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. Anything inside these brackets like this is supposed to be telepathy.



Legacy, part 7



Tommy ran at top speed, following Zordon's instructions for finding the guest quarters. (Guest quarters? he thought. What kind of guests does a big white head in a tube have, anyway?) He skidded to a stop in front of an unfamiliar door just as it burst open.

"You're Tommy?" the dark-haired girl in front of him queried urgently. Not stopping to answer her, Tommy grabbed her hand, activating the transport command on his wrist communicator, and they materialized in the infirmary. The scene looked like something out of Tommy's nightmares; Billy and Jason lay unconscious on the floor with Billy's father trying frantically to drag Billy's dead weight to an examining bed.

"What has happened, P'tyr?" Zordon's familiar face materialized in the infirmary time warp.

"Billy was using his Sentinel energy to try to bring Jason back to full strength; he thought it might help him access his Paladin powers. It seemed to be going well enough, and then they both cried out as though in pain, and collapsed. Tommy, Taia, get Jason over to that bed," the older man snapped. The two complied, and Peter busied himself with a diagnostic shield.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tommy breathed. "Are they—?"

As if to forestall Tommy's horrifying fear, Billy stirred a little. Taia ran to him, grasping his hand tightly.

"William," she whispered. "Come back to me, please." Tommy gaped anew at the raw emotion in the beautiful stranger's delicate features as she focused on his old friend's face.

Billy spoke, his voice raw. "Always," he murmured huskily, pulling the girl's mouth to his for a fiery kiss. "Jason, is he—?" the blond man turned his attention to the other bed.

"I know not," the girl whispered. "I cannot feel him." Tears edged down her face; Billy sat up slowly, curling an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

The diagnostic readouts continued to slide lower; Peter cursed volubly. "Now you listen to me, young man," he began to berate the unconscious Jason. "I made your father a promise, and I intend to keep it, so your dying on me just now is out of the question, do you hear me?" His able fingers flew over the console. "NO! That is not an option! Billy, I need a hand here!"

His son was instantly by his side, assessing the readouts and compensating for them. Tommy began to shake; Jason was dying? How—what—? The girl he'd brought here was in despair; at least here was something he could do. Tommy crossed to her and gave her a hug. "He's strong, you'll see. Have faith in him."

She turned wide eyes to his, eyes as dark as Jason's own. "I just found him," she whispered. "I cannot lose him now."

Tommy had no idea what she meant, but he didn't care. "Tell him that, in your heart," he encouraged. "He'll hear you."

She stilled, her hand going to her mouth. "Yes, he will," she murmured, then closed her eyes and concentrated.

Jason.

No reply. Taia shuddered and went deeper, almost to the very edge of consciousness; then there was a faint flutter. Jason?

As though from far away, she heard a whisper of a reply. Tai…I knew you'd be here for me.

You have to fight this, Jason. Come back to us. Please.

I can't…too much interference…

Be strong, brother. You can do this. You must.

They are fighting me. You have to let me go…

Her entire body shook. No! Please, Jason…I need you.

Their link gained in strength for a moment. Listen to me, Tai. Billy can't hear me. Tell him… to reboot… you have to… shut down… hurry...

She hesitated uncertainly.

Tai… help me…

Her dark eyes snapped open; she spoke abruptly to the two men working frantically there. "Leave the console."

Peter stared at her in disbelief. "We can't, not now; he'll die!"

She looked at him, then at Billy. "He'll die if you don't stop. Let him go."

Billy paused, watching her; Peter continued frantically trying to compensate for Jason's failing life signs. "Don't listen to her; she can't possibly—" the older man gritted. "Billy, I'm losing him!" Billy turned back to the console and reached for it.

"I said STOP!" The timbre of her voice changed as liquid silver coalesced around her slender form, her hair unraveling itself from the braid and forming a living nimbus around her head. Peter Cranston flew into the air unceremoniously and hung there, struggling. Tommy jumped to his feet and took a battle stance; in the same instant, bronze coated Billy's body as he growled at the silvery form of the girl. Shaking off his astonishment, Tommy made a mental note to get information at the first opportunity.

"Put him down, Guardian." Billy all but snarled.

"I will not, Sentinel. I cannot. My brother's life hangs in the balance." At her words, the diagnostic shield registered at zero with a single, melancholy note.

The thing that had been Billy bared its teeth at the girl. "Not any more."

"Jason, nooooo…" moaned Peter; she gently placed him on the ground, but prevented him from touching the diagnostic shield controls.

"Stand down, Sentinel," the girl called Guardian commanded. "I have no wish to fight you."

Sentinel's voice was low, threatening. "You've just killed my oldest friend; lifebond or no, you will fight me, Guardian."

"No," she reverted to her earlier form. "I shall not. I meant what I said, Billy; I am yours, forever. I will not challenge you."

Tommy stepped forward warily. "Billy, take it easy. You don't want to hurt anyone here."

The bronze visage, so unnervingly like his friend, turned and regarded him, then just as suddenly it was gone, replaced by Billy's grief-stricken face. "Oh, God, Tommy…Jason's dead." They stared at each other in disbelieving silence.

A small bip from the diagnostic shield caught the attention of the entire room; as one, they turned to Jason's still body. Suddenly his chest rose in a great gasp, and Peter dashed forward to the console as Taia slipped unnoticed toward the door.

"He's alive! He's alive, and his readings are off the scale! By God, Billy, you did it!" Peter was shouting in his elation.

Billy blew out a sigh, heavy with relief, then shook his head. "It wasn't all me, Dad. Taia was right, and we almost—we were idiots for not listening to her. Tai, I'm so—oh, no."

The door to the infirmary closed behind her with a swish. Billy bit out an oath and ran to follow her, leaving Peter, Tommy, and Zordon alone with an unconscious Jason.

Tommy regarded the time warp. "Would this be an okay time for me to ask WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"