After Darkness Falls
"Jason Jason"
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 and space and I am expanding on them.
As always, reviews are appreciated.
Carri lay in her bed, tossing and turning. The Terra Rangers had done a number on them the day before, and they had been two rangers short. Jason was possessed by Maligore's demon, and Kim still hadn't returned. She had gone to see Dulcea about a way to help Jason. that had been two days ago. So far she, nor anyone, had heard from her. Carri was beginning to worry about her surrogate sister, she was able to bend time, so why hadn't she returned yet? Even when she miscalculated, it was only by a couple of hours, not a couple of days. Finally deciding to take something to help her sleep she got up to get some NyQuil. After returning to her room she managed to pass out.
When she woke up around noon the next day she saw a familiar face watching her sleep. "Kim! You're back!" Carri exclaimed, sitting up. She immediately steadied herself from the head rush she got. "But...why are you watching me sleep? It's kinda weird."
Kim made a noise that sounded like the beginning of a giggle before saying "Reason here is, as you're just now waking up, I'm just now getting back." It was true, she had just teleported in and knew Carri would be waking up in a minute or two since it was so late so she decided to surprise her.
"You just got back? Like, just now?" Carri asked, trying to think of what her friend could have been doing for so long that it took her two days to return.
"Yeah, why?"
"You left two days ago. Yesterday was quiet, but the day before that we got our butts handed to us by the Terra Rangers." Carri said as she began to fill her friend in on what had happened in her absence.
Kim listened as her friend explained about how Jason was now leading a team of evil rangers, one of which was their friend Tori Hanson, the blue Wind Ranger. "Now it's your turn, spill. What took you so long to get back?" Carri asked as she finished her story.
Kim went on to explain about how to her it had been at least a year since she left, that she lost track of time and teleported back to within a few days since she left. She didn't realize it had been two days though, she had been hoping to return on the next day. "I was training, but not with Dulcea. She directed me towards another master, towards Lerigot. I filled him in on all that had happened, and I was told that now he was too weak to purge the evil within Jason, it had grown too strong."
"So what took you a year?" Carri asked, wanting to know what actually took her so long.
"This," Kim reached in her pocket and held out Lerigot's wand. "He taught me how to use it, saying I'm the only one strong enough to purge the evil from Jason once and for all." She stuffed the wand back into her pocket and continued "It's not as easy to use that thing as you might think."
"No wonder Divatox wasn't able to use it." Carri said.
"No, that was just a lack of brains." Kim said with a laugh. She knew Carri wanted to know how the wand worked, but she made a promise to Lerigot not to share it's secret with anyone. When you wanted to use it, you had to draw energy from someone, someone good. The more you connected with the better, usually one person would do, but to purge a demon placed by Maligore or Dark Specter, it took at least three or four people. But you could only draw it from them once a day, any more and you risk either severely weakening them, or worse. It's why she had been purged of the demon, Lerigot had drawn energy from four of the Turbo rangers to help her, and since he had drawn energy from his wife to pass through the Nemesis Triangle and he didn't want to risk using any from his baby, he had to use energy from one of the rangers and himself to cage the demon within Jason.
"No arguement there." Carri laughed, throwing the covers off of her and standing up. "Well, I'm going to get in the shower. I have a busy day ahead of me today. Meeting with Kat and all. She stopped by again yesterday, but I was on my way out so I promised I'd talk to her today at Bulkmeier's."
"Ouch, try not to get mad and rip her head off, or send her flying through any walls. You wouldn't want to wreck Bulk's restaraunt." Kim said, half kidding. She knew back in college that there had been time when Carri was tempted to do one of them. She just hoped she wouldn't let her anger, if it to that like it usually did with Kat, get the best of her.
"No promises." Carri said as she walked into her bathroom.
Jaxora stood next to Tori while the other two ranger battled a few Courtadrones, watching as they dismantled them until there was only one left. Tori cringed as it shrieked when the two rangers ripped its limbs off, and subsequently silenced it by smashing it's head. "Something the matter?" Jaxora asked as he noticed her cringe.
"No. Nothing. I just have a headache, that's all." Tori said. It was more than that, and she knew it. She knew what they were doing was wrong, fighting for Sarahna. But she couldn't help herself, she was under a spell, same as Adam and Mike. The only one not under a spell was Jason, when she looked at him all she saw was pure evil. "I'm going to go lie down." She said as she turned and walked away, leaving them to clean up the mess.
