Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.
Chapter 31 – Danger and Destiny
Kira, Connor and the RPM Rangers filled the others in on what was happening and it was quickly agreed that Tanaya was the priority. Enough family had been lost because of Venjix, they weren't going make another Ranger lose their family too. Tanaya herself hadn't been very cooperative and so had remained in her glass prison as the Rangers essentially sat around and waited for Alpha to finish his work. Apart from filling people in on the details, not a word was said about what had happened nor where they'd go from here once Venjix was gone. Although the silence in the Garage was almost deafening, Kira was actually quite glad that she currently wasn't at the Command Centre, where every other Ranger save the Originals and the Zeo Rangers currently were. The kids were there, and Kira had no doubt that the scene that played out at the Command Centre was very tearful, and one that would be much harder then deafening silence. Finally, Alpha teleported into the Garage with some device held in his hand. Everyone jumped up and the RPM Rangers led the way into Dr. K's lab where Tanaya was being held. Without releasing her from her prison, Alpha switched on the device and the Rangers watched as it omitted a beeping sound, followed seconds later by Tanaya grabbing her head and crying out.
"Tanaya!" Dillon cried, rushing forward and trying to determine if she was alright. When Venjix had given her Generation 15 technology, something that resembled the design inside a computer chip appeared on the side of her head, in exactly the same location as Karone's mind control device had been. And just like with Karone, whenever Tanaya came close to remembering her old life, the mind control emitted a burst of energy, keeping her under Venjix's command. This time, however, when it emitted energy it wasn't to keep her under control, but to shut down as Alpha's signal blocker worked. After a moment, Tanaya raised her head and looked around the room, a confused look on her face until her eyes alighted on her brother.
"Dillon!" She cried, bringing her hands up to the side of the glass. "What happened? Why am I in here?!" Dillon was about to tell Dr. K to release her but she'd already done so, the glass cage disappearing and making Tanaya fall forward when her support was gone. Dillon naturally caught her and held her close, unable to believe he had his sister back, though he refused to let himself cry for he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he did.
"What happened?" Tanaya asked when the two finally pulled apart. "The last thing I remember was Kilobyte attacking the city."
"He captured you again." Dillon admitted. "And Venjix implanted you with Generation 15 technology. He gained control of you again."
"Generation 15?!" She cried. "But how did you override my programming?" Dillon looked back to Alpha to explain.
"Greetings. I am Alpha 5." He introduced first. "The programming of the Venjix implants has not been overridden, it is still fully active. However, as you are still part human, programming can only go so far. Venjix had to create a mind control device that sent a signal to your brain, blocking the goodness inside you. That signal has merely been blocked."
"So he could take control of me again…" She muttered.
"Hypothetically yes." Alpha agreed. "However, to do so he would have to destroy my device, which the Rangers shall make very difficult for him to do. I am also working on a way to permanently remove Venjix's control over you."
"Thanks." Tanaya said and was then introduced to the other Rangers. Alpha then returned to the Command Centre and with Tanaya now safe, or as safe as could be, the Rangers began making plans. Dr. K asked early on if Tanaya would consent to being hooked up to her computer so she may retrieve as much data as possible from the memory banks inside her. Dillon was all set to say no merely due to the indignity of it, but Tanaya was more then willing, wanting to do all she could to help. As Tanaya and Dr. K went off, the others decided that the RPM Rangers would take point against Venjix, with back up from the Zeo Rangers. Kira, Connor and the Originals would take care of the inevitable army of Grinders Venjix would bring to the final battle, and the Rangers in the Command Centre would all be on stand by in case they were needed; none of them were willing to let Venjix get away this time, and if it required a Ranger battle like never before seen, and likely never to be seen again, to take him down, then that's what they would do. Once that plan had been made, a beam of teleportation entered the Garage, dissipating to reveal Trey.
"Forgive me for intruding." He said. "But as we were all crowded around your Viewing Globe I could not help but overhear your plans. I am Trey of Triforia, by the way." He introduced himself to the RPM Rangers. "The Gold Zeo Ranger. Though not for this battle." He added looking to Jason.
