Disclaimer : I, Andrew Nelson, am in no way associated with Saban Entertainment.
Although Power Rangers Zeo and all related characters are property of Saban,
the story ideas and concepts are my own. This story can only help the Power
Rangers :) Write me if you wish a copy, etc.
Something was wrong. Around this time every mourning, he would feel the
warm sun on his face, inviting him into the new day. He would then open
his eyes, seeing the familiar surroundings he called home. But today, there
was no warmth. Something was definatly wrong.
Tommy immediately realized this, and quickly opened his eyes, shocked at
what he saw. For he was not in his own room, but what looked like some
medieval torture chamber, like those in his text books from history class.
"What the-?" he gasped, his throat dry. He tried to rise from
the hard stone table he found himself on, but he could not. He looked to
his hands. They were both chained to the stone table. Tommy stretched his
head back, trying to see what was behind him.
"Oh no!" On the wall behind him, each chained upright, were two
familiar figures. The first, dressed in white nightgown, was someone who
he cared for greatly. It was Kimberly.
The next, dressed in a black nightshirt and boxers, was someone whom he
had sparred off with many times. Someone whom he greatly respected. Adam.
"Guys!" Tommy called back. "Adam! Kim! Get up!" Kimberly's
head turned to the side as she mumbled something under her breath.
"Wha...what time is it?" she asked, squinting.
"Kimberly!" Tommy yelled.
"Tommy? What the..." Kimberly moved her hands to rub her eyes,
but they were restrained by the shackles that were bound around here wrists.
She looked down, seeing her feet in a similar condition. She was being
held against a wall by a leather strap around her waist.
"Where are we? How did we get here?" she asked frantically.
"I don't know," Tommy replied. "Wake up Adam."
"Adam?"
"To your left."
Kim slowly turned her head to the left, seeing Adam chained to the wall
beside her. "Oh m'gosh! Adam!" Adam didn't move.
"Kick him," Tommy suggested. Kimberly kicked to the side with
her left foot. The chain was just long enough for her foot to connect on
Adam's shine.
He grunted in pain, then opened his eyes. "Where am I?"
"Adam!" Tommy yelled.
"Tommy? Kim! Where are we?"
"Look, I don't know," Tommy answered. "But we have to get
free. Does either of you see a way of freeing yourselves?"
"None here," Kimberly said.
"There's a small crack in one of the chains holding my right hand.
I think I can break it open," Adam said.
"Alright. Give it a try," Tommy replied. Adam pulled his right
arm away from the wall, straining for every inch. The sound of the chain
bending could be heard.
"Ahh!" Adam exclaimed as his hand flew free of the wall, sending
chains crashing to the brick floor.
"Good. Now undo the belt," Tommy instructed. Adam reached down
with his hand, and unbuckled the large leather strap. He was now hanging
by his one hand.
"Now, you need to get your feet free. Then your weight will pull the
other chain out of the wall.
"Right, Tommy." Adam kick out with his left foot. He then brought
his foot back and kicked again. After several attempts, the chain broke
free of the wall. The chain on the right ankle released after several kicks,
and Adam fell to the ground.
"Way to go, Adam!" Kim commended.
"Adam, do you see anything that might be a key to the shackles?"
asked Tommy.
"Give me a minute," Adam replied as he began to look around the
chamber. Adam noticed several characteristics of the chamber. It had an
extremely high ceiling, almost like it was underground. The sole source
of light was a chandelier of candles about twenty feet up. He then walked
over to a table at the far side of the room.
On the table were several tools, each used, as far as Adam could gather,
for cutting.
"I don't have a key," Adam called from across the room. "But
I have the next best thing!" He picked up a large saw and brought
it over the table that Tommy was bound to.
"I'm going to have to cut the chain. Then I'll cut off the cuffs."
"Okay, just be careful," Tommy said, looking up at the large
blade Adam held in his hand.
"Hold still..." Adam began to saw at the chain. After ten minutes,
Tommy was free. He then cut off the cuffs that were still on Adam's wrists
and ankles. They then cut Kimberly down.
"So," asked Kimberly. "Has either of you figured out just
where we are?"
"Well," Tommy replied, looking around the chamber. "We look
to be in some kind of medieval jail."
"But that's not possible...is it?"
"Well, the only place you'd find a room like this now-days would be
in a museum. But judging from the height of the roof, that not likely,"
Tommy explained.
"So we'd have to be..." Kimberly's voice drifted off.
"In the past," Adam concluded. The crackle of thunder could be
heard from outside, as the teens turned to each other, saying nothing.
"So, I see you're all up and about. Excellent." The threesome
exchanged confused glances.
"Who's there?" asked Tommy.
"Oh," the voice replied. "Forgive me..." A mass of
glowing green light appeared opposite the rangers. It then materialized
into a man. "I am The Keeper."
