Author's Note: Hey guys, so I decided that I wanted to write a new Power Ranger story but I needed a new angle and a new place to start, so instead of starting from Ninja Storm as I usually do, I've decided to go back to the beginning and start from Mighty Morphin' - this new series as a twist that I have wanted to write for a while, so please don't judge too hard when you read it. Criticism is welcome, flames aren't. Enjoy.

I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation.

Character Profile

Name: Nuala Archer (Pronounced "Noo-la")

Age: 17

Appearance: Nuala is a very beautiful girl. She has long red hair, green eyes and tanned skin. She stands at 5'5 and is very slender. Her notable feature is her Irish accent which people find adorable, as well as a strange birthmark on her hip, a Gaelic symbol for family tattooed on the inside of her right wrist, as well as a butterfly on her left ankle. Her clothes are reasonably sensible and she wears an Amethyst charm bracelet.

Hobbies: Running, Roller/Figure Skating, Horseback Riding.

Personality: Nuala is the compassionate and kind-hearted nurturer of the group. She has a shy personality and is often sometimes not very open about how she feels.

Title: A Dire Situation

Summary: When Nuala Archer moved to Angel Grove to escape her past she never expected the chain of events that would soon follow. With the power of a morpher bestowed upon her, and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, a difficult choice must be made. One that might result in Nuala doing all that she can to keep her head above water.

Seventeen-year-old Nuala Archer glanced up from the magazine she had been flipping through and set her sights on her new home town - Angel Grove. It had been six months since her mother had announced they were moving, and while in a way she was over the moon to be getting out of Dublin, Nuala was also sad to be leaving her home behind.

"Well, what do you think?" her mother, Lana asked from beside her.

"Pretty good," Nuala agreed.

"What about you, Ci?" Lana asked, glancing back at her thirteen-year-old son in the back seat.

Ciaran shrugged as he gazed out of the window. "It's OK, I guess," he said. He was the least happiest person to be moving so far away from home. He had moaned and groaned for the whole six months after he had learned her would be moving; his reasons were the same as Nuala's he didn't want to leave his home behind, but he also knew that they had to leave.

"Oh, come on you two," Lana said. "I thought you were excited that we were moving to California?"

"We are," Nuala said. "We're just missing home."

"We're here for you, darling," Lana told her daughter. "You remember what it was like back in Dublin. I just had to get you out of there."

"I know, Mum," Nuala said, flashing her mother a smile. "Thank you. Give us a few days; we'll perk up, right, Ciaran?"

Ciaran nodded and glanced to his left. Next to him was a large black car seat/carry cot, and inside, sound asleep was his twelve-month-year-old nephew, Ellis.

"Nuala, he's still sleeping," Ciaran said to his sister.

"That's OK," Nuala replied. "He's worn out."

"But he hasn't done anything!"

Nuala chuckled and glanced over her shoulder at her brother. "True, but aren't you tired?" she asked.

"Maybe a little," Ciaran replied.

"Sometimes doing nothing is tiring work."

"So can I go to sleep too?"

"Sure, why not?" Nuala asked. "I'll wake you when we get to our new home."

Ciaran grinned, closed the book he had been reading, and slumped in his seat. He closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

Lana rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why did you tell him that?" she asked.

"Oh come on, Mum, we've got at least another hour before we reach our new place," Nuala said. "Besides, the more he sleeps now, the more energy he'll have later to help us unpack."

"You're too soft on him, you know that?"

Nuala grinned, and rolled her head to look back out of the window. Angel Grove didn't seem all that bad from here, but at the moment it was just a tiny city on the edge of a huge mountain. She'd have to wait until she got into the heart before she could make a proper judge of what she was getting herself in for.

They soon reached their destination, a well-maintained, whitewood bungalow. It was significantly smaller than their last home, but it was perfect for the small family of four. They were now situated in a cul-de-sac with most of the other bungalows looking more extravagant, but money and show meant nothing to Nuala and her family, they just wanted a fresh start.

After parking the car outside the house, Lana got out and breathed in heavily, absorbing the fresh air. "Do you smell that?" she asked as her daughter climbed out of the car.

"Smoky air?" Nuala asked, knocking her brother's window as she walked around the car to the trunk.

"No... well, yes, but not the answer I was looking for," Lana said.

"Oh, then what answer was you looking for?" Nuala asked, wrenching open the trunk and pulled out as many bags as she could muster.

"It smells like a new start," Lana replied, taking two suitcases from her daughter and opening the gate to her new home. "Nuala, dear, do you have the keys?"

"I thought you had them?" Nuala asked.

"No, I gave them to you," Lana said.

"I don't have them," Nuala said. "Ciaran, do you have the keys?"

