To be continued...
Jenny and Leo stood facing each other in the center of the Simudeck. It had the simulation of a gym. Leo put his right fist to his left palm and extended them towards Jenny, who copied his motions with a smile. Suddenly, they both took a fighting stance and began circling around the room slowly. The other Galaxy Rangers watched with anticipation as Jenny and Leo began their sparring match. Mostly, they either blocked or dodged each other's attacks. Leo attempted a knee strike, but Jenny blocked. When Jenny threw a leg sweep, Leo hopped over it. Jenny stood up and attempted a snap kick, but Leo grabbed her ankle and thrust it upward. Jenny flipped backwards, kicking Leo in the chest with her free ankle, then landed on her feet. Leo, however, landed on his seat.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked.
"Face it, Leo, the woman's unbeatable," the Cryptkeeper told him.
"Is there anyone else who would like to challenge me?" Jenny asked sweetly.
"Hmm.....I think I'll challenge you," Damon said.
"You think?"
"Okay, I will."
Jenny and Damon took their places and began to circle each other.....
Astronema and Scorpius were desperately thinking of a plan to get rid of our heroes.
"The Rangers and Spices have let their guard down," Scorpius observed. "Now's the perfect time to strike......but how?"
"Perhaps we should wait a while," Astronema said. "Their guard will sink even more."
At that moment, an image of Dark Specter appeared on the screen. "Astronema."
Scorpius looked up. "Who is that?"
"This is Dark Specter, the Grand Monarch of Evil," Astronema told him. "Dark Specter, this is Scorpius. I have joined forces with him in order to defeat the Rangers and Spices."
"And you have still failed," Dark Specter growled. "I have passed through the black hole into the Lost Galaxy."
Astronema smiled. "You have a plan, Dark Specter?"
"Yes. I want to destroy Tonfa Spice myself. I need you to launch a full-scale invasion on any inhabited planet to keep the others busy."
"That's it! It's perfect!" Scorpius exclaimed.
"Your wish is our command," Astronema said. "Let the battle begin!"
Back on the Megaship, T.J. was trying to teach Spinal how to tap dance. While T.J. demonstrated his awesome tap dancing skills, Spinal could only hop up and down. His bare skeleton feet made the necessary tapping noises.
"We need everyone on the bridge now!" Cassie's voice called.
So the heroes rushed to the bridge. They saw the visual of an entire army of Quantrons and Stingwingers invading a jungle.
"Oh no! They're invading Mirinoi!" Maya cried.
"Well, let's get going!" Jenny declared.
She started out of the bridge, but Kai grabbed her shoulder.
"What, are you nuts!?"
Jenny shot him a look. "How many times are you going to ask me that?" she asked. "Besides, do you think that we're going to stand here and watch a world be destroyed?"
"We're really going to need to help each other out with this one," the Cryptkeeper said.
"Hang on, Mirinoi," Andros muttered. "Here we come."
"Okay, stick together, everyone," Jenny said. "Let's see some teamwork out there!"
"All right!" the others agreed.
The heroes rushed down to the planet to counter the invasion. The battle was intense; evil creatures were everywhere! The Rangers and Spices fought valiantly, helping the people evacuate. As the battle progressed, thousands of Velocifighters began to descend on the planet, firing their lasers.
"Oh man, Velocifighters!" Fulgore cried. "Astronema and Scorpius are really throwing a hard one at us!" He fired his eye lasers at the airborne ships.
"No, don't!" Spinal screamed. "These people can get hurt!"
"Do you have a better idea?" Fulgore asked. "These Velocifighters are killing people anyway, so it really doesn't matter."
The Velocifighters fired their lasers continuously, setting the village huts on fire. Fulgore and Spinal moved away from the area. They saw C.C. in trouble. As a Quantron held her, Astronema struck her chest with her staff.
"C.C.!" Spinal cried. "I'm coming, C.C.!"
He climbed up a tree and grabbed a thick vine. "Geronimo!!!"
While C.C. was down, Spinal swung down on the vine, yelling like Tarzan. He kicked Astronema brutally in the chest, sending her flying backwards.
"You okay?" Spinal asked, helping C.C. up.
"Yes.....my hero!" C.C. cried, kissing Spinal.
"Hey-hey, save it for our victory...." Fulgore told them, "if we even get it."
Jenny and the Cryptkeeper stuck together as they fought off their foes. Several Stingwingers struck C.K. with their stingers.
"C.K.!" Jenny cried, shoving the Stingwingers aside. "You okay?"
"Damn, I hate those stingers!" the Cryptkeeper cried. "They hurt like hell!"
"Come on, we'd better find the others!"
"Not so fast," Ecliptor called.
Jenny and C.K. turned. A Velocifighter flew overhead, firing its lasers. The two Spices backed up before they were struck in the chest. The blast sent them flying. Zhane rushed to their rescue. He then turned to the Quantrons and Stingwingers charging at them.
"Super Silverizer!" Zhane took out his weapon and fired at the creatures. The explosions sent them packing.
"That's it!" Jenny cried. "I'm going up to the Megaship to take care of those Velocifighters!"
"Wait!" the Cryptkeeper cried, but Jenny had already teleported out.
"I'm going up with her," Zhane said. "Stay here and keep fighting." He teleported out after Jenny.
"You got it," the Cryptkeeper said. He looked around. "I'd better find somebody to watch my back....."
Ruth and Carlos were blasted through the door of one of the huts. As they lay there, Carlos suddenly demorphed. Ruth got up and crawled to him.
"Carlos....."
Carlos looked down at his body. Both were already dirty. "What happened?"
"I don't know, but we'd better find the others."
The couple got up and ran as the Stingwingers chased them, firing their lasers.
Ruth and Carlos ran away from the hut.
Meanwhile, Jenny and Zhane were up at the Megaship trying to subdue the Velocifighters, but there were just too many of them. They fired the Megaship's blasters in order to defeat them. The Velocifighters fought back. Each shot that hit the Megaship caused it to lose control. Zhane gripped the controls tightly while Jenny was managing the weapons. A powerful laser struck the Megaship, causing it to shake violently. Jenny, Zhane, and Alpha fell to the floor, but they got up quickly.
"Jenny, take over!" Zhane shouted as he raced out of the room.
"Where're you going!?" Jenny cried as she took Zhane's place.
"I need the Mega Winger!" Zhane cried.
Zhane got into his Mega Winger zord and went down to the planet.
Jenny gripped the Megaship controls tightly. She had a difficult time trying to keep it under control. If she couldn't even drive a car, how was she expected to pilot the Megaship, much less operate its defenses?
The Mega Winger stood in the center of the village as the Velocifighters flew around it. Zhane controlled it to lift up a fist and bring it down sharply on one of the ships, destroying it.
