After Darkness Falls

"Return"

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, that is owned by Saban/Disney. Carri and all things related to Carri (including Jason's cougar ninjetti power) belong to KJ with many thanks. Everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: Kim's powers were inspired by KSuzie, but unlike KSuzie's she cannot travel between dimensions, only time. As always, reviews are appreciated.

Tommy sat in Bulkmeier's waiting for his teammate to arrive, the message he had recieved on his voicemail earlier that morning had sounded urgent. He couldn't help but be curious as to what she wanted, until just the week before it had been years since he and Karone had spoke to one another, ever since he did his best to let people know of her change. It seemed a bit odd that she would call him up out of the blue like this, but he'd know soon enough what she wanted.

Despite the curiousity that was eating away at him, and wondering about what Sarahna would try next, his mind still found time to drfit back to Kim. He had been meaning to talk to her, to straighten things out, but he had been busy recently and hadn't quite found the time, at least that's what he told himself. It was like he was in high school again, seeing her everyday, seeing her beautiful smile everyday. Seeing her brought back so many memories, their first kiss by the lake, his return to the team as the white ranger, and even the letter. It was because of the way he reacted to that letter after she joined the Turbo team that they had grown apart. He always thought that maybe if he had been nicer he might stand a chance with her now.

Karone walked into Bulkmeier's and was "greeted" by the host at the front. He looked at her hard for a few seconds before saying "I'm sorry, but we don't serve your kind here," in the degrading voice she ahd ever heard someone talk to her in.

"I'm sorry, what kind would that be? Human?" Karone asked, adjusting the envelope she had tucked underneath her arm and reading his name tag, Jack. She was already in a bad mood, and him talking down to her wasn't helping. She couldn't help but think about back when she was Astronema she would have killed him by now.

Jack gave her a condescending smile and said "Alien dicks who try and kill us, like you." He remembered the day she launched a full assault on Angel Grove, he had been in the crowd that stood before her ship. The Astro rangers may have accepted her as a friend after she was supposedly purified, but he never would.

Karone was about to rare back and punch him in the nose when she saw Bulk himself walk up and say "But my friends are always welcome, no matter what they've done in the past. Now get out of here, you're fired." She watched as Jack's nostrils flared up and he stormed out. "I apologize for his behaviour Karone, I just hired him the other day."

"It's ok." Karone said through clenched teeth, trying her best to lie about it. "Do you know where Tommy is sitting?"

"Right this way." Bulk said as he led her towards the back of the restaurant, to the private dining area they had just recently opened a few weeks before.

After being seated and ordering her drink Karone turned to Tommy as he said "You're voicemail sounded urgent, what's so important?" To him the only things that really mattered were stopping Sarahna before she did some real damage, and trying to smoothe things out with Kim.

"This." Karone said as she plopped the envelope down on the table and watched as Tommy lifted the piece of paper out of it. "My brother, Andros, got that in his mail yesterday." She paused before going on to say "And apparently Ashley and the other Astro rangers recieved one too. I'm not sure about any other team that's come forth about their powers, like the two Time Force rangers, but I assume they recieved them as well."

Tommy looked over the sheet of paper that was within the envelope, he figured something like this would eventually happen, he just didn't know when. "I'll give Wes a call later, see if he recieved this letter."

Karone nodded. The Government wasn't comfortable with there being so many independent rangers out there, they wanted all of them to join the United States Military and reveal their identities to the world. "What they don't realize," Karone paused "is that most of the rangers keep their identities a secret for a reason. According to what Andros and Ashley have told me, it took years for reporters to stop beating on their doors and even their families doors, well, the other rangers families."

"And I know that since they had their kid it's started again, people wanting to see the half Earthing half Kaoan baby." Tommy stated, Andros had mentioned it to him in their meeting with the other reds. This was definitely something he had to discuss with the entire ranger community, not just the reds, as it affected all of them, not just one or two.

"Yeah, it's ridiculous. Sure, we're from another planet, but we're still human." Karone pointed out. "I guess the Gorvernment thinks that one ranger team knows another, and they're actually right. But I don't think that we should have to come forth with our identities, do you?"

