Captain Blues: And here is one of the biggest changes from this version and the last. I hope you're all ready.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Final Mix
Episode Fourteen: Take Flight
[Location: Skyforce Base
POV: General]
"Sit," Charlotte commanded to the group of teens as she pointed down to the large round table in the meeting room of her base of operations.
The five rangers looked around and noticed above the meeting room, there was a glass going in a circular motion and they could see dozens of people behind them, watching with inquisitive eyes.
Did they all know as well?
"Where are you taking Jason?" Ashley asked as she looked at Jason's wounded body, which sat on a stretcher, a silent expression of pain on his unconscious face.
"We're taking him to our healing station," Peter told the young girl.
"I'm going with you then," Ashley replied with narrowed eyes.
"I don't think that's a good id-" Peter began.
"I'm going," Ashley firmly repeated, interrupting the older man.
"Just take her with you honey," Charlotte said to Peter, who grimaced but nodded. He motioned to the two medics behind Jason's stretcher, who nodded and pushed Jason's body out of the room.
Ashley sparred the rangers a look before following after Peter, leaving the rangers alone with Charlotte.
"Those people up there," Zack pointed out. "They need to go as well."
"Consider it done," Charlotte stated. She pressed a button on her watch and said into it, "All of you need to clear out. Video cameras also need to go off, pronto!" The rangers watched as the white-coated civilians walked away from the glass before the lights behind them shut off, revealing an empty room. "Satisfied?"
"Potentially," Trini replied.
"Good. Now all of you, sit. We have a lot to discuss," Charlotte said.
The rangers nodded, sat down in their chairs, and looked at the still-standing Charlotte. "Now…When Katherine introduced all of you to us, we thought you kids were normal kids who knew martial arts….So imagine my surprise when we found out you were the Power Rangers. And then imagine our surprise when we found out our daughter was one!" Charlotte exclaimed.
Katherine flinched and looked down at the table.
"Katherine, we taught you martial arts so you could defend yourself, not get caught up as a ranger," Charlotte said. "Putting your life on the line day in and day out. Do you know how we would have felt if you died and found this out?!" Charlotte then turned to the rest of the rangers. "And what about your parents or guardians?! They would have been crushed to find out you were the Power Rangers only after you died! Hell, Jason is heavily wounded. He could have died today! So why didn't any of you tell your parents about this?"
"We were ordered not to," Katherine spoke up, her eyes still downcasted.
"By whom?" Charlotte asked.
"Our leader," Katherine responded.
"So Jason told you not to tell us?" Charlotte asked.
"Nice to just automatically assume Jason is our leader," Zack joked. "However, you're not wrong. He is but he's not the one that ordered us not to tell."
"Oh, so you have another leader then?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes but I don't think he'd appreciate us blabbing about him," Trini responded.
"We I don't appreciate my daughter and her friends risking their lives," Charlotte retorted.
"Look, we understand your concern," Billy said, trying to placate Charlotte's anger. "But when these monsters began to appear, no one could stop them. If we didn't take up the mantle of being Power Rangers, then our planet would have been taken by now. It is because of our involvement that we've been able to stop them."
"And while the world is appreciative of this fact, it doesn't change anything. All of you are mere teenagers with your lives ahead of you. This isn't your fight to handle," Charlotte replied. "Which is why I'm more disappointed in you, Katherine. You knew that the only reason we were here was to create our own rangers to protect the world and yet you became one."
"Wait, what?" Zack asked in alarm as he looked at Katherine.
"I repeat his sentiment," Billy said as his eyes locked onto hers.
Trini didn't even say anything, she instead shot Katherine a dangerous gaze.
"Before we begin jumping to conclusions, please hear me out," Katherine hastily said to her friends. "My parents are here to create their own Power Rangers. I've known this from the start. This was before I met any of you and called you my friends. As you just heard, they are now finding out I am a ranger myself so that means I didn't tell them anything about our team or anything."
"Then how do they know we are the rangers and why didn't you ever tell us?" Trini asked her.
"The reason I didn't tell you guys was honestly, I never had a chance. From the jump, I was involved with you guys. From Knasty Knight to Aura Pink to my ranger status now to teaming up with Armada Force, I never got a breath edgewise to tell you guys," Katherine answered.
"...She does have a point," Zack slowly agreed. "We did jump from each situation rather quickly."
"That's true," Trini murmured.
"As for how they found out…Mom, how did you find out?" Katherine asked.
Charlotte reached into her pocket and pulled out six familiar ranger keys, which caused Katherine to lean off her chair to exclaim, "No way do you have those!"
"You know what these are?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes. You have no right to have those," Katherine said. "Those belong to the Armada Force Rangers!"
"They belong to Skyforce," Charlotte replied. "And I know this is quite the situation Katherine but remember who you are speaking to…"
"Sorry…" Katherine replied. "But still, those are ranger's property. You do not know what you are dealing with."
"And you do?" Charlotte asked.
"Considering I used one, yes. I sure do," Katherine replied.
"Well once we are done using them, I will return them," Charlotte said.
"But Mom," Katherine began.
"But nothing," Charlotte insisted. "We will keep your identities for now but once our Rangers are created, all of you will cease your Ranger activities, or else that will change."
"You're not going to bully us out of being rangers by exposing us," Zack told her with a frown on his face.
"It's not bullying, it's looking out for my daughter and her friends," Charlotte replied.
"Look, this is not a nine-to-five job for us to just quit at a whim. When we became rangers, we accepted this responsibility to save Earth from being taken over willingly. Not for the fame or wanting to challenge ourselves but because it was the right thing to do."
"He's right," Trini confirmed. "We've gone through hell, both as rangers and as normal people due to this that normal people would never take on willingly if they weren't up to the task. Yeah, it's easy to put on a suit and fight but you have to have the heart to continue, even when things look dire."
"And most of all, teamwork is key. Having the heart, dedication, and skills are good but it's teamwork that makes this all work for us. Trini, Kimberly, Zack, Jason, and I have been friends since we were younger and even when we are at odds with one another, we are still able to work in sync." Billy added. "It's why we were chosen to be rangers and it was why Katherine was chosen as well. She showed these qualities without being behind the suit."
"So in short Mom, If you cannot find anyone with these qualifiers, then you're better off ending this project before you send your rangers to a grisly end," Katherine finished with crossed arms.
Charlotte remained silent for a moment before she replied "I will consider those words. Once Jason heals, you all may leave." Charlotte then gave a nod and walked away.
"Your mom seems pissed," Zack said to Katherine once Charlotte left the room.
"Well think about it, Zack. Katherine just spoke against what they've been trying to do since they showed up," Trini said. "Of course, she would feel somewhat betrayed. Not to mention, she has a right to worry about her daughter."
"I must say guys, between that mysterious Zord, the blatant attack at the stadium, and how vicious that monster was, and now this…I think something big is happening," Billy said.
"I agree," Trini said. "We're going to have to be one hundred percent focused from here on out."
"Oh, speaking of our secret being out," Zack suddenly said. "I have a feeling Adam and the others know we are rangers as well."
"What?!" The three exclaimed.
[Location: Command Center (Flashback - Unknown)
POV: Unknown]
"Don't you do this, Jason!" the hooded female screamed as she banged her right fist against the glass before her.
