Disclaimer: Welcome back to my wacky twisted universe! However, no matter how weird and strange it is, all characters (besides the Apieron) are Saban's and not mine.
Tridor awoke with light shining in his eyes. It was late in the morning, he realized - why had no one come to wake him up? Someone should have been there to watch him bolt down his morning meal and drag him away for morning practice. He was just about to start worrying about what was going on when he remembered that he was no longer in Gasket's prison, but a free man. It was strange, though - he didn't remember falling asleep. Where was he now? Curious but not yet alarmed, he opened his eyes.
Then he was alarmed, as his mind took in the fact that he was surrounded by walls again, stark white and unfamiliar. His instincts ordered him to flee, but he forced himself to stay calm and analyze the situation. Yes, there were walls all around, and he didn't like that, especially so soon after getting out of prison, but there was also a wide open window with plenty of room to escape, and the door to the room stood ajar. Whoever had brought him to this place obviously hadn't meant to trap him here. Actually, if you liked being indoors, the room was quite pleasant - some kind of guest bedroom, perhaps. More importantly, whoever had left him here had also made sure that he wasn't going to be hungry. Sitting on his bedside table was a ceramic bowl of fresh fruit, and next to that was a jug of water and a glass. That was enough to make him realize that he had burned a lot of energy the day before, and he was hungry. With his exits assured, he decided that the best thing to do was enjoy his accommodations for a while, particularly those involving breakfast. He didn't recognize most of the fruits in the dish, but he devoured them seeds, stems, and all.
He was just licking the last of the juice off his fingers and wondering what to do next when the door opened the rest of the way, revealing a young humanoid man in some kind of official clothing, perhaps that of a servant in a noble house. He looked a little startled to see the lizard-man up and moving around.
"Oh, you're awake," he managed. "We weren't expecting you to recover so quickly."
"I come from a tough breed," Tridor answered. "Where am I? How did I get here? I'm warning you, if you try to hold me against my will..."
"Oh, no, nothing like that!" the man replied. "Some of our scouts found you lying unconscious by the side of the road, and since they weren't sure what kind of being you were, they thought it best to bring you back here. I promise, if you don't mean us any harm, you'll be treated well here and given any assistance you might need."
"I seek to harm no one... yet," Tridor replied. "That may change, however, once I've completed this mission I'm on. I've come seeking Trey, Lord of Triforia. Do you know where I could find him? I must not waste any time; it could be a matter of life and death."
"You're in luck," the servant replied. "This is the palace of Lord Trey. He has not been, um, disposed to socialize as of late, but if it's truly that important-"
"It is," said Tridor, flexing his claws a bit.
"Yes. Um. Well, I'll see what I can do," said the servant, eying the lizard-man's long talons and predatory eyes.
"You'll do better than that," Tridor replied. "You will find him and tell him I have to speak to him. I have news from a friend of his, a human by the name of Tommy Oliver. Will you tell him that?"
"Um.... Yes sir, I'll get right on it," said the nervous servant. He scuttled out of the room looking a few shades paler than he had when he'd first entered, and Tridor permitted himself a smile. This was a serious situation, but still, it was fun spooking these humanoid types.
It wasn't long before the servant returned, still looking a bit uneasy with the situation, and announced that Lord Trey would meet with Tridor in the solarium.
"I told you he would," was all Tridor said.
"You're being remarkably cavalier about all this," said the servant, with a trace of disapproval.
"Why shouldn't I be?" said Tridor. "If you'd been through everything I'd been through and still come out unscathed, you'd never be afraid of anything else ever again."
"And just what have you been through?" asked the servant.
Tridor responded with a narrative of his life as a captive of the Machine Prince, with all detailed meticulously related for his audience's benefit. The servant was looking a bit green by the time they reached the solarium, and everyone they passed on the way there had stopped whatever they were doing and gawped when the lizard-man passed by. Tridor flashed his white teeth at them, and watched smugly as they turned away quickly. No one around here, he mused, had ever had to deal with anything outside their comfortable court life. He'd be doing them a favor if he shook things up a little for them.
However, he forgot such thoughts as he entered the solarium. It was a pleasant room, even by his standards, being made mostly of glass that allowed a view of beautiful gardens outside and the admittance of every possible drop of morning sunlight. The rest of the room was decorated in shades of white and pale gold that reflected the light and made everything seem to glow. The only dark colors in the room were worn by three identical young men dressed in black and gold who were sitting side by side in matching white chairs. They all rose as one as Tridor entered. The servant bowed low, and the young man in the center gestured a dismissal. Tridor watched with interest as his guide scooted obediently out the door, then turned a puzzled gaze at the three matched men.
"Which of you is Lord Trey?" he asked.
"We all are," said all of them together. "It's rather hard to explain, and it would be easier if we both took a seat. You don't strike me as the sort who would insist on formalities."
"Very astute," Tridor replied. He offered a smile to the young lord (lords?), deciding he liked him. He seemed to be cut from a different cloth than the stuffy servants and courtiers he'd encountered earlier.
Trey returned to his former place, gesturing for Tridor to take a seat across from him on a padded stool - much more convenient than a regular chair for a creature with a tail. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for his explanation.
