A Glimpse into the Future
By Crypt
By Crypt
This story takes place in the year 4998 A.D. The universe still wasn't safe from evil, and the evil forces were worse than ever. However, the forces of evil were still the same.
Three thousand years have gone by. The heroic Power Rangers — Andros, T.J., Carlos, Ashley, and Cassie — were now gone as well. They lived happy lives, although unfortunately, they never succeeded in their mission to rescue Zordon from Dark Specter.
Eventually, the whole Power Ranger legacy died out; there was no one to succeed the former Rangers. Nowadays, there was only one line of universal defense: The Spice Club! These remarkable comic book rejects were immortal, because they were controlled by spirits which would live for eternity.
After 3,000 years, the Spices haven't changed a bit. Jenny, the Spice Club leader, was STILL considered to be 16 years of age. The other Spices were still the same as well. The only thing different about them was their fighting skills. With 3,000 years' practice, their skills have improved significantly.
Unfortunately, the Spices haven't had any luck rescuing Zordon either.
However, Dark Specter still hasn't drained all of his power yet. Andros had no idea how right he was when he told the other Rangers that Zordon was strong.
At the Cimmerian planet, all of the evil aliens of the universe gathered to celebrate. The Power Rangers had been dead for millennia, and the Spice Club had supposedly given up. All of the familiar faces were there: Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd and their minions; the Machine Empire, Divatox and her minions, and Astronema and her crew. Also attending the party was one newcomer. It was a traveler in a hooded cloak.
"It's only a matter of time now!" Divatox declared. "Zordon's power shall soon belong to the Dark Specter!"
Suddenly, she felt something bump into her.
"Oh, it's you," Rita grumbled.
"Ah, it's nice to see you again…..Frita," Divatox said.
"It's Rita! So, still after the Power Rangers?"
"Are you kidding!? The Power Rangers have been dead for three millennia. And the Spice Club has retired, so we have no need to worry about them."
*That's what SHE thinks,* the traveler thought with a grin.
"What are you staring at, huh?" Divatox asked.
"Yeah, what're you staring at?" Elgar echoed.
The traveler turned and walked away.
"Is it true?" Rita said to Zedd. "Has the Spice Club really retired?"
"Well, it is sort of a universal gossip," Zedd replied.
Rita was still jealous of Divatox, so she fired some energy. The shot missed Divatox, but struck Astronema in the hand. However, Astronema simply absorbed the energy and walked off mysteriously.
"Oh, it's Astronema," Divatox grumbled. "Even she couldn't destroy the Power Rangers or the Spice Club. She is not fit to be Queen of Evil."
"Oh yes, she is," Elgar said.
"All evil ones, it is time!" a voice called.
"Oh boy!" Elgar cried.
So the evil villains sat a long table. The traveler sat on the very end next to General Havoc. Astronema, who sat on the other side of Havoc, leaned forward so that she could glance at the traveler suspiciously. The traveler looked back at her, smiling both slyly and nervously. Then the traveler stared into space, drumming the fingers on the table. Finally, the evil warlord himself appeared.
"I am Dark Specter, monarch of all that is evil!" he announced. "The Power Rangers are dead, and Zordon's power is almost completely drained. Once it is complete, the lava will rise, extinguishing the power forever."
Lord Zedd stood up. "This calls for a lava juice toast to the universe! A universe that shall belong to the Dark Specter!"
The villains drank their lava juice in one gulp. The traveler just picked up the glass, sighed, and put it back down. Divatox turned to the traveler.
"Hey, you on the end in the cape!" she called. "What are you; too good to drink with us?"
"Who are you?" Queen Machina asked.
Astronema stood up. "He's a spy!"
"What!? A spy!?" the others gasped.
Now Divatox stood up. "Well, get him!" she screamed.
The spy slowly stood and backed away from the evil forces. The Quantrons attacked, and the spy fought them off fiercely.
"Get him!" Astronema yelled.
"Elgar, do something!" Divatox cried.
The spy jumped onto the table and ran across, messing up the banquet.
"Who is this intruder?" Dark Specter growled.
"Now I'm really mad!" Lord Zedd grabbed his staff and swung it at the spy, who blocked the attack. Zedd didn't pull back, so the spy had to continue the pressure. As they struggled, Zedd could hear the spy laughing with excitement. Zedd noticed something about that laugh. It was a woman's laugh.
"Hey…..it's a woman!" he called.
The spy threw Zedd off. Goldar snuck behind the spy and swiftly pulled off her disguise; and thus, her true identity was revealed.
"Hey, it's Tonfa Spice!" Elgar cried.
"And she looks exactly the same after 3,000 years," Finster commented.
Jenny stood up on the table and looked over all the monsters with her seemingly harmless appearance.
"Tonfa Spice," Darkonda said. "How do, m'dear?"
Jenny looked at her husband and smiled. The Dark Specter was especially enraged to see her.
"Destroy her!" he roared.
"I think this is where I make my exit," Jenny told herself.
"Three thousand years and you still haven't grown up!" Dark Specter scolded.
"Oh, put a sock in it!" Jenny shouted. "Galaxy glider, hang ten!"
A white galaxy glider zoomed down to the rescue, and Jenny hopped on. The galaxy glider then flew off. Dark Specter reached out to grab Jenny, but missed. Now even more upset, the warlord blew a massive flame. The flame engulfed Jenny for a few seconds, then she emerged, coughing smoke. The monsters until she was out of sight.
"Astronema, I thought I told you to do something about that spoiled daughter of yours!" Dark Specter roared.
"Daughter!?" The monsters all looked at Astronema. The evil queen blushed with shame.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dark Specter asked. "Take the Dark Fortress and destroy that bitch!"
