(Author's note: Third person narration is in regular text. First person thoughts of individual characters appear in italics, I think it's obvious based on context who the thoughts belong to.)
*****The Scott Household*****
Jason lied down and tried to relax. He had a big test tomorrow and he hadn't had much time to study with all the recent monster battles. As he tried to fall asleep; his mind began to wander. At times like this, his thoughts usually drifted to his friends (the other Rangers). But then they would usually focus on Trini. He would dissect all their personal interactions and then put them back together as if he were trying to better understand her. He savored every moment they were together. She would sometimes gently grab him by the arm, sit very close to him, or simply rest her hand on his shoulder as a means of getting his attention. Even though these exchanges were fleeting, every time he wished they'd last forever; her touch had an electrifying effect on him and could always change his most sour mood into an almost euphoric state. He had become captivated by her. He stole glances at her every chance he got, often finding it difficult to look away. To him, she was perfect in every way: her movements were graceful, her mind was calm and focused, and her nature kind and gentle. As far as Jason was concerned, a more perfect person never existed. The longer he thought about her, the more his carnal desires for his friend began to surface. He imagined that she was lying in bed next to him. He felt guilty for thinking about one of his best friends in this way. After some initial reluctance, he gave in to the fantasy. He imagined that he had his arm wrapped around her slender shoulders and that he was pulling her in for a kiss. Then he would undress her and work his way down her toned body while she moaned under his ministrations. The fantasy would culminate in Trini moving back against him as he moved forward until they shared a moment of bliss together.
*****The Kwan Household*****
Trini lied down to go to sleep. She tried to relax; she had to get a good night's sleep as well for the big test tomorrow. The more she relaxed, the less she thought about chemistry and calculus. One mental image always made her feel warm and cozy, just the right combination to make her drift off to dreamland. She imagined that Jason was lying next to her holding her in his arms. She would rest her head against his shoulder and bury her face in his neck. Whenever she was with him, she felt safe; he was the strongest, bravest, and most kind-hearted person she knew. Being someone of strong moral character herself, she admired that in him. They were both passionate about the martial arts and philosophy. And in general, they had a similar outlook on life. They had practically known each other since childhood. Over the years, she had come to develop a strong attraction towards him. She knew her parents wouldn't approve because he wasn't Vietnamese. They wanted to introduce her to sons of their close friends, none of whom she was interested in, she only wanted Jason. She had tried to give him some extremely subtle hints that she was interested. She found excuses to touch him. Usually it was a simple pat on the back. On rarer occasions, it was a light caress of the arm or shoulder. But she would let the physical contact linger for as long as she could, but never long enough for it to be suspicious. By now, she figured he hadn't picked up on it. But she wouldn't dare take it a step further than that; he would have to figure it out himself… or not. For now, she made believe that he was holding her and whispering words of love into her ear as she fell asleep.
*****Moon Base*****
Scorpina stood in front of the telescope on the balcony overlooking the Earth in front of her, her hand rested on the handrail. The sunlight was blocked by the Earth in front. Despite the darkness, she could make out the faint lights from the major cities on Earth. Angel Groove, however, was too small to emit such a light and was overshadowed by larger cities. Even so, she knew exactly where it was because of all the battles she had fought there. Rita, Goldar, and the others had all gone to sleep. But she was restless; tomorrow they would attack the Power Rangers. Rita had said that she would announce her new plan in the morning. Scorpina was anxious; the battles with the Rangers were becoming more difficult for her. The difficulty was not due to any increased strength on their part but was due to the inner turmoil brewing inside her.
Scorpina had fought the Power Rangers countless times. But in battle, she had come to respect the Red Ranger above all the rest. He possessed all the attributes of an honorable warrior (all of which Goldar – the strongest of Rita's minions – totally lacked): bravery in the face of insurmountable odds, loyalty to his comrades, and a dedication to protecting those who were unable to defend themselves. She also saw how caring he was towards his friends; he looked after every one of them and made sure they were all okay after battle. They had complete trust in him. Scorpina wondered what it must feel like to be able to trust someone so completely. His enemies saw only a strong warrior who never displayed any hesitation or waver in his resolve.
Even though he was far weaker than her, Scorpina couldn't help but admire his courage. During some of these battles, she had gained the upper hand in a one-on-one fight with the Red Ranger while the others were locked in combat with the putty patrol. On at least one of these occasions, she was sure she could have finished him. But her heart wasn't in the fight. Luckily neither Golder nor Rita noticed. Truth be told, she thought it would be a shame to kill someone so noble. Even though they fought on opposite sides, she respected him and bore no personal grudge against him. In fact, she had come to like his character. She even began to entertain the thought that had they been born in some alternate universe, they could have been friends, comrades in battle, or maybe even lovers.
She would sometimes entertain thoughts like these while drifting off to sleep. She often imagined herself in another world, anything to take her mind off the present. At the moon base, she lived in terror. Rita had Scorpina's soul under her control. Even if she were to escape the moon base, Rita could kill her in a second if she desired simply by destroying her soul. Scorpina could never be free; she was a slave. More than anything, she wanted her freedom.
With the limited company on the moon base, Scorpina had originally thought of Goldar as a potential lover. But in their years together, she had peered into his soul and was disgusted by what she saw. Goldar whored himself out for power; he had no true allegiance to anyone. On one occasion in the early years, she learned about his true character. They were celebrating a victory when Goldar must have slipped some magic potion in her champagne glass. Her body became completely paralyzed yet she remained fully conscious throughout the whole event. The feel of his cold pudgy fingers running across her exposed body as she lay there helpless and the heat of his warm putrid breath against her neck as he used her body to satisfy his own desires were ingrained in her memory. Simply recalling that incident was enough to send shivers up her spine and make her feel nauseous. She had always thought of herself as strong-willed and had never dared show any sign of weakness. But on that day, she had cried inside.
Still restless, she lied down to get some sleep before the big fight tomorrow. Closing her eyes, she imagined herself in some far away land as a powerful warlord. The Red Ranger was her companion.
The next day at the moon base, Rita unveiled her latest plan.
"We're going to ambush the Red Ranger and kill him." – Rita
Everyone was boisterous. Scorpina pretended to cheer with the rest of them. But in reality, this announcement made her feel anxious and a little sick to her stomach.
