Dark Jason smiled as he looked down at Kimberly's hand in his. He pulled her close to him.
"I knew you would make the right choice," Dark Jason said before letting go of her hand and reaching down, and picking up his staff from the ground. When he stood straight up he never saw the arrow coming at his chest until it exploded on contact and sent him flying back outside of the Power Chamber.
"I'm sorry but... for years the power has protected me and now it is my turn to protect it," Kimberly said as she stepped out into the daylight with an arrow drawn and pointed down at the fallen Ranger's chest.
"Wow..." Dark Jason shook his head as he got to his feet, careful to keep his eyes on her hands. "I guess... I didn't expect that."
"As much as I want everything back to normal, the cost is too high, Jason," Kim explained.
"I really hoped it wouldn't come to this but," Dark Jason began just as another arrow came flying at him. He managed to duck it but was surprised by a flying kick from the Pink Ranger. She hit him and flipped away to draw another arrow. She raised it but was surprised to see her target nowhere in sight.
Two arms grabbing her from behind gave away his position as she fumbled the bow out of her hand and was suddenly stuck in his grasp. She fought but couldn't break his grip. He slipped an arm up around her neck and Kim yelped with panic.
"Why... why didn't you just join me?" Dark Jason spoke softly, his emotions seemingly torn.
"I... can't..." Kim replied in the midst of her struggle.
"You never... I..." Dark Jason stopped himself as the voices in his head began to scream so loud it audibly hurt him. He felt his grip around her neck tighten despite himself. Kim's cries were cut off when he secured his position, he felt her body starting to go limp when he was struck from behind and dropped her.
"Put her down!" was the command from behind him as Dark Jason stumbled forward and turned to see the mirror image of himself brandishing the staff he had just taken a hard shot with.
"Will none of you ever just die?" Dark Jason asked before he summoned his own staff, only to realize he had lost it somewhere in the fight with the Pink Ranger. He looked around in a bit of a panic as Jason came rushing at him with his version of the staff crackling with energy. "Wait!"
Dark Jason's cry was too late as he took the full energy from the Gold Rush attack and it sent him tumbling backward and onto his back. He felt pain... real... honest pain... something that had almost alluded him since his possession. He rolled over to try to stand to see himself once again surrounded by an army of Rangers. He fell flat back again and writhed in the pain coursing through his body.
At this point, he knew he was also under attack from Maligore and Zedd's magic that was seemingly showing him their displeasure with him. He screamed in agony and reached a hand up in the direction of Serpentera floating overhead.
"Watch out!" Tommy called out the team as he saw what was about to happen. All of the Rangers began to scatter as a beam came from the large mouth of the Zord and came crashing down on the ground below. The impact of the blast sent the fleeing Rangers flying through the air uncontrollably.
Jason landed first and rolled to look back toward the blast zone. He saw that the Power Chamber had survived but it was cracked in many places. He glanced stood up and looked to his fellow Rangers who were landing all around him. He raced over to help Kimberly to her feet and then Zack and Tommy. The rest of the Rangers had recovered and were running to join each other in a tight formation.
"We got to get it away from the Chamber," Tommy stated gesturing up to Serpentera that was circling back for another strike. The Rangers glanced around at the fallen Zords creating a circle formation around the whole area.
"I am not sure how we do that," Zack responded with a shrug. He glanced over at Jason who was walking away from the group and back over to the still smoldering blast zone.
"Hey bro," Tommy called to him and jogged up behind him. "What is it?"
"He..." Jason stopped and pointed. "He didn't get clear."
The Kimberly from the other universe ran past the Gold and White Ranger to where Dark Jason would have still been laying. The rest of the group followed suit in an attempt to catch up with her.
She reached the area first and began to look around, she turned to Jason who reached the area right behind her.
"He is not here," She stated. The Rangers all began to scan the area for any sight of their nemesis.
"Maybe... maybe..." Adam began. He shrugged. "Maybe there is nothing left."
"No..." Jason shook his head. He glanced up to see Pyramidas hovering off in the distance. He turned to the group. "Get inside the Chamber and down to the lower levels and hunker down."
"What are you doing?" Kimberly responded moving over to him.
"Pyramidas is our only chance," Jason suggested as he pointed over to it. "I don't know if it is powerful enough but it is all we have."
"Jason..." Kim shook her head. He put his hands on her arms.
"Just get to safety please..." Jason responded.
