The next day, Andros, Ashley, Carlos, Cassie, and T.J were on the Astro Megaship’s Bridge looking over a chess board with seven, miniature Power Rangers figurines on one side and five, miniature Psycho Rangers figures on the other. They were trying to figure out how to deal with Earth’s latest threat. Zhane and Karone were on their Galaxy Gliders looking for any trace of Terry Springwillow and Zordon on any of the surrounding planets, while Alpha was playing checkers with Silvy in the maintenance area.
“There’s seven of us, and five of them,” said Carlos. “The odds should be in our favor.”
“But what they lack in number, they make up in power,” said Andros.
“Tell me about it,” said Ashley. “Psycho Yellow ran me into the ground without even trying.”
“Psycho Blue didn’t even break a sweat when he fought me,” said T.J. He looked at the chess board again. Each Psycho figure was positioned across from their good counterpart. He smiled. “Of course.”
“What?” asked Cassie.
“They know our thoughts. They know the moves we make, the moves we’re gonna make. I can’t beat Psycho Blue. Carlos, you can’t beat Psycho Black.”
“I thought you had good news,” said the Black Ranger.
“Don’t you see?” asked T.J. “This is how they want us to fight. Blue on Blue, Red on Red. But we’ve got to make ‘em fight like this....” he rearranged the Ranger figures so that the Red, Yellow, Black, Blue, and Pink Ranger figures were facing off with a different Psycho figure, “so they won’t know what we’re thinking.”
“Excellent,” said Andros.
Suddenly, the alarm went off. Silvy and Alpha came running in from the maintenance room.
“What’s happening?” asked Silvy.
“The Psycho Rangers are attaking the Angel Grove Plaza,” DECA replied.
“Should I inform Karone and Zhane?” Alpha asked.
“No,” Andros said. “They need to keep looking for Terry for as long as possible. Call them, only if it looks like we need back up.”
Today was the day, the final confrontation. The Psychos were tired of taking Comandri’s orders and waiting around for her. They wanted to destroy the Rangers now. So, they went AWAL and attacked Earth on their own, without waiting for Comandri’s orders. Today, the Power Rangers would meet their demise.
“Psycho Rangers,” a voice said.
They turned to see five of the Rangers running toward them, led by the Blue Ranger.
“Ah,” said Psycho Blue, “perfect. Prepare for your destruction, Power Rangers.”
“Well see who gets the best of who this time,” said Red Ranger.
“All right guys,” said Blue Ranger. “Remember our strategy.”
The Psychos charged at the Rangers and the battle was on.
***If Terry had known that getting her new powers would involve standing in a giant test tube, she might have reconsidered getting them. At that moment, she was in Veriki’s lab, standing in one of the tubes used to give the Psychos their powers. Veriki tried to explain how to transform using the suits Ecto Morpher and how to summon her weapons in a tone of voice that would make Terry feel like she’d forgiven her for breaking her laser, just like Razzor did. But Veriki was a terrible actress, and Terry knew she was still mad.
That was one reason why standing in this test tube made Terry feel creepy.
“It’s almost done, Your Highness,” said Veriki. “Just a few more seconds.”
The small, red numbers on Veriki’s computer screen were now at 00:00.10 and counting down. Ten seconds later, the numbers were replaced by the words TRANSFER COMPLETE.
The tube opened and Terry stepped out, dressed in the full uniform of the Crimson Rider. She saw a red disk poping out of Veriki’s computer, then saw the scientist grab it and place it in a box with five other disks, each the color of the Psycho Rangers. Terry guessed that those disks were back up coppies of hers and the Psychos’ power programs.
Comandri applauded. “You look radiant, my darling.”
“Thanks,” Terry said.
“And every time you fight, you’ll drain a large quantity of Dark Specter’s powers,” said Veriki.
Comandri had told her daughter about her plan to deplete Dark Specter’s powers, because she knew Terry wouldn’t stop fighting for Concorock if she knew, unlike the Psycho Rangers. Comandri was afraid they’d stop fighting if they knew it would lead to their destruction even if they were victorious.
“So what’s going to happen to my powers when Dark Specter’s gone?” Terry asked.
“Well,” said Veriki. “You'll survive, but...”
An alarm sounded from Veriki’s computer.
“What is it?” Comandri asked.
“It’s the Psychos,” Veriki said. “They’re attaking the Rangers.”
“What?”
Both Comandri and Terry walked over to Veriki’s computer, where an image of the battle on Earth.
Terry smiled. Her friends were kicking the Psychos butts by fighting with a different colored maniac. T.J was fighting Psycho Black, Carlos was fighting Psycho Blue, Andros was fighting Psycho Yellow, Cassie was fighting Psycho Red, and Ashley was fighting Psycho Pink. She was glad she was wearing a helmet so the queen and her scientist couldn't see her smile.
“You Rangers are just lucky this time,” said Psycho Blue.
“You mean we’re winning,” said Carlos.
This was to much for Psycho Blue. He wanted to destroy Blue Ranger, but how could he with Black Ranger in the way?
Without warning, Psycho Blue knocked Carlos off his feet and headed straight for T.J.
“Teej, watch out!” Carlos cried.
Psycho Black stood between him and his friend.
“Why worry about him? Worry about yourself, Black Ranger.”
Psycho Pink, Yellow, and Red had also managed to shake the Rangers they were fighting and get back to confronting their counterparts. Now the Psychos had the upper hand in this battle.
But the odds were about to tip in favor of the Power Rangers. Alpha had contacted Zhane and Karone when T.J’s plan started to go wrong. Now, the Silver and Purple Rangers were on the way. Karone and Zhane parked their Gliders and ran the few feet to the battle scene.
“You guys are asking for it,” said Zhane. “Let’s go Karone.”
“I’m with you, Zhane,” said Karone.
They rushed forward.
Meanwhile Psycho Blue was beating the daylights out of T.J. The Blue Ranger was on the ground, while the Blue Psycho Ranger was slowly advancing toward him.
“Finally,” He said. “You’ve slipped through my fingers one too many times, but this time I’ve out smarted you.” He raised his ax high above his head. “Good-bye, Blue Ranger.”
Psycho Blue brought his ax down with all his might, but before it could strike T.J, it was blocked with another blade.
The blade of Zhane’s Supersilverizer.
“You?” Psycho Blue asked in surprise.
“Well, who’d you expect?” the Silver Ranger asked.
Karone, meanwhile, had taken all of the other Psychos out with her boomerang. Something they were not happy about.
“You’ll pay for that!” shouted Psycho Red. He fired a bolt of red energy at her.
“Karone, look out!” Andros cried.
Karone dodged the bolt, and nailed Psycho Red with a bolt from her spear. Before he could get up, Andros kicked his broad sword out of his hand, but Psycho Red kicked him in the stomach, giving himself a chance to get up and get the upper hand again.
Karone went from Ranger to Ranger helping out her friends in any way she could, but it wasn’t enough. The Psychos were still winning.
Back on Concorock, Comandri, Veriki, and Terry were still watching the battle from Veriki’s computer. Terry was silently cheering her friends on and hopping that any minute, they would turn the tide of battle and win the day.
Suddenly, a loud buzzing sound came from another computer in the lab.
“What was that?” Terry asked.
“Someone’s trying to communicate to us from deep space,” said Veriki.
“Who?” asked Comandri.
“The Grand Monarch of Evil,” said Veriki.
“Dark Spector?!” Comandri knew why he was calling her. He could feel his powers being drained. If the Psycho Rangers stayed on Earth much longer, he would figure out that they were the ones behind his sudden losses of power. “Veriki, quick, stop the Psychos.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What else? Talk to him.”
The battle between Zhane and Psycho Blue raged on until the evil Blue Ranger managed to strike Zhane in the chest and knock him to the ground. Then he turned back to T.J.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.”
But before he could do anything, the air around him shimmered and he disappeared. The same happened with the other Psychos. In a few seconds, they were gone.
“Is everyone all right?” asked Andros.
“I think so,” said Ashley.
“Oh no!” Carlos gasped. “T.J!”
They turned toward the Blue Ranger. He was laying on the ground, and Zhane was kneeling by his side.
“Are you all right?” the Silver Ranger asked.
“I don’t know,” T.J said. “Evreything’s dark.”
Seconds later, T.J passed out.
Two days afterward, Veriki and Razzor were meeting with Comandri in her council chamber. Klutzvar, the Royal Viser, Razzor, and Veriki were sitting in chairs while Comandri was pacing the floor.
“I don’t know what to do,” the queen said. “I can’t send the Psychos down to Earth when Dark Spector’s watching it so closely, but if I keep pulling them out every time he detects a power loss, or refuse to let them go at all, they may go AWAL on me again.”
“This certainly is a problem, my queen,” said Klutzvar.
“I know it is, Klutzvar,” said Comandri. “Instead of telling me what I already know, I need suggestions on how I can solve this problem.”
“Why not send Princess Terrina after the Rangers?” asked Veriki.
Comandri sighed and leaned against a wall. “I can’t. Terrina fighting the Rangers, then fighting Masked Rider would violate the agreement between Dark Spector and Dreagon and would get me in trouble with both of them.” She sat down in her chair at the head of the table. “Besides, destroying the Rangers would only win me a battle, not the war. Dark Spector would still be around and the Psychos would have no reason to attack Earth and drain his powers. They would never listen to me again if I let someone else destroy the Rangers, so my plan to destroy Dark Spector would be slowed to a crawl, if not stopped all together. What am I going to do?”
“I have no solution for you at this moment, Your Magesty,” said Razzor.
“Me either,” said Veriki.
“Neither do I, but I will keep thinking about it,” Klutzvar said. “Never fear.”
“Get out of my sight,” said Comandri. “All of you.”
The three of them quickly withdrew.
If she didn’t have SA17 to talk to, Terry would’ve been bored clear out of her skull. Comandri never allowed her to go past the palace gate, but she wanted to go see what life was like for the common folk of Concorock. The reason why was because she was named Comandri’s successor at birth and, according to Concorian law, the only way she could not get the kingdom after Comandri was gone was if she died before the evil queen. So, as future queen, Terry thought it was her duty to get to know her people and see what she could do for them. But Comandri didn’t share her views.
“It isn’t fitting for a princess to mingle with the common rabble,” she had said.
So now, she was in her room, wearing her Earth clothes, and putting SA17’s long, brown hair into several tiny braids and putting three gold beads on each braid. She’d found a whole sack of gold beads in her bathroom, and thought they’d look great in SA17’ hair. SA17 seemed to agree, even though she was used to doing up her masters’ hair, not the other way around.
“I’ve got one more braid to do, then I’ll be done,” said Terry.
“Where’d you learn how to do this?” asked SA17.
“My mom taught me.” Terry finished threading the last bead on the braid. “There. A hair style fit for a queen.”
“Thanks.”
Terry gave her a hand held mirror and taught her how to use it to see the reflection of the big mirror on Terry’s closet door, so that SA17 could see the back of her hair.
“You know,” Terry said as SA17 admired her hair, “I’ve been talking with Klutzvar about the no-names-for-slaves-law Tyroben made. It turns out that, as your quote ‘mistress’ unquote, I can give you a name if I want to.”
SA17 put the little mirror down. “You have a name for me?”
Terry shrugged. “It’s just a suggestion. You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Jean. It sounds like a name that would duit you.”
“Jean,” SA17 said. “I like it.”
The two girls heard someone try to turn the door knob to Terry’s room, but the door was locked. So, whoever was on the other side of the door began to pound on it.
“Who is it and what do you want?” Terry asked.
“It’s Venisslah. Open up.”
Jean swept her hair behind her shoulders so Venisslah couldn’t see the beads.
Terry opened her door a crack, but Venisslah grabbed it and threw it the rest of the way open and stomped in.
“Won’t you come in?” Terry asked, sarcastically.
“Don’t be so sarcastic, sister,” said Venisslah. “I know that I’m not exactly your favorite person.”
“What do you want?” Terry asked.
“I’ve heard that you want to get out of the palace and get a look at the real Concorock. Well, I know a way to get what you want.”
“How?”
“There’s a tunnel that leads from the kitchen to the outskirts of the nobles' city. I use it all the time when I want to get out of the palace and have some fun.” She sat down in one of the soft chairs and crossed her legs. “You know, My friends and I would love to hear about what kind of place Earth is. I plan to go meet them in a half an hour, why don’t you come with me and tell us all about it. I’m sure we’ll find it interesting.”
Terry laughed. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Why is that?”
“Because when you first saw my clothes, you called them rags, and when you talk about Earth, you always make negative remarks about it.”
“Oh, that’s because Mother doesn’t like Earth. I say those things only to please her.” Terry was quiet. “Come on, I thought you wanted to venture out and see the world.”
“Not with you as my tour guide.”
Venisslah stood up. “Fine.” She walked toward the door. “Good luck finding another way to get out of the palace.”
When she was gone, Terry asked Jean if she should follow her.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve never been to the peasants’ village, either.”
Terry thought for a moment. She didn’t want to go with Venisslah, but this could be her only chance to see the kingdom.
“Venisslah, wait.”
Foolish girl, Venisslah thought to herself. She believes evreything she hears.
Venisslah had lied when she said that she and her friends wanted to hear about Earth. The second Terrina mentioned anything good bout the planet, she would be the laughing stock of the whole downtown tavren-that’s where she and her friends were scheduled to meet.
As for Terry, she had a feeling that Venisslah had lied to her, so she decided not to talk about Earth and not to take off the black cloak Venisslah had given her to wear as a disguise so no one on the streets would recognize them. Terry was sure that her half sister had something planned that would humiliate her. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more sorry she was that she came.
The city they were in was full of run-down buildings and garbage littered the streets. The whole placed reeked.
“How could anybody live here?” she asked.
“How could they afford to live anywhere else?” Venisslah asked. “These people are the scum of Concorock. Ruffians so poor, they aren’t worthy enough to kiss the ground we walk on.”
“In a place like this, who’d want to?”
Soon, they came across a market place, where vendors were selling their wears from wooden stalls. Each vendor had a large quantity of things to sell, but not one item in the whole market place had very much quality. The cloth one vendor was selling was threadbare and worthless. The fruit vender’s fruit was rotted, the meat sellers’ produce was spoiled, but people were buying their products anyway. No one in the market place was selling anything better, and the couldn’t go up the mountain to buy any of the good food at the nobles'’ village, even if they could afford it.
