"NO!" Billy cried. He started to jump to his feet to stop her from moving, but the circle was already warped.
The energy vortex moved on top of Kimberly. Rocky, Katherine, Jason, and Billy, those closest to Kimberly, were immediately caught in the invisible whirlpool and slammed into her. Tommy, Tanya, Adam, and Bulk, on the other side of the circle, were lifted off of the ground as the circle changed into a widely erratic oval. They flew through the air, reaching a height of twenty feet. A powerful flash of white light filled the air, followed by an angry boom of thunder. Tommy, Tanya, Adam, and Bulk finally fell back to the Earth after having been thrown in a wide arc over the vortex. A blue stream of light suddenly landed amongst them.
"The vortex just exploded on itself," Justin said frantically. "Did somebody break it?" He then realized that five Rangers were missing, including his brother and "sister."
"What happened to them?" Tommy asked in a weak voice.
"They're gone," Justin said. "We just sent them to the same world Trini and Zack came from."
"Well let's just do it again and bring them back!" Skull demanded.
"We can't," Justin said in a meek voice. "They aren't putting off an energy signal. As soon as the vortex closed, the Command Center lost all ties. The energy was coming from Trini for some reason."
Trini looked down at the ground, and saw her smoky Crystal Heart, the last remnant of the Anti-Earth Crystals.
Aisha at long last found herself. With a loud sob, she ran over to Zack and dropped to the ground beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and cried on his shoulder. Aisha wasn't entirely sure who she was crying for. Whether tears of joy for herself or tears of sorrow for her missing friends, the tears flowed freely. Zack, despite his intense confusion, wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and held her.
Tommy absent-mindedly walked over to the spot where they had disappeared. The intense vortex had spun the sand in that very spot into a tight clock-wise whirl. He dropped to his knees and touched the spot carefully, almost as if he were afraid he would be pulled in as well. If any of the Rangers knew what he was thinking, they would have seen that was exactly what he wanted. "Kat?" Tommy finally asked in a small voice. Tanya looked around the group of Rangers. She suddenly realized that the Rangers everyone looked up to were either missing or shell-shocked. Billy, Kimberly, and Jason, the three un-official leaders, were Lord knows where.
Tommy was kneeling beside the spot where they had left, totally silent and completely unmoving. Adam was still lying on the ground, a very pained expression on his face. Tanya realized then that Adam had just lost his two very best friends on the entire planet, Rocky and Billy. Trini was still confused, and was currently holding her head in her hands, trying to steady herself and get her bearings. Skull was absolutely dead still, not even breathing. Bulk climbed to his feet and hurried over to his friend, trying to snap some sense into him. Tanya realized that she and Justin were the only two actually handling this at all. Maybe it was because they were the only two Rangers who had actually experienced any type of real tragedy, but the fact remained, she was going to have to be a shoulder for everyone to cry on.
"Is there anything we can do, Justin?" Tanya asked, quite pleased with the strength in her voice.
"No," Justin said coldly. "I... I don't know what to do...."
"Zordon, teleport us back to the Command Center," Tanya said into her wrist. "Somebody's gotta help me snap some sense back into these people."
"Just hold on a sec, Tanya," Alpha said. A few seconds later, the nine Rangers melted into their sparkling teleport streams and flew the short distance to the Command Center.
* * *
"How's Tommy doing?" Trini whispered to Tanya.
"Better," Tanya said. "So is Adam. Catalina made them go spar. Men are so weird. Just make them go sweat a little and they forget about everything."
"How are you holding up?" Trini asked.
"I'm still a little stunned," Tanya said. "I don't think it's hit me yet." Tanya moved out of the way as Justin walked up to the console to see the analysis of his latest test. "Where is Skull?"
"Bulk and Dulcea are talking with him," Trini answered. "He's handling it worse than Tommy is. But are you sure you're okay? You've been running things around here since it happened."
"It only happened an hour ago," Tanya answered. "And to answer your question, I'm doing fine. I'm not as sensitive to tragedy as the others are. I lost my parents when I was seven."
"Didn't you find them again?" Trini asked.
"Sort of," Tanya answered. "I know they're alive and well, but they're still off exploring. They have a contract with National Geographic they can't break. In two more years, their exploring days will be over. They've already promised to come back to Angel Grove."
"They know you're a Ranger, don't they?" Trini asked with a smile.
"Yeah," Tanya said. "I had no choice but to tell them. Zordon even teleported them from Mysterio Island back to England."
"Dammit!" Justin suddenly cursed, prompting a surprised look from everyone present. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.
"It's okay, Justin," Tanya said. She hurried over to him and stared at the meaningless numbers before her. "No way back?"
"I thought I had them for a second," Justin said sadly. "I just got a weird reading from the Anti-Earth dimension. They tried to come home, I think. I tried to latch onto the signal, but I couldn't. It wasn't coming for us, and I had no way to make it come here. They're really lost now. We have absolutely no way to track them."
"What will you do about Rangers, Zordon?" Aisha asked.
"I do not know," Zordon said sadly. He was obviously rattled by the five Rangers' sudden disappearance. "For the time being, we can keep the Red and Pink Turbo Zords on remote, and let Tanya, Justin, and Adam be on active duty."
"That sounds good," Catalina said. "Plus, we have Bulk and Skull here to use their Ninja Powers to help us fight, if we need them."
"I'll go ahead and make two more morphers, just in case," Alpha said.