"I put them on the dashboard," Ciaran said, groggily getting out of the car. He grabbed the keys from the front, and run them up to his mother on the porch.

Nuala sighed and ruffled her brother's hair as he returned. "What would we do without you, huh?" she asked.

"Be locked out?" Ciaran asked, grabbing two suitcases and taking them inside.

Nuala chuckled and closed the trunk. She set two suitcases down inside the garden of her new home, and turned back to the car. "Now for the most important thing," she murmured, opening the back door and reaching in to unclip the seatbelt around the car seat.

"Mama!"

"Hello, tiger toes," Nuala chuckled as she looked up into the beautiful blue eyes of her son. "Did you enjoy your sleep?"

The baby, also known as Ellis, giggled and waved his hands in his mother's face.

"Nuala, do you need help?" Lana shouted from the doorstep.

"There are two cases to be taken in," Nuala called back. "Mum, can you send Ciaran out, I'm a little stuck!"

Nuala heard her mother call out to her brother, and next second Ciaran appeared opposite his sister. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"I'm bracelet is caught on the seatbelt," Nuala said. "Untangle me."

Ciaran nodded and unwound the grey seatbelt from around his sister's wrist and freed her. "There, you're free," he teased.

"I wish," Nuala said, easing herself and the car seat out of the car. She looped her arm through the handle, and slammed the door behind her.

Using her own spare set of keys, Nuala then locked the car up tight and followed her brother into the house. It was half empty, seeing as most of their furniture wasn't going to be arriving until tomorrow. The only essentials they had were clothes, pillows, cushions, along with a few blankets and toys.

"When did you say the rest of our stuff was getting here?" Nuala asked.

"Midday tomorrow," Lana answered.

Nuala nodded and looked into the big room that would soon become their living room. "Which room did you say was mine?" she asked her mother, who was kneeling in the middle of the room looking through boxes.

"The one at the far end of the house," Lana replied. "It's overlooking the back garden, and it should have an adjoining bathroom for you and Ellis. Oh, see if there is a cot in there for me, would you? The retailer said that there should be."

"Thanks, Mum," Nuala said, walking down the hall to her new bedroom. She eased open the door and stepped inside. The room was a faded pink colour, and Nuala had to wrinkle her nose at the state of it. Obviously the retailer hadn't seen fit to clear away half the junk before selling it. She'd clear away the junk later, and then start on redecorating. "Here we go, buddy," she said to Ellis, as she set him on the floor and unbuckled him. "Our new home."

~*A Dire Situation*~

It took most of the morning to clear the bedroom, and unpack the few items she had with her; most of them were baby clothes and toys, but that didn't really matter to Nuala, as long as Ellis was sorted she didn't really care about herself, she could always drag her mother shopping over the next few days to buy new clothes. It was also a good way to get used to the city.

By noon, Nuala was sitting in the front garden watching as Ellis played with his building blocks. Behind her, sitting in the shade was Ciaran.

"Hey, why don't you two go and introduce yourself to some of the neighbors?" Lana asked, sticking her head out the front door.

"Why?" Ciaran asked.

"Because it beats sitting around here doing nothing," Lana said. "Go on, I can deal with the rest of the stuff. Nuala, don't forget to put a hat on that baby, the sun is warmer here than it is in Dublin."

Nuala saluted her mother and turned back to her son; he was trying to push himself to his feet but kept falling back onto his bum. "Nearly there, buddy," she said, helping him stand. Ellis took a few wobbly steps towards his mother and fell into her arms.

"Are you going to meet the neighbors?" Ciaran asked.

"Maybe as well," Nuala replied. "I mean, we're going to have to do it eventually, right?"

"Can I come with you then?"

"Sure. Could you grab me a hat from the bedroom? They should be on the bed; I haven't exactly put them away yet."

Ciaran nodded and run back inside his house, Nuala could hear her mother shouting at him for running indoors and her brother shouting back an apology. Nuala shook her head and turned back to Ellis. "That uncle of yours," she said. "What are we going to do with him, uh?"

Ellie cooed and grabbed his mother's face with his hands. He blew a raspberry, and Nuala laughed as she stood up, balancing Ellis on her hip.

"Exactly," she said, walking back to the house and grabbing the pushchair from the side. Kneeling down, Nuala clipped Ellis inside and took the hat from Ciaran as he returned. "Right, where do we start?"

"There," Ciaran said, pointing at the house opposite them.

"Let's go."

The two siblings walked up the drive of the house opposite them. Ciaran jumped forward to press the doorbell and turned around to face his sister as they waited for the door to be answered, after ten minutes both siblings came to the conclusion that either no one was home or no one wanted to talk to her.

