Author's notes – so here we are. It took us a while, but we finally caught up to the events of the prologue. Just what was that monster, trying to break down the door?

Part Twelve

Chapter Ten

I fell forever. When I finally felt something solid beneath my feet, I got the vague impression of four walls. Whatever the Gatekeeper had done, I was trapped in some kind of enclosed space. Then the shadows settled in around me, and I didn't even have that. I had no idea how much time had passed. The only thing I knew?

I was alone.

And that's when I heard them. The growls of hungry predators somewhere nearby. And the unmistakeable sound of claws, scratching against the door. I tried to summon my Power Sword until my voice was hoarse, but nothing happened. Growing increasingly desperate, I called out for my zord over and over, but the faithful steed never arrived. And finally, a voice in the back of my head told me what I didn't want to admit. Nobody was coming.

I didn't blame them. How could I? I could still remember Jason taking on the two alien brothers and the stone assassin by himself. Sarah defeated Ag'reth on her own. Trini stopped the Toymaker without throwing a punch! Scott and Tommy fought gods! And I couldn't even summon my sword.

Then the growls stopped, and something big was trying to break through the door. I recoiled and shrank back.

I wish my friends were here.

The door splintered, smashed off its hinges. A tall figure stood in the doorway, outlined by the faint red glow from the coin at his belt. Even in the dim light, I recognised his helmet instantly.

"Jason," I breathed. Glancing down, I saw my power coin had started to glow.

"Pete!" Jason shouted. He barrelled across the room. "I'm here! It's okay!"

"What were those things?" I asked.

"Formless little monsters," Jason replied. "They faded away as soon as they saw me. I got here as fast as I could. Are you okay? You seem a little shaky."

"Wherever the Gatekeeper sent us, our powers don't work here," I said. "I think I was a bit freaked out. Something the Gatekeeper said to me stuck in my head today. I know it doesn't make sense, but for a second, I thought you'd given up on me."

Jason remembered the conversation we'd had in the Youth Centre earlier that day. Had that really been a few hours ago? "That's the second time today you've said that," he began, and rested a hand on my shoulder. "What's going on?"

"After everything at the start of the year," I started, "after El Dorado and Russia, I really am trying. But I still have that voice in my head telling me that I don't matter. And that's fine, right? Whatever. But if everyone else figured it out too? If everyone just gave up on me?" and I looked down at the ground. "Jase? That would just kill me."

Jason's face fell. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm sorry you still feel like that. I wish I could do more. But I don't care what anyone says. You matter to me. It's okay to be unsure. It really is. I promise, the rest of us are, all the time," and he paused to let his words sink in. "Whatever else happens today, I want you to know one thing. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I love you. You're my brother, and we are going to figure this out together, okay?"

I finally met his gaze. "Okay," I said. I actually think I meant it.

"Good," Jason nodded. "Now c'mere," and he pulled me into a hug.

"I am glad you found me," I said. "Do you think the others are in here too?"

"I think there's a good chance," came Kim's voice.

Jason and I spun in the direction of her voice and saw the ten other Rangers standing nearby. Our coins were glowing so brightly that we could easily make everybody out. With that, the twelve of us finally reunited in a flurry of relieved hugs and high-fives.

"Even stranded without our powers," Teresa began, "we still found each other."

"Not even the Shadow King could stop that," Scott added.

"How'd you get here?" Jason asked.

"Once we realised you two were the only Rangers missing," Tommy began, "we started walking. You were basically right there."

"However we found each other," said Trini, putting an arm around my shoulder, "it's a good thing that we did."

"Yeah," Ian nodded. "Stronger together, right?"

"So, next problem," Zac began. "We're on our own. No powers and no weapons. We can't summon our zords. We don't even have Alpha and Zordon in our ears. Twelve little Rangers in an impossible trap. How the hell do we get out?"

Kim noticed that Billy was standing a few metres away from the group with his arms folded. "Bill?" she called, catching the Blue Ranger's attention. "Tell us you're thinking something brilliant. I think we could use a little brilliant, right about now."

