Disclaimer: Don't own the Power Rangers. Anybody you never heard of before
is probably mine, but it doesn't matter because there's no money involved
anyway.
Note: this is completely AU. Zordon never died. The originals are all in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed.
Legacy, part 3
"My what?" Jason stared at the older man in shock. "I-I have a –?"
Zordon's basso profundo interrupted him. "Time is of the essence, P'tyr, Rangers. Guardian is dying, and the known worlds will feel the wrath of So'Vran if we fail to save her."
"I am Guardian, and I will not be defeated…" muttered Billy.
Peter looked at him, surprised. "What did you say?"
His son raised his gaze from the girl on the table. "I heard it in my dream last night. She was angry. First she cried out, 'I deny you, I refuse you, I will not die like this,' and then she shouted, 'I am Guardian, and I will not be defeated.' She…she is fighting…whatever it is."
Zordon's countenance lightened perceptibly. "That, at least, is good news. You are much like your mother, Billy, much more than your father or I had thought."
"Someday, somebody is going to say something to me and it will make sense," Jason muttered irritably.
Peter Cranston's voice cut across his thoughts. "Did she speak to you as well, Jason?"
The dark-haired youth shook his head slowly. "No, in my dream she – somehow – became me. It was me shouting out, but I didn't know what I meant."
Zordon raised his brows. "You are more closely linked than we had anticipated. There is hope, then…but Jason will not be able to reach her without risking himself."
"It is a job for Sentinel, then." Peter grabbed his son in a fierce hug, surprising him. "Zordon, there's got to be another way. If he isn't strong enough…I can't lose him too."
"We knew this was a possibility, P'tyr; it is why I chose him to be a Ranger, why I chose them both. I hoped their training might aid them if So'Vran decided to pursue his conquest of the known worlds. The constraints have kept So'Vran from finding them, but they have kept us from knowing the extent of their power as well. This attack on Guardian…the sands of time have run out."
Peter gave Billy a final squeeze and dropped his arms, crossing to a control panel in the wall, his jaw set. "And what if he is less his mother's son, and more mine?"
"I do not know, P'tyr. I do not know."
"Could someone please talk as though I am in the room?" asked Billy quietly. "Her life signs are failing. Whatever it is I need to do to save this Guardian, I should probably get started."
Peter looked at his son for a long time, then gave a short nod. "In a nutshell, then: there is a small constraining device at the base of your brain; I am going to transport it out. If, as we hope, you have inherited your mother's ability, you will be able to psychically reach Guardian where she is trapped, and sustain her spiritual strength until I can remove the mechanisms implanted throughout her body which are not only killing her, but slowly destroying the Guardian energy as well. If she dies like this, So'Vran will surely overrun the known worlds and destroy us all. Got it?"
"Find Guardian, keep her strong, save the universe. Got it." Billy gave his father a ghost of a grin. "Ready."
A light enveloped the handsome blond youth, whose body jerked and arched, his head dropping back, eyes closed. A tiny, glistening device appeared on the pad by Peter Cranston's elbow as the light around Billy dimmed, and his eyes snapped open.
Jason studied his friend. Amazingly, Billy seemed to have gained a couple of inches, both in height and in brawn. He'd been tall and fairly buff before; now his clothes were suddenly smaller, tighter, his shirt pulling across an abruptly bulky chest, cutting into newly muscled arms, the thighs of his jeans nearly giving at the seams. And his eyes…were those eyes somehow bluer, more intense? There was little time to speculate as Billy crossed determinedly to the unconscious form of the girl on the examination table and took her hand in both of his, his entire being, it seemed, focused on her face.
After a moment of silence, Peter Cranston's agile fingers began to fly over the console beside him, and Zordon spoke to Jason.
"There is little we can do here now, Jason. Come to the main chamber; there is something I think you will find of interest there."
Jason returned to the main chamber to find Zordon's ghostly image waiting for him. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, lay several glasslike rods, neon yellow in hue, and a small device.
"These were in the pod with your sister. I believe they will answer your questions far better than I can."