"As you wish, Dark Specter," Astronema said in a low voice. She disappeared along with Ecliptor, Darkonda, and the Quantrons.
Jenny had no trouble returning to the Astro Megaship. The doors pulled apart on the bridge. The other Spices burst out laughing when they saw her covered with soot. Jenny spread out her arms as she stepped into the bridge.
"That's a hell of a greeting," she said.
"So, what happened?" the Cryptkeeper asked.
"Well, the Dark Specter had Zordon at the Cimmarian planet, but since my cover was blown, they've probably moved," Jenny said.
"Okay, Sis, how'd you screw up this time?" Hallie asked.
"I was not about to drink that nasty lava juice again."
"Maybe if we hurry, we can catch Dark Specter and save Zordon," Spinal said.
"My thoughts exactly," Jenny said. "Let's put the pedal to the metal and give Dark Specter a real hot foot!"
The others yelled with excitement and inspiration. They took their positions at the controls and headed off after Zordon.
Meanwhile, Astronema had a plan to get even with her daughter. She had summoned an evil wizard for help.
"Make me a Power Ranger," she ordered.
"But the Power Rangers have been dead for three millennia," the wizard told her.
"I don't care!" Astronema yelled. "My daughter Tonfa Spice has the ability to raise the dead. I'll just tell the other Spices that she resurrected me, and there'll be no problem."
"What about Tonfa Spice herself?" the wizard asked. "She will certainly know that she truly did not resurrect a Power Ranger."
"I'll just have to eliminate her. Now get to work, wizard."
"Yes, Astronema."
The wizard sprinkled his magic on Astronema. After a moment, her appearance changed. Now she looked exactly like Ashley.
"Hello," she said sweetly. "I'm the Yellow Ranger."
"Now you may infiltrate the Spices," the wizard explained. "But there is one catch."
The disguised Astronema spun around sharply. "What catch?"
"You can stay in your disguised form, but once any of the Spices let you know that they've discovered your true identity, you will change back."
Astronema then left the Dark Fortress.
"Good luck, my queen," Ecliptor said.
"She'll need it," Darkonda growled. "The Spices will never believe that she's the Yellow Ranger."
"What makes you so sure?" Ecliptor asked.
"Tonfa Spice is practically Astronema's duplicate. She'll recognize her own mother, no matter what form she takes. Astronema should also keep an eye on Spinal. He's suspicious about everything."
Ecliptor sighed. He was apparently sad. He had been in love with Ruth, the only mortal Spice Club member. Of course, that meant that Ruth was now deceased as well.
"Aww, what's the matter, Ecliptor?" Darkonda asked.
"Magic Spice…..I miss her….." Ecliptor said downheartedly.
"That's too bad," Darkonda said. "You know……Candy Spice is still available."
"AAAAARRRRRRGH!!!!" Ecliptor screamed at the mention of Hallie's nickname. "I told you that I can't stand her! After 3,000 years, she is still nothing but a little girl!!!"
"You might as well take her. You're a perfect match. She will not perish like Magic Spice did."
Ecliptor and Darkonda glared at each other, ready to kill each other……
The Cryptkeeper, Hallie, Spinal, C.C., Earl, Hanim, and Sal were walking down the streets of Angel Grove. The buildings looked the same, but the material was different.
"Man, I sure miss those Rangers," C.C. said.
"Yeah, it's been a long time," Hanim added. "They couldn't even find any teenagers to replace them."
"It still feels kind of weird being Astronema's main target," Earl said.
"It's a shame about the Rangers," the Cryptkeeper said. "But life must go on. The only purpose of living is to die."
"Hey!" a voice called from behind. "Guess who's back?"
The Spices spun around to find Ashley (actually Astronema in disguise) standing behind them.
"Ashley?" the Cryptkeeper asked in amazement. "Is it really you?"
"Of course. Who else could I be?"
The Spices shrugged, then all ran up to hug Ashley…….all except Spinal. When the hugging and greeting ended, Ashley looked past the crowd at Spinal.
"Spinal, aren't you going to say hi?"
"Hi," Spinal mumbled.
Ashley approached Spinal, smiling innocently. "What's wrong, Spinal?"
"Ashley…….you're dead."
"Yeah, but Jenny brought me back."
"But…….you died of old age. You should be an old lady…….nothing but bone, even!"
"She also restored my youth."
"But why would she resurrect you without telling us?" Hanim asked.
"She wanted to surprise you guys," Ashley said. "Come on, let's get back to the Megaship and surprise the others."
They all teleported up to the Megaship while Spinal stayed behind.
"This doesn't make any sense," he told himself. "Jenny would've resurrected all of the Rangers, not just Ashley. I don't like what's happening here. The best thing to do would be to ask Jenny."
He teleported up to the Megaship. He immediately went to the bridge where Jenny was writing her daily diary entry.
"Jenny, we need to talk," he said.
Jenny looked up from her diary. "What's the matter?"
"Did you resurrect Ashley as a teenager?" Spinal asked.
"No." Jenny shook her head. "I don't even have the ability to restore youth."
"Well, there's a duplicate of Ashley on this Megaship, and she claims that you resurrected her."
"Hmm……" Jenny thought for a moment. Then she stood up and placed a hand on Spinal's shoulder. "Okay, here's what we'll do. Let me ask you this: What do you do when someone plays a trick on you?"
"Uh………." Now Spinal thought for a moment, then gave up and shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."
"You fall for it, of course," Jenny said.
"Wait a minute; you're just going to do nothing?"
"What else can we do? We don't know what……Ashley is doing here, we don't even know what she is. We have to pretend to be casual until we learn more."
