The Next Year
Chapter 11
What Comes Around
Kat managed to get back to the bedroom before Jason made it into the house. He entered the room and handed Kat the bag of items that she had asked for. He kicked his shoes off at the door and took off his shirt before sitting on the bed. Kat sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Hey you", she said, "Everything alright?"
Jason nodded and returned the hug. He stood up and went over to the dresser to place his watch and wallet on top. He picked up Trinis morpher and turned it over in his hands a couple of times.
"So you never did tell me what changed your mind about finally living with me", she said as she stood next to him.
"Trini did", he said as he put her morpher back on the dresser, "She came to me."
"Like in a dream", Kat said trying to understand.
"Sort of", Jason said, "It was more like a vision."
"Tell me", Kat said putting her head on his shoulder.
Jason sighed, "Alright."
"Where am I?" Jason asked standing in a bright space.
He noticed in contrast to the white area there were yellow sparkles floating around. He walked around for a minute observing this when they started to move and come together.
"What the hell?" he asked to nobody in particular
"Well that's not exactly the greeting I was expecting", a voice called out as none other than Trini Kwan stepped out of the yellow light, "Hello Jason."
"I must be dreaming", Jason said with a look of total shock on his face as he ran up to embrace her.
"Yes and no", she replied, "You are asleep, but I am really here."
"Why?" Jason asked while his eyes were beginning to tear up.
"To tell you how big of an idiot you're being", she replied in a stern voice.
"How am I an idiot?" Jason asked.
Trini smiled as she cupped his cheek in her hand, "Because you're still holding on to me when there is someone else who needs you."
"But I love you", Jason said as the first tears fell from his eyes.
"And I love you, as does Kat. My time is done, but for the two of you it's just beginning."
Trini gave Jason a kiss on the cheek just as she began to walk away."Wait", Jason called and Trini stopped and looked back at him, "How are you doing this?"
Trini smiled as she began to dissolve back into yellow particles, "Let's just say that those touched by the Morphing Grid and never gone forever. Go and give Kat the life she deserves. Make her happy and you will find yourself happy as well; which in turn will make me happy."
She blew one last kiss to him as she finished dissolving and Jason found himself standing alone to contemplate what had happened, and what he would do to make his life something that she would be proud of.
"Wow", Kat said sitting on the bed.
"Yeah, I really must be a blockhead if I need a dead person to set me straight."
Kat chuckled at the sentiment as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I think we should get some sleep", she said kindly.
"I think you're right", he said, "I'm going to get changed."
She kissed him before she let him go, "I love you", she said.
"You too", he replied before grabbing his night clothes and heading to the bathroom to change.
Once he was showered and changed he walked back into the bedroom only to find Kat already asleep. After her long trip, dinner, and the impromptu ranger reunion, he was surprised that she hadn't passed out sooner. He crawled into the bed next to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek as he laid down next to her.
(The Next Morning)
Jason yawned as consciousness returned to him. He couldn't remember the last time he had a night's sleep as relaxing as that had been. He decided to close the curtains as soon as he was able to notice the sun beaming in his face, and rolled over to the edge of the bed to get up. He suddenly felt a strange lurching as the edge dipped down and sent him down head first with a splash. Once he got his head above water he realized that he had been sleeping on a raft in the middle of a lake. He cursed to himself as he pulled himself out of the cool water. After he was back on the raft he noticed a pink envelope attached to the wood. Jason opened the envelope and found a piece of paper and his communicator in it. He put his communicator on his wrist and opened the paper which said, "Remember this next time you want to say something irresponsible and insensitive." He smiled slightly when he saw that the letter was signed; two pinks and a yellow. "I knew they were up to something", he said to himself, "And to make it worse they got the newbie in on it." He tried to activate the teleporter control on his communicator, but it was locked. In fact there was only one line of communication open, and he knew if he used it he would never hear the end. "Oh well desperate time", he said as he hit the button.
Tommy grimaced as he heard a familiar beeping coming from his bedside table drawer. He reached over and took it out without even opening his eyes, he hit the button. "Kim, if you're using the communicator to call me down for breakfast again I will punish you."
"What? No, Tommy wake your ass up and get me out of here", He heard Jason's voice crackle out of the communicator.
"Jason", Tommy said surprised, "Where are you?"
"In a lake", Jason responded irritably.
"And why are you in a lake?"
"Two pinks and a yellow", Jason said.
Tommy stifled a giggle as made his way down to the basement, where her found Kim, Kat, and Kira staring at his with sickenly innocent smiles plastered on their faces.
"Good morning sweetheart", Kim said sweetly.
Tommy glared at her, but couldn't keep a straight face and began to laugh, "What possessed the three of you to do something like this?"
Kira loosed Tommy in the eye and let out a humph. Tommy slapped his forehead as the answer to his question dawned on him. He went over to the computer and located Jason, "Angel Grove Lake", he said with a tone of voice that indicated amusement. He pressed a few controls on the computer and a very wet and irritated Jason appeared on the floor of the lab.
"Looks like that red ranger wit finally bit you in the butt", Tommy said with a smirk.
"Yeah, you would know all about it. You only did it twice", Jason retorted.
"I think Jason has something to say to our young Pterodactyl", Kim said tossing a towel over his head.
