Power Rangers: The First and Last Hope

Power Rangers: The First and Last Hope

Chapter 1: The Drain

The year was 2018. No one on the Earth knows where they came from. One day, a huge ship, bigger than anything anyone could have possibly imagined, began approaching the planet. The huge ship was black, cold and lifeless, the size of a space station and yet able to move at speeds our technology could never hope to achieve.

Before anyone on Earth even had the chance to react, a red beam shot a cannon on the front of the ship, releasing a huge red energy wave towards our planet. The beam soon covered the entire planet, stretching and forming an energy field around the Earth directly connected to the ship.

Slowly but surely, power lines around the planet began losing their energy. Everyone's power began to flicker, and then turn off completely. Nuclear power plants powering hundreds of cities were slowly drained of all their energy until there was nothing left, and anymore power they kept on producing kept on being drained. No one on the planet knew what was happening, or how to stop it, but the ship was draining all of the planet's energy fairly quickly.

Even more importantly, active Power Rangers across the country no longer found themselves able to morph. They called on every power they could think of- Dino Gems, Wind Morphers, Thunder Morphers, Chrono Morphers, Rescue Morphers, and many more- but nothing worked. The Rangers soon began to realize what had happened. Just as the world's power had been drained, so had the power inside of their morphers. They could never morph again.

As the energy field remained around the Earth, still sucking every bit of energy it could hope to create dry, the minions of the ship began to descend. Dressed in black cloaks that covered their faces except for their eyes, and armed with long knives in their right hand, and a strange glove on their left hand that allowed them to zap out black-colored energy, the minions descended from the ship like meteors, flying down through the atmosphere and landing at their destinations. Once they arrived, they proceeded to take control of the areas through brute force. Which wasn't exactly difficult- none of the people protecting their regions could hope to compete with the superhuman fighting abilities and power of these cloaked minions, especially without any power. Computers, so important to today's military, were useless now. So the minions took over, area after area, region after region, until finally they descended on the United States of America's capital.

Washington D.C.

Finally, as the President was apprehended and put into custody by the minions, the people of Earth would get their first view of someone other than the silent, cloaked minions that had been conquering their planet. A small shuttle, painted black much like the mothership and just as cold and steely as it, landed on the grass outside the White House. Suddenly, TVs around the country came back to life, turning on with the image of the White House's exterior and the shuttle landing. People who even bothered to change the channel realized the same thing was on every channel- so they watched, waiting to see what exactly was about to happen.

Slowly, the door to the shuttle opened, revealing a flight of stairs. More minions came down quickly, kicking aside some spectators who had crowded around the shuttle hoping to get a glimpse of their conqueror. Then, he appeared.

Dressed in a black cloak much like his minions, but a much smaller one that allowed you to see his face clearly, he appeared to be human. With short black hair and a rugged, unshaven face, he looked somewhat handsome at that. He was huge, well over six feet tall and quite the physical specimen. As he came down the stairs, his huge black boots clanging on the metal, he looked right at the people of the Earth watching both there and around the world- and he smiled.

“Hello, Earthlings.” he grinned. “I am your ambassador to the Zarset Empire. You may call me Araken. You probably have many questions...well, they're all about to be answered.”

The people around the world watching were all curious as to what he was talking about, but many had a feeling watching it that they weren't going to like his explanations.

“The Zarset Empire are the universe's true race of conquerors.” Araken began. “Born from a solar system far away, we developed the most powerful technology ever seen by any race, human or otherwise. The only problem was, our own planet did not have enough energy to power our incredible creations, nor did we have enough manpower to keep building them. So we began to spread ourselves throughout the universe, using our highly advanced technology to produce draining shields, like the one that was used on your planet. All of the energy this planet produces will be sucked dry by our mothership from now until the end of time, and we'll send the energy back to our home planet, and our power will grow even stronger. Additionally, you Earthlings are now servants of the Zarset Empire. You will build us factories, research centers, and much more. And you will make sure they all run correctly. You will take care of all of the hard labor these facilities require. And if you don't...you will die.”

Araken's bone-chilling grin as he spoke those last few words shook the people watching it around the world to the core. Because they knew he wasn't bluffing. They knew he was 100 serious just by the look in his eyes.

