Champions Saga: Chapter Six

The Trouble with Titanium

"Damn!" Max came across another dead end in his attempt to work through the interference around Angel Grove, which had been dubbed the Demon City.

Max sighed and continued with his work on a Bay Area computer console. He and Miss. Fairweather were so close to piercing the interference around Angel Grove. He had to keep trying.

During Max’s work, he ran across a strange file that Billy had labeled as classified.

Titanium Project?Max made a mental note to ask Fairweather about it later.

The doors slid open and the droid MINT came hovering in. "Max! You’re still here!"

"Very good observation, MINT," Max said sarcastically. "I’m glad all that programming wasn’t wasted on ya."

"You should be resting, Max. You and the other Rangers need your sleep."

Max sat up and sighed. "I’ve got to figure out a way past all this interference….all this is my fault, anyway." He leaned back under the console and continued with his work.

"That’s not true, Max."

"MINT, if I would have stopped Alcorn and his goons the first time they showed up, none of this would have happened."

MINT waited a few moments before responding. "Try to get some rest soon, Max. And don’t blame yourself."

The droid left Max to his work.

A fleet of battleships gathered in orbit around Titan, a world of winged simian warriors that had produced some of the galaxy's fiercest enemies and bravest heroes.

The world was still scarred from Sauron's attacks two years ago. The war against Sauron had essentially split the planet Titan into two groups.

On one side  were the Titan warriors who's honor bound them to the Earth and its Ranger team. The entire planet had been saved by the Earth Rangers on more than one occasion.

On the other side were the Titans who blamed Earth for practically everything wrong with the galaxy. These simians felt that Titan would never have suffered if it assumed a more isolationist role like the planet Isis.

Warriors from both sides gathered on top of a towering building that looked out upon the planet's space port. Giant stone statues of Titan warriors surrounded the space platform. The statues were crafted from the same sandy-brown stone as the building.

A simian general in gold-trimmed bronze armor addressed the lines of troops standing before him. The general had a massive, double-edged sword slung over his shoulder.

"Warriors!" the general shouted. "Our world is in danger again! The Kala'nahr has come to pass...on Earth."

The Titan warriors scowled at the mention of the Kala'nahr, a prophesy that foretold the end of the entire universe.

"Earth must be wiped out completely!" the general shouted. "That mud ball has disturbed the order of this galaxy for the last time!"

A small group of soldiers stepped onto the building from behind the general. A simian warrior in gold-trimmed silver warrior led the small group. His name was Grifalzor, a descendent of Goldar who fought alongside the heroes during the war against Sauron.

"You are a fool, general," Grifalzor said. "We owe the Earth Rangers our lives."

The general swung his sword around and aimed it at Grifalzor. "Watch your tongue, young one."

Grifalzor armed his pair of longknives.

The general snarled. "There isn't time for this..." he turned back to his troops. "Board your battle cruisers. Lay a course for Earth!"

The Titans shouted a war cry and spread their wings while gliding down to the spaceport. 

Alcorn blasted towards Eltar in a ball of flame.

That fool, Mogralord,he thought to himself. It was I that freed him from imprisonment, It was I that brought about the destruction of Angel Grove. I accomplished what by peers could not, what they laughed at me for trying, and now to be reduced to a lapdog? No...their time will come. Soon all will bow to the Son of Mephisto.

The NinjaMegazord and MegaThunderzord set down outside of Eltar's capital city. The two teams of Rangers left their zords and de-morphed.

"Hope we get a better welcome than last time we were here," Rocky said.

"What's the plan?" Zack asked.

"I'll search the city's database," Billy said. "I should be able to find something about the tablet there."

"That won't work," Tommy said. "The city's database was destroyed by Sauron. First thing we'll do is approach the council with our information request."

Billy wrinkled his brow at Tommy.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Those are the people that hated us last time, right?"

"Yep," Tommy said. "That's them."

Adam looked to his leader. "Do you think they'll be more likely to talk since we liberated their planet?"

"Not at all. Less likely in fact," Tommy said. "But we still have to try."

"We'd be wasting our time," Billy said.

"We'd be keeping them busy while we found what we were looking for," Tommy said. "If we just started snooping around, we'd get arrested."

Billy shook his head as they entered the city. Buildings had started to rise from the rubble that Sauron had left behind.

"Man," Jason said. "This place looks a lot different."

"Sauron hit it pretty hard," Adam said.

"Sounds like an understatement," Jonathan said.

A man known as Northan stepped out from a nearby palace of marble and steel. Northan had met the two groups of rangers during their first visit to the world more than five years ago.  

Northan approached the ten humans. "Rangers. It is good to see you again."

"Northan," Tommy said. "Is the council expecting us?"

Northan sighed. "Yes, but they are...not pleased."

Tommy nodded. "I figured."

Tommy and the others walked towards the Capital Building entrance. The Capital Building was reconstructed as a octagonal pyramid with wide staircases leading up to a spire-shaped tower. The stairs were crafted out of marble.

"Let's morph," Tommy said. "It's more formal." Tommy's time as an Astro Ranger had taught him much about intergalactic politics.

"Shogun Transform..."

"Chakra ignite..."

"Ninja/Aura Power!"

Energy shimmered and whirled around them as they morphed into their armor.

They walked into the main chambers to see the Council members on an elevated platform sitting at a crescent shaped table.

At the head of the council was an Eltarian known as Jenai. He had silver hair that matched the color of his eyes. 

A second council member was from the planet of Thundahra. The people of Thundahra resembled humans, except their skin and hair was tinted orange.

The third council member was from the planet of Sphersis, and like all members of his race, his body was made of pure crystal.

The fourth councilman was from Triforia. His name was Min, and he was dressed in black robes with a gold trim.

A fifth council member was from the planet Praxis. Her name was Beyla, and she was dressed in a tight-fitting yellow uniform with a see-through robe around her shoulders.

The sixth council member was also a female from the planet Praxis. She wore the same type of outfit, only it was colored pink.

The final councilman was a male from Eltar named Zythosx. He wore dark-green armor.

The Rangers removed their helmets as they approached the Council. Tommy stepped forward and introduced himself and his teams. "We are the Power and Ninja Rangers from the planet Earth, serving under the Master Zordon. We've come before the council to-"

"Earth has been assigned no Ranger team and no Master," Min said. "Zordon has not been recognized by the Council for quite some time. That and the fact that he's dead."

"Regardless if any team was assigned..." Tommy said, "Zordon gave us these powers. Powers we've used to save this world twice."

"Why bring the Council into a personal planetary matter?" Zythosx asked.

"A demon named Alcorn is on his way here, and we were sent to protect your planet," Tommy said. "And also to-"

"Preparations are being completed, as we speak, on an Eltarian Ranger force. They will be able to handle any invasion under the leadership of their Master," Jenai said. "I am pleased you have finally learned manners, young one, but..."

"It’s worse than that," Tommy tried to remain calm as he attempted to explain the situation to the Council. He told them how Alcorn was released and managed to release a demon known as the Mogralord. He told them the forces of evil were spreading and, that their only hope was to learn more about the Tablet of Chakra.

But when Tommy mentioned the Tablet of Chakra, the eyes of the Council became wide with fear. Even though they tried to hide it, the Rangers noticed. "There is no Tablet of Chakra. Thank you for your time."

Jenai pressed a control key in front of him, and the Rangers were instantaneously teleported outside.

The Rangers demorphed. Zack was the first to speak.

"Why did the Council flip out when you asked about the Tablet?" Zack asked Tommy.

"I don’t know, but they were definitely trying to hide something," Tommy said.

"And whatever it is," Jason said. "We have to find out."

Max opened the file Billy called "The Titanium Project" and browsed the information and data that came to the screen.

