Jason stood before a mirror, admiring his reflection. A small group of Cogs fluttered around him in silvery flashes, putting the final touches on his royal garb. He liked what the mirror showed him: a powerful-looking man with a proud light in his eyes, his expression held stern and inscrutable, as if he were a machine himself. His other garments - inferior things that they were - had been disposed of, and he was now dressed in a style more suited to his station. His new clothes were made of black silk, trimmed at the cuffs with patterns of gold embroidery. He wore black leather gloves and black boots with gold buckles, and a matching belt held a gold-worked scabbard with a jeweled sword. A gold starburst pin held a dramatic black cape in place. The effect was somewhat sinister, but there would be no doubting his power. The Cogs made the final adjustments to his cloak and then carefully placed a gold circlet on his head. He nodded in satisfaction and waved at them dismissively, and they vanished at once.
"It looks right," he said, continuing to scrutinize his reflection. "I don't know how those Rangers thought they could fool me, with or without my memories. There's no way I could not know that this is natural."
He turned away from the mirror and began pacing around his room. It was made of the same golden stone as the rest of the complex, but it lacked the starkness that some of the other rooms had. This room actually had carpeting, dyed a rich red color that Jason found somehow comforting. The curtains and wall-hangings were predominantly red, too, and everything showed a wealth of detail and comfort that he'd seen nowhere else. He'd decided he liked it. He felt quite at home there, and there was no doubt in his mind that the place had been designed just for him - he'd probably picked it all out himself, even if he couldn't remember it.
Meanwhile, Gasket paced restlessly through the hallways, thoroughly annoyed. He had no idea how or why things had gone so ridiculously wrong, but they had, and he hadn't made any preparations for how to deal with them. It was a good thing he had made arrangements for what to do with his captive Ranger now that he had him, or he might have had his bluff called a little earlier than he'd hoped. After all, when one had a genuine Power Ranger at one's disposal (not one of the pathetic fakes that some of his rivals had produced in the past) you made full use of him - for example, putting him to work conquering competing forces. However, he was still stuck with the bother of exterminating the real Power Rangers, who had somehow been able to sneak into his fortress, despite the presence of a formidable barrier. Not only that, but somebody had laid his control room to ruins, and fixing all the damage that had been done would take weeks.
*Of course I know who did it,* he thought bitterly. It hadn't taken long to discover the empty cell that should have held the Red Ranger and the warrior known as Tridor, nor had it been difficult to deduce how the sly reptile had escaped. The Cogs responsible for the lapse had been disassembled. *He's probably long gone by now. There will be no getting revenge on him, pleasant as it would be. He never did behave like a proper prisoner. It would be fun to beat him into submission.*
"Gasket? Is something wrong?" asked a voice.
"Yes, Archerina, everything is wrong," Gasket answered tersely. "My plan has gone completely awry, one of my prisoners has escaped, I've just made a fool of myself in front of anyone who saw that transmission, I'm having to bow and scrape to a Power Ranger and obey everything he says, and there's another one in the dungeon that he won't even let me eliminate! Does it sound like anything is going right today?"
Archerina cringed, as much as a robot could do so. It wasn't often that her husband spoke to her in that tone of voice. He usually managed to speak gently to her no matter how unpleasant a mood he was in.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to upset you. Is there anything I can do?"
"Not now," he answered. "Just leave me alone for a while. I need to think."
"Yes, darling," answered Archerina. "Will I see you later?"
"Perhaps," Gasket replied, not even looking at her. "Goodbye, Archerina."
She sighed softly and returned to her room, alone. It was a situation she would probably have to get used to, she reflected sadly, because if this kept up, there were going to be a lot of lonely days in the future.
Billy was a bit dismayed when only four Rangers returned to the Power Chamber, and even more dismayed to read the looks on their faces. Katherine, in particular, was looking unusually glum, and Billy began to fear the worst.
"What happened?" he blurted.
"Well..." said Adam, "things didn't exactly go the way we planned."
"They never do," Billy said resignedly. "What went wrong this time?"
"You aren't going to believe this," said Rocky, "but Jason thinks he's the King of the Machine Empire. He looked like he was doing a pretty good job of it, too. If Gasket's shield hadn't been broken, it would have been curtains for all of us!"
"They turned him evil?" asked Alpha. Spells like that were fairly common; any experienced Ranger learned how to deal with them after a while.
"No, I don't think that's what it was," said Tanya. "It looked more like they'd just... I don't know, brainwashed him or something. He thought we were the villains, not the Machines."
"So what happened to Tommy?" Billy managed, almost afraid to ask.
"He surrendered," said Kat softly. "He wouldn't leave Jason behind, so he let himself be captured."
"Oh, no," said Billy. "How are we going to manage without Tommy? He should know a team of Rangers can't function with just four members!"
"Five," Adam corrected.
"Five? But if Jason's brainwashed and Tommy's captive, then who...?"
In response, Adam pitched the Red Ranger's morpher to Billy, who caught it reflexively. He looked back to his friends with a puzzled expression.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked.
"Morph, genius!" Rocky answered with a flash of his usual humor. "Tommy wanted you to have it while he's gone. You're going to lead the team in his place."