Tommy parked his Jeep on the side of the road as he entered the florist shop. The first thing he noticed was that Kim wasn't there. Sighing he pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down to Carri's number. He hoped Kim was back, he had finally worked up the nerve to confront her. He listened to the phone ring, waiting for Carri to pick up.
"Hello?" Carri's voice rang through as she answered.
"Carri, it's Tommy. Is Kim back yet?" He figured Carri would be the first person Kim would go see.
"Yeah, she got back about half an hour ago, why?"
"No reason. Just curious." Tommy replied before saying bye and hanging up.
Carri set her phone down in the seat next to her and said to no one in particular "Well that was odd."
Kat sat in a booth at Bulkmeier's waiting on Carri. She was supposed to have shown up ten minutes ago, but Kat brushed it off as Carri oversleeping as usual. She looked down and smiled at the ring on her finger, hoping Carri would say yes to what she was going to ask her. Her boyfriend Casey had proposed to her a few days ago, and she wanted Carri to be her Maid of Honor despite their differences. She was still family, and still one of Kat's closest friends.
She started tapping her fingers on the table as she continued to wait for Carri to arrive. Finally stopping when she saw her cousin heading her way. Carri greeted her with a smile as she sat down. "Alright Kat, what is it you wanted to talk to me about that's so important?"
Kat held her hand up and showed the diamond ring to Carri. "Is that from Casey?" Carri asked, watching as Kat nodded. "Holy shit, you could fit a whole town in there!" She exclaimed as she looked at the ring. Normally she wasn't one for jewelry, but that ring was huge. "I suppose I should say Congratulations."
"Thank you." Kat said as she cleared her throat. "How would you like to be my Maid of Honor?"
Carri was taken back by her question. "Excuse me?" she asked, blinking.
"I want you to be my Maid of Honor, Carri. Please?" Kat said, her eyes pleading.
"Kat, I'm flattered really, but don't you think you should ask someone else? Someone who isn't under attack?" Carri asked, tryin get her cousin to change her mind.
"No." Kat said plainly. "Despite our differences you are still my cousin and I want you as my Maid of Honor, please Carri? It would mean a lot to me."
Sighing, and not wanting to get into a fight with her cousin, Carri nodded her head in agreement and stood to give Kat the hug she was getting up for. Carri sighed and wondered what she was being punished for. She had never liked Casey, she didn't know why, there was just something about him that never sat right with her, and the last thing she wanted was to be a part of his wedding.
Kim sat curled up on the couch watching TV. Carri had done her a favor and called in sick for her while she was away, and so they told her to take a few days off. She was planning on going back in tomorrow, but until then she was going to enjoy her day off, wait for Jason and the others to attack so she could try and save him. It was all she could do, Billy and Trini were working on making new Zords, Tommy was who knows where, TJ was at his garage, Carri had just left, Rocky had his school to run, and she didn't know what Ryan did. None of them really knew anything about him other than he was raised by demons and eventually became the Titanium Lightspeed Ranger, fighting alongside his dad and sister.
She was watching a commercial about a new chicken place opening up when there was a knock at the door. Rather than yell "come in" she decided to get up and answer it. Standing outside the door was none other than Tommy Oliver himself, bouquet of flowers.
"Hi, Tommy what are you doing here?" Kim asked, confused. Last she checked they were on good terms, he had come by the flower shop and apologized to her for how he had acted during their tenure as Turbo Rangers, but this was unexpected.
Tommy, feeling like he did the day he first asked Kim out, when they were standing by Angel Grove Lake, said "I came..." he sighed, trying to get the words out. He had thought this would be easier now, but it wasn't. "I came to ask you out on a date. Again." He said, trying not to show how nervous he was. He could stare down the most fearsome villain in the universe and not break a sweat, but when it came to Kim, his first love, he was putty.
"Oh, right now?" Kim asked, not sure of what to say. She had been kind of hoping he would ask, being around him so much recently, even if it was battles, had reminded her why she had loved him in the first place. She had been telling herself that if he hadn't asked her before they were through with Sarahna, then she was going to ask him.
"If your free." Tommy replied, not sure of how this was going.
