" Camellia cried out in pain, crumbling to the grass ground.

Ryan was immediately by the Yellow Turbo Ranger's side. Holding her in his arms, he tried to comfort his friend, "Cam, please don't cry. Please."

Camellia looked at Ryan, with blurry eyes. "She was my sister. How am I not supposed to cry?" taking her helmet off, Camellia quickly wiped her tears and growled, "Those bitches, Divatox and Auora, killed her. And I'm gonna help Tommy and the others kill them, once I get to the Power Chamber and make sure everyone is alright."

Justin turned to Camellia surprised. "You mean to tell the six of us that you knew who the rangers were for, who knows how long, and you never told us!"

"Yeah," she mumbled, then barked back defensively, "But it's not like I could tell you. I mean, there's an oath you take when you become a ranger, ya know."

Everyone crowded around Camellia. "You were a ranger before?" Liyah inquired, her curiosity getting the best of her.

The short-haired brunette nodded. "Yup. I was an evil ranger, but it's the same thing."

Suddenly Ryan came to a realization. "You were the Death Ranger, weren't'cha Cam? I remember that from the time me, Justin, and Kerry got caught by the White Zeo Ranger hiding at the Beach Club during a fight!"

Camellia nodded her head again. "That's the REAL reason why I was gone for four months. I wasn't back in Summer Springs, visiting relatives, I was in the Netherlands with Zesta," she paused, "By the way, do you really wanna know who the rangers are? I mean, now that we've gotten our ranger 'status' back."

The six nodded their heads anxiously.

"Okay," Camellia began to list off, "you guys already know the Elements: Kim, Jason, Billy, Trini, Zack, and Aisha. Then, there's the Zeos. Kat's Pink Zeo, Tanya's Yellow Zeo, Rocky's Blue Zeo, Adam's Green Zeo," Camellia stole a glance at Ryan, who was overwhelmed with shock, "Tommy's Red Zeo, and.................," Camellia left a period of silence to honor her sister's name, "Shannon WAS the White Zeo Ranger."

"It's hard to believe we actually know the Power Rangers," Ryan shook his head.

"Tell me about it," Kerry agreed, "But then again we're rangers too, right?"

Suddenly Camellia's communicator went off. Before answering, she whispered, "Keep quiet. I don't want them to hear you."

Pressing two buttons on the side of her communicator, she spoke into it. "Cam, here."

"Cam, great. I thought you weren't wearing your communicator for a second there," Tommy's strained voice came from the device, his amount of pain evident as he spoke.

"What's up?" she asked, pretending like she knew nothing.

Listening for a response, Camellia heard someone start crying in the background. "Cam?" Adam's voice came over, replacing Tommy's.

"Yeah, Adam?"

"Sorry about that. Tommy's.............Crying over here," Adam paused, "I'm sorry I have to put this bluntly, but............Shannon's dead."

"WHAT?!?!" Camellia screamed, overdoing her fake surprise a tad bit too much.

"Yeah. Shannon's dead. Why don't you come to the Power Chamber we can explain everything that happened," Adam replied, his words shaky.

"Okay," she squeaked and cut the communication.

Turning to her friends, she told them, "Listen, I've gotta go the chamber. I'll meet up with you guys later," crossing her arms across her chest, Camellia shouted, "Turbo Down!"

As she was about to teleport, once again, she snapped around to look at the six of her friends and mumbled, "Mum's the word. We don't want the other rangers finding out who we are. Especially now."

"You don't really think we'd let everyone know about this, do you?" Sheryl queried her, "Even now that we have our memories back from our former lives."

Camellia smiled. "Never," and she teleported away in a black streak.

As Camellia materialized from the black jet of light that arrived in the Power Chamber, she was greeted by a scene that she only could imagine, before the sudden news of her sister's death.

Camellia's gaze immediately caught Tommy, the powerful leader of the Zeo Rangers. Although at that very moment he didn't look like the Tommy she knew.

Tommy cowered under the main computer console in front of Zordon's warp, bundled into a fetal position and red-eyed. Adam and Kat were kneeling in front of him, trying to coax the Red Zeo Ranger out from his 'sanctuary'.

Looking away from the site, Camellia turned around to see her sister's best friend, Kimberly, the bubbly and happy Sound Ranger. But again, that wasn't what she saw.

Kimberly had cornered herself into a corner of the wall, and was blatantly screaming as if she was in pain, then collapsed into tears, her shoulders bopping up and down. Jason, who was doing his best to comfort her, was trying to get as close as possible to Kimberly as he could, but wasn't succeeding, due to the fact that Kimberly kept pushing him away from herself.

Then, Camellia looked to the rest of the rangers. Some of them she had come to know personally, others on a ranger basis. Though, none of them seemed to be what she had always thought of them.

The six: Zack, Aisha, Rocky, Trini, Billy, and Tanya, all had grouped together near the Viewing Globe and all were evidently crying.

Rocky, who had always been known as the happy-go-lucky Zeo Ranger in Camellia's book, was actually crying the hardest out of the six. In between his sobs, Rocky would allow a heavy amount of cursing to go flying out of his mouth, and Tanya and Zack would always join in with him.

Billy, Trini, and Aisha would just nod their heads whenever Rocky did curse and when he didn't, they seemed to all be cursing mentally in their heads.

Raising her head, she looked to Zordon's warp, but saw nothing. *Zordon's even mourning.* Camellia thought as she shook her head.

Approaching Adam and Kat, she kneeled down next to Kat and asked them solemnly, "Maybe I can help you out?"

Adam glanced at Camellia with his teary eyes and remarked, "You can sure try."

The two Zeo Rangers stood up from their spots and retreated to the group of rangers near the Viewing Globe.

"Hey, Tommy," Camellia greeted, as her eyes started to water; just looking at him and seeing how much pain the ranger was in, made her want to cry.

He looked up quickly at Camellia and hid his face. "I'll take that as a 'hello'."

The Yellow Turbo Ranger crawled under the console and next to Tommy. Not knowing if he was going to listen or not, she began to talk, "Look, Tommy. I know your upset and all, but I know how you feel. She was my sister, remember? I loved her just as much as you did. We ALL loved her. In different ways, obviously, but we loved her just the same. So don't give me any crap telling me that I don't know how you feel. Okay?"

Tommy lifted his head up, revealing his reddened eyes. "Guess you're right, Cam," he smiled slightly, as tears ran down his cheeks, "Ya know what's ironic?"

"What?" Camellia inquired.

"You and Shannon are so much alike. If you were four years older, I swear I could mistake you for Shannon any day of the week."

"An I bet you'd like that?" Camellia cocked her head, remembering how her height exactly matched Shannon's when she morphed.

"I know you wouldn't be the same as her, but it'd definitely be a comfort to see a face like her beautiful one everyday of the year."

"You can't replace a person like Shannon. She was a one of a kind. She was the Princess Diana of the Power Rangers, so to speak."

"I know, but I can't believe she's dead. Not now. Not ever."

"Who said she was dead?"

"I saw her the debris of her zord, Camellia."

"All that means is she's crossed over. She will NEVER be dead as long as we remember her. Cherish her. Love her."

"Thank you, Dr. Joyce Brothers," Tommy teased, though his heart was still heavy with his loss.

"Ha, ha, ha."

Tommy's face saddening again, he questioned, "You probably want to know how she 'left', don't you?"

Camellia shook her head vigorously. "No. Not if you don't want to talk about it."

"But I do," Tommy began to explain, "We got paged by Zordon and we came here. Then Divatox appeared on the Viewing Globe and began to taunt Shannon about Scorpio. She went berserk. We couldn't stop her when she took her Mini Zord and went after Divatox, trying to destroy their subcraft. The five of us went chasing after her in the Mini Zords, but by the time we arrived, we were too late. They had fired two torpedoes at her zord and destroyed it before we could intervene."

Camellia glanced at Tommy. "I know why she went berserk. But it's a long story and I don't even understand half of it so I'm not gonna bother you with the details. To sum it all up, Shannon had a deal with the devil and she didn't want to go through with it."

"Well, Divatox and Auora are going to definitely take advantage of us in our mourning state," Tommy crawled out from under the console, Camellia following suit, "I say we'd better stand guard."

"Right."

Tommy stood in the middle of the Power Chamber and began, "Guys," silence fell over the ten rangers, as they gave their attention to their leader, "Look at us. We're pathetic! Shannon's probably looking down on us and shaking her head in shame."

"She'd yell at us. Telling us we were acting like babies," Kimberly continued, slowly stopping herself from shedding anymore tears, weakly smiling as she remembered her best friend.

"She would slap me over the head and use me as an example of what would happen to the person who didn't stop crying," Rocky joined in, rubbing the back of his head.

"Then she'd tell us to get down to work and keep going until we had an answer to our questions," Camellia finished, standing next to Tommy.

"Tommy is correct, rangers," Zordon appeared in his warp, scaring all the rangers for a moment, "All we have been doing is mourning for our loss. We need to find out WHY we have a loss."

Just as, Zordon was about to say more the alarm went off. "Rangers, Divatox had arrived on Earth. She has sent down her piranhatrons to the business district, where they are wreaking havoc."

"Can't she just keep her filthy hands off Angel Grove for an hour?" Trini groaned, as she watched the piranhatrons run amuck among the skyscrapers that littered the streets.

"Make that flirty," Billy corrected.

"Guess not," Jason shook his head in negative, and then roared, "Back to action!"

"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!" Kat shouted.

"Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!" Tanya shouted.

"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!" Rocky shouted.

"Zeo Ranger IV, Green!" Adam shouted.

"Zeo Ranger V, Red!" Tommy shouted.

After Tommy let out his morphing call, all the rangers listened, half expecting to hear the sweet sound of Shannon's powerful voice sing the White Zeo Ranger's morphing call. Reality hitting the twelve once again, they never heard Shannon's voice, and Camellia watched the eleven remaining rangers leave the chamber in an utter and mourning silence.

"Let's give him money, so then when he's free he can be rich too!" Divatox debated with her sister, lazily leaning against a console next to her.

"NO!" Auora screamed, obviously not agreeing, "Let's give dear brother Maligore two powerlicious offerings, perhaps the two ranger leaders. Then he'll be able to help us rid the other rangers from the Earth!"

