Diclaimer: The Power Rangers, various villains, and helpers, are the property of Saban.
Green eyes stared at him out of the mist. Jason stared back, hypnotized. All around him was darkness and freezing grey fog, but the eyes penetrated it all, intense as fireworks and piercing as spears. He staggered forward, his feet stumbling on invisible bumps and hollows in the earth, making his way painfully closer. He was lost and confused, and there was nowhere else he could turn.
Gradually, the owner of the eyes came into view. It was a girl with a pretty face and long golden hair. The air around her was golden, too, for she seemed to radiate a light all her own that held the fog at bay. Jason reached out for her, and she wrapped his cold hand in her warm one.
"Who are you?" he whispered.
"Who are you?" she replied, half smiling.
"I'm Jason."
"Jason? Jason who?"
"I'm... I'm King Jason, of the Machine Empire," he replied.
The golden girl laughed. "Machines? You don't look like a machine to me. You look like a flesh-and-blood man. If you're a king, why don't you remember any of it?"
"I lost my memory," said Jason. "I was injured in a fight."
"If you don't remember, how do you know you're a king, then?"
"Because Gasket told me so."
"And what makes you so sure you can trust him?" The question was asked gently, like the touch of a flame to a fuse.
"Who else am I going to trust?" Jason snapped. "I don't know anyone, I don't remember anything, I'm completely lost! If I don't trust someone, I'll never get anywhere! Do you know someone better to trust?"
The girl smiled. "Trust me."
"I don't know if I can."
"Listen, Jason. You're not a king, you're a prisoner. If you don't trust me, you'll never get out."
"Out? Out of what? I'm not trapped."
"If you're not trapped, then follow me!"
With that, the girl turned and ran, giving Jason no course but to follow behind her. His feet caught in the ruts and jagged rocks, and he turned his ankles on loose stones, and no matter how hard he tried to catch her, the girl got further and further away. The fog grew thicker, obscuring her golden light, and Jason struggled desperately to run faster. He was running blind, lost in a sea of grey air. Then he slammed into something cold and hard, and he fell to the ground with an aching bruise on his shoulder. He reached out into the darkness, and his hand found cold iron bars - a prison door. He was trapped, imprisoned forever, and he rattled the bars and screamed the girl's name...
He woke up. He was safe in his bed, thick red blankets thrown askew as he'd tossed and turned in his sleep. The room was dark, and silent except for the distant hum of some great eternal engine... that and his own racing heart. Hanging next to his bed was a silk rope that he could pull at any hour of the day or night to bring his servants racing to answer his needs, and he considered pulling it. He was not afraid of nightmares, but this one was sure to have some kind of meaning, and he wanted to tell it to someone. But no, he wouldn't disturb his advisor for something as trivial as a dream. He would save it for morning. In the meantime, he repeated the whole adventure in his mind, over and over, so he wouldn't lose a single word, especially the final word, the name of the mysterious golden girl. He said it aloud to the listening walls.
"Emily."
Tanya stared at the ceiling. She held a book in her hand, but she wasn't even consciously aware of which one it was, much less what was going on between its covers. She'd been looking at it for most of the morning, but her eyes brushed over the letters without ever doing more than taking in their shapes. There was too much to think about without cluttering up her brain with the problems of imaginary people as well.
The main worry in her mind was the fate of her friend Tommy. The fact that Jason was now missing most of his memories and convinced that he was King of the Machine Empire was certainly worrisome, and she was giving the problem a fair share of her thoughts, but she felt more worry over the actual situation than for Jason himself. He would come to no irreparable harm as long as Gasket needed him; he was probably safer at the moment than he had been with the Rangers, strange as it seemed.
On the other hand, anything could be happening to Tommy. The Rangers were at least fairly certain that he had escaped imprisonment, but for how long? If he had been found again, imprisoned, or even killed, there was no guarantee that they would know about it.
"Tommy can take care of himself," Tanya said. "He's been a Ranger longer than just about anyone. He could survive better than any of us, even without his powers. I know I couldn't do it."
That was one of the other things that was worrying her. As a Ranger, she was probably the weakest member of the team, new and untried. She hadn't been chosen, as the others had, for any particular set of abilities, nor had she really proven herself in any way. She had just been in the right place at the right time, and the team needed a second female member, so she had been picked, and she had spent her time as a Ranger just trying to gain even a fraction of the skills the others possessed.
*Face it,* she told herself. *If you were in Tommy's situation, you'd be a goner by now. If it weren't for your powers and what the others have been teaching you, you would have been toast the time you met your first Cog. Billy's a genius, Tommy's a natural leader, Jason and Adam and Rocky are great fighters - even Kat knows more about fighting evil than you. I've never done anything to prove myself as a Ranger. Now we have a real emergency, and I'm just sitting here doing nothing.*
Somewhere in the house, a doorbell chimed, and Tanya listened as the front door was opened and voices exchanged muffled words.
"Tanya," called a voice, "you have a visitor!"
"I wonder who that could be?" Tanya wondered. "Send them up. My door is unlocked."
Footsteps clattered up the stairs, and then Tanya's door opened. Tanya blinked in faint surprise.
"Emily," she managed. "What are you doing here?"
"I have a bone to pick with you," she said. "Is there somewhere I can sit down? We really need to talk."
"Sure, have a seat," said Tanya, pointing at her desk chair.
Emily shut the door and went to sit down, and Tanya watched her. Though Emily was fundamentally a nice girl at heart, she still had a kind of strength and confidence that made her stand out. It didn't take much of a leap of imagination to see her as part of the feared biker gang that had briefly terrorized Angel Grove. She still had the air of someone it was better to have as a friend than an enemy. Tanya wondered what had Emily so upset that she was allowing shades of her more dangerous side to show.
"Tanya," she said, "I want you to be honest with me. Where is Jason?"
"I... haven't seen him," said Tanya carefully. She was a forthright girl, and she was still learning the hero's knack for an instant, honest, evasive answer.
