..........Sheena turned away from the window, blinking back tears yet again. It was the anniversary: a year ago today she'd landed in this world. A world where her greatest dreams were realized: the Power Rangers were real. What a joke on her the universe had played! Her favorite TV show in her world; grim reality here. She could have spoken with them... with HIM, but she had quickly realized that was a fast road to ruin. Anyone who got too near them was abducted, turned into a monster, brainwashed... the list was endless. She liked to watch things like that, but experiencing them was another matter altogether.
..........She sat back down and picked up the wood-framed picture next to her desk. A tear dropped onto it, that she quickly brushed away. "I miss you all so much...." ..........The picture showed four girls and three boys, their arms all about one another. Sheena whispered their names to herself as she touched each one. .........."Cindy... T.C... Tracey... Melissa... Josh... Kenny... Todd." .........."I want to go home." .........."Hey, guys, what's up?" Tommy asked brightly as he joined the others at their usual table at Ernie's. He shot a special smile at Kat, wondering yet again at his good fortune to have found a girl so special. .........."The usual," Rocky replied. "I was about to go work out; wanna join me?" They were just about to head to the mat, when their communicators beep. ..........Billy, Tanya, Adam, Kat, and Jason headed for the hall and privacy, with Tommy and Rocky right behind them. .........."What is it, Zordon?" Tommy whispered when they were out of sight. "What's King Mondo up to this time?" ..........IT IS NOT MONDO, TOMMY, BUT SOMETHING HAS OCCURED THAT YOU SHOULD ALL BE MADE AWARE OF. COME TO THE POWER CHAMBER AT ONCE. .........."Are we clear, Tanya?" Tommy asked, looking up. ..........The Yellow Ranger glanced around. No one was near enough to see them. "We're clear." ..........They vanished in seven spirals of color, red, green, yellow, blue, pink, gold, and white. Moments later, they appeared in the Power Chamber. Billy at once stepped forward. "What's happened, Zordon?" ..........RANGERS, PREPARE YOURSELVES, FOR SOMETHING MOMENTEOUS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO YOU AND TO SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL. the floating head looked more serious than he ever had before. .........."What are you talking about?" Adam frowned. ..........FIFTEEN THOUSAND YEARS AGO, WHEN THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL WAS AT ITS HEIGHT, THERE WERE SEVEN GREAT WARRIORS FOR GOOD: THE FIRST POWER RANGERS, AND YOUR DIRECT ANCESTORS. THE FORCES OF EVIL CAPTURED SIX OF THEM DURING A BATTLE, AND ONLY THEIR LEADER WAS LEFT TO RESCUE THEM. .........."Who was he?" ..........SHE WAS THE SILVER RANGER, Zordon corrected Rocky. THE MOST POWERFUL RANGER EVER, AND ONCE, THE LEADER OF THE POWER RANGERS. LOOK AT THE VIEWING GLOBE. ..........Inside the globe they saw the image of a tall woman in a Power Ranger suit. Her outfit bore the design of a snarling cat. Her uniform, boots, gloves, and helmet all gleamed silver. ..........THE SILVER RANGER WENT INTO THE GREATEST OF PIERL TO RESCUE HER FRIENDS AND FELLOW RANGERS. THE PRICE OF THEIR FREEDOM, HOWEVER, WAS HER OWN CAPTURE. SHE WAS INJURED GREATLY IN THE BATTLE, AND KNEW SHE WAS DONE FOR. NOT WANTING HER POWERS TO FALL INTO EVIL HANDS, SHE USED HER LAST MOMENTS TO SEND THE CRYSTAL THAT CONTAINED HER POWERS INTO THE FUTURE. HER LAST MESSAGE TO HER FRIENDS WAS THAT WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT, A NEW SILVER RANGER WOULD EMERGE. Zordon fell silent for a moment. THE NEW SILVER RANGER HAS ARRIVED. ..........They all were shocked, both at the history and at the fact that a new Ranger was about to join their team. "Who is she, Zordon?" they were all half-hoping it would be Kimberly or Aisha or even Trini, someone they knew and loved. ..........FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE, THE SILVER RANGER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE, WHERE OUR LIVES ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A TELEVISION SHOW. SHE ENJOYED THE SHOW, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MANY SAID SHE WAS TOO OLD FOR IT, AND FREQUENTLY WISHED TO BE ABLE TO MEET US IN REALITY. ..........THE POWER OF THE OLD SILVER RANGER CAME TO HER SOMEHOW, AND TRANSPORTED HER INTO OUR WORLD, WHERE SHE WILL BE NEEDED. SHE HAS BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR, AND IT IS TIME FOR HER TO ASSUME THE POWER THAT IS HER BIRTHRIGHT. .........."Does she know she's in another universe?" ..........YES, KAT, SHE DOES," Zordon continued. "WHEN SHE FOUND HERSELF HERE, HER FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO COME AND MEET ALL OF YOU, BUT SHE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT WOULD BE FOOLISHNESS. .........."Why?" .........."It's obvious," Billy answered Jason's question. "Close proximity could be extremely dangerous to someone who knows our identities, as she would from watching the show in her own world. Therefore, by remaining far from us, she reduces the danger to herself and to us." .........."But if she's the Silver Ranger...." Tanya's voice trailed off. "She should be with us. We could protect her, and she could protect herself." ..........I KNOW, TANYA, Zordon assured her. BUT AS SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHO SHE REALLY IS, SHE WILL REMAIN WHERE SHE IS UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT IT. ..........Billy bit his lip in silent thought... to have another Ranger join the team who wasn't him... he heard his voice asking something he'd been wondering since he'd seen ther Silver Ranger on the globe. "What did the Silver Ranger look like when she wasn't morphed?" He watched the globe as another image formed. She was tall, as he'd expected, her hair was very long and dark brown, her eyes were spectacularly green... then he took a good look at her face and paled. He knew her. .........."What's wrong, Billy?" Tommy put an arm under his friend to steady him. .........."You look like you've seen a ghost." .........."Not a ghost... a dream. I've seen her before. I've dreamed about her almost all my life." .........."What does that mean, Zordon?" Tommy glanced up at their mentor. "Does it mean anything?" ..........THE SILVER RANGER AND BILLY'S FIRST ANCESTOR, THE SAPPHIRE RANGER, SHARED A POWERFUL PSYCHIC LINK. THAT LINK HAS PERSISTED THROUGH THE AGES, UNTIL NOW. THAT IS WHY YOU DREAM OF HER, AND WHY SHE CARES ABOUT YOU, BILLY. .........."Do you know what the new Silver Ranger's name is, Zordon?" Kat asked. ..........NO, BUT I CAN SHOW HER TO YOU. OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE. The globe glistened again, and showed a woman slightly older than they were. She was the living image of the original Silver Ranger, only dressed in modern clothing, and sitting in front of a computer, typing furiously. THESE SCENES ARE HAPPENING CURRENTLY. ..........The woman typing stopped suddenly and jerked herself away from the table. "I never have been able to work when I was thinking about you." For a moment, the Rangers thought she was speaking to someone in the room, until she picked up a framed picture and stared at it. They could see tears glisten in her eyes. "Why did this have to happen to me? I miss you all so much. I know I've said it a thousand times, and you didn't hear me any of them... but I still miss you. I want to go home." There was a close-up of the picture, 3 boys and 4 girls. BIlly guessed they were family or friends of some type. She bent her head over the picutre, blotting it out with her hair, and they could see her shoulders shaking with tears. He could just resist the urge to teleport to her and take her in his arms until the tears stopped. ..........I FEAR WITH KING MONDO'S ATTACKS GROWING EVER STRONGER, THE WISEST COURSE OF ACTION WILL BE TO GO TO HER, MAKE HER AWARE OF HER POWERS, AND RETURN WITH THE NEW SILVER RANGER AT FULL STRENGTH, Zordon advised. .........."How do we go about telling a visitor from another universe who only wants to go back to it, that she's the descendent of a Power Ranger and that she's going to be on herself?" Rocky asked, dismayed. .........."Carefully, of course," Billy grinned. "But, Zordon, why don't you just teleport her here and explain things to her yourself, like you did with us when we first became Rangers?" ..........I DO NOT KNOW IF HER MIND CAN HANDLE SUCH A SHOCK AS YET, BILLY. IT WILL BE HARD ENOUGH ON HER TO SEE YOU ALL FACE TO FACE, INSTEAD OF ON A TELEVISION SCREEN. SUBJECTING HER TO SUCH A LARGE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SHOCK COULD VERY WELL BE TOO MUCH. .........."Then how are we going to tell her what she is?" ..........I DO NOT KNOW, JASON. YOU MUST DISCOVER THIS ON YOUR OWN. ..........In his skybase, Mondo turned to Machina and Sprocket. "A new Ranger? How interesting. And one that is unaware of her powers as well. We must get to her before those blasted goody-two-gears do." .........."But they already know who and where she is, dear," Machina informed him. .........."Ah, but so do I," Mondo would have grinned, if his metallic face had been constructed for it. "and I don't care if her mind handles the shock or not, as long as she can still fight. Send a patrol of Cogs down to bring the Silver Ranger to me at once!" ..........Sheena put the picture away again and sighed. It would be no use trying to write anything fresh today. She couldn't be creative in the mood she was in. ..........She picked up some hard copy and settled in for a serious bout of editing. Correcting errors always made her feel better; it made her think that just maybe she could one day correct the biggest mistake of her life: and go home. ..........Something tapped her on the shoulder. She jerked around, wondering who had invaded her apartment. She had no close friends here, certainly no one who'd come over uninvited, if at all. ..........She found herself looking at a Cog, with several of his metallic cohorts right behind him. She knew wasn't a friendly visit either, as if Cogs ever made friendly visits. She was out of her chair and backing up