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. Everybody's in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed.
Legacy, part 14
Billy rubbed away a smudge of dirt from Taia's cheek. "You were seconds from summoning Guardian, weren't you?"
"To my shame, I was. Aji has always excelled at unleashing my temper, though she is my dearest friend." Taia smiled bitterly. "At least she was. Has my father awakened, then?"
"Not when I left the med bay, though he may have by now," Billy said. "But we do have a problem."
**************
"Man, you've got a problem," Tommy shook his head sympathetically as they walked back to the med bay. "Are you sure it was the Bloodsong?"
Jason shot him a look. "It isn't as though I've got anything to compare it to, Tom. But, yeah, I'm pretty sure."
Tommy snorted. "Nice choice."
"Shut up."
"She doesn't seem too happy about it."
"Thanks for the insight, Sherlock."
Tom shrugged. "She's been through a lot, bro. She'll come around."
"Maybe." Jason looked back, in the direction Aji had run.
*****************
Iannos sat up slowly, hoping the world would stop tilting. Someone spoke his name, and he looked around gingerly, holding his head. "P'Tyr!" he said in some surprise. "If you are here, then…"
"Taia's fine," Peter crossed the room to his old friend with a smile. "Jason too. You'll see them shortly, I'll wager. How are you feeling?"
"As though I have been ingested by a grat'lest and come out the other end," Iannos groaned slightly, then remembered something. "By the spirits… Aji. Where is Aji? She must be told gently…"
Peter shook his head. "It's a bit late for that, Iannos. Aji knows."
Iannos shook his head sadly. "Poor child; she had no way of knowing of her father's treachery. Her heart is true, of that I am certain."
Peter studied his friend. "I don't disagree with you, I'm just curious. How can you be?"
Iannos looked at him. "Grief can do strange and awful things to a man, P'Tyr, as you and I have cause to know. When his lifebound was killed in the raid on Thulera, Frid became withdrawn and driven, spending little time with Aji, always focused on the battle with So'Vran. Aji came to live with Taia and I, while Frid took foolish chances, leaping into situations, ignoring the odds. He was taken by the enemy, held prisoner for a time. What they did to him I do not know, but he told me once he wished I had not brought him back." He sighed heavily. "It is true I did not see that he would turn against me. But I know Aji as well as I know my own daughter, and I would trust her with my life."
The scientist nodded. "You already have, Iannos. It was Aji who brought you home."
Iannos got to his feet. "I must find her; she is carrying the burden of guilt by association, I am certain, and there are those among us who will be all too willing to let her."
Peter shook his head. "I'm afraid that will have to wait. We have a problem."
The door to the med bay opened to admit Jason, Taia, Billy, and Tommy. Taia flew into her father's embrace.
"Are you well, little one?" his deep voice was full of affection. She nodded wordlessly, burying her head in her father's shoulder. "Shh. It's all right, Tai. I missed you." He stroked the dusky hair, tilting up her face to look at her. "Come, what have you been up to? Your face is dirty." She sniffed loudly, wiping her tears with the heel of one hand, reaching for her brother with the other.
"Father, this is Jason. He has come home at last, just as you said."
Jason looked at his father uncertainly; Iannos stared at him for a moment, not quite able to believe he was finally there. "My son," he whispered, and then he wrapped trembling arms around both his children for the first time, and nothing was said for a long while.
Peter slipped an arm around Billy's shoulder; when Iannos emerged from the embrace, he stepped forward, tugging his son along. "Iannos, this is my son William, called Billy. He carries the power of Sentinel, as did his mother before him."
Iannos grinned. "He could be no other. He has a look of Nelin about him as well."
Peter chuckled. "He does indeed. I hope you will be glad to know that he is now your son as well, as Taia has become my daughter."
"Lifebound? Really?" Iannos looked from his daughter to Billy. "It doesn't seem possible that you are old enough." He chuckled, then spoke more seriously. "I honor your Bloodsong, my daughter. I welcome this union."
Billy looked down at Taia with a blinding smile; she reached up and kissed him. "I told you not to worry so," she said teasingly.
"Father," Jason said the word awkwardly, as though not yet used to it. He gestured to Tommy, who stood slightly to one side. "This is –"
"Tommy, I know," Iannos filled in. "Tommy Oliver, one of your closest friends and allies, once the Green Ranger, then White. P'Tyr has sent me images of you over the years; he figured in many of them. I am glad to know you, Tommy."