"That's one down, about a gazillion to go," he announced.
"Way to go, Zhane; but you can't keep that up forever," Jenny told him.
"How are you doing?" Zhane asked.
"Are you kidding!? You know that I don't know how to fly this thing!"
"All righty then."
Jenny pressed a button to fire the weapons again, but nothing happened. Suddenly, the lighting of the Megaship turned red, and the control terminals throughout the bridge started flickering. Jenny gasped in horror.
"What's happening!?" she cried.
"I don't know!" Alpha responded. "Everything's going haywire!"
Before Jenny could decide what to do, a beam of energy shot out from the control terminal, trapping her in a red energy ball. Jenny stuck her arms out to touch the edges of this strange force field.
"Hey......let me out!"
The energy ball only grew smaller. Jenny seemed to disappear, and the energy ball flew out of the Megaship. Then the lights and control terminals returned to normal. Alpha uncovered his eyes only to find Jenny gone.
"Jenny? Where'd you go?" he called. "Jenny.......?"
The Cryptkeeper decided to help Hallie and Kathy with their battle. A Stingwinger threw what looked like a dark green egg at them. Hallie caught it and looked at it in curiosity. Then she threw it away carelessly. Suddenly, it exploded, sending the trio rolling down the hill, where at least a hundred Quantrons and Stingwingers stood over them.
"This isn't good......" the Cryptkeeper groaned. "We're getting our butts kicked out here! We've got to......retreat!"
"What!? We can't quit!" Hallie cried.
The Stingwingers pulled the Spices to their feet, and they fought their way out.
"This way, girls!" The Cryptkeeper led the little girls into the forest. Fortunately, they bumped into Fulgore, Spinal, and C.C. along the way.
"I think the others went this way," Spinal said.
The six Spices rushed through the forest until running into a secret passageway leading to a cave. The others were already in there; all the Rangers had demorphed. All of the fighters were covered with ashes.
"Hello!" the Cryptkeeper cried. "Why aren't you guys helping!?"
"Sheesh! No wonder we're dangling at the bottom of the food chain!" Spinal added.
"We had to retreat; there were too many of them," Kendrix told them.
"I see Jenny and Zhane weren't doing too well with the Velocifighters," Ashley said, listening to the evil rockets blasting through the sky.
The last six Spices sat down with a frustrated sigh.......
The red energy ball sailed through space towards a peaceful, empty planet. It floated over a plant field about five feet. It disappeared abruptly, and Jenny dropped to the ground. She sat up and looked around, then stood up and brushed herself off.
"What happened?" she wondered. "Where am I?"
About a minute went by before she got a response.
"Over here, my love."
Jenny spun around. "Darkonda!"
"In case you're wondering what just happened, I'm the one who brought you here," Darkonda told her.
"Okay, Darkonda, two things," Jenny said. "One, you scared me.....again! Two, you pulled me out of battle!"
"You were in battle?"
"Yes! Mirinoi is being invaded; I have to go back."
Jenny started to walk away, but Darkonda grabbed her arm.
"Wait!" he cried. "Tonfa Spice, I need to speak to you."
"Oh.....can't it wait?" Jenny asked.
"No, it can't wait," Darkonda said. "It's urgent."
"Well, my problem at hand is also urgent! My friends need me; I have to go back!" Jenny tried to get away, but Darkonda still held her. "Darkonda, please let go of my arm!"
Darkonda only took her other arm. Jenny struggled to break his hold, but was unsuccessful.
"Tonfa Spice, listen to me," Darkonda said. "Dark Specter has crossed into the Lost Galaxy and is seeking to destroy you himself."
Jenny stopped struggling. "Dark Specter?"
"Yes. And he will not rest until you are thoroughly wiped out of existence."
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for him. Can I go back now?"
"No. There's something else I need to speak to you about," Darkonda explained. "This is our golden opportunity."
"Golden opportunity for what?" Jenny asked.
"While Astronema and Scorpius are busy invading Mirinoi, you and I can destroy Dark Specter and rule together."
"Rule what? I don't want to rule anything."
"Think of it this way: After we destroy Dark Specter, we can get rid of Astronema and Scorpius. Then you and I will finally be at peace, my dear." Darkonda released Jenny and caressed the edge of her face.
"Wait.....wait....." Jenny backed away. "I don't have a problem with getting rid of Dark Specter, but I can't kill my own mother."
"You won't have to," Darkonda told her. "I'll take care of that. You could kill Scorpius, or maybe Ecliptor."
Jenny pondered for a moment. "I just don't know."
"Come.....we'll settle it at the Dark Fortress." Darkonda took Jenny's arm again and vanished from the planet.
At the Dark Fortress, Astronema and Scorpius had a new weapon. The Quantrons were fitting some kind of torpedo into a Velocifighter.
"The super torpedo will be ready momentarily, my princess," Ecliptor reported.
"Excellent. The entire planet will be destroyed in one shot," Astronema said.
"I like it," Scorpius commented.
"No dessert until you finish," Elgar added.
"Astronema!" Dark Specter's voice called.
The four villains left the storage area.
Darkonda peered around some barrels. "Perfect. That's what we'll use. If that torpedo can destroy an entire planet, it can also destroy Dark Specter."
He turned to Jenny, who wasn't even paying attention. She was too busy writing in her diary. Dear Diary,
Darkonda and I have a plan to destroy Dark Specter once and for all. However, Darkonda also wants to kill Mom, and I just can't go through with it. I also have a really bad feeling.....about me, about the others. How will we ever stop the Mirinoi invasion?
"Tonfa Spice?" Darkonda called softly.
Jenny looked up. "Huh?"
"Time to strike," Darkonda told her.
He snuck over to the Velocifighter. Jenny remained in place and pondered some more. She had beaten Dark Specter before, and she had spared him. Now she regretted it. She wanted to end it now!
"Wait!" Jenny rushed over to Darkonda, who stopped.
"What is it, my love?"
Jenny paused and took a deep breath. "Let me do it. I spared Dark Specter before when I shouldn't have."
"Well, all right."
Jenny paused again. "Darkonda.....I want you to hold on to this.....just in case I don't make it." She handed him her diary.
"Why wouldn't you make it?" Darkonda asked.
"Well.....anything can happen. But......don't read it.....until after I'm gone......if I don't survive."
"My love, you will survive. You are invincible."
"No......no one is truly invincible."
Darkonda took the diary, and Jenny climbed into the Velocifighter. Darkonda watched as she took off into space. Dark Specter floated in front of the Dark Fortress in all his glory. Jenny flew at him from behind.
