Chapter 7 - Royal Blush

Tori found herself in a predicament as school started up again. The senior that was supposed to be taking over as cheer captain had suddenly moved away just before school started. The coach was in freak-out mode. The almost captain's clique were simultaneously lobbying for the position and threatening to quit the team. The coach was fairly new to the job and it had only been the experience of the members that they'd even placed in the nationals the previous year. She was in over her head and appealed to Tori for help.

Tori wasn't entirely sure how she could help, the team was a mess and with Manny gone, she didn't have many close allies she could appeal to for help on the team. So, she asked some outside allies to meet her at Think Pink.

KiKi was new to school but her previous training and her enhanced, almost precognitive reflexes and agility would be a big help. Chloe was her best friend. Zara and Melody were potential candidates. She even had her eye on her best partner and an ace in her pocket for keeping the older girls on the team without too much fuss especially if a junior became captain.

Mason sprawled on the floor of one of the training rooms in the studio. "Why am I here again?" he demanded.

"Why are any of us here?" Zara asked as she went about the task of cleaning up the room with a dust mop.

Chloe sighed. "It's the yearly cheer recruitment speech," she said. "You know how I feel about it, Tori. I just ain't miss school spirit," she said.

"I haven't even started my pitch yet," Tori said with a pout.

"Cheerleading?" Mason asked. "Seriously? Me?"

Tori held up her hands. "Just let me talk, guys. Okay?"

Nathan clapped his hands together. "Okay. Let's hear the pitch," he said. This wasn't the first time Tori had tried to recruit him either, but she seemed more serious about it this time.

"We're listening," KiKi assured her. Not long ago they'd been influenced by a monster and she'd been the first to say something completely and utterly awful to her long-lost sister. She still bad and didn't let influenced-by-monster be an excuse. She would do whatever she could to make it up.

Tori squared her shoulders. "Chloe, my dearest, oldest, bestest friend," she said, and Chloe winced. She was really pulling out all the stops. "I know you're going to use your lack of interest and your karate tournaments but think about this. You have plenty of karate trophies. You're one of the top female warriors in the country--"

"Get it right, one of the top warriors period. There are plenty of guys who can't beat me either it's just the Association doesn't let them try," Chloe interjected.

"Of course. That just makes my point even more. You have tons of karate trophies already. How about a different challenge? Something to break up the monotony," she suggested.

Chloe stared at her friend for a long moment. "You have a point. But you're not quite there. Go on to the next person," she said.

Tori made a face at her that was part pout part irritation. She'd take that challenge. "Zara--"

"No," Zara said. "I don't want to, and I don't have time. This is one Earth thing I just do not understand and don't want to," she said.

"They don't do sports on KO35?" Mason asked her.

"Of course, we do. Competitions of physical and mental skills seems to be a universal human thing. But this cheerleading thing? No," she said, shaking her head.

Tori put her hands on her hips. "You're lucky I don't have time to educate you on the origins, history, and development of cheerleading as its own sport right now. Fine," she huffed. 

"KiKi! You played a cheerleader before. You're athletic and it would be a great way to bond as sisters. We--"

KiKi held up her hands to stop her tirade. "You don't have to try too hard. I'll do it," she agreed.

Tori squeal-giggled and hugged her hard while bouncing. KiKi sighed, hoping she wasn't going to regret this.

"As curious as I am about what tailor-made argument I'll receive, I spare you the breath. I'll do it until you and your coach get things in order. If I find I like it, I might stay on," Melody said. She laughed when she was subjected to Tori's glee. "It's a provisional yes," she reiterated.

"It's still a yes," Tori said victoriously.

Nathan raised his hand. "Same. I'll try it out," he said. "Without Rex to compete against, victory is kinda in the bag this year. I'll consider this cross-training," he said. "Now where's my happy hugs?" he asked, opening his arms.

Tori shook her head. "I'm too afraid of Billie. I'll let her pass on my happy hugs," she said.

Nathan snickered. "I can live with that," he said with a grin.

Mace shook his head. "All right, so what's my argument?" he asked. "Why do you want me?" he asked.

"Because you're pretty," Tori said.

Mace raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not pretty?" Nathan demanded.

"You're both pretty, but you have options," Tori said. Nathan nodded in satisfaction.

"Are you convincing me or insulting me?" Mace demanded.