Jason hesitated for a moment, then crossed to the platform and inserted the rods into several small holes in the device, which began to hum softly. Suddenly a holographic image appeared before him; a man, tall, brawny, bearded, with dark eyes and hair, and features uncannily similar to Jason's own. He wore golden armor that had seen better days, and was leaning on a long sword which glowed softly.
"Father…" Jason breathed, and then the image began to speak.
"Zordon, P'tyr Krann," it said, smiling sadly. "That you have found this transmitter means that my daughter is in your hands, and safe, I pray. I am grateful with all my heart that you have kept my son well and safe all these years. It is now time for him to take the reins of his destiny into his own hands; I know that you will have taught him as well as I myself could have done, and that he will make us proud." The image seemed to look at Jason then. "My name is Iannos K'vlir, my son; I am called Paladin. You know nothing of me or of our heritage, and I know but little about you. Zordon and P'tyr have managed to get some information about you to me through the years, knowing how hungry I would be for any word, any fleeting image.
"I know that you are named Jason Lee Scott, and that the parents who adopted and raised you were good, kind people, carefully chosen by P'Tyr to keep you safe. I mourn with you their untimely passing. I am proud of your strong moral character, of your inner strength, of your innate humanity and your sense of honor; these things will hold you steady on your course, for a difficult trial is about to begin.
"But before I go on, my dear Jason, let me say this above all else: you are and have always been my beloved son, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, and I have and always will love you until the end of my days, and, spirits willing, beyond. Never doubt that, not for a moment. My soul cried out in agony when I sent you away from me, and I have bled within ever since. I beg you to believe that this choice was the worst your mother and I have ever had to face; but she died knowing that at least one of her children was safe and out of the reach of So'Vran's evil tyranny."
Jason hastily wiped hot tears from his eyes, eager to hear the rest, however painful.
"Our world, Xerya, lies separated from Earth beyond a dimensional barrier, erected centuries ago by the Eltaran council, to shield the known worlds from the rise of the evil known as So'Vran, who rules Xerya with an iron fist. Many among us resist his reign, living underground, trying to subvert his rule. Your mother, Merys, and I, and P'tyr Krann and his wife Nelin, were some of these. Of that group, I am all that is left now.
"Our people are similar to those of Earth in many ways, though there are some individuals who are significantly different. P'tyr's wife, Nelin, was one of these, as am I, as was your mother. In those days Nelin was Sentinel, and it was in that capacity that she foretold that you must be sent away or die at So'Vran's hands. You were still in Merys' belly then; we had a little time, we thought, and we began to make plans for your safety. Weeks later Nelin knew that she, too, was with child and that her child, paired with ours, might hold the key to So'Vran's ultimate defeat. It was almost certain that So'Vran would know this as well. Nelin and P'tyr decided then that they would leave Xerya to keep you and their son safe. P'tyr's great intellect enabled him to find a way to pierce the dimensional barrier which surrounds our world, keeping So'Vran in check.
"But we could not leave with them. Nelin was indeed Sentinel, and her first obligation was to the future. But Merys and I – Merys was Guardian than, and a strong one; she could not abandon her people anymore than I could. I was – I am – Paladin, as I hope you may someday be. So though it broke our hearts, when you were born we said goodbye to you, and to our dearest friends.
"Merys told me later that Nelin had revealed more of our future to her, and that we would have another child, who would be Guardian and would fight by my side, and it was for this that she remained with me. I did not realize when she spoke that there would be but one Guardian, that Merys knew she would die in battle soon after the child was born.
"Your sister, Taia, was my greatest blessing then, my only tie to Merys, though I searched for a way to send her after you, to protect her as I had protected you. But without Guardian, the resistance faltered, and we had no resources to create another pod for many years. Indeed, I believed us lost; then Taia's powers as Guardian asserted themselves, and she became not just my blessing but that of all Xerya. By the spirits, she is powerful! Xerya has never before seen – but time grows short. I must press on.