"That sounds like a very good idea," Catalina said. "We'll need to have a Press Conference over this, and we'll need all five Turbo Rangers there. We'll do that as soon as we've told the parents."
"Zack and I really need to be getting back to the Peace Conference," Trini said. "We've already been missing for twenty-four hours."
"I doubt anyone has noticed," Zack said, "it being the weekend and all. But you're right, we do need to get back."
"I do too," Aisha said. "Ashala told my parents I had errands to run, and those errands would probably be done by now."
"Let's call everybody back," Tanya said, and instantly regretted saying it. Everybody wouldn't be coming back. They would be five short. "What are we going to tell their parents?" Everyone looked at Zordon questioningly.
"How about the truth?" Catalina suggested. "I once had children myself. These parents will be much happier believing that their children are alive some place, and that they have Ranger powers to protect them, than to not know anything except that their kid is missing. There is nothing worse than not knowing."
"I'll go tell Kat's parents," Tanya said.
"What time is it in France?" Trini asked.
"Eleven p.m.," Alpha answered.
"Kim's Mom is probably asleep," Trini said. "We'll tell them tomorrow morning."
"Let's get Becky and Dad here," Justin said. "They already know about us."
"They can maybe even help us tell the other parents," Zack said.
"Teleporting now," Alpha said.
Two white streams of light suddenly landed in the center of the Command Center. Rebecca and David Cranston paused for a moment, and then relaxed when they realized where they were and what had happened. "What's going on?" Rebecca asked. She looked around the group. Her blood ran cold when she realized that there were only five Rangers present, and all of them had a frightened look on their face. "What's wrong?"
Tanya looked at the ground and then said, "Billy, Kimberly, Katherine, Jason, and Rocky are missing."
"What?" David asked.
"Long story short, Jenga sent them to a different dimension," Tanya said. "And we have no way to bring them back."
"Oh my God," Rebecca said, tears suddenly springing to her eyes. "David?"
"What do you mean you have no way to bring them back?" David growled angrily.
"We don't know where they are, or where they're going, and we have no way to track their movements," Justin said, looking down at the ground the whole time.
David opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Rebecca turned to him and collapsed against his body, silent tears flowing down her face. "We will find some way to get them back," Catalina said. "I'm going to go out and look for them myself."
"My baby," Rebecca choked out.
Catalina suddenly found herself crying as well. She wiped away the clear blue wet tears that only she could feel. "Rebecca," Catalina said, "I know you're sad. I understand that, and forgive me for being so frank. But Billy is still alive right now. He has his Ranger powers to protect him. Billy is a very strong person, both mentally and physically. He's got four of his very best friends with him right now, who are also very strong people. In fact, of the fourteen Rangers we have here, the five that are missing are the five strongest survivors. They will return. I never, ever make promises, but if I did, I would promise you that. Somehow, some way, they will return."
* * *
Yellow Ranger knocked on the door to her house. "Lord be with me," she prayed silently. "I'm gonna need your help right now." She heard footsteps approach the door, and then a pause. The door flew open, and she found herself looking into the frightened face of Lisa Hillard, Kat's mother. "Can I help you?" she asked. "I need to talk to you," Tanya said. "About Katherine."
"What about Katherine?" Lisa asked. "Oh God no."
"No no," Tanya said. "Kat's okay. Can I please come in?" Lisa said nothing but ushered the Power Ranger into the house. "Close the door." Lisa did as she was told. "What I'm about to show you and tell you is very hard to believe, and even more frightening." Tanya reached up and slowly removed her helmet.
"Tanya?" Lisa asked in awe.
"I'm the Yellow Ranger, and Katherine was the Pink Ranger," Tanya said. "There was an accident today, and Katherine was accidentally pulled into another dimension." Lisa sucked in a breath and started to panic. "But she's okay," Tanya said. "I promise, Katherine is okay. She's with four of her friends, and she has her Ranger powers to protect her."
"She's gone?" Lisa asked, sitting down on the couch.
"She's okay," Tanya said. "I promise you. I hate to even bring this up now, but you can't tell anyone about us. The Power Rangers are going to have a Press Conference later tonight about this. I swear to you, we will get Kat home."
* * *
Trini took the Pink Morpher. They had all decided that the Pink Ranger should be a woman, at least for the Live Press Conference. Tommy had finally snapped back to normal, and was going to resume the Red Powers for that one night. Adam teleported into the Command Center in a green flash of light. He was already morphed. "They're ready for us at any time," he said meekly. He was still shook up from having to tell Rocky's mother, who nearly had a nervous break-down.
"Your helmets will alter your voices to such an extent that not even those of us who know you will be able to recognize you," Alpha said.
"All right," Tommy said. "Ready Trini?"
"Ready," she said.
"Shift Into Turbo!"
"WIND CHASER TURBO POWER!"
"RED LIGHTING TURBO POWER!"
"BACK TO ACTION!"
* * *
Camera lights began flashing immediately as the five Rangers teleported into the large press room. A man in a suit guided the Rangers to a table with five chairs. "Can we get a sixth chair?" Red Ranger asked.
"Certainly."
"Who's showing up?" Blue Ranger asked.
"Catalina might," Red Ranger whispered back.
* * *
"The five teens in question are local kids," Red Ranger said. "Billy Cranston, Rocky DeSantos, Kimberly Hart, Katherine Hillard, and Jason Scott."
"How did they happen to get caused in this energy vortex?"