"I hope you understand," said Trey, "that while I'm giving this explanation, I'm also hoping you'll respond in kind by telling me what you're doing here. My servant mentioned that you knew Tommy Oliver?"
"Yes," said Tridor. "He is a brave man and a good friend. He sent me to find you and ask your help."
"Any friend of the leader of the Power Rangers is a friend to me," Trey replied. "In case you haven't already guessed, I'm a Ranger myself, the Gold Ranger... or at least I was until an accident disrupted my ability to transform. You see, all people of Triforia have three connected but distinct parts, normally merged into one, but sometimes divided as I am now. What you see here are three parts of the same Trey - Trey of Wisdom, Trey of Courage, and Trey of Honor. I hope this is making sense to you."
"It makes very good sense," Tridor assured him. "Mine are a tribal people. We understand the concept of many being one."
"I am glad," said Trey, looking pleased. "Unfortunately, many as one is what I'm supposed to be right now, not one as many. I suffered an accident that has made it impossible for me to rejoin my three parts, and until that can be remedied, I'm unable to use the Gold Ranger powers, so I passed them on to Tommy's friend Jason. How are they? Have you seen them lately?"
"Yes, and that's why I've come looking for you," Tridor replied. "Prince Gasket of the Machine Empire has captured Jason and done something to his mind, making him believe that he is the king of the machines. Tommy is keeping watch over his friend, trying to bring him back to the team, but he wasn't sure he could do it without help. He was hoping you might have some way of reclaiming what you'd given so that Jason would be unable to fight his friends."
"An interesting line of reasoning," said Trey of Wisdom thoughtfully. "However, there is not much we can do while we're still... we. We have been searching for a way to be reunited, but without success."
"Actually," Trey of Courage added, "we were just about to set out to follow a new clue this morning, but when you arrived and demanded to speak to us, we decided we would have to postpone the journey. You were in a bad way when my men found you last night, and we thought whatever brought you here had to be something we needed to hear. I see we were right."
"What kind of clues were you searching for?" asked Tridor. "Perhaps I could be of help."
"I was hoping to make a journey to the Madera Encida, the Fire Mother," said Trey of Heart. "She is a mighty volcano that stands to the south of here. Legends say that all the people of Triforia were born out of her fires. We do know that the first capital of Triforia was built in the catacombs inside the mountain, and that the Staff of the Golden Powers was forged there eons ago."
"So you would like to be reborn by returning to your roots," said Tridor.
"Well, that's an interesting way of putting it," Trey of Courage replied, "but yes, I'd say that's one way to look at it."
"I approve," said Tridor. "Roots are important things to keep in mind. I think you are more likely to be healed in the presence of your Fire Mother than in a court full of nobles. But a journey to a volcano might be dangerous. Why don't you let me accompany you?"
"Are you sure you want to risk yourself? This really isn't your problem," said Trey of Heart. "I wouldn't like to see you get hurt on my account."
"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't willing," Tridor replied. "One, you are a lord and have your people to think about - it would effect this whole world if something happened to you. Two, I need you to help my friend, so I can be helping my friend by helping you. Three, I have decided I like you. A man whose primary aspects are courage, wisdom, and heart is one I would have for a friend. I'd be only to happy to assist you. Tridor, warrior of Horath, is at your service."
"Thank you. I am deeply grateful," Trey replied. "Come! If we're going to be traveling together, we're going to have to find you some supplies. I hope no one raises too much of a fuss that I've chosen an alien reptile for my traveling companion. I had a hard enough time convincing them I didn't need a formal escort. They seem to forget I'm not helpless just because I don't have my powers right now."
"Don't worry," said Tridor, displaying his claws. "For some reason, people here seem to have a lot of respect for me."
Trey smiled. "I think I'm going to like having you around," he said.
There was a moment of heavy silence in the Power Chamber, and the weight of it was all on Tanya. She looked uncomfortable, but the light in her eyes was still defiant as she faced down her friends. She did, however, have to look away when her eyes met Adam's, and she settled on meeting Emily's shocked stare instead.
"You can't really mean that," said Kat. "You're really going to give up your powers."
"I have to," Tanya replied. "It's the only right thing to do."
"It is not!" said Adam, raising his voice to uncharacteristic levels. "Tanya, we need you. This is not the time to be losing any more Rangers! We've got an emergency, and we've got to stay together right now."
"You're not losing a Ranger," said Tanya, fighting to keep herself steady against her friend's anger. "You're getting a new one - a better one."
"That's not so!" said Billy. "Adam's right. No offense to Emily, but this is a time we need experienced Rangers to help us deal with this. We've already lost Tommy and Jason. We don't need to lose you, too."
"Don't I get any say in this?" asked Emily.
Silence fell again, as everyone assumed guilty looks. Emily looked at all of them to make sure they'd gotten the message, and then began to speak.
"All right. This isn't the kind of welcome I'd expected, so let me get this straight. Tanya, you don't think you're good enough at this Ranger stuff, and you think I could do a better job of getting through to Jason. Is that what you just said?"
"Yes, that's right," she replied.
"And the rest of you are throwing a fuss because you don't want your friend to run off and leave you with a new rookie to train. Am I also right?"
"That's kind of a strong way to put it," Adam objected.