"First, Scorpina and the putties will attack those power geeks at the beach." – Rita
"Right!" – Scorpina
"Then Goldar and the monster will create a diversion downtown luring the Red Ranger there while the others are busy fighting Scorpina." – Rita
"Yes!" – Goldar
"Then Goldar and the monster will defeat the Red Ranger, capture him, and bring me his power coin. While we steal his energy, Goldar and the monster will finish off the other Rangers." – Rita
"Oh boy, I can hardly wait." – Squatt
"This is going to be so much fun." – Baboo
Squatt and Baboo cavorted as Rita laughed wickedly.
Scorpina grinned and acted confident in the venture they were about to undertake. She always figured that she'd have to kill them someday.
It was time to cast aside these self-indulgent daydreams…
She told herself.
It was time to fight like she meant it…
If she had to kill the Red Ranger today, then so be it.
She psyched herself up for battle.
The teens were playing volleyball at the beach when Scorpina appeared with the putties at the top of a nearby promontory. They didn't notice her right away. The putties waited for her signal which she did not immediately give. She watched them play. Jason dived for the ball and fell into the sand. While getting up, the girl who was the Yellow Ranger came and helped him. Then she placed her hand on his back for a split second as they regrouped with the others. But something caught Scorpina's attention. The Yellow Ranger's touch lingered, it lingered to the extent that Scorpina began to read into it.
Come to think of it, the two of them did always appear especially close to one another. They usually stuck close together during battle as well. Was there something more between them? Did they have a special bond with one another?
Without even realizing it, Scorpina felt a twinge of jealousy when considering the possibility. But she didn't even recognize it as such. She chalked it up to her, as of late, unsettled state of mind. Her eyes drifted away from the teens and she focused on the waves hitting the water as she contemplated her situation and how pathetic her fantasies had been and how disconnected with reality she felt.
"Oh my God, look! It's Scorpina and putties." The Pink Ranger shouted.
Suddenly Scorpina snapped out of it and returned her gaze to the teens. They morphed.
It was time to fight, she had a job to do, forget about everything else!
She led the putties against the Rangers and they began to do battle. She fought the Blue and Black Rangers, easily defeating them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jason flying towards her poised to swing his power sword when he got close enough. Scorpina somersaulted out of the way. They crossed swords. Today, their skill levels were almost even. Normally Jason wouldn't have lasted long in a one-on-one fight with her; but even though she refused to acknowledge it, her desire to fight the Rangers had completely evaporated. Her lack of conviction compromised her fighting ability; she was effectively at half-strength. This did not go unnoticed by Jason.
"Are you even trying to fight? Maybe you've finally learned that you'll never defeat the Power Rangers." – Jason
"In your dreams!" Scorpina yelled before unleashing a huge dose of her power towards Jason and the other Rangers. They all fell backwards after the blast. She at least had to put forth some semblance of effort.
Suddenly, everyone heard a large explosion in the distance. They looked up to see Goldar and the monster in giant form destroying buildings downtown.
"Oh no!, What do we do?" – Billy
"You guys handle Scorpina, I'll call upon my dinozord and get it downtown." – Jason
He took the bait…
"Jason, you can't handle both of them on your own!" Trini exclaimed, the worry evident in her voice.
He turned to her.
"I'll be all right." He replied. They stared at one another for a few seconds through their black visors. Even though neither could see the other's eyes, they both knew the other was looking back at them. The two of them maintained the stare long enough for Scorpina to infer its hidden meaning.
I knew it.
Then Jason teleported away.
Now I have got to hold them off for as long as possible so that Goldar and the monster can ambush Jason.
"All right guys, let's do it!" Trini commanded the rest of her teammates.
"Come and get it!" – Scorpina
While the others fought with the putties, Zack attacked Scorpina. He threw his axe which she simply knocked out of the way with her sword. Then Zack took out his power dagger and attacked her. She easily evaded his attacks and with a few strikes of her sword, Zack went flying back. Then she engaged the rest of the Rangers in combat and defeated Billy, Trini, and Kimberly all at the same time. The combination of her power, speed, and agility was too much for them.
In the background, they all heard the loud bang of the tyrannosaurus dinozord crashing to the ground after Goldar and the monster landed several serious blows to it.
"We gotta help Jason!" – Kimberly
"You're not going anywhere!" Scorpina said as she unleashed another blast of her power. All the Rangers were hit and fell to the ground. They were even having a difficult time getting up.
Jason's zord was taking heavy damage. Goldar and the monster combined their powers and hit the tyrannosaurus dinozord with their full power; the dinozord was seriously damaged and could no longer fight. Jason fell out of the zord in the downtown of the city. Goldar and the monster became regular size again and attacked Jason downtown. He held his own against them for a little while. Then they again combined their powers and hit Jason with such a powerful blast that he was hurt pretty bad. Goldar and the monster teleported Jason away to a hidden cave outside of Angel Groove. They forced him to touch a candle that Rita had made especially for him with the magic wax in order to steal his powers. Then they tied him up with rope and took his power coin causing Jason to immediately demorph. Goldar placed the power coin next to the candle, out of Jason's reach.
"Soon Red Ranger, your days will be over. Haha." Goldar laughed in a wicked manner.
"You won't get away with this Goldar." Jason said still weak from the attack and now weak from his powers being drained by the candle.
Scorpina then got the signal from Goldar to regroup. She transported to the cave.
"Did you finish off the other Rangers?" – Goldar
"Almost." – Scorpina
Goldar grunted as if signaling his disapproval.
"This is our chance to bring them to their knees." Goldar told the monster.
"Right!" – monster
Goldar turned to Scorpina.
"As soon as the candle burns out, finish him off!" Goldar ordered her before he and the monster teleported out.
Scorpina looked over at Jason who appeared to be suffering as his powers were being stripped away. It pained her to see her noble Red Ranger so weak and helpless. His eyes fell upon her as if suddenly noticing she was there.
"You haven't won yet." – Jason
"I'm sure if you were to surrender, Rita would spare your life if you agreed to fight for her." Scorpina suggested as she forced an evil smile.
"Never." – Jason
No. He would never be a slave. Unlike me.
Her smile faded. A stolid facial expression took its place.
"Do you have to keep me tied up? Afraid you'd lose a one-on-one fight against me? I don't even have my powers?" Jason was desperate to free himself. He wanted to at least have a chance at retrieving his power coin, even if that chance was slim to none. He thought anything was better than just sitting here and wasting away.