As they passed by the bakery stall, Terry saw a woman with three little kids trying to haggle with the vendor, who’s price for a moldy loaf of bread was more than the woman could afford.
“It is too much,” she said. “Please sir, my children must eat. They haven’t had anything in days.”
“Does it look like I care?” the vendor said. “Look, if you can’t afford my bread, then get out of here, and don’t come back until you can.”
The woman gathered up her kids and left. Terry walked up to the vendor.
“How much are you charging for a loaf of bread?”
“Five crystals.”
“Five crystals?!” That amount of money was worth twenty-five dollars in the United States. He’d never get away with charging that much for moldy bread there. “You charge five crystals for this stuff. It isn’t fit to look at, let alone eat!”
“Maybe so. But this is the only place that sells bread in this town, so I can charge whatever I want for it.”
A fat, white worm crawled out of one of the loafs. Terry picked both worm and loaf up and threw them in the vendor’s face. Startled, he stumbled backwards and bumped into a table piled high with moldy bread. The table tipped over and spilled bread over the back of the stall and into the streets. At the same time, the vendor lost his balance and fell on top of the mess. More white worms crawled out of the bread and crawled all over the vendor, who began to shriek.
“I hope you rot like your bread, you scum bag,” Terry said. She stormed off after Venisslah.
There were only two taverns in town, and the downtown one was the most popular.
Everywhere Terry looked, people were drinking, watching two dancers dance on stage to the music of the tavern’s band, gambling, or laying on the floor, too drunk to get up. Some of them looked younger than she was and that bothered Terry, but not as much as the feel of this place. A gut feeling told her that something was going to happen here that would affect both her and Venisslah. She didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t like it.
She looked around the room again, and noticed that everybody was a Concorian.
“Why aren’t there any humans or Insectivites here?” she asked Venisslah.
“Humans and Insectivites?” Venisslah asked, giving her sister the Don’t you know anything? look. “All humans and Insectivites are slaves on this planet. That’s the law.”
“Why?”
“Because they are inferior to Concorians.”
“How can they be inferior to Concorians? Each one is half human, half Insectivite. I’d think that we’d be inferior to them.”
“You wouldn't be saying that if you got a chance to see them work. Sure, Insectivite, human and Concorian slaves seem to have the same amount energy when they’re young, but Insectivites and humans wear down faster than Concorians. Mother gave me the job of checking up on the older slaves every once in awhile to see if they’re still fit to work. Concorian slaves are still going strong when they’re in their sixties while the other slaves can’t pick up a load that’s half their weight. Very few of them are still strong enough to work by the time they reach seventy.”
“Well, if I find any reason why a slave can’t work any more, then I let the guards know and the slave gets hauled off to be taken care of.”
“Taken care of?”
Venisslah made a slashing motion across her throat. “I don’t know how the executioners do it, but when the time comes the slave is executed and their position is filled by another.”
The girls sat down at the bar.
“What happens if there’s not enough slaves to fill the positions of the dead ones?” Terry asked.
“For a girl who was born to be evil, you ask a lot of questions,” said Venisslah. “There is never a shortage of slaves. Every Concorian who can’t pay their taxes, or breaks one of the minor laws of Concorock is put into slavery. And with taxes going up, most of the people you saw in the streets today will be slaves before the year is over.” She took off her hood. “Hey, Merc!”
A fat bartender, who was missing most of his teeth, walked over to them.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorate customer. Good evening, Your Highness. Who is your companion?”
Venisslah tore off Terry’s hood. “This is my half sister.”
“Ah, Princess Terrina. We heard that you had returned home after these thirteen long years. It is an honor to have you here in my tavern. What can I get you lovely laddies this evening?”
“A glass of gerane juice,” Terry said. She’d drank the stuff at the palace before, and she liked it. It tasted like ginger ale.
“Gerane juice?” Venisslah asked. “You can get that at the palace, any time you want. They serve stuff that you can only get here, and it’s really good. Give me a lava juice brew, Merc.”
Merc returned, a minute later, with their drinks. Venisslah gulped hers down in the few seconds it took for Terry to pick hers up and take a drink of it.
After giving a loud burp, Venisslah slammed her glass down on the table. “Is Bartty coming around any time soon? My supply is getting low.”
“Supply of what?” Terry asked.
“You’re in luck,” Merc said to Venisslah. “He just got a new shipment. He should be here any minute.”
“New shipment of what?” asked Terry.
“You’ll see,” said Venisslah.
“And who’s Bartty?”
Merc pointed to the door. “Keep your eye on the door. He should be walking through it any second.”
Merc had barely finished his sentence, when a young man with bright orange hair and a red mind diamond walked in.
“As if on cue,” said Venisslah. She stood up and waved to her friend. He waved back and walked over to the bar.
“Hey, Baby.”
“Hello, Bartty,” said Venisslah. “Merc tells me you have a new shipment.”
Bartty sat down on one of the bar’s stools. “Indeed, I do. How much of the stuff will you be wanting this time?”
“Fifteen packs.”
“That much? Whew! That’s pretty expensive. You got the money?”
Venisslah removed a pouch from her belt and tossed it to Bartty. Bartty opened it and smiled. The pouch was filled with crystals.
“That should be enough for fifteen packs later and one dose now,” said Venisslah.
“You need one now?” asked Bartty.
“You got one on you?”
“Of course I have one on me. I always carry a pack or two on me.”
“Give it to me.”
Bartty reached into the pocket of his long, blue overcoat and took out a package wrapped in white paper. Venisslah unwrapped it.
“Remember, “ said Bartty. “Only one dose. I have to use this stuff to get new customers.”
Terry watched as Venisslah opened the pack. Once it was open, she saw a little plastic tube sitting on top of a pile of orange powder. Venisslah scooped some of it into the tube and poured it on to her tongue. Instantly, the girl began to change. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle, and she looked like she’d just gotten a sudden burst of energy. Venisslah got up from the stool and began to laugh.
“Oh, that feels so good.”
“What is that stuff?” Terry asked.
“Engeric Spice,” said Bartty. “It comes from a plant grown in the jungle. It makes you feel like you can take on the universe.” He picked up the tube and handed it to Terry. “Want some? The first dose is always free.”
“No thanks,” said Terry.
“Bring on those rebel scum,” Venisslah said. “I can take them on now.”
Bartty got up an sat down on the stool beside Terry, as she took another drink of her juice.
“You know, I’ve never seen a girl with short hair before. Why’s your’s so short, Love?”
“It’s because I like it that way,” said Terry. “And don’t call me Love.”
“Ah. You’re an individual.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I like that in a female.”
Terry felt his hand slide downward toward her chest. He grabbed his hand and flipped him over her shoulder. He crashed into the floor and moaned. Terry put her foot on his chest, as every one in the bar stopped what they were doing and looked at her.
“Get this straight, jerk,” said Terry. “There are certain areas of my body that I don’t want touched and my chest is one of them!” She threw her hood over her head and stomped toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Venisslah asked. “I thought you were going to tell us about Earth.”
“I’m going back to the palace,” Terry said.
“Do you actually think, you can make it back without me?”
Terry opened the door. “I’ll manage!”
About a half an hour later, Terry was at the door of the tunnel the she and Venisslah had entered earlier that evening. All of the cooks had retired for the night long before the girls had left, so Terry didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing her come out of the secret door. She took off her cloak and stashed it behind a rock. She was about to leave the tunnel, when she heard the sound of kids laughing. It was coming from another tunnel that branched off of the main one. Terry followed the tunnel until she found herself at the door of a room of the slaves’ quarters. Inside the room was a group of human kids, Insectivite kids, and Concorian kids. Jean was there too. She had just finished telling them about her new name and where it came from.
“Hi,” Terry said.
The little kids gasped and ran to the other side of the room.
“It’s okay,” Jean said. “She’s a friend.”
“Yeah,” Terry said. “I heard you laughing and came to see what’s up.”
“Is everyone ready for a story?” a voice asked.
Terry turned to see an old, Insectivite male enter the room. On his forehead was a blue mind diamond.
“Who is that?” Terry asked.
“That’s Daneval,” Jean replied. “He’s the oldest person on the planet. He was a respected wise man in the days before Tyroben.”
“Daneval,” a little Concorian girl said, “look who’s here.”
“Yes, child. I see.” The old man looked right into Terry’s eyes. “Welcome, princess. I am Daneval. I was about to tell these children a story before they went to bed. Would you like to stay and listen?”
“Sure,” Terry said.
Terry, Jean, and the kids sat on small rugs laid on the floor, while Daneval sat in the chair.
“This story was already a legend when I was a little boy, long before Tyroben was born. It takes place many, many years ago. The Insectivites had inhabited Concorock for over fifty years, and the humans had just moved in.”
Daneval told about a young girl named Saramaine, who was a human, and her two Insectivite friends, Junva, a girl, and Alvero, a boy who were twins. By the time the trio was in their late twenties, they were experienced solders serving in the Concorian Protectors, an army of solders that protected the planet from danger. Saramaine had fallen in love with a fellow soldier named Coreyvan. The two were about to be married when, a few days before the wedding, Coreyvan was attacked by a wild animal and critically injured. The doctors could only keep him alive for only a few days-a week at the most-they couldn’t save him.
Saramaine was devastated until she heard that her love could be saved with the healing powers of an emerald tooth.
The only animal on Concorock that had such a tooth was the dreaded lagera. The lagera were giant, meat-eating lizards, that lived deep in the jungle, near the Braki River. Thanks to the emerald tooth each lagera possessed, they were immortal. Every time they they were wounded, their teeth would heal them. Their teeth also kept them young, so they never died. One had to be brave, if they wanted to get the emerald tooth of a lagera.
Saramaine decided to put her life on the line and get an emerald tooth for Coreyvan. And Junva and Alvero decided to put theirs on the line to help her.
It took the three young people a day and a half to finally find a lagera. They tried to talk the beast into letting them take the tooth, but that didn’t work. So, they had to take it by force. Saramaine jumped into the Lagera’s mouth with her sword and a whip. As soon as she was in the mouth, she wrapped one end of the whip around the tube like thing at the back of the throat so she wouldn’t be swallowed. The she cut the small, green back tooth out with her sword. All she had to do now was get out of its mouth, but then, her whip came undone and the lagera swallowed her.
Junva and Alvero heard their friend’s screams as she was sucked down the beast’s throat. Quickly, they charged at the lagera. Junva distracted it, while Alvero cut open the lagera’s belly and got Saramaine out. She was fine, so was the tooth, but the creature was dying from loss of blood. The trio of warriors felt guilty for killing an animal that was only trying to defend itself against their attack so, they used the tooth to heal it, then went home.
Coreyvan was near death when they arrived. They were told that nothing could save him now, but Saramaine was determined to try anyway. She went to Coreyman’s bed, where people were preparing his body for his funeral, even though he wasn’t dead yet. Saramaine ordered them to stand back. After they were away from the bed, she stepped forward, touched the tip of the tooth to Coreyvan’s forehead, then laid it on his chest. Within minutes, Coreyvan was completely healed and he and Saramaine were married that evening.
“What happened to the tooth?” Terry asked.
“It was kept in the hospital in the old capital city until Tyroben took over. It was lost somehow, and hasn’t been seen since,” Daneval said. “Now, it is time for all you little children to go to bed.”
The kids moaned, but did what they were told. Daneval, Jean, and Terry followed them into another room where a few adult slaves were talking.
“So how did your tour of the peasant’s village go?” Jean asked.
“It was terrible,” said Terry.
She told Daneval and Jean evreything about her trip, even what happened at the tavern.
“Awful,” said Daneval. “Engeric Spice is not illegal on this planet, but Queen Comandri forbids Venisslah to take it, even though she has a company who makes it that she inherited from one of her husbands. The stuff was once allowed to be used only in hospitals, the extra sense of alertness it gives has helped people with amnesia regain their memory. But, it is also addictive, which is why it hasn’t been allowed to be sold on the streets.
“When Tyroben took over, a few people who wanted to make money by selling engeric Spice on the open market, bribed him into doing away with the law that would’ve made it illegal for them to do so. Both he and Comandri knew what would happen to a person if he or she became addicted to the substance, so that’s why Comandri doesn’t want Venisslah to take it.”
“But she does anyway because of the feeling she gets from it,” said Terry.
“Exactly,” said Jean. “Although I don’t understand why anyone would want to ruin their lives just for a feeling.”
“Neither do I,” said Terry.
“Or I,” said Daneval.
Ever since he’d been badly injured by Psycho Blue, T.J had spent his time in the Astro Megaship’s infirmary recuperating. His wounds had healed, but the other Rangers still wanted him to rest
It was 5:30 P.M when Cassie came into the infirmary pushing a serving cart with food on it. Silvy was right behind her with a “Get Well” card she made for T.J.
“We thought you might be hungry,” Cassie said, “so..” She stopped in mid sentence when she saw that T.J wasn’t in the infirmary.
Silvy looked around and saw the Blue Ranger in a dark room adjacent to the infirmary sitting in front of a monitor.
“He’s in there,” she said to Cassie.
The two girls walked into the room.
“Hey,” Cassie said. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I couldn’t just lay there,” T.J said.
T.J was looking at a recording of the Ranger’s last battle with the Psychos, trying to figure out a way to beat them.
“Don’t they have any weaknesses?” Cassie asked.
“Not that I can see,” said T.J. “They’re like clockwork.”
Suddenly the screen went fuzzy and the image on it turned to static. Cassie fumbled with the tracking knob until the picture came back, but it was in black and white.
“What happened to the color?” Silvy asked.
T.J studied the black and white picture for a moment, then smiled. “Of course.” He stood up. “DECA, have everyone meet us on the Bridge.” He left the room.
Silvy looked at Cassie, who just shrugged.
Minutes later, T.J came on to the Bridge with a can of blue spray paint in his hand. The other Rangers, Silvy and Alpha were waiting for him.
“What’s going on?” Zhane asked. “DECA said it was urgent.”