"What you getting at Trey?" The Original Red asked.
"This is your battle, Jason. You protected the Gold Ranger powers for me and fought the Machine Empire when I could not. You deserve to see an end to the Empire once and for all."
"But unlike the other Zeo powers, the Gold Ranger powers are bonded to you." Jason argued.
"Not to mention it almost killed Jason the last time he held them." Trini added worriedly.
"Fear not Trini. I would not risk Jason's life again." Trey said. "While it is true that the Gold Ranger powers are bonded to me, they can be used by another for a short period of time so long as that person is in possession of the Golden Staff." Trey raised his hand and summoned the staff to him. While it was the main weapon of the Gold Ranger, the staff wasn't actually a part of the Ranger's arsenal. It belonged to Trey as King of Triforia, and had had a part in creating the Gold Ranger powers, thus the reason they were bound to him. Once the Staff had appeared, Trey then shocked his pseudo hosts by allowing his other two personalities to take a physical form.
"I, Trey of Heart."
"I, Trey of Wisdom."
"And I, Trey of Courage."
"Do hereby pass on the Golden Staff, and the Gold Ranger powers, until the Machine Empire is well and truly destroyed." They said together. "Take my Morpher, and the staff, Jason of Earth. You know how to use them." Jason hesitated for but a moment before grasping onto the staff, feeling its power surge through him, its familiarity coming back to him.
"I will guard it as I once did until Venjix is destroyed." Jason said, knowing the Treys awaited him to say something. The three Treys nodded and merged back into one being before teleporting out of there.
"Never thought I'd hold this again." Jason muttered once Trey was gone, looking down at the staff.
"Never mind having an old power you never thought you'd see again. What was that?!" Flynn asked, though it was obvious he spoke for all the RPM Rangers.
"Trey is a Triforian." Jason explained. "Triforians have three distinct personalities, usually merged as one being, though they are able to separate as you saw." That was all the explanation they got, largely because it was all the explanation there was, but also because at that moment Dr. K screamed for them to come into the lab. The RPM Rangers didn't hesitate, for Dr. K never screamed unless it was at someone who called the suits spandex, and the others followed close behind.
"What is it?" Ziggy asked, having been the first to reach the doctor.
"I've only downloaded 42.7% of Tanaya's memory banks but its already not looking good for us." She said. "Dillon and Tanaya aren't the only humans with Venjix hardware inside them."
"And this is news?" Dillon asked. "We knew he implanted technology into more people."
"Yes but they were thought to be dead or lost to us, not for there to be hundreds of them inside Corinth!"
"Hundreds?" Ziggy squeaked. "That's bad, that's really bad."
"It's more then bad. The moment Venjix gives the signal they'll all turn into mindless drones like Tanaya was."
"Hey!" Dillon cried.
"I meant no offense but it's the truth. All of them are implanted with Generation 6 technology or higher, meaning the weakest ones are going to be one step weaker then Tanaya was when you first fought her."
"And the strongest ones?" Scott asked, a bit afraid to know the answer.
"Unless Tanaya's memory banks are faulty, then there are several humanoid Attack Bots with Generation 17 technology inside them."
"Generation 17?!" The Rangers cried together.
"But Venjix only increased Tanaya's implants a week ago and she only has Generation 15." Said Summer. "How is it possible for there to be a Generation 17?"
"They're like Apple products." Ziggy muttered. "The second you get used to one model, there are three new ones to take its place." K couldn't fault Ziggy's logic although she found his analogy to what used to be one of the worlds biggest computer and software companies a bit out-dated.
"So what exactly does this mean?" Aisha asked, speaking up for those who weren't familiar with Venjix's various Generations.
"It means that when Venjix flips the switch we're gonna have our asses handed to us." Dillon said plainly.
"If he can flip the switch." Billy corrected. "They're half human correct?" K nodded, knowing where he was going with this but not having much faith in his proposed outcome. "Then we can block the signal like we blocked Tanaya's."