"Call me a bitch, will you?" she mumbled. "I've spared you once, Dark Specter, but you'd still sacrifice life and limb to see me dead. What the hell was I thinking when I let you live?"
She held her thumb over the button that would fire the weapon. She pressed it without warning. "Die!"
The torpedo shot through space directly at Dark Specter, piercing into the back of his neck. The giant lava rock creature howled in pain.
"Who dares fire upon me!?" he demanded.
As sparks flew out of his body, Jenny flew by, staring at him.
"It is I, Tonfa Spice," she called. "Your favorite bitch!"
Dark Specter continued to roar in pain as sparks flew out of his body. Jenny continued to fly around.
"Damn! He's blocking the runway!"
In the Dark Fortress, Astronema and Scorpius rushed in to see Dark Specter dying on their screen.
"Dark Specter!" Astronema cried. "What's going on? Dark Specter, destroyed? But how?"
Dark Specter began to sink out of sight.
"All right, I did it!" Jenny told herself. "Now to park this thing and get out of here so that Darkonda could do his job."
She began to go back to the Dark Fortress, now confident that she was safe from Dark Specter. She was wrong.
Dark Specter popped up again suddenly. "Tonfa Spice!" he growled with the last of his strength. "You bitch!!!"
Jenny gasped in horror. "NOOO!!!" She threw her arms over her face.
Dark Specter opened his mouth, and the Velocifighter flew straight into it. As his last act, the Grand Monarch of Evil crushed the Velocifighter between his enormous teeth as his entire body exploded......
The Rangers and Spices were now ready to give it another shot. They came out of their hiding place only to be greeted by fiery falling rocks. These rocks were obviously pieces of Dark Specter, but the heroes didn’t know that. They scrambled around behind trees to avoid the rocks. After a few minutes, the flaming rain stopped. The heroes popped their heads out.
“Is the......coast clear?” Spinal asked, his voice trembling.
The Rangers stepped out into the open.
“What was that all about?” Cassie asked.
The others shrugged. Their communicators beeped without warning.
“Rangers, Spices,” Alpha announced. “Dark Specter has been destroyed.”
Everyone looked up.
“Dark Specter was in this galaxy?” T.J. asked. “Alpha, how did it happen?”
“It was Jenny’s doing,” Alpha replied.
The Cryptkeeper was stunned. “Jenny killed Dark Specter?”
“Who’s Dark Specter?” Leo asked.
“Who cares? He’s dead!” the Cryptkeeper told him.
“But there’s something else,” Alpha went on. “Oh, I don’t know how to tell you this, but.......Jenny......when she destroyed Dark Specter......she......”
As Alpha fumbled for words, Hallie seemed to get the message.
“Alpha.....say it’s not true!”
“I’m sorry, Hallie,” Alpha sighed. “It’s true. Your sister is gone forever.”
The heroes’ hearts stopped. They lowered their heads to mourn their leader and friend......
At the Dark Fortress, Astronema and Scorpius were wondering how the powerful Dark Specter could have been destroyed. A Quantron entered the control room and whispered into Ecliptor’s ear. Ecliptor then relayed the information to Astronema.
“My princess, the mystery of Dark Specter’s destruction has been solved,” he said. “Tonfa Spice has stolen your super torpedo and used it to destroy him.”
“Tonfa Spice? How dare she!?” Astronema growled. “Find her, and don’t come back until she’s destroyed!”
“There’s no need. Tonfa Spice was destroyed along with Dark Specter.”
“Tonfa Spice, destroyed also?” Astronema asked, not really sure how she felt now that her daughter was truly gone.
Darkonda stood in the corner of the room. When Ecliptor turned to him, Darkonda quickly stepped out. Ecliptor went after him. He stopped suddenly, for Darkonda was nowhere in sight.
“Where are you, you coward!?” Ecliptor demanded. “Show yourself!”
Darkonda reappeared behind Ecliptor, sword in hand. He sliced Ecliptor’s back. When Ecliptor turned around, Darkonda attacked him again. Ecliptor dropped to his knees, then collapsed to the floor. With a furious scream, Darkonda lifted his foot and brought it down on Ecliptor’s back. Then he grabbed his head, yelling with grief.
“Tonfa Spice.....my love!” he screamed. “She is destroyed, and all nine of my lives were destroyed with her!”
He brought himself down, still breathing shakily, and staggered against the wall. He picked up Jenny’s diary.
“Oh Tonfa Spice.....you mean the universe to me! Beautiful and brave.....charming as well. There will never be another warrior like you.....”
In another fit of rage, Darkonda stormed out of the room.
“Okay, okay,” the Cryptkeeper sighed. “We’ll all miss Jenny, her friendship, and her leadership greatly, but we must move on. We can still save Miranoi from Astronema and Scorpius.”
“But who’s going to take over as Spice Club leader?” Ashley asked.
“I find it difficult to picture Hallie leading the Spice Club because she’s Jenny’s sister,” Fulgore said.
“No, I cannot lead the team,” Hallie said. “C.K., you’ve been like a second leader. I think you should take over.”
“Yeah.....I think so, too,” Carlos commented. He turned to the Spices. “Of course, it’s totally up to you guys.”
With a tear in her eye, Hallie stepped in front of the group. “All in favor of electing Zombie Spice as the new leader, say ‘aye!’“
“Aye!!” the other Spices called.
“All oppose?” Hallie inquired.
Silence.
“Hmm......I accept y’all’s nomination for Spice Club leader,” the Cryptkeeper said.
Suddenly, the Quantrons and Stingwingers found them. The Spices took a fighting stance, breathing heavily while memories of the lovely Tonfa Spice raced through their minds.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” the Cryptkeeper called. “Let’s add some Spice!”
The Spices and Rangers rushed into battle, but Fulgore remained in place. He grabbed Spinal without warning.
“I thought it was neat to have a female leader,” he said.
“Me too, but no female could truly take Jenny’s place,” Spinal said. “In fact, no male could take her place either.”
The heroes were back in battle. Even the Miranoian villagers jumped in and helped. The Velocifighters flew overhead again, blasting the heroes around.
“Damn you, Velocifighters!” Fulgore screamed. “Take this!”
He fired his eye lasers at the ships, causing them to explode in midair.
“There’s a good way to get rid of them,” C.C. said.
The second round didn’t last very long. The Quantrons and Stingwingers began to round up the villagers. The heroes were forced to retreat to their hiding place again.
Maya looked as if she was going to cry. “What are we going to do? My world is going to be destroyed, and we can’t stop it.”
“We haven’t been defeated yet,” the Cryptkeeper said. “We just need some kind of strategy.”
“I don’t know why we keep hiding in here,” Hallie said. “We should stay out there and fight to the bitter end!”