"They were at the wrong place at the wrong time," Blue Ranger answered. "The energy vortex was meant for us, and they were accidentally taken by mistake."
"Can we expect this type of thing to happen again? Are the rest of Angel Grove's teens in danger?"
"No," Pink Ranger answered. "This was an isolated incident that will not be repeated."
"How can you guarantee that?"
The five Rangers traded looks. "I don't guess we really can," Red Ranger said.
"But you do have our solemn promise that not only are we trying to get these five kids back, we're also going to step up our defenses against the Dynasty of the Apocalypse," Green Ranger answered.
"Do you have any knowledge of the teens' whereabouts?"
"No," Red Ranger answered. "No we do not."
Flash bulbs immediately started flashing, all eager to catch a photograph of the humbled Rangers. Suddenly, Catalina appeared in the extra chair. Several gasps rose up from about the room and even more cameras began taking pictures. "Don't bother," Catalina said. "I cannot be photographed."
"Who are you?"
"Do you know where the missing teens are?"
"Do you personally know the Rangers?"
"Are you an ally or enemy?"
Catalina gave the crowd a stern look. "My name is Catalina," she said. "I am a close friend of the Power Rangers. We do not know exactly where the missing teenagers are. We are currently trying our very hardest to locate them and bring them back. This was an isolated incident, and to the best of our knowledge, it will not be repeated."
* * *
Jenga looked at the television set through amused eyes. "Can we repeat it?" Diva Tox asked.
"Fraid not," Jenga said. "I don't really know how the whole dimensional travel concept works, and that piece of the Anti-Earth Crystal is useless now."
"Let's watch Hee Haw," Rito said, moving toward the television set.
"Don't touch that channel," Jenga said. "That press conference is about to get much more interesting."
"What do you have in mind?" MasterVile asked.
"I know exactly what I'm going to do," Jenga said thoughtfully. "I just don't know what to wear."
"What look are you going for?" Scorpina asked.
"Seductive and harmless," she answered. Her jeans and blouse immediately changed into a very skimpy two-piece blue bikini. Her shoes disappeared from her feet, revealing that her toenails were painted red. "Seductive?"
"You don't look harmless enough," Queen Machina said. "You still look intimidating."
"Okay," Jenga said. A pair of sandals appeared on her feet and a wide-brimmed hand-woven hat landed on her head at an angle. "Now?"
"Still scary," Elgar muttered.
"What is so scary about this?!" Jenga cried, looking down at her very shapely body. "I don't have any tan-lines, no unsightly body hair... what is it?!"
"Too much skin is frightening," Rito said.
"You have no skin at all," Jenga replied.
"And I'm not frightening!" Rito shouted. "I'm comical. You know, source of humor."
"Or body odor," Rita laughed wickedly. Lord Zedd chuckled in unison.
"Too much skin, huh?" Jenga asked. She waved her hand in front of herself and was immediately clad in a heavy snowsuit. "How's this?" she asked sarcastically.
"Oooh!" Elgar shouted. "Is that gortex?!"
Jenga growled and waved frantically in front of herself. She was instantly in her blue bikini, this time complete with a loose fighting white sarong and a pale blue button-up shirt, unbuttoned but tied in a loose knot just below her breasts. "How about this? Is this frightening?"
"No," Archerina said truthfully. "That is okay."
"Is it seductive?" Jenga asked, looking down the curve of her body.
"Jenga, you were seductive in the gortex snowsuit," Ivan Ooze said.
Jenga smiled at the compliment. She knew he was right, though. She simply exuded sexuality no matter what she wore. "All right," Jenga said. She tilted the hat at a severe angle and looked at the television set. "Be back in a few." She disappeared in a burst of blue fire.
* * *
"Oh crap," Catalina muttered.
A pillar of fire rose up in front of the table. Jenga appeared in its midst as the flames subsided. Camera began flashing frantically, prompting Jenga to pose and smile. "What do you want, Jenga?!" Red Ranger shouted, standing up. The other four Rangers followed suit.
"You know, everytime we meet, you all say the same thing," Jenga said. In a perfect replica of Red Ranger's altered voice, she said, "What do you want, Jenga?" With a shake of her head, she answered, "It's getting old."
"Who are you?" a reporter bellowed.
"Head of the Dynasty of the Apocalypse," she answered. "Who are you?"
"Uhhh," the woman stammered. "Cynthia Clark, NBC."
"Nice to meet you, Cynthia," Jenga said. "Any other questions?"
"I have a question," Green Ranger said, walking around the table. He stopped before Jenga and looked her square in the eye. "What are you trying to pull?"
Jenga caressed the side of his helmet. With a sneaky smile, she leaned in close to him. Whispering only loud enough for him to hear, she said, "You can't attack if I don't. Let's see what the world thinks of this." With a very happy smile, she wrapped her leg around his. She stretched up to him and let her hand flitter over his helmet, pretending and implying that she was running her fingers through his hair. "I've missed this so much," she sighed in a voice that was loud enough for the whole room to hear.
"Huh?" Green Ranger grunted in a quaky voice. "What are you talking about?"
She flicked her tongue across the metal lips on his mouthplate. Green Ranger was completely mesmerized, unable to stop her or even voice a protest. "So, so much." She nuzzled the side of her face against his helmet and trailed one hand down his armor. Green Ranger suddenly jerked, grateful that her body blocked the view of where she had suddenly found a firm hand-hold. The press really would have had a field-day with that one.
