Personality Conflicts

[Ellen Brand]

Disclaimer: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and other assorted indicia do not belong to me. They belong to Saban, yah te dah te dah, you know the drill. Kino Makoto is a character from Sailor Moon and Unstable Molecular Fabric comes from Spider-Man 2099, neither of which belong to me. Any and all Japanese words come from April Richards' fanfics. See them for meanings (although I've tried to make them understandable from context.) "In This Life" by Collin Raye doesn't belong to me either. Gosh, I've stolen a lot! Dr. Lita Kino, Chelsea Oliver, and Teddy Oliver do belong to me. You can use them, just drop me a line first, okay? No resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is intended. No animals were killed or harmed during the making of this motion picture.

Note: I am not a Psych major. All my information on psychology comes from the Encyclopedia Britannica, Spider-man comics, and "The X-files." If I screwed up, and you are a Psych major, e-mail me. If it isn't vital to the story, I'll change it. If it is, tough.

This story is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America. Mild profanity, some violence, and a deep plotline. Some material may not be suitable or understandable for young readers. However, I am unable to write a story with no romance, humor, or fighting, so those are in here too. Enough chatter, on with the show!
Personality Conflicts
by Ellen Brand

..........Cold wind howled, blowing over a plain as dark and barren as Lord Zedd's heart. Tommy Oliver looked around in confusion. "Where am I? What is this place?" The whipping wind stole his words away, carrying them to the ends of the earth. Worried, Tommy felt for his communicator and found it gone. Unconsciously, his voice rose in frustration. "What's going on here?"

..........As if in answer to his question, a green light began to glow on the horizon, almost seeming to beckon to him. "Well, anything's got to be better than staying here," he grumbled, silently hoping that that was true as he set off in the direction of the glow. The emerald light reflected against the low clouds, making it impossible for him to judge how far he had to go.

..........After a timeless interval that could have been ten seconds or ten years, he suddenly came across a tower of black stone. Actually, ran into it would have been a better description. It seemed to rise out of nowhere in the space of a blink. Running his hands over the walls, he looked up to see green light pouring out of a window set high in the tower wall, and no other openings in sight. Suddenly, he knew that he had to get inside. He didn't know why, only that it was vital. Examining the rough basalt, he decided that it would make passable handholds.

..........Great, he thought to himself, just wonderful. Ever since Mondo's Quadrafighters blew me off the top of the Power Chamber, I've hated heights. Tossing off a quick prayer to whatever powers might be listening, he began to climb.

..........Finally, he reached the top. Sighing thankfully, he pulled himself through the window and into the room. Oddly enough, the green light had vanished without a trace. As he slowly rose to his feet, he looked around, absorbing his surroundings. The walls of the room were of the same rough basalt as the tower. The floor was covered with tiles, a mosaic of images that were for the most part hidden in the gloom. That was quite all right with Tommy, who had the very distinct feeling that he didn't want to see them better- or at all. In the center of the room was an altar, carved of some darkly glistening stone. Tommy would have bet the price of Rocky's next lunch that it was obsidian. On top of the altar was a small golden something that shone even in the dim light of the tower. Tommy crossed the floor and looked down to see that it was a coin. A Power Coin. It wasn't his White Coin, though, emblazoned with the symbol of the Falcon, or even the Tiger. Oh, no, it was his Green Coin, which had been in the possession of Tommy's clone the last time he'd seen it. Tommy swallowed the bile welling up in his throat, suppressing the flood of memories threatening to wash through him. He didn't want to deal with this, now or ever.

.........."I see you've found my treasure," a cold voice remarked from behind him. Tommy whirled to see the Green Ranger standing behind him, fully morphed. The other was lounging insolently against a wall, arms crossed nonchalantly across his chest.

.........."Hello, Tommy. Long time no see. How've you been?" the Green Ranger asked, pushing away from the wall. Slowly, he walked toward the other boy.

..........Tommy ignored his words, concentrating instead on studying his old foe. The Green Ranger looked much stronger than when Tommy had last seen him, and certainly stronger than when Tommy had last been him. His suit was a glittering emerald green and the Dragonshield sparkled, even in the dim light of the tower. Tommy thought he caught a predatory gleam in the dragon's eye, but dismissed it as his own imagination.

.........."What's the matter, Tommy? Kat got your tongue?" Green Ranger taunted.

.........."Leave Kat out of this," Tommy growled.

..........The Green Ranger shrugged, and Tommy could just imagine the oily smirk spreading across the features beneath the helmet. After all, he'd felt it on his own enough times. "It's good to see you again, bro," the Green Ranger spat contemptuously, using Tommy and Jason's old nickname for each other.

.........."Right, whatever," Tommy snorted. "Where are we?"

.........."This is my world, Tommy. Don't you feel at home here?"

.........."No way! This place is dead. We might as well be on the moon!"

.........."Ah, yes," the Green Ranger chuckled. "We always did have a liking for that place, you and I."

.........."Speak for yourself," Tommy shot back. "Why are we here?"

.........."You belong here, Tommy. Darkness is your destiny."

.........."NO!" Tommy yelled.

.........."Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself? You can't deny the darkness inside you. It's part of you."

.........."No," repeated Tommy, quieter this time.

..........The Green Ranger sighed. "For untold millennia, the Green powers were controlled by the forces of evil. You, pathetic Ranger, were the first to ever use them for good. No wonder you lost them."

..........Tommy raised one eyebrow. "If what you say is true, then it proves I'm not evil."

..........Amused, the Green Ranger shook his head. "Sorry, Holmes, but you're wrong. There may be bits of light in your soul, but your heart is dark on the whole. Why do you think Rita chose you?"

..........Something had been bothering Tommy throughout the conversation, and now he realized what it was. "You talk too differently, and know too much to just be my dark side. Who are you?"

.........."I am the spirit of the Green Coin, an amalgam of all those who have possessed the Coin over the centuries. I am the Green Power, and I've come to claim you."

.........."Not without a fight, you're not." Tommy fell into a fighting stance.

.........."Oh, please," Green Ranger waved contemptuously. "I don't have to fight you. Your personal darkness will fight for me." With a gesture, the room's windows disappeared and darkness began to flow out of the walls. "Hope you can swim!"

..........The black tide surged around Tommy's legs like a living thing, clinging tightly, trying to climb his body. The waves climbed higher and higher, singing a siren song of evil. Tommy thrashed, trying desperately to keep his head above water, but to no avail. The black flood climbed up, up, closing over him. Dimly, Tommy could hear the Green Ranger's evil laughter as the darkness seeped into his soul.