“I know how we can beat the Psychos,” T.J said. He took the can off the spray paint, shook it up and started spraying the red, pink, black and yellow figures on the chess board. In a minute, they were completely blue. It didn’t take long after that for everyone else to catch on to his plan.
“Now, they won’t know our true colors,” said T.J.
“It’ll confuse them,” said Alpha. Then he noticed that Silvy had stepped up to the chess board and was looking at the figures. “What do you think Silvy?”
“It’s a good plan,” the girl agreed. She began moving the figures around, so that the silver and purple figures so that they were facing off with the blue ones, then she made it look like the Psycho figures had come in to keep them from fighting the blue figures, then she used the blue figures to knock all of the Psycho figures down.
“Do you have a plan?” Ashley asked.
“I might,” said Silvy. “Carlos told me about your first fight with the Psychos, and when I looked at the chess board and thought about what happened when you guys fought them with the Zords.”
“I think I know what you’re getting at,” said Zhane. “They would get angry if someone else came and tried to defeat you guys.”
“Like a Psycho Silver and a Psycho Purple,” said Karone.
“Exactly,” said Silvy.
“And their anger might might make them sloppy,” said Andros.
“Sloppy enough for us to take care of them once and for all,” said Cassie.
“But can we do it?” Ashley asked. “Make our suits look blue and make a Psycho Silver and a Psycho Purple suit, I mean.”
“It can be done,” DECA said. “All you need to create a blue covering for your suits is some hologram chips, like those used in the Simudeck. And it is possible to make costumes for Zhane and Karone that have the same protection of their Ranger suits.”
“All right then,” said Andros. “Let’s get to work. We don’t know how much time we have to get all of this ready.”
“You sent for me, Mother?” Venisslah asked.
“I did,” Comandri said.
Queen Comandri was sitting on her throne, eying her daughter with a look that could burn a hole through sheet mettle. Venisslah knew she was going to be lectured about something, and hoped it wouldn’t be a long lecture. She had to get to her room and get a dose of Spice. Her body needed it.
“What were you doing last night after dinner?” Comandri asked.
Venisslah shrugged. “I was tired so I went to bed early. Why do you ask?”
Comandri got up and slapped Venisslah across the face. “Liar. You went to the peasants’ village and you bought this.” She flung a whole package of engeric spice on the floor. “This was found in your room.”
“It’s a lie!” Venisslah shouted. “Someone planted this there. It’s not mine. Whoever told you that is a liar.”
“Are you trying to tell me that your sister is a liar?”
“Terrina?”
“Yes. She was the one who told me about your hidden supply. I had your slave bring it to me.”
“All of the stuff I had in my room?”
“Yes. You disgrace me, Venisslah. This stuff is addictive, it can make you its slave. I will not have my daughter be a slave to anything.”
“But you sell it!”
“To fools who are stupid enough to buy it. Now, listen to me, and listen well. You are not to leave this palace, or buy this junk ever again. Is that clear?” Venisslah nodded. “Good. Now go.”
Venisslah left the room in tears. That package was all she had in the palace. To get more spice, she had to go out to her secret hiding place in the jungle, but her mother likely had guards blocking the entrance to her tunnel so she would never get out. Oh, that Terrina! She was going to pay for this!
As she wandered through the palace, trying to think of a way to get her revenge, Venisslah happened to pass Terrina’s bedroom door. It was closed, as usual, but Venisslah could still hear voices coming from inside. She put her ear to the door.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she heard Terrina’s slave, SA17, say. “I thought you hated Venisslah.”
“I do,” Terrina said, “but Daneval said that no one as young as Venisslah shouldn’t die so tragically. I agree with him.”
“So you told Comandri that she was taking engeric spice, and she believed you?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you have to say anything about you going into the peasants’ village?”
“No. All I said was that I knew Venisslah was buying spice from a vendor in town and she sent for Venisslah’s new slave and asked her if it was true. She said it was, and even showed us the place where Venisslah hides it. We found one pack of spice hidden under the bed. The slave didn’t know where the other fourteen packs were, and Comandri didn’t give me a chance to tell her that there were more.”
Venisslah backed away from the door. That skinny little pip squeak had just made an accusation about her and her mother believed it! Oh, this was too much. She stormed off to her room.
She began to grab things off her shelves and threw them on the floor. She didn’t know how long she could go without another dose of spice. Then she remembered that a slave named Daneval had convinced Terrina to turn her in. She knew who he was. Daneval was one of the older slaves she had to check on every week. He was in excellent shape for his age, but she didn’t like the looks he gave her. It was like he could see into heart and learn all her secrets.
Venisslah smiled. So, an old slave was now the Royal Viser to the Crown Princess of Concorock. She’d have to do something about that.
It was almost dinner time at the Stewart's’ house. Barbara Stewart was adding the finishing touches on her salad, while Furbus, Dex’s pet monotomorax, was watching her, hopping to snag an olive or two while she wasn’t looking. Dex was helping his adopted sister, Molly Stewart, set the table. Hal Stewart was coming in from the garage, and Tommy and Albee Stewart came in from outside. Tommy had been teaching the boy some karate moves.
The T.V was on, so the family could hear the news before dinner.
“The weatherman said that tomorrow was supposed to be a nice day,” said Barbara. “I was thinking that we could all go on a picnic tomorrow. It’s been a long time since any of us have been to the park.”
Furbus jabbered something in his language.
“Furbus says that he likes the idea,” Dex said.
Tommy hadn’t known Furbus long enough to learn monotomorax, so whenever the furry little guy said something when Tommy was around, one of the Stewarts translated for him.
“I agree with Furbus,” Hal said as he finished washing his hands at the kitchen sink.
“I just hope Count Dreagon doesn’t decide to end his vacation and spoil it,” said Molly.
The evil warlord hadn’t attacked Earth in almost two weeks. Dex knew that the he was planning something big. Dreagon had never waited more than a few days after Dex had destroyed on of his monsters to send down another one. Dex was enjoying this time of peace, but he knew that it was just a vacation, and Dreagon could end it at any moment. Determined not to get out of shape, Dex practiced his fighting moves out in the back yard every morning along with Tommy. Whatever Dreagon was planning to throw at him, Dex wanted to be ready for it.
Tommy washed his hands, and as he dried them on a towel, he heard the news anchorman say, “In other news, the search continues for sixteen-year-old Terry Springwillow, who was abducted from a park not far from her home in Angel Grove almost two weeks ago.” Tommy looked up to see a picture of his former student on the T.V. “Eye witnesses say that the girl was taken by strange bug-like creatures. From their testimony, Police have made this sketch of one of the kidnappers. It was the only one any of the witnesses had a clear view of.” Terry’s picture was replaced by a picture of an ugly bug monster.
Dex recognized the suspect at once. “Maggots.”
“What would Dreagon want with a teenager from Angel Grove?” Barbara asked.
“She’s not a Power Ranger, is she?” Albee asked.
“No. She couldn’t be,” Tommy said. “All seven Rangers fought the Psycho Rangers just a few days ago, and, according to this, Terry’s been gone for over a week.”
“I’m going to the cave,” Dex announced. “Maybe Grandfather knows where where Dreagon’s taken her and what he wants with her.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Tommy.
“You don’t have to,” said Dex.
“Yes, I do. Terry Springwillow was one of my karate students.”
Dex and Tommy arrived at Dex’s cave a half hour later. After exchanging greetings with Magno and Chopper, Dex summoned his mind crystal and opened a telepathic link with King Lexian of Edenoi.
“Grandfather,” he said, “I must speak with you.”
An image of the old King appeared in front of him.“Yes, Dex. What is it?” Then his eyes fell on the former White Ranger. “Tommy, this is an unexpected surprise. How are you and your Ranger friends?”
“We’re fine,” said Tommy. “But, I need your help.”
“Oh?”
“Count Dreagon has kidnapped one of Tommy’s marital arts students,” said Dex.
“She has short, red hair, and brown eyes and is about five feet, five inches tall,” said Tommy. “Has she been taken to Edenoi?”
“Not that I am aware of,” said Lexian. “None of our spies here have seen a human girl on any of the outposts Dreagon has left, or anywhere on Edenoi for that matter.”
“Do you know of any other place where she could be?” Tommy asked.
“There are a thousand places Dreagon could have hidden her,” said Lexian. “and even I don’t know where they all are. Do you know why Dreagon kidnaped the girl?”
“No,” said Tommy.
“But there are ways of finding out,” said Dex. “It’s easy to get some of Dreagon’s minions to talk. We’ll just ask one of them where Terry is, and why she was taken prisoner.”
“I will do the same with the Pledge Patrollers that our people have captured,” assured the King of Edenoi.
“I just hope we can find her before something bad happens,” said Tommy.
Dex put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll do everything in my power to find her, my friend. I promise.”
Venisslah tossed and turned. Her bed was soaked with sweat and she couldn't sleep.
She had sent that slave, Daneval, to the executioners before she went to bed. That had been satisfying, but not as satisfying as a dose of spice.
The spice. Her body craved it. It wouldn’t let her get a moment’s rest until she had more, but getting more was impossible now. Her mother had the entrance to her tunnel blocked day and night in an effort to end her daughter’s addiction. Venisslah couldn’t get out of the palace and go to her secret hiding place in the jungle.
Venisslah screamed in frustration. How could this be happening to her? She wasn’t supposed to get addicted. Addiction was for fools, simpletons, and weaklings. She wasn’t a fool, she was a princess, she was strong, she was indestructible.
Someone knocked on Venisslah’s bedroom door.
“Who is it?” the princess bellowed.
“It’s your slave, RE9. Is evreything all right?”
“Does everything sound all right?”
“No, I suppose it doesn’t. Razzor sent me to fetch you for fighting class.”
Fighting class. That’s where Venisslah was supposed to be. She’d managed to get into her black uniform before she decided to skip part of class and try to get some sleep. She was up all night because she was in pain. She still was in pain, so she decided to skip the class all together.
“I told you to tell that bubbling blockhead that I would be right down,” Venisslah said.
“That was over an hour ago,” said RE9.
“Well, tell him that I’m skipping class today.”
“He won’t be happy with that, and neither will your mother.”
“I don’t care.”
“Very well. I will tell them.”
“Wait. Get in here.”
The door opened, and the Concorian slave stepped in. “Yes?”
Venisslah got off her bed and put an arm around RE9.
“You’ve been working too hard lately. Why don’t you just take the day off.” She shoved the girl into her tiny room and locked the door. She had an idea on how to get out of the palace and she couldn’t risk having Razzor come up to drag her out of bed and discover that she was gone after he was told that Venisslah was planning on skipping class.
“Your Highness, let me out!” RE9 screamed.
“Shut your mouth,” said Venisslah. “I have business to attend to.”
Venisslah walked out the door and manage to sneak from there to the kitchen without anyone noticing her.
There was only one guard blocking the doorway to her tunnel. The kitchen staff had finished cleaning up the morning meal dishes, and were taking a break before they had to start lunch.
Without the guard seeing her, she grabbed two pans out of the sink. She threw one at the guard’s unhelmeted head, but missed and hit a shelve with tall glasses on it.
“Who’s there?!” the guard shouted, looking in the direction of the shelf.
Venisslah snuck up behind him and knocked him out with the other pan. Then she dashed into the tunnel.
While Terry was in fighting class, Jean decided to go and visit her other friends. She had just entered one of the tunnels when a strong hand grabbed her, while another was cupped over her mouth.
“Don’t scream. It’s me,” said the hands’ owner.
The voice was Darec’s. He took his hand off her mouth.
“Darec, what are you doing?” Jean asked.
The teenage guard brushed a strand of hair out of his face. “I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About a lot of things. First of all, Daneval.”
“What about him?”
“They took him away last night. By order of Princess Venisslah. When one of the slaves demanded to know why, she said it was to get back at Terrina for something.”
Jean gasped. “No.”
“I’m afraid it’s true. There was nothing I could do to save him. But there is something we can do to save YC12, KJ39, GF68, and all of Earth.”
“How?”
“I’m guarding their prision cells tonight. I can set them free. Then we can sneak into Veriki’s lab and destroy the Psychos’ powers. KJ39 was Veriki’s slave, so he knows how to do it. Afterwards, I can get all four of you on a transport going off planet. The pilot is a friend of mine. You can trust him. He’ll drop you off on KO-35.”
“All four of us?”
“Yes. You can go with them. There’s no reason to stay here as a slave anymore. If you want help to overthrow Comandri, now, you’ll have to get it from someplace else. There’s no way the other guards are going to let you form another rebellion.”
“We’ll, I’ve already got arrangements to get help from Earth.”
“Who?”
“The Power Rangers and the Masked Rider. Not to mention the Crimson Rider.”
Jean had told Darec about Terry and what her plans were for getting back to Earth by pretending to be evil. That was enough to convince Darec and many other slaves that thought the princess was evil, that she was really on the side of good.
“The heroes of Earth have enough to do already,” said Darec.
“They can’t stay busy forever,” said Jean.
“That’s true, but Princess Terrina can give the other heroes the message about the conditions here. Your friends need a leader. And you’re a better leader than Shem was. No offense to him, but you are.”
“What about you? You’re a good leader, and even if you make Comandri that you were knocked out by a mysterious attacker who freed your prisoners, she’d have you executed. You have to go with them.”
“And you?”
“I don’t know. How long do I have to make up my mind?”
“The transport leaves at dawn. I have to put the plan into action two hours before that, at least.”
“I’ll let you know by then.”
Fighting class was over. It was shorter than usual because today, Razzor had only one student to teach. Venisslah never did show up.
Terry went back to her room for some R&R time in her bathroom spa, but when she opened the door, she found Jean sitting in a chair, staring off into space.
“Hey,” said Terry, “What’s on your mind?”
“A lot of things,” Jean replied.
She told Terry about her encounter with Darec, and his plan to escape from Concorock.
“Can I help out?” Terry asked.
“It’ll be risky,” Jean warned.
“What would life be without any risks?”
“Boring?”
“You got it.” Terry sat in a chair across from Jean. “Why don’t we send Daneval with them. He’s been wanting freedom longer than any slave on Concorock.”
Jean lowered her eyes. “Daneval can’t come.”
“Why not?”
“Guards took him away last night. Venisslah ordered it.”
