The Terran Ranger Saga Volume 6 - Heather Ray (read novels website TXT) 📗

from the Starlight Rangers.

"And don't go anywhere," Zack added, before the three congregated in a tight circle.

"Go ahead, Billy," Tommy said. "We're clear."

^Primary analyses have been completed. While I can't yet clarify the hodge-podge of energy signatures attached to these so-called 'Starlight Rangers,'

I am very certain that they are indeed members of the Power Ranger family. While the energy source is quite complicated, the basic parameters are very similar to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...the White Ranger in particular.^

^Hey, Billy,^

Adam's voice said, the communicator relay picking up the conversation. ^Take a look at this!^

"What's going on?" Zack inquired.

^It...it's impossible...^

Billy whispered in surprise.

"Jeez... don't leave us in suspense!" Jason muttered.

^The computer has managed to identify one-part of the energy pattern that fuels these Starlight Rangers. And it matches the signature of...the Zeo Crystal.^

Tommy, Jason, and Zack all glanced at each other meaningfully.

"Then they are telling the truth," Jason whispered, "They must be from another dimension! They do seem to be from Earth, and if the Zeo Crystal plays some part in their morph, it must be true. They certainly didn't get any energy from our crystal."

While the Terran Rangers were caught in a deep discussion amongst themselves, the four Starlight Rangers gathered together as well.

"Now what do we do?" Regina sighed, fingering her belt nervously. "The Terran Rangers know we're here!"

"That was the general idea, Gina," Brittany pointed out. "Still...it was so weird seeing my dad jump out of the blue like that. He's nowhere near as reckless back home."

"Yes, we touched base with the Rangers," Rebecca stated, "so we're one step closer to joining together the arrowhead. Now we've got the two halves. But now we have to figure out what we will and won't tell the Terran Rangers. Do we want them to know about the future?"

"It's not their future," Anthony reminded them. "Our timestream and theirs forked when Rita and Zedd traveled into the future, and then went back to their departure point. That created a ten-year retreat from alien encounters, starting a few months ago in this dimension. So in other words, we know for a fact that this world will not become ours. So we wouldn't really be revealing their future."

"And we know they'd be more likely to help us if they knew we were their children," Brittany commented, "How likely will they sacrifice the healing powers of the arrowhead to help five perfect strangers who won't even tell them where we come from?"

"Let's see what we can get accomplished without telling them too much," Anthony decided. "Even though our future isn't theirs, I'm sure it'll still rattle them to meet their children."

Just then, Rebecca made a full circle, gazing off into the distance. "Guys," she said, "don't you think Micah should have checked in by now?"

"I suppose he's still with David," Anthony hypothesized, lifting his communicator, "Tony to Micah. Micah?"

Anthony frowned when silence was his only response.

"What does that mean?" Brittany asked.

"I think it means the communicator is working, but no one's answering it," Rebecca stated, folding her arms. "We'd better look for him."

"Is there any way you can home in on his psi-print or something?" Regina suggested.

"Well, I can try," Rebecca answered, tightly closing her eyes. She quieted her own thoughts, reaching out in search of the familiar mind-pattern of her close friend.

"She should have found him by now," Anthony realized. "He shouldn't be further than a half a mile from here."

"Let's look for him," Regina decided. "We'll start from where we met him, and span out from there."

"Right," Rebecca and Brittany chimed, as the four Rangers hurried across the rocky cliff. No sooner did they take a step did the Terran Rangers notice their departure.

"Hey!" Zack called, chasing after them, "I thought I said not to pull a disappearing act!"

"Our Green Ranger has gone missing," Anthony reported. "He was protecting a civilian, but now he's not responding to our communiqué."

"You have a Green Ranger too?" Tommy inquired.

"Of course we do," Brittany huffed impatiently. "How many Ranger teams do you know with less than five members?"

Tommy conceded the point, and together the seven Rangers searched the general area. After about ten minutes, Rebecca's eyes fell on an artifact peaking out from a slight film of dust. She fell to her knees, dusting off the object before pulling it up.

"Oh no," she whispered, rising to her feet. "Guys! Over here!"

In seconds, all the Rangers were assembled before the petite Pink Ranger.

"What is it?" Anthony inquired, laying his hand on her shoulder.

In silence, she lifted the leather chord, with the stone arrowhead half hanging from it.

"That...that looks like my arrowhead pendant," Tommy whispered, hesitantly reaching for the chord. Rebecca placed the necklace in his gloved palm, as he, Jason, and Zack stared at it in awe.

"Where did you get this?" Tommy demanded. "Did your Green Ranger have it?"

Brittany, Anthony, Rebecca, and Regina traded worried looks. Then, after a moment of silence, Rebecca stepped forward.

"No, but the young man he was trying to protect is the owner of that pendant," she revealed, "but now they're both gone, and the only trace of them is this arrowhead."