"I'd rather be blunt and get it all in the open. Don't try to hide things from me; you've already found out it doesn't work," Emily replied. "Now, I submit that first of all, a girl who doesn't feel like she's doing a good job is not going to do a good job, no matter what you tell her. I think if you make Tanya stay right now, she's not going to like it very much, and she's not going to put out her full effort. Second of all, I said I would do anything to help you all, and I meant it. I'm a good fighter - anyone would tell you that - and I would love to be a Power Ranger if someone would let me. Give me a chance. I think I can handle it. Third, we already know that Jason's after me, and you guys don't need to be wearing yourselves out trying to protect me from him when you really ought to be protecting him from Gasket. Would anybody like to debate?"
"Well, she does have some good points," said Rocky. "I say we give her a chance. After all, we can't make Tanya do this if she doesn't want to."
"I agree," said Kat. "Let's let Emily have her chance."
"I guess when it all comes down, this isn't any different than me giving Tanya her powers when King Mondo arrived," Billy admitted.
"I still don't like this," said Adam, "but I'll go along with it if it's what Tanya really wants."
"I'm not going to leave you entirely," Tanya promised. "I'm just trying to do what's best for the team. We'll talk about it later, okay?"
Adam nodded reluctantly, and Tanya returned her attention to Emily.
"Here," she said, offering her Zeonizers. "These are yours now. I know you'll use them well."
"Thanks. I'll try to make you proud," Emily replied. She strapped the devices around her wrists. Then she laughed a bit. "And to think I thought today would be a slow day!"
The Rangers managed to laugh a little at this, and even Adam managed to smile a little. Tanya slipped her hand into his and drew him away for a talk, while the others gathered around to hear their newest member be sworn in and congratulate her on joining the team. And all the while, Finster watched in silence, pretending to be busy with the broken computer. Actually, he was listening - not to the Rangers or their friends, but to the Apieron.
"Do you really think I should?" he asked it quietly.
*It would be a great help* it replied. *It is up to you, of course, to decide how you will use your powers, but I encourage you to think of how best to help your new friends. You have a lot to make up for, Channeller, and I am willing.*
"If you promise it won't be permanent, I'll consider it," said Finster.
*You are a very stubborn Channeller,* the Apieron replied. *I will give you my promise, though, and my word will not be broken. As I must tell the truth, you as my representative must do what's right.*
"All right, I will," Finster replied. "But... let's give them some time to adjust to things first. I think Tanya wants some time to herself right now."
*Not entirely to herself,* corrected the Apieron, *but we will leave it at that.*
The voice of the white crystal went silent, and Finster sighed a little. He had the feeling the Apieron was not pleased with him right now, but what was he to do? What it was asking him to do... he wasn't sure he could do it. No, that wasn't it - he knew he could get by if he had to, but it just wouldn't be the same.
*On the other hand, I do owe the Rangers something,* he thought. *They've let me into their circle with hardly a question. I have to live up to their faith in me.*
He sighed again. He seemed to have made up his mind. Deep down, he knew the Apieron was right, and he would be doing the right thing... but that didn't make it any easier.
Jason, walking aimlessly down the halls of his palace, was surprised to hear some odd noises echoing down the corridor, and he picked up his pace. As he drew nearer, the sounds became louder and more distinct, a cacophony of metal clangs mixed with cries of pain and inarticulate growls of anger. Someone was being attacked! Jason broke into a run. Rounding a corner, he skidded on the smooth floor and nearly collided with Gasket, who turned on him with a flail in his hand. Sprawled on the floor before him was Electricable, the unfortunate monster who had attacked Emily earlier. He was now badly dented and missing a few parts, and he was staring up at Gasket with a terror that was clear even on his metal face. When Gasket realized who had run into him, he quickly backed off with a subservient bow.
"Ah, my king, how pleasant to see you," he said politely.
"Forget that," Jason snapped. "What in the world are you doing here?"
"Nothing serious," said Gasket. "You needn't concern yourself with it."
"What do you mean, I don't need to concern myself? I'm not having you beating my subjects without a good reason," Jason replied. "You'd better give me a good explanation for what's going on, or you might be the one being beaten!"
"I understand your concern, majesty," said Gasket, trying to hold his temper. How dare this upstart suggest to beat him! "This is the soldier who was dispatched to capture the girl you desired. He failed miserably, fooled by childish tricks. The Power Rangers didn't even have to intervene; the girl herself defeated him. He is being punished for his failure."
"That is no excuse!" Jason retorted. "You don't punish your soldiers for losing fights, and you don't resort to this kind of treatment for anything but the most extreme circumstances. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, your majesty," Gasket replied, gears grinding in frustration.
"Good. Now, give me that whip, and I'd better not see any more of this behavior in the future," Jason replied. The robot reluctantly handed over his weapon, and Jason snatched it out of his hands. Then he turned on the hapless soldier.
"You," he said. "Are you all right? Can you walk?"
"I... I'm okay, I think," answered Electricable, sounding surprised.
"Good. If you'd been seriously hurt, someone would have paid for it," said Jason. "Go find that guy, Klank or whatever his name is, and have him put you back together."
"Yes, your majesty! Thank you, your majesty!" said the monster. He pulled himself to his feet and clanked down the hallway, dropping a few bits of metal on his way.