"Goldar at least had the courage to give me a chance." – Jason
"Unlike Goldar, I'm not interested in playing games. I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work." – Scorpina
Jason looked dejected. The defeat was obvious in his eyes. He accepted that he wasn't going to talk his way out of this.
"Your pathetic girlfriend must be worried about you." – Scorpina
Jason seemed confused and asked, "Who?"
"The Yellow Ranger." – Scorpina
"Of course, she's my friend and teammate. We all care about each other. Probably a foreign concept for you."
He really didn't know? So they weren't together? And he didn't even realize something that was so obvious?
She looked at him in astonishment.
"You're blind." She scoffed.
He looked at her with a bewildered expression, then he looked at the ground as if digesting her words.
She sat there and kept watch over him. Neither of them said anything.
Based on his words and mannerisms, he always seems confident and even a bit cocky. He always maintains his equanimity and handles each situation as it comes without ever losing control. But he also has an innocence about him. He has a naïve sense of justice: everything was good or evil; black or white. He also hasn't yet been made a cynic by his experiences in life. He has faith in people and gives them the benefit of the doubt. In many ways, he's still a kid.
Is that why I'm drawn to him? I thought it was because of his confidence but maybe I just want to see the world through his eyes? To pretend I'm 17 instead of thousands of years old? To pretend that the world is new and that the future has hope? God, how pathetic I've become!
Then suddenly Squatt and Baboo appeared. Upon seeing them, Scorpina stood.
"What are you two doing here?" – Scorpina
"Goldar and the monster are losing, Rita sent us here to tell you to finish him off. The Rangers might show up at any time." – Squatt
"But the candle hasn't burned out yet." – Scorpina
"Rita said not to wait, finish him now! There's no time to lose." – Squatt
"All right! You two go guard the entrance and look out for the Rangers!" – Scorpina
"Um, okay." Squatt and Baboo seemed confused but did as they were told.
Scorpina approached Jason. He looked up into the eyes of his executioner. He was prespring profusely and tried to move away from her, but there was nowhere he could go as his restraints secured him tightly.
"Your time has come to an end." – Scorpina
Jason pursed his lips and seemed afraid of the final strike which was now imminent.
"You were a worthy foe. So long!" – Scorpina
Sorry it has to end like this…
Jason closed his eyes awaiting his doom.
She lifted her sword over her shoulder preparing to decapitate him. But her arm froze in that position and she couldn't move it. It was not frozen on account of any magic or external force but because of her own hesitation. She looked at Jason as he squirmed.
What's wrong with me? What can't I strike him? I must do this. He even seems a little scared, but I suppose I would be too.
It occurred to Scorpina that with this slash of her sword, she would also sever any possible link with the world outside of those on the moon base. She desperately clung to her fantasy world. Sad as it might sound, it did give her a modicum of hope that she might be free of Rita one day. With Jason dead, she felt that hope would die as well. But it was more than that. Her admiration and respect for his character coupled with the role that he played in her dreams had engendered feelings of genuine affection for him. She never realized how strongly she felt about him until now. She didn't want to strike him down, she wanted to run away with him.
Do I…love him? How could this happen? All the more reason I have to kill him now! I won't let myself be controlled by my emotions! I have to do this NOW!
Yet she remained motionless for another moment.
But I can't let him go.
She swung her sword with lightening speed.
Hearing the blade whistle through the air as Scorpina thrust it downwards, Jason thought he was dead for sure. Then it was complete silence. A few seconds passed, and Jason realized he was still conscious. He slowly opened his eyes, half expecting to find out which version of the afterlife was correct.
But to his surprise, his was still in the cave. He also felt that his restraints were gone. Looking around, he spotted them on the ground. He looked up at Scorpina who stood still with her blade down by her side. She showed no sign of commencing another attack.
Did she cut them loose? Why on earth…?
He quickly got up and moved away from Scorpina. His first instinct was to get his power coin and get to safety, he didn't really have time to process what happened. He was debating whether he should attempt to get his power coin or just make a run for it and get out of there alive. He had already gotten lucky once today; he decided to play it safe. He began to slowly back away from Scorpina even further in the direction of the cave entrance.
"Wait!" – Scorpina
He stopped in his tracks. She walked over to the candle, blew it out, and threw him his power coin. He caught it mid-air.
"You're gonna need that!" – Scorpina
Jason looked down at the power coin in his hand and then back up to her.
"Is this some sort of trick?" Jason asked skeptically.
At first, this question surprised Scorpina; she didn't think that he would doubt her motives. But after reflecting on it for a second, why wouldn't he? They had been sworn enemies up to this point. But she didn't have time to explain this to him; she only had a few seconds before Squatt, Baboo, Goldar, or the other Rangers would be here.
"No, just that it is beneath me to kill an opponent when they are so helpless. Now get out of here before I change my mind!" Scorpina commanded.
Jason didn't need to be told twice, he turned and made a run for the cave entrance morphing into the Red Ranger on the way.
Now I've done it! If Rita or Goldar finds out what happened...
*****Command Center*****
All the Rangers had made it back to the command center.
"We formed the megazord and we used the power sword to defeat Rita's monster. Then Goldar vanished." – Zack
"What happened to you?" Trini asked Jason.
"Goldar and the monster took me to a cave outside the city. They forced me to touch Rita's magic wax, they took my power coin and tried to steal my powers." – Jason
"Oh my god! Did they?" – Kimberly
"They were able to steal some, but not all. I still have some of my powers. The candle was put out in time." – Jason
"By whom? And how did you escape?" – Billy
"This is crazy, but Scorpina let me go." – Jason
"What?!" – Trini
She and everyone else was shocked… and speechless. Even Zordon, who was always quick to offer a wise and reasonable explanation for everything, was at a loss for words.
"Why would she do that?" – Billy
"I don't know. I thought it was some sort of trick or a trap, but she said that it was beneath her to kill an opponent when they were so helpless. And I was pretty useless at that point. I guess she felt it was a matter of personal pride as a warrior?" – Jason
"I had no idea she had such a strict honor code." – Zack
Everyone was still very mystified by these events. After a moment of pondering this while staring at the floor, Jason looked up at Zordon.
"I don't think this changes anything. They know I'm in a weakened state. If ever there were a time to strike, it would be now. I think they're going to try to attack us again…and soon." – Jason
"I agree. Be vigilant Rangers!" – Zordon
*****Moon Base*****
"What happened? I want an explanation. He was tied up and he didn't have his power coin. How did he escape?" Rita asked Scorpina.