"The keeper?" asked Adam. "Never heard of you."
"Ah," replied The Keeper. "That does not surprise me. I
am by no means famous. I am, however, rather in a rush, so I'd appreciate
your cooperation." The Keeper spoke in a light English accent. He
was a man of medium height and build, dressed in what looked like a wizard's
robe, complete with a pointed hat.
"Our cooperation? In what?" asked Tommy.
"All will be answered in time, leader," The Keeper replied.
"Leader? How did you know. Why are we here? Why us? Are the other
rangers here? Wh- " Kimberly was cut off.
"Silence!" The Keeper snapped. "I haven't the time for this.
Now, will you listen?" The rangers nodded.
"You will wish to change." Kimberly, realizing what she was wearing,
gasped and tried to hide her embarrassment. "Yes, I thought so,"
The Keeper continued. "There is fresh garb in the cupboard behind
you."
"Cupboard behind us? There's no...where did that come from?"
Kim asked.
"Now, if you'd please hurry up. The climb awaits..."
The rangers turned. "The climb?" asked Adam.
"Yes, the climb. The game. The tower. Call it what you want. Now,
I must be on my way."
"What? You have to...what do we do?" asked Tommy.
"Put on the clothes, and follow the instructions..." There was
a flash of green light, and The Keeper was gone.
"So...what do we do?" asked Kim.
"I say we do what he says," Adam suggested.
"Agreed," Tommy replied. "So?" He motioned towards
the cupboard.
Kimberly swung open the large wooden doors of the cabinet.
"What's the deal?" asked Kim, looking into the closet. "It's
empty!"
"Wait," said Adam, reaching into the closet. "What's this?"
He pulled out a brown piece of paper.
"What does it say?" asked Tommy.
"It's some kind of instructions, or rules," replied Adam, carefully
examining the sheet. "First, we're supposed to take our...belts?"
"Belts?" asked Tommy.
"That's what it says," replied Adam.
"Belts, huh?" said Kim, looking in the closet. "I suppose
these are them." She pulled out three belts, one white, one black,
one pink.
"Here you go, guys," she said, giving Tommy and Adam the white
and black belts respectively.
"Alright," said Tommy, taking the belt. "What next?"
"We, uh...put them on," instructed Adam. The rangers each strapped
on their belts.
"Next, put on the rest of the clothes," continued Adam.
"Rest of the clothes..." repeated Tommy, turning his attention
to the closet. "Whoa!"
"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" said Kimberly at the sight
of what they were to wear. There were three sets of clothes in their respective
colours. They consisted of leather pants which appeared to have sown together
from leftover scraps of material, each with large straps on each leg and
around the waist. The white and black long-sleeved, colourless shirts,
which appeared to be made of cotton, and a sleeveless over-vest. The pink
top was torn and tattered, seeming to have been resewn many times. There
was also footwear.
"So we just put it on?" asked Tommy.
"Ya. It says to put it on and then exit the chamber. That's all,"
answered Adam.
Adam and Tommy put on the clothing over their boxers, and then strapped
on their belts.
"Hey, these aren't so bad!" exclaimed Adam.
"They're actually pretty comfortable," added Tommy.
"Uh, boys?" Kim was standing in front of the cabinet, in her
nightgown, holding up her clothes.
"Oh, right," said Adam, shyly.
"Sorry, Kimberly," added Tommy. Both boys turned their backs
to Kimberly.
*****
"I still don't like this," Tommy said.
"I agree," Adam said. "I'd really like to know why we're
here, and if the other rangers are here as well."
"I want to know what I did to deserve to where _this_!" added
Kimberly.
The three teens were walking around a darkened hallway. The floor was solid
rock, the ceiling and walls stone. It was very damp, and a musky smell
filled the rangers nostrils as they made their way along. There had been
no sign of any other people since they had left the vault - no others doors
or stairs. There were, however, torches attached to the wall about ten
metres apart.
"So what do you think we're supposed to do?" asked Adam.
"What do you mean?" asked Kimberly.
"Well, they way that Keeper guy talked, it almost sounded like we
were in some kind of game," explained Adam.
"Good point," agreed Tommy. "He also mentioned a climb,
and a tower. My guess is that we're actually in some kind of tower, or
castle. And we're supposed to go to the top."
"But why?" asked Adam.
"I suppose we'll find out when we get to the top," Kimberly said.
"But if we need to go up, we need some stairs."
"Ya, and there are none in sight," Adam added.
As they continued on, Tommy kept trying to figure out what was going on.
It didn't make any sense. Why were they here?
"Look!" Adam broke the silence with his call, as he pointed forward.
"It's a door!" Kimberly said. The rangers approached the door
slowly, cautiously. It was a large wooden door with a metal frame.
"It looks safe," said Kim, scanning the door.
"Okay," Tommy said, reaching out for the large metal doorknob.
"Be ready for anything."