"In our bloodlines lie ties to a sentient power that can, and must, be used to fight So'Vran's evil conquest, and others like him. P'tyr found a way to bury yours deep within your mind so that So'Vran could not use it to find you; I do not know, therefore, how powerful you may be, or what must be done to awaken your abilities. You must discover this for yourself.
The image rubbed a weary hand over his face and turned to face Zordon's time warp chamber. "Zordon, we have been betrayed, and I do not yet know the extent of the treachery, nor yet who is responsible. My efforts to protect Guardian have been in vain; somehow So'Vran managed to capture her and make her as you see her now. By all that's holy, when I get my hands on the traitor…So'Vran had her for more than a month, Zordon. Can you imagine what she must have…?" Iannos' deep voice trailed off on a sob; then he gathered himself and continued. "Though I was able to finally rescue her, we do not know how to undo whatever it is So'Vran has done. Therefore I have sent her to you and P'tyr, and I pray P'tyr's intellect will penetrate this mystery before she dies. I fear that this may bring the wrath of So'Vran on you all; but I could do no less. She is Guardian; more than that she is my dearest daughter. Save her, I beg you. Spirits bless you all." The image flickered out.
Jason stood up, fury and frustration warring on his face, and began to pace silently.
"Jason? Tell me what troubles you." Zordon's voice was soft, for him.
The former Red and Gold ranger looked at the time warp chamber, his dark eyes unfathomable. "Even if I understood all of that, which I did not, I can't help him, Zordon. You know that. I just have to hope my sister is strong enough for both of us."
"You are mistaken, Jason. The possibility of your power is very real. You must not dismiss it."
"Look at me!" Jason exploded. "I'm maybe half the man I used to be. Losing the Gold powers nearly killed me; I can barely get up in the morning. I can't take on some interdimensional goon! I'm not even going to live out the year!"
"Jason –"
"Look, I'm sorry, but this is a lot to digest, okay?"
"I understand. Perhaps you should rest now. I will wake you as soon as there is any change in your sister's condition." Zordon summoned the little robot. "Alpha, take Jason back to the guest chambers and let him get some sleep."
Note: this is completely AU. Zordon never died. The originals are all in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed.
Legacy, part 3
"My what?" Jason stared at the older man in shock. "I-I have a –?"
Zordon's basso profundo interrupted him. "Time is of the essence, P'tyr, Rangers. Guardian is dying, and the known worlds will feel the wrath of So'Vran if we fail to save her."
"I am Guardian, and I will not be defeated…" muttered Billy.
Peter looked at him, surprised. "What did you say?"
His son raised his gaze from the girl on the table. "I heard it in my dream last night. She was angry. First she cried out, 'I deny you, I refuse you, I will not die like this,' and then she shouted, 'I am Guardian, and I will not be defeated.' She…she is fighting…whatever it is."
Zordon's countenance lightened perceptibly. "That, at least, is good news. You are much like your mother, Billy, much more than your father or I had thought."
"Someday, somebody is going to say something to me and it will make sense," Jason muttered irritably.
Peter Cranston's voice cut across his thoughts. "Did she speak to you as well, Jason?"
The dark-haired youth shook his head slowly. "No, in my dream she – somehow – became me. It was me shouting out, but I didn't know what I meant."
Zordon raised his brows. "You are more closely linked than we had anticipated. There is hope, then…but Jason will not be able to reach her without risking himself."
"It is a job for Sentinel, then." Peter grabbed his son in a fierce hug, surprising him. "Zordon, there's got to be another way. If he isn't strong enough…I can't lose him too."
"We knew this was a possibility, P'tyr; it is why I chose him to be a Ranger, why I chose them both. I hoped their training might aid them if So'Vran decided to pursue his conquest of the known worlds. The constraints have kept So'Vran from finding them, but they have kept us from knowing the extent of their power as well. This attack on Guardian…the sands of time have run out."
Peter gave Billy a final squeeze and dropped his arms, crossing to a control panel in the wall, his jaw set. "And what if he is less his mother's son, and more mine?"