"Off to a great start," Ciaran grumbled.

"Come on," Nuala said. "I'm sure someone is home. Let's try the next house." She led him on to the next bungalow, which was somewhat designed similar to her own, except this one had a garage.

Ciaran frowned at the blue car in the driveway and looked to his sister. "Who keeps a car in the drive when they have a driveway?" he asked.

Nuala shrugged. "Dunno," she said. "Maybe they're like grandpa? Keep all the junk in the garage."

Ciaran laughed and pressed the doorbell of the second house. After only a few minutes, a forty-something man answered. He had short, mousey-blonde hair, strong features and glasses. "Can I help you?" he asked. His voice was unexpected and a little intimidating, intimidating enough for Ciaran to retreat behind his sister.

"Uh, hi, I'm Nuala Archer. I live next door," she stammered. "This is my brother Ciaran and my son, Ellis. We just moved in across the road, and we thought we'd stop by and introduce ourselves."

The man's eyes swept over the three of them, before resting on the baby in the pushchair. "You said he was your son?" he asked.

Nuala nodded. "Yes, sir," she said, tentatively.

"How old are you?"

"Uh, seventeen."

"My son's age," the man said.

Nuala forced a smile and nodded. She could tell by the tone of the man's voice that he was judging her for having a baby at seventeen, she was used to people judging her on the fact that she was an underage mother, but many people were quick to judge the situation before knowing all the facts.

"I can only assume you don't know anyone yet," the man said. Nuala shook her head. "Wait here," he said, turning to shout over his shoulder. "Billy!"

Nuala looked down at Ciaran, who shrugged and then looked back around as another teenager appeared. He was slim, with short dirty-blonde hair and glasses; by his clothes Nuala could already tell that he was the geeky-type of guy. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," Nuala replied, somewhat nervously.

"Billy, this is Nuala. She and her family have just moved in," said Billy's father bluntly before he disappeared.

Nuala stepped back away from Billy's door, as he stepped outside. He closed the door behind him and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he returned his full attention back to Nuala and her brother.

"Well, I'm Billy," the boy said, holding out his hand.

"Nuala," the girl said, reaching across the pushchair to shake his hand. "This is my brother Ciaran," she motioned to the younger lad next to her, "and my son Ellis."

"Your son?" Billy asked, taken by surprise.

Nuala nodded. "Before you jump to conclusions," she added hastily, "it's not what you think. The story isn't something that is easily explained."

Billy held his hands up in defence, and smiled. "I'm not the type to judge others without knowing them," he said. "He's adorable. How old?"

"Twelve months."

Billy smiled. "So, you just moved here?" he asked.

"Yeah, today."

"That's cool - where did you move from?"

"Dublin, Ireland," Ciaran answered, quickly.

"I thought I recognise the accent," Billy said. "It's cute."

Nuala bit her lip and lowered her gaze as a dull blush rose quickly in her cheeks. Ciaran laughed at his sister's embarrassment.

"Are you going to be attending Angel Grove High?" Billy asked.

"Yes. I have an aptitude test on Friday," Nuala answered. "I dropped out of my old school, and I don't have many grades to work out which year I should be in - what year are you in?"

"Eleven."

Nuala frowned, and quickly calculated the school years in her head. "So, that would make you a junior?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Cool."

"What about you, Ciaran?" Billy asked.

"Freshman," Ciaran answered.

Billy nodded. "Hey, listen," he added to Nuala. "I'm heading into town soon to meet a few of my friends, why don't you come with me? I could show you around."

"Sure," Nuala said, nodding. "That'd be fun. Just let me just ask my Mum to watch Ellis for a few hours."

"Cool. Meet you here in five?" Billy asked. "I have to change first."

"OK," Nuala nodded, turning down the drive. She lead Ciaran across the road and down to their new home, their mother was sitting on the porch watching them with a huge grin on her face. "What?" Nuala asked, uneasily.

"I see you made a friend," Lana said, folding her arms. "He's cute too."

"Mum!" Nuala whined. "No, just no!"

Lana chuckled and unclipped her grandson from his pushchair. "Looks like mummy's got a new boyfriend," she said, teasingly. "What do you think about that, huh?"

Ellis babbled and reached his arms out for his mother.

Nuala took him and hugged him tightly. "There's only room for two boys in my life," she said, "isn't that right, Ci?"

"If you mean me and Ellis, then we better be," Ciaran said.

Lana and Nuala chuckled, and Ciaran slipped back into the bungalow for a drink. Nuala and her mother could hear him tinkering around in the kitchen, and then faucet started to spurt water.

"Mum," Nuala started, unsure on how to ask. She hadn't been in Angel Grove a day yet, and already she needed a favour.