Tommy was quick to answer "No." He had worked hard for the past seventeen years to keep his identity a secret from the public. Sure there were a few exceptions, Bulk and Skull being one, they had traced it back to him and Jason after Andros and the others revealed themselves, and they agreed to keep quiet to protect their friends secret, of course there was his brother, and then a couple of his students a few back, but like Bulk and Skull, they agreed to keep quiet. "I'll try and get everyone together at once, I'll have to talk to Billy about a finding a big enough meeting place first though, the Red Society's meeting hall just wouldn't cut it.

"Alright, I just thought that you of people should know about this, I planned on telling the rest of the team about this later today."

"That sounds good, I'll head home and contact Wes, and then have him contact some of the others to get it done quicker." He slid the letter back into the envelope and asked "You mind if I keep this?" Karone shook her head and together they exited out into the main restaurant and went their seperate ways.

Cairus paced back and forth throughout the throne room, it had been nearly a week since his last attack, and a few since he had seen Sarahna. He couldn't help but wonder what his masters plan was, and why it was taking so long. He had been under strict orders not to kill the green ranger, but the rest were fair game. What could she want with the green one? he wondered as he came to a stop. Sure he's a child of Maligore, and therefore heir to Dark Specter's throne, but if she were kill him then she would become the direct heir...what could it be... As he started pacing again one of the Courtadrones ran frantically into the room.

"What is it?" Cairus asked as he turned to face the robot. After a few buzzing noises came from the drone Cairus took off for the palace exit.

Upon reaching ground level and running outside he saw what all the commotion was about, Sarahna had returned. "So that's what she was after." Cairus just stared up at the huge zord in awe. He had thought it to be destroyed, but apparently those rumors proved to be untrue. "But how?"

Sarahna smirked and said "Those robots were fools, they were unaware that the real zord still lay dormant in the M-51 Galaxy. What they found was nothing more than a sleaker, weaker, version of it that that old wind bag had built while hiding out."

Cairus stared up in amazement "The greatest zord ever built..."

Carri looked down at Rocky. They had been on Aquitar for about two weeks now and he had improved a great deal. One of Sarahna's monsters had stung him with one of its needles, but he hadn't known about it until long after the battle due to its delayed effects. It had nearly killed him. Billy hadn't had the tools needed to heal him, to basically bring him back from the dead, but the Aquitians did. She had left their zeonizers and crystals on Earth so that replacements could be found while they were away. Sure it wasn't practical for a ranger to take a break to be with another, but nothing about her was very practical.

Delphine had pomised that Rocky would be at a hundred percent in three Earth weeks, but he seemed to be improving quicker than they ahd originally thought. He still needed his rest though, which is why he was lying there asleep at the moment. But in another week they would be able to return to Earth and re-join the fight.

Kim leaned back against the back wall at her work, it was a slow day so far. She found herself almost wishing for a monster attack just to have something to do. The store was clean, the plants were watered, and she had counted the money in th register. Twice. She thought about closing up early, but she needed the money, so that was out of the question. The entire week had been slow, no monster attacks, no little scuffles with the Courtadrones, if she hadn't been through all this before she'd swear that Sarahna had given up. But it was never that easy. She was about to close her eyes when the bell over the door rang, signifying a customer had just walked in.

"Hello, how may I he... Oh, hey." Kim said as she noticed just who her customer was. Standing on the other side of the register was none other than Tommy Oliver.

"Hey, you busy?" Tommy asked, looking around and realizing how stupid his question had been. But he needed to open with something, and that seemed appropriate.

Kim snorted and looked around. "Oh yes, I'm real busy." She said saracastically. "What can I do for you Mr. Oliver, excuse, Dr. Oliver." She corrected herself. She still had a hard time wrapping her head around that, Tommy, a doctor. The forgetful boy she knew back in high school was now a doctor.

"Just call me Tommy." He said, he never did like being called 'Dr. Oliver', but for some reason he was fond of the nickname his Dino Thunder team had given him, 'Dr. O'. "And I came to talk. About us."

Kim drew her head a little in shock, he wanted to talk about them? She wondered if it was a teamwork issue, or something more. "Okay, well talk." She said, crossing her arms and cocking her head to the right.

Tommy sighed, he had just come from his meeting with Karone, and even though he knew that contacting the rangers was important, he wanted to go ahead and have his talk with Kim so that he would be able to think clearly. He opened his mouth to start, then shut it again, unsure of just what to say, he wasn't sure if he should just come right out and admit he still loved her, or if he should try apologizing first. "Kim," he started "I, uh, I wanted to apologize. For how I acted towards you back on the Turbo team, I'm sorry. That's all, I just wanted to stop by and apologize for that."

