Disclaimer: Still don't own Power Rangers.
A/N: And here we go. Special thanks
to those who reviewed!
Jason set his helmet down on top of one of the consoles in the Command Center, looking back to Zordon. He knew he was going to completely regret this later, but he'd worry about that when later came around.
"You remember the last time we had a nice little one on one talk? I do, right after Tommy lost his powers and the other rangers were kidnapped. 'You have been a fine leader, Red Ranger.' Best pep talk of my life." Jason snapped at Zordon, something he never imagined he would do, but he was far from done. "That was...what? Three weeks ago? You had to have already been working on those new powers when you told me all that!" Jason was starting to yell now, his voice echoing through the Command Center, and he really didn't care if Billy and Alpha heard him in the back.
It was quiet for a minute after Jason finished, he wanted a response before he kept going, he wanted to know just where he was standing. The former leader began pacing back and forth, waiting for Zordon to say something. He could feel his mentor's eyes staring down at him, almost digging into his skin. Finally, Zordon spoke. "I figured you needed someone to yell at."
Just hearing Zordon's voice caused Jason to spin around and look back up at the giant head, but when the words registered, he was thrown off entirely. "And anoth...What!? What do you mean someone to yell at!? I had a lot to say! I wanted to yell! And I can't yell now because you told me I needed to yell, and now if I yell I just look like a huge jackass!!!" Jason yelled anyway, not even realizing it.
"Jason, you must remember. This is a team. No one is more or less important than any other. The position of leadership doesn't matter in the least to me. What is important is that the Power Rangers are united and doing their job." Jason was calming down a bit now, and he continued to listen. "Things have happened much differently than I expected them to. Jason, do you want to know why I made Tommy leader over you?"
"Do I...YES!" Jason was getting aggravated again, what else would he want to know?
"Red Ranger, I was planning to deactivate your powers temporarily." Zordon confessed, but Jason interrupted him before he could continue.
"Why!? Zordon, I don't get it. What did I do to get you this mad at me?" Jason wasn't so much angry now as he was distressed. Being a Power Ranger was something he lived for, and here he was being told that he was being told he was going to have his powers taken? He didn't believe it, and he didn't believe the 'temporarily' part either.
"I had no intention of creating a seventh Power Ranger at the beginning of this day," Zordon continued. "I brought back the Green Ranger Powers for a much different reason. My intention was to take your power coin, and combine it with the green coin." Jason's eyebrows raised a bit. "In doing so, the Red Ranger Powers and the Green Ranger Powers would become one. The process would have taken some time, however, and you would have been without powers for a short time. Jason, I chose you because you are a fierce, brave warrior, and when you controlled the Dragonzord awhile back, you used it to it's maximum potential. Controlling two Zords as well as leading the team would have been simply too much for any man to handle. My plans changed when I saw how bravely David fought today. A seventh Ranger is something I never believed I would be able to find, and having one more warrior on the battlefield could save us one day. I hope you will forgive me, Jason."
Jason just stood there in shock for a few seconds, trying to let it all sink in. Wow, so that's what it was all about. He was being a jerk to Tommy, screaming at Zordon, and he was about to get an upgrade? He didn't even care that he wasn't going to get it anymore. Quite frankly, he felt like he didn't even deserve it anymore. "Zordon, no, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm so sorry," he quickly said.
"You didn't know, and I was too secretive. It is my fault as well. Jason, you are still an important member of this team."
Jason looked at the ground, he felt awful by now. He could deal with this. He had already helped Tommy once, he could keep doing this. Yea, it was going to be alright. "Guess I need to be helping Tommy out a little more, then, huh?"
Zordon smiled. "Perhaps, Jason. But for now, perhaps you should catch up with the others before that movie starts."
Jason looked up at Zordon and smiled, too. That sounded really good right now. "Yea, good idea. Thanks, Zordon."
"May the Power protect you, Jason." Zordon said his classic line before Jason teleported himself out of the Command Center.
"Alright, David. I think you've got it down." the unmorphed Tommy Oliver said to the newest Power Ranger. He still couldn't believe he was standing next to the Green Ranger. It just felt so unreal. It was almost like looking into a mirror. For some reason it even made him a little uneasy. He had to admit, though, it was nice to see the Dragonzord again. He had just finished teaching David everything about controlling it, both with the Dragon Dagger and from inside it. It had been pretty easy, David picked up on it really fast.
"Thanks, Tommy. I appreciate it." David smiled underneath the helmet. He looked at the Dragon Dagger in his hands, and up at the massive Zord that was now his. "So, you were the first Green Ranger?"