Terry gasped. If Venisslah ordered guards to take Daneval, that could only mean one thing.
“Daneval is....?”
Jean nodded. “To have revenge on you.”
Terry rose form her chair and stomped out the door. Jean hurried after her.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To have a little chat with Venisslah,” Terry replied.
Venisslah’s room was just down the hall from Terry’s, so the two girls were there in no time. The door was open. Terry looked in to see that the room was empty.
“Venisslah!” Terry called.
“She’s not here,” said a voice.
“It’s coming from the slave’s room,” said Jean.
Terry unlocked the door and let RE9 out. “Where’s Princess Venisslah?”
“She left about fifteen minutes ago. She wouldn’t tell me where she was going, but I could see it in her eyes. She’s going to get more spice.”
Terry knew that if Venisslah got her hands on more spice, it would make her addiction even worse. She had enough to last her for awhile, but what would happen when that ran out? Terry’s first thought was to let her cook her own goose. Whatever became of her, she deserved it. But then she remembered what Daneval said, and what she learned in school about the horrible things drugs could do to a person. Did anyone deserve to die like that?
“I have to go after her,” said Terry. “I can’t let her get her hands on anymore of that stuff.”
RE9 was shocked, but Jean knew why the princess was wanting to stop her sister. “I once had the job of delivering some of Venisslah’s supply to the palace. I know a shortcut to her hiding place out in the jungle, that she doesn’t know about. If we leave now, we can get there before her.”
“Let’s go,” said Terry.
If Terry or Jean had any doubts that Venisslah could’ve made it past the guard at the front of the tunnel, they were dissolved when they heard one of the cooks scream for a doctor because the guard was unconscious.
Jean led Terry through another tunnel. This one was longer than the one Venisslah used, but when they got out of it, they found themselves in the middle of the last Concorian rain forest. After going over a hill, they were at the shore of the Braki River.
“This is the place,” said Jean.
Terry followed her to where a large rock sat in front of a bush. Jean bent down to pick up the rock. Terry bent down to help, but soon discovered that her help wasn’t needed when she and Jean lifted the rock, and revealed that it was made of light plaster.
Under the rock was the lid of a large, wooden crate. Jean and Terry pulled the crate out of the hole it was resting in, and opened it. Inside was fourteen packs of engeric spice.
“Let’s get rid of this stuff,” said Jean.
“Yeah,” Terry agreed.
Terry grabbed a pack and prepared to throw it into the water.
“No,” said Jean. “We cant throw any of it into the water. There are many animals that have to drink out of this river, and if they consume too much of this, they’ll go into a fit of rage, then die.”
“Then how do we get rid of this?”
Jean tore the bag open and let its contents fall to the ground, then she mixed it in with the dirt with her foot, making the spice worthless. Terry did the same with her bag. They did the same with the other bags until only six were left.
Terry heard footsteps coming toward them. “Someone’s coming. We have to hurry.”
“Then, we’ve got to hide it.”
They took the crate into the foliage near by. Jean quickly disappeared into it with her end of the chest.
“Are there any poisonous plants in there?” Terry asked.
“No,” said Jean.
Terry stepped in, just as Venisslah steeped out of another foliage. The girls heard her howl in despair and outrage.
“Oh no,” Jean whispered.
“What?” Terry whispered back.
Jean pointed to the ground they had walked on. Their footprints were still there, they had forgotten to cover them up.
And Venisslah spotted them.
The angry princess followed the tracks and ripped through the foliage.
“You!” she screamed. “When are you going to stop torturing me?!”
“Believe it or not, I’m trying to help you,” said Terry. “This stuff is killing you, Venisslah. It’s controlling your life and it’s killing you.”
“Shut up!” Venisslah screamed.
She wrestled Terry to the ground. The two sisters grappled in the dirt. During their struggle, they bumped into the crate of spice, causing it to tip over. Five of the bags spilled into the water. Terry and Venisslah didn’t notice this, but Jean did. So did the creature swimming in the water. He saw the five packs and wondered if they were good to eat. So he opened his moth and swallowed them all.
Jean gasped. She and Terry had to get out of there, and fast. She looked over at the two combatants. Venisslah was on top, and Terry was struggling to get her off.
Jean ripped Venisslah off and pushed her into a tree with just enough force to knock the princess out.
Terry got to her feet. “Thanks.”
“We have to go,” said Jean. “Something swallowed some of the spice.”
“What was it?” Terry asked.
The creature emerged from the water. It was a giant, grey lizard, big as one of those Lockness Monsters Terry had heard about. It had some sort of white mask on its face that covered its whole mouth-which was like a pointed duck’s bil-and circled around its glowing red eyes. When the thing opened its mouth and roared, Terry saw two rows of razor sharp teeth.
“Lagera!” Jean screamed.
The beast was charging through the woods at high speed. Terry and Jean rolled out of his path as he bolted toward them. Terry couldn’t believe the speed and power of this thing. In less then a minute, he had disappeared from view, and had crushed nearly evreything in its path, including trees, sending birds and animals fleeing for their lives.
“The poor things,” said Jean.
Terry had to agree with her on that one. Most of those animals had lost their homes and the trees and plants they got food from. Then she looked down the path the the Lagera had made and thought of something else more disturbing.
“Daneval said that the emerald tooth of the lagera keeps it from dying.”
Jean nodded. “It will keep it from dying because of the spice, but it couldn't stop that lagera from going crazy.”
“How long before the spice wears off?”
“I don’t know.”
Terry stood up. “Ecto Morpher Activate!”
Jean had to cover her eyes as a flash of red light transformed her friend into the Crimson Rider.
“You’re going to fight a crazed lagera?”
“That thing is headed for Mount Royalace,” Terry said. “I have to stop it before someone gets hurt.”
Venisslah woke up to an aching head and a practically empty forest. There wasn’t a person or animal in sight, but there was a wide path of crushed trees and plants. Something big had definitely come through here, but Venisslah wasn’t interested in what it was. All she wanted right now was spice. Even a bump on the head couldn’t make her forget that she needed more.
She got up and tried to walk to the crate, but her legs were so shaky that she fell down several times before she finally got there. When she did, she saw the crate was tipped over on its side. All of her stuff could've fallen into the river!
“No! No!” Venisslah screamed.
She looked into the chest to see that one pack still in the crate. Venisslah picked it up, and cradled it like a baby. Then she opened the pack, scooped a little spice into the tube, and poured it on her tongue. Instantly she felt the feeling she craved so much. All of the pain in her body was gone, she felt like she could take on the whole universe.
Venisslah ran all the way down the wide path of crushed foliage with a smile on her face and her pack of spice tucked under one arm. She’d find a place for this somewhere in the palace. A place where no one would find it.
As she neared the peasants' village, Venisslah heard screaming. As she got closer, she saw a huge monster tearing the place apart, and making its way to the nobles’ village.
Venisslah’s first thought was to run. To get away from there as fast as she could, but being afraid was what got her in trouble with her mother on the day of the rebellion. No. This time she would fight. She would beat this thing, get back in her mother’s good graces, and show everyone that she was better than Terrina.
She would need more spice, of course. Already, her body was calling for more. She would need to have as much energy as possible for this fight. She opened the pack again, but this time she didn’t bother with the tube. She just dumped the whole pack into her mouth.
It was terrible. Destruction was all over the place. Jean was kept busy helping people get to safety, while Terry tried her best to keep the lagera away from the people. It was hard because any kind of wound that the Crimson Rider inflected on the beast was healed in an instant and the lagera didn’t even appear to fell any pain.
A lot of people didn’t know who the Crimson Rider was, but any kind of help they could get right now, they’d take. A few peasants knew that their hero was none other than the Crown Princess, and were amazed that the eldest daughter of Queen Comandri would give them any help at all.
As the lagera got closer to the nobles’ village, the Concorian army, led by Razzor, came with their blasters to stop it. Terry ran over to them. Maybe Razzor had a plan to stop this thing.
“We can’t let this creature get past us,” said Razzor. “People’s lives will be at stake if we do.”
“Lives are at stake right now,” Terry said.
“Those are peasants. They don’t really count as people.”
Terry heard the sound of a small child crying. She turned to the left and saw that a little boy was trapped underneath a pile of rubble. Terry raced over to him.
“Princess, don’t!” Razzor cried.
Terry heard him, but didn’t reply. She had to work quickly.
“Help!” cried the boy.
“Just hang tight, kid,” Terry said. “Everything’s going to be okay.” She lifted the rubble off the boy. “Crawl out of there.” The boy did what he was told, and when he was safely out, Terry dropped the rubble. “Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh,” the boy said.
Terry heard a hissing sound and sensed trouble. She pulled the boy closer to her, just as the open jaws of the lagera tore through the air towards them. Terry managed to get the kid out of the way just as the jaws came down on the space where he’d just been.
“Run!” Terry cried.
The boy took off.
Terry heard the solders firing at the monster, but she knew that wouldn’t do any good. Looking up into his mouth, Terry could see the legendary emerald tooth. She had to do what Saramaine did long ago to save her love. Cut out that tooth.
“Here goes,” she said. Terry took her whip out of its holster. “Scorpion Whip, extend!” She watched as the whip grew a few feet longer, then whipped the Lagera. The scorpion stinger at the end of it hit the monster in the eye. It didn’t hurt him, but it did make him mad. It turned its head and growled at Terry.
“You want a piece of me?”
The lagera did. It opened his mouth and lunged at her. Terry cracked her whip again, and this time the stinger got stuck between the lagera’s bottom front teeth. The creature backed off a little bit, then tried to get the thing out from between its teeth by jerking his head back and fourth.
Terry hopped that with her new super strength, she could pull the lagera’s head closer to her, so she could cut out the tooth, but the creature didn’t make it that easy. He jerked its head back with such force that it jerked Terry off her feet and in to the air. As the spectators gasped in horror, the lagera opened its mouth and let the Crimson Rider fall into his mouth. But, the stinger on her whip was still stuck between his teeth, so Terry, who was still hanging on tightly to the handle of the whip, didn’t go into its stomach. Instead she dangled from her whip in the monster’s throat.
“This is so gross,” she said.
Saliva made the whole throat like a slimy, dark tunnel. One that Terry wanted to be out of as soon as possible. She began to climb up the whip. It wasn’t an easy climb, partly because the whip was a little slimy, but mostly because the lagera was violently moving his head and neck around. Finally, she reached the beast’s mouth and found her quarry. It was the small, green, sharp tooth, the last tooth on the right side of the bottom jaw.
“Crimson Saber Activate!” Her saber materialized in her right hand, as she hung on to the whip tightly with her left. Then she began to hack at the emerald tooth.
She managed to get the thing halfway out with one swipe of her blade, but as she raised it to finish the job with another, the lagera’s jaws closed on her blade. Even worse, it managed to get the stinger out from between its teeth! Now, the only thing that kept Terry from being swallowed was her Saber.
Just my luck, Terry thought.
Her luck took another turn for the worst when the lagera tilted his head back and opened its mouth. Terry, quickly positioned her Saber so when she fell past the tooth, it would cut the rest of it off of the gums. The plan worked, and the tooth came out. The lagera howled with pain as Terry fell back down its throat.
She expected to land in a disgusting, slimy, stinky, stomach, but instead, when she was about halfway down, she was thrown forward, out of the throat and smack into the front teeth of the Lagera’s closed jaws. It didn’t take long for Terry to figure out what happened. The lagera had collapsed to the ground. The spice he had swallowed had killed him.
“Princess Terrina,” a voice called.
“I’m in here,” said Terry. “Stand back.”
She used her saber to cut out the lagera’s front teeth, creating a way out of its mouth. She was greeted with cheers as she emerged from the creature. But most of the cheers were coming form the solders and the Royal Guards, not the peasants, and Terry knew why. They were thinking about their homes. A lot of the buildings were damaged beyond repair. The peasants were too poor to replace them, and Comandri would never agree to help them. Terry’s victory wasn’t exactly a total victory after all.
Many of the guards were boasting that it was their shot that took the lagera’s life, but Razzor knew better. He had heard the legend of Saramaine, Junva, and Alvero, and had found enough facts over the years to prove that it was true. The only way the lagera could’ve been defeated, was if it had lost its emerald tooth, and there was only one person who had the opportunity to cut it out. Looking around, he found the emerald tooth right by the diseased beast’s mouth. He picked it up and gave it to Terrina with a bow.
“Your trophy, Princess.” The girl took it. “Come. Let’s return to the palace and celebrate your victory.”
On the way back to the Bronze Palace, Jean caught up with the procession and told Terry that no one had been seriously hurt or killed. That was a relief, because Terry couldn’t think of a way to go back there and tend to the injured with the lagera tooth without blowing her cover. Now, she had to figure out a way to help the people who’d lost their homes. Comandri had given Terry a small fortune of Concorian crystals, but she wasn’t sure if even that would be enough to repair the peasants’ village. Before Terry knew it, she and the others were at the gates of the Bronze Palace where Grand Viser Klutzvar was waiting for them.
“Welcome home, oh brave, valiant, skillful...”
“Put a sock in it, fool,” said Razzor. “Where is the queen?”
“In her throne room,” Klutzvar replied. “She wants to see you and Princess Terrina immediately and alone.”
“Very well. Come with me, Your Highness.”
“All right,” Terry replied. “Crimson Rider deactivate.” Her suit disappeared in a flash of red light.
Razzor and Terry walked into the palace, then went upstairs to the throne room. The large, gold plated doors of the room were opened, and two guards were inside, holding a stretcher with a bundle wrapped in a white sheet on it.
“It’s true, Your Majesty,” said one. “She was found outside the village by some peasants, who brought her here shortly after the Lagera went on the rampage. The Royal Physicians have concluded that she died from an overdose of engeric spice.”
The expression on Comandri’s face was one of pure anger. “If anyone ever asks how she died, tell them she was killed by the lagera. Make sure that the Physicians and anyone else who knew she was taking spice say the same thing if any of them are asked. I won’t have it said that any daughter of mine was a spice addict.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards said.
“Now, take the body into the jungle and leave it there for the wild animals to eat.”
The two guards bowed and left. Terry watched them carry Venisslah’s body until they were out of sight.
“I can’t believe this,” she said. “Isn’t there going to be a funeral or something like that?”