"I'll grab my purse." Kim said as she smiled and walke back into the house, coming back out a minute later and locking the door behind her. She began making her way towards Tommy's Jeep when she turned and saw him still standing on the porch. "If you don't hurry up then I'm driving." She called back, giggling as he quickly jogged to catch up with her.
He picked himself up off of the sand. His travel through dimensions had taken its toll on him. Jason brushed the sand off of his pants and began to walk towards Angel Grove. This world was facing the same fate as his, destruction at the hands of Jaxora. He had once been possessed by Maligore's demon, trapped within himself, unable to stop from killing his friends over and over. Some had been defenseless, not even Rangers yet. Somehow he had been able to fight the demon after a dozen worlds or so, managed to force it out of him. It's years of control over him left him weak, but he would not rest until he trapped or killed the demon once and for all.
That was why he was here, he had forced the demon out, but like him it had the ability to travel between dimensions, and it had come to this one, entering this Jason's body and merging with the demon trapped within him, making him even stronger. He hoped he wasn't too late, that the Rangers were still alive, and that he would be able to help them. He had gained the ability to seperate someone from the Muranthian demon possessing them, he discovered that on the last world he visited.
Jaxora had taken them to a world where Divatox was just lowering that worlds Jason and Kim into the pit, after Jaxora killed Adam, Tanya, and Justin of that world he managed to split himself from the demon, which is when it took off for this dimension. To try and repent for what the demon made him do he helped the Tommy and Kat of that world, it then he discovered he could pull the demons out and force them back into the pit.
"Hang on guys, I'm coming." Jason said as he made his way to the NASADA compound after seeing the date on a newspaper. If this world was anything like his was, then that's where the Rangers Power Chamber would be.
Sarahna had watched on with joy as her evil rangers tore the Courtadrones to shreds. It was a fantastic show, she couldn't help but laugh when the one shrieked out in pain as it's arms were ripped off. Something had bothered her though, she hadn't missed her blue ranger look away during the massacre. She wondered if her spell over her was weakening, if it was she would have to fix that. If she didn't need her for the team she would just kill her and be done with it. "Jaxora, Adam, Mike, Tori, in here now!" Sarahna shouted, her voice echoing throughout the halls of the palace.
At once the four Rangers appeared before her. "Yes my Empress, what is it?" Jaxora said, trying his best not to be smug. He was only going to follow he orders for jsut so long. Eventually he would kill her, and the other rangers.
"I want you go stir up some trouble, kill anyone who gets in your way. Got it?"
"Understood." Jaxora said, standing and morphing along with his team.
Karone sat on her brothers couch watching TV with him. Ashley was at work, running her fashion company, and Zhane was off on a mission for KO-35, so she decided she'd stay and keep him company. His daughter was at her daycare, so it was just the two of them. Karone, off in her own little world, was thinking about Zhane and how they had got back together. A few days ago she had stopped by his place to drop some leftovers for him at Ashley's request when she had seen a locket on his desk. Curious, she opened it and saw a picture of herself within it. After seeing that she had decided that he was worth one more chance, and so they talked, and eventually it led to them being a couple again.
"What're you thinking about?" Andros asked, seeing the unusually huge smile cross his sister's face.
"What? Oh, nothing." Karone said, snapping back into reality.
"Right. Hey, did I show you this?" he asked, reaching over and grabbing an envelope off the table, handing to her.
Karone read who it was from and said "The summons from the U.S Government? Yeah, I went and talked to Jason about it, remember?"
Andros shook his head saying "No, this is a different one. It says they're not giving us a choice in the matter now."
"What? Why?" Karone asked, her anger beginning to show. After all the Rangers did for them, for the planet, they had the nerve to try and force them to do something?
"It says because there are so many Rangers out there, both active and non-active, that the Government sees us as a possible threat since we aren't directly allied with them." He paused and continued "There are too many of us running loose, and they think we need to be kept in check."
"They can't do this. I mean what're they gonna do, start rounding us up like prisoners?"
"It's a possibility. I think I may sign up." Andros said sadly.
"Andros no, you can't. You can't let them force you to do something you don't want to do." Karone said, thinking that if she were still Astronema she would have killed them for trying to force her to do something.
"Karone, I have a family to think of. If they do start rounding us up because we don't agree to their terms, what'll happen to Cierra?"