"But you know where he is, don't you?"
"Not exactly," Tanya replied. "Why are you asking me?"
Emily sighed. "Maybe you'll be more honest with me if I'm honest with you. Tanya, I know you're the Yellow Ranger."
"You... what? What are you talking about? What makes you think I-"
"I saw you transform yesterday," Emily replied. "You and Adam turned into the Yellow and Green Rangers when the Gold Ranger showed up and started attacking you."
"Emily, you have got to swear never to tell anyone about that," said Tanya. "If our secret gets out, Zordon will make us leave the team, and we can't afford to let that happen. Not now."
"Don't worry. You can trust me," said Emily. "I don't want to cause any trouble, really. I just want to know where Jason is, and if he's safe. Has he got something to do with this?"
Tanya nodded. "I'll tell you, but you aren't going to like it. Jason is one of us, the Gold Ranger, but something's happened to him. Gasket captured him and brainwashed him, and now he thinks he's the King of the Machine Empire."
"Gasket? Machine Empire?" Emily repeated. "Maybe you'd better back up and explain this a little more."
So Tanya explained everything, as much as she understood, beginning all the way back when she had been chosen as part of the team and leading up to the present moment. She was glad to see that while Emily looked very surprised and a little worried, she didn't look as if she disbelieved any of it. Her expression stayed serious, biting her lower lip thoughtfully.
"So, Jason thinks he's one of the bad guys now?" she asked.
"That's what it looks like," Tanya said. "But don't worry about him. We won't hurt him, no matter what happens, and Tommy is there to protect him. Those two are like brothers; Tommy would do anything for him." She had mentioned that Tommy had escaped his prison, but not her fears that he might be recaptured.
"Good. That makes me feel a little better," said Emily. "I'm glad to know he's still alive and safe... well, sort of. Thanks for telling me, Tanya. And don't worry - you can tell your... Zordon.... that your secret is safe with me. And if there's anything I can do to help, just ask."
"I'll do that," Tanya promised. There probably wouldn't be anything, but it would make Emily feel better. "I'll keep you posted."
"Thanks." Emily stood up. "I guess I'd better get going. I didn't tell my parents I was going anywhere. Good luck, Tanya."
"Thanks. Bye, Emily."
When her friend had gone, Tanya gradually became aware of feeling restless... or perhaps it was a state of being energized, even refreshed. She hadn't really ever thought about what a burden it was to be carrying such a secret as her involvement with Earth's protectors, but it was nice to know that there was someone outside their tight little circle that she could talk to now. She would have to let Zordon know, though, if he didn't already - she was still constantly amazed at how much the mage seemed to sense. Well, that being the case, and since there was no real emergency happening at the moment, Tanya decided it might be nice to take a walk and burn off some of this nervous energy.
At least it was a good day for walking, a bright summer day of the kind that made California famous. There were a number of others out enjoying the sunshine as well, making Tanya feel crowded, so she turned her steps in the direction of the Angel Grove Forest. It was cooler and quieter there, giving her the peace and privacy to think clearly.
As she walked, she replayed her conversation with Emily in her mind. It had taken some courage to stage a confrontation like that. It evidenced just how much Emily cared for Jason, not to mention showing her own personal bravery. She had taken the news calmly and sensibly, without any kind of hysterics or denial. As for learning the secrets of the Power Rangers, she had so far shown herself to be trustworthy - after all, she had discovered their identities yesterday afternoon, and since no one seemed to be talking about it today, she had obviously kept her mouth shut. Tanya had never given a lot of thought to Emily before, thinking of her as little more than Jason's crush, but now she was starting to feel some admiration for her. She was brave, intelligent, loyal, and trustworthy. For a brief moment, it crossed her mind that Emily might have been a better choice for Yellow Ranger than Aisha's cousin-by-adoption.
She didn't get to think about that for very long, however, before her attention was caught by a series of strange sounds, rustling and muttering. Tanya paused and looked around. A short distance away was a tangled patch of thorn bushes, and she could make out the shape of something or someone moving around in them. They did not sound very happy.
"Ouch!" cried a voice. "Let go of me, you pestiferous plant! Ow! Oh, bother. Help!"
"Are you okay in there?" asked Tanya.
"No, I am not. I have been wandering around in this forest all night, I have not had any breakfast, and now I am being held captive by a blackberry bush. Would you be all right if that happened to you?"
"No, probably not," Tanya admitted. "Quit thrashing around, and I'll see if I can untangle you, okay?"
There was a noncommital sort of noise from within the bush, so Tanya trudged through the leaves and undergrowth to see about releasing her new acquaintance. As she walked around the bush, however, she wondered if that might not be such a good idea.
"A monster!" she yelped.
"Oh, starblazes, it's a Power Ranger," the monster said. "Now I really am in trouble."
Tanya paused to give the creature a second look. Monster it may have been, but it didn't look all that dangerous. It was a vaguely doglike thing with grayish white fur, huge ears, and surprisingly blue eyes. It wore a long apron and a pair of square-lensed glasses. It looked tired and bedraggled and frightened, but it didn't look dangerous.
"Who are you?" she asked.
*She doesn't recognize me,* Finster realized.*Of course, this is the new girl, Tanya, so she's never seen me, and she doesn't know who I am. Maybe I'm safe, after all... Tommy or Billy would have shot me as soon as looked at me.*
"My name is Finster," he said aloud. "I'm trying to escape."
"Escape? From who?"
"From the Dark Side," he said. "I've betrayed them, and now they want to kill me. I came to Earth looking for protection."
Tanya looked at him skeptically. "Are you sure about that? You wouldn't be trying to put one over on me, would you?"
"Oh, no! I wouldn't do that," Finster protested. "I've been trying to help you, really. Who do you think it was that teleported you all to Gasket's arena?"
"Well, we never exactly figured that out..."
"Please, just give me a chance to prove myself," he said. "I can't hurt you. I have nowhere to go. If someone doesn't help me..." He trailed off, making an effort to get his emotions under control, but Tanya heard the fear in his voice.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll help you. Come on."