almost as soon as she realized who her 'guests' were. She thanked her stars she'd been working on her martial arts. She might not be on the level of a Ranger, but she wasn't a weakling either. ..........A double kick to one Cog's chest knocked him back, but another took his place. She whirled, taking another out with a well-timed sweep. As she moved, her long hair flew out behind her, and she felt a searing pain as someone grabbed it, pulling hard. She swore loudly as the Cog who had seized it pulled her close. Two more grabbed her arms, and then a sickening feeling gripped her stomach as she went through her first teleport. ..........Alarms sounded in the Power Chamber as the Rangers prepared to teleport to where their newest member was mourning over her lost home. "Alpha, what is it?" Billy asked. "Another of King Mondo's monsters?" .........."No, it's much worse than that, Billy!" Alpha whirled about the Power Chamber. "Ay-yi-yi, it's the Silver Ranger! King Mondo sent his Cogs to capture her!" ..........WHAT I FEARED HAS HAPPENED. Zordon looked worried. .........."But she doesn't have her powers yet," Kat pointed out. "Why would he take her now?" ..........IF HE CAN TAKE CONTROL OF HER MIND AS WELL AS ACTIVATE HER POWERS WHILE SHE SERVES HIM, THEN HE WILL HAVE THE MOST POWERFUL RANGER EVER AS HIS TOOL. SHE WOULD BE A FORMIDIABLE WEAPON, ONE WE COULD DO VERY LITTLE TO STOP. .........."Wouldn't he need the crystal the original Silver Ranger had to give her the Power, though?" ..........YES, JASON, HE WOULD, BUT THAT IS NOT SO HARD. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SILVER RANGER'S POSSESSION FOR YEARS, THOUGH SHE KNEW NOTHING OF IT. TELEPORT TO HER APARTMENT AND FIND THE CRYSTAL. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. ..........They saw an image of a round crystal ball, small enough to fit into the palm of a hand, and gleaming softly in sunlight. THIS IS HER CRYSTAL, AND CAN ONLY BE ACTIVATED BY HER. IF MONDO CAN TAKE OVER HER MIND, RETREIVE THE CRYSTAL, AND GET HER TO ACTIVATE IT, THEN THE SILVER RANGER WILL BE HIS. ..........In the Machine Skybase, Sheena struggled in the grip of two Cogs. She was face to face with someone she'd only seen on TV, and since her arrival in this world, had prayed never to see this close: Mondo: the Machine King. "So you are the Silver Ranger," he looked her up and down. "You don't look like much. But I think I can change that." .........."What are you talking about? I'm not a Power Ranger, just a fan, sucked into a world I don't belong in." .........."Not yet," he admitted. "But you will be the Silver Ranger... my Silver Ranger." .........."I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll never serve evil," she said with pride. She hoped something would go so horribly wrong the Rangers would never try to rescue her, would hopefully never know she existed. Even if it meant her own death. .........."Oh, we'll see about that," Mondo beckoned to Klank. "Make a potion that wil turn this human into my slave. Take her with you so you can tune the potion to her so precisely there is no chance of it failing." .........."At once, Yer Highness," Klank bowed and hurried off to his lab. ..........The Cogs followed with Sheena held between them. She wondered what would happen next... and knew she'd find out all too soon. ..........THE SILVER RANGER IS ABOUT TO BECOME MONDO'S SLAVE. Zordon suddenly became aware of the new Ranger's predicament. KLANK IS PREPARING A POTION THAT WILL OVERWHELM HE WILL AND CAUSE HER TO SERVE MONDO. WHEN THAT IS DONE, HE PLANS TO TAKE THE CRYSTAL AND TRANSFORM HER INTO THE SILVER RANGER. ..........Billy exchanged glances with Kat and Tommy. Both of them knew what it was to serve evil unwillingly, and even he'd done it briefly a time or two. "We have to rescue her." ..........BILLY IS CORRECT. WE MUST RESCUE THE SILVER RANGER. .........."How?" She's in the Machine Skybase and we can't attack. It's against the Code of the Rangers," Adam reminded them all. ..........YOU ARE RIGHT, ADAM, BUT WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE SILVER RANGER DOES NOT ACHIEVE FULL POWER. .........."What are you saying, Zordon?" Billy looked somewhat nervously at their mentor. ..........RANGERS, YOU MUST TELEPORT TO THE SILVER RANGER'S APARTMENT, AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE CRYSTAL THAT YOU WILL FIND NEAR HER COMPUTER. IT IS THAT CRYSTAL WHICH CONTAINS HER FULL POWERS, AND SHOULD KING MONDO GET IT, THEN HE WILL UNLEASH THE FULL FURY OF AN EVIL SILVER RANGER UPON THE WORLD. .........."If the Silver Ranger was the most powerful of them all when she was good...." Tommy didn't want to say what he was thinking but did anyway. "Imagine the destruction she'd cause if she were evil." .........."You can't let that happen, Tommy," Billy pleaded. "You have to rescue her." ..........FIRST THE CRYSTAL, RANGERS. BILLY, YOU MUST BEGIN WORKING ON AN ANTIDOTE TO KLANK'S EVIL POTION. .........."Yes, Zordon," Billy went to the Power Chamber's lab and started work. .........."It's Morphin' Time!" Tommy cried. .........."Zeo Ranger I, Pink!" .........."Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!" .........."Zeo Ranger III, Blue!" .........."Zeo Ranger IV, Green!" .........."Zeo Ranger V, Red!" .........."Gold Ranger Power!" ..........The six Rangers disappeared in flashes of their respective colors. Billy paused in his work and looked at Alpha. "Alpha, what will we do if we can't nullify the potion?" .........."I don't know, Billy," Alpha looked as serious as he could. "But we must try." ..........Not long after he left it, Klank returned to the throne room. "Yer Majesty, it's done! The potion has been mixed and administered to the human woman!" ..........Mondo almost looked cheerful. "Excellent, Klank! That didn't take long at all! Bring her in at once." ..........Sheena stepped into the room and dropped to one knee before the Machine King. "How may I serve you, Majesty?" ..........Mondo examined her closely. Physically she hadn't changed, but he could tell she was evil inside now. "You will be sent to Earth, to where your Power Crystal is, and use it to achieve your full power as my Silver Ranger." .........."As my lord commands," Sheena got to her feet and prepared to be teleported. .........."Send a platoon of Cogs with her, Klank, just in case those annoying Power Rangers attempt to interfere." .........."As you say, Yer Majesty," Klank saluted, then teleported Sheena and the Cogs down to the apartment. ..........Sheena looked around for the Crystal, then looked at the Cogs. "Search the place, and find my crystal!" .........."Looking for this?" she turned to see six spandex clad figures standing in the next room. The one in red held her crystal in one hand. "Silver Ranger, we can help you. Please, come with us." .........."Never!" she snapped. "Give me that crystal, it belongs to me!" She gave no more warning than that as she leaped furiously at the Rangers. ..........Red fell back, surprised at the ferocity in her attack. She knocked him to the floor, forcing him to drop the crystal. As she reached for it, she felt herself being hauled back, and turned to see the Yellow and Pink Rangers pulling her away. A female voice came from the one in pink. "Let us help you. We can free you from King Mondo's spell. You can be yourself again." ..........She didn't answer; it was beneath a warrior's dignet to converse with thieves. These so-called 'heroes' had stolen what was rightfully hers: the Silver Crystal. There was only one way to deal with them. She shook off the two Rangers and vaulted over the Green and Gold ones that threw themselves into her path. She could see the Blue and Red ones both converging on the crystal, and snapped an order to the Cogs. "Get them away from the crystal!" ..........The Cogs, who had been tearing up the apartment in search of the crystal, now turned on the Rangers. She shook her head at their one-track machine minds, then looked for the gleaming sphere. It had rolled under a table, just beyond where the Blue Ranger and two cogs were fighting. Blue... something about blue... a memory tickled her mind, about someone she cared for, who wore blue or was blue... she shoved the thought away. ..........The only things that mattered to her were Mondo and the Crystal, in that order. She snatched up a chair and threw it at the Blue Ranger, distracting him long enough so she could seize the crystal. "Excellent!" Mondo watched from the skybase. "But how does she activate it? Klank, do something!" .........."I don't know how she activates it, sire. This is something your Ranger must accomplish on her own. There is a chance that activating her Ranger powers will destroy my potion and free her to the forces of good again." .........."That must not happen, Klank!" ..........Billy watched on the globe, and as the Silver Ranger scooped up the crystal, he felt a strange pang in his heart. She was so beautiful, and so evil now, he reminded himself. What would she do? "Zordon, is it possible that activating her crystal will nullify the effects of Klank's potion on her?" ..........I DO NOT KNOW, BILLY, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT. ..........The fight stopped as the Silver Ranger touched her crystal. It was almost as if the world itself stopped. She looked down at it, and memories of another life and time appeared in it. "No," she said firmly. "I need only the Power." ..........She raised the Crystal above her head, and called out, "SILVER RANGER POWER!" ..........The crystal glowed softly, as did she. The crystal sank into her, just as the Zeo Rangers' had when they had been given their powers. A ranger costume formed around her, identical to the one the Rangers had seen in the viewing globe's image of her ancestor. Now they could identify the cat on her costume as a cheetah. ..........Both sides held their breath. It was done. The Silver Ranger had arrived. But whom would she serve? ..........Tommy approached. "Silver Ranger? Are you... alright?" She backhanded him into a wall. .........."Leave me be, Zeo Ranger V! I must return to King Mondo, my master," she teleported away, as did the remaining Cogs. .........."We failed, Zordon," Tommy