Legal Disclaimer: Not mine, Saban's, you get the idea. This fanfic takes place after "To Everything There is a Season", and is the second in the "Gifts of the Avatars" series. Send me some e-mail, people, I'm not doing this just for my health you know!!! *grin*
The threats to the Earth have come from space, from the vast reaches of the universe. It has never been considered that a true global threat could come from not just within the Earth, but from within humanity itself.
Deep within the earth the crystal had lain, for unknown numbers of millennia. Perfectly round, as large as a man's head, it had never seen the light of day. Forces of evil all over the universe would give everything they owned for the power it contained.
But this stone was alive, in a way no one could possibly imagine. It was more than alive, it was aware, and it was seeking for someone. It had been seeking this person ever since it had achieved awareness.
And now that person had been found. _Come,_ the crystal whispered into the mind of that one. _Come to me. Find your way to me. It is time._
On the surface, in a town called Angel Grove, a young man sat up, sweating and afraid, from a dream in which a voice had called to him. "Oh, man, I've got to get over this," he muttered. "That's the third time this week I've had that dream."
As he tried to compose himself, his gaze fell on a picture by his bedside. He had to stop himself forcefully from crying at that point. It showed himself and his younger brother, arm in arm after a karate tournament when they were fourteen and thirteen respectively.
He couldn't stop the memories that flooded him, memories of learning the martial arts, of teaching his brother the right moves, instructing him in the ancient discipline. Then almost a year after that, Jason had changed. Oh, not in a bad way. If anything, he'd become even better. His martial arts skills had increased to an unreal level, while at the same time his grades dipped a little. The same was true for his friends, Zack, Trini, Kim, and Billy.
Kyle Scott sighed. Jason, Zack, and Trini were all in Switzerland; having been picked for the International Peace Conference. Kim was in Florida, training for the Pan Global Games. Billy was still in Angel Grove, but he hardly talked to Kyle much anymore. He was busy hanging around with the new friends he'd made. Tommy and that bunch. It was so strange, it was as if they had some sort of secret that he didn't know about, something that made them a tight bunch. He sighed.
_Wish I had someone like that,_ he thought. _Someone who'd back me up against anything and anyone. Jason and I WERE like that. I wish I knew what had happened. But he'd never tell me._
He was about to lay back down, when the voice ripped into his mind again. _Come to me, Kyle Lee Scott. I am your destiny. Come to me at once._
No longer shrouded by sleep, Kyle's mind collapsed before the power
of that voice and the will behind it. "I will come," he spoke,
his words heavy and thick. He quickly slipped on shoes and a jacket, and
headed out into the night of Angel Grove.
* * *
In another part of the universe, as Kyle began his fateful journey, six beings materialized. Five of them, three women and two men, looked old beyond belief, while the sixth was as young and vital as spring itself. The five bowed low before her, as she shook her head. "My friends, there is no need for this obeisance, and no time either. That which we have feared for so long has happened."
The old woman in blue straightened up. "The stone has awakened?"
"More than awakened, it has chosen it's Avatar," the woman sighed. "And you all know what that means."
The woman in red smiled visciously, closing her wrinkled hand into a fist. "Time for battle, my lady. Time at last."
"Jaya!" their yellow-clad male companion spoke a quick reproof. "Though you yearn for combat even now as in your youth, may I remind you that we are old now? Our powers are not equal to that of the stone, or that of it's Avatar."
A soft voice halted what might have been an argument. "My brothers and sisters, we have always known the time would come when the stone's Avatar would awaken. We prepared for it, but now we are too old. Others must carry on this fight."
"Others?" Jaya snorted. "Who could?"
The young woman spoke up. "There are five young people on Earth now who would do admirably."
As one, the others turned to her. "Who?" the woman in black asked. Instead of answering, the young one raised a hand, creating an image of five youths in the air between them. Three young men, two young women. "They look strong enough," the black-wearing one nodded to herself.
"What are their names?" the one in pink spoke up at last.
"Billy Cranston. Kimberly Hart. Zack Taylor. Trini Kwan. Jason Scott," the young one said, smiling at the sight of Billy. "I have spoken with Billy before, when he needed guidance."
Eyebrows shot up all over the room. "You revealed yourself to a mortal, Kala?"
Kala Alyana shook her head. "He does not know me for what I am. Yet. In the proper time, he will learn."
"They are the ones, then?" the one in red asked. Kala nodded.
"Though I will miss you, my friends, this is fate," she went from one to the other, placing a gentle kiss on each forehead as she did so. "The five of them defended Earth together once, and fate decrees they shall do so again. Once they were the Power Rangers. Now destiny calls them forth to do battle against that which would destroy all mankind," she looked at these with whom she had spent so many happy centuries.
"Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit have chosen them each to be
their new Avatars," she declared. "The battle will soon begin."
* * *
Kyle made his way through the caverns; he'd been unable to resist the call in his mind since it had rang with such utter clarity. He traveled through the tunnels without so much as a misturn or wrongly placed step; it was as if something told him where to go and when to turn.
The trip was made in complete silence; he had no need to speak, and the voice within him could only be heard by him. Even if he had seen anyone, and he did not, they would have heard nothing.