"I do not know, P'tyr. I do not know."
"Could someone please talk as though I am in the room?" asked Billy quietly. "Her life signs are failing. Whatever it is I need to do to save this Guardian, I should probably get started."
Peter looked at his son for a long time, then gave a short nod. "In a nutshell, then: there is a small constraining device at the base of your brain; I am going to transport it out. If, as we hope, you have inherited your mother's ability, you will be able to psychically reach Guardian where she is trapped, and sustain her spiritual strength until I can remove the mechanisms implanted throughout her body which are not only killing her, but slowly destroying the Guardian energy as well. If she dies like this, So'Vran will surely overrun the known worlds and destroy us all. Got it?"
"Find Guardian, keep her strong, save the universe. Got it." Billy gave his father a ghost of a grin. "Ready."
A light enveloped the handsome blond youth, whose body jerked and arched, his head dropping back, eyes closed. A tiny, glistening device appeared on the pad by Peter Cranston's elbow as the light around Billy dimmed, and his eyes snapped open.
Jason studied his friend. Amazingly, Billy seemed to have gained a couple of inches, both in height and in brawn. He'd been tall and fairly buff before; now his clothes were suddenly smaller, tighter, his shirt pulling across an abruptly bulky chest, cutting into newly muscled arms, the thighs of his jeans nearly giving at the seams. And his eyes…were those eyes somehow bluer, more intense? There was little time to speculate as Billy crossed determinedly to the unconscious form of the girl on the examination table and took her hand in both of his, his entire being, it seemed, focused on her face.
After a moment of silence, Peter Cranston's agile fingers began to fly over the console beside him, and Zordon spoke to Jason.
"There is little we can do here now, Jason. Come to the main chamber; there is something I think you will find of interest there."
Jason returned to the main chamber to find Zordon's ghostly image waiting for him. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, lay several glasslike rods, neon yellow in hue, and a small device.
"These were in the pod with your sister. I believe they will answer your questions far better than I can."
Jason hesitated for a moment, then crossed to the platform and inserted the rods into several small holes in the device, which began to hum softly. Suddenly a holographic image appeared before him; a man, tall, brawny, bearded, with dark eyes and hair, and features uncannily similar to Jason's own. He wore golden armor that had seen better days, and was leaning on a long sword which glowed softly.
"Father…" Jason breathed, and then the image began to speak.
"Zordon, P'tyr Krann," it said, smiling sadly. "That you have found this transmitter means that my daughter is in your hands, and safe, I pray. I am grateful with all my heart that you have kept my son well and safe all these years. It is now time for him to take the reins of his destiny into his own hands; I know that you will have taught him as well as I myself could have done, and that he will make us proud." The image seemed to look at Jason then. "My name is Iannos K'vlir, my son; I am called Paladin. You know nothing of me or of our heritage, and I know but little about you. Zordon and P'tyr have managed to get some information about you to me through the years, knowing how hungry I would be for any word, any fleeting image.
"I know that you are named Jason Lee Scott, and that the parents who adopted and raised you were good, kind people, carefully chosen by P'Tyr to keep you safe. I mourn with you their untimely passing. I am proud of your strong moral character, of your inner strength, of your innate humanity and your sense of honor; these things will hold you steady on your course, for a difficult trial is about to begin.
"But before I go on, my dear Jason, let me say this above all else: you are and have always been my beloved son, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, and I have and always will love you until the end of my days, and, spirits willing, beyond. Never doubt that, not for a moment. My soul cried out in agony when I sent you away from me, and I have bled within ever since. I beg you to believe that this choice was the worst your mother and I have ever had to face; but she died knowing that at least one of her children was safe and out of the reach of So'Vran's evil tyranny."
Jason hastily wiped hot tears from his eyes, eager to hear the rest, however painful.
"Our world, Xerya, lies separated from Earth beyond a dimensional barrier, erected centuries ago by the Eltaran council, to shield the known worlds from the rise of the evil known as So'Vran, who rules Xerya with an iron fist. Many among us resist his reign, living underground, trying to subvert his rule. Your mother, Merys, and I, and P'tyr Krann and his wife Nelin, were some of these. Of that group, I am all that is left now.
