PRLG: A Different Shade of Pink
Episode XXXIII. A Ghost from the Past
by Green Senturion

The man drove his one-person ship steadily through space. Up ahead, he spotted the space colony—Terra Venture, it was called. He spoke through a communications system on his dashboard and said, “You’re sure this is where she’s staying?”

“Yep! And I know me as well as…well me!” she laughed.

“Thanks, Robot Cassie. You and the others have been a big help,” he replied.

“No, problem, dude. Good luck!” she called.

Now, the man thought, if only Robot Justin was as helpful as he was annoying, Eltar would be perfect…

“All right,” Trakeena said, “So, it would appear that Zordon’s wave cleansed you of Dark Specter’s powers…how disappointing. Fortunately, I DO have power, and am able to fuse this cell of his with Little Boy Silver after I energize it. I COULD destroy you now…” Trakeena mused, bringing her staff to Karone’s face, “But…I’d rather see the look of horror on your face when you see what happens to your boyfriend. So…” Trakeena asked with a grin, “Are you ready?”

As Zhane struggled against the Stingwingers’ grip, he assured, “Karone, you can’t listen to her! You can still save yourself!”

Karone nodded her head, and looked over at Trakeena. As she attempted to run, a surge of electricity pulsed through her body—clearly, escape was not yet possible. Trakeena then lowered her staff toward Dark Specter’s cell; a burst of green energy stemmed from her staff and lifted the rock into the air. As the rock floated into the air and began glowing, a deep voice boomed “TRAKEENA…TRAITOR…”

“Dark Specter?” Trakeena asked in fear, “No! It can’t be! You must go!”

Narrowing her eyes, Trakeena electrified the rock with a twisted bolt from her staff. The cry’s volume increased and echoed throughout the ship, until Karone collapsed to the ground in pain, and Trakeena launched the rock toward Zhane with a final beam from her staff. After a series of silver flashes of light, a shadowed figure pushed past the unconscious Karone on the ground and evilly whispered, “Guess who’s back?”

Cassie and Ashley walked through the City Dome together. After glancing about for a few minutes, Ashley looked over at Cassie, noting the apparent confusion on her face. “So,” Ashley asked nervously, “Do you wanna talk?”

Cassie threw her hands up and said, “What am I supposed to do? I care just as much about Karone and Zhane as the rest of you, but I can’t deny the woman who saved my life her last wishes!” Cassie looked down at the ground and sighed, “I…I just don’t know.”

Ashley looked up at Cassie, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, “I know, Cassie. But I want you to know we’re behind you 100% of the way on this.”

Cassie threw her hand off her shoulder and said, “Are you? You don’t know what it’s like…to have to decide between two teams, both of whom seem to have your back and…Ugh!” Cassie yelled, looking at the two morphers upon her wrists. “I just wish one of these morphers would get destroyed or something so my decision could be easier.”

“That can be arranged,” a cruel, metallic voice echoed behind them.

The girls whirled around; fists raised, they spotted a Silver Psycho Ranger behind them. Puzzled after realizing who it could be, Cassie asked, “Whoa…Zhane? Is that you?”

“No. I am not Zhane,” the Ranger spoke cruelly.

“Come on, Zhane. Quit messing around. Do you know how long Andros has been worried about you?” Ashley demanded angrily.

“I tell you, I am not Zhane!” the Ranger yelled as he stepped toward them.

Ashley looked up and said, “Come on, you have to be. Who else could you be?”

The Psycho Ranger then let out an angry battle cry, and shouted, “Psycho Silverizer!” A moment later, he raised a black hand-rifle and shot at the two female rangers. As they were thrown back a couple yards, the Psycho Ranger laughed and yelled, “I’m Psycho Silver. Still think I’m messing around?”

The girls exchanged warning glances—this guy meant business, whoever he was, and they had to take care of him. After a simultaneous nod of the head and a beat from Cassie, the girls shouted, “Let’s Rocket!”