Time meant nothing on this trip. It could have been an hour, a day, a week, or a month later when he finally arrived in the cavern where the crystal lay. It pulsed slightly, in time with his heartbeat, as he entered.
_You have come at last, my son,_ the voice whispered. _After so long, we shall be one._
_Who are you?_ he asked the first question he'd been able to since it had overwhelmed his mind in his bedroom.
_I am you. You are me. We are one._
Kyle saw himself moving forwards, his body going without asking for instructions from his brain. As he picked up the crystal, his entire being faded away, replaced by the will of the stone. He glowed briefly black, then the stone faded away. His clothes were replaced with black armor, complete with inky cape and high midnight boots and gloves. His eyes, normally a happy blue, now were black and featureless. A low, chilling laugh filled the cavern.
"I am the Dark Angel," he proclaimed, rising up through the
earth to gaze at the stars above. "And this world is mine."
* * *
The alarms sounded in the Power Chamber at once. Alpha scanned quickly, trying to determine what was going on. "Zordon!" he cried suddenly. "It's the Dark Stone!"
THE DARK AVATAR HAS AWAKENED?
"Ay-yi-yi, yes!" Alpha was terrified, something that hadn't occurred in ten thousand years. "Zordon, the Zeo Rangers can't handle the Dark Avatar's power!"
I KNOW, Zordon said quietly. WE MUST INFORM THEM, THOUGH.
Just as Alpha was about to send out the message, a glittering figure appeared in the center of the room. "No, my friends," Kala Alyana spoke quietly. "Dark Angel will be stopped, but your Zeo Rangers have enough to do with King Mondo's attacks."
KALA, WE ARE HONORED, Zordon bowed his head. WHO WILL DEAL WITH THE DARK AVATAR, IF NOT THE POWER RANGERS?
"The Avatars of Nature," Kala smiled. "The next generation will be chosen soon, and with the powers of nature, will stand against the Dark Angel's attacks."
AS YOU SAY, KALA, Zordon nodded.
Kala chuckled a little. "Farewell, Zordon. You need not speak of
Dark Angel or me to the Rangers. They will learn in due time of his existence."
_Much to their dismay. But all in good time, as I have said so often. All
in good time._
* * *
In Switzerland, Jason Lee, Zack Taylor, and Trini Kwan all stopped what they were doing at the same moment and looked at each other. Trini took a deep breath.
"You guys felt that?" she whispered. Zack and Jason both nodded slowly.
"Something's happening in Angel Grove," the former Black Ranger said softly. "I hope the guys are all right."
Jason glanced from one to the other. "So do I," he murmured. _We're going to be needed again. I can't tell how I know, I just KNOW._ He stood up suddenly. "Come on."
"Huh?" Trini looked at him. "Jason?"
"We're going back to Angel Grove," he said sternly. "We're needed there, and we're not getting anything done here."
Zack nodded abruptly. "You're right," was all he said, though he felt it as strongly as Jason did. Trini agreed.
"We're on the next plane out of here, and back home."
* * *
"Miss Harte, concentrate!" Gunther Schmidt snapped out. "You're not doing your best! How do you expect to win a gold if you don't concentrate?"
Kim leaped off the balance beam and landed perfectly. _What does he mean, I'm not concentrating? I haven't messed up this routine once in two weeks!_ She was about to climb back up and start again, when something stopped her. It wasn't anything she could identity, just a strong feeling. . ."Angel Grove," she whispered. "Angel Grove. . .no, more than that. . ."
"Miss Harte!" her coach snapped. "Focus!"
She turned on him, eyes flashing with a strange light. "I quit," she said. "I don't have to put up with you and your yelling anymore, I'm going home to where I belong."
Kim stormed out before anyone could say a word to her, and was packed up before she herself quite realized what was going on.
She was going home.
* * *
Billy Cranston looked up from his work in his lab. It had been a while since he'd been in here, he'd spent most of his time working in the Power Chamber. At least he had, until he'd had a late night encounter with Kala.
He still thought about her, and the wise words she'd spoken to him. Sometimes at night he would go for walks, hoping to somehow be at that small cottage again. But it never happened.
His head came up suddenly as a feeling almost like shock went through him. He found himself smiling. It was the same feeling he'd gotten when his communicator would go off in the old days.
"Time to do battle," he whispered. He didn't know the enemy or how he'd do it, or who he'd be beside, but every particle of his being told him that this was what Kala had meant.
His destiny had come.
* * *
Dark Angel looked around, seeking a suitable place for his home. _Hmmmmmm. . .there shall do nicely._ On top of a mountain outside of Angel Grove, the Dark Avatar created a simple cottage. _Let those stupid aliens have huge castles and bases that their enemies can invade pretty much whenever they want. All I need is this._ He went inside and with a mere flick of a hand had filled it with furniture and decorations. _Yes. Just right._
A ripple in the air caught his attention. Dark Angel growled deep in his throat. "No," he hissed. "Those Avatars are seeking replacements! That is not what I need! Their power could seriously threaten my domination of this world!"
He clenched a fist. "I have come so far already to achieving my destiny. I will not let those foolish Avatars stop me, now or ever! I want this world, and no one shall stand in my way"
The Avatar of Evil always got what he wanted.