"Your majesty, are you sure that was a good idea?" asked Gasket. "It doesn't set a very good example, letting people get by with not completing their missions. It will make them believe you are too forgiving. They won't want to obey you."
"It doesn't set a good example for the troops if they get beaten for every little thing, either," Jason replied. "I don't remember what the policy was before, but I think we're more likely to get their full effort if they're not so terrified of failure. I think he's learned his lesson, and he'll probably be so grateful that I saved him that he'll try twice as hard to do things right next time. Besides, I told you, Emily is powerful. It's going to take something special to bring her to our side. Perhaps capturing her was a bad idea; we'll have to think of something else." When Gasket still looked uncertain, he set a hand on the robot's shoulder. "Don't worry. I know you're under a lot of pressure to finish this battle. I just don't want to see you taking it out on the soldiers anymore. After all, if you couldn't take out the Rangers yourself, why should you punish the lower soldiers for not being able to do what you couldn't? Take it easy. We'll all feel a lot better once this is over with."
"You're right, your majesty," Gasket replied. "I would like more than anything for this to be finished."
"I know how you feel," said Jason. "It's okay. We'll get it all straightened out somehow. Anyway, I've got some planning to do, so I'll see you later."
Jason turned and walked away, and Gasket brushed at his shoulder in disgust.
"That insufferable marshmallow-hearted weakling," he snarled. "This is getting out of hand! He'll be wanting us to take up crochet at this rate. Imagine - the Prince of the Machine Empire showing mercy to his troops! Intolerable! I'm sorry I ever got involved in this scheme. Perhaps I should just kill him and be done with it. If only I hadn't lost the Red Ranger! If I'd had the chance to capture him, I'd be ruling Earth by now, I'll bet."
Muttering and grumbling foul things, he clunked off to his room to make new plans to rid himself of the Power Rangers, and this time, he would start with Jason.
In the meantime, Electricable had tracked down the chief mechanic of the Machine Empire and had submitted himself for a checkup. He lay on the operating table while Klank puttered about, tinkering with a screwdriver and a soldering iron while he chatted with his patient.
"How did ye manage to get yerself into this mess?" he inquired. "I hadn't heard anythin' about an attack and the Rangers. Or did ye get into a fight with yer bunkmate?"
"It was Gasket," said Electricable. "He sent me on a mission to capture a girl for King Jason."
"King Jason, is it, now?" asked Klank. "I'd thought that was just a ruse."
"Yeah, whatever," Electricable shrugged. "All I know is, I was supposed to capture the girl, but she wound up tricking me into getting too close to a lake. You know how much I hate water!"
"A mere lass did this to ye?" Klank wondered. "Hold still, now, this is tricky."
The soldier obligingly held still while Klank soldered some parts back in place. "No. I told you, it was Gasket. He punished me for not being able to capture the girl, and for getting tricked. Then King Jason came along and stopped him. He said if he caught Gasket beating any more of us, he'd beat Gasket himself. Then he sent me here to be repaired."
"There's that 'King Jason' bit again. Ye talk like ye'd prefer to have Jason as your king than Gasket."
"Well, so what if I do? At least he doesn't want to beat the spark plugs out of me every time I make a mistake."
"That's mutiny, ye know. Treason. Ye'll be disassembled if Gasket hears talk like that."
"Not if there really was a mutiny," said Electricable. "If there really was a mutiny, Jason would be king and there'd be nothing Gasket could do about it."
"Hmm." Klank pondered that one while he worked at replacing a badly dented piece of paneling. "An interesting idea."
"Very interesting," piped Orbus.
"Yes... but ye can't be having a mutiny with only one person involved," Klank commented.
"Or three," Orbus put in.
"Here now! Who said I wanted to be involved in this?" asked Klank.
"Nobody," Orbus replied. "But I don't think a Power Ranger would have a lot of use for a monster maker. You could have a vacation."
"Hmm... It's been a few millennia since I've had one of those," Klank mused. "But I'll not be starting any mutinies. But... it is interesting what Jason did. I don't believe I've ever heard of a Ranger saving a monster's life before. That would be an interesting bit of news to begin circulating. I'm sure your fellow soldiers would like to know how King Jason treats his troops."
"You called him King Jason just now," said Electricable.
"So I did, so I did. Hold still, now. I need to get at that wire."
The matter was dropped as Klank turned his attention back to his patient's injuries. However, he did give a very slight nod to Orbus, who then turned and drifted out the door. He floated down the hall and into the nearest set of barracks where Gasket's metal monsters relaxed in their free time.
"Hey," he whispered to the nearest soldier, "did you hear what happened to Electricable...?"
"There!" said Archerina, setting down her tools. "All fixed! What do you think?"
Tommy looked over his communicator. In his personal opinion, it looked like a mess, crudely pieced together with whatever bits of scrap metal they could find and its shiny surface marred by scratches, dents, and blobs of solder. However, when he took it and attempted opening a communications channel, he heard a rewarding blip that meant everything was in working order.
"You're a miracle worker!" said Tommy fervently. "I don't know how to thank you enough."
"It was nothing," said Archerina modestly. "Actually, I sort of enjoyed it."
"Well, I'll find a way to repay you for it. This means a lot to me," Tommy replied. He hit the talk button on the communicator. "Tommy to Power Chamber! Do you read me? Come in!"