Everyone else looked at her.
Scorpina would have to make up some excuse to get out of this. Depending on the excuse, she would be telling Rita that she was either incompetent or insubordinate. She asked herself which was worse. One thing that bothered her was that she didn't know if Rita was watching her actions in the cave or not. She didn't want to get caught in a lie, then Rita would never trust her word again.
"I let him go." – Scorpina
Everyone gasped in shock. Rita had a horrified expression on her face.
"How dare you disobey empress Rita's orders." – Goldar
Scorpina bowed before Rita.
"Forgive me, my queen. But I did not want to defeat the Red Ranger this way, I wanted to defeat him in battle while he was at his peak. That way, I would know once and for all who was the better warrior." – Scorpina
Rita's expression hadn't changed.
"So this was all about your pride?" Rita asked seething with anger.
Scorpina gave no response but simply bowed her head even lower as if to admit it.
"This isn't about what you want, it's about what I want, and I want those Rangers dead by any means necessary. You foiled this entire plan because of your pride?" – Rita
Rita held out her hand and inside appeared a brilliant bright blue light. Scorpina looked up.
"Don't forget, I hold your soul in my hands." – Rita
Rita contracted her fingers around the light in her hand. Suddenly, Scorpina felt excruciating pain throughout her entire body. It was so bad that she fell to the floor. Rita contracted her fingers even more tightly. Scorpina was now writhing in agony on the floor and was screaming because of how bad the pain was.
"Don't ever forget this Scorpina, you are nothing and you only exist to serve me!" – Rita
Rita let go. The light in her hand disappeared. Scoprina's pain stopped and so did her screaming. It was replaced by heavy breathing as she tried to recover from the trauma her body just endured.
"You have served me well in the past which is why I am willing to overlook this one mistake. But disobey me again and you're done for!" – Rita
"Yes empress." Scorpina said as she rose to her hands and knees.
"Since you want to fight the Red Ranger so badly, let me tell you my new plan." – Rita
Scorpina lifted her head to look at Rita.
"As you might have guessed, it's going to involve stealing the rest of the Red Ranger's powers. I'll create a monster that can trap the other Rangers in an interdimensional vortex. Then you, Goldar, and the monster will capture the Red Ranger and drain the last of his energy. Once that's done, you will kill him." – Rita
Scorpina flinched.
"And if you fail, I will kill you." – Rita
"Yes empress." Scorpina said as she bowed her head. She felt like she had come to her senses. She promised herself that she would really have to kill Jason this time.
*****The Scott Household*****
That night, Jason lied in bed trying to fall asleep but ended up reflecting on the recent series of events. He still couldn't understand why Scorpina had let him go.
She said that defeating me while I was in that state was beneath her. That was her explanation for not killing me. But that doesn't really make sense. Come to think of it, there was another occasion when I'm sure she could have finished me. And on that occasion, I had no restraint and there was nothing holding me back. She had defeated me outright. If she didn't spare me to save her pride or whatever, then why did she?
Jason couldn't figure it out.
One thought kept creeping up in his mind. Every time it crept up, he pushed it away.
Maybe she was actually trying to help me? But why?
No, that's impossible. What would she have to gain?
Jason thought about this while tossing and turning all night.
Rita unleashed her new monster, Goldar, and Scorpina on Angel Grove. Zordon alerted the Rangers, they morphed, and went downtown to stop them.
"There they are!" Jason pointed to the monster.
The Rangers took out their weapons, formed the power blaster, and fired. The monster pulled out some sort of mirror/shield which reflected the blast back at the Rangers. The blast forced the Rangers to land in two different groups: Jason on the left, Zack, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini on the right. Then the monster opened the interdimensional vortex and sucked Zack, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini inside. Jason was horrified that the other Rangers had been captured.
"Now you fight the three of us alone." – monster
Jason contacted Zordon.
"Zordon, Rita's monster has captured the other Rangers in some sort of vortex." – Jason
"Yes, Jason. He has them trapped in another dimension." – Zordon
"How do I free them?" – Jason
"Alpha V is working on a solution to that now." – Zordon
"Do I have enough power to call upon my zord?" – Jason
"Yes, your zord has been repaired. May the power protect you!" – Zordon
"I need dinozord power now!" Jason commanded.
Jason jumped into the tyrannosaurus zord after it arrived and fired its ground penetrating finishing move in an attempt to cause some damage before Rita made them grow. Goldar, Scorpina, and the monster avoided the attack. Rita threw her wand and made all three of them grow.
Jason fought bravely but his zord didn't stand a chance against the three of them. This new monster was agile and evaded the tyrannosaurus' attacks. Goldar, Scorpina, and the monster exacted enough damage to the zord that it could no longer fight, and Jason fell from the zord to the ground in the middle of a park. Suddenly, Goldar, Scorpina, and the monster became regular size again and appeared in the park in order to finish off Jason.
Goldar turned to Scorpina.
"Now's your chance to prove yourself to empress Rita." – Goldar
"Right." – Scorpina
Scorpina jumped and somersaulted in the air landing near Jason. She threw her sword/boomerang hitting him and causing damage. Jason pulled out his power sword and prepared to face her.
"Jason, you do not have enough power to continue." Zordon messaged him.
"Has Alpha found a way to free the others?" – Jason
"Not yet." – Zordon
"Then I have no choice but to keep going." – Jason
Jason struggled to his feet and launched an attack against Scorpina. His moves were becoming sluggish as he weakened. She easily evaded all his attacks and struck him several times with her weapon. He fell back and had difficulty getting up.
"At last, the end of the Red Ranger!" Goldar cheered in the background.
Jason struggled to his feet. He pulled out his power gun and shot Goldar a few times. They were all direct hits as Goldar had let his guard down and was over-confident. Goldar fell from the top of the small hill he was standing on and rolled to the ground. Scorpina smiled inwardly. Then Jason covered the blade of his power sword in red energy, almost the last of the energy he had. He crossed swords with Goldar, Scorpina, and the monster all at the same. At one point, Jason was able to knock back both Goldar and Scorpina. Jason moved his attentions to fighting the monster and was even gaining the upper hand. While Jason was distracted fight the monster, Goldar and Scorpina combined their powers and hit Jason with everything they had. Jason went flying back and landed on his back. He lifted his head before it dropped back and he lost consciousness.