"But............" Divatox was about to argue, when she changed her mind, "Okay! Let's give Maligore the Red Rangers!"

Auora grinned, her emerald green eyes shimmering in delight. "I knew you'd see my way!"

Turning her back to the warrior, Divatox muttered quietly, playing with the gold necklace hanging from her neck, "Whatever. I saw your way because I don't wanna give my money to Maligore. Even if he's been trapped for a little under 10,000 years!"

"What was that, Diva?"

Snapping around, the harlot plastered a fake smile upon her face and tried to look as innocent as she could. "I just said why don't we send some of your entities down to the business district to help my piranhatrons. The rangers won't know how to fight them because of their magical entity bodies and we'll succeed in capturing Artemis' love and her husband," Divatox easily lied to Auora, twisting a long tress of purple around her finger sheepishly.

"That's brilliant, Divatox!" Auora cried, as she removed her velvet green glove to reveal her callused hand, the callused hand caused by Auora wielding her powerful sword for more than ten millennia's.

"YUCK!" Divatox eyed her sister's hand.

"Come off it, Diva. You've seen my hands before!"

"Yeah, but that was a thousand years ago. It looks more ugly now!"

"Shut up," Auora snarled, throwing her green glove to the floor, "Arise, my entities! Your queen calls upon you!"

From the floor, three of the most powerful entities this side of the universe rose to their queen's call. "My queen, we service only you," the head entity bowed down to Auora, speaking in its deep and raspy voice.

"Ahhhh, my dear Demise," Auora purred at the entity, as he rose to his feet, "I have a mission you will enjoy utterly with pleasure."

"Do you, my queen?" Demise asked, his voice unsure of his master.

Auora nodded her head, within her eyes flames of green erupting. "Yes, I do. I want you to bring me the Red Rangers of Earth. They are lead under the hand of Zordon."

"Zordon of Eltar, my queen?" an entity behind Demise questioned.

"Yes, Annihilation. The one who trapped you many millennia's ago in the Emerald of Purity, which I freed you from," Auora rubbed in purposely, Annihilation taking heed.

"So what is in our mission that will satisfy our hunger, my queen?" the entity who stood next to Annihilation queried.

Auora laughed menacingly. "You sound as if you don't trust me, dear Perish."

"Trust is non-existent between you and us, my queen," Perish replied, the scarcasticness tangible in his voice.

"What a wonderful answer!" Divatox clapped her hands; she liked Perish the most out of all the entities and Perish liked her...........in more ways than one.

"Stitch up your scales, Divatox! This is purely business," Auora yapped, her face frowning.

"Then answer Perish's question, my queen," Demise growled slightly.

"Yes, his question," Auora paused, pondering upon her thoughts, "My answer. You may pick off any excess rangers you can grab, BUT, do not try to feast on the red ones. If you do, well, it's back to the emerald for all of you."

The three bowed their heads and replied in unison, "Yes, my queen."

"Now go!"

The trio faded into the air and vanished from the villianess' site. "Do you think they'll succeed?" Divatox questioned, watching her sister retrieve her glove from the ground.

Auora grabbed her velvet glove and slid it over her gnarled hand. "They'd better........."

The eleven rangers arrived on the scene of the chaotic mess the piranhatrons were causing in front of a tall skyscraper swaying in the March wind.

"Great! Of all the places, they had to choose here!" Tommy threw his hands up in disgust, as he 'flew' into three piranhatrons.

The tall skyscraper, which Tommy had been referring to, was Ranger Tower; the building had been dubbed Ranger Tower by the media last year when a string of monster attacks were targeted towards the skyscraper and almost, for a whole month, the rangers were constantly battling in front of the building.

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kimberly's shrilling banshee scream echoed as she slammed straight into a piranhatron.

Her pain and anguish evident in her scream, Kimberly fought as none of the rangers had ever seen before. She speedily dodged blows from the fishes and expertly executed every kick, punch, and movement with a power and agility she had never possessed before, even with her powers.

Everyone occupied by at least three piranhatrons to a person, they didn't noticed the three entities walking their way.

"They are so powerful," Annihilation mumbled, her feminine behavior getting the best of her, while she watched Rocky smash a piranhatron into a wall, "What if we don't succeed, Demise?"

Demise smirked, as they approached Jason and Tommy fighting back to back. "Dear Annihilation, don't think of failing. Think of succeeding," his black, pupiless, eyes scanned over the many powerful beings, "When we succeed think of all the power and strength just ONE of these 'rangers' will bring us."

As if on cue, Perish licked his lips.

"You are right, Demise," Annihilation eyed Billy with the black pits that were her eyes and cocked her head, "That one will bring us lots of power."

"And so will that one," Perish's eyes store at Tanya for a moment.

"That's the sprit," Demise encouraged, "Now come. We have rangers to capture before we feast."

The three walked within a few feet from Tommy and Jason fighting and were not noticed.

Taking this to their advantage, the entities jumped into the fight as the piranhatrons disengaged their fight with the two leaders.

As the piranhatrons left, Tommy and Jason looked at the three beings that stood before them.

The one who stood at the left had short, ocean blue hair, pupiless coal eyes, and a smirk across his face, as if he was laughing at the rangers who were standing and staring before him. His arms crossed across his chest, he wore a dark blue bodysuit made of what material, neither ranger could define.

The woman that stood in the middle store at the two boys with her pitiless eyes and a straight, solemn face, ready to battle in her maroon bodysuit; with a black belt hanging slanted around her waist. Her hands poised on her hips, a lock of her fiery red hair was blown into her face by the wind.

The last man on the right, his cropped black hair blowing in the softly in the breeze, looked on at Tommy and Jason with the same black eyes, licking his lips in hunger. Smiling wickedly, he brushed his black body suit quickly and introduced, "I am Demise."

"I am Perish," the man on the left presented.

"And I am the hungry Annihilation," the red head told seductively, "Dinner time!"

The three practically pounced onto Tommy and Jason, which caught the two rangers in surprise, but what surprised the entities more was that the two were strong, very strong.

Tommy power kicked Demise into a near by tree, Demise grabbing the trunk of the tree forcefully to stop himself. "What do you want?" Tommy barked, as Demise turned around to face the Red Zeo Ranger again.

"To feast," Demise threw a spinning heel kick at Tommy, but he dodged it efficiently, and the battle between the two continued like so.

Meanwhile, Jason fought off both Perish and Annihilation, and was doing a good job of fending off the entities until the Element Ranger began to tire. "How sad," Perish mocked, whip kicking Jason to the ground, where he struggled to stand, "The Red Ranger has fallen and can't get up."

"Will you do the honors, Annihilation?" Perish suggested, pinning Jason to the cement with his foot.

"Of course," Annihilation answered.

The entity kneeled down next to the weak Jason and removed his helmet. "I want your friends to hear your pain," she told him, her finger caressing his cheek softly.

Quickly, Annihilation shoved her hand, which had become transparent, into Jason's abdomen. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Jason screamed in tremendous pain, as Perish and Annihilation listened to the sweet sound that rang through their ears.

Annihilation removed her hand slowly from his stomach, which caused the ranger to howl in more pain and also forced his body to demorph fully. As the uncanny being listened in pleasure, she was suddenly knocked down by a blur of purple; her hand pulled out of Jason at the same time.

Stunned, Perish pulled Annihilation up from the paved ground and Perish showed her what had pushed her way from her target. Her eyes fell upon a human girl with chestnut colored hair and doe brown eyes hovering over the unconscious Jason. "Who is she?" Annihilation whispered, angered by this mere human.

"The Purple Ranger," Perish whispered back.

As soon as she knew who the girl was, Annihilation said to her blue haired companion, "Take our target to the queen. I'll take care of the human."

He nodded his head, as Annihilation jumped onto Kimberly, pushing the two a good few feet away from Jason.

Perish kneeled down next to Jason and placed his hands over the wound Annihilation caused. An aura of blue surrounded the wound, healing it so that it didn't look as if anything had happened to the ranger.

Picking up Jason, the two vanished into the thin air.

An aura of blue rose from the subcraft floor, revealing Perish and his first target.

"You got him!" Divatox cried gleefully, as she looked down at the unconscious Jason.

"How could you doubt me?" Perish grinned, at both Divatox and Auora.

"Trust is non-existent between me and you," Auora scoffed, using Perish's own line against him, "Get back to the fight and bring me the other or else!"

"Yes, my queen," the entity bowed his head and vanished into the air.

All the while, Annihilation and Kimberly were going at it like crazy, and at the moment Annihilation was losing to the unmorprhed Kimberly.

"UGH!" Annihilation fell to the ground and watched as Kimberly beckoned her, the other girl's eyes filled such a rage.

Doing something she had never done before, Annihilation called out, "DEMISE!"

Grabbing her leader's attention, who had been fighting Tommy, Demise saw what was going to happen and began running towards Annihilation and Kimberly.

Running as fast as his body would carry him, Demise made it to the two in record time and he sweep kicked Kimberly to the ground.

Taking Kimberly's disability to his advantage, his quickly helped Annihilation to stand and they approached the Purple Ranger laying on the ground. Demise placed his foot on Kimberly's hand and snarled down at her, "You may think you're powerful, but now my anger is more powerful."

Demise immediately plunged his transparent hand into Kimberly's chest and pulled it out quickly, causing the ranger to lose consciousness. "Are you okay, Annihilation?" Demise questioned the other entity, his black eyes gazing at the girl.

"I am fine," Annihilation replied, nodding her head weakly, "But my strength weans. I must feast soon."

Demise nodded his head and picked up Kimberly's limp body. "Let us take this ranger instead of the other Red Ranger. Then we may rest."

"Over my dead body!" Tommy's voice protested.

Demise and Annihilation looked around them and saw the remaining nine rangers, surrounding them. "No thank you, Red Ranger. We have what we came for," Annihilation remarked, "Well, at least a replacement for what we came to get."

Perish appeared next to Demise and the three vanished into the air, with Kimberly.

The three entities appeared in subcraft with the unconscious Kimberly. "WHAT?!?!?" Auora screamed, staring at Kimberly, as Demise placed her on the ground, "Where is the other Red Ranger?"

"My queen," Annihilation coughed, dropping to her knees weakly.