Everyone looked at her, surprised to hear such brave words coming from a little girl.
“It would have been bitter,” Andros said.
Suddenly, Zhane staggered into the Spices’ hiding place, gasping for breath.
“Zhane!” The Space Rangers crowded around him.
“It’s no use,” Zhane told them. “The Mega Winger is badly damaged. We’d better get Jenny down here so that we can come up with a new plan.”
He tapped his wrist communicator. “Jenny? Jenny, come in; this is Zhane. Do you read me?”
Hallie gently tapped his arm. “Jenny’s dead.”
Zhane looked at her in disbelief. “What?”
“Jenny’s......gone,” Hallie repeated. “She went off to kill Dark Specter, but she......” Her voice trailed off, and she went over next to the Cryptkeeper and sat down. Zhane looked over the group and saw the mournful looks on their faces.
“Come on, let’s see what’s going on out there.....” Leo suggested.
The beaten heroes emerged again. The entire village was in ruin, and several grassy buildings were on fire. The villagers were just as dirty. Everything was calm now, like after a tornado. Spinal sat next to a little girl, who was crying. He turned to her.
“Stinks, doesn’t it?” he asked. “The whole thing stinks like yesterday’s diapers.”
The girl got up and ran away.
Suddenly, Darkonda appeared, towering over the city at the size of a skyscraper. The heroes stood up promptly.
“It’s Darkonda!” Andros exclaimed.
Darkonda didn’t quite look normal. He was much more hideous than before, with huge horns protruding from his left shoulder. He had smaller horns crossing his chest in a crooked manner, and he had another horn just below his right palm. His voice was deep and demonic as he laughed and kicked several tall trees down.
“He’s gone mad!” Cassie cried.
“Of course!” the Cryptkeeper told her. “Darkonda must’ve found out what happened to Jenny, and he’s mad with grief.”
“Well, we’ve got to stop him!” Maya cried.
“Right,” Andros agreed. “Let’s Rocket!”
“Go Galactic!” Leo shouted.
The Rangers morphed into their costumes and called on their Megazords. The Spices turned back to the Stingwingers and Quantrons.
“Well, if the Rangers get back into action, we might as well do the same,” the Cryptkeeper suggested. “Let’s Add Some Spice!!”
Astronema emerged from the group of Quantrons. “Don’t be silly, Spices. There’s no way you can win.”
“We never give up!” the Cryptkeeper told her.
“Yeah! We’ll either save Miranoi or die trying!” Spinal added.
“What are you going to do without your precious Tonfa Spice?” Astronema asked.
“Please! Our survival has never depended on her,” the Cryptkeeper responded. “Just because we lose one doesn’t mean we can’t triumph in the end!”
“I’ve had enough,” Astronema growled. “Destroy them!”
Another ferocious battle ensued. Nothing else can really be described. While the Spices seemed to be holding their own, the Rangers were being torn apart by Darkonda.
“Oh no!” Ashley cried. “He’s back up again!”
“Got any suggestions?” Damon asked.
“I say we take him out for good,” T.J. suggested. “Even though he’s evil, I hate to see him suffer like this.”
“All right, let’s bring it to full power,” Andros declared. “Okay, Darkonda, this one’s for my sister!”
Both Megazords fired all their power at Darkonda, but he reflected their blast, and it struck them, knocking them to the ground.
“Watch out!!” Fulgore screamed as the Megazords’ bodies were about to fall on them.
The Spices scrambled out of the way before the zords hit the ground.
“Oh, do be more careful, Rangers,” Spinal called.
“Sorry ‘bout that!” Leo called back.
“Hmm......this planet is dead,” Darkonda told himself. “I know! I’ll blow off some steam on Terra Venture!”
He disappeared with the blink of an eye.
“Hey, he’s gone!” Kendrix observed.
“Where’d he go?” Kai asked.
“He’s heading for Terra Venture!” Carlos exclaimed.
“Let’s go! We have to stop him!” Kai screamed.
“Spices, we’re going to Terra Venture to stop Darkonda,” Andros announced. “Do you think you could handle things here on Miranoi?”
“Oh sure, we’ll be fine,” the Cryptkeeper replied, shooting a nervous glance at the others.
“Be careful!” Maya called as the Megazords shot up into the air. “Please save my home!”
“We’ll do our best!” Hallie assured the Rangers.
Suddenly, the Stingwingers leaped on top of them, but the Spices threw them off quickly. The endless battle resumed.....
Meanwhile, Scorpius and Trakeena were watching the carnage from the Scorpion Stinger.
“Oooh, this is exciting!” Trakeena cried. “Death and destruction all over Miranoi!”
“My thoughts and feelings are divided,” Scorpius admitted. “While Tonfa Spice’s death will make winning easier, I wanted her by my side.”
“But won’t I be by your side, Father?” Trakeena asked.
“Of course, my sweet daughter.”
“Can I join the fun on Miranoi?”
“No, Trakeena. Battling is for warriors, not for my princess.”
“But I can’t just stay here!” Trakeena cried. “This is so boring.”
“When the Rangers and Spices are defeated, you can observe in a more up close and personal manner,” Scorpius told her. “But for now, you must remain here, where it is safe.”
Trakeena sat down with a sigh......
The nonstop fighting continued both on Miranoi and Terra Venture.
“That’s it!” Andros cried angrily. “We’ll have to call on the Mega Voyager! I’m sure the Spices wouldn’t mind.”
“How many Megazords do y’all have?” Damon asked.
“Three,” Carlos replied. “The Astro Megazord, the Delta Megazord, and the Mega Voyager.”
“Unless you count Zhane’s Mega Winger, then that makes four,” T.J. added.
“We need the Mega Voyager!” Andros declared.
When the Mega Voyager landed on Terra Venture, Andros leaped into it from the Astro Megazord.
“Go get him, Andy!” Damon cried.
“Mega V3 Missile, power up!” Andros commanded bravely.
The blue V3 Missile attached itself to the Mega Voyager’s left arm.
“I hope this works.....” Kendrix prayed.
“Mega V3 Missile, fire!” Andros screamed.
At his command, the V3 Missile launched from the Mega Voyager’s arm, rocketing towards Darkonda, flames and sparks spraying from the tail. The missile seemed to charge right through him. Upon impact, Darkonda froze and tipped backward to the ground, followed by explosions.
“Well, that takes care of that,” Kai said.
“But alas, the end of a true romance......” T.J. sighed.
“Come on, we have to get back to Miranoi and help the Spices!” Leo reminded the others.
But something unbelievable happened. Darkonda stood back up!
“Not so fast, Red Ranger,” he growled.
The Rangers gasped. “I don’t believe it!”
“We......destroyed you!” Maya stammered.