Impressive, even in his weakened state, he managed to hold his own against all three of us. Normally he wouldn't have been able to even defeat me alone, but the will to save his friends gave him the motivation and the need to surpass his normal limitations. The other Rangers will truly be finished without you, Jason.
Scorpina and Goldar took Jason to the cave. They took his power coin causing him to demorph and started the candle again. Then they tied him up once more. Still unconscious, his head was slouched over to the side.
"Empress Rita is calling me. I'll be back shortly. If he manages to escape… Well, you know the rest…" Goldar threatened. Then he teleported out of there.
Once again, Scorpina was alone with Jason. After a little while, he regained consciousness. He took a minute to realize his surroundings. He noticed that Scorpina was the only one watching him. He realized how bleak his situation was, the other Rangers couldn't rescue him this time as they were still trapped.
"Are you gonna let me go free again?" Jason asked her.
"No, not this time." Scorpina replied coldly.
"Why didn't you finish me off last time?" – Jason
"I told you why." Scorpina was hoping to change the subject.
"I don't buy it. I swear you could've finished me off before that as well, but you didn't. Why?" Jason didn't speak to her in an accusatory manner as though he were speaking to an enemy. He spoke to her calmly as if trying to reason with her. At that moment, it seemed like his only way out of this mess.
"You weren't worth the effort. But now you've made Rita very angry, and she's not going to let it pass." – Scorpina
"You're not making any sense. Rita would want us dead by any means." – Jason
There was a long and tense pause.
Scorpina felt like she couldn't hide her true feelings any longer; this was probably the last time she would ever see him or be able to talk to him before he'd be killed. She had to know how he really felt. Her stern expression faded. Her demeanor became soft and she looked at him with an expression of longing and concern in her eyes. Jason was totally flabbergasted. He never though in a million years that he would see such an expression on Scorpina's face.
"I didn't want you to die." – Scorpina
"Why?" – Jason
"I've come to respect you and I thought it would have been a waste." – Scorpina
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the flame of the candle extinguish. All of Jason's powers were gone. Rita then used telepathy to send Scorpina a message to kill Jason.
"It's time!" – Scorpina
Scorpina stood up, brandished her sword, and walked towards him.
"You don't have to do this." – Jason
Scorpina didn't feel the need to hide anything from him anymore, he only had seconds to live anyways.
"If I don't kill you, Rita will kill me." – Scorpina
"No. We can protect you." – Jason
"You don't understand, she has my soul. No matter how much distance I put between myself and her and no matter how much power protects me from her physically, I'll never be free of her." – Scorpina
"Zordon might know of a way to free you. And if you genuinely wish not to fight for Rita anymore, the Rangers and I will do everything we can to help you be free of her." – Jason
"You would say anything to save yourself right now. Pathetic!" – Scorpina
To think I thought so highly of you…
"No, I wouldn't. I haven't promised you anything because I don't know if any of that's possible. The only thing I will promise you is that we'll do everything in our power to help free you if you promise never to hurt people and never to fight for Rita again." – Jason
Scorpina stopped to think about the offer. She knew it was real because she knew Jason wouldn't lie, nor would he try to deceive her for his own benefit. As for the offer, she had yearned for her freedom for so long. Now it might actually be within arm's reach.
"I'm offering you a chance at freedom or would you rather spend the rest of eternity as a slave?" – Jason
This really struck a nerve with her, she didn't consider that another chance like this might never come along and that indeed she might very well spend the rest of her life under Rita's thumb. He was exactly right.
What's the matter? Don't I have the courage to take a chance and escape Rita's clutches? Am I that much of a coward? I don't want to live under her yoke any longer.
Suddenly, Goldar teleported in.
"Rita said the candle has extinguished, did you kill him yet?" – Goldar
"No, I was just about to." – Scorpina
"WHAT?! You still haven't killed him?" Goldar yelled.
He walked over to where Jason was tied up and pushed Scorpina aside.
"Enough of this screwing around. I guess I'll have to do everything myself." – Goldar
Goldar pulled out his sword, aimed it at Jason's neck and swung it. At the last second, Scorpina lifted her sword in front of Jason intercepting Goldar's strike.
"Wait!" – Scorpina
"Why?" – Goldar
I really hope this buys some time…
"Wouldn't empress Rita want to see him killed before her very eyes? I would think she'd want to see the destruction of the Power Rangers personally." – Scorpina
"No. She gave me orders to eliminate him immediately." – Goldar
Damn! It was time to make a decision…
She looked Jason in the eyes. And he looked at her trying to figure out what she would do. Then she focused her gaze on Goldar who again lifted his sword and swung it with all his might. Scorpina placed both hands around the hilt of her sword and again positioned it in front of Jason catching Goldar's sword before it reached Jason's neck. Goldar turned to look at Scorpina.
"What are you doing?! I told you we have to kill him immediately." – Goldar
Scorpina didn't say anything. Instead, she lifted her sword and consequently Goldar's away from Jason and positioned them such that their swords were now crossed in between the two of them. Scorpina stepped forward pushing Goldar backwards causing him to lose his footing and fall.
"Just what do you think you're doing?!" Goldar yelled.
Scorpina moved such that she now stood directly between Jason and Goldar. She maintained her fighting stance facing Goldar, as if protecting Jason. Goldar stood up.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Don't interfere!" – Goldar
Scorpina didn't respond.
"Move aside!" – Goldar
Scorpina didn't budge.
"This is your last warning!" – Goldar
She stood her ground.
Goldar swung his sword at her and she blocked. Sparks flew as their swords clashed against one another. They were evenly matched and neither was able to gain the upper hand.
"You'll die for this! When empress Rita learns what you've done, you're finished!" – Goldar
Scorpina launched a vicious assault, Goldar successfully blocked every one of her attacks. But she had taken the offensive and was able to push him back further and further until he stepped in a soft patch of the ground. The ground beneath Goldar gave way revealing a hidden tunnel going straight down. Goldar fell down the tunnel. Scorpina heard him yelling as he fell. She heard his screaming become fainter and fainter as he fell, but she didn't hear him hit the ground. The tunnel must be hundreds of feet deep she thought to herself.
Whatever, time to leave.
She walked over to Jason.
"Let's get outta here!" Scorpina said sounding winded.