reported later in the Power Chamber. "The Silver Ranger has her powers, and she still works for Mondo." ..........BILLY MAY HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT, TOMMY. ..........They all looked at their resident genius. "Well, this is the best I can do without a sample of the potion itself to analyze, but this spray should neutralize any evil spells on the Silver Ranger. You're going to have to wait until she comes to earth again, though, to try it." .........."And if it doesn't work?" ..........Billy shook his head. "Then I don't know what else to do." In the skybase, the newly-energized Silver Ranger once more knelt before Mondo. "I am here to serve you and you alone, my lord." .........."And so you shall, Silver Ranger. Your first task as my Ranger will be to bring me the human known as Billy." .........."As you wish, my lord," the Silver Ranger felt nothing inside but a great emptiness. It vanished whenever her master gave her orders to carry out. "The human Billy will be your prisoner within the hour." .........."Excellent work on this one, Klank; she might actually be able to do what none of our previous creations could: destroy the Power Rangers," King Mondo beamed approvingly at his chief servant and his new chief warrior. .........."I feel I should warn ye, my liege, that Rita and Zedd have tried this in the past, creating a new Ranger to destroy the others. It has never worked before," Klank ventured. .........."How dare you compate my work to the likes of two bumbling amateurs like Rita and Zedd!" Mondo exploded. ..........The Silver Ranger, no fool, saw this as her chance to leave on her assignment. While Mondo berated Klank for his foolishness, she teleported down to Earth. She landed just outside Billy's house and hid in the shrubbery. He would have to come home sooner or later, and when he did... he was her master's. .........."Zordon, do you really think Billy's spray will work on her?" Tommy rubbed his shoulder where it had hit the wall after the Silver Ranger threw her away from him. She was strong! "I mean, this isn't like anything we've ever faced before." ..........I DO NOT KNOW, TOMMY. WE CAN ONLY TRY THE SPRAY AND SEE WHAT DEVELOPS FROM THAT POINT. IF IT FAILS, WE MUST TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH. THE SILVER RANGER CANNOT WORK FOR EVIL. .........."Well, she's doing a pretty thorough job of it now," Rocky muttered. ..........Billy staggered suddenly, and Tanya caught him quickly before he fell. "I'm alright, I just need to get some sleep." .........."You'd better go home, Billy. Leave the spray here, so if the Silver Ranger shows up again, we can try it on her," Adam suggested. "We'll let you know if anything happens you should take care of." ..........Billy nodded reluctantly, then as Alpha pressed a button on the console, he vanished into a blaze of white. Adam looked up at Zordon. "There was something he wasn't saying, wasn't there?" ..........AS HIS ANCESTOR BEFORE HIM, BILLY IS ATTRACTED TO THE SILVER RANGER. HE DOES NOT WISH HER HARM, BUT ON THE CONTRARY, IS ON THE VERGE OF FALLING IN LOVE WITH HER. SHE HAS LOVED HIM SINCE BEFORE ENTERING THIS WORLD. .........."What will he do if we can't break the spell, Zordon?" Kat wondered. ..........I DO NOT KNOW, KAT. I DO NOT KNOW. ..........Billy appeared outside his house and sighed. He hadn't been this tired in weeks. It wasn't just the rush job on the spell-nullifying spray(which he wasn't even sure would work), it was seeing the realization of his dreams. ..........The Silver Ranger, that beautiful, enigmatic figure from his sweetest fantasies, now a murderous hellcat at Mondo's command, bent on destroying the Zeo Rangers and everything he held dear. How could he care for someone like that? ..........He started up the steps, so deep in his thoughts he didn't hear the mild scrape of boots on the sidewalk. He did, however, feel two strong arms reaching around him and seizing hold. A gloved hand clamped down on his mouth, muffling his call for help, and he couldn't reach his communicator with his arms pinned. His house vanished, and the next place he was aware of was a strange, gear-filled room. A voice he'd heard in the viewing globe during the Silver Ranger's fight with the other Rangers filled his ears. "I have the prisoner you requested, my lord," the Silver Ranger spoke. "Have you a preference for his disposal?" .........."Put him in a holding cell, Silver Ranger," King Mondo ordered. "I don't want his Ranger friends rescuing him, so you guard him yourself until I can create a monster this important. I wouldn't trust the Cogs with a hostage this important. Make sure he doesn't escape." .........."As my lord commands," the Silver Ranger bent her head and then started to drag Billy down a corridor. She didn't know how she knew the layout of the skybase, she simply did. Apparently her master wished her to, and that was good enough for her. The holding cells were deep within the bowels of the skybase, and as she took him through the corridors, she saw no reason to be gentle. He tried to speak, but her hand was still firmly clapped against his mouth, and she wasn't really in the mood for conversation, anyway. She threw him inside a cell and locked the door, then took up a guard position across the corridor. She'd be close enough so that if he tried to escape she could stop him, and if anyone tried to rescue him, she'd see them coming. He wasn't moving, though. she examined him closer, moving closer to the bars. Had she damanged him more than she thought? ..........His hand flew up in a classic strike, attempting to distract her and escape. ..........Silver Ranger simply seized his wrist and threw him back down to the floor. "That will not work on me, human. I am King Mondo's ultimate warrior. Did you truly think such a foolish ploy would work?" .........."You're not his warrior. You're a Power Ranger, or you could be," Billy rolled to a sitting position and looked at her. "What is your name, anyway, Silver Ranger? I can't keep calling you that." .........."I am the Silver Ranger. That is all that I am, or want to be. I am King Mondo's servant and chief warrior. I was created to destroy the Power Rangers." .........."That's not entirely true," Billy was still tired and terrified. This was totally different from when Tommy had been the evil Green Ranger. He had remembered his past, had known he wasn't always evil. Kat had eventually remembered she was good at heart. "You would have become the Silver Ranger even if Mondo hadn't kidnapped you. It's your destiny. You were chosen to assume the Power, and Zordon was about to send the others to tell you when Mondo's Cogs got there first." ..........The Silver Ranger shook her head. "It matters not. He gave me the Power and now I serve him." ..........Billy sighed and turned to the wall. At least he could get some sleep... he hoped his parents wouldn't be too worried. He felt he wouldn't be coming home that night. It was the last thought he had before falling into a deep sleep. .........."Zordon, did Billy make it home safely?" Tommy worried about all the members of his team, especially Billy. He'd been attacked by Cogs once when the others weren't around, and only his good luck at having a magnet just at that moment had saved him. And with this new Silver Ranger about, Tommy was taking no chances. ..........ONE MOMENT, TOMMY, WHILE I CHECK, Zordon looked as if he were looking off into space for a second. He looked quite worried a heartbeat later. RANGERS, I HAVE DISTURBING NEWS. BILLY HAS BEEN ABDUCTED BY THE SILVER RANGER. PLEASE OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE. ..........The six teens clustered around one another and stared at the globe. They saw the Silver Ranger as she lay in wait for Billy, then seized him from behind as he prepared to go inside. Tommy had to admire her stealth and accuracy, as well as her deadly efficiency. She was very much unlike all the other creations of Mondo, Zedd, or Rita. Then he remembered why, and his heart hardened. She had to be stopped, and Billy had to be rescued. .........."Where did she take him, Zordon?" Rocky asked. ..........TO THE MACHINE SKYBASE, Zordon replied. WE CANNOT TELEPORT OR COMMUNICATE WITH HIM FROM THERE, AS MONDO HAS ESTABLISHED A BARRIER AGAINST SUCH THINGS, AND I DO NOT KNOW IF WE CAN RESCUE HIM OURSELVES, AS MY SENSORS REGISTER IT IS THE SILVER RANGER HERSELF WHO GUARDS HIM. .........."Now we have two people to help: Billy and the Silver Ranger," Kat murmured. ..........In the Skybase, Billy finally awoke and the first thought on his mind was the Silver Ranger. He turned over to see her still where she had been the night before, not looking as if she had moved so much as a muscle. "Don't you sleep?" .........."Humans sleep. I have no need of it," she replied coldly. .........."You're human," he insisted. "You just don't remember it." .........."I am the creation of my Master," was all she said. She didn't respond to anything else. ..........Billy huddled up and stared at the wall ahead of him. It looked as if it were going to be a long day. Then something caught his eye. It was a gleaming transparent shadow of a woman. He glanced back at the Silver Ranger, meaning to ask if she saw it as well, but could tell by the unchanged expression she had seen nothing. He looked back. ..........Be at peace, Billy. I mean you no harm. The woman spoke more in his mind than in his ears. Nor do I mean the Silver Ranger harm, much as I might wish to slap her for being a fool. .........."Who are you?" he had the sense to whisper. ..........I am Kahva, the Silver Ranger. Not the one who guards you, but her ancestor. The First Silver Ranger. .........."But you're dead," he replied, not really believing this. ..........Yes, I died. I gave up my power and my life rather than let either fall into evil hands. That is why I am angered at my chosen descendent. Yet I also understand why she is in the predicament she is in. She did not have the time I did to make that choice, nor was the power hers when she was enslaved by evil. .........."Then, shouldn't the power have freed her when she did get it?" ..........That is what I believed would happen, and