"Okay, people! Let's move! Only five minutes left till show time!" Adam Park shouted.
Adam and his friends: Tommy Oliver, Shannon Kassandra Kaze, Jason Lee Scott, Aisha Cambell, Kimberly Anne Hart, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston, Trini Kwan, Katherine Hillard {Kat}, Rocky De Santos, and Tanya Sloan, were backstage in the auditorium of Angel Grove High School, putting on the last touches for the AGHS annual play, Kara.
"Wow," Tommy marveled, watching everyone get into place, "I never thought we'd get everything together in time for the play."
Adam just shrugged and smiled. "Well, with everyone helping we pulled the unthinkable off."
"I don't about you all, but I've got a bad case of the butterflies," Rocky said nervously.
"You," Shannon looked at him strangely, "with a bad case of the butterflies? Now, I've heard everything."
Everyone laughed and suddenly the twelve heard screams come from the other side of the room. "What the hell?!?!" Tanya and Aisha cried in unison.
A whole bunch of scared teenagers started running towards the group and one girl ran straight into Jason. "What's going on?!?!" he asked her, before her let go.
The girl, obviously spooked out of her wits, answered, "There's metal monsters!" and ran off with the rest of the crowd.
"Metal monsters?" Kat repeated.
"Cogs," Kimberly spat, "Zesta's decided to ruin another perfectly good day."
The gang made their way to the other side of the room and were immediately surrounded by dozens of cogs with metal crossbows. Tommy was about to let out the morphing call, when a voice stopped him, "Do not try, Tommy. If you do, we will have a pile of dead rangers all over the floor."
Billy sneered as he recognized the voice. "Come on out, Zesta. Why do ya need to hide?" the Light Ranger mocked, from within the group of cogs.
"I don't need to hide because I am right here, Billy," Zesta appeared above the huddled group of rangers.
Zack eyed the enchantress from below. "What do you want this time?"
"To publicly destroy your identities and lives," Zesta paused, then warned, "Do not try to disarm a cog anyone. Someone may end up with a metal arrow through their chest OR I will be so drastic as to kill one teenager for every destroyed cog. Morph, but do not try anything as I said or............"
"Someone will end up with a metal arrow through their chest or you're gonna kill one teenager for every cog," Shannon cut her off and snapped, "Like we have any choice. It's morphin' time!"
"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.
"Zeo Ranger VI, White!" Shannon shouted.
"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 twelve morphed and were lead by the cogs onto the curtain covered
stage.
Twenty minutes later, the sea of teenagers, that had been gathered into the auditorium for the play, were getting anxious, now that it had been fifteen minutes they had been waiting out in the auditorium, with no idea what was going on backstage.
Suddenly, Mr. Kaplan walked out in front of the curtains, the cue all the teens were waiting for.
Sweating like a pig and shaking nervously, Mr. Kaplan began to read off of an index card. "Teen, teen, teenagers of Angel Grove," he stuttered, "Zesta, Evil Enchantress of Eltar has taken over......."
But before Mr. Kaplan could finish, three cogs came onto the stage and dragged Mr. Kaplan off the stage and Zesta appeared out of a puff of smoke, taking his place.
A few shrieks of terror were let out, but above that everyone was dead silent waiting for the evil person to say what she had to say. "Hello, teenagers of Angel Grove. You may remember me from a few months back when I did this same thing, right?"
An ocean of heads nodded.
"Well, I have come to do MORE damage," Zesta waved her hand and the curtains were pulled away to reveal the Element and Zeo Rangers, one ranger chained to another, such as Tommy and Shannon chained by the wrist.
Gasps echoed through the auditorium.
Zesta laughed. "Is not this fun? I have captured the Power Rangers and YOU are going to be the first ones to find out their secret identities," Zesta rubbed her hands together in delight, "And guess what? You all know them."
Before Zesta could go on, Shannon, once again, interrupted her mother. "You're one sick bitch, Zesta," her voice echoed.
"Could you hold on one minute?" Zesta rhetorically asked the teens, then turned around and kicked Shannon in the stomach hard, knocking her to the ground, bringing Tommy down with herself.
"UGH!" Shannon cried out in major pain, grabbing her stomach as she blacked out from the pain.
Whispering softly, Tommy tried to revive his fiancé. "Shannon......Shannon? Wake up, Sweetcheeks!"
Zesta turned back to the teenagers. "Well, that is what you get for interrupting me," she paused, "Now how about we start by finding out the rangers' secret identities."
Turning back to the rangers again, she looked down on Tommy. "Pick her up," she commanded him.
"No."
