"You're going to have to do better than that," Kimberly said.
"We will," Bombardier sneered.
"Look out, Rangers!" Tommy exclaimed from overhead.
To the dismay of the Rangers, the charge returned like a boomerang and hit them in the chest. Bombardier pulled a large blade from his side and struck the robot. Firebrand pulled out a sword, which was nothing more than a narrow, hollow piece of metal. A mental command and the sword filled with fire. It also took its toll on the ShogunMegaZord.
"Tommy!" Rocky yelled.
The FalconZord dive-bombed the two attacking monsters. On command, the FalconZord opened its mouth and let out sonic screech bolts. They cut through the air and hit the monsters.
"It'sss time to heat thingsss up a bit," Firebrand hissed. Pointing his sword at the FalconZord, a blast of fire shot forth. Tommy expertly dodged the blast and, launching another screech bolt, attacked.
"Rangers, prepare for the attachment. Begin the ShogunMegaFalconZord sequence."
The FalconZord dived again. The Blue and Pink ShogunZords detached from the main torso unit. Locking its wings into position, the FalconZord attached to the places where the Blue and Pink ShogunZords once were. Reattaching themselves back over the wings of the FalconZord, the ShogunZords completed the transformation. There before two visibly unimpressed creatures stood the awesome ShogunMegaFalconZord.
"All right," Tommy said in the cockpit of the machine, "Let's get busy!"
"Ssso right you are!" and Firebrand conjured up a fireball. He spun it in his hands, making it grow to a larger size.
"Fire all weapons!" Tommy ordered.
With the FalconZord's wings, the ShogunMegaFalconZord had eight powerful cannons at its command. They fired simultaneously, beams of energy colliding with the fireball being created, and making it hit the monster who had made it. Firebrand fell onto his back, smoking from the energy discharge.
"Power Sword!" the White Ranger commanded. A large steel and silver sword with a stylized "S" on it appeared from its hidden compartment on the robot. A flame from the Oriental-styled fish hilt ignited the blade. The ShogunMegaFalconZord held it in its hands confidently. However, the Rangers on the inside were not that trusting of their skills.
"Tommy, I've ran another scan on them," Billy said. "They seem to be gaining power every time we strike them. I believe they use the energy we use on them to strengthen themselves."
"So we just don't have to fight them, right? That way they won't gain power." Adam asked.
"Correct, however..." Billy paused.
"However what?" Tommy asked.
"They could have more power than anticipated. They could destroy us before their power begins to fade."
"Then it's hopeless?" Kimberly asked.
"Not quite. Give me a few moments to run some more tests and I'll have an answer for you."
"Uh, Billy," Aisha said, "we don't have a few minutes! Look!"
The Rangers turned to see Firebrand and Bombardier charging them. They blocked their oncoming attack with a counterstroke of the Power Sword. The ShogunMegaFalconZord swung the Power Sword, and it connected with the chest of Bombardier. A punch sent Firebrand down. But the monsters just got right back up.
"You're going to have to do better than that!" Bombardier yelled.
"Oh, we are!" Tommy said. "We call upon the power of Titanus and the ShogunUltraZord."
Titanus, the Zord Guardian, burst forth from his hiding spot, laser cannons ablaze. The ShogunMegaFalconZord ran towards its armored friend. With a gnashing of metal, the top of Titanus slid off to reveal a large opening. The opening was filled with open power conduits, ready to receive the ShogunMegaFalconZord. The gigantic fighting machine jumped into Titanus, snapping into position. Now the monsters seemed a bit afraid. They were facing off against the ShogunUltraZord, and it was awesome.
"Let's do this, Rangers!" Tommy shouted.
"Attack!" Bombardier shouted and all participants engaged in a dance of death.
"It's somewhat of a shame, human, that I have to destroy you! You proved to be an excellent warrior, but you have failed!" Goldar said, scornfully. "You are nothing more than a failure!"
Sean looked down at Goldar, who still tightly clutched his ankle. "I am not a failure! You are!" Still holding on to the outcropping, he twisted around a bit.