had it been an ordinary spell that trapped her, it would have. But Mondo is tricky, and used a potion that is tuned to her very essnece. There is only one way I know of to break the potion's hold over her: the Silver Flame. .........."What is that?" ..........The purifying force of the Silver Flame can destroy any evil. It comes from within, from the heart of the Silver Ranger herself. Once I had this Flame, and now it has been passed to my successor. She must destroy the spell from within. .........."How? She doesn't remember anything about who she once was, and I don't think she ever knew about you." ..........Then you must tell her of me, Billy. You are so like one I once knew, long ago. Kahva looked deeply into his eyes. Yes, I understand now. I understand everything. .........."I know hardly anything about you, ma'am," something made Billy want to be on his best behavior with this lovely spirit. "I wouldn't know what to tell her." ..........Then listen, and I will tell you of myself, my past, and the most fateful decision ever made by a Power Ranger. Kahva seemed to settle down. Do not fear anyone listening in, for you are the only one here who see or hear me. .........."Why is that?" ..........All will become clear in time. Now, listen carefully and remember all that you hear. Once, many thousands of years ago, I lived happily on a planet far from here, called Eltar. I was a simple farmer's wife, not a warrior. I had no dreams of fighting, nor did I long for anything more than the love of my husband and my family. We had three children, and were expecting a fourth, when something happened that changed my life forever.... Kahva continued to speak and Billy to listen. She was an excellent storyteller, and soon he found himself caught up in the tale. .........."Kahva!" Dalien called to her. "Are you ready to go?" ..........Kahva stepped out of the farmhouse. "Dalien, are you certain it's a good idea to leave the children here alone all day? Surely we could take them with us." .........."They'll be fine, Kahva," the farmer assured his wife. "Zaris is going to come over and keep an eye on them." .........."I don't like Zaris, Dalien. He worries me. He's started listening to that strange new wizard, Vile. That's an apt name for him, from all I've heard." .........."Now, you haven't been listening to rumors again, have you, Kahva?" Dalien chuckeld. "If you don't hurry, we'll be late for the fair." .........."Mommy! Daddy!" came three voices from within the house. The voices were followed by three small figures hurtling from within, the largest comign no more than up to Kahva's waist. "Mommy, you said you'd take us with you!" She caught her eldest child in her arms and bent down to look at him. .........."Tilak, you and the others can go next time. You're not old enough just yet." .........."Am too! I'm nine!" Kahva grinned. "Not this time, Tilak. Next time, I promise." ..........Tilak stepped away, not convinced. "That's what you said last time." ..........Dalien looked at his son. "Listen to your mother. Neighbor Zaris will be here soon to watch you while we're gone. We'll be back late tonight, and you'd all had better be in bed when we are." ..........Tilak and his two sisters stepped back, pouting. Tilak looked up at them. "Daddy, you fibbed. You said you wouldn't get Neighbor Ziras to baby-sit us anymore." .........."Well, he was all I could get on short notice," Dalien got on the wagon and helped Kahva up. ..........She looked over their homestead before turning her face to the road, and wondered why she felt this would be the last time she was seeing it.... ..........The fair had been wonderful. There had been magnificent food, enchanters of various types had amused them with their tricks, and she had heard very few disturbing rumors of Vile. But those she had heard had been bad enough... he was amassing an army to take over Eltar... his dark powers were so strong no one could stop him... it was the end of the world. She had become quite tired of it by day's end. Dalien hadn't listened to any of it, being too worried about the children. He wasn't worried enough to go home early, though. Not even when the rumors had expanded to include Ziras, saying he had committed some horrible acts for Vile. It was too dark to see where they were going, but they and their horses knew the way. Kahva was dozing against Dalien's arm, when she felt him tense up. ..........She sat up at once, and stared ahead of her. Her heart sank, then suddenly a searing pain in her shoulder wiped away everything. She looked down to see an arrow protruding from her. She turned to Dalien, the blanched as she saw another arrow, this one centered on her husband's loving heart! "Dalien," she whispered. Then another arrow landed in her back, and she knew no more for a very long time. ..........The next thing she was aware of was a friendly robotic face leaning over hers. She looked around and saw she was in a strange room. "Where am I?" she whispered. "Who are you?" .........."I am Alpha-1, and you are in our Command Center," the robot helped her up. ..........She felt much better, but then memory flooded back. Her husband, their farm... what had happened? The farm had been in flames, Dalien was dead. ..........There was a gaping emptiness in her womb. She knew without having to ask she had lost the child she had been carrying. She should have been dead; what had happened? .........."Command Center?" she asked. "Our Command Center? What are you talking about?" She glanced around. It was a very high-tech place, more advances than anything she'd seen on their little backwoods farm. Gleaming computers and consoles were everywhere. ..........A middle-aged man stepped into view. "I am Zordon, and it is good to finally, officiailly meet you, Kahva. Welcome to your new home, if you want it to be." .........."Zordon? That's impossible. Zordon died two years ago when his tower exploded," Kahva remembered hearing about this famous wizard. "You can't be him." .........."I let it be thought I was dead, so that Vile and his crew would have no way of preventing what I was doing. I knew many years ago what would happen to your farm, and I only wish we could have saved more than just you and your son." .........."My son?" she whispered. There was a familiar sound of running feet and Tilrak threw himself into her arms a moment later. "Mommy! I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I didn't burn the house down!" She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his dark hair. "Til, I know you didn't. What happened?" .........."We were playing in the yard, when Neighbor Ziras came up with a whole punch of funny gray people, and Ziras pointed at the house and it blew up! The girls ran away, and Ziras pointed at them, and they fell down! I fell down when I saw that and pretended he had already got me." ..........Kahva looked at Zordon. "What do you know of this?" .........."Ziras serves Vile now, and has been made one of his chief lieutenants. He has been placed in charge of seeing that certain people die. You are one of those people. He will be looking for you, Kahva. You must be made ready to defend yourself." .........."What are you talking about?" Tilrak had fallen asleep in her arms already. ..........Zordon explained. He and his brother, Ninjor, had created a power source for a fighting team that would be used to defend Eltar and other worlds as the need arose. This team, the Power Rangers, would be chosen from people from all over the world. The seven-member team would be Eltar's only hope, along with the powerful battle machines they would pilot. .........."What does this have to do with me?" .........."Only seven particular people, with a specific mind-set and biorhythm, can pilot these machines and hold the power," Zordon went on. "You are the first of them, Kahva. There will be others: six others, to be precise." ..........Kahva opened her mouth to say no. Then she looked at her sleepin son. She looked back up at Zordon. "As long as Vile is a threat, he'll never be safe, will he?" .........."No. And only the Power Rangers can even begin to put a halt to Vile's evil. But this isn't just something that will take up your life alone. It will continue for ages, for thousands of years beyond now." .........."Even after I'm dead?" .........."Yes, even then. That is why I had to save your son, and why you must send him away." .........."I don't understand." .........."The Command Center is too dangerous for a child to remain here. Your traning will begin soon, and you must not be distracted." Zordon touched Tilrak gently on his head. "Through him your bloodline will be continued, and the line of Rangers renewed." ..........Kahva felt a tear slip down her cheek. She had never wanted anything more than a long life with her family. Now that was taken from her forever. She looked at Zordon. "So, where are the other Rangers?" .........."Thank you," he bent his head to her in respect. He must have known what this cost her. "They will be coming. You will be the first, and your training begins tomorrow." ..........Kahva's life was never the same after that. She sent Tilrak to live with a peaceful family on far-off Edenoi, with instructions if anything ever happened to her, to have him brought back at once. She entered training with Zordon, and prepared to receive the power when it was time. Zordon was a harsh teacher, teaching her fighting move after fighting move after fighting move, until she could do them in her sleep. Months passed, and others joined them, each teleported there as Zordon had done with her and Tilrak. There was Linon, a tall, dark-haired man, and Shada, a small blonde woman who reminded Kahva much of her son in looks and merry outlook on life. Shada's cousin Silias joined them as well, and soon after came Pliona and Dilras, the twin brothers. Last, but not least, was Caleen, a sturdy redheaded warrior woman, the ony one to arrive already trained in combat. As each arrived, they entered training alongside Kahva. Each had their own tale of what had happened to them prior being chosen and teleported, and they all involved loss and pain. It took years, but they finally opened up to each