Apparently, The Titanium Morpher was Billy’s first attempt at creating a Lightspeed Ranger, but the prototype Morpher was just too strong. Billy noted in his logs that morphing into the Titanium Ranger caused severe damage to the body as well as the mind.

Max continued to read, intrigued about the Titanium Powers. The Titanium program had the ability to analyze battle data and feed that information directly into the user's brain. This way, the planning of fighting strategies and techniques was instantaneous and nearly perfect. Speed, power, response time...they were all off the chart.

The only problem was the great amount of Morphin energy it channeled into the Ranger was dangerous and could be fatal. The technological advances it possessed also had the ability to overload a Ranger's mind.

Max looked over diagrams of the Titanium Ranger's armor and weapons. Wow.

"This might be just what we need," Max said to himself. It can’t be that dangerous. Maybe I could modify the program to make it less lethal for the user.

Alcorn hovered above the capital city of Eltar with an invisibility cloak wrapped around him.

"It's time..."

Tommy and the others continued through the streets of Eltar, when a small robed figure appeared before them and blocked their path. The man's wrinkled face was barely visible from beneath his cloak.

"So, you are Rangers from Earth?" he asked.

Tommy nodded. "That’s right. Now if you’ll excuse us…"

The rangers walked around the man as he continued to speak. "Then I guess you do not wish to know about the Tablet."

The rangers turned back and faced the cloaked man. "What?" Tommy asked.

"I can tell you about the Tablet..." the stranger said. "I am one of the Prophets."

Before the rangers could inquire further, an army of Hellions appeared in the streets with flashes of dark light. The demon grunts were led by a creature resembling a demonic chameleon with red and black scales. 

The citizens of Eltar ran in panic as the Prophet ducked behind the Rangers. "It has begun…all is doomed"

Jason turned to the strange man. "Get to safety."

The robed man nodded. "I will contact you later," he said before running off.

The rangers turned towards the villains. Tommy and his team readied their wrist braces, and Jason's teams armed their handheld morphers.

"Chakra ignite!" Tommy and the others shouted. "Aura power!" They connected their morphers, triggering a wave of energy that shimmered around their bodies and activated their armor.

"Shogun transform!" Jason and the others shouted. "Ninja power!" They opened their morphers, triggering a wave of energy that whirled around them and activated their Ranger armor.

The Hellions pounced forward and attacked. The Rangers split up and hit back with masterful speed and strength.

Dragon Ranger armed his Thunder Staff and moved through the group of grunts while bashing them left and right. Ninjared was at his friend's side, and the Red Ninja Red twirled his blade through a butterfly pattern that tore several grunts apart.

Lion Ranger slammed a jump kick upside a grunt's head. Nearby, Ninjablack smashed a spinning heel kick across a soldier's face.

"Thunder Blaster!" Kirin Ranger triggered his weapon, firing lances of yellow energy that exploded through a trio of grunts.

Nearby, Ninjayellow snapped a volley of throwing stars that tore through soldiers with bursts of spark.

Phoenix Ranger armed her circular Star Blade and dashed forward while swinging her weapon down through a grunt's chest, tearing the soldier's body apart with a burst of spark. Ninjawhite was at her former teammate's side. Blade in hand, the White Ninja Ranger slashed through soldiers with fluid grace and precision.

An unseen force suddenly thrashed across Dragon Ranger's back with a burst of spark. The Red Ranger crashed off his feet and tumbled across the ground. Rolling to his knees, he looked up to find his attacker, but saw no one.

The same invisible attacker bashed Ninjared upside the head and tugged the legs out from underneath Tenma Ranger and Ninjablue.

"What was that?" Tenma Ranger asked.

"The chameleon monster," Dragon Ranger said as he rose to his feet and tightened his grip on his Thunder Staff. "He must be cloaked."

Crimson energy blasts suddenly exploded against all ten Rangers with massive bursts of spark that sent them crashing onto the ground.

Dragon Ranger rolled to his knees and looked to the Green Lion Ranger. "Adam..."

Lion Ranger nodded and placed his right fist against his left palm. The lion eyes on his helmet flashed, summoning a pulse of pale-green light that covered the plaza.

The chameleon monster's cloak was knocked loose with a burst of spark, which whipped his body backward and sent him tumbling across the street.

The demon quickly rose to its feet and extended its tail over its head. Aiming at the Rangers, the tail fired rapid-volley pulses of jade-tinted energy that exploded across the Rangers' armor, each blast sparking on impact.

The chameleon demon snapped open his claws and charged towards the Rangers to attack. With a blur of motion, the demon monster vanished from sight again.

Unseen claws suddenly sparked across the Rangers' armor with bursts of spark, whipping their bodies backward.

The cloaked chameleon grabbed Lion Ranger by the neck and pushed him backward, slamming his back into a wall, which cracked on impact.

Lion Ranger snapped his leg up and kicked the invisible chameleon upside the head. The demon monster was jarred from his cloak and went stumbling backward.

The ten Rangers regrouped.

"Let's hit 'im together, guys," Dragon Ranger said as his team armed their Star Blades.

"Star Blade Assault!" the Rangers extended their circular Star Blades and used their Ki to shoot the weapons forward like bullets. The ring blades glowed with pale white light while tearing through the demon monster with massive bursts of spark.

The Ninja Ranger placed their swords together and aimed the weapons at the monster. "Shinobi Spear!"

The swords fired a golden energy lance that exploded through the demon monster. The combined energy attacks ripped the creature to shreds with a massive burst of spark and flame. The demon was incinerated, and its ashes faded into the wind.

Alcorn rolled his hands into fists and glared down at the ten Rangers from a nearby building. "Curse those Rangers..." he said with venom in his voice. "Would it have been too much for them to stay on their own planet?"

Luckily, the demon prince had a plan that could not fail. The Mogralord had directed Alcorn to an Eltarian weapons' vendor, which surrendered five special weapons before Alcorn killed him.

The weapons appeared as nothing more than five digital key cards.

Max located the Titanium Morpher and began studying its every circuit. This doesn’t look that bad, he thought to himself.

The alarms in the Bay Area sounded, and a nearby viewscreen activated. The viewscreen showed the Nova Troopers, Galavan, and Cybertron battling a horde of enemy soldiers in Crossworld City. The Virtual warriors seemed to have the situation under control.

However, the four members of Max's ranger team were under attack in Leawood, and were quickly becoming overwhelmed.

Max held the Titanium morpher in hand and stared at it for a moment. "Now's as good a time as any to give this a test run."

"Tommy..." Kimberly said as she walked towards him. He kept his back turned towards her while she spoke. "We need to talk about this. Last time we met...it wasn't exactly the best timing."

"I have nothing to say to you," Tommy said, his voice cold.

"Tommy," Kimberly pleaded. "We have to talk about this. I don't want you to be mad..."

"What am I supposed to be?" Tommy said. "You took our son and hid him from me. And you still won't let me see him."

"Well..." Kimberly said. "Considering what happened last time-"

"Stop," Tommy said. "Just stop. We don't have time for this drama."

Tommy walked away and moved towards Rocky and the others. They were all gathered at a plaza area, waiting for the Prophet.

The cloaked figure appeared minutes later and led the rangers away from the plaza. The Prophet took the rangers to a vast hidden, library and spoke to them about the origins of the Tablet.

"The Prophets founded during the birth of the order of Masters and Rangers. They were practicers of prophecy and remained neutral during the war between good and evil. They did not interfere. They were watchers and sought only knowledge.

"However, even from the beginning, the first Council of Morphing Masters saw the Prophets as a potential threat. The Prophets had access to a magical energy outside of The Power, and this angered the Council.

