A/N: Once again, thank you for the reviews. I'm so glad others like my story. Here is the next chapter. Hope it lives up to expectations.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. But sometimes I wish I did.

Ninjor turned to Dulcea as she and the others made it to the temple. He was in a foul mood, and he didn't care who knew it. "Did he tell you what happened," he asked.

Dulcea frowned at him. "Not yet," she answered.

Ninjor frowned and turned to Jason. "Your first time out as a ninjetti," he said. "You couldn't even handle a simple task. I feel like a fool thinking you could handle this. You will never become the ultimate ninjetti warrior at this rate."

Dulcea was furious. She stepped forward and glared at Ninjor. "That is enough," she snapped. "Just a few short hours ago, you were saying how much he had improved. Now you think he can't do this? You had better make up your mind."

Ninjor glared at her in return. "He was on earth too long," he said. "He acts too much like them, never making a decision quick enough. He is not ruthless enough to be the ultimate ninjetti. He should just go back to earth and hide away. Forget he ever heard about Phaedos."

"I'm right here," Jason said.

Dulcea did not pay attention to him. "Whether you like it or not, Ninjor," she said. "Jason is my son. He is the one to fulfill the prophecy. He will do it, whether you support him or not."

Ninjor shook his head, also ignoring Jason. "You coddle him too much," he said. "No matter what mistake he makes, you just tell him that it is okay and to try again. He let Ooze get into the command center. Are you just going to brush that off too?"

The power rangers stood back, listening to all of this. They were shocked to hear Dulcea call Jason her son. They did not know what to say or do, so they continued to watch and listen.

Kim kept her eyes on Jason. She saw him clench his fists as Dulcea and Ninjor continued to argue about him like he was not even there. She knew his temper was building and she hoped that he would keep it under control.

Jason stood back from Dulcea and Ninjor, clenching his fists in frustration. His emotions were churning inside. Worry for Zordon and wanting the rangers and himself to journey to the monolith were warring with his temper. He tried to keep all of this in check as he spoke again. "All of this is not helping," he said, but was once again ignored.

Dulcea was even more furious than before. "What do you mean he let Ooze get into the command center," she asked. "He wouldn't do that."

Ninjor gave a little laugh filled with scorn. "I expected you to say that," he responded. "My little boy would not do anything to jeopardize anyone's safety, is that it?"

Jason had had enough. He put his right hand on Dulcea's shoulder and his left hand on Ninjors shoulder and pushed them apart. "Excuse me," he almost yelled. "I really would appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like I'm not here." His eyes were flashing in anger.

Ninjor turned on him with a vengeance. "Why shouldn't we," he asked. "You never listen when I do tell you things."

Jason stepped back almost as if he'd been slapped. He was too shocked to respond to that statement.

Ninjor continued. "Did you even try to remember your ninjetti training," he snapped. "Or were you just going to see how things went and then decide to act?"

Jason could not contain his anger anymore. He got right up in Ninjor's face. "I've listened," he said. "I listened when you told me not to tell the rangers who my real parents were. Wanted to protect me as well as them. I listened when you told me not to reveal myself to them when I went to earth. To not let them know that I was around. It might raise too many suspicions." He took a deep breath and stepped back. "I listened to you so much that when Rita and Zedd had me cornered, I didn't call upon my ninjetti powers," he growled. "I could have fought them off, but they knew that I wasn't a ranger anymore. So if I revealed my ninjetti powers to them, they might figure out who I am. Don't tell me that I don't listen to you. I've done everything you told me to do, even though I knew if I told my friends who I really was, they wouldn't betray me. They would to everything they could to help me."

Ninjor was shocked speechless by Jason's outburst. He quickly regained composure and stepped closer to Jason. "So how did Ooze get into the command center," he asked.

Jason met his glare with one of his own. "I didn't help him, if that's what you mean," he snapped. "Rita and Zedd had me cornered. I wanted to help the rangers fight off Ooze's warriors, but then I remembered how you, Dulcea and Zordon instructed me not to show my face to them. So I said nothing to Zedd when he wanted to know what I was doing there. Then Ooze showed up, found out I was a former leader of the power rangers and decided to try and persuade me to show him how to enter the command center, but I wouldn't tell him."