"That's going to be next to impossible." Said Dr. K. "The sheer amount of them would make it impossible to block the signal of every drone at once."
"Not if we increase the wave frequency, maximizing the signal blocker's output."
"And how do you propose we do that?" K asked, turning her attention to the Original Blue Ranger for moment, he being the first one in a long time to speak her language.
"I can tap into the power grid at the Command Centre." Billy said. "The power of just one of the plasmatic gems at its core would see the signal's velocity increase exponentially as well as have enough strength to cover the entire city."
"Uh…yes…t-that will do I suppose." K stuttered out and Billy earned shocked stares; no one had rendered Dr. K speechless before.
"Excellent. I shall teleport to the Command Centre and seek Alpha's aid in this endeavour." Billy said before turning to his friends. "I shall be on standby if you need me." He then raised his communicator and teleported out. Dr. K quickly got back to work, trying to hide the blush that had crept onto her cheeks, while Ziggy tried to hide his sorrow at obviously having no chance against Dr. K's intellectual equal.
"Billy's happily married with his second child on the way." Kim muttered to the Green Ranger, having seen the look on his face. That last bit was entirely true, Kat having discovered she was pregnant while on Eltar, it having been too early to know when they had left Earth. "And she likes you. Don't give up." Tommy wrapped an arm around Kim and nodded to Ziggy in encouragement. The Green Ranger gave them both a small smile but otherwise said nothing. K continued to extract Tanaya's memories while the Rangers once again went to relax, or try and relax, until either Venjix attacked, or Billy and Alpha finished the expanded signal blocker, for unless they had to, they didn't want to fight Venjix until it was done and he couldn't call on his army of human drones. Unfortunately, Venjix wasn't one to wait and about a half hour after Billy had left, the alarms blared signalling an attack.
"This is it." Tommy muttered, he and the others gearing up for what he supposed was their true final battle against the Machine Empire. The Rangers hopped in their cars, the non-RPM Rangers splitting between Flynn, Scott and Dillon's cars, and they raced to the battle site. Venjix himself was there and was far from pleased to see those who accompanied the RPM Rangers.
"You've gotten old." He addressed his former enemies with a taunt before turning to the two he didn't recognize. "And you two must be so unimportant my memory banks don't even remember you." He said to Kira and Connor.
"You've never seen him before, but you'll remember me as the kid you thought it wise to kidnap when you helped to finally see to Serpentera's destruction." She didn't want to say 'the last time you were destroyed' or 'when we thought we'd destroyed you' for it would merely give him more material to taunt them with and while it wouldn't bug them, it would waste time that in Kira's mind was better spent seeing to Venjix's own destruction. If Venjix's robotic face could show surprise, the Rangers were certain it would at seeing the child he remembered grown and standing next to her family, ready to fight him.
"This ends here Venjix!" Tommy roared, Tom coming forward slightly when reminded that the one who'd captured and threatened his daughter hadn't, in fact, been destroyed. "There's no escape this time! Ready?"
"Ready!"
"It's Morphin' Time!"
"Black Ranger Power!"
"Yellow Ranger Power!"
"Zeo Ranger I-Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger II-Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger III-Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV-Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V-Red!"
"Gold Ranger Power!"
"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"
"RPM Get in Gear!"
Kira and Connor once again created the temporary Morpher to allow Connor to morph into a Jungle Fury Ranger, both wanting to be at full strength for this battle and knowing, like the Originals did, that they were never stronger then when using powers directly linked to their Animal Spirits. It was not something they would do every time Connor needed to morph, his Dino powers were perfectly fine for normal battles, but this was far from a normal battle.
"Spirit of the Bear! Yellow Ranger!"
"Spirit of the Frog! Black Ranger!"
The Original Rangers had never truly had a standard roll call for whatever reason, and when they'd heard the Jungle Fury Rangers' roll call, and since their own Ranger powers came from their Animal Spirits as well, they'd adopted a similar roll call, though kept it a bit shorter and simpler.
