Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Three, Heather Ray [good non fiction books to read TXT] 📗

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Tommy nodded. "You know how much I miss being a Ranger, Zordon... and I really appreciate all the work you're putting in to reinstate me. I'm not afraid of the risks, but...." He sighed deeply. "Zordon, you made a hole in the Morphin' Grid to stick this new Ranger in. Will dividing up the Grid into six instead of five make the others any weaker? If so... I don't want the coin."

He then lifted his troubled gaze to Zordon.

The wise sage smiled, pride swelling in his heart. Tommy Oliver had truly grown so much in his relatively short career. He was willing to forever retire from the Rangers, just to make sure his friends weren't inconvenienced.

He had truly proven himself worthy... not only of the White Coin, but of much more.

"ADDING A NEW RANGER TO THE GRID DOES NOT WEAKEN THE EXISTING TEAM," he assured the erstwhile Green Ranger. "THE GRID ITSELF ONLY PROCESSES POWER FROM ANOTHER SOURCE. ALL I HAVE DONE IS CHANNEL AN EXTRA BURST OF THAT SOURCE THROUGH THE MORPHIN' GRID. DO NOT FEAR... THE RANGERS WILL NOT BE COMPROMISED IN THE LEAST BY YOUR ADDITION. ON THE CONTRARY, YOU WILL BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL OF THEM ALL... AND FROM NOW ON, THEY WILL FOLLOW YOU IN BATTLE."

Tommy's eyebrow rose. "Huh?"

"I HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU WILL BE THE LEADER OF THE POWER RANGERS."

Tommy stared at Zordon in even greater shock than he experienced when he first entered the Hidden Chamber. "The leader? But... what about Jason? I can't replace Jason! He's my best friend!"

"DO NOT THINK OF IT AS REPLACING JASON. YOU WILL BE ASSISTING HIM. THE BURDENS OF LEADERSHIP HAVE GREATLY TAKEN THEIR TOLL UPON HIM. I HAVE OBSERVED HIS GRIM SPIRIT, AND IT CONCERNS ME."

Tommy cringed. "Kim told me he was a little down before, but we resolved all that! He knows the Green Candle thing wasn't his fault. You can't demote him now."

Zordon gazed at the young man before him. "TOMMY, TELL ME THE TRUTH... DID YOU EVER ENVY JASON'S POSITION AS LEADER?"

Surprisingly, Tommy chuckled. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to deal with all that stress! Sure I wish I was more like him, but I never wished I could be the Red Ranger."

"THEN WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT TAKING THE LEADERSHIP WOULD DEPRIVE HIM OF SOMETHING DESIRABLE?"

Tommy considered this for a few moments. "Well... it seems like I'd be taking his job because he hadn't been doing it properly. And I know

that he's a terrific leader."

Zordon smiled. "THAT HE IS. AND NOW, I FEEL HE DESERVES A RESPITE. I CAN TELL HIM TO RELAX, EVEN ORDER HIM STOP BEING SO DEMANDING OF HIMSELF. BUT THAT WILL NEVER STOP HIM. HIS DEDICATION TO THE TEAM IS BEYOND WHAT I EXPECTED OF HIM. IF SOMEONE ELSE WERE TO TAKE THE REINS OF LEADERSHIP FOR A TIME, THEN HE WILL HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE TEAM DOES NOT DEPEND ON HIM ALONE. THEN HE WILL LEARN TO SHARE THE BURDENS WITH THE TEAM, AND MAKE YOU ALL STRONGER AS A WHOLE."

A small smile softened Tommy's grimace. "Wait... you said 'a time.' So I wouldn't be replacing him or anything; just giving him a vacation."

"WE WILL SEE HOW THIS EXPERIMENT PANS OUT. JASON MUST COME TO UNDERSTAND HIS TRUE PLACE- AS A TEAM MEMBER. THE LEADER SHOULD BE AN INSPIRATION TO THE TEAM, AND A PILLAR OF STRENGTH TO REASSURE THE OTHERS. THE LEADER WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE THE 'HERO' OF THE TEAM. YOU ARE ALL

HEROES, AND SOMETIMES, THE RISK WILL FALL UPON ANOTHER RANGER. IT WOULD BE TO JASON'S BENEFIT IF HE LEARNED THIS LESSON, AND AFTER WITNESSING THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU DEALT WITH YOUR POWER LOSS, I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BEARING THAT LOAD UNTIL I SEE JASON HAS COME TO UNDERSTAND."

Tommy nodded, smiling faintly as he mulled over Zordon's reasoning. He had to admit... his mentor was right. Jason could use a few weeks of time... and perhaps then, he'd realize that the other six Rangers are more than capable of bearing a bit of risk.