"Do it. Or I will do more damage to her," Zesta threatened.
Tommy hesitantly picked up Shannon's limp body and stood up. "Take off your helmet, Red Ranger," Zesta made sure the teenagers could hear her.
"If you've noticed Zesta, my hands are tied up," Tommy spat.
Zesta smiled cruelly. "Then let me do it for you," Zesta reached towards the latches on Tommy's helmet and undid them, throwing the red helmet to the wooden floor.
As the helmet hit the wood, gasps were let out by the crowd as they looked to Zeo Ranger Five's face to see, Tommy Oliver.
Zesta smirked. "Ahhh, yes it is true, children. Tommy Oliver, the boy of many girls' dreams, IS the Red Zeo Ranger. And guess who the White Zeo Ranger is?" Zesta made a move for Shannon's helmet, but Tommy batted Zesta's hands away from Shannon's white helmet with his free hand.
"Don't you even try to touch her," he snarled at her, then turned to Adam and ordered, "Undo her helmet."
Adam looked to his leader. "Are you sure, Tommy?"
"Do it. We have no other choices at the moment. And right now, Zesta is getting what she wants or we're dead," a stray tear found it's way out of Tommy's eye, ran down his cheek, and landed on Shannon's white spandex ranger uniform, "We've already lost ONE person to this cause. I don't plan on losing anymore."
Adam turned to Rocky, who nodded his head in agreement with Tommy. The Green Ranger reluctantly placed his gloved hands on Shannon's helmet latches and pulled her helmet off, her long brunette hair sent cascading down her back.
Tommy kissed Shannon's lips very delicately and took her helmet from Adam's hands, taking it in his grip, where he knew it was safe.
This time around, not many gasps were let out because it was obvious that if the Red Zeo Ranger was Tommy, the White Zeo Ranger could be nobody else, but Shannon Kassandra Kaze, Tommy's lover.
"It was obvious, was it not," Zesta told the audience of teens, "Shannon Kassandra Kaze, Tommy Oliver's lover, the envy of many girls, I do so believe, is the White Zeo Ranger. Next, we have the Green Ranger."
Zesta, once again, tried to remove Adam's helmet, but Adam quickly undid his helmet and revealed his face. "I'm not tied up, Zesta," he snapped, placing the green helmet under his arm.
Gasps again escaped from people's lips as they looked at Adam Park, the quiet and shy boy of AGHS, to be the Green Zeo Ranger. "Too bad I did not get to take Adam's helmet off for him. Oh well. Another boy who is the center of many girls' dreams. Surprising, eh? Well, onto our Blue Ranger," Zesta moved on Rocky.
Rocky slowly took his helmet off, making sure Zesta didn't lay a hand on him. "You're even lower than Zedd, Zesta. You would need to reveal our identities to finally win," Rocky barked, placing his helmet under his arm.
Surprisingly enough, their were some giggles when Rocky took off his helmet. For most of the people, it was hard to believe that Rocky De Santos could be a Power Ranger. "Actually, I find it myself hard to know Rocky De Santos is the 'serious' Blue Zeo Ranger. Now, onto the Pink and Yellow Rangers," Zesta went on, ignoring Rocky's comment.
As Zesta began to walk towards Tanya and Kat, Rocky grabbed Zesta's hand forcefully and growled quietly, "Don't you dare lay a hand on Kat."
"Do not worry, Rocky. She will take her helmet off for me," Zesta snidely told, and kicked him to the ground, Adam holding his balance.
"ROCKY!" Kat screamed.
"Oh, shut up," Zesta muttered.
Zesta approached the two girls and ordered, "Take your helmets off, girls."
Tanya and Kat both looked to Tommy, who sorryly nodded his head to the two. Tanya and Kat reached for their helmet latches and lifted their helmets off their heads, blonde and cocoa colored hair falling from the helmets.
This time everyone in the auditorium was speechless. Tanya Sloan and Katherine Hillard, Power Rangers? Impossible. "It is hard to comprehend, is it not? Two of the most beautiful girls at Angel Grove High School, Power Rangers? Although the proof was before you. Adam and Rocky, their boyfriends, were the Green and Blue Zeo Rangers. Now onto the Element Rangers," Zesta moved onto the next set of rangers.
Just before Zesta could start exploiting the Elements' identities, Shannon began to stir from her unconsciousness. "Tommy..............." she mumbled, her eyes barely open, "What's goin' on?"
"Shhhhhhh," Tommy whispered, "We're in a major jam right now and we could use the Star Staff right about now."