“On Concorock, we don’t mourn for the dead,” said Razzor. “We simply just dispose of their bodies and try to forget them.”
That was one of the most heartless things Terry had ever heard.
“Well, don’t stand there lurking in the doorway,” Comandri said. “Come in.”
The Crown Princess and the Captain of the Guards came forward.
Razzor bowed. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Hi Mom,” said Terry.
“I trust that no member of my army was killed in this battle,” said Comandri.
“No, Majesty,” said Razzor. “All solders are alive and well.”
“Good,” said Comandri. “I’d hate to lose any of my warriors because of some animal. Tell me, Captain, how did your forces and my warrior daughter defeat this menace.”
“I think it would be better to ask the princess,” said Razzor.
“Well,” said Terry. “I can answer that question and a few others.”
Terry told her story, starting with when she heard that Venisslah had left to go get more spice, and ending with her getting out of the lagera’s mouth. Of course, she had to change a few things. She told Comandri and Razzor that she’d gone to Venisslah’s room to see why she missed class, instead of why she got rid of Daneval, and she had to refer to Jean as “my slave,” or “SA17,” and she definitely couldn’t say that she heard the story of Saramaine from Daneval.
When Terry’s story was done, Comandri asked if she could see the tooth. Terry gave it to her and she began to examine it.
“This is the first time, I’ve ever seen a lagera’s emerald tooth. I never dreamed that it would be this beautiful. This must be placed in the palace museum so it will be safe forever and ever.”
“Actually, Mom,” Terry said. “I was hoping that I could keep it.”
“Nonsense,” said Comandri. “A thing like this should be kept where people can see it, but can’t touch it or steal it.”
She had a slave take the tooth the the museum. Terry thought it would be a good idea just to let it go.
For now anyway.
Aboard his Spider Base, Count Dreagon was having Fact, his little flying robot, establish a communication link between himself and his ex-wife. He had waited nearly two weeks to get his daughter back, and he could not wait much longer.
Nefaria, Cyclopter, Double Face and Gork had just entered the bridge when an image of Comandri appeared on the main viewing screen.
“Yes, Dreagon, what do you want?” she asked.
“Your getting reacquainted time is up, Comandri,” said Dreagon. “I want my daughter.”
“Our daughter has become a Concorian hero today. It’d be a shame to take her away now, at the height of her glory.”
“It would also be a shame if I had to go to the Vivian Council and have them force you to give her to me.”
“Really, Dreagie, do you always have to threaten people to get what you want?”
“With you, it’s the only way to get what I want. And don’t call me Dreagie.”
“Do you want me to deliver her to you or should I expect you to pick her up?”
“I’ll come and get her, if you don’t mind. Have her ready to go by early tomorrow morning.”
“She won’t be happy.”
“Oh, on the contrary, I’d think she’d be thrilled to get out of your palace and return to serving me. She was very anxious to get the Masked Rider Powers for me.”
“Whatever. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And with that, she terminated the link.
“Should we start out for Concorock?” asked Nefaira.
“Not now,” said Dreagon. “I want to see what Dex is doing, first.”
He pressed a few buttons on the computer console, and an image of the Stewart family appeared on the screen. They were enjoying a peaceful, sunny day at Leewood Park.
“Look at them,” said Cyclopter. “They don’t suspect a thing.”
“Dex should enjoy this day while he can,” said Double Face. “Tomorrow, he will meet his match.”
“This family get together is making me sick,” said Gork. “An attack on the Stewarts will spoil it quick.”
“No, Gork,” said Dreagon. “This is the sort of thing that will get the Masked Rider off guard, making it easy for Terrina to defeat him.”
“Yes, sir,” said Gork. “Whatever you say. It is your wisdom that will help us win the day.”
Gork withdrew from the bridge and went to the part of the ship where the Maggots and Comandoids, Double Face’s foot solders, were spending their time. He knew that they were bored, and would gladly help him spoil Dex’s day. After all the trouble the young Prince gave him, Gork couldn’t bear to see him happy.
“Come on, everyone,” said Gork. “This is where we have some fun.”
***After everyone had eaten their fill of the picnic lunch Barbara had made, Tommy, Dex, Albee, and Molly went off to play frisbee, while Hal and Barbara sat under a tree and watched, and Furbus sat in the picnic basket, eating the leftovers.
Molly threw the frisbee to Albee, but her aim was too high and it sailed right over her brother’s head.
“I’ll get it,” said Albee. And he ran off after the frisbee.
As soon as the boy was out of sight, Dex got the feeling that something was wrong. One look at the green dot appearing on her alien brother’s forehead told Molly something was definitely wrong. Dex’s incetopathic sense never went off unless something was really wrong.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It’s Gork,” Dex replied. “He and a troop of Comandoids and Maggots just landed in the park.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Albee, come back!”
But Albee didn’t hear him. He was too busy chasing after the frisbee, which had landed by a park bench. As he reached down to pick it up, an ugly foot steeped on it. Albee looked up to see that it was connected to Gork, one of Dreagon’s minions.
“What do you want?” Albee asked.
“Like you, enjoying a sunny day,” said Gork. “To do it, we’ve heard that the park is the best way.”
As soon as he said “We’ve” a squad of Maggots and Comandoids appeared behind him. And Albee wasn’t the only one who saw them. Other people in the park had noticed the monsters and were running for their lives. Albee, deciding that he’d better join them, turned and took off.
“After him,” Gork said to his army.
The Maggots and Comandoids hurried to obey. One of the Comandoids was in such a hurry, that he didn’t watch where he was going and ran right over the evil commander.
Albee was fast, but the monsters were faster. It didn’t take long for a Maggot to catch up to Albee and grab him.
“Let him go,” said a familiar voice.
They knew the voice belonged to Dex, so they turned in the direction his voice had come from and got ready to fight him, but they gasped in surprise when they saw another young man, who looked a few years older than the prince, standing beside him, ready to fight them.
Dex and Tommy took advantage of their opponents delay and attacked.
The Maggot that had Albee backed away from the fighting. It wasn’t in the original plan to kidnap a member of Dex’s family, but perhaps this human could be of some use in Dreagon’s plan. Before he could teleport back to the Spider Base, however, a thick, dead tree branch struck him in the back with such force, that the branch broke and he was put in agony. He let go of Albee, fell to the ground, and moaned. As he did, he got a look at his attacker. It was Molly Stewart.
“Thanks, Molly,” said Albee.
“Anytime,” Molly replied. “Now, let’s go.”
As they ran to safety, Gork ran to the battle scene. It was time to heat things up. He fired an energy bolt out of his head.
“Tommy, look out!” Dex cried.
The two young men dove for cover-Dex behind a tree, Tommy behind a bush-as bolt after bolt of Gork’s energy came hurling at them.
“Ecto Phase Activate!” Dex cried. Instantly, he was transformed into the Masked Rider. “Now it’s time to take care of Gork. Rider Kick!” He came out from behind the tree leaped into the air and nailed Gork with the powerful kick.
While Dex and Gork battled each other, Tommy thought it would be a good idea to finish off the monsters that came with him, and get some answers about Terry while he was at it. The problem was, Tommy and Dex had already given the Maggots and Comandoids a sound thrashing, and they weren’t going to stick around and get another one. Eight of the monsters teleported back to the Spider Base, leaving a Maggot-the one Molly had cloberd-under a tree.
Dex expected this fight to be a quick one. Of all Dreagon’s commanders, Gork had the less courage, the less skill, and the less brains. The only thing he was good at was being annoying.
“Ready to give up, Gork?”
“Never. I’ll never surrender to a punk like you. I’d rather be put in a stew.”
Dex kicked his adversary’s legs out from under him. “Your rhymes aren’t going to get you anywhere. You’re just wasting your breath.”
Gork got back up on his feet.“You’re going to be mincemeat when I get through with you!”
“Electro Saber Activate!” The weapon appeared in Dex’s hand and Gork gulped.
“Then again, he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.” And with that, he vanished.
“Guess that’s that,” said Dex. “Tommy, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he heard the former Ranger reply. “But I’m having a hard time understanding what this guy is saying.”
Dex turned and saw that Tommy had pinned one of the Maggots to a tree. The other Maggots and the Comandoids had disappeared. He walked over to Tommy. “I know his language.”
“Good,” said Tommy. He turned his attention back to the Maggot. “Okay pal, I’ve got a translator, so now you tell me where Terry Springwillow is and why you captured her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the bug said.
“Perhaps this will help you remember,” said Dex, waving his Saber in the Maggot’s face.
The monster made a noise that sounded like a “yipe!” “Dreagon’s using her to get a more powerful version of the Masked Rider Powers, called the Crimson Rider Powers. He’s going to have your cousin use them to defeat you.”
“I don’t have a cousin.”
“Yes you do. You’ve just never known it until now. The girl your friend over there calls Terry Springwillow, is really Terrina, the daughter of Count Dreagon and Queen Comandri of Concorock.” He told Dex evreything he knew about Terrina, her abduction at age three to how and why Dreagon had gotten her back. “Now, will you please let me go?”
“Let him go, Tommy,” said Dex.
Tommy did as he was told and the Maggot disappeared.
“Well,” Tommy asked. “What did he say?”
Dex powered down. “Tell me, Tommy, what was Terry’s full name?” Part of him didn’t believe that what he heard form the Maggot was true.
“Terrina Ann Springwillow. Why?”
Dex sighed. It was true.
Dex waited until the Stewart family got home before he told them and Tommy what the Maggot had told him.
“What will you do now?” Furbus asked.
“I don’t know, Furbus,” said Dex, petting his pet on the head. “Tommy you’ve known Terrina long enough to know what she’s like.”
Tommy knew what Dex was thinking and decided to answer his question before he asked it.“I know that she doesn’t like being called Terrina and she’s nothing like her father.”
“What if Dreagon brainwashed her?” asked Molly.
“He wouldn’t do that,” said Dex. “Not if Comandri is anything like her father.”
Dex explained that before Dreagon took over Edenoi, the planet was often visited by traders from various planets. When he was a young boy, Dex liked to go down to the docking bay and listen to some of the stories they had to tell. One of them was about King Tyroben of Concorock and his daughter Comandri. The princess was so sure that she would be named her father’s successor, that she had the royal crest of Concorock tattooed on her oldest daughter’s arm shortly after she was born. That showed that the little girl would be Crown Princess of Concorock when Comandri became queen. But her father disappointed her when he chose one of his nobles to succeed him.
“This noble was the son of Tyroben’s most evil friends, and that was the main reason he was chosen to be the Crown Prince, but what Tyroben didn’t know was that he was not like his father. The noble was a good man who didn’t like Tyroben or his evil ways. At first the noble was thrilled to be in a position to change things when Tyroben was gone, but after three years, he got tired of waiting for the king to die, so he hired an assassin to speed things up. But Comandri learned of this plot and told her father, so the noble was executed and Comandri was made Tyroben’s successor. The two monarchs thought that the noble had tried to kill the king because he was impatient to be king, not because he was good. So Tyroben still believed that if you had evil parents, then you were destined to be evil. Comandri probably believed the same thing.”
“But,” said Tommy. “what if she doesn’t?”
“I don’t know,” said Dex. “I’ve been thinking about that all the way home. I think I might need the Power Ranger’s help on this one.”
Terry was thrilled when Comandri told her that she was going to go back to Dreagon tomorrow morning. Her act was finely coming to an end. From then on, her time as an evil doer was numbered. She would finely be going home! She couldn’t wait! Jean offered to help her pack, but Terry turned the offer down. She wasn’t going to pack much. Just the clothes she came to Concorock in, her tape player, her pearl necklace, and some unused bars of sweet smelling soap from her bathroom for her mom back on Earth. She couldn't find anything her dad might like. All of that stuff fit easily into a black backpack. She would be wearing her training suit when she left tomorrow.
There was one last thing that she had to do before she left, though, and she and Jean were going to take care of that tonight.
Both girls could barely get any sleep because they were so nervous. They tried to calm themselves by talking quietly to each other-that was easy to do because, ever since they had become friends, Jean had been sleeping on the soft couch in Terry’s room. It helped, but not much. Each minute seemed like an hour, the girls hearts were beating crazily, and each felt like her stomach had been turned inside out.
Finely, the clock in the hall chimed twelve times, announcing that it was midnight. Jean and Terry slipped on the cloaks that Terry and Venisslah had worn when they snuck out of the palace.
All was quiet in the palace, except for the few guards on duty. Terry and Jean managed to slip past them without being seen.
This is almost too easy, Terry thought.
The girls didn’t begin to calm down until they reached the dungeon where Darec was waiting for them.
“You’re here,” he said.
“Yes,” said Jean. “Terry and I are going to help you escape.”
To Terry’s surprise, no one had any objections to that. Darec must of told the three teenagers in the cell that she wasn’t as bad as they thought.
Darec unlocked the cells and the six of them made their way to Veriki’s lab. Once they were inside, KJ39 immediately got to work. First, he brought up the program for the Crimson Rider Powers and managed to delete it without destroying the powers. Now, Terry’s powers were totally her own. She didn’t have to worry about Comandri or Veriki using the program to bring her back to Concorock when things went wrong and she didn’t have to worry about losing them when Dark Specter was gone.
Now, it was on to the Psycho Rangers. It didn’t take as long for KJ39 to star deleting their program because he wasn’t trying to save the Psycho Powers, but Darec urged him to hurry, none the less.
“The transport is leaving soon,” he said. “We can’t miss it.”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” said KJ39.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming toward the main door of the lab.
“What are you doing?” a voice asked.
“Checking out the lab,” said another. “I thought I heard something in here.”
“How can anything get in there? The door is locked.”
“KJ, get out of there,” said YC12.
“But I’m not done erasing the program,” KJ39 said.
“We have to get out of here, now,” said Terry.
KJ39 got out of the program and covered his tracks as best he could and as fast as he could. Then, he shut down the computer. “Let’s go.”
The six young people scrambled toward a the side door. Terry saw the box of back up disks for the Crimson Rider and the Psycho Rangers’ programs. She grabbed it and quickly followed her friends out the door. Darec relocked the door as two guards unlocked the main door.
“That was close,” said Jean.
