“Doctor, what’s this Celestial Toymaker?” asked Amy.
“Bad news, VERY bad news!” replied the Doctor. “He…SHE is a godlike being that embodies one of the very fundamental forces of the universe.”
“Chaos? Like the Black Guardian?” asked Amy.
“No, worse than ANY Guardian,” corrected the Doctor. “Therein lies the problem for most people. The universe isn’t binary, far from it. There IS order, there IS chaos, but there’s also play.”
“And the Celestial Toymaker’s origins are shrouded,” remarked Banza. “Even us Time Lords can’t make sense of it.”
“Either way, why would the Toymaker reduce New Earth to this hellscape?” mused the Doctor. “She seeks to turn entire universes into part of her playroom.”
“There were quite a few Power Rangers toys back then, Doctor. And their original Super Sentai.”
“Yes, but this makes for a rather ill playset,” remarked the Doctor. “…Unless this has something to do with the Universal Morphing Grid.”
“The what?” asked Amy.
“It’s a multi-dimensional energy source us Rangers access,” explained Tanya.
“By establishing a link to it,” said Poppy, “our cellular makeup is uploaded to the Grid, allowing us the knowledge and powers that come with it.”
“That’s where the Morphers come in,” continued Albert as he showed his off. At that moment, an alarm sounded. Banza checked the systems.
“Stookie attack!” he said. “Ranger Team 2 is under heavy fire! Tanya-!”
“We’re on our way!” replied Tanya. “Team, it’s Morphing Time!” She and her team pulled out their keys, inserted them into the Morphers, turned the keys in a way so that they went into the Morphers, then holographic dragons appeared and chomped down on them. The holograms disappeared as the Rangers gained their suits. The Rangers then hopped on their motorcycles. The Doctor and Amy were about to hop on, but Banza grabbed their arms.
“…I would advise you, General,” hissed the Doctor, “to let go of us immediately!”
“The Rangers can handle the Stookies,” replied Banza, “but they’re out of their depth like me when it comes to the Toymaker. You, however, triumphed over her twice, from what I overheard while she ranted. I need a strategy in taking her down permanently, Doctor.”
“She also triumphed over me once out of the three games we played,” said the Doctor.
“Two out of three is good enough right now. Please, Doctor. We need a big win against her, not a series of small victories. Morale is bad enough as it is.”
“It’s the small victories that lead to the big ones!” reminded the Doctor. “We didn’t exactly get them during the Time War, so any victory here is a victory nonetheless!”
“Doctor, Banza, I’m guessing you don’t see eye to eye,” remarked Amy, “but maybe you two could pull together and-!”
“MISS ROSE, THAT’S IT!” yelped Banza suddenly.
“General?” asked the Doctor.
“Doctor, the technology is based on retina-scan much like on Gallifrey,” explained Banza. “The Toymaker has been trying to capture the Rangers so-!”
“Of course!” realized the Doctor. “A little game of keep-away! Amy, you’re a genius! Where’s the operations center?”
“This way! Come on, you two!” Amy followed the two Time Lords, confused as to why she was being praised for being smart…not that she didn’t appreciate the praise.
Over in another part of New New York, a cottage stood in the woods. Inside the cottage was a woman in a blue dress with turquoise hair. She looked out the window with a smirk that was rather unlike the warm smile associated with her in the original Pinocchio. Accompanying her was a truly wicked looking witch in brown robes, a collar, and her hair was pulled into two large horns. “The Rangers are playing with the Stookies again,” purred the woman with the turquoise hair, the Toymaker, as she looked through a telescope.
“What kind of toy are you planning on having them fight?” asked the witch in a high-pitched, gravelly voice, the infamous Rita Repulsa.
“I’m not sure,” mused the Toymaker. “Maybe the Ballerina? The Robot? So hard to choose. Aw, look at that! The Rangers are getting a call! Some good ol’ words of wisdom from their mentor! Perhaps…what?” The Toymaker blinked, rubbed her eyes, then looked through the telescope again. “…They’re all retreating.”
“What?!” asked Rita. She pushed the Toymaker aside.
“Um, RUDE!” protested the Toymaker. Rita didn’t listen. She looked through the telescope and saw all the Rangers retreating.
“…We didn’t even send a monster out to stop them!” snarled Rita. “What’s going on?!” A radio then crackled to life. The Toymaker picked up.
“Report,” she said.
“My Lady, we’ve discovered a Time Lord’s presence,” reported the Stookie on the other end.
“…We know the Rangers’ mentor figure is Banza, thank you,” remarked the Toymaker.
“Not that one, another one,” corrected the Stookie. “Their TARDIS must have a malfunctioning chameleon circuit. It’s in the shape of a London Police Box.”