"Oh, I see what you're saying," Spinal said. "I'll try to keep my cool, but you know me. `Beware of everything,' that's my motto."
Jenny chuckled. "Okay, let's go greet `Ashley.'"
Spinal nodded, then they left the bridge together. They went into the jump tube room where the other Spices were still greeting the disguised evil queen.
"Hey Jenny, did you really resurrect Ashley?" the Cryptkeeper asked.
"Uh…..yeah," Jenny replied with uncertainty. "I did a pretty good job, don't you think?"
"Are you going to bring back the other Rangers?" Hallie asked.
"That's a good idea. Maybe I will," Jenny said. "But of course, finding their bodies isn't going to be easy."
"What do you mean? There are tombstones, which are made from stainless steel nowadays," the Cryptkeeper said. "All you have to do is look for those little phrases. `Here lies Andros.' `Rest in peace, T.J.' `In loving memory of Cassie.'"
"I don't know; there're a lot of graves out there. I can't even remember what planet they were buried on!"
"They were buried on Earth, of course!"
"Wasn't Carlos cremated?" Jenny asked."And Ruth, too," Hallie added.
"Well, where did you find Ashley's body?" Earl asked.
"I think it was Stone Canyon."
"Well…..it's great to have you back, Ashley," Spinal said heartily.
The other Spices left the room, leaving Spinal and Ashley alone. Ashley grinned at the skeleton warrior.
"So Spinal, how about getting, um…….reacquainted?" she asked.
"Well, I'd love to, Ashley," Spinal said, clutching his head. "But right now, I'm just a wee bit sleepy. Good night."
He walked out of the room. Ashley grinned again.
"Time to get to work," she told herself.
She stepped out into the hall and looked up at Deca. She didn't notice Jenny peering around the corner to see what the bogus Ranger was up to.
Ashley pointed her finger at Deca and fired a laser from her fingertip, blowing up the on board computer. Jenny turned around and walked away before she was caught.
"I did not just see that," she told herself.
Spinal woke up the next morning. He was on the floor in his bedroom as usual. As he looked around, he saw something horrifying. Ashley was asleep on the floor next to him. Spinal gasped, stood up, and ran all the way to the jump tube room. Jenny was in there eating bacon and eggs. Spinal sat at the table directly in front of her and leaned in closer to her.
"I'm telling you, this Ashley is nuts!" he exclaimed.
"I know," Jenny replied in a whisper. "Did you see what she did last night?"
"No."
"She blew up Deca."
"What? I can't believe that we're just sitting here and letting her get away with this!" Spinal said.
"I know, but we can't let her know that we're onto her," Jenny told him. "Sure, she may cause some damage, but it'll take a while for me to decide on a course of action."
Ashley entered the room and went straight to the synthetron. She took out a cup of coffee and sat next to Spinal.
"Well, let's see what's in this morning's paper," Spinal said, trying to be casual.
As Jenny ate and Spinal read the paper, Ashley began to think.
*Now that Deca's been disabled, she won't cause any trouble. Now I can dispose of the Spices one by one.* While keeping her head down, Ashley looked up at Jenny. *Tonfa Spice is behaving quite strangely. Why would she lie to her friends? Unless…….did she really resurrect the real Yellow Ranger? Dealing with Tonfa Spice is going to be tougher than I thought. I want to deal with her personally, yet I can't risk her friends interfering.* Now Ashley looked at Spinal. *Ah, Spinal……a fine little guy. I make a promise to him as a symbol of my dark love. While I get rid of the Spices, I shall spare him for last. Once Speedy Spice is out of the way, then he will be mine…….all mine. In fact, I think Speedy Spice will be the first to go.*
Spinal looked at Ashley. Ashley concentrated on the cup in front of her, then Spinal returned to his newspaper. Ashley glanced at Spinal again, then returned to her cup. She repeated this several times, faster each time. Jenny glanced at Ashley and smiled in amusement. Finally, Ashley forced herself to turn away from Spinal by grabbing her chin and turning her head away. In confusion, Spinal looked at Ashley, then he looked down at the newspaper again. His grip on the paper edges tightened as his discomfort grew more intense. Suddenly, he unwittingly ripped the paper in half with the blink of an eye. Jenny chuckled.
"What's the matter, Spinal?" Ashley asked with a grin.
"I don't know," Spinal replied. "Maybe……maybe I'm sick or something."
"Sick? How?" Jenny asked.
"Lack of calcium."
"Well, just take it easy and load the lactose, and you'll be fine."
"Okay." Spinal got up and walked out. Ashley followed, still smiling. Jenny stared at Ashley, noticing something about the way she walked.
"Hello!" the Spice Club leader whispered with a smile of her own. She chuckled at her discovery.
Spinal walked through the Megaship halls slowly and uncomfortably. Ashley followed, taking the exact same steps as Spinal. After a moment, Spinal stopped, and Ashley stopped. Spinal inhaled deeply and took a few more steps. Ashley took the steps right along with him until he stopped again. Spinal turned to look at Ashley's grin, then resumed his walk. Several steps later, he stopped and looked at Ashley again. This time, Ashley turned behind her, then faced Spinal again. Now Spinal screamed and ran down the hall. The disguised evil queen chased him. Spinal ran into a bedroom, and Ashley went with him. Giving up, Spinal began to sob.
"Why?" he asked. "Why do you follow me around?"
"Well…..because…." Ashley fumbled for a reason. "Because I love you."
"What!? Ashley, this isn't like you!"
"The truth is that I've always loved you, Spinal. I was just embarrassed to tell you."
"Well, I need to be alone for now," Spinal said.