"The Prophets soon compiled a list of events that started from the birth of the universe to its end. These chronicles told how Sauron would rise again and conquer Eltar. It then spoke of a wave of goodness that would purify the universe from Sauron's evil.

"The Tablet then began its darkest chapter. Demons would arrive on a blue-white gem of a world. This world would be covered with Ooze and see the rebirth of ancient Clans known as the Shadow and Red Star. During this time, when the planets aligned and formed the Cross, a ruler of the underworld would be released. He would conquer the worlds of the Cross and use its power to cover the universe in flames.

"The Masters were not pleased with this prophecy. They did not wish such information that told of their downfall to be made public. They sent in several teams of Rangers and wiped out the Prophets. The Masters violated the very code they swore their lives to. It was a massacre. The Prophets had no way of fighting back.

"Now there are only two of us left. Myself, and one who now serves the Red Star Clan."

The Prophet pulled a dusty box from a shelf and slid its lid open. Five scrolls were inside the box. "These Scrolls were never found by the Masters. They were given to me for protection. After the Prophets completed the Chakra and learned of the ultimate doom it foretold, they sought a way to trap the Mogralord to prevent him from spreading across the universe.

"The Scrolls of the Prophets tell how to trap this terrible creature that has been released."

The Prophet began reading a segment of the scroll to the Rangers. "'The Ten Keys will unlock the powers of the stars themselves. The words will be spoken, and through the Power of the Stars, the Evil will be vanquished.'"

"What ten keys?" Kimberly asked.

The Prophet shook his head. "I am uncertain. However 'the words will be spoken' refers to a spell that has been written in the Galaxy Book."

Rocky's eyes lit up. "That's what the Astro Rangers went to get a hold of!"

The Prophet nodded. "The Galaxy Book was also written by the Prophets. It was sent to the care of the Guardian."

The Prophet handed the Scrolls to Tommy. "You and the other Rangers must use these scrolls to stop the Mogralord."

An explosion suddenly tore open the library with a shockwave that blasted the rangers off their feet. The Prophet slammed against a wall and crashed to the ground as rubble piled on top of him, crushing his body.

"No!" Kimberly shouted as the rangers rushed to uncover him.

Jason pulled The Prophet into his arms. The man's breathing was becoming very shallow. "You must…stop the evil…or the universe…will cease to exist..."

The Prophet rolled his head back and died.

The rangers slowly rose to their feet and looked through the gaping hole in the wall towards the streets outside. A crimson-armored Octopus demon stood alongside an army of Hellions.

"Come on out, you pathetic Rangers!" the monster shouted. 

Tommy and his team readied their wrist braces, and Jason's teams armed their handheld morphers.

"Chakra ignite!" Tommy and the others shouted. "Aura power!" They connected their morphers, triggering a wave of energy that shimmered around their bodies and activated their armor.

"Shogun transform!" Jason and the others shouted. "Ninja power!" They opened their morphers, triggering a wave of energy that whirled around them and activated their Ranger armor.

The Octopus fired a salvo of energy missiles from his tentacles. The missile exploded around the Rangers with massive bursts of spark as they leapt forward, rolled across the streets, and rose into fighting stances.

"Rangers!" a voice shouted from behind them. They turned and looked up to see Alcorn standing on a rooftop. "You've won your last victory!"

Alcorn held the key cards in his hand. Crimson, demonic energy poured from his hands and into the cards. The demon prince hurled the cards downward in five streaks of light.

With a pulse of dark energy, the cards materialized and took shape to form five, black-armored figures. Each figure's armor was highlighted with a different color: Red, black, blue, yellow, and pink. The warriors were fueled with digital energy, residual power from Sauron himself, and the dark power of Alcorn.

Ninjayellow unsheathed his sword. "What are those things..."

A chill crept down Dragon Ranger's spine. "They're the Psycho Rangers..."

Psycho Red rolled his hands into fists. "Hello, Red...as you can see...not even death can stop me from revenge."

"Bring it on, Psychos," Dragon Ranger said. "Let's get this over with..."

The Red Dragon Ranger summoned his golden-hilted Ryuuseikin sword to hand with a flash of light.

The Psychos extended their hands and charged forward to attack.

Dragon Ranger swung his sword horizontally towards Psycho Red's head, and Ninjared swung his blade towards the Psycho's body. Psycho Red used his sword to block the blows and slap the Rangers' sword aside.

Psycho Red swung his onyx blade in an x-shaped pattern that sparked across the two Rangers' armor, knocking them back a step.

The Red Psycho Ranger pushed forward with a spin kick that slammed against Ninjared's chest, knocking the Red Ranger off his feet and sending him flying backward. The Red ranger crashed against a wall, which smashed in with web-shaped cracks upon impact.

Psycho Red turned and swung his blade upward towards Dragon Ranger's body, but the Red ranger used his blade to block the blow. The opponents pressed their blades against each other and leaned forward.

The Psycho glared at his opponent. "I have waited an eternity for this moment," he said, sounding as insane as ever. "The fire in my veins will never stop burning until you are destroyed! I will kill you!"

"Good luck with that." Dragon Ranger slapped the Psycho's blade away and spun forward with a reverse sidekick that smashed against the villain's chest.

The Red Ranger swung his blade towards the Psycho's head, but Psycho Red parried the blow. Dragon Ranger continued to swing his sword, but Psycho Red managed to parry and block each blow.

From behind the Psycho, Ninjared recovered and charged towards his opponent.

Psycho Red slashed Dragon Ranger across the chest and turned to face Ninjared. The Psycho extended his arm and fired a jagged pulse of jade-tinted energy that ripped across Ninjared's armor with a shower of sparks, whipping his body backward.

Nearby, Psycho Blue armed his black tomahawk and looked ahead at Tenma Ranger and Ninjablue, who were charging towards him. They weren't the Blue Rangers he lusted to kill, but they would do.

The Blue Psycho Ranger extended his tomahawk and spun forward like a tornado while thrashing past the two Blue Rangers, his tomahawk sparking against their armor on impact.

Meanwhile Psycho Black armed his staff and charged towards Lion Ranger and Ninjablack.

Lion Ranger slammed a flying sidekick against the Psycho's chest, but Psycho Black merely swatted the Green Ranger from the air.

Ninjablack armed his Shinobi Knuckle and swung his fist at the villain's faceplate. Psycho Black sidestepped top dodge the blow and slammed his staff against the Black Ninja Ranger's gut.

Nearby, Psycho Yellow armed her sling and fired a volley of yellow energy darts that exploded against Kirin Ranger and Ninjayellow. The blasts knocked the two rangers off their feet and sent them crashing against the street.

Phoenix Ranger slammed knifeman strike at Psycho Pink, but the Pink Psycho ranger grabbed Phoenix Ranger by the wrist and twisted her to the ground. Psycho Pink bent down and slammed knifeman chop against the fallen Ranger's chest. The blow sparked on impact, knocking the wind from the Pink Ranger. 

Ninjawhite swung her sword towards Psycho Pink's head. Psycho Pink used her forearm to block the blade and slammed the back of her fist across the White Ranger's helmet.

Meanwhile Dragon Ranger and Ninjared continued their duel against Psycho Red. Their sword sparked against each other on impact, creating energy discharges that exploded around them with each blow.

Dragon Ranger and Ninjared pushed around Psycho Red, their blades twirling with near-blinding speed and strength. The two Red Rangers were master swordsmen, but Psycho Red had them equally matched.

The Red Psycho Ranger parried a blow from Ninjared downward and swung back up, slashing the Red Ninja Ranger across the chest and whipping his body backward. The Psycho's metallic laughter echoed in his own helmet as he turned to face Dragon Ranger.