Tori looked sheepish. "That came out wrong. If you join us the seniors will likely stay. You're good-looking and an Olympian. You're really my ace in the hole. Also, you aren't allowed to compete in gymnastics anymore and people underestimate how rigorous competitive cheer actually is. So, you can hide the fact you’re doing something similar to what you can't do anymore. If you complain every now and then about your leg hurting, no one will know the difference!" she said with a flourish.

"You're more devious than I thought possible," Mace declared.

"Well, she did lie about her identity for years on end. Not that anyone is blaming her," Nathan said.

"I still kinda blame her," Chloe said.

Tori pouted. "Fox is right, you do have sharp teeth," she said.

Chloe grinned, baring said sharp teeth. She wrapped her arms around her friend, gave her a squeeze, and kissed her cheek. "You already have quite the team, sweetie. If you think you still really need me, I'll reconsider," she promised.

"Hey, I didn't agree to anything," Mace interjected.

"Give in, Hart. Youse gonna do it," Chloe stated flatly. "I gotta run. Dad's coming in for the weekend and me and Danny are gonna eat with him. I gotta get ready," she said. She squeezed Tori again.

"Have fun," Tori said. The others murmured similar sentiments as she walked out of the room, but Mace got to his feet and bounced out after her.

"Chloe," he said, trying to forestall her.

"I ain't got no time for you, Hart," she said as she walked down the steps at a brisk pace.

Mace puffed out a breath. "You should make time. Fox said neither of us want Rex or Tai getting involved in this," he said.

She stopped and whirled around. "You talked to Fox about that?" she demanded, practically spitting fire.

Mace shook his head. "No. Of course not. But Fox isn't stupid. He was your partner for months. He knows you pretty well and can tell your attitude toward me isn't exactly welcoming," he said. "Tai's also mentioned it," he said.

Her face turned pink. "Why did you have to come back?" she demanded. She turned and stomped down the remaining steps at a brisk pace. "If you were leaving, you should have stayed gone!" she shouted back just before she disappeared.

Mace sighed and turned to head back and stopped. Faces were peeking at him. They disappeared just as he spotted them. Great. Everybody knew there was a problem. He groaned and leaned against the railing. A problem that would never be solved if she didn't even give him a chance to even speak with her.

-x-

Astronema slipped away from her bodyguards. Not that Titus was an enthusiastic one. Nubia on the other hand was overly enthusiastic. The three pets had been sleeping in a little fur pile when she decided she needed to get away from the Station. She didn't take a ship because she'd wanted to be undetected.

Appearing in a quiet place in Angel Grove was a relief she hadn't known she needed, but the pain in her implant eased considerably away from the station. She hadn't mentioned the pain yet because she weighed her options and the occasional headache was inherently better than Dr. Lee playing with it.

The place she'd chosen to visit was outside the main hustle and bustle of the target city. She'd come for peace, not war after all. The last thing she wanted was a confrontation with those 

Power Rangers. It was quiet there. The air smelled faintly of ocean which she could hear in the distance. The ground was covered in wildflowers. She followed the sound of the sea and discovered she was standing on a moor that overlooked the ocean. It was a nice place. Even she could appreciate the beauty in it.

She decided then and there that this would be her place and anyone who intruded on it would pay the price of disturbing the Princess of Evil. That decided, she sat down and began making a flower crown.

-x-

Moon Palace

Roki set aside the final piece of his project. Of course, he wasn't done. There was so much to do still, but for now his creations were finished. He sat back with a satisfied grunt and rubbed his aching shoulders. As if summoned, his wife appeared and worked at his tired muscles with her hands. She peered over his shoulder. "I chose very well when picking a husband," she declared.

Roki grinned. "Are you praising me or yourself?" he asked. He shrugged off her hands and turned to her, pulling her close. He nuzzled her neck contentedly.

"Both," she said with a sigh. "What's your next step?" she asked.

Roki was quiet a moment. "The Sword of Darkness contained a massive amount of magic. When it broke, it didn't just disappear. It went somewhere. I must find it," he said. He knew he'd never be able to find the broken pieces. His sisters would have seen to that very well. But he didn't need the Sword.

Widow was thoughtful a moment. "Considering what happened, the Power Rangers are a good place to start. But we can't be too obvious," she said. "And if we're lucky, the imposter and her side will also help us distract the Rangers," she said.

Roki cocked her head at her. "What are you thinking, my devious queen?" he asked.

Widow shrugged delicately. "A surprise," she said. She kissed his cheek before stepping away. "I must consult with Finster. Why don't you rest for a while? When I'm done with him, I'll join you and help you relax," she said.

Roki chuckled, you expect me to relax after hearing that?" he asked. She threw him a wink before she left his lab to find Finster and implement her plan.