"Something must have happened to them," Brittany thought out loud. "There's no way Micah or David would give up that arrowhead willingly."

"Micah and David?" Zack repeated.

Then, Regina gasped. "Do you think Goldar got to them?"

All present shuddered at the mention of the decorated alien warrior.

"Tommy," Anthony said suddenly, reaching out and grabbing the Red Terran Ranger's arm, "we need to go to the CAC. We won't be able to find Micah and David on foot. They've obviously been attacked. That's the only way they would have left this arrowhead behind."

Tommy startled at the Red Starlight's insight. "How did you know my name?! And what do you know about the CAC?"

"We'll explain everything," Anthony assured him, "but right now, we've got to find Micah and David. Their lives are hanging in the balance."

^Tommy,^

Billy's voice suddenly signaled from the communicator, ^I heard everything. We've identified them as Power Rangers, so I think we're safe to teleport them here. Teleporting...now.^

With that, seven columns of light erupted from the earth, carrying the teens to their destination.

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Wow!" Kim uttered, an excited smile lighting up her features. "This is so

amazing. Another team of Power Rangers!"

While Kimberly was obviously thrilled by the arrival of the four Starlight Rangers, most of the others displayed different reactions.

Tanya stood behind Kimberly, an almost worried expression marring her face as she, Rocky, and Adam continued varying scans of the surrounding area near the battle site. Aisha and Alexis traded distrusting expressions, while Katherine studied the Rangers with a far more quizzical expression.

Finally, Billy tore himself away from the teleportation relay, and stood before the seven morphed new arrivals.

"We've started the search for the two missing persons," Billy reported, "I do have some images of them stored in the computer, as I tracked Goldar when he first arrived."

At that, Katherine's head perked up. "Goldar?"

"Yes," Rebecca stated, folding her hands, "He attacked the three of us. I morphed and prepared to face him while Micah lead David to safety. But almost as soon as I was ready, Goldar just vanished."

"Goldar retreated?" Tommy asked, pulling off his helmet, "I doubt it. Is it possible he is responsible for your friends' disappearance?"

"Very possible," Anthony admitted. "Although, what would be his motive? He doesn't know us."

"That adds one more to the list," Alexis muttered, just loud enough for the Red Starlight Ranger to hear.

"Well, considering the computers are running a full scan, we have some time," Anthony began, raising his hands to his helmet, "I guess introductions are basically in order."

With that, he unlatched his helmet, and pulled it off his head. While the other Rangers didn't react, Kimberly gasped audibly as she recognized his auburn curls and wide aqua-blue eyes.

"You're that Anthony Monroe guy I saw in the hall!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "So it was your communicator that went off."

"Yes it was. You see, we're the Starlight Rangers, assembled in the year 2025. Basically we're on a very important mission, which required a trip back in time --"

"But," the Blue Ranger interrupted, "it's not exactly a trip back in time, since we're from a different timeline." She then met Anthony's gaze through her helmet. "I figured that should be emphasized."

She then pulled off her own helmet, and shook her curls free from their imprisonment. Adam startled slightly when he saw her.

"I saw you at the school," he recalled aloud, "uh...Regina. Right?"

Regina nodded with a smile. "You guessed it. Regina Drew."

"Wait a second," Aisha said, pressing her fingers against her temples. "Back up. You said you're from a different timeline. How do you know that? What exactly do you know about our dimension?"

"Our home universe isn't very much different from this one, but it's different enough," the Pink Ranger picked up. "Do you recall the time when Nate Grey and Annie Monroe came into this dimension, in pursuit of Solar?"

"How could we forget?" Aisha remarked, her fingers absently rubbing against her abdomen. Even after being completely healed from the terrible wounds inflicted by Holocaust, she still shivered at the reminder.

"Well, we're from that dimension," the Pink Ranger continued, "only sixteen years later."

The entire audience was stunned and baffled.

"Then, why are you here?" Billy asked, stepping forward to the Pink Ranger, who seemed to emerge as the team's spokesperson. "How did you get here? Why this particular dimension?"

Then, the Pink Ranger removed her helmet. Her warm smile fell upon Billy, and her eyes glinted with a gentility that felt intriguingly familiar to the young genius.

He knew that smile. That was the smile of pure love and good humor. A smile of tenderness. One feature that remained so clear in his memory...despite the years since his mother died.

Why did this girl remind him of his mother? And there was something about the eyes as well...

As for Rebecca, she felt the range of reactions Billy had to her countenance. She wasn't surprised at all, considering she was always reminded of her likeness to her grandmother and namesake.

She didn't need to be an empath to discern the impression she had made.

So, she decided to roll with it.

"One question at a time," she said finally, tucking her rose helmet in the crook of her arm, "Like Anthony first