There was a crackle of static, and Tommy held his breath. Then, a familiar but not immediately recognizable voice said, "Hello?"
*Do I have the wrong number?* Tommy wondered.
"Here, give me that!" muttered a voice on the other end of the communications line, and this time Tommy recognized Billy. "Sorry, I was just telling Finster how the communication system works."
"Finster? What's he doing there?" asked Tommy.
"Tommy? Is that you?" asked Billy. "Where have you been? I thought you were in prison."
"It's a long story. Why have you got a monster in the Power Chamber?"
"That's also a long story. I was a little surprised, myself, but he's being very useful. With him helping me and Alpha, we're nearly finished with this repair job," Billy replied.
"Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've been getting some help from interesting quarters over here, too," Tommy replied. "That's how come I'm able to talk to you - I found someone who was willing to fix my communicator for me, so now we can keep in touch again."
"It's really great to know you're doing okay up there," said Billy. "At least, I hope you are. Is everything all right? Is there anything we can do for you?"
"No, I'm doing fine. This isn't as hard as I thought it would be," Tommy replied. "Really, it sounds like you guys are the ones with the news. How are you doing as the Red Ranger? And what made Finster decide to help you? He was totally loyal to Rita last time I met him."
"Well, now I'm not," said Finster. "And you'd better get used to the idea, because I'm not going back."
"He's on our side now," Billy added. "He's become a Channeller for this thing called the Apieron. Zordon says they're very powerful."
"They are," said Archerina. "I've never even seen one myself, but my father used to talk about them."
"Do you have to eavesdrop?" asked Tommy.
"Who's that?" Billy inquired.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Tommy replied.
"Well, anyway, besides Finster joining us, we've also just gotten a new Yellow Ranger," Billy continued.
"Really? What happened to Tanya?" asked Tommy worriedly.
"Nothing, really. She just got it into her mind that she's not doing a good enough job as a Ranger," said Billy, sounding puzzled, "so now Emily is our Yellow Ranger."
"Emily, huh?" Tommy repeated thoughtfully. "That's actually not a bad call. I've been watching Jason, you know, and he's developed this thing about Emily all of a sudden. He's been dreaming about her, and he's been trying to bring her to the palace so he can talk to her. He believes she could help him."
"Well, let's hope she can," Billy replied. "I am a little worried about Tanya, though. She stayed here and talked to Adam for a while, and then she went off to be alone for a while. She doesn't seem very happy right now."
"Are any of us?" asked Tommy rhetorically. "Anyway, thanks for bringing me up to date. I'll try to keep you posted."
"Thanks, Tommy, and it's great to know you're okay," Billy replied. "We had better cut this off, now, before Gasket manages to pick up our signal or something. If he realizes someone in his base is sending us a transmission, he'll get suspicious."
"All right. Don't worry, I'll see you all soon," Tommy replied, and he ended the transmission.
"It sounds like things have been interesting where you come from," Archerina remarked.
"They always are," said Tommy with a shrug. "It sure was good to hear a friendly voice again. I don't know how to thank you for helping me."
"Think nothing of it. I only - wait, do you hear that?"
Both of them turned toward the door. The sounds of footsteps echoed from somewhere nearby, and were coming rapidly nearer.
"Hide," Archerina ordered.
Tommy made a dive for a nearby armchair and crawled behind it - not a lot of protection, but it was all the room offered. He wouldn't be seen there as long as he stayed still, and if whoever came in didn't come too close. No sooner had he settled himself in place when the door opened and a - well, creature was the only word for it - stepped in.
"What do you want?" demanded Archerina imperiously. "I didn't send for you. You're interrupting something important."
"I'm terribly sorry, your highness," said the monster, "but there's something going on I think you should know about. There's been, well, an incident."
"An incident? Don't talk in riddles. Explain yourself!"
"Your royal husband was disciplining a soldier earlier," the creature answered, "but the Gold Ranger stopped him and sent the soldier to be healed. There's been some unrest about this, especially among the lower ranks, the ones most likely to be punished like this. They're beginning to believe that Jason would make a better king for them than Prince Gasket, and there's word of a mutiny going around. It's beginning to get very ugly. They're talking everything from usurpation to execution. I thought it best to warn your highness, so you could perhaps take action to protect yourself and your husband. I'm afraid things might go too far."
"Why have you not told Gasket about this?" asked Archerina. "Does he know?"
"Not yet. He's in conference with Jason right now, and he's ordered not to be disturbed," said the monster. "Besides, right now, anyone who tries to aid the prince is liable to be called a traitor to the cause and dismantled. I'd be taking my life into my hands if I tried. But understand that no one here is angry with you - you've always treated us right. No one would try to stop you if you just left quietly."
"I am not leaving my husband to these traitorous wretches!" Archerina snapped. "I am going to get to the bottom of this nonsense! Who's in charge of this movement?"
"It's hard to say," said the monster vaguely. "Nothing seems to be organized yet, but I hear rumors that the chief engineer is the one who starting spreading the word of a revolution around."
"Interesting. I'm sure Gasket will be interested to hear of this," said Archerina in frosty tones. "You are dismissed. I'll take care of things now."
"As you wish, princess," the monster replied. "Oh, and if you'd be so kind... if anything happens, remember that I never told you anything."
