“BANZA!” called Tanya as she ran up to the group. “Doctor, wha-?!”
“He’s dead! I’m so sorry!” said the Doctor.
“You’re next, self-proclaimed Last of the Time Lords!” snarled the Toymaker.
“Hold it!” called Tanya. “Just resorting to murder? How is THAT fun?”
“The Doctor’s presence always spoils my fun!” replied the Toymaker.
“And you don’t intend to play any of her games?”
“No! The odds are always stacked against me!”
“So you know her as an opponent,” mused Tanya. “…What about me?”
“…What about you?” asked the Toymaker.
“Tanya, NO!” protested the Doctor.
“I challenge you to Liar’s Dice!” Tanya proclaimed to the Toymaker. A wicked grin crossed the face of the Embodiment of Play.
“Name your terms,” said the Toymaker. “I’ll see if I accept then.”
“If and when you win, this whole universe becomes your playroom instantly and you can do with the Doctor as you wish,” replied Tanya. “If and when I win, you leave us mortals and semi-immortals alone and find playmates more your level cosmically speaking.”
“…Sounds fair. Two out of three rounds?” suggested the Toymaker.
“Agreed.”
“Then I accept! Stookies!” The Toymaker tossed her riding unicorn to a Stookie. More Stookies then brought out a table, some chairs, ten six-sided dice, and two cups.
“Tanya, you’re making a very dangerous gamble!” argued the Doctor.
“This HAS to end today one way or another!” replied Tanya as she placed five dice into her cup. The Toymaker sat opposite Tanya and did the same. The two women then shook their cups, then slammed them upside down. They then peeked under their cups. “…You first,” offered Tanya. “I laid down the rules, it’s only fair.”
“Your funeral,” chuckled the Toymaker. “Two fours.”
“Three fours,” said Tayna.
“Four fours.”
“…Four fives.” The Toymaker smirked at Tanya’s call.
“Five fives.”
“Liar!” declared Tanya. The two then revealed their dice…and there were only two fives, all on the Toymaker’s side!
“…Now that WAS a good bluff!” praised the Toymaker. “Shall we break, then play round 2?”
“Perhaps you can answer a question,” remarked Tanya. “Why go after the Universal Morphing Grid?”
“To get to the Morphing Masters, the ultimate opponents,” replied the Toymaker. “They would make the games fun!”
“They won’t play your games, Toymaker,” said the Doctor. “They’re neutral.”
“They provided all Ranger teams their powers, Doctor,” chuckled the Toymaker. “Whether it be through the Nexus Prism or Power Eggs, they’re the source. …Though, I must admit, I’m curious, Tanya.”
“What’s that?” asked Tanya.
“You’re the Red Ranger. …How come you haven’t morphed recently? …Unless…aha! A lock-down! And given the retina-scan technology used, your own retina-print was disabled! Now…whose eyes are the master print?”
“…Beat me in this round and you’ll find out,” replied Tanya as she put her dice in the cup.
“Very well,” replied the Toymaker as she put her dice in her cup. The two shook their cups, then slammed them onto the table. The two then peeked under their respective cups.
“Your turn this time,” said the Toymaker.
“…Two threes,” called Tanya.
“Three threes,” replied the Toymaker.
“Four threes.”
“Five threes.”
“…Five sixes!” called Tanya.
“Liar!” cackled the Toymaker. They revealed their dice…and there was only one six on Tanya’s side. “A deal’s a deal,” chuckled the Toymaker. “Whose eyes are the master print?”
“…Amy Rose of Mobius,” sighed Tanya.
“Stookies, go collect her,” ordered the Toymaker. The Stookies bowed and took off.
“Rangers, go assist her and Albert!” Tanya ordered her team. The Rangers quickly took off.
“Not going to make it easy for them?” taunted the Toymaker.
“Even without their Ranger powers,” replied Tanya, “my team is more than a match for your Stookies! …Last round.”
“I hope you’re prepared to be a new addition to my Power Rangers collection!” cackled the Toymaker as she and Tanya put the dice in their cups and shook them. “Your call.” The two women then slammed their cups down and checked their dice.
“…Two twos,” called Tanya.
“Three twos,” replied the Toymaker.
“Four twos.”
“Five twos.”
“Six twos.” The Toymaker blinked in surprise.
“…Seven twos.”
“Eight twos!” The Toymaker decided to try something.
“…Nine twos.”
“LIAR!” called Tanya. The Toymaker revealed her cup…and only had one two. Tanya smirked, then revealed her FIVE twos!
“WHAT?!” shouted the Toymaker.
“What, did you use the wrong dice for yourself?” asked Tanya.
