Author's notes -- here's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy :).

Chapter One

"I don't think we're late," said Trini, pulling the gym doors open and glancing to her watch. "Kim was in a hurry but she said eleven thirty, didn't she?"

Stepping past Trini into the building, Billy glanced around the interior and smiled. "Indeed. I believe we're early."

Across the gym, they spotted Kimberly standing at the top of a pyramid of cheerleaders, balancing briefly before somersaulting down in perfect time with the music blasting out of the building's speaker system. Catching sight of Billy and Trini, Kim grinned and quickly waved, before ducking back to join the other cheerleaders as the formation broke apart.

"Is there somewhere we can sit and watch the proceedings?" asked Billy.

Trini nodded. "Over on the benches, c'mon," she replied, but as she led Billy across the gym, a sudden thought occurred to her. "You've been in the gym before, haven't you?"

The blond youth nodded. "Affirmative," he replied. "There was the annual science fair here a few months ago. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

As the Blue and Yellow Rangers sat down, the cheerleading squad continued their practice, a frenzied and energetic swirl of frills and pompoms, with complicated dance steps and acrobatics that would've left even the most skilled martial artist in awe, all accompanied by the deafening fast-paced music. Trini smiled - no wonder this practice had to be scheduled for Saturday morning. The school's teachers would've been in for a losing battle against that kind of sound.

After a few minutes, one of the girls stepped away from the rest of the group. Watching from the stands, both Trini and Billy instantly recognised her as Veronica March, the eldest daughter of one of the richest families in town. Blessed with curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes and near-flawless beauty, Veronica was the quintessential cheerleader. Watching the girls for a few seconds, she waved over to the stereo operator, and the music cut out.

"Okay girls, that was great!" she called. "Good work everyone!"

The group broke up, and Kimberly jogged over to join Billy and Trini.

"Hey guys," she puffed, brushing her hair from her eyes. "Sorry, I guess we totally ran late..."

"Don't worry," said Trini. "It was fun to watch."

Billy nodded. "Affirmative," he replied, and offered Kim a bottle of ice-cold water.

Kimberly gratefully accepted the gift, and gulped down half the bottle. "Billy, you're my hero," she smiled, still out of breath.

Across the gym, Veronica watched as everybody went for their backpacks along the side of the room, then walked to the center of the gym and raised her voice.

"Okay everybody, so our next practice is tomorrow afternoon," she called. "Let's be ready!"

Silence followed, and the girls all turned back to Veronica, tired groans escaping from several. Kimberly's brows lowered, and giving Billy back the water bottle, she stepped back towards Veronica.

"You want us back Sunday afternoon as well?" she asked.

Veronica nodded, either blissfully unaware or decidedly ignorant of the rising murmur of disapproval on all sides. "Of course."

"But don't you think that's totally overkill?" Kim asked. "I mean, fair enough the rugby semifinals are only two weeks away, but we've nailed these routines. And what about everything else, like the midyear exams in a week? I mean, we all need that time."

Despite the girls all nodding their agreement, Veronica shook her head. "Well, I'm sorry," she said, in a tone that couldn't have made it any clearer that she in fact wasn't, "but if you want to stay on this team, I expect you to show full commitment." With the unspoken 'or else' still hanging in the air, Veronica turned back to the rest of the gym. "See you all tomorrow afternoon girls!" she called, and with the briefest hint of a grin, she went for her backpack and left the building.

"What was that about?" asked Trini, as Kim stepped back over towards them.

The Pink Ranger shook her head. "Just little miss control freak there," she said, then sighed. "She just wants us to be perfect, I guess."

"At the expense of your other priorities?" asked Billy. "That seems unfair."

Kim shrugged. "As long as the world isn't about to end I'll just have to make time," she replied. "Anyway, I've spent too much time here already. I'll just go and change, and then let's get out of here." And the Pink Ranger quickly dashed back towards the lockers.

Stepping off the verandah and onto the front step, Jason knocked lightly on the wooden door and stepped back. After a few seconds the door swung open, and to his surprise, Jason found himself staring at Scott and Sarah.