Billy chuckled. "A simple observation," he began. "And a possible hypothesis," and he looked around the group. "Have you ever really noticed how much we can hear with our enhanced Ranger senses? Really stopped and listened? It doesn't matter where we are. There's always something. Bird calls, hundreds of metres away. The sound of traffic, a kilometre distant. Even something as simple as a light breeze scraping along the pavement. But in this space? There's nothing. It's devoid of sound or life or movement or anything. Even whatever it is that we're standing on. If I could analyse it, I doubt I'd find any kind of movement, even down to the atomic level. My observation is that we're beyond the realms of contemporary or even theoretical physics."

"And the hypothesis?" Jason asked.

Billy turned to the Red Ranger. "The Gatekeeper's scope of powers relates to breaching dimensional boundaries, correct?" he began. "When the Gatekeeper opened that portal, it allowed him to connect directly to the Shadow King. The Shadow King must've imbued the Gatekeeper with a fraction of his own immeasurable power."

"Which gave the Gatekeeper the boost to get rid of us," Sarah said.

"Affirmative," Billy nodded. "And he exiled us. Not just to another dimension, but outside the Universe entirely. In layman's terms? He banished us from reality."

Zac let out a low whistle. "Damn."

I glanced down to my power coin. "But that explains it," I said. "That's why we can't summon our weapons or zords. The morphin' grid can't find us."

"You sound relieved," said Brendan.

"I thought it was me," I replied.

Tommy smiled. "We all did," he said, then froze. "No, we all thought it was ourselves. We didn't think it was you. That sounded a lot more reassuring before I said it," but I laughed and swatted his shoulder.

"So how come our coins have lit up?" Kim asked.

"I imagine that's Alpha and Zordon trying to re-establish a connection to us," Billy replied. "Or possibly the grid itself? Maybe the connection is stronger when we're together."

"But still the question," Sarah said. "How do we get out?"

"This place was meant as a prison," Billy said. "A realm of pure imagination. It took its cues from us. We subconsciously brought our worst fears to life," and he paused. "But it also responded to our instinctive need to find each other in moments of personal crisis. I doubt even the Gatekeeper anticipated that."

"There's power in this place," I realised.

"And that's how we get out," Trini nodded.

"Funny thing though," Jason began. "Locking us away like this. Luna tried to capture everyone as well, didn't she? I always wondered why."

"Do you think the Shadow King is still after our power coins?" Zac asked.

"I've been thinking about that," said Scott. "I'm not sure he ever was. He Who Devours Truth barely noticed my coin. He said it was a trinket with no value."

"He Who Devours Will said something similar," added Kim. "He was a lot more freaked out about the Genin's swords than he was about us."

"Now that I think about it," Teresa began, "Luna never mentioned our power coins specifically. She just talked about 'the twelve'."

Trini gasped. "Because she wasn't talking about our coins!" she said. "None of them were! Don't you see? She was talking about us! Every time the Shadow King challenged us directly, what was he trying to do?"

"Trying to make us feel abandoned and afraid," Brendan replied.

"Alone," Tommy said. "He wanted to isolate us. Why?"

"He needed us fragmented and scattered," Billy said.

"Because he knew we could beat him," Sarah said. "Once we started getting in his way, he knew we were a threat."

"Remember how we thought the plan to take out the whole city with the crown of shadows was overkill?" Ian asked. "That was the point, wasn't it? He wasn't taking any chances."

"So this whole time, the Shadow King was afraid of us?" I asked.

"The power we had, he thought it was something he could take from us," Brendan added. "That's why he wanted us here. That's why Luna wanted to capture us. They never understood us at all, did they?"

"And that's how we beat him," Trini said. "That's been the secret all along," and she reached out and took Kimberly's hand. Kimberly smiled and reached out for Brendan's hand on the other side. Our power coins were now glowing so brightly it was painful to look at them.

"Trini's right," Jason said. "This guy isn't anything special," and he took my hand in his. Around us, the other Rangers were reaching out for each other's hands.

"What if this is what Zordon has been trying to tell us for years?" Sarah asked.

"Hell, what if that's what our power coins have been trying to tell us?" Zac asked.

Kim nodded. "On our own, we're strong," she said.

"But together?" Scott asked.

Ian grinned and took Tommy's hand, the last two Rangers to link up. "We are unstoppable," the Grey Ranger said. With that, the twelve coins exploded with light.

To be continued.