"Zack!"

Tusker was charging through the swamp, leaving a trail of broken branches and scattered leaves behind him when he heard the call. He spun around to see Kim and Trini standing nearby.

"Zack it's us" said Trini imploringly. "Try to remember who you really are."

He snorted and charged them but they easily evaded the attack. He was powerful but clumsy. It was easy for them to dodge his blows and lead him over to where Swamp Thing, Tomahawk and Jack were lying in wait.

"Now!" Kim yelled.

The Bog Rover drove out from cover and Tomahawk fired the grappling missile. It slammed into Tusker and knocked him stumbling backwards. Swamp Thing emerged from the ground beneath him as a cluster of vines, tangling around his legs so that he lost his footing completely. Tusker bellowed and struggled but before he could get loose he was dropped into the Venus flytrap.

Once Zack had been fully returned to normal Trini and Kim brought him up to speed.

"Thanks man" he told Swamp Thing.

"Glad to help" he replied. "Only three Rangers left now."

"That's three more than you're going to get, Swamp Thing" said Arcane as he, Deemo and Weed Killer came roaring up on the Bayou Blaster while Skinman circled overhead menacingly.

"It was a good plan, but now you are finished bog man" said Deemo as Red Rex, Drake and Triceraton came up behind them.

"It's Morphin Time! Mastodon!" Zack yelled.

He morphed into the Black Ranger and assumed a ready stance, as did Trini and Kim.

"Big deal" Weed Killer sneered. "Three kids in spandex are nothing we can't handle."

"We'll see about that" said Zack grimly.

"Will we?" Arcane sneered. He pushed a button and fired the mutation torpedo

"Not this time!" Zack yelled.

He drew his Power Axe and fired a blast of energy. The torpedo exploded, releasing its gas cloud. Anticipating this Trini and Kim had also drawn their Blade Blasters. They both fired, using the energy beams to ionise the gas before it could affect anyone.

"You're not the only ones with firepower" Weed Killer snarled. He aimed his spray gun and fired, blasting Zack with a stream of toxic chemicals.

"ARRGH!" he cried, falling to the ground as the toxins began to corrode his suit. The grass around him instantly withered and died while a sharp hissing sound filled the air.

"Hold on" said Jack. He fired a stream of swamp water from the Bog Blaster, washing the chemicals off of Zack and diluting them to decrease their lethality. Meanwhile Trini leapt into the air and landed a kick to weed Killer's head that sent him reeling backwards. No sooner had she landed than Red Rex was attacking with a flurry of blows. His mutation had not affected his skills at all and she was forced to give ground.

The battle was on!

After berating Squatt and Baboo for their failure to retrieve the Sword of Power Lord Zedd had stewed in fury for a while before impulsively deciding to take another look down at the swamp in the vain hope that somehow the Rangers had missed the sword. He couldn't believe what he saw.

"What's going on down there?" he yelled. "I didn't create any new monsters! Finster did you create those?"

He shook his head frantically. "No my lord. I would never make any monsters without your permission."

Zedd snarled but believed him. He turned back to the balcony and looked again.

"I will not allow anyone else to have the glory of destroying the Power Rangers! Goldar, take the Putties and get down there immediately!"

"As you command Lord Zedd" the gold-armoured warrior replied.

Goldar and the Putties teleported down to Earth, appearing on the fringes of the battle. Both sides momentarily stopped fighting as they were distracted by the newcomers.

"Get the Power Rangers!" Goldar roared and the grey creatures charged.

"Aim for the Z!" Kim yelled.

"Got it" Tomahawk replied. He fired his crossbow, hitting a Putty right on the 'Z.' It glowed and exploded into pieces.

Swamp Thing sprouted two extra arms and then extended all off them, punching four Putties simultaneously on their 'Z's and taking out all of them.

The Un-men backed away, content to let the Putties wear down their foes so that they could finish them off.

"Well this is most fortuitous" said Arcane.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. For Swamp Thing this is the end" Deemo agreed.

Meanwhile Abby had returned to the Arcane plantation. She warily entered the lab, carefully looking around in case her stepfather had set any kind of concealed traps. Fortunately there were none.