Demise went to her side began to continue what Annihilation was trying to say. "My queen, the Purple Ranger attacked Annihilation and by far was winning the fight against Annihilation, powerless. The Red Ranger I fought with was far too powerful for me to restrain. I helped Annihilation capture this ranger instead. I'm deeply sorry, my queen," Demise bowed his head in shame.

"I understand." Auora nodded her head.

"Why was Annihilation losing to a powerless human?" Divatox questioned, ice in her voice.

Demise held onto her tightly as Annihilation started to shiver violently. "She is dying, Divatox. That is why," Demise yapped protectively, "She needs to feast soon or she will die."

Auora stood quiet for a moment, as she watched one of her prized entities, dying before her eyes. *I cannot let her die. Annihilation is a treasure to the two male entities. The two care for her more than they can speak of. But what can I let her feast upon to survive? Certainly not my sacrifices, after all they must be powerful when given to Maligore. Maybe I could give her Divatox........No! I couldn't do that to my own sister. Perhaps a piranhatron. No. They couldn't suffice her plamsa needs. I need a humanoid being, but the rangers are well guarded. Annihilation would be dead by the time we captured another ranger. We can't even get out of the subcraft without being detected by Zordon, only the entities can. Then again that would take time that we don't have. Wait! I am humanoid, I could let her feast on me, my Eltarian body could take it. At least, I hope.* Auora thought to herself.

Locking eyes with Demise, she spoke, "Let Annihilation feast upon me."

"My queen!" Perish gasped, "Will you really?"

Auora rolled her eyes and ignored Perish. "Are you sure, my queen?" Demise questioned, as Auora kneeled down to Demise and Annihilation's height.

"Yes."

"Are you crazy?!?!?" Divatox screamed, "You'll surely die!"

"You'd like that wouldn't you," Auora mumbled, then answered, "No, Diva. I've gotta save her."

Demise nodded his head and Auora nodded hers.

Taking Annihilation's trembling hand, Demise shoved it into Auora's chest and she screamed painfully and almost forcefully.

As her screaming died down, Auora could feel Annihilation's hand 'probing' through her body for the nutrients she needed to sustain her life-force. After a few minutes of Annihilation's hand being 'stuck' into her, Auora became accustomed to the feel of the entity's hand. Though, just as sudden as the hand was plunged into her, it was yanked out of her chest and the Eltarien warrior let out another high pitched cry.

Green blood oozing from her wound, Perish quickly healed the 'hole', which was about the diameter of a baseball.

Dizzily, Auora stood up from the cold floor and grabbed the console next to her for support to stand. "My queen, are you alright?" a voice asked.

Auora focused her blurred vision on where the voice was coming from and clearly saw Annihilation standing up straight without Demise's support. "I willlll recoverrrrr in a day or twooooo. The questioooon is are youuuuuuu okay?" Auora replied, her speaking slightly slurred.

"Fine, my queen. Thanks to you," Annihilation bowed her head, "I am gratefully in your debt."

"Neverrrrrmind that, Annihilation," Auora shook her head as if she was drunk almost, then turned to her sister, "Set a course for the Nemesis Triangle. We need to go free Maligore, before Zordonnnnn realizes we're gone."

"Right," Divatox agreed as she began to give out orders to the piranhatrons around her.

As he watched them disappear, Tommy fell to his knees in defeat. "Oh God, is this my destiny? To watch the ones I love die?!?!" Tommy screamed up towards the clear skies, "You've taken everything I love. What's next?"

Suddenly, Trini snapped at Tommy, "Shut up, you idiot! There's still one person you love!"

"No........." he began to protest, but then realized who Trini was actually talking about, "Caroline!"

"You got that right," Trini shook her head at Tommy, "Come on. We'd better go to the Power Chamber and figure out what Divatox and Auora wanted with Kim and Jason."

Just as the nine were ready to teleport, Tommy dropped out of his stance and told, "Why don't you guys go the to the Power Chamber. I'll meet you there. I just wanna make sure Caroline's alright."

"Sure," Billy nodded his head and the nine teleported away, eight flashes headed for the Power Chamber, one headed towards the southern suburbs of Angel Grove.

A flash of red landed in the backyard of the Oliver residence, materializing into a morphed Tommy. "Zeo V, Power Down!" the ranger quickly shouted, demorphing.

Opening the screen door, Tommy walked through the rec room and into kitchen, scaring his mom, as she cooked dinner that could probably feed a large army. "Thomas Oliver! Don't you dare scare me like that ever again!" Coreen Oliver hit her son softly on the shoulder, then shoved a wooden spoon of spaghetti sauce in his face, "Taste."

Tommy took a small taste and replied, "It could use a little salt," he paused, as Coreen added a pinch of salt into the sauce, "Where's Dad?"

"You know your father," Coreen smiled, "Only if you force him to take a weekend off, he won't. He's still at the office," his mother responded, "Hey, where is Shannon?"

Tommy looked straight at his mother and lied. *I'm sorry, Mom. But this really isn't the time to talk about this.* "She's at the Power Chamber, helping Zordon. I don't know if you heard, but us rangers have been busy today."

"Oh, I heard," she motioned towards the small TV on the marble counter, "What is it with you rangers and Ranger Tower."

Tommy cocked his head in amusement. "Who knows?" he shrugged, the asked, "Where's Caroline?"

"In your room, sleeping," Coreen answered.

"Okay." Tommy headed towards his room.

Walking up the stairs and down the hall to the last room, Tommy quietly opened the door and peeked in to see Caroline under the covers of his bed, peacefully sleeping. Silently, he tiptoed into his bedroom and approached the bed.

Sitting down on the side of the bed, Tommy gazed down at his daughter for a moment.

Caroline's big doe brown eyes shut, her naturally long eyelashes lay against the tan skin complexion of her face. Her long chestnut hair lay spread all over the pillow and the little girl's thumb was stuck into her mouth, a bad habit both of her parents wanted her to kick. She looked some much like Shannon in so many ways, that Tommy began to cry quietly.

Brushing his finger gently against Caroline's cheek, Tommy started to talk to his child, in a whispered voice, "Caroline. The apple of my eye. My flesh and blood. I am so sorry. I let you down today. I let Mommy die," as he paused, he didn't notice Coreen outside the bedroom door, silently listening to Tommy's words, "I let her go up in her zord, confront Divatox, and get killed. Everything is my fault. Her blood is on my hands," Tommy sighed inwardly, "You ask, 'How could I let her do it?' I just did. Kat even had me convinced your MOMMY wasn't gonna confront Divatox. That she'd come to her senses and come back to us. Me," Tommy shook his head, "How could I believe that bullshit. I, of all people, know that your MOMMY never gives up until she gets what she wants or dies trying. And today she died trying. Just like she woulda wanted to die. In battle, with honor," Tommy planted a small kiss on Caroline's cheek, "I just want you to know, if don't come back after we stop whatever Divatox and Auora are trying to do, that I love you with my whole heart and soul, unconditionally."

Becoming silent again, Tommy slid down to the floor and sat down.

Placing his head against the bed, he closed his eyes and let his hot tears streak his saddened face.

As she listened to her son talk to his daughter, Coreen couldn't believe what she was hearing come out of his mouth. *Shannon is dead? But how can that be, Tommy just told me that she was alive. Unless........* the thought struck her, *Tommy doesn't want me to know right now.*

Coreen wiped her tears from her eyes. *Tommy must be really hurting. I can't begin to imagine what he's going through. I mean, to lose your birth mother when you're only three years old, then lose the woman you absolutely cherish more than anything in the world? The words are undescribable.*

Looking back into the room, she saw her adopted son leaning against the bed and crying. *I just hope Tommy survives to see another day..........................*

Meanwhile, Camellia had met up with the other Turbo Rangers at the park and was telling them about what she had seen in the Power Chamber, during the time of chaotic mourning. "So, what's our next move?" Ryan asked, staring in Liyah's direction.

"Well, remember the last time we encountered the entities," Liyah reminded them.

Justin shook his head grimly. "Oh, I remember alright. It was about almost 10,000 years ago and Annihilation wanted me badly."

"Yeah," Sheryl grinned, remembering the day her twin was describing, "Liyah told her she couldn't have you and she kicked Annihilation's sorry ass all the way to Narina system."

Everyone laughed, as they all remembered the battle. "My point is that was the last time we EVER saw Maligore," Liyah stated, smirking, "Who wants to bet me a million bucks that Divatox and Auora are definitely plannin' to free Maligore?"

All of the other six rangers hands shot up.

"My point proven."

"Maybe you don't remember, Liyah, but we needed our zords to get to Muranthius the last time I checked," Tamara reminded.

"I know that. And the zords know that," Liyah remarked, looking in the direction of the setting sun, "And I bet they're on their way here right now."

A rainbow of colors set down in the Power Chamber and revealed the other eight rangers. "Rangers, I have grave news," Zordon's booming voice announced.

"What is it, Zordon?" Zack asked, "I can't be any as worse than what just happened."

Zordon nodded his head. "I am aware of what happened and sadly to say, it is much worse," the Eltarien being paused, "Rangers, look to the Viewing Globe."

Billy, Tanya, Adam, Trini, Aisha, Zack, Kat, and Rocky all went over to the Viewing Globe and saw the three entities on the screen. "These are the entities of death and destruction. I once trapped them in the Emerald of Purity many millennia's ago, but now they are free of their confinement," Zordon narrated, as the picture seemed to focus on the blue haired one, "This is Perish, the most ignorant of the three," the picture focused on the red head, "This is Annihilation, the precious 'medal', so to speak, of the group. She is very seductive and I have experienced her power first hand," the picture focused on the last entity, "Lastly, this is Demise, the leader of the group. His is very protective of his compatriots, especially Annihilation."

"I think we all got a first hand view of that," Aisha muttered.

A picture of lava man, that looked eerily similar to the sea monsters of old B-movie flicks, next appeared on the screen. "This is Maligore, the Great Flame of Destruction. He was trapped by an unknown force on the island of Muranthius many millennia's ago," Zordon continued.

"Yuck," Tanya and Kat spat together.

"Due to the activity we have been receiving from Divatox's subcraft, I am ultimately sure that the two sisters are heading towards the Nemesis Triangle to try and free their trapped brother."