"I am going with you," Kim stated. Her tone was insistent and Jason knew that even if he had the time he wouldn't be able to change her mind. He nodded.
"Okay... but the rest of you got to get to safety... if this goes wrong, be ready..." Jason stated.
"You got it," Tommy agreed as he stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to the rest of the team.
"Okay... let's go," Zack said as everyone began to run to the relative safety of the Power Chamber.
(****)
"Do you think we can stop it?" Kimberly asked Jason as she watched him take the controls of Pyramidas. "Is this thing powerful enough?"
"It is powerful... but this isn't just Serpentera we are dealing with... it has the power of the Morphin Grid from that other timeline powering it," Jason responded as he moved forward to intercept Serpentera as it turned and began a reapproach.
"Can I do anything?" Kim asked.
"Um... yeah... over there on that panel, open it," Jason said with a point on the wall behind them. Kim followed his direction and opened it to see a large dial inside of the panel.
"What now?" Kim asked, turning back to Jason.
"Turn it all the way over," Jason replied. "Full power, all she has."
"Got it," Kim replied as she turned the dial as far as it would go and heard a whir coming from somewhere deep inside the large vessel.
"Now... come here and hang on," Jason said. Kim moved over to him and held on as she watched him initiate an attack sequence. The cockpit lit up to nearly blinding levels as a beam of energy shot from the peak of the pyramid formation on top of the Zord.
Kim and Jason watched as it was a direct hit right behind the head of Sepentera as it still had not completed its turn. The explosion was massive and both Rangers instinctively shielded their eyes momentarily.
"Yes," Kim said as she lowered her arms and saw Sepentera in nose dive to the ground below. Both Rangers' delight turned to shock though as the Zord corrected itself right before impact and flew beneath their own ship.
"Oh no," Jason said as he frantically moved to propel the ship forward to be able to turn it with some distance. He glanced at the radar just as the whole Zord rocked from an attack from beneath it.
Kimberly fell as the Zord turned on its side, she was bracing for an impact with the wall but Jason's hand grabbing hers jerked her to a stop. He pulled her to him with one hand and with the other tried to upright the Zord and move it forward. He glanced at the radar again to see he had put distance between them and the larger Zord lurking beneath them.
"What are we going to do?" Kim asked.
"We got to get turned around and hit it again," Jason responded as Kim steadied herself to allow Jason to use both hands to perform his task. He glanced up at Kim and down at the console. He pressed a button to allow him to communicate with the Power Chamber. "Zordon!"
"I am here, Jason," Came the voice of their leader. "Can you redirect the Morphin Grid's energy into Pyramidas?"
"I can," Zordon said. "But that might overload the Zord and could be catastrophic."
Jason glanced back up at Kim. She shook her head.
"I am not leaving you," Kim stated before he could even suggest it.
"Okay... Zordon, I think that is a risk we will have to take," Jason responded, he moved a hand over to place it over Kim's.
"Very well," Zordon stated. "I want both of you to know how proud I am of you..."
"We know," Kim replied for the two. There was silence on the other end for a moment before a different voice came over the line.
"Listen, guys... you make this count and I will see you both back on the ground, you hear me?" Tommy was trying to play it cool but his voice betrayed his worry.
"You got it, Bro," Jason said. "We will see you soon."
The line went silent as Jason maneuvered Pyramidas around and hovered it over the Power Chamber to wait. His eyes widened when he saw Seperntera closing the distance at a far faster rate of speed than he would expect from the Zord.
"Hang on!" Jason said, just as a bolt of energy flowed from the top of the Power Chamber and into the Pyramidas. He acted quickly to initiate an attack sequence.
The flash of light and impact of what happened next knocked both Jason and Kimberly to the floor of the cockpit and shattered the window looking out. Both Rangers instinctively sought one another out on the ground and Jason wrapped his arms around Kimberly. After a few seconds, both of them helped each other up and to peer out to see what the damage was.
"Wow..." Kim spoke as she saw Serpentera lying on the ground below in two pieces.
"That was..." Jason shook his head.
"We did it..." Kim said. Jason started to turn to embrace her but saw her being jerked back away from him. His eyes widened as he saw her in the arms of Dark Jason. Helmetless with his suit hanging off him and in tatters. His eyes glowed red as held his sword to Kimberly's neck.
"Don't..." Jason said as he started to step forward. Kimberly cried out as her captor moved the sword blade closer to her neck.