-x-

Mace left not long after Chloe and Zara still had to work, so Nathan, Mel, Kiki, and Tori left the pink studio after Tori taught them a few routines and set out. Tori was filling them in a few things they needed to know for try outs. "Do you think Mace will agree?" KiKi asked her sister.

Tori made a face. "I'm not sure. I'll let him cool down and ask later," she said.

Someone came up behind them and KiKi dodged just as an arm draped around Tori's shoulders and made to include KiKi as well. Tori glanced up at Rex then at her sister. Rex gave a wink. "Nice reflexes. You're almost as good as a Goldsmith," he said. "So, pinklings, pinkling adjacent, what's with the long faces?" he asked.

KiKi cleared her throat, mildly embarrassed she only dodged a friendly gesture. "How did you know our faces were long, bro? You came up behind," she said.

"Body language can give away your faces, even from behind," Melody said.

"Ay reckon," KiKi said with a shrug.

"Say, Rex. Mason is your cousin--"

"That's what they tell me. Personally, I don't see the family resemblance," he said. Nathan snorted at that. "What about him?" he asked.

Tori had pursed her lips at his interruption, but then she smoothed her face. "Never mind. Chloe won't even tell me, there's no way you'd know," she said, and her shoulders slumped again.

Rex gave her a squeeze. "It's looking more and more like a Black Team meeting is becoming necessary," he said thoughtfully.

"Not sure if you should go that far," Nathan said hesitantly. "I mean, you know Chloe..." he said.

Rex stopped. "It's not that I want to interfere in their personal stuff, but if it starts effecting the whole team, it won't be me they'll have to deal with. Who'd you rather address any delicate issues? Me or lead-foot Stapleton?" he asked.

Mel cocked her head. "I don't think you're giving Tai enough credit," she said.

Rex chuckled. "That was the joke. I never underestimate our fearless leader boy. He's giving me a chance. I think we both hoping they could work it out on their own, but my former partner is being even more stubborn than usual."

He shook his head. "Anyway. I came for her," he said, pointing at Melody. "So, we'll see you guys later. Don't worry too much about Mace and Chloe. It'll get sorted out one way or another," he said.

Tori nodded and smiled. "You two have fun," she said, slipping away from him and pushing Melody forward. She linked arms with her sister and Nathan and pulled them forward and away from Rex and Mel.

Mel was blushing but Rex chuckled at Tori's usual match-making antics. She cleared her throat. "You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Do you have time now?"

"For?" she put her hands in her back pockets and tried not to shuffle her feet.

He didn't answer, instead he grabbed her arm and led her away from the street. Finding an accommodating spot, he stopped and turned toward her. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've been thinking about this for months and I don't think I can wait anymore," he said. Before she could ask him what he was on about, he slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her close. 
He dropped his head and pressed his lips against hers.

Although startled, having also been contemplating this very situation for months, Melody wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"Oooh! What a pink scene! I simply must capture it!"

Rex turned, pushing Melody behind him. A monster was watching them with a somewhat jubilant expression on her rabbit-like face. She was covered in dusky, dirty-pink fur with searing magenta eyes. White hair was pulled into an ornate style that made a heart shape with rose-gold roses adorned it. She wore layered and patterned robes of varying shades of pink and her rose and heart motif was very prominent.

She flicked out a playing card and tossed it. Rex's skin covered itself with a metallic exoskeleton as he braced for whatever impact was coming, but the card, growing larger as it spun, passed right through him. It enveloped Melody and captured her inside. The card returned to the monstress. "Another perfectly pink rose for my collection. As for you," she glared at 
Rex, "off with your head!" he shouted, and several Dark Putties appeared. They're arms were shaped into large blades. They lunged for the metallic man.

Rosie O'Hare, Queen of Hearts disappeared in a flutter of pink hearts, off to capture more pink roses for her collection.

Rex hit his panic button while he defended himself against the Dark Putties. He finally got a moment to summon his Kama. Holly and Fox teleported in to help him. "Don't worry, Shifu, we got you," Fox said as the skin around his fist began to bulk up.

Holly crawled up the side of the alley and summoned her Titanium Bolt.

"Thanks for the assist," Rex said.

"No worries," Holly assured him and began firing the Bolt at the Dark Putty heads.

-x-

Tori, KiKi, and Nathan got a monster alert not long after parting ways with Rex and Melody. "There's a monster nearby. We go help," Tori said decisively.