"They're related to," Zack stopped to point at the viewscreen, "THAT?"

Zordon nodded his head. "I am afraid so," the great mentor paused, "Unfortunately, Divatox and Auora have captured Kimberly and Jason to use as sacrifices to Maligore."

"How are we supposed to stop them from freeing Maligore AND using Kim and Jason?" Billy queried the eltarien.

Before Zordon could answer, a voice interrupted, "If I know Zordon, he got something to get us there so we can stop them."

The ten turned their view towards the chamber doors to see Tommy walk out from them. "So is she alright?" Kat asked, concerned.

"Caroline's alright," Tommy grinned smally, "On the other hand, I feel like my heart has been ripped out of me and stomped on a good dozen times," everyone stared at Tommy for more of a reaction, "But enough about me, what's our ticket to Muranthius, Zordon?"

"The Ghost Galleon, a ship of mythical standards, is docked and waiting for you at the ocean," Zordon informed, "Good luck, rangers."

"Thanks, Zordon," Tommy nodded his head, "Alpha teleport us."

"On it," Alpha replied, as they flew away in columns of lights towards the Pacific Ocean.

"OoooooooooOOOOOOooooooooo," Zack howled, as the nine rangers climbed up the old wooden steps onto the deck of the Ghost Galleon.

"Not funny, Zack!" Kat yapped, as the setting sun cast an eerie shadow over the creaking ship.

"Sorry, Kat."

"I don't like the feeling this ship is giving off," Trini murmured, "It's giving me goosebumps."

Billy shook his head as he looked around himself. "It should. This ship has got an evil essence possessing it," the Light Ranger paused, as the sun's light disappeared over the ocean's horizon, "The only way this ship is gonna get moving is if I take over the galleon using my essence. Wherever a dark essence resides and light essence can thrive," Billy remembered from a lesson Shannon gave him in handling his power.

"Then what are ya waiting for! Thrive!" Rocky urged.

The rangers all stopping in their tracks, Billy held his hands in front of him and closed his eyes. Concentrating, a light of white flared up on his hands and the light flew from Billy's hands, engulfing the ship. As the Ghost Galleon absorbed Billy's power, it gave the Element full control of the huge boat. "Ohmigod!" Tanya shrieked suddenly, staring at the moving sails, catching a breeze.

"Look!" Tommy pointed to the compass to the right of them as the arrows in it began to move slowly.

Bending over the side of the ship, Adam looked down at the water. "Hey! We're moving!" he exclaimed, watching the water tread under the bottom of the ship.

"What'd ya expect?" Billy inquired, as he opened his blue eyes slowly.

"Well, maybe a WARNING when we were gonna start moving," Aisha joked, as she looked at her friends, "How about some exploring?"

"I am sooo glad your mom didn't say anything about us taking dinner to go, Tam," Sheryl said, as she sucked up her last piece of spaghetti.

"Me, too," Tamara nodded, swallowing the last of her food, "It's hard to resist her spaghetti."

"Where are we supposed to meet the zords, Liyah?" Ryan asked, briefly looking into the dark desert sky.

Liyah shrugged. "All I got from Red Lightning's mental message was, 'We're on our way'," Liyah replied, referring to her zord.

"And I think they are," Kerry turned to her right at saw the bright shine of headlights coming towards the group at a fast speed.

Tamara shook her head, as she store up at the sky, looking for a familiar friend. "Then, where's Sky Blazer? She certainly did not know how to drive across a desert, the last time I remember."

"I'm right here, Tamara," a voice answered.

The seven looked straight up and saw a white jet hovering over their heads.

Tamara smiled and placed her hands on hips. "Get down here."

Responding to her ranger's command, the jet landed near the group, amazingly not kicking up any dust or dirt.

As she landed, the other six cars arrived and came to a stop. "I told you were we coming," a red race car remarked, her happiness tangible in her voice.

"Nice to see you too, Red Lighting," Liyah patted the hood of the car.

"It's good to see all of you again," a blue four-by-four commented, "It you all long enough to get find your heirs."

"I think we'll take that as a compliment, Mountain Blaster," Justin laughed, knowing his zord had obviously missed the Blue Turbo Ranger.

"You guys, we'd better get a move on," a yellow dune buggy advised, "We should probably follow the Ghost Galleon. The other Power Rangers are already on and headed towards the Nemesis Triangle."

Camellia opened the drivers' side door to the dune buggy. "You got it, Dune Star."

As the rangers climbed into the zords, Kerry sat down into the drivers' seat and mumbled, "Boy, I never thought I'd be in you again, Wind Chaser."

The white and pink race car chuckled. "Well, it's good to have you back, Kerry."

"Everyone ready?" Liyah queried.

"Mountain Blaster, ready to blast into high speeds!" Justin's zord responded.

"Desert Thunder, ready to rumble!" Ryan's zord responded.

"Dune Star's gonna shine!" Camellia's zord responded.

"Wind Chaser, ready to howl!" Kerry's zord responded.

"Black Bolt, ready to strike!" Sheryl's zord responded.

"Sky Blazer, prepared to blaze the way!" Tamara's zord responded.

"Red Lighting, ready to bolt!" Liyah's zord responded.

After the seven zords finished their introductions, they had the Turbos rolling over in laughter. "That was SO corny!" Sheryl giggled, as she hit her fist gently on the steering wheel in front of her.

"Hey! Don't scrape the paint," the black Ferrari looking car snapped at her driver, then muttered in her southern drawl, "Let's just get goin'. They ain't gonna stop laughin' anytime soon!"

Unlike the other eight rangers who were curious enough to go exploring, Tommy had decided to stay out on deck and think.

"My life is a living hell," Tommy told himself, leaning against the bow of the ship and staring off into the distance, "Before this all happened, it was paradise."

"Are you sure about that, Tommy?" a familiar feminine voice questioned.

Tommy snapped around from his place and saw a woman with braided brunette hair and brown eyes, dressed in a red gauzy gown. "MAYLONUS!" Tommy shouted gleefully, like small child.

He ran to his Zeo Sprit and hugged her lovingly. The Red Zeo Ranger had always thought of Maylonus like a second mother; she always seemed to know what was on his mind whenever she'd visit him when he wasn't feeling like himself. "Hello, Tommy," Maylonus greeted, as Tommy peeled away from the hug, "I heard about what happened to Artemis."

Tommy's face turned solemn, as his mind began to dwell on Shannon's death again. "Yeah. She's dead. And there's nothing I can do about it."

"Who says that?" Maylonus queried, sweetly.

"I do."

"And you believe it?"

"Yeah. What else is there to believe?"

Maylonus nodded her head and gazed at Tommy, just as if he was a young child, learning the basics. "There is the belief that Artemis will be honored among us sprits when she joins us. She would want you to remember her, but not in grief, in love. You know that as well as I do," Maylonus took Tommy's chin into her hand and lifted it, so he was looking at her, "Don't you?"

"Yes, Maylonus," Tommy agreed quietly, tears forming in his eyes.

"Do you really think your life was paradise before Artemis left?"

"I don't think, I know, Maylonus."

"You are so sure of yourself, Tommy Oliver. Yet you speak not the truth, but a lie that you have believed for too long to be good for yourself."

"Its not a lie, Maylonus. I've lived it. I know it was paradise," Tommy argued.

The Zeo Sprit nodded her head and smiled; his anger, his rage, reminded her so much of herself. *If only I could tell him. It is sooooo close, but is not time.* "Tell me, Tommy," Maylonus shook her thought off, "Having Zesta chase your beloved, wanting to destroy her because of her power......Is that your paradise? Watching Artemis die in front of your eyes, yet to come and walk among the living again........Is that your paradise? Wanting to kill Artemis yourself................Was that really your paradise?" Maylonus sighed, "Because if it is, you have a strange paradise."

Tommy couldn't help but chuckle smally at the comment. "I guess you're right, Maylonus," Tommy sighed inwardly, "It's just that, when Shannon was with me it was hard to believe that my life wasn't a paradise. To wake up every morning and to be able to see Shannon's smile, that itself was paradise. But now, she's gone again and this time for good. My life is back to the miserable state it was in before Shannon walked back into my life."

"I thought being a ranger brought you happiness, Tommy?"

"It does. Saving people, knowing you've kept them safe for another day; Yeah, it brings me happiness, Maylonus. But not the same happiness I get when Shannon is in my arms, where I know she's safe from harm's way."

Maylonus smiled; Tommy was truly speaking from the heart. "If you believe so strongly in that, Tommy. She will be back in your arms again, one way or another," Maylonus glanced to the sky to see the stars coming out, "I must be going, Tommy. The others will be looking for me if I do not return soon," she kissed Tommy softly on the forehead, "Believe Tommy. Just keep believing."

With that, the Red Zeo Sprit disappeared within an aura of red, leaving Tommy alone to believe.

On the subcraft, alarms were sounding off insanely. "I detect nine lifeforms, but no sign of a vehicle!" Elgar cried over the sirens.

"What are they, swimming?" Divatox screamed, making her way over to the periscope.

"No, Diva. They're riding on some dolphins," Auora snapped.

Divatox turned her head and shot back, "Shut up."

Staring into the periscope, Divatox saw nothing but water. "Those Power Pukes are at it again! Looks like Zordon found out your plan, Auora!"

"It's OUR plan, Diva."

"Whatever," Divatox pulled on a lever in front of her and smiled cruelly, "I'll just have some Putra Pods pay them a visit."

Kimberly, who was in a locked chamber with Jason on one side of the main room, shouted, "NO! You can't!"

"Too bad. I just did," Divatox mocked her in a deep, sultry tone.

"I wouldn't be arguing with us if I were you," Auora barked, from outside the chamber, "Your boy toy isn't looking too hot and anything can happen when your on this ship," she grinned devilishly, "Jason just might.......die."

"You wouldn't," Kimberly growled, while stroking Jason's hot forehead that laid in her lap, "We mean way too much to you. Without us, your plan goes bye-bye."

"Well, aren't you smart," Auora yapped back, "You're not the prototype Pink Ranger that you used to be, are you?"

Kimberly narrowed her eyes. "That was before, not now," the Purple Sound Ranger spat, "If I was, even though, the rangers would be still coming after you. Just face it, you can't win. Us rangers stick together."