"Zeo Ranger I-Pink!"
"Zeo Ranger II-Yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger III-Blue!"
"Zeo Ranger IV-Green!"
"Zeo Ranger V-Red!"
"Gold Zeo Ranger!"
The Zeo Rangers' roll call had always been part of their morphing call, and though it felt a bit redundant to say it all over again, in situations like this they weren't going to complain.
"With the Speed of the Cheetah! Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger!"
"With the Spirit of the Lion! Jungle Fury Lion Ranger!"
"RPM Series Red!"
"RPM Series Blue!"
"RPM Series Yellow!"
"RPM Series Black!"
"RPM Series Green!"
"RPM Series Gold!"
"RPM Series Silver!"
These Rangers did have a standard roll call and utilized them quite frequently. The standard run off power followed, though unknown to the others, the RPM Rangers actually knew exactly why, and how those explosions of run off power came to be, Dr. K having explained it to them, making them the first team to actually get an explanation.
"Attack!" Venjix cried sending all of this drones at them at once. As planned, Tirni, Zack, Kira and Connor dealt with the Grinders while the Zeo Rangers took on Venjix's Attack Bots, leaving all seven RPM Rangers to take on Venjix himself. With this many Rangers, all of them quite pissed and quite ready to end this, the Grinders didn't last for long and the Attack Bots began to fall soon after. When Venjix saw that he had but a few Attack Bots left, he pulled out a remote, ready to use his secret weapon.
"You've destroyed my Attack Bots, but lets see how you manage against my hybrids!" He flicked the switch on the remote and waited for a moment. Then another, and another, making the Rangers smile under their helmets.
"What…?" Venjix muttered.
"It's no use Venjix!" A recognizable voice called from off to the side. Everyone turned to see the Original Blue Ranger running towards them. "Your hybrids aren't coming to help you, we've blocked your signal."
"Impossible!"
"Quite possible actually." Billy countered.
"You tried to get rid of us because you knew you were no match for us." Kim said.
"You've had five years of thinking you were invincible." Adam added.
"But we're back now. So your delusion's over!" Cried Rocky.
"We destroyed your precious Empire, and we'll destroy you too!" Aisha cried right alongside her husband.
"You see Venjix, one thing you never learn is that there's no way to beat the Power Rangers." Said Jason.
"And don't think of running. There's nowhere to run and you won't be able to leave this place. This ends here and now!" Tommy finished off, each of the Zeo Rangers having felt the need to say something to their old enemy. Tommy was bluffing when he said that Venjix was all but trapped here, but silently thanked Billy and Alpha for having thought ahead for at that moment a dome of pure energy encased the Rangers and Venix, no doubt activated by Alpha. Venjix was not pleased. This was supposed to be his ultimate triumph. The Rangers were supposed to be dying a slow death on Eltar as they starved on the barren planet while he took his revenge by destroying their planet and ruling over it forevermore, turning it into the main base of operations for his Neo Machine Empire. This was not supposed to have happened.
"Let's put it together guys!" Scott called to his team, though it was also a suggestion for the other Rangers. The Originals and Jungle Fury Rangers stepped back, none of them able to call on their power weapon without the rest of their team, though they stood ready to offer their individual power if needed.
"RPM Enforcer!"
"Sky Shift Blazers!
"Zeo Blaster!"
"Gold Power Staff!" Scott, Flynn, Summer, Dillon and Ziggy combined their weapons while Gem and Gemma combined theirs, there being no ultimate combination of all their weapons, while the Zeo Rangers combined their weapons and Jason called on Trey's staff.
"Ready!" The RPM Rangers called.
"Aim!" The Zeo Rangers continued.
"Fire!" Scott and Tommy called together. Four powerful blasts were sent at Venjix and with a direct hit, and the added power granted to them due to their high strung emotions, he didn't stand a chance. A giant explosion, larger then the ones they were used to when an enemy fell, took place as Venjix went down. When the dust settled, there wasn't even a scrap of metal big enough to identify as what used to be his body.