"Eat size fourteen, Monkey Boy!" and he stamped on Goldar's helmeted head. Goldar released his grip on Sean's ankle and crashed to the ground. With his ankle free, Sean jumped up and wrapped his massive hands around the grip of the hammer. At that same instant, he felt the power surge within his body. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world! His body tingled with energy. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the Power Morpher with the Power Coin his friends had made for him. He looked at it, his mind filling with possibilities. Possibilities for the future. And three words.
Sean smiled. The time had arrived. He attached the hammer to his side as he grasped the device in his hands and held it to the ceiling of the cavern.
"Gold Rhino Power!"
The power of the hammer flowed through the Power Morpher. Unknown forces within the Power Coin were unlocked and they attacked Sean. His body was infused with massive amounts of energy, making his hair stand on end and causing his muscles to constrict. He forced his eyes open to look at what was happening.
His black and gold jumpsuit was gone. It was now replaced with black and gold armor. A black uniform, similar to Adam's with the exception of the white diamond pattern now gold, covered his body. A gold chestplate, emblazoned with a three-dimensional gold medallion of a rhino, spanned the breadth of his chest. Shoulder armor was mounted, linked together with a gold chain that stretched from shoulder to shoulder. From the shoulder armor, a black cape, trimmed with gold and black characters, "blew" about in the energy "wind" caused by the Hammer. The Belt of Strength was fastened securely around his waist. On it, the Hammer of Hykrania was attached along with a new Blade Blaster in its holster. He flexed his fingers within his gold gauntlets while he did the same with his toes in his auric boots. Knee and shin armor was flexed as well to ensure that it was battle ready. Something caught his attention in his hand. It was a glowing orb that seemed to "tell" him to raise it above his head. He did, and the orb stretched and reshaped itself into his helmet. A rhinoceros's head was rounded to go with the helmet. The V-shaped visor, along with the visage of the rhino, gave him an almost fearsome look. It was scary. But he knew better. It was the perfect facade he wanted to put on as the consummate warrior of the Power Rangers. He placed the mask on, becoming what he was destined to be: The Gold Ranger.
"Sean?! You are a Power Ranger?!" Goldar shouted in confusion. "No, it's not possible! Not another one!"
"Believe it, Monkey Boy!" The Gold Ranger said.
The Gold Ranger teleported away, still hearing the departing screams of Goldar. He landed in the same plain he had fought the OmegaPutties. They turned to him, unsure of what to do. The man pulled out his gold-plated Blade Blaster and converted it to laser pistol mode.
"Can't let you all stay loose on this planet," Sean said. "You know how it is," and he fired. Several of the Omegas disappeared without so much as a puff of smoke. The remaining Omegas charged after him.
"Your funeral!" Sean said and attacked. He was amazed at his abilities. His power, strength, and agility were increased by the Power Coin in its Morpher. He delivered a thrust kick to the throat of a Putty and stepped back. Time to end this, he thought. He pulled the Hammer of Hykrania from its holster and twirled it in his gauntleted hand.
"See ya!" and he pointed it towards them. A bolt of energy released from the hammer cut through the air. It slammed into a lead Putty, knocking him to his feet. Not skipping a beat, it split into separate bolts and struck the remainder of them. To an astonished Gold Ranger, the Omegas burned away, leaving nothing but ash.
"Deet-deet-dee-dee-deet-deet," his communicator beeped. Pressing the button, he listened to Zordon's excited voice.
"You have made the metamorphosis. Your destiny has been fulfilled. Teleport to earth and engage the monsters attacking the Power Rangers. Call upon the power of Thundarus, the Gold RhinoZord, to assist you."
"I'm on my way, Zordon," Sean said and teleported away from the planet of Hykrania, eager to set the events in motion for Zedd's downfall.
"Billy, have you come up with a solution?" Tommy asked.
"I'm sorry," Billy said, "but these readings show me nothing."
"What do we do, Tommy?" Kimberly asked, almost frantically.
"I don't...Look!" Tommy exclaimed.