“No, she didn’t,” chuckled the Doctor. “She HAS to play fair, otherwise it’s no fun for anyone. …I have to admit, that was a risky gamble. But congratulations, Tanya, you’re the first human I know of that has bested the Toymaker!”
“…Like I said,” muttered the Toymaker, “a deal’s a deal. Rita, we’re leaving.”
“Oh no! Not until I claim MY prize!” cackled Rita.
“…Come again?” asked the Toymaker.
“You lost twice! I only lost once! I win!” replied Rita.
“…Toymaker, what did you say to Rita?” asked the Doctor.
“I said that if she won two games against me, she’d claim the Master Morpher,” explained the Toymaker.
“Those weren’t your EXACT words!” replied Rita. “Your exact words were if one witnesses the other lose two times, then they may claim their prize! Well, you lost twice!”
“What?! You can’t claim the Master Morpher on those grounds!” protested the Toymaker.
“I can and I will!” Rita held her hand out, then a golden buckle device appeared with a circular slot in the center. “Oh, I’ve waited a long time for this! I’d say it’s time! Specifically, It’s Morphing Time!” Rita put a gold coin into the buckle, then thrust it forward. “Dragonzord! Green Ranger Power!” The buckle opened slightly, then green light surrounded Rita. The light faded and Rita was now wearing a green Power Ranger suit!
“That suit is Tommy Oliver’s!” snarled Tanya. “Give me that Morpher!”
“Try and take it, kid!” cackled Rita. She then pulled out a dagger and attacked! Tanya and her Ranger team tried to stop her, but it was no good! “Oooooh, the power! I should have put this thing on YEARS ago!” cackled Rita.
“Hoo boy!” muttered the Doctor. “Tanya, hold her off as best you can! Toymaker, you’re with me!”
“Wha-?!” spluttered the Toymaker as the Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her along. “UNHAND ME, TIMELESS CHILD!” demanded the Toymaker. The Doctor still has a habit of not listening to authority.
Amy, Albert, and Maiden were still keeping an eye on the battlefield. “This is absurd!” grumbled Albert. “I know I’m the tech support, but I need to be there for my friends!” Just then, the Doctor and the Toymaker burst into the room.
“INTRUDER ALERT!” warned Maiden.
“Belay that!” replied the Doctor. “She’s not the enemy here!”
“Doctor, you HAVE seen what she’s done to New Earth, yes?!” argued Albert.
“Well, she’s not doing it anymore,” answered the Doctor.
“Your red friend, Tanya,” explained the Toymaker, “she defeated me in a game of Liar’s Dice. According to her terms, I have to limit my playtime to opponents more my cosmic level!”
“It’s the truth,” confirmed the Doctor. “But we have another problem. Seems she also lost a game to Rita.”
“What?!” asked Amy. “What did Rita win?”
“The Master Morpher,” replied the Doctor. “She’s currently wearing the original Green Power Ranger suit and that’s very likely to come with the weapons and Zord usually associated with the original Green Ranger.”
“The Original Dragonzord?!” gulped Albert. “We need our own Zords!”
“Exactly, so I need your help restoring your suits, weapons, and Zords,” explained the Doctor.
“The Master Morpher gives Rita all the Ranger forms Tommy Oliver had,” said Maiden.
“Well, therein lies the devil in the details of my deal with the Toymaker,” answered the Doctor.
“What deal?” asked the Toymaker. “You made no deal with me.”
“Well, here are my terms. Once the Zords combine and defeat the original Dragonzord, I’d like you to turn the Master Morpher into a toy. Useful only to make lights and sounds when you use it.”
“…And what would I get in return for doing as you ask, Timeless Child?”
“The path to an opponent I know is your cosmic level. Are you familiar with Grand Zeno?” The Toymaker’s eyes went wide.
“The Omni-king himself?!” she asked. “You can take me to his palace?”
“I can’t, but I know someone who can,” replied the Doctor. “Turn the Master Morpher into a toy and I’ll tell you who to look for and where he is in time and space. He’ll be able to get you to Grand Zeno’s palace.”
“…I’ll hold you to that promise, Doctor,” warned the Toymaker.
“Very good, but…” the Doctor then checked the instruments, “there’s still the matter of actually BEATING Rita.”
Rita was still holding her own against the currently depowered Rangers, cackling all the while. “And I thought all this power would give me a headache! Turns out it CURED me of a walking rainbow of one!”
“We’re not dead, Rita!” retorted Tanya as she spat out a tooth.
“True,” conceded Rita, “so I’ll just need more power. …In fact, I need Dragonzord power!” She then put the hilt of her dagger to her helmet’s lips and pressed three buttons on the handle as if it were a flute. A melody played and the earth shook.
“Oh no!” gulped Tanya. A mecha styled like an 80’s t-rex but with draconic features then rose from the earth! The Dragonzord had risen!