Yes, it’s been a good long while, but look at it this way. It’d be another few months if this were brand spanking new rather than a re-edit.
Disclaimer: The author of this document would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.
-0-
Undisclosed Cemetary
Five Years Ago…
She hadn’t been here since she was five years old, when her whole world came crashing down. She barely remember her childhood, other than that her parents had still been alive. Happy memories long faded.
Now the only thing she remembers is the sight of her parents being gunned down by what was thought to be petty thugs. She had hidden in the gutter, but she saw everything that happened. Including the face of the man who pulled the trigger.
She had ran off. Hidden away. Until someone took her in. Brought her up quietly. Taught her everything she needed to know to survive.
That someone had disappeared. She didn’t know where. But her guardian had left her two parting gifts; an old katana sword with a glistening silver shine and a folded piece of paper with a name scribbled on it.
Her name. Gillian.
On the other side of the sheet was an address to a grave site in the outskirts of town. A cemetery that had seen better days, with many headstones either decayed or violated… but only one caught her eye.
The headstone baring her family name.
She walked up to the headstone, covered in moss. She glared at it, fighting back the tears that were forming. She wasn’t going to cry here. She wouldn’t let herself cry. She would stand before her parents with resolve. She would bow her head and make a silent promise.
She would find her parents’ murderer…
And she would return the favor.
-o-
Angel Grove, CA
Present Day
“So what about this one?” Aisha asked Adam as she pulled out a simple greenish colored shirt from the retail rack. All Adam could do was glance at the shirt before letting out a shrug and turned his attention towards the town square, bustling with activity and happy shoppers.
Aisha slumped and casually placed the shirt back from the rack. “Okay, so green doesn’t suit you. Could you at least pay attention?”
Adam turned back towards Aisha, suddenly noticing her strained expression.
“Sorry, ‘sha,” he said, “My mind is just wandering.”
Suddenly, both their communicators bleeped, earning shared looks of concern from the two friends.
-o-
Around their usual table at the Angel Grove Youth Center, Rocky DeSantos fiddled with the remaining french fry on his plate, casually drowning it in the puddle of ketchup on the edge. Sitting on the table with him are Tommy Oliver and Billy Cranston, both of whom are sipping juice through their straws. The others were at the park, apparently… and the Youth Center itself has been relatively quiet for a couple days. It isn’t particularly common for the Youth Center to be this quiet – some would say it was almost a rare occurrence, but some times, quiet is a good thing. It allows for wandering minds to reflect on certain things…
“Rocky?” Tommy blurted, “I think that fry has had enough.”
“Huh?” Rocky said, broken from his trance and looking up to see the amused looks of his friends. He shook his head and finally ate the last fry. “Sorry, I’ve just been thinking.”
“So have I,” Tommy said, the humor loss in his low voice. “Things are really heating up here. That’s how many times we had to deal with a small army of monsters?”
“Third attack in a row,” Rocky grimaced, “Whatever Rita and Zedd are planning, it must be big.”
Tommy nodded, taking a quick sip of juice. He then turned to Billy. “Any word from Zordon?”
Billy shook his head in the negative, pushing aside the empty cup. “Unfortunately, the heavy interference is disrupting our communication with the Command Center. I’m still trying to ascertain the problem to resolve this issue posthaste, but I’ve been through the entire spectrum of communication frequencies and I still cannot get through.”
Rocky shot Billy a look of amazement. “Billy, it sounds like you’re… stumped!”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” he admitted, “But I don’t get what’s causing the interference. There shouldn’t be any interference at all, actually.”
Before Tommy could chime in, his communicator beeped. The sound almost startled Billy, causing Rocky to clap his hands together.
“Looks like it cleared out on its own,” said Tommy nonchalantly before motioning towards the locker room. “Let’s go.”
The three teens got up from their table and proceeded to head towards the locker room area. When they saw that the coast was clear, Tommy raised his communicator and made contact.
“Go ahead, Zordon.”
“Rangers, your presence is required at the Command Center immediately,” the sage’s voice blared through the communicator. “I have already called on the others.”
“Got it, Zordon,” he replied, “We’re on our way.”
