Fall of the Risen Empress

Synopsis:   Taking place after ‘Reboot’, the final chapter to Bright Star Angie (and my) saga of the MMPR vs Rita Repulsa.   Having revived and rejuvenated, the Empress has a brand new plan to take out the Rangers by having them fight one another.   Her latest incantation brings forth her best and most divisive monster, ‘Mistrust’ sends the Rangers off on their lonesome even to the point of fighting one another on the battle field.   The only ones that are immune are our robot friends.  A new robot joins the fight, and his name is Asimo.   Seems Asimo has a bit of a fancy for Pepper, too.

  Chapter 1—One Last Hurrah

          It was the final week of summer and the Rangers were doing their utmost to live it to the hilt, milking every final moment for everything it was worth.  They had gone to carnivals, car shows, art exhibits, amusement parks, mall crawls, Renaissance fairs, comic book and game conventions; everywhere there was diversion to be had. 

          The last stop in their summer blowout tour was a local pie eating contest.   More than likely Francis S. Bulkmeyer would be the champ this year.  He had been the reigning kahuna for 5 years running now, but that didn’t mean that Eugene Skullovich wouldn’t try knocking him off his golden platform.  Friends though they were, competition was something that made their amity even stronger.  

          On the way to the contest the Rangers came across their friends from long ago and a new one had been added to the group.   His name was Asimo.  

          ‘Who’s this ?’, Kim asked, curiously. 

          ‘That is Asimo.  Doctor Higashide recently fabricated him.  Like the others before us, we’re showing him what it means to interact with us and with humans as well as the environment.  We thought the contest would be prime teaching material.’, NAO stated, astutely.    Asimo was naturally curious and easy to warm up to.  Pepper followed close behind him like a puppy in need of affection.    Asimo didn’t mind her tagging along, in fact, he found her company endearing.   Something more struck him about it, though.   He started to recognize the feeling humans called ‘love’ and the more he was around her, the more he began to understand how fundamentally transformative it was.    Sure, these were merely the buds of romance from a solid friendship, but even he knew the basic algorithm of affection in its purest, most innocent form.   

          They were followed by the quartet of amour’ as they were called affectionately.   Beta and Somnibot were newly married but just like Alpha 5 and Delta 4, they maintained that honeymoon glow about themselves.   Despite all the joviality and jubilance there was an air of sadness around them.   They all knew that school was going to commence soon so they seized the day and made the most of every moment. 

Chapter 2—The Birth of Mistrust  

          Asimo befriended the Rangers and their cohorts easily and appreciated every moment he had with them.   He had never experienced diversion before and found it all very entertaining.   

          Meanwhile on the Moon Base…

          Rita Repulsa seethed with odium, its stench rising from her thicker than a dark cloud.   Even though she was completely rejuvenated, her loathing of the Rangers had not come to an end.  

          ‘Ugggh, friendship.  Disgusting.   You think you’re so strong together.  Let’s see how well you do when you’re at each other’s throats’., she thought, sardonically, rubbing her hands together as if she was waiting for a savory meal to finish cooking over a roaring fire.   

          Quickly Rita hauled out her trusty cauldron by the use of her newly gained powers from deceased Lord Zedd.   That blabbermouth had never been good for much of anything, save his abilities, she mused.    Besides, their constant kvetching had led to her getting massive migraines 9 times out of 10 on a given day when she could’ve been destroying the Rangers and taking over their puny planet.  

          Immediately, she threw together a concoction that was horribly abysmal and devious.   By far it was her most wretched plan to date !   The brew began to roil and bubble violently, churning and turning by whim of the wave of her wrist.  It reflected the ever-changing, kaleidoscopic cosmos above until it boiled over and a gelatinous amoeba emerged.   

          The amoeba took human form, dressed much like a shinobi of the feudal era.

          ‘Ah, my spell was a success.’, she said, applauding herself.  

          ‘I am Mistrust.  Where shall I sew my seeds of dissention, Mistress Repulsa ?’, the ninja asked in a raspy and eerie tone.    Rita took her staff and pointed at the earth with the crescent end as indicator. 

          ‘See that mote of blue dust suspended on a sunbeam ?  That’s the little irksome dot I want you to infect, Mistrust.’, she said.    The shinobi bowed her head and sunk into the moon, disappearing.   Before long, Rita thought, those blasted Rangers would be no more and she would have her revenge.   Maybe, just perhaps, Alpha 5 would be one who survived the carnage and become her loyal servant once again ?  She could only dream that this reverie became actual. 