"Watch out!" KiKi knocked Tori aside just as a playing card came spinning toward them. Nathan tried to jump aside as well but he wasn't fast enough. The card hit his foot and enveloped him. The card returned to the monster's hand. She turned her pink-eyed stare on the girls. "Outta the way, mustard girl. Give me my rose," she said.

"Not on your life, bro," KiKi said. She activated Tori's morph and jumped to her feet. "Power Grips!" she summoned.

Rosie O'Hare made a sound and disappeared in a cloud of hearts. KiKi grunted. She teleported to the Command Center to regroup.

-x-

After beating off the Putties Rex, Holly, and Fox also regrouped at the Command Center where everyone was gathering to assess the situation.

"It got Nathan. It ignored KiKi and went after me," Tori explained.

"Nathan? Again? He really is a Pink Ranger," Billie grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tori asked.

Billie didn't answer, she was already working at console trying to pinpoint the monster. "It's only taking specific people," she said.

"Like Pink Rangers?" Tai asked.

"Mel's not a Ranger," Fox pointed out.

"No but she has a connection to the Pink Quasar Saber," Billie said. "But it's not as easy as that. She's attracted to the color, I think. So far anyone she's captured have been wearing pink in some way," she said, analyzing the footage they'd amassed since the monster first appeared.

"Quarantine the former Pink Rangers with Tori," Tai said.

"They aren't going to be happy about that," Danny said.

"Better discontent than trapped in a playing card," Lani said.

"Very true," he agreed.

"We'll handle that," Autumn volunteered, meaning she and her brother. He nodded in agreement.

"We'll help," Taran said, including his sister.

"Me, too," Sora, knowing his cousin would probably be the first to kick up a fuss.

"Get on that. The main issue is pinning the monster down," Tai said.

"We'll work on that. Trust me," Billie said dangerously.

Tai nodded. "The rest of you can leave, but be on high alert," he warned them.

They agreed and started leaving to work on their tasks. Rex pounced before Chloe and Mace could go their separate ways. He draped an arm over Chloe's shoulder, capturing her. He caught Mace with a significant glare. "We're going to the apartment. Let's go," he said.

"Rex--" Chloe started to protest.

"Now," Rex said a tone he rarely ever used but assuredly brooked no arguments.

"Guess someone ain't the favorite anymore," Fox said. He teleported in a hurry when Rex glared at him.

"Let's go." He and Chloe disappeared, and Mace obediently followed them.

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," Lani said with a sigh. Tai nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to stay with Tori," Wood said.

KiKi nodded. "Do you want me to go to you place and get you anything?" she asked her sister.
Tori shook her head. "I have Wood. That's enough," she said and smiled at him. He grinned in returned.

KiKi grimaced playfully. "Right then. I have to be home for dinner. I'll come back and see you after," she said. She waved and left.

It wasn't long before the Command Center started becoming a haven for former Pink Rangers while the brains of the bunch attempted to figure out how to pin down the flighty monster.

-x-

While Astronema was on Earth, her control device began to beep. Since she was already there, she decided to find it herself instead of summoning Nubia and Titus. She didn't have the patience for either one of them at the time. The signal was coming from inside the city. There was an old run-down looking strip mall. One of the stores was a restaurant being renovated.

"Future site of Jungle Karma Pizza," she read a sign on the large window that was covered in brown paper. She checked her device. The signal wasn't coming from there. She turned her attention to the aquarium store next door. "There you are," she declared, and a corner of her mouth pulled up slightly.
The door of the restaurant opened, and a man walked out. She raised a brow at him when he fell into a defensive stance.

"Astronema!" AJ was flabbergasted to find the neo Princess of Evil standing on the sidewalk outside a friend's restaurant.

She cocked her head at him. "Have we met?" she asked and walked toward him, circling him. "I'm pretty sure I would remember," she said and threw him a wink.
That flabbergasted him even more. He cleared his throat. "No, but I know who you are," he said.

She laughed. "Yes, I suppose everyone on this little blue rock must know me by now. I am, after all, going to rule over it and become it's queen," she declared. "How about it, handsome? Wanna be my king?" she asked him.

Feeling heat crawl up his neck, AJ cleared his throat. "Hard pass. The Power Rangers will stop you," he stated.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh. You're with them," she said with a sigh.

"Nooo! What happened to that delightful pink atmosphere?!"

Both AJ and Astronema were astounded to find themselves the subjects of the intense scrutiny of a moon monster. AJ didn't know which one was the bigger threat, but then some instinct took over and he knocked Astronema out of the way when the monster threw something at her.

