Good girl, Sean thought. Dont panic. Ill get you out.
"Well, the betrayers arrive," Adam hissed. "Its about time. I was beginning to think you were going to be smart and stay away, but I was wrong. Im so glad I was wrong."
"Adam, let her go," The Gold Ranger said calmly.
He looked at Sean. "Ah, Masahiro, you always did like the pretty ones. You didnt know that I liked her as well, did you?"
"Adam, youre not well," Sean explained, slowly inching towards him, "Let us help you."
"Who is this Adam you keep talking about, Masa? I am Oroku, the Nightstar Warrior," he said. Pressing the blade harder against her throat, he dropped his voice another octave, "And she is dead if you come any nearer!"
Sean stopped and peered at him. Adam was gone. All that was left was the dark presence of Kenta, the evil shogun. There must be a way to stop him but without hurting Aisha.
"What do you want?" Tommy demanded.
"Want, Kyodai?" he asked, staring at him with dark eyes. "I want your souls! I want your bodies! Vessels to carry my spirit to the corners of this world and conquer! I will trample and dance on the graves of mine enemies long since dead! And no one, saint..." he looked at Tommy. "...or god..." he looked towards Sean, "...will stop me!"
Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the foundation of the Command Center. Adam flinched ever so slightly, drawing blood from Aishas neck. Momentarily distracted by the pain, Aisha capitalized on the situation. Running the side of her yellow boots down his shin, she brought her hand up and pushed the knife away. In the same motion, she caught his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He crashed hard into the polished floors of the Command Center.
Quick as lightning, Sean bolted towards her and snatched her up. Tommy sprinted and tried to pin Adam, but the Black Ranger was too quick with his teleportation. Tommy slammed into the ground and rolled. He got to his feet quickly, looked towards the control panels and pointed to them.
"Fix em, Billy!" he commanded. "We have to know whats going on!"
Sean hugged Aisha tightly, not wanting to let go. Aisha managed to look up at him and in a raspy voice, "I have to breathe, Sean!" and smiled at him.
He laughed slightly and hugged her again. Taking a small handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped the little droplets of blood from her neck.
Another tremor hit the Command Center and the Rangers were thrown to the ground.
"Im betting its Negator!" Rocky exclaimed.
"Billy, keep fixing the panels! We need to talk to Zordon! Lets go take care of Negator!"
Tommy and the others stood in front of each other. Reaching behind their backs, they pulled out their Power Morphers from a miniature pocket universe.
Tommy shouted, "ITS MORPHIN TIME! WHITE RANGER POWER!"
"PINK RANGER POWER!"
"YELLOW RANGER POWER!"
"RED RANGER POWER!"
"GOLD RHINO POWER!"
Morphing into their uniforms, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers teleported to the outside to engage Negator.
Now you will finish them, Oroku, the voice on the inside of his head said.
"I will," Adam answered.
But first, you must stop Masahiro, the ThunderForce Warrior.
"Why?"
He possesses far greater power thf your other enemies. He, along with the rest, could certainly defeat you. Therefore, you must remove him to get to the others. United they stand...Divided they fall. Adam lifted his hand and stretched his open palm towards the Command Center. A surge of black energy swirled around his hand before shooting off towards Sean Morissette.
The Rangers teleported to find the Negator pounding on the walls of the Command Center with crimson bolts of concussive force. At his feet, chunks on the fortress lay strewn about. When they made their appearance, the Rangers struck a defensive stance.
"Once again, the children arrive to mess with grownup business!" Negator, sneeringly, remarked.
"Stand down, Negator, or face the consequences!" Tommy shouted.
"Since you put it that way..." Negator said as he drew his katana.
"Omegas!" Kim shouted.
"Take em out!" Tommy ordered.
The Rangers rushed the OmegaPutties, kicking and punching all the way. Tommy rapidly dispatched of the clay creatures, turning them all into powder with blasts from Saba, the Tiger Saber.
"Ashes to ashes!" he shouted.
