Early the following morning Kim walked out into the hallway, barefoot and dressed in Jason's favorite black wife-beater, and a pair of baggy red shorts, holding a cup of tea that Alpha had brewed for her. She walked past the training room and stopped, leaning against the doorframe. Lin, dressed in black gi pants and a yellow tank top, hair pulled back, and Jimmy, her opponent in blue sweats and a t-shirt, half his arm still tightly bandaged, were on the mat, kendo sticks in hand. Kim watched as they attacked each other, sticks colliding with a deafening thwack. Lin moved with cat-like precision, each step pre-determined, each attack calculating, perfect. Jimmy was much more crude, he knew how to throw his weight around, and his best offensive was to charge in brutally and unyielding. Her eyes fell to Lin's left leg, where she had been injured, but her ankle appeared strong enough to carry her weight and she made no move to protect it. Likewise Jimmy was not cradling his arm in any way, despite the wrapping, and he struck out with it as though no injury had ever occurred. His movements were all fluid, without sign of tightness, assuring Kim that his back was not going to give out.

She silently moved out of the doorway, taking a sip of her tea as she walked past the chambers. She peaked in briefly to Reby's room, and noticed that she was seated on the bed with Matt, their backs turned away from her, although she could just make out a notebook between them. They were discussing something in hushed voices, a pen moving back and forth. Kim took another sip of her tea and moved on; walking out unto the main floor where Alpha was busy at the controls and Zordon looked on in deep thought.

"Penny for your thoughts, Zordon?" She asked, setting the mug aside as she looked up at their leader.

"Hello Kimberly. I have been trying to keep a close watch on both Jason and Rita. I fear an attack will come at any moment. Rita has been strangely inactive since you've returned. I worry for the safety of the Earth." His voice was grave, and Kim frowned.

"Well, whenever she attacks we'll be ready. Jimmy was the one injured the worst, and he and Lin are trading blows as we speak. Matt and Reby are also geared up; they're talking strategy right now. I have no doubt we're back to full power and ready for whatever Rita cooks up."

"That is good to hear, Kimberly. You sound as though you have also regained your confidence in yourself."

"I have Zordon. I'm ready to lead the Power Rangers again."

"Very good." Kim nodded, picking up her mug again and drinking some more tea. "Unfortunately I have no news of Jason, but my sensors tell me he has grown considerably stronger, he will soon be ready to take up his place at your side."

"I feel it as well. Something has changed in him."

…

Jason took a step backwards. The flames had taken his own form, as though a mirror had been placed in front of him. He closed his eyes for all of a brief second, converting his shock into anger and weakness into determination, stoning away his emotions. When his eyes opened his confidence had returned as quickly as it had left. He showed no fear in confronting his greatest enemy, for Jason Lee Scott was more dangerous to him then Goldar and Rita. Here was his fear and anger, his blind passion for his lover, his grief for his mother, his despair for his friends, and his lust for revenge personified. Of all the challenges he had conquered, to face himself would be his true test.

"Worthy is the one who can face himself and win." As his clone spoke he stepped back into fighting stance. Jason whipped his leg around and struck the clone with a strong roundhouse to the head. At the instance it connected, he found himself on his back, his head painfully throbbing.

"What the hell?" He questioned outloud. The clone laughed. "What did you do to me?"

"I am you, remember? You cannot hurt me without hurting yourself."

"So what am I suppose to do?"

His clone chuckled, shaking his head. "You already have the answer, Jason."

…..

The alarm was going off in the command center. Kim hurried down the hall to collect her rangers. Lin and Jimmy rushed past her unto the main floor, sweaty and breathing heavily from their sparing practice. She threw open the door to the pink chambers. Reby and Matt hurried off the bed, still wearing their pajamas. Reby grabbed her morpher from her bedside table, and they followed their leader to join the rest of their team.

"Zordon what's going on?" Kim demanded when she entered, flanked by her pink and green rangers.

"Rita has sent Goldar with wave two." Jimmy answered, watching the viewing globe.

"James is correct. And I fear this time her army is much stronger than before."

"Did Jason get his powers yet?" Matt asked turning to Zordon.

"No. You five must face Rita on your own."

"Kim?" Lin and Reby looked at the red ranger who nodded, acknowledging Zordon's comments.

"Alright, you heard Zordon." Kim reached behind her back to grab her morpher. "It's Morphin Time!" Kim's morpher emitted red sparks. "Raven!"

Beside her Matt raised his morpher, green sparks flying. "Snake!"

Blue sparks enveloped Jimmy. "Bull!"

Lin pulled out her morpher smiling just slightly as yellow sparks rained down around her. She felt her sister's spirit touch her. "Jaguar!"

Reby held her morpher above her head. A howl came from deep within her chest when she saw pink sparks. "Wolf!"