"He's really gone?" Scott asked after a moment, in which they all just stared at the burning pieces of metal that were left over. "Like, actually gone, not just his body having been destroyed like when you guys last fought him?"
"Theoretically that is correct." Billy said. "The shield Alpha erected around us should have prevented any spirit he may possess, or however he survived last time, from escaping."
"Theoretically." Summer said. "There's no way of knowing for sure?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Yes there is." Billy and Kira both spoke at the same time. The Rangers all turned to face their Yellow Jungle Fury counterpart, wondering if they were about to find out what plan she'd been keeping from Connor, and them.
"How?" Tommy asked his daughter. Kira didn't respond but reached up and de-activated her Morpher, pulling the sunglasses off and appearing back in her street clothes. She placed her Morpher in her pocket and closed her eyes, concentrating on the Cheetah and feeling as she welled up inside her, Kira beginning to glow a pale yellow that grew brighter every second.
"Kira talk to us before you do anything!" Kim yelled at her daughter. When she didn't answer Kim ran towards her only to be knocked back when she hit the glowing power surrounding Kira.
"Kim!" Tommy cried, rushing to his mate's side, glad to see that she wasn't injured. The two de-morphed, quickly followed by the other Rangers, as they stared at the glowing power surrounding the girl, which had quickly gone from yellow to gold.
"She's using her power." Jason muttered. "This is not good." The RPM Rangers had no idea what he was talking about, but they figured they'd find out soon enough.
"Kira stop!" Connor ordered when the power surrounding her grew to a near blinding level. Kira visibly flinched but otherwise there was no change in her, shocking those who knew what orders from Connor normally meant for her.
"How's she doing this?" Zack all but breathed, remembering back to when Kim had disobeyed an order from Tommy. Like her mother, this should be impossible for Kira and she should be withering on floor in pain the longer she disobeyed. Not liking this turn of events, Connor closed his own eyes and concentrated on their bond. He was in luck, for while maintaining this level of power and control, Kira could not maintain the block she place on their bond, and everything that had gone through her head, or that she'd felt, since they returned to Earth was wide open for Connor to see.
"She's snapped." Connor said, summarizing it and drawing the others' attention.
"Snapped how?" Tommy asked, remembering to when Kim had snapped when Divatox had captured Kira, and wondering if it was the same.
"That's what she was hiding from me." He began to elaborate. "All this was too much for her. Seeing Earth destroyed, realizing five years had passed, knowing billions of people lost their lives. She's The Child of Power, she has this ultimate, unbeatable power, and she couldn't stop it from happening. But she's determined to make things right."
"Make things right how?" Jason asked and Connor shrugged.
"Not sure. She's just asking her power to help her make things right. And since I obviously can't stop her, though that's a first, I'm going to help her." Connor approached Kira and entered the sphere of her power, he being the only one who could. When he reached her, he placed his hands on her shoulders in a steadying gesture and whispered in her ear. "Don't stop." Those two words countered his previous order and made the mark stop burning. While in her current state of mind Kira had not even registered the pain emanating from the mark, a part of her had recognized that she was disobeying her mate and had not allowed her to have her full concentration on the task at hand, until Connor rescinded his order. Now able to fully concentrate, it wasn't long before she felt the Cheetah not only well up inside her, but be set free. It was at that time that she also became aware of the Lion joining his mate, the two radiating such power that those nearest, had to avert their eyes. Eventually, Kira and Connor both felt The Great Power about ready to burst forth from them, though it needed a bit of persuading.
"With the full force of the Ninjetti, we summon The Great Power from within." The two said together, very much in a trance like state.
"The Cheetah!"
"The Lion!"