The Yellow and Pink Space Rangers raced toward him firing their Astro Blasters. Psycho Silver avoided the blasts by leaping into the air and slashing them both with his Psycho Silverizer. As he blasted the girls relentlessly with his Silverizer in laser mode, the girls de-morphed in a glow of light. As Ashley leaned over and spoke, “Help, guys!” into her communicator, Cassie slowly stood up, eyes narrowed, and yelled, “I’m not through with you yet. Go…Galactic!”

Upon morphing into the Pink Galaxy Ranger, Cassie drew her saber and began a sword fight with Psycho Silver. “Hope you don’t have a color preference like most psychos!” taunted Cassie. Slashes were exchanged as both would fall back and then quickly rise again. However, Psycho Silver grew wise to Cassie’s fighting, and by faking her out with a fake slash and then a blast, managed to floor her. As she went to grab her saber, he stepped on her hand and said, “Don’t struggle—it’ll only hurt more.” As he leaned back to finish her, cries of “NO!” could be heard from the sky. The Space and Galaxy Rangers, flying in on their respective gliders, were descending toward Psycho Silver. As Leo attempted to blast Psycho Silver with his lasers, the Psycho grabbed his own face and yelled, “Buzz off!” unleashing a huge energy attack upon the aerial assault squad. As they struggled to regain control of their vehicles, Psycho Silver brought his sword to Cassie’s chest and whispered, “Buh-bye, sucker!” He brought his arm back and was about to strike, when a black beam of energy shot him in the chest and threw him back. As he laid reeling on the ground, a shadowed figure approached behind Cassie. She turned around and saw his masked face. He threw off his cloak to reveal himself as…the Phantom Ranger.

“Seems like whenever I meet you again you’re wearing a different pink suit,” teased the Phantom Ranger as he walked toward Cassie and helped her up.

“Seems like whenever I meet you, I learn nothing new,” Cassie retorted playfully as she dusted herself off.

“Well,” the Phantom Ranger started, “Perhaps this time will be different.”

As Mike ran onto the scene and helped lift Ashley up, the teens turned to face Psycho Silver, who was slowly rising from the ground. As Ashley and Mike morphed, Psycho Silver yelled out, “Come on! I can take you ALL on.” And so the battle began once more.

The Space Rangers fired their Astro Blasters along with Mike, who shot his Magna Blaster. Psycho Silver was unaffected. The Galaxy Rangers then raced toward Psycho Silver with their Sabers high, Mike running with them with his Magna Blaster in sword mode. Psycho Silver threw his saber through the air, and it slashed each of the Galaxy Rangers and knocked them down. Psycho Silver laughed, and then blasted the Rangers with his Silverizer. Another face blast was all that was needed to floor them.

Phantom Ranger, seeing Cassie writhing on the ground, grew incredibly angry. He raised a black handgun and began blasting Psycho Silver with it. The Psycho laughed and raced toward the Phantom at which point Phantom turned invisible. The ten Rangers watched in awe as Psycho Silver was struck about with seemingly no one there. As Phantom became partially visible and nodded at Cassie, she got up with her team and said, “Okay, guys! Lights of Orion, activate!”

The five Rangers donned their armor as the four Space Rangers combined their blasters with their special weapons, bringing them into Booster Mode. As Phantom finished with Psycho Silver and brought him to the ground, Magna Defender joined the ten other Rangers and raised his blaster. As the Phantom Ranger raised his blaster, the eleven rangers stood before the Psycho Ranger as Phantom Ranger asked, “Any last words?”

Karone watched from a screen in the Scorpion Stinger. Trakeena no longer cared where the girl went, for her plan had nearly been carried out to completion. The rest was up to fate. Seeing her friends being blasted and her very good friend doing the damage was more than Karone could take. Angrily, she raised her fists and ran toward Trakeena’s back. Trakeena whirled around and kicked her fists away before elbowing Karone in the gut and placing her foot on her chest. “Clearly, you are VERY inobedient,” Trakeena said, “So we’ll have to fix that.” Trakeena leaned over and grabbed the remote, which was located next to a cellular phone—the Digimorpher! Knowing what she must do, Karone trip kicked Trakeena and leapt to seize the Digimorpher. Trakeena grabbed her foot and wrestled Karone to the ground. The two struggled for the remote, but Karone was finally able to knock it away before Trakeena could press the button. Using the morpher, Karone teleported away in a silver flash of light, leaving a seething Trakeena aboard the ship.