"Yes," Lana said, holding her arms out to Ellis. "Go. Just don't be late."

Nuala looked surprised. "How did you know?" she asked.

"I was your age once, you know," Lana laughed, tickling her grandson and making him giggle. "I could tell by the look on your face when you came back. Besides, you're not going to make many friends if you're stuck inside all day every day. Just remember your responsibilities."

"I will," Nuala said, leaning across to kiss her son on the cheek. "I love you, tiger toes," she said. "See you later, Mum, bye Ci."

"Learn the layout," Ciaran said. "Memorize it. I want you to show me tomorrow!"

Nuala nodded, and looked over her shoulder as the sound of a door closer echoed across the street. She saw Billy walking down his drive, and turned back to her mother. "I won't be late," she promised. "Just a few hours.

"OK. Say 'bye, Mummy'," Lana said, lifting Ellis's hand and pretending to make him wave at his mother.

Nuala's heart ached at the sight, and she blew him a kiss as Billy crossed the road to join her.

~*A Dire Situation*~

Billy and Nuala walked side-by-side through town and towards the juice bar. As they walked, Billy explained about the town, the school, and his friends. Jason, Zack, Kimberly and Trini. Apparently Jason was a talented martial artist who enjoyed teaching others, and often held martial arts classes at the juice bar, it was what Billy had been preparing for when Nuala had knocked at his door.

Kimberly was a typical valley's girl, but had a heightened awareness for her friends. She was also, according to Billy, a very capable gymnast and was often found on the balance beam at Ernie's gym, she also had a taste for music and amazing artistic talents.

Trini was the gentle and kind-natured member of Billy's friends. She also seemed to have a calm and composed attitude, and never seemed to show any fear. She was also a sort of 'go-green' type of girl.

Zack was the last of Billy's friends. He was the prankster of the group, and had a particular enjoyment for holidays such as Halloween. His love for dance was what caught Nuala's attention, but while she wasn't a dancer herself, she did know a few basic moves.

"When I was younger," she told Billy, "my Mum and Dad enrolled me in a few ballet lessons, but they never took off. The only time I ever really practiced my moves was on the ice."

"You're a figure skater?"

"It was something that I wanted to pursue," Nuala nodded. "I remember when I was younger there was a lake, not that far from where I lived, and I would go there every winter just to skate around."

"Sounds fun."

"It was."

"You seemed to enjoy Dublin," Billy said. "Why did you move here?"

"The reason behind why and how I had Ellis," Nuala said. "I'm sorry, Billy, it's still a sore subject and I don't really want to talk about it."

Billy nodded. "It's OK, I understand," he said. "Come on, the others should already be here." He held open the door to the juice bar and allowed Nuala to walk in first; he followed and led her down the hall to the opening leading into the gym. "Hey fellas," he called, spotting two boys on the training mats.

"Yo, Billy, what's up?" the dark-skinned boy called back as he noticed Billy's clothing.

"Well, I think I am mentally and physically prepared for my first karate class," Billy said, walking towards his friends. "Oh, guys, by the way, this is Nuala," he added.

"Hi," Nuala said, raising her hand nervously.

"She's just moved here from Dublin, Ireland," Billy said.

The two guys each held out a hand for Nuala to shake, which she did rather quickly.

"Hey, nice to meet you," the boy in a red vest said. "I'm Jason, this is Zack."

"Same," Nuala said before her attention was drawn to the otherside of the gym. She noticed two girls, one with long black hair and wearing yellow, and another with brunette hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a pink leotard. They looked like they were being harassed by a couple of wannabe-punks.

"Excuse me," Zack said, as he walked over to his two friends. "Hey, you heard what she said," he said to the two wannabe's.

"Oh, what do you know?" the biggest of the two sneered. "The dancer wants to be a fighter."

"It's OK, Zack, we can handle these two," the brunette said.

"Oh really?" the bigger of the two wannabe's said. "Let's some them some Karate, Skull." The two of them rushed at the two girl's but missed, as they each grabbed the two guys' arms and flipped them over onto the training mat.

Nuala winced as she watched the two boys' clunk their heads together as they landed, and kids all around them started laughing.

"You guys should definitely join Jason's karate class," the brunette said, as Zack and her friend chuckled at the boy's misfortune.

Billy looked to Nuala and grabbed her arm, pulling her aside. "The one in pink is Kim, and the one in yellow is Trini," he explained. "The two on the floor are Bulk and Skull. I recommend staying away from them."

"I'm guessing they're wannabe bullies?" Nuala asked.

"They can be pretty mean when they want to be," Billy said. "Look, I've got to get to class. Why don't you hang out with Kim and Trini until I finish?"