Kim sighed, it wasn't quite what she was hoping to hear, but she supposed it was a start. "Thank you, Tommy."

"Oh, hey," Tommy said, acting as though he just remembered the envelope he'd recieved from Karone, "there's going to be a meeting in a few days, I have to start contacting all the others to organize it, but I thought I'd go ahead and let you know while I was here."

"Okay, what about?" Kim asked, her ranger curiousity piqued now.

"This," he held up the envelope "I'll explain everything at the meeting though, I've got to be going now."

Kim told him bye and watched as he left. Part of was glad he stopped by, but the other part was pissed because he wouldn't give her the details on the meeting. "Oh well, that's Tommy." She told herself as she went to begin closing up.

Later that night, Zhane sat on the roof of the Angel Grove Youth Center lookingat the letter that had been mailed to Andros's house for him. It was the same thing that all the other Astro's recieved. He wondered why it couldn't be like on KO-35, there everyone knew who the rangers were, and left them alone. They weren't treated any differently than anyone else. But here on Earth, if someone knew you were a ranger they were always trying to meet you, always trying to get an autograph, some were even after their lives so that they could say they killed a Power Ranger, something none of the villains were able to do. Permanently anyway. Crumbling the letter up he said to himself "I'm not joining the United States Military, they can forget that. I'm a ranger, I fight to protect the Earth and the rest of the universe, not just one country."

Jason found himself walking through an abandoned house, how he got there he didn't know. The last thing he remembered was watching TV in his living room. The floorboards creaked beneath his feet as he slowly walked through the house and up the stairs. "Hello?" he called out, but no answer. As he reached the top of the stairs he saw a shadow down at the end of the hallway. "Hello? Who are you?" He asked as he approached the shadow. The closer he got the more he recognized it.

The figure stepped out of the shadows, smirked and said "Hello, Jason."

Jason looked at the figure, at himself. He was looking at himself, the only difference between them were their eyes. His copies eyes were a permanent red, emotionless, evil. "I get it," Jason said as he began to circle himself "this is something like in that Superman movie. Let me guess, I'm my own worst enemy, right?" His copy smiled before grabbing him and throwing him against the wall.

His copy was about to say something in response, but before he could Jason woke up in his recliner. "What a weird dream..." Jason said as he stood and stretched. "Geez, it's morning already? Where does the time go?"

As he drove to work he couldn't stop thinking about that dream, was it supposed to be some sort of a message or something? He wasn't sure, hopefully it was just that, a dream. He decided he'd think about it later, when he wasn't riding his motorcycle and when he wasn't trying to teach. "Hope the little boogers feel like listening to me today." He said as he stepped off his bike and headed for the door.

Sarahna looked at Cairus and said "I see you've been unable to defeat the rangers, or capture Jason. That's too bad."

Cairus bowed before her and said "I am terribly sorry My Queen, it won't happen again. But I was able to nearly kill one of them."

She eyed her new staff, her eyes lighting up. "Well at least that's something. But you're right. It won't happen again, because that was your last mistake you worthless dolt."

Cairus looked up, fear in his eyes by what she may have meant. "But My Queen, I-" She lifted her staff up and fired bolts of electricity at Cairus until he exploded into millions of pieces.

Laughing a this death Sarahna looked at the Courtadrones and ordered them to clean up the mess, or they would be next. The Courtadrones quickly got to work, fearing for their own lives. "I suppose I need a new General, and I know just the person to fill that position." She smiled wickedly, her eyes gleaming. "You there," she shouted at one of the drones "prepare my zord for departure!" The Courtadrone quickly bowed and ran off to do as she commanded. "With the lightning diamond I placed inside of it I shouldn't have to worry about ever running out of power. I do hope the rangers enjoy their last day alive." She said to herself as stared at her reflection in the staff.

Jason was in the middle of teaching his class when his communicator chirped. He quickly looked over and found Adam, who was still helping him run the place in Rocky's absence. Adam nodded, understanding that Jason was needed elsewhere and that he needed him to take over. "Alright guys, I have to go for a little bit, but Adam will pick up where I left off. I want you to show him the same respect you've shown me today, okay?" The little kids nodded and Jason ran off.

"Go ahead Billy."

"Jason, I need you to come to the Power Chamber immediately." Billy's voice rang through.

"Right, I'm on my way." Jason quickly looked around before teleporting to the Power Chamber.