“And know that your precious Power Rangers can't help you anymore.” he said with another grin. “We've seen Power Rangers on most of the planets we've been on, but none of them have ever been able to morph after we've drained their planets of their energy. So, you see, nothing can save you. Why bother fighting? Some of you will choose to accept us rather than fight us, and we'll be more than happy to receive you into our group. Perhaps you'll become regional managers and help us organize the unwashed masses into a labor force worthy of the Zarset Empire. Perhaps you'll insist on struggling against us, and will have to be beaten into submission. I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we? Hahahaha.”

Araken continued laughing as the transmission ended, the TV screens across the world returning to their blank state. He looked around at the people on the White House lawn and, grinning, walked backwards towards the White House. He would have fun turning it into his own personal palace.



Three Months Later...

A young, dirty-blond haired teenager ran through a New York City back alley, a loaf of bread cradled in his arms.

“Hey! Get back here!” a man in an apron yelled behind him. “That bread is for Zarset workers, not street scum like you!”

It's funny of him to say I'm the scum... he thought with a grin.

Ducking a couple workers who attempted to grab him around a corner, the teenager ran down the stairs into the old subway. Of course, the subway was no longer in commission, which made it the perfect hiding place for this young man and others like him.

As he looked around, he spotted who he was looking for. A brown-haired young woman, looking to be not much older than he was, dressed in a pink shirt and blue jeans, with perfect, hand-crafted sandals.

“How did you get those!” he yelled at his older sister. He was dressed in a red t-shirt, jeans, and some really old-looking sneakers.

“I found them.” she grinned. “Why the hell do you care, Tristan?”

“Shut up Ada.” Tristan said as he sighed. “I had to run for my life just to get this loaf of bread, and you're looking for five-hundred dollar sandals!”

“Six-hundred.” she grinned. “Not that it really matters anymore...”

Tristan sighed again and broke off half of the loaf of bread, throwing it to his older sister.

“You know, I wouldn't talk about my sandals.” she said between stuffing her face with bread. “You always make sure to steal plenty of hair-care product to keep that silky-smooth hair of yours perfect.”

“Leave my hair out of this!” Tristan shot back as he ran his hands through it slowly. That caused Ada to giggle.

The 16-year-old Tristan and 17-year-old Ada were both orphaned at a very young age, when Tristan was 3 and Ada was 4, so neither remembers their parents all that well. They have a few pictures that Tristan saves, but Ada isn't a fan of their parents for abandoning them and finds it silly. She also laughs that in all the pictures, their parents are wearing the same colors- their father green, and their mother pink. Part of her hates the fact that she wears pink herself, just like her mother- but part of her has always been drawn to the color, no matter how she tries to talk herself into wearing something different.

The two of them were raised by a nice foster family, the Williams. But of course, three months ago that all came crashing down. Their parents were forced into the Zarset Empire's labor force, and Tristan and Ada barely escaped into the underground. Just trying to survive day-by-day, the two are lucky that the Earth-born Zarset force isn't very organized just yet.

However, the two were about to be in for an unpleasant surprise. As they munched on bread, suddenly they heard someone's loud scream.

“There they are! Those are the peasants who have been stealing from everyone in this area!”

Tristan and Ada turned around to face the person pointing his finger at them, and he was the same baker that Tristan had just stolen the bread from. However, behind him were two people that Tristan and Ada had hoped to never see.

Because they weren't people at all. Rather, they were the cloaked minions of the Zarset Empire.

Tristan and Ada both dropped their bread as they turned to face the two minions who walked past the baker and walked towards them. Not knowing what else to do, they looked at each other, then back at the minions, and assumed a fighting stance. Trained in the marital arts from a very young age because, as the Williams later explained it, it's what their birth parents would have wanted, they knew they were going to have to call on every bit of skill they had in them if they wanted to survive this day and keep their freedom.

Looking at each other one last time and nodding, they each ran forward towards a minion- and attacked. They kicked and punched, trying everything they knew, but the minions blocked most of their hits, and the hits that did go through, didn't do anything at all to them. Both teenagers realized when they scored a clean hit that it was like hitting steel. The minions shrugged them off and then sent each one to the ground with a relative flick of their wrist, moving their hands up and smacking them to the ground.

Both Tristan and Ada were hurting from that one simple blow as they laid there on the dirty cement of the subway station. The baker behind both minions smiled to himself, happy to see the thieves finally being made to pay for what they had done. As the minions began to advance on their downed bodies, Tristan looked at his older sister, then back up at the two minions, and he knew he had to do something.