Psycho Silver spat at the Rangers and muttered, “Do your worst.”

The eleven Rangers were about to blast the Psycho Ranger when, in a silver flash of light, Karone appeared before them. The Rangers immediately lowered their weapons as Leo asked in puzzlement, “Karone?”

“Karone!” Andros cried in happiness.

“Please, Rangers,” she cried, “Don’t kill him. This isn’t a normal Psycho Ranger. He’s….” she paused for a moment before finishing, “Zhane.”

Andros dropped his Spiral Saber Booster Mode as the other Rangers looked about in puzzlement. “It can’t be!” Ashley said.

Trakeena angrily struggled to her feet, remote in hand, and glared at Karone on the screen.

“If you destroy him…you WILL destroy Zhane! Please, don’t harm him.”

Trakeena watched Psycho Silver rising to his feet, as she looked on the remote. Four buttons were on it: red, yellow, blue, and green. But which was which? “Deviot!” she called.

“But, I know of a weapon that can save him,” Karone said, “So, Galaxy Rangers, you must make a journey to a planet where I once turned a powerful Warrior to stone.”

Psycho Silver got up and aimed his Silverizer at Cassie while the Rangers were focused on Karone. He got in one good shot that de-morphed her before the Phantom Ranger shot him down angrily.

“Stop that!” Andros yelled at the Phantom, who reluctantly lowered his blaster.

Trakeena angrily looked at the remote and then behind her. Where in the world was Deviot? Villamax and Kegler came running, but Trakeena merely rolled her eyes. “Which button must I press to stop her from telling them anything?” she asked. “One button will shock her, one will teleport her, one will disarm the collar, and the fourth will re-arm it. But which is which? Quick, she’s about to tell them something important!”

“The warrior’s weapon has the power to power down mutated creatures into their original forms. He wanted to use it to save me…but I stopped him. Tell him how sorry I am when you get there,” Karone finished.

“Stay,” Andros pleaded.

“I don’t think I can,” Karone whispered, “So…the planet’s name is…”

Trakeena frantically scanned the remote and decided finally on the red button.

Karone gasped as the collar released itself from her throat and fell to the ground. Smiling, she cried, “Ankia! The planet’s name is Ankia!”

The Galaxy Rangers and the Magna Defender nodded toward one another and raced toward the ship. The Phantom Ranger and Cassie stood still. As the Space Rangers and Galaxy Rangers both implored her with their silence to make a decision, Cassie shook her head and cried, “Go…Galactic!” As she turned to leave, she said, “Karone, I want…”

But Karone was too busy screaming in pain. The blue button Trakeena then pressed had re-attached the collar, and the green button was electrocuting her. Psycho Silver, still smoking, laughed as she was teleported away in a purple flash of light.

“Karone!” Andros called out in fury.

Psycho Silver then got up and said, “Aww, too bad. She’s not here…but I am.”

The Space Rangers stood across from Psycho Silver, who raised his Silverizer, as the Galaxy Rangers and the Phantom Ranger boarded the Jet Jammers and entered the Megaship. As Kai entered the coordinates for the planet and Damon steered the ship, Maya walked over to Cassie, patted her on the shoulder and said, “Thank you.”

Cassie merely nodded and looked up at the Phantom Ranger, who gave a shy wave of approval.

Staring down at the writhing Karone, Trakeena rasped, “What a fool you are. Give me THIS!” Trakeena swiped away Zhane’s Digimorpher before sighing and saying, “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, and that Psycho Silver has one more special power.”

As Trakeena still pondered where Deviot could be, she lazily told Villamax to follow the Astro Megaship. Looking down at Karone, she said, “Soon, ZHANE will be no more. But Psycho Silver…will be even greater,” she added. Karone shook her head as the four Space Rangers raised their special weapons in Booster Mode and charged toward him on the screen. Trakeena glanced at the screen, and said, “Your own creation will defeat the Galaxy Rangers AND the Space Rangers for good. HAHAHA!”