The Return
Chapter 6
The rangers rushed across town, finding themselves on top of a skyscraper.
"Where's Camille?" Lily asked, trying to ignore the tight spandex on her arm.
"She's not here."
Lily's stomach dropped and she whirled. The eyes staring down at her, like the voice, was RJ's, but the coldness behind it made Lily's blood stand still.
"RJ?" Theo asked.
His eyes narrowed and they flashed a dangerous yellow. "That is not my name."
"Zen-Aku," Taylor said, stepping forward and pushing the cubs back. "Long time no see."
"Did you miss me?" Zen-Aku asked, his lips curling into a wicked smile.
"Not this side of you," Eric said. "Why are you doing this? You worked so hard."
Zen-Aku ignored him. "How are the kids? I hope you found a good babysitter to watch them while you're here tracking me down."
"Stay away from my children," Taylor said levelly. Theo would later tell Lily that he heard Eric growl.
Zen-Aku smirked and rushed forward, his curved blade materializing in his hands. Taylor and Eric leapt to the sides, pushing Lily and Theo behind them as they did. Zen-Aku turned towards the girls, easily continuing his attack. Taylor used her dagger to block a high strike while Eric pulled out his quantum blaster 2.0 and shot RJ in the back. RJ staggered and whirled. Before anyone could stop him he rammed straight into Eric, their combined momentum sending them both over the edge of the building.
"Eric!" Taylor cried as she and the others rushed to watch the descent. Luckily, her connection with Yellow Eagle really was something since the zord flew in, narrowly avoiding scraping the sides of the tight buildings with her wings, and caught the men, who were still fighting despite their fall. Zen-Aku pushed Eric away and struck the Eagle with his blade before using his ninja streak to leap away. Taylor winced and the Eagle cried out when it was struck.
"Come on," Taylor said as the Eagle flew around the block before dropping Eric off. "There are a lot of things you need to know."
Shayla sat in RJ's chair. The two cubs had thought about telling her, but decided against it since she was a princess. Taylor and Eric had filled them in on Zen-Aku's history through the year 2003 and the second defeat of Master Org. Now it was Shayla's turn to tell them the rest of the story. The two sat cross-legged before her on their yoga mats, listening intently.
"Things went well for awhile," Shayla said, "Merrick and Zen-Aku traveled the country, helping those in need and thwarting evil where they could. But as time went on Zen-Aku became more and more depressed. He did not like who he had been and he could not separate the face he saw in the mirror from the horrible things he had done. So Merrick and Zen-Aku changed their goals. They now sought a way to help Zen-Aku."
"That's easy," Theo interrupted. "They just needed to change his appearance."
"No," Shayla said. "Zen-Aku needed to know that he could live a life not marred by evil. He wanted a second chance. And he was granted it. After more than a year of searching, Merrick contacted his fellow rangers for help. Eventually every ranger on the planet was seeking a way to help Zen-Aku. Katherine Hillard was the one to find it, ironic considering her connection to felines. The witch Rita Repulsa had caused the rangers no end of trouble before she reformed and became Mystic Mother, the defender of all good magic. Several rangers contacted her, willing to use the debts Mystic Mother owed them if it would help Zen-Aku. And all this despite never meeting him and knowing full well of his past."
Lily and Theo exchanged a look. Those were big spandex boots to fill.
"Mystic Mother granted Zen-Aku's request. She would turn him into a human infant with no memory of what he had been. But there were two stipulations. First, that Zen-Aku's memories had to resurface over time, there was no way to change that no matter the magic. And second, that he had to go back in time because Mystic Mother could see a point in the near future when Zen-Aku would be needed to defend the world and no child should have to bear such a burden."
"So," Lily said slowly, "Zen-Aku became RJ?"
Shayla nodded. "He was transformed and sent back in time. He was found by a Pai Zhuq master who became his father."