On the other side of the glass, Jason stood in front of her in his ranger uniform, a bittersweet smile on his face. "Sorry but I have no choice," he told her. She could barely hear him over the sounds of combat coming from above them.
"You said that we would go back and change it all together!" The hooded female screamed. "I can't do this on my own. I need you here with me!"
"I can't leave them behind," Jason told her softly before he lifted his left wrist and said into it, "Zordon, activate the portal before it's too late..."
The female could see lavender-colored particles floating around her, which caused her to frantically pound against the glass. "Jason please," she wailed. "I don't want to lose you. Not to them. Please! Just let me out of here and we can stop them together! Please don't do this!"
Jason turned around and smiled at her and it was then she saw tears falling from his eyes. "Don't have so little faith in yourself…You can do this. We all believe in you."
"Jason!" she screamed as the tube around her began to glow brightly, the last image she saw was Jason putting on his helmet before it all went white.
[Location: Mountains (Present)
POV: Unknown]
With a gasp, the hooded female woke up within her zord, her breathing sharp and quick. She then reached up and touched her left cheek and realized that tears were falling from her eyes.
'Jason…' The figure thought softly before she glanced down into her arms to the Power Sword, covered in black cloth and tied with glowing orange chains.
She gripped the blade to her chest as tears fell against the hilt.
[Location: Skyforce Base
POV: Ashley Hammond]
"Will he be okay in there?" Ashley questioned as she watched Jason float up and down within the mysterious liquid, her eyes locked on the slowly closing wound in his left shoulder.
"He will be fine," Peter noted. "This healing tank was created by one of our top scientists. He will be healed in no time."
"H-How long will it take him to heal?" Ashley asked.
"Just another few minutes and he'll be ready," Peter replied as he glanced back at the teen within the healing tank.
"I'm glad…I couldn't bear to see anything happen to him," Ashley admitted with a frown.
"Is he your…" Peter drifted off.
Ashley seemed to catch his meaning and blushed. "No, no…We're dating….Well….In that strange zone of dating but not dating yet, I guess? He's a great guy and I don't want to see him hurt like this," Ashley replied but her eyes seemed to lock on Jason's face and took a step towards the tube and placed her hand against it.
It was then her head was filled with a vision.
It was of Jason, standing behind a tube in his ranger uniform.
He was looking within the tube with tears in her eyes.
She could see two fists banging against the glass and the rush of panic with each hit as well as sobbing as well. She could feel anger, sadness, betrayal, and love coming from the person in front of the glass.
"I don't want to lose you. Not to them. Please! Just let me out of here and we can stop them together! Please don't do this!" the voice begged.
Ashley took a step back in surprise, which caused Peter to look at her in confusion.
'W-What just happened?' Ashley thought to herself as she looked at her hand and then looked at Jason's body.
What had she just seen?
"Are you alright?" Peter asked her.
"I'm ok…" Ashley said softly, looking back at her hand. "Just a little static shock. That's all."
"Are you sure? I see tears," Peter noted.
Ashley blinked in surprise and lifted her hand to her left cheek and felt wetness beneath her fingertips.
When did she begin to cry?
Better question, why did she cry?
"I'm fine…I promise," Ashley hesitantly answered as she wiped the tears away. From the skeptical look Peter had given her, Ashley knew he didn't believe her but it didn't matter. What mattered was what she had just seen.
"But to think that he is the mighty Red Ranger…It's quite humbling that a bunch of teenagers could hold the fate of the world on their shoulders…They must truly be powerful to handle such a task…" Peter said as he looked back to Jason's healing form.
"Yeah…" Ashley murmured, her mind gazing back to the vision had just seen. "They are truly carrying the weight of the world…"
"Very much so. While I was surprised that my daughter is one, I am proud of what she and her friends have done. I just hope our rangers can stand up to what they've accomplished by protecting this city," Peter continued with a small grin.
"You're creating your own rangers?" Ashley asked him with surprise.
"Yes. We already have the six subjects in mind," Peter said, a knowing grin on his face. "But that's between you and I for now, Miss Hammond." Ashley stared at the grinning face of Peter, trying to decipher his words but then, there was a chime sound coming from the tank, which prompted Peter to gasp. "Ah! He's all done. I didn't think it would be so soon." Peter pressed several buttons on the tank and the liquid began to lower down the tank until it was gone.
Ashley saw Jason's eyes clench together before they opened slowly and looked right at her. "Welcome back…" Ashley said to him. Ashley couldn't help but blush at the intensity of the stare and gave him a smile in return.
Jason shut his eyes and nodded before he looked at Peter with a skeptical look. "It's ok Jason…We're at Skyforce. The place Katherine's parents work at" Ashley told him. "They know about you and the others."
Jason's eyes widened in surprise at her.
"I don't know how but somehow, they found out. The others are speaking to Katherine's mother now," Ashley explained.
"How are you understanding him while he's in there?" Peter asked.
"His eyes. He has expressive ones I find," Ashley responded as she watched the tank's door rise only to see his bare, muscular chest, which caused her face to turn scarlet.
Peter reached into the tank and loosened the straps around Jason's wrists, thighs and chest then removed the breathing mask from his face and greeted, "Welcome back to the land of the living."
"Thanks," Jason said with an exhausted tone in his voice. "So you know Mr. Hillard?"
"We do," Peter said.
"Damn it," Jason replied. "You guys tell our parents?"
"No and I don't plan to do so," Peter said. "Your friends are waiting down in the meeting room. I have some work to do but please, go join them."
"Thank you," Jason said with a nod before a puzzled expression filled his face.
"Where is my shirt?"
[Location: Los Angeles Penthouse (Flashback - One Night ago)
POV: Unknown]
"Please...Please..."
"Daniel! Hold on!"
"We will save the Earth today Grace, make sure it's worth saving."
With a gasp, Grace Sterling's eyes snapped open as she lurched out of bed, her breathing quick and shallow.
"Not again…" She whispered, sweat falling down her face.
It was always that same dream.
The Moon…
The monster.
Her and her ragtag team of Rangers.
Death.
She needed to get a drink.
Grace slid off the large bed, walked to her closet, and slipped on a lush red robe. She gave one last look at the bed before silently leaving the room, closing the door slowly.
She walked down the hall of her home, passing by the various pictures of her, her best friend and partner in crime, Terona, along with various accolades that littered the walls of the hall before turning into the basic designed bathroom where she gazed into the mirror.
Despite being fifty-two years old, Grace looked and felt like a person in their late thirties. Sure, she had platinum hair but her pale face still looked nice and firm with barely any wrinkles and her brown eyes still held that spark of life, despite the hard years of work and nightmares she had dealt with.
She didn't know if it was due to their brief time under his command or due to them working with the dagger that they used to build their empire known as Promethea but it had its positives in slowing her and Jamie's aging significantly.
She splashed some water on her face and then wiped her face dry with a towel that had he name on it then hung it back up.
She walked out of her bathroom and made her way down the hall to her vast living room but she then stopped. There was something…off. Nothing was touched, she knew that much but it felt as if someone was in the room.
She scoffed slightly and made her way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of wine then reached into a glass cabinet and pulled out two glasses and sat them down on the counter.