The other Rangers looked through the portal, trying to spot what Tommy had seen. There, zooming through the sky like a golden comet, a teleportation beam was seen. It landed on a small hill, close to the battle scene. When it dissipated, there was a new Ranger, clothed in majority gold.
"Sean!" Aisha exclaimed.
"The one and the only!" Sean exclaimed. "I think it's time we put these guys in their place! No one messes with the Power Rangers!"
"You’ll have to get through me first, human," a sinister voice behind him hissed. He turned to see Scorpina brandishing her Stinger.
"We have unfinished business," Sean hissed back.
"Indeed we do."
Scorpina rushed towards the intimidating form of the Gold Ranger. Sword met hammer and a discharge of energy emblazoned the area. She spun on her heel and brought the sword in a wicked arc towards his head. Had Sean been a millisecond too slow, the career of the Gold Ranger would have been short.
He backflipped out of the way and landed a few feet away from her. The warrioress rushed towards him again. Sean launched his body into the air. Twisting into a human torpedo, feet straight, Sean started to twirl.
"Thunder Corkscrew Kick!" he yelled.
He caught her flush in the chest, knocking her form into the ground. She let out a slight grunt at force of impact. Shaking the kick off, she returned a leg sweep to him and took him down. He almost got up but she straddled him and brought her sword down. He blocked with the mystic hammer and kept her at bay.
"Give up, mortal thing," she said between gritted teeth.
"Not bloody likely, love," and he engaged the Belt of Strength. A surge of pure physical force entered his arms and he flipped her off him.
Getting to his feet, he disengaged and twirled his cape in his hand, slightly confusing Scorpina. He thrust a knife-edged hand towards her chest. She grabbed his arm with her free hand and twisted away from her body. The Gold Ranger flipped with the motion, grabbed her hand, and thrust kick her.
"You give up or are you thirsty for more?" he asked smugly.
Scorpina didn’t reply. She took her sword and reached at the hilt with her free hand. Tracing the blade with her hand, she ignited the blade with energy. Scorpina flicked her wrist and the blade turned into a boomerang. It launched towards Sean and hit him in the chest. It passed and returned for a swipe at his back. When it returned to her, she looked at the damage it caused. On one of the rare occasions, she gasped. He still stood, gold armor glistening in the setting sun, like a Titan at full level of power.
"Sword of Power!" He cried and put his hands together. Sean pulled the sword out of an invisible scabbard. It was a meter long, with a golden hilt engraved with ancient alien characters. The crossbars were half-moons, charged with energy.
"My turn!" and pointed the blade at Scorpina. A lance of energy issued forth and consumed Scorpina. She screamed slightly at the power assaulting her body.
"She who fights and runs away lives to fight another day," and she disappeared.
Sean smiled slightly and stopped the power discharge. "Loser. Now..." He turned towards the two massive monsters. "...to take care of the trash."
Firebrand laughed alongside of Bombardier. "You, little man, are threatening usss? For that, we will dessstroy you asss well."
"Not in this lifetime, Sparky!" Sean said. Raising his arms to the sky, he shouted, "Thunderball!"
The heavens seemed to open up at his command. A golden-hued lightning bolt issued forth and passed in front of him. He grabbed the bolt and, much to the surprise of the combatants, proceeded to mold it into a ball. He looked at Bombardier and launched it, hadoken-style.
"NO!" the Rangers screamed, but it came too late. The power crashed into Bombardier and dispersed within his body. The Rangers watched, horrified, as he grew a few more feet. Sean raised an eyebrow behind the mask of the Gold Ranger. Bombardier laughed wretchedly.
"Thanks for the recharge!"
Firebrand, envious of the power charge of his comrade, jumped in front of Bombardier. "How about one for me?!"
"This looks like it's going to be a tough fight. Have a taste of the power of the Hammer of Hykrania!" Sean shouted.
"No!" Tommy screamed into his communicator, "That's what makes them stronger! The more power that we put on them, the more they take in and use!"