"Hmm……okay. We'll talk later, Spinal," Ashley said. She smiled, winked, and left the room. Spinal sighed with relief.
"This is not Ashley at all," he told himself. "She was never all over me like this. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that she was……"
He stopped the thought, not allowing Astronema's name to cross his mind. He got down on the floor and drifted off to sleep.
Astronema couldn't wait to take care of Speedy Spice, so she went into C.C.'s bedroom. C.C. was staring into the mirror, so she saw Ashley's reflection.
"Ashley……" she sighed. "Have you ever looked into a mirror for so long that your face starts to look like a Picasso painting?"
"Well……not exactly," Ashley replied. "But I'm sure I can help you become a Picasso."
With that, she pulled out her staff and pointed it at the back of C.C.'s head……
Meanwhile, Jenny walked onto the bridge laughing uncontrollably. Aracula and the Cryptkeeper were in there pressing buttons. They got confused.
"What's so funny?" the Cryptkeeper asked.
"Oh……nothing," Jenny replied. "Well…..actually, infiltrating Dark Specter's party was kind of funny."
"Really? Tell me about it."
"Well, nobody recognized me. Divatox and Rita Repulsa got into a little argument, and get this: they all actually thought that we'd given up on rescuing Zordon!"
"What a bunch of morons!" the Cryptkeeper cried. "We couldn't give up if we wanted to! Do you know what Dark Specter could possibly do with all that power?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure it won't be good," Jenny said. "And if I'd heard correctly, once Zordon's power was completely drained, some lava will rise, extinguishing the power forever."
"That's weird. One would expect Dark Specter to use Zordon's power for evil purposes."
"I'd expect so, too."
"So tell me more."
"Well, we sat at this really long table. I sat at the very end next to General Havoc…..and I actually felt quite comfortable."
The Cryptkeeper laughed. "Yeah, who wouldn't be comfortable sitting next to Havoc? He'd be sitting in Angel Grove, `What a lovely spot for a spot of tea.'"
Now Jenny laughed. "Anyway, I can't believe that my disguise fooled my own mother!"
"You're kidding!"
"Well……she did give me a suspicious look…….so maybe she did recognize me……or at least knew that I was not loyal."
"Wow. You really do fit into the evil forces, don't you?"
"Maybe……but I'm not evil……."
Astronema had taken C.C. to a secluded part of the Astro Megaship and bound her, hanging her upside down from the ceiling. To keep her from screaming, "Ashley" also gagged her.
"Well, Speedy Spice," she said. "Just in case you haven't figured out who I am by now….." She changed back into her normal form. C.C.'s eyes widened in shock.
"Oh, don't worry," Astronema continued. "Your friends will be joining you soon, so you won't be alone for long. There's just one thing you should know before I leave you hanging. Remember, Spinal is mine………" She paused and grinned. "Not yours…….. he's mine!"
She transformed into Ashley again and left the room. C.C. squirmed against the ropes.
*I have to get out of here and warn the others!* she thought in panic.
*I especially have to warn Spinal. I can't let Astronema get her hands on him!*
Ashley went back into Spinal's bedroom. The usually-terrified skeleton warrior was still asleep on the floor. Ashley gave a wicked grin.
"Now he's mine," she thought triumphantly. "After all these centuries, he's finally mine! His time alone is over!"
She knelt down beside him and started stroking his feet. Spinal began to stir, moving his feet. Ashley just touched his feet again. Spinal woke up and was shocked.
"Ashley!? What are you doing!?" he cried.
"I'm just feeling your gorgeous little feet," Ashley replied.
"Come on, Ashley, there's nothing special about my feet."
"Of course they're special. They're YOUR feet."
"Ugh! Leave my feet alone!" Spinal stood up and ran from the room.
In the jump tube room, several more Spices were practicing their acting skills. Jenny did most of it, acting as her mother.
"Those Rangers are clever!" she exclaimed, standing up and making a fist. "But I'm more clever."
"Excellent, honey," the Cryptkeeper said. "You'd make a great villainess on a TV show."
"You think so?"
Before C.K. could answer, Spinal ran into the room completely out of breath.
"Spinal! Is Ashley driving you insane again?" Jenny asked.
"You'd better believe it," Spinal said. "I was asleep in the bedroom; I woke up and found Ashley playing with my feet."
Hallie and Kathy broke out laughing while Jenny and the Cryptkeeper chuckled.
"No, really; I'm serious!" Spinal said.
"Oh, we believe you," Jenny told him. "It's just so hilarious!"
Hallie stood up and hugged Spinal for no apparent reason. As she leaned against him, she looked up at him.
"Where's C.C.?" she asked.
The others shrugged.
"I'm sure she'll turn up when she feels like it," the Cryptkeeper said.
"I'm open! I'm open!" a voice shouted from outside the room.
Ashley entered the room. "Hello," she said sweetly. Once she stepped aside, Earl ran into the room in panic, carrying a football.
"C.K., catch!" he yelled, throwing the football to the Cryptkeeper.
When C.K. caught the ball, he slammed it to the ground. "Touchdown!!"
He performed the touchdown dance, then Hallie tackled him. Sal raced into the room and leaped on them. Earl jumped on top of the other three. Jenny just stood back laughing. Ashley looked confused as the group was rolling on the floor.
"If they act like idiots all the time, why can't I ever defeat them?" she wondered.
"What are you guys doing?" Jenny asked.
"Uh, we were playing football on the Simudeck……and it kind of got out of control," Earl told her.
"You didn't happen to see C.C. while you were running around, did you?" Spinal asked.
Earl and Sal shook their heads.
"Uh-oh," Ashley thought. "They're getting worried. Time to dispose of them."