"Hey! Rocky told us that one over a conversation we had after Artemis' death," Divatox laughed, "Except he used more, what do you say, HARSH words to explain his meaning."

The two villains turned their attention away from Kimberly and Jason, and Kimberly whispered softly, "Hold on, Jase. The cavalry is on their way to our rescue...................."

Tommy was leaning over the side on the galleon, thinking about what Maylonus had told him, when he heard a creak behind him. "Who's there's?" he yapped, turning around into a defensive position.

From behind some stacked up barrels, Kat sheepishly walked in the moon's light, her hands raised above her head. "I just came out to check on you. It's actually getting late," Kat declared, walking over to the other ranger.

Tommy dropped out of his stance and grinned weakly. "Sorry, Kat. I guess I've really been on my toes ever since...............Well, you know what."

As Tommy turned to his gazing, Kat joined him. "You know we're all worried about you," she whispered, "We've all been dealing with her death, Tommy. And I just want you to know that we don't want you jumping of the boat anytime soon, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," Tommy glanced at Kat, his big brown eyes shining with sorrow, "I'm guessing that the guys sent you out here to make sure I didn't. Right?"

"Not really," Kat replied, "I just don't want you being hurt alone. None of us really do. You're our leader. We all love you like the brother we never had."

The Red Zeo Ranger shook his head, he knew where Kat was coming from. "Yeah. I guess I love you guys the same way. The brothers and sisters I never had."

"You know..................." Kat was suddenly cut off when Tommy covered her mouth and motioned her to be quiet.

The two slowly twisting around, they saw the most repulsive monsters ANY of the Power Rangers had seen before.

Four half lizard, half turtle, and half whatever any other animal monsters were approaching Kat and Tommy at a very slow rate. "Ohmigod......." Kat breathed, Tommy removing his hand from her mouth.

"Can you flip over these guys?" he asked the Pink Ranger.

"Depends what you mean by, flip," Kat remarked quietly.

"I mean, if I give you a good boost, can you flip over all of them and land behind them?"

Kat eyed him warily. "I surely can try."

"Good," Tommy clasped his hands together making a platform out of his palms, "Here. When I count to three, I'll throw ya."

Kat placed her booted foot on Tommy's makeshift platform. "Okay."

"One........"

The monsters edged closer, green slime drooling from their mouths.

"Two........."

Tommy and Kat both prayed quickly, hoping that Tommy's idea would work.

"THREE!"

Kat jumped up as Tommy gave her a push, launching her over the group of slimy monsters, and landing her directly behind them.

As Kat landed behind the monsters, Tommy quickly perched himself on top of the side of the ship and managed to flip himself over them. "Good job!" Tommy encouraged Kat, as the four green things slowly turned around.

Kat nodded her head. "Ready to kick some major slimy butt?"

"You bet."

The two threw themselves into the monsters and began to fight.

"Do you hear that?" Tanya queried the other six rangers, who sat below deck, talking.

"Yeah. It's like a thumping sound and it's coming from the deck," Zack answered, standing up slowly.

As they listened intently for a second, the seven rangers heard a loud, "KIA!" come from above.

"Now I know THAT sound," Adam muttered as he ran up the wooden plank stairs to the deck, the others following suit.

Steeping onto the deck they saw the green monsters and Tommy and Kat fighting them off the best that they possibly could. "Hey, leave some for us!" Rocky yelled over the fighting.

"Here," he heard his girlfriend's voice and saw a monster with a barrel shoved onto it's snout, pushed the group's way.

Rocky folded his arms across his chest playfully, kicking the monster away. "Its been used," the Blue Ranger frowned.

Billy looked to his girlfriend. "You know what to do, Trini?"

"I know what you got in mind" Trini smiled, placing her hands in front of her.

Using her essence, she literally pulled Tommy and Kat out of the fight and gathered the green lizards together. Then, Billy created a ball of light in his hands and threw it at the four, blasting them into tiny bits and..............Slime.

"Ewwwww," Aisha touched her hair, sticky slime covering it.

"Sick," Zack tried rubbing the slime off of his black jeans

"Gross me out," Trini wiped the green jelly off her arms.

"You had to use you essence, didn't'cha Billy?" Tommy stood, his arms crossed against his chest, green slime covering him from head to toe, "You couldn't do the old fashioned way, could you?"

"Sorry," Billy meekly apologized.

"Why don't we go BELOW deck, before anything else happens," Kat suggested, as everyone shook their heads and walked down the stairs to below.

A shockwave caused by Billy's essence shook the seven Turbo Zords, driving in the ocean water. "What was that?" Ryan asked, holding onto the dashboard in front of him as Desert Thunder shook violently for a moment.

"It came from the direction of the Ghost Galleon," Wind Chaser declared.

"I think we all know that," Kerry quipped harshly, not meaning to.

After the shaking stopped, green slime started falling from the sky onto the zords. "Ewwwwww," Dune Star squealed, a big glob of goop landing on her windshield, "Just as I was getting used to the salty water eating at my paint job, this had to happen."

"Quit whining, Dune Star," Sheryl commanded, "I thought you were the smart one out of all of the zords?

Justin snorted. "Doesn't mean that she wasn't built a few glitches, Sher."

"Aren't we all?" Mountain Blaster rhetorically inquired.

Silent for the whole conversation, Liyah spoke up. "Hey, guys. We've figured out what caused the tremor," Liyah told, "It was a blast of pure light energy."

"Billy," Camellia muttered, "He musta gone and used his essence again."

"That explains the green slime," Red Lighting agreed, "He must of blown something up that contained slime."

A light went off in Tamara's head. "Putra Pods!"

"Exactly," Sky Blazer agreed with her ranger.

"Long range scans detecting the Nemesis Triangle about two miles dead ahead of us," Black Bolt reported to the others, during the brainstorming moment.

Immediately getting back into leader mode, Liyah ordered, "Okay, let's do this!"

She got no response.

"I'm going skinny dipping. Anyone care to come?" Liyah tried again.

"WHAT?!?!?!"

The Red Turbo Ranger laughed. "Just kidding," she looked out the windshield in front of her and already saw the Ghost Galleon easily sliding through a wall of black jumble, that she recalled as the triangle, "Now that I've got your attention............Let's kick it into high gear!"

In each of the zords, in unison, the seven young teens quickly jerked back on their gearshifts and sped through the triangle.

After two days of nothing but water, Tanya, sitting up in the crow's nest, finally spotted land. "WHOOO!" she screamed, jumping up from her sitting position.

"What's goin' on up there, a party?" Adam called from down below.

Carefully leaning over the wooden railing, she shouted down to her boyfriend, "LAND AHOY!"

An hour after Tanya had spotted the land, which had to be Muranthius, everyone was gathered on the deck ready to teleport onto the island to save their friends. "Okay, how are we gonna do this?" Tommy questioned, prompting ideas from his teammates.

"Well, I can teleport us to the island without Divatox's sensors knowing," Aisha explained, "I can use my essence and turn us into water. Since water is all around us, it'll be a piece of cake."

Billy nodded his head in agreement. "Then when we get onto the island, I can blow up the ship."

"We already know that," Rocky mumbled under his breath.

Tommy smiled. "As long as you don't blow us up too, Billy," Tommy teased, as the Light Ranger playfully punched him in the arm, "Well, if you two are ready, let's go!"

"Right. "Aisha said, closing her eyes to concentrate.

A few seconds later the nine Power Rangers had turned into watery distortions and began to make their way towards the island of Muranthius.

The nine watery distortions touched down on the sandy beach of the island and materialized into Billy, Aisha, Tommy, Zack, Tanya, Adam, Rocky, Kat, and Trini.

"Sorry, about that," Aisha told everyone, as she rang out her hair, "But when you're water, your wet."

Trini squeezed the water out of her shirt and replied, "Don't worry about it. It's a small price to pay."

"You're on, Billy," Tommy declared, as Billy began to concentrate.

After a minute of pure silence as the rangers watched him, his blue eyes popped open. "It's done," the sandy blonde stated, just as a shockwave passed by as to prove Billy's words.

"Now that that's done," the long haired boy paused, "Time to go rescue Kim and Jason."

"How are you feeling, Tommy?" Adam asked his leader, jolting the Red Ranger out of his thoughts.

Climbing over a large tree trunk that was abstracting his way, Tommy replied, "Rejuvenated, somewhat," he turned to look behind himself momentarily to see the other rangers following him in a single file line, "The fight with the freaky slime monsters gave me the chance to let out the anger I had bottled up for Divatox and Auora."

"I can understand that," Adam agreed with him, "I'm just glad that the green slime disappeared after awhile. That stuff smelled like Rocky's gym socks!"

The two boys laughed. "Yeah, and I was covered in that goop, no thanks to Billy," Tommy shared, "I even could taste the stuff in my mouth. It tasted like my mom's tuna casserole. And let's just say, she doesn't use tuna when she makes it!"

Adam chuckled. "It can't be half as bad as my cooking," the Green Ranger admitted.

As the group came to a clearing, the rangers stared above themselves in amazement. "My word," Rocky and Kat gasped together, staring up at the large temple structure.

"Guess, this is it," Tommy mumbled, then ordered, "Let's go, rangers........"

"Two little rangers, hanging from a rope. Will they survive, no they won't!" Divatox sung mockingly at Kimberly and Jason.

Kimberly glared down on Divatox from above. "You two are so damn sure of yourself," Kimberly spat.

"Yes, we are, aren't we?" Auora grinned, running her hand through her short dark green hair, "I guarantee that the other Power Rangers will come walking in through that door right there in two minutes," Auora pointed to the access tunnel that lead to the main room of the Serpent's temple, "Also, it is very obvious that your companion will not survive."

Kimberly wriggled in the restraining ropes that held her above a large lava pit, churning below her. *Haven't I been through this once already?* Kimberly thought to herself, as she took a strained glance at Jason. He was deep in unconsciousness, and as far as the Sound Ranger could tell, his hands were burning hot from his fever. *Please hang on, Jason. Just please hang on.........*

Kimberly was abruptly brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Divatox's voice as she began to chant, calling to Maligore, "Dear brother Maligore! Great flame of destruction, come forth! Your sisters call to you with two pleasurably powerful offerings! Come forth and feed upon their purity! Let your evil twist their pure souls!"

