MMPR: Candle of Doubt

A moment of doubt leads to an irreversible fall as Tommy the Green Ranger’s power is stolen, leaving him trapped in an agonizing fate. His friends arrive too late, bearing witness to a punishment that defies reason, changing their battle forever.

Hope begins to dim as the flame ignites.

Special thanks to my loyal and royal patron friends:

Nicholas Athallah

Jakob Feurhuber

泽凯 张

vladimirpootis

Tribe

A

Bethany

kasa41

Violet Fentenstine

Tuck Lee

Matthew Thom

fumitsu

kasa41

俊介 星野

にとり 河城

Russell shuey

Bayu Pramana

clanna

park jong

Dominic Kohtz

George Hellerman

Flutterheart10480

brkfstinamerica

darkrai1986

시우 성

Nathaniel Grayson

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John Barten

Eddie Hauck

Ken K

Ty smith

Robert Terwillger

snb

Daniel K

Mike020578

Light it!

The clang of metal on metal rang across the barren wasteland as Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, barely deflected another crushing blow from Robo-Goat’s heavy blade. Sparks exploded from his Dragon Dagger, the sheer force sending him stumbling back. His breath came in frantic gasps through his helmet, his arms shaking under the pressure of battle.

“Why—why am I moving so slow?” Tommy panted, gripping his dagger tighter. “I should be faster than this!”

Robo-Goat’s red eyes gleamed with wicked delight. “You are pathetic, Green Ranger! You doubt yourself! You hesitate! That is why you will fall!”

Tommy swung wildly, trying to cut through the beast’s armored hide. The dagger’s blade bounced off harmlessly. His grip trembled. “No, no, NO! That should’ve worked!”

The mechanical beast lunged again, bringing its blade down hard. Tommy barely managed to lift his arms in time, but the force knocked him backward, his boots skidding against the scorched earth. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

“Pick up the pace, Oliver!” Tommy shouted to himself, shaking his head violently. “You’re stronger than this! You have to be stronger than this!”

Robo-Goat cackled. “Strong? You dropped your sword, fool! You have lost the will to fight!”

Tommy’s blood ran cold. He looked down. The Sword of Power lay at his feet.

His mind screamed for him to grab it. But his hands wouldn’t move. He could only stare at the fallen weapon, his breaths coming in ragged bursts.

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean to—I can still—”

Clang.

The sound of the blade hitting the ground echoed like a death knell.

“Pathetic.”

A deep, guttural voice filled the air, sending a bone-chilling dread through Tommy’s core. A pulse of crimson energy erupted into the battlefield as Lord Zedd materialized.

The sky darkened, the sun swallowed by roiling crimson clouds. Zedd stood tall, his grotesque metallic exoskeleton gleaming under the flickering shadows. Muscles rippled beneath the biomechanical tubing that wrapped around his body, his silver mouthpiece curling into a sneer.

Tommy gasped for breath, stepping back instinctively. “No—no way—”

Zedd’s visor flared. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.”

Tommy lifted his dagger, forcing himself to breathe. “I-I can still fight—”

Zedd’s laughter boomed like thunder. “Fight? With what? You abandoned your sword. You abandoned your strength.”

Tommy’s entire body trembled. “I… I didn’t… I…”

“You surrendered, and now, you will be a decoration.”

Zedd extended his hand, and from within the swirling void of his palm, a sinister green glow emerged.

“No—NO!” Tommy’s body locked in place as the Evil Green Candle materialized, its wax a sickly emerald, the flame burning with unnatural hunger.

Tommy shook his head wildly. “I destroyed that! I—I broke free! YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME AGAIN!”

Zedd thrust his staff forward. The wick of the candle elongated into a wicked spike of molten wax— and in one swift, horrifying motion—

He drove it straight into Tommy’s chest. Tommy’s entire body convulsed violently. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!”

The scream that tore from his throat was pure, unfiltered agony. The green wax exploded from the wound, crawling outward in twisting, clawing tendrils. His Dragon Shield disintegrated, melting into his very flesh. Tommy screamed again as the wax surged up his arms, locking his joints in place. “NO—MY ARMS! I CAN’T MOVE MY ARMS!”