Karone knew he was right, she remembered what happened on Genus Six, a planet with inhabitants a lot like Earth's, no powers or anything. But a group of them began to display abilities like telekinesis and terrakinesis, they helped keep Zex and his army from invading, and how were they repaid? They were rounded up and put in a facility for not agreeing with their leaders demands. The problem here was that some in the Government thought that the Power Rangers were just a bunch of psychopaths destroying the various cities for amusement, pretending that monsters were attacking and that they were heroes. They believed the Zords and giant monsters were just holograms and that the "Rangers" had set dynamite up in key locations. She knew what they wanted, and it wasn't for them to join them, it was for them to be arrested if nothing else.
"Well I'm not going to sign shit, and you shouldn't either. If they want to try and round me up they can, but they'd better be ready for a fight when they find me." Karone said.
Rocky was sitting at his desk. It had been a long morning, he covered Jason's classes for him during his absence, and now he had to get started on all the paper work he had to do. He was about to get started when his door opened and Carri walked in, flopping down in one of his chairs and grunting.
"Hi honey, having a bad day?" he asked, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"Sort of. Kat's getting married to that jerk she met in college, and what's worse is I'm her Maid of Honor." Carri said as she brushed her hair out of her face.
"So? I bet you'll look good in a dress." He said with a smile. Carri made a face at him and he chuckled. "Come on, I haven't seen you in one since our senior year of high school."
"I've been gone a long time too." Carri reminded him, knowing he didn't like that she had been gone for most of a decade with Jason. No matter how much she stressed the fact that Jason was like a brother to her, it still bugged Rocky to think of them alone together.
"Thanks for reminding me." He said dryly.
"You're welcome." She replied cheerfully. "Anyway, it's not the Maid of Honor thing that bugs me, it's the whole getting married to Casey thing. You know I never liked him."
Rocky sighed "I know, I never liked him either. Before Kat he was with a different girl everyday, and I'm not exagerrating either." Of course, he knew that Carri knew that and that even Kat knew that. They all thought that he was just a rebound guy for when she broke up with Tommy, they never thought that they would still be together today. "Want me to take you out tonight? Anywhere you want to go." He said, hoping that a night with just the two of them would help get her mind of the whole Casey thing.
"Anywhere?" Carri asked mischievely, and Rocky nodded. "Alright, but I'm driving too."
Billy was down in his lab working with his girlfriend Trini Kwan. Ever since Sarahna had arrived they had reconnected, and were now dating. It was everything he ever wanted in high school, to be with the girl of his dreams. The last few months had been fantastic with Trini, he hoped that it was a sign of things to come. "How's the lion zord coming along?" he asked, not looking away from his own project.
"Good so far. It's almost done." Trini replied. Likewise, the last few months had been fantastic for her too. She had always known that Billy had a crush on her in high school, but he never acted on it. He was too shy, which she found cute. She had been about to ask him out herself when she had left for the Peace Conferences. Of course, she still could have asked him, but she didn't think a long distance relationship would do so well.
"Excellent. Let me know if you need any help." he replied. As he was finishing up on the jaguar zord he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he saw Jason facing him. He immediatley asked "How did you get in here? It's specifically designed not to let in anyone evil." Trini turned to see what the commotion was about, and ran over to join Billy.
Jason sighed, he was right. This dimensions Jason had been taken over. "Billy listen to me, I'm not your Jason. I'm from another dimension and I've come to help you get your own Jason back."
Billy, skeptically asked "How do I know if you're telling the truth?"
"You don't. But if I was evil I would have killed you by now. Listen, I need you to contact the others immediately, I can help save your Jason."
Cautiously Billy did as he was told and contacted the Rangers. As soon as everyone was there Jason asked "Where's Elle? and who's the brunette in yellow?"
"That's Carri Hillard, Kat's cousin." Kim said to him.
Making an "ah" sound, Jason proceeded to tell them his story and how he could help. He explained that due to his weakened state he would need someone to weaken Jaxora so that he could pull him out of Jason.
Kim, believing him, told him that she could help him with that and showed him Lerigot's wand. As they began to formulate a plan the alarms sounded. "It's Jason, and he's brought friends." Billy said as he turned to face the Rangers.
Arriving on the battlefield they saw Jaxora taking delight in freezing some of the civilians. "Jason stop!" Carri yelled as she ran towards him, morphed as the silver Terra Ranger. Using her Powers she blinded him and the other Terra Rangers while Kim readied Lerigot's wand, drawing positive energy from the other Rangers, significantly weakening Jaxora. But it still wasn't enough to kill him, to purge him from Jason.