She poured the wine into the two wine cups, walked into her living room placed a wine cup on the table, and then stood in front of the large window that overlooked the city lights that shined through the night.
Grace took a sip of her wine and then motioned to the untouched glass. "Have a drink," Grace said into the darkness.
The room was silent for a moment until a voice replied "Thank you."
From the shadow of the couch, a slim feminine hand reached out, grabbed the cup of wine, and murmured, "How long have you known?"
"When I walked in," Grace replied. "It is amazing that you broke in. How did you not trigger my alarms?"
Silence…
"Using the birthdates of Jamie Gilmore, Daniel O'Holloran and Nikolai Chukarin are very obvious passwords to the alarms. You should change them more often," the voice replied.
Grace shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's been…a long time since I heard those names out loud," Grace said as she took another sip of wine. "If you know those names then you must know who I was?"
"Grace Sterling. Previous Secretary for NASADA and the first Mighty Morphin Red Ranger. Creator and owner of Promethea, an R&D tech corporation that was built to create a new source of energy amongst various world-protecting technologies. You have also created Skyforce Labs where you have instructed Charlotte and Peter Hillard to create your own Power Rangers."
The figure leaned back just enough for Grace to see a grin appear on her face as she finished with "You are best friends with Terona Washington, the first Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger, and recently attended his daughter's graduation. Need I go on?"
Grace chuckled and commented, "You did your homework."
"Nah. I just remembered what you told me," The voice replied.
Grace turned around and glanced at the hooded female on the couch and said, "I've never met you before."
"You are correct but you will when I replace one of your rangers in a year," The voice replied.
Grace's mind was racing.
From what the figure was saying, she was implying that she was from the…No…That couldn't be possible.
Could it?
But at the same time, this person knew of her and Jamie's past as Power Rangers as well as the names of her deceased comrades during the 1969 moon landing mission.
Not to mention all of the weird chaos that happened back then told her that there were more secrets to their universe.
"Why are you here?" Grace softly asked her guest.
The figure was silent for a moment before she replied, "You must go to Angel Grove immediately because, in a few hours, Charlotte and Peter will discover not only who the Power Rangers are but they will have successfully unlocked the Ranger keys to create what you've long sought to create."
"And why should I believe you?" Grace asked curiously.
"Because the fate of the future depends on it," The voice replied.
The figure then reached into her cloak and pulled out a steel suitcase that held a bird insignia on it. She opened it up and pulled out a metal diamond-shaped bracelet with obsidian-colored metal within it that held a thick red "T" Emblem on top of that.
"As a sign of good faith…" The figure said as she tossed the item to Grace, who caught it and examined it. "That's the Cross Changer. The Morpher to your ranger team. I have all six of them here. That one belongs to me and has served me well. Sadly, none of them are active," The figure explained to her.
As Grace observed the device, the figure explained "Zordon used the last of their energy as well as his own to send me back here but I took these Cross Changers to not only prove that I am from where I say I am…And also to help you speed up the process of creating your team."
"Things are about to get rough. An extremely dangerous ranger is on the horizon and your successors will need all the help they can get in battling him. I have wounded one of those that will help him but it won't be enough due to her still being aligned with them," The figure explained. "Your rangers will help in the ensuing war that is coming but you must put aside your hatred of Zordon for now until the threat passes."
Grace's head snapped up at the name and a scowl of fury appeared on her face. "Zordon? That arrogant fool? Do you dare ask me to put aside what he did to me? To Terona? To the others that died because of his negligence?"
"For now," The figure said as she stood up. "Unless you want my future to occur, you need to put that all aside. I'm begging you. For the good of the entire universe…"
Grace pressed the emblem and two wings and a head from the emblem to the side and she could see a flicker of red energy crackle around the item before it faded away. "You said that these are tapped out of energy. Well, how do I get the energy needed to reactivate them?" Grace asked.
"The ranger keys…They have all the power you need to reactive them. There are also Zord schematics within the Cross Changers," The figure answered. "Once you have them at full power, their morphing call is "Take Flight" and the name of the ranger saying it. For that one. The code is "Take Flight: Red Hawk." Once you do that, the transformation will begin."
The figure then leaned forward and asked, "Now that I've given this all to you, will you help me?"
Grace shut her eyes and let out a deep breath. "As thankful as I am, you ask a lot for someone who hides their identity in the shadows," Grace began as she opened her eyes once more. "You claim to be from the future, right? Then prove it."
The figure nodded and said "Two major events will occur. The first will be that the Martial Arts Tournament that is later this morning will be interrupted by a monster attack around the same time your scientist will break the secrets of the rangers. And very soon, a powerful foe known as Goldar will announce his arrival at 12:37 pm to fight the rangers on behalf of Rita Repulsa."
"Alright. I'll be watching to see if those things come true. If they do, I will do ask you asked," Grace confirmed.
"Thank you," The figure said before she stood up and downed the rest of the wine and added, "And thanks for the wine. It was delicious Chief Sterling." Before she disappeared in a flash of Orange and golden streaks, leaving Grace alone in her living room.
Grace downed the rest of her wine and glanced at the clock.
3:33 am.
"Chief Sterling huh?" Grace grinned. "I like the sound of that…"
[End Flashback]
[Location: Skyforce Base
POV: Grace Sterling]
'And she was right about the first monster attack,' Grace thought to herself with a frown on her face.
A few hours after that odd encounter in her living room, Grace had woken up to Terona's frantic voice, telling her to turn on the television.
Once she did, she saw the news had been replaying the monster attack on the tournament that happened earlier in the morning, making her heart skip a beat in realization. She then received a call from Peter and Charlotte, who told her that had cracked the keys those mysterious rangers had dropped without hesitation, she booked a flight to Angel Grove and after several hours, she was finally near her objective.
It felt weird being back in Angel Grove, considering it was the center of all of the monster attacks and the home of this generation's Power Rangers but she found herself feeling at home again. She just wished Terona could be here with her instead of being in New York with his family.
"We're here, Ms. Sterling," The limo driver informed as the limo slowed to a stop and parked in the parking lot.
"Thank you," Grace said as she opened the door and stepped out of it before reaching back in and pulling out the suitcase with the five Cross Changers within them. "Wait here until I'm done," Grace told the driver before she shut the door.
Grace walked towards the front doors but just as she was going to open it, the door opened to reveal a group of teenagers walking out of it, causing her to quickly jump to the side.
As she looked at the teens, she saw some concerned looks on their faces. 'These kids look as if they've got the weight of the world on their shoulders…' Grace thought to herself as the final teen, wearing a button-down red flannel shirt walked past her, sparing her a brief look and nod, which caused her to nod back with a polite smile.
Why did his eyes look so familiar to her?
Once the group walked past, she walked into the building and saw her two top geniuses, Peter and Charlotte Hillard talking in hushed tones before Peter happened to see her coming towards them.
"Ms. Sterling. Welcome back to Angel Grove," Peter announced with a welcoming smile while Charlotte walked into a room on the left, giving her a brief wave as she did.
"It is good to see you again Peter. And what did I say before? Call me Grace," Grace said before embracing the younger man, who returned the embrace briefly. "Now, I heard you cracked the case of those keys?"