"Oh, Jason," said Scott, and smiled. "Hey."

Jason nodded. "Uh, hey," he said. "Sorry, I was expecting Peter... this is his house, right?"

Sarah grinned. "We're all inside watching TV," she said, opening the door. "Come in."

"Thanks," Jason replied, stepping inside. "Is Peter in with everyone else? I was kinda hoping to talk to him."

Scott shook his head. "He went out into the backyard a few minutes ago," he said, then added, "it's a good thing you're here, actually. For about a week now, ever since Aaron left, something's been really bothering him."

Sarah nodded. "Peter tends to shut down when he's upset about something," she said. "Reaching him tends to be fairly hit and miss. And for that matter, Brendan's been really quiet and Teresa hasn't said a word all morning either." Sarah paused, and smiled. "You're talking to the only two sane people left."

"I know," agreed Scott. "School camp is in like a week, too. It's gonna be a long week at the rate we're going."

Jason nodded. "You're right. Listen, I'll work on Peter, you guys figure out Teresa and Brendan," he said. "Through here?"

"Yeah," Scott replied, "just through the kitchen there."

"Thanks," Jason replied, and as Sarah and Scott returned to Teresa and Brendan in the lounge room, he crossed through the kitchen, stopping to say good morning to my parents who he'd first met when I'd enrolled in his karate class. Heading out onto the backyard patio, he found his quarry sitting over on the edge of the patio, staring at the garden opposite, and walking over, he sat down beside me.

"Hey," he said softly.

I turned to him, surprised. "Morning," I replied. "What brings you round?"Jason shrugged. "Just in the neighbourhood. Thought I'd stop by and say hello." I nodded, and he continued. "And, well... are you okay? Sarah and Scott are a little worried."

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

Jason nodded. That was one of those phrases universally recognised as meaning exactly the opposite, but the Red Ranger had a pretty good idea what was bothering me, particularly since Scott and Sarah had practically spelled it out to him earlier. Looking back across the yard to the garden against the back fence, the Red Ranger did what he knew best - attack the problem with a direct approach.

"It wasn't your fault," he said simply.

I turned to him. "What wasn't?"

"Aaron."

I looked away. "Then who's was it?" I replied. "Okay we won, but I keep running this through my head. If I'd maybe fought a little harder, was a little stronger or faster, maybe, I don't know..." and my voice trailed off. "Maybe things would've turned out differently."

Jason nodded. "A few months ago, Tommy lost his powers to a green candle, and he lost them because I couldn't get there in time," he said, and there was a tone in his voice I'd never heard before. "I was out by seconds. If I'd just gotten to that damn candle two or three seconds earlier, then Tommy wouldn't have lost his powers and we'd still be six strong."

I turned to him. The strength was gone from Jason's voice, and it felt like he was telling me something he'd never told anyone. "I remember there were a few weeks where nobody saw the Green Ranger, but nobody ever said anything."

"Well, that's why," Jason nodded. "Even now, his powers are temporary. They could pretty much cut out anytime."

"So how did you keep going?" I asked. "How did you get back up again?"

"Nobody blamed me," Jason replied. "I just had to accept that despite all our powers, despite everything we can do, sometimes we just won't win. And the only thing we can really do is stand by our friends and try to do better next time."

"Yeah but you're you," I said. "I know you told me to have faith back with Tibrogargan, but I just can't shake the feeling that I'm the guy who's letting everyone down." I sighed. "I know you'd rather us figure this all out on our own, but I need some help here."

At that, Jason frowned, and after a few seconds, turned to me. "The one thing that really helped me when I first became a Ranger," he began, "and, I think, the best advice anyone could give you, is that no matter who you're facing or what they're attacking you with, play the game by your own rules. Don't play it by theirs."

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "Plan offensively sometimes. Otherwise you'll always be defensive, you'll always be reacting," he said. "One of the first lessons I had to figure out was not to let the badguys dictate the rules, or else I'd be playing a game I just couldn't win."

I nodded. "You know, I think I get that."