"But... but..." Billy was too flabbergasted to speak. "I thought I couldn't carry the Power anymore. You know... the whole Gold Ranger thing..."
"It is true that the Gold Ranger's powers will not accept you," said Zordon, "but there has never been any reason why the Zeo Powers should be denied to you. You chose not to carry them of your own free will, but they will serve you if you choose to take them. You have proven yourself worthy of doing so, and I have complete confidence in your leadership abilities."
"Well, if you say so..." said Billy. He turned the Zeonizer over in his hands, trying to convince himself that it was really real. Then he looked up at his friends and smiled. "Guess I don't have much choice. I'll do it!"
There was a cheer in response - a bit of a forced cheer, but a cheer nonetheless. The Rangers knew instinctively that their team was not complete without the Red Ranger, and they were glad to have Billy back in the game. He had to admit, he was glad to be back, too. The other Rangers offered him congratulations, and even Kat contrived to look cheerful.
"Okay, enough hilarity," he said at last. "I've got to get back to work. Even with a full team, we still need to rescue Tommy and Jason, and we aren't going to be able to do that while the computer is still wrecked."
"Right," Adam replied. "Well, I guess if there's nothing left we can help with right now..."
"You might as well go home," said Alpha. "We'll let you know as soon as there's anything you can do."
The other Rangers nodded, serious again, and teleported out, leaving Billy to his work. He watched them go, and then turned back to the broken computer, preparing to work his mechanical magic - or try to.
"Do you really think I'm going to make a good leader?" he asked Alpha.
The little robot looked surprised. "Of course! Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I don't know. Tommy was such a good leader... I don't see how I could ever fill in for him," Billy replied. "I'm a better fighter than I used to be before I became a Ranger, but I've never been the warrior type. My job's usually been to fix what's broken, not fight monsters. Tommy and Jason were the ones who did that, and they're not here now. I just feel like a poor substitute."
"Don't say that, Billy!" Alpha replied. "You were always a great Power Ranger - and a good leader."
"What do you mean?" asked Billy, surprised. "When was I a leader?"
"When the Aquitian Rangers were here," Alpha replied. "You took care of almost everything, then."
"Because I had to," Billy replied. "I was the only one who could."
"And you have to now," Alpha replied.
Billy kept quiet. There didn't seem to be an answer to that... but it did give him something to think about, so as his hands moved mechanically through the maze of circuit boards and wires that filled the computer, his mind examined the idea in much the same way. Could he be a leader? Maybe. He'd have to try, anyway. His friends needed him, and as long as they did, he couldn't afford to trap himself with useless worries. Anyway, this was a team, not a dictatorship, so he could count on the other Rangers to help him. He couldn't help feeling sure that any of them would know how to handle this situation better than he did.
"It's days like this that make me wonder if I'm really cut out to be a Ranger," said Tanya.
"You did fine, really," Adam answered. "No one could have asked you to do more. This is just a weird situation, that's all."
The two Rangers were coping with the stress of the day as best they could by strolling along the edge of the lake, chatting with each other. The other Rangers had taken themselves elsewhere, respecting the couple's right to be alone with each other, but what would have ordinarily been a romantic walk was being weighted down by their worries for their missing friends.
"I know," Tanya sighed. "I just wish I could have done more. Sometimes I feel so out of place. I mean, Tommy's such a good leader, and you all know so much about being Power Rangers already. I've only been here a few weeks. Maybe Billy should have kept the power after all..."
"If he'd kept it, we'd be short a Ranger right now," Adam pointed out. "Don't worry about a thing. You make a fantastic Yellow Ranger. Anyway, Billy wouldn't look nearly as good in that yellow skirt."
Tanya hit him, which was what he'd expected, but she couldn't help laughing anyway. Adam grinned at her.
"Seriously," he said, "you are getting better. You've learned a lot since you started training - faster than I did, as a matter of fact."
"I had a good teacher," Tanya replied. "I never could have done so well if you hadn't been here to teach me."
Adam grinned modestly. "You would have figured it out."
There was a lull in the conversation, and they let it pass, walking hand in hand and thinking their own thoughts. They were so wrapped up in their musings that it was not until they heard a voice speaking to them that they realized that they were not entirely alone.
"Adam? Tanya? Is that you?"
The pair looked up in guilty surprise, embarrassed at not having seen their friend sooner. Emily, the pretty waitress from the Beach Club, was walking up the beach from the other direction. Her spring green eyes seemed darker than usual with worry.
"Hey, Emily. Is something wrong?" asked Tanya.
"Have either of you seen Jason?" Emily replied. "He's missing. I mean, I think he is. He came to the Beach Club today and ordered a snack, and then he ran off without eating and without paying, and nobody knows where he went. Kat paid the bill, but she didn't say where he'd gone, and she ran off like she was worried about something, and I'm afraid he might be in trouble. Do either of you know what's wrong?"
"Sorry, I haven't seen Jason since earlier today. I don't really know what's happened to him," Adam replied, making an attempt at honesty. He'd seen the Gold Ranger, but not Jason, and he really didn't know what had happened to him... not exactly, anyway.