Shannon winced and replied as quietly, "Well, that's not gonna happen anytime soon. I'm in way too much pain," suddenly she noticed that Tommy's helmet wasn't on, "Hey, where's you're helmet?"
Tommy was about to answer her when Zesta noticed that Shannon had come to. "Why hello, Artemis," Zesta approached the White Zeo Ranger, "How we feeling today?"
Shannon stared at Zesta strangely. "Am I dreaming or is my mother acting like the psychotic bitch she is," Shannon asked Tommy, loud enough that the teens in the auditorium could hear.
"Ummmm, Sweetcheeks?" Tommy motioned towards the audience and Shannon just nodded her head, with no idea her helmet was off.
"No big deal, Tommy," Shannon laughed, "My helmet's on. They don't know who I am."
Zesta just smirked. "It's worse than that, dear Artemis. Trust me."
"Since when did I trust you?" Shannon snapped, as Tommy kissed her on the cheek, "Why did you do that?"
Tommy looked at her, sorrow in his eyes. "Did you feel that kiss?" he inquired.
"Of course..........I..........did," Shannon suddenly realized
her helmet wasn't on her head either, "Ohhhhhh, shit..........................."
"Iyaiyaiyaiyaiyaiyai!" Alpha Five cried, watching the scene unfold on the Viewing Globe in the Power Chamber, "This is the worst tangle the rangers have been in, ever!"
"I do agree, Alpha," Zordon of Eltar agreed, "They have broken a rule of the power and Zesta knows it. She purposely made them reveal their identities, in order to strip the rangers of their powers, leaving the Earth helpless to her wrath."
"What are we going to do?!?!"
"We must rid Zesta once and for all from the Earth, with the help
of friends," Zordon responded, watching Zesta on the Viewing Globe.
"Quite embarrassing, is it not, Artemis?" Zesta smirked, watching the girl blush a bright red.
"Not really," Shannon mustered all the strength she could and threw a blast of pure light at Zesta, barely even having an effect on the enchantress.
"You are too weak, Artemis," Zesta mocked, "You couldn't knock down a human with your power right now."
"Whatever," Shannon spat, "I don't really care what you say right now, you fucking bitch!"
Zesta turned to her daughter and smiled, evil dancing in her eyes. "How about if I told you who your baby's father is?" she whispered quietly.
"How did you know?!?!" Tommy, who had also heard Zesta, questioned surprised.
"Oh, I have my ways," Zesta pressed her fingers to her lips.
Shannon sneered at her mother. "I wouldn't believe you in a million years."
"Your loss, Artemis."
"Wait!" Tommy stopped the enchantress from returning to the crowd, "Are you lying?"
Zesta nodded her head. "I swear on the head of the Lady of the Moon, that I am not lying."
Shannon reached up with her hand and slapped her fiancé on the cheek lightly. *Are you crazy?* she snapped at him mentally, *What if she DOES lie to us?*
*She won't. She just swore on Lady of the Moon's head!* Tommy retorted, *I'm sorry, Sweetcheeks, but I've gotta know before this baby is brought into the world. I have to know if the baby's mine or Jason's.*
Shannon let a sigh escape from her lips. *Go ahead. After we get out this mess, I'll take some tests at the Power Chamber and we'll see if my mother is lying.*
*Thank you!* Tommy kissed Shannon quickly and asked Zesta, "Whose the father of the baby?"
Zesta cocked her head in surprise. *He convinced her quickly* she thought to herself. "You are, Tommy," she whispered quietly, walking away from the couple and returning to the teenagers.
Tommy, right away, gave Shannon a long and hard kiss on the lips. "Tommy!"
He pulled away from the kiss and turned to Tanya, who had called him. "What?" he answered softly, as Zesta continued to talk to the teenagers.
The Yellow Ranger motioned with her head towards the left of the stage and Tommy glanced off the stage, he saw Caroline Kaze, his daughter, and Apollo, Selene, and Helious hiding in the curtain's shadows, Trey and the Aquatians behind them.
He looked to them with relief in his eyes. *The rescue squad made it.*
"How the hell are we supposed to get them off the stage without any one noticing, especially Zesta?" Apollo cried quietly, as he kneeled down on his knees, holding Caroline back, so she wouldn't run onto the stage.
"Zordon said this was the time for Zesta to leave the living and join the dead," Delphine paused, "I'm guessing we just run out there and GRAB her attention."
Apollo looked up at the Aquatian. "Are you crazy?!?!? There must be a gazillion teenagers out there hanging on Zesta's words!"
"Actually, one thousand forty," Cestro corrected.
"Whatever!"
Trey nodded his head. "I am with Delphine. I say we storm the stage," Trey agreed with Delphine.