Dragon Ranger chopped his sword towards Psycho Red's head, and the villain blocked the blow. Again, Dragon Ranger and Psycho Red faced each other were their weapons locked together.

"Ki!" Dragon Ranger shouted and pushed forward.

An invisible energy blast slammed against Psycho Red and sent him flying off his feet. The Psycho went crashing through a nearby building, pulverizing the wall while bashing through it.

The octopus monster snuck up from behind Dragon Ranger and opened fire with a volley of energy missiles. Dragon Ranger snapped around and used his sword to swat each of the energy projectiles aside.

Then suddenly, Psycho Red rose from the rubble as a torrent of crimson energy poured from his body and shot towards the skies. Demonic energy sizzled around his armor as he glared at the octopus armor.

"No!" Psycho Red shouted. "The Red one is mine!"

Psycho Red dashed forward and energized his onyx blade with crimson power. Psycho Red swung the blade through a powerful arc that ripped through the demon monster's body. The octopus crashed back and exploded, its energy overloading and vaporizing his own body with a massive eruption of flame and smoke.

Dragon Ranger twirled his blade into a fighting position and stepped back to face Psycho Red.

A voice suddenly shouted from the rooftops above. "Stop right there!"

The Rangers and Psychos looked up to see five young Eltarians standing on a nearby rooftop. They each wore gray uniforms trimmed with different colors: red, green, blue, yellow, and pink.

The lead Eltarian pointed downward. "Leave our planet at once!"

The Eltarians armed braces worn on their left wrists. Each brace had an intricate prism inside. The Eltarians slapped the braces and shouted: "Prism Flash!"

Energy wrapped around the Eltarians as they morphed into Ranger armor. Their chests and legs were covered with their primary color, and their arms were wrapped with white. Their visors were goggle-like, with prisms embedded on their helmets, just above the visors. Similar prisms were on the left sides of their chests.

"Chousinsei, Flashman!" the Rangers shouted.

Tenma Ranger tilted his head. "They look ridiculous..."

The Psycho Ranger's suddenly started crackling with crimson energy, and their armor shattered to pieces. Revealed in their monster forms, the Psycho Rangers expanded and grew giant.

The Ninja and Power Rangers regrouped and looked up at the five giants.

The Power Rangers held their Thunder Gems and extended their Thunder Swords into the air. "Thunderzords, arise!"

The five Kindenjuu soared and stomped through the streets. The Rangers used their Thunder Blasters in grappler mode to reel inside of their cockpits.

Dragon Ranger held his hand over his cockpit's crystal control sphere. "Thunder Star Fusion!"

The five zords crackled with energy and merged together. The Rangers gathered in the joint cockpit of the winged Megazord. "MegaThunderzord, Choi Dairenou!"

Below, the Ninja Rangers thrust their scrolls forward and opened them.

"Ninjazords, awaken!" the Rangers shouted as powerful lightning shot across the skies.

"Ninja Ape!" Ninjared shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the mighty ape zord. Ninjared levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.

"Ninja Frog!" Ninjablack shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the frog zord. Ninjablack levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.

"Ninja Crane!" Ninjawhite shouted. The symbol on her scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the crane zord. Ninjawhite levitated backwards and merged into her zord's cockpit.

"Ninja Wolf!" Ninjablue shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the wolf zord. Ninjablue levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.

"Ninja Bear!" Ninjayellow shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the bear zord. Ninjayellow levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.

"Ninja fusion...Kakure Shogun!" the Rangers shouted as their zords leapt into the air and started to reform. The Ninjazords combined into one giant warrior and landed on the ground below.

The Flash Rangers stood on the rooftop and looked up at the giants and Megazords. They were awestruck, but eventually regained their composure and signaled for their own mecha.

Three jets and two tanks tore over the streets and throttled towards the battle scene. The mecha combined to form the FlashMegazord.

Psycho Red thrust his hand forward and fired a molten lava blast that exploded against FlashMegazord with a massive burst of spark. The robo went crashing backward and skidding across the streets while plowing over buildings.

"Jason," Dragon Ranger said. "You guys take Psycho Pink and Psycho Yellow. We'll handle the other three."

"You got it, bro," Ninjared said.

NinjaMegazord leapt forward and swung its ape fist towards Psycho Yellow. The fist bashed against the villain with a burst of spark.

Psycho Pink extended a dozen black tendrils that wrapped around NinjaMegazord. The Psycho pumped pink energy through the tentacles, and the energy blasts exploded against NinjaMegazord's armor with a massive eruption of spark.

Nearby, MegaThunderzord snapped its wings and dove towards the other three Psychos. The MegaThunderzord somersaulted forward through the air and bashed its heel down on Psycho Black's head, knocking the villain to the ground.

The Megazord armed its Thunder Whip and swung hard, thrashing the other two Psychos with a burst of spark upon impact.

"Let's take it up a notch," Dragon Ranger said as the Megazord leapt back into the skies.

"MegaThunderzord, armor up!" the Rangers shouted as their zord crackled with cyan energy and transformed into a suit of silver armor with gold trimming. "MegaThunderzord, Paladin mode!"

The MegaThunderzord snapped its wings and swooped straight at its opponent while energizing its saber.

"Star Saber, Divine Justice!" the Rangers shouted as the energized blade swung horizontally.

The energized saber ripped through Psycho Blue with a streak of cyan, golden, and silver light. The Psycho crashed backward, its body overloading and exploding with a massive shockwave that tore through the city streets.

Psycho Black swung his massive fist and swatted the MegaThunderzord from the air. The zord crashed backward, but snapped its wings to flip back to its feet.

Psycho Red launched a stream of molten flame that slammed against the Megazord's chest with a massive burst of spark.

Meanwhile, Psycho Pink continued to pump energy against the NinjaMegazord.

A falcon's cry cut through the skies above, and the Ninja Rangers looked up to see the White Falcon swoop down from the skies.

White Falcon extended its wing and fired a volley of missiles that exploded against Psycho Pink, causing the villain to loosen her grip on the NinjaMegazord.

"Falconzord, combine!" the Rangers shouted. The NinjaMegazord leapt up as the falcon connected onto its back.

"NinjaMegazord..." the Rangers shouted. "Double knuckle strike!"

NinjaMegazord shot towards Psycho Pink with its fists extended forward.

The falcon wings energized the zord's two fists. The wolf fist and ape fist slammed against Psycho Pink with a fierce blow, smashing in her chest. The Psycho fell backward, his energy slowly overloading and exploding.

NinjaMegazord hopped over towards Psycho Yellow and slammed a spinning heel kick against the villain. But Psycho Yellow grabbed the zord by the leg and crashed it against the ground. 

Meanwhile Psycho Black fired a volley of rock missiles that pounded against MegaThunderzord with massive explosions.

Dragon Ranger held the black Thunder Gem of the fallen Shadow Ranger.

"Shadow Dragon, arise!" The large medieval-style black dragon of the Shadow Ranger swooped down from the skies.

"Shadow Dragon, Rise up!" Dragon Ranger shouted.

The black zord transformed into its humanoid warrior mode. The MegaThunderzord and Shadow Dragon flew towards each other to combine.

"MegaThunderzord..." the Rangers shouted as their megazord crackled with crimson energy.

"Shadow Dragonzord..." they shouted as the dragon crackled with black energy.

The two zords shot up into the sky and started to circle around one another while in comets of energy.

"Armor merge to..."

The two zords fused. Black armor covered the MegaThunderzord as the head of the Shadow Dragon formed a helmet for the megazord. The claws of the Shadow Dragon formed a pair of dagger wrist gauntlets.

"...ShadowMegazord!"