"Like big batteries, eh?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm, interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"Follow my lead!" Sean said, a tinge of mischief in his voice. Doing a stylized arm movement, Sean called upon his backup.
"I call upon the power of Thundarus, the Gold RhinoZord!"
All around the ground began to shake. The rumbling of the earth grew around them. Suddenly, the mountains parted and a large machine burst forth. Painted with black and gold, Sean knew it had to be his Zord. The glistening horn looked menacing as he charged onto the scene.
"All right!" Sean exclaimed. He leapt into the air, slipping into the hidden Zord portal. His seat ascended from a tube beneath the actual cockpit and slid into an upright position when it go there. He grabbed the steering stick, fully aware of how to drive this machine.
"Sean here!" Sean said, "Ready to rock and roll, strut and stroll!"
"All right!" Tommy exclaimed.
"What do you propose to do, Sean?" Rocky asked.
"Let them have their cake and eat it too!" Sean said.
"What?" Adam asked.
"Everyone disengage from each other! Conserve as much energy as you can!"
The Rangers looked at each other in confusion. That was near suicide to do. Tommy touched his communicator again. "Are you sure about this?"
"Trust me, Tommy. The one thing about being a leader is to trust in his team. Trust me."
Tommy looked at his team. Throwing up his hands, he gave the order. He slid back through the door into the cockpit of the FalconZord. The ShogunMegaFalconZord removed itself from the confines of Titanus. Slowly, the FalconZord disengaged itself from the main unit. Then the ShogunMegaZord disengaged into its five separate components.
In his own cockpit, Sean typed in commands. "Thunder Rush!"
Thundarus roared and ran towards the two monsters. At a sustained speed of eighty miles per hour, Thundarus crashed into them, sending them flying.
"You will pay for that, human!" Firebrand screeched.
"We'll just see about that," Sean said. "Now!"
The five ShogunZords rushed the downed monsters, attacking in a pattern that seemed to indicate the Rangers were trying to wear them down. The Zords would not hit the monsters, but move about. They would exchange positions, never attacking the same monster twice at a given time. The FalconZord would make a diving pass to confuse the two. Thundarus followed the same actions as his winged white counterpart. Close enough to buzz them, but never close enough to expend any energy.
Firebrand sent a blaze of searing heat into the direction of the Zords. A couple of times, the fire got to the Pink ShogunZord and the Red ShogunZord. The FalconZord got nipped on the wing by an exploding shell from Bombardier. Bombardier was even lucky enough to get a shell lobbed at the rushing charge of Thundarus.
"I think it's time to take out the trash!" Tommy exclaimed, "What's your plan, Sean?"
"Thundarus has massive amounts of energy stored within his power cells since most of his weapons call for it. Cosmic rays constantly bombard the Earth meaning that the Hammer of Hykrania is always fully charged. Minute amounts of uru has been integrated into the alloy of Thundarus, meaning that he can absorb energy. To power your Zords, it takes an enormous amount of energy. Well, since Firebrand and Bombardier seem to soak up energy like gigantic sponges and store it like batteries, why don't we just give them what they want!" Sean explained.
"I don't quite follow," Adam said.
"I do!" Billy said.
"I knew you would Billy," Sean said.
"Batteries can be overloaded!" Billy continued. "If we pump enough power into them, it might just make them overload..."
"...and destroy each other!" Aisha finished.
"Exactly," Sean said with a smile. "On Tommy's mark, pour all the power within your batteries into Firebrand and Bombardier. Leave just enough to convert to the ShogunUltraZord. After that, fire all weapons at Thundarus. Don't worry, Thundarus will collect the power, combine it with his own, and focus it in a beam towards the two. It should be enough to stop them."
"Rangers, do you understand?" Tommy asked. A verbal agreement confirmed his question. He steered the FalconZord in a kamikaze maneuver, veering towards the monsters.
"What do you 'Punk Rangers' think you're doing?" Bombardier said, lighting a fuse on a long, oblong-shaped explosive.
"Putting out a fire and wetting a fuse!" Tommy yelled. "All right, Rangers! Mark!"