They fell aside and rolled. She pushed him away and glared at him. "Why in the name of this planet would you help me?" she demanded.

AJ shook his head. "I lost my mind. That's the only explanation," he grumbled. He hit his panic button to alert the Rangers to the presence of the monster.

Astronema smirked and got to her feet. She pressed a button on her device and clicked it on her belt. "You want to mess with me, furball?" she demanded. She clacked her wrists together and sparks arched between her hands.

The monster tossed another card just as Astronema tossed a bolt of lightning toward her. The card passed harmlessly through the lightning and captured the temperamental princess, but the bolts also hit their target.

Rosie O'Hare cried out, but she still caught the card. "Another lovely rose for the collection," she grunted triumphantly. She cried out when something from inside the aquarium store shot through the window and covered her with inky black goop that exploded on contact.

AJ watched in horror as something emerged from the store that looked like it walked right of an early 80s horror B-Movie. It had an octopus as a head and most of its upper torso was covered by tentacles. The rest of it was like sasquatch took a swim in the black lagoon.

The moon monster shrieked. She held out a hand and a staff of hearts appeared. She whirled it and shot at the octopus monster a spray of pinkish energy that made him snarl and wail, his tentacles flailing wildly.

Rosie O'Hare disappeared in a puff of hearts to regroup, leaving AJ there with Octogross the Chimera.

-x-

Chloe was not happy to be pushed around, even by Rex. She growled when they arrived at his apartment. She shook him off as Mason also appeared. "This is none of your business, Rex!" she shouted at him.

"The details, no. The friction in the team? Absolutely," he said and leaned toward her mulish face. "I'm going back to the Command Center. If I find out you left here without clearing the air, it won't be your dealing with. You know that," he said.

Her face turned a mottled pink, but she didn't argue. She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her. He took it as she agreed. "Good girl," he said. "Good luck," he said to 
Mason before teleporting. He'd be first on the scene when they got that monster nailed down.

The silence was long and awkward. "So...what's it going to take to take for you to vent it all out?" Mason finally asked. Now that he'd actually managed to get her alone, he didn't even know to begin solving the problem.

Chloe whirled on him. She snatched up a throw pillow off the sofa, mentally taking a moment to be mildly surprised the sofa in the apartment of two college guys had throw pillows. 

"Take your beating like a man," she said.

Mace swallowed then he nodded. "Just do it," he said spreading his arms slightly and bracing himself, clenching eyes.

Chloe made a sound and threw the pillow. It hit him in the middle with enough force to make him blow out a breath but that was it. She sat on the couch. It was a nice couch. In fact, the entire little living room was very tastefully done in muted, cool tones. "Not really what I pictured but somehow not surprising at all," she said drily.

Mace sat in a coordinated armchair. "This is about what happened before I left, right?"

"You mean the thing where you kissed me and left to follow your dreams? That?"

He sighed. "That's it," he said. "I mean, you smacked me when I did it, so why are you mad about it still?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I wasn't mad that you did it. I was surprised, that's why you smacked. I'm mad that you did it and left," she emphasized. "Then youse just show up outta nowhere again! I don't even know what I'm s'posed to do that with that much less how to be partners!"

Mace nodded slowly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do with it either, but my feelings haven't changed," he said, not sure if that was helpful to the overall situation or not but he thought it needed to be said.

Chloe nodded slowly. "Okay," she said. She nodded more vigorously and got to her feet. "I promise, I won't be such a bench. I just not to figure it all out," she said and offered a slight smile.

He returned the smile. "Good. Good. All I want is a chance to work with you. Anything else, I'll leave it up to you," he said. He got to his feet. "Let's get outta here. There's a monster problem after all," he said.

She nodded. They left the apartment in silence, but it was an okay silence. Not quite comfortable, but not as volatile as before. "Did the monster interrupt the thing with your Dad?" he asked conversationally, attempting to ease some of tension.

She shook her head. "Nah. Lunch was over by then, but I figured Tori was in cheer-mode, so I was developing some film," she said. "Let's head over to the YC. That's prolly where everyone else is waiting to deploy," she said.

Mace nodded. "Yeah. I've already gathered the place is kind of like a secondary Command Center," he said. His communicator beeped and he answered it.

"Mace, Chloe. Hope you got something settled. We need you both to join Team One to handle one of Astronema's creatures," Lani said.

Chloe nodded. "Understood," Mace answered back, but they were taken by surprise when the other monster appeared in front of them in spray of pink hearts. She looked a bit worse for wear, but her eyes sparkled when she saw them.