“You can’t destroy me so easily,” Darkonda told her. “I will survive as long as the memory of my bride lingers in my damned soul.”
“What will we do now?” Ashley asked.
Unfortunately, none of the others had a clue.......
Things weren’t going so hot on Miranoi either. Spinal weakly fought his way over to the Cryptkeeper, completely fatigued.
“C.K......I can’t keep this up much longer!” he gasped.
“I know, we’re all exhausted,” the Cryptkeeper told him. “But we’re not backing down this time. We’re going to keep fighting until we drop. Remember back when Jenny worked so hard in the Killer Program that she made herself sick? Well, that’s what’s going on here. We’re either going to save Miranoi or die trying. So hang in there, buddy; don’t give up.”
“Okay, thanks,” Spinal sighed. “I needed that.....”
Now he made his way over to Fulgore and tapped his shoulder.
“Hey, what’s up, little one?” he asked.
Before Spinal could answer, a Stingwinger jump-kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
“Oooh, you son of a......” Fulgore stood up, seized the Stingwinger by the throat, and hurled it away. Then he turned back to Spinal. “You were saying?”
“Are you tired?” Spinal asked.
“No. I’m a cyborg, and cyborgs don’t get tired,” Fulgore told him. “Why? Are you tired?”
“Of course I’m tired!” Spinal cried. “How much longer is this fight going to last?”
“Well, since Astronema and Scorpius can always summon more Quantrons, Stingwingers, and Velocifighters, this fight should last until the entire Spice Club drops. So if they want this fight to end as badly as we do, they’ll bring out the heavy artillery.”
“Aw man.....”
“But if you’re tired, I’ll be more than happy to help you.” Fulgore grabbed Spinal’s arm and swung him around, striking some Quantrons. Suddenly, a Velocifighter flew by, shooting them both in the back with its lasers. The pair flew forward, hitting the ground abruptly.
“Was that the heavy artillery?” Spinal groaned.
“It had better be,” Fulgore replied. “Oooh, my aching circuits.....come on......we may be down, but the jig is up!”
On a hidden spot in Terra Venture, Rachel and Robyn were looking for Alpha.
“Alpha?” Robyn called.
“Alpha?” Rachel echoed.
Then the twins called in unison. “Alpha!”
Alpha emerged from the darkness. “What is it, girls?”
Robyn and Rachel began to chant in unison. “Are Mom and Dad coming back? Are Mom and Dad coming back? Are Mom and Dad coming back? Are Mom and Dad coming back?”
“Oh, I don’t know, girls,” Alpha admitted. “Just look at this!”
He put an image of the invasion on the screen.
“Mommy!” the twins cried.
They saw their mother on the screen, badly beaten, but still going strong.
“We have to get out there!” Rachel cried.
“No, we can’t!” Robyn cried. “We’re not experienced enough!”
“You got any better ideas, little sister!?” Rachel snapped.
“There’s nothing we can do, Rachel!” Robyn insisted.
“She’s right, Rachel,” Alpha jumped in. “It’s way too dangerous for you out there. Only the most experienced warriors can fight off an invasion like that.”
“It’s not fair!” Rachel whined. “Hallie and Kathy get to fight out there!”
“Hallie and Kathy are experienced warriors,” Alpha explained. “They’ve been fighting for years. You’ve only fought but a few battles. You’ve not yet mastered your skills.”
“I don’t care!” Rachel cried. “Mommy’s gonna die if we don’t go!”
“Rachel, your courage is admirable, but your mother can take care of herself.”
Rachel growled as she stepped back, pressed on her ring, and teleported out. Robyn stepped out towards where Rachel once stood, then turned back to Alpha.
“I’ve got to go after her,” she said. “Hey Rachel, wait up!” She teleported out as well.
“Oh, be careful, girls.......” Alpha pleaded.
On Miranoi, Ruth was brutally shot by the Stingwingers’ stingers. As she held her wounds, she heard the voices of her daughters.
“Mommy!” Robyn and Rachel rushed through the Stingwinger jungle.
Ruth sat up slightly. “Rachel, Robyn, what are you doing here?”
“We just want to help,” Rachel replied.
“What do you mean ‘we’?” Robyn snapped.
“Look, Mommy will be all right,” Ruth assured them. “Go back to Terra Venture.”
“We can’t,” Rachel said. “Terra Venture is under attack.”
“And the Rangers took the Astro Megaship,” Robyn added. “There’s no safe place for us.”
“All right,” Ruth sighed. “Stay close to me and watch your back. Those creeps are everywhere.”
The twins helped her to her feet, then stood on either side of her. As the Quantrons and Stingwingers attacked, the Magic family fought them off fiercely.
“Hey, this isn’t so bad,” Rachel commented after a while.
As soon as she said this, a Velocifighter rocketed past them, firing its lasers. The shots caused Ruth and the twins to double over, landing in the burnt grass.
“Now that was bad,” Robyn said.
Unfortunately, the laser blasts also separated Rachel from her family. She stood up and quickly realized that she was in big trouble.
“Uh-oh.....”
Rachel turned to see the enemies coming up from behind. She formed a palm-sized bubble in her hand and released it. It floated toward the enemies slowly.
“I am Bubble Spice!” Rachel announced. “You don’t want to see me......POP!!!”
With that, the bubble exploded, blowing the Quantrons and Stingwingers back quite a distance. Rachel ran back to her family.
“Man, I’m getting mad at those Rangers right about now,” the Cryptkeeper said.
“Why is that?” Hallie asked.
“Well, we’re down here fighting our butts off while the Rangers are kicking back in some Megazords. What do you think?” The Cryptkeeper opened his ring. “Hey Rangers, are you about finished yet?”
“Yes, we are about finished,” T.J. replied. “Darkonda’s tearing us apart.”
“Nothing we do seems to have any effect on him!” Cassie added.
“We’re pancakes!!” Damon screamed.
“Well......sorry to hear that,” the Cryptkeeper said. “I wish I knew what to do.”
“Watch out!” Hallie cried.
The Spices ducked as the Stingwingers charged at them. Again it was more tiring endless combat. As they fought, they heard a shrill whistling noise, grabbing their attention. All fighting ceased. Everyone turned to the source, and they couldn’t believe their eyes. Standing on top of a house made of dried mud was none other than......Jenny? She stood proudly with a slight smile, overlooking the ruined village. She was covered with dark red ashes and soot. She spread her arms out and spoke.
“Guess who’s back!”
Meanwhile, no one on Miranoi could believe what they were seeing.