The wax slithered up his throat, clamping down his vocal cords. His next scream came out as a choked, gurgling cry. “HELP—HELP M—”

The wax climbed to his jawline, sealing his mouth wide open in a frozen scream. Then—

“TOMMY!”

A bright flash split through the battlefield. The other Rangers materialized just in time to witness the horror. Jason’s tone broke. “NO! TOMMY—”

Kimberly let out a sob, her hands trembling as she stumbled forward. “T-Tommy, NO!”

Zack clenched his fists, his entire body shaking. “A Ranger can’t end up like that!”

Billy’s helmeted gaze remained frozen, his mind racing through solutions that didn’t exist. Trini’s hands shot up to her helmet, her words lost in a trembling whisper. “Now way…”

But they were too late. Before their horrified gazes, Tommy’s wax-covered body solidified. His figure stood frozen, locked in eternal agony—one arm reaching outward, mouth wide in an endless, silent scream.

The flame flickered. Then it grew brighter.

The candle’s flame surged, its glow casting a sickly green radiance over the battlefield. The light reflected in the horrified visors of the Rangers, who stood frozen as their friend’s waxen form began to burn. It was not an ordinary fire. It did not consume in a way that provided release. It crawled inside first, igniting Tommy’s mind before searing outward, an inferno of unbearable agony burrowing deep into his very essence. He could not move, could not resist. His own body betrayed him, allowing the molten heat to consume him from within.

A grotesque crackling noise filled the air as his waxen flesh bubbled, twisted, and melted. His helmet fused into his skull, its edges curling as his once-vibrant green armor dripped like candle wax, sloughing off his body in thick, sticky strands. His entire form sagged, his limbs dissolving into globs of liquefied flesh. His fingers, reaching out, deformed and collapsed into the molten mess gathering at his feet, pooling like a living corpse melting under an eternal flame.

Through it all, his voice was still there. Muffled. Distorted. Drenched in pain. His cries tried to push through the thickening wax, his lips struggling to move against the congealing mass. The wax had sealed his mouth open, allowing only a horrid, warbling moan to escape, a grotesque plea for mercy that would never come.

Jason’s fists clenched as he took an agonizing step forward. “Tommy—Tommy, hold on! We’ll get you out of there, I swear!” His tone was shaking, thick with anger and grief, but his words meant nothing. There was nothing left to hold onto.

Kimberly’s knees buckled as she fell forward, her hands pressing to her helmet as a choked sob erupted from her throat. She had faced countless battles, but this—this was something she couldn’t process, something so cruel it shattered the very idea of hope.

Zack staggered backward, unable to tear his gaze away from the slow, torturous ruination of their friend. His entire body trembled, bile rising in his throat as he whispered, “We have to stop this. We have to stop this now.” But how? What could they do against magic so twisted, so absolute?

Billy, ever the analytical mind, stood paralyzed in horror. His thoughts raced through equations, calculations, possible countermeasures, but none of it mattered. None of his knowledge could explain or undo what was happening before him. His friend was melting into a featureless mass of suffering.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the wax solidified.

The Rangers gasped in collective horror as Tommy’s melted remains reformed, snapping back into place as if nothing had happened. His body reconstructed itself, his armor reconstituting around his rigid form, every fiber of his being remade in an instant. He was whole again for a fleeting moment—until the fire ignited again.

The pain began anew.

His body jerked violently as the heat once again surged through his mind, melting his consciousness into a mess of incoherent agony. His mouth hung open in an eternal, soundless scream, his delivery swallowed by the never-ending cycle of burning, melting, reforming, burning again.

Zedd stepped forward, his towering frame emanating smug satisfaction as he surveyed the chaos he had wrought. He extended a gloved hand, letting his metal fingers graze the surface of Tommy’s wax-covered shoulder. The wax was hot, soft, still melting, still reforming beneath his touch. He lifted his hand, watching as the sticky substance clung to his fingertips, stretching in thin strands before finally snapping.

