Disclaimer: I still don't own the Power Rangers. Just this story.
A/N: This is the next day. Jason arrives on Phaedos to surprise his sister. Hope you like it.
Amanda walked out of the temple on Tuesday morning, wondering what was in store for her today. She heard voices outside the temple, exiting it to see who was here. Amanda saw her parents talking to a man who was standing with his back towards her. The man turned as Dulcea said something to him.
Jason turned as his mother spoke to him. He smiled at Amanda, "Hey, Mandy," he greeted. "I came to see how things were going."
Amanda rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him and pulling him tightly into a hug. "Jason," she sighed. "I am so glad to see you." She felt the tension in her fade as Jason wrapped her into a tight hug.
Jason held her for a few minutes, feeling her muscles relax. He felt her shudder, then felt wetness on his shoulder as she started to cry. Jason pulled back slightly, reaching up and wiping away her tears. "Hey, sis. It's going to be okay. I'm here to help, if you want it."
Amanda looked at him, the tears wouldn't stop. "I think I need it," she whispered. "But, how did you know?"
Jason gently wiped her tears, smiling at her. "Zordon contacted me yesterday," he said softly, pulling back to get a good look at her face. "I have three days, just for you."
Amanda pulled back, gazing into his eyes. "I'll take any amount of time I can get," she said. "But you might have some trouble. I've been told I can be very stubborn at times."
Jason laughed softly, letting her go. "Well you come by it honestly," he quipped. "Father passed all of that down to us. He's as stubborn as they come." He looked over his shoulder at Zordon, continuing. "He also has a temper, and no patience."
Amanda giggled at the look Zordon was giving her brother. She stepped away from Jason, going over to Zordon and hugging him. "But, he's a lovable old grouch," she said. "And I thank him for contacting you."
Zordon wrapped his daughter in a hug, scowling at Jason over her shoulder. "I'm almost sorry I did," he growled. "I didn't expect to receive this abuse."
Dulcea laughed, walking over to them as Zordon released Amanda. She pulled Amanda into a hug. "Don't let it worry you, Amanda," she said softly. "Jason inherited all of his father's bad side. He learned how to control his powers in spite of that."
Zordon glared at the three of them as they all laughed. "I'm not that bad," he growled. "Jason is much more stubborn than me." His eyes went to Dulcea. "And I'm not the only one who can be stubborn."
Jason laughed as he walked over to the three of them. "Honestly, sis," he chuckled. "I think it's a miracle that I learned to control my powers at all."
Zordon and Dulcea both frowned at Jason as he put his arm around Amanda's shoulders. "Don t you two have something better to do than to harass the two of us?" Zordon asked.
Jason pulled his sister away from their parents, turning her towards the trail to the monolith. "Come on, Mandy," he ordered. "Let's take a walk."
Dulcea watched her children head down the trail to the monolith, putting her arm around Zordon's waist. "Thank you," she whispered. "I think contacting Jason was the way to go. I bet Randy and Eric will think so too."
Eric stood outside the monolith, glancing up at the sky. He felt a warm, gentle breeze, but it sent a chill up his spine. Evil was in the air, he could almost taste it. Something big was about to happen and it actually scared him. He turned and headed into the monolith, determined to figure this out.
Amanda looked at Jason as they neared the monolith, a question clearly in her eyes. "Why did you bring me here, Jase," she asked. "Am I going to work with Eric and Randy again?"
Jason shook his head. "No, we are going a little ways past the monolith," he answered. "There is a clearing in the forest, just beyond the monolith. It's where I went to try to focus on my powers, without constantly being interrupted. It helped me and I bet it can help you as well." He took her into the forest, bringing her into the clearing.
Amanda gasped as she looked around the clearing, amazed at the beautiful spot. "Jason, it's amazing," she breathed. "How did you find this place?"
The clearing was surrounded by flowering trees, a small stream flowing through the middle of it. It led into a small pool, a couple of benches sitting beside the pool.