other and became a full-fledged team. Kahva, to her surprise, was a natural leader. The others came to Pliona for advice and Dilras for humor. ..........Caleen was a rough-edged loner who could brawl with the best of the, while Shada was almost a delicate wraith, with a core of steel, however. Linon was more mysterious, but was always there for them in a fight. Silias was an intellectual, a cool-headed thinker who nonetheless had the muscles and skills of a true warrior. But it was always Kahva they turned to in battle, to lead them to victory. ..........Finally the day came. Their training was complete and they would be given their powers now. They arranged themsleves before Zordon, each nervous and showing it except Kahva. .........."Each of you has proven themselves a skilled warrior and worthy of becoming a Power Ranger," Zordon congratuled them. "You have fulfilled all I have needed of you, but now there is much more for you to do. Your battle machiens are finished, and each of them corresponds to the warrior spirit within each of you. Now it is time for the assumption of your powers. Caleen, step forward." ..........Caleen came, her teeth clenched in anticipation. Zordon held forth a crystal and she took it. "You are the Gold Ranger, energized by the spirit of the Tiger, as fierce and full of pride as you yourself are." ..........Dilras was next. "You are the Ape, powerful and strong. You are the Ruby Ranger." ..........Then came Pliona. "Quick, thoughtful, you are the Emerald Ranger, with the power of the Frog." .........."Silias, you are wise and caring, deserving of the powers of Sapphire Ranger and the mighty Wolf." .........."Shada, you are the Tourmaline Ranger, with the power and grace of the Kestrel." .........."Linon, you are the Lion, the noble and fierce Topaz Ranger," All the others had their powers now, and all waited to see what Kahva would be. ..........She stepped forward in her turn. Zordon held her crystal out to her, and she took it. As her hand closed on it, she felt the power and strength surging through her. It was like nothing she had ever known or imagined before. She barely understood Zordon's next words, except on a subconscious level. "Kahva, you are the Silver Ranger, with the courage and power of the Cheetah. You are also the leader of the Power Rangers, a position you have earned through hard work and diligence," Zordon smiled at her. ..........Just then, the Command Center was rocked by explosions. "What's going on?" Caleen cried out. ..........Alpha-1 hit a few buttons and turned. "It's Vile! He's found us!" "The energies involved in giving you your powers must have alerted him," ..........Zordon said. "You must morph and fight at once!" .........."Morph?" This has never been discussed. .........."You will know what to do," Zordon promised. "Now, it's morphin' time!" .........."Gold Ranger Power!" .........."Ruby Ranger Power!" .........."Emerald Ranger Power!" .........."Sapphire Ranger Power!" .........."Tourmaline Ranger Power!" .........."Topaz Ranger Power!" .........."Silver Ranger Power!" ..........The energies fluxed around them, and power filled them that made what they felt on receiving their crystals be as nothing. Seven new and powerful warriors stood there. "Go, Rangers! Defend this place, for the Command Center will be home and base for generations of Rangers to come, not just you!" ..........The Rangers teleported outside, and saw a huge tentacled monster hitting the many-towred building repeatedly. "Let's show him what the Power Rangers are all about!" Kahva cried, a new thrill filling her as she was finally able to really strike back against her foes. She leaped high into the air and landed a double kick on the monster's face. ..........Silias was right beside her, and rammed a fist into the creature's eye. Pliona had run around behind the monster and was now bashing it back there. The other four had surrounded it, and they took it on from all sides. But they were much smaller than it, and their blows, though mighty, had little effect. .........."Call our battle machines!" Kahva cried. "Cheetah Zord!" it had been determined among them they would call their machines 'zords' in honor of their teacher and friend. .........."Lion Zord!" .........."Kestrel Zord" .........."Wolf Zord" .........."Frog Zord" .........."Ape Zord" .........."Tiger Zord" ..........The 'zords' appeared, surging towards them. Each Ranger leaped into theirs, and the battle truly began. But even with the extra firepower, they couldn't defeat the monster. "Rangers, unite your zords to form Megazord!" Alpha communicated over the loudspeaker. .........."Megazord, form up!" Kahva ordered. They joined together and now they faced the Tentacle Monster on a more than equal footing. "Let's do it guys!" The battle was fantastic, and finally the Rangers had to summon the gigantic Power Sword. With one mighty swing, the Tentacle Monster fell: right onto the Command Center. .........."ZORDON!!!!" they screamed almost in unison. The monster crumbled away, and the Rangers teleported back to the ruined Command Center. It was horrible. ..........Alpha was nothing more than a mashed pile of scrap metal now. They looked around for Zordon, but saw nothing. It seemed Zordon was dead. .........."Look!" Kahva suddenly pointed out an arm. "There he is!" The rangers ran to where Zordon lay under the rubble and pulled him out. He was barely alive as he whispered, "It is ended, Rangers, and it begins. Use your powers to defend Eltar, and never forget the three laws I taught you. You and those who come after you are the only defense a countless number of worlds will have against Vile and his ilk." .........."Zordon, you can't die," Kahva pleaded. "You saved my life, and my sanity." .........."Kahva, there may be a way," Silias drew her aside. "There is a time warp in a storage room here. Alpha-1 showed it to me. If we can get Zordon into it, then he will be kept safe there, for all time." .........."Then let's do it." ..........After much careful manuvering, the seven warriors managed to get the time warp down and Silias installed it around Zordon. When it activated, only Zordon's head was now visible, much enlarged. He looked down benevolently on them all. ..........THANK YOU, RANGERS. His voice was supremely magnificed by the time warp. ..........Thus began the Power Rangers. They fought many battles against Master Vile, as he was now called, and against all the odds, managed to keep Eltar free. ..........When the fight spread to other worlds, they went with it, their struggle never-ending. ..........Then everything changed again. The Rangers were fighting Vile's newest monster, the fierce Harvox, a five headed dragon-like creature that spat blue flame and was quite powerful. Kahva had been injured in their last battle, and was recuperating in the Command Center when the call to battle came. Now she watched on the viewing globe while her friends fought without her. Suddenly, the Harvox vanished, as did the Rangers. They had been in their zords, unable to form Megazord without her, but now the machines were still and unmoving. "Zordon, what's wrong?" .........."The other Rangers have been captured by Vile, Kahva," Alpha-2 reported. ..........He was the replacement for Alpha-1, that Silias had built once it had been determined there was no way to salvage the original. "There is a message coming through for you." ..........Vile appeared on the viewing globe. "Surrender to me, Silver Ranger, or your friends will perish." .........."What terms?" she asked through tight lips. .........."No terms," he grinned. "Unconditional surrender, in one hour, or your friends die." ..........His image banished. Kahva looked calmly at Zorodn. "I'm not going to surrender. But I can't let them die, either." ..........THEN WHAT WILL YOU DO, KAHVA? .........."Free them," her eyes, heart, and voice turned to steel. "Find them, Zordon, and teleport me there." ..........She paced the rebuilt Command Center nervously until Alpha finally reported he had found them. "It will be dangerous, Kahva. You are still weak; there is no guarantee that even you will come back." She closed her eyes. Zordon had told her that she was the strongest of the Rangers, more powerful than all six of the others combined. She wasn't feeling very strong at the moment. She thought of Silias, her closest friend... who was she kidding? She loved him. After almost ten years, she had fallen in love again... she grinned to herself. Vile would not take her love from her again. .........."SILVER RANGER POWER!" she morphed, then looked at Alpha. "I have to do this. Teleport me there now." .........."Good luck, Kahva," the little robot pressed buttons. ..........Just before she vanished into the haze of teleporting, she heard Zordon say, MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU, SILVER RANGER. ..........As the Command Center faded from her awareness, she had the same feeling she'd once had when last looking at her farmstead: that she would never see this place again. ..........She found herself near a palace and looked around to get details of the place. The region was cold and bleak, and a strange blue-white planet gleamed above her. She was it's moon, she gussed. She crept carefully past the gray soldiers Vile had put about this place to guard it. They were made of clay, and weren't very bright or strong. She'd heard some people had started calling them Putties, and figured that was as good a name as any for them. ..........She slowly made her way to the cells. She could only hope she would go unnoticed and she sensed that was a vain hope. She drew closer to one cell and peered inside, seeing Pliona. .........."Pliona," she whispered. The Emerald Ranger jerked up. "Kahva!" .........."Shh... I"m getting you guys out of here!" .........."Be careful... Vile has a new servant, something that looks half-ape, half-bird, and all trouble. He's around here somewhere." ..........Kahva examined the lock. "No way to pick it. Is there a key?" .........."No, I don't think they planned to let us out," Pliona whispered. "How are you going to get us out?" ..........Kahva considered her options, and realized she had only one. "Like