The Terran Ranger Saga Volume 3 by Heather Ray (macos ebook reader TXT) 📕

"Maybe we did," she whispered to herself, running back to the lab. "Maybe we should've stayed in 1996. At least then, the Power Rangers are innocent teenagers. Now, they fight with a vengeance. They have loved ones to take care of, and responsibilities to get back to. Ooo, Zedd has done it again!"

"What's going on here?!" Zedd shrieked in anger, steadying himself on his staff. It was the second time in one minute that the Moon Palace was shaken to its foundations, and Zedd was losing his last strain of patience.

"It's the Power Rangers!" cried Natasha happily. "It's gotta be! We're saved!"

"Not yet, my dear," said Zedd, pointing his staff and firing. The beam sliced through the remainder of the force field, and nearly hit Will in the head. It missed by merely inches, and gave the three astronauts the few seconds they needed to take cover quickly.

"You can't hide from me!" roared Zedd. "Your time is up!"

Zedd walked behind another experiment table, and Natasha leaped out from her hiding place, immediately firing her pistol. But Zedd blocked the laser beams with his silver staff, and knocked the gun from her hand. Natasha screamed as Zedd raised his staff into the air, and prepared to swing it down. But before the staff hit its target, a beam of blue light sliced through the air, and struck Zedd's hand. Zedd clutched his injured hand in pain, and turned around in surprise. Standing at the doorway to the laboratory was Rocky DeSantos, dressed in a form-fitting navy blue full length uniform, with silver wrist bands, silver shield, silver boots, and silver belt. Beside him was Trini Kwan, wearing a yellow long-sleeved leotard with the golden image of a lightning bolt over her heart, along with the silver armor pieces. Both stared menacingly at Zedd, and Rocky was holding a hand-held laser pistol, aimed for Lord Zedd's head.

"Give it up, Zedd," said Rocky, maintaining his aim. "Your days of terrorizing Earth are over."

"Really?" asked Zedd.

"Really," said Rocky, firing his pistol. Zedd managed to dodge the blast, and the energy smashed into the wall behind Zedd. The wall collapsed, burying the Emperor of Evil under a pile of stone. Once Zedd was completely buried, James and William also stepped out. Will ran to Trini, and hugged her tightly, while Rocky evacuated Natasha and James from the lab.

"So," said Natasha, "you two are Power Rangers also?"

"How did you --? Well, we used to be, but we're retired."

"Where are we going?" asked James.

"Back to the spot where Trini and I teleported to," explained Rocky, "Will! Trini! Come on!"

"Right behind you," said Will, releasing Trini. The two began walking out of the lab, but just before they stepped into the hall, a bold ofwhite energy streaked through the air, and hit Trini in the back. Will screamed as his love fell limp to the stone floor.

"Trini! NO!!

"

Will fell to his knees beside Trini, and touched her neck.

"She's alive," he whispered with relief.

"But not for long," said Zedd, climbing out of his rocky prison. "You're all dead! I've had enough of all of you!!"

"Funny," said Will, clenching his teeth and discreetly touching Trini's belt, "I was about to say the same thing!"

Will picked up the remaining spherical explosive, and threw it at Lord Zedd. It landed right at Zedd's feet before it exploded. When it did, the entire laboratory collapsed, and Zedd fell through the floor to the lower levels of the Moon Palace. Will urgently scooped Trini's unconscious body off the cold floor, and ran towards Rocky, Natasha, and James, with the floor falling apart behind him.

"Will!" cried Natasha. "What happened?"

"Zedd," Will muttered. "But I think he's learned his lesson."

"Kat!" yelled Rocky into his communicator. "We're ready for teleport!"

^I'm on it!^

said Kat's voice, and the three vanished from the Moon Palace. In seconds they rematerialized in the cockpit of the Megazord, which was already flying back to Earth.

"My God!" shrieked Kimberly. "What happened to Trini?"

"Lord Zedd got one last lick in," said Rocky. "Fortunately, the reinforced uniform saved her life. Only a fraction of the blast penetrated. But, that's enough raw energy to do...fatal damage --"

"We have to get her to the Central Access Complex," said Will. "Immediately!"

"What about your friends?" said Jason. "Shouldn't we drop them off?"