"Me too," Selene agreed with Trey.
Apollo sighed in exasperation. "Even my own girlfriend has gone
against me. Oh, well. I guess I'm in too.............."
As Zesta kept yakking, suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Tommy watched the ten 'rescuers' storm the stage, making the most noise they could possibly make. *What the hell?!?!* Tommy thought *They're gonna get caught!*
Zesta immediately snapped around and saw the rescue team. "You rangers ARE pitiful. I could hear you a mile away," she mocked.
"Then how ya gonna stop us?" Apollo opened his big mouth.
"SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!" Shannon snapped at him.
"Like this," Zesta threw a lighting bolt at the group and sent Apollo, Corcus, Tidous, Caroline, and Selene one way and Delphine, Cestro, Aurico, Trey and Helious the other.
"Hold Zesta off while we get Caroline to Artemis!" Selene signaled Delphine and the other rangers, as Apollo, her, and Caroline started running across the stage.
"Right!"
Zesta noticed their plan right away and shook her head. "No, no, no........." she began to throw numerous lighting bolts at the three.
Suddenly, she got shot in the shoulder with a laser pistol. "No,
no, no, Zesta............" Aurico mimicked the villain and drew her
attention.
"Come on! Just a few more feet!" Shannon encouraged the three as they steadily approached her and Tommy.
"Medical staff, at your service!" Apollo called, as Tommy laid Shannon to the ground quickly.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay, Caroline!" Tommy hugged his daughter quickly and told her, "Mommy's is hurting badly."
Caroline looked at her father and said, "I can fix her."
Placing her hands on the White Zeo Ranger's forehead, a white aura enveloped
her body and healed all of Shannon's internal wounds. Once the aura faded,
Shannon stood up and gathered Caroline up into a hug. "You are one
brave little girl, coming out here to save me like that," Shannon
proudly said, handing the girl to Selene, "Now," she turned to
her fiancé, "Let's rock Zesta's world...................."
Busy fighting off Delphine, Cestro, Aurico, Trey, Helious, Corcus, and Tiduos, Zesta didn't notice Shannon as she freed all her friends from their confining shackles.
As Zesta fought, she heard a voice ask the audience, "Hey, have you ever heard of the mother who didn't act like one? Well, there she is!"
Zesta stopped fighting to see Shannon pointing at her with her Star Staff at hand.
The enchantress gasped. "Gasp away, Mother, gasp away. By the way, my health is courtesy of my sweet, loving daughter. The one you were going to kill awhile back, remember?" Shannon mocked the bitterness in her voice.
"Oh, shut up!"
"Why?"
"Because I said so!"
"Why?"
"Because I want you to!"
"Why?" Shannon asked for the third time, knowing she was annoying the hell out of Zesta.
Zesta growled. "Quit you foolish word games and fight! Cindarien to Eltarien. Alien to alien. Mother to daughter," a sword appeared in Zesta's hands.
"You sure you up to it, Zesta? Might ruin your good manicure," the guardian chuckled, Tommy tossing Shannon his sword.
Zesta locked eyes with Shannon. "Looks do not matter."
"Glad you figured that one out after what? Twelve thousand years," the White Ranger barked, circling Zesta.
Throwing the first move, Zesta swung her sword straight at Shannon with her body, so when Shannon easily moved away from the sharp edge, Zesta stumbled straight into the stage curtains. "I don't stand a chance, Zesta, do I?" Shannon mocked, expertly swinging the sword in her hands.
"Errrrrr........I was not trained for this fight! KIROS!" Zesta called.
Out of a golden aura, a monster that looked like Goldar was revealed, wielding a large sword. "Yes, my queen," Kiros bowed down to Zesta.
"Destroy the rangers!" Zesta pointed and disappeared.
Kiros nodded his head and shouted, "COGS, ATTACK!"
"SPLIT UP!" Shannon and Tommy yelled at the same time to the rangers, dodging Kiros' sword efficiently.
Right away, Rocky confronted the huge monster. "Ahhh, long time, no see, MEDUSA!" Rocky yapped, provoking Kiros.
"Hello, Blue Ranger. It is a good day to die, do you not think?"
Kiros snapped back, as they began to battle, sword to sword.
"How the hell are we going to deal with THIS," Tommy motioned towards the ongoing fight on the stage, "and the teenagers. I mean, Sweetcheeks, they know our identities!"
Shannon patted her worried leader on the back. "Now don't get your spandex into a knot, Olive Oil. You guys deal with Medusa and his army. Leave our lovely audience to me, I can handle it," Shannon assured the Red Ranger.