this." She drew her first back and smashed through the door. Alarms began to ring. She swore a foul oath, then started to free the others. As Silias stepped out of his cell, she threw her arms about him and kissed him soundly on the lips. "I love you," she whispred. .........."I know," he kissed her back. "I love you, too. But let's do this later." ..........She blushed, then urged them out. Zordon and Alpha couldn't teleport them from inside this palace; it seemed there was some sort of barrier against it. ..........She was the last in line, to make sure they all got out safely, and just as Silias, who was in front of her, got out, she stumbled over a loose rock. ..........Silias turned and held out his hand to help her up, but as she reached for it, her hand encountered a hard, transparent wall. "Kahva, what are you doing? This is no time to play around!" Caleen hissed. .........."I'm not playing! There's a barrier of some type," she felt along the wall, hoping for an opening. But there was nothing there. She heard footsteps and whirled to see Vile and a seven-foot-tall ape with wings standing behind her. "Go! Get back to the Command Center!" .........."I won't leave you!" it was Silias. She whirled back to face the Rangers. "That's an order, Sapphire Ranger," her voice held both the firmness of command and all her fierce love for them. "Go." ..........They stepped away, and she felt the strang thing grab her. She kicked back, knocking it against the wall. "Not that easy to take me, idiot!" .........."Don't you recognize me, Kahva?" it snarled. ..........She swore again. "Ziras! You killed my family!" .........."I am Goldar now," he grabbed for her again, and she dodged again. ..........She saw the Rangers hadn't left, and tapped the communicator Silias had made for them all. .........."Zordon, Alpha, teleport the others out now!" They vanished, and she was left with Vile and Goldar. A round dozen of the 'putties' appeared, and she was hard-pressed to defeat them in her weakened condition. Even as she finished off the last one, another batch showed up. ..........Vile and Goldar stayed back, watching as she fought. One of the putties knocked her commuicator off and smashed it to bits as another jerked her off her feet. The others piled on top of her, effectively pinning her to the floor. .........."Now what, Master?" she heard Goldar ask. "Take her to the tower. I've got a new spell I'd like to try out on her. I wonder how her prescious fellow Rangers would like to face my newest wave of monsters: led by none other than the Silver Ranger herself!" ..........Kahva closed her eyes. She was too exhausted and injured to protest as they dragged her away. She must have passed out, because when she opened her eyes again, she was on a bed of straw in a high room. She was alone. She looked outside the door to see a half-dozen putties out there. She looked down at herself. Even morphed, she was too weak to fight her way out of there, even supposing she could find a way to turn off that force field that had trapped her here earlier. She closed her eyes and thought. There's no way I can escape. The others can't teleport in here, and I can't teleport or fight my way out. Vile must have planned this to capture me. He knew I'd come here for them. Well, I won't give him the satisfaction of using me against those I love. ..........She unmorphed and was about to start checking her injuries when she staggered. She hadn't realized she was quite so weak. She braced herself against a wall and examined herself. When she was done, a grim realization struck her. If she had stayed morphed, she would still have only a few days to live. The Power couldn't heal her fast enough. Since she had unmorphed, her time was reduced to hours. If she went on with the desperate plan that had come to her while checking her wounds, the time would be reduced to a few minutes. Well, that would be all she needed. She cupped her hands in front of her, and concentrated. A moment later, a gleaming crystal appeared before her: the Silver Crystal Zordon had given to her when she had become a Power Ranger. She raised it up and powered it with almost the last of her energy. It rose over her head and vanished into thin air. Her heart pounded faster and faster and her breath came in short gasps. ..........There was only one last thing to do: say good-bye. She reached out with the very last dregs of power she had and reached the viewing globe. In the Command Center, the other Rangers were preparing to go back for her, against Zordon's advice. The viewing globe flickered to life just as they were about to leave. "My friends," she whispered. "Do not come here. Vile will trap you as he has me." .........."We have to save you!" Silias cried, agony in his voice. I just found you. . .I don't want to lose you." .........."We had ten years together. That's more than most people have. You gave me love when I never thought I could have it again," she didn't have the strength for this, but it had to be said. "Zordon, I have sent my powers into the future. The day will come when a new Silver Ranger will arise. My son is old enough for his destiny now... the eighth Power Ranger must be born... tell him of me, and of what I have done." ..........YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED WITH HONOR, SILVER RANGER. YOU HAVE BEEN A PROUD WARRIOR, AND WE ALL HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO KNOW SUCH A LEADER AND FIGHTER AS YOU. GO TO YOUR REST IN PEACE. .........."I do this not from selfishness or despair. Vile planned to use me against you. I will not fight my friends. I will deny him this, no matter the cost...." She felt herself slipping away and welcomed it. "Perhaps we'll meet again, someday, far from now... good-bye my friends... I love you all... Silias...." ..........The last thing she saw was her friends, all saluting her in perfect unison. ..........A tear slipped down her cheek, and she saw Silias's lips move in soundless speech. "I love you, Kahva." ..........Kahva, the first Power Ranger, the Silver Ranger, was dead. ..........Billy looked at the spirit. There was a nobility about her, he'd noticed that before. Now he knew why, and knew that it went hand in hand with a deep inner conviction of what was right and wrong. She had perished rather than serve evil. He wondered if he would have that kind of strength, should that choice ever be his to make. .........."Now what?" he wondered. ..........I wandered the cosmos for centuries after my death, seeking one who could be my successor. I watched as my son Tilrak became the Diamond Ranger, and took on Vile with a vengeance I had never before realized could exist. I watched as the Rangers drove Vile away from Eltar for good, and established such a strong defense there he could never return. But that only sent him in search of other worlds to conquer, and this lust for power was passed to his children. Others came to serve him, while others rose to fight him. Some chose to challenge his power for evl with their own evil. Thus Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, Rito Revolto, Count Dregon, King Mondo, and others came into being. .........."How did the new Silver Ranger come to live in another universe, if your descendents stayed here?" ..........Twenty-one years ago, the last of my line was with child. She could sense there was something special about the child she bore, and sought a place to have it in safety. I was elsewhere, seeking to see if any of my other descendents lived. I knew the time was coming when a new Silver Ranger would be chosen, and this child had the potential to be that one. I had watched over each member of the family, being present at each birth to see if the one to be my true successor had been born yet. But it seemed the forces of evil had been watching her as well, and Master Vile still remembered me. He could tell, as I could, that my descendent was the one chosen to be the new Silver Ranger. He cast a powerful spell at the moment of the child's birth, and she was transferred to that other universe in that very second. He believed she would never find her way back, to become what her destiny proclaimed she would be. When I learned what had happened, I began to search every dimension to find her. At last I did, a woman grown, and in love with you, throught the television series. I wished to speak with her, but her life of normality and non-challenge had left her blind and deaf to the things of the spirit world. I had but one chance. She had a blue crystal she loved very much and kept with her at all times. ..........It was a gift from her adoptive father, and it was such a perfect match for the crystal I had solidied my powers into it was no great thing to exchange them. The hard part was to get her into this world. One day, while she had the crystal with her, I focused what power I had, which is not much, and was able to bend space enough for her to fall through a crack in it, and bring her into this world. .........."And then?" Billy cast a nervous glance at the Silver Ranger. ..........The crystal went from blue to silver when she entered this world; as a sign of it's power. I waited for her to realize where she was and go to you and the others, but her fear trapped her. Perhaps in the long run it was a good thing, for it gave her time to acclimitize to this world. .........."When did she get here?" ..........On the same day the Zeo Rangers came into being, my descendent first set foot on this world. Kahva smiled faintly. Billy, you can see and hear me because you are a descendent of my Siliar. He and I always had a strong bond with each other, and the link has continued through the ages. My descendent would be able to see me, if her vision and heart were not warped by evil at the moment. .........."So now what? Do you want me to tell her about you?" ..........Not at the moment. You must learn her true name, so she will be able to get you and herself out of here once she is free of the potion's power. I do not know it; I identified her by the blood that flows through her veins and she is the mirror image of me as I was when alive. Calling her by that name will trigger certain reactions built and bred into