“Tell me about it,” said GF68.
“We couldn’t have stayed long anyway,” said Darec. “The transport will be here in a few minutes. If we’re not there, he’ll leave without us.”
“How much of the Psychos’ powers did you erase?” Terry asked.
“I’m not sure,” said KJ39. “All I know is they won’t be able to grow to humungous size anymore.”
Terry pattted the side of the disk box. “And with out this, Vereiki won’t be able to restore that power.”
“You need to get rid of those as soon as you can,” said Jean. “If anyone sees them in your posession, they’ll know you halped us escape and sabatoge the Psychos’ program.”
“I’ll take that chance,” said Terry. “I’m going to give these to the Rangers as soon as possible. Maybe they can use these to find the Psychos’ weakness. KJ, did Veriki put like a virus on these that would infect any computer that tries to open them with out some kind of password?”
“No,” replied KJ39. “But the information on the disks is in some sort of code that even I don’t know how to break.
“Guys, the transport will be here any minute. Let’s go,” said Darec.
It didn’t take them long to get to, then through the tunnel that led just outside the palace wall. The side they were on didn’t have very many guards on it. Just three guards and they had fallen asleep at their post. The transport and its pilot hadn’t arrived yet.
Jean faced Terry. “Since we have some time, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What?” Terry asked.
“I won’t be going with you to Earth. I’m going with my friends.”
Terry had hoped that Jean would come with her to Earth, it would be fun to show her new best friend the sights, but if Jean wanted to go with her friends, that was her choice. But Terry was going to miss her. “I understand. I just wish I had some sort of good-bye gift for you.”
“You’ve already given me a name and a wonderful friendship that will last forever.”
“Besides,” said Darec, “this isn’t ‘good-bye’. This is ‘see you later.’ When Comandri is finaly ousted and you are queen, we will come back.”
“Speaking of names,” KJ39 began. “Now that we’re about to be free, I think it’s time we got some of our own. I’ve already picked mine out. Sage.”
“Sage?” asked Terry.
“Yes. a sage is a wise person and that is what I consider myself to be.”
“YC12 and I haven’t picked out our names yet,” said GF68. “Could you give us some?”
Terry looked at the human beauty standing before her. She looked like an actress she saw playing the lead female role in Romeo and Juliet several years ago at the Angel Grove Playhouse.
“How about Juliet? She was the main character in one of Earth’s most famous love stories.”
“And she’s a good person, right?”
Terry nodded.
“What about me?” asked YC12.
“Umm.....Katarina? It’s a name that seems to fit you.”
“I like it.”
A second later, a vehicle that looked like a hovering truck pulled up to them. The driver got out and opened up the back. Jean, Darec, Katarina, Sage, and Juliet silently climbed into the back and squeezed into empty shipping crates after waving good-bye to Terry. Then, the driver cover the tops of the boxes with trays of fruit to make it look like that was what the boxes were filled with, just in case the boxes were searched. Terry hopped the sir holes in the sides of the boxes wouldn’t give their passengers away.
“Are you coming, Miss?” the dark skinned Concorian driver asked.
“No,” said Terry.
The driver closed up his truck and got back into the cab.
Terry went back in the tunnel.
“Hey!” she heard someone yell. “What are you doing down there?”
It was one of the guards. He must of woke up and saw the truck.
“I’m just fixing my transport,” said the driver. “It broke down on me. I’ve got it fixed now, so I’ll be on my way.”
“Well, hurry up,” said the guard. “Before the slaves decide to hitch a ride with you.”
Terry breathed a sigh of relief. They fell for it. Now, she had to hurry and get back to her room. She had to finish covering her and her friends tracks. If she hurried, she could snag a few more hours of sleep before she had to leave.
Terry returned to her room with gloves on and a few tools. With them, she took the lock off the empty slave’s room. She had to make it look like she’d locked Jean up, but someone else had come along to let her out. When she was done, she opened her window, looked around to see if anyone was watching, then threw the tools and the lock out the window. Someone would find them later, but she hoped to be long gone by then.
With a sigh, she flopped on her bed and went back to sleep, only to be awakened by her alarm clock an hour and a half later.
The whole Stewart family and Tommy was in Dex’s cave early that morning. Dex was going to Angel Grove to get the Power Rangers to help him find his cousin. It would be the first time in years that he had worked with the Power Rangers, and they wouldn’t be the Rangers he’d teamed up with before, which was one of the reasons why Tommy was going with him. He was going to introduce Dex to the Space Rangers. The night before he’d canceled his flight to Angel Grove and got a refund for his ticket, saying he’d found another way home.
The plan was to teleport to Angel Grove, then contact the Rangers. That part wouldn’t be to hard. Dex could teleport to anyplace on Earth when he transformed and he could take anyone he wanted with him, and Tommy knew Carlos’ e-mail address. Next, they would have the Rangers meet them at Angel Cove. It was pretty secluded this time of year, so they didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering them, except for evil aliens.
“But why can’t we go with you, boss?” said Chopper.
“I need you and Magno to stay here and keep an eye out for Dreagon. Contact me if he attacks, okay?”
“You got, it Dex,” said Magno.
“Me gommie gommie,” said Furbus. (Which meant “I’m coming, too.”)
“I’m sorry, Furbus, but you can’t come with me, either,” said Dex.
“He’ll be back soon,” said Tommy. “Now that we know where Terry is, it shouldn’t take to long to get her back.” He put his backpack on his back and picked up his suitcase. “Thanks again for all of your hospitality.”
“It was our pleasure,” said Hal.
Tommy turned to Dex. “Are you ready?”
Dex nodded.
“Be careful,” said Barbara.
Tommy put a hand on Dex’s shoulder and began to picture Angel Grove in his mind, while Dex transformed. “Ecto Phase Activate!”
It was 10:00 A.M and all was quiet on board the Astro Megaship. The Rangers had evreything ready for their plan, now they just had to wait for the Psychos to show up.
Silvy wanted to see the plan put into action soon. She was going home tomorrow and she wanted to see those nasty Psycho Rangers meet their end. Besides that, she was bored. Ashley and Alpha were the only ones besides herself on the bridge and they were too busy watching the scanners to play with her. The other Rangers were making sure the Zords were in shape to fight the Psychos.
Carlos entered the bridge from the maintenance area.
“Anything yet?” he asked Ashley.
“No,” the Yellow Ranger replied. “Not yet.”
The Black Ranger then noticed Silvy sitting in a chair, looking lonely. “Bored, huh?”
“Yep,” said Silvy.
“Well, I'm done helping the guys checking things out on the Megaship. Why don’t I take you to the park?”
“All right.”
“Okay, just let me get changed first.”
Carlos headed to the Megalift. After going down a few decks, the lift stopped, Carlos got out and walked to his room. As soon as he stepped in, his computer greeted him with “You’ve got mail.” Carlos figured he’d better take a look at it.
At first he wasn’t too surprised when he found out that the message had been sent by Tommy from a computer at the Angel Grove library, but then he read the message. Tommy wanted all of the Rangers to meet him at Angel Cove as soon as they could. He knew where Terry was and he knew about someone who could help them get her back. Carlos ran back to the Megalift and went back up to the bridge.
Ashley could tell from the look on Carlos face that something good was up. “What’s going on?”
Carlos didn’t answer. Instead he got on the intercom. “Guys, get up here. I think we may have found Terry.”
“Where?” Ashley asked.
“I don’t know, but Tommy does.”
“Tommy?” asked Silvy.
“Tommy Oliver,” said Carlos. “He was the original Red Turbo Ranger.”
The Megalift opened and Andros, Zhane, T.J, Cassie, and Karone walked out.
Zhane immediately went to the scanners, expecting them to be pin pointing Terry’s exact location, but he was disappointed.“Carlos, the scanners are blank.”
Carlos told them about Tommy’s message.
“But how would Tommy know where Terry is?” Cassie asked.
“He said he wanted to introduce us to someone who was going to help us get her back. Maybe, he found out from them,” said Carlos.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” asked T.J. “Let’s go.”
“Can I come, too?” asked Silvy.
The Rangers looked at each other.
“Well....” Karone began.
“All right,” said Andros. “But if we get attacked, you have to get someplace safe.”
“Okay.”
Tommy had a lot of memories, both good and bad, of Angel Cove. In addition to being the sight of many different Ranger battles, it was also the place where he had rescued Trey of Triforia, the Gold Ranger, from drowning after his teleportation beam crashed into the rocks. Afterwards, Trey had told him and the other Rangers that he couldn’t use the Golden Powers for awhile, and that had led to Jason rejoining the team for a few months.
Now Tommy and Dex were driving to that spot from the library in Tommy’s truck.
Tommy parked the truck near a path that went through a large hole in one of the cliffs that looked like a six and a half foot tall arch way. On the other side of it was the cove.
“We walk from here,” he told Dex.
They hadn’t gone very far down the path, when they saw the cove and eight people in the distance.
“Are they Rangers?” Dex asked.
Tommy smiled. He recognized TJ., Cassie, Carlos, and Ashley. “Yeah. Four of them are, at least.”
They quickened their pace until they reached the cove.
“Hey, what took you so long?” T.J. asked.
“Cut me some slack, Teej,” Tommy replied. “I don’t have a communicator anymore.”
“It’s really good to see you again,” said Cassie.
“Yeah,” said Ashley. “Kat told us that you guys were engaged, but we haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet.”
“Congratulations, man,” said Carlos.
“Thanks,” said Tommy. “Hey, who’s your friends?”
The little blonde girl steped forward. “My name is Silvy. I’m what you might call a friend of the Space Rangers.”
“Well,” said Tommy, “any friend of the Rangers is a friend of mine.” He shook hands with Silvy. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Silvy glanced up at the Rangers. “That’s Andros,” she said, pointing to the Red Ranger. “And that’s Zhane, and that’s Karone. They’re the Red, Silver and Purple Rangers.” She pointed to Dex. “Who’s he?”
“This is Prince Dex of Edenoi. He’s the Masked Rider.”
“Wow!”
“Is he the one who’ll help us find Terry?” Zhane asked.
Dex nodded. “Terry’s been taken to Concorock by Count Dreagon. She might still be there.”
“But why?” asked Karone.
“Because, she’s a princess.”
Terrina was with her father now and Comandri’s plan to get rid of him had been put into action. But Comandri was not happy. The palace seemed so empty without her daughters.
Comandri was sitting on her throne when the communication box beeped. She pressed a button on it. “Yes?”
“My queen, this is Veriki,” said the caller. “I have good news. I’ve just discovered that Dark Specter has turned his attention from Earth to overseeing Divatox and her minions, who are moving Zordon to a new hiding place.”
“Excellent,” said Comandri. “Release the Psycho Rangers.”
Dex and Tommy had told the Rangers and Silvy evreything they learned from the Maggot.
“I can’t believe this,” said Ashley.
“Terry’s a princess of Concorock?” asked Zhane.
“Not just a princess, but the Crown Princess,” said Karone.
“So what are we supposed to do now?” asked Carlos.
“We can either go to Concorock and get her, or wait until Dreagon sends her down to Earth,” said Andros.
“If we do that, she might not be on our side anymore when she finely comes back,” said Cassie.
Dex was about to add something, when he sensed that they were about to get some unwanted company.
“Guys..” he began.
He didn’t get a chance to finish, because the air between them and the sea began to shimmer, The Rangers had seen that enough times to know what it meant.
“Tommy! Dex! Take Silvy over there!” Andros cried, pointing to a small tunnel in one of the cove’s cliffs. “We’ll handle these guys.”
Tommy and Dex did what they were told, while the Rangers took cover in different places around the cove. If their plan was going to work, they needed to take the Psychos by surprise.
The Psycho Rangers materialized and looked around the cove.
“Now, where are those Rangers?” asked Psycho Blue.
“Veriki said they’d be here,” said Psycho Red.
They were about ready to go to the town of Angel Grove and attack the town, when they saw the Blue Ranger.
“There you are,” he said. “I’ve been looking all over for you guys.”
Psycho Blue laughed. “Well, that’s just perfect. Because there’s no one we’d rather see more than the Blue Ranger.”
“Then you’re in luck,” said Blue Ranger.
“And why is that?” asked Psycho Black.
Another Blue Ranger rushed out from behind a rock. “Because there are two of us.”
“What?!” cried Psycho Blue. “Two Blue Rangers?”
Suddenly, three more Blue Rangers emerged from various places around the cove. They rushed over to the first two Blue Rangers. Now all of them were standing in a straight line.
“Five Blue Power Rangers and only one Blue Psycho Ranger,” the first Blue Ranger pointed out. “What are you going to do now?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” said Psycho Blue. “I’ll just destroy you all.”
He charged forward and began to fight with the Blue Rangers.
“One of them has to be the Black Ranger,” said Psycho Black.
Psycho Pink stomped her feet.“But how do we tell who is the Pink Ranger, and who the Red Ranger, and who is the Yellow Ranger...”
“When they’re all Blue,” Psycho Red interrupted. “We can’t, but we also can’t let Psycho Blue destroy all of the Rangers. Let’s go.”
Psycho Red, Psycho Pink, and Psycho Black charged forward and began to help Psycho Blue. Psycho Yellow stayed behind.
“When they’re done, I’ll find you, Yellow Ranger.” The air around her shimmered and she vanished.
From their hiding place, Dex, Silvy and Tommy had a clear view of the battle. At first, things were looking good for the Rangers, but then Psycho Red, Black, and Pink joined the Blue Psycho. Even without Psycho Yellow, these guys were tough, but as they tried to find out which Ranger was really the Red, Pink, Yellow, or Black Ranger, or which one was the real Blue Ranger, they got frustrated and sloppy.
“Which one are you?” Psycho Red asked his blue opponent.
“I’m the Blue Ranger,” said the Ranger with Cassie’s voice.
“You must be the Black Ranger,” said Psycho Black.
“Wrong guess,” said the Blue Ranger with Ashley’s voice.
This whole thing had been amusing to watch, but they needed to hurry if they were going to rescue Terry. Dex decided that he needed to get in there.
“This is where I make my entrance,” he said. “Ecto Phase Activate!”
Dex’s transforming caught the attention of the Psycho Rangers, who turned their attention toward him, wondering who this new arrival was and who’s side was he on.