Kimberly bounded up and over the heads of the Omegas. She ran full throttle at them and dropped to the ground. Sliding, she knocked them off-balance and into the awaiting punches of Tommy and Rocky.
Tommy turned to her and nodded. "You always did have a way of knocking a man off his feet!"
Rocky launched himself into the air and brought a stiff scissors kick to the faces of two Omegas. The protective shell cracked beneath his powerful blows. Gray oozing clay leaked out and onto the ground.
"You guys really crack me up!" Rocky laughed.
Beneath the mask of the Gold Ranger, Sean grimaced at Rockys joke. Over time, he learned that joking only took away from concentration. His mind focused on his goal: stop Negator and find Adam. He chanced a look towards Aisha, the Yellow Ranger, who was doing quite well for herself. An OmegaPutty snuck up behind her and was about to attack her with his club.
"Aisha! Behind y-" but he was cut off by the black energy that enveloped him. Like a dark web, it encased him and snatched him away.
Aisha looked towards the sound of his voice, in time to see him being carried off. "Sean!" she cried. In her peripheral vision, she saw the OmegaPutty. A stiff side kick and it went down. She called up a heads-up display on her helmet, but the tracking system couldnt find him. She had a feeling she knew who got him.
The energy web deposited Sean on his back a few kilometers from the Command Center. He stood up and shook his head.
"Whoa! What hit me?" he thought out loud.
"MASAHIRO!" an ice-filled voice screamed at him.
Through the haze of the whirling sand, Sean watched as Adam came forth, draped in black and blue armor. His eyes glowed with an unearthly verdant color. Sean could feel the evil radiate from him, as if evil were something tangible.
Of course, in this particular case, it was. The armor that Adam wore was the actual remains of the ancient shogun/sorcerer, Kenta. He had to somehow get Adam to remove his NinjaTech Battle Armor, get him to the Ergotronic Chamber, and remove Kenta from the armor.
Easier said than done, Sean thought as he unholstered the Hammer of Hykrania.
"You can try to disguise yourself, Masahiro, but it wont work," BlackIce Warrior said.
"Im not trying to disguise myself, Adam."
Adam shook his head. "Why do you insist on calling me Adam? Surely, it hasnt been that long since weve seen each other. I am Oroku, son of Shinya - master of the armor, BlackIce. Like it?"
"It doesnt suit you," Sean responded.
"I think it does," Adam replied. "In fact, I think Ill wear it to your funeral. And my wedding to Midori."
"I dont think so, son. Im taking you down. Youre not well, and I must do whatever it takes to stop you." He began to charge up the Hammer with ergs of cosmic energy. Tiny bolts of electricity played along the head of the Hammer while the air grew warm around his hand. Confidently, he struck a defensive stance.
"Suit yourself, Masahiro," Adam said, striking a similar pose. "You never were a smart man."
With a flick of his wrist, his Ice Staff appeared. It glistened in the heat of the desert, diamonds sparkling brightly from the sun. He twirled it confidently in his hands.
"Fight me in your true form, Masahiro. Or do you fear me that much to hide behind this facade?"
An eyebrow shot up behind the mask of the Gold Ranger. "Gold Ranger, power down! NinjaTech Battle Ranger, armor up!"
Instantaneously, he was transformed from the Gold Ranger to ThunderForce Gold Ranger.
"Ninja Battle Mallet!" Sean cried and the Hammer of Hykrania instantly morphed into a large golden mallet.
"Thats the Masahiro I know and love," Adam said, sneeringly.
Sean rushed towards Adam. The two collided in a bright explosion of energy.
"Power Daggers!" Aisha cried.
"Power Bow!" Kimberly yelled.
"Power Sword!" Rocky commanded.
Already brandishing Saba, Tommy twirled it in his hands. "Were taking you down, Negator! One way or the other!"
"Youre time is finished, Power Pukes!" Negator sneered. "No more playing with you!"