The problem was, he didn't know what.

I can't let this happen! Tristan thought to himself. I promised myself I'd always stay free, that I'd never allow myself to die or be made a slave. At least not until I could find...

Tristan's body suddenly began to glow with red energy. Ada looked at him, shocked, not knowing what was going on, as Tristan slowly stood up...and turned into something completely unexpected.

The original Red Power Ranger.

Ada watched, shocked, as Tristan looked down at himself, unable to understand what had just happened to him. Under the familiar helmet, with the red ranger suit with the white diamond in the middle, a Blade Blaster tucked securely into its holster on his left side, and a power coin around his waist, Tristan began to feel the power that he had just gained. The minions backed up in fear, clearly not expecting a teenage runaway to suddenly morph into a Power Ranger, and the baker took off running in the opposite direction, back up the subway stairs from where he came. Tristan raised his now gloved hands to his face and looked at them, as if he was in awe of it all, before clenching them into fists and taking a fighting stance. He pointed towards the two minions.

“Well well, you still want to pick on me now!” he asked them with a cocky tone of voice. “Then come on and try it!”

The minions looked at each other and, not knowing what else to do, charged Tristan. Tristan moved forward and easily blocked the first minion's attacks before throwing him to the ground, then turned and connected with a kick to the second minion, knocking him to the ground as well. He pulled out his Blade Blaster and put it in blaster mode, blasting the first one as he stood up. Ada shrieked and jumped down onto the subway tracks, trying to get out of the way, as Tristan then leaped into the air, turning the Blade Blaster back into blade mode in mid-air, and caught the second minion with a hard slash across his chest as he stood up. Tristan landed on his feet and watched as both minions disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Tristan was very impressed with his own abilities, and smirking to himself underneath his helmet, he called out to his older sister.

“Ada! You can come out now. They're both gone. I beat their asses.” he continued grinning.

Ada climbed back onto the subway platform and looked over him, still in amazement.

“Tristan...this is impossible!” she yelled. “We've seen the original Power Rangers before in pictures- they were around way before we were born, and were gone way before as well! How could you just suddenly morph into one!”

“I have no idea.” Tristan admitted. “But come on, isn't this great? Now we can fight back against those creepy minions!”

“I guess...” Ada said. In the back of her mind, she began to realize that a power as great as that of the original Red Power Rangers' is not given merely to help you steal bread and shampoo...

She looked back at Tristan as slowly he began to power down.

“Whoa, how did that happen?” he asked her, now fully demorphed and looking just like he always did.

“Don't ask me.” Ada replied. “Hey, what's that in your hand?”

Tristan looked down for the first time and realized he was indeed holding something...a morpher with a gold power coin inside of it!

“What's that on the coin?” Ada asked him as he leaned in to inspect it.

“It looks like a dinosaur or something.” Tristan said as he held it up to his eye to inspect it. “Whoa! A t-rex! Awesome!”

“I wonder if that means you get a Tyrannosaurus zord?” Ada thought out-loud.

“A what?”

“A zord, you idiot.” Ada snapped. “Don't you know ANYTHING about the Power Rangers!”

“Oh, you mean those big mechanical things? I want one!”

“Well, you'll probably get one now that you're a Power Ranger...” she huffed.

Tristan realized the tone of voice she was using and began to grin.

“Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice, big sister?” he asked her sarcastically. “You were always the better marital artist, the taller one, the stronger one...you used to make fun of me for being a wimp. Well, now look at me!”

“Yeah yeah.” Ada replied, rolling her eyes. “If ANYONE should have become a Power Ranger in this family, it should have been ME.”

“I'm afraid neither one of you should have become Power Rangers.” came a cold, threatening voice from above them. “That way, the both of you wouldn't have had to die.”

Both Tristan and Ada turned their faces...and were greeted with that same smirking face of Araken they had seen all these months on their TVs.

“Uh-oh.” Tristan managed to whisper.



Chapter 2: Explanations and Old Faces

A confident smirk could be seen on Araken's face as he looked up and down at the two young teenagers standing before him.

“So, these are two of the prophesied Rangers?” Araken huffed. “Well. I can't say that I'm impressed. Are such puny little things really the last hope of Earth?”

“What the hell is he babbling about?” Ada whispered to her younger brother.