"And then some," Peter replied as the two of them walked into the building. "Right now, we are trying to figure out how to draw the power we need out of the keys."
Grace fingered the cross-changer in her pocket and then glanced at the steel case in her hands. "I think I may be able to help with that. Now. Where are the ranger keys?" Grace inquired.
[Location: Ernie's Juice Bar
POV: General]
"Hey Ernie, we're going to need seven milkshakes please," Jason said with a tired grin on his face.
Ernie nodded and asked, "You and your friends look exhausted. Are you all alright?"
Jason nodded and answered, "We could be better but we'll be ok."
Ernie nodded with a frown and began to work on Jason's order.
Jason walked back to the table that had his friends waiting there. As Jason walked towards the table, Kimberly walked through the entrance looking exhausted similar to the others. "Hey Kim," Jason said with an exhausted grin.
"Hey," Kimberly replied with a tired smile. "I'm healed."
"Good," Jason said. "So am I."
The two let out a small laugh before they both walked to the table and sat down with a groan, with Kimberly sitting between Zack and Billy and Jason between Ashley and Katherine. "Hey, Kimberly. You're here," Zack said with a grin as he hugged Kimberly, with Billy hugging her as well.
"We're sorry we couldn't be there to see you. A lot has happened since the stadium," Billy apologized as the three separated.
"Don't sweat it. Not the first time I woke up in the med-bay and I bet it won't be the last," Kimberly joked.
"Glad to see you're ok," Trini said with a thumbs up.
"Ditto," Kimberly said. "So…What did I miss?"
"Well, I nearly died by the monster I was facing off against. Turns out, he was there to kidnap David and Tommy," Jason said as he crossed his arms.
Kimberly frowned and pondered, "Tommy and David? How come?"
"No idea. We didn't get too far into that detail before starting to kill one another," Jason retorted.
"Anyways, right after Jason went down," Zack continued. "A mysterious Zord came out of nowhere and killed the monster. Katherine's folks know we are rangers and I believe Adam and the others know as well."
"I'm sorry, how and how?" Kimberly asked.
"Well…You remember the ranger keys that ArmadaForce used?" Katherine asked.
At Kimberly's nod, Katherine added, "Well, they were able to crack them to reveal all of the rangers of the past, present, and future."
"That's heavy as hell. But why would they do that?" Kimberly questioned.
"Well, I never got a chance to tell you this due to all of the action we've been through but my folks were hired to create their own Power Rangers," Katherine said with a frown. "Believe me, I was as shocked as you were that they knew…"
"Your folks are trying to create their own Power Rangers?!" Kimberly hissed in alarm.
"Relax Kim," Trini said. "Katherine had no idea about the keys and her folks didn't know anything about her being a ranger. She got reamed out the same way we did. And you know me. Bullshit detector."
Kimberly stared at Trini before she nodded and murmured, "Okay…Consider us still awesome then, Kat…But Zack, why do you think Adam and the others know?"
"Just little comments he's been saying," Zack said. "It may be just him that knows or it may be the others that know as well. We just need to be careful."
"I know for a fact Tommy and David know. They were there when I pulled out my Morpher and then morphed," Jason said with a cross of his arms.
"Damn it. Zordon is going to be so pissed that more people potentially know our secret," Zack said with a sigh.
"Oh god, that's a conversation that is going to suck," Kimberly added.
"This might suck more because I also have something to tell you guys," Ashley stated as she leaned back on her chair
"More? A day of reveals," Zack said.
Jason gave her a disarming smile and asked, "What's going on Ashley?"
Ashley narrowed her eyes in thought and said "When you were in the chamber…I had a weird vision I guess…The vision was me in the chamber and I was looking at you, Jason. You were in your ranger suit and I was begging you to let me out…To let me help you but you didn't. Then it was gone…"
Zack's eyes narrowed in thought but he remained silent while Jason said, "That is a weird vision. If you have any more, tell any one of us, alright?"
Ashley nodded.
"Oh yeah! I nearly forgot about the milkshakes!" Jason exclaimed. "Zack, Billy. Mind helping me get them?"
"Sure friend-o," Zack said while Billy nodded.
The three males stood up and quickly left for the counter while Ashley glanced at the clock. "Oh boy, I need to head back to the hotel. I have to get ready for my date tonight."
"Oh yeah. You have a date with our red leader," Katherine remembered with a smirk, which made Ashley blush. "Speaking of dates, hey Trini, why don't we go with Ashley?" Katherine suddenly asked her. "I have to get a dress and I know you need one too. Might as well go together, right?"
"B-But I'm not going on a date. I'm just hanging out with Zack…" Trini said but the blush on her face said otherwise.
"Oh right. You two are going to a romantic restaurant. The same restaurant I remember Zack saying he knew well. The one he invited you out to. But it's not a date," Kimberly said with a teasing tone.
"Oh fine! I'll come with," Trini resigned but there was a small grin on her face.
"You want to come with, Kimberly?" Katherine asked her.
Kimberly shook her head and said, "Nah. I'm going to stop by the hotel to see Tommy."
"Ooh. Seeing Tommy eh?" Katherine teased, causing Kimberly to blush.
"Y-yeah. We didn't get much of a chance to talk since he's been here due to powers out of our control so I wanted to hang out with him," Kimberly explained.
Katherine opened her mouth to reply only for Tommy's voice to ring out "Hey guys!"
The group turned to see Tommy at the entranceway of the Juice Bar. "Hey guys," Tommy said with a small wave.
"Hey Tommy…" Kimberly said with a small blush.
"So this is where you guys disappeared after the attack. Everyone else at the hotel is worried about you guys," Tommy said as he walked up, each of them pulling out a chair and sitting beside Kimberly.
"Hey we're back," Jason said as he, Zack, and Billy came back with their milkshakes. "Oh hey, Tommy."
"Hey, Jason. Zack. Billy," Tommy replied.
"Aww man, if we had known you would be here, we would've gotten one for you," Zack said with a frown, referring to a milkshake.
"Nah, don't sweat it. I only stopped by to talk to Kimberly," Tommy said with a smile. "I was just telling the girls that the others were worried that you didn't make it during the attack."
"Aww shit, we totally should let them know we're alright," Zack said before he looked around curiously.
"What's up?" Tommy asked.
"Where is David? Usually, he's with you," Zack replied.
"He's back at the hotel. He was super exhausted after what went down," Tommy said with a small frown. "So I left without him."
Jason frowned at this and said, "I don't think it was a good idea for you two to split up. You guys should stay together."
"You sound like my dad," Tommy said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We don't need to stick by each other all the time."
"I'm sorry," Jason said as he raised his hands. "It's just…It's not an easy time in Angel Grove right now due to these monster attacks. Especially due to them being after you and David. I would prefer to be safe than sorry."
"I know…" Tommy agreed. "It's weird though. Why are they after us of all people? I would think he would be after you…considering…Who you are."
Jason remained silent for a moment then replied, "Yeah. That's why I showed concern about you and David being separated. They were coming after you for some sick plan."
"But why? Why would they be after us?" Tommy asked.
"No idea," Jason said. "But I intend to find out."
"Thanks…But in the meantime, what do we do then?" Tommy asked.
"We stick together at all times," Jason said. "Whether you're with us or with David or anyone, stick together. And that goes for all of us too. We all stick together."