"Mighty in Spirit, pure in heart, together we are one!" As their words died out The Great Power exploded from within them. A golden beam, not unlike the one that came from Zordon during The Countdown, left them, moving swiftly across land and water to cover the entire planet. As it passed over the Rangers they felt all their wounds heal, both physical and mental. Things they thought they'd never get over, things they thought would haunt them for the rest of their lives were now but a memory. They didn't forget, and they could certainly remember the pain of it, but whatever had stopped them from moving on was gone. But it wasn't just the Rangers. Colonel Truman felt the pain of his lost son, and the pain of the memories that seeing his other son brought on leave him. He'd always miss his son, but it was no longer forefront in his mind. Dr. K felt a great weight lift from her shoulders as she was finally able to grasp that she was in charge of her own future, that this wasn't a dream and she'd wake up at Alphabet Soup, locked in that room again. She'd never forget the years of imprisonment, but she was ready to make a better future for herself. Dillon and Tanaya, along with hundreds of others throughout Corinth, felt whole again as The Great Power washed over them. No one was left unaffected, least of all the Earth itself. As Kira and Connor's power sped across the land, toxins left the air and soil and pollution disappeared from the oceans. Any remnants of Venjix, any left over Attack Bots or his barricades outside both Corinth and the Command Centre were instantly destroyed, making way for the land to heal. It all happened in the space of a minute, maybe two, but for Kira and Connor it felt like so much longer before The Great Power began to recede back inside them, their Animal Spirits disappearing and re-joining their partners as their world went black.
They came to not long after, when the Rangers had gotten them back to the Garage. The RPM Rangers were entirely freaking out, having never seen or heard of anything like this, while the family worried over them. Cries of joy were heard when their eyes fluttered open and Kira and Connor were both assaulted by a sobbing Tommy and Kimberly, the two having stopped making an obvious distinction between their child and Connor as they'd recently accepted that although it may be, hopefully, some years before it was official, he was going to be their son-in-law one day, and over the years he'd certainly integrated himself into their family enough to warrant this concern.
"Thank god you're alright!" Kim cried, holding on to Connor for dear life, having just switched with Tommy. The others gave them a bit of room to breathe but made their relief obvious nonetheless. Finally, when Tommy and Kim were more or less calm once more, they allowed their ire to rise.
"What the hell was that?!" Kim demanded, her attitude having taken a complete turn.
"My power…" Kira muttered.
"Yeah we got that much." Tommy muttered back.
"No…our power. We interpreted the prophecy wrong." She looked to her parents with complete understanding on her face and in her voice, though those around her were far from grasping what she was saying. "The prophecy said I would have this unlimited, unbeatable, ultimate power, but it's not just mine. I am The Child of Power, The Great Power lives inside me, but not in me alone. Connor's my mate, we share a soul, his power is mine, and mine is his. When I used the power before, I nearly died because I was trying to use that ultimate power without actually having that ultimate power because half of it is inside Connor."
"But wouldn't that make him The Child of Power as well?" Zack asked. "It said The Child would be born of The Winged Lord and Lady. That's you, not Connor."
"You're right, that isn't Connor. The Great Power was born inside me, that's what makes me The Child and not him. But when we bonded and our souls merged some of The Great Power transferred to him. It's the end of the prophecy we got wrong. 'If the bond prevails The Child will be the saviour.' It doesn't mean if he loves me I'll be all powerful, it means if our bond prevails, if we are truly one, then I can access the bit of The Great Power that resides inside Connor. 'But should it fail, The Child will bring forth the silence, destructor to everything around.' It doesn't say that I will use my power to destroy everything, merely that I will be the cause of that destruction. If our bond fails, if we aren't one, I won't be able to access The Great Power inside him. I won't be able to call on that ultimate power, and it is that ultimate power that will save everyone. Without it, I can be the cause of destruction without actually having to lift a finger. If…when the time comes for the prophecy to be fulfilled, it'll come down to me-"
"It'll come down to us." Connor corrected. "It'll be up to us to save everyone, and then it's a matter of either or. Either we are one and we access The Great Power and save everyone, or we aren't, and we fail and everyone dies." Those listening in were silent for a bit, letting it all sink in. Some where quickly wrapping their heads around this new interpretation, while others were wondering what the hell they were talking about. The moment of contemplation, however, was cut short as beams of teleportation entered the Garage.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Cried four-year-olds Eric and Lily launching themselves at their parents. Kim, Tommy, Jason and Trini were all in a state of shock. They'd seen their kids earlier that day and they'd been nine years old. Aisha and Rocky and Adam and Tanya weren't faring much better with their own shock as their children, who were once again toddlers, ran to them. Billy turned, hoping to see Kat as a dreadful thought flowed through him. She was there, and he felt his heart rate slow down a bit seeing that she was indeed still pregnant, as well as seeing their newly re-turned one year old son clutched in her arms.