Jason smiled. "Cool," he replied. "Anyway, there's something else that none of us have showed you guys, and I think it's about time we did. The reason I stopped by, actually. This afternoon, half past three or so, can you meet me in the park opposite Currimundi Lake, down towards the beach?"

I nodded. "Sure, I'll be there."

"Awesome," he nodded, and he stood up. "Oh, and one more thing," he added, "if you can, come morphed. See you then."

On the moon, one sound rang out in defiance of the empty vacuum of space, carrying down from the top floor of the lunar palace and across the rocky landscape as far as the thin atmosphere magically anchored to the castle would allow.

"Pure light?" screeched Rita, towering over a cowering Finster, while Squatt and Baboo hid behind Rita's throne and Goldar and Scorpina stood as far away from her as possible. "How could you miss that? Even I translated that much just standing there!"

"My queen," muttered Finster quickly, his eyes downcast, "I had to translate the scroll as quickly as possible... the Command Centre's archives are undoubtedly more vast than ours..."

"We were in that temple a solid fifteen minutes before those brats arrived," Rita snarled. "All that time wasted, because you didn't spend an extra five minutes reading through the scroll a little more thoroughly." Turning away from the cowering scientist, Rita crossed back towards where her wand was leaning against the wall. "We were so close this time," she continued, and the witch's henchmen all turned to her in shock - the fury was almost entirely gone from Rita's voice, replaced by hollow disappointment. "Like every other time, those Ranger brats got in the way at the last minute. We need to get rid of them, once and for all, no matter what. I need to. And we were so close last time with Ultramarine..."

But suddenly, Rita's eyes flew wide, and she glanced quickly around the room. "Wait... something's..."

Without warning, the room began to shake, the walls, floor and ceiling all shuddering violently. Squatt and Baboo crashed to the ground, while Rita glanced around in alarm for the source of the disturbance. Suddenly, the two large doors at the end of the room crashed open, and everyone turned to look, only to see a dark figure framed in the doorway, bathed in an eerie yellow light. From the silhouetted helmet and shoulder cannon, Rita immediately knew who it was.

"Ultramarine?" she gasped, as the room became still again.

With a growl, Ultramarine stepped out of the shadows and approached them.

"Yes witch," the warrior replied, in his deep, gruff voice, and for effect raised his arms and slid both wrist-blades into place. "It's me."

"Well," Rita began, stepping back and casually letting her arm fall towards her wand. "It's good to see you recovered from... being dead, and all."

Ultramarine continued forward. "An ancient deal was made," he said, "that gave every member of the Brotherhood two lives to live. Nobody knew of the bargain outside of us - until now, as I was the first to make use of it." He paused, and looked to Rita. "And stand down your magics, witch. It is not you I return for."

Rita smiled, suddenly discovering every ace in her hand. "So," she began, "you seek revenge then?"

The fire in Ultramarine's eyes grew brighter. "Revenge?" he repeated. "I suffered the ultimate of humiliations... at their hands. Never before has a member of the Brotherhood lost everything to... children," he growled. "I don't want revenge, I want to crush them into dust and wipe them from history!"

"Join the club," said Scorpina from behind Rita, and Ultramarine turned to glare at her.

"Our alliance bore fruit last time," the warrior said, looking back to Rita, "and it may do so again. But know this - I don't care what it takes or what I need to do, but I want the Rangers broken, conquered and destroyed."

Rita grinned wickedly, and stepped towards the blue warrior. "So, you wish to humiliate them and arm yourself with greater power so as to bring your goals that much closer within reach?" Ultramarine nodded, and Rita continued. "Excellent. Because as it so happens, Ultramarine, I know how you can do both."

I teleported into the park in a flash of orange light, materialising in a wide clearing between the gum trees and scaring a flock of lorikeets in the branches above. Through the trees I could make out Currimundi Lake a short distance away. I knew the park fairly well - there were only a few places where Jason would've wanted me to meet him, and if he wasn't in this clearing, there were only a few other places he could be.

Glancing around, I walked over to a nearby path, and followed that into the trees. I think it was the first time that I'd been morphed and wasn't fighting for my life, and I couldn't help but notice that through the helmet my hearing and eyesight seemed to be a lot clearer than usual. It was kind of cool. As I walked, the trees around me opened up into a small field under a large gumtree, with the Red Ranger standing in the centre of the clearing.