Chapter 3—Seeds of Dissent

Mistrust made her way to Angel Grove, cloaking herself in the dense trees. Discreetly she began throwing seeds out from her satchel, knowing that the seedlings would know whom to infect with her garden variety dissent.   They weren’t particularly fetching seedlings either.   They were brambled, gnarled and hoary headed; nightmarish creatures that seemed to be out of the mind of a troubled, misguided soul.  Despite that, Mistrust adored them, just like any mother would her children. 

          No human being could trace or see the seedlings while they roamed.  They ignored others and honed in on the bustling Rangers who were heading towards school.  It was their last year there and they were eager to learn new things and catch up with old friends they hadn’t seen during the summer.   Bulk and Skull, however, were dreading the establishment, thinking it was a waste of time.   They forgot their forlorn attitudes as soon as their friends came into view.   According to the duet, there was still something rather unusual about those diverse friends that always hung out together.  Their clues were so close to adding up but there was still something missing.  They still couldn’t come to a conclusion as to why they would always be missing from class if Angel Grove was under attack from alien invasions.  

          ‘Do you think after all these years we’ve been witnessing the Power Rangers in action and just didn’t know it ?’, Skull surmised after going over his evidence with a fine toothed comb. 

          ‘It’s quite possible.   I mean, think about it, Skully.   They always disappear or are absent when one of those monsters pops up.  We all know they’re not the one’s causing the attacks; they actually defend us.’, Bulk agreed.   They looked at the jovial group and then at each other, knowing that this sort of scoop would be their burden and privilege to keep.   No one else in the school knew but the dynamic duo had always had their inklings that the students they had come to befriend were defenders and heroes, each one.  It was humbling knowing that this information was in their capable hands.   

          ‘Ow !  Did some mosquitoes get in here somehow ?’, Bulk said, swatting at his neck.  One of the seedlings had infected him and the next had bitten Skull.   One moment they had been joking and chatting, the next they were bickering.  Had the bots been on the scene they would’ve seen the dark beings skipping and jumping around since no human seemed to be able to see them.   Mistrust skulked in the background, cackling to herself.  

          ‘So far, everything is carrying on as planned.  The Empress will be so delighted !’, she thought to herself as her pride and heart swelled within her. 

Chapter 4—What’s Going On ?

           When the Rangers had returned, none of them would speak to one another. Rita had already given Mistrust the ability to enlarge without the need of her Magic Wand. The fighting between the Rangers and their friends only made her stronger. If matters continued as they had, Rita wouldn’t even have to fight alongside her monster. Feeling overly confident, Rita set up a pop-up chair and sat back, admiring her progress. Asimo was troubled. He had known the Rangers weren’t like this and they weren’t even transforming to combat the latest threat.

‘Did you see the black mosquitoes that bit them ? I saw the source. She was tossing them out of a rucksack to do her bidding. Their dissent is only making HER stronger.’, Pepper concluded. Asimo knew they had to do something, and fast. They ran to Ranger HQ and told Alpha 5 the bad news. Like always, he panicked.

         'Ai yi yi yi yi yi yi ! Zordon DEFINITELY needs to her this, as well as the others !', he concluded, his processor racing. The bots ran through the corridors and went into the command center, where Zordon was waiting for them along with his friend, Fera of Triforia. She was the wife of Trey, the Lord of Triforia.  If it wasn’t Fera that would be able to convince them they were all mad, no one would.   

Fera didn’t need any convincing.  She was aware the situation was the worst it could possibly become.   She went along with the bots and began to talk to the teens.  None of them seemed to be budging from their opinions or spats.  If this continued, they’d be at each other’s throats and killing each other. 

          ‘We have to work together.   Mistrust has begun ripping Angel Grove apart and she’ll only continue gaining strength !’, Beta 1 pleaded.   

‘Just think, if you rip yourselves apart, we won’t have anyone to celebrate our pending marriage.’, Pepper said, a bit shyly.   Asimo had known of it and had planned it in tandem with her, but the initial shock had been enough to wake the Rangers out of their divisive spells.  

‘No way, really !   How long were you going to keep this a secret from us ?’, Kat said, just like an excited child.   Like the other ladies of the group, a wedding was always a grand reason for jubilation.   At least now they could no longer be affected by Mistrust’s emissaries.  

          ‘Thank you, one and all.  Fera, we need your help at this point.  Mistrust has grown to unbelievable proportions.’, Zordon said.   Fera simply smiled, staff in hand and entered into the battle.   Everything that had been carrying along so swimmingly had finally started unravelling like a massive ball of yarn. 

Chapter 5—Rita Joins the Fight

          ‘No, not this time, not when victory is nearly clenched in my fists !’, Rita thought, joining her monster in the fight.   Mistrust didn’t mind.  She had wanted to be joined to her Mistress since the moment she was created.  This was her purpose and it only made her more formidable.   It wasn’t anything Fera and the Rangers in tandem couldn’t handle. 