So the disguised space pirate carried out her plan. One by one, the others ended up joining C.C., hanging upside down from the ceiling. Amazingly, Astronema kept her promise to let Spinal go about his timid ways until the end.
The Cryptkeeper was on the Simudeck lifting weights to rebuild his rotten muscles. Ashley came in to watch.
"Hi. You lifting weights?" she asked.
"Uh, yep," the Cryptkeeper said.
"You know, if you lift heavier weights, you can build your strength faster."
"No thanks. It's better to approach that stage gradually."
Ashley ignored him and put more weights on both ends of the bar, eventually pinning C.K. to the bench.
"Uh, wait a minute, Ashley," he said. "That's too much!"
"No….." The evil queen pulled out her staff and pointed at him. "I'M too much."
"I beg your pardon?" The Cryptkeeper then noticed Astronema's staff……
Spinal walked back into the dining room. Jenny was standing far from the table. She had three soda cans standing on the table, and she pointed her finger at one with her thumb up, as if aiming a pistol.
"Jenny……what are you doing?" Spinal asked.
"Telekinesis," Jenny replied. "Bang!"
When she said "bang," the first soda can suddenly flew off the table as if something had hit it.
"Whoa! How'd you do that!?" Spinal asked.
"You just concentrate on the can and picture a real bullet hitting it and the impact it will have," Jenny told him. "Bang……..bang!"
The other two cans were knocked off the table by the imaginary bullets. Then Jenny picked up the cans and placed them back on the table.
"Okay, Spinal, you try it."
"Oh boy……" Spinal positioned his fingers into the pistol shape, and aimed shakily at the cans. "Ooooh………bang!"
Instead of knocking the can off, they heard a popping sound.
"Ooops……you missed," Jenny said.
Spinal aimed again. "Bang!"
The first can flew off the table.
"Hey, nice shot!" Jenny said. "See, you're getting it! Remember, telekinesis can be very helpful. The bad guys will never know what hit `em. So, what brings you here?"
"Well, I'm just feeling lonely……..and scared," Spinal said.
"Well, where're the others?"
"I don't know. I couldn't find anyone else."
"Maybe they ran off to Angel Grove or something."
"I hope so. It's been kind of spooky ever since Deca got busted."
"I'm sure everything will turn out fine in the end," Jenny said. "It always does."
"You're right," Spinal sighed. "I don't understand; you're always right. Well, goodnight. Thanks for the telekinesis."
Jenny chuckled as the skeleton warrior left the room.
Meanwhile, Hallie and Kathy were in a bedroom. They stood in the center, slapping their hands together in song just like elementary school kids do. As they clapped their hands with each other, they sang this song with the "Bingo" melody.
"Miss Suzie had a teddy bear; his name was Teddy Ruxpin. T-E-D-D-Y, T-E-D-D-Y, T-E-D-D-Y; his name was Teddy Ruxpin."
Ashley came into the room smiling. "What are you doing?"
"We're singing," Hallie said. "Like our little song?"
Astronema decided to get this over with as soon as possible, so she pulled out her staff and pointed it at the little girls.
"I'm not interested in your stupid song."
"Uh…….I think Miss Suzie had a cow," Hallie mumbled…….
While the little girls were bound with the other Spices, Jenny had gone to the bridge. She just sat in the chair, looking around. The entire ship seemed deserted. The only sound Jenny could hear was the humming noise that the ship made. She drummed her fingers on the controls, listening for any more sounds.
"Yeah……yeah……." she grumbled. She sang completely off-key. "We're always open, and I'm hopin' you'll come and get some……so fun……"
Even the sound of her own voice disturbed her. She looked around the empty bridge again.
"It's too quiet around here!!" she yelled loudly. Then she spoke to herself more softly. "Where is everybody? Perhaps Ashley is causing more damage than I should allow….."
Suddenly, the doors behind her opened up. Jenny instantly stood up, startled.
"Who's there!?"
Ashley entered the bridge, still smiling. Jenny chuckled at the silly grin.
"What are you doing all by yourself?" Ashley asked. "You should be playing with your friends."
"Frankly, I would be……but I can't find anyone," Jenny said.
"You don't look all that worried."
"I don't see you worried, either."
Jenny sat back in the chair while Ashley walked to the edge of the bridge. Aracula came onto the bridge to tell Jenny something.
"Aracula, what's up? Have you seen the others?" Jenny called.
Without responding, Aracula turned and left the room.
"Hmm…..it's like they all disappeared," Jenny added.
"I'm sure they're hanging around somewhere," Ashley said.
"Oh….." Jenny got suspicious again. She spread her arms out. "If you say so!"
She got up and jogged out of the bridge. She talked to herself again as she walked through the hall.
"Now I've done it," she told herself. "She probably knows that we're onto her now. The time for action is now. First, I've got to find the others……"
Aracula raced into a bedroom where Spinal was once again sleeping on the floor. Aracula shook him roughly. Spinal groaned as he woke up.
"Not now, Aracula; I'm asleep," he grumbled.
As he lay back down, Aracula shrieked and shook him again. He was so desperate, he grabbed Spinal and began to drag him out of the room.
"All right, fine! You win!" Spinal cried. "What's so important?"
Aracula gave the signal for Spinal to follow him and ran out of the room. Spinal ran behind him.
"Wait, Aracula, slow down!" Spinal cried.
Aracula ran to the destination room and pointed upwards. When Spinal saw what Aracula pointed to, he gasped in horror.
There were the others tied up, hanging from the ceiling. Upon seeing Spinal, they all screamed through their gags.
"Jeepers, what the hell happened in here!?" Spinal cried. He pulled out his sword. "Okay, settle down, people; I'll have you down in no time."