her blood. .........."How can I find out what her real name is?" ..........She must tell you of her own will. ..........Billy shook his head in confusion. ..........Kahva seemed to sense that, and floated across to touch him lightly on the cheek. You are so like my Silias. Be patient, my friend, and all will come clear in time. I must go to the Power Chamber, and do what I can there. ..........Kahva vanished, and the Silver Ranger across the hall stirred. She hadn't slept, and hadn't paid much attention to the prisoner's mutterings. Billy looked at her, and for a moment, wondered what kind of a Ranger she would make if she weren't under Mondo's spell. If she were anything like her ancestor, the earth would have no better defender. .........."We've got to rescue Billy, and I think our only hope is the Silver Ranger," Tanya stated. "If his spray works, then she can get him back, I think." ..........Zordon looked at them. The Silver Ranger, returned.... He had never forgotten Kahva and her selfless sacrifice for good. He had chosen each new Ranger not just for their skills and good works, but because each of them descended from one of the seven original Rangers. He had never been able to choose a Silver Ranger, though. That power had been lost to the future when Kahva made her choice, and now it seemed that time had come. But now the Silver Ranger served evil... if only Kahva were still there. She had known things about her powers that even he and Ninjor didn't know. YOU ARE CORRECT, TANYA. WE MUST TRY BILLY'S SPRAY. BUT WE MUST ALSO WAIT FOR THE SILVER RANGER TO RETURN TO EARTH. UNTIL THEN, BE PATIENT. ..........You were always the patient one, Zordon. The 'voice' was more like a thought, but still clear. Zordon scanned the Power Chamber, seeking the source. When he found it, he spoke. RANGERS, I TOLD YOU THE FIRST SILVER RANGER DIED RATHER THAN LET HER POWERS SERVE EVIL. BUT IT APPEARS THAT WAS NOT THE END OF HER. ..........Quite right. It takes a lot more than death to stop a Power Ranger, especially me. .........."What are you talking about, Zordon?" Tommy asked. His question was answered when a human-shaped glowing form appeared near him. He jumped back in shock and stared. It looked precisely like the Silver Ranger! "Who are you?" ..........Kahva, the Silver Ranger. The first Silver Ranger. The living Rangers jumped back, all startled by this sudden apparition. I have spoken with Billy, and he is safe, for the time being. I know something of what must be done to free my descendent from evil. She must be called by her true name, and that will enable her to awaken the Silver Flame within her soul. The Flame will burn away the potion that binds her will to evil, and she will be free to choose where her destiny lies. .........."What is her real name?" Adam asked. ..........I haven't any idea. She must speak it of her own will, though, and that will be difficult, as Mondo's potion keeps any knowledge of her past from her. She does not even remember she was raised in another world. ..........KAHVA, I HAVE FELT YOUR PRESENCE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. HAVE YOU SOUGHT ALL THIS TIME FOR A NEW SILVER RANGER? ..........Yes. I did not think it would take so long, but now that she has arrived, once all this has ended, I may rest at last. .........."I can't imagine being dead and aware of it al lthat time!" Rocky breathed in awe. Kat was too much in shock at seeing a ghost to really speak. .........."Kahva, I've heard about ghosts possesing people, can you do that?" ..........Jason, there is very little I can do, other than bring messages between you and Billy. But the spray he made should be a beginning. The Silver Ranger will guard Billy only until a monster has been made for the job. Then she will be returned to battle you again, I believe. .........."I'm surprised Mondo hasn't started sending down Cogs and monsters to terrorize us again," Adam shook his head in bewilderment. "That's his usual style." ..........I BELIEVE HE PLANS TO DESTROY YOU USING THE SILVER RANGER. THE IRONY OF THE POWER RANGERS BEING DEFEATED BY A DESCENDENT OF THE FIRST LEADER OF THE FIRST RANGERS WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR HIM TO RESIST. ..........Just then the alarms began to ring. Alpha checked the monitors, then pointed at the viewing globe. "It's the Silver Ranger! She's back! Which means Mondo has a monster to guard Billy. It's time to try the spray." .........."Silver Ranger!" Mondo entered the prison. "Teleport back to Earth and finish the Rangers!" .........."As my lord commands," the Silver Ranger bowed, then vanished. Billy noticed that behind Mondo was a dragon-like creature. "Meet Harvox, Billy," ..........Mondo said. The creature had five heads and blue-tinted curls of smoke curled out of it's mouths. "It will take over guarding you while my Ranger is done. I made it after a creature that the first Power Rangers failed to defeat. I think it's fitting that it should guard an ex-Ranger whom my Ranger captured." .........."You're worthless, Mondo," Billy snapped. He hoped Kahva would return soon. It made him feel a little better to know she was around. "You had to resort to Zedd and Rita's old tricks to get an evil Ranger. You couldn't even make one of your own." .........."Hah! My Ranger is unbeatable, human!" .........."If we knew her real name, she wouldn't be!" Billy retorted. He stopped himself there, wondering if Mondo knew that. The Machine King would wonder how he knew of it, as well.... .........."But you don't know her name," Mondo sneered. "And that silly ghost of her ancestor's can't do anything but talk and watch! She's powerless, and has been for thousands of years!" ..........Lifeless, not powerless, Mondo. Kahva reappeared, still in the cell with Billy. There is a difference. .........."Not anymore," Mondo headed back up the stairs. "I will see you again, with my Silver Ranger by my side to destroy you both." ..........I'm a ghost, I can't be hurt by anyone. .........."Not even by one using your prescious Silver Flame?" Mondo taunted her. ..........Kahva turned to Billy. Things will begin to happen soon. Be patient. .........."What was he talking about, someone using the Silver Flame to hurt you?" ..........My descendent of course. We really must find out her name. That's where you come in, Billy. This is the plan, according to Tommy. Kahva outlined it, and Billy knew he could his part admirably: all it required was that he sit and wait. .........."In the name of my Master, Mondo the Machine King," the Silver Ranger punctuated each of her words with a fierce kick or punch to one or more of the Rangers. "I will defeat you, Rangers." .........."You're one of us, Silver Ranger!" Tommy ducked under one of her fists and delivered a punch of his own to her stomach. She shrugged it off, and retaliated with a savage roundhouse kick to his knees. Tommy fell back and was steadied by Rocky. "We shouldn't be fighting each other, we should be fighting Mondo!" .........."NEVER!" she snarled. ..........Tanya and Kat leaped in for a double-barrelled hit at her legs, but the Silver Ranger somersaulted over both of them. The two female rangers fell forward, propelled by powerful kicks to their backs. The Silver Ranger whirled on Adam and Rocky, hurtling into them like an animated frieght train. ..........Now, Tommy, while she's distracted. Kahva's whispered voice came to him. ..........Tommy held out his hand, and the spray can Billy had made before his capture appeared. Adam and Rocky had the Silver Ranger by both arms, making it harder for her to fight back. Tanya and Kat tackled her to the ground. Tommy approached warily, the Silver Ranger spitting and snarling like a wild thing. He reached down and unlathed her helmet, pulling it aside. Deep brown hair spilled down across the shoulders of her uniform, and he got a good look at her face for the fist time since she had first morphed into the Silver Ranger. ..........She was the physical duplicate of her ancestor, but her eyes were red with spellbound madness. She was almost foaming at the mouth as she fought to get away. Her muscles bulged as she began to throw off Ranger after Ranger. Tommy could waste no more time. He sprayed the mixture straight into her face as he'd been told. ..........The evil Ranger surged to her feet, stepped back, and snatched up her helmet. .........."What have you posioned me with?" she croaked. "Who am I? Where am I?" .........."You're our friend and teammate," Kat attempted. "What's your name? You haven't told us." .........."I don't know," the Ranger stepped farther back, her voic wavering. "I don't remember anything!" ..........Suddenly she shimmered and vanished. "Mondo teleported her back!" Alpha reported from the Power Chamber. .........."Just as you said he would, Tommy," Kat smiled at him. "Let's just hope Billy can do his part." .........."I'm going to check on them both. Keep your fingers crossed, Rangers." ..........Billy looked up as a shimmer of light appeared outside the cell. The Silver Ranger was there, her helmet clattering to the floor as she dropped to her knees, leaning against the wall. "Who am I? she whispered. "What's going on?" ..........Mondo and Klank appeared. "What's wrong with you, Silver Ranger? Get up and go destroy the Power Raners!" .........."Who are you?" she looked up at him. "Who am I?" .........."Klank, what's happening to her?" Mondo almost looked worried. "It's the spray they used on her, milord. It's wiped her mind clean of all her memories." .........."Is she still in my power?" .........."Yes, she is still under the potion's effects; she just dinna remember it." ..........Billy leaped to his feet. "Remember your name! Your real name! Remember you ancestor, Kahva! She wore the same uniform you do, had the same powers you do, and gave her life in the fight against evil! You can't serve evil any longer! You're free to do as you will!" .........."Who are you?" the Ranger whispered, turning to gaze at him. There was a faint spark of recognition in her eyes. "Do I know you?" .........."Not yet, but I want to know you! That can't happen while you still serve Mondo." .........."Mondo is... my Master... I remember that," she