"Our people are similar to those of Earth in many ways, though there are some individuals who are significantly different. P'tyr's wife, Nelin, was one of these, as am I, as was your mother. In those days Nelin was Sentinel, and it was in that capacity that she foretold that you must be sent away or die at So'Vran's hands. You were still in Merys' belly then; we had a little time, we thought, and we began to make plans for your safety. Weeks later Nelin knew that she, too, was with child and that her child, paired with ours, might hold the key to So'Vran's ultimate defeat. It was almost certain that So'Vran would know this as well. Nelin and P'tyr decided then that they would leave Xerya to keep you and their son safe. P'tyr's great intellect enabled him to find a way to pierce the dimensional barrier which surrounds our world, keeping So'Vran in check.
"But we could not leave with them. Nelin was indeed Sentinel, and her first obligation was to the future. But Merys and I – Merys was Guardian than, and a strong one; she could not abandon her people anymore than I could. I was – I am – Paladin, as I hope you may someday be. So though it broke our hearts, when you were born we said goodbye to you, and to our dearest friends.
"Merys told me later that Nelin had revealed more of our future to her, and that we would have another child, who would be Guardian and would fight by my side, and it was for this that she remained with me. I did not realize when she spoke that there would be but one Guardian, that Merys knew she would die in battle soon after the child was born.
"Your sister, Taia, was my greatest blessing then, my only tie to Merys, though I searched for a way to send her after you, to protect her as I had protected you. But without Guardian, the resistance faltered, and we had no resources to create another pod for many years. Indeed, I believed us lost; then Taia's powers as Guardian asserted themselves, and she became not just my blessing but that of all Xerya. By the spirits, she is powerful! Xerya has never before seen – but time grows short. I must press on.
"In our bloodlines lie ties to a sentient power that can, and must, be used to fight So'Vran's evil conquest, and others like him. P'tyr found a way to bury yours deep within your mind so that So'Vran could not use it to find you; I do not know, therefore, how powerful you may be, or what must be done to awaken your abilities. You must discover this for yourself.
The image rubbed a weary hand over his face and turned to face Zordon's time warp chamber. "Zordon, we have been betrayed, and I do not yet know the extent of the treachery, nor yet who is responsible. My efforts to protect Guardian have been in vain; somehow So'Vran managed to capture her and make her as you see her now. By all that's holy, when I get my hands on the traitor…So'Vran had her for more than a month, Zordon. Can you imagine what she must have…?" Iannos' deep voice trailed off on a sob; then he gathered himself and continued. "Though I was able to finally rescue her, we do not know how to undo whatever it is So'Vran has done. Therefore I have sent her to you and P'tyr, and I pray P'tyr's intellect will penetrate this mystery before she dies. I fear that this may bring the wrath of So'Vran on you all; but I could do no less. She is Guardian; more than that she is my dearest daughter. Save her, I beg you. Spirits bless you all." The image flickered out.
Jason stood up, fury and frustration warring on his face, and began to pace silently.
"Jason? Tell me what troubles you." Zordon's voice was soft, for him.
The former Red and Gold ranger looked at the time warp chamber, his dark eyes unfathomable. "Even if I understood all of that, which I did not, I can't help him, Zordon. You know that. I just have to hope my sister is strong enough for both of us."
"You are mistaken, Jason. The possibility of your power is very real. You must not dismiss it."
"Look at me!" Jason exploded. "I'm maybe half the man I used to be. Losing the Gold powers nearly killed me; I can barely get up in the morning. I can't take on some interdimensional goon! I'm not even going to live out the year!"
"Jason –"
"Look, I'm sorry, but this is a lot to digest, okay?"
"I understand. Perhaps you should rest now. I will wake you as soon as there is any change in your sister's condition." Zordon summoned the little robot. "Alpha, take Jason back to the guest chambers and let him get some sleep."