The alternate Jason stumbled up to Jaxora, and using his ability drew the demon's essence out and trapped it in a special jar. Kim ran over and caught Jason before he hit the ground and she teleported him back to the Power Chamber.
"You son of a bitch." the alternate Jason said, exhausted. Pulling the demon out had taken the last of his energy, being possessed for so long had taken it's toll on him. Holding the jar up to his face he said "Now, you'll never kill another person." As the words left his lips he collapsed, and the jar rolled out of his hands.
Carri lifted the jar up while Rocky and Tommy checked on the alternate Jason. "He's dead." Rocky said as he checked his pulse. "He have used what he had left to help us. He did say that he's been possessed by Jaxora for years. His Muranthian body was able to hold up until now."
"Let's just hope our Jason is okay." Tommy said as he lifted the alternate Jason up and took him back to the Power Chamber as well.
"Carri, take Jaxora to Kim and tell her to take him to Dulcea or someone. I'm going to go help Ryan and TJ with the others." Rocky said as he ran off.
Rocky fought against Adam, dodging the Rangers attacks and countering with his own. Using his ape knuckles he tried to do some damage, maybe knock him out so they could help him, but Adam grabbed one and used it against him. It didn't take Rocky long to figure out who it was behind the helmet. He had known Adam longer than anyone else. He always thought that Adam was too pure to be tainted by evil. "Come on man, this isn't you, you can fight it!" Rocky said as he blocked a kick.
"I don't know what your talking about." Adam snarled as he punched Rocky in the gut and then kicked him back.
TJ fought against Mike. "Mike, I know it's you. We fought together against the Psycho Rangers, remember?" TJ said, trying to get through to his old friend.
"I remember, that fight cost Kendrix her life!" Mike said as he pulled out his blaster and attacked TJ.
"That wasn't our fault! And isn't Kendrix living happily on Mirinoi with Leo and their son Johnathan?" Mike just ignored him as he fired away. TJ managed to get close and kicked the blaster away before kicking Mike back.
"Come one guys, Sarahna wants us to come back now!" Tori shouted, jumping back from Ryan. With a few grunts and grumbles the other two Terra Rangers retreated.
Sarahna was stomping through her throne room, grabbing any Courtadrone that made the mistake of getting close. She had ripped ones head off, flipped another on the ground and stomped its head in, and ripped another to pieces. How could they have defeated Jaxora? It didn't make any sense to her, none at all. None of them had the ability to weaken him, and where had that other Jason come from? There was so much she didn't understand, she needed answers. She held her fist up, and soon it became engulfed in fire and as she let out and angry yell fire spread out from her body and burned all of her Courtadrones, and nearly killed her Rangers.
Back at the Power Chamber the Rangers were told that their Jason was going to be fine, he just needed to stay there and rest for a few days. But, as Rocky had said earlier, the alternate Jason was dead.
Later that night, after they had a private ceremony by the ruins of the old Power Chamber where they buried the alternate Jason, everyone continued on with their plans where they left off.
Underground in his coffin the alternate Jason lay quiet and still. Suddenly his eyes opened and he began breathing heavily as he said "Holy shit!" and teleported out to another dimension.
Tommy and Kim sat at Olive Garden having dinner. Kim had to admit, other than being interrupted and losing the alternate Jason, the date had been extremely fun. She had never thought she would've had this much fun with Tommy again. he drove her down to the lake, took her to the carnival, which they never got to do everything they wanted to due to Sarahna, and now they were sitting eating dinner together. She was amazed, and she hadn't been this happy in years.
"So where are we going?" Rocky asked his girlfriend as she pulled out of the parking lot to his school.
"You'll see when we get there." She said with a smile. When they finally came to a stop Rocky looked at her, confused.
"Angel Grove High? I think you're a little late to get anymore credits." he teased.
"No you goof, we're going to the baseball field to hit the ball around."
"That's what batting cages are for." Rocky reminded her.
She looked at him and said "I know that, but I don't know. I guess I'm a little sentimentel about this place, since we were on the same team and all. You know what, just shut up and pitch the ball like a man." She said when she saw the goofy smile he was giving her. She could help but smile back as she said it.