"We'll see. Now, get out of here," the princess ordered. The monster slunk out, leaving Archerina to pace the floor worriedly.
"This is getting out of hand," she muttered. "When this business started, I never imagined anything like this would happen."
"That makes it all the more important that we stop this," said Tommy, crawling out from behind the chair.
"Hm. You're absolutely right," said Archerina thoughtfully. "If we get your friend out of here, they can't try to make him king anymore, can they?"
"Right," said Tommy. "I wonder... him saving that monster means there's still something of his old self left in him. The Jason I know would never stand up for that kind of cruelty, either. I keep thinking that if I could only talk to him, I could get through to him."
"It couldn't hurt," said Archerina.
"What if he gets angry and turns on me?" asked Tommy. "If he calls the guards on me, I'm sunk."
"You have your communicator now, don't forget," Archerina replied, "and the teleportation shields are still down. If worst comes to worst, you could always escape and go back to your friends."
"True," said Tommy. "I don't really want to do that yet, but it might be worth the risk. If nothing else, I could tell Zordon what I know about what's happened to Jason, and maybe with the new information he could think of some way to fix things."
"Maybe," said Archerina. "One can always hope."
"It's about time I do something here, anyway. I'm not accomplishing anything just hanging around and spying on people," Tommy continued.
"That's true, too," said Archerina. "You would be best advised to wait for him in his room. No one ever goes in there but him and the occasional servant, and those only when he calls them. You could speak with him safely there."
"All right, I'll give it a try," said Tommy. "I won't forget how you helped me. Wish me luck!"
"Good luck," she answered, "for all of us!"
Tommy waved to her, and then slipped through the ventilation shaft again. Archerina watched him go, looking thoughtful.
"This is getting entirely out of hand," she said. "I think it's time I did something about it myself."
Gasket was in a less than good mood when he came out of the conference room. His attempts to lead Jason in any useful direction were coming to nothing, and the teenager's plans for the future were intolerable. He'd given Gasket yet another scolding about his treatment of the foolish soldier, and then gone off on a lecture for what they were going to once they defeated the Power Rangers - rehabilitate them and allow them to join ranks with the empire, instead of properly torturing and destroying them! It was ridiculous! And yet, some of his other plans, such as those for helping the empire get the resources it needed without having to conquer world after world made a surprising amount of sense, and that unsettled Gasket worse than Jason's notions of suitable punishment. That nasty little voice was back complaining about how Jason was doing a better job of ruling than he could, and he was getting very cross with it when Archerina found him. He turned on her with an angry glare, but for once she stayed calm and did not back away. That was enough to calm him down a little - when she looked that determined, it meant something was up that was too important to play around with.
"Did you know," she said, "that some of your subjects want you disassembled?"
"They what!?" he exclaimed. He was right, this was more important than his current frustrations.
"They're starting to like the king you've given them better than you," she replied, "and they're talking about getting rid of you so they can have him for their true king. What do you make of that?"
"Argh!" Gasket snarled, punching the wall. Chips of rock sprayed from the impact. "That Jason! Everything he gets near goes wrong! Who's behind this outrageous plot?"
"Everyone, it seems," Archerina replied. "Everyone from the soldiers to the servants to the high-ranking officials. One of my personal servants carried the word to me and told me to flee while I still could, but I knew you could stop this before it got too far."
"Yes. You thought very well," said Gasket approvingly. "You've done the right thing. Now, if I could just think about this a bit... Blast it! I didn't want to have to eliminate the Ranger before I was done with him, but it doesn't look like there's going to be any other course. He's entirely too good at what he's doing; I wanted someone more manageable. If only I'd been able to capture the Red Ranger right off!"
"Would you feel better about killing Jason if you had Tommy to take his place?" Archerina suggested.
"Yes, that would be very useful," Gasket replied. "Maybe a rethinking of my original plan... Tommy was a very good evil Ranger once, and could be so again with the proper coaching. But that kind of thinking is fruitless without the Red Ranger in hand."
"But I know where he is," said Archerina. "He's still in the palace, keeping watch over his friend. I managed to win his trust, so now I know exactly where he is and what he's doing. He's gone to Jason's room to try to talk to him. He'll be waiting there right now."
To her amazement, Gasket threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
"My darling, you are a miracle worker!" he said. "You may have just saved this whole operation!"
"You know I only want to help you," she replied.
"And you've done a wonderful job," Gasket replied. "I should have given you more say in this from the beginning. I'm sorry for neglecting you."
Archerina was too shocked to speak. She hardly heard her husband's next words - something about finding the Rangers and showing them who the real authority was, but all that was unimportant now. Her husband still cared about her after all! While Gasket set off in search of Power Rangers, she returned to her room in a glow of happiness.
Jason was more than a little shocked to find someone sitting in his chair when he returned to his rooms. Tommy really couldn't blame him; besides the fact that he wasn't really supposed to be in Gasket's palace at all, he had to admit that he didn't look like he belonged in these palatial settings. Despite the fact that he'd done his best to keep himself groomed during this adventure, there was only so much that could be done with cold water and his bare hands. His clothing was a mess, stained with dirt and machine oil, and his long hair was mess. He certainly must have looked odd sitting in the king's living room. Jason stared for a moment, not quite able to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Well, don't just stand there," said Tommy. "Come in. Sit down."