Quickly but cautiously she moved through the lab. She couldn't help wincing as she walked past the transducer. It appalled her to think of living beings having their bodies twisted and warped by the horrible machine.

Behind the transducer was an energy conductor which Arcane had placed the Sword of Power into in order to siphon off its energy. She tapped a few keys on the control panel and a hatch opened with a pneumatic hiss. Inside was the sword.

"Let's get you as far away from my stepfather as possible" said Abby as she lifted it out of the machine and carried it out of the plantation.

Once outside she paused briefly to inhale fresh flower-scented air. It always made her feel better whenever she needed to enter the lifeless dungeon-like lab.

She was unaware that up on the moon Lord Zedd was watching her. He had been watching the battle between the Rangers, their allies and his Putties when he had sensed a source of great power was nearby. He had immediately looked for it and had been astonished to see that the Sword of Power was still in the area.

"She has the sword!" Zedd exclaimed. "Putties, get her and bring it to me!"

Abby placed the sword in the back of the Marsh Buggy. Another vehicle built by Swamp Thing, it had a teal chassis, an orange windscreen, six large tires and a back-mounted propeller. At the front was a pair of root-like prongs.

Just then a squad of Putties materialised in front of her. They began loping forwards waving their arms erratically and making odd gurgling noises.

Abby was startled but recovered instantly. Before the Putties could attack she jumped into the Marsh Buggy, started the engine and drove right at them, scattering the clay creatures like ninepins.

"Good thing Alec taught me how to drive this" she said as she disappeared into the swamp.

Zack swung his Power Axe but Goldar easily parried it with his sword and slashed him across the chest sending him rolling across the ground in a cloud of sparks.

Seeing her friend in trouble Kimberly fired three arrows from her Power Bow. Goldar deflected each one and leaped high into the air. Before Kim could dodge he landed a mighty overhead slash that launched her backwards. She landed with a hard thump and lay winded.

"You Rangers are no match for me!" Goldar laughed. "You are… ah, argh!"

He was interrupted mid-gloat by Swamp Thing transforming his fingers into roots and sending them towards him. The roots wrapped around Goldar until he was fully immobilised, his arms pinned to his sides. He struggled furiously but couldn't get loose. With a growl he teleported away.

"Thanks Swampy" said Zack.

"My pleasure."

The last of the Putties had also been defeated but there was no time to rejoice. The Un-men saw the opening to attack and leapt in.

Triceraton put his head down and charged, ramming into the Bog Rover and knocking it over. Tomahawk managed to hit the ground rolling but as soon as he got up Deemo's serpentine neck extended and coiled around him. Tomahawk tried to struggle but he was completely immobilised.

Skinman swooped down from the sky and seized Bayou Jack's shoulders with his clawed feet. Flapping his powerful wings he lifted him into the air.

"Let me go big-ears!" Jack yelled.

"Bayou Jack!" Swamp Thing called. He started to extend his arms but while he was distracted Weed Killer blasted him with a jet of defoliant. He cried out in pain and dropped to the ground.

Skinman shrieked and swung his legs. At the apex of the swing he released his hold, sending Jack flying through the air. He crashed into Kimberly, knocking them both sprawling. Skinman touched down and ripped the Bog Blaster from Jack's back before yanking him to his feet and trapping him in a secure hold. Triceraton did the same to Kimberly.

Trini and Zack were unable to help either as both were fighting desperately against Red Rex and Drake. The Un-men Rangers had all their skills and even greater strength and speed. More importantly Trini and Zack were holding back, unwilling to risk hurting their friends, while the Un-men Rangers had no such qualms. Finally they landed a powerful flurry of blows that stunned the Rangers. They too were seized and held firmly.

"At last! I've won!" Arcane laughed triumphantly as he watched his captives futile attempts to free themselves while Swamp Thing lay on the ground groaning faintly.

Then something happened. All of the Un-men started to look weak and dizzy. Their heads slumped and their eyes drooped.

"I don't feel so good" Skinman groaned.

"What happened to our extra power? Suddenly things have gone sour" said Deemo.

"Of course!" Trini exclaimed. "Their bodies can't handle the power the sword gave them. They're burning through it so fast they're getting tired."

"Then let's bust out of this!" Zack exclaimed.