Dulcea looked at Jason and saw a bruise on his right jaw. "Jason, you're hurt," she said.

Jason turned to her. "Ooze took me to a cave after knocking me out," he said. "When I woke up, he was standing over me, wanting me to tell him how to get into the command center. When I refused, he hit me, more than once." Jason took a deep breath before continuing. "When he was knocking me around, he must have dislodged my wristband, because the next thing I knew, he had me up against the wall of the cave and pushed my wristband aside. He saw my mark. He knows who I am."

Dulcea's eyes widened with fear. Before she could say anything, Ninjor let out a growl of rage and grabbed Jason by the shirt front.

"You let him see your mark," he asked in fury. "How could you be so stupid?"

Jason's temper reached the boiling point. He didn't even think of how his reaction would be taken, he just let it take control. He brought his hands up in between Ninjors and forced his arms apart, making him let go of Jason's shirt. "I didn't let him see anything," he snarled. "He had my hands tied behind my back. He only untied them to get a better look at my mark. Before he could to anything else, I knocked him down and ran out of the cave, teleporting to the command center so I could warn Zordon. That's what happened."

Dulcea quickly inserted herself between Ninjor and Jason before they could come to blows. She knew that Jason was near the breaking point and wanted to prevent any more trouble between the two. "What happened in the command center," she asked.

Jason realized how he was acting and took a step back, closing his eyes to try and calm himself. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes to meet Dulcea's gaze. "I don't know how Ooze got into the command center," he said. "I was in the back room and when I came out, he was there. Before I could even think of acting, he knocked me off my feet, stunning me. I fell to my hands and knees and had to just stay there while he trashed the place. I looked up just as he blew up Zordon's tube. The next thing I knew, Ooze was right in front of me, pulling me to my feet. He drug me over to see Zordon. Told me to take a good look as he was dying and there was nothing I could do…" His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes, trying to fight down the sudden grief that hit him.

Dulcea placed a hand on his shoulder. "How did you get away," she asked softly.

Jason took a deep shuddering breath and opened his eyes. They were bright with unshed tears. "I tripped him, breaking his hold on me. Then I hid from him. I heard him come looking for me, but then he sensed the rangers coming back and he left." He turned from her suddenly and walked to the edge of the trail, looking down over the cliffs. "My father was dying right in front of me," he said in a broken voice. "And I couldn't do anything to help him. I didn't want to leave him, but he told me to come home and get my powers. So I left. You know the rest."

Kim had been listening as intently as the others, but no one seemed to notice how she had moved closer to Jason. She seemed to appear at his side suddenly and put a gentle hand on his arm.

Jason gave a little start at her touch and turned to face her. He saw the tears in her eyes and felt a couple snake down his cheeks.

Without a word, Kim pulled him into a hug, letting him put his head on her shoulder. Jason could hold back the tears no longer and he cried quietly on her shoulder as the held him and cried with him.

Suddenly, the other rangers were around them, hugging them and supporting their former leader. Even Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were there, though they had never been rangers under Jason. They didn't know him that well, but they knew he was in pain and they were willing to lend their support to him.

All of them had a hundred questions, but they could wait for the answers. Right now the most important thing was to let Jason know that they were there for him. They would learn everything else in time.

Ninjor watched the group of friends and felt his anger fade away. He felt ashamed of the way he had talked to Jason. Jason had done nothing wrong the entire time. He had done exactly what Ninjor had instructed him to do. Burning with shame and regret, Ninjor turned and entered the temple, no one seeing him go.

In the trees around the temple, the three tengas watched all that was going on impassively. They were just waiting for their chance to get at Jason. They decided to back away for now, but keep a watch on the entire group. They knew they could not fight against all of the people who seemed to be constantly around Jason. Maybe they would get the chance to grab him once he and the rangers left the plateau. They silently faded further into the trees, waiting for the right moment to attack.