The ShadowMegazord powered up its wrist gauntlets, as well as the dragon mouth in the center of its chest.

"ShadowMegazord...Chaos Force!"

The gauntlets and chest fired beams of black energy that tore through Psycho Black and caused him to explode.

"Only two left," Dragon Ranger said as ShadowMegazord flew towards Psycho Red. He had nearly forgotten how powerful the Thunderzords had become.

"Coward!" Psycho Red shouted. "Hiding in your tin shell! Face me, Red!"

Psycho Red thrust his hands forward and launched a massive, rolling torrent of crimson flame. The blast exploded against ShadowMegazord, knocking the Megazord from the skies.

The Red Psycho Ranger flashed with red power and shrunk back to humanoid form as his armor wrapped around his body.

Dragon Ranger leapt from his cockpit and summoned his Ryuuseikin while somersaulting through the air and landing on the ground below.

Psycho Red howled a war cry and charged forward to attack. Tendrils of red energy surged across the villain's armor. "Die!"

Dragon Ranger sidestepped and knocked the Psycho's blade aside. The Red Ranger spun a heel kick across the villain's head, smashing the side of his helmet.

Psycho Red snapped around and hurled a bolt of jade-tinted energy that exploded against Dragon Ranger's chest, whipping his body backward.

Dragon Ranger landed hard on his back, but leaned up slightly and thrust his arms towards his opponent. "Star Fire!"

A comet of fiery energy burst forth and shot towards Psycho Red. The Red psycho ranger extended his hand, and the blast exploded against his palm with a massive shockwave that shook the city for blocks.

Smoke was rising from Psycho Red's palm, but the villain was still standing. Demonic energy had made the Red Psycho Ranger more powerful than ever before.

Psycho Red fired tendrils of jade energy that wrapped around Dragon Ranger. The Psycho snapped his arm backward and whipped Dragon Ranger off his feet, slamming him against a nearby wall.

Dragon Ranger used his sword for balance as he rose to his feet.

"That's it, Psycho..." he said as fiery energy circled around his body. "I'm through holding back..."

Psycho Red laughed. "Should I be afraid?"

Dragon Ranger tightened his grip on his sword. "Yes."

The Red Ranger swung his blade, emitting a shockwave of golden fire. The blast radiated around the villain, shattering his armor and tearing his suit from his flesh. The blast incinerated Psycho Red in his monster form, tearing his body to shreds.

With a final explosion, Psycho Red died for the final time.

Above, NinjaMegazord throttled towards Psycho Yellow to deliver the final blow.

"NinjaMegazord..." the Rangers shouted. "Double knuckle strike!"

NinjaMegazord shot towards Psycho Yellow with its fists extended forward.

The falcon wings energized the zord's two fists. The wolf fist and ape fist slammed against Psycho Yellow, shattering her chest. The Psycho fell backward, her energy slowly overloading and exploding.

Two flotillas of Titan battleships shot through hyperspace. One group of the battleships headed towards Earth. The second group, led by Grifalzor, meant to stop them.

But Grifalzor's small flotilla was only a quarter of the size of the main fleet headed to attack Earth. He needed reinforcements.

Grifalzor activated a holographic communicator on his ship's forward terminal. An image of an old alley appeared. The being appeared K-9 in nature, with blue fur covering his face.

"Commander Kruger," Grifalzor said. "I am honored to speak with you again."

"I wish it could be under better circumstances," Kruger said.

Kruger and Grifalzor had met during the war against Sauron. They had waged many campaigns together, alongside Prince Trey from Triforia and the Earth Rangers.

Grifalzor nodded. "You are aware of the Titan battle group headed towards Earth. they mean to destroy the entire planet."

"I'm afraid it's worse than that," Kruger said. "Several worlds have sent battle groups to the Solar System. They're driven by fear. Fear of something worse than Sauron coming to power. Fear of the End of Days."

Grifalzor snarled. "Cowards. We should be helping the Earth Rangers with this threat, not wiping out their planet."

"Agreed," Kruger said. "Earth is vital to the stability of this galaxy, though few will admit it. What's more, we owe the Rangers our lives for defeating the forces of Sauron."

"Save your words for someone who needs to hear them," Grifalzor said. "You and I are in agreement. Now what will we do about?"

"Gather our own fleet," Kruger said, "and form a defensive barrier around Earth. Hopefully the attackers will listen to reason and stand down."

"If not, we will likely be starting a galactic civil war," Grifalzor said.

"This is unfortunate," Kruger said. "But it may be necessary."

The Flash team stood before the Council, and the environment was rather grim.

Zolthon sighed and began speaking. "The Earth Rangers have found documents pertaining to the Tablet of Chakra. They must be stopped."

"How?" Pink Flash asked. "We can't fight another Ranger team..."

Zythosx leaned forward. "You will appear before the humans and demand they return these scrolls to us. They are too dangerous. If the Earth Rangers refuse…take the scrolls from them."

Max arrived on the streets of Leawood and ran over to his four friends, who were morphed and in their armor.

"About time," Rescue Yellow said.

Max grinned and turned to face the demon that was attacking. The slender creature wore black, Japanese style armor underneath a black, tattered cloak. The villain had red, insectoid eyes that bulged from his faceplate.

Max looked to his friends. "Leave this one to me..."

The demon armed his bladed staff. "So...the Red Ranger has finally decided to show himself..."

"Not today, bug eyes," Max said as he armed the Titanium morpher. "Titanium Power!"

Blue and silver energy surrounded Max and seeped into his body, transforming him into the Titanium Ranger armor. He became a little dizzy as he tried to adapt to the tremendous amount of energy being injected into his system.

Titanium Ranger tried to overcome his dizziness, and he struck a fighting pose. "Titanium Ranger!"

The demon tightened his grip on his staff. "Whether wearing red or gray, you will be destroyed!"

The demon leapt through the air and speared his staff forward.

Loads of information downloaded into Max's brain, and the information dump gave Max quite a headache. 

The Titanium Power almost completely took control of the Ranger's body as he leapt through the air and smashed a hook kick across the demon's head. The monster was kicked several more times before he hit the ground, and Titanium Ranger landed on his feet.

The Ranger’s vision became blurred as the demon rose back to its feet.

Max would have liked to rest, but the Titanium Powers had other plans. The Ranger rushed at the monster, jumpkicked the creature upside the head, and while still in midair, spinning sidekicked the villain in the chest.

The blow sent the demon flying backward, and Titanium Ranger jumped towards his opponent.

"Titanium Laser!" The Ranger armed a tomahawk weapon and switched it to blaster mode.

Crackling blue and yellow energy poured forth from the weapon and shot towards the demon. The energy discharged was incredible, and it probably hurt the Ranger more than the monster.

The energy blast exploded against the demon with a massive burst of sparks, knocking the villain backward. 

Titanium Ranger's breathing became heavy and shallow, and he could barely see straight, let alone tell if he was standing upside down or right side up. It felt like thousands of fire ants were crawling through his brain. 

The Titanium Ranger switched his weapon to hatchet mode and leapt towards the monster.

Titanium Ranger cried out with pain as he spun and sliced through the monster, the blade ripping the demon's body apart with a burst of spark. The demon crashed backward, its energy overloading and exploding with a massive burst of flame, spark, and smoke.

Titanium Ranger was rolling on the ground screaming as he grasped his head, trying desperately to rip his helmet off. "Get it off!!!"

Junior and the others teleported Max back to the Bay Area.

Tommy and the other rangers walked towards the city streets of Eltar on their way to leave the planet. They had to return to Earth and share their findings about the Scrolls.

Before they reached the edge of the city, the five Eltarian rangers appeared and blocked their path. The young man in the red-trimmed uniform stepped forward.