"I'm honored to know you, sir," returned Tommy.
"Dad," said Billy with an apologetic glance around at the others, "we've got sort of a pressing matter to deal with."
"Yes, you mentioned a problem," said Iannos. "What has happened?"
"Jerawyr brought it to my attention," Peter began. "He mentioned that they were having a problem with the specs for your pod; since you'd built one for Tai successfully, it seemed to me that something must have happened in just the last few days, so I looked at the files. At first there didn't seem to be anything wrong; but you know how easy it is to miss errors when you are the one who wrote them, so I asked Billy to have a look, and he found the problem."
The young genius led them to the computer console, his fingers flying over the keyboard to show them what he'd found. "The files are corrupted by a slow-moving virus, nearly undetectable until the file is useless, garbled. It's been chewing its way through your databanks for a couple of days, beginning in the files on the dimensional barrier." Billy frowned, pointing to a readout on the monitor. "I checked the log and it seems those files were copied a short time ago, probably immediately before the virus was introduced. I was able to stop its progress, but the damage is irreparable. And somebody has information on the barrier."
Iannos' shoulders slumped. "Frid Resgro."
"He seems a likely suspect," interposed Peter. "The question is, what will he do with the information?"
"Take it to So'Vran," said a voice from the doorway. They turned in a body to see Aji standing there, her helmet under her arm. "You know what he is going to do with it. So'Vran wants that barrier down. Those files are just the tool he needs."
Jason said nothing, his dark eyes burning as he stared at her; the others started forward.
Aji's chin raised a notch as Taia faced her. "I am sorry for my loss of temper, Aji. I ask you to forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive, Guardian."
Taia was hurt. "Guardian? Aji, please… we are friends. Please do not shut me out."
Aji looked at her steadily. "That was another life, Taia. I wish you well, but I have nothing to offer you."
"Aji, my child," said Iannos gently, "do not let the foolishness of others destroy you." His fingers touched the bruise on her cheek gingerly. "You bear no responsibility for this."
Her green eyes softened for a moment, then went flint-hard again. "No one can destroy what does not exist, Paladin. While I appreciate your concern, I merely came by to tell you that I am leaving immediately to track Frid Resgro, to prevent him from reaching So'Vran's stronghold in the Tarilean desert."
Iannos sighed. "Not alone, Aji. The risk is too great."
"It is my risk to take, Paladin."
"And your life to lose, is that it?" Iannos' dark gaze grew stormy. "Do you not see, child, that this is the same road that led your father to ruin?" She was silent.
"I'll go with her," said Jason quietly.
That got a rise out of Aji. "You shall not!"
He folded his muscular arms across his chest. "Are you trying to tell me what to do?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Not trying, doing."
"I don't think so, Red."
Tommy stepped between them. "Play nice, kids. I'm going too."
They both looked at him. "No!"
Billy smiled slightly. "At least they agree on something. I'm going."
"And I," said Taia.
"Very well," said Iannos. "All five shall go. P'Tyr and I will try to contact Eltar, to discover if there is a way to protect the barrier. I give you your orders: stay together; the desert winds can bring change when least expected. Use your powers judiciously; for they burn brightly, but can burn too hot, and leave you empty. And So'Vran may find you before you are ready if he has your power signature to trace. Take a runabout; a hoverskid is faster but will offer you little protection from the elements." He sighed, looking at each of them in turn. "Taia, remember you are still healing from your recent ordeal. Billy, explore the parameters of your power slowly, do not push yourself too far or too fast until you are certain of the extent of your abilities. Tommy, you will need to go with Aji to be outfitted with armor and weapons. Jason…" He held out his hands. "Come here."
Jason did so, a question in his dark eyes.
"Sentinel and Guardian were set free long ago by the deaths of their conduits; Paladin is still tied to me." Iannos took his son's face between his hands. "I bequeath that tie to you." Gold liquid poured from beneath the older man's skin to cover his fingers, his palms, his forearms… and then it came from Jason himself as though in answer to a silent call, covering his head and face, then gushing from every pore to cover his body completely. And finally Jason stood revealed as Paladin, his golden energy pulsing with a faint beat. Iannos concentrated for a moment more, and a second Paladin stood before the astonished group.
Peter was the first to recover his voice. "I had no idea you could do that."
Iannos grinned. "It has been many generations since any power has been shared. Long overdue, in my opinion."
Peter merely nodded, looking at the five. "Be careful, all of you."