"We're actually kind of worried about him, too," Tanya added. "If you see him, would you let us know?"
"Sure," said Emily, but her voice lacked her usual enthusiasm. She sighed and shrugged. "I just wish I knew why I was so worried. I mean, people have their emergencies and stuff all the time, and I don't usually get so worked up about it..."
"But Jason's your friend, and you don't like it when bad things happen to him," said Adam gently.
"Yeah, that could be it," Emily agreed. "But... I don't know. I'd be concerned if something happened to one of you guys, but this... this is weird. I've got this nagging feeling that something is wrong and that I ought to know what's wrong, and I don't."
Adam shrugged and tried to look unconcerned. "Guess it's just one of those things. Don't worry too much. I'm sure everything will turn out okay eventually."
"You're right," Emily replied. "I should stop worrying so much."
"Hey, there's no reason why you can't worry about him," Tanya assured her. "You know I'd be worried about Adam if he disappeared like that. We gotta look after our guys, right?"
Emily blushed, but didn't object. "Right."
"Well, when Jason comes back, we'll let you know about it," said Adam.
"Not unless I see him first," Emily replied, smiling bravely. "See you guys later."
They said their goodbyes and wandered off in different directions. Tanya took a last look at the lonely girl walking resolutely along the beach, and she felt a pang of sadness. Poor Emily. She could look all she wanted, but she wouldn't find what she was looking for, not as long as Jason was under Gasket's control. It was really too bad; they would have made such a perfect couple, if Ranger business wasn't there to interfere...
"Did you really mean what you just said?" asked Adam.
"About what?" Tanya replied.
"About... us. About me being your guy." Adam kept his head bowed, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing furiously. Tanya repressed the urge to giggle.
"Relax. I was just teasing Emily," she said.
"Does that mean you don't like me?" asked Adam, giving her a puppy-dog look.
For a moment, the stresses of the day were displaced by a peal of spontaneous laughter. "Of course I do! What do you think I've been telling you all afternoon?"
"I dunno, I thought we were talking about Jason and Emily!"
They were both laughing at this point, their voices raised in almost childlike playfulness. They continued making verbal jabs at each other, making valiant efforts to keep their faces straight as they vied for first place in their verbal boxing match.
"You know I can't just tell you I like you! You're supposed to figure it out!"
"How am I supposed to figure it out when you don't give me anything to go on?"
"I did! You just weren't paying attention!"
"I was paying attention!"
"I guess guys really can't figure anything out unless you flat-out tell them."
"Okay. Tell me, then."
"Tell you what?"
"I don't know. Whatever you've been trying to tell me that I haven't heard yet."
"Um, okay..."
It was suddenly very quiet. They were not laughing, now, and the air seemed suddenly too thin, watered down by the lapping of the lake and the faint cries of shore birds. They were both suddenly aware of how close they'd been walking to each other, and how warm and still the summer air was. Tanya felt her hand still holding his, acutely aware of the strength of his grip and the warmth of his touch. She was aware, also, of his eyes, somehow both trusting and uncertain, peering into hers, his face composed into a question that she was suddenly sure she knew the answer to. She gave a sigh of relief; she hadn't known how easy it would be.
"I love you, Adam."
He didn't answer, not with words. Words were dry and clumsy, and would blow away on the wind. What was real was the solid warmth of their fingers intertwined and himself and herself standing inches apart. Then, magically, they weren't. They were closer than they'd ever been, bonded with a kiss as gentle as the rippling lake and caressing breeze, as solid and enduring as the earth beneath them, warm and free as the air. It was pure, it was natural, and it would last.
Pausing for a moment in the puddle of shade cast by a lonely tree, Emily looked back to watch the couple. She was not ashamed of spying on them, nor was she given any joy by the sight. She only felt drained. Seeing them was only one more reminder of how empty she felt in knowing that Jason was gone and she did not know where he was or if he'd come back.
*He'll be back,* she told herself sternly, but she didn't believe it. She had loved Jason when she'd first met him, as much as the couple she was watching loved each other. It had been like a razor slash - fast and sharp, unstoppable, and it had left its mark on her deeply. There was a sense in which she could not be happy without him, and now every moment that went by told her more and more urgently that the man she cared about was not just missing, but in real danger, and she knew with agonizing frustration that there was nothing, nothing in her life's power, that she could do to change it.
Tommy was not at all happy with his accommodations. He'd been moved to a cell - not the kind reserved for Gasket's captive warriors, the kind that were supposed to be kept in reasonably good condition, but the rooms reserved for the more common kind of prisoners. He wasn't a prize, now, but a criminal, and a dangerous one, at that. He'd been relieved of his communicator, either because the barrier hadn't been fully repaired yet (he still had no clear notion of how much damage Tridor had actually managed to cause), or maybe just because his captors didn't want him to have even that small connection with his friends. Now he was stuck in a bleak, bare room, weakly lit and sparsely furnished. He sat on the edge of the uncomfortable cot that was all he had for a bed, stared at the wall, and waited to see what was going to happen next.