His words were smooth, slow, thick of cruel amusement. “Fascinating, isn’t it? How the human body can endure so much pain before shattering. But dear Tommy…” He tilted his head as if admiring a work of art. “He doesn’t get that privilege. No, no. He will never shatter. Never die. Never rest.”

Kimberly let out a strangled scream, her entire body wracked with sobs. She couldn’t take it anymore. She surged forward, but Jason caught her, his grip iron-tight, preventing her from running straight into Zedd’s hands. She thrashed violently, screaming, “LET ME GO! I CAN’T—I CAN’T WATCH THIS! I WON’T WATCH THIS!”

Zedd chuckled, lifting his hand to his face, rubbing the still-warm wax between his fingers. Then, with slow, deliberate intent, he extended his tongue and licked the wax from his fingertips. His body shivered in delight, as though savoring the taste of suffering itself.

Jason’s grip on Kimberly tightened as his own body shook with fury. “I’LL KILL YOU, ZEDD! I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL RIP YOU APART!”

Zedd let out a low, satisfied chuckle. “Oh, Jason. Such anger. Such passion. I wonder… how will it taste when it’s your turn?” He turned back toward Tommy, whose newly reformed face twitched, his wax-sealed eyes shifting in barely contained madness. His body burned again.

Tommy’s melted lips moved, barely forming words. His throat vibrated with effort, pushing through the suffocating wax. The Rangers could barely make out the fractured, tormented syllables spilling from his ruined mouth.

“Jhh… hhsss… hhh…hhhelp…”

Jason felt his heart break.

Zedd turned to face them once more, gesturing toward Tommy’s flickering candle. “You understand now, don’t you? If this flame burns, so does he. If it is snuffed out—so is he.”

Jason’s blade lowered an inch as his mind stalled in realization. If they tried to destroy the candle, Tommy would die with it.

Zedd chuckled, his delivery as smooth as molten metal. “What a delicious choice you have before you. Let him burn for eternity… or extinguish him forever.” He turned away, walking leisurely as if enjoying a scenic view. “I do hope you’ll make it soon. I’d hate for him to suffer unnecessarily. Oh, wait—” He glanced over his shoulder, his grin visible beneath his mask. “That’s exactly what I want.”

Tommy melted again.

The Rangers stood trapped in their own helplessness.

***

The flames of Tommy’s candle crackled ominously in the distance, its cruel light casting twisted shadows upon the battlefield. Jason’s grip on his Power Sword tightened, his breath ragged with unrestrained fury. Tommy’s endless suffering, his words locked in eternal torment, had shattered something inside him. There was no strategy, no plan left. There was only vengeance.

Jason’s entire body trembled with rage as he raised his weapon high above his head, the Power Sword gleaming with a blinding red light. His tone thundered across the battlefield, thick with raw fury. "I am Jason, the Red Ranger! Leader of the Power Rangers! And by my blade, I will end you, Zedd!" His declaration cut through the air like a battle cry, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, his blade flashing toward the enemy.

Kimberly’s fingers curled tightly around her Power Bow, her knuckles white beneath her pink gloves. Her vision blurred with unshed tears, but her resolve burned fiercer than ever. Tommy’s fate was worse than death, and she refused to let anyone else suffer that same horror. She lifted her bow, drawing back an energy arrow, her delivery shaking with rage. "For Tommy, for all of us, I will never stop fighting! Kimberly, Pink Ranger! Your reign of terror ends today, Zedd!" With that, she let loose her arrow, its glowing tip soaring toward their enemy.

Zack spun his Power Axe with furious intensity, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. His stomach twisted at the sound of Tommy’s muffled, ceaseless screams from within the wax, the never-ending cycle of agony that they had been too slow to prevent. He tried to steel himself, lifting his weapon high, the energy pulsating through his body as he roared, "Zack, Black Ranger! I’ll tear through every monster you send at us! You’re not walking away from this!" He charged, his Power Axe sparking with explosive power, ready to strike down anything in his path.