As they engaged in a dance of death, Negator fought ferociously. He brought his katana down in a wicked arc towards the head of the Yellow Ranger. Using both Power Daggers, she blocked his stroke. She thrust out a boot and hit his knee. Kimberly took the distraction and littered his back with pink tinted arrows.
Tommy leapt into the air and brought Saba down into Negators back. With a wave of his hand, he knocked Tommy off. Rocky ran in to help, but he, too, was knocked back.
Suddenly, a wave of pure negative energy surrounded the two forms of Aisha and Negator. From the vantage point of the other Rangers, it looked like they were caught in a giant gelatin mold.
"Whoa!" Rocky cried.
"Oh my gosh!" Kimberly exclaimed. "Tommy, we cant get through! Our powers..."
"I know, Kimmie, but we cant let her stay in there," Tommy said. "Weve got to try!"
"Might I suggest a blast of focused positive energy, Tommy," Saba spoke up. "It may take some time, but we may still be able to cut through the negative energy in time to save Miss Aisha."
"Lets do it!" Tommy said, twirling Saba in his hands again. Red eyebeams shot forth from the handle of the short sabre and hit the sphere. Kimberly charged up her bow and fired bolts of energy at it while Rocky concentrated the Power Swords energies on it. They could see the wall begin to shimmer and shake.
"Why...dont...you...just...give...up?!" Negator screamed, losing his temper.
"Power Rangers dont give up!" Aisha said through gritted teeth.
"Then...Power Rangers are foolish!"
"Says you!" and she dropped to her back. Wrapping her legs around his form, she twisted her hips and brought him forcefully to the ground. Quickly getting to her feet, Aisha took a defensive posture and charged up her blades. Before her eyes, Negator engaged his cloaking device.
"Can you find me, little Yellow Ranger?" the voice echoed in the sphere.
She was struck by Negator and fell to the ground.
"Will you be able to find me?"
Another blow sent her flying and she landed on her neck. She yelped at the sudden pain and struggled back to her feet.
"Oww, thats gotta hurt!"
Something struck her chest, forcing the air from her lungs. An invisible uppercut caught her helmet and sent her into a spin before slamming into the ground.
"Sean..." she whispered out into air before another blow struck her in the small of the back.
"Give up, Kenta," Sean said, exhaustedly, "You cant win against me. My skill far outrivals yours and Adams."
"Never!" Kenta screamed through Adam.
"Then, I have no choice." Sean held open his arms and closed his eyes. "Take my armor instead."
"What?!" the sorcerer asked, incredulously.
"I will sacrifice my armor if it will ensure the life of Adam," Sean said calmly.
"You cant be serious?"
"I assure you, Kenta, I am deadly serious."
Kenta raised his hand and shot a bolt of black ice at Sean. It encased his feet and reached up to his waist. Another bolt of ice and Seans hands were encased in frozen cuffs. Kenta stood up and peered through the eyes of Adam.
"Foolish mortal!" and a black mist rose from the armor. Adam began to convulse as the immaterial form of Kenta exited his armor. It hovered slightly in front of Sean, eyeing the Gold Ranger for any form of treachery. He saw none.
"Now, I will possess the most powerful armor of them all! Masahiro, your soul is mine!"
Striking without warning, Kenta attacked Seans armor. Sean looked down at his ThunderForce armor beginning to splotch with dark spots. He could feel Kentas presence, slowly taking of his mind, forcing out his consciousness. His heart beat a thousand times in a single second. His skin flushed hot and cold as the negative energy began to interact with his positive, countering it - rendering it useless.
Beneath his mask, Sean smiled.
Gotcha! he thought.
Using his highly disciplined willpower, he fought against Kentas control. The spirit began to fight back against his sheer "wall" of will. Slowly, it wore down the wall - slowly taking control of his mighty form. Sean knew what he had to do to spring the trap. He only hoped that Adam was conscious enough to do it.
"Adam!" Sean shouted. "Adam, wake up!"
The Black Ranger, demorphed from his armor, lay very still.
"Adam, get up!" The ThunderForce Gold Ranger shouted again. "Adam! You must get up! Adam! ADAM!"