          The robots themselves formed a fighting brigade and waited for the opportune time to strike.   Mistrust, now merged with her Creator, laughed at the ants beneath her feet and began kicking at them as if they were rubble.   Tenaciously, boldly, they fought back and looked for an opening. 

          ‘Go for her ankles.  They’re not covered in thorns !’, Asimo noticed.  The joints, appropriately enough, were vulnerable to attack and it left the Rangers enough time to form the Megazord and do proper battle against their greatest foe of all time.  It would be no easy battle and Rita would not be defeated without much blood, sweat and tears, but they had both been waiting for this iconic moment for years.  For Rita, it had been millennia.   It was time to bury the literal hatchet, she mused, and preferably in the skull of the Megazord, where it rightfully belonged !  

Chapter 6—How the Mighty Fall

          It seemed like something out of a dream but Fera had given the robots the ability to fuse into a giant mech as well.   They called themselves the ‘Aizord’.   It quite possibly wasn’t the most creative name in the history of monikers but it suited their new form perfectly. 

          The pristine Megazord, Aizord and Fera used their combined abilities to subdue Rita and her creation.   It had been an evenly matched fight, but ultimately, good finally won the day when Fera impaled Mistrust with her sacred blade. 

          ‘I didn’t have any opportunity to block…’, Rita gulped.   She never thought she could die in her state with the abilities that she had stolen from Zedd but the darkness had come to take her back into the void.   It was an unusual peace that enveloped her as she began to evaporate and disappear upon the wind.   She was with her last creation in those final hours and nothing but serenity enfolded her as her soul floated away.   

          The bots had become themselves and the Rangers had been able to take the respite that they deserved.    They knew they’d have to return to school tomorrow but tonight, they could sleep well, knowing they had defeated Rita once and for all.   It felt as if a huge onus had been taken from their backs and they could relax, at least for a while.   Evil would always be a force in the Universe and they would be around to defend the Earth from it, but at least for now, they could convalesce.  

Epilogue

          It had seemed like only yesterday the Rangers had come to know each other as friends and discovered they had been chosen by Zordon to be the planet’s defenders.  Now they were savoring another wedding and the bride and groom seemed to glow amongst all the other participants in the chapel. 

          Asimo and Pepper were happily married amongst a gaggle of encouragers and revelers.   The music was ambrosial, as was the food and everyone was enjoying themselves immensely.    It was already the middle of fall and school was passing everyone by so quickly that the end of the year had almost been upon them.   Winter and spring would follow; graduation wouldn’t be far behind.   There was no telling where the teens, now full-fledged adults would be headed after this, but they would always be Rangers.  As for the bots, they had their own lives, helping in their small, behind the scenes ways.   For now, though, the spotlight was on Asimo and Pepper, celebrating their magical union.   Fera attended even though, coincidentally, the war was over, she felt it behooved her to give the robots her congratulations.   After the reception though, she had to return to her home.  She had caught up with Zordon and given him a pendant with which he could communicate with her at any time.  It was possible she would return when she was really needed, but goodbyes had never been her strong point. Even though she was weeping, she was still glad she had been able to make allies on earth and connect with an old friend once more.  

          Asimo and Pepper said their farewells, knowing that they were heading off on a cruise to the Virgin Islands. Later, they would be heading to Tahiti, and Hawaii. More than likely, they would return once Christmas had come to Angel Grove but they would have the islands to themselves. 

          ‘Don’t forget to send us a postcard, alright ?’, Kat stated before she and her buddies wished their robot mates a hearty farewell at the tarmac.   They all had a massive group hug before the two disembarked for their journey as a married couple.

          ‘Good. Now things are normal, relatively speaking.’, Billy added, whilst stretching his arms from the wait.  The others bent and stretched before taking the long ride home.  They chatted and sang along to the radio, just like old times.  The weekend was coming up but they had completed their homework in advance.   They’d be heading to the amusement park for kicks and giggles like before.  It was in that same place where Francis S. Bulkmeyer had won, as usual, the pie contest like he had every year prior.  More than likely they’d see he and his crazy pal, Skull, right alongside him, trying to win one of the prizes from the ‘rigged’ carnie booths but Skull would always best the carnies at their own game with sheer skill in ring-tossing ability.   Ah, yes, it was good to be home again, they all pondered as they rode back home and went their separate ways for the night.    That evening they all participated in their own nighttime rituals and nestled in their beds, dreaming of the adventure to come and the days of friendship and laughter to follow.   With them, it was never a dull moment because in their circle (which was ever expanding) life was nothing but abundant, rich and full of hope and promise.  

The End