Jason took his sister's hand, leading her over to the benches and pulling her down to sit on it. He sat beside her, turning to face her. "When I was learning to control my powers, I just happened to find this place," he began, "I came here often when I would get frustrated. I remembered some things my dad taught me as I was growing up. Things he showed me to help me control my temper. Things I want to show you."
"Zordon taught you these things," Amanda asked.
Jason shook his head, his eyes looking at the flowering trees around them. "No, not father," he said. "Michael, my dad." Jason smiled wistfully as he stood up, turning to face Amanda. "I've had my temper all of my life. My dad saw this in me from an early age and decided to do something about it. He started when I was five, letting me enroll in martial arts. All through the years, he constantly worked with me as well. He let me know that it was okay to get angry, but also taught me to not let the anger control me. He showed me some meditation techniques that I'm going to show you. I also want you to learn a couple of katas I know. They will help you to relax as well as focus."
Amanda stood up, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You miss him, don't you?"
"Every minute of every day," Jason whispered. "Don't get me wrong, I love mother and father. But for seventeen years of my life, I never knew them. My mom and dad were my whole world. They constantly were in my life. I'm the man I am today because of the love and support they gave me while I was growing up." He put his hands on Amanda's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "I want to show you some of the things they taught me. I really think it will help you. Are you willing to learn from me?"
Amanda smiled at him and nodded. "I will listen and learn from you, Jason," she replied. "When do we start?"
Eric sat back from reading the book of prophecy, running a hand over his face in frustration. How could he have missed this? The prophecy was very clear. The ultimate ninjetti was going to fall into the hands of evil. It could not be stopped. This had to happen in order for him to gain his full powers, having them bind to him for life. Eric sighed and looked up as Randy walked into the room.
Randy looked at Eric. "When did Jason get here," he asked. "Did you send for him?"
Eric looked at Randy in puzzlement. "What are you talking about? I didn't know he had planned on coming here. Where is he?"
"He's in that little clearing that he liked so much," Randy answered. "He has Amanda with him." Randy stopped speaking as he saw Eric look down at the book of prophecy once again. He could see the guardian of magic's shoulders were tense and he walked over to him, putting his hand on Eric's arm.
"What is it, Eric," he questioned. "What has you so tense?"
Eric pushed the book towards Randy, his hand pointing to the prophecy. "We missed a prophecy regarding Jason," Eric said. "One that, if not handled the right way, will cause him to lose his powers. Forever."
Randy read the prophecy, lifting a startled gaze to Eric as the words seemed to leap out at him. "How can this be true," he snapped. "We are sworn to protect him, at all costs. Now you're telling me we have to just stand by and let this happen. We can't do that, I won't do that."
Eric stood up, grabbing Randy's arm as he tried to leave the room. "We have to let this happen, Randy," he ordered. "If we try to stop this, Jason may lose his life. We have to see this through."
Randy shook his head, glaring in anger at Eric. "I can't believe that you are willing to just accept this," he growled. "How can you be so calm about this?"
"Who said I'm calm about this," Eric snapped back at him. "I hate the fact that I just have to sit back and let Jason go through what he is about to face. I didn't ask for this, but it is what it is. He has to be totally broken for all of this to work. If not, whoever is behind this will see to it that he doesn't live to get his full powers to bind to him." He stepped back, shivering slightly as he felt the presence of evil once again. He closed his eyes, focusing on the evil powers. A castle appeared in his mind, the evil seeming to spill out from it's sides. He opened his eyes, looking at Randy. "I know where it is coming from," he said softly. "I need to go there and see just what this person is planning. Once I know what is going on, we can plan what we need to do."
Randy put his hand on Eric's arm, shaking his head. "I can't let you do that," he argued. "If they find you, you could lose your life."
"I know how to conceal myself from them," Eric stated. "I'll be back before anyone misses me." His eyes met Randy's once again. "Do not tell anyone of this prophecy," he ordered. "Not until I know exactly what we are up against. We can't take any chances. Understand?"