As one they all broke free of their captors. Jack snatched up the Bog Blaster and used a jet of water to revitalise Swamp Thing. He leapt up, his strength fully restored.

"Retreat my Un-men!" Arcane cried.

Weed Killer, Deemo and Skinman managed to stumble onto the Bayou Blaster and it roared away. Triceraton, Drake and Red Rex tried to flee but Swamp Thing quickly caught them in his vines.

"Now let's get these guys into my Venus flytrap so they can be cured."

Within moments Billy, Tommy and Jason had been fully restored to normal. Once they had recovered enough everyone returned to Swamp Thing's lab. Billy stared around at the lab in amazement before turning to Swamp Thing himself.

"I've read some of your work Dr. Holland" he said excitedly. "Your research into increasing yield and survivability of crops through biochemical enhancement of botanical growth rates is truly phenomenal!"

"Thank you Billy" he replied.

"We can't thank you all enough for everything you've done for us" said Jason.

"Yeah you guys saved us" Tommy agreed.

"No problem guys" replied Tomahawk.

"Yeah it's good to know Earth has other defenders out there" Jack agreed.

"What about Alec? Is there any way you can help him?" Abby asked.

"Can we Zordon?" Trini asked into her communicator.

"I'M AFRAID NOT TRINI" Zordon replied. "WHILE THE COMMAND CENTRE HAS EXTENSIVE FILES ON TRANSFIGURATIVE MAGIC IT HAS LITTLE DATA ON REVERSING GENETIC MUTATIONS. WE WILL OF COURSE SEARCH FOR A WAY TO HELP DR. HOLLAND, BUT FOR NOW THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO."

Trini sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay" Swamp Thing replied. "Thank you for asking."

"Don't give up man" said Zack. "I'll bet my Main Brain Billy can come up with something."

"Affirmative. I'll look into finding a cure" Billy agreed.

"I appreciate that."

"Well in the meantime we need to go" said Jason. He hefted the Sword of Power. "We've got to get this back to the Command Centre."

"Goodbye Power Rangers. I hope we'll see you soon" said Swamp Thing.

"Goodbye everyone." With that the Rangers teleported away.

"Well that was something" said Jack. "I never thought we'd get to meet super heroes."

Abby smiled. "Don't let the boys find out or we'll never hear the end of it."

They all laughed happily at that, even Swamp Thing.

"This is not a defeat" Arcane muttered to himself as he drove the Bayou Blaster through the concealed hatchway. "It's merely a setback. Once I've made a few refinements I can give my Un-men the same increased power but without it burning up so fast. Victory over Swamp Thing is still within my grasp."

The Un-men couldn't reply. They were all sound asleep and snoring loudly.

He parked his vehicle and hurried over to the energy conductor, eager to start work on the adjustments. Even as he reached for the control panel he saw something and his jaw dropped in disbelief.

The access hatch was open. The Sword of Power was gone!

Arcane threw back his head and howled in pure rage. Despite that the Un-men continued to snore.

A similar scene was playing out on the Moon where Lord Zedd was also raging about his latest defeat.

"You morons! You ruined a perfectly good plan!"

His minions cowered before him as he ranted. Finally he turned and stormed over to the balcony, his fingers clenched around his staff so hard a lesser metal would have crumpled.

"I'll get you next time Power Rangers!" Zedd screamed into the blackness of space.

In the Command Centre the Rangers stood in a circle with the Sword of Power suspended in the air between them. It glowed and disappeared.

"IT IS DONE RANGERS" said Zordon. "HENCEFORTH ONLY THE SIX OF YOU TOGETHER WILL BE ABLE TO SUMMON THE SWORD OF POWER."

"Yeah, that'll keep it out of Zedd's hands" said Zack.

Kimberly sighed. "If you'll excuse me I really need to go home and shower for a couple of days to get that swamp muck out of my hair."

Tommy grinned and put an arm around her. "It's okay Kim. I love you anyway."

"Thank you Tommy" she said with a huge grin as she hugged him. The other Rangers and Zordon all smiled.

Author's Note: The Sword of Power is the same one from the episode "The Green Dream." I always disliked how it just appeared out of thin air with no explanation so I partially wrote this story to provide one.