Seeing that he was the first one to arrive he asked "What's up Billy?" He figured it was just another monster attack, but if that had been the case then Billy would have told to go to the battlefield, not here.

Billy waited until the others arrived before he answered. "Somethings headed towards Earth, it's jamming the cameras so I can't tell what it is."

"Well can't we take the zords and try to stop whatever it is?" Zhane asked, stepping forward. It made sense to him.

"Negative. The Zeo Zords have been locked up so long they'd need to go through a multitude of tests to be sure they still work properly. I'm afraid all we can do is sit and wait."

Zhane thought about it a few more minutes before an idea hit him. "What about the Megaship? We know that works, and it's more advanced than the Zeo Zords. Make sense?"

Billy thought about it for a moment before answering. "That might work, but at the rate that object is approaching Earth I doubt it." It was a good plan though, he thought.

"Alright, I'll go talk to Andros, and be right back." Zhane said as he teleported out in a streak of blue light.

"Where did the object originate from?" Karone asked, she had a good idea where it came from, but she wanted to be certain.

"The moon." Billy confirmed.

"Sarahna! What is she up to this time?" Jason asked. He knew she wanted to kill him and the others, as well as everyone on Earth, but he didn't know she had something so big. He wondered what it could be. He was about to say something else when they felt the ground tremble.

"That can't be an Earthquake, we've never had one around the Power Chamber!" Billy shouted as he fought to stay standing. Once the trembling stopped he looked at the monitor and said "Guys, whatever Sarahna's up to, she's right outside." The huge blip had landed near the Power Chamber, apparently she was tired of playing games with them.

Jason thought he heard something, so he turned his ear in the direction it was coming from and shouted "Billy put up the shields!" Quickly the former blue ranger raised the Power Chambers shields. Just as the shields went up the ground started shaking again. After it had stopped Jason said "Whatever she has, she's blasting us with it."

Billy's face grew pale as he looked at the computer. The shields had never taken a hit that hard. "Guys, if she hits up with that again we're finished. The shields can't handle another hit like that." he knew that none of them wanted to hear that, but it was true. "I can feel the ground shaking, she's firing again!"

"In that case we had better evacuate. Everyone, grab on to me!" Jason shouted as he locked arms with Karone and Kim and they all formed a chain and he teleported them out.

They landed about half a mile from the Power Chamber once stood, it had exploded just as they teleported out. Standing a little ways away from the burning wreckage stood Sarahna's weapon. The rangers stood in awe as they looked upon it, none of them wanting to believe what they saw was real, they were staring at a giant dragon. Serpentera. "I thought you and the other red rangers destroyed that thing years ago!" Kim shouted at both Tommy and Jason. She had heard the stories of how the ten red rangers came together and destroyed Serpentera eight years ago.

"So did I..." Jason said as he saw Serpentera fire off a third blast. "Everyone get down!" They all fell to the ground as the blast hit the wreckage of the Power Chamber, sending it up in flames once again.

"No!" Billy shouted, the Power Chamber had been like a second home to him for years, and now it was gone just like that. He had fond memeories of it, from the time it was the Command Center and he first became a ranger, to the time it was destroyed and re-christened as the Power Chamber for the Zeo rangers. After the Turbo's defeat he had returned and rebuilt it in order to monitor all the other ranger teams out there, from the Galaxy rangers to the Jungle Fury rangers. He had even seen rangers he wasn't supposed to, the S.P.D rangers, due to them travelling back in time once. So many of his creations had been born there, the weapons the dimensional gate they used, the Zeo weapons, the Turbo morphers and weapons, he had even helped create some of the later morphers other rangers used. And now it was gone. Again.

Sarahns smiled as she watched the Power Chamber crumble down into nothing. She knew the rangers had evacuated, she had felt Jason use his teleportation ability. But it was of no matter, she had destroyed their base, that was enough for today. She would come back later and finish them off once and for all, jsut as she had done to Cairus. "Until next time, Jason." She said, laughing maniacally.

The rangers watched as Serpentera lifted up into the sky and disappeared back into space. None of them knew how she had gotten her hands on it, but they were determined to find out. "So what now?" Karone asked, looking around at the others, unsure of where to go from there.

"We find a new base of operations, that's what we need to do first." Jason said, watching as the others nodded in agreement. He knew it woudn't be easy, but he was determined to destroy Serpentera once and for all.