On command, conduit portals opened up on the Zords. Like glowing snakes, the energy shot across the vast plain, enveloping the monsters. Sean saw the shots hit true. Something else was needed to complete the plan.
"Thundarus, convert to Warrior Mode. Initiate cybernetic link-up."
Thundarus stood upon its hind legs, converting to Warrior Mode. Paneling slid across his back , revealing his weapons complement of a shoulder mounted rocket launcher and mini-cannon. The rhino head detached, revealing a robotic face beneath. His front limbs reconfigured themselves, showing hands. The same happened to his hind legs. After a matter of ten seconds, Thundarus in Warrior Mode stood up, for the first time in centuries. Inside, the chair that Sean sat in converted into a command chair to which Sean was securely fastened. A headband came from a hidden panel in the ceiling and connected to his helmet. This special feature would give him better control of the movements and actions of his Zord.
"Payback!" Sean shouted and issued a mental command for his mini-cannon. A force ball shot forth from it and hit the still enveloped Bombardier. Another command and another force ball.
"Ssstop it!" Firebrand shouted. "You will accomplisssh nothing in thisss effort!"
"Not likely, Firebrand," Tommy told him. "Sean, get out of there. Rangers, convert to ShogunUltraZord and fire all weapons at Thundarus."
The machines went through the modes: ShogunMegaZord, ShogunMegaFalconZord, and the ShogunUltraZord. As soon as the mode was complete, the targeting systems went online.
"Ready, Sean?" Tommy asked.
"As I'll ever be," Sean answered.
There was a long pause before the White Ranger issued the command. "Fire!"
The power of the ShogunUltraZord screamed from its weapons, heading in a direct path to Thundarus, who stood in front of the monsters. Surging through the systems of Thundarus, Sean opened up his own energy stores from the hammer. The gauges on the console reached into the red. Warning sirens blared into his ears telling him that, although Thundarus was designed as an energy store, he was not built for this.
"Release it now, Sean!" Tommy said.
"Not yet, Tommy!"
"Do it!"
"Power's not high enough!"
"You're overloading! Billy says you have less than thirty seconds before total meltdown!"
"Not yet!"
"Do it, Sean!" Aisha yelled. "Please!"
"Not yet!" He screamed into the communicator. He looked at the console. Tommy was right. Only a few more seconds left before Thundarus would be destroyed in a wave of energy. One thing left to do before that happened, though.
Convert to Rhino Mode! Ramming speed! Activate Thunder Horn! he thought. The mental command was decoded and initiated. From a running start, the Thundarus Warrior converted into Thundarus Rhino. Attaining a speed of one hundred miles per hour in his assault vehicle, Sean was determined to make this the final battle for Bombardier and Firebrand.
"No, Sean!" Aisha yelled, frantically, "Don't! Stop!"
"Okay, I won't stop!" Sean exclaimed, with a slight laugh to his statement.
An aura of energy surrounded Thundarus. The horn upon his metallic snout electrified as he kept running towards the monsters.
"See ya! Definitely don't wanna be ya!" was all Sean uttered as Thundarus slammed into the monsters for a second time in the same day. The energy the rhino collected was poured into the horn as it hit home. Just as he had theorized, Firebrand and Bombardier absorbed the massive amounts of energy, soaking it up like huge sponges. They were flung against some mountains and had a hard time getting up. When they spoke, their voices had a very heavy tone - sluggish in speed.
"You...can't...defeat usss...like thisss," Firebrand spewed.
"You have caused much destruction," Sean said, "We send you back into the eternal darkness from whence you came."
A short gurgle from them both and they exploded. The Rangers clapped their hands and patted themselves on the back. Amid the high-fives, Tommy activated the comm-system.
"Good job, Sean!"
"Great job!" Aisha added.
"Welcome to the team!" Rocky said.
"Thank you," Sean answered, "Let's get back to the Command Center."
"I will not be defeated that easily," Zedd whispered, "You will have to try more than that to take me down. For as long as there is breath within these lungs, I will fight. And I will not rest until you all are dead!"