-o-
Kimberly laid in bed, staring up towards the ceiling. She was feeling a little more tired than usual… probably because she was still recovering from her cold that she suffered from a couple weeks ago. But it wasn’t just that, or else she would have gone with Aisha to the mall. Something else was bothering her… but she doesn’t know what. It wasn’t like her to be morose.
“What’s wrong with me?”
She glanced at the beeping wrist communicator on her dresser. With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself up to a seated position and quickly latched the device on to her wrist. Without so much as a word, Kimberly merely pressed the button and vanished in a beam of pink energy.
-o-
She had been roaming around the streets of Angel Grove for the past hour, trying to find some reason for her being here. Unfortunately, Gillian didn’t find anything that could lead her to… something. Somehow, the coin had “told” her – for lack of a better word, in her mind – that she needed to come to this city. But as with all things that the coin “tells” her, the reasoning was something she couldn’t quite grasp. Despite not finding the answers she was seeking, she did find herself gaining a growing fondness for Angel Grove.
The more she had toured around the city, the more she had grown to appreciate the lush beauty and innocence of the town that she hadn’t encountered all her life of travelling the globe. Meeting the various townsfolk of the city, she couldn’t but find them to be a friendly lot. A welcome change of pace compared to some of the folks she had come across in her travels.
Along the way, Gillian had come across a small clothing shop on the main street. She figured it was worth checking out since she needed a fresh new set of clothes… and the prices seemed to be within her price range. So she stepped in and after a while, stepped out wearing new clothes. She picked up a snug-fitting blue denim jacket to replace the worn-out one she had been wearing, along with a clean white shirt and dark pants, with the heavily-wrapped coin hanging around her neck on a cord. A single piece of rubber band tied her shoulder-length black hair together, completing the look.
Next door to the clothing shop was a small tavern. Having a sudden urge for a warm beverage to wake her up, Gillian stepped through the doors. The interior of the bar had a fresh, almost futuristic look to it that made the hunter appreciate the design. Most bars she had gone to were dirty and full of filth, but this place was clean, almost spotless. Satisfied with the establishment, she approached a barstool and sat on it. On cue, a tall, slender man in his mid-40s emerged from the back, wearing a buttoned-shirt and sweatpants.
“What can I get for you, kiddo?” The bartender’s bellow was loud but pleasing, something the woman found surprising considering his occupation. “I’m afraid I’ve no beers here, since the city passed the ban on alcoholic products three days ago.”
Gillian seemed somewhat surprised and wanted to ask, but decided against it. “Just some black coffee will do nicely, thanks.”
“Coffee? I got coffee.” The bartender then approached his brewing machine and tapped in some buttons. The machine soon began emitting bubbling sounds while the bartender pulled out a glass pot and rinsed it with water.
“You new around here?” he asked while he placed the pot onto the brewer.
“Kinda,” she replied, “I’m only here for a couple of days on business.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow. “Really? What kind of business?”
Gillian hesitated for a moment. “The shady kind.”
“The shady kind?” he repeated. “You mean like assassin or something?”
Gillian stared at the man blankly. “What gave you that idea?”
He merely smiled. “Shadiest business I know of.”
“Oh,” she managed before shrugging lightly. “Actually, I’m just looking for something. Maybe someone.”
“So you’re looking for a bounty or something.”
“Something like that,” she said calmly, “If that’s what you want to call it.”
There was a slight pause between the two of them as the bartender pondered her response. Gillian had expected some sort of hostility or repulsiveness as a result, but much to her own amazement, the bartender didn’t react at all. He simply nodded in acknowledgement as he took the now-full pot from the brewer and poured coffee into a mug.
“Honestly, you don’t really look the type,” he said, “But that’s probably the best kind of hunter. The one that blends in with the rest of the crowd. My older brother used to say that all the time when he was in that business.”
“Really?” she asked, intrigued. “Your brother was a hunter?”
“Oh yeah, big-time hunter,” he said as he placed a cup on the bar. “By the way, you want any sugar or milk?”
Gillian nodded slightly. “Sugar.”
The bartender nodded and slipped in a touch of sugar into the coffee before settling it on the bar before the new arrival. “Yeah, a nice illustrious five-year career going all over the world,” he continued, “Eventually came to an end during a job gone wrong that ended up costing him his leg. Nasty business, that is.”