He was not quite sure what he expected. He was hoping, in a vague sort of way, that it would be Jason who came to interrogate him. The Gold Ranger hadn't seemed evil, only confused and misguided by... whatever Gasket had done to him.
*If I could just talk to him a little while, I know I could get him to see that we're not his enemies. One thing's for sure: Gasket can't keep up the pretense of being the "good guy" forever. Sooner or later, he has to slip up, and then we'll have him.*
Tommy sighed. He could give himself all the pep talks he wanted, but that still didn't change the fact that he was in an extremely precarious situation, and there was no guarantee that he would get out of it alive. He was counting on it being Jason who finally came for him, but if the new King of the Machine Empire decided to let his right-hand robot look after the prisoner for him, Tommy knew he didn't stand a chance. This had to be one of the stupidest risks he'd ever taken, but he knew that, for the sake of his friend, he could have done nothing else.
Minutes passed - he wasn't sure how many, and he began to feel nervous, almost annoyed. It was one thing to throw him in prison, but it was another thing to forget about him, and he was a bit irked that nobody seemed to be finding him more important. He got up and began to pace the floor, waiting, waiting, waiting.
His ending was ended by an unexpected crash, and he looked up in surprise and apprehension. There were sounds of a scuffle, then a small electric explosion, accompanied by a blue flash. Tommy rushed to the door of his cell, peering through the bars in an attempt to see what was going on, and was met by the staring face of a Cog. He yelped and jumped away, falling instinctively into his fighter's stance, preparing to defend himself. In the next instant, the Cog crumpled to the floor in a flicker of wan blue sparks, and a familiar person stepped into view, brushing hand against claw and grinning broadly.
"Hello again, Tommy," said Tridor cheerfully. "You know, when I went through all the trouble of helping you escape, I didn't know it was just so you could have your rooms upgraded."
"Very funny," said Tommy. "What are you doing back here, Tridor? I thought you planned to go back home to your people. You know you're in danger here. If Gasket finds you..."
Tridor snorted. "Gasket couldn't find his own backside if you gave him a map. I, however, am a master tracker. I also don't leave witnesses," he added, with a glance at the defunct Cog on the floor. "He'll know where I've been, but never where I am."
"Well, it doesn't pay to be too careful," Tommy muttered. "So, are you going to get me out of here, or did you just come to pass the time?"
"Now that you mention it, I would like to get caught up on what's been going on around here. I've been rather too busy hiding to keep up with the latest gossip. We will talk, but not here."
He crouched over the fallen Cog for a moment, and when he stood, he had a stiff bit of wire in his human hand. He quickly applied it to the lock, wrestling with it for a few moments before it finally snapped open. Tommy gratefully stepped out of his cell.
"Thanks, Tridor. I owe you another one," he said. "Now, let's get out of here before someone comes looking for me."
"A few minutes more," Tridor replied. He swung the door shut and closed the lock again. Then he picked up the guard-Cog and propped it against the doorframe, its stiff joints and expressionless face adding to the illusion that it was still dutifully standing guard.
"That will give the accursed prince something to ponder," said Tridor as he led his friend down the hallway. "I was careful, you see. The guard shows no outside damage or signs of my trademark attacks..." He flexed his claws in illustration. "...and the door is still locked. It will take him at least a little while to figure out how you managed to simply vanish, and he may never realize it was I who helped you. Perhaps it will buy us some time."
"That's pretty good thinking," Tommy acknowledged as he hurried to keep up with his friend. "So, where are we going?"
"Up," said Tridor, and he stopped abruptly at the end of the hall.
"Up?" Tommy repeated, momentarily confused. Then he looked up at the ceiling, where a rusty ventilation shaft hung loosely from a few ancient screws. There was a fan beyond it, but someone had apparently jammed it with a bit of broken machinery.
"A hiding place," Tridor explained. "Just follow me."
He reached up with his clawed hand to carefully remove the screws with one of his talons, letting the grate swing open. Tommy saw signs of oil recently added to the hinges and guessed that this must have been how Tridor had managed to infiltrate Gasket's high-security prison. The lizard man clambered up into the narrow opening, and then reached down a hand to assist Tommy. They pulled the grating shut again and released the fan before setting off into the dark unknown.
The place in which Tommy found himself made his prison cell look clean and bright in comparison. It might have been windowless, but at least it had been lit, and its steel walls and floor had reflected the light to at least give an illusion of space and illumination. This place was black, so dark that all he could make out beyond the flickering grid-pattern of the grating behind the fan were a few other chinks of light, those small and distant, and the glittering of Tridor's eyes in the dark. There were pipes and wires twisting above and beside him, making snakelike progress through the shadows. The air vibrated with the humming of machinery, and there was an overwhelming smell of machine oil. It was surprisingly large, designed for easy maintenance, so the pair could at least stand up without difficulty.
"What's all this?" Tommy wondered, hearing his voice echoing from uncountable metal surfaces.
"The guts of the palace," said Tridor. "There are as many tunnels like these as there are proper hallways in this complex, I believe. I have only had time to explore a few, however, and those have only been the ones I covered while looking for you. It will make a good hiding place, though, provided you don't damage anything of importance. Not many will think to look for you here, and fewer could find you even if they did."