"Hey," Yellow Ranger said, stepping forward defensively. She had certainly seen that.
Green Ranger finally snapped back to reality and put his hands up to protest. Jenga, in turn, wrapped a slender hand around his. Catching a lock on his eyes again and completely mesmerizing him, she guided his glove hand to her chest. He stared at her almost hypnotically as she guided his hand to cup her breast.
"Oh for crying out loud," Catalina said. She turned to stare at Red Ranger. "Men are pathetic."
"Don't look at me," Red Ranger answered. "I don't have anything to do with that."
Catalina strode through the table, although Jenga and Green Ranger's interaction had the reporters so enthralled they didn't even notice that she was a hologram. Catalina stood beside Green Ranger and bent toward him. Her face passed through his helmet. It was pitch black from Catalina's perspective inside the helmet. "HEY!" she yelled, directly in his ear.
"Ahh!" Green Ranger shouted. He suddenly snapped out of Jenga's hypnotic spell.
With a mischievous smile, Jenga's eyes dropped to her chest where he rested a gloved hand. With another cry of alarm, Green Ranger jerked his hand back. "Catalina dear," Jenga said sweetly. "The people watching this on television can't see you." Jenga pointed at Catalina's feet. Instantly, a column of white smoke rose up and surrounded the hologram. "Now they'll be able to see you." Jenga stepped aside and motioned at the hologram. "Take pictures quick. This is the only chance you'll get to photograph the Rangers' mentor's mentor."
The photographers immediately began taking pictures of the very angry hologram.
Pink Ranger quickly walked around the table. She approached Jenga threateningly, but the space demon didn't seem intimidated. Pink Ranger stood directly in front of Jenga and tried to stare her down, although Jenga was trying to do the exact same thing. Photographers started flashing again, thrilled at getting a Power Ranger and an enemy in the same shot. For what seemed an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, the two glared at each other. Finally, Jenga said, "This is dull. You Rangers are so boring." Jenga walked away from the Rangers. Lights flashed all about her as the photographers seized their final chance to photograph the most evil person in the universe. She reached the door and disappeared in a burst of fire.
"Rangers, we've said all we have to say," Catalina said. "Red Ranger, wrap this thing up."
Red Ranger nodded, and turned to the expectant group. "The five teens missing will be found," he said. "Jenga no longer has the power to repeat such an episode. This will not happen again. You have our word." The five Rangers teleported away before anyone could say anything.
* * *
"Don't hesitate to call us," Trini said, handing Alpha her temporary Turbo morpher. "We'll be all right," Adam said. "We've got Bulk and Skull to help us fight if necessary." Tommy, Zack, Trini, and Aisha teleported away in brilliant sparkles of light, leaving the three active Power Rangers alone.
* * *
Jenga sat down at the head of the table and opened the newspaper folded on her plate. "Space Demon ....," she read before a frown crossed her face. "Oh for the love of .... Would you look at this?!"
Diva Tox cautiously took the newspaper from her. Her eyes scanned the headline, and a giggle escaped her despite her hardest efforts not to. "What is it?" Rita asked.
"USA Today has me listed as the Space Demon Tetris," Jenga growled.
Rito snorted in response, prompting a hard smack on the back of the head by MasterVile. "Well, if you've seen one stacking game you've seen them all," Lord Zedd said.
A ball of fire suddenly streaked at him from nowhere, knocking him and his chair over backwards. "Smart alec," Jenga muttered. "Tetris. Hmph."
* * *
"You seem troubled, child," Ashala said. She knelt beside Aisha at her special place.
"Huh?" Aisha asked. "Oh, I've just been thinking."
"Is Jenga giving you trouble again?" Ashala asked.
"She sent five of my friends to another dimension," Aisha said. "We don't know where they are, or how to bring them home."
"I'm sure they will be okay," Ashala said. She waited a moment more, and then said, "I'm sorry to say that I have even more bad news."
"What?" Aisha asked.
"Kimba is dying."
"Oh no," Aisha said. "She was just starting to recover fully from the birth. How's her cub?"
"He is fine," Ashala said, "although he will not survive if his mother dies."
"Let's go back," Aisha said hurriedly.
* * *
Kimba was Aisha's favorite lioness. She was used to the members of her village, and was not afraid of humans at all. She even let Aisha care for her. If it were not for Aisha, Kimba would have died during the birthing of her cub, Jonah. The unknown plague was affecting all of the animals, although it seemed to hit the herbivores the hardest. Kimba was one of the very few Lions to actually succumb to the plague. No one understood it. They all would just come down with a mysterious disease. The animals would die within a month. Despite Aisha's hardest efforts, she had no idea what caused the plague.
* * *
"Flu-like symptoms," Aisha muttered to herself. Kimba purred at the sound of her voice. Despite her giant size, Kimba was basically just a big kitten, at least when it came to Aisha. "Has she thrown-up or anything like that?"
"Yes, outside," Ashala said. She led Aisha to Kimba's mess.
"Hmm," Aisha thought to herself. Of all of the animals that had the "flu," their vomit had small rounded purplish-black berries in it. It didn't make any sense, the berries didn't seem to be poisonous, although they were a common factor. "Ashala?" Aisha asked. "Do you know where these berries grow around here?"
"The watering hole is the closest place I know," Ashala answered. "Why?"
"The watering hole," Aisha thought. "Has anyone from the village drank from the watering hole?"
"Not since we had our well dug," came the reply. "How long ago was that?"