Nuala nodded and wrapped her arms around herself as Billy walked away with Jason and Zack; she noticed the two girl's watching her closely before walking over and introducing themselves.

"I'm Nuala," she said, her accent thick.

"Hey, you're the new girl that Mrs. Applebee was talking about," Trini said.

Nuala forced a smile. The idea of the whole of Angel Grove High knowing that she was starting wasn't something that she had thought about, she had just wanted to come to a new school and slink back into normality. Obviously that wasn't going to happen.

"Hey, come and sit with us," Kim said. "We can get to know each other better while we watch the guy's."

"Good idea, Kim," Trini said, linking her arm through Nuala's. "Come on, let's get our usual table."

The two girls's led Nuala over to an empty booth, and sat down overlooking the Karate class. As they watched Billy, Jason and Zack train they talked about themselves and their lives, when they learned that Nuala had a twelve month year old son, they reacted as she expected them too.

Several questions about her age was fired rapidly at her, and she had to hold her hands up to calm the two girl's down.

"Yes, I have a son," Nuala said. "His name is Ellis. Like I told Billy, the story is a sore subject and I don't really want to relive it by explaining it to you, but maybe one day I will."

Meanwhile out on the mat, Billy was struggling with the karate basics.

"Billy, don't worry," Jason assured him. "I mean, even I was a beginner once."

Billy nodded and looked up to where Nuala was sitting as Jason returned to the front of his class. Nuala caught Billy's eye and smiled, lifting his spirits as he turned his attention once again to Jason.

"All right, class, what is it that martial arts help us develop?" Jason asked. "Billy?"

"Courage, kindness, integrity, fitness, loyalty and discipline," Billy answered.

"That's good," Jason said with a smile. "You memorized that quickly."

"Hey!" the bully, Bulk, shouted as he strode towards Jason, pushing others, including Billy aside as he did. "Geek! Teach us how to beat people up."

"Yeah!" the other bully, Skull, said, shrieking loudly in his attempt to mimic a karate yell.

"Martial arts wasn't developed to hurt others," Jason replied, calmly.

"We did not sign up for a geeky karate class," Bulk said.

"OK, Bulk," Jason nodded. "Maybe you're ready for some more advanced training techniques."

"Oh, OK," Bulk said, cracking his knuckles.

"Try this," Jason said, preparing himself for a side kick.

Bulk scoffed. "Anything you can do, I can do better, baby," he said. "Hee-ya!" he cried out, mimicking Jason's move flawlessly.

"Tornado Kick," Jason said, spinning around and kicking his leg up high on the second spin.

Bulk jumped up and aimed high, but stumbled and hit the ground with a thud, eliciting laughter from the kids around the centre. Even Nuala found that she couldn't help but giggle.

"Class dismissed," Jason called to the others. They each bowed in respect, before walking away.

Sighing in defeat, Billy walked over to where Nuala, Trini and Kim were sitting, and slumped into a seat beside the new girl.

"Aw, cheer up, Billy," Nuala said. "For a first lesson I think you did really well."

"You think?" Billy asked, perking up slightly.

"Uh-huh," Nuala said, smiling.

"I don't know if I've got what it takes," Billy said, shaking his head.

"It's all a state of mind, Billy," Trini said. "You don't need to be strong for martial arts."

"Yeah, man, it's all up here," Zack agreed, tapping the side of his head.

"Hey guys," said a slightly dumpy man as he placed a tray of smoothies on the table. "Who ordered the spinach juice?"

"Spinach juice?" Nuala repeated, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Hi, I don't believe we've met," the man said. "I'm Ernie."

"I'm Nuala."

"Pretty name. It's Irish, isn't it?"

"Yep."

"Lovely place."

Nuala giggled as the place started to shake. Tables overturned, and kids screamed as they made a break for the door. "What's happening - is it an earthquake?" she asked, gripping on to the table for support.

"Everybody, stay calm!" Ernie yelled.

"Oh, man, must be a big one," Zack said as he staggered to his feet. Nuala stood, unsteadily, and tried to make it to the door. She had to get home; she had to get back to Ellis. She couldn't believe on her first day in a new place, and while away from her son, an Earthquake struck.

"Nuala, be careful!" Billy said, catching her as she tumbled over into the bar.

"Billy, I have to get home," Nuala said. "My baby..."

"Oh, My God... what's happening?" Kim yelled.

"This is too weird," Trini agreed.

"Hold on!" Jason called to the others, before a red beam of energy covered him and he disappeared.

Nuala's eyes widened as one-by-one Kim, Trini, Zack and Billy disappeared too, then her vision blurred and she felt herself being lifted off of the ground.