"Come where? I'm still stuck in this bush," Finster pointed out.
"That's not hard to take care of," said Tanya. "I think we can do this the easy way."
She caught his paw in her hand, and in the next instant, they both vanished in a blink of yellow light.
*If I'm the least important of the Rangers,* Tanya thought, *then there sure is a lot happening to me today.*
Gasket didn't know it, but he had an infestation. Not the usual kind, of course; mice weren't a particular problem, and a termite would have starved to death in his metal empire. What he had was a lot more troublesome because it was a lot more intelligent. What he had to deal with was a human.
Unseen by the drones below, Tommy peered through a grating in the ceiling as a harried crew of kitchen slaves prepared breakfast. He hoped no one could hear the growling in his stomach. His dinner the night before had literally been bread and water. He had been fortunate just to figure out where the kitchen was in this vast maze, and he had dallied just long enough to snatch a loaf of bread before returning to the safety of the crawl spaces. He'd been lucky enough to locate a cold water pipe earlier on, so he knew that he would at least not go thirsty, but food was more of a problem. Now he played the part of the silent observer and wished the cooks would hurry up and finish so he could pilfer his next meal.
*Things could be worse,* he decided. *A lot worse. I could be stuck back in prison, or fighting in the arena. At least I have a little freedom this way.*
At last, the kitchen staff finished what they were doing and went their separate ways, some back to their quarters, some to deliver meals to the prisoners, and one to carry a golden tray to the king. Tommy noted the direction in which it was traveling before prying open the grating and dropping in for breakfast.
Hungry as he was, he'd spent the last hour or so thinking longingly about french toast and sausage, but he was willing to settle for anything he could positively identify as safe. He found a few leftover rolls, part of a batch that had been specially prepared for Jason, so he decided they were safe enough. There was also a pot filled with cold hard-boiled eggs, and he slipped a few into his pockets - they'd make good snacks for later, in case he couldn't get back to the kitchen. He found a thing that might have been roast beef, but it also might not have been, so he settled for helping himself to a specimen from a basket of tomatoes. There were other things in the kitchen that looked harmless, but he wasn't sure how much he could safely steal before someone noticed, so he decided to make do with what he had and went to look for Jason.
That proved to be, as Tommy had hoped, a relatively easy task. Carefully taking note of escape routes and hiding places as he traveled and keeping his ears peeled for approaching Cogs, he glided silently through the hallway. This was a small one, evidently meant to give the kitchen staff an unobtrusive way of delivering meals to the prisoners without getting in Gasket's way. They did, however, have doors opening to the main rooms, and one of them had sounds issuing from behind it. Tommy took to the crawl spaces again to move in for a better look. He was learning to appreciate and even enjoy this new way of traveling. It was fun to think that he was moving around right under Gasket's nose without ever being seen, and the sense of invisibility almost made up for the vulnerability he felt without his powers. Sure enough, there was an air vent near the ceiling of Jason's royal dining room, giving him a view that was not only panoramic, but air-conditioned! Feeling deeply appreciative of his good luck, Tommy settled down to watch the show.
A few feet below him, Jason was picking at his own, much more elaborate breakfast, while Gasket stood respectfully at his right elbow. Perhaps it was stress that made Tommy start wondering flippantly if robots ate breakfast. What did they eat? Gasoline? Double-A batteries?
"Are you feeling unwell this morning, your majesty?" asked Gasket, doing a commendable job of sounding worried.
"Oh, um... I just have a bit of a headache," said Jason, shaking himself out of some daydream. "Probably from whatever those Rangers did to me to make me lose my memories. Besides, I didn't sleep well last night."
"If there was something bothering you, you could have called one of the servants. It would be no inconvenience - they never sleep."
"Everything was fine, really," Jason assured him. "I was just having nightmares. I think it comes from not being able to remember everything. It makes me feel uneasy."
"You mustn't let it bother you, my king," said Gasket. "You owe it to your subjects to keep a clear mind at all times. The Rangers will surely seek to retaliate against you for stealing their leader, and now that he is returned to them, they have the means to do it. Any lack of concentration could be disastrous."
"That's true. They're too smart for their own good," said Jason thoughtfully. "I think they may have even conned a few of the civilian people into believing in their cause."
Gasket looked startled. There was something else he hadn't yet taken into consideration! It was one thing for the Rangers themselves to protest their innocence - Jason was already willing to believe they were lying to him - but the entire populace of Earth was enamored with their patron heroes. It would take some fast talking to keep Jason convinced that they were wrong and he was right.
"You are correct, as always, sire. The Rangers are clever, as you yourself have pointed out. By their tricks and deceptions, they have managed to convince many of the people of Earth that they are, in fact, the heroes in this battle, and that we seek only to enslave and control them. I'm afraid they have used our empire as a scapegoat for their evil, claiming that any destruction they wreak is caused by us, and the populace is willing to believe because we machines are strange to them, but the Rangers are humans like themselves."
*Gasket's some liar,* thought Tommy in grudging appreciation. *It's no wonder he got into politics.*
"Those Rangers have a lot of nerve," Jason muttered. "Something should be done about that - lying to all those innocent people!"
"Very true, sire," said Gasket. "Do you have anything definite in mind?" As long as he had the Gold Ranger's clever mind at his disposal, Gasket figured he might as well use it. It would be highly amusing if Jason were to think up a way to get Earth to believe that the Machine Empire was there to help them. Maybe this hadn't been as bad an idea as he had been beginning to think.
"I know where to start, anyway," said Jason. "There is a girl on Earth, named Emily. Yesterday when I attacked the Rangers, she came to their defense. There is some kind of power around her - I could feel it. I even dreamed about her last night. I know she could help me if I could just convince her that she belongs on our side."
Gasket chose his words carefully. "I was hoping you would have something a bit more encompassing, your majesty. There are billions of people on Earth. Bringing only one to our side will not tip the balances greatly."