The group nodded.
"Good…Now onto the reason I set out on this trek in the first place," Tommy said, suddenly sounding nervous. "Kimberly…Mind if we speak alone for a second?"
Kimberly nodded and the two quickly excused themselves from the table.
Meanwhile, Trini felt butterflies flowing in her stomach as she watched Zack talk to Billy about something and bite her bottom lip. Kimberly must have assumed that she and Zack were going to go on to that restaurant on the "Shadow date" to watch over Jason like Billy and Katherine were but it wasn't true.
They were going to meet up that day to just talk but not go to that restaurant. But watching Katherine, Kimberly, and Ashley chatting about their dates made Trini realize that she wished to share in their excitement.
She was so used to being miserable and pissed off about Zack that now that they were in the clear, she longed to be happy again and despite it all, the person she wanted to be happy with was Zack.
But should she push it?
While they hadn't had the chance to talk about it, she was pretty sure that Zack would only want to be friends due to everything that happened between them. He had that right. She was the one who screwed up, not him. She didn't want to upset him by trying to push him into something he didn't want.
Trini was so deep in thought, that she didn't realize that Zack was in front of her, waving his hand in front of her face. "Yo Earth to Trini, can you hear me?" Zack asked.
Trini seemed to snap out of her thoughts and blushed furiously at being snuck up on. "H-Hey! When did you get there?" She asked.
"I've been here for like three minutes trying to get your attention," Zack explained as he sat by her side. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah. Everything is cool," Trini replied. "I was just thinking about a few things."
"Oh?" Zack asked curiously. "Well, penny for your thoughts?"
Trini was silent for a moment. "Well..." She began. "I...Uh..." she then let out an annoyed sigh. "I want to take you out tonight," Trini told him in one quick breath,
Zack's eyes widened in surprise as he muttered, "You want to take me out?"
"Yeah," Trini replied. "I know you're gonna think that I'm just doing this as the start of my apology tour or something like that but that's not the case. I just...I mean...This whole thing between us has me feeling lost. I mean…I went from loving you to hating you. You were my best friend and enemy mixed in one. One day I would loathe you, the next day, I would miss what we had."
Zack opened his mouth to speak but Trini continued to ramble.
"But now that I know what happened, I'm torn on what to do now. Part of me wants to kiss you with all that I have, another part of me is afraid of pursuing anything, friendship or more. What if something separates us again? What if I go back to hating you? What if you hate me for what I did to you for all these years?"
After a few seconds of silence, Trini then looked down to her lap and muttered, "I'm such a confusing mess, aren't I?"
When Zack didn't answer, Trini looked at him only to find herself in his arms in a tight hug. Trini could feel the emotion welling up in her chest as she took a shuddered breath, It was then she felt tears falling down her eyes.
When had those appeared?
She slowly wrapped her arms around Zack's frame, buried her head against his neck, and squeezed him tightly. "I missed you, my Z-Zack..." Trini whispered. While he didn't reply vocally, she could feel his body shaking against hers and the slight hitch of breath against her neck while his grip tightened ever so tightly. Her heart may have been a confusing mess but she would easily admit how safe and at peace she was in Zack's arms.
"I could never hate you, Trinity," Zack told her as they broke apart, their foreheads resting against one another, both of their eyes slightly red and wet with tears but a smile on their face. "I didn't hate you then and I don't hate you now."
"But how could you not? I hurt you so badly, Zack," Trini asked him, her breath hitching slightly to hold back the tears that wanted to come out.
"It did hurt but I loved you too much to give up on you or us," Zack said as he took her hand into his. "I admittedly wasn't expecting to pour my heart out on you today. Considering the drama about our other life taking control, maybe this is as good a time as any. I know you're confused about where we stand considering all we've been through and hell, I am too so I don't blame you one bit for it."
"You've been confused as well?" Trini asked.
"Damn right," Zack confirmed. "I've been wanting to talk to you about where we stood for a while but I didn't want to mess anything up between us again if we were on different wavelengths...but that's hard to do when you're...Well...Y'know..."
"Yeah," Trini replied. "So we're both confused. We're past the point of being friends but too nervous to take that next step due to everything that happened." Trini then chuckled. "We're such a mess."
"We are but hey, we're together again," Zack replied.
"Hehe, We are," Trini replied softly before she looked into Zack's eyes. "I don't know what the future holds for this bizarre life of ours but what I do know is that I want to explore these feelings with you. I want to re-discover the person I gave my heart to so long ago."
"I want to re-discover you too…" Zack responded. "So with that said, I'd be honored to go out with you tonight Trinity."
[POV: Kimberly Hart]
"So what's up Tommy?" Kimberly asked.
"Ok…Man, I had a whole damn speech ready," Tommy nervously laughed. "But what Jason said put little a damper on this but whatever. I've been wanting to ask you this since we saw each other after the battle royal with those monsters. Would you like to go on a date with me?"
Kimberly felt her heart leap with joy at the question. Despite knowing each other from the past, she was worried that he would have found another girlfriend during the time they were apart.
Not to mention she didn't have the chance to talk to him at all due to her Ranger activities. "Are you sure?" Kimberly asked. "I-I mean, I'm saying yes no matter what but considering what you just heard from Jason…"
"I know," Tommy agreed, a smile creeping on his face. "But one of the reasons I came to do the tournament was to ask you out on a proper date. With no interruptions this time."
"I don't think those two bozos followed you to Angel Grove," Kimberly said with a giggle. "Alright then. Let's have a complete date."
"G-Great. Um…I don't know what to say now," Tommy sheepishly admitted.
"How about I meet you at the hotel?" Kimberly suggested. "I know a great restaurant we can go to. I have no worries that you'll dress nice for it."
"Of course. I'm all about the suit and ties…somewhat," Tommy added.
"I'll set the reservations then," Kimberly said.
The two shared an awkward but happy laugh before Tommy looked out to the front doors of the bar and said "I'm going to head back to the hotel. So…we'll meet at six?"
"Six," Kimberly confirmed with another nervous giggle.
"Cool," Tommy said with a wide smile before he leaned down and pecked her cheek and whispered "See you then," before quickly running off with a red face, leaving Kimberly standing in the hallway with a blush on her face.
Ashley, Katherine, and Trini came walking out seconds later, all of them sporting large grins on their faces, which caused Kimberly to jump when she turned around. "So…" Katherine said. "I take it you're going dress shopping with us?"
[Location: Skyforce Base
POV: General]
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Grace?" Peter asked as Charlotte placed the cross-changer on a platform. To the left of the platform was another platform with the Red Ranger Key, which sat on a small white pedestal on top of the platform.
"This is the only way," Grace firmly answered. "We are so close to having the ranger powers. If something occurs and we short circuit either the key or the Cross Changer then we can always rebuild another one."
Peter nodded before he pressed a button near the pair of platforms.
Two glass covers with a tub connecting the two were lowered down over the two platforms and immediately, Grace noticed the faint crackling of red energy within the platform where the Ranger Key was in. She turned to Peter, who stood near the wall switch that would begin the power transfer, and gave a nod before slipping on her protective mask.
Peter slipped on his mask as well before pulling the switch.