"Thanks. Thanks a whole lot," Tommy answered. "I don't know how I'm going to repay you for all of your help."
"You've paid me once for giving me my freedom, which I value over all things," Tridor answered. "You can pay me further by eliminating the Machine Prince's rule and setting the rest of my people free as well. You can also tell me what's been happening while I've been crawling through ventilation channels like a rat in a sewer." His voice said nothing but seriousness, but his teeth and eyes flashed in a grin.
"Fair enough," Tommy replied. "I can't explain everything that's been going on here, but the one thing I know for sure is that Gasket's got my best friend Jason in some kind of mind lock, so now he thinks he's the King of the Machine Empire!"
"Who does? Gasket?"
"No, Jason! He thinks he's the king and the other Rangers and I are some kind of evil villains," Tommy explained. "I think Gasket's posing as his advisor or something."
"Really? How odd," Tridor mused. He inspected his claws thoughtfully as he mulled over this new information. "I have to wonder how long Gasket will be able to keep up that act before he loses his temper? I can't imagine servility would come easily to him."
"I don't know. He can't be very happy now that his plan's fallen through," Tommy replied.
"Who says it's fallen through?" asked Tridor. "I'm under the impression that a Ranger team isn't nearly as efficient when it is missing members, and Gasket currently has two in his clutches, more or less. You certainly don't look like you're in any position to escape... though I suppose I could return you to your proper place easily enough, if you would like."
"No. Thanks for the offer, but I feel like I need to stay here. I've got a friend taking care of things for me back home, so at least the team isn't short a Red Ranger," Tommy replied. "But... the team needs a Gold Ranger, too, to make it complete, and Jason, well, I don't think he's in the right frame of mind for that right now."
"Indeed," said Tridor dryly. "So, what should be done about it? I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions at the moment."
Tommy considered for a long while. He gave his friend a speculative look.
"You wouldn't happen to know how to get to Triforia, would you?"
Gasket walked around a corner and nearly ran into Jason. Had it been anyone else in the universe (strained as he felt, even Archerina would have been considered a fair target) he would have given the person obstructing his walking space a more-than-considerable tongue-lashing. A servant or a Cog (same thing) would have gotten a real lashing, but as things stood, Gasket had to reel in his temper in a record amount of time. He attempted servility.
"Ah, er, ahem. Pardon me, your majesty, I didn't realize you were there. Where are you going?"
"I was looking for you," Jason replied. "One of the servants said I might find you down here."
"You shouldn't be wandering all over the palace just for my sake," Gasket replied. If he'd had teeth, he would have been lying through them admirably. "I would have been more than happy to come to you myself if you'd only sent me a message, and we could have talked in comfort. Besides, you should be resting after your accident."
"I feel fine, and it saves me time if I go straight to you. I don't need to waste time waiting for my servants to do what I can do better myself."
"Um, yes. Point taken," Gasket replied, wondering why he hadn't thought of that himself. This Jason person could get annoying, being right all the time! "What is it you require of your humble servant, your majesty?"
"I'm ready to have a word with our prisoner," said Jason, "and I want you to come along and tell me if he lies. Until I get all my memories back, it will be too easy for their kind to play tricks on me."
"A wise decision, your highness," said Gasket. "He is waiting for you in one of the prison cells."
Jason nodded. "Lead the way."
Gasket did as he was told - something that would have been unthinkable in days gone by, he reflected. Since Jason had moved in, Gasket had been falling into the habits of a servant with remarkable swiftness. It rankled him as much as anything else about the situation, and he was beginning to revise his plans. No matter how successful this King Jason game might turn out to be, he was beginning to believe it would be better if he disposed of this Ranger once he had accomplished his original purpose. Jason was too good at this, too comfortable with command, too clever with the way he issued orders and planned things out. One part of him was thinking that there was no wonder the Rangers were so successful when they had leadership like this at their disposal, and the other part of him was fuming because he was beginning to get the feeling this Ranger was outdoing him in his own element! That anger might have been why it took so long for him to realize that something in the prison was wrong.
Most of the cells in Gasket's prison were empty at the moment; he had executed most of their occupants as a way to enliven a few dull afternoons. At present, it should have been only the Red Ranger who was taking up space there, but it still shouldn't have been quite so quiet. Too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice noise that wasn't there, he marched up to the alert-looking Cog that stood at stiff attention next to Tommy's cell.
"You, there! Unlock the door!" he commanded.
The Cog continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed on the wall ahead of it. Gasket gave it an annoyed glare.
"Didn't you here me?" he asked it. "His majesty wishes to interrogate the prisoner! Now, open the door!"
Naturally, the Cog did nothing. Gasket stared at it, wondering if its battery had run down. He gave it an experimental prod, and it toppled to the floor with a clang. Its head popped off and rolled down the hall.
"What in blazes?" Gasket exclaimed. He hurriedly peered through the door and scanned the room. It was neat, sparse, and clearly empty.
"Don't tell me," Jason guessed. "He escaped, right?"
"Obviously," said Gasket. He tried the door and heard the lock rattle. "The door is still locked. His blasted friends must have teleported him out!"