Trini’s fists clenched around her Power Daggers, her grip so tight it felt like she could crush them in her hands. Her heart ached at the sight of Tommy, his body reduced to a grotesque monument of suffering, his waxen figure flickering in and out of stability as his candle burned relentlessly. Her expression, usually measured and wise, was now raw with anger. "I am Trini, the Yellow Ranger! I won’t let you destroy anyone else! This ends NOW!" She leaped forward, her daggers glowing with sharp, golden intensity, slashing through the air with lethal precision.

Billy stood behind them, his breathing erratic, his hands shaking at his sides. He had never seen his team like this. This wasn’t the careful, tactical team he had fought alongside for so long. This was raw emotion, blinding rage taking form in battle. And they weren’t listening to him.

"STOP!" Billy’s voice deteriorated as he shouted, his desperation swelling inside him. "This isn’t how we win! You don’t understand, I know how to stop this!" His words were weak over the roar of battle, over the screams of rage from his friends as they charged blindly into the fray.

They didn’t hear him.

They didn’t want to hear him.

The only sound that mattered to them was the clash of their weapons, the cries of war, the pounding of their feet as they threw themselves at their enemy. And in that moment, Billy realized he was alone.

Robo-Goat stepped forward, his massive frame casting a dark shadow over the battlefield. The air vibrated as he slammed his hammer against the earth, sending shockwaves through the ground. His delivery erupted in a guttural, mocking laugh. "Fools! Charging into battle with mere rage in your hearts! Your emotions make you weak!" The beast raised his hammer again, the glow of its enchanted metal flashing with malice as he swung it forward in a devastating arc.

Jason’s sword met the hammer head-on, sending a shockwave rippling outward as sparks exploded from the impact. Kimberly’s arrows rained down, each one striking against Robo-Goat’s thick armor but doing nothing to slow him down. Zack’s axe swung with all his might, the energy blast crackling against Robo-Goat’s hide. Trini slashed at his legs, her daggers slicing through the air in blinding streaks of gold.

But Robo-Goat didn’t flinch.

He roared, swinging his hammer again, smashing into the ground with a force that sent the Rangers flying. Jason hit the dirt first, rolling across the battlefield before groaning as he tried to push himself up. Zack landed hard, pain shooting up his back as he barely recovered. Kimberly gasped as she landed on her side, her bow skidding from her grasp. Trini’s body struck a jagged rock, her breath leaving her lungs in a sharp gasp.

Billy watched in horror as his team collapsed around him, realizing their anger blinded them to the truth. They had attacked without a plan, without listening, and now they were paying the price. And worst of all, in the midst of their rage, they had left him alone.

Robo-Goat turned his head toward Billy, his glowing red eyes narrowing with interest. The weak one. The coward. The one who didn’t fight.

Billy’s breath hitched as he saw Robo-Goat barreling toward him, hammer raised.

Billy barely had time to react. He turned to run, his communicator already at his wrist, his fingers pressing the button. "Alpha, teleport me out! I need to—"

Before the words could leave his mouth, a shadow loomed behind him. The air around him grew heavy, the ground beneath his feet seemingly collapsing under a suffocating force. The heat of raw energy sent a violent shudder up his spine as a deep, sinister chuckle echoed in his ears.

Billy stopped breathing.

"Going somewhere, Blue Ranger?" Zedd’s delivery slithered into his mind, his tone thick with amusement.

Billy turned, his stomach plummeting as he saw the towering figure of Lord Zedd standing behind him. The red glow of his visor burned like twin stars of pure, merciless hatred. His metallic fingers tightened around his staff, crackling with dark power as he took one slow, deliberate step forward.

Billy’s breath hitched as he pressed his communicator again, his fingers trembling over the button. Nothing. No surge of teleportation energy, no shimmering light to carry him away. The device sputtered, flickering uselessly as the circuits burned out. A sudden, unbearable heat filled the air, and he felt it—the oppressive presence of something vast and terrible looming over him.

Lord Zedd.