Immediately, the red energy around the ranger key came to life, lighting up the entire orb it was trapped in before the energy was sucked up from the key into the tube.
Grace watched as the energy flew down the tube and entered the second tube where the cross-changer was located and almost like a sponge, the energy was absorbed into the cross-changer, which began to glow red.
The lights began to flicker rapidly above them as the two platforms shook, the tube that the energy flowed to and from began to smoke and the glass that sat above both platforms began to crack in several places.
"It's being overloaded," Peter said as he looked at a screen before him. "Our systems can't take much more of this pressure!"
"Is it almost done?" Grace shouted over the loud noise of the machine.
"Just one more min-…" Peter was interrupted as the two platforms exploded in red light, causing both Grace and Peter to fly backward and slam into a wall before both falling to the ground.
But while Peter took a while to stand up, Grace stood up immediately and rubbed her shoulder as the light faded away.
The two platforms were completely gone, leaving the cross-changer and the dull gray ranger key in the two medium-sized craters. Grace walked to the crater with the ranger key and attempted to pick it up but it crumbled to dust in her hands.
'All of its power is gone…' She thought to herself before she walked to the cross-changer, still glowing a bright red. She placed a finger on the changer and to her surprise, despite the intense glow, it didn't burn her at all.
She then heard a groan come from Peter and briskly walked to his side and helped him up as she asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine," Peter groaned before he winced. "Well…After popping a few Bayers into me…" The pair then looked at the cross-changer in the right crater and Peter let out a sigh. "Before things blew up, the transfer of power was complete but we'll need to build a more powerful machine to convert power into the other five," Peter said.
"How long could that take?" Grace questioned.
"A few days. Maybe a week?" Peter replied.
Grace nodded and said, "Very well." Grace then began to walk back towards the cross-changer. "Until then, let's make sure it worked. I would hate to invest in another machine on a failure. Those cost a lot of money."
"How we are going to check it?" Peter questioned.
Grace remained silent as she picked up the changer and wrapped it on her wrist. "Peter…When you unlocked the identities of the rangers, you saw the past and the future, correct?" Grace inquired.
"We only saw the current and future rangers, not the past ones," Peter answered.
"Then let me reintroduce myself. I am Grace Walker, the previous Mighty Morphin Red Ranger," Grace said.
"W-What?!" Peter exclaimed.
"For decades, I've wanted to create my own rangers to protect this world and now, we are so close to realizing that goal. Who better to test it than me?" Grace asked with a smile before she lifted her right wrist and pressed the bird emblem with her index and middle finger.
The wings on the bird emblem fell to the side and an intense red glowing light suddenly engulfed Grace's body, causing Peter to cover his eyes, the last thing he was able to catch was a voice saying, "Take Flight: Red Hawk."
[POV: Charlotte Hillard]
Charlotte felt her eyes widen with each second as she stared at the large screen in front of her. When Grace came, Charlotte had told Peter that she would scout out who their rangers would be by looking through the history of rangers in the Ranger Keys and found so much interesting facts about each team.
There were even videos of their various battles and right now, she was observing a battle of the Zeo Rangers against a bunch of these odd robots. Without warning, the video she was viewing suddenly vanished and she was back on the screen where the cluster of colors was.
"What the hell?" Charlotte asked in surprise.
From all the groups of sparkling colored lights that were spread out everywhere, there was a single group of clustered colors in the middle of them all with six colors.
Red.
Blue.
Black.
Yellow.
White.
Navy Blue.
She then saw a name
"Bird Squadron Jetmen," Charlotte read out as she looked at the word glowing in front of the six clustered colors.
Pressing a key, the screen then flashed down to reveal a single lone ebbing red orb in front of five blurred-out orbs in the back of the red one. The red orb seemed to expand into the shape of a hawk, electricity streaking across it before exploding to show six figures.
"Oh my god…" Charlotte whispered before she leaped out of her chair and ran out of the room.
As Charlotte ran down the hallway towards the elevators, the lights began to flicker rapidly before turning off completely. She then took a left and ran down three flights of stairs until she reached the basement area where Peter and Grace had told her they would be.
As she walked into the room, she saw a glowing red humanoid figure standing in the middle of the room with its back to her.
When the light faded, Charlotte saw a figure with red boots with yellow trim on the edges, white spandex legs with a red skirt that also had a yellow trim on it and a gold belt that held a blaster, a holster, and a red back.
When the figure turned around, Charlotte could see that the top of the spandex suit was white with a red "V" on the front that was outlined in yellow and a red back, red sleeves with white gloves with a yellow trim around the edge of the gloves.
On the white triangle part of the chest was a red hawk with wings that became shoulder pads with a yellow outline on the design of the hawk, a white neck and a red helmet with two eyes on the front, a yellow beak, a large black visor with a white trim and a metal mouthpiece.
"This…Despite only being one time, this energy…This power…I've strangely missed it…" The ranger softly reveled as her right hand touched the hawk on her chest.
"Holy shit…" Charlotte whispered. "Grace…It's you in there, isn't it?"
"It is," Grace's voice replied. "It was a success. Red Hawk has been awakened
She watched as Grace lifted her right hand and clenched her right fist. "Tell me something…Who is my Successor as the Red Ranger?" Grace asked.
"You actually saw the ranger group," Peter said as he stood up. "He was the one in the red and white flannel shirt. Jason Lee Scott was his name."
"What is his address?" Grace asked the pair.
"I have no idea," Charlotte replied.
"Neither do I," Peter replied.
Grace went silent for a moment before she said, "That's fine…I'll have to search for him."
"Why?" Peter asked.
Grace didn't reply. She instead pressed the emblem again with a burst of red energy, she was back in her normal form. She lifted her right wrist and said, "I'll be back tomorrow with this. Until then, I will be putting in an order for another Power Transfer machine."
Without waiting for a reply, Grace walked past them and walked upstairs.
[Location: Holiday Inn (Evening)
POV: General]
"I'm so nervous," Ashley whined as she stood in front of a mirror, holding the dress in front of her body with a frown. "I don't know if I can do this…"
Beside her was Kimberly, who was already dressed in her dating attire which consisted of a dip-dyed white to-pink sundress with white and pink earrings dangling from her ears with a matching necklace and she was currently applying lipstick to her lips. "Don't be so nervous. It's Jason of all people. He's probably going to be more nervous than you."
Katherine snorted sat down on the bed and said, "Yeah. He's probably saying the exact same thing you are right now. Just relax.."
Just then, a smiling Trini walked into the room. "Hey guys, are you ready for tonight?" Trini asked with excitement in her voice.
The three girls looked at her but it was Ashley who said, "Um Trini…I've never heard you this excited before…"
"She has a bounce in her step and everything," Katherine noted.
"And that smile is huge," Kimberly joined in.
"Are those bad things?" Trini asked her with a serious look on her face, causing the three to take a step back while waving their arms back and forth.
"No, no. It's a nice change of pace from serious all the time Trini," Ashley said with a sheepish grin. "But I wonder, what are you so dressed up for?"
"Well…I officially have a date tonight with Zack," Trini announced.
"Whoa! Really?!" Katherine asked curiously but happily.
"I thought you had a date with him already?" Kimberly asked but Trini shook her head.