"You told me that there was no way he could have escaped from this cell," said Jason, his dark eyes shining dangerously.
"I never even considered the possibility of him teleporting," Gasket protested. He was trying to sound indignant, but it wasn't coming off as well as he had hoped. "I took his communicator away myself, and I was sure I'd destroyed the other Rangers' teleportation facilities..."
"Then you obviously weren't doing your job, were you?" answered Jason.
Gasket tried to stammer more protests, but he was cut off.
"Never mind all that," Jason replied. "I gave you a job to do and you failed. You will be dealt with... and the Rangers will be punished for trying to make a fool of me. Find them for me, and I'll go teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"
"Yes, your majesty," said Gasket tersely. "Will I be accompanying you this time? You should at least bring one other warrior with you, for safety's sake..."
"I go alone," Jason answered. "You will stay here and wait for me to return. Is that understood."
"Yes, your majesty," Gasket said. Jason gave him a speculative look, and then shrugged. If Gasket hadn't been a machine, he would have sworn he was pouting.
The alarms sounded in the Power Chamber, and Billy narrowly missed hitting his head on the case of the computer as he looked up in surprise.
"Sounds like trouble," he mused. "What's going on, Zordon?"
"The Gold Ranger has appeared by the lakeside. I am alerting the others to possible danger," Zordon replied. "Transform, and I will teleport you to their location."
"Transform. Right," he answered suddenly a bit nervous. He pushed back his sleeves and stared thoughtfully at the Zeonizer strapped to his wrists. "Here goes nothing... Its morphin time!"
He was not prepared for what came next, for the rush of red light that invaded his body and melted him. It was burning, but not painfully so, burning away everything that wasn't needed and transforming him into something more than he had been. For a split-second, he was afraid, but then he remembered.
*The Power... this is what it feels like. I'd almost forgotten...*
In the next instant, Billy was gone, replaced by a powerful, confident warrior in gleaming red armor.
"All right! This is great!" he enthused. "I could get used to this."
"Get used to it at the lake," said Alpha. "The other Rangers need you!"
"I'm on my way," Billy replied. Grinning behind his mask, he teleported away in a burst of red light.
If life was fair, no one would have disturbed Adam and Tanya for quite some time, not until all that needed to be said and done had been completed. However, life was infamous for being anything but fair, and so their romantic moment was abruptly destroyed by an explosion. They were both thrown off their feet and into the nearby lake, and they came up spluttering and wiping water from their eyes.
"Aw, man," Adam complained. "I know a first kiss is supposed to have fireworks, but that was ridiculous!"
"You shouldn't let your guard down so soon, Rangers," said the Gold Ranger coldly, stepping out from behind a tree.
"Excuse me, but this is a private meeting," said Tanya, getting to her feet. Her dunking in the lake had done nothing to extinguish the fire in her eyes. "A king ought to have better manners, if you ask me."
"I don't have to use manners for the likes of you," Jason replied. "Surrender now, and you'll get more consideration."
"Not a chance," Adam replied. "We're getting you back, no matter what it takes!"
Jason misunderstood the comment completely. "Who are you to talk about revenge? I've done nothing to you... yet."
Meanwhile, unobserved in the tree-shadows, Emily was watching the exchange with wide-eyed astonishment. Why was the Gold Ranger attacking her friends? She's heard of Rangers turned evil, but it was frightening to be seeing one for herself, even from this safe distance. But why weren't Tanya and Adam acting more surprised? Why would they know what was going on, unless...?
"That's right," said Adam, "and you're not going to do anything to us. Ready, Tanya?"
"Let's do it," she agreed.
In unison, the two teens exclaimed, "It's morphin time!"
Emily's jaw dropped in amazement as thoughts went spinning through her mind. Adam and Tanya were Power Rangers?
"Well," she said softly, "I guess that explains it."
There was a green and gold blur as the two Rangers charged at their friend, brandishing their weapons. Jason deflected a strike from one of one of Adam's hatchets, but that only left him open to receive a hit from Tanya's nunchucks. He batted them both away with his Golden Power Staff before powering it up, and burning gold energy rained down on them.
"This is not good," said Adam.
"Hang on, guys! Help is on the way!" called a cheerful voice.
"All right!" cheered Tanya, as the Red Ranger arrived, with the Blue and Pink Rangers close behind. "I wondered when you guys would show up!"
"Sorry we're late. The traffic was murder," Rocky joked.
The Gold Ranger glared furiously at Billy.
"You again," he growled. "You have a lot of nerve, Red Ranger. I don't know how you escaped from my prison, but you're going to pay for making a fool of me!"
"What are you-?" Billy stammered. That was as far as he got before Jason rushed him, and he was too surprised to get out of the way before he was bulldozed into the ground. The other four Rangers leapt to his defense, but the problem that had hampered them before was still firmly in place: Jason was still their friend, and they still didn't know quite how to deal with him without hurting him. On the other hand, they couldn't leave him unwatched, not in this state - there was no telling what he might do. All they could do was stand and defend themselves as well as they could, until they couldn't even stand any longer...