“WHAT?!” shouted the Toymaker. “THE DOCTOR?! HERE?!”
“That’s what we believe,” replied the Stookie.
“SEND OUT ALL STOOKIES! STORM THE RANGERS’ HEADQUARTERS! WE CANNOT LET THE DOCTOR INTERFERE!” She ended the call. “Doctor!” she snarled with venom practically dripping from her words. “For you, no more games! I’ll take control of the Universal Morphing Grid and make the entire multiverse my playground!” In the background, Rita smirked.
Amy followed the Doctor and Banza to the Operations Center, confused as to what’s going on. Banza’s robot, Maiden, arrived as well. “General, the Rangers have re…” she stopped when she saw Amy. “…General, I appreciate that these are desperate times, but civilians cannot be allowed in-!”
“Your fears are misplaced, Maiden,” replied Banza. “Because what the Doctor and I need to do requires Miss Rose here.”
“General!” called Tanya’s voice. She and Albert arrived. “General, you wanted to see us?”
“Doctor, the floor is yours,” said Banza.
“Much appreciated,” replied the Doctor. “Now, Tanya, Albert, all the technology is based on retina-scan, yes?”
“…Yes, even our Morphers,” said Tanya.
“Well, given the Toymaker’s goals, we have to lock her out, yes?”
“We’re not children, Doctor!” hissed Albert.
“Compared to me, even Banza’s a kid,” remarked the Doctor.
“I beg your-! Oh, nevermind,” muttered Banza. “But do think about it. Everyone in the New New York Senate Building, enjoying safety and security that could be sought here on this planet…”
“And one…solitary…Mobian,” finished the Doctor. Albert’s eyes goggled as he realized what they were talking about.
“You’re turning Miss Rose’s eyes into a master key?” he asked.
“Exactly! Then we’re wiping all the records so the Toymaker doesn’t get the clever idea of taking one of your eyes to use your Morphers. She’ll be locked out of the Morphing Grid.”
“So would they!” protested Amy. “Doctor, General, the Rangers would be out of bounds to their own equipment if my eyes were the only eyes to activate things!”
“I’m aware it’s a bit extreme,” replied the Doctor, “but if you have a better idea, I’d like to hear it.” No idea was forthcoming.
“…She’ll have to be ready to initialize the Zords,” remarked Tanya.
“Tanya!” protested Albert.
“It’s the best we have!” replied Tanya.
“And Doctor, if she falls-,” said Banza.
“She won’t!” insisted the Doctor. “I won’t let her. …But, on the safe side, I’ll have a copy of the retina print. Amy, are you ready?”
“…As I’ll ever be,” muttered Amy.
“Initializing retina scan,” reported Banza. “Miss Rose, look into the scanner, please.” Amy looked into the scanner and a bright flashed in her eyes.
“YOW! BRIGHT!” yelped Amy.
“It’ll clear,” assured Tanya.
“Wiping all the records,” said the Doctor. “Amy’s the only one who can activate the Ranger System now.” Just then, Maiden gasped.
“Stookie attack!” she yelped. “And the Toymaker’s in the group!”
“I’m going out there to meet her!” declared the Doctor as she ran out of the room.
“Doctor, wait!” protested Banza. “And she just runs off. Just like when she was that grizzled old man during the Time War. Miss Rose, stay here for a bit. Switch on the Ranger System when it’s safe.” Banza ran after the Doctor.
“…Albert, stay here with Amy until the fight,” ordered Tanya. “I have a crazy idea.” She then ran off after the two Time Lords.
“…Typical,” grumbled Albert.
“Time Lords,” muttered Amy. Albert nodded in agreement.
The Stookies were ready to assault the Senate Building. “Time to deconstruct this Lego set!” chuckled the Toymaker.
“Lovely building toys, Legos!” called the Doctor as she approached. “Terrible for a bare foot though. I should know. Part of my doctorate involves Legos!”
“Doctor!” snarled the Toymaker.
“In the flesh,” replied the Doctor. “Wanted more action figures for your collection? Well, if you don’t mind a little-!”
“No! No games! Not from you!” The Doctor was taken aback.
“No games? That’s a little out of character for you.”
“Whenever you’re the opponent, I always lose!” replied the Toymaker.
“Come on, you beat me before,” reminded the Doctor.
“Then you beat me again! You with that bi-generation trick of yours! Two out of three games, I lost against you! That makes for bad odds! I’m taking care of you here and now!” She aimed a wooden unicorn head on a stick and threw it.
“NO!” called Banza as he dove to intercept. The instant the horn made contact, Banza shrunk down into action figures of all 13 of his incarnations.