~*A Dire Situation*~

Feeling herself falling, Nuala hit the ground between Billy and Jason, and groaned as she found herself staring at a wide ceiling. Bright lights flickered to life all around her, and a huge blue cylinder stood on the far wall.

"Where are we?" Nuala asked, tightly holding onto Billy's arm as he helped her to stand.

"This isn't exactly the mall, is it?" Kim asked, looking around.

"This place is magnificent," Billy said, tugging Nuala up into the centre of the circular consoles.

"I don't get it," Jason said. "How did we end up here?"

"I just want to know where here is," Trini said.

"And how do we get back to Angel Grove?" Nuala added. She was still worried about her mother, brother and baby, after that earthquake she was pretty sure they were worried about her too.

"Maybe the answers are in these controls," Billy said, stepping closer to the consoles. He pressed a few buttons, before an overactive robot trudged into view.

"No, no, don't touch that!" it said, falling over onto his face in its haste to stop them from tampering with anything else.

"Whoa," Billy breathed, helping the bot up. "A fully sentient, multifunctional automaton. Never seen anything like it."

"Welcome humans."

Nuala jumped in surprise as a giant floating head appeared in the cylinder behind her, she covered her mouth as a scream ripped out and echoed around the room.

"So, who are you?" Jason asked, placing a comforting and reassuring hand on Nuala's shoulder.

"More like what are you?" Kim asked.

"I am Zordon, an interdimensional being caught in a time warp," the floating head explained.

"And my name is Alpha 5," the robot said.

"Excuse me, but will, like somebody come back to Earth and pick me up? Because I am totally confused," said Kim.

"It is quite simple, my dear," Zordon said. "This planet is under attack, and I have brought you here to save it."

"Oh, yeah, right," Zack said.

"Ah! A nonbeliever," Zordon said, almost rambunctiously. "Look behind you at the viewing globe. Your doubts will be answered in the images you see."

Turning to a bright white sphere on a pedestal behind them, Nuala watched as the images of a strange looking woman appeared before her eyes. "This is Rita Repulsa, an intergalactic sorceress who is bent on controlling the universe," Zordon explained. "With her henchmen and putty patrollers, she plans to conquer Earth."

"What does all of this have to do with us?" Trini asked.

"You've been chosen to form an elite team to battle Rita," Zordon continued. "Each of you will be given access to extraordinary powers drawn from the ancient creatures you call dinosaurs."

"Dinosaurs?" Nuala repeated in disbelief. She looked down as a bright flash exploded from her belt, and found a silver rectangle box hooked onto her belt. "What's this?" she asked.

"The keys to your powers," Zordon explained. "They are your power morphers. When in danger, raise them to the sky calling the name of your dinosaur, and you will morph into a formidable fighting force known as Power Rangers."

"Morph?" Kim asked, confused.

"Metamorphosis," Billy explained.

"That means to change," Nuala said as Kim continued to look confused.

"As Power Rangers, you will have access to a universe of power, and will command fighting machines called 'Zords'."

"I don't get it," said Trini.

"Jason, bold and powerful. You shall command the Tyrannosaurus dinosaur," Zordon carried on further. "Zachary, you are clever and brave. You shall command the Mastodon dinosaur. Kimberly, graceful and smart the Pterodactyl dinosaur shall be yours. Billy, patient and wise, you shall command the powerful Triceratops dinosaur. Trini, fearless and agile the saber-toothed tiger dinosaur will be under your command. Nuala, kind-hearted and compassionate you will command the powers of the Dire wolf dinosaur, now, observe the viewing globe."

The new team-mates turned to the globe once more.

"Just as the five of you work together so do your Zords," Zordon said. "When you need help, you need only to turn to the power of the dinosaurs which will come together to form the mighty Megazord."

"Power morphers? Megazords?" Zack asked, chuckling. "Uh-huh, this is just too weird for me. I'll tell you what - it's been real but I got to go."

"Yeah, see you," Kim agreed, following her friend out.

"Me too," Nuala said. "I haven't even been here a day, and already this is way too much."

Zack and Kim turned to the new girl as she followed them, only to spot their old friends remaining behind. "You all coming?" Zack called. "Jason?"

"What?" Jason asked, still staring at Zordon.

"Let's go man," Zack said, leading the way out of the command centre.

"Very well, then," Zordon said as the teens retreated. "Let the power protect you.

Once outside, Nuala turned in a complete 360 circle before realizing that there was no familiar landmarks for miles. She sighed and turned to Kim, shrugging as the look on brunette's face matched the same emotion bubbling inside her.

"Great! He could have sent us back into town," Kim said.