Note: this is completely AU. Zordon never died. Everybody's in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed.
Legacy, part 14
Billy rubbed away a smudge of dirt from Taia's cheek. "You were seconds from summoning Guardian, weren't you?"
"To my shame, I was. Aji has always excelled at unleashing my temper, though she is my dearest friend." Taia smiled bitterly. "At least she was. Has my father awakened, then?"
"Not when I left the med bay, though he may have by now," Billy said. "But we do have a problem."
**************
"Man, you've got a problem," Tommy shook his head sympathetically as they walked back to the med bay. "Are you sure it was the Bloodsong?"
Jason shot him a look. "It isn't as though I've got anything to compare it to, Tom. But, yeah, I'm pretty sure."
Tommy snorted. "Nice choice."
"Shut up."
"She doesn't seem too happy about it."
"Thanks for the insight, Sherlock."
Tom shrugged. "She's been through a lot, bro. She'll come around."
"Maybe." Jason looked back, in the direction Aji had run.
*****************
Iannos sat up slowly, hoping the world would stop tilting. Someone spoke his name, and he looked around gingerly, holding his head. "P'Tyr!" he said in some surprise. "If you are here, then…"
"Taia's fine," Peter crossed the room to his old friend with a smile. "Jason too. You'll see them shortly, I'll wager. How are you feeling?"
"As though I have been ingested by a grat'lest and come out the other end," Iannos groaned slightly, then remembered something. "By the spirits… Aji. Where is Aji? She must be told gently…"
Peter shook his head. "It's a bit late for that, Iannos. Aji knows."
Iannos shook his head sadly. "Poor child; she had no way of knowing of her father's treachery. Her heart is true, of that I am certain."
Peter studied his friend. "I don't disagree with you, I'm just curious. How can you be?"
Iannos looked at him. "Grief can do strange and awful things to a man, P'Tyr, as you and I have cause to know. When his lifebound was killed in the raid on Thulera, Frid became withdrawn and driven, spending little time with Aji, always focused on the battle with So'Vran. Aji came to live with Taia and I, while Frid took foolish chances, leaping into situations, ignoring the odds. He was taken by the enemy, held prisoner for a time. What they did to him I do not know, but he told me once he wished I had not brought him back." He sighed heavily. "It is true I did not see that he would turn against me. But I know Aji as well as I know my own daughter, and I would trust her with my life."
The scientist nodded. "You already have, Iannos. It was Aji who brought you home."
Iannos got to his feet. "I must find her; she is carrying the burden of guilt by association, I am certain, and there are those among us who will be all too willing to let her."
Peter shook his head. "I'm afraid that will have to wait. We have a problem."
The door to the med bay opened to admit Jason, Taia, Billy, and Tommy. Taia flew into her father's embrace.
"Are you well, little one?" his deep voice was full of affection. She nodded wordlessly, burying her head in her father's shoulder. "Shh. It's all right, Tai. I missed you." He stroked the dusky hair, tilting up her face to look at her. "Come, what have you been up to? Your face is dirty." She sniffed loudly, wiping her tears with the heel of one hand, reaching for her brother with the other.
"Father, this is Jason. He has come home at last, just as you said."
Jason looked at his father uncertainly; Iannos stared at him for a moment, not quite able to believe he was finally there. "My son," he whispered, and then he wrapped trembling arms around both his children for the first time, and nothing was said for a long while.
Peter slipped an arm around Billy's shoulder; when Iannos emerged from the embrace, he stepped forward, tugging his son along. "Iannos, this is my son William, called Billy. He carries the power of Sentinel, as did his mother before him."
Iannos grinned. "He could be no other. He has a look of Nelin about him as well."
Peter chuckled. "He does indeed. I hope you will be glad to know that he is now your son as well, as Taia has become my daughter."
"Lifebound? Really?" Iannos looked from his daughter to Billy. "It doesn't seem possible that you are old enough." He chuckled, then spoke more seriously. "I honor your Bloodsong, my daughter. I welcome this union."
Billy looked down at Taia with a blinding smile; she reached up and kissed him. "I told you not to worry so," she said teasingly.
"Father," Jason said the word awkwardly, as though not yet used to it. He gestured to Tommy, who stood slightly to one side. "This is –"
"Tommy, I know," Iannos filled in. "Tommy Oliver, one of your closest friends and allies, once the Green Ranger, then White. P'Tyr has sent me images of you over the years; he figured in many of them. I am glad to know you, Tommy."