"My name is Jyn. I am leader of the Eltarian Ranger Force. The Council demands you surrender the Scrolls to us."

Zack took a step forward. "And what if we don't?"

Jyn readied his morphed. "We have orders to take them from you."

"Don't be stupid," Rocky said. "You're outnumbered two to one."

"We have our orders," Jyn said again.

The Eltarians activated their morphers. "Prism Flash!"

"Chakra ignite..." Tommy and his team readied their braces.

"Shogun transform..." Jason's team armed their morphers.

"Aura/Ninja Power!" Energy shimmered and whirled around the teams as they morphed into their Ranger forms. 

Flash Red armed his crimson laser sword and charged forward to attack.

Dragon Ranger stepped back into a fighting stance. "You don't want to do this..."

Flash Red shouted a war cry and swung his buzzing laser sword at the Red Dragon Ranger. Dragon Ranger merely extended his hand and fired an invisible Kiryoku blast. 

The blast slammed against Flash Red and sent him flying backward. The Eltarian Ranger slammed against a wall, which cracked upon impact.

Flash Blue swung his laser saber towards Tenma Ranger's head. Tenma Ranger grabbed Flash Blue by the wrist, and Ninjablue slashed the Flash Ranger across the chest. The blade sparked on impact and whipped the Eltarian backward.

"My, this is challenging," Tenma Ranger said sarcastically.

Flash Yellow charged towards Kirin Ranger and Ninjayellow.

Ninjayellow snapped a volley of throwing stars that exploded against Flash Yellow before he could even come close. 

Flash Green activated his jade-tinted laser sword and swung the weapon towards Lion Ranger and Ninjablack.

Alcorn narrowed his eyes as he watched the Rangers battle against each other from afar. His hands tightened into fists as hellfire burned in his veins. This has gone on long enough...

Eltar was taking too long to fall, and the squabbling between ranger teams was just making things worse. He did not have time to manipulate the situation to his advantage. He had to strike, and strike hard. And he had to strike personally.

Ninjayellow used his sword to slap Flash Yellow's laser saber away. The Yellow Ninja Ranger dashed forward and slashed the Flash Ranger across the chest, blade sparking on impact.

Flash Pink swung her pink laser saber towards Phoenix Ranger. The Pink Phoenix Ranger knifehand chopped the blade aside and slammed the heel of her palm upside the Pink Flash Ranger's helmet.

Nearby, Dragon Ranger kicked the feet out from Flash Red. The Red Dragon Ranger held his blade down towards the Red Flash Ranger's throat. "Stop this. Your team is completely outmatched. There's no reason for us to fight with each other."

Flash Red started to swing his laser saber upward, but Dragon Ranger stepped down on the Eltarian's arm.

"Seriously," Dragon Ranger said. "Save your dignity while you can."

Alcorn sat in an old, abandoned tunnel beneath the city streets of Eltar's capital. A ring of crimson energy slowly etched around him. The patterns formed demonic symbols in a language known only in the depths of Hell.

Blood-red energy radiated the cavern as Alcorn's skin tingled with crimson flame.

The ground suddenly erupted in flames around Dragon Ranger and the others. The streets caved in beneath them, and the Rangers tumbled downward into the darkness below.

Dragon Ranger used his sword to steady himself and rose to his feet. He was in a dark cavern surrounded by stone pillars. A blanket of mist covered the ground, and dim white-hot torches provided the only source of illumination.

The Dragon Ranger was in a pocket dimension. He hated pocket dimensions.

"Alcorn!" Dragon Ranger shouted into the shadows. "I know it's you. Show yourself!"

The villain's laughter echoed throughout the darkness. "Is that agitation in your voice, mighty Dragon Ranger?"

"More annoyance than agitation," Dragon Ranger said. 

"I'll have you know, Ranger," Alcorn said. "I could summon an army from the pits of Hell to wipe you out here and now."

"Great," Dragon Ranger said sarcastically. "Give yourself a cookie..."

Alcorn's mad laughter again echoed in the darkness. "An army from the pits of Hell...no. I have now looked into your soul, Dragon Ranger. Your inner demons are far more terrifying than anything from the Abyss."

Dragon Ranger felt a chill creep down his spine.

A winged figure suddenly flew from the shadows and slammed against Dragon Ranger hard. The Red Ranger went flying backward, as the attacker squeezed the Ranger's body.

The assailant smashed Dragon Ranger against a pillar and released him. The Red Ranger fell to the ground and landed in a crouched fighting position.

Dragon Ranger looked up, and his breath caught in his throat at who he saw. It was Goldar. "That's not possible..."

The Ranger's mind flashed back...

Goldar rose back to his feet and charged towards Shannon. "Now it's your turn!" he grabbed her by the arm and whipped her around, holding her back to his chest while he pressed a sword to her neck.

She screamed, and the green-armored Dragon Ranger froze with rage and terror.

The years ahead for Tommy bore many challenges, villains such as Zedd, the Machines, Sauron, and countless others. But no matter who his opponent, no matter what the cause, the memory of the next few moments would be burned in his mind forever.

"Don't you dare, Goldar!" Dragon Ranger shouted. Shannon had been his girlfriend before Bandora's attack on Earth in 2001. Dragon Ranger was captured after that attacked, turned evil, and believed Shannon to be dead. 

"This time I'll do it right," Goldar snarled. "This time I want you to remember that her death is all your fault!"

He slit her throat.

"No!!!" Dragon Ranger shouted as he rushed forward.

Goldar stepped back and teleported away in a burst of golden flame. Shannon continued to drop. Dragon Ranger caught her before she hit the ground. "Shannon..."

He shook his head, cradling her body as he rocked back and forth. "Not again...." He looked up into the sky and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Not agaaaaain!"

Dragon Ranger rolled his hands into fists and glared at Goldar. "You died..."

Goldar armed his double-edged sword. "Not even death will keep me from destroying you!"

Goldar snapped his wings and thrust through the air to attack.

Dragon Ranger spun forward with a reverse sidekick that slammed against the villain's chest. Goldar stumbled backward, and Dragon Ranger pushed forward by swinging his fist towards Goldar's face.

"Burn Knuckle!" The fist energized with fiery power and slammed against the simian's snout.

The blow smashed against Goldar's face, whipping the simian's body backward.

Dragon Ranger fell back into a fighting stance. Something's not right...he thought to himself. Goldar was hardly putting up a fight. And his unexplained appearance was...well...unexplainable. Is this some sort of trick?

A pair of arms wrapped around Dragon Ranger from behind and grabbed him in a powerful hold. The arms were sleeved with black leather, and white gloves covered the hands.

An insane voice laughed in Dragon Ranger's ear. It was Shadam.

Yep,Dragon Ranger thought. Definitely a trick. Some kind of illusion.  

Shadam had led the Gorma Empire in its quest to take over Angel Grove in 2002. The villain had personally killed the Rangers' sensei, Master Kaku. The Gorma itself was responsible for many tragedies in the Rangers' lives. The death of Kou, his mother, the dark truth about Tommy's father and the death of that father...the list went on.

Dragon Ranger slammed the back of his head against Shadam's face. The villain loosened his grasp, and Dragon Ranger snapped back with a sidekick that smashed against the Gorma's chest.

The blow forced Shadam back, but the villain stood his ground. An evil grin spread across his face while he stared at the Dragon Ranger. "Is this the best you can do? Did that old fossil of a sensei teach you nothing before dying at the cold edge of my blade."

Dragon Ranger summoned a rolling sphere of fiery energy between his palms, but before he could launch it, Goldar snuck up behind and slashed the Red Ranger across the back. The strike sparked on impact and sent Dragon Ranger tumbling across the ground.