~*A Dire Situation*~

As they walked through the rocky terrain away from the command centre, Jason couldn't help but mull over everything Zordon had said. He had wanted to stay and help, but had to remain true to his friends and leave with them - maybe he even believed to change their minds.

"Guys, we shouldn't have left," Jason said, sliding down a rock after the others. "I mean, he chose us to save the world. I say we do it."

"Do you really think we can?" Trini asked. She, just like Jason had wanted to stay behind and fight, but her loyalty to Kim and Zack was much stronger than some strange floating head.

"Hey, guys, I mean, you don't even know what you're talking about," Zack said. "We were talking to a giant floating head."

"I'm with Zack on this one," Nuala said. "How do you even know if you can trust him? I mean, we're just a bunch of kids and he zapped us from town and dumped us in the middle of nowhere. I don't know about you guys, but I get the strange feeling of Deja -" she broke off as a scream replaced her words and the ground behind her exploded.

"Everybody down!" Jason yelled, ducking for cover.

"What was that?" Trini asked, as she and Kim stumbled back to their feet.

Nuala looked up as a humanoid being in grey rags flipped into view, and enclosed them all into a tight circle. "What are these things?" she asked, backing away from the weird patrol, she jumped as she bumped into something and spun around to see that it was Billy.

"Look out!" Zack shouted, pointing at one of the freaks behind Kim.

"Zack!" Jason called, nodding at his friend.

"Right," Zack said. "These two are mine." He danced his way through the goons, and kicked left, right and centre, flooring them with ease. On the other side of the rocks, Jason was taking out his own goons with his Karate techniques, while Trini held her own against the goon squad too. Leaving, Nuala, Kim and Billy, the most unqualified fighters to handle their own.

"Wait!" Billy said, holding his hands up in hopes of stopping the goons.

Nuala screamed as she and Billy scrambled backwards, away from the goons that continued to advance. "I don't they listen to reason, Billy," she said, ducking under a goon's arm as it swung around and targeted her head. It cracked it's fist on the rock formation behind her, taking a large chunk out of the stone.

Exchanging wide-eyed and fearful looks with Billy, Nuala grunted as Kim crashed into her after the brunette had been tossed aside by the goon patrol.

"Sorry," Kim apologized.

Nuala shook her head and instinctively wrapped her arms around Kim. "It's OK," she said, drawing the brunette in closer, as Zack crashed into Billy after recieving the same treatment as Kim. The four crowded together under the rock formation as Trini joined them, closely followed by Jason.

"This day is too weird," Kim said, speaking the thoughts on everyone's mind.

"What do we do now?" Trini asked.

Jason looked down at the power coin on his belt. "Zordon said these power morphers would give us more power," he said. "Let's do it."

The others nodded and scrambled into a formation either side of Jason.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Dire Wolf!"

"Sabre-Toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

"POWER RANGERS!"

~*A Dire Situation*~

After teleporting for a second time that day, Nuala and the others found themselves in downtown Angel Grove facing off against a giant golden monkey with wings.

"Look at him," Jason said, craning his neck to get a better look. "That dude is huge!"

The monkey laughed and tried to stand on the rangers, all of which backed up to avoid being squashed.

"Back off, Fang Face!" Jason said, striking his mighty pose.

"The good guys are here," Zack agreed, mimicking his friend.

"Get off our planet!" Billy said.

"Because we're the Power Rangers," said Trini.

"And we're not backing down," Kim said.

"Or backing out!" Nuala finished.

"We need Dinosaur power!" Jason said, reaching for the skies. A tremendous roar ripped through the air as a mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex thundered towards them.

"Whoa, check them out!" Zack breathed in amazement as the Mammoth zord appeared.

"Let's go!" Trini said, running forward with Nuala and Kim. The three girls' kicked off from the ground and landed in the cockpits of their new animal zords.

"Going up!" Zack said, as he and Billy followed behind the three girls. Jason had already claimed his zord, and was waiting for his team to follow him.

"Everyone ready?" Jason asked.

"Yeah!" was the combined replied.

"Alright! Megazord on!" Jason said, initiating the sequence. "Let's get him, guys!" he added once the zords had combined and the others, save for Nuala, joined him in the one large cockpit.

"Right!"

"You and your weapons are no match for me," the giant golden monkey snarled as he fired at the new team.

"Come on, guys, let's see what this baby can do!"

"Fire!"

The giant monkey howled as he landed with a heavy, earth-quaking thud on the floor after the team had fired their laser blasters at him.

"Let's send this guy back where he came from," Jason said, clenching his hand into a fist. "Nuala, you ready?"

"Just say the word, Jason," Nuala replied.

"Alright. Activating Megazord battle mode!" Jason said, pulling back on his controls.