Jason let out a faint smile upon hearing those words. She was about to cut him free when she suddenly saw blood squirt from her abdomen and felt a sharp piercing pain in that area. She looked down to see Goldar's sword emerging from her midsection and looked behind herself to see the hilt of his sword coming out of her back. Then she saw Goldar climb out of the tunnel.
"Scorpina!" Jason called out in concern for her, his face covered in her blood spatter.
"Serves you right!" – Goldar
All her strength was leaving her body. Scorpina felt so weak that she could barely move, all she could do was stand there as she began to cough up blood.
Goldar placed his hand around the hilt of the sword and picked it up along with Scorpina on it. She cried out in pain as he did so.
"Scorpina!" Jason called out for her again.
Goldar threw her off his sword like a rag doll. She hit the wall of the cave a few feet away and landed on the soft dirt beneath. She couldn't move. A pool of blood began to form around her body. She lied there and coughed blood. She was bleeding out, felt light-headed, and was beginning to lose consciousness. It took everything she had and more not to pass out right then and there. She fixed her gaze on Goldar. She mustered every ounce of strength she had for one final attack.
I got a surprise for you motherfucker…
Goldar turned his attention away from Scorpina and lifted his sword preparing to lop Jason's head off in one swing. Jason tried in vain to move or at least position his head out of the way.
Now!
At lightening speed, she extended her tail and dug her stinger into Goldar's neck. By the time he realized what was happening, she had already injected enough venom into him that he was completely paralyzed. He dropped his sword and fell to the ground. She injected him with every drop of venom she had which ended up being 10x a lethal dose. Goldar convulsed on the ground violently. He foamed at the mouth and then lied motionless. Fortuitously, Goldar's sword landed close to Jason. Jason knocked over the chair he was tied to and was able to move very slowly to the sword which was laying against a large rock. He rubbed the rope restraining his hands against the blade.
"Hang on, Scorpina! I'm coming." – Jason
She gave no reply and lied there motionless.
Jason picked up the pace and furiously cut the rope restraining him one fiber at a time. Finally, he felt his hands break free. He quickly untied the rest of his restraints and rushed over to Scorpina. There was a large pool of blood around her body, it was so thick that the color was almost black. She was turning pale. He put his arm under her shoulders, lifted her up, and propped her head up with his other hand. She coughed lightly, and fresh blood dripped down the corner of her mouth where previous blood had already dried.
"I've got to get you to the command center or a hospital or something." Jason said frantically.
She shook her head and struggled to speak.
"It's too late, I'm already dead." Scorpina whispered slowly as she didn't even have the strength to speak with her full voice anymore.
Jason shook his head.
"No, don't give up hope…" – Jason
She cut him off.
"To save your friends, you have to hit the monster with your sword right at the junction between him and the vortex when it opens up. That's his weakness." – Scorpina
"I can't fight him. I don't have any powers, Rita took them all." – Jason
"Take mine!" – Scorpina
"What?" Jason asked as it didn't register at first what she was saying.
"I can transfer my powers to you." – Scorpina
"Why are you doing all of this? I didn't even live up to my end of the bargain." – Jason
Fuck it, I might as well tell him.
"I love you, Jason." Scorpina said as tears started flowing down her face. "That's why I could never… kill you before." She struggled to get the words out.
Jason looked at her with utter incredulity.
"I even harbored this fantasy that we were together in some other life." She laughed lightly coughing up more blood. The tears flowed down her cheeks unrestrained now. She looked at him tenderly.
Jason was so moved by this outpouring of emotion that tears started flowing down his cheeks as well.
"Grant me a final request?" – Scorpina
"Anything!" – Jason
"Hold me!" – Scorpina
Jason gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She extended her arm around his body. He felt the cold metal of her prosthetic hand on his back. He held her more tightly; she wrapped her arms more tightly around him as well. She felt his warmth in the passionate embrace. She felt safe in his arms.
She pushed him away slightly and a red glow began to form around her, then it moved to surround Jason, and then it faded.
"There, now you have my powers." – Scorpina
Jason nodded, tears still flowing down his face.
"Maybe a part of me will survive in you?" She suggested with a faint smile on her face.
"I think so." Jason nodded and returned the smile.
She felt herself loosing consciousness.
"I'm scared." Scorpina confessed.
"It's okay, I'm right here. I'm right here. I'll never leave you." Jason said with a shaky voice. He felt an incredible amount of guilt that she sacrificed her life to save him and he failed to help her.
These words brought a smile to her face. For the first time, she felt like someone genuinely cared about her. She had never felt this kind of affection…or love from anyone in her long life.
"I love you too." He said as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She kissed him back. Again, they embraced. She buried her face in his neck feeling so happy to hear those words from him, even if deep down she knew he didn't mean it.
Jason suddenly felt her body go limp.
"Scorpina?!" – Jason
Jason pulled her back. He looked into her eyes and could immediately tell there was no life in them. He set her down and closed her eyes. Jason didn't really love her, not in the way Scorpina wanted. But he thought it was something she wanted to hear in her last moments and he was eternally grateful to her for saving him and consequently the Power Rangers. For what she had done, he had come to love her in a certain way and he promised himself he would never forget her. He promised himself that her memory would live on in him.
He went to retrieve his power coin, power morpher, and wrist communicator from next to the extinguished candle. He turned to look at Scorpina again and thanked her. Then he morphed and teleported to the park where he had been ambushed by Goldar, Scorpina, and the monster. Jason thought it was the best way to get Rita's attention.
After landing in the park, he called out to Rita hoping she would hear.
"Hey Rita, I'm right here and I'm stronger than ever before! Come and get it!" – Jason
It did not go unheard at the moon base.
"WHAT!" Rita couldn't believe her eyes.
"I know I took all of his power, I have it here. How is this possible?" Rita was practically foaming at the mouth.
Then she turned to look at Squatt and Baboo.
"Where are Goldar and Scorpina?" Rita screamed at them doing nothing to contain her fury.
"Um..um..um." – Squatt
"Weren't they in the cave?" – Baboo
"You two go look for them!" – Rita
They didn't need to be told twice; they teleported to the cave immediately to get away from Rita if nothing else.
"As for you, Red Ranger. Make my monster grow!" Rita heaved her wand towards the Earth.
The monster was now giant size and appeared in the park.
Seeing this, Jason contacted Zordon.