“Since blue seems to be the color of the day, I think I’ll just go right ahead and blend in. Masked Rider Super Blue.” Dex transformed again. This time into a insect warrior clad in red, black, and blue.
“And which Ranger Team are you fighting with?” Psycho Red asked.
“The only true Ranger Team in this galaxy,” said Dex. “The Power Rangers.”
“Then you are our enemy,” said Psycho Pink. She fired an energy bolt from her hand.
“Dex, look out!” cried Cassie.
Dex not only ducked out of harm’s way, but changed into a liquid mass that began attaking the Psychos. Once he had successfully knocked all of the Psychos off their feet, Dex turned back into a solid form beside the nearest Blue Ranger.
“Nice moves,” he said. From the sound of his voice, Dex could tell that he was Andros.
“Thanks,” said Dex.
Behind the pile of fallen Psychos, Dex could see another one, a silver one, coming out form behind some rocks, but instead of attaking, he just gave a thumbs-up sign. Andros saw that and nodded. Dex was confused.
“That’s just Zhane signaling that he and Karone are ready for phase two,” Andros whispered.
Dex nodded, and both he and Andros joined the other Rangers. The Psychos were up and fighting them.
This battle was already getting frustrating for Psycho Blue. “This is hopeless. Blue Ranger could be any one of them.”
Then he decided to just blast all of them, and their little bug friend too. But frustration was affecting his aim, so his blue energy bolts were going everywhere hitting good guy and villian alike.
“Watch it,” said Psycho Pink.
“Shut your mouth,” replied Psycho Blue.
“You.”
Suddenly, purple and silver bolts began hitting the Psychos. After recovering from the blows, the bad guys looked over to see two more Psycho Rangers and they had weapons that looked like the Purple and Silver Rangers’
“I’m the Silver Psycho Ranger,” said one.
“And I’m the Purple Psycho Ranger,” said the other. “We are here to destroy the Power Rangers once and for all.”
“Oh yeah?” asked Psycho Blue.
“Dream on,” said Psycho Black.
The two ignored them and began to attack the Rangers. The blue clad heroes didn’t appear to stand a chance against them. One after another, they were knocked to the ground by what appeared to be strong blows from the new-comers. Now, Masked Rider was in the fight. He grabbed Psycho Purple’s spear, but she yanked it out of his hands and drove the butt end of it into his abdomen, making him double over in pain, then she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder.
“Who do these guys think they are?!” shouted Psycho Blue.
“Well, they’re not taking the Red Ranger from me,” said Psycho Red.
“And there is no way, I”m letting them get the Black Ranger,” said Psycho Black.
“If they thing they’re going to get they Pink Ranger, they’re wrong,” said Psycho Pink.
The four of them approached the two new Psychos.
“Those are our Rangers,” said Psycho Red.
“Hands off,” said Psycho Black.
Blue bolts struck Psycho Red, Black and Pink in the back.
“I’ll take care of Psycho Silver and Psycho Purple,” said Psycho Blue. “You three get out of here.”
“If that’s your wish,” said Psycho Red.
“Good riddance,” said Psycho Black.
“Hasta La Vesta,” said Psycho Pink.
Psycho Black and Pink went back to Concorock, but Psycho Red teleported to the top of a cliff. He wasn’t leaving until the Red Ranger was destroyed by him.
The plan was going well. Four Psychos had left and only one was still around to deal with. The Power Rangers’ carefully choreographed “fight” between “Psycho Silver” and “Psycho Purple” and the five Blue Rangers was enough to make the Psychos’ blood boil. Even Dex did a good job of pretending to get beat by Karone. The blow to his stomach wasn’t that hard, and it was his idea for her to flip him. He had whispered it to her just after she struck him.
Psycho Blue was now trying to fight Zhane and Karone, but he was so out of control, that they were able to get the best of him quickly and easily.
Zhane kicked Psycho Blue in the stomach then stood still as T.J. jumped up on his shoulder then flew through the air and nailed Psycho Blue with his ax. It was then that Psycho Blue guessed the truth. He stood up as the other “Blue Rangers” shed their holographic disguises and revealed their true colors.
“You aren’t Psycho Rangers,” Psycho Blue said.
Zhane and Karone removed their helmets.
“You’re right,” said Karone. “For once.”
“We’re not Psychos,” said Zhane. “And right now, when it’s eight against one, I’m glad I”m not standing where you are.”
“How about now?” Psycho Blue asked, firing a bolt at them. The Power Rangers and the Masked Rider ducked out of its way. Psycho Blue fired bolt after bolt at the heroes who scattered and tried to find cover.
Karone was getting fed up with this guy. It was time for some one to teach him a lesson. She took out her Digimorpher. “Let’s Rocket!” After punching in her morphing code, she went from a fake Psycho Ranger to the Purple Ranger.
After summoning her real spear, Karone used it to fire her own energy bolt at Psycho Blue. It hit him in the back.
“Nice shot,” Zhane called to her. He was several feet away from the others and still hadn’t morphed, but that was about to change. He whipped out his Digimorpher. “Let’s Rocket!”
But before he could punch in his morphing code, something blasted the device out of his hand. Zhane turned to see Psycho Red standing behind him.
“What are you still doing here?” Zhane demanded.
“I wanted the Red Ranger to think that I’d given up on destroying him,” said Psycho Red. “But now, you are going to help to deliver him into my hands so that I can crush him.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t have much of a choice.”
Before Zhane could blink, Psycho Red fired an energy bolt at him. But this one was different than the other bolts he usually shot. This one was like a giant hand that wrapped around Zhane and pushed him to the ground. Psycho Red laughed and picked up Zhane’s Digimorpher. It wasn’t damaged, but that didn’t worry Psycho Red. He threw it at the Red Ranger, who was helping his friends battle Psycho Blue.
Andros had just dodged a kick from Psycho Blue when he felt something hard hit his shoulder. He looked down and saw Zhane’s morpher on the ground. After picking it up, he heard Psycho Red’s fiendish laugh. He looked up to see Psycho Red pulling Zhane to his feet. The Silver Ranger’s arms and legs were bound by what looked like red energy ropes.
“As you can see, Red Ranger,” said Psycho Red. “I have your silver friend. If you want him back, you’ll have to fight me for him one on one at the top of that cliff.” He pointed to the cliff nearest to the sea. “You have five minutes to make up your mind, or I’ll dump this one into the sea and let him drown.” He disappeared with Zhane and then both of them reappeared on the top of the cliff. Psycho Red dumped Zhane on the ground and looked down at Andros, waiting for his decision.
Andros looked over at the rest of his friends. They were still fighting Psycho Blue and had no idea the Zhane had been taken prisoner or that he was going to have to leave them to get him back. Using his super strength, Andros jumped to the top of the cliff.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Meanwhile, back on the ground, Psycho Blue was finding himself on the losing side of this battle. It was time to add more power to himself. “Your problem is just about to get bigger, Rangers.” He transformed into his Mega Monster form, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t grow any bigger. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I grow?”
“Having technical difficulties?” asked Masked Rider.
“Nothing that will stop me from getting rid of you,” said Psycho Blue.
Terry’s departure from Concorock was delayed by the discovery that four slaves and a guard had left the palace. Terry did a good job of pretending that she was angry that her slave had escaped. The guards never suspected that she had helped them get away. Razzor took a squad of guards to the docking bay, but by the time they got there, the transport’s pilot had loaded his cargo on to a ship and was long gone with Jean, Darec, Katarina, Sage, and Juliet.
Now, Dreagon’s Spider Base had just entered Earth’s orbit. Terry was about to go and ask the evil Count if she could go down to the planet’s surface, when she began to feel uneasy.
There was something wrong on Earth. Terry didn’t know what it was, but she could sense it was bad news. She left her room on the Spider Base with her backpack and went to the Bridge. If her help was needed, she would have to leave the Spider Base for good.
When she got to the bridge, she found that it was empty except for Fact.
“Greetings, young princess,” said the robot.
“Fact,” said Terry, “what’s going on in Angel Grove right now?”
Fact was silent for a few moments while he tapped into the Base’s scanners, then said, “Nothing is going on in town, but there is a battle between the Power Rangers, Masked Rider and those Psycho Rangers of your mother’s.”
“Where?”
“In Angel Cove.”
“Angel Cove,” Terry repeated smiling. “I’m outta here.”
“Wait,” said Fact. “I must inform your father. He’ll want to know why you’re going and when you will be coming back.”
“Don’t bother. I’m not coming back. Ecto Morpher Activate!”
After her transformation was finished, Terry found herself standing on the beach just a few feet away from where Dex, Ashley, Cassie, T.J., Carlos, and the Purple Ranger were fighting Psycho Blue.
Where’s Andros and the Silver Ranger? Terry thought, as she hid her backpack behind a rock.
Her question was answered when she looked up and saw Andros and Psycho Red fighting on a cliff. There was also a young man with blonde hair tied with red energy ropes trying to wriggle out of them without throwing himself over the edge of the cliff. Terry guessed that he was the Silver Ranger.
Andros wasn’t doing to well against Psycho Red. The guy seemed to know every move the Red Ranger was going to make before he made it.
The others seemed to be doing okay against Psycho Blue, so Terry decided to go help Andros. She jumped high into the air, landed on a ledge halfway up the cliff, jumped up again, flipped into the air and landed right beside Psycho Red. She drew her laser gun and pointed it at his head. “That’s enough.”
Psycho Red stepped back in surprise. “You?”
“That’s right. Let the Silver Ranger go, then you and Psycho Blue get out of here.”
“No. Comandri has ruined my chances to destroy Red Ranger for too long now. I won’t let her do it again, not when I’m so close to my goal. Now step aside.”
“No.”
While Terry had Psycho Red’s attention Andros freed Zhane.
“Are you okay?” he asked, as he cut the ropes with his Spiral Saber.
“Yeah,” said Zhane. “How about you? You look pretty banged up.”
“I’ll survive.” He handed took Zhane’s Digimorpher out from his laser holster and gave it to his friend.
“Let’s Rocket!” Zhane shouted. This time he wasn’t interrupted as he punched in his morphing code and morphed into the Silver Ranger.
“I’m warning you, Terrina,” said Psycho Red. “Get out of my way, or I’ll....”
“You’ll do what?” asked Terry. “You can’t hurt me. Now, I gave you an order. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Psycho Red knew that if he did anything to harm her, he would get a severe headache. And with Comandri watching his every move, she might order him to be destroyed on the spot. But he figured it would be worth it to get this little pest out of his way. Princess or not, she wasn’t going to stop him now, nobody was. Quick as a flash, he used his energy bolts to tie her up just like he did the Silver Ranger. And nothing happened. No headache, no nothing. He was free to do to this little brat anything he liked.
But he didn’t get the chance. Andros had drawn his Astroblaster and started firing on Psycho Red while Zhane freed Terry.
“Thanks, Silver Ranger,” she said.
“No problem,” the Ranger replied. “And, by the way, my name is Zhane.”
Back on the ground, the battle between the other five Rangers and Masked Rider and Psycho Blue continued.
“I’ll destroy all of you!” he vowed.
“Not today,” said Carlos.
Despite the sound of battle on the ground, Dex could also hear sounds of battle coming from above him. He looked up to see, Andros, Zhane, and a girl clad in red fighting the Red Psycho Ranger. Could that girl be the Crimson Rider?
Anyway, they looked like they could use a hand, and since the other Rangers were about ready to wrap things up, he decided to get up there. He transformed into a liquid mass again and slid up the cliff.
“You’re through, Psycho Red if you don’t leave soon,” Terry threatened.
“Who is going to make me?” Psycho Red replied.
Terry couldn’t believe what was happening. She figured with her between them and the Rangers, the Psychos would have no choice but to leave. They couldn’t hurt her, or make her get out of their way. But after seeing that Psycho Red could harm her without suffering any consequences, she figured out what happened. The part of his and the other Psychos’ program that kept them from harming the royal family was part of the program that Sage had erased!
Oh well. With the three of them working together against one enemy, she, Andros and Zhane soon had the upper hand.
Terry took out her whip and with one flick it was around Psycho Red’s arms and torso.
“Had enough?”
“Hardly,” said Psycho Red. He transformed into his Mega Monster form and, with his added strength, was able to rip the whip out of Terry’s hands and uncoil it from around himself. Then he tossed it on the ground. “You’re fools to think that you could ever defeat me.”
He blasted Andros and Zhane. Terry tried to stop him by kicking him in the ribs, but the villian didn’t seem to feel the blow. Instead, he just laughed, grabbed Terry’s arm and pushed her off the cliff. Terry managed to grab a part of the cliff before she fell too far down, but the rock she was holding couldn't bear her weight. It started to break off of the cliff.
Just before the rock went completely, Terry saw a mass of blue liquid slide up past her. When it got to the top, it changed into the form of the Masked Rider.
“Need a hand?”
Terry didn’t waste any time answering. She reached up, and Dex took her hand just as the rock broke loose and tumbled down the cliff. After Terry gave Dex her other hand, the Prince of Edenoi pulled the Princess of Concorock to safety.
“Thanks,” Terry said.
“Look out!” Andros cried.
Terry looked over Dex’s shoulder to see Psycho Red coming toward them. She shoved her cousin out of the way and shot the villian with her laser.
At the same time, Ashley, Carlos, Karone, T.J, and Cassie finished Psycho Blue. T.J hit him one more time with his Astro Ax, before assembling it with Carlos’ Lunar Lance, Ashley’s Star Slinger, and Cassie’s Satellite Stunner to form the Quadroblaster. A shot from that and a shot from Karone’s spear, and Psycho Blue was history.
“All right,” said T.J. “Blue Psycho Ranger’s singing the Blues.”
“Good job, everybody,” said Karone, “Now let’s find Andros and Zhane. Dex, did you....” she stopped in mid sentence when she saw that the Masked Rider was no where in sight.
“Where’s Dex?” Cassie asked.
Carlos looked up and saw all three missing heroes. “Look! Up there! Andros, Zhane and Dex are fighting Psycho Red. And it looks like Terry’s with ‘em.”
“Do you think we should go up there?” asked T.J.
“I don’t think we need to,” Ashley. “They look like they’re almost done.”