Nuala watched as the Megazord lifted itself up onto its legs, and then turned in her direction.

"Now, Nuala," Jason called.

"Dire Wolf armour, activate!" Nuala said, pushing forward on her controls, and punching a button on her console. Her wolf rose into the air, it's legs tucking up into his body, and then it broke apart, creating a shield and wolf spear. "Nice," said Nuala as she popped up inside the cockpit with the others.

For a while the Megazord and the giant monkey fought back and forth, each trading deadly blows but walking away unharmed.

"Look out!" Jason yelled as the giant monkey jumped into the air and smashed both his feet into their chest. The Rangers cried out in surprise as they were thrown to the floor.

"He's coming back!" Billy said.

Rising the wolf spear, Nuala blocked the giant monkey's sword and hit in the chest with her shield. The monkey growled and hit the side of a mountain for a second time.

"What was that?" Zack asked, craning his neck to look at Nuala.

"Instinct?" the silver Ranger asked, shrugging lightly. "Honestly, I just really want to go home right now."

The giant monkey growled and made it back to his feet, he raised his sword to strike, but was blocked by the arm of the Megazord. "You fools will pay!" he swore.

"Power Sword!" Jason commanded, summoning the Megazords' sword to hand.

"This isn't over," the giant monkey said. "I'll be back!" He covered his left arm over his chest and disappeared.

~*A Dire Situation*~

While the others chatted excitedly about their job well done, Nuala stood off to the side feeling partly left out, and partly unsure about her decision to go forth and continue the fight as the silver Ranger. It was cool and fun what she had done a mere few hours ago, but she'd only been in Angel Grove a few hours, and she had more than enough responsibilities to deal with, without the fate of the world being one of them. She just hoped the others were understanding about her hesitation.

"Congratulations on a job well done," Zordon said, silencing the excited teens and drawing their attention to him. "Now that you have become Power Rangers you must follow three basic rules or lose the protection of the power: First... never use your power for personal gain; second... never escalate a battle unless Rita forces you, and finally, keep your identity a secret. No one may know you are a Power Ranger."

"Oh, wait a second," Zack said, stepping forward.

"Yes, Zachary, what is it?" Zordon asked.

"I'm not sure we're all up to this," Zack said. "I mean, we were pretty lucky this time."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Zordon said. "The six of you make a fine group of superheroes. You have all been through an extraordinary experience together, you need each other now and the world needs you."

"Yeah, alright," said Jason, excitedly. "I'm in."

"Me too," Zack said.

"You can count on me," Trini added with a grin.

"Affirmative," Billy nodded.

"I don't know," Kim said, unsure. "I mean, the outfits are cool and everything but my hair gets tangled inside the helmet. I don't think I can do it."

"Oh, no," Trini protested. "Kimberly."

"Not!" Kimberly laughed. "Got you!"

The others laughed in relief and turned to the final member of their team. Nuala bit her lip, and lowered her gaze to the bracelet around her wrist; it was the birth stone of her son, and he was partly the reason why she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue on as a Power Ranger.

"Nuala, what is troubling you?" Zordon asked.

Nuala lifted her gaze and saw that everyone was looking directly at her; she sighed and nodded, looking up at Zordon. "I just... I just don't think I'm cut out for this," she admitted.

"What?" Kim asked, surprised.

"What do you mean, Nuala?" Trini asked, walking towards her new friend and touching her shoulder gently.

"Look, today was amazing, never once did I imagine something like this to ever happen to me," Nuala said. "But I have enough responsibilities, more than any seventeen-year-old should have to deal with. I have a baby at home, he's only a year old and I can't just drop him for the sake of one planet."

"I understand your dilemma, Nuala," Zordon said. "But do not make a hasty decision. Consider your position carefully, and report back to me as soon as possible; but I must ask you to not take too long, the fate of the world hangs in the balance and the team cannot afford to be down a Ranger."

Nuala nodded, hesitantly glanced at the others, and then looked down at her wrist her bracelet again. "Can you send me home, Alpha?" she asked her tone soft and slightly torn.

"Of course," Alpha said, initiating the teleportation sequence.

A silver tube surrounded Nuala and she disappeared, reappearing in the back garden of her new home. She sighed and looked up at the skies. She hated being left with hard decisions, but she had made a promise when she had found out she was pregnant, a promise to herself and her unborn baby to always be there despite the circumstances.

"I'm sorry guys," Nuala said. "But my son comes first, in any situation."

Copyrighted ©

So here is the first chapter of my newest Power Ranger story – be brutal, but not judgmental – thanks.

I'll try and get the next chapter out on Friday.

Happy reading.

Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx

Chapter updated Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at 1:27am