Taylor stepped forward. "We found him almost immediately after Mystic Mother cast the spell. Master Mao contacted us because RJ was becoming erratic and his power was unstable. He'd been remembering for years, since he was a small boy, but as he got older and his powers grew it became harder to ignore what he had once been."
Lily stood and crossed the room. "Fran must need help."
"Eric's helping her," Taylor said. Lily stopped and hugged herself, not quite knowing what to do with this information.
"Theo," Shayla said gently.
Theo looked up at her with dark eyes. "He was a monster," Theo said harshly as he climbed to his feet.
"Theo!" Lily cried, but her heart wasn't quite in it.
"He was! And he still is!" He gestured to Lily's room. "He did that, didn't he? He's the one who hurt Casey! What did he do to him, huh? How could he possibly do that to a person?"
A smooth voice from upstairs among the beanbag chairs said, "He ate his soul."
The four looked up to see Camille leaning against the railing, looking down at them. "Cute story," she said. "I suppose I should have recognized Zen-Aku, but like you said, he's changed."
"What are you doing here?" Theo asked, striking a defensive stance.
"I need your help," Camille said quickly, as if the words were a Band-Aid she needed to get out fast. "Zen-Aku is going to do to Dai Shi what he did to your friend. I can't allow that to happen."
"Dai Shi?" Shayla asked. "But he doesn't --"
Camille shook her head fiercely. "He's weak, he had to merge with a boy, Jarrod. His spirit is the Lion."
Taylor tensed while Shayla paled at the words.
"Why should we trust you?" Lily asked. "How do we know this isn't all some sort of trick?"
"If it was would I bring you this?" she asked, holding up the collar.
Shayla rose to her feet. "Lœðingr," she gasped.
"What the hell's a loothinger?" Theo asked.
"Lœðingr," Taylor sighed. "It's the collar the Norse gods used to bind Fenrir -- the first time, anyway."
Camille looked at the collar with newfound respect. "That explains a lot." She turned back to the rangers. "Are you going to accept my help or not? It isn't like I'm just doing this out of the -- urg, goodness -- of my heart, I'm benefiting just as much as you are."
Lily gave Taylor a small smile. "All right," the older woman said, "you're in. Now why don't you come on down here so we can strategize?"
As Camille daintily descended the steps Theo stormed past Taylor and Lily.
"Theo!" Lily called.
"No way!" Theo said. "Teaming up with our enemy to help our other enemy? And for what? For Zen-Aku?" He said the name like a curse and Lily pulled back a step. "He's a monster, Lil, he doesn't deserve our help, no matter what else he's done. I'm out of here and if you're smart, you'll come with me."
"Master Mao sent us to RJ!" Lily cried, real tears threatening to spill over. "He knew what he was and he still sent us to him!"
"Master Mao was wrong," Theo said harshly. He let his gaze drift from Lily to the rest of the room. He gave them a curt nod and walked away.
Zen-Aku sat on the forest floor in his usual meditative position. That voice had returned, calling out to him the moment he leapt from the Eagle's back. He'd almost broken his leg from the distraction. He needed to find its source. He blocked out the wind, the sound of the leaves, the smell of prey. He dove deep inside himself, finding his center.
There was no sound or smell to indicate the other person's arrival, but Zen-Aku felt it as clearly as he felt his own body. His eyes snapped open and he saw Casey sitting calmly across from him on the forest floor, mimicking his position.
"How--?" Zen-Aku breathed.
Casey's eyes opened slowly and Zen-Aku hid his surprise at seeing those tiger eyes where human ones should have been.
"What are you doing?" Casey asked. His voice was calm, friendly and without even a hint of malice.
"What I was born to do."
"But you've come so far. You were our friend, our master -- you have to fight this."
Zen-Aku bent his head like an animal preparing to pounce. "I do not answer to you."
Casey just stared at him sadly. After a moment he said, "You could be so much more."
Zen-Aku let out a howl and his eyes snapped open. There were no echoes of his cry in the trees and he realized that the entire encounter took place in his own mind. How long did it take to digest a tiger's soul anyway?