“I have no idea.” Tristan whispered back.

“Well, go on, become the Red Ranger and fight him!” she whispered.

“Like I know how!” Tristan replied, a little louder than he should have.

Araken's smirk grew wider as he approached the two teenagers. Before either one knew what to do, each looking at the other one for an answer, suddenly they were teleported away from the subway tunnel, disappearing in the familiar flashes of red and pink, respectively. Araken rushed forward to where they had just stood and, seeing there was now no trace of either one, punched his fist into the subway wall in a rage, causing the very foundation to shake in response.

“You can run, but you can't hide, Power Rangers!” he screamed, the rage clearly evident in his eyes.


Tristan and Ada landed on a cold floor in a heap, and the two siblings began to look around, wondering what had happened.

“Where are we?” Tristan asked, trying to take it all in.

“I don't know....” Ada admitted, looking around. “All I see is darkness. Aren't there any lights in here?”

“Ask, and you shall receive.”

Before either teenager could even wonder where the voice had come from, suddenly the room they were standing in came to life with light. The original Command Center was now on full display, the console beeping and buzzing while the two teenagers watched in awe.

“Ai yi yi yi, you're finally here!” came another, far more high-pitched voice.

Both siblings turned and saw a robot walk up towards them.

“Ahh! What is that thing!” Tristan yelled, jumping backwards.

“I'm not a 'thing'!” Alpha-5 protested. “The name is Alpha-5, and I'm at your service!”

“It looks like a pretty harmless robot to me.” Ada giggled at Tristan's fright.

“Oh, shut up sis, you know I've always had a thing about robots...” Tristan said, clinging to his sister's jeans behind her.

“I promise I won't hurt you.” Alpha said.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Tristan slowly stood up from his position behind his big sister, and she took that opportunity to laugh at him again.

“Shut up!” Tristan yelled at her. “But hey, wait a second, where did that over voice come from?”

Suddenly, the giant tube in the middle of the Command Center came to life, and inside of it appeared a floating head, much like Zordon's. The only difference was, this head appeared to be quite a bit younger. The transparent head looked down at both of the teenagers in front of him and smiled.

“So the day is finally here.” he said, looking them both over. “Welcome, Power Rangers.”

“AHHH! A FLOATING HEAD!” Tristan screamed, and went back to hiding behind Ada again.

“Are you going to be scared of EVERYTHING here?” Ada said with a sigh. “Wait a second, head-thing, did you just say Power [b]Rangers[/b]? As in the plural version?”

“That I did.” he nodded. “Maybe an explanation is in order!”

“I'm in the middle of a weird room with a robot and a floating head.” Tristan said. “I think an explanation is long past due!”

“Okay, okay.” he laughed. “The two of you are standing in the same Command Center that the original Power Rangers stood in so many years ago. You see, Power Rangers from around the galaxy have been battling the Zarset Empire for many years now. We learned how this frightening power works, and we determined that they would eventually reach the planet of Earth. We also learned something very strange.”

“Strange?” Ada asked, interested.

“Yes, Ada.” he replied, leaving her wondering how he knew his name. “Very strange indeed. You see, the Zarset Empire's power began causing a strange reaction in the Morphing Grid from the moment they began to near us, maybe a few years ago. We discovered for the first time ever that remnants of the original Ranger energy are held within the original Rangers, and some of that energy are passed on to their children. We thus hypothesized that when the Zarset Empire placed its energy draining shield around the planet, the reaction in the Morphing Grid would bring the original Ranger powers back to activity.”

“So that means....Tristan and I are.....” Ada said, piecing it together.

“....children of Power Rangers.” Tristan finished, looking up at the head in awe. “Whoa, that's kinda cool.”

“I don't know if I'd call that 'cool'.” Ada said, her fists clenching a bit. “Anyway, head-thing, what do we call you?”

“Call me Zordon.” he replied, grinning. “Somehow, I just can't see it any other way.”

“Well, Zordon.” Ada began. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

“Yes.” Zordon agreed. “You two are the children of the original Green and Pink Power Rangers.”

“Wait, so then how did I end up the Red Ranger?” Tristan asked him. “Shouldn't that have gone to the kid of the original Red Ranger?”

“Apparently it doesn't work that way.” Zordon replied. “From what best I can tell, the colors of the current set of Rangers do not always match up with their parents'. Which is actually good for us, because not all of the original Rangers have children on Earth.”