Jason smiled beneath his visor as I reached him. "Hey, glad you made it."

I nodded. "Three thirty, as promised," I said. "Zordon's okay with us using our powers, right?"

Jason nodded. "Totally, I was talking to him before."

"Cool," I replied. "So, what was it you wanted me to see?"

Reaching to his side, Jason unholstered his blaster. "You're gonna have to forgive me for this one," he said, holding the blaster up, the barrel pointed skyward. "We honestly meant to show you guys sooner than this, but I guess we never got the opportunity..." With that, he pulled back the top of the blaster with his left hand, and as the trigger and finger-guard sank into the handle, he pushed the handle back to lock into the top bar, and a thin silver blade rose from the gun's barrel, clicking into place a second later.

"I present," he said, "the blaster in blade mode."

I was silent for a second. "Wow," I said. "I never knew they could do that. Is it just yours, or...?"

"No," he replied. "Try it with your own."

I unholstered my own blaster, and following Jason's lead, soon had my own blaster in blade mode. "This is so cool," I said, then turned to Jason with a grin. "You know, we could've used these a few times in the past..."

Jason blushed beneath his visor. "You guys figured out the point-and-shoot part of them on your own, we didn't think we'd have to," he replied. "And then we never got the opportunity during those first few weeks, and then it just got more and more awkward. I'm doing it now at least. Forgive me?"

"Of course," I replied, holding the blade up. "But only because this thing's so nifty," and I ran my finger along the flat of the dagger.

"Careful, the blades are molecularly sharp, or something that would sound impressive if Billy said it," Jason added with a smile. "You're right, though, they're pretty useful, for everybody. And great for fighting in close-combat."

"I can't say I've ever really handled a knife before though," I said. "Can you maybe give me some basics?"

Jason nodded. "Knife-fighting is pretty different to sword-fighting," he replied. "I picked up everything I know from Trini, so we can organise a sparring session later on in the week."

I nodded, and looked back to the Red Ranger beside me. "That'd be great," I said. "Thanks man, this is really cool."

Jason smiled. "Don't mention it."

"Well, actually, I was going to..." But I was interrupted as without warning, the sound of muffled thunder suddenly echoed across the clearing from a few feet away, and something large suddenly dropped down onto the grass behind us.

"How adorable," said a voice, deep and earthy and shaking with rage. "The alpha males are bonding."

At that, we immediately spun around to face the speaker, only to freeze in wide-eyed shock. For a second, neither of us could believe it - standing less than three metres away, his blue armour shining in the afternoon sunlight and red eyes burning bright with hatred, was Ultramarine.

Jason instantly retransformed and holstered his blaster, while I dropped mine onto the grass and summoned my sword with a thought.

"You're dead," I said simply.

"Not quite," Ultramarine replied, "but are you going to wish that was true by the time I'm through with you..."

Waiting no longer, I raised my sword and leaped towards the warrior, but he casually raised his hand, caught my helmet and held me at arm's length.

"Please child," he grunted, "you'll embarrass us both," and he threw me away to land with a crash on the grass, only to turn back as Jason suddenly thundered towards him.

"You do not touch him again," said Jason, and immediately swung out with a powerful roundhouse punch. Ultramarine ducked back out of danger and Jason swung again with his left - the warrior struck away the blow and aimed a punch for Jason's chest. The Red Ranger stepped around the move, blocking another punch and swinging his forearm for the warrior's helmet, but the warrior quickly raised his arm and blocked the blow, batting away a second blow as Jason spun back and swung again. The warrior retaliated aiming a punch to his opponent's stomach - Jason struck Ultramarine's fist aside, and they both spun around with two high kicks, the blows rebounding and the two opponents stumbling back away.

Meanwhile, I quickly climbed to my feet and raised my communicator to my helmet. "Zordon!" I cried. "Ultramarine's back, he's here in the park with Jason and me and we need some help!"

The reply was instant. "The others are on their way," Zordon said.