"Zordon, is my zord repaired?" – Jason
"Jason, you've escaped? No, your zord is still too badly damaged. Call upon the dragonzord!" – Zordon
"Right!" – Jason
"My sensors indicate that you're at full power. How is that possible? What's going on?" – Zordon
"I'll explain later." – Jason
Jason pulled out the flute Tommy had given him and began to play. Soon the dragonzord appeared in the park. The dragonzord and the monster fought. Under the command of the flute, the dragonzord eventually gained the upper hand. In order to suck up the dragonzord, the monster opened up the vortex once again.
"Here's my chance!" Jason took out his power sword, covered it in red energy, and then threw it at the junction between the monster and the vortex. He saw it go inside. For a moment, nothing happened. Jason began to wonder if Scorpina was right about this monster's weakness. Then sparks started to flow as the monster took heavy damage somehow. It fell to the ground with the vortex still open and after a few seconds, the other Rangers emerged.
"Guys!" Jason rushed over to them.
They seemed disoriented and exhausted from the whole experience.
"Jason!" Trini called out to him weakly.
"Trini, are you all right?" – Jason
"We're okay. Are you okay? I thought you were weakened because of Rita's candle." – Trini
"I'm all right. Let's bring the zords together guys!" – Jason
"Right!" The other Rangers all said in unison.
The Rangers formed the Dragonzord fighting mode. With the monster already weakened by Jason's attack, it was easily defeated by the drill finishing move. Afterwards, the Rangers teleported back to the command center and demorphed.
*****Command Center*****
"Jason, how did you escape the cave? And how did you retrieve your powers? In fact, your powers are even stronger than before." – Zordon
All eyes were glued to Jason. Everyone was giving him stern looks and was extremely curious about this radical turn of events…and his explanation for them.
What should I say?
Even if he told the whole truth, he was afraid the circumstances would in any case cast some suspicion on him. He decided to tell an edited version of events.
"Scorpina helped me to escape…again. I know this sounds crazy, but she didn't want to fight for Rita anymore. She was a slave, so to speak, under Rita's power and she wanted to escape. She wanted her freedom. I told her that we would help her if we could, as long as she promised never to fight for Rita again." – Jason
"It must have been a trap." Billy looked around at the others as if seeking agreement from them.
"No, it wasn't. Goldar was about to kill me. She intervened, and they ended up fatally wounding each other in the ensuing fight." – Jason
"Whoa!" – Zack
"So they're both dead?" – Billy
Jason nodded.
"That's so crazy!" – Kimberly
"Before she died, Scorpina gave me her powers. I think it might have been her only way of getting back at Rita." – Jason
"But if that's the case and you have Scorpina's powers, wouldn't your powers be evil? How would you be able to pilot the zords? Wouldn't you have automatically been prevented from entering the command center?" – Billy
Jason didn't have a reasonable explanation for this.
"It's possible that once her intentions were no longer evil, her powers were purified." Zordon speculated.
"I see." Billy said pondering Zordon's answer.
"But then why did she only express this wish to you and never any of us?" – Trini
"I think she was under the impression that I was the strongest. And therefore, I would be most able to help her." Jason said shrugging his shoulders.
Everyone took a minute to think about it, but more or less accepted this version of events. Not that anything he said was untrue, but Jason still felt guilty omitting certain details. He felt like he was lying by omission. But in a way, it was just a white lie; it was nothing that would have in any way affected them in the future anyhow.
"Rita did gain the original Red Ranger powers, but she lost two of her best fighters. Overall, her forces have weakened." – Zordon
"Hopefully, she won't attack us for a while." – Zack
Everyone else concurred.
Jason lied awake in bed that night thinking about everything that had happened. It felt like he emerged from that cave 20 years older than when he went in (at least in terms of experience in life). A sense of guilt over what happened to Scorpina weighted heavily on him. It tormented him. He was trying to deal with it the best he could. His thoughts drifted back to that embrace and kiss they shared. It aroused no feelings of sexual desire within him. However, he did feel that in that moment, he shared a special connection with her. In a way, he thought he knew her better than anyone. It was almost as if they had shared their whole lives with each other in that minute, not through words, but by being on the same emotional wavelength so to speak. For Jason, to tell everyone at the command center what happened would have been a betrayal of her trust. He definitely felt something at that moment with her in the cave. It wasn't romantic love, but it was a type of inextricable bond. He wasn't sure how to describe it. Also, these thoughts scared him. He was afraid to acknowledge these feelings. Somehow it felt like he was betraying the other Rangers, and the one he cared about most, Trini.
One thing was strange. Scorpina thought Trini and I were together. Why would she think that? I like her as a friend and I do care about her a lot…and obviously I'm attracted to her. If Trini wanted me as her boyfriend I would say yes in a heartbeat. But I never showed any indication of that in battle, did I? And it's not like Trini feels that way about me, so it wasn't as though she was giving any signals.
Then Jason's thoughts began to dwell on this and he considered all possibilities.
Was she? Did I miss them? Was it possible that I missed all the signs? Oh no! Was she interested in me? Was the most perfect girl in the world interested in me and I blew it? Maybe there's still a chance? But if I ask and she rejects me, I could lose her as a friend as well. Fuck it! I have to try, even if it jeopardizes our friendship. If there's a possibility for us to be together, I have to risk it.
The teens played a game of volleyball at the beach that Saturday afternoon. They all headed back to the parking lot. Trini and Jason trailed behind the rest.
"Hey Trini" – Jason
"Yeah Jason?" She stopped walking and turned to him.
"Do you have any plans tonight?" – Jason
She shook her head no.
"There's a nice French restaurant that just opened up downtown. I thought maybe we could go." – Jason
"Yeah, we can get everyone together and head down there!" Trini said cracking a faint smile.
"Actually, I was thinking that maybe just you and I could go?" – Jason
Trini smiled sheepishly and looked down at the ground. Then she looked back up at Jason.
"Is this a date?" – Trini
Jason looked into the distance as if thinking about it for a second and then looked at Trini, nodded, and said "yeah."
"Okay." Trini said as she let out a wide smile and blushed a little.
"I'll pick you up at 7?" – Jason
"Okay. But I have a 10 pm curfew and my parents are strict!" – Trini
"I'll get you home in time." – Jason
"Okay." – Trini
The date went fine; Jason played it cool. After that, they started seeing more and more of each other. They grew closer together and eventually announced to everyone that they were a couple.
One Saturday after spending the day together, Jason and Trini were walking in the park along the water on the boardwalk. They were holding hands glancing occasionally at the setting sun.