He stirred.
"Adam! For gods sakes, man, get up! GET UP!"
He stirred again before slumping to the ground again.
In his mind, Kenta had broken away more of his wall of will. A few more moments, and he would be Kentas.
"ADAM! ADAM! Get up! Get up, you weak-willed son of a...!" a bolt of pain shot through his body. Kenta would soon control him if he didnt get Adam up.
"Get up!" Sean screamed, even as he heard Kentas voice creep in.
Adam stirred again. This time, he managed to make it to his feet and shake his head.
"Aww, man! What a nightmare!" he said.
"Adam, teleport to Command Center, now!" Sean commanded through gritted teeth.
"Wha-?"
"DO IT!"
Not wasting any time, Adam initiated his teleportation beam. After he saw Adams molecules break down in a flurry of ebon energy and take off, Sean began to assert more control. In his minds eye, he saw the smooth face of Kenta battling to control him - a struggle waged within. Kenta would not yield, so long as he had semi-control.
Breaking his shackles, Sean grabbed at his head and began to convulse. The evil spirit had gained an upper portion of his subconscious mind. Sean could feel the control slipping from him.
A whisper - weak...soft, echoed in his ears, "Sean..."
"Aisha" he whispered back.
Aisha was in danger!
He no longer used just his willpower to fight against Kenta, but he used the love of Aisha.
"What are you doing?!" Kenta screamed in his mind. "You cannot defeat my will! My will is unstoppable!"
"Where theres a will, theres a way!" Sean thought loudly and plunged into the vast expanse of his mind to counter the increased attacks by Kenta. Sorcerer or not, he would not gain control. Before long, Kenta saw that the bricks of the wall of willpower were slowly forming a prison around him. An invisible force kept him in place long enough for the wall to reform around him. He screamed ancient expletives as the last of his voice shut off from Seans mind.
Sean managed to lift his golden mallet and concentrated on it. From his eyes, thin tendrils of black mist exited and floated towards the mallet head. Swirls of positive energy shot forth and enveloped the mist. In the blink of an eye, Kentas soul was contained by the power of the Hammer of Hykrania.
A shot of energy from his eyes and his broke the ice encasement around his legs. Spinning on his heel, he raced towards the Command Center and Aisha.
"Pour it on, guys!" Tommy shouted.
The energy from their weapons were converged on a singular spot which grew thinner and thinner as the positive aspect of the Morphing Grid broke through the shield of Negator.
Rocky caught the glitter of gold from his peripheral vision. "Hey, its Sean!"
Running at full blast, Sean cocked his head lower and thrust his right shoulder out. The sun gleamed off his ThunderForce armor before it crackled with energy and was replaced with Seans normal uniform. The Hammer of Hykrania, which he grasped tightly with his left hand, began to charge up.
"Step back!" Sean cried into their communicators.
The Gold Ranger slammed into the shield of negative energy. He was thrown back a few feet and skidded to a halt at the feet of the Pink Ranger. Tommy and Rocky helped her get him to his feet. They watched as the shield began to flicker and fade.
"Sledgehammer Mode!" Sean called.
The handle of the hammer extended until the whole thing resembled a sledgehammer of the brightest gold. Grasping it firmly, Sean lifted it over his head and slammed it into the shield with all of his strength. It flickered again but regained its cohesion.
"Use the Belt of Strength!" Tommy exclaimed, stepping back a bit.
A slight nod from Sean and he engaged the belt. A surge of pure physical power assaulted his form. Swinging the hammer around and around his head, he brought it down with a blow so powerful that it made the other Rangers stumble.
With a groan and crackle, the negative energy shield fell.
The Rangers looked on as they saw a floating katana floating over the prone form of Aisha. It whipped up suddenly as the sunlight poured into the once enclosed area.
"Damn you, Rangers!" Negators voice sounded.
"Get away from her!" Sean shouted. "Get away or I swear..."
"Shes means just that much to you, eh, Gold Ranger? Doesnt leave me much of a choice, now does it?!"