Glancing below herself, Kimberly realized that the rope had started moving down towards the lava pit. Crying out in vain, as a last resort, she screamed, "WAKE UP, JASON! WAKE UP, PLEASE!!"

All she received was a moan from her sick boyfriend.

Looking down on the two villianess once more, Kimberly watched as they eyed the lava pit with glee. Closing her eyes, the Purple Ranger whispered, "If I die today, shall it not be in vain."

Just as she gave up all hope, Kimberly suddenly heard, "Hold it right there, freaks!"

Reopening her eyes, she saw Tommy, morphed, standing in the middle of the dirt floor, his anger tangible in his voice. The rest of the rangers were all lined up behind their leader, eyeing Divatox's piranhatrons, who anxiously awaited their queen's order.

"You were right, Kimberly," Auora broke the silence that had descended for a moment, "I am sure of myself. And that, my dear, is why am I always prepared."

Once again removing her glove from her hand, Auora threw it to the ground and called, "Arise, my entities! Your queen calls upon you!"

Responding to the call, three black auras rose from the ground and materialized into Annihilation, Demise, and Perish. "I have been waiting for a rematch," Demise smirked, his pitless eyes falling upon Tommy.

Retrieving her glove, the warrior shouted, "Take all you want, my entities! They are yours to feast! ATTACK!"

As Auora ordered her entities, Divatox cried to her piranhatrons, "PIRANHATRONS, ATTACK!"

Then, good and evil collided.

Right away, the three entities went their own ways.

Demise, obviously, started towards Tommy. He intended to finish the fight he began with the teenage ranger.

Perish made his choice quickly; speedily making his way to where Tanya was fighting.

Unlike her two partners, Annihilation lingered back for a moment, her mind not decided who to feast on. *Should I feast on the Blue Zeo Ranger because I always feast on a Blue Ranger* she wondered, gazing over at Rocky *Or should go after the Light Ranger, who has more power and life-force for me to feast on than the Blue Zeo Ranger does,* she glanced at Billy for a moment, then realized who she wanted, making her way towards Rocky.

As Tommy fought off the piranhatrons, they suddenly backed away from him and he realized what was going on. "Ready finish our fight, Demise?" he questioned, not even turning around to see Demise approaching him.

"Yes. I always finish what I start," he yapped, immediately power kicking Tommy in the small of his back.

The boy yelped in pain and fell face forward to the ground, a searing pain zipping up his spine. "Please don't tell me your giving up so quickly, Tommy," Demise pulled him up by his white collar, "We haven't started to have any fun."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Tommy hissed, flipping the entity to the ground.

Meanwhile, Divatox and Auora watched; Auora contempt in pleasure and Divatox impatient as ever. "Auora, how about us getting this over with?" she questioned her sister, staring up at the hanging Kimberly and Jason.

Auora grinned. "Go ahead, Diva," she waved her hand pathetically.

Red beams shot out from Divatox's eyes and burned through the rope that held the two prisoners. Laughing devilishly, Divatox watched as Kimberly screams were silenced by the churning lava.

"KIM! JASON!" Tommy cried, catching sight of them falling.

The rangers, piranhatrons, and entities freezing in place, they all watched as a cloud of flames erupted from the lava pit. Once the flames cleared, it revealed Kimberly and Jason standing on the edge of the pit, their backs to their friends.

Slowly, the couple turned around, the speechless rangers staring in horror. The two Element Rangers eyes were now deep blood red and their expressionless faces were solemn. Growling lowly, the two moved their hands in front of their faces and broke the chains encasing their wrists easily, with no strain.

"Maligore's children, arise!" Auora cackled, her voice echoing through the chamber, "Destroy those who threaten our unity!"

Flipping off the side of the lava pit, the two began to progress on their targets: Kat and Tommy.

"Oh, God," Tamara breathed under her helmet, watching the fight go back into progress, "What the hell are we gonna do?!?! I mean, my brother's fighting his best friend, unmorphed, and is losing like shit!"

"I know," Liyah replied, only half focused as she watched Kimberly pound Kat, "Look at Kim drill Kat into the ground," her voice filled with pleasure, "I wish I could be in Kim's shoes right now."

"LIYAH!" Justin yelled quietly at his girlfriend, "Today's not the day to be fantasizing about your revenge on Kat. We need a plan!"

Liyah hit Justin back, as she remarked, "Okay, okay. I'm back," she paused, "My plan is that we sit back until something BIGGER happens. Trust me, Tommy and Kat getting beaten up isn't the least of our worries............."

"Come on, Kim," the Pink Zeo Ranger backed away from the steadily approaching Kimberly, "I don't wanna hurt you. Just fight the evil, this isn't you."

Kimberly grinned, tossing her chestnut colored hair. "Evil is like evil does," she spat, her eyes glowing a ferocious red as she kicked Kat into the stone wall, "And honey," Kimberly growled, sweep kicking the defenseless Australian to the dirt, "Pink is out."

Turning away from the other girl, Kimberly walked away towards where Jason was fighting Tommy. "Come on, Jase. Snap out of it. I won't fight you," Tommy told the evil Jason, as he slowly backed away.

"Then prepare to die, ranger!" Jason barked in a deep baritone.

Closing in on the Red Ranger, who backed himself in a corner, Jason's hand grabbed Tommy by the neck and lifted him off the ground a few good feet. "You, can't, do, this, Jason," Tommy strained to speak with Jason's hard hold on him.

Just as Tommy hoped he would put him down, Jason turned to his right and saw Kimberly. *Let him be. The master is coming. He will take care of all of them.* Kimberly's voice entered his thoughts.

*Yes.* Jason dropped Tommy quickly, walking towards Kimberly *He will do what he chooses fit.*

Suddenly, as Jason joined Kimberly's side, the room began to shake causing another eruption of flames to rise from the pit. All the small battles disengaged, the many store at the lava pit in horror as an atrociously monstrous clawed hand, made from hardened molten lava, gripped onto the outer edge. Then, slowly the monster climbed out of the lava, revealing himself as Maligore, Great Flame of Destruction.

"He looks more gross in person," Tanya whispered to herself, as the great villain stretched.

"You have freed me, my sisters!" Maligore cried, his voice uncannily rich and deep, "I thank you both greatly, Divatox and Auora. For freeing me AND bringing me the killers of our beloved sister, the two forces that can prevent me from prevailing. You will both receive rewards beyond measure."

Grinning idiotically, Divatox and Auora nodded their heads.

Changing his gaze to Kimberly and Jason, he spoke, "You two have served your purpose well. But as much as I would like to 'keep' you, I cannot. The power you retain within you will allow return to Zordon's side if you wish," the monster paused, "So, you must die."

"NO!" Tommy screamed.

"You would react like that, Red Ranger," Maligore yapped, waving his hand for piranhatrons to restrain him, "For is it not your fiancé who killed one of my sisters and tried to kill my other two?"

"Yes," the teenage boy growled, jerking in the grip of the piranhatrons.

Maligore cocked his head. "It is good that you admit it. Though, nothing you do will spare your miserable life and the ones of your team. Power down rangers, or I will go find the one thing dear to your 'fearless' leader and kill it as well."

Every single ranger looked to the Zeo Ranger in red for the command.

Sighing heavily, Tommy blinked back his tears under the helmet he wore. *You won't have Caroline, you bastard.* "Power down, rangers," Tommy ordered, his fear evident in his voice.

"Zeo I, Power Down."

"Zeo II, Power Down."

"Zeo III, Power Down."

"Zeo IV, Power Down."

"Zeo V, Power Down."

"Wave, Power Down."

"Wind, Power Down."

"Nature, Power Down."

"Light, Power Down."

Waving his hand once again, Maligore removed his treacherous spell over Kimberly and Jason. "What happened?" Jason said, nodding his head.

"A lot," Adam replied the question, piranhatrons surrounding him.

Piranhatrons grabbing them, they were shoved into the line up of the eleven rangers. "Mass death, it's the only way to go," Divatox smiled wickedly.

"Very true, Divatox," Maligore agreed.

"But it's not happenin' today!" a voice yelled.

Maligore looked all around. "Who dares challenge my power?" he yelled.

"We do, Maligore," Liyah responded, the seven Turbo Rangers walking out from the access tunnel, "There's more than two forces that can stop you, Maligore. We're the third."

Maligore's red eyes danced with amusement. "Turbo Rangers, so nice to see you again. I see you have found your heirs to the power."

"Yeah," Kerry spat, "Our dead bodies wouldn't be walking around, would they Maligore?"

"Very true, Pink Ranger. I see you haven't lost your sarcasm since we last met here," Maligore snapped, as he eyed Liyah, "Though, I must say, Red Ranger, you are looking better than ever."

Justin snarled under his blue helmet. "I'd eat you words if I were you, Maligore."

"And you are going to make me, Blue Ranger?"

"Yes, he is," Liyah interrupted, then ordered, "Crystal formation!"

As the seven Turbo Rangers gathered in a circle, Maligore began to back away from the seven. He knew exactly what they were going to do and he knew it was the only thing standing between life and death for him.

Placing their hands in front of them, the seven Turbo Rangers closed their eyes and lifted them heads up. Lights of red, blue, green, pink, yellow, black, and white converged where their hands touched and the rainbow colored sphere of power floated into the air. As the other eleven rangers watched in awe, the sphere hurled itself at Maligore and impacted with his molten body, causing a massive shockwave explosion.

Once the shockwave passed, all the rangers stood up to see that all the piranhatrons had disappeared. "Hey, where'd the piranhatrons go?" Zack mumbled.

"Who cares, they're gone and so Divatox, Auora, and her entities," Trini smiled, as the eleven unmorphed gathered around the Turbo Rangers.

"Thanks," Tommy held his hand out and Liyah shook it.

"No problem," she answered, "Maligore's been our big bother for who knows how long."

Suddenly, Tommy's communicator went off. "Tommy here," he spoke into the device.

"Tommy, you and the rangers must come to the Power Chamber immediately. Please bring the Turbo Rangers along. This is at the request of Lady Dimitria," Zordon's voice rang through the speaker.