Dragon Ranger rolled into a crouched fighting stance and looked up to see more figures step from the shadows. Dozens of attackers appeared blurry at first, but became all too clear when they pounced forward to attack.

The Machine King swung a massive fist that smashed against Dragon Ranger's faceplate. The blow shattered the Ranger's visor and sent him flying backward.

Dragon Ranger landed in the clutches of Raisik, a young Eltarian rival, and Daimon, an Eltarian demon the Power and Ninja Rangers had fought against. The two villains held Dragon Ranger by the arms as Goldar pounced forward to attack.

The simian bashed the end of his sword's handle across the Red Ranger's helmet. Cracks split on impact as the helmet went flying off of Tommy's head. Goldar swung his blade upward, blade sparking against Dragon Ranger's armor and whipping his body backward.

Tommy crashed against the ground, but he was lifted by the cold grip of another villain from his past.

The Machine Prince tightened his grasp, nearly crushing Tommy's neck.

Dragon Ranger flipped backward from the grip while kicking the Machine Prince upside the head. The Red Ranger landed just as a pair of Archarina's arrows exploded against his chest, whipping his body backward.

Tommy crashed against the ground. He spat blood from his mouth while rising back to his feet. Strands of crimson energy immediately wrapped around his body and tugged him off his feet. He was swung through the air and slammed against a nearby column.

Tommy crashed against the ground and looked up to see Lord Zedd stalk towards him. "Hello, boy."

Zedd extended his staff and fired a stream of jagged energy beams that smashed against Tommy and bashed him against the column. The column started to buckle from the pressure, and shortly pulverized into dust as Tommy crashed back-first against the foggy ground.

The black hand of Sauron lifted Tommy from the ground and slammed an uppercut against the Red Ranger's gut. Tommy felt the wind knock out of him, and Sauron slammed the back of his fist across the Ranger's head.

Tommy went flailing through the air, crashed against the ground, and skid backward.

The Red Ranger slowly rose to his feet and looked up as every monster, villain, and warlord he had ever faced rushed towards him. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his fists.

Tommy smashed a spinning heel kick across ShellShock's head and slammed a jumpkick against HorrorBull's body. Dragon Ranger snapped his foot around and hook kicked Zydos across the head.

Laokorn fired a sphere of crimson energy that exploded against Dragon Ranger with a burst of spark, ripping his white chest armor like cloth.

Eclipter and Goldar slashed across Tommy's back, ripping open his armor with a burst of spark and drawing blood across the Ranger's back.

The Ranger collapsed to the ground as his enemies piled on top of him, battering his body with fists and slashing him with swords. Tommy felt his ribs snap and his bruise.

Ghostly images appeared in the ceiling above. Tommy saw ghosts of the past look down upon him with disappointment.

Shannon turned away, unable to watch. Jinn wrinkled his nose with disgust at the site of the beaten and torn Ranger, to helpless to fight back. Kou lowered his gaze, a look of shame on his face. Sulia had an utter look of disappointment on her face. The face of Tommy's father was red with anger and shame.

Guilt welled inside of Tommy's throat. The scars of his past hurt more than the villains pummeling away at his body.

The illusions were meant to destabilize Tommy and send him deep into despair. But they had the opposite effect.

I failed them...he thought to himself while rolling his hands into fists. I will not fail my friends now.

Tommy sprang to his feet and thrust his arms outward, knocking free from a pile of monsters and villains. With surprising strength and endurance that defied logic, Tommy moved forward, his fists swinging and smashing across any villain that stepped in his way.

The onslaught of enemies continued their savage assault, but Tommy ignored their attacks. He just kept pressing forward, smashing his fists and legs across anything that got in his way.

His gloves started to tear, and his knuckles burst open with blood. Every blow sent waves of pain through his body, but that pain was nothing when compared to the fear of failure.

"You're not winning, Alcorn!" Tommy shouted, his fists booming like thunder with each impact. "I haven't come this far to lose now. Not to someone like you!"

Flames crackled around Tommy's body.

"Hell Fire!" Streams of flame ignited around Tommy and expanded with a destructive cyclone of blazing-hot flame. The explosion incinerated the villains, each vaporizing and returning into the nothingness from where they were born.

A blinding white light suddenly washed across Tommy and the pocket dimension. The dimension shifted shape, forming a dark, eerie forest with fog across the ground.

Tommy looked down at himself and saw he was wearing his Green Ranger armor, complete with golden chest shield. What the...?

It was obviously part of the illusion, but the sight of the green armor still startled Dragon Ranger.

"Tommy!" a  voice called from the trees.

The voice was not an illusion. It was Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy and Kimberly. But instead of being in their Power and Ninja Ranger armors, they wore the dino armor.

"What's going on, man?" Mammoth Ranger asked. "This doesn't make sense."

"It's an illusion," Dragon Ranger said. "Started by Alcorn. I just got done fighting almost every villain I've ever faced."

Tiger Ranger tilted her head. "Almost every villain?"

A woman's shrill laughter echoed through the woods. Bolts of crimson energy suddenly exploded against the Rangers' armor and knocked them from the ground.

The Rangers rolled back into crouched fighting stances and looked up to see a woman in dark robes walk towards them. The woman was Bandora.

"Bandora!" Tyranno Ranger shouted as he stepped back into a fighting stance.

Dragon Ranger looked to his teammates. "Remember, guys. She's just an illusion."

"I'm afraid not, Green Ranger," Bandora said as she tightened her grip on her staff. "Alcorn's powers have freed me from Hell. Now I will have my revenge upon you, and the rest of the world!"

Bandora extended her hand and fired a crimson energy pulse that exploded around the Rangers with bursts of spark as they rolled for cover.

Tyranno Ranger armed his Tyranno Sword, Dragon Ranger armed his Dragon Dagger, and the two heroes somersaulted through the air while swinging their blades down towards Bandora's head.

Bandora blocked their strikes with her staff and swatted the two Rangers from the air. "You won't win this time, Rangers!" she shrieked. "I'm even stronger than before!"

Mammoth Ranger armed his axe. "Can it, witch"

The Black Ranger leapt through the air and chopped his axe towards Bandora. The villain parried his blow and speared her staff against his chest. The blow sparked on impact and knocked Mammoth Ranger to the ground.

Bandora slammed the end of her staff to the ground and closed her eyes. She whispered a powerful incantation that made the winds start to howl. Skull rings on her hand started to glow, and her staff pulsed with crimson energy.

Purple lightning blasted down from the skies and exploded against the Rangers with massive bursts of spark, throwing them off their feet.

The blast sent Dragon Ranger smashing through a tree trunk, which splintered into pieces upon impact. The Green Ranger went skidding across the fog covered ground as Bandora stalked towards him.

The witch extended her hand and grabbed hold of Dragon Ranger with a web of invisible telekinetic energy. She used the web to lift him off his feet and hold him off the ground. The telekinetic grip tightened, nearly crushing the Ranger.

"Green Ranger, you are a fool," Bandora hissed. "You were my creation, and you thanked me by betraying me..."

"You deserved worse," Dragon Ranger said. "And just so you know, I'll be more than happy to kill you again."

Bandora pulled forward, and Dragon Ranger went flying towards her. She slashed her staff across his chest shield with a massive burst of spark, whipping the Green Ranger's body backward.

Tyranno Ranger and the others regrouped to help Dragon Ranger, but Alcorn hovered down from the air and blocked their path.

"Let them have their alone time, Rangers," Alcorn said, his eyes burning with hate.

Tyranno Ranger stepped back into a fighting stance. "How did you do it, Alcorn?"

An evil grin crossed his face. "Bandora has been teaching me her ways ever since Dragon Ranger sent her to Hell more than six years ago. I am simply returning the favor by giving her an opportunity for revenge."