"I hope you're right, Shannon," Tommy called back to her, launching himself into a crowd of cogs.
*I hope I am, too.*
"How can we NOT help them! They are fighting a battle that destiny has meant for them to die in! It would be inhumane not to interfere, even with the information we possess!" Maylonus screamed at Lady Dimitria, the pain and anguish evident in her voice.
"Calm yourself, Maylonus," Kylara placed her hand on her sprit sister's shoulder, "I am sure Lady Dimitria has a very logical explanation for all of this. The rangers are strong, they will not die so easily."
"Why do you not leave us, Kylara! You have no place among us!" Delenus cried at the other woman, "Your child, your flesh and blood, is not out there on that battlefield of death, fighting against Zesta's lackeys. You have NO idea how we are feeling at this moment!"
Kylara turned her head away in shame.
Lady Dimitria finally opened her mouth for the first time during the conversation. "I do not have logical explanation, Kylara. It is what Lady Of the Moon wishes, and we cannot go against a god," the wise woman paused, "And I do know how you all feel at this moment. My flesh and blood is out there, too. Thinking her mother is some witch and not even knowing that I AM her true mother."
The six Zeo Sprits gasped.
"Your, your, your child is................." Sharena was cut off by Lady Dimitria.
"Yes, she is MY child. Not that witch's. She is MY blood. She is
MY flesh." Lady Dimitria whispered silently, a single tear falling
from her eye.
"I hope I know what I'm doing," Shannon mumbled, as she jumped down from the stage, snapping her helmet back on her head.
Standing in front of the whole audience, she waved her Star Staff above her head and chanted, "Knowledge beheld, knowledge behold, light of goodness I call upon thee. Remember nothing of these witness' to our falter, remember something of a battle of the evils and goodness."
A bright white light burst out of the white star that sat upon the staff and blanketed the audience within the light. As the light faded away, Shannon looked up to the stage to make sure the Zeo Rangers had their helmets on, which they did. When the light did fade away, Shannon smiled under her helmet and jumped back into the fight.
"Could ya use some help?" Shannon questioned, as she helped Billy fight off the cogs he was surrounded by.
"Sure could," Billy replied, then asked, as he tornado kicked a cog, "What'd you do to our 'audience'?"
Shannon spin kicked a cog to the wooden floor and answered, "Just a little magic. I made them forget what happened earlier about our identities and stuff. Now, they just think that we've been fighting Kiros and cogs ever since we arrived."
"Cool," Billy remarked, punching a cog into the curtains, "Ya gotta teach me that one."
"I will, when I have the time," Shannon responded, "But right now I need your help."
"For what?" Billy inquired.
Shannon grabbed Billy by the arm and pulled him away to a corner of
the stage. Taking off her helmet for a moment, Shannon started to whisper
her plan to the Light Ranger.
".............Okay, so do you understand?" Shannon finished explaining her plan.
"Crystal clear," Billy nodded his head, "Should we start?"
Shannon put her helmet back on and held her Star Staff in her hand. "Anytime you are."
"Then let's go!"
Shannon began to emit a white light from her staff, using the light as a scanner. While Shannon used her staff, Billy channeled up pure white light in his hands and projected the light as a concentrated beam. The two, together, were scanning the area for a familiar villianess.
After awhile of scanning, without any trouble from the cogs, Billy hit paydirt. "AHHHHHHHH!"
Where Billy had shone his light, a once invisible Zesta appeared from the air. "That hurt!" Zesta threw a black lighting bolt at Billy and knocked him to the ground, stunned.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Shannon snapped from across the room, the only thing standing between the two, cogs scraps of all the destroyed cogs scattered across the floor.
"You don't have a chance, Zesta!" Trey stood next to Shannon, his Gold Power Staff at hand, "Even Kiros was wise and fled!"
Zesta's ruby red lips snarled and her green eyes were filled with such a fury and rage. Angry and definitely pissed, she growled, her voice low, "I never flee."
"Take a look in the mirror, Zesta. You've got no choice, BUT to flee," Helious reasoned.
Zesta brushed some of her hair from her face with her hand. "No, Helious. You take a look in the mirror. I have right where I want you and your not going to get away from my grasp. This IS the last time. Either for you or for me," the enchantress spat, pure unadulterated evil filling her once beautiful voice, now strained with bitterness.
"It's not our time to go. You're legacy is ready to come to an end, once and for all, Zesta. YOU'RE goin' down, bitch," Shannon snarled, with the same bitterness in her voice, "It's now or never, Trey," the guardian turned to the Gold Ranger.