"Zachary." Angela muttered having also arrived with the kids, and Zack couldn't tell if she was angry or merely shocked. Derek was clinging to his father's legs, giving Angela an opportunity to talk to him so long as she spoke quietly. "Care to explain why our son de-aged before my eyes?"
"I wish I could explain." He returned uncertainly. The arrival of the children seemed to snap the others out of the reverie of listening to a long and involved explanation to which there was a long and involved back story that they didn't have, leaving them completely confused. Dr. K ran into her lab, and ran a few tests before bringing a screen and a scanner out to the main room. She scanned Tanaya without even asking, looking at the readings with wide eyes.
"Dillon get over here!" She called, and the shock of not being called Ranger Operator Series Black was enough to have him obeying instantly. She ran the scanner over him as well, receiving the same result.
"The Venjix hardware is gone." She said.
"What?!" Both Dillon and Tanaya gasped.
"You're both fully human. There's no trace of Venjix technology inside you anywhere."
"But how?" Tanaya asked. K merely shrugged, having absolutely no answer for the first time in her life. "No, that's impossible. I was blind." Tanaya said, faint memories coming back to her. "I can still see and I could only do that because of the Venjix implants." Again K shrugged before turning on the screen.
"There's more." She pressed a button and everyone watched as it lit up to reveal various parts of the world, but instead of the wastelands that made defining countries or cities, or even climates indiscernible, they were all there. The only places on Earth that were barren lands covered entirely in sand were the deserts that were supposed to be that way. But most importantly, there were people everywhere. Every city was filled to capacity and no one looked like they had a care in the world.
"Are those…are those live?" Scott asked, not believing what he was seeing.
"Yes." K answered. "Corinth is no longer the only place on Earth that still stands and still has life. Everything is as it was before Venjix."
"I assume that has something to do with why the dome suddenly disappeared and I found myself in an office on the ground instead of in the control tower, which also disappeared." Colonel Truman called from the doorway. He'd walked to the Garage after the dome disappeared and was still in shock that no one seemed to remember Venjix; he figured this would be the best place to get answers.
"Dad!" Scott cried, rushing to his dad's side and being surprised when he was pulled into a hug. "Dad…?" He trailed off. He couldn't remember the last time his father had hugged him, but he knew it had been before Marcus died five years ago.
"I love you son." Mason Truman murmured.
"I…I love you too dad." Scott returned, still a little weirded out, but in a good way.
"So…Dr. K you said everything's back to how it was before Venjix?" Mason asked and K nodded.
"It seems to be, yes."
"But how?" For the third time K shrugged, but although she didn't have an exact answer, or really any answer, she knew it had something to do with Kira and Connor's display of power.
"I wanted to make things right." Kira said in answer to K's questioning look. "Earth should never have been destroyed, those billions of people should never had lost their lives. I-we," She amended looking to Connor. "Have an ultimate power. There's no limitations to what we can do together; even something as big and impossible as returning Earth to what it once was."
"So we've gone back in time?" Angela asked. There was a reason she normally stayed out of Ranger business, leaving that to Zack, but this was too important to fall under her 'ignorance is bliss' credo.
"No." Connor shook his head. "If we went back in time Venjix wouldn't be destroyed."
"And he is destroyed." Kira assured them. "If he somehow managed to survive those blasts he couldn't survive our power."