He hopped up and down a few times. "Up…….up…….upsie daisy!" On the third jump, he cut the rope above some of the Spices' feet, causing them to fall and crash on their heads. He repeated this several times until all the Spices were on the floor. Then he untied the Cryptkeeper.
"What happened?" Spinal asked.
"That Ashley wasn't Ashley at all," the Cryptkeeper said. "It was Astronema in disguise."
"I knew it!!" Spinal screamed. "I knew there was something about the way she was all over me!"
"What puzzles me is why Jenny told us that she really did resurrect Ashley. I just remembered that she doesn't have the power to restore Ashley's youth. I can't believe Jenny would lie to us."
"She only said that to fool Astronema into thinking that her plan was working."
"Whoa; gotta love her. But if Jenny keeps this up for too long, she's gonna get herself into a real pickle."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's free the others and give Astronema the boot."
Spinal and the Cryptkeeper stood up and untied the other Spices……
Jenny was still wandering down the megadecks and pondering to herself.
As she walked, she bumped into a grinning Ashley.
"Hi, Jenny!" she said cheerfully.
"Oh……hi, Mom," Jenny replied.
As that evil wizard had predicted, Astronema transformed back into her normal state. She was really mad. "How did you know it was me?"
"Oh Mother, I knew it was you the whole time……" Jenny said. "Well……maybe not the WHOLE time…….but most of the time. I'll admit that your plan to infiltrate us was devious, but it had a few flaws."
"What kind of flaws?" Astronema asked.
"First of all, it's the way you walk. That was NOT how the real Ashley would walk. Second, the way you drove Spinal to insanity; the only person other than C.C. who is capable of that is you. Third, if I had resurrected the real Ashley, she would look like Spinal — nothing but bone. I do not have the ability to restore people's youth………hint, hint." Jenny placed both hands on Astronema's shoulders. "Besides…….you are my mother…….I can recognize you in any form."
"If you knew it was me, then why didn't you do something to stop me?"
"And spoil your precious plan? How could I do such a thing?" Jenny slowly leaned into Astronema and kissed her cheek, displaying a daughter's love. Then she turned and walked down the hall, exactly as Astronema would.
*It can't be. My daughter can't really love me…….can she?* Astronema thought. *No……of course she can't.*
She pulled out her staff and aimed it at Jenny. "You little bitch!" she growled. She fired some blasts from the staff. Jenny started running, and Astronema chased her. Jenny ran into the jump tube room and waited. When Astronema arrived, she lashed out with her staff, and Jenny grabbed it. They both wrestled with it. As they did, Astronema thrust her foot into Jenny's chest, pushing he back. However, Jenny still held the staff, so Astronema fell forward. The naughty daughter held her feet up and tossed Astronema over her. Still, neither of them would let go of the staff. Finally, Jenny released one hand and stood up, then Astronema ripped the staff from her grip. Jenny attacked again, but Astronema threw her to the jump tubes. The Spices leader climbed into her knees and crawled through the yellow tube. Astronema peered through the tubes in curiosity, then followed.
Jenny found herself on another jungle-type planet. She was shocked by the first thing she saw. She stood up slowly, her jaw hanging open.
"Zordon!?"
Yes, Zordon was right in front of her, looking distressed. For the moment, he was unguarded.
"Zordon!?" Jenny cried. "Is it really you?"
Zordon remained silent. Jenny continued to stare……until she noticed Astronema's staff come over her head and press against her throat.
"Oh no, you don't!" Astronema growled. "You haven't saved Zordon yet!"
Jenny elbowed her mother in the gut, then freed herself. As the two struggled, Jenny leaned back and suddenly gave Astronema a fierce head butt. Thankfully, the other Spices arrived at this strange planet at that moment. Astronema approached Jenny, turned her around, and shoved her roughly. Jenny staggered forward at an incredible speed. She lost her balance and fell down, feeling the ground as it scraped her body. Jenny stood up and immediately realized that her necklace had fallen off.
Astronema noticed that Jenny's necklace was in front of her. The evil queen seized the necklace and looked up. Jenny stormed up to her mother boldly and started punching and kicking here and there.
"Gimme that back, you old bat!" she cried.
Finally, Astronema dropped the necklace, and Jenny picked it up. She looked at Astronema and started beating her up again. Astronema eventually retaliated by grabbing Jenny's wrist and bending her over. Jenny reached out with her foot and tripped Astronema. Finally, she stomped on her mother's back brutally. Then she looked down at the necklace in her hand and gripped it tightly.
"It's my necklace. Mine!!" she yelled. "It's mine, damn it! MINE!!!!!"
As she yelled, she jumped up and down on Astronema's spine. By then, Astronema had lost consciousness.
"Take it easy, girlfriend!" the Cryptkeeper called.
Jenny was shocked to hear his voice. "Where've you all been?"
"Oh, we were just hanging around," Earl replied. "Literally."
"Yeah……I thought you were."
Before the conversation could continue, they heard another voice.
"It's the Spice Club! Everyone prepare for battle!"
Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, and all the other familiar villainous faces came out of the bushes.
"I guess we'd better do the same," the Cryptkeeper said.
But before this battle could begin, the Dark Specter appeared in all his glory.
"Hold it right there, Spice Club!" he roared. "You may have found Zordon, but you are too late! His power is almost completely drained, and there's not a thing you can do to stop it."
"Well……if we can't stop it, then we can kill you, Dark Specter!" Jenny called. "If Zordon can't have his own power, then nobody can!"
"The only way you can save Zordon is to kill me," Dark Specter said. He willingly shrunk himself down to several times larger than the Spices.
"You won't have to worry, because it'll be a pleasure," Jenny told him.