"Negative," said Will sternly, "Trini doesn't have the time to waste, and they already know about my connection with the Terran Rangers. We must go to the CAC, before we do anything else! Only the med-unit can save her now."

"Zeddie?" called Rita through the crumbling halls of the lower levels of the Moon Palace, "Zedd?!"

Rita hurried when she heard a moan of pain. She dug into a pile of rock, and pulled Zedd's barely conscious body from the wreckage.

"Brilliant plan, Zedd!" she said bitterly. "Oh sure, 'let's go to the future, so we can beat up the adult Power Rangers!'

It's no wonder we never win!"

Rita sighed, and teleported them both outside the palace. Rita watched from a distance as the entire palace crumbled to dust.

"I knew I should've gotten insurance," she muttered. "Well, this was a waste of time. I'm bringing us home."

"Rita," whispered Zedd. "The...the comet...is past. We...we can't go back..."

"Sure we can!" she shrieked. "All we need to do is punch a hole through the Multiverse!"

"Impossible," Zedd whispered painfully. "Could never...navigate...find our way home..."

"I have a spell that will do just that," Rita said proudly, standing up. "Hold on Zeddikins! This ride may be a bit bumpy!"

"Too...dangerous...could destroy...whole Multiverse..."

"Not my problem," said Rita with a grin, as she formed a black portal with her staff. She pushed Zedd through, and then leaped in behind him.

"Wow," said James in awe. "This is the headquarters of the legendary Power Rangers, eh? Amazing."

"Indeed," said Natasha. "You know, I always thought the Power Rangers were pure fiction."

"Nope," said Tom, taking off his helmet, "we're real. Now, you two are the only human beings alive who know the secrets of the Power Rangers, but never swore to protect the Power."

"I promise," said James, "I won't tell a soul."

"Your secrets are safe with us," said Natasha with a smile.

"I believe you," said Jason. "And since you're friends of Will, I think we can take your word. If you'd like, you can send a message to NASA, informing them of your well-being."

"That's a good idea," said Natasha, as Jason led her and James to the communications relay. On the other side of the Central Access Complex, Will desperately tried to mend Trini's extensive wounds with the advanced med-unit, which accelerated the healing process.

"What's the verdict, Will?" asked Kimberly, who was standing beside him. "Will she be okay?"

Will took a deep breath, and raised his bowed head to look at his long time friend. His blue eyes were shining with tears of frustration.

"I...I don't know," he managed to say. "The energy beam managed to penetrate Trini's uniform, throwing her into cardiac arrest. I don't know...if we got her here in time."

Kimberly also started to cry, and wrapped Will in a warm hug. Tom, Adam, Katherine, Rocky, and Zack all stood in a row behind them, looking glumly to the ground.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Tom.

"No!" shouted Will. "There's nothing I can do! I'm supposed to be so smart, but when it comes to the woman I love, I can't even lift a finger to help her! If she dies --"

"Will," whispered a weak but gentle voice, "did anyone ever tell you that you take things way too seriously? I'm fine."

"Trini?" Will gasped, turning around. She smiled up at him.

"I'd hug you," she said, "but I can't even feel my arms yet."

The Power Rangers circled around Trini, making sure she was okay. Then, Natasha walked over to Will.

"Will," she said, "James and I managed to contact NASA. As it turns out, we're being awarded medals for our work during Zedd's invasion. The media has already dubbed it the Moon Crisis. We're to report to Washington DC, where we'll be given our medals by the President herself, on the lawn of the White House."

"I don't care," said Will, "I'm not going anywhere, until Trini is okay."

"Will, I already said I'm fine," said Trini.

"Why did you do it?" he chided softly, holding her hand in his. "Why did you go into the palace? You don't have any powers, and those suits can't hold up against Lord Zedd!"

"I know," she said weakly, "but I had to make sure you were okay."

"One of the rangers could've come after me, you know. You didn't have to put your life on the line!"

"Oh, Will," she said with a small smile, "I know you would've done the same for me. Logical or otherwise. You may have a brain as big as watermelon, but you have a heart the size of the world."

Will smiled and held her hand tighter. She smiled back.

"And it's in your hands," he said, stroking her ebony hair gently and