"No. I never did. We were supposed to hang out but not an official date until earlier today," Trini explained.
"Well, spill! How did it happen?" Ashley asked her.
"Well…" Trini began. "It happened after you left the table with Tommy..." Everyone spent the next few minutes listening to Trini recount what happened with Zack until she finished with, "And that's what happened."
A deep blush appeared on Trini's face as Kimberly, Ashley, and Katherine looked at her with glassy eyes and a large, beaming smile. "Awwwww," the trio chorused while Trini let a small smile appear on her face.
"That is hella adorable," Kimberly said as she rushed over to Trini and gave her a tight hug. "Oh my gosh, it's so precious to see you blushing and smiling! You must really be happy again!"
"I feel happy," Trini admitted bashfully. "It was the first time in a long time I felt…complete…"
"Aw, I can't believe it," Ashley cooed. "I'm so glad you two are coming together again."
"W-We aren't together j-just yet," Trini stammered, which made Kimberly let out another squeal of excitement. "This is just the start of rekindling our togetherness…"
"Yet," Kimberly teased.
"A…Ah…" That was all Trini was able to get out due to how flustered she was.
"So you didn't have a date before but decided on a whim to ask him out?" Katherine asked, snapping Trini from the brief trance she had entered. "How impulsive. That's normally not your style."
"Eh, life is short sometimes. If something makes you happy, you go for it," Trini responded with a shrug. "Meanwhile, you three look nice."
"Likewise. That outfit is you," Katherine replied with a grin. "I just hope Billy likes it…"
"I'm sure he will Kat," Kimberly said. "I mean, it's not like he's not going to like it. You could wear a black garbage bag and he'd like it."
"You think so?" Katherine asked.
"He's crazy about you," Kimberly said. "He may not show it in an obvious way due to being shy but he is."
"That makes me feel much better," Katherine said with relief. "Because I plan on telling him about my crush on him tonight."
"Wow, going right for it," Ashley said with surprise.
"Of course, I've been wanting to tell him since I first got here but that was far too soon," Katherine replied.
"I'm curious, what made you have a crush on him to begin with?" Kimberly asked her.
"Well…It began a week after I lost my cat…" Katherine began.
[Location: Hillard Residence (Melbourne, Australia - Flashback)
POV: Katherine Hillard]
Katherine's heart was in turmoil.
It had been a week since Katherine lost her fat old tabby cat named Spark McBow and she was inconsolable. She had Spark since he was a small kitten and he had been there for all her highest highs and lowest lows.
She knew that Spark was going to die eventually but it was hard all the same to lose her crabby but lovable loaf of fur. Her folks tried everything to cheer her up but Katherine couldn't make herself feel better.
She was currently up in her room when she heard the doorbell ring.
Katherine walked downstairs and opened the door to see a delivery man on the other side and he was holding a huge cat plushy that looked as tall as her and an envelope in his hands. "Hello, are you Katherine Hillard?" The man asked her.
She nodded with confusion.
"Cool, here you are," The man said as he handed her the huge plushy, and the envelope before holding out a clipboard and said, "Sign here please."
Katherine nodded and signed the paper attached to the clipboard. "Thanks," the man said before he walked off. Katherine shut her door and looked at the huge cat plushy before looking at the letter. She could instantly tell by the "BC" on the corner of the envelope that it belonged to her pen pal Billy Cranston.
Without warning, her doorbell rang again and when she opened it, there was a man in a white suit with a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms. "Katherine Hillard?"
"That's me," Katherine replied.
"Flower deliver from a Mr. Billy Cranston. Two dozen Hydrangea flowers. Please sign here," The man said, holding up a brown clipboard.
Katherine signed the paper and was handed the bouquet before she quickly opened the letter, her mind racing to see what the hell was going on.
Ripping the envelope open, she pulled out a paper and began to read it.
"Dear Katherine,
I got your letter about you losing Spark last week. I'm so, so, sorry. I wish there was anything that I could do or say to help you feel better but when it comes to grief, nothing seldom works. I knew that all too well when I lost my cat Baxter a year ago.
You're so used to them being there that when they aren't, you feel a piece of you is taken with them. A piece that doesn't come back. It's a painful feeling that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
But what I learned from losing Baxter is that a pet knows when they are loved and yours is no different.
From the first second he opened his eyes to the last time he closed them, Spark knew you adored him. He knew when you held him for two hours straight because of his fear of thunderstorms. He knew from the countless nights you cuddled with him because he hated to be alone.
He knew from the countless times you cleaned up after him, especially when he got older and sicker and he knew because when he closed his eyes, you were the last thing he saw before he passed on to the next life.
It's okay to hurt but believe me when I say, it will get easier with time. As cliché as that sounds, it certainly holds true. Time will heal those wounds but it can't do it alone and that is why I decided to do what I've done.
With this letter, you should also get a huge orange, blue-eyed tabby cat plushy to represent Sparks, since he was an orange, blue-tabby cat, and in the envelope, there is a ticket for Sleepless in Seattle since I know you love Tom Hank's movies.
Along with those two things will be a bouquet of purple and pink Hydrangea flowers with the pink meaning heartfelt emotion and the purple meaning deep understanding. I hope the flowers get delivered after you receive this letter, otherwise, you might be confused as to why you got them.
Small hopes.
I know none of this will make up for losing Spark but I at least want you to know that you have a friend in me and if you ever need anything at all, I'm always ready to lend an ear…or eyes in this case.
Until the next letter,
Your friend, William "Billy" Cranston"
Katherine looked into the envelope and as Billy said in his letter, there was a single ticket for "Sleepless in Seattle" within it and she felt tears building up in her eyes.
Katherine didn't know what to think.
She didn't take her pen pal shit seriously since this guy was across the damn world and yet he not only sent this letter but went out of his way to do all of this for her.
All because she had lost her cat.
Not even her friends she had known for years went this far to cheer her up.
"Oh Billy…" Katherine whispered as she held the note to her chest, a tearful smile on her face. "Thank you…"
[End Flashback]
[Location: Holiday Inn (Evening - Present)
POV: General]
"That is so precious," Ashley cooed while Katherine scratched her cheek while looking away with red cheeks.
"God, that is so adorable and it sounds so much like him to do that too," Kimberly said. "Also, this explains why he was frantically looking around for a large cat plushy earlier this year," Kimberly said.
"Right?" Trini asked. "I remember when he was getting all of that going. His dad got super mad at him due to racking up his phone bill by calling Australia three times. It makes sense why he was suddenly doing that."
"I didn't know he went through so much trouble just to cheer me up," Katherine said softly, a warm smile on her face. "That settles it. I'm going to tell him about my crush. I just hope it doesn't ruin a friendship between us if he doesn't like me like that."
"Trust me, he does," both Trini and Kimberly said in unison.
"But I have to say, you and Trini have these cute little stories about Zack and Billy and I'm a little jealous," Ashley admits. "All I did was ask him out as thanks for saving Carlos and my life from that knight."
"Hey, Tommy asked me out back in Twilight Valley after he saved Cassie and me from these two creeps and then he asked me out after the tournament incident happened today. It doesn't matter how it happens, as long as it does," Kimberly said.
"That's a good point," Ashley said with a smile.