"Ten years, at least."
"And how long have the animals been getting sick?"
"Around eight years now," Ashala answered. "Aisha? You've already tried to find a cure for this malady. I thought you had given that up."
"I thought so too," Aisha said, "but I've been doing some thinking lately."
"You want to go back to Angel Grove, correct?" Ashala asked.
"I need to go back," Aisha said.
"There is nothing holding you here," Ashala said.
"I can't leave now," Aisha answered. "If I make a commitment, I keep it."
"So you're going to run yourself ragged trying to fulfill your commitment by finding a cure for the plague?" Ashala asked. "The one that no one has been able to figure out."
"No one has spent more time with these diseased animals than I have," Aisha said. "I've noticed things the others didn't." She despised those arrogant vets from Oxford. They showed up, flaunted their degrees around, halted Aisha's progress with the animals, found out nothing she didn't know, stamped the plague a mystery, and left. Since the plague was local, they could care less. Never mind that if the animals died out, the village would die with them.
"Aisha, your grant from Angel Grove University dictates that you are just to stay here for the next four years and just help the animals survive," Ashala said gently. "You're doing all that you can do."
"I don't think so," Aisha said. "Ashala, how far is the watering hole?"
"It's at least an overnight trip," Ashala answered. "On foot, anyway."
"Then I had better leave now," Aisha said. Ashala shook her head with a smile. She knew that when Aisha had her mind made up, nothing could change her mind. "Which direction?" Aisha asked.
"North east," Ashala answered and pointed.
Aisha looked in the direction Ashala had pointed. "I'll have to hop teleport to it, but that'll get me there," Aisha said thoughtfully.
"Why?" Ashala asked.
"I've never been there, and there's no kind of homing beacon to just do a fly-straight teleport," she answered. "If there was another Ranger there, or something like that, it wouldn't be any problem. What I'll do is just teleport to a spot I can see, always heading north east, until I get to the watering hole. What time is it?"
Ashala looked at the sky and said, "Just before noon."
"I may be back tonight, I may not," Aisha said.
"Please take care," Ashala said. "I will tend to Kimba until you get back."
"Thank you," Aisha said. She checked to see that she had her trusty hunting knife. Satisfied that it was there, she located the farthest spot to the north east she could see and teleported there in a dazzling streak of white light and sparkles. Immediately upon landing, she turned to look behind her. Ashala was just a tiny speck. Aisha waved, and then teleported another hop closer to the watering hole.
* * *
Two hours later, Aisha reached the watering hole. "Hop-teleports always make me dizzy," Aisha said. She sat down on a rock beside the water and waited until her head stopped spinning. The animals were nowhere to be seen, most likely scared away by her teleport. "Now think, Aisha. All of the animals with the plague throw up. There are always those weird purple berries in their vomit. It's mostly omnivores, although a few carnivores have had the berries in their systems as well. Obviously, the berries are making them sick," she said outloud. "Real good, genius. You've known that for a pretty good while now. But why do they eat the berries?"
Aisha found several large bushes around the body of water that held the small, purple berries. She pulled her sharp hunting knife out of the holster at her hip and cut off a branch, making sure she had both bark, leaves, and berries. "Now how do I get water back?" she asked herself. Aisha searched until she found a vine with hard-skinned gourds on it. Picking a small one, she cut the top off, scooped the innards out, and filled it with water from the watering hole. "Smells weird," Aisha muttered, although she didn't know if it was the water or the gourd.
Tucking the branch under one arm and holding the gourd in the other, she carefully touched the teleport button on her communicator. She disappeared in a streak of white light.
* * *
Aisha teleported into a mostly darkened Command Center. Zordon's tube gave off a minuscule amount of light, as did the many control panels and consoles, although the floor and walls were darkened, as were the six neon light columns. "What time is it here?" she wondered. She set the gourd and branch down on the floor and looked around. "Hello?" she asked outloud.
"Aye-yi-yi!" Alpha cried.
"Whoa!" Aisha shouted, spinning around as the robot ran up behind her. "You startled me, Alpha."
"I startled you?" he asked in disbelief. "It's four a.m., Aisha. What are you doing here?"
"Trying to find a cure for the plague," she said. "Alpha, can you scan this water sample and these berries and leaves?"
"Certainly," Alpha said. "What are you hoping to find?"
"I'm not sure," she said. "Just not sure."
* * *
Aisha leaned against the wall and read over the print-out. "The water seems safe enough to drink," she said.
"It is," Alpha said as he stripped a piece of bark from the branch to analyze.
"There's just a slightly higher than normal content of sulfur," Aisha said. "Heck, some people even drink sulfur water."
"Sulfur water also makes some people sick to their stomach," Catalina said lazily, stretched out on her back across one of the consoles.
"Nausea?" Aisha asked. "I had never thought of that. Do you suppose animals would be susceptible to it?"
"Definitely," Alpha said. "Even more so than humans. Animals normally avoid natural springs with high-sulfur content."
"Why don't they avoid this water then?" Aisha asked.
"How much of an odor does it put off?" Catalina asked, still staring at the Command Center's ceiling.
"Not much," Aisha said. "I didn't smell anything until I put it in the gourd. I guess that smell was from the gourd."
"This is sounding weird," Catalina said. "Alpha, when you're through with that plant, scan the watering hole."
"Right," Alpha said. Aisha sat in nervous wait while Alpha continued his scan.
* * *
"DAD!" Rita shouted.