"Give it up, Rangers!" Jason shouted, standing menacingly over the Rangers. They lay sprawled in the sand, unable to muster the strength to rise. "You can't fight anymore! Just give up, and I won't hurt you."
"We aren't going so surrender," Billy ground out, struggling to raise himself up. "We will win, somehow, no matter what you do."
"Nice speech. Too bad it's nothing but hot air," Jason replied. "This is the end of the line, Rangers!"
"NO!" cried a voice.
Jason turned around to stare in annoyance at whoever was shouting at him, and was met by the determined stare of a blonde-haired girl.
"Who are you?" he asked.
She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. I'm just a friend, and I'm not going to stand here and watch you hurt them."
Jason looked at her thoughtfully, his mind in a whirl.
*Who is she?* he wondered. *I know I've seen her before. Is she a friend or an enemy? She's protecting the Rangers, but she doesn't seem like a villain...*
"Fine," he said. "I won't make a lady watch this. Rangers, your friend has bought you some time, but she won't preserve you forever. Until next time..." He bowed slightly to her before he vanished in a shimmer of gold-tinged black.
"Man, that was a little too close," said Adam. "Thanks a lot for your help, ma'am."
*He doesn't know I saw him,* Emily thought. Aloud, she added, "What's going on? Has something happened to the Gold Ranger?"
"It's a long story," said Billy. "Don't worry, though. We'll get it under control eventually."
"I sure hope so," Emily replied. "If you ever need my help again, I'll do anything I can."
"That won't be necessary," Billy assured her.
*Maybe yes, maybe no,* thought Tanya. *I'm starting to get an idea...*
Gasket stood in a small control room, sulking. Archerina hovered behind him like an exhausted butterfly, seeming to have lost all of her normal good cheer and leaving only a strained shadow of her usual self. She peered over his shoulder from a safe distance, avoiding his touch as if she feared electric shock. As for her husband, he ignored her. His attention was riveted to the screen of a computer, watching the ending of the skirmish between the Rangers and Jason.
"Well, isn't that just lovely?" he muttered. "Just grand. He scolds me for something that was no fault of my own, and there he goes sparing the Rangers for no good reason! Just who does he think he is?"
"He thinks he's the king," Archerina offered helpfully.
"I know that!" Gasket barked. "That was not what I meant! What I meant was that this whole entire king business is beginning to get on my nerves! I'm tired of taking orders, especially when they don't make any practical sense, and I'm tired of waiting hand and foot on a human. And now he has the nerve to give up on a fight just as he's winning, and all because of some pathetic human girl."
"Real gentlemen sometimes do things that don't make sense when a lady asks them to."
"Weaklings," said Gasket. "You'd never catch me doing anything so foolish."
"No?"
"Of course not. When one is trying to take over the universe, one does not let one's emotions get in the way. He ought to keep his goal in mind instead of fraternizing with the enemy. Nothing is more important than ridding the universe of these Rangers and establishing our rightful place as rulers of the cosmos... don't you agree, dear? Dear? Archerina, where did you go?"
Gasket looked around in puzzlement. He was alone in the room. His gears ground in utter bafflement as he tried to figure out why she would have left.
The Rangers reappeared in the Power Chamber in their characteristic blaze of colors. As soon as they were fully materialized, they removed their helmets and set them aside. It was difficult to have a meaningful conversation with people whose faces were hidden.
"Well, that's one battle down," said Rocky. "How many to go, I wonder?"
"Too many," said Adam. "This one was almost too much for us. If it hadn't been for Emily, we would have been toast."
"She's a brave girl," Tanya mused. "Too bad there are no more openings left for Rangers. She could have fit in with us pretty well."
"Some leader I turned out to be," Billy muttered. "The first thing I did was get plowed down, and you guys had to come save me."
"Don't take it too hard," said Kat. "You're just... out of practice, that's all. This is a difficult way to start, fighting one of your best friends. You know Jason better than any of us here."
"Yeah. It's funny he didn't recognize me," Billy replied. "Very funny."
"Hilarious," answered Rocky dryly.
"No, that's not what I mean," said Billy. "He thought I was Tommy!"
"Of course he did. How's he supposed to know you're the Red Ranger now?" asked Adam. "I'm not even sure he knows our names in the state he's in."
"You're not getting it. Listen - Jason thought he had Tommy locked up somewhere. You told me Tommy let himself be held captive. Now, if Jason thinks he has Tommy safe in prison somewhere, why would he think I was him unless..."
"Unless Tommy escaped!" finished Kat excitedly.
"Exactly," Billy agreed. "That's one less worry, anyway. We can rest a little easier as long as we know Gasket hasn't got him."
"Well, I'm glad we have some good news," said Adam. "The rest of this day has been pretty rough."
The other Rangers agreed wholeheartedly. A Ranger never got a real vacation, but they could at least call it quits for the rest of the day. They demorphed and teleported back to their homes, thinking only of drowning themselves in homework or television or sleep... at least until tomorrow.
Finster was waiting. He had spent the day patiently and the evening hours anxiously, but now it was true night, and he was beginning to run out of patience. He fingered the jewel in his pocket in a nervous gesture, and it sent him a small wave of reassurance in response.
