Lord Zedd, once master of the universe, sat on his silver throne. The "Z" imprinted on the back gleamed brightly from the streaming light that filtered in through the revolving fans on his wall. He sat there, gently rapping his silver claws on the arm on the throne. His red visor, which hid deathly menacing eyes, had an evil glow to it. Zedd's brain was clearly visible as it pulsated with an unearthly life beat. As he sat there, one could only imagine what he had on his mind.
All of a sudden, Zedd slammed his fist into the armrest. He bolted upright out of the seat and screamed the name of his most valued warrior.
"GOLDAR!!! Get in here, you miserable maggot!"
Goldar, Zedd's greatest soldier and all around punching bag, entered into the throne chamber in a rush. He was certainly out of breath as he made his way over to his master. Genuflecting briefly before Lord Zedd, Goldar asked, "You bellowed, my lord?"
Zedd stepped down. "Yes, I called you! I want you to go to the Library of Chaos. There you will find a large black globe, scripted upon it are gold letters. Encased within is a large black book. Bring it to me at once!"
"You command, and I obey!" Goldar said as he took flight and exited through a hidden portal in the wall.
Zedd returned to his throne. "No," he began, "It can't be time yet. Not this early."
He went to the open portal which granted him a full view of the planet Earth.
"Not this early," he repeated.
Half an hour later, Goldar entered the chamber again. In his hands, he held the book that Zedd had requested. Zedd snatched it away, not even uttering a small thank you even though Goldar expected none.
Zedd sat down and opened the book. He seemed to know exactly where to go in the manuscript because almost in an instant, Zedd was reading a chapter. His head waved to and fro as he examined the pages of the book.
Goldar eyed his master with a bit of confusion. "Why did you want this particular book, master?"
Zedd looked up from his reading. "Quiet, you simpering idiot! Interrupt me again and you will pay dearly!"
As he read, Zedd began to glow a bright crimson. A heavy heave of his mighty arm, and the book crashed to the ground. Zedd lifted his arms above his head and let out an ear-piercing scream which echoed through the entire fortress.
The scream grabbed the attention of Rita Repulssa, Lord Zedd's evil wife. She looked about their room in confusion. Was that Zedd screaming like that? she thought.
"Hmm, my Lord Zedd seems a bit upset today. I'd better go down and check on him before that oaf, Goldar, sets him off."
As she made her way down, the walls of the castle rumbled. She had to grab hold to one of the black struts that supported the walls just to keep her balance. When she made it to the throne room, she could not believe the sight.
The walls had deep, black pits where mystical energy had put them there. The throne of Zedd had been melted down to slag. It sat there, smoke filling the chamber with a haze that began to sting Rita's eyes. Her gaze fell upon Zedd as his skin burned with that same crimson glow as before. When he saw her looking, he turned away.
"Zedd, what the devil's the matter with you?!" she bellowed to him.
Zedd kept his back to her. "Rita," he said in an eeringly calm voice, "are you familiar with the Eight Prophecies of Eltare?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Do you know what the seventh one states?"
"I don't know. I don't recall all of them. I'm no historian!"
Zedd began to radiate crimson again. He turned to her. "You should be, blast it! It has been three thousand years to the day of the Battle of Hykrania!"
"Three thousand years since Hykrania?!" she started. "What does that have to do with..." Rita paused. Slowly, recognition entered her face as the two events correlated themselves within her twisted mind.
"No, Zedd. It can't be that time yet!"
"It is," he told her. "Scorpina! Appear before me!"
Scorpina entered the room. Her gold armor shone brightly even in the smoky haze of the chamber. A beautiful face hid an evil unmatched only by three others in the same chamber. She carried her Stinger Sword at her side as she bowed to Zedd.
"You called, my Lord Zedd?"
"Scorpina, I want you to go down to Earth and spy on the Rangers. Find out if they have any new friends and such. If they do, destroy them all!"
Scorpina bowed again.
"I live to serve you," and she disappeared in a flurry of fire.