"If I could convince one of the Rangers I was right, would that change things?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then you can't say changing one person's mind won't change our situation," Jason finished sternly. "I say she can help us, and I'm the king around here, so what I say goes. Unless you have some other good reasons you'd like to mention?"
"None at all, your majesty," said Gasket. "It will be as you say."
"Good. Find a willing soldier and send him to bring me the girl. If the Rangers try to intervene, you know what to do. I'm going to my room now - my head hurts." So saying, Jason abandoned his half-finished meal and wandered off. Gasket bowed to him as he left, but as soon as he was gone, he started grumbling to himself.
"Arrogant human!" he complained. "Do this! Do that! Find a soldier! Capture the girl! What makes him think he has the right to push me around like this?" It never occurred to him that he would have behaved in just the same way if their situations had been reversed.
"Gasket? Is that you?" inquired a feminine voice from the hallway.
"Yes, dear, it's me," said Gasket. "What are you doing?"
"Just looking for you," Archerina replied. "Nothing else has gone wrong now, has it? You sounded upset."
"Nothing has gone wrong... yet," said Gasket darkly. "However, if he has his way, he's liable to ruin my whole plan, taking these foolish, worthless risks."
"I'm sorry, Gasket," she answered, hanging her head as if accepting the blame. "Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?"
"Just be patient, dear. I'll figure out something sooner or later. Right now, this King Jason of mine insists that I send one of our soldiers out to run his fool's errand for him," Gasket grumbled. "All this fuss over a girl! One look at a pretty face, and he forgets all about his mission!"
"Don't you think there are some ladies worth making sacrifices for?"
"Not when an empire is at stake!" Gasket exclaimed. "This is too important for his silly romantic notions!"
"I happen to like romance," said Archerina, with a tartness that was unusual for her. "I used to think you did, too. Now it's always Jason this and Jason that. You spend more time worrying about Jason than you do about me!"
"Archerina, I'm doing this for your own good! You know that! This is just to get my empire properly established. As soon as this is over-"
"Your empire! I've heard enough about your empire, too," Archerina snapped. "You gave up your chance to inherit your father's throne to marry me. Are you starting to regret your decision?"
"You know I'd never do that! I love you!"
"If you love me, then why are you always brushing me off?" she demanded. "You know what I think? I think you really do love your power and your kingdom and your servants more than you love me! You care more about what a stupid human does than you do about your own wife!"
In a blind fury, she shoved him out of the way and ran from the room, leaving Gasket to stare uncomprehendingly.
"What prompted that?" he wondered aloud.
He received no answer; though Tommy would have liked to tell him in detail what it was all about, he deemed it wiser to keep his mouth shut.
"Oh, well," Gasket sighed. "She'll get over it. We're both a bit strung out these days. When everything settles down, she'll get over it." With that, he turned and marched out of the room in search of a suitable soldier to carry out the king's wishes.
Then the room was empty. Tommy deemed it safe to come out of hiding, so he shoved open the grating, which was held in place only by a pair of hinges, and slipped out of his cramped observation point. Jason had abandoned the better part of his breakfast, and he felt entitled to finish it for him. No point in letting good food go to waste, especially since it was so hard to get around here. He figured that no one would ever bother to check for a discrepancy between what the king had left behind and what the Cogs were cleaning up, so Tommy gratefully settled in for a real meal and a few moments of quiet thought.
He amazed himself by feeling sorry for Archerina. He had never seriously considered, before, that it was possible for a mechanical being to fall in love, but now he was willing to reconsider. After all, when you got right down to the technical definitions of things, humans were machines, too, even if they were built of different materials, and he wasn't about to deny that he could fall in love. He knew all to well what that felt like, and he allowed himself a brief moment to think about the beautiful girl back home with the golden hair, sky-blue eyes, and endearing Australian accent. Odd as it was, it seemed Archerina entertained those same sorts of feelings for her husband, and it gave Tommy a feeling of kinship with her. After all, he didn't really know if Kat loved him, either.
He wondered vaguely what it was that caused Archerina to have such devotion to the tin can she was married to. Well, he already seemed to have decided that she wasn't as bad as she'd first appeared to be. Maybe Gasket wasn't always so rotten, either. It seemed that a lot of his present nastiness was stemming from the fact that he felt obliged to establish an empire for himself at any cost. Maybe he was more pleasant when he was under less stress. Well, perhaps Tommy would find out later, now that he had stumbled upon the unusual ability to be able to observe his enemies at close range.
*Tonight on Wild Discovery, Tommy Oliver goes in search of the rare and elusive Machine Prince to observe him in his natural habitat.*
Tommy took the last of what he wanted from the breakfast tray and took to wandering the passages again. After all, his mission was to observe Jason, to keep him safe if he could, and to try to talk some sense into him if at all possible. Then again, Jason would be safe in his room, and in his present mood, Tommy decided there would be no point in trying to talk to his friend. He knew as well as anyone how fierce Jason could be when he was riled, and confronting him while he was having his fit of pique was not likely to bring about pleasant results. On the other hand, he had a sneaking feeling that there was someone else in this castle that could benefit from a talk.
Billy, with his head lost amid a tangle of wiring and circuitry, got only a peripheral look at the two flashes of pale light that entered the Power Chamber. One of them was yellow, obviously Tanya teleporting in, but the other was plain white, denoting a stranger. Billy looked up, unable to imagine why Tanya would be bringing a non-Ranger into their headquarters, and what he saw shocked his considerable vocabulary completely out of his mind.
"Well, here we are," said Tanya, gesturing around like a tour guide. "What do you think?"
"Magnificent," Finster murmured, gazing around in awe. "Absolutely magnificent! I've never seen anything like it!"
"Tanya," Billy ground out dangerously, "what is he doing here?"
"I rescued him," said Tanya. "It's okay, Billy. He's on our side."