*You are worried without need,* it told him. *Have faith, Channeller. I can look after you if need be. All will be well.*
"But I'm tired of waiting," he complained. "How long before I can leave this dreadful place? I'm ready to get out of here. Why won't you let me?"
*Because it isn't time,* said the Apieron placidly. *When it is time, you will know. You will be very sure, as a matter of fact.* Finster got the impression that the gem was making some sort of joke, and he was annoyed that it was something he couldn't understand.
"Well, that's perfectly fine for you," he said. "You know everything that's going to happen before it does, but I'm just..."
*A Channeller,* the Apieron finished. *And not really such a bad one, but very stubborn at times. Do you want to know the future? It would be easy enough to show you.*
"Could you? Really?" asked Finster with genuine interest. He wasn't sure whether to be eager or afraid. Purposeful far-seeing like that was usually a power reserved for people much greater than he was. He'd heard that Zordon could do it sometimes, and that there were several others in distant parts of the universe, but not many. Zedd and Rita couldn't do it at all... and that, he decided, was reason enough to try.
*Of course. I do not offer anything I cannot give, and I do not tell lies. You know that.* The Apieron sounded more patient than scolding.
"Well, then... I guess you can show me."
*Very good!* said the Apieron, sounding pleased. *Hold the crystal in your hand and look in it as if it were a mirror.*
Finster did as he was told, taking out the gem and letting it glitter in the icy starlight. Peering into its smooth surface, he could see one of his own eyes reflected back at him, its blueness undistorted by the stone's own shimmering colors. Curious, he stared at it more closely, and suddenly there were visions crowding and tumbling through his mind, as if he were trying to have several dreams at once. He watched them, too intent on trying to make out what they were to feel really afraid. The images flitted by too fast for him to make sense of: a lizard-like man walking alongside another man in fine black and gold clothing, a girl with blonde hair and spring-green eyes, a woman weeping alone in her room, a warrior in white armor, and a proud man with a golden crown.
They were just beginning to make sense to him when his attention was jolted away from the pictures by the sound of an explosion. Then the pain hit, and he realized someone was attacking him. That realization came while he was still in the air, and he hit the ground with a crunch. His spectacles fell off, and the Apieron was jolted out of his hands. Defenseless and half-blind, he looked up at the black and gold blur that could only be one person. Finster knew right then that he was doomed.
"You have ten seconds to explain where you got that stone," Goldar snarled.
"I found it," said Finster lamely. His hand scrabbled in the dust, trying to find the crystal, desperately hoping that it might have the power to save him...
"You found it. Right," Goldar replied. "Don't lie to me, old man. I know what that is. That is an Apieron, and no one should be allowed to touch it!"
"How do you know?" asked Finster, trying to sound like he was not afraid.
"Rita told me about it when she found it, and she told me that if I ever found anyone trying to use it, I should destroy them immediately!" Goldar bared his teeth in a fiendish grin and readied his sword. "It's been so long since I've had a real battle, even killing you will be fun. Prepare to die!"
Finster stared in horror as he watched the armored warrior approach. Well, here it was, he was going to die at the hand of someone who had once been, if not a friend, then at least an ally. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right...
Suddenly, just before the blade began to fall, something snapped inside of him. He would not let this happen! He was a Channeller, a voice of the spirits. He had the power to see the future, and he certainly had the power to overcome an ugly ape like Goldar. He raised a hand and shouted a word he'd heard - maybe he'd read it in a book, or maybe the Apieron had given it to him, he wasn't sure - and a bolt of green lightning shot from his hand and punched Goldar in the chest. The warrior flew backwards several feet before landing in a heap of rubble, and Finster pulled himself to his feet with great dignity and dusted himself off. It was hard to tell who was more surprised.
"You should be more careful in choosing your battles," Finster heard himself say. At least, he thought it was he who was talking. The voice certainly sounded like his, but there was a level of confidence in it that he hadn't heard himself use in eons. "Appearances can be deceiving, and Channellers do not make good targets. I advise you to go away and leave me in peace." Goldar clattered to his feet, snarling and rubbing his bruised backside.
"Zedd and Rita will hear of this," he threatened.
"You're going to tell them that you were bested by me?" asked Finster, still strangely calm. "That will certainly show them what a mighty warrior you are."
Goldar growled again, but he didn't seem to have any other answers, and he slunk away in a cold fury. As soon as he was gone, Finster collapsed onto the nearest pile of rocks to recover his nerves.
"That was too close," he panted.
*Not as close as you think. I was guarding you the whole time. Even if your spell misfired, you still wouldn't have been hurt,* the Apieron replied. *By the way, you'll find your spectacles three feet to your left and seven inches ahead of you. One lens is a bit scratched, but not badly.*
"Thank you," Finster replied. He ran his paw across the earth in the general direction the Apieron had indicated until he felt something that was cooler and smoother than the surrounding stone. Once he could see again, he retrieved the white crystal from where it had fallen.
*I think,* it said, *that the creature you have so thoroughly embarrassed would find ways of making life unpleasant for you if you were to return to the place from whence you came.*
"I think you would be right," Finster replied. "Do you think we should leave?"
*I think we should.*
So they left.