“Yeah, very much so.” The girl nodded as she took a quick sip of the coffee. The strong concentration of caffeine aside, she thought it was an excellent beverage and took small sips, so that she could savor the flavor.
“By the way,” the bartender said, “the name’s Anthony. What’s yours?”
“Mine’s Gillian.”
“Pleasure,” he said. He took a moment to pour himself a cup and brought the pot to the sink. He pulled out another empty pot and placed it on the brewer. “So do you mind what kind of bounty you’re trying to collect?”
Gillian frowned at the question, unsure on how to answer. “If I wanted to, I wouldn’t know. I’m supposed to be looking for something. Or someone.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just rambling now. Sounds completely off-the-rocker, doesn’t it?”
Anthony shot her a smirk, which earned a look of confusion from the girl. “I take you’re not familiar with Angel Grove. Around these parts, off-the-rocker is the normal.”
“Really?” Gillian asked, her curiosity suddenly peeked. “Like what?”
-o-
The Command Center was filled with more activity as the trusted robot known as Alpha 5 bounced from one control console to the other, checking on various readings of each. After some time, six beams of light and the six Ranger teens emerged in the middle of the Command Center circle.
“What’s going on, Zordon?” Tommy asked, “What did Zedd send us this time?”
“Ayaiyaiyaiyai, Tommy! It’s not Zedd!” Alpha shrieked, “It’s much more powerful than anything we’ve ever encountered!!”
Billy checked through the reports printouts from the computer console. He squinted his eyes to see if the readings were playing tricks on him, but he confirmed they weren’t. He shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was reading. His disbelieving look didn’t escape the Rangers’ notice.
“What is it, Billy?” Rocky asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Whatever it is, it must be a powerful being.” Billy turned towards the other Rangers. “According to these readings, the power signature is rather similar to our own Power Coins, if not moreso.”
Tommy looked ahead. “Could this be another Power coin, Zordon?”
Zordon didn’t answer. His face bore hesitation… almost fear. Part of him was thankful that the time warp distortion didn’t allow the Rangers to notice, but he composed himself. He had a feeling on what this was… but…
“I wish I could be certain, Rangers,” he said, a faint trace of uneasiness in his tone. “But I am at a loss.”
Rocky’s eye widened. “Okay, now I’m scared.”
Kim stared intently at Zordon. She had never known their mentor to hide things from them. He would reveal things when the situation called for it, but this time, she could somehow sense that he was… she didn’t know… scare?
“What are you not telling us, Zordon?” the Pink Ranger asked, bluntly. “What are you thinking?”
Another moment of hesitation… Zordon considered his words carefully… he didn’t want to alarm the Rangers with something that could be just… he wasn’t sure… but they needed to know what he thought. They trusted him with their futures and the future of this planet. It was only fair that he repaid that trust.
“There was an ancient legend that is long forgotten that it has become myth. The myth tells the story of the forging of the original Power Coins, of which there were eight.”
Billy looked up in surprise. “Eight Power Coins.”
“Correct,” the sage continued. “Seven of these coins have been accounted for. Your Power Coins, each pertaining to a different color. And then there was the eighth and final Coin, devoid of color. Long before the creation of the Morphing Grid, these coins were instruments that bore powers far beyond those you know them to possess. To anyone who mastered the power of the coins, they could be wondrous tools of benevolence or a malevolent, destructive force that could bring down entire empires.”
Aisha let out a gasp. “You’re telling us that our Power Coins could destroy the planet?”
Tommy noticed Zordon nodding slightly before adding, “These coins could blow up the universe.”
“Yes.”
“And somehow,” said Kimberly dryly. “We’re still here.”
Zordon continued. “The eight coins were eventually scattered across the cosmos. Lost to the annals of time and space. Kept apart to prevent catastrophe. Only a few knew of their existence and would seek them out. Eventually, I had uncovered five of the coins – the very coins I have given to Billy, Kimberly, Zack, Trini, and Jason – and I had studied what I could. Whatever ancient texts could provide clarity. After some time, I would learn the history of the coins, the fates of those who had possessed and used their powers.”