"He is not!" Billy protested. "He's one of Rita's creatures! He's been our enemy from day one! Tanya, this creature is evil! How could you even think of bringing him here?"
Finster cringed at the accusation, and Tanya felt a stab of unease. Could she have made a mistake? After all, Billy had been doing this Power Ranger thing longer than anyone, and he seemed to know so much more than everyone else. Wouldn't he know a danger when he saw it? But no - deep down inside, Tanya felt certain that her new friend wasn't lying to her, and she was determined to stand up for him.
"He's not like that, Billy," she said. "He says he's changed sides. He doesn't want to be evil anymore. He wants to help us."
"How do you know he's not lying?"
"He's not. I can feel it. He's in trouble and he needs our help."
"He's a monster, and he doesn't belong here."
"He can speak for himself," said Zordon sternly. Both teens became silent at their mentor's commanding tone. "Finster of Claydiois, you have always been our enemy and the loyal servant of our enemy. Why is it that you have chosen to abandon them now?"
Finster gulped nervously, feeling like he was being beaten down by Zordon's stern gaze. He had never had the opportunity to meet the great mage face-to-face, and he had never realized just what a commanding presence he had. For an instant, he felt very lost and unworthy and insignificant, but then the Apieron, who had been inactive up until now, sent him a wordless sensation of support. Finster felt his self-confidence being restored. He was a Channeller, the voice of the Apieron in the material world, and that put him on somewhere at least close to Zordon's level. He found his words and spoke.
"It is true that I have been loyal to them," he said, "but loyalty sours when it is returned only with cruelty and rejection. I wanted to cast my lot with someone who would treat me fairly. All I ask is for your acceptance, and protection from those I used to serve, and I will be as loyal to you and the Rangers as I was to them."
"And you came to this decision of your own volition?"
Finster scrambled to formulate a reply, but realized almost instantly that he could no more lie to Zordon than he could to the Apieron. Reluctantly, he took the white crystal from his apron pocket and held it up for all to see. There was more than one audible gasp.
"This is what did it," said Finster. "This crystal speaks to me. It calls itself the Apieron. It convinced me it was time to reject my old ways and come in search of the light, and it was by the Apieron's power that I was able to fight off Goldar and escape."
"Is it really an Apieron, Zordon?" asked Alpha, leaning forward to get a better look.
"It is genuine," Zordon declared, "and no Channeller of the Apieron can be held under the sway of evil. That being the case, it is my pleasure to welcome you among us, Channeller."
Finster felt himself blushing under his fur. "Well - thank you. Thank you very much. I'll try not to let you regret it."
"What's a - an Api..." Tanya stumbled over the foreign word.
"Apieron," said Billy. "I think it's Greek. It doesn't translate into English very well, but it stands for something that's immeasurable or indefinable."
"In this case, it means a little more than that," said Alpha. "Apieron are spirits of truth. They are incapable of deception, and are sources of great wisdom and power. Long ago, some people learned to make contact with the Apieron through magical crystals like that one. However, not just anyone can talk to them. They usually just choose one person at a time as their Channeller, and will speak to no one else."
"Then I guess there's no reason to accuse Finster of lying," said Billy, looking chagrined. "Sorry, Finster. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"It's quite all right. I understand completely," said Finster. He glanced at the partially disassembled computer behind Billy, and his ears pricked up with curiosity. "That looks interesting. Can I help?"
"Be my guest!" Billy replied. "I've been working on that thing all day, and I'd be glad to have an extra pair of hands - or paws."
"Thank you! This could be fun," said Finster, reaching for his screwdriver. Then he glared at the crystal. "I know you told me so! You don't have to be so smug about it! Just because this thing may be wise and powerful and all that doesn't mean it's not also annoying," he added for the Rangers' benefit.
Billy laughed. "Well, annoying or not, I'm glad you're both on our side! Thanks for bringing them here, Tanya. Right now, we need all the friends we can get!"
"I'm still working on that," answered Tanya.
Tridor was pleased upon landing on Triforia and finding himself in a forest. He would have, if Tommy had asked, stayed in Gasket's palace to help his young friend, but the truth was that he had been longing for the lush forests of his homeworld. This, while not precisely the rainforest he was used to, was still a forest, with plants and animals and bugs and freedom. For the first few moments, the half of him that was animal took control, and he ran through the woods shouting his war cry just for the sheer joy of being able to run and move as he pleased.
Finally, he used up enough adrenaline to start thinking clearly again, and he remembered his mission. Picking out a broad-trunked tree, he dug his claws into the rough wood and scuttled skyward, disturbing some upside-down tree-creature in the process. As he had surmised, the giant tree had taken food and light from its neighbors and kept them down to size, allowing anyone brave enough to scale it a fine aerial view of the surrounding countryside. What Tridor saw was miles and miles of spiky treetops, but he was skilled enough in the woodsman's arts to pick out a gap not too far away. The trees over that way seemed to have grown apart in a fairly regular way, leaving a long stripe of empty space. Trees didn't do that on their own. The only explanation for such a gap would be a river or a road, and either one of those would eventually lead to population. Tridor carefully checked the direction of the gap and compared it to the angle of sunlight, and then clambered back down the tree again to head for his destination.
Deep in the forest, it was hard to see the sun, but Tridor could watch the angle of the golden shafts of light that managed to pierce the branches. While the lizard-man could make good time in the forest, the sun was also making steady progress, and it was not susceptible to things like hunger or fatigue. It had been a while since Tridor's last meal, and he was not sure what kind of things might be edible for him on this alien world. As the hours rolled by, he began to grow tired, as well. Though Gasket had allowed him a few hours each day to train outside his cell, it was still no substitute for spending his days moving in freedom, and he had lost some of his stamina in his long prison stay. He chided himself for wasting his energy in pointless dashing about. However, he kept the plight of his friend and his people in the front of his mind and kept moving.