Trey nodded his head in agreement. "I agree."
Trey held his staff out in front of him and stood in front of the group of rangers. Instinctively, all the Zeo Rangers lined up behind Trey. Adam Tommy, and Shannon placed their hands on his right shoulder and Kat, Tanya, and Rocky placed their hands on his left shoulder. The Element Rangers lined behind the Zeo Rangers and touched their shoulders. The Aquatians lined up behind the Element Rangers and placed their hands on the Elements' shoulders. Lastly, the guardians lined up behind the Aquatians and touched their shoulders.
"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 six Element Rangers gave some of their power to Trey. "You rangers cannot destroy me you should know that by now," Zesta smirked slightly.
"Good-bye, Mother," Shannon mocked, before her and the other twenty rangers around let out the most powerful call they'd ever let out in their lives.
"UNIVERSAL POWER................................POWER UP!" they called in unison.
A rainbow of colors came shooting out from the Golden Power Staff and headed straight for the villianess. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Zesta screamed, as the power impacted with her.
The lights faded away and revealed Zesta on the ground, barely alive. "Shacrom!" Shannon called the weapon, as it appeared in her hand.
The rangers stepping out of their formation, Shannon handed Tommy the Shacrom and whispered, "It's your destiny, Oliver, remember," Shannon smiled softly, "Finish her off."
Shannon stepped back and Tommy was in the spotlight. "SHACROM, POWER UP!"
As Tommy ordered the weapon, a red aura surrounded the Shacrom and the Red Zeo Ranger flung it at Zesta, like a Frisbee cutting the air. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a pain staked shrill filled the auditorium, causing the students and adults to cover their ears in agony.
The Shacrom flew back to Tommy and swiftly caught it in his gloved hand.
The rangers wandered over to the spot where Zesta once stood and all they saw was the cat's eye pendant that she wore so constantly.
Picking up the pendant, Shannon admired it with pleasure.
There was a dead silence as all the rangers stepped off the stage and walked out of the school, into the student parking lot, where they were met with a surprise.
"Ohmigod!" Kimberly screamed, as she looked above herself to see a giant Kiros.
"Wonderful," Rocky spat, "Medusa's here."
Shannon turned to the Aquatians, guardians, Elements, and Trey. "Y'all better head back to the Power Chamber. We've got a settle to score with Kiros," she suggested.
"Right," Delphine agreed, as they were whooshed away in a rainbow of lights.
Shannon looked to her left and saw Tommy and Adam. She looked to her right and saw Rocky, Kat, and Tanya. "I think it's time we called out the big boys," Shannon told her friends.
"Ya think?" Rocky, good naturedly, snapped.
Ignoring Rocky's remark, she questioned the group, "You guys know the maneuver, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then, let's do this!" Shannon encouraged, as everyone joined in, "Mini Zeo Zords, power up!"
From the sky, the Mini Zeo Zords fell to the ground and the Zeo Rangers immediately climbed into them. "I call upon the Arctic Star!" the White Ranger called from her Mini Zeo Zord cockpit.
A fast wave of white light sped past and the Arctic Star appeared. Shannon jetted out of the White Panda and got into the Arctic Star's cockpit. "We need Super Ultra Star Zeo Megazord power, now!" the six rangers cried out.
The Pink Platypus, Yellow Lion, Blue Rhinoceros, Red Tiger, and White Panda flew into their compartments inside the Arctic Star and the Green Eagle perched itself onto the shoulders of the bulky zord. Folding it's metallic feathers over the Arctic Star's 'face', revealing only it's red eyes, the eagle zord stood still.
With all the Zeo Rangers now sitting in the Deluxe Arctic Star, Tommy, Adam, Rocky, Tanya, and Kat called out, "We need Super Zeo Megazord Power, now!"
Dropping from the sky, the Super Zeo Megazord landed on the ground, as the Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Pink Rangers jetted to that zord. Once the five were safely on board the Super Zeo Megazord, the last component of the Super Ultra Star Zeo Megazord was initiated.
The Super Zeo Megazord unfolded a platform right at its knees. Flying onto the platform, the Deluxe Arctic Star fastened itself to the other Megazord. It's bulky arms came over the Megazord's shoulders and, literally, turned inside out, revealing an outstanding arsenal (somewhat like the Rescue Megazord's Arsenal Mode.)
Now, the Arctic Star's 'head' was standing above the Super Zeo Megazord's 'head'. So the Arctic Star's 'head' detached from its own zord and nicely fitted over the Super Zeo Megazord's 'head', the Green Eagle still attached.