But would Jason recognize the "demotion" as a helping hand offered by friends who truly care about him... or a slap in the face, further proving he was a poor leader who didn't try hard enough?

"Jason won't take it well," he said aloud.

"NOT AT FIRST. BUT HE WILL UNDERSTAND. JASON CAN BE EXTREMELY DEMANDING OF HIMSELF, BUT OTHERWISE HE IS A VERY REASONABLE YOUNG MAN."

Tommy nodded, exhaling sharply. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll be the White Ranger. And I'll be the leader... but only until Jason's ready to take it back."

"AGREED. ALPHA?"

The small robot stepped forward, hands clasped in front of him.

"MAKE THE FINAL PREPARATIONS. AND CONNECT TOMMY TO THE MED-UNIT."

Alpha nodded, and directed Tommy to a long cot with several machines hanging over it.

"What's a med-unit?"

"It's a prototype for a new healing and monitoring system," Alpha explained, "Now we're going to use it to keep a close eye on all your vital functions, to make sure the transfer of power goes smoothly."

"How long will this take?" Tommy inquired, as he hefted himself upon the cot. He watched as Alpha started attaching wires and sensory pads to his body with surgical tape.

"Several hours," the robot answered, "We've got to take this slowly. There're a lot of unknowns to keep an eye out for."

Tommy nodded, his face the very picture of stoic determination as Alpha explained in detail the power transfer process.

Chapter Five

Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the dark labyrinth of the Moon Palace, Lord Zedd's eyes opened from their long slumber. However, unlike most mortals, Zedd awoke to complete consciousness, and razor-sharp awareness.

He jerked into a sitting position, hastily pulling plastic tubes of regenerative liquids from his bare muscles. He leapt off his stone bed with urgency, and marched out of his private chamber.

Goldar, who was lazily lounging in the stone throne, gasped loudly when the proud Emperor appeared at the threshold, red visor blazing with fury.

"F...forgive me, Lord," Goldar groveled, jumping off the throne and kneeling. "I... I meant no presumption. I thought you were still regenerating."

"Summoning Erebus drained me tremendously," Zedd admitted, sitting heavily in his throne, "but even in the dreamless restorative sleep, I was able to feel it."

"Feel what?"

Zedd growled low at the complete insensitivity his greatest warrior had to higher powers. "The Morphin' Grid," he snarled, "I don't know what is going on down there, but there is a serious disruption in the Morphin' Grid." He touched his silver-tipped fingers together in anticipation. "The Rangers' powers will be severely compromised so long as the Grid is unstable, and there is no way to determine how long my good luck will last. I won't let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers."

Zedd stood once again, grasping his trusted scepter as he strode to the balcony overlooking the peaceful globe of Earth.

He needed a special

monster for this occasion.

Part Two

Chapter Six

Zack Taylor, famous amongst the teenaged population of Angel Grove for his dancing prowess and limitless charm, dove for the pigskin as if the fate of the universe depended on it. His fingers managed a tenuous grasp on the projectile, and his battle-honed senses unconsciously tucked his agile body in preparation for a crash landing.

Zack rolled along the fresh grass, easily sliding back to his feet and holding up the ball in victory.

Nearly half a minute later, another young man dashed across the wide green expanse of Angel Grove Park, and paused beside him, panting slightly.

"Jeez, Curtis... when you say 'Go long,' you mean long

!" Zack gasped, staring at his cousin in near awe, "Man, why aren't you on the football team?"

Curtis responded with the trademark Taylor grin. "Just not into organized sports, Cous'. All those crazy training drills sap all the fun out of it. I just like throwin' the ball around."

He then eyed his older cousin suspiciously. "Where'd you learn how to catch

like that?" he demanded, "If anyone ought to be on the team, it's you!"

Zack chuckled a bit, tossing the ball in the air and catching it repeatedly. "I've got too many after-school activities. I tried it out last year, but I couldn't dedicate enough time to it." He then smirked. "Besides, all my Hip-Hop Kido, dance contests, and karate with Jason keep me in prime Babe-Catching shape!"

Curtis laughed, a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes as he snatched the football just centimeters above Zack's waiting hand. "Well, let's see just how good you are. This time, go real long

."

Zack answered by cracking his neck. He began jogging backwards, until he found a location he felt suited him.

Curtis then launched the ball with his rocket arm. Zack gaped at the speed with which the ball approached him, and broke into a desperate run when it was clear the ball would sail right past him.

He frowned when the football zipped over his head, disappearing over the hill he was just beginning to ascend. The Black Ranger huffed, straining his muscles even further so he could catch up with the ball before it dropped out of sight.