"Kira", Jason started, "I'm sorry about what I said last night. I would have apologized anyway; the dip in the lake wasn't needed."
"But it was funny", Kim said.
Jason glared into her, but after a couple moments sighed, "Yeah, it really was."
At that moment Conner stumbled sleepily down the stairs. He blinked a few time at seeing Jason sitting on the floor soaking wet.
"What happened to you?" Conner asked Jason.
"Remember when I told you that the girls were up to something?"
"Yeah", Conner replied.
"Yeah", Jason said with a slight sarcastic tone in his voice.
"I thought you were sleeping in today", Kira said as she walked up to Conner and gave him a kiss.
"I was, but then Billy called and apparently I was the only one that heard the phone."
"What did he say?" Tommy asked.
"That he finished the modifications, and he and Haley are on their way."
"That was fast", Kira said.
"This is Billy we're talking about", Jason cut in.
Half an hour later the doorbell rang. Kat opened the door to reveal Billy and Haley standing there with big smiles on their faces.
"You didn't", she said as they entered the house.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I can't resist an intelligent man", Haley said with a smirk.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kim asked as she entered the room from the kitchen. One look at their faces told them all she needed to know, "Oh, OH"
"I fail to comprehend as to why this is such a capacious happening", Billy said, albeit a little embarrassed.
"Don't get me wrong", Kim said, "I think it's great; it's just that we still saw you as the shy, high school Billy."
"I must apologize for the disappointment, but I have surpassed the level of adolescent", he responded.
"Um so you finished the modifications", Kim said hoping to change the subject.
"Affirmative", Billy said, "May I set it up in the lab?"
"Sure" Kat and Kim said together, "Tommy's down there", Kim finished.
Billy went into the den towards the lab, but when Haley went to follow them she was grabbed by Kim and Kat.
"What's that for?" Haley asked.
"You know", Kat said.
"We want details", Kim finished.
"Sorry, I don't kiss and tell", Haley said as she went down into the lab.
Kat and Kim followed her down into the lab where Billy was setting up his equipment.
"So if this work we'll have our powers back?" Conner asked.
"That is the theoretical outcome", Billy replied.
"Dude, do you speak normal person?" Conner asked.
"I suppose all things are possible; however I have a tendency to use particular speech patterns out of habit."
Conner nodded wide-eyed as he tried to understand what Billy had just said when Trent and Ethan appeared out of thin air."
"I used to say that you old people were lucky to travel by teleportation, but now I'm not so sure", Ethan said as he picked himself up off the floor.
"As you get used to it the landings become easier", Jason said.
"I sure hope so, I don't think my backside can take much more of this", Trent added.
Once all of the Dino rangers arrived Billy collected their gems and loaded them into the machine.
"I require your gem also Tommy", Billy said while doing the calculations.
Tommy went over to his safe, opened it and pulled his gem out, "Why do you need mine?" Tommy asked, "I already have powers."
"Correct, but they are a set and must be charged all at once for the device to function properly."
"You didn't need all of them for the coins", Kim stated.
"Again correct, but these gems are different, they work better as a set."
Once Tommy's gem was loaded Billy started the machine. There was a loud whirring sound and a bright light coming from the top of the machine. After a couple of minutes the light seemed to die down and the whirring turned into a grinding sound. Billy went up to the machine to see what was happening when all of a sudden the light burst out in all directions. The ten people in the basement all grabbed hold of something as the entire house began to shake from the released energy. The shaking dies down a few moments later and the light died off letting them see what was left of Billy's machine.
"What happened?" Ethan practically shrieked.
"There appears to have been a current overload", Billy said as he took the gems out and placed them into a scanner.
"Did it work?" Tommy asked.
"It appears that the gems have been restored to about seventy percent power, which should be more than enough to stabilize your abilities."
"So we're rangers again?" Conner asked.
"Since the gems didn't get a full charge, I would assume that the ranger powers are only temporary."
A few minutes later Tommy's phone began to ring, he winced as he answered hearing a very upset and pregnant yellow space ranger yell at him.
"What the hell are you doing over there", Ashley demanded.
Tommy sighed, "Trying to stabilize the Dino 0ranger's powers.
"Your little earthquake knocked my TV off the wall, and did a number on my dishes."
"I'll pay for the damage", Tommy said grimacing.
"I'll let it go for the simple fact you were only trying to help your students, but next time give me some warning", she demanded into the phone.
"Yes ma'am", Tommy said before the line was disconnected.
"I'll take it we had a slight boo boo", Jason said chuckling.
A few miles off the coast Mesogog's old island fortress was feeling the last part of an earthquake. As the shaking subsided the sound of glass shattering penetrated the empty hallways and a video monitor in the lab flickered to life.
"I am Zeltrax, if you have been awakened that means I have failed, and my master has failed. You are to avenge us, and destroy those miserable Power Rangers once and for all. I know this may seem like an insurmountable task, but you are resilient enough to withstand their attacks and strong enough to destroy them."
The monitor fizzled out and a bolt of energy shot out of the monster maker, causing the creature to grow to its normal size. It released a terrible shriek as it made its way out of the fortress.
A/N: I hope you like the latest chapter. Lots of reviews, and slow days at work make it easier for me to write. Again and as always, please read and review.