"No... you don't move!" Dark Jason bellowed, his voice distorted, more Maligore than human.
"Look..." Jason held up his hands. He reached up and removed his helmet. "Just don't do anything stupid that we will all regret."
"Regret?" Dark Jason countered. "I... am incapable of that at this point..."
Dark Jason moved both himself and Kimberly back toward the door leading out of the cockpit and Jason instinctively stepped toward them which prompted the sword to moved right up against the suit around Kim's neck. Jason stepped back and raised his hands back up.
"I don't have anything left... nothing to regret, nothing to gain," Dark Jason continued. "You have stolen my power from me..."
"No.. we..." Jason began to interject.
"EVERYTHING is gone," Dark Jason shouted over him. "This body is failing... it will be useless to me soon."
"We can help," Jason stated.
"No one can help me..." Dark Jason dismissed. "It is too late for that... but..."
There was silence as Dark Jason moved his eyes down to Kimberly and then back to Jason.
"If I must go... I will make sure you remember me," Dark Jason warned before he quickly stepped back and spun Kimberly around, and thrust his sword toward her. Jason acted just as quick and threw his helmet at the sword knocking it off its trajectory and scraping along the side of Kimberly who was moving away.
Jason wasted no time and grabbing his evil counterpart. He wasn't expecting to still have the strength he did as he found himself being pressed back on and he lost his footing and the two went flying over the control panel and out of the hole where the front window once was.
Kimberly got to her feet and raced over to the climb to the opening to see down just as the two Rangers impacted the ground and a cloud of dirt and sand filled the air.
"Jason!" Kim called out before she teleported down to the ground.
Kimberly teleported in the middle of the cloud and could not see anything. She ran around in circles feeling near the ground looking for a sign of someone.
"Jason!" Kimberly called out. She turned to see a silhouette in the cloud approaching her and she raced over to him. She recoiled when she saw it was not her Jason though. He stumbled toward her like a zombie. As the cloud began to dissipate she was horrified to see him dragging her Jason by the arm.
Dark Jason let go of Jason and slumped forward to the ground. Kim moved around him to Jason and knelt down to him. She ran a hand across his face, keeping one eye on him and the other on the threat in front of her.
"Jase... Jase... come on baby," Kim said as she gently shook her boyfriend. "You have got to get up."
Kim was relieved to see the other Rangers running from the Power Chamber over to them. Her relief was short-lived though as a black hole opened up between them and Lord Zedd stepped out of it.
There was a stand-off as Zedd wielded his staff and the Rangers all fell into a defensive stance. Zedd glanced back at Kimberly as she attempted to revive Jason. His eyes then moved to his partner lying face-first on the ground and he shook his head with contempt.
Zedd backed up and held his staff over the fallen body of the dark version of Jason. Kimberly watched as red and black energy began to rise up from the back of him and flow into Zedd's staff.
"Jason... please..." Kim lowered her head to rest it on his chest. She watched as the energy stopped flowing from the dark version of Jason and Zedd moved away from them to square off with the other Rangers again. Soon she heard the fighting commence and she focused all of her attention on Jason.
Kim checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one. She moved her ear over his chest and was comforted by the sound of his heart beating. Soon he moaned and she lifted her hand and put her hands back on either side of his face.
"Come on... that's it," Kim said as she waited for him to open his eyes. She glanced up briefly to see that the other Jason was no longer lying next to them. Panic set in as she glanced around to make sure she wasn't about to be ambushed.
She was relieved and shocked to see that instead, that version of Jason was methodically walking toward the fight going on. She watched as he retrieved his Golden Power Staff from the ground and soon the Gold Ranger suit covered his body again.
She was about to warn the other Rangers who were locked in battle with Zedd, but to her shock, she watched as that Jason instead made his way behind Zedd and blast him point-blank in the back with energy from the staff. Zedd fell to the ground and the Gold Ranger retrieved his staff from the ground and crossed it with his. In a flash, both Zedd and the other Jason were gone.
"What's... going on?" Jason's voice from below Kimberly moved her attention back to him and she smiled as she saw his eyes looking around.
"Hey..." Kimberly said as she rubbed his face.
"Is he... is everything..." Jason began.
"Everything is okay I think," Kim said as she glanced up to see the Rangers making their way over to them.
(****)
Zedd grunted as he hit the ground. He immediately raised his head and the heap of destroyed Zord's in his line of vision clued him in as to his whereabouts. He heard someone approaching from behind him and he quickly rose to his feet and turned, his body glowing a bright shade of red.