Then night began to fall, and Tridor was faced with a new kind of problem. Being half- reptilian, he needed the air around him to stay relatively warm. He had grown up on a jungle world, and had never had any need to understand that particular fact of his own biochemistry, other than hearing horror tales about how some of his kind had died when they had swum out into deep water and suddenly found themselves unable to move. He had associated the danger with the water itself, rather than the temperature, and he did not understand the weakness that began to fall upon him as the warmth drained out of the air.
*I can see it! I can see the trail!* he thought, staring desperately ahead of him at the pale strip of sand amid the trees. *I have to get to it, but my legs won't move! What's wrong with me? I'm so tired, I can hardly keep my eyes open....*
Gritting his teeth with tribal determination, he continued ponderously forwards, struggling for every inch of ground gained. At last, just a few short feet away from his goal, he fell to the earth and could not rise. He reached out his human hand to grip a fistful of dust like a trophy, and then he fell into stasis.
A few hours later, two mounted soldiers rode by on a night patrol and found an unfamiliar object in their territory.
"What in the world is that thing? Is it a man, or an animal, or both?"
"Whatever it is, I think it's dead."
"No, it's still alive. See? It's still breathing."
"It's strange, whatever it is. What do you think we should do with it?"
"Take it to the king. He'll know what it is."
The two men scooped up the unresisting body and slung it over the back of one of their mounts. Then they set out again. Tridor could not know it in his unconscious state, but he had reached his goal, after all. He was going to Trey, Lord of Triforia.
Unlike some robots, Archerina had been built with the ability to cry. King Aradon, her father, had wanted his daughter to be as perfect as he could build her. He had not been a robot, but an elderly humanoid man, and rather homely by his own species standards. He had longed for a daughter, but since no woman would take an interest to him even before he'd passed his prime, he had insisted on building his robotic child to be as lifelike as he could. He'd loved her enough to make her beautiful, graceful, and sweet-natured, so that others would love her as well, and he'd done his best to teach her how to love in return.
*And a lot of good it's done me,* she thought bitterly, as crystal tears slid down her silver skin. *It happens this way every time. I've only found two people in my whole life that I've loved, and both of them have chosen war and power struggles over me. If Father hadn't hated King Mondo so much, Gasket and I could have stayed with him, and then Gasket and I would be ruling Father's empire instead of struggling along like we are now. Instead, we're all scattered across the universe fighting with each other! I don't even know if Father is alive anymore. What's the point in all this?*
"I'm so lonely," she said aloud. "Isn't there anyone who cares about what I feel?"
"Well, there might be somebody," said a nearby voice.
"Who said that?" Archerina demander. There was a whirr as she shifted gears from misery to apprehension.
"I did," said the voice.
A discreet panel in the wall opened up, and a rather grimy-looking Tommy crawled out of the crawl space and into Archerina's sitting room. Archerina shrieked, and Tommy covered his ears and winced.
"Don't do that!" he protested. "Do you want everyone in the palace to hear you?"
"Yes!" she answered sharply. "What do you think you're doing here? Power Rangers are not allowed in my room! I'm warning you, if you try anything funny-"
"I'm not going to try anything," said Tommy, sounding somewhat annoyed. "And I'm not a Power Ranger. Right now, I'm just a plain, ordinary human being. See?" He held up his hands so she could see his wrists, bereft of morpher and communicator.
Archerina managed to communicate suspicion, even without facial expressions.
"You're lying," she accused. "You're the Red Ranger, and Jason saw you fighting him yesterday."
"That wasn't me. Remember at the tournament? I gave my morpher to the other Rangers, and I told them to give my powers to my friend Billy while I'm staying here. I chose to stay here of my own free will, and I've been here ever since."
"How do I know this isn't some kind of scheme to fool me?" she asked. "There's no reason why you shouldn't be here trying to cause us trouble."
"And if I am?" Tommy asked. "I've been watching you, and I know you're not happy with any of this. Neither am I. You want the fighting to stop so you can have your husband back, and I want the fighting to stop so I can have my best friend back. That ought to make us allies."
"It wouldn't work. Rangers and robots can't be allies."
"No? Then how about friends?"
Archerina's eyes flashed. "You're talking crazy talk."
"No I'm not. I'm serious."
"You're crazy," Archerina repeated. "You're a hero. I'm a villain. We're not even supposed to speak to each other civilly."
"I wasn't always a hero," said Tommy seriously. "Didn't you know that? I got my start working for Rita Repulsa."
"Hmm. Maybe I did hear something about that, but I thought it was just rumors," said Archerina. Then, very quietly, "I wasn't always a villain, either."
"You weren't?" asked Tommy, genuinely shocked.
Archerina shook her head. "My creator, King Aradon, was a bit like your Zordon. He had dedicated himself to using his powers to destroy evil, and he had set himself against the Machine Empire - his creations versus King Mondo's. For years, he raised me as his own daughter, and I was devoted to him. I thought he loved me, but eventually I realized that he was using me just like he used all his other creations. I was to be Gasket's counterpoint in the war, to bring him under my spell so that he would lose the heart to fight. Instead, I fell in love with the one I was created to destroy, and my father's hate for the other side was so great that I feared to return home, so we escaped together. After that, my father disappeared, and no one has heard from him since. Sometimes I miss him so much, but when I think about how he tried to use me... I was just a machine to him, and now I think Gasket is starting to see me the same way..."
She trailed off, choking back a fresh flood of tears. She sounded so patently miserable that if she had been human, that nearly forgot he was talking to a machine and not a human. Without thinking about it, he put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She looked up at him in surprise, but she didn't say anything.
"Just relax," said Tommy soothingly. "Things are going to work out. You'll see."
"How can you be so sure?" she demanded. "Why should I even listen to you? If I can't trust my father or my husband, why should I trust my enemy?"
"Because I know what you're going through," Tommy replied. "I know what it's like to be used against people you care about. I know how it feels to be lonely and to think no one understands you. I know what it's like to be without a family. I was an orphan, you know. Let me tell you, those are rotten things to go around feeling, and I don't like seeing anyone with them, whether they're human or not." He paused, considering. "For another thing, I don't think Gasket's ignoring you as much as you think he is."