Now the Super Ultra Star Zeo Megazord stood twice as tall as Kiros, but he still didn't coward. "Your size, nor weapons make no difference! I am the mighty Kiros!"
"Whatever, Medusa," Rocky snarled.
"Ready, guys?" Tommy questioned his friends and teammates.
"Yeah."
"Super Ultra Sabre!" they called unison.
Out of the blue sky, a silver sabre, with each Zeo Symbol engraved on the handle, fell into the protective hands of the powerful zord.
Making a stabbing motion with their right hands, and an invisible circle with their left fist, the rangers shouted out, "ZEO CHARGE!"
The Super Ultra Star Zeo Megazord took the sabre, the tip of it pointing downwards, and shoved into the ground. A ball of pure energy began to form at the end of the sabre. Suddenly, the energy ball grew immensely large and sent a charge of pure goodness through the earth. After a second, the charge hit Kiros, blowing him to bits and destroying him for good.
"WOOOOOOOOO!" Rocky hollered.
"We did it!" Kat screamed.
"It's over!" Adam cried in pure happiness.
"Zesta's gone for good!" Tanya shouted.
"We've finally gotten rid of 'em all!" Tommy cheered.
Shannon grinned as she watched her friends. *Only if it all was so simple..............................*
About a week later after the rangers' most victorious win over Zesta, Tommy and Shannon were back in Power Chamber conducting tests. "I really hope Zesta wasn't lying this time around," Tommy said, as he and Alpha analyzed the tests Shannon had just taken, while Zordon was in a hyper sleep for the time being.
"Yeah, so do I," Shannon agreed, with a sigh, "But that's not what I'm worried about."
Tommy turned around to face his fiancé. "What ARE you worried about? You've been really out of it ever since we destroyed Zesta."
"It's just that......My aunts and Zesta were extremely close. I just know they're gonna come to Earth to avenge Zesta's death," Shannon played with her Zeo Ring nervously, "I'm really not looking forward to dealing with them when the time comes."
"Why are you so worried! There's no need, unless they're like the most evil person in the universe," Tommy tried to cheer up the brunette.
"Well, why don't I explain my family tree to you, while we're waiting for the tests. THEN, you'll understand WHY I'm so worried," Shannon told him.
Tommy shrugged, as he leaned against the main computer console. "I'm listening."
Okay," Shannon started, "My mother is Zesta, Evil Enchantress of Eltar. Her sisters are: Auora, Evil Warrior of Eltar and Divatox, Evil Harlot of Eltar."
"Harlot?" Tommy questioned, laughing.
"She looks like a prostitute and let's leave it at that," Shannon giggled, "Anyways, their brother is Maligore, the, so-called 'Great Flame of Destruction'. He's been intrapped somewhere, who knows where. Their mother, my grandmother, is Scorpio. Scorpio's siblings are: Master Vile, Ivan Ooze, and Electra."
Tommy nearly choked. "You're kidding?!?!"
This time, Shannon shrugged. "It's a fact. If you weren't ready for that, then hold on tight, Oliver. You ain't heard anything yet," Shannon warned him, "Master Vile's daughter is Rita Repulsa and his son is Rito. Electra's son is Lord Zedd. Oh, by the way, I forgot, Auora has a son named Elgar and Divatox's daughter is Astronema. They're my cousins."
Shannon paused and looked at Tommy, who, she thought, was going to hurl. *Are you okay, Olive Oil?* she mentally asked the Red Ranger.
*Just fine, Sweetcheeks* Tommy answered, holding onto the console behind him.
"Okay, the Grand Monarch of Evil, Dark Specter, is my great grandfather and his wife, Nemesis, is the Queen of Evil. That's the family tree."
"Shannon, you are practically related to ALL the evil we've fought, except the Machine Empire," Tommy nodded his head in utter astonishment.
Shannon crossed her arms across her chest. "Do I look like a machine to you, Tommy?" Shannon mock pouted.
Tommy smiled. "Of course not," he turned to Alpha, "Are the tests finished yet?"
"Almost done," Alpha walked over to the printer, just as it began printing out the results of the tests, "It's finished!"
Shannon jumped of the diagnostic table and practically ran over to where Alpha was standing. *Are you scared, Tommy?*
*Extremely* he answered her.
Once it finished printing, Alpha tore the paper from the printer and handed it Tommy.
Shannon practically mauled Tommy and asked, "So what's verdict?"
"Hold on, Shannon," Tommy replied, "I was never really good at reading these readouts."
Tommy was silent for a minute before his eyes met the bottom of the paper and he saw what he had been hoping for all this time. "YES!" Tommy cried.