"So..." Zedd eyed up the Gold Ranger in front of him. "You have decided to end our partnership I take it."
"No... you did that remember?" Jason replied. "And I want to thank you for it."
"Just what exactly is your plan, boy?" Zedd taunted.
"To bring you back here... to stop you from doing any more damage anywhere else," Jason answered.
"Fool," Zedd dismissed his words. "I guess you just wanted to die on your homeworld."
"Maybe..." Jason replied. "But one way or another you will never leave this world again."
"Empty threats," Zedd stated. "You are no match for me."
"Prove it," Jason suggested. Zedd studied his posture for a moment. He glanced around for any sign of his staff. Jason pointed to his left.
"It is over there," Jason informed him. Zedd cocked his head at him. "You will never make it that far."
Zedd laughed before holding up his hand and summoning the staff over to him. He was not prepared for the sword that came through the air and pierced his hand. He growled in pain as the force of the throw spun him around. He glanced down at his hand to see the blood flowing from his wound. He reached down and picked up the Power Sword from the ground he spun around and threw it back in the direction of the Gold Ranger but it hit nothing but air as he was no longer there.
"Over here," Zedd spun to locate the source of the voice and to his horror, he saw the Gold Ranger wielding both his own staff and that of the Rangers.
"You will never stop will you?" Jason asked as he approached him. Zedd straightened out and shook his head in defiance.
"Never," Zedd responded. "You would have to destroy me first, but you don't have it in you to do that do you?"
Jason stopped his approach and glanced behind him at the Zord graveyard and then turned back to Zedd.
"Because of you... I have destroyed so much and so many..." Jason stated. "What is one more?"
"You don't mean that," Zedd countered. "I could feel you fighting the dark magic the whole time."
"Really?" Jason asked. "So did you feel the hatred in me for what you were making me do?"
Zedd took a step back as Jason began to approach again.
"Did you feel the rage flowing behind those dark walls you kept me, prisoner, in?" Jason continued. "Did you?"
Another step back from Zedd as Jason was close now. Too close.
"Because if you did..." Jason stopped. "Then you know what it is going to happen now."
"No... no, you won't do it," Zedd's voice was unsure now as he watched the Gold Ranger cross both staffs over his head.
(****)
Jason watched as both Kimberly's stood talking to each other at the entrance to the medical bay of the Power Chamber. He smiled at the sight even as Alpha moved a scanner into his line of vision, prompting a chuckle from him.
"It appears you are going to be fine," Alpha informed him and Jason nodded. He got up from the bed, the action prompting one of the Kimberlys to rush over to him.
"Hey... hey... are you good?" Kim asked, concerned to see him up on his feet so soon.
"Clean bill of health," Jason replied with a smile. Kim eyed him suspiciously. "I mean I am sore but... I am fine, really, Alpha said so."
"It is true," Alpha confirmed before he moved over to check on Rocky who had seemingly re-aggravated his back injury in the fight.
"Okay... well still that was a nasty fall, you best take it easy," Kim said. Jason leaned down to give her a quick peck on the kiss to show his appreciation for her concern. He glanced back at the doorway to see the other Kimberly looking at him. She lowered her gaze and backed out of the room and disappeared down the hall.
"Hey... do you mind if I check on her?" Jason asked gesturing to where she once stood.
"No... of course not," Kim replied with a smile. Jason nodded and then moved out of the room and down the hall in an attempt to catch up with the other Kimberly.
"Hey... hey... Kim," Jason said, finding it strange for some reason to refer to her that way having just left his Kimberly. She turned to him.
"Hey," she responded. "You going to be okay?"
"Yeah... good as gold," Jason replied with a smile. The wording got a half-smile from her as well.
"That's good..." She said as she continued walking toward the exit of the building, now with Jason in tow. "It is weird you know?"
"What's that?" Jason inquired.
"Meeting yourself," She answered with a shrug and an eyebrow raise.
"Hah... yeah, it is," Jason agreed.
"At least my other version is not an evil demon," Kim stated.
"Yeah... yeah... you have that going for you," Jason reacted as the sunlight from the exit of the Chamber hit them and they continued out into the hot desert air outside of the building. "But hey... from what I was told it seemed like at the end there the other me kind of saved the day."
This got no response as they continued to walk stopping just outside of the crater that was left by the Serpentera blast.