"What are you doing here?" Jason demanded. "You're not supposed to be here! Go back where you came from, before I call the guards."
"I'm only here to talk," said Tommy. "I really don't want to fight with you. I would rather we were friends."
"So, you've decided to surrender?" asked Jason suspiciously.
"Who said anything about surrender? I just said I wanted to talk," said Tommy. "We can take care of this like civilized people, right?"
"I guess so," Jason replied, settling himself down in a chair opposite from Tommy. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
*I'm going to have to be careful here,* thought Tommy. *He really doesn't know who I am right now. I'm worse than a stranger, I'm an enemy, so he's going to believe anything I say is a lie if I'm not careful.*
"I want to know a few things about how this empire operates," said Tommy. "What do you all want with Earth?"
"I ought to be asking you the same question," Jason replied. "You're the one's trying to destroy it."
"Ok... Why don't you know why we're doing it? If you're our enemy, shouldn't you know something about us?"
"I don't remember anything, because you took my memories away," said Jason, getting angry.
"So, do you want them back? I can tell you who you are," Tommy replied. "You're Jason Lee Scott, and you're not one of the machines. You were the first leader of the Power Rangers, the Red Ranger. Zordon chose you to save the world, and you were the first one to agree. You saved me from evil when I was under Rita Repulsa's control. You and I fought Titanis together and brought him back as an ally. You were the one who went into Rita's dark dimension to try to stop the Green Candle from burning out and taking my powers away. I gave you my Power Coin for safekeeping, and you gave it back to me when you all were in trouble. When I became the White Ranger, you were proud to see me named the new team leader. You and I were meant to fight with each other, not against each other."
"I don't understand. What is all this you're talking about?" Jason demanded. "Nothing you're saying makes sense!"
"I'm saying you've been tricked," said Tommy. "Gasket is your enemy. He always has been. He's using you to try to take the team apart. He's the one who erased your memories, and he's turned you against the best friends you have."
Gasket... an enemy? Against his will, Jason was reminded of the earlier scene with Gasket and Electricable. Would anyone dedicated to Good, even in the worst circumstances, do something like that? All his insistence that Jason was being too kind to his enemies, his veiled disapproval of his plans for peace... that wasn't the way a champion of the light should behave. Images wandered through Jason's mind - the clash of battle, gleaming weapons, cosmic powers... horrible monsters, pain and destruction, loss and failure, the fear of death, a nightmare of broken glass and bleeding bodies and unimaginable terror...
"No!" Jason cried. "I don't want to think about it! I don't want to think about it! Stop it!"
At that moment, the door to the room burst open, and Gasket himself came charging in, accompanied by several Cogs.
"What is going on in here?" Gasket demanded.
"Take him away! Get him out of my sight!" Jason commanded, pointing at Tommy. "Take him somewhere and lock him up so I never have to see him again!"
"At once, your majesty!" said Gasket, sounding pleased. "Cogs, attack!"
There was no time to move. Before Tommy could even consider what to do next, he was being swarmed by metal monsters, held so tightly he could barely twitch. Someone ripped his communicator from his wrist, and he saw it be thrown to the floor to be crushed by Gasket's steel foot.
"I don't know how you managed to repair this," said Gasket. "No doubt you have one of those usurping traitors on your side. No matter; they'll all be dealt with eventually. Guards, take him to the maximum-security prison! Bind him hand and foot, and post a double guard. Keep watch on him night and day. I do not want him getting out until I'm ready to deal with him personally, understand?"
The Cogs nodded in agreement and began hauling their kicking, struggling prisoner out of the room, while Gasket watched in supreme satisfaction.
*This is going to work, after all,* he thought smugly. *Silly Rangers. They can set me back a bit, but they can't stop me, not now, not ever.*
Tommy continued to fight as he was pulled down the halls, but what was the point? Nothing he did made any difference to the metal creatures that carried him, and he was only hurting himself by struggling. At last, he slumped into dejection and let his captors carry him along. Then, suddenly, he spotted a familiar face watching the spectacle with cool detachment.
"You!" he snarled at Archerina. "You traitor! How could you do this to me? How could you betray me after everything you told me?"
"I have my priorities, and you have mine. It seems they don't mix," Archerina replied. "I told you Rangers and robots couldn't be friends."
"But I thought you wanted this to end!"
"I do. It will," she answered. "Gasket is pleased with me for helping him capture you. That is what matters to me. However, your friend has become a danger to him, and I will not allow that. Your friend will be killed now, and you will become Gasket's new servant."
"No!" Tommy screamed. "I won't let this happen!"
"You have no choice," she replied, and she turned and walked silently away from the fury that burned in Tommy's eyes.
*Sorry, Tommy,* she thought, *but this is how it is.*
*It's over,* thought Tanya, gazing out at the rippling surface of the lake. *I feel like it's all over before it started.*
She didn't regret her choice, of course - she knew she had done what it took to help the Rangers, but that didn't mean she had to like it. It hurt to have to give up something like that. She hadn't really thought, until the point when she'd given up her powers, just how attached she'd been to being a Ranger. It was a source of pride, almost her source of identity. Even more importantly, it was a source of friendship... and love. It didn't help any that Adam obviously didn't approve of what she'd done. It had been only yesterday that they'd admitted their feelings for each other, and now she had left. She didn't blame him for being angry. She found it a little depressing, herself.