"Hey, Jenny, you're not planning to fight Dark Specter by yourself again, are you?" the Cryptkeeper called.
"I will if none of you want to join me," Jenny replied.
"Oh, we're with you," the Cryptkeeper said. "We won't let you fight him alone."
The Spices joined Jenny in a fighting stance, and the Dark Specter charged. Without warning, Jenny charged at the lava rock creature. The other Spices gasped. When the two fighters reached, Dark Specter reached out, but Jenny flipped over his head and kicked his back. The other Spices charged at Dark Specter to help out. Dark Specter turned to face Jenny, then buried his claw into her gut, then clobbered the back of her neck. Seeing that the lord of evil was distracted, the Cryptkeeper nailed him with a jump kick. Now a section of the Spices surrounded Dark Specter. He spun around, trying to keep an eye on all of them. Suddenly, all the Spices thrust kicked him simultaneously, then they all jumped on him. This lava rock creature was getting angry. With a loud roar, he threw them all off.
"Get off me, you little weasels!" he demanded.
He threw an overhead claw at Spinal, who blocked it with both arms. Dark Specter didn't pull his claw back, but just grabbed Spinal's wrist and threw him onto his back. As soon as Spinal was on the ground, Dark Specter pinned him down with his foot. Spinal groaned in pain.
"Stop!!" C.C. screamed. "Leave him alone!!"
She grabbed Dark Specter's arm, but he easily threw her off. Hallie came behind Dark Specter and gave him a tremendous jump-kick to his back. Dark Specter froze, then roughly shoved Spinal away with his foot and turned to face Hallie. Dark Specter despised Hallie almost as much as he despised her sister. The warlord leaped at her ferociously. Hallie could only gasp as Dark Specter grabbed her and leaped into the air. The other Spices looked up helplessly as Dark Specter came back down upside down and slammed Hallie's head into the ground, then tossed her away. The Spices grabbed their own heads, thinking of how painful that must've been. Hallie stood up, writhing in agony, then fell down again, losing consciousness.
"Oooh, that had to hurt!" the Cryptkeeper said.
"The NERVE of that guy to do something like that to a little girl!!" Spinal cried.
"Hey Dark Specter!!" Jenny shouted. "You do that to my sister, and you'll be answering to me!"
"With pleasure," Dark Specter replied.
He leaped and grabbed Jenny, and did the exact same thing to her. Jenny stood up slowly, clutching her head.
"Ow……you okay?" the Cryptkeeper asked.
"I'll be okay," Jenny replied.
"What? How can this be?" Dark Specter asked in astonishment. "How could you survive something like that?"
"Well……I've been fighting for 3,000 years; therefore, I've taken a lot of punishment," Jenny told him. "I'm surprised that Mom was this determined to kill us. See……we are unbeatable!!"
"We'll see about that!" Now, Dark Specter rose to his towering giant size.
Jenny glanced at her pals calmly. "You guys ready?"
The others nodded. Jenny, the Cryptkeeper, Earl, Spinal, and C.C. raised one arm into the sky together.
"We need the Mega Voyager!!" they shouted in unison.
The Mega Voyager was a Megazord that belonged to the Spices alone. It immediately answered their call. Once the Megazord was ready, the five Spices leaped onto its shoulders, then ran inside and took their seats.
Jenny sat in the front center with Earl to her left and Spinal to her right. C.C. and the Cryptkeeper were in the back.
"What? What is that thing?" Dark Specter asked.
"This is the Mega Voyager," Jenny said. "This is OUR Megazord. Do you like it?"
"Like it? It's pathetic! It is no match for me!"
"That's what you think!"
Roaring ferociously, Dark Specter charged at the group. The Megazord took a defensive pose and walked toward him. Dark Specter attacked with his claws, and the Spices blocked it. After 3,000 years practice, they've mastered the use of the Mega Voyager. The Megazord punched Dark Specter in his rocky gut. Angrily, Dark Specter charged toward them. The Megazord attempted a punch, but Dark Specter blocked and shoved a huge blast into it, knocking it back. The Spices screamed as they flew back fifty feet.
"Phew! Now THAT was intense!!" Earl yelled.
"Come on; let's get this thing back on its feet," Jenny said.
The Spices complied together.
"Now it's our turn," Jenny announced.
The Megazord fired blasts from its eyes, exploding into Dark Specter, knocking him down. The Spices on the ground cheered wildly. Even Hallie was coming around, and she smiled.
"Okay, Spinal, ready for our secret technique?" Jenny asked. "I'll need your help with this one."
She positioned her hands as if holding a shotgun and aimed it at Dark Specter. Spinal copied her move. The other three Spices were confused.
"Uh…..what are you doing?" the Cryptkeeper asked.
"Trust us," Jenny replied. "Get ready, Spinal; fire when I give the signal."
"Fire what?" Earl asked.
As Jenny and Spinal performed the shotgun aim, the Megazord did the same. The Dark Specter stood up, especially perplexed.
"What do you think you're doing!?" he demanded.
"Jenny, hurry up!" Spinal cried. "I can't stand the suspense!"
Dark Specter began to charge at them again.
"NOW!!" Jenny screamed.
"Bang!!" they both yelled in unison. The imaginary shot struck Dark Specter in the chest, sending him to a screeching halt. The Spices burst out laughing.
"How did you guys do that?" Hanim asked through her ring.
"Telekinesis," Jenny and Spinal replied, giving each other a high-five.
Now Dark Specter was really mad. "Rrrrrraaaaaaggggghhhhhh!! You nasty little munchkins!! Now I'll show you the meaning of eternal slumber!!!"
"Eternal slumber?" Jenny asked.