Across the clearing, Ultramarine and Jason warily circled one another, keeping their distance. "Somebody actually worth fighting," the warrior growled, "it's about time," and both his wrist-blades slid into place.

"Jason!" I cried, and threw my sword towards him. Turning to catch the sword with his left hand, Jason summoned his own blade with a thought and turned back to Ultramarine with both swords raised.

"So we killed you once," he said. "How do you think this is going to end?"

Ultramarine sneered. "Oh spare me," he growled, and his left blade flashed towards his opponent. Jason blocked the move with my sword, struck away Ultramarine's other blade with his own and carved the weapon back towards the warrior's chest. Ultramarine blocked the sword with his right blade and slashed his left in a wide arc for Jason's torso, but the Red Ranger stepped around the blow, slicing for the warrior's head as he spun forward and forcing the warrior back. Ultramarine ducked as the blades flashed above him and sliced his right blade back towards his opponent - Jason struck the blade aside and attacked again, blocking a high swipe and slashing both blades on a wide arc for the warrior, but Ultramarine blocked the two swords in a shower of sparks, and the fighters spun back out of each other's range.

I raced over to Jason's side to join him as Ultramarine regained his footing, the blue warrior about to attack again when suddenly there were nine bright flashes of light, and Ultramarine suddenly found himself facing the entire team of Power Rangers, all with weapons raised.

"Whoa," breathed Zac, "Ultramarine. Zordon was right."

Beside me, Teresa nodded. "We didn't believe him at first."

"And now you're back, get ready to leave," said Tommy.

"Words," the warrior replied, glancing down the line of Rangers. "But seeing as how the witch was right and only eleven face me, I can't say I'm that worried."

"Well that'll be your last mistake," said Sarah. "Your first was coming back at all."

Jason nodded. "We beat you once, it just wasn't thoroughly enough."

"A minor setback," Ultramarine replied, continuing to stare down the line of Rangers. "Because I am back. You were lucky last time Rangers, extremely lucky. This time, nothing will save you." He paused, the warrior's red eyes resting on Brendan for a tiny split-second. "Mark my words Rangers - this time, it's war." And with one final laugh, the armoured warrior vanished from the scene.

"Man, just when we thought we'd seen the last of that blue creep," said Kimberly, glancing around the Command Centre.

"Yeah," said Sarah, then looked up. "Zordon, how can he be back?"

Zordon shook his head. "I'm sorry Rangers but I have no clue," he replied. "Alpha and I will continue to search for information on the Brotherhood, but for the moment, it's as much a mystery to me as it is to all of you."

"Rita must've had something to do with it," said Zac. "I mean c'mon, the last we saw of him were pieces of charcoal floating in Pumicestone Passage."

Teresa turned to him. "But how could Rita have put him back together?"

"Lots of patience," murmured Brendan. "Probably just as much duct tape."

"We barely managed to beat him last time," said Scott. "We don't have to go through all that again, do we?"

"Well, it seems fairly apparent that he returned to avenge his prior defeat," said Billy.

"So what the heck was this afternoon about?" Tommy asked. "He didn't really do anything, he just threatened us and left."

"I agree, it doesn't make any sense," said Trini. "Why announce himself like that? Why not just blindside us?"

"Maybe he just wanted to freak us out," said Kim. "You know, throw us off our game."

Jason turned to me beside him. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "C'mon, I didn't swing a single punch," I said, then glanced over to the Green Ranger. "Tommy's right, though," I continued. "It was strange, Ultramarine didn't really attack, did he?"

Jason smiled faintly. "Which means...?"

"He wanted something," I said. "I mean it was like he was checking on us, making sure we were all still here. But why would he do that?"

The Red Ranger shook his head. "I don't know," he said, "and that's the part that worries me."

Watching over us, Zordon nodded. "I fear there is far more to this," he said. "But it's getting late, and you should all return home and get some rest." We all nodded, and reached for our communicators. "But be ready, all of you. If we need you, Alpha and I will call, and knowing Ultramarine, I have no doubt that call will be sooner, rather than later. Good night, Rangers."