It was true. On Andros’ command, he, Dex, Terry, and Zhane surrounded Psycho Red. The Psycho Ranger knew he had four opponents, but he was only interested in getting rid of one.
He fired a bolt at Andros, who deflected it back at him with his Spiral Saber. As Psycho Red howled in pain Zhane and Terry charged forward.
“Super Silverizer!” Zhane cried.
“Crimson Saber Activate!” Terry cried.
They struck Psycho Red in the back with their blades.
“Spiral Saber!” Andros cried.
“Blue Saber activate!” Dex cried.
The struck Psycho Red in the chest with their weapons and then backed off. Psycho Red was glowing with energy and it was obvious that he was going to blow any second. The Rangers on the ground cheered.
This can’t be happening! Psycho Red thought. He was going to die and he hadn’t destroyed the Red Ranger. It wasn’t fair.
As he pouted to himself, he felt something hard underneath his foot. It was Princess Terrina’s whip. Psycho Red smiled. He still had one card left to play before his demise.
Without warning, he picked up the whip and lashed it around Andros. “If I must go down, then you’re coming with me!” He jumped off the cliff and into the ocean, taking Andros with him.
They both hit the water and went under. Seconds later, there was an explosion.
“No!” Zhane cried.
Terry screamed.
Dex just stood there in stunned disbelief.
Silvy and Tommy had missed the action on the cliff, but from their hiding place in the tunnel, they could see Andros and Psycho Red fall into the water, and they saw, heard, and felt the explosion that followed.
After it was over, Silvy ran to the other side of the tunnel. Tommy called her name and ran after her. He knew that the tunnel led right into the water.
“Tommy!” she called. “Hurry!”
Tommy picked up his pace, and was soon right behind her.
“Look!” she said pointing to the water.
It didn’t take long for Tommy to see what Silvy was pointing to. It was Andros. Tommy only caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared from view, sinking deeper into the ocean.
“Stay here Silvy,” he said.
He dove into the water and started to look for Andros. He had to swim down ward a few feet before he saw the Kerovian’s red uniform through the murky water. Terry’s whip was still wrapped around him. Tommy grabbed it and used it to haul Andros back up to the surface. As soon as they resurfaced, Tommy took the whip off Andros and checked for any signs that he was still alive The Red Ranger was still breathing despite all he’d been through, but he was unconscious.
“Hang on, man. You’re going to be fine,” the former Red Ranger said to the current one.
Tommy was just about to swim back to the tunnel, when he saw Zhane fly over to him on his Galaxy Glider that he had somehow connected to Andros’.
“Is he all right?” Zhane asked.
“I don’t know,” Tommy replied. “He’s alive, but he’s out like a light.”
The two of them carefully loaded Andros on his Glider. By the time they had finished, the other Rangers had flown the the scene on their Gliders.
T.J offered to give Tommy a ride back to the Megaship on his Glider, which the soaked former Ranger accepted. Silvy was already on the back of Carlos’ Glider. Terry, who had retrieved her backpack, was sharing a ride with Ashley, and Dex was with Cassie.
“Let’s get Andros back to the Megaship,” said Karone.
Tommy handed Terry her whip and the Gliders took off.
“How could this happen?!” Comandri bellowed.
She and Veriki were in Veriki’s lab where they had been watching the battle. Two Psychos were gone and her daughter had gone over to the side of good. Could this day get any worse?
“It looks as though someone came in here and tried to erase the Psychos’ program,” said Veriki. “They succeed in destroying the part of it that keeps them from growing and attaking us.”
“And what about the Crimson Rider Powers?”
“The program is gone. Terrina’s powers are now totally under her control.”
“Impossible.”
“Actually, it’s not. And there’s even more bad news. The back up disks I made for the Crimson Rider and Psycho Rangers powers are gone.”
The door opened and the three remaining Psycho Rangers walked in.
“Well,” said Psycho Pink, “now only three of us are left.”
“Thanks to that daughter of yours,” added Psycho Black. “She’s sided with the Rangers.”
“Do you have a plan to help us deal with this problem, my queen?” asked Psycho Yellow. She hated to suck up to Comandri, but right now, it might do her some good. Comandri still could have Veriki destroy her and her comrades at any moment.
“No,” said Comandri. “Not now. Until Veriki can repair the damage done to your powers, you will stay in the palace.”
“What?!” bellowed Psycho Black.
“But, the Rangers have lost their leader,” said Psycho Pink. “We saw his destruction on the monitor in your council chamber. The Rangers will be vulnerable now.”
“You are vulnerable now,” said Comandri. “And since you two have the nerve to question my orders, Psycho Yellow is now your leader.”
“What?!” cried Psycho Black and Pink.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said Psycho Yellow. “I humbly accept.”
“Now get out,” said Comandri.
The Psychos left the lab.
“So, oh great leader,” Psycho Black said to Psycho Yellow, “what is your plan of action?”
“Comandri no longer has such a strong hold over us,” said Psycho Yellow. “When the time is right, we’ll overthrow her and make Veriki improve our powers, then we’ll go after the Rangers and those bug friends of theirs, and wipe them out.”
All of the Rangers, both Riders, Tommy, Alpha, and Silvy were gathered around the med table. Dex had transformed back into his original suit and had removed his helmet. The Rangers had done the same, but Crimson Rider kept her helmet on.
On the table, lay Andros, still unconscious and looking more dead than alive. He had been demorphed, his fight suit jacket and locket had been taken off, and his skin was pale.
Karone was by his side, looking like she was about ready to cry. Alpha was on the other side of the table looking over a near by heart monitor. Andros’ pulse was strong, but slow, and time was increasing between each heart beat.
“This doesn’t look good,” Alpha said.Ashley stood beside Alpha, Carlos stood beside her, and Dex stood beside him. T.J and Silvy stood at the foot of the table, while Cassie took her position across from Dex. Tommy stood next to her and Zhane stood between him and Karone. Terry, who had come in last and couldn’t find a place around the table, stood behind her cousin, looking over his shoulder at the wounded Red Ranger.
“Is he going to make it?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t know,” said Alpha.
“Andros has always been a survivor,” Zhane said. “He’ll pull through. I know it.”
“I’m not sure if he will this time,” said Alpha. “Unless he starts making a miraculous recovery soon, Andros will be gone before evening.”
Tears were forming in Ashley’s eyes. “No. There has to be something we can do to save him.”
Zhane closed his eyes. There was something they could do. They could do the same thing Andros did to save his life when he was critically injured two years ago on KO-35. They could freeze Andros in a cryogenic tube and wait for his body to heal. It would mean that they would be one Ranger short for who knew how long- Zhane had been in hypersleep for two years before he recovered from his injuries-but it was better than just letting him die and be gone forever.
He opened his mouth to suggest the idea to the others, but then he noticed the the Crimson Rider had backed away from the rest of the group.
“There is something we can do,” she said. Everyone looked at her. “Crimson Rider, deactivate!” In a flash of red light, the girl’s armor vanished.
A slight smile formed on her face as she opened her backpack and pulled out the emerald lagera tooth. Getting it back wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. All she had to do was bribe the museum guards into looking the other way while she took it out of its case. Taking a deep breath she walked toward Andros. Dex stepped away to make room for her, and a few seconds later, Carlos did the same.
T.J pointed at the sharp, green object in Terry’s hands. “What is that?”
“It’s the emerald tooth of a Concorian lagera,” Terry explained. “Legends say it has remarkable healing powers.”
She touched the center point of the tooth to Andros’ forehead just like Saramaine did to Corevan in Daneval’s story. The moment the tip came in contact with the Ranger’s skin, the whole tooth began to glow. Tommy, Silvy, Dex, Alpha, and the other Rangers gasped in amazement.
Terry smiled. So far, so good , she thought. After a few seconds she took the glowing tooth away from Andros’ forehead and laid it on his chest.
“What now?” Carlos asked.
“We wait,” said Terry.
The group was scilent for a few minutes before Cassie decided to say something.
“It’s great to have you back, Terry.”
“Thanks,” the Concorian Princess said. “I’ve got a lot to tell you guys. You’re probably wondering...”
“Hey, what happened to the tooth?” Zhane interrupted.
Everyone looked at the lagera tooth. It had stopped glowing.
Terry was worried. Was this supposed to happen?
Alpha checked the heart monitor. “I can’t believe it!”
“What is it?” asked Karone.
“Andros’ vital signs appear to be normal. He’s going to make it!”
Seconds later, the Red Ranger’s eyes fluttered open and began to look around the room. “What’s going on?”
“You don’t remember?” asked Zhane. “You were nearly killed when Psycho Red exploded.”
“I was?” asked Andros. “I remember falling into the ocean, but I don’t remember the explosion. And I don’t feel like I’ve been through one.” He sat up and the lagera tooth feel into his lap. Andros picked it up. “What’s this?”
“It’s the tooth of a lagera,” Terry said. “It has healing powers. It’s what healed you.”
“Did you get it on Concorock?” Tommy asked.
“Yeah,” Terry said “I.... Wait a minute. How did you know I went to Concorock?”
That’s when Dex and Tommy told her how Tommy captured one of Dreagon’s Maggots and how Dex got him to tell them what he knew about her. Of course, Tommy had to tell Terry that he was once a Power Ranger. That didn’t surprise Terry as much as the fact that the people she was so nervious about telling about who she was already knew all about it.
“You knew?!” Terry exclaimed. “I’ve spent an hour worrying over how I was going to tell you and you knew?”
T.J. shrugged. “Sorry.”
The others laughed.
After Terry, Dex and Tommy had received a tour of the Megaship, and Terry had changed back into her street cloths, and made her mind diamond vanish. The Rangers, Riders, Tommy and Silvy had lunch in the galley/maintenance area. That’s when Terry told them about her two weeks on Concorock and about the friends she’d made.
“I miss Jean and the others already,” Terry said. “I wonder if I”ll ever see them again.”
“Maybe you will,” said Andros. “You never know.”
“In the meantime you have a whole new family to get to know,” said Dex. “Grandfather doesn’t know about you yet, but when he does, he’ll want to meet you.”
“I’d like that,” said Terry. “But I have a family on Earth who are probably going crazy with worry. I’d like to get back to them first and let them know I”m okay.”
She turned to ask Ashley if she would give her a ride down to Angel Grove, but then she remembered that this wasn’t the first time she’d met Masked Rider. The alien bug hero had come to her and her family’s rescue about two years ago when a monster named Scorpio attacked their house. After Dex had chased Scorpio off, he made sure the Springwillows were all right, thanked Terry for distracting Scorpio long enough for him to transform into Super Gold, and left without asking Terry her name.
Terry turned back to her cousin. “And Dex, I want you to know that I’m as proud to fight by your side now as I was that night we first met.”
“That night we first met?” asked Dex.
“Yeah. You saved me from Scorpio and when he was kicking your butt, I whipped him in the eye with his own tail so you could change suits. You said you’d be proud to fight by my side if I ever became a Rider.”
“You were that girl?” Dex asked.
Terry nodded. “Kinda ironic that you said what you did before you left. Now, here I am, a Rider and your partner.”
Janice Springwillow sat on the long swing on the front porch of her Victorian style house and stared at the driveway, hoping against all hope that her daughter would appear there at any second. Her husband, Scott came out with two glasses of lemonade and gave one to his wife.
“Terry will be back,” he said. “The Power Rangers gave us their word that they’d get her back.”
“Haven’t you seen the news lately?” Janice asked. “Those Psycho Rangers are keeping them busy. Too busy to even start looking for her.”
“Oh, Janice, give them some more credit than that. No kid that was ever been kidnapped by aliens has not been rescued by the Power Rangers.”
The two were silent for awhile.
“I was just thinking about the time when Rebeckah brought her to us. I fell in love with her at first sight,” said Janice.
“So did I,” said Scott.
“We promised Rebeckah that we wouldn’t let anything happen to Terry.”
“We did our best.”
Janice buried her head in her hands and started to cry. All of a sudden, she thought she heard Terry’s voice. “You know sometimes I think I hear her voice, but it always turns out that it’s in my head.”
“If you’re hearing things, then I’m hearing things, too. And I’m seeing things.”
“What?”
Janice looked up to see Terry running down the street shouting“Mom! Dad! I’m home!”
“Terry!” Janice cried.
She and Scott raced toward their daughter. The three of them meet in the front lawn. Both her parents, her real parents, hugged her tightly.
“Welcome home, sweetheart,” said Scott.
Dex had also returned home to Leewood. The first place he went to was his cave. He opened a communication channel to his grandfather and told him about his newfound cousin.
“So, Dreagon has a daughter,” Lexian mussed.
“She’s nothing like her father,” Dex assured him. “She’s been raised by a good family. She’ll make you proud to call her your granddaughter. I’m already proud to call her my cousin.”
“From what you’ve told me, I”m already proud of her. And of you too, Dex.”
The rest of the day was uneventful for the Power Rangers. They visited awhile with Tommy before he left the Megaship to go visit Kat. Now that he was home for good, it was time to start discussing their wedding.
At about 9:00 P.M, Andros decided to go to sleep. The day’s events had worn him out and he was ready for bed. As he stepped out of the Megalift, he got the feeling that he wasn’t alone. Someone was watching him.
“Hello?” Andros called. There was no answer. “Is anyone there?” Again, no answer, but the feeling that someone was there was stronger than ever.
Suddenly a figure jumped out at Andros from Zhane’s room. It was Psycho Red!
Andros didn’t waste any time trying to figure out how the deceased Psycho could return from the dead. He kicked Psycho Red in the stomach and punched him in the chest.
“No, wait,” Psycho Red said.
But Andros didn’t listen. He pushed the Psycho to the floor and moved in for the kill, just as Psycho Red removed his helmet, revealing a very familiar face.
“Zhane, it’s you!” Andros gasped.
A closer look at the suit he was wearing revealed that Zhane had painted the silver parts of his Psycho Silver suit red.
“I was just kidding,” the Silver Ranger said innocently. Andros helped him to his feet. “Can’t you take a joke?”
“Oh,” said Andros. “It was just a joke.”
“Yes.”
Andros smiled. “Good one.”
And with that, he flipped Zhane over his shoulder.
Compleated August 1999
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