"Oh! Delightful!" she said and tossed a playing card. The card enveloped Chloe. "Well, that was a nice surprise," she cooed. "Toodles!"

"Oh, no you don't! Power Flail!" Mace summoned his weapon and slung the ball of it. It wrapped around her just as she was trying to disappear. He heaved with all his might to keep her contained and pressed his communicator. "I have the Easter bunny!" he said, grunting with the effort of her struggled.

"I'm not the Easter bunny! I'm the Queen of Hearts! I'll have your head for this!" she raged. She threw her entire weight to one side and it over balanced him and he hit the ground and his grip loosened. She broke free and summoned her staff. She fired her heartfelt energy at him, but a blue force-field went up to protect him just in time.

"Go join Team One. We got this," the male Blue Ranger told him when he bounced to his feet. Team Two and the Mythic Rangers surrounded the monster.

Mace clenched his fist. This is the monster that took Chloe.

"Go. I'll handle her. Trust me," Platinum assured him, a dangerous edge to his voice. Finally, Mason relented and teleported to the site of the other monster.

-x-

AJ just barely managed to dodge when Octogross shot ink at him. He rolled out of the way. The sidewalk bubbled and glopped, but the ink didn't appear to be as explosive as what was shot at the rabbit monster. He exhaled called for help on his communicator.

Help was almost immediate. He was teleported away and Team One appeared. "Oh, sweet mother, it's almost worse than the last one," Green said under her breath.

"Wouldn't have thought that was possible," Yellow declared.

"You would've been wrong," Blue said.

"Should we call in the Legends?" Yellow asked.

"Chloe and Mace should be here soon," Red answered. "For now, let's try and do something with that first," he said. "TyrannoSword!" he summoned.

"Power Sai!"

"Power Daggers!"

"Power Staff!"

They attacked the monster, but his inky attack was really quite hard to predict. It seemed that any of its tentacles could produce it. Each took a hit and had to retreat.

"Power Fans!"

"Power Flail!"

The flail wrapped around the monster from behind, and a spinning pink whirlwind cut into it making it spark. Black and Pink joined their comrades.

"Sorry, I'm late. The other monster got Chloe," Black said.

"When I saw she was occupied, I decided to join in here," Pink said.

Red nodded.

"Where are the creepy insects that usually try and get in the way of us beating the monster?" Black asked.

"The other monster got Astonema. I think anyone else has noticed yet. Let's do this quickly before they do," Blue said.

"Good idea," Black agreed. "Power Blaster!" he pulled his side arm. Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Green did the same. They began firing on the monster.

"Brontosaurus!" Red summoned. The brontosaurus RAD digitized while the others were keeping the monster occupied and contained. "BrontoCannon!" the robot transformed into a team cannon. "Behind me!" he called out. The Rangers regrouped behind him and he aimed the cannon. "Bronto Blast!" The double barrels fired and hit the monster.

They waited but the monster didn't grow. "Is it over?" Green wondered.

It was not. Nubia appeared along with those three little mutant animals. They ran around like crazy things. "Where's Astronema!" the woman demanded.

"We're not the ones responsible for that. You'll have to take that with Widow and Roki," Red told her.

Nubia growled. She took a device out of her belt and hit a button. She and the animals disappeared again as the remains of the monster began to grow.

"Need to learn when to keep my mouth shut," Green murmured to herself.

"RaptoZord One!"

"RaptoZord Two!"

"RaptoZord Three!"

"RaptoZord Four!"

"RaptoZord Five!"

"RaptoZord Six!"

-x-

Team Two was down two bodies, but the Mythics made up for it, but the monster was tougher than she appeared. She seemed to have no desire to use her playing cards on them, but she was more powerful than she seemed. They couldn't seem to get an upper hand on her. The staff weapon she used was powerful, and the way she fought with it was nearly flawless.

"Should we ask for the Legends?" Bronze asked after he was sent flying and crashed into Green.

"You can, or you can let me play." They were both surprised to see Titus standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Red asked. She didn't know whether or not to trust this long-lost Goldsmith clone.

"Apparently, that thing has Astronema, which means anything I do now is fully within my programming to protect her," he said, a frankly frightening grin beginning to stretch his face. He cracked his knuckles as he began to shapeshift. A somewhat familiar exoskeleton appeared on his skin but that was soon covered by black fur. A scorpion-like tail spouted from his back as well as huge feathery black wings. His face grew into a ferocious, fang-filled snout. "Aahh. What a relief," he said. He ran toward the monster and jumped. His wings spread so that he sailed for a moment. He folded them and dropped. She tried to swing her staff at him, but his tail whipped forward and knocked it aside.