"Do you need someone to talk to?" inquired a voice.
Tanya jumped; that was a voice she hadn't quite gotten used to yet. She spun around and found Finster standing behind her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "You shouldn't be out in public - can you imagine what people will do if they see you?"
"They won't see me. I'm very good at not being seen when I don't want to be seen," he replied. "I've had a lot of practice. Besides, I do know a little bit about magic, you know."
He made a gesture with his paws, and there was a flare of soft green light. Then he was suddenly not there. While Tanya stared in shock, the lights flared again, and Finster returned to view.
"That's a good trick," she managed.
"I've been perfecting it for years," Finster replied modestly. "But you can see there's no danger of me being spotted while I'm here. If anyone see's anything, they'll see you conversing with empty air. Then they'll assume you're not in your right mind and leave us both in peace."
"Somehow, I think that arrangement works better for you than for me," Tanya replied.
"Ah. Well, nothing is perfect," said Finster. "But I still thought you could use a listening ear, and I'm good at that."
"Yeah, I guess I could stand some company," Tanya answered, "and I'm not sure any of the Rangers feel like talking to me right now. Do you think they're angry at me?"
"A little disappointed, perhaps," he replied. "You're friends care very much about you, you know. They are sorry that you've chosen to leave. It's not because they don't think that Emily will do a good job, but because they don't want to lose your friendship."
"But I don't plan to leave them forever," said Tanya. "I'm still going to talk to them and hang out with them and all that."
"But it won't be the same," Finster replied. "You know it, too, don't you?"
Tanya nodded glumly. "That's what's wrong with this whole business. I want to be able to help my friends, and I hate that the only way I can help them is by leaving!"
"You're very lucky to have friends like that," said Finster. "It's very lonely being a monster, you know. We live in a nest of contention and backstabbing. It's a wonder there are any of us left."
"Yeah. I guess you've been in a worse mess than I'm in, haven't you?" Tanya replied. "I hadn't really thought about it that hard."
"Most people don't... but that's all right. I expect it. It makes it difficult to fight your enemies if you start feeling sorry for them," he said. "I am very thankful that you all have allowed me to stay with you. I want to do something to repay you for your kindness."
"Well, you know what Billy said - just having an extra pair of hands is a big help," she replied.
"True... but once the computer is finished, I'll have used up my usefulness for the time being, and that job will be finished very soon," Finster replied. "I have in mind to do something that will have a bit more of an effect on this battle."
With that, he withdrew the Apieron from his apron pocket and held it to the light. It had been beautiful in the soft light of the Power Chamber, but here in the full light of summer, it was dazzling, flaring like a rainbow star.
"You know," he said, "I've never actually had a chance to see this thing in the sunlight. I've always had to be secret about it, so I've never seen it by anything but starlight or candlelight or electric light. I think it really must be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
"It is beautiful," Tanya agreed. She was puzzled - there was something wistful and almost sad in Finster's voice that didn't sound like it ought to be connected to what he was saying.
"The problem with associating with such immensely powerful beings is that they always seem to know what needs to be done, and they can't help but manipulate you from time to time for the greater good," Finster went on. "I think the Apieron somehow made sure that you would be the one to find me, not just because you were the only one who wouldn't recognize me instantly as an enemy, but because it knew that you would be needing help sometime soon. I'm very grateful for your trust in me. Now I will repay you for your kindness."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You gave up the greatest gift you had to help your friends," said Finster solemnly. "Now I'm going to do the same. Tanya, I am giving you the Apieron."
"What?" Tanya exclaimed. "No! You can't do that."
Finster smiled a little. "That's what you told your friends when you gave up your powers."
"But this is different! What am I supposed to do with the Apieron? You're the only one it can talk to," Tanya replied. "Besides, it's just too important. I can't keep it."
"It has promised me that it will return to me eventually, so you won't really be keeping it," said Finster. "The Apieron knows that it won't be able to talk to you, but it assures me there are other things it can do, things that will help you and your friends, but it needs your help. I can't do it; it has to be you."
"I still don't know," said Tanya.
"Please. I don't want to argue about this," said Finster. "That crystal is the first being that ever cared about me. As long as I had it, it meant I was someone important. I don't really want to give it up. Don't make this any more difficult on me."
"All right," Tanya replied. "If that's how it is... all right. I'll take it."
Reverently, she accepted the shimmering crystal. It was warm when she first touched it, but it quickly turned cool in her hand, even though the summer air was warm. It flashed a little in erratic pulses of light that had no connection to the way the sun was shining.
"It's talking," Finster informed her. He sounded a little relieved, as if glad he could still hear it. "It wants you to know it's about to do something, and that you ought to brace yourself."
"What's it going to do?" asked Tanya apprehensively.
"It just says, 'Watch,'" Finster replied.
Watch? Tanya peered in puzzlement at the shifting rainbow lights on the crystal's surface, wondering what it was she was supposed to be watching. As she watched, the lights grew and intensified, and suddenly they swept upon her in a rush and carried her away.
*Oh,* was the last thing she thought, *so that's what it was.*