The five rangers teleported to the park where Rita had sent a group of putties to terrorize the citizens. Kim looked around, seeing the small group and then turned back to her rangers. "Something isn't right. That can't be all Rita has sent down."

"I think you're right, Kim. Look." Reby pointed to the hill where Goldar disappeared with another band of putties.

"Guys, over there." Jimmy nodded to another area of the park, near the highway where Scorpina was leading a third group to terrorize the city.

"Oh no." The ranger turned in Lin's direction, seeing yet another group disappear towards the city, this time lead by Squatt and Baboo.

"We're going to have to split up." Matt looked around at his fellow rangers. They all nodded. "I'll take Scorpina's group."

Reby's bow materialized into her hand. "I'll go with you. Scorpina's pretty dangerous."

Lin moved toward Jimmy's side. "Right. Okay, I'll take Squatt and Baboo's group." She said, looking over her shoulder.

Jimmy drew out his horned ax and then grabbed Lin's shoulder. "I'll finish off the putties here in the park and then meet up with you."

"Alright Rangers, that leaves Goldar for me. Jimmy, Lin, when you get done with Squatt and Baboo go help Reby and Matt. Scorpina is not going to go down as easily as they will."

"What about you?" Matt asks as he pulls out his serpentine staff, already stalking out his opponent.

"I'll hold Goldar off as long as possible. Hopefully Jason will be back soon." Kim looked around at her rangers. "Let's do it, rangers."

….

Back in the cave Jason struggled to keep himself sane. His clone taunted him with memories of his failures, his friends, his mother, and himself. Striking out did no good, he only succeeded in injuring himself.

"Heh, and this is the mighty red ranger. Zordon's chosen champion. The one who is suppose to be pure and noble of heart. You're a fraud, Jason. You've always been a fraud. You weren't strong enough to save your mother. She died protecting you instead of you protecting her." The flashback came on vividly in Jason's mind. He could see the truck that plowed into his mother's car. Hear himself screaming. The wreckage. His mother throwing him out of the car before the engine burst into flames, consuming her before she could make it out. A tear rolled down his cheek. "And your friends, it was your arrogance that cost them their lives. They trusted you and you led them to their deaths."

"Jason, that last hit obliterated our shield." Trini told him.

Zack turned to him. "Goldar just smashed our sword."

"All systems are failing. Jason what do we do?" Billy asked him.

"Tommy! Help us out, we're going in and we need a diversion." It was his worst plan ever. Because Goldar destroyed Tommy's zord, and Tommy along with it. His planned charge failed, and Goldar hit them with a fatal blow. The megazord literally blew up, leaving Billy badly burned, and the force of them blast sent them to the ground, killing Zack almost instantly and fatally wounding Trini.

"How did you and Kim survive, Jason? Huh?" His clone cackled. The scar across his torso began to burn. "Guess it doesn't matter anymore, since poor Kimmy will be dead before you can get to her. Should we see how the battle is going, hmm?"

"Battle?" Jason watched in horror as images of the fighting danced across his eyes. He saw a flashes of pink and green as Reby and Matt were hurled across the ground by Scorpina. The putties were overwhelming Jimmy, who took a painful hit to his already injured back. Lin wasn't doing much better against Baboo and Squatt, though cowards they were the solitary yellow ranger proved to be little more than annoyance between the two of them and their hoard of putties. But it was Kim's fight that struck Jason's heart with fear to it's very core. Kim was taking Goldar on alone, and he was winning. Normally agile and light on her feet, the former red ranger watched as the heir to his color took pained and tense strides in an effort to block the onslaught from Goldar's sword. He cringed when Kim's red winged blade collided with Goldar's, the force striking her down to her knees. "Kimberly! No!"

The glint off the box containing the Phoenix saber caught Jason's angry gaze. The world moved in slow motion as Jason shoved his clone away from his body and dashed for the box. He ripped it from its altar and pulled away the top. Inside, pillowed on gold satin was the saber, black from top to blade and winged with gold its hilt bearing the image of a golden Phoenix rising. Jason's fingers closed around it, and he dropped the box as he raised the weapon into the air. His clone transformed in the hooded figure who got to its feet and watched him with interest. "It's morphin time!" He announced. Gold and black sparks erupted from the blade, covering Jason in a cloud of electricity. "Phoenix!" He yelled, his grip tightening. When the sparks cleared he stood at the mouth of the cave, wearing his black ranger suit. Across his torso was a shield, fringed like wings and wrapped around his chest. He took only a moment to take in this new form and looked down at his arm. "Zordon?" He asked.

"I read you, Jason."

Never had he been so happy to hear his leader's voice, but there was no time to reflect on his journey. His friends needed help. His girlfriend needed him. "Tell Kim I'm on my way." His hands moved down to his belt and a second later he was standing in the midst of the fighting.