The fight was quite ferocious. "As much as he might think so, Titus can't defeat it alone. When you get the chance, use a cannon," Lammy told them over comms.

"Understood," Red said.

"We'll take this one," Platinum said. She nodded. "Ed!" he called.

"Edd!" Titanium called.

"Eddy!" Bronze called.

The little raptors digitized, ran around them and jumped shifted into blasters which the Mythics caught. "CompyBlaster!" They combined the blaster into one long cannon. Titanium and Bronze knelt in front of Platinum and he aimed.

There was an explosion and both monster and alien crashed in opposite directions. "Compy Blast!" Platinum pulled the trigger. A surge of tri-colored energy crashed into the monster and she exploded.

Playing cards went flying everywhere and turned back into people, including Astronema, Nathan, Melody, and Chloe. All seemed to be somewhat dazed.

"We'll get the civilians clear," Red told Platinum. He nodded

Nubia appeared. She collected Astronema and disappeared with her. The Rangers were clearing civilians even as the monster began to grow. "Noooo! My roses! How dare you! Off with your heads. All of them!" she screamed and began swinging her staff around.

"AnkyloZord!"

"SinoZord!"

"MegaloZord!"

The Mythic Zords appeared and teleported their pilots into their cockpits. The Zord combined. "Mythic Megazord!"

-x-

The Raptormax Megazord was battling against many tentacles of the octopus monster. They'd largely managed not to get too inked because of the RaptoShield but the tentacles often entangled the RaptoSword.

"We're literally fighting an octopus!" Yellow complained.

"We can't even get enough distance to use a cannon," Black grumbled.

"Maybe we can't, but we're a good distraction, aren't we?" Blue said. She looked at Red.

"You're brilliant, as usual, Billie," Green praised.

"Why aren't you in the cockpit more often?" Pink asked her.

"Danny likes playing with big robots more than I do. What do you think, Tai?" she asked.

Red nodded. "Taran, I need the Legends," he said.

"We're on it," Taran answered.

While the Raptormax took it's beating from the monster, the StegoZord, VelociZord, and CeratoZord began to digitize into existence.

"I was wondering when we'd do something this chapter," Silver said from his cockpit.

"A break is nice sometimes," Electrum responded.

Gold ignored his teammates. "Megazord Mode!" The three Zords combined. "Legendary Megazord!" They announced. "This do it," Gold declared. "Spike-tail Silo!" they summoned the stegosaurus headed cannon and readied it. "We're ready," Gold told the other Megazord.

The Raptormax suddenly pushed out with the shield and knocked the monster slightly off balance, giving themselves room to get away.

"Fire!" The silo fired and exploded into the monster as the Megazords turned away from it.

-x-

Heavily armored, but surprisingly light, the Mythic Megazord gave as good as it got from the murderous monster who kept trying to take off its head. "I'm done with this unlucky jackrabbit," Platinum said.

The Megazord deflected a blow from the staff with the shield and held it down. It crashed the club into it, breaking it into. Rosie screeched. "Bone-head Blaster!" they summoned. They took aim. "Fire!"

The monster exploded and the Megazord turned away.

-x-

The Station

Astronema came to her senses and became agitated. She paced and made inarticulate sounds of anger and disgust, unable to believe what had just happened to her. "Where's Titus?" she finally demanded of Nubia.

"He didn't return. Probably off sleeping, as usual. Or eating. There's nothing else he's good for," Nubia said in distaste.

Astronema raised her brows. "Isn't he the one who fought with that thing to set me free? What did you do?" she asked.

Nubia bristled. "My princess, he only did that so that he could use it as an excuse to abuse his powers," she said.

"But he did so. Let him rest. I don't care. That's what I shall do," she declared. She then pinned Nubia with a hard stare. "I'm also going to rest. I will not be disturbed by you again," she warned.

Nubia cried out and went to her knees as pain exploded in her head. "My apologies, mistress! It'll never happen again," she gasped out. She slumped when the pain eased.

"See that it doesn't," she said and left the control center.

Nubia banged her fist on the floor.

-x-

Titus was indeed resting. He'd found a nice cozy cave. It was out of the sun, a breeze wafted through and he could hear an underwater river below him. He strung out a hammock and even had a store of food. Whenever he could get away from the station, he enjoyed being there. He slouched in his hammock, rocking himself with one foot on the floor while eating a banana. He didn't know why, but he really enjoyed bananas.