Mistress MonsterMaker heard his words. "So it said, so it shall be done."
Rita approached her husband. "Zedd, don't worry. We'll get that punk and his friends too!"
"You know she's right, Edd," Rito added, "He can't keep going forever!"
Lord Zedd once again sat in his throne. He placed his hand on his forehead, and behind his visor, closed his eyes. He made himself promise to keep going, vowing never to stop until Sean Morissette was destroyed. He would prove the prophecy wrong. He would destroy the Gold Ranger. He had to!
Lord Zedd, Sovereign of Sorrow, let out a loud sigh. Rita and Rito exited the room, leaving him alone to plot out his next stroke against his enemies.
Alone. When it came down to the basics, Lord Zedd was the loneliest person in the universe.
"He was great, Zordon!" Kimberly exclaimed.
"An obvious display of scientific prowess and warrior skills," Billy said.
"I take it you are pleased with the new leader of the Power Team," Zordon said.
A look of surprise went across everyone's face. Sean walked up in front of Zordon, a look of confusion mixed with surprise on him. "Leader?" he asked.
"Yes," Zordon said, "The cape that you wear is the Cape of Leadership, worn by rulers on Hykrania for centuries. It symbolizes your authority to lead the Power Rangers."
Tommy walked over to Sean and shook his hand. A look of disappointment was written on his features. Obviously this was very important to Tommy. He tried to hide it under a smile.
"Congratulations, man. From what I saw out there today, if anyone deserves to lead, then it would be you."
"No! No! Oh no!" Sean exclaimed, turning to Zordon again. "I don't want to lead."
"Why?" Zordon asked, "I know you may be feeling a bit of pity for Tommy, but it is preordained that you lead the Rangers."
"I do not wish to be rude or disrespectful, but I do not wish to lead. I have led my dojo for two years, and I've done a good job. However, I do not think that I have what it takes to lead the Power Rangers. I think that I would better serve them by being backup."
Zordon smiled. "You are truly the Gold Ranger. The Cape of Leadership is a portion of your uniform, and it will remain with you. The lead of the Rangers shall remain with Tommy. Until the day when the final assault against Lord Zedd shall take place. Preordained in the Prophecies of Eltare, you must lead the final battle."
"I understand, Zordon. Hey, why take it away from the best man qualified for the job?" Sean said, a huge grin on his face. Tommy returned his grin with one of his own, and they shook hands.
"Well tomorrow, I'll go and purchase that space for my dojo." He look down at the armor and smiled. " My life just got a lot more complicated."
"Welcome on board, Sean Morissette: Gold Ranger," Zordon announced.
The Power Rangers shook his hand in turn. When he got to Aisha, she grasped firmly to it.
"We have unfinished business," she told him.
Sean raised an eyebrow, unsure of what she meant. Before he knew it, she grabbed the back of his head, pulling him closer. She kissed him...and he kissed her back. When she pulled away, Sean shook his head.
"Whoa!"
"This is going to be fun," Aisha said, vaguely reminiscent of his own words. Tommy turned to them and held his hand out.
"I think we should make this official," he said. In turn, the Power Rangers placed their hands on top of each other. When the time came for him, he hesitated. His mind filled with possibilities on a scope of unimaginable power. He looked into each of their faces, knowing their souls. Adam, the Black Ranger: a strong and patient individual. Kimberly, the Pink Ranger: swift and agile. Billy, the Blue Ranger: intellectual and wise. Rocky, the Red Ranger: powerful and smart. Tommy, the White Ranger: dynamic and authoritative. Aisha, the Yellow Ranger: beauteous, fierce, his. He smiled at the thought. She returned his smile. Things were just beginning. He had a long way to go. With friend like this, it would be a snap.
He placed his gauntlet on top. "All the way!" he exclaimed.
They leaped into the air simultaneously shouting two words that would lead them to victory. Two words that would remain with them for the rest of their lives. Something that reminded them forever and a day of what their own lives meant to the people of the universe.