Randy reluctantly nodded, letting go of Eric's arm. "I understand. You be careful. We can't afford to lose you."
Eric nodded, closing his eyes and disappearing before Randy could say more.
On the planet Mysteria, the queen was in her throne room once again. She smiled as she finally found her daughter in the viewing globe. "You gave me quite a chase, Natalia," she growled. "But I will let Alphonse know just where you are and he will take it from there." She closed her eyes, concentrating on Alphonse. Alphonse, I found her. She is near the lake in the park. Go do what you have to do.
Alphonse approached the lake, seeing Natalia standing not too far from him. He walked over to her silently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You gave us quite a chase, Natalia," he growled as she turned to face him, fear on her face. "You shouldn't have tried to run away." He grabbed both of her arms, pulling her to him. "Time for you to come home. You are not going to spoil Queen Charlene's plans."
Natalia tried to pull her arms free, but Alphonse just tightened his grip. Before she could even think to look for help, they both teleported away.
Eric stood deep in the shadows in the throne room, watching Charlene turn to face the two people who entered. He shrank back further into the shadows as he saw the face of the man who was practically dragging the young girl with him. Eric forced himself to stay calm as Alphonse pushed the young woman to land at Charlene's feet.
Charlene glared down at the woman, shaking her head as the girl looked up at her. "Just what did you think you were doing, Natalia? Did you think I would just let you get away?" She bent over and grabbed Natalia's arm, pulling her roughly to her feet. "You were trying to find Zordon's son, weren't you," she growled. "You were going to warn him of my plans."
Natalia cringed and tried to pull her arm free. "No, mother," she answered. "I wasn't."
Charlene snarled in anger, releasing Natalia's arm and slapping her across the face. "Don't lie to me," she growled, as Natalia spun around and collapsed onto the floor, tears coming to her eyes. "You will not spoil my plans. You will remain here until I let you go." She looked at Alphonse. "Take her to her room," she ordered. "Make sure that the guards stand outside her door at all times. She must not get away until I deem it so."
Alphonse bowed his head to Charlene, reaching down and pulling Natalia to her feet. He forced her out the throne room.
Charlene turned to the viewing globe, waving her hand over it. She looked at the face of the young man who appeared in it, smiling evilly at his image. "Just a few more weeks, Jason," she purred. "You will be in my hands within a few weeks. Then the forces of good will lose their leader and my alliance of evil will take control as I watch you squirm. Knowing that there is nothing you can do stop me."
Eric had heard enough, but before he could leave, Alphonse came back into the room, kneeling before Charlene. Eric stayed in the shadows, listening intently as Charlene allowed Alphonse to rise. He was glad he stayed around.
"Natalia is in her room with four guards outside of it," he said as he stood up. "What is next, my queen?"
Charlene pointed to the image in the globe. "Take a good look at him, Alphonse," she ordered. "This is Zordon's son. He is the one I want you to capture in three week's time."
Alphonse studied Jason's image, a sneer coming to his face. "This is the one who destroyed Vile," he questioned. "He doesn't look so tough. He is just a child. Why don't you give me something hard to do?"
Charlene put her hand on his arm, shaking her head as Alphonse looked at her. "Do not underestimate him, Alphonse," she ordered. "Vile did that and paid with his life. He is very powerful, almost as powerful as me. He will crush you if you give him the chance."
Alphonse turned back to the image of Jason, studying him more closely. He saw what his queen was saying as he looked into Jason's eyes. There was a strength there that he did not see at first. His eyes moved to look over Jason's well developed arm muscles. He saw the power there that most people would not see. He turned to look back to Charlene, his face grim. "I see what you mean," he stated. "There is more to him than meets the eye. How do you want me to handle him?"
Charlene smiled, an evil smile. "We must play this very carefully, Alphonse," she answered. "When the time is right, you will take him alive and bring him to me. Natalia will play a part in this, she just doesn't know it yet. She will be the one to strip him of his powers, by marrying him."