“So what you're telling us is, we're both Power Rangers?” Ada asked him.

“Well, we know Tristan is the Red Ranger, as we saw him morph. However, we can only hypothesize that you are indeed the Pink Ranger. Until you find the power within you and morph, we cannot say for sure.”

The power within me.... Ada thought to herself.

“So you saw me totally kick those minions' asses, didn't ya head-man?” Tristan grinned.

“Yes, and first off, the name is Zordon, not 'head-man'.” Zordon replied with a sigh. “Secondly, what kind of Power Ranger doesn't even know how to morph?! Didn't your parents teach you anything?”

“Our parents abandoned us when we were very young.” Ada said, her voice serious and harsh in tone. “So no. They didn't teach us anything.”

“I'm sorry.” Zordon said quietly.

“Zordon, do you know where our parents are?” Tristan spoke, as Ada turned her head away.

“Unfortunately I do not. The original Green and Pink Power Rangers both disappeared many years ago, fighting the Zarset Empire. I hope to see both of them return soon.”

“I don't.” Ada said under her breath.

“Ada, I know you have contempt in your heart for both of your parents, but I want you to know this.” Zordon began, as Ada turned her head up to look at him. “I knew both of your parents very well. And I know that they would not have abandoned you had they not had a very good reason.”

Tristan smiled to himself, but quickly turned his head away when he realized Ada was glaring at him. Just as she was about to turn her head back towards Zordon and yell at him, however, the sirens went off in the Command Center.

“Ai yi yi yi!” Alpha-5 yelled. “Take a look at what's being broadcast around the globe!”

The viewing globe suddenly came to life, and Tristan and Ada turned their heads to look at the picture of Araken, standing underneath the Statue of Liberty just outside New York City.

“Red Ranger.” Araken spoke. “I know you can hear me. I challenge you to come and face me here, in front of this statue. If you do not, then I will order the mothership to fire upon this city, eradicating everyone you've ever known. You have an hour before that order is placed, and no more.”

The transmission suddenly cut off, and Tristan turned back to Zordon in a panic.

“What do I do?!” he asked him.

“You only have one choice, Tristan.” Zordon replied. “You must morph and teleport there, and accept his challenge.”

“What if it's a trap?” Ada suddenly yelled up at him.

“No, I know Araken well.” Zordon replied. “It's no trap. He's too honorable of a warrior for that. He wants to test himself against the Red Ranger and see if he can defeat him in combat, alone.”

“How could you possibly know that for sure?” Ada demanded of him. “We're supposed to just believe in your stupid little hunch and send my little brother off on a suicide mission?!”

Zordon looked down at both of the teenagers before him, Tristan looking very uneasy with his sister's confrontational attitude, and Ada looking very angry at the whole situation.

“Ada, I hate to tell you, but you don't get the floating head gig by having 'stupid little hunches.'” Zordon said with a grin. “Araken will not double-cross your brother. I'm sure of it.”

Tristan looked over at his older sister, who looked back at him with a mixture of fear and concern in her eyes. He knew she didn't want him to do this.....but for all Tristan knew, his foster parents were still in New York. And he couldn't let them be wiped out like that.

“Tell me how to morph, and I'll do it.” Tristan said, stepping forward towards Zordon. “I'll fight Araken.”



Chapter 3: The Secret of Honor

Author's Note: Quick note because someone brought this up in a review on fanfiction.net- no, Zordon is not supposed to be the original Zordon. Both from the description of him (the fact that he appeared younger than the original Zordon) and his own dialog, it's supposed to show that he is in fact a “new” Zordon. I already cleared it up with the person who wrote the review, just figured I'd put the explanation here as well in case anyone else was confused by that. Anyway, with that said, on with Chapter 3!


Zordon nodded within his tube, always knowing within the back of his mind that the young Red Ranger would make the right decision.

“To morph, young one, you must yell out the code phrase to activate your morpher.” Zordon said.

“What would that be?” Tristan asked him.

Zordon paused for a moment, almost as if he was a bit ashamed of what he was about to say.

“It's morphin' time.”

Tristan and Ada stood there, looking up at him in disbelief.

“You have GOT to be kidding me.” Ada finally said, breaking the silence.