"With that said, I have a question. What's the plan with the boys then? Do we wait for them here at the hotel or should we meet them there or what?" Katherine asked.
"I asked Jason what the plan was before we left and he said that they'll meet us there," Trini said she as slipped on her black dress shoes.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, making the four turn to it. "Well...Maybe they changed their minds," Trini noted while Katherine and Kimberly both rushed to finish their makeup.
Ashley stood up and walked to it and opened it up to see Aisha, Tanya, and Cassie on the other side. "Hey Ash, what's up?" Aisha said with a grin. "Ready for your date?"
"Hey ladies," Ashley announced, causing the pink and violet rangers to sigh in relief and begin to slow down on putting on their makeup. Ashley motioned for them to come in as she replied to Aisha "Well, more like freaking out about this date."
"I see that," Cassie said before the three newcomers looked to see the rangers in the room.
"Aisha, Tanya, Cassie, what's up?" Trini asked.
"Wow. Look at you ladies," Aisha said with a grin
"Right? You guys look good," Cassie sang out happily.
"We came to wish Ashley luck on her date but from the looks of it, we should wish all four of you good luck," Tanya explained.
"Yeah but Ash, seriously, no need to freak out," Cassie replied. "It's only Jason."
"That's what I said," Kimberly said as the two shared a high-five.
"Kimberly told me enough about him in Twilight Valley. He's lady illiterate, right?" Cassie asked.
Kimberly nodded as she said "Like you wouldn't believe. I'm stunned he took Ashley's date seriously as he is."
"So we know about Ashley's date so let me guess that other three. Billy, Zack, and Tommy, right?" Cassie asked, pointing to Katherine, Trini, and Kimberly respectively.
The three girls suddenly blushed, with Ashley snorting in response. "That obvious?" Kimberly asked shyly.
"Yeah. I mean, you and Tommy hit it off pretty well back in Twilight City," Cassie began. "Plus, seeing as Zack and Trini tend to stare at each other while the other isn't looking and Katherine and Billy, from what I've seen of course, tend to be together, it was right to assume."
"Do I stare at him that much?" Trini asked after a moment of silence.
"I didn't realize I was with Billy so much," Katherine muttered softly.
"Got it in one," Ashley said with a laugh.
"I will say, it's funny though seeing all the rangers pair off. Well, sans Ashley and Tommy of course," Aisha said with a small grin, causing the three rangers to stiffen. "Come on now. It's hella obvious you guys are the Power Rangers." Aisha told them. "All of us know."
"How did you find guys find out?" Kimberly asked.
"Well TJ and Adam were the first two to notice. The day Carlos got taken by that monster. First off, she returned alone and said that Jason saved her life but Carlos was taken and Jason never came back but she never said Jason was taken as well. As soon as she said that, Trini and Zack ran off and then the rest of you followed at different points," Tanya began.
"Then the tournament happened. Jason outright morphed in the open while we were trying to escape," Cassie said.
"He morphed out in the open?!" Trini and Kimberly exclaimed in unison.
They were not aware of that little fact.
"Yeah, then again the monster was like right there ready to strike. Had he not done that, we all would have been in trouble," Ashley said, in Jason's defense.
"And last but not least, you guys are wearing the same colors as them all the time," Aisha finished. "Hell, you're doing it now!"
The three rangers looked down at their attire and smacked their foreheads in unison. "We have to stop doing that," Trini muttered.
"We didn't and won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with us," Tanya said serenely. "Besides, I think all three of us are fans."
"Damn right. I can't wait to fight you Trini!" Aisha said with a smirk. "I gotta see where I stand against the fearsome Sabretooth Tiger."
"Consider your challenge accepted," Trini replied with a grin.
"Now, now. No fights yet ladies. We have dates. Speaking of which, what are you three doing tonight?" Katherine asked.
"Me and TJ were going to see a movie," Cassie said, beaming. "I think he's finally beginning to realize I like him."
"About time really," Aisha noted with a wry smirk. "We would have to sign her up for the javelin toss at the Olympics if she continued to throw those hints at him."
"What about you and Rocky?" Tanya suddenly asked with a glint in her eyes, which caused Aisha's face to darken with a blush.
"W-What are you talking about?" Aisha asked, clearly flustered. "We're just hanging out at the Juice Bar. S-Stop insinuating things!"
"Wow…" Trini said.
"Don't "wow" Trini. You were quite similar to Zack back then," Kimberly teased, which caused Trini to glare at her, a blush on her cheeks.
Tanya grinned and said, "As for me, Adam and I are going to the park to spar."
"This late?" Kimberly asked.
"Of course," Tanya said. "We have to keep our skills up after all. Never know when they might come in handy"
"So it seems we're all busy tonight with the guys," Aisha noted.
All of the girls grew silent before Kimberly said "After our respective activities, sleepover at my place so we can dish on what happened?"
All of the girls agreed with an excited shout except for Trini and Aisha, who merely glanced at each other with a grin.
"I'll take that as a resounding 'yes'," Kimberly said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote her address down before handing it to the three girls. "Meet us there as soon as you're done hanging out with the guys."
"Dope," Aisha said. "Now we'd best be off. See you guys later tonight. Be ready to dish." The three girls exited the room only for Aisha to pop back in and point at both of her eyes then point at Trini, who smirked and nodded.
"She really wants to fight you," Katherine whispered to Trini, who smirked as Aisha ducked out, leaving the door cracked and the other girls alone.
"Of course," Trini replied. "I'd want to fight me too, given the chance."
"Cocky ass. There is an alternate you in the Armada Force universe. Maybe one day, it will happen," Katherine whispered back, which caused Trini's eyes to sparkle in excitement.
"That's right, I nearly forgot," Trini said.
It was then that the four girls heard Aisha loudly greet, "Oh hey Tommy. Looking spiffy there!"
Kimberly felt a rush of panic.
"Hey, ladies. I have a date tonight with Kimberly. I hope I'm not too overdressed," Tommy's voice replied, sounding nervous.
"You look fine Tommy," Tanya said soothingly. "I think she's going to like how you look."
"You think so?" Tommy's voice asked.
"I know so," Tanya replied.
"You'll find out pretty soon anyways since Kimberly is in Ashley's room like right now," Cassie said.
"O-Oh…That makes my job easier. Thanks, Cassie," Tommy said. Ashley shut the door quickly as Kimberly began to quickly put on her white heels with a panicked look.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god…" Kimberly chanted as she hopped on one foot, struggling to get her other heel on.
Katherine rolled her eyes and motioned for Kimberly to sit down, which she did. "Silly girl. You could've asked for help," Katherine muttered playfully as she slipped on Kimberly's other heel.
"I know, force of habit from Trini over there," Kimberly teased, which made Trini stick her tongue out at her. "I love you too Tri," Kimberly replied cheekily.
"There," Katherine said as she stood up and helped Kimberly onto her feet. "Stable?"
"Stable," Kimberly confirmed. "Thanks," Kimberly added on gratefully.
"No problem," Katherine said.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Ashley looked to Kimberly, who nodded at the unasked question, and with a turn of the doorknob, the door opened to reveal Tommy standing on the other side wearing a three-piece white suit with a green tie and a bouquet of White Dittany in his hand.
"Hey Ashley, I