“Jenny!” the Cryptkeeper exclaimed. “You’re all right!” C.C. added. “But how? What happened?” Ruth asked. “Settle down, everybody, there’s no time to talk,” Jenny told them. The Spices couldn’t decide which was weirder: the fact that Jenny had survived, or the four companions that stood on the roof with her. These were four creatures, each from a different species. One was a cyborg. Like Fulgore, he had a muscular build, but everything else about him was different. His head looked like a knight’s helmet, and two sinister eyes peered from a opening. He had silver body with tubes running along his limbs. The second creature looked like an alien turtle. He wore a weird blue alien suit, his red shell protruding from the back. He had oddly shaped waves on his head. The third creature looked like a zombie. His face was all bone, but he appeared to have sky blue hair. He wore a red armor over his chest, green pants, and black boots. The fourth creature looked like a brown Tyrannosaurus Rex! Fortunately, he wasn’t nearly as large as the ones who ruled the Earth 65 million years ago. This one was only about six and a half feet tall. He wore an orange armor suit with an orange chest and blue stripes. Together, they hopped off the roof and joined the Spices. “Well, I see you brought back some help,” the Cryptkeeper said. “That’s right,” the T-Rex said. “When Jenny told us that Miranoi was being invaded, we just had to jump in. After all, Miranoi is my favorite vacation spot.” “Okay, this invasion has gone too far,” Jenny said. Just then, the Rangers teleported, unmorphed in a heap. “Whoa.....what happened?” Fulgore asked. Damon sat up and gave him a strange look. “We lost.” “Jenny? You’re alive!?” Ashley cried. All the Rangers got up and tried to hug her at once. “Okay......okay, that’s enough,” she stammered. “We thought you were a goner,” Carlos said. “I almost was,” Jenny admitted. “But now, I’ll probably never get the smell of Dark Specter out of my clothes.” “Guys, we have a planet to save,” Andros reminded them. The heroes spun around to face the forces of evil. “All right, ladies and gentlemen,” Jenny declared. “On your mark......get set......GO!!!” The ultimate battle resumed yet again. Fulgore was really curious about the four strangers. He couldn’t even wait until the battle was over. He had to learn about them now! He looked over at the zombie, who was wielding some kind of thin blade shaped like a curved boomerang. The hilt was in the center rather than at one of the ends. Fulgore made his way over to the zombie and tapped his shoulder. “So.....tell me a little bit about yourself.” The zombie turned to Fulgore. “Please, sir,” he said. “Do not interrupt my chain of concentration. I’m a busy zombie.” Then he slit a Stingwinger’s throat with his blade. “Eeeuw.....yes, I can see that,” Fulgore observed. “Ah.....” He fought his way over to the new cyborg. “Hi, I’m Fulgore. What’s your name?” The cyborg stopped and looked at him. “Gazelle.” “Gazelle? That’s your name?” Gazelle nodded. “Actually, my full name is Mighty Gazelle, but everyone just calls me Gazelle.” “What kind of idiot would name a cyborg after a reindeer?” Fulgore asked. “Gazelle is a word for antelope, not reindeer.” Gazelle punched a Stingwinger in the chest. “Looks like everyone is getting in on the action, huh?” Fulgore asked as he kicked an attacking Quantron. “I’ll say,” Gazelle replied. “Look, Fulgore, we’ll have to continue chatting later. I’ve got a fight to concentrate on.” “Okay.” Now Fulgore fought off a dozen Quantrons just to get to the turtle. This turtle wasn’t as slow as the typical ones. He had some incredible abilities, too. When the Quantrons fired lasers from the tips of their blades, the turtle pulled his head and limbs inside his shell and spun around in midair. The lasers bounced off him and hit the Quantrons. Then the turtle stopped and returned to his normal form. “Wow, great move!” Fulgore exclaimed. “How’d you do that?” The turtle paused. “Rule number one: You have to be a turtle.” “Oh, that rules me out,” Fulgore said. “Well, my name’s Fulgore; what’s yours?” “Why is my name so important in the middle of a massacre? Especially since we’ll all be dead within the next hour.” “Come on; how long does it take to tell someone your name?” Two Stingwingers dove into the turtle, and he kicked them off. He sat up and glared at Fulgore. “Now see what you made me do?” Just then, two Stingwingers tackled Fulgore, who fought them off the same way. The turtle burst our laughing. “I hope you’re satisfied,” Fulgore sighed. “Pico,” the turtle said flatly. “What?” “Pico.” “What’s that?” “It’s my name, bolt brain!” the turtle growled. “My name is Pico.” “Hey, cool your jets,” Fulgore snapped. “You don’t want to strike oil too soon.” “You’re finished!” Ecliptor growled as he appeared. Again, Pico hovered in midair as he pulled his head and limbs inside his shell. Fulgore noticed that whenever he did this, he also looked almost like a perfect sphere. Pico spun around vertically and darted at Ecliptor, striking him in the chest, knocking the Candyman to the ground. After Ecliptor fell, Pico’s head and limbs protruded again, and he flipped several times before landing skillfully on his feet. Then he took one look at Fulgore and ran into another part of the battlefield. “Sheesh, what a grumpy guy,” Fulgore told himself. Several Stingwingers grabbed Spinal and shoved him to the ground. As he tried to scramble to his feet, the T-Rex whipped them all with his strong tail. Then he extended a claw towards Spinal. “You okay?” he asked. Spinal screamed and ran off as Fulgore approached. The T-Rex turned to him. “What’s with him?” “He hates sharp teeth,” Fulgore told him. “Oh....I think I see why,” the T-Rex said. “By the way, I’m Fulgore.” “They call me Bio Rex.” “And we’re all too busy fighting to chat, so I’ll see you later.” Fulgore rushed over to the Cryptkeeper. “What have you been doing?” “I’ve been trying to learn about