"Sure, Zordon. Tommy out," he cut the connection, then turned to the Turbo Rangers, "Any of you know who Lady Dimitria is?"

"She is one of the most respected Cindariens to ever live," Sheryl told him.

Tommy nodded his head. "Let's go."

The Zeo and Element Rangers placed their hands on their belts, where as the Turbo Rangers crossed their arms across their chest and jerked them to their sides. The eighteen rangers floated from the island in a rainbow of lights.

Eighteen bright flashes of color materialized in the Power Chamber and revealed the eighteen rangers. "Maylonus!" Tommy was the first to notice the Zeo Sprits in the chamber, as well as Lady Dimitria; Though for some reason, Zordon and Alpha were nowhere to be found.

"I see we meet again, Tommy," Maylonus smiled widely. *The time has arrived for all of you to know.*

"Turbo Rangers," Lady Dimitria called to the newest rangers, as she stood in front of the group of sprits, "Please power down."

"Yes, my lady," Liyah answered, bowing her head quickly.

"Turbo down!" the seven of them cried together, as they reverted back to their normal clothes and height.

"Liyah?" Kat gasped as she store her younger sister.

"Justin? Sheryl?" Kimberly gawked.

"Kerry?" Zack followed the two girls' lead.

Adam shook his head in astonishment. "Ryan?"

Lastly, Tommy stood there, wide-eyed and staring at the two thirteen year old teens before him. "Cam? Tam? Ya gotta be kidding?"

"Hey, that rhymes! Cam and Tam!" Camellia grinned, trying to lighten up the shock of the older rangers.

Frowning, Tommy looked at Camellia, seriously. "Shut up, Camellia. What the hell are you trying to do here? Pull a joke on us?!?!"

Quickly, Maylonus slapped Tommy. "OW!"

"Ow is right, Thomas Oliver," Maylonus yapped at Tommy, while he hung onto his cheek, "Camellia is not pulling a joke. If Artemis was here, she would be able to tell you that. Do not go throwing your rage like that at Camellia again, ever."

While he listened, the Red Zeo Ranger felt his anger and hurt build up inside of him, until he just couldn't hold it back anymore. "What do you know, Maylonus? You're just a sprit. A DEAD sprit," Tommy spat angrily, Tamara backing away from her older brother, scared of what he was becoming.

This time, Lady Dimitria rose her hand in defense of Maylonus and slapped Tommy once again. "How dare you talk down to your own mother like that!"

"MOTHER?!?!?!"

Lady Dimitria glanced at the shocked rangers. "Yes, mother. Maylonus is Thomas and Tamara's birth mother."

Immediately hearing the words of the wise woman, Tommy backed away from the sprits, straight into his best friend. "It can't be," he stared at Maylonus, his shock was unbearable; First the death of his fiancé and long time lover, then this, "How could you be my birth mother?"

Maylonus answered him, tears in her eyes, "Trust me, Tommy. I am your mother," she paused, brushing away her tears, "You were born on October 20, 1980 at 3:47 early in the morning at Summer Springs General Hospital. You were born to the name Thomas Syryn Laronia and weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces. You were a beautiful baby, such as your sister," Maylonus sighed, shifting her gaze to Tamara, "Tamara, you were born at Crystal Falls General Hospital, just 20 minutes away from Summer Springs, on January 12, 1985 at 1:56 in the morning. You weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces and I gave you the name Tamara Syryn Laronia. Later, I forced to give you both up for adoption and about a month or two later, I died of a drug overdose on heroine. And that is why I am here. Dead."

The shock overwhelmed his systems and Tommy did the one thing no one ever expected the leader to ever do; He passed out and fell to the marble floor of the Power Chamber with a 'thump'.

"Tommy? Tommy?" a sweet voice eased him out of his unconscious state.

"Shannon?" Tommy mumbled, as he tried to focus his vision, "Is that really you, Sweetcheeks?"

Kimberly let a tear roll down her cheek when Tommy called her Shannon. *I guess I look TOO much like Shannon.* "No, Tommy," Kimberly wiped the tear away and helped him sit up on the diagnostic table he laid on, "It's me, Kim."

Tommy nodded his head slowly and looked at Kimberly. "What happened?"

As he looked around himself to only see Billy, Kat, Adam, Zack, Camellia, Tamara, Liyah, Justin, Sheryl, Ryan, and Kerry, Billy spoke up as he approached the table, "What happened? You and the floor made contact," Tommy glanced at him, confused, "You fainted."

"You're kidding," Tommy questioned, quickly standing up from the diagnostic table, but losing his balance, forcing him to hold onto the side.

"You took a nasty fall," Tamara came to brother's side and hugged him, something you would NEVER catch Tamara doing in public, "I guess Maylonus' news took it's toll."

Billy and Kimberly walked away from the brother and sister, just as Tamara removed herself from the hug and whispered to Tommy, "Maylonus looked really upset. I think you should go talk to her. She teleported out of here awhile back to one of our favorite places in Summer Springs."

"The REAL Summer Springs," Tommy replied.

"Yes," Lady Dimitria came over to Tommy and Tamara, red eyed, "That was Shannon's place of enjoyment also, was it not?"

Tommy nodded his head. "Shannon," he questioned sorrow filling his voice, "Oh, you don't call her Artemis like everyone else," Tommy motioned his little sister to leave the two and she did, "Yeah, it was her favorite place in Summer Springs. We used to go for hours out there, at our secret place, and lay on the grass, just staring up at the sky..................But, what am I doing boring you with my memories? I am sure you don't want to listen to them."

Lady Dimitria removed her hood from her face and weakly smiled at the ranger standing before her. "Actually, I would like hear some of those memories," Lady Dimitria turned her head quickly, wiping her tears from her eyes, "You were there when Shannon got the telepathic message I left her about Zesta not being her birth mother, correct Tommy?"

"Yeah."

"I am her birth mother."

Tommy looked at her wistfully for a moment. He could see the resemblance between the two, more so than between Shannon and Zesta. Lady Dimitria had shoulder length brunette hair with striking blue eyes that were rather red, from crying obviously, and a rather tan complexion. If anything, Tommy knew she was telling the truth. "You just found out about Shannon's death, didn't you?" He queried, letting a tear roll down his cheek.

"Yes," she answered, then explained, "At first I thought she was with you on Muranthius. Then when I saw only two teleportation lights of white, I worried. When I realized Shannon was not with you, I panicked. When Camellia told me of the tragedy, I cried."

Tommy folded his arms across his stomach. "Does Camellia....."

"Yes."

"She took the news rather well, compared to how you took it," she smiled warmly at Tommy, and Tommy immediately recognized the smile as Shannon's.

The Red Zeo Ranger let out a rueful chuckle. "Sometimes that's the only way you can take news. But it was a bit too much for me. I mean, I had always thought of Maylonus as a second mother, but never my real mother. And as if Shannon's death wasn't enough of a 'bad surprise'."

Lady Dimitria nodded her head understandingly. "Maylonus took your reaction rather hard also," she paused, "She kept blaming herself for telling you and saying she should have not in the first place."

Tommy looked down momentarily. "I'm actually glad she told me. I've always wondered who was my birth mother was and I know Tamara has too," he grinned at the woman, "Thanks for telling about......Shannon, Dimitria."

Lady Dimitria returned the smile. "You are Cindarien now, Tommy. It is 'my lady' to you."

"Well, I'd better go talk to Maylonus," he raised his wrist to his hand, but then stopped, "Thank you again, my lady."

As he teleported away, Lady Dimitria let a tear roll down her bare cheek. *How could you leave such a noble man in such despair, Shannon?*

"Delenus," Kat questioned her Zeo Sprit, Liyah by her side, "Why did you want me and Liyah to stay behind?"

Delenus looked at Liyah, then turned her gaze to Kat. "For certain reasons, Little Kitty," she told, as Kat and Liyah, both, gasped.

Liyah took a moment to stare at Delenus, then realized, "Mummy?"

"Yes, Liyah," she replied, a pink flash engulfing her and changing her into a pair of blue jeans and a pink T-shirt, "It's me."

Liyah and Kat immediately hugged Delenus. "But you're dead, Mum. How could you be alive?" Kat inquired, shedding tears.

"I am dead, Katherine. All of us are dead, except Lady Dimitria," Delenus answered, "We are sprits. Cindarien sprits."

"Isn't that what Shannon is?" Kat remembered, as she let go from the hug.

"Yes, but she was only half-Cindarien. She was also half-human."

"Does that mean we're half-Cindarien too?" Liyah asked, looking into her dead mother's eyes.

"Yes," she paused for a quick moment, "and so are all the other Turbo Rangers. You all descended from the Turbo Rangers before you, the ones that trapped Maligore in the first place and the ones you have your memories from, Liyah. You both are descendants of the first Red Turbo Ranger, Kaia."

"Woah," Kat inhaled all the information she had just been told about her ancestral heritage.

"Woah is right," Delenus grinned through her tears, "I am just glad you both finally know the truth."

"Are you alright, Adam?" Ryan asked his brother, concerned.

Adam brushed a stray tear from his eye, as he leaned against the teleportation console. "Sort of. Everyone's been talking about family and stuff, ya know, and I kind of wish Mom was here right now."

"I wish she was here everyday," the younger boy agreed.

"Sometimes wishes do come true, do they not?" a voice startled the two from behind.

They both snapped around to see Selenious staring at them with her sparkling green eyes. Dressed in a simple green business suit, she approached the boys, the high heels of her sea green pumps hitting the marble floor with a clanging sound.

Adam gawked; He knew exactly who she looked like and couldn't believe it. "Selen, Sele, Selenious," he stuttered, "You look just our mom before she died."

"It is the truth, is it not?" Selenious tossed her short black hair with her hand.

"What?" they both inquired in unison.

Selenious stopped in her tracks and replied, "That your mother is dead and I am dead. That I look like your mother, ironically."

She watched Ryan and Adam as they turned to each other, and she smiled to herself. The name Selenious always meant 'Wise Beauty' in the Cindarien language, and Selenious was living up to her name. She knew she had the gears turning inside of the two boys' heads speedily, trying to figure out what the sprit had meant.

As she folded her arms across her chest, Ryan suddenly turned to Selenious and cried, "MOM!"