He paused for a moment and shot a glance at Alpha.
“There’s an old Earth saying, Rangers,” the robot added, “The less said, the better.”
“Ouch” was Kimberly’s honest reply.
“Through further study, I discovered that the powers of these coins could be tempered and harnessed safely through the stability of the Morphing Grid and morphing technology. Eventually, the first Power Morphers were conceived – the very ones in your possession – and the genesis upon which all subsequent generations of Power Rangers would be born.”
Rocky frowned. “So… we’re not the only Power Rangers in the universe.”
“Why so surprised, Rock?” Adam quipped, “It’s not like these morphers were just sitting for a bunch of kids from Angel Grove or Stone Canyon to come along to be given these things.”
“Yes, there have been other Power Rangers before you,” the sage admitted. “With morphing technology divergent from the original morphers that tempered the power of the coins. Not long after, Rita would discover the Green Coin and it was only recently that Tommy came into possession of the White Tiger coin. These coins were eventually harnessed to be used with morphing technology. Rita had some knowledge of the Morphing Grid, which was how she was able to eventually conjure up a Green Ranger.”
“And then you had the white coin and you were trying to harness that coin for use with a morpher,” Billy theorized. “Which explains that period during which the Command Center had been devoid of power. All those resources weren’t necessarily put towards the creation of a new Ranger, but towards the stabilizing of the White coin so that it could be used safely.”
“Correct, Billy,” confirmed Zordon. “It was imperative that we assured that using the coin would not produce catastrophic results.”
Tommy nodded. “Good thing, too… but what about the last coin?”
“There were unfounded rumors of another power coin having been uncovered in the far reaches of the galaxy. Sources had provided its last known location, but those who followed the lead found nothing of the sort. If the Eighth Coin had been uncovered recently, it could spell destruction for us all.”
“Great,” quipped Rocky. “We were long overdue for another evil Ranger.”
Whatever response was to follow was cut off by the blaring klaxons of the Command Center, startling the Rangers while Alpha worked the consoles. He soon directed the Rangers to the viewing globe, which showed a dark-haired teenager at a bar, sipping a cup of coffee. The teens were confused; she didn’t look menacing. She didn’t even look disturbed. She was just enjoying a cup of coffee.
“I don’t get it, Alpha,” Aisha said in confusion. “Where’s the emergency?”
“That.” Kim motioned her head towards the monitor as the picture closed in on the charm hanging around the girl’s necklace… giving out a faint yellowish-white glow that the globe was able to enhance more clearly.
“She has the coin, doesn’t she?” said Tommy. It wasn’t so much a question as it was confirmation. He then turned to Billy. “Do we know anything about this lady?”
Billy worked the instruments before shaking his head. “All I know is that she’s human, but that’s all we have to work with.”
“Good enough for us,” Tommy nodded and turned towards the others. “Let’s do this, guys.”
“Proceed with caution, Rangers,” warned Zordon. “If this is indeed the long lost eighth power coin, then we could be dealing with a force whose powers could exceed those of the old Morphing Masters. I cannot tell you what danger awaits you in this confrontation.”
“It’s a chance we’ll have to take,” said Tommy before clutching his morpher.
“It’s morphin time!”
-o-
Gillian was on her second cup of coffee when she and Anthony the bartender were conversing over the sights and sounds of Angel Grove. While she was getting to learn as much as she could about the happenings within the city, including the monster attacks and the rather fantastical tales of giant dinosaur robots and multi-colored defenders of the city, she was actually amazed by the taste of this coffee. It was so good that they could be talking about nothing and she’d still stick around because, damn, this coffee tastes good. It also helped that the bartender was such a nice guy that she was willing to forget her troubles and talk with him all day. He had that aura that allowed her to be open and trust him to not stab her in the back… as has been the case with other folks she had encountered in her past.
Gillian was just about to finish off the last drop of coffee in her cup when she noticed Anthony’s jaw drop with a stunned look in his eyes. She casually tilted her head towards the door, ever so slightly, to get a glance at the source of his astonishment. She had never seen them before, but she knew of them… and there they were…
The Power Rangers…
To be continued…