His senses tingled slightly but didn’t stop his leisurely swinging. A shadow fell over him blocking out what light did come from the cave. "So, you can shapeshift sometimes," Zita drawled.

He wasn't surprised this space witch found his hideaway. He hadn't run into her lately. He thought maybe she'd given up on her fruitless mission to free him of his technological restraints. "Under very specific parameters," he said, and grinned. "Today was a good day. Monsters should capture Astronema more often," he declared. He took another banana from the bunch he kept within reach. Before he peeled it, he glanced at her. "Banana?" he asked.

Zita shook her head. "I'm not partial to sweet things," she said.

"Suit yourself," he said and peeled the fruit. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked.

Zita tilted her head. He genuinely was in good spirits. It was the first time he'd interacted with her without being grumpy, grouchy, or sarcastic. "I just wanted more information about the restrictions and limitations and how, when, and why they were set aside," she said.

He groaned slightly and finally rolled out of his hammock. "I don't all the technical stuff. I just know if it’s to protect Astronema I can do whatever I want without pain," he said and approached her. He leaned an arm against the cave opening in front of her. "Did you really come here to ruin my good mood?" he asked, bending closer to her.

Zita narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She put a finger on his forehead, pushing him back slightly. "Don't get on my bad side, Goldsmith. You won't like it there," she said.

"Don't call me Goldsmith," he said flatly. She smirked at him.

He let her think she won and stepped back. "Now you have your answers, Repulsa. Let me eat my bananas in peace. Next time you get on my bad side, I promise," he suddenly grinned wickedly at her, "you'll love it there."

Zita blinked at him. He must be insane. That was the only explanation. She shook his head. "Your last warning," she said and turned away, disappearing in a puff of dark smoke. He chuckled and lounged in his hammock once more.

-x-

Those who'd been captured by the monster were checked out and cleared, as nothing seemed unusual. Then the Ranger's debriefed, though they still hadn't figured out why it captured 
Chloe or, of all people, Astronema.

"Well, Astronema is Karone's clone, and Karone was a Pink Ranger," Melody reasoned.

"That's convoluted but true," Billie agreed. "But then there's Chloe," she said.

"Must be her sparkling personality," Fox suggested.

"Watch it youse. Just because youse ain't my partner anymore doesn't mean you're safe," she threatened. Fox hid behind Autumn and made a face at her.

"Speaking of partners," Rex said and looked at her seriously and then glanced at Mace.

She sighed. "I won't say everything is a hundred percent okay, but it won't affect the team or our teamwork," she promised. Mace nodded.

"Good," Tai said. "I think we can call it a day now. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here," he said, dismissing them. And that's just what happened. He himself among the first to leave because he had a date with his favorite girl.

Tori whirled on Mace on Chloe. "If we're all friends now, about cheer...?"

"No." Chloe said. She returned Tori's pout with an air kiss.

Mace sighed. "Okay. I don't think I can take your disappointed face for the rest of the year if I don't agree," he said finally.

Rex caught up to Melody. "So, before, I did it in the wrong order. The movie was supposed to come first," he explained.

She pinkened and looked up at him. "What movie?" she asked.

"The one I was going to ask you see before I got distracted. It's not too late to still go," he suggested.

She smiled. "That sounds great. And, um, don't worry about the order. As far as first kisses go, it was pretty great, although the end was kinda meh," she said.

Rex chuckled. "I'll try and make that up to you," he promised.

"Looking forward to it," she said quietly.

He held out a hand. "Shall we?"

She pinkened slightly again but took is hand. They teleported out of the Command Center.

-x-

Palace on the Moon

Roki turned toward his wife. "And interesting monster, but I'm afraid I don't see the big picture yet. What do we do now?" he asked.

"Now we wait," she said. "Not patiently. That would give the game away. They'd wonder why we're being so quiet up here. Then they'd investigate, and well, it's best they don't look too closely," she said. "Not that they'd understand what they found, but still," she said. She approached him and plopped herself in his lap. She looked up him with a little pout. "Take me to bed and rub my feet," she commanded.

Roki chuckled. He didn't ask her to explain her plan. She seemed to be having fun. He didn't want to ruin it with too many questions. "Of course, my mistress. Whatever you require of me," he assured her. He bundled her up and stood. They left the Earth in peace for the moment. For soon, if they had their way, that peace would be utterly shattered.

-x-End 07-x-

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment