Hi all. I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING GONE SO LONG! I’m back, and here’s the next chapter. In case you didn’t know, I never liked the team up events. They just seemed like a cheap way to try and tie seasons and teams together, and nothing was more apparent than NS and DT since there was all that discussion of NS not being in the same dimension or universe or whatever. So we’re condensing the 2 pt episodes into 1 chapter. And now, to the story…

Legends and Heroes

By Jeannine Trevizo

-x-

Chapter 21: Lightning Crashes

Tommy walked towards the console in the command center. Hayley was still there, trying to figure out the computer problem that was giving her two centers of evil in California. She’d been sure that it was a glitch, but now…

“Hayley, it’s late. You should go home and get some rest,” he said as he moved to her shoulder.

“There it is again,” she said, pointing at the screen before her. “The energy is radiating from this point here.”

“Blue Bay Harbor. That’s where the Ranger Ninja school is.”

“I’ve had some correspondence with Cam Watanabe, but they discontinued the ranger program after Lothos was destroyed.”

“I hope you still have that number,” Tommy remarked with a grave voice, before turning to the stairs to go tell Kim that they weren’t going to make their movie.

-x-

“So, what’d you think?” Blake asked as he walked up the hill from the racetrack, Kira beside him and Conner and Ethan slightly behind.

“It was awesome.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Thanks for hooking us up man,” said Conner as he moved a little closer to Kira, and she smiled at him.

Caveman behavior, she thought fondly. She didn’t think he’d ever it through his head that she’d never throw him over… especially not for a traveling dirt biker.

“Hey, no problem guys. Hey, what are you doing tonight? You want to grab a bite?” asked Blake asked as he walked to the trailer where his gear was stored.

Before anyone could answer, a beeping noise cut through the air, and Blake reached into his gear to pull out something on a long cord. He studied it and then turned to Ethan, Kira and Conner with a look of concern. “I take that back. It looks like I’ll have to reschedule.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I hope so. Listen, it was really nice meeting you. I’ll see you guys later.

“That was really weird,” remarked Kira as Blake raced off.

Only seconds later, then their own communicators went off, prompting the trio to look down, and then at one another.

“Not so weird,” stated Ethan.

“Let’s go,” Conner announced, and the three hurried off for the exit and on their way to the command center.

-x-

As the team huddled around the command center console, Kim leaned over Tommy’s shoulder as he sat in one chair, Jason stood on the other, Ethan beside him. At the other chair, Hayley sat, Conner and Kira behind her. They all watched as three power rangers strode down the street, red, yellow and blue, destroying anything in their path.

“Evil power rangers? How is that even possible?” Kira asked, stunned.

Jason, Kim and Tommy shared a look…

“When isn’t it possible,” Jason said under his breath.

“God, ninja rangers? Haven’t we done this before?” asked Kim acidly as she stared at the three rangers who seemed less interested in helping people and more like they were preparing to conquer them.

“I thought we were the only ones left?”

“So did we. There’s been an evil energy surge over the last 24 hours. We think the Abyss of Evil has been opened up,” explained Hayley.

“Dr O, you think Lothor’s back?”

“Unfortunately, but there’s only one way to find out.”

“Let’s deal with these fake,” growled Conner, angrily.

“Jason, Kim and I will stay here. This is just the kind of opportunity that Mesogog might try to take advantage of.”

Conner, Kira and Ethan nodded. They were more than ready to go out there and teach those wanna-be rangers a lesson.

“You guys ready?”

“Dino Thunder, power up, ha!”

Once uniformed, they headed out into the field, prepared to take the imposters down.

-x-

Having retreated under the unexpected onslaught of the ninja storm rangers, Kira, Conner and Ethan sat in the command center, helmets off and defeated. Jason and Kim stood back as Tommy did his best to rally the younger team members.

“The important this is that you guys are alright. And that we learned something.”

“Like what it’s like getting our butts kicked,” groused Conner.

“No, that’s it’s going to take a lot more to defeat them.”

“More?”

Kim and Jason glanced at one another. It looked like they were going to be back in the field – battling evil rangers.

“Why don’t we use our dinozords and kick their ninja butts? I don’t get it,” asked Conner as he got up and stalked across the room, Kira and Ethan getting up to follow.

“I’m with Conner on this one,” Ethan remarked.

“Me too,” added Kira.

“Look, because they were people that were once good. Something has happened to them. Until we figure it out, we defend ourselves, but we don’t destroy them,” Tommy explained passionately.

“He’s right,” Kim continued. “We never give up on another ranger. Whether they’re misguided, under a spell or forced into evil’s service, we’re all part of the same ranger family. And we have to help them.”

Tommy and Jason both stood their, their thoughts on their various brushes with being ‘evil’. They had no choice… they had to do everything they could to save these rangers.

“You know, there’s something we haven’t even considered,” interjected Hayley suddenly as she got up from her seat at the far back of the cave and moved to the team.

“I’m way ahead of you… Mesogog, right?” Tommy remarked.

“What if he finds out about this? Can you image the two of them on the same side?” noted Ethan.

“My day just went from bad to worse,” Kira commented sorrowfully.

“So, what next?” Conner asked.

“We wait for them to show their hand.”

-x-

Later that day, the three teens had headed to the cyberspace for some down time. Instead of really relaxing, Ethan had started accessing the ranger database, looking for information on the Ninja Storm team. He wasn’t liking what he was finding.

“It says here the Ninja Rangers defeated 100 space mutants at one time.”

“After fighting them, I’d believe it,” Kira remarked as she leaned forward to try and peek around Ethan’s computer screen.

“Come on, they weren’t that tough. I’d fight them right here, right now,” said Conner confidently.

Suddenly the doors to the cybercafé blew in, and the three un-armored rangers strode in. Teenagers screamed and began running for the exits. Meanwhile, the three Ninja Rangers continued to stare at their dino counterparts.

With a massive blast of power from Shane, the three dino rangers jumped to either side as the table was hit, sending it flying.

“Can I get you anything? A donut, maybe a muffin?” joked Conner as he struggled to get up from where they’d been knocked to the floor, the table they’d been sitting at several yards behind them.

“No thanks. I try to stay away from sugar. It makes me hyper,” Shane stated in a deadpan voice.

“Well, I’d hate to see him when he’s hyper,” Ethan noted unhappily.

“Get up, we have some unfinished business to attend to,” demanded Tori.

At that, the Dino Thunder team got up and stood their ground. As they watched, the Ninja Storm team moved to match them, color for color.

“Dude, she’s kinda cute?” Conner asked Ethan.

“Yeah, in a crazed ninja terminator sort of way.

“Would you two focus here?” rebuked Kira, getting a smirk from Conner, that she recognized as him messing with not just here, but the other team as well.

“Can we get on with this?” asked Shane.

“We’re not going to fight you here,” Conner informed them.

“Well, we’ll just have to destroy you.”

“We’ll meet, wherever you want. But you come alone.”

“Why should we agree to that?” asked Shane.

“It’s called honor. I thought you ninjas knew all about that,” retorted Kira.

Three sets of eyes blinded by evil stared at another three sets that were

“Fine. Under the Hubble bridge in an hour. The six of us… no one else.”

Then the three Ninja Storm rangers streaked from the building, a blur of black, red, yellow and blue.

In their wake the mess of the cybercafe stood three silent figures. Until…

“Ninja streak? How cool is that?” Ethan said in an awed voice, causing Kira and Conner to turn and look at him with twin looks of disbelief.

-x-

“You can’t be serious?” Jason said as he listened to Conner explain what had happened at the cybercafe. And the deal they’d made.

“You have to let us come with you,” Kim added.

“We gave our word,” Conner remarked seriously.

“But… “ Kim started to argue, wanting to convince them…

“No, they’re right,” announced Tommy as he came to place his hands on Kim’s shoulders. “They made an honorable agreement with the Ninja Rangers. They have to go alone. However…”

“If you’re in danger of falling, we’re breaking the agreement,” insisted Jason.

“Alright. But only if…” agreed Conner reluctantly. “Anyway, it won’t come to that. We’ll beat them this time.”

Kira and Ethan looked to the Red Ranger and took a deep breath. They hoped that they all could live up to their leader’s faith in them.

With that, the three teens headed out to meet their opponents, leaving their three older counterparts to wait and watch.

-x-

The Ninja Storm team, Blake, Hunter and Cam sat with the Dino Rangers in the cave command center, Sensei with them as they explained their plan to get the original powers from the Abyss of Evil, Sensei’s timely arrival and then the plot to get the enchanted rangers to take their correct powers, breaking the evil connection with Lothor.

“Good thing you guys showed up when you did,” said Conner.

“Good thing for you guys,” retorted Shane, sending some of the Ninja Rangers into laughter.

“Whatever dude.”

“No, I’m just playin’; you guys fight like rock stars,” Shane admitted.

“I, for one will take that as a complement,” stated Kira happily.

“We’re glad you guys are all here, but its time to get down to business,” remarked Tommy as he stood beside Senei.

“Tommy is right. We have a serious problem on our hands.”

And it’s gonna take all of us to defeat him.”

The rangers, old, new; formerly retired and still new looked around at each other. This mixed team had lots of skills and lots of experience. It was just a matter of putting it to use.

There was a sudden beeping from the command console, and Hayley pulled it up for everyone to see. There were masses of both Lothor’s minions along with Mesogog’s at the quarry outside of town.

“We’ve got company,” she said breathlessly.

“It’s time. Let’s show them what teamwork is all about,” stated Tommy.

-x-

Twelve rangers stood on the hill above the forces of not one, but two evil villains. It was up to them to stop them.

“Let’s be careful, but let’s get it done,” said Tommy.

In succession, morphing calls echoed across the ridge:

“Dino Thunder, power up!”

“Purple Ranger, power up!”

“White Ranger, power up!”

“Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!”

“Thunder Storm, Ranger Form!”

“Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!"

With a series of bright flashes of light and explosions, the rangers of two teams armored up, and prepared for battle.

-x-

“I’m afraid it’s dead,” Hayley told Shane reluctantly after the teams had returned to the command center following the defeat of both Lothor and Mesogog’s forces. “Lothor’s extraction of the powers left just enough energy for one last battle.”

“Oh well, I guess it’s a good thing we’ve got you guys,” Shane said sorrowfully.

“You’ve done your part. It’s our turn to take over where you left off,” Conner said.

“One thing I just don’t understand,” said Dustin as he stalked towards Tommy.

“What’s that Dustin?”

“Who rescued Sensei?”

At that, Marah and Kapri moved to wave and get everyone’s attention.

“I think we can answer that for you,” they announced, then explained dragging him out while Lothor slept.

When they were done, the room exploded into laughter.

“What, do you guys have any idea how heavy he is?”

“Yeah Sensei, you should consider cutting down on the cookies with your afternoon tea.”

“I will keep that in mind now that I am returning to my normal life.”

“I’m all about getting back to normal,” commented Ethan.

“Yeah, but not until we get down an’ dirty!” announced Blake, prompting the younger people in the room to cheer.

The three younger members of the Dino Thunder team streamed out with the six Ninja Storm rangers, leaving Hayley and Sensei with Tommy, Kim and Jason.

“They did alright, didn’t they?” Jason semi-asked, knowing his own answer to his question.

“They did. I’m really proud of them,” replied Tommy.

“You’ve been a good mentor to them,” Sensei offered, and Tommy slightly shook his head as he caught Kim’s hand in his and laid his other hand on Jason’s shoulder.

“No,” he said thickly, “we have.”

-End-

I know – it’s been forever and this chapter is short and doesn’t have a lot of Tommy, Kim and Jason (the episode made it really hard to meddle with the battles). I apologize and will get to work on the next one ASAP. Thank you!!