"How would you know that?" she asked.
Tommy grinned at her. "It's amazing how much you can see when you're crawling around in the ventilation system. I've been spying on Gasket most of the morning. Did you know he talks to himself when he's upset? You really shook him up when you started shouting at him this morning. I'm guessing you never did anything like that before?"
Archerina shrugged. "I never had to."
"Anyway, he's been in his room sulking for the last hour or so. I think you hurt his feelings."
"He hurt my feelings, too," she said sulkily.
"But you couldn't have hurt his feelings if he didn't have feelings for you in the first place, could you?" Tommy persisted.
"Well... I don't know. Maybe not."
"Just trust me on this one," said Tommy. "He's just gotten himself all wrapped up in this crazy scheme of his, and it's hurting everybody. You can see it yourself - you're upset because he's stopped paying attention to you, I'm upset because my best friend thinks he's my worst enemy, the Rangers are upset because they've lost a teammate... even Gasket's starting to hate this idea, because he's tired of having to obey Jason. Don't you think we'll all be a lot happier if we can end this?"
"You... you could be right," she admitted. "Something tells me I have to trust you. You wouldn't stay here with no powers to protect you if there wasn't something very important here for you."
"Very important," Tommy agreed. "So, will you help me?"
"I can try," said Archerina. "I don't really know what I can do, though."
"For starters, tell me about what's been done to Jason."
"Gasket made him stop remembering," she answered.
"He took his memories away?" asked Tommy. "How did he do that?"
Archerina shook her head. "You aren't listening. He didn't take Jason's memories away; he made him stop remembering. There's a difference."
"Oh," said Tommy, considering. "You mean, his memories are still there, but he's not able to use them anymore? Something like that?"
"Yes. There's machine - you can think of it as a bad thought machine. It reminds a person of every fear and nightmare and unpleasant memory they have, and makes it impossible for them to think about anything else. If that goes on long enough, they blank out - they refuse to remember anymore. Once they stop remembering, there is nothing left for them but to learn, so they learn anything that is presented to them. In this case, Jason's been taught that he is the king, and his mind won't let him remember anything else because there is a fear there that he will start having those nightmares again."
"Does that mean he might never get his memories back?" asked Tommy worriedly.
"Maybe. It all depends on what he's reminded of," Archerina answered. "The only way he could remember anything would be if it was something so good that it had no negative connotations for him at all, or something that was important enough to him that he could stand to face the nightmares to have it."
"I wonder what that would be?" Tommy mused.
"How should I know? He's your friend, isn't he?"
"Well, yeah, but I don't know everything about him," said Tommy. "At least now I know its not hopeless. That's more than I knew an hour ago. Thanks. I'll find a way to repay you for this."
Archerina sighed. "I just want everything to go back the way it was before all this started."
"Me, too," Tommy agreed. "I wish I could talk to the other Rangers right about now. They might need to know what you told me, but I can't call without my communicator."
"I can help with that, too," said Archerina, brightening a bit. "Gasket told me to break it so you wouldn't be able to talk to your friends, but I could probably fix it again. I may not be as clever as he is, but I do know some things."
She got up and began searching her things for the broken communicator and some tools. It occurred to her that it was strange how fast her mood had changed. Ten minutes ago, life had hardly seemed worth living, and now she felt almost cheerful. She supposed she must have forgotten, somewhere along the line, how good it was to be working towards something right.
"Working on it?" Billy repeated, looking at Tanya quizzically. "You mean you've got something else up your sleeve?"
"Well, kind of," she said. "I guess I should have mentioned this earlier, but someone's figured out our identities."
"What? Who?" asked Billy and Alpha in unison.
"Emily," Tanya answered. "She happened to see Adam and me morphing yesterday when Jason attacked us. She confronted me about it this morning, so I told her everything. Maybe I should have talked to you guys first, but she was so worried about Jason that I thought she deserved to know. I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"Well, it's not like this is the first time this has happened," said Billy. "Your judgement's been good once today, so I guess we'll have to trust you. Besides, Emily is a good person. I think we can trust her."
"She'll have to be sworn to secrecy," said Alpha, "like we did with Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. Why don't you find her and bring her up for a visit?"
"This isn't exactly an appropriate time for making social calls," Billy pointed out. "But having some friends on the outside has been useful in the past. I'll see if I can track her down."
Meanwhile, the subject of the discussion had been walking aimlessly along the lakeshore, thinking to herself. Emily had been able to accept the idea of her friends and Power Rangers with equanimity, but that didn't mean she didn't still find the idea strange and unsettling, especially the idea of Jason thinking he was on the wrong side. She was glad that she at least knew where he was and what he was doing, and even gladder that her friends were looking out for him. It was somehow easier to trust the Power Rangers now that she had learned the names and faces that hid behind those inscrutable masks. It was just too bad that the Rangers had to be mixed up in this fight at all. It put everything somehow above her, out of her league, as if everything that was happening was just a drama on television, and she could no more affect the outcome of the situation than she could the end of a movie.
A sudden fizzing sound made her look up and realize just how wrong she was. Standing before her was a genuine, certified monster, leering at her with a smile like the front of an oncoming car. Popping blue sparks flashed randomly across its body.
"I am Electricable," it announced. "I have been sent to claim you for his majesty the King!"
"I know what you are," Emily replied, eyes blazing. "You're one of the creeps that took Jason!"
"So what if I am?" the creature asked. "What are you going to do about it, girly?"
Before the monster could blink, Emily's foot snapped into the air and rammed the monster in the chin. Despite the fact that the creature was made of metal, the blow still had enough force to throw it off balance, and it staggered backwards with a grunt of surprise.
"And there's more where that came from," Emily replied, "so I suggest you back off. Go home and tell Gasket I don't come willingly to monsters."
"You'll come whether you like it or not!" the beast replied. It lunged at Emily... but Emily suddenly wasn't there anymore. She had scooted out of his way and was dancing around by his side.