Running to her, Ryan grabbed Selenious into a giant bear hug. "So you still do remember me?" Selenious smiled through her joyful tears.

"How could we forget?" Adam replied, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The Korean teenager walked over to his mother and hugged her tightly, never wanting to let go. "You don't know how long we've missed you, Mom," Adam mumbled, "Especially at Christmas time."

"I know you have, Adam. Just as I have missed you," Selenious agreed, Adam resting his head on his mother's shoulder.

Zack stood of in a corner of the large room, staring at the black armor encased in one of glass tubes along the back wall of the Power Chamber. "You were the Black Power Ranger?" Kerry crept up on her brother.

Zack turned around and explained, a little sadness lining his voice, "Yeah, before I had to go to the Peace Conference."

"You miss it don't'cha?" the Pink Turbo Ranger questioned the now Nature Ranger.

Zack glanced down at his younger sister. "Not really. It's just that before, there was only the five of us defending the Earth. Everything was on us. Now, there is nineteen of us and three different types," he paused, "It feels kinda weird. Especially with you and the others on the team. I would protest against you guys being on the team, but I doubt anyone else would be able control your powers."

"Very true," a third voice joined the conversation.

The rangers looked to their left and saw Yolana smiling at them, leaning against the wall next to the Yellow Ranger armor. "You both descended from the first Yellow Turbo Ranger, Carin," the sprit explained, her yellow gown disappearing and in it's place a yellow turtleneck, a short denim skirt that reached her knees, and some pale yellow flats appearing, "I was human once too. I mothered two children that turned out to become two powerful rangers, but unfortunately I wasn't around to see them become what they are. I died when they were young from a deadly illness so long ago, I even forgot what it was called."

Zack threw her a heartless smile, a glint a coldness in his eyes. He knew who the sprit was. "Our mom used to be blunt like that," he told, his darkened eyes meeting Yolana's, "She'd always make her point crystal clear."

"I know," she whispered back, a hurt expression on her face.

Slowly and surely, Kerry made her way over to Yolana and whimpered, "Is that you, Mommy?"

"Yes, it is me," she responded to her daughter, as the girl wrapped herself around Yolana's body.

Zack maintained his distance from Yolana and nodded his head. "Welcome back," was all he said, ice filling his voice as he watched Kerry hug his mother.

Billy absently ran his hands over the console in front of him, entranced in deep thought. "Billy?" a voice brought him back to reality.

Billy snapped to his right to see Sharena next to him, staring with her doe brown innocent eyes. "Yes, Sharena," Billy questioned politely. *Why does she remind me of Mom so much?*

Sharena bit her lip as she looked for the right words. "I do not know how to put this subtly, but................"

"But, what, Sharena?" he had only been speaking with the sprit for two minutes, but was eager to know what she was going to tell him.

"Selena Cranston," she whispered loud enough so that only Billy could hear.

Billy's blue eyes lit up with such happiness as he realized that Sharena was actually his mother, even though the fact still remained that she was dead. "I knew it was you!"

Sharena smiled to herself. She knew for a fact that she was the 'stupidest' sprit, to say bluntly, even though she had given birth to one of the smartest Power Rangers to ever don the spandex. "How did you figure it out?" she questioned.

As Sharena listened, intrigued, Billy explained, "I first noticed it when Tommy, Kat, and I were turned evil. When you, Maylonus, and Delenus tried to stop us, I saw that the others to had gone to stop their 'ranger', where as even though you protected the Blue Rangers, you came for me. Kylara should have come for me, if my theory was right. The second time I noticed was later that night when I went to your grave. When I was crying, I heard a soft voice coming from above me. When I looked up, you were sitting in the branches, crying also," Billy grinned, "Besides it was hard not to miss you up in the tree, you were shaking the branch and making way too much noise. Then, now when you wanted me to stay, but not Rocky or Aisha, I knew your secret."

"You are all to clever, Billy," Sharena hugged her son lovingly, "I have longed for this moment more than ever...................."

A red flash of light materialized into Tommy just beyond a group of large oak trees and in front of a large lake of steaming water. "Summer Springs," he mumbled to himself, remembering the good times he had with Shannon there, one in particular.

{FLASHBACK}
"Hurry!" a fifteen year old Tommy cried, as he pulled a young, teenage Shannon by the hand through the clump of trees, "Come on! Before anyone notices!"

The two fifteen year olds had just been at the Annual Summer Springs Summer Picnic with their families, but had decided to ditch the festivities and hang out at the real Summer Springs that the city had been named after.

"I don't think anyone'll notice, Tommy," Shannon chuckled, looking behind herself, "Our parents are too busy playing poker for that!"

Tommy stopped running, as they approached the banks of the natural spring. "You're absolutely right, Sweetcheeks," he agreed, as he picked his girlfriend up off the ground, holding her in his arms.

"What in the hell are you doing, Oliver?!?!" Shannon cried, gazing into Tommy's puppy eyes.

Tommy kissed her intimately, then replied, "This!"

The girl shrieked as Tommy threw her from his arms, sending Shannon falling into the warm waters.

Shannon hit the water and fell under for a moment, then came back up to the surface. Walking herself up to the shallow part of the spring, the brunette plopped down and sat. "I cannot believe you did that, Tommy!" Shannon giggled, filling her hands with water and splashing Tommy, getting his black T-shirt completely soaked.

"Now look what you've done!" Tommy pulled his shirt over his head and threw it onto the sandy beach surrounding the spring.

"I haven't done anything yet!" Shannon stood up and grabbed her boyfriend's hands, hauling him into the water.

"AUGH!" he cried, sitting in the shallow water, soaked from head to toe.

Shannon kissed him gently on the nose. "That's what you get," she told, her voice dropping a few octaves.

"Really," Tommy replied, pulling Shannon's green sports bra off of her chest, leaving the girl bare-chested.

Tommy rolled his body onto Shannon, rolling them out of the water and onto the sandy beach.

For hours on end, until the sun began to dim in the sky, the teenage couple made hot, steamy, and passionate love on the secluded beach.
{END OF FLASHBACK}

"This is where we conceived Caroline," Tommy whispered to himself.

"Is that so?" Maylonus' voice inquired.

The Red Ranger turned around to see Maylonus directly behind himself, smirking at him, her eyes red from crying. "Yeah, it's so," Tommy smiled, looking at his mother, "We didn't think anything would come from it. Boy, were we wrong."

"Wrong indeed," Maylonus agreed, then apologized, "I am deeply sorry, Tommy. I should have never told you the truth. It would have been better off that way."

Tommy hugged Maylonus. "No," he whispered in her ear, "It wouldn't have. I wouldn't be able to ask you so many things that I've wondered about for so long. So many questions I want to ask you."

The sprit store at Tommy as he drew away from the hug. "I have a past that would make you shameful of me, Tommy. How could you want to know things about such a person?"

"I don't care about your past. You're my mother. My birth mother. That's all that really matters to me," he paused, "What happened to my father?"

"He was killed in a mugging, a few days after Tamara was born, in the South Side of Crystal Falls."

Tommy nodded his head. He knew just as well as the next person, that the South Side of Crystal Falls was a bad place to be, day or night. "Why did you give us up?"

"I had no choice. After your father died, I had no way of supporting myself. No one to turn to. I was young, way too young. Almost the same age as Artemis was," Maylonus paused, "My parents had disowned me when I was fourteen. They were furious the first time I became pregnant with you. They wanted me to have an abortion. Of course, I did not believe in that. So I lived with your father, who was four years older than me. We lived a shit life, but it was better than nothing. After he died, a couple of my friends had also started to turn me onto drugs. Mostly heroine. I was a drug addicted, living on welfare, with two kids I knew I could not take care of. So I did the thing I thought was for the best. I gave you two up for adoption and kept using the heroine. One night me and my best friend, Kyla, were partying at a party in Stone Canyon, only the gods know WHY I was there. During the party, we took a little too much heroine. Adding to it, we were both smoking marijuana for the first time. The party got crashed by the police and we were both taken into custody. The sickening part is that we died in the back seat of the police car," Maylonus looked at Tommy for a moment and saw no sign of surprise or disgust on his face, "Are you not disappointed in me, Tommy? I gave you and your sister up for heroine. I was a druggie. Does this not bother you?"

"No," he whispered, "That was your past. And at least you did the right thing by giving me and Tamara up. You've changed, even though it took death to make you change," Tommy paused for a second thinking back on something Maylonus just said, "Is Kyla who I think she is........"

Maylonus nodded her head. "Yes. My best friend, Kyla, is Kylara. She was just like me. Justin and Sheryl are her children, she had them about the same time I had Tamara. The only reason she is still my best friend is probably because she was not part of the group who turned me onto the drugs. We both got into the mess together," she laughed to herself suddenly.

"What's funny?"

Maylonus held Tommy's hand in hers and explained, "In Cindarien, the name Maylonus means 'Poisoned Beauty' and Kylara means 'Tainted Beauty'. They both mean the same thing, I guess. But just recalling on those memories, I now realize why we are called so."

"Are you mad at me?" Tommy questioned.

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"You were just saying how you were so young when you had me and Tamara. Me and Shannon conceived Caroline when we were young and then we did it again."

"No, Tommy. That was not your fault. That was destiny at hand," Maylonus tried to correct.

"Destiny?"

"Yes, Tommy. You and Tamara are descendants of the Turbo Morphing Master, Syryn. Syryn and Artemis were lovers from the beginning of time. That strong love has been passed down through the millennia's, until it reached you and Artemis. You are destined for a great life with her."

Tommy's face saddened. "But she's dead."

As Maylonus began to fade into an aura of deep red, she whispered, "No, she is not. Just as there is hope for the world, the world keeps living, growing. If you have hope for Artemis, she will keep living..................."

The End... for now

Is Shannon really dead? Why was Zack so cold to Yolana? What is going to happen to the rangers? Will they go on? Don't cry, find out in "How Do I Live"

Ending Author notes: * Okay! How was it? Very long, huh? Anyways, let me know what ya think about it! I would like to get some responses to this story, good or bad, before I start on my next one. I just wanna say one more thing, I know that the whole action passage on Muranthius wasn't as invigorating as it should be, but deal with me here. We all know that wasn't the most important part of the story! *_* Anyways, hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!