"Keep it down!" Gasket shouted.
"Bite me, robot boy!" Rita shouted.
"It's four a.m.!" Scorpina shouted.
Jenga appeared beside Rita in a flash of blue, pulling a blue robe around her body as she landed. "What is it, Rita?" she asked.
"It's that stupid father of mine's fault," she spat.
"Again, I ask... what is it?"
"Aisha's about to figure out what Dad did," Rita said. "If she finds the Orb, she'll break the plague!"
"Uh huh," Jenga said. "Okay. Whatever. I'm going to back to bed." She disappeared in another flash of blue.
"DAD!" Rita bellowed.
* * *
"It's very basic," Alpha said.
"It's basicity is the same as the water's acidity," Aisha said. "The two would cancel each other out. Like how dogs and cats eat grass for an upset stomach."
"The water makes them sick, so they eat the plant to make themselves feel better," Catalina said.
"That wouldn't explain why they stay sick, though," Aisha said. "The plant should make them better."
"Scan the watering hole, Alpha," Catalina said. "I've got a weird feeling about this."
"Scanning now," Alpha said.
"What do you think is wrong?" Aisha asked.
"Outside influence," Catalina said. "That's the only thing that would make sense."
"There is an unusual energy reading coming from the center of the watering hole," Alpha said, "although the scans haven't revealed what it is!"
Zordon suddenly appeared in his tube with a crackle of electricity. "Alpha, can you bring up a visual on the center of the watering hole?" he asked.
"Certainly, Zordon," Alpha said.
Aisha and Catalina turned to look at the viewing globe. Although it was hard to see much in the brownish-green water, a faint glowing orb was apparent. "What is that?" Aisha asked.
"It's an orb," Catalina said. "And I think we all know who likes to deal with Evil Orbs of Magic."
"MasterVile," Aisha said. The realization of it suddenly hit her. "He created the plague."
"How long as the plague been going on?" Alpha asked.
"About eight years," Aisha said. "The same time as the Zeo Quest. When I went there in the pseudo-time, the plague was just beginning."
"MasterVile knew that if you had something to stay for, you would send your Zeo Shard back with a newbie," Catalina said. "I don't guess he expected Tanya to be such a fighter."
"Oh my God," Aisha said. "I feel so used."
"I would presume that if the orb is removed and destroyed, then the plague will be broken," Zordon said. "No more animals will get sick."
"Except for those that already are," Aisha said.
"Aisha, if you can bring the orb back here, I can possibly create a cure," Alpha said.
"I'll give it a shot," Aisha said. "It's Morphin Time!"
* * *
The White Ranger materialized beside of the watering hole. She ran at the body of water and dove in, sliding beneath the surface gracefully. Aisha had never swam underwater while in her armor. She found it to be a very bizarre experience. The armor provided her with sufficient oxygen. She didn't have to hold her breath, which had been her biggest concern about swimming to the bottom of the watering hole. Although it wasn't that large, it was about forty feet deep in the very center. She soon reached the bottom. The orb in question was emitting just enough light for her to find it. She picked it up from the bottom of the pool, touched her belt buckle, and teleported away in a flash of white.
* * *
"Here you go, Alpha," Aisha said.
"Aye-yi-yi," he muttered. "It's still wet!"
"Sorry," she said as she powered down.
"Scanning now," Alpha said happily.
"You live for this, don't you?" Catalina asked, although Alpha ignored her.
"It's certainly MasterVile's," Alpha said. "The orb was placing off a very bizarre chemical I've never seen before. The chemical was making the animals sick to their stomachs."
"So it wasn't the sulfur?" Aisha asked.
"No," Alpha said. "This chemical on its own just causes nausea. However, when combined with those naturally-occurring berries which were eaten to combat the nausea, it creates the flu-like symptoms that has been killing the animals!"
"Can you fix any type of vaccine for it?" Aisha asked. "Kimba is sick."
"Who's Kimba?" Catalina asked.
"A lioness back in the village," Aisha said. "She's just a big old kitten. She's really gentle, and she has a cub of her own. And she's sick. She'll probably die in a few weeks, and if she dies, her cub dies."
"I can, Aisha," Alpha said. "Just give me about half an hour. I'm only going to make enough for your friend, though. There is no way that you could explain how you created this vaccine."
"Well, now that the orb has been removed, there will be no more of the plague," Aisha said happily. "But what will I tell AGU?"
"Who?" Catalina asked.
"Angel Grove University," Aisha said. "They're the ones who technically have me out there. I have to send them a detailed report every month. They will want an explanation was to why the plague has ended, and MasterVile isn't gonna cut it."
"I'll work on that, too," Alpha said.
"That's easy," Catalina said. "We'll just add some acidity to the watering hole, switch the normal berries with some alternate berries that contain the chemical that the orb emitted, and you can just explain that it's a naturally-occurring anomaly."
Two days later....
"I can't believe National Geographic is doing an article on me!" Aisha squealed happily.
"I must admit," Aisha's mother, Lucy, said, "I am looking forward to going back to the states."
"Me too," Aisha said. She really needed to be in Angel Grove. She was already practicing her surprised face for when her parents found out that five of her friends were missing.
"It's the little things I miss," Lucy said. "Like air-conditioning."
"It has been nice here, though," Aisha added.
"Yes it has," Lucy agreed. "What are they doing about the watering hole?"
"They've drained it and dug up the berries," Aisha said. "They're going to burn the whole thing up. In a year or two, it should be safe."