Tyranno Ranger and the others snapped their Blade Blasters up in short-sword mode.

"That's the last mistake you'll ever make, Alcorn," Tyranno Ranger said. "Let's bag 'im!"

Tyranno Ranger and the others leapt forward to attack.

Meanwhile Dragon Ranger charged towards Bandora and snapped a flying spin kick towards her head. She ducked under the blow, and Green Ranger snapped a roundkick at her. Bandora used her staff to block the kick.

Dragon Ranger cursed beneath his breath. Even though the Green Ranger armor he wore was part of Alcorn's illusion, it made him feel sluggish. His Green Ranger powers were nowhere near as strong as the power of his own spirit. His Kiryoku.

Bandora fired another energy pulse that exploded against Dragon Ranger's golden shield with a burst of spark, knocking him backward.

"Just think, Green Ranger," Bandora taunted. "Once Hell is poured into this universe, you and I can continue this dance for eternity!"

Dragon Ranger sprang forward and swung his dagger. "Dragon Claw!"

The blade emitted a jade-tinted energy wave that shot towards Bandora. The witch held her staff to split the wave in half before it could strike her.

Dragon Ranger lunged forward, his fist radiating with jade fire. "Burn Knuckle!"

His fist slammed against Bandora with a pulse of fiery energy that knocked her off her feet and sent her skidding across the ground.

"You're nothing, Bandora," Dragon Ranger said. "You never were. You're just a frail old witch consumed by her own self pity."

Bandora shrieked with frustration and swung her hand towards Dragon Ranger. Crackling strands of purple energy shot from her palm and exploded against the Green Ranger with massive bursts of spark. Strands of energy danced across his body and tore across his armor.

"And you, Green Ranger, are nothing but a scared little boy driven by guilt! Hiding from your true nature!"

Bandora intensified her energy blasts, and Dragon Ranger went flying off his feet.

Smoke still rising from his armor, Dragon Ranger slowly rose to his feet. "You're wrong Bandora..." Fiery energy started to circle around him as he slowly stalked towards the witch. "I fight to protect my friends."

The Green Ranger extended his hand to his side. "Ryuuseikin!"  

The golden-hilted blade appeared with a flash of jade fire.

Bandora narrowed her eyes and took a step back, slowly lifting her staff in a defensive posture.

The Green Ranger held his sword forward, the blade shimmering with green energy. The jade flames around him intensified. "This battle was over before it even started, Bandora."

Bandora shrieked at the top of her lungs and started hurling spheres of crimson energy at the Ranger. Dragon Ranger used his sword to swat the balls of energy aside with ease.

Dragon Ranger armed his Dragon Dagger in his left hand and his Ryuuseikinin his right hand. He leapt forward through the air as both blades pulsed with power.

The Green Ranger swung his sword, which shattered through Bandora's staff. He lunged forward and plunged his Dragon Dagger through her black heart. Dragon ranger twisted the dagger, releasing waves of jade-tinted energy that slowly consumed Bandora from the inside out.

The witch fell backward and vanished into nothingness. Her death was nothing spectacular. She deserved nothing more.

Meanwhile Alcorn hurled spheres of crimson energy that exploded around the Rangers.

Tyranno Ranger and Tiger Ranger leapt through the air and swung their Blade Blasters at opposite sides of the villain.

Alcorn used his telekinetic powers to grasp the Rangers and pull them against each other. The Rangers' blades slashed against each other with bursts of spark, knocking the two teammates from the air.

On the ground, Ptera Ranger snapped a volley of arrows that streaked through the air towards Alcorn.

Alcorn extended his hand, which pulsed with crimson energy as the arrows melted from the air.

The villain smiled with mad delight. "You are nothing compared to my power!"

Bolts of crimson lighting streaked from the air and exploded against the five Rangers with massive bursts of spark and flame. The Rangers went flying off their feet and crashed against the ground while skidding backward.

From behind, Dragon Ranger charged towards Alcorn while grasping tightly onto his blades. "Leave them alone, Alcorn!"

Alcorn turned to face the Green Ranger. "Dragon Ranger...not even you can-"

"Dragon Claw!" Dragon Ranger swung his blade in an x-shaped pattern, which emitted a roaring wave of jade-tinted fire. The blast exploded against Alcorn and knocked him from the air.

The Green Ranger somersaulted through the air and swung his blades down towards Alcorn. But the villain rose to his knees and fired a blast of crimson power from his palm.

Explosions thrashed across Dragon Ranger's armor with massive bursts of spark, but he kept his momentum forward. The Green Ranger landed while thrashing his blades across the demon's chest.  

Alcorn crashed back-first onto the ground.

Dragon Ranger stepped forward and held his sword at Alcorn's throat. "End this, Alcorn," Dragon Ranger said. "Tell us how to stop the Mogralord."

Alcorn laughed, his voice thick with insanity. "You're a fool, Ranger. I have brought upon the end of your reality. Nothing can stop the events I have set in motion! All of my peers thought me a fool for trying, but they were wrong!"

"here's your chance to tell them." Dragon Ranger slashed off Alcorn's head. 

Energy in the villain's body overloaded and exploded with a massive burst of crimson energy. The energy vaporized the pocket dimension, and the Rangers rematerialized in the streets of Eltar with the rest of their teammates. With the illusions gone, the Power and Ninja Rangers appeared in their normal armor.

"Tommy!" Tenma Ranger shouted as the two Ranger teams regrouped. "We have a little bit of a problem..."

Dragon Ranger looked up at the skies. Pools of crimson and amethyst energy circled in the skies above. Hundreds of Shades dropped from the portals and landed across the streets.

One of the Mogralord's generals was among them. The creature's name was Rah, a creature with the lower body of a spider and a fanged mouth in his abdomen.

The demons spread like a blanket of death and covered the entire planet.

Kirin Ranger drew his sidearm and started firing at the demon soldiers. "Alcorn must have summoned the Mogralord's forces before dying."

Dragon Ranger cursed beneath his breath and started hacking at the countless demon grunts. "It's too late to save Eltar," he said as he thrust a blade through a soldier's gut. "We have to get The Scrolls back to Earth. It's the only way to stop the Mogralord."

The Power and Ninja Rangers fought their way towards the edge of the city streets and moved towards their zords. Meanwhile the demon army continued to grow and terrorize anything that moved.  

Fairweather sat with Max in the Bay Area's medical wing. She was not pleased.

Wearing nothing but boxers, Max was lying in a bio bed with several diodes and sensors plugged onto his body. He tried to sit up, but Fairweather pushed him back down.

"Lay down," she said.

"But Miss Fairweather," Max said. "I'm fine."

Fairweather sighed and looked over medical information scrolling across the screen over Max's bed. "You're lucky the Titanium Morpher didn't fry your brain."

Max nodded. "It was...intense..."

"What made you decide to use it? Didn’t you read my notes on how dangerous a program it was?"

Max nodded. "I did, but Miss Fairweather, that morpher can make a Ranger invincible. It’s probably the strongest Ranger Power ever created. If I were to use that thing, I could kick Warlock’s butt with both hands tied behind my back."

"But you’d die in the process."

"If that’s what it takes."

The two were quiet for a moment before Fairweather spoke. "Your Ranger powers are perfectly adequate. We beat the Saima. Now we'll beat-"

Max interrupted. "We both know that the Mogralord guy could incinerate this whole planet in less than a second. He just wants to destroy us first."

Fairweather nodded. "But that buys us time. The other Rangers are out finding the keys we need to stop the Mogralord. They will succeed."

"And if they don’t?" Max asked.

"Then not even the Titanium Ranger will be able to save us."

To be continued...Chapter Seven