"So all this," Kat motioned to the children who were five years younger then they should be and were happily playing with each other, oblivious to the conversation around them. "Just…"
"We wanted to make things right. People shouldn't have lost their lives, families, including ours, shouldn't have lost five years together."
"And their memories?" Jason asked.
"The world doesn't need to know that ninety-nine percent of them were dead previously." Connor said. "Only those touched by The Power will remember."
"So Rangers, tech advisors, mentors, and significant others, if they were in on the secret." Trini surmised.
"And probably a couple others." Kira added. "I wouldn't be surprised if Uncles Ernie, Bulk and Skull remember. Oh and since no one has any memories of the past five years, it may be 2014 to you guys, but it's probably gonna be 2009 or 2010 to everyone else. Depending if any time has passed in their minds."
"Wait," Scott said. "You said people shouldn't have lost their lives, does that mean…"
"There you are!" A voice cried from the doorway and everyone turned to see a young man who greatly resembled Scott, though was a few years older.
"Marcus." Scott and his father both breathed at the same time.
"I shouldn't be surprised you're here." He said, coming into the Garage and waving at everyone like he knew them, and in whatever life The Great Power had given him, he probably did. "I know you're both big and important now that you're a Power Ranger and a liaison between Lightspeed Rescue and the military," He directed at his brother and father respectively. "But I just got back from a six month tour, and no matter how juvenile it sounds, tonight has been designated 'Family Night.' So move your butts out of here before I do it for you."
"Sir yes sir." Scott and Mason laughed, both trying not to cry as they waved goodbye to the others, each wrapping an arm around Marcus and leading the way out of there. No matter what else had to be said, their son and brother had just returned from the dead, though he didn't know it, and with Venjix gone they could hear anything else they needed to hear tomorrow.
"So what happens now?" Flynn asked. "I don't think any of us expected to have to answer that question with a world that was whole again."
"Now we get on with our lives." Kira said. "It'll be weirder for you guys cause it's been five years, but you'll adjust. We'll get Alpha, or Lightspeed, to send over whatever it is people think you're doing with your lives since obviously they don't remember your fight against Venjix."
"Though they know we're Rangers." Summer said.
"Yeah." Connor said. "We got no more then that, so Alpha or Lightpseed will fill you in."
"I think its time we headed home." Kim said, standing up with Tommy and picking Eric up.
"Yeah, I think we're all mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted." Tommy agreed.
"I gotta get this back to Trey." Jason said looking down at the Golden Staff.
"Here." Adam said, handing Flynn one of his cards from his wallet, which he'd reclaimed from the Command Centre where they'd all left their wallets and stuff when they left for Eltar, for the dojo he, Jason and Rocky ran. "In case you need anything, or just want to keep in touch."
"We will. Thanks." Flynn said sincerely, though he and the other RPM Rangers, and Tanaya and Dr. K, were all completely freaking out, unable to wrap their minds around the fact that none of the past five years had happened. It would certainly take some time for them to get used to it.
"Let's go home." Kira mumbled as she and Connor stood with an arm wrapped around each other. The two were the most exhausted of them all, but that's what happens when you finally discover your ultimate power and the true meaning of your destiny.
A/N - Bit of an abrupt ending, but you'll get a kind of 'where are they now' segment next chapter.
So Kira and Connor have discovered their true power, and that it is their power and that Connor is just as integral to the ultimate power, even if it's Kira who can use it. And yes, Earth is returned back to like it was before Venjix, and the kids have gone back to being how they were 5 years ago with no memories of the past five years. It may seem like a bit much, but come on, what else was I going to do? Either I had to completely discount RPM and say that the world was never destroyed, or not discount RPM but drastically change it, or have Earth be brought back to life somehow. Leaving it destroyed was not an option, mainly as I am a firm believer in the happy ending, no matter how desperate and horrible things get during the story it has to end happily, and Earth being destroyed would not see that happen.
If you're confused how Kira and Connor accomplished this feat then please ask and I'll happily try to explain it better.
Review please!