After she had gone, Rita approached Zedd cautiously.
"What if she doesn't find him? What if she's too late, Zedd? What if..." Her sentence was cut off by Zedd himself.
"Enough!" he yelled, "If she fails, she had better run! Run very far and very away!"
Lord Zedd, the Master of Maliciousness, sat down in the remnants of his silver-white throne, now charred to a smoky black. For the longest, he sat there, staring blankly at the puny blue planet of Earth, remaining deathly still, constantly uttering the same three words he had said earlier.
"Not this early."
"I have what you requested, Zordon," Alpha said.
"Good. I seem to be suffering a memory lapse caused by interference within the Morphing Grid. With any luck it will pass; however, I do recall that there is something important about today," Zordon explained.
Alpha placed the book on a multicolored command consoles and opened it up. A few pages fell to the feet of the android and he bent to pick them up.
"Be very careful, Alpha," Zordon said, grimacing as the pages fluttered to the ground. "That book is over twenty thousand years old. We cannot risk losing it at such an important time."
"Yes, Zordon," Alpha said. "Look, I have found the text containing the Eight Prophecies of Eltare."
"Well done, Alpha," Zordon said, "Please read to me the Seventh Prophecy."
Alpha's plexisteel fingers of red and black scanned the leaves. When he found the right one, he started to recount the words.
"It says,
In a time of great turmoil and grief
When the ancient warriors of good and peace
Will need a champion strong and true
To combat evil through and through.
And in this time of trouble and fear,
The champion will always be near,
Striking with blows so bold,
He will have a heart of GOLD."
When Alpha stopped reading, Zordon smiled. He smiled a great big grin. He then let out a long hearty laugh, one that conveyed a great deal of relief and secret intentions.
Alpha stood confused. "Ay-yi-yi! What does it mean, Zordon?"
Zordon looked at Alpha. "It means that there is much work to be done. Contact Ninjor, keeper of the Sacred Temple, and tell him to meet us here. We will need his help."
Alpha, still confused, readily obeyed. "Right away, Zordon."
Zordon floated there in his interdimensional chamber, slowly nodding his head, confident in what was read. He knew what was destined.
Zedd, you are finished. Zordon thought as Alpha carried out his orders.
Bulk and Skull were the "Laurel and Hardy" of Angel Grove. Their constant shenanigans, from trying to date Kimberly and Trini to discovering the secret identity of the Power Rangers, led them to stay in trouble. Recently, they joined the Angel Grove Junior Police Force "in order to meet babes" as Bulk had put it.
Bulk, dressed in a crisp blue shirt and starched navy pants, tapped Sean on the shoulder as the sensei got out of his car. Sean turned to him, smiling.
"May I help you, Officer...", Sean leaned down to read his name on the gold badge, "...Bulkmeyer?"
"Listen up," Bulk started, "You're parked in a fire zone. We want you to move your car now!"
"Yeah, now!" Skull exclaimed behind him.
Sean smiled. "Of course, officers."
Bulk looked at Sean more closely. "Hey, don't I know you? Yeah, yeah! You're that kebano-hoko guy, aren't you?"
"Yes," Sean said.
"Do you think I could learn kebano-hoko?" Bulk inquired.
"No," Sean said, getting into his car.
"Why not?" Skull asked.
"Kebano-hoko is too dangerous to be left in unenlightened hands," Sean said, turning on the car. "However, I would be more than willing to teach you some other martial art..."
"Like what?" Bulk asked over the engine of the car.
"Hmm," Sean wondered out loud. "How about some karate?"
"Pfft," Bulk spat.
"Pfft," Skull repeated.
"Okay, how about some judo?"
"Uh...maybe,"
"Look, you two think it over and give me your answer before I leave. Deal?"
A smirk on Bulk’s fat face appeared. "Sure."
Sean crinkled his eyebrows and decided it would be best to leave now. He backed away from the two officers and parked in a different spot.
"Come on, Skull," Bulk said, "I’ve got a plan!"