Billy turned, his heart hammering in his chest as the warlord stood mere feet away, his grotesque, muscular form bathed in the flickering glow of green and blue candlelight. The red slit of his visor burned down at him, unblinking, all-consuming. Zedd’s fingers flexed against his staff, raw energy crackling around its metal frame. The ground beneath them quivered with dark power, the air thick with the scent of molten wax and burned ozone.

Billy’s entire body locked in terror. His tone came in gasping, ragged syllables. “Y-You—You blocked my teleportation…”

Zedd let out a slow, taunting chuckle. “Of course I did.”

Billy’s legs shook violently, his instincts screaming at him to run, but his body refused to obey. His pulse pounded against his skull as Zedd took a deliberate step forward, closing the distance between them like a predator toying with its prey.

“You were the only one who could have ruined my masterpiece,” Zedd continued, his words mocking, indulgent. “The only one who understood the magic within these candles. The one who built them under my command.” He tilted his head, as if considering the weight of his own words. “But now? That knowledge—” His staff lifted, the tip glowing with dark energy. “That knowledge belongs to me.”

Billy forced himself to crawl backward, his hands scraping against the rocky terrain, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “No—please, listen, Zedd—” His speech broke, desperation spilling out. “You don’t have to do this! I won’t tell them—I swear—I just—”

Zedd’s laughter rumbled through the air, shaking Billy to his core.

“Oh, Billy…” Zedd’s words lowered to something deep, twisted, almost amused. “You’re not begging for your life, are you? Do you think I would grant you that mercy?”

Billy’s breath caught in his throat as Zedd’s hand shot forward.

“You misunderstand, Blue Ranger,” Zedd said, his tone now cold, void of amusement. “I have no interest in your knowledge. In fact, I intend to erase it.”

Billy’s eyes widened in horror. “NO—please, please don’t! I—I can help you! I can—”

Zedd’s grip shot down like lightning, clamping around Billy’s throat. The Blue Ranger choked instantly, his hands flying up to claw at the vice-like grip squeezing the life out of him. His feet kicked uselessly, his fingers scraping at Zedd’s gauntlet, trying to break free. His pulse pounded in his ears, his lungs burning for air.

“Shhh,” Zedd whispered, tilting his head, as if calming a frightened child. “It will all be over soon.”

Billy gurgled, trying to form words, anything, but no sound came out—only choked, strangled gasps as his vision blurred at the edges. His head swam, his body twitched involuntarily, his mind screaming in panic.

Then he saw it.

Zedd’s hand lifted from his side, and in his palm, a new candle formed.

A blue one.

Billy’s body locked in absolute terror. His pupils shrank, his throat convulsed as he tried to shake his head, to plead, to scream, but all that came out was a pitiful, strangled whimper.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Billy,” Zedd taunted, his tone thick of cruel delight. “Surely you understand why I chose you next?” He lifted the candle, turning it in his hand like a sculptor admiring his next masterpiece. “You are the last loose thread. The final flaw in my perfect tapestry.”

Billy thrashed wildly, using every ounce of strength in his body, but Zedd’s grip was iron. His feet kicked at the ground, his body twisting, but there was no escape.

“No, no, NO—PLEASE!” Billy’s scream finally broke through, raw and animalistic. “I CAN HELP—I DON’T WANT TO GO LIKE THIS—I’M BEGGING YOU, ZEDD, PLEASE!”

Zedd sighed dramatically. “Ah, I do enjoy a little desperation before the inevitable.” Then, with cruel finality, he lifted the candle directly to Billy’s forehead.

Billy screamed in absolute terror. The wick extended, twisting like a dagger. The Blue Ranger felt the sharp, waxen tip burrow into his helmet, piercing straight through his skull. The world erupted into white-hot agony.

A violent burst of blue energy exploded outward, engulfing him.

Billy’s body convulsed violently as his mind shattered. The wax surged through his skull first, burning away logic, knowledge, reason. His greatest strength—his intelligence—was the first thing Zedd took. His own thoughts splintered, collapsing in on themselves, twisting into incoherent fragments.