“I can assure you, I am not.” Zordon replied. “Don't look at me like that, I didn't come up with it!”

“Well, whoever did needs to get their head checked....” Ada muttered.

“Actually, the more I think about it, I kinda like it.” Tristan said with a slight grin.

“You would.” Ada snorted.

“ANYWAY.” Zordon shouted over their bickering. “After the morpher is activated, to complete the morph, you yell out the name of the dinosaur from which your power coin draws its energy from. In your case, Tristan, that would be the mighty Tyrannosaurus.”

“Do I have to yell that every freaking time I morph?!” Tristan whined. “Can't I just say 't-rex!' instead? It sounds cooler!”

“No.” Zordon replied sternly.

“Oh, fine.” Tristan said, rolling his eyes.

“Enough complaining.” Zordon said. “It's time.”

Tristan nodded, before looking over at his older sister one more time. It was clear that she didn't support this, but he knew what he had to do.

“It's morphin' time!” he yelled.

His coin glowed with red energy as he held it out directly in front of him in that familiar pose.

“Tyrannosaurus!”


The hulking figure of Araken stood below the Statue of Liberty, looking quite out of place. The island was pretty much abandoned at this point- the Zarset Empire saw no reason to maintain a tourist attraction when they could have their new human slaves building factories or rounding up those who resisted them instead, and no one had the time or the ability to visit the place. Araken figured it would be the perfect place to hold a one-on-one battle, completely interrupted.

I need to know if I'm stronger than a Power Ranger. Araken thought to himself. Especially before SHE shows up....

Araken clenched his fists as he thought of her. The despicable woman who Araken hated more than anyone he's ever met in the Zarset Empire was already on her way after hearing the news of the Red Ranger's awakening.....and it was something Araken was not looking forward to. However, if he could defeat the Red Ranger here and eliminate him before she even arrived, perhaps he would be able to avoid her presence entirely. Araken's mind suddenly flashed back to earlier onboard the mothership....


Araken stood facing one of the gigantic windows inside one of the mothership's hallways, seeing the Earth look so huge so far below.

“That planet is beautiful, isn't it?” came a female voice behind him.

Araken turned his face to see his longtime comrade, Neresa. Dressed in a long black gown adorned with gold on the shoulders and back, she looked just as ravishing as he remembered. With her short brown hair and lovely green eyes, Araken was reminded of just why they had been together so long.

“I didn't expect to see you here already, Neresa.” Araken smiled as he turned to greet her as she bowed in response. “Wait....that doesn't mean what I think it means, does it?”

The mood was darkened quite a bit, as Neresa nodded in disappointed fashion.

“I'm afraid it does.” she replied. “She's heard about the Red Ranger's awakening and is on her way here.”

“Damnit!” Araken yelled. “She's always re-emerging when I least desire it.”

“You have a plan, though.” Neresa said. “I can sense it.”

Araken nodded in response.

“That I do.” Araken replied. “I'm going to go down there and challenge the Red Ranger to a one-on-one fight, and eliminate him. Thus, the need for her will also be eliminated.”

“Wouldn't that be easier if you take down minions and ambush him?” Neresa wondered aloud. “Why one-on-one?”

“Damnit, Neresa, you were never able to grasp the concept of honor!” Araken replied, slamming one of his powerful fists into the window, nearly shattering it. “There's no honor in that! I want to face him and find out which one of us is stronger!”

“You and your honor.” Neresa replied, shaking her head.

The two of them didn't talk for a few minutes, as both of them stared down at the Earth so far below.

“It really is beautiful.” Neresa said. “Sometimes it makes you question all of this. Makes you wish we had stayed on our own planet.”

“And lose eternal life?!” Araken questioned her. “You're a strange one, Neresa.”

“I have my honor, and you have yours.” Neresa replied, a grin on her face. “Go make me understand yours.”

Araken nodded in response, and walked away from her, ready to enter the battlefield.


There's no way I can lose! Araken thought to himself as he awaited the Red Ranger's arrival. I'll show Neresa my honor and my strength, and I'll make that vile creature's presence unnecessary before she even arrives!

Suddenly, in a flash of red the Red Ranger appeared before him, fully morphed and ready for battle.

“Ahh, Red Ranger, so nice of you to drop in!” Araken grinned. “Are you ready for your first real battle?”

Tristan only nodded in response.

“That's good.” Araken said. “Because it will also be your last!”