"We could sure use it," Spinal said.
"So, how did you learn that telekinesis thing?" the Cryptkeeper asked.
"Oh, I've been practicing it so much for the past few millennia, you have no idea," Jenny explained. "Would you like another demonstration?"
"Sure!!" the other Spices replied at once.
"Okay."
Dark Specter and the Megazord grabbed each other's wrists again. Then two tube-like things came out from Dark Specter's back and attached themselves to the Megazord's shoulders.
"Before I destroy you, I'll drain your power, just like with Zordon!" Dark Specter said.
"Oh no! Our energy is failing!" C.C. reported.
"We're not going to just sit here and let him take our power!" Jenny decreed.
The Megazord grabbed the tubes, then began to spin Dark Specter in circles. After a few rounds, the tubes broke off, causing the Megazord to lose its balance and fall. Again, the Spices screamed.
"Okay, I'll be right back," Jenny said, climbing out of the Megazord. She stood on top of its head and stared at a tree, concentrating deeply. She held her hands out in front of her, her palms facing each other. She lifted her arms, lifting the tree with her telekinesis ability. Breathing heavily, Jenny slowly positioned her hands as if holding a baseball bat. The tree tilted a little in mid-air. Jenny turned to face Dark Specter, still in her baseball stance. With a loud grunt, she swung the imaginary bat at him. The tree slammed into Dark Specter, sending him flying over the jungle. Then Jenny threw her arms over her shoulder, releasing her telepathic grip on the tree. It flew over the jungle, also. Jenny hopped back into the Megazord, catching her breath.
"Awesome move, girl!" the Cryptkeeper exclaimed.
Jenny sighed wearily. "That's one move I'll never do again."
The others chuckled.
"Okay," Jenny continued. "Mega V3 Missile online……just in case he comes back."
The others shrugged. "Okay."
A large blue missile attached itself to the Megazord's right arm.
"Hey, look!" Spinal cried.
The Spices looked up. Dark Specter was making a giant leap back into the battlefield……….and he was about to land right on the Megazord. Thinking quickly, the Spices piloted the Megazord out of Dark Specter's path. The Megazord turned to face the lord of evil.
"You'll pay for that, bitch!" he growled.
"Didn't you say that to me 3,000 years ago?" Jenny asked. "Speaking of which, 3,000 years is an awfully long time to be fighting. It's time for this to end…….and we will end it……NOW!!"
Once Jenny ended her speech, the Spices fired the giant missile at Dark Specter. The missile exploded into him violently. Dark Specter froze for a second, then fell to the ground and exploded. The Spices cheered wildly again. The Dark Specter had been destroyed! Zordon is saved!! Jenny looked out to where Dark Specter had been standing.
"Good-bye," she muttered, imitating the AOL announcer voice.
The five Spices jumped out of the Megazord to join their friends, then they all cheered again, giving each other high-fives, etc. They calmed down and turned to all the other villains who had been watching the whole battle. Jenny looked at a particular villain.
"Darkonda….." she called.
Upon his name being called, Darkonda approached Jenny calmly and placed his hand on her forehead.
"Tonfa Spice……you're breaking up a sweat," he said. "You must be in exquisite pain."
"No, I'm okay," Jenny told him.
They fell silent as they looked into each other's eyes. Suddenly, Jenny ran into Darkonda's embrace. Then they stepped back and looked at each other again. Darkonda reached out and gently lifted Jenny's necklace.
"Excellent work, my dear," he said. "You are a true warrior."
He turned and walked away, disappearing into the jungle. Jenny stepped forward.
"Okay, all you bad guys, break it up!" she ordered. "Dark Specter's dead, so you've lost. Beat it, before we mince you all, too!"
The villains all disappeared into the jungle as well. Then the Spices approached the powerful wizard.
"Zordon….." Jenny began.
"Spice Club, come, stand before me," Zordon said.
The Spices all gathered around in front of Zordon.
"Spice Club members, you have traveled long and far in your quest to defeat Dark Specter," Zordon explained. "Your persistence and determination have all paid off in the end. You have truly made the universe a safe place once again."
"Thanks, Zordon," Jenny said. "We wouldn't give up on you for our deepest desires."
"And now, as a token of thanks for your efforts, I will now reveal to you the two most powerful words in the universe," Zordon said.
"All right; this should be interesting," the Cryptkeeper said.
Zordon continued. "The two most powerful words are………WAKE UP!!!!"
"Huh?" Jenny opened her eyes. She was in her bed aboard the Astro Megaship.
"Wake up, Jenny," Deca said. "You have been sleeping very late."
Jenny sat up in confusion. "Deca……you're okay."
"I am fully operational," Deca told her.
"Deca…….what year is this?"
"1998 A.D."
That's when Jenny realized what had happened. "Oh……I was dreaming! The whole thing was nothing but a dream! And I thought we had finally rescued Zordon!"
She sighed and walked into the dining room. The other Spices were having breakfast………with the Rangers!
"Rangers!!" Jenny cried. "You're alive!!"
She ran and hugged each Ranger. Everyone else was confused.
"Of course we're alive," Carlos said. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you okay, Jenny?" Ruth asked. "Sounds like you had a nightmare."
"Well……it kind of started out as a nightmare, but it had a happy ending," Jenny explained. "We actually saved Zordon 3,000 years from now, so you were all dead by then. Then I wake up……feeling really disappointed."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Andros said. "We'll find Zordon……someday."
"Even if it does 3,000 years," the Cryptkeeper added.
They all joined hands and vowed to rescue Zordon, no matter how difficult it would be or how long it would take. However, they hoped it would be a lot sooner than 3,000 years. Will Jenny's dream ever come true?