Tommy laughed a little. "Yea. I never had full control of the powers like you do, though. They were always pretty unstable from Rita's influence on them. You've got them at the full power. They haven't been this strong since I was under Rita's spell."
David nodded slowly, frowning a tiny bit underneath his helmet. He wanted to be his own Ranger and make his own image for himself, not step into someone else's shoes. He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of someone whistling the Dragon Dagger's main tune behind them. He quickly turned to see the unmorphed Red Ranger walking up to the two of them. And he didn't stop whistling when they saw him, either.
Tommy couldn't help but smile. Jason always whistled that little tune to get Tommy's attention, sometimes even in public. Jason probably liked it more than anyone else in the team. Tommy clearly remembered the day he turned on the TV to see the Red Ranger on the news, playing the Dragon Dagger (something that had been a very popular news story), and knew just how happy Jason had been. "You know, bro, that's you and David's little inside joke, now. Not my powers anymore."
Jason just laughed and patted David on the shoulder. "I know, I know. Feels weird seeing Tommy Oliver and the Green Ranger side by side. Don't take it personally if someone screws up and calls you Tommy in the middle of battle, alright?"
David nodded, and forced out a laugh. He knew they were just playing around, but it still frustrated him. He was the Green Ranger, now, not Tommy. Why couldn't they just deal with it?
"So," Jason said, looking up at the the old Zord. "Dragonzord's looking pretty good."
"He is, isn't he?" Tommy replied, looking up too. He shot a sideways glance at Jason, though, trying to figure him out. He sure was in a much better mood all of a sudden. That was how Zordon worked, though, he could fix any problem.
"Sorry, bro. I know it's been a little awkward lately. I just want you to know that I'm right with you. You ever need anything, you let me know, alright?" Jason said after a minute of silence. David looked between them, a bit confused.
Tommy smiled. "Thanks. I'm sorry, too. Zordon sure threw us for a loop, eh?"
"Well, you don't apologize because you got nothing to apologize for. And yea, he did, didn't he?"
"So, you going to catch that movie, or what?" Tommy changed the subject. Now that they had come to terms with everything the whole leadership thing was behind them for good.
"I guess I do need to get moving. My truck's been sitting in a parking lot with my uncle's favorite couch in the bed for the past couple hours." Jason frowned when he suddenly remembered. His look of worry deepened when he realized they had been following his uncle and had to break off and 'get lost' when Zordon contacted him. "Oh, shit. He's probably waiting on us."
Tommy let out a laugh. "That guy thinks you're worthless, doesn't he?"
"Yea, he really does. This'll be fun without Zack and Billy, too. Speaking of which, you coming to the movie?"
"Nah. Billy and David are gonna do some work on the Dragonzord, and I'm going to make sure they don't do anything to mess up my baby." Tommy laughed.
"David's baby, now. Alright, though. I'll see you guys later." Jason said as he held up his communicator.
"Later, Jason." Tommy said as Jason teleported away. "Well, let's get him back to the Command Center and see how some upgrades, huh?"
"That sounds good." David nodded, looking up to the Dragonzord. David let out a small sigh. He just wanted to fit in...
"What!?" Lord Zedd screamed at Finster, anger taking hold of him.
"I said that the Green Ranger Powers have been restored, my lord." Finster calmly repeated himself. He used to be frightened of Lord Zedd when he was angry, but when he came to understand that Zedd was always angry, he wasn't really bothered by it anymore.
"Don't those fools ever just GIVE UP on something!?" Zedd continued as he walked to the balcony of the palace, and peered down on the earth, watching Tommy and David in the desert, and seeing Jason teleport away. "We have enough trouble with Tommy and Jason at their full power, a seventh Ranger is too much!"
"Did someone say Tommy and Jason?" Goldar asked as he approached Zedd and Finster. He hated the White and Red Rangers with an uncontrollable rage. They were mere humans, yet they were the only ones he had ever fought that had managed to defeat him in single combat. Goldar would seize any opportunity to destroy them, but under Lord Zedd's rule, he was seeing less and less battle time.
"Shut up! Just shut up!!!" Zedd shook his head. Seven Power Rangers...his forces just couldn't handle it. The return of the Green Ranger would mean that there would always be one Megazord and two other Zords on the battlefield. He would have to begin making far more dangerous monsters, but if he knew how to make better ones than he already had, they would be out there. All this thinking was starting to hurt. Without realizing it, he put his right hand to his head. "I have such a headache..."
A/N: Stay tuned and please review!