those four strangers,” Fulgore said. “The cyborg is Mighty Gazelle, the turtle is Pico, and the T-Rex is Bio Rex.” “What about the zombie guy?” the Cryptkeeper asked. “He wouldn’t give me his name.” “Maybe I’ll ask him. You know.....from one zombie to another.” So Fulgore and the Cryptkeeper moseyed over to the zombie, still fighting with all his might. “Let me guess.....Beetlejuice,” the Cryptkeeper said. The zombie gave him a confused look. “I beg your pardon, sir?” “Your name......it’s Beetlejuice, right?” the Cryptkeeper asked. The zombie maintained his confused look. “My name is Arbin Gordon.” “Oh.....okay.” The Cryptkeeper blocked a Stingwinger’s punch, uppercutted its stomach, then tossed it aside. So how much longer could the Rangers and Spices hold out? Everything seemed hopeless now; the heroes were getting too fatigued to continue. Suddenly, Astronema’s image appeared in the sky. “Attention, warriors. The time has come to honor Dark Specter. Return to base immediately. I repeat, return to base immediately, by order of the Queen of Evil.” Astronema’s image disappeared, then all the Quantrons and Stingwingers vanished. The heroes gathered together and stood. They said nothing, they heard nothing. All this fighting, all over in the blink of an eye. All the evil forces that were literally burying the planet were now gone. All that remained was a village of ruin and a group of beaten warriors. What looked like oblivion was now peaceful. The Spices were completely shocked. “Can you believe it?” the Cryptkeeper asked. “Saved by Dark Specter’s funeral.” The Spices were badly beaten, but still they stood. Jenny turned to her friends. “Let’s go home.” “Girl, I’m with you all the way,” the Cryptkeeper cried. Jenny laughed. “You guys fought your asses off, huh?” “You can say that again!” Spinal exclaimed. “Come on. We have the Astro Megaship to repair,” Andros said. “I ain’t repairing nothing; I’m going to relax,” the Cryptkeeper told him. With that, the heroes teleported up to the damaged Astro Megaship. While the Rangers immediately went to work on repairing the Megaship, the Spices relaxed in the dining room to get acquainted with their new friends, and to find out how Jenny had survived. “So, what happened, Jenny?” the Cryptkeeper asked. “Did these guys save you?” “Nah.....they just.....ran into me,” Jenny told them. “Okay, the way we heard it, you went off to kill Dark Specter,” Fulgore said. “Then Alpha told us that you......just didn’t make it.” “Okay, here’s how I survived......” Jenny began. “Spices, aren’t you forgetting something?” Alpha interrupted. “Darkonda is still rampaging through Terra Venture!” “Darkonda?” Jenny asked. “Why would he do that?” “He thought you were dead, too,” the Cryptkeeper said. “He’s an evil guy, so destroying everything is his way of mourning.” “Oh my God.....” Jenny got up and dove through the yellow jump tube. The Cryptkeeper stuck his head inside, but didn’t actually go through. “Now hear this!” he called, his voice distorted by the walls of the tube. “We’re going to keep on bugging you until you spill the beans, you got it!?” The other Spices laughed. The Cryptkeeper sat back down and continued to get acquainted with the four strangers......
Jenny teleported to a roof of a skyscraper on Terra Venture. She raced to the edge and watched in horror as Darkonda fired his eye lasers at the buildings.
“Darkonda!!” she screamed. Darkonda turned to her and paused. “Tonfa Spice! You’re alive!” He shrunk down to his normal form in an alley. Jenny looked down for a minute, then leaped off the room. Darkonda caught her in his arms. “My love.....you’re still all flesh and blood!” “Yeah,” Jenny replied with a grin. Darkonda put her back on her feet, and they embraced each other tightly. “My friends told me that you were destroying everything because you thought I was dead,” Jenny said. “That’s true,” Darkonda said. “But.....how did you survive?” Jenny pulled back. “One word.....reflex.” She started to walk away. “I’ve got to go. My friends are dying to know how I survived, too.” “We’ll meet again, my love,” Darkonda called as he disappeared. Jenny smiled and teleported back to the Megaship. “Okay, now everything’s okay,” she told the others. “Now you’ll tell us everything?” the Cryptkeeper asked. “We’re not letting you get up until you do.” Jenny laughed. “You guys are so silly; no wonder I love you all! Okay, I’ll tell you what happened. While I was blasting Velocifighters with the Megaship, Darkonda pulled me out and talked me into killing Dark Specter. Reluctantly, I agreed, so he helped me steal a Velocifighter which had a torpedo that Astronema intended to use to destroy Miranoi. Instead, I used that torpedo to destroy Dark Specter.” “Yeah, we know that,” the Cryptkeeper said. “But Alpha said that he saw your Velocifighter fly right into Dark Specter’s mouth before he exploded. How did you survive that?” “All right! I hit the eject button! Yeesh.....” Jenny sighed. “But before I could call on my galaxy glider to get out of there, one of Dark Specter’s pieces hit me, knocking me out cold. So there I was, floating around unconscious in space.” “And that’s where I come in,” Gazelle interjected. “Yes,” Jenny confirmed. “Gazelle found me and.....” “And took you into this bizarre laboratory,” the Cryptkeeper interrupted. “No, it wasn’t a laboratory,” Jenny told him. “It was some sort of saloon in space. Here’s how it really went......the way I remember it anyway......”
[Begin Flashback]
Jenny’s eyes fluttered open. It took quite a lot of effort to open her eyes completely. She was both shocked and relieved to find that she wasn’t floating around in space. Instead, she was lying on a table of some sort. Some thick cloths were underneath her for better comfort. Now Jenny turned her attention to her surroundings. It looked like a saloon in space. The tables and counters emitted a white glow. Sitting at the bar were four beings, each from a different species.