"I'm honored to know you, sir," returned Tommy.
"Dad," said Billy with an apologetic glance around at the others, "we've got sort of a pressing matter to deal with."
"Yes, you mentioned a problem," said Iannos. "What has happened?"
"Jerawyr brought it to my attention," Peter began. "He mentioned that they were having a problem with the specs for your pod; since you'd built one for Tai successfully, it seemed to me that something must have happened in just the last few days, so I looked at the files. At first there didn't seem to be anything wrong; but you know how easy it is to miss errors when you are the one who wrote them, so I asked Billy to have a look, and he found the problem."
The young genius led them to the computer console, his fingers flying over the keyboard to show them what he'd found. "The files are corrupted by a slow-moving virus, nearly undetectable until the file is useless, garbled. It's been chewing its way through your databanks for a couple of days, beginning in the files on the dimensional barrier." Billy frowned, pointing to a readout on the monitor. "I checked the log and it seems those files were copied a short time ago, probably immediately before the virus was introduced. I was able to stop its progress, but the damage is irreparable. And somebody has information on the barrier."
Iannos' shoulders slumped. "Frid Resgro."
"He seems a likely suspect," interposed Peter. "The question is, what will he do with the information?"
"Take it to So'Vran," said a voice from the doorway. They turned in a body to see Aji standing there, her helmet under her arm. "You know what he is going to do with it. So'Vran wants that barrier down. Those files are just the tool he needs."
Jason said nothing, his dark eyes burning as he stared at her; the others started forward.
Aji's chin raised a notch as Taia faced her. "I am sorry for my loss of temper, Aji. I ask you to forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive, Guardian."
Taia was hurt. "Guardian? Aji, please… we are friends. Please do not shut me out."
Aji looked at her steadily. "That was another life, Taia. I wish you well, but I have nothing to offer you."
"Aji, my child," said Iannos gently, "do not let the foolishness of others destroy you." His fingers touched the bruise on her cheek gingerly. "You bear no responsibility for this."
Her green eyes softened for a moment, then went flint-hard again. "No one can destroy what does not exist, Paladin. While I appreciate your concern, I merely came by to tell you that I am leaving immediately to track Frid Resgro, to prevent him from reaching So'Vran's stronghold in the Tarilean desert."
Iannos sighed. "Not alone, Aji. The risk is too great."
"It is my risk to take, Paladin."
"And your life to lose, is that it?" Iannos' dark gaze grew stormy. "Do you not see, child, that this is the same road that led your father to ruin?" She was silent.
"I'll go with her," said Jason quietly.
That got a rise out of Aji. "You shall not!"
He folded his muscular arms across his chest. "Are you trying to tell me what to do?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Not trying, doing."
"I don't think so, Red."
Tommy stepped between them. "Play nice, kids. I'm going too."
They both looked at him. "No!"
Billy smiled slightly. "At least they agree on something. I'm going."
"And I," said Taia.
"Very well," said Iannos. "All five shall go. P'Tyr and I will try to contact Eltar, to discover if there is a way to protect the barrier. I give you your orders: stay together; the desert winds can bring change when least expected. Use your powers judiciously; for they burn brightly, but can burn too hot, and leave you empty. And So'Vran may find you before you are ready if he has your power signature to trace. Take a runabout; a hoverskid is faster but will offer you little protection from the elements." He sighed, looking at each of them in turn. "Taia, remember you are still healing from your recent ordeal. Billy, explore the parameters of your power slowly, do not push yourself too far or too fast until you are certain of the extent of your abilities. Tommy, you will need to go with Aji to be outfitted with armor and weapons. Jason…" He held out his hands. "Come here."
Jason did so, a question in his dark eyes.
"Sentinel and Guardian were set free long ago by the deaths of their conduits; Paladin is still tied to me." Iannos took his son's face between his hands. "I bequeath that tie to you." Gold liquid poured from beneath the older man's skin to cover his fingers, his palms, his forearms… and then it came from Jason himself as though in answer to a silent call, covering his head and face, then gushing from every pore to cover his body completely. And finally Jason stood revealed as Paladin, his golden energy pulsing with a faint beat. Iannos concentrated for a moment more, and a second Paladin stood before the astonished group.
Peter was the first to recover his voice. "I had no idea you could do that."
Iannos grinned. "It has been many generations since any power has been shared. Long overdue, in my opinion."
Peter merely nodded, looking at the five. "Be careful, all of you."