A horn honked just outside their hut. "They're here to take us back," Lucy said. She picked up three of the packed bags and walked out of the hut to the waiting truck that would carry them two hundred and fifty miles to the nearest airport, which would take them to Cairo, then O'Hare, and finally Angel Grove. They had already had their goodbyes with their friends. "Are you coming?"
Aisha took one last look around her small hut. "Yeah," Aisha said, picking up the last of the bags. "I'm comin'." Aisha turned to leave and bumped into Ashala. "Oh!" Aisha cried, startled. "You scared me."
Ashala smiled and said, "Thank you, Aisha."
"Thank you, Aunt Ashala," Aisha said. "For everything."
Aisha dropped her bags and hugged her great-aunt yet again. "You be careful," Ashala said. "Don't let Jenga get the best of you."
"I won't," Aisha promised.
"And tell Tanya I said hi."
"You know it."
* * *
"Trini," Zack said.
Trini dropped her pencil and looked up. "Huh?"
"You're spacin' out on me, again," he said. "Oh," she said. "Sorry. I was thinking."
"I've been thinking too," Zack said. He closed the book before him and leaned back in his chair.
"I'd be willing to bet that we've been thinking about the same thing," Trini said.
"Yep," Zack agreed.
"We haven't announced this project to the board, yet," Trini said.
"I'll go get the papers," Zack said.
* * *
Trini and Zack stood before the Peace Conference Board, dressed in their very best. "If you leave, we will have no one to represent the United States," Mr. Winfred said.
"We're very sorry, sir," Zack said.
"We need to be home with our friends," Trini said.
"Do you truly believe being in Angel Grove will help Mr. Cranston come home?" Mr. Winfred asked.
"There's more to it than that, sir," Zack said.
"This is going to hurt your scholarship prospects," he said.
"We know," Trini and Zack said in unison.
"Then you will be dismissed, and we will select three more teenagers to take your place."
"Thank you sir," Trini said.
* * *
"I hope we're doing the right thing," Zack said as he packed his clothes. Trini had already finished and was currently gathering Billy's possessions to take to his parents.
"You know we are," Trini told him.
"They're going to get the next three from the East Coast," Zack said absently. "I just don't like the idea of somebody taking my place."
"I know," Trini muttered. "I don't either, but we'll do more good back home. Maybe I can help Justin figure something out."
"That'd be great," Zack said. "We haven't given the U.S. a very good reputation over here."
"We are the first three people to leave so abruptly," Trini thought outloud. She grinned in spite of herself. "But we've fulfilled our commitments. We've already been here two years. It's time to pass this torch on."
"It just seems weird to leave like this," Zack said. "I had fully intended to stay here until Aisha was finished in Africa."
"Have you noticed that every woman you get involved with's name starts with an A?" Trini asked.
"Huh?" Zack asked.
"Angela, that girl from Kenya, Ariel, and now Aisha," Trini said.
"I had never really thought about it," Zack said.
Trini paused when she picked up a picture from Billy's dresser. Hot tears sprang to her eyes unbidden. She fingered the delicate silver frame and looked lovingly at the picture it contained. "Prom night," she whispered. Even she was willing to admit that they were a beautiful couple. "I really miss Billy, Zack."
"I know, Trini," Zack said softly. "I can't even imagine my life without Aisha."
"Tanya said Aisha about freaked out when she found out you were gone," Trini told him.
One thing that was firmly implanted in Trini's brain was how Aisha acted after... the incident. The others had been stunned that five of their comrades were missing, Aisha was concerned only for Zack. Of course, once she came to her senses, she realized what she had done.
"I wonder if we'll be put on active duty?" Zack asked.
"Probably," Trini answered. She set the framed photograph carefully in the box. "He'll probably make me take the Pink Turbo powers."
"Probably," Zack said. "It's got to be easier to use the MegaZord with five Turbo Rangers rather than three."
June 13
"I can't believe we're actually living in the same town," Aisha said happily. The two sat at her special place in Africa.
"Even though we aren't anywhere near that town right now?" Zack asked. "What time is it here?"
"Six a.m., I think," Aisha said.
"What time is it at home?"
"Nine p.m., last night," Aisha said.
"Man, I hate time zones," Zack muttered. "You got me traipsing off all over the place."
"This is my favorite place in the whole world," Aisha said.
"It reminds me of that cliff in the Lion King," Zack said.
"Every single one of you city people say that," Aisha muttered with a laugh.
"Oh, so I'm a city people now?" Zack asked.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact you are," Aisha laughed. "I bet you couldn't go a single weekend without electricity or running water."
"True enough," Zack said, admitting defeat. "I'm glad you're here, with me. In this dimension."
"When this first happened, not knowing if you would ever come back..." She paused when her throat constricted and the words wouldn't form anymore.
"You all got us back, we'll get them back," Zack said. "Trini and Justin are already working on it."
"She just got here," Aisha said. "Like what? Thirty minutes ago?"
"She wants to get Billy back," Zack said.
"I can appreciate that," Aisha said. Suddenly, her communicator beeped. "We're here, Zordon."
"Alpha, Zack, please report to the Command Center immediately," Zordon's voice boomed from her wrist.
"We're on our way," Zack said. He and Aisha disappeared in parallel streams of black and white light.
* * *
"Where is everybody?" Aisha asked, promptly on materializing in the Command Center.