All four creatures had their backs turned to Jenny, so she decided not to let them know that she was awake. At least, not until their motive was clear. When the cyborg looked in her direction, she closed her eyes again, pretending to be still out cold. “Hmm.....it sure is taking long enough for her to wake up,” the cyborg said. “Maybe I should lend some aid.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the zombie said. “Looks like she took a hard hit. She needs her rest.” “I think she’s slept long enough,” the turtle said. “Go ahead and wake her up.” He turned to the T-Rex. “Your opinion?” The T-Rex shrugged. “She’s been unconscious for a while......but I do believe that it’s best if she woke up on her own, no matter how long it takes.” “I’m going for it!” the cyborg cried. Jenny remained still. Nothing was going to wake her up, she vowed. However, when she smelled some kind of chemical, she immediately began coughing. She opened her eyes and saw the cyborg holding a white cloth. She sat up, gasping for breath as the other creatures stood over her. “Hey, calm down,” the cyborg told her. Jenny continued to scoot back. “What.....how.....?” “We saw you floating around in space like a lifeless rag doll, so we kind of.....” the cyborg began. “What do you mean ‘we?’” the turtle asked. “Yes, we all had our part,” the zombie said. “I cleaned her up.” “I fixed the table,” the T-Rex jumped in. “Of course, you’re too lazy, turtleneck,” the cyborg yelled. “What is going on!?” Jenny cried, nabbing their attention. “I’ll tell you what’s going on,” the turtle said somewhat rudely, pointing to the cyborg. “Gazelle brought you here.” “That’s Mighty Gazelle to you!” the cyborg shouted. “Why?” Jenny asked. “Because I am mighty!” Gazelle replied. “She means why did you bring her here, STUPID!” the turtle spat. “Well, she didn’t specify!” “You guys are nuts!” Jenny cried, ending the argument again. “Why did you bring me here?” “Okay, I’ll confess,” Gazelle said. “I was really curious when I saw a human floating around in space without dying. There’s no pressure out there, so a normal human would explode. How did you survive out in space?” “It’s really complicated,” Jenny said. “Too complicated to explain, in fact.” “Where do you come from?” the T-Rex asked. “I come from......Earth.” “Earth? We’ve never heard of Earth,” the zombie said. “Can I ask you something?” Jenny asked. “Certainly,” Gazelle said. “Okay.....did you bring me here to help me, or are you holding me captive?” The creatures pondered for a moment. “Uh.....I think we’re holding you captive,” the T-Rex said, not very sincere. “We just saw you floating around and said, ‘Hey, there’s a human floating around in space; let’s capture it!’” Jenny giggled. “You’re kidding, right?” “Yeah, I’m kidding,” the T-Rex told her. Jenny paused before speaking again. “Who are you?” she asked. “We thought you’d never ask,” the cyborg said. “My name is Mighty Gazelle......but I guess you could just call me Gazelle.” “I’m Arbin Gordon,” the zombie said. “But everyone calls me.....The Skull.” “Well, I already know someone named Skull, so I’ll have to call you Arbin Gordon,” Jenny said. “Just call me Arbin then.” The T-Rex spoke next. “My name is Bio Rex. But you can call me Bio, or Rex, or whatever.” “Well, Mr. Turtle?” Gazelle asked. The turtle sighed. “My name is Pico.” Gazelle bent over, looking Jenny in the eyes. “You know......you don’t look much different from the humans on my planet.” “What do you mean?” Jenny asked. “There are humans on your planet?” “Yes,” Gazelle replied. “In fact, I used to be human. I was a grand prix racer, but I got into a fatal accident. The only way they could save my life was to upgrade me into a cyborg. Of course......you don’t see much of my human body left, do you?” Jenny took a good look at the cyborg, but she saw no sign of his human body. “No, not at all.” “So.....why were you floating around in space?” Arbin asked. “I killed Dark Specter,” Jenny explained. “Then I tried to get away. But when he exploded, pieces of him flew everywhere. One of those pieces hit me, and it knocked me unconscious.” The creatures looked at each other. “Who’s Dark Specter?” Gazelle asked. “He’s the Grand Monarch of Evil.....or at least he was.” Then Jenny gasped suddenly. “Oh my gosh.....I have to get back!” “Get back to where?” Bio Rex asked. “Scorpius has launched a full scale invasion on Miranoi! My friends are already on the job, but they need me!” “Scorpius!?” Gazelle cried. “That guy we know; he is bad news.” “I’ve been to Miranoi. It’s one of my favorite planets,” Bio Rex said. “Well, I’ve got to get back into action,” Jenny said. Bio Rex stood up. “Can we come, too?” “If you want.” “Wait a second, Rex,” Pico said. “You’re going out there alone.” “I’m going, too,” Gazelle declared. “I, too, shall render assistance,” Arbin said. “Pico, you have no idea what you’re missing,” Gazelle said. “Yes, I do,” Pico argued. “Scorpius has a daughter, you know.” “So?” the other three creatures asked in unison. “Come on, Pico,” Gazelle pressured him. “You’re not afraid of some wimpy ladybug, are you?” Pico finally stood up. “Of course not. All right, Gazelle, you talked me into it. Let’s go squash some bugs.” “And send some Quantrons back to the scrap heap,” Jenny added. “Okay, boys, back to action!”[End Flashback]
“So there you have it,” Jenny said. “Mighty Gazelle, Arbin Gordon, Bio Rex, and Pico.”
“So they saved you?” the Cryptkeeper asked. “Well, I can’t go that far,” Jenny told him. “Unless there were Velocifighters hovering about trying to shoot me, I would have been fine even if they hadn’t found me.” “See, Gazelle, you didn’t have to bring her to the bar,” Pico said. “Look around,” Gazelle snapped. “We’re surrounded by fellow misfits. We’ve made new friends because of this human.” “So, Jenny,” the Cryptkeeper said. “What Spice names are you going to give them?” “I don’t know if I can accept them just yet,” Jenny replied. “They suffer from a horrible weakness.” “What weakness is that?” Spinal asked. “Look at them! They can’t even get along!” Jenny cried. “They’re always arguing, particularly Gazelle and Pico.” “We’ll work on it,” Gazelle said. “Won’t we, Pico?” “Sure, sure,” Pico replied. “Jenny’s good at coming up with Spice names,” the Cryptkeeper said. “Yeah. She came up with mine as soon as she laid eyes on me,” Fulgore added. Jenny looked at Gazelle. “Hmm.....Mighty, Mighty Gazelle. How about if I call you Mighty Spice?” “Mighty Spice? Yeah, I like it,” Gazelle replied. Jenny turned to Bio Rex. “Hmm.....do people ever say that you’re dino-myte?” “Sometimes,” Bio Rex said. “How would you like to be called Dino Spice?” “Yeah, I like it.” “Arbin.....you’re going to be a rather tough one.” “You could call me Zombie Spice,” Arbin said. “That’s my nickname,” the Cryptkeeper told him. “Oh.” “You said that people called you The Skull, right?” Jenny asked. “Yes.” “How about if I call you Skull Spice?” “Skull Spice......it has a nice ring to it, I guess.” Jenny finally turned to the defiant turtle. “Pico......I don’t know what to call you.” “You could call him Turtle Spice,” the Cryptkeeper suggested. “Maybe,” Jenny agreed. “You know, Pico......I saw you in battle, and I saw how you pulled your head and limbs inside your shell and bounced off your foes. I liked that move. Perhaps I should call you Roly-Poly Spice.” The other Spices burst into laughter. Pico crossed his arms and pouted. “Ho ho, very funny. Ha ha, it is to laugh,” he grumbled. “Stick with Turtle Spice.” “Very well. Welcome to the team.” Jenny shook hands with each of them, and when she did, a Spice ring magically appeared on each of them. “What is this?” Arbin asked. “It’s a Spice ring,” Jenny told him. “We use it for teleportation and communication. And it can’t be taken off your finger.” Arbin tried to pull off his ring, but ended up pulling off his entire finger. “Unless you took off your finger, too,” Jenny added. “My error,” Arbin confessed as he screwed his finger back on. Hanim giggled. “I like the way you talk. You’re a real gentleman, aren’t you?” Arbin looked up at her. “Thank you.”So four new members were added to the team. And the Spices proved that they would stand tall, no matter what the odds were against them. They kept their vow to fight until they drop, even if it embarrasses them in the end. And could a Spice Club member ever be lost? Perhaps, but not that easily. Should Astronema and Scorpius attempt another full-scale invasion, the universe knows that the Power Rangers and Spice Club will stand and fight, even if it leads to their destruction. This is war!