Alphonse turned a puzzled gaze to Charlene, not understanding. "How is her marrying him going to do that," he asked.
Charlene's smile grew more evil. "It is written that, if he marries someone who doesn't hold his heart, his powers will leave him, forever. We just have to plan this carefully." She looked at Alphonse, her eyes taking on an evil light. "If things don't go right, I will have you kill him instead of just capturing him. I will not take the chance of the forces of good finding out our plans. He will be mine, or he will die."
Eric had heard enough. He quietly teleported out of the throne room and headed back to Phaedos. He needed to talk to the other three guardians and make very careful plans. This was not going to be easy, but if they planned it right, they could save Jason.
Randy stood at the side of the clearing, watching Jason lead Amanda through a slow kata. He noticed how relaxed Amanda looked and he smiled. He didn't know how Jason ended up being here, but it looked like the right thing to do. He quietly turned from the clearing, heading back to the monolith. It looked like Jason had things well in hand.
Amanda concentrated as she ran through the movements that Jason had shown her. She felt her whole body relax, feeling better than she had the past week. She ended the kata, turning to face Jason, her smile wide. "That felt amazing, Jase," she said. "Can you show me another one?"
Jason smiled at her, shaking his head. "Tomorrow," he said. "I want you to concentrate on this one and your meditation. Later today, we will test your powers." He lifted his hand suddenly, sending a light beam of magic at her.
Amanda's right hand came up, catching the beam and sending it back to him. She smiled at Jason as he deflected the beam away from them. "That's the first time I caught it," she beamed at him. "Having you around just might be what I needed."
Jason walked over to her, his smile wide. "I hope so," he said. "Run through the kata a few more times, then we'll return to the temple. I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry."
Eric arrived back at the monolith just as Jason and Amanda walked out of the woods. He turned to them, seeing the relaxed expression on Amanda's face and waited for them to walk over. "Jason," he greeted. "I didn't know you had planned on coming to Phaedos. Everything all right?
Jason smiled at Eric as they stopped in front of him. "Everything is fine, Eric," Jason answered as he shook his hand. "Zordon asked me to come here and see if I could help with Amanda." He looked at Eric, noticing the tenseness of his muscles. "Are you okay," he asked.
Eric shook his head, meeting Jason's eyes. "No, I'm not," he said quietly. "I've felt an evil presence in the air. I'm afraid the alliance of evil is up to something." He noticed Jason's expression and put his hand on Jason's arm. "You've felt it too, haven't you?"
Jason met his gaze and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I thought it was just me. Any idea as to what they're
planning?"
Eric shook his head again, trying his best to hide his feelings. "Not yet," he lied. "But, if I can figure it out, I will let you know." He managed to give Jason a small smile. "Do you want Randy and I to work with you two today? Randy would probably love to spar with you."
"I don't know about that," a voice from the entrance to the monolith said. "The last time we did that, Lori scolded me for giving her extra work." Randy walked out of the entrance, smiling at Jason. "Of course, you got lucky, Jason. Don't think it will happen again."
Jason grinned at Randy. "Any time you want a rematch, just let me know," he remarked. "Maybe you'll get lucky next time." He looked at Amanda. "Do you want to try again with these two, or wait until tomorrow?"
"Let's wait until tomorrow," Amanda said. "I want to work on my meditation some more this afternoon. Plus, you can show me that other kata this afternoon."
Jason looked at Eric and Randy. "How about we meet here early tomorrow morning? Sound good?"
Randy smiled at them. "That will be fine," he said. "Then we can see how much your presence here has done."
Amanda and Jason nodded and headed up the trail to go back to the temple.
Randy waited until they were out of earshot then turned to face Eric. "What did you find out," he asked.
Eric frowned. "A lot," he said. "Let's go into the monolith. I want Lori and Anna to hear this."
The two of them headed into the monolith, not looking forward to what lay ahead of them.
A/N: That's the end of this chapter. Next one already in the works.