Suddenly, he charged at Tristan, and before Tristan knew what was going on, nailed him with a hard punch to the chest, knocking him backwards as sparks flew. Tristan barely dodged a stomp by Araken, trying to hit him again when he was down, and dodged another stomp as well, rolling away from Araken's powerful legs. He then rolled backwards and stood up, and was clearly surprised by his own agility.

I didn't know I could move that fast! Tristan thought to himself. This is pretty cool!

He pulled out his Blade Blaster and turned it into blaster mode and fired, catching Araken in the chest a few times. He held his chest, which was smoking now, and growled.

“Is that the best you've got, Red Ranger? Show me your real power!”

Araken charged again and Tristan quickly turned the Blade Blaster back into blade mode and tried to slash him. Araken caught the blade with his bare hands, however, and pushed it backwards as he laughed, before catching Tristan with another powerful fist, this time to the stomach, and Tristan went flying backwards as more sparks flew. Araken laughed as he walked towards him.

“Is this really all the power you have, Red Ranger?!” Araken said in disbelief. “I was right all along! She won't be necessary after all!”

“I have no clue what you're rambling about, but if you think I'm done, Araken, you're kidding yourself!” Tristan yelled back as he stood up.

But clearly he was bluffing at least a little, as he was hurting from the blows. Araken was clearly a very hard hitter.

“Really!” Araken laughed. “Well, if that's true, try this on for size!”

Still laughing, Araken moved his arms backward, creating a ball of black energy in his hands, and threw the projectile forward at Tristan. It happened too fast for Tristan to move, and he was nailed with the projectile and sent flying to the ground in an explosion, where he landed in a heap. Tristan gasped for breath underneath his helmet, knowing he was in serious trouble.


In the Command Center, Ada, Zordon, and Alpha watched the battle, Ada wincing at every blow. She knew her younger brother was in trouble as he was hit with those punches, and his only response, to fire the Blade Blaster, was met with little effect from Araken. However, as he prepared to fire the projectile of black energy, Ada knew her little brother was in real trouble.

She looked up at Zordon, her eyes close to tears, and then looked back as Araken fired off the blow, leaving Tristan in a heap. Her tears flowed freely now, and she turned back to Zordon again in a rage.

“Why did you do this?!” she yelled up at him, her fists clenched tight. “Why did you send my brother on this suicide mission?!”

“I didn't choose him to be a Ranger, it was destined from his birth.” was Zordon's only reply.

“So our good-for-nothing parents not only abandon us, but they give us a 'destiny' like this!” Ada screamed up at him, not even noticing that she had begun to glow pink. “This isn't just cruel! This isn't just horrible! This is....this is.....”

But as Ada searched for the words to describe what her parents had done to her, she finally realized that she was glowing pink, and the glow was becoming brighter and brighter. Finally turning back to face the viewing globe, Ada morphed into the Pink Ranger.

“Ai yi yi yi, it's happened Zordon!” Alpha-5 said.

“I can see that, Alpha.” Zordon chuckled. “Ada, you have found the power within you....and you have morphed into the Pink Ranger.”

Ada turned back to face Zordon, still taking it all in.

“This is just a guess, Ada, but I don't think you respond to orders very well.” Zordon said. “But I know it's what you want to do as well. So I urge you.....go, help your brother defeat Araken.”

Ada didn't need anymore motivation. She simply nodded with her fists still clenched tight, and then disappeared in a flash of pink.

“Sorry, Araken....” Zordon said as she disappeared completely.


Meanwhile, Araken had approached the down Tristan and lifted him back up to his feet by his throat. Grinning, Araken looked into the front of Tristan's helmet as he spoke.

“Look into my eyes and realize you are no match for me, Red Ranger.” Araken spoke. “I want you to realize that before I put an end to you. Know that you were absolutley no challenge for me. Goodbye, Red Ran-”

But suddenly, Araken was interrupted by more Blade Blaster shots, this time coming from behind and hitting him in the back of his head and neck. He actually reacted this time, dropping the Red Ranger in surprise and holding the back of his neck as he turned to face his assaulter.

“Who dares interrupt this battle?!” Araken roared as he looked for the source of the blaster fire.

“I do!” Ada yelled back at him.

There stood the Pink Ranger, Blade Blaster in her right hand and pointed squarely at Araken.