"Aw, no," his skinny counterpart resounded. "Not another plan, Bulky. We can’t afford to get into anymore trouble with Lieutenant Stone."
"Skull, this is the perfect opportunity for us to show Lt. Stone that we’re worthy of being police officers. Think about it."
"I don’t know."
"Come on," Bulk gesutured with his head, "Let’s go."
They exited, whispering, with Sean eyeing them with a cold stare.
Sean entered the building. He saw a few people from the tournament the night before, but not the ones he was looking for. He scanned the room, finally spotting them at the brightly painted bar.
"Hello, everyone." He saw Aisha. "Hello, Aisha."
"Hi," she returned with a grin.
Among the greetings, he made his way to their side. Ernie came out of the back carrying a tray of glasses. When he saw Sean, he let out a whoop that turned a few heads within the bar.
"Ernie," Sean said, "what's been going on?"
Ernie came over and shook the man's extended hand. "Nothing much. How it been with you?"
"Can't complain."
"You guys know each other?" Tommy asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Ernie said with a smile, "I saw Sean demonstrate to some people when I went to Arlington Falls last month. He even taught me some moves."
"Hey, Ernie, did you ever bring that health bar to fruition that you were so wild about?" Sean asked.
The Rangers cringed at the thought of Ernie's special Nut Crunch Health Bar, the same bar that made everyone sick. That is, everyone except for Bulk, who finished off the remaining bars. Ernie never made anymore after that, except on a few occasions at the pleadings of Bulk.
"As you can see, it didn't go to well," Ernie said with a laugh.
Sean laughed as well. "Do you think could give me one of your orange mango shakes, please?"
"Sure thing," he said, "Be back in a minute."
"So what have you guys been up to today?" Sean inquired.
"Nothing much really," Billy said, "Didn't you say you were going to give us a demonstration today?"
"Yeah, man," Tommy said, "I was really looking forward to seeing some of your moves."
Aisha never looked away from him. "You and me both."
Sean seemed to blush a little. "I can't. Sorry. I have to close the deal with the realtor on some space down the block. I just came in here to get something to drink and get right to it."
Just then Ernie came out of the back with a large glass of a soft orange-looking drink topped with slices of oranges and mangos.
"One orange mango shake. On the house." He handed it to Sean who drained the glass to an astonished group of Rangers.
Sean wiped his mouth with a napkin and picked up his bag. "Thanks, Ernie. I think I'll stop in on my way back and give you that demonstration. See ya."
Aisha jumped up. "Hey, do you want some company? I'm not doing anything. I could show you around some, if you don't mind."
Sean smiled. "Sure."
The other Rangers looked at each other in astonishment. Aisha never did anything impromptu to the best of their knowledge. They were happy for her, though. Someone had caught her attentions, and what was best for her was all that really counted.
Unknown to the others though was that Sean had caught the attention of someone else. Aisha and Sean were unaware of who they actually caught the attention of. Scorpina, in her guise as the human Sabrina, watched the events unfold. She silently slipped through the moving people, keeping her distance from them lest be recognized by Adam. She took note that there was an ensuing friendship among this stranger and the Rangers. Special attention was given to the obvious attraction between the Yellow Ranger, the one known as Aisha, and the stranger as well.
Sabrina watched as they left the bar. She slipped outside a few seconds after they had left. Touching a scorpion-shaped pendant which was a communicator, she opened a channel to Lord Zedd's castle. Informing Zedd of the details of the situation, she awaited further orders.
"NO!" Zedd screamed from the communicator. "Scorpina, I am sending down the new OmegaPutty Patrol! I want you to take them and destroy this stranger! Do not allow him to learn of the Rangers' secrets! Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes, my lord," she responded quickly. She cut the channel and in a flash, the new OmegaPutty Patrol stood before her.
More strongly defined than their predecessors, the new patrol wore black body suits with azure colored boots, gloves and belts. Their faces had a slight tinge of humanity to them. All in all, the OmegaPutties were streamlined and fit to fight. Scorpina knew that they were ready to fight because their power had been increased exponentially, so that the Rangers would have an even greater time defeating them.