"Catch me if you can, slowpoke!" she jibed. "Come on! Show me what you've got!"
Electricable swung a fist at her, but she dodged the blow and retaliated with one of her own. Unfortunately, her human hand wasn't any use against solid steel, and she managed nothing more than a nasty bruise on her knuckles. She hissed in pain, shaking the injured hand - and dove out of the way as the monster came at her again. It kicked at her, but she somersaulted below the blow and came up behind him. Impishly, she stuck her tongue out at it.
"Your daddy was a riding mower!" she taunted. "Your mama was an E-Z Bake Oven!"
"You think that's an insult? Your parents were humans!"
"Big, fat, hairy deal," Emily replied. Deciding she'd had enough of this aggressive game of tag, she turned and began to run - straight into the lake.
"Hey!" shouted the monster. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Out here!" Emily called back, standing waist-deep in the lake. "And guess what? I can swim, and you can't!"
"You think you're clever, don't you?" the monster shot back. "Well, I know something, too. I know that water conducts electricity, and I just happen to have a few gigavolts right here!" He held up his hands, making an arc of blue light flash between them. "Now, either you get out of that lake and come with me, or I'll boil you like a lobster!"
Emily hesitated. Then, very slowly, she began walking forwards.
"Come on, hurry it up! I don't have all day!"
"Did you ever try to run in water?" demanded Emily irritably.
Moving along with apparent difficulty, Emily continued moving closer to the monster. Electricable stood at the very edge of the lake, just barely avoiding the lapping water. Emily waited until she was just out of his reach, and then whirled and kicked up a small wave of water. It splashed all over the monster, drenching him from the waist down, and blue sparks showered.
"Aagh!" it screamed. "Short circuiting! Systems failure! What did you do to me?"
"Water conducts electricity, remember?" said Emily cheerfully. "Nighty-night."
She gave the monster a shove, ignoring the prickling of tiny electric shocks on her skin, and Electricable toppled and fell into the sand.
"And that takes care of that," Emily said. "If this is all the Rangers have to do, they've got it pretty easy."
As if that was their cue, the five color coded superheroes came rushing onto the scene... only to come up short and stare in confusion. Emily grinned at them, put one foot on the fallen monster's chest, and struck a victorious pose.
"Hi, guys!" she greeted. "You were a little late getting here, so I decided to take care of matters myself. Thanks for showing, though."
"Well, we got here as soon as we could," said Rocky defensively. "Gasket blew up one of our computers, so we were lucky to know you were in trouble at all."
"I know, I know. I'm just playing with you guys," said Emily. "Did Tanya tell you all that I know who you are, now?"
Adam nodded. "She explained on the way here. If this is the way you deal with emergencies, I think we're lucky to have someone like you on our side."
"Well, I didn't get much choice in this matter," Emily replied. "This critter said he'd been sent to capture me - sent by the King!"
"Wouldn't that be Jason?" Kat inquired.
"Why would Jason want to capture Emily?" asked Rocky.
Billy shook his head. "I don't even want to think about it."
"I think... I think there must be something important about her," Tanya ventured. "Remember yesterday? Jason was about to destroy us until Emily showed up. There's something about her that commands his respect, even in his mind-lock."
"She's got my respect," said Rocky, looking at the fallen monster.
"Anyway," said Billy, "I think that if everything is straightened out here, we need to get to the Power Chamber - all of us," he added, turning to Emily. "Zordon needs to speak with you."
"He does? Why?" asked Emily, looking nervous. "He's not angry, is he?"
"No, nothing like that," Billy assured her. "He just wants to talk to you a while, to make sure our secret is safe with you. It's just a formality, really."
"Maybe a bit more than that," Tanya mumbled. No one heard her.
"Well, I guess that's okay," said Emily. "I'd like to see your Power Chamber, and meet Zordon and Alpha."
"Finster's there, too, now," Tanya piped up.
A few of the other Rangers stared at her.
"When did he get here?" asked Rocky.
"Early this morning. That's another long story," said Tanya. "The short version is, he's changed sides, and he wants to help us."
"I guess I can believe that," said Katherine. "Finster's not a bad sort. He was always very nice to me when I was a cat."
"A cat?" Emily repeated.
Billy laughed. "I guess there are things about us you still don't know. Come on! Zordon's waiting."
The team teleported away in six streaks of light, leaving the wreckage of the monster lying on the beach. For a moment, all was still. Then, slowly and painfully, the monster pulled itself to its feet and vanished with a wan fizzle of blue sparks.
Emily was suitably impressed by the Power Chamber, and even managed to take her introduction to Zordon without losing much of her cool. Zordon and Alpha seemed favorably impressed by Emily, too, particularly once the Rangers had related how she had singlehandedly escaped the clutches of one of Gasket's monsters.
"You are a brave young woman, Emily," said Zordon. "You have proven yourself worthy of our trust, and our respect. In this time of difficulty, we are particularly glad to have you join our team."
"Well, not really part of the team," said Emily, blushing modestly. "I'm not going to be a Ranger or anything. I'm just going to be helping out when I can. If I can. I don't know if there's that much I can do."
"Maybe there is," said Tanya. "I want to say something about that."
"Is something wrong, Tanya?" Adam asked.
"I think maybe there is," she replied. "I've been thinking about this all day long, and I've finally made a decision. Emily is an awesome friend, you know. She's everything a Ranger should be - brave, smart, loyal, strong. She fights better without powers than I do with them! And I think there's something else about her. I don't know what it is yet, but I've seen that she can get through to Jason in a way none of us could. She stopped him when he attacked us, and now Jason sent a monster to bring her to him. He knows she's important. Having her on our side might be the thing that makes the difference in this battle. She might be the only one who can undo what Gasket has done. And that," she finished, as she began to unstrap her Zeonizers, "is why I'm giving my powers to her. From now on, Emily will be the Yellow Zeo Ranger."