“You have dishonored your brother, you pathetic Ranger!” Araken screamed in rage. “At least if I had killed him, he would have died an honorable warrior!”


“Oh shut the hell up already, Araken!” came Tristan from behind him as he kicked him in the back, now back to his feet.

Araken reacted in surprise as he turned and faced Tristan, Blade Blaster drawn and pointed at him as well.

“Red Ranger?!” Araken said in disbelief. “You now dishonor yourself as well?!”

“You have a lot of nerve coming and invading our planet with your pathetic cronies, and then yelling to us about honor!” Ada yelled. “I won't let you kill my brother just to fulfill your pathetic version of 'honor'!”

“I gave you the benefit of the doubt, Red Ranger, and I gave you my honor!” Araken screamed at him, ignoring Ada. “Next time, I will do no such thing! Remember that!”

Araken moved his cloak to the front of his body and then disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving only the two siblings. Tristan, for his part, suddenly starting falling over.

“Tristan!” Ada yelled as she ran forward and caught her brother before he could fall all the way to the ground.

She watched as he powered down back to his normal form, and she did the same. She looked down at him, a tear forming in her right eye, as he looked up at her and smiled.

“Did I do good, Ada?” Tristan asked her.

“You did, Tristan, you did.” Ada replied, smiling back. “Come on, let's get back to that floaty head thing before Araken decides to come back with reinforcements.”

Tristan nodded as the two teleported out.


Araken was in a very unpleasant mood as he stomped around another hallway onboard the Zarset Empire mothership. Not only had he failed to defeat the Red Ranger and had a mockery made of his honor, but he also failed in preventing the arrival of the one he despised the most. She was onboard the ship now, and Araken was doing his best to avoid her.

He was about to fail in that too.

“Oh, Araken dear! How come I haven't gotten a welcome from you yet?”

Cursing under his breath at the voice he just heard behind him, Araken turned to face the source of it. There she stood.

She was short, far shorter than him. The almost robotic-like Ranger suit she was in resembled the suit of the Psycho Rangers, the evil Rangers created by Astronema to battle the Space Rangers many, many years ago, but was a bit different. This black Ranger suit hugged her feminine curves much better than any Ranger suit in history. On top of the metallic-like black suit were lines of the suit's trademark color, the dark red called scarlet, and the helmet was very similar to that of the original Power Rangers besides some more machine-like features. Finally, huge black boots with long crimson heels adorned her feet, boosting up her normally diminutive height by at least a little.

There stood the Power Ranger of the Zarset Empire.

There stood.....the Scarlet Ranger.

“Spare me, Scarlet.” Araken replied in a huff. “I'm REALLY not in the mood for you right now.”

“Aww, I'm hurt.” the Scarlet Ranger replied with blatantly fake sincerity. “You know, I'm getting old. You could be a little nicer to an old gal like me.”

“Oh please, Scarlet.” Araken said, rolling his eyes. “None of us have aged in a very long time. I know for a fact under that helmet you don't look a day over 25.”

“Under this helmet I'm far more beautiful that you could EVER imagine.” the Scarlet Ranger grinned as she walked towards him. “Unfortunately for you, you'll never get to see that.”

“I'm crushed.” Araken replied sarcastically. “Can we just skip the rest of this? I'd really like to go get some rest.”

“Oh, I understand.” the Scarlet Ranger said mockingly. “Losing is very tiring. Not that I'd know, but I've heard that from people like you.”

“I didn't lose in a fair fight!” Araken screamed at her. “Those Power Rangers dishonored themselves!”

“That's your problem right there, Araken. You care about something as silly and completely unrealistic as 'honor'.”

“Then why do you fight, Scarlet, if not for honor?!” Araken yelled at her.

The Scarlet Ranger suddenly became serious, and began walking towards him again. With renewed anger, she leaned in her helmet to his head and whispered through it.

“I fight because there's something I want. I don't fight just to fight, like you. That's where you and I will always differ...and that's why I'll win against the Power Rangers....and you'll lose.”

The Scarlet Ranger then moved her head away from his ear and walked away, laughing to herself at Araken's misery. Araken stood there, stewing, his fists clenched as he turned to watch her leave.

Just you wait, Scarlet Ranger.....I'll prove my honor to you, to Neresa, to everyone!

(To Be Continued....please review in the meantime! Thanks!)