Standing, the tall woman made her way down the steps leading up to the throne. She paused before the still kneeling Green Ranger, smiling down at him. "Rise, Lord Drakkon," the Empress said, and the man did as he'd been told. "Now," she turned to them, "I'm sure you both have questions."

"Why?" Tommy asked, trying to fight off discomfort as she looked at him. Seeing her like this, so… so regal, with a real throne and everything. It was throwing him off. "Why did he stay with you? How did this," he gestured to the room around them, "happen?"

"Just like your Powers Rangers," the woman began, "ours broke my hold on Lord Drakkon. The severing of the spell was a strain on him - he was lost; confused. The poor boy teleported away to try to recover, but the Rangers kept following him." She paused, looking to the Green Ranger. "Would you like to continue?" she asked, and the man nodded.

"Of course, my Empress." He stepped forward, meeting Tommy's gaze as he began. "I was scared," he confessed, "I didn't know what was going on or what my powers were. I could feel them following me, hunting me, so I ran. The Empress found me not long after that. I was so angry at her," he said. "I thought she'd used me, manipulated me into doing her bidding, but she explained everything. She said what I told you back on your Earth," the Green Ranger told Tommy, "that Zordon hadn't given her any choice." Tommy crossed his arms at that, glancing back at his own Rita as the man continued. "We talked for a while, and she told me the truth."

"What truth?"

"That our world didn't need multiple leaders, it just needed one. That it didn't need multiple Rangers, it just needed one." Tommy frowned at that, looking between his alternate self and the other Empress. What did he mean by that? Had they talked the Power Rangers into giving up their Power Coins? He couldn't picture that - the other teens were all so, so energetic about doing their duty. Had they talked them into joining her? No, that seemed like an even bigger stretch. Then how-?

"She told me about the original Drakkon," the Green Ranger continued, "how he helped her bring peace to the Toki system." Tommy looked to his Rita again. Toki system? The woman smiled at the name, a fondness in her eyes when she spoke.

"I was curious about why you had his name," she told the older him. "I'm glad to see him honored like this." What were they talking about?

"Who's Drakkon?" Tommy asked.

"He was a young man I encountered many, many years ago," she told him. "Like you he was reluctant to help me, but he eventually joined my cause and we brought peace to his system."

"And how did you do that?" Tommy asked her, looking back at the other Empress. "How do you rule Earth?" She smiled at that, turning to gesture to a set of double doors.

"Go ahead and look," the woman told told. Frowning, Tommy walked over to the doors and opened them, surprised to find that it led out to a balcony. He stepped out onto it, putting his hands on the railing as he looked down at the city. "It wasn't easy at first," the Empress continued as the three joined him. "Zordon and his Power Rangers didn't go down easily. We had to fight every step of the way - had to prove ourselves to the people of Earth. They came to see things our way, and with every city and country that joined us, we grew stronger." Tommy scoffed at that.

"Yeah right, like anyone from Earth would willingly join you. You scared them into submission."

"Some took more effort than others," the Empress stated, "but they eventually saw the truth."

"She made us stronger, Tommy," the Green Ranger said. "We're better with the Empress."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Tommy replied, crossing his arms.

"Then we'll tour the town tomorrow," his alternate self said. "The both of you can stay here for the night - we'll head out in the morning." Tommy frowned at that. Stay in this strange world for that long? What about back on their Earth? The other Power Rangers would notice that he was missing, and his mom... But no, he'd made this trip to remind himself of what he was fighting for. To have his convictions strengthened - that be worth causing them a night of worry. Besides, he'd find ways to make it up to them when he got back.

"All right," he decided, "deal."