"Yes, what?" Shannon nagged, as she tried to get a glimpse of the paper.
"Yes, YES, Shannon!" Tommy told her happily, "Zesta didn't lie!"
Shannon hugged Tommy. "Thank goodness," the brunette turned to Alpha and asked, "Can you track down the rest of the rangers, Alpha, and tell us where they are?"
"Right away, Artemis," Alpha pushed a few buttons on the console and reported, "They are at Angel Grove Lake."
"Okay, thanks Alpha!" Tommy thanked, as the two disappeared
into lights of red and white.
Jets of white and red set down in the near the lake, where the rest of the rangers were playing volleyball.
Trini was about to serve the ball, when she heard, "KIM! TANYA! KAT! TRINI! AISHA! JASON! EVERYONE!"
Trini turned to her left and saw Shannon and Tommy running at them, full speed, Shannon waving a small piece of white paper in her hand.
When they reached the ten rangers, the couple was out of breath, but still extremely excited. "Whoa, what's going on?" Jason asked, trying to calm down his best friend.
"You know how, me, and Shannon, went to the, Power Chamber, today," Tommy was panting heavily, "Well, Shannon, took some, tests and,.............Just show'em the paper, Shannon!"
Shannon shoved the paper into Kimberly's hands and pointed to the bottom where the results were.
Everyone crowded around Kimberly and looked down on the paper. Being the first one to see lay eyes on the paper, Kimberly shrieked in glee when she read the results and grabbed her best friend in a hug. "Congratulations, Shannon!" Kimberly cried.
"Thanks, Kim!" Shannon smiled, "Me and Tommy were so worried that the baby was Jason's."
Kimberly pulled away from the hug and looked Shannon in the eyes, "Well,
now you have nothing to worry about. This is so great!"
As congratulations went around the tight group, a woman covered in a black cloak watched from the shadows of the trees. "I am truly sorry, Artemis, to ruin your delightful celebration, but this must be done."
Closing her eyes, the woman used her telepathic abilities and broke into Shannon's mind easily. Once she was inside, she created a telepathic link with Shannon, for a moment. The woman inserted the bit of information through her telepathic link that she needed to and destroyed her telepathic link, thus leaving Shannon's mind.
"Ugh," the woman opened her eyes, slightly weakened by her encounter with Shannon, she leaned against a near by tree.
"This was the only way," the woman removed her hood and revealed Lady Dimitria's face, "I will return when it is your time to know, child."
Lady Dimitria disappeared within an aura of white.
A few minutes after Lady Dimitria broke into Shannon's mind, Shannon started hearing voices in her head, repeating the same message over and over, louder and louder each time the White Ranger tried to ignore it. "Ohhhhhhh, my head," Shannon stumbled to the sand.
"Shannon, are you okay?" Tommy was quickly at her side, helping her stand.
"No," Shannon moaned, as she held her head, obviously in pain, "Take me to the Power Chamber, Tommy."
"Okay," Tommy was about to leave, when Billy spoke up.
"Let me come. Zordon's in hyper sleep, so you'd better not disturb him. I might be able to help you out," he suggested.
Tommy nodded his head in agreement as the three walked over to a secluded
spot and teleported back to the Power Chamber.
"Lay her down on the diagnostic table, Tommy. I think I can figure out what's wrong," Billy walked over to the main computer console and told Alpha, "Can you put the cranial transmission scanner on Shannon, Alpha?"
"Okay, Billy," Alpha went over to Shannon and placed a small device behind Shannon's left ear, "The scanner is in place."
"Good," Billy pressed a button on the console and voices went blaring through the chamber, all whispering the same message.
Billy, Shannon, and Tommy covering their ears, Alpha went over to the console and said, "Isolating one voice," Alpha pressed a few more buttons, "Playing now."
As Shannon, Billy, and Tommy removed their hands from their ears, they heard a soft female voice saying, "Zesta is not your birth mother," over and over and over.
"What?!?!" Shannon screamed, then realized, "That voice. It sounds like, like, Lady Dimitria's voice. She must have been the person who implanted this message in my mind. She could be the only person."
"Lady who?" Billy and Tommy asked in unison.
"You wouldn't know her. She's like the boss off the Zeo Sprits."
"Why would she send you this message, then?" Tommy asked his fiancé.
Shannon shook her head, not believing it. "She sent this message to me because she knows who REALLY is my birth mother....................................."
Who is Shannon's birth mother? Are Divatox and Auora going to return to Earth to avenge their eldest sister's death? How does Lady Dimitria know what she knows? Find out in "Hope For The World"