With that in mind, she morphed into her auric armor and teleported with them to engage their target.
Aisha and Sean walked along the sidewalk, occasionally chatting and laughing. Both were shy and nervous, not really knowing what to say to each other.
Aisha glanced at the man who strode beside her. Even though Sean must've weighed close to three hundred pounds, he was still a good six feet six inches tall with dark brown eyes. His hair was cut close to his scalp, and what was left was slicked forward in a cascade of waves. His goatee, proper and finely cut, accentuated his face as she saw him smile.
He knows! she thought. He knows I'm watching him!
Somewhat embarrassed, she turned quickly back around.
Sean glanced at the woman who strode beside him. She was about five-three to five-four. He noticed her braids, how they seemed to fit her. Her dark sienna-colored eyes, finely attuned for her face, were complemented by her lovely lips as they curled into a smile. He knew that she had noticed him watching her. He could not help but smile. She was a most beautiful person. No one girl had affected him like this before. He definitely wanted to get to know her better.
"So, uh, do you like Angel Grove?" she asked him.
"Yes. It's a very beautiful city. It's not Arlington Falls, but I believe I could really enjoy it."
"Yeah. I hope you stay."
"Me, too," Sean said, "If possible, I'll be able to purchase this space for my dojo. I took all of my savings from the past two years out of the bank. It should be enough ."
"We all hope it's enough," was the reply from her.
Sean laughed lightly. "You guys really are a great group of people. I'm glad to have met you." He paused. "You especially, Aisha. Aisha? Hello?"
Aisha had stopped in her tracks, staring blankly ahead. "Oh no," was all she could get out.
"What are you staring at?" Sean said and followed her gaze. What he saw was truly amazing.
In their path stood a group of black and blue draped creatures. They seemed to be swaying back and forth, as if the slight breeze wafting through the streets of Angel Grove were moving them. The only action that even seemed to issue from them is the constant moving about of menacing looking clubs they brandished. Sean also took note that a very beautiful woman, wearing gold armor and holding a curved sword, was standing in the lead. When she spoke to them, it was with a voice that hid an evil that sent a chill down his spine.
"In the name of Lord Zedd, I Scorpina am here to destroy you, Sean Morissette."
Sean's eyebrows arched. "Oh, really?"
"Don’t mock me, big man. Step forward and receive your destruction."
"Now, Scorpina," Sean said, "You know that I can't do that. It would be hazardous to your health! So, why don't you just leave and tell Zedd to send me a card?"
Scorpina laughed, "I hoped you would say something like that. OmegaPutties...," she began, "ATTACK!"
At the sound of those words, like a wave, the OmegaPutties moved forward. They were a good dozen strong. People began to move out of the way, running in fear over this newest threat to Angel Grove.
Aisha took a defensive stance. Keeping her eyes on the advancing OmegaPutties, she said, "Sean, go get help. I'll hold them off as long as I can!"
"I've got a better idea," Sean said, with a crooked smile, "Why don't you go get help, and I hold them off until you get back?"
"Are you nuts?! Look, this isn't a game! Go!"
He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.
"Aisha, you may be a terrific fighter, but there are at least ten - no, twelve of them. There is no way you can hold off against them unless you're a Power Ranger! Now, if you don't mind, I'll take them, and you go get some help! Understand?"
She looked into his eyes and saw that he was not intending to leave. His face was stern, yet it had a slight tinge of care.
"All right," she said finally. She kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful. I'll be back as soon as possible." And she took off down the street, heading in the direction of the bar.
Sean turned around and assessed his situation. There were twelve of them, some carrying clubs, while others just looked mean. Recalling old news footage of Putties on the attack, he thought he remembered something about them having a weakness on their chest. Something about a "Z". But he saw no "Z", or any emblem for that matter. Okay, he was going to have to do this the hard way.
He cracked his knuckles and took a defensive posture. "This is going to be fun," and he engaged them.