spoke haltingly. "I remember... power...." .........."Yes! You are a Power Ranger! You are my Silver Ranger!" Mondo shouted. "Ignore that human! Listen to me!" ..........The Silver Ranger stepped closer to Billy. "Keep going." .........."You weren't born here, but you should have been. You were sent to another world, where the only way for you to know me and my friends was on a television show. You were brought here to assume your rightful place as one of the Power Rangers: the defense of the world against evil." .........."He's lying, I made you to serve me!" Mondo screeched almost as loudly as Rita Repulsa. "You belong to me!" ..........The Silver Ranger looked at her costume and touched her flowing dark hair. "I am human. You are a machine." .........."Serve me," Mondo's voice hit her like a whip. "I own you." ..........The Silver Ranger fell back, crumpling to the floor again. "I don't have a choice!" .........."Yes, you do. You will always have a choice," Billy tried again. "Choose! It's up to you to decide!" .........."She belongs to me!" Mondo gloated. ..........The Silver Ranger's shoulders slumped in defeat. ..........Billy reached out with heart and hand to her . "Tell me your name and I can help you, please." ..........The Ranger took his hand in hers, and even through her gloves he felt the warmth of her soul. "What is yours, first?" .........."William Cranston," he whispered. "They call me Billy." then he was overwhelmed with her memories. He saw her newborn and crying in a strange place. He saw her growing up, strong and lovely. He saw her standing in his universe for the first time. He lived her life through her, and when he dropped her hand a moment/eternity later, he knew three things. 1. Her true name was Sheena Devereaux. 2. She loved him with all her heart and soul. 3. He loved her with all of his. .........."SHEENA DEVEREAUX!" he screamed her name to the rafters. As it had when she had first taken the power into herself, time seemed to stop. From somewhere in the vicintiy of her heart, a pale light began to glow. Billy knew this was the Silver Flame, as it ran throughout all her being, finding the potion that bound her to Mondo's will and service and destroying it. She stood up straight, her eyes gleaming like the greenest of new leaves. "I am free," she said simply. ..........Mondo snarled and vanished. His voice came to them. "Free of my spell, but not my dungeon!" .........."That remains to be seen," she laughed, and turned to Billy. ..........He pointed behind her. "Horvax!" ..........She whirled, striking the multiple-headed dragon with double hits to the snout. It backed away and she followed it. One karate chop, five punches, and three kicks later, Horvax was down. "Cheap copy of the original," she muttered as she demolished Billy's cell door. "Let's go." .........."How? Zordon can't teleport us out of here." .........."So we go the old-fashioned way." .........."What?" .........."By Zord," she laughed at the expression on his face. "Come on, I'll show you!" ..........They raced up the stairs, with Sheena in the lead taking out every Cog that dared to get in their path. "That door leads outside!" she pointed to it. .........."But I don't think Mondo's going to let us leave without a fight." .........."You are correct, my Ranger," Mondo's voice came from the air. "You are mine, you belong to me, and that is the way it will always be." .........."Never," she swore. "Never again. I'll go the way of my ancestor this time. I can do that now." .........."But that will leave your precious Billy here with me. Would you want that?" ..........Sheena bit her lip. She wouldn't do that... with her memories fully restored, she couldn't do that. Then she grinned. "I won't have to. Cheetah Zord, power up!" ..........A thundrous roar shook the skybase to its foundations. BIlly looked up to see a Zord even larger than Pyramidus soaring downards. Sheena grabbed hold of his arm and they were both envelopd in the shining glow and nausea of teleportation. "Where are we going?" .........."My Zord," she laughed. A moment later they were seated in the Zord. ..........Sheena was in the cockput, while Billy managed to squeeze behind her. "We're going home." .........."What happened to you? How did you break Mondo's spell?" .........."When we touched, you saw my past. When you called me by name, I remembered everything you saw," as with all the Rangers, piloting her Zord came naturally to her, so she talked as she drove. "When I heard my name, a lot of other memories flooded ack, not just from me. From Kahva. I remembered everything she'd ever done as the Silver Ranger, from first taking her crystal to her last words to her teammates," a tear glistened in one eye. "It's from her memories I know how to pilot the Cheetah Zord here. I also know if it came down to it, I could do what she did at the end." ..........She patted the control panel lovingly. "I also remembered what it was like in my world... and how I loved you there. When I saw you in the cell after I woke up, I felt it even more. Billy, before I came here, before I knew you so much more than just some character on a TV show, I loved you. I loved your heart, your mind, your courage, your soul... and when I found I was somewhere where you were really real... I was ecstatic." .........."Why didn't you come to Angel Grove, then?" .........."I was afraid," she admitted. "I was too scared to try it. I thought if I saw you in real life, it would be just like it was back home. I was tongue-tied and confused most of the time with a guy. I was... confused by guys. I didn't know how to talk to them, or be with them or anything. All I wanted to to be left alone." .........."Is that the way you still want it?" ..........She turned to look at him. Her eyes brimmed with tears. Silently, she shook her head. He bent down and their lips brushed gently. The Cheetah Zord shook. "That was some kiss!" .........."It's not me, much as I wish it was! It's them!" ..........Billy stared out the viewport, and she looked to see several Quadrafighters closing in on them. "Let's see what this baby can do, baby," she chuckled. She hit a button on the control panel and an enormous gun emerged from the Cheetah Zord's mouth. ..........Quadrafighters exploded into bits as she fired it. "Hey, this is fun!" .........."The job does come with some perks," Billy joked. "Blowing Quadrafighters out of the sky is just one of them." .........."Finding true love is another, I guess." .........."Not the usual perk, but I suppose it qualifies," he ran his fingers across the back of her neck, causing her firing to go erratic. .........."Could we safe that til after the wedding, please?" she grinned. .........."When will that be, anyway?" .........."I don't know... would today be too soon? I'm not doing anything for the rest of the day, that I know if," she retorted. "Except blowing these guys up." .........."Sounds like we've set the date," he chuckled. "Who would have thought I get abducted by the woman I'm going to marry?" .........."I don't think the kids will ever believe this," she blasted a few more of the fighters, then they were through them. .........."Power Chamber dead ahead," Billy pointed it out. "It's good to be home." ..........The Cheetah Zord landed just outside the Zord Holding Bay, and trotted in as if it belonged there: which it did. Once they got out, Billy went to a communications panel on the wall. "Guys, this is Billy. My fiance and I are in the Zord Holding Bay. Please teleport us to the Power Chamber, Alpha." .........."Fiance?" seven voices chorused. .........."Yes. My name's Sheena Devereaux. I caused you guys some trouble, I know. I'm sorry," Sheena came to his side. "I used to be the Silver Ranger. In fact, I still am. But now I know which side I'm on: yours." ..........IT IS GOOD TO HAVE THE SILVER RANGER ONCE MORE SERVING THE CAUSE OF GOOD, Zordon's voice echoed through the holding bay. WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR UNIVERSE, TO ANGEL GROVE, AND TO THE POWER RANGERS, SHEENA. ..........They appeared in the Power Chamber, with Sheena demorphed at last. .........."Guys, meet Sheena Devereaux, the Silver Ranger and my fiance," Billy introduced her formally. "Descendent of the first Silver Ranger Kahva, and formerly Mondo's chief weapon against us." .........."But now I'm one of you, if you'll have me," she smiled, almost shyly. .........."Of course," Tommy shook her hand. "Zordon showed us some of your life in the viewing glove while we were waiting for you guys to get back here. Your ancestor made a great choice in you." ..........Of course I did. Kahva appeared. Sheena, the power is yours now. Use it wisely, and with care. As with every other Power Ranger, you must follow the three rules: never use your power for personal gain. Never escalate a battle unless your enemy forces you to. And never let anyone know your secret. No one may know you are a Power Ranger Zeo. The ghost looked amused at her descendent's startled expression .........."You're... my ancestor!" ..........Bright girl. Hopefully your kids will take after their father. Kahva chuckled. Zordon, it's good to see the old uniforms back in action. ..........YES, KAHVA, IT IS. AND NOW WHAT WILL YOU DO? ..........Rest. At last. After fifteen thousand years, my task has ended. A new Silver Ranger has come to take up the fight against evil. Good-bye Sheena Devereaux, Silver Ranger. .........."Good-bye, Kahva, Silver Ranger," Sheena waved as her ancestor rose higher into the air, then vanished like a puff of smoke. .........."Welcome to the team, Sheena!" Jason clapped her on the back. "That Cheetah Zord of yours is awesome!" .........."I like it," she smiled. She was welcomed by all the Rangers, and Tanya and Kat promised to take her shopping the next day to get a new wardrobe, since most of her old stuff had been demolished by the Cogs in search of her crystal. ..........She went to Billy and kissed him. This wasn't just some simple peck on the cheek, but a full-fledged kiss that, had it been explosives, could have leveled several large continents. He held her close, then looked up at Zordon. "So, Zordon, are you capable of performing marriages?"