"I had a great time today." – Trini
"Me too." Jason smiled.
She stopped walking and gently pulled on his hand to get him to stop walking as well. She looked into his eyes and smiled, a smile which he reciprocated. She walked up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Jason wrapped his arms around her and they watched the sunset together. They looked into each other's eyes. Jason was mesmerized by how her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Ever since they became a couple, Jason couldn't have been happier. He loved Trini more than he had ever loved anyone. However, this made hiding the details of that time in the cave even more difficult for him. Even if it ruined the almost perfect date they were on, he felt like he couldn't go on with Trini one minute longer without telling her the truth. Otherwise, he felt like he would be deceiving her and everything that came after would have been built on false pretenses. He didn't want that. He had to get this off his chest, come what may…
"Trini" – Jason
"Yeah, Jase?" Trini asked with a bright smile on her face.
"Before we go any further, there's something I have to tell you." Jason said in a serious tone of voice.
Trini's smile vanished; she got a bad feeling based on Jason's intonation. She immediately seemed nervous and she swallowed hard before saying "okay".
"It's about what happened in the cave when Goldar and Scorpina died." – Jason
She seemed mystified about why he was bringing this up now.
"I don't understand. You told us what happened at the command center." – Trini
"Not everything." – Jason
She narrowed her eyes and looked at him with an accusative stare.
"You didn't lie to us, did you?" – Trini
"No." Jason said assertively.
"But there were certain details I omitted because it wouldn't have affected the team." – Jason
She immediately looked at him with a suspicious eye.
"It wouldn't have affected the team? What the fuck does that mean? We're all friends." – Trini
"Yeah, I know. It's just a little complicated that's all." – Jason
"Why are you telling me now?" – Trini
"Because you're very special to me and I think you should know. I don't want there to be any secrets between us." – Jason
"Okay, I'm listening." Trini said nervously.
Jason told Trini exactly what happened… every last detail. Jason could tell that she was very upset, but he didn't regret telling her the truth; it was a weight off his mind.
"I still don't understand why you couldn't have told everyone?" – Trini
Jason was a little frustrated with her lack of understanding for the sensitive situation.
"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she had just died and she didn't deserve to have her inner most feelings tacked on the wall of the command center for them to be psychoanalyzed by everyone." – Jason
"Then maybe she should've kept them to herself! Are you seriously defending her right now? I don't fucking believe you." Trini berated him angrily as tears welled up in her eyes.
"C'mon Trini." – Jason
"No. Don't touch me! Stay away from me! I can't even stand to look at you right now. You make me sick. You're not the man I thought you were, I feel like I don't even know you." – Trini
She ran off.
"Damn it!" – Jason
The next few days were agony for both of them.
Trini had been so happy to be with Jason after having had a crush on him for the longest time. But now she felt like her trust had been betrayed and her heart burned with jealousy at the thought of him and Scorpina, their enemy, sharing some sort of romantic embrace.
How could he do this to me? How could the one I love - and who is supposed to love me - hurt me this much? This kind of pain is unbearable.
Such were the thoughts that went through Trini's mind, at least initially. After feeling some anger and resentment, she tried to think about the situation a little more rationally…and from his perspective.
I know Jason didn't ask to be put in that situation and he was more a victim of circumstance than anything else. In fact, it was nice that he comforted her in her final moments. Despite how much that hurts me. It shows that he has a kind heart to have been able to forgive a former enemy. And Scorpina sacrificed so much for him… for all of us. It would have been cruel not to show her some compassion as she died.
These thoughts put Trini's mind at ease, at least to a certain extent. Most of her anger towards Jason dissipated. She felt like she was ready to talk to him now.
Jason called Trini. She answered but told him that she didn't want to talk to him until she had some time to think about things. This made Jason nervous, but he obliged and gave her some space. He was beginning to think that he had lost her. Still, he didn't regret the decision to tell her what happened. In retrospect, it was clear to him that it was the right one. He just hoped that she would have a big heart, understand the situation, and overlook this. He loved her so much. The thought of her telling him it was over was unendurable. Jason even wrote a letter regarding his feelings and his love for Trini but couldn't bring himself to send it. He even walked it to the mailbox but backed out at the last second. He promised to give her some space, so he would honor that promise. He tried to take his mind off things with martial arts training and meditation. This helped him to regain some control over his emotions, but it could not eliminate the fear of losing her.
A few days passed. Then Trini showed up at Jason's house unexpectedly. She rang the doorbell and Jason answered.
"Hey" – Trini
"Hey" – Jason
"Can I come in?" – Trini
"Yeah, please." Jason opened the door fully and got out of the way letting Trini walk in. She sat down on the corner of the living room couch. He sat down on the couch leaving one space between them; he wanted to give her some space.
"I've taken some time to think about everything. And while I don't like it, I understand why you did what you did." – Trini
Jason felt elated to hear her say this.
"Even though I have tried to justify this rationally, I can't help the fact that I feel some jealousy about the moment you two shared together." – Trini
It pained Jason to hear this; the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Trini. He understood her feelings. Had the situation been reversed and had she shared such a moment with someone else, Jason knew he would have felt bitter as well.
"But I have to know something. And I need you to tell me the truth." – Trini
Jason nodded.
"Did you love her?" – Trini
"NO." Jason answered unequivocally.
"I respected her and I was very grateful for what she did. I was trying to make her death a little less painful, I guess. We wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation if she hadn't made that sacrifice." – Jason
"I know." – Trini
"But to answer your question, no. I love you. You're the only one I've ever loved." – Jason
Trini looked him in the eyes for a minute while contemplating his words.
"Okay, I can accept that." – Trini
"Okay." Jason let out a smile.
She crawled towards him on the couch and he embraced her. They wrapped their arms around each other and held each other for a while.
"Now there's something I want to talk to you about." Trini said with a stern look on her face.
Jason suddenly felt a pit of anxiety in his stomach.
"What's that?" – Jason
"I want to introduce you to my parents." – Trini
"Sounds like a big step in the relationship." Jason joked.
"IT IS! I wouldn't introduce someone to my parents who I wasn't very serious about. Are you ready for that?" – Trini
"Definitely!" Jason smiled. She let out a grin upon hearing the enthusiasm in his voice.
"I love you, Trin." – Jason
"I love you, Jase." – Trini
With that, he leaned in and kissed her.