The blade drew back quickly. Time slowed. Sean broke into a run, brandishing the Hammer of Hykrania. He was prepared to throw it and hope that it blocked Negators stroke. However, before he even had a chance to throw, a beam of energy struck the air near the sword.
Sean looked towards the source of the beam. Tommy saw who it was and smiled. Rocky let out a whoop of joy. There, clothed in his normal uniform and brandishing his Power Axe, Adam stood, confidently and rejuvenated. Billy, the Blue Ranger, moved along side him and struck a defensive stance.
"No one messes with the Power Rangers!" Adam yelled at Negator. The last bolt of energy from the Power Axe - Blaster Mode must have short circuited Negators cloaking device because he suddenly popped into view. Sean quickly knocked Negator away from Aisha and picked her up. Carrying her, he let her head rest in the crook of his arm. She took a deep breath and gazed at him through the visor.
"You...came for...me..."It came out more of a statement than an actual question.
"Was there ever any doubt, love?" he returned.
She laughed slightly. "No."
Sean helped her to her feet and watched as she shook off the effects of the negative energy. "Lets nail this guy!"
"All the way, babe!" Sean shouted, slapping her hand in a high-five.
"Welcome back, Adam!" Tommy called.
"Lets kick some monster butt!" Kimberly offered.
"Take him out!" Rocky chimed.
"Good to have you back, my friend!" Sean said, smiling behind the mask of the Gold Ranger.
"Good to be back!" Adam said.
"No!" Negator screamed. "I will not be stopped at so close to victory!" He began to vibrate and grow, absorbing massive amounts of negative energy from the palace of Lord Zedd.
"Not this time!" Sean shouted. "Sword of Power!"
No sooner were the words uttered that the Sword of Power appeared. Radiating with an energy that was felt more than seen, the Gold Ranger pointed it at the ten foot tall (and still growing) form of Negator. A bolt of pure cosmic energy issued forth, striking the monster in the chest. To Negators surprise, he had stopped growing.
"Wh-what are you doing?!" he screamed.
"Pumping you full of positive energy!" Sean explained.
Billy stepped up, pulling out his Power Lance. "Were going to shut down your conduit to the negative energy reserves of Lord Zedd!"
Tommy walked in front and pointed at Rocky. "Bring together the Power Blaster!"
Rocky shouted, "Right!"
"Power Axe!"
"Power Bow!"
"Power Lance!"
"Power Daggers!"
"Power Sword!"
After a small discharge of energy to energize the weapon, Rocky grabbed it and brought it to bear on Negator. The rest of the Rangers crowded around him and placed their hands on each others shoulders.
"No! You cant do this to me!" Negator pleaded.
"Oh yeah?" Tommy said. He pointed Saba at Negator as well. "Zedd just doesnt learn! No one messes with Earth! And nobody beats the Power Rangers!"
Sean opened up the energy stores of the Hammer of Hykrania and felt as the power flowed from his weapon to the Sword of Power.
"You have caused much destruction and despair!" he chanted to him. "We send you back to the eternal darkness from whence you came!"
"Fire!" Five of the Rangers shouted.
"Fire!" Tommy shouted.
Concussive bolts of pure energy screamed from their weapons and attacked Negators form. He arched his back and let out a primordial scream. Before the eyes of the Rangers, Negator exploded in a powerful pyrotechnic display.
After the smoke cleared, Tommy walked over to Adam and put his hand on his shoulder. "Lets go home!"
"Milord?"
"SILENCE! You promised me, Mistress MonsterMaker! You promised me that he would not fail! For that, I should deactivate you!" He screamed at her. She lowered her eyes at his awesome anger. Radiating with energy, Zedd sat down.
"I hate those Power Rangers!" his voice boomed in the room. "I hate them! I hate them all!"
Suddenly, he let out a scream which would send a shiver of fear through the spine of any mortal being. It echoed through the halls - down to the very depths of the palace.
Rita Repulssa twitched slightly in her bed and fell back into her slumber.