His mouth gaped open, another scream ripped from his lungs, but before it could escape, the wax poured inside, sealing his lips, choking off his tone.

His limbs twitched violently, his fingers curled mid-spasm, hardening, solidifying. His eyes rolled wildly behind his visor, his final sight moments stolen by the creeping blue wax devouring his vision.

His teammates saw everything. Jason staggered back, his heart crashing into his ribs. “NO! BILLY—BILLY!”

Kimberly’s choked sob filled the air. “Not him—oh god, not him—”

Zack could barely breathe. “We have to stop it! WE HAVE TO—”

Billy’s body hardened completely. His figure stood motionless, locked in permanent horror. His hands were still half-raised, frozen in a final, silent attempt to remove the candle. His mouth remained slightly open, as if still trying to scream.

And atop his shoulder—the cursed blue flame burned.

The wax began to melt. Billy’s muffled, suffocated cries echoed through the battlefield, a distorted nightmare of pain. His body was liquefied, his armor was dripping into soupy wax, and his features were running like candle grease. His entire existence pooled at his feet.

Then, in an instant—his form snapped back into place. Whole again.

The agony began anew.

Zedd let out a deep, satisfied sigh. “Such a beautiful tragedy, don’t you think?” His visor turned toward the Rangers, who stood frozen in horror. “And the best part?” He stepped forward, his words a cruel whisper. “He doesn’t even remember the secret anymore.”

Jason’s breath left him. The reality hit like a deathblow.

Billy’s only advantage—his knowledge—was gone.

Billy’s world was fire and wax, memories and oblivion, all crashing together in a never-ending storm of agony. His mind reeled, his consciousness splintering, shattering into pieces too small to hold onto. He had to fight it—he had to remember.

His screams tore through his throat, but the wax clogged his mouth, trapping his words in a suffocating prison. His lips barely moved beneath the congealing layers, only fractured, garbled syllables slipping through.

“Jhh-hsss—hhhh—w-weap—mmmh—m-my wea—”

His thoughts flickered, breaking apart.

What was his weapon?

His mind scrambled through the haze, trying to remember its shape, its name, anything. He could feel something familiar in his hands, but as he clutched at it—it wasn’t there.

What had he used? What had he fought with?

“L-lance… P-Power Laa—nnngh—NO! NO! I KNOW THIS!”

His mind collapsed inward, the knowledge dissolving like melting wax. The Power Lance didn’t exist anymore. It had been taken from him, stripped away by the spell crawling through his brain.

“Jhh-krrh—aaam—Raannng—P-Poweerrr Rang—”

He tried to finish the phrase. He tried to say the words. To declare himself. To be who he was. But the words wouldn’t come.

“P-Poowwwww—Poo—Puh—Puhhhhhh—”

The sound devolved into incoherent, animalistic wails, his mind too scrambled to form structure, too broken to hold onto his own identity.

Billy thrashed violently, his wax-covered fingers clawing at his own helmet, trying to rip it off, to feel his face, to know that he was still there. But his arms were stiff, his body frozen in its own prison.

“Ghhhhh—whhh—whhh—whho—whhoo am I—?”

His knees buckled, the wax tightening around his chest, around his arms, pressing down on his very soul. He wanted to run, to fight, to reach for his teammates.

Who were they? His mind scrambled again. His best friends—his family—who were they?

“J-Ja—Jassss—Ka-Kaa—nnnghh—”

Their names slipped from his grasp, disappearing into the suffocating abyss.

Jason. Kimberly. Zack. Trini. Tommy.

No.

That wasn’t right.

Those names didn’t exist anymore.

They were ghosts in his burning mind, shadows slipping through his wax-clogged skull.

He tried again—one last time—desperate to hold onto something, anything.

“My… my name is… I am…”

The candle’s flame flickered. The wax tightened. The last of his thoughts melted away. His own name vanished from existence. The Power Lance, the Power Rangers, his team, his identity—all erased.

Billy stopped thrashing. His waxen body stood still. His mind was silent. All that remained was the candle burning atop his helmet. And the agony of a soul that no longer knew who it was.