"Hey... are you okay?" Jason asked her as he turned to her. She stood still looking straight ahead.
"I... don't know," She answered, before turning only her head to him. "I am just really... I got so much going on in my mind."
"I can understand that," Jason responded with a nod.
"He... he asked me to join him," She informed him. "He showed me a vision of my friends back home... they were still alive just being held captive."
"Really?" Jason was shocked by this new information. He sat on it for a couple of moments. "Do you think... I mean... could it have been a trick?"
"Maybe," She had already considered this. She shrugged. "I mean... I want to believe it but..."
"Hey..." Jason got her full attention. "If there is a chance they are still alive we got to get you home and see if we can get to them. She searched his eyes and felt the warmth of his gaze and words make her feel emotional.
"No..." She glanced back at the entrance of the Power Chamber and then back to Jason. "I won't ask you to do that."
"You don't have to ask," Jason said. "It is the least I can do after you came here to help."
She started to protest but then she saw his eyes move past her and she turned to see a black portal opening and the Gold Ranger stepping out of it. She faced him fully as Jason started to move around to stand beside her. They watched as the other Ranger unmorphed and Jason's counterpart stood with his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
"I'm not..." He spoke. "The possession is over."
Jason glanced down to see that her eyes were transfixed on the other Jason. After a moment she looked back up to meet his eyes. She nodded.
"It's okay... I will be okay," She stated before she stepped closer and Jason backed away to allow them to talk.
Kimberly searched his eyes, in them she saw the same warmth and concern in them she had seen many times before. She had been fooled before but the more she stared into them the more at ease she felt.
"I promise..." Jason paused. "I promise it is all gone... but if you don't believe me, say the word and I will go."
"No..." Kim's response was hurried as she shook her head. "Don't... don't go."
Jason nodded.
"It's really you isn't it?" Kim spoke softly as she made another advancement toward him.
He nodded again.
"Kimberly... I am so sorry... for what I have done," Jason's words were heavy as the sorrow was evident.
"It wasn't you," Kim replied, resisting the urge to comfort him. She was conflicted between seeing her oldest friend and the monster that had callously killed.
"No... but the memory... that is mine to live with," Jason replied hanging his head slightly. The gesture was unbecoming of him and Kim had only seen it when he was at his lowest points. It was too much and she reached out a hand to place on his wrist. He raised his head at the gesture.
"You will have to learn to let those memories go," Kim said, blinking away some tears.
"I don't know if I can do that," He replied in earnest.
"We will get you through it," She stated, moving closer to him. She over in front of him now just a small emotional barrier keeping them from embracing. Maybe they weren't there yet.
"Listen..." He spoke softer now, with her short distance from him. "Everything I showed you..."
Kim internally winced a little being reminded of her fears of deception.
"It was all true," Jason said. "I got them all out, but I couldn't let Zedd know... so I hid them in the Dark Dimension."
"You did?" Kim was once again searching his eyes for the truth.
"Yeah... and I went and brought them home... they are there, waiting for you," Jason explained. Kim moved a hand up to her mouth as she felt the sobs coming on. The thought of it being true was overwhelming her. She had to see them again.
"Please take me to them?" Kim was practically begging she wanted it so much.
"Of course, whenever you are ready," Jason agreed with a smile. Kim turned to see this world's Jason standing near the entrance of the Power Chamber with his Kimberly. She made her way over to him.
"We are going to go back," She informed them.
"Are you sure he is back to normal?" Jason asked.
"I am," She answered. Jason looked from one Kimberly to the next.
"Um... I believe you... but," Jason turned to Billy who was standing behind him and who was reaching out something to him. Jason retrieved it and turned back to her. He held his hand out to reveal a communicator within. "Take this... it has the ability to move between our worlds, either by talking or teleporting right Billy?"
"Right," Billy confirmed with a nod and smile.
"Oh... okay," She smiled as she slipped the communicator on her wrist, and warm memories of having her own flooded her.
"If you ever need us, please..." Kim said to the other version of herself as she reached out and clasped her hands over hers.
"I will... I definitely will," She replied gratefully before turning to look back at her Jason standing by. "I'm gonna go now but... hopefully maybe I will see you guys again someday."
"Anytime you want," Jason replied as she backed away and then turned to leave. Jason and Kim watched as the other two disappeared together. Jason smiled as he felt a hand slip into his.
"Do you think they will be okay?" Kim asked, leaning her body into him.
"I do," Jason replied.