"They're out fighting a squadron of Tengas," Catalina said.
"Do you need us to go help?" Zack asked.
"Short answer yes, long answer not just yet," Alpha said.
"What are you talking about?" Aisha asked.
"We need you two to be the Red and Pink Turbo Rangers," Zordon said.
"Us?" Zack asked. "What about Tommy and Trini?"
"Or even Bulk and Skull?" Aisha asked.
"Things have been discussed very intently for the last week," Catalina said. "Justin is already trying to figure out a way to travel the dimensions. If he does find a way, Tommy and Skull are going to go. And now that Trini is permanently back, I'd be willing to bet that she will too. Romantically speaking, you two have no ties beyond this dimension. You'll have no reason to go away, nor will Tanya and Adam. And I'm not going to let Justin go away. I doubt Rebecca and David would let him either. You two can complete the Turbo team. You up to it?"
"Zack," Zordon said, "you will be in the official leadership position. Can you accept this responsibility?"
"Me?" Zack asked. "I'm not much of a leader."
"I didn't think I was either, but it's not that hard," Aisha said. Just by donning the White Armor, she was immediately forced into an unconscious and undesired leader role. Tommy, especially, respected it. Aisha felt very strange about it, because she tended to look at Billy and Kimberly as the leaders. Being the White Ranger made her realize that it was just a role, and nothing more. No significance whatsoever. All it meant to her was that she sat in the center of the MegaZord. "Let's do it," Zack said.
June 21
Late Saturday afternoon
In a different dimension....
"Whoa!" Kat cried with a laugh as a giant fireball burst up before her.
"Kat," Kimberly said. "You okay?"
"I told you you'd left the gas on too long," I said. "I singed my eyebrows off last time I did that. The grill doesn't work right, anyhow."
Rocky and Jason were in the middle of the yard, teaching Billy an elaborate kata. "I wish there had been a martial arts studio around here," I complained.
"Nothing?" Kimberly asked.
"This is rural Kentucky," I said. "The only thing interesting we have is Mammoth Cave."
After Kat had determined that the grill was not going to burn her alive, she placed six raw steaks on it, along with a liberal assortment of spices. "How is your arm feeling?" Kimberly asked.
"Huh?" I asked, and realized I had been carefully working with my right arm. "Oh, it's still pretty sore, but a whole lot better." I had broken it right after school let out, and had just recently gotten the cast off.
"I didn't think people had to go through physical therapy after a broken arm," Kimberly said.
"Normally they don't," I said, "but mine was broken really bad. The bones were bent ten degrees from the impact of the collision. It wasn't pretty. But it's improved a lot in the past few days. I have to go back on Tuesday. How are you all holding up?"
"Better know that we're in one place," Kimberly said. "It feels so good to sleep in a real bed, and eat regular meals. And take showers everyday."
"Tomorrow after church I intend to take you all to see 'Turbo,'" I said.
"Turbo?" Kimberly asked. "Oh yeah, the second movie."
"It wasn't as good as the first," I said. "For one thing, spandex."
"Well, on the universe with the ten Zeo Rangers, they did look pretty cool," Kimberly said. "Although I agree, armor is the only way to go."
"I wouldn't get anything done if the others wore spandex," I thought outloud.
"I hear that," Kimberly said. "Well, you know, the guys instead of the girls, but you know what I mean."
I laughed and said, "I know."
Suddenly, the six-tone alarm, taken directly from the television show, beeped. Kimberly instinctively moved for her communicator, realizing upon reaching her wrist that it wasn't there. "Thumb and finger," I reminded her. I brought my left hand up to my mouth and said, "I read you, Sigma."
"You have a visitor headed your direction," Sigma said happily.
"Visitor?" I asked.
"Yes," he said. "She'll be there in a minute."
"Do you think?" Kimberly asked. She hopped off of the porch and ran over to Katherine.
I suddenly felt a presence beside me. Turning to my left, I saw her. "Catalina?" I asked.
"In the flesh," she said. "Sort of. Do I know you?"
"I don't guess so," I said. "I'm one of Sigma's Rangers. Your Rangers are eager to see you."
Catalina slid off of the porch and looked at them. Only Katherine and Kimberly had noticed her. Rocky, Billy, and Jason were still engrossed in their kata in the middle of the yard. "Catalina?" Katherine and Kimberly asked in unison.
"It's me," Catalina said.
"You guys!" Kimberly shrieked. "She found us!"
* * *
All eleven of us stood in the Command Center, along with the two holograms and Omicron. "Justin and Trini are trying their very hardest to get you home," Catalina said.
"Everyone has really come back to Angel Grove?" Jason asked.
"Everyone," Catalina said. "We really, really want you all to come home to us. To do that, you need to stay in one place."
"She's right," Sigma said. "Catalina knows where you are, so you can sort of communicate with the home world."
"We can't impose," Billy said.
"It's no imposition," I assured them. "I wasn't really looking forward to spending the whole summer by myself anyhow." I smiled in spite of myself.
"Are you sure?" Kimberly asked.
Beth started to say something, but Crystal gave her a sharp elbow in the ribs. I knew exactly what she was going to say, and reminded myself to thank Crystal later for stopping her. "I'm very sure," I said.
"I can't stay here very long," Catalina said. "It's a strain to keep myself in a dimension that wasn't originally my home dimension. I need to be going, but I'll be back soon. I promise."
"Catalina?" Billy asked. "Tell everyone that we love them."
End... for now