Zedd sat upon his throne, the Master of Maliciousness, and began to weep.
"Hes perfectly clean!" Alpha announced after he was done. "The Ergotronic Chamber did the trick!"
"How are you feeling, man?" Tommy asked Adam.
"Tired," Adam responded with a slight smile. "Very tired." He turned to Aisha and Sean. "And Im very sorry. Sorry for everything that Ive done. All the trouble that Ive caused."
"Hey, look, man, we know you werent in control of what you were doing," Sean said. "Were just glad to have you back."
"Good thing he thought of getting you to teleport back to the Command Center," Aisha added.
"How did you know?" Rocky asked.
"Well, I kinda figured that since he had been influenced by Kenta, that he would still be open to suggestion. So, I just commanded him to teleport back to the Command Center. I knew that Billy would know what to do once Adam got back." he explained.
Kimberly piped up, "So where is Kenta?"
"Kenta is trapped within a positive energy field within the Hammer of Hykrania," Zordon boomed. "He will not be able to escape so long as Sean possesses the Hammer."
Adam sighed, "Looks like Im going to finally be able to get some REAL sleep!"
"Oh, which reminds me," Sean said, reaching into his pocket. He produced a small leather pouch. The Rangers could smell a slightly tart odor waft from it. Sean handed it to Adam.
"It is an herb which will help you rest easier," Sean explained with a smile. "A few sprinkles in tea and *WHAMMO*, youre out! When you wake up, youll feel rested and rejuvenated!"
"Thanks, man!" Adam returned his smile. "Ill try it!"
"Go home, Rangers," Zordon said. "It has been a long and troubling day. Sleep well tonight, and may the Power protect you."
"We will, Zordon," they said in unison. Sharing a slight laugh, five of the Rangers teleported. Only Aisha and Sean remained behind.
"Im hungry," Aisha remarked.
"So am I."
She looked at him with a slight smile. "Jumbo prawns with garlic sauce?"
He squinted at her, smiling. "You want me to cook? After everything Ive been through today, you want...me...to..." She had playfully stuck her bottom lip out and pretended to be hurt. Her eyes pleaded with him.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "All right," he laughed slightly. "But next time, you cook! Promise?"
She kissed him.
"That wasnt a yes or a no," he commented after the broke apart. She smacked him on the arm, playfully, and activated her teleport beam. Closely following it was his own.
They gazed out at the lowering sun as it cast a golden hue on everything. Silently, they enjoyed the presence of their loved one. He wrapped his muscular arms around her while she laid her head against his chest.
In the back of Seans mind, he was at peace even with the threat of Lord Zedd and his henchmen. He let out a long sigh. From his vantage point, nothing could go wrong. Everything was the way it should be.
His attention was diverted slightly as he saw a storm approaching from the south. Large voluminous, gray thunderheads took up most of the horizon.
"Looks like a storms a-brewing, eh," he pondered out loud.
"Mm-hmm," she returned, still laying her head on his chest.
From somewhere deep within him, he shivered. It wasnt from the slight nip of the air, nor from anything else in their immediate vicinity.
Something was wrong.
The storm got closer and closer; His senses went on alert.
Something was wrong.
A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky as the last of the sun disappeared along the edge of the world.
He squinted his eyes.
"Somethings wrong, love," Sean whispered to her.
She looked up at him and then looked at the approaching storm. "What?"
"Somethings wrong," he repeated, "Something is definitely not right. I-I can feel it." He began to look about in a haze of confusion, eyes glazed over slightly. For the first time since shed met him, she actually saw fear in his eyes. Sean was actually afraid. But of what?
Gently, she stroked his chin. "Sean, whats the matter? Is it the storm? What?"
"I-I-I dont know, but" he began, "Oh my" He fell to his knees.
Aisha dropped to her knees and held him in her arms, cradling his head against her chest. She didnt know what to do. She didnt know how to soothe him, or why he was troubled in the first place. Her eyes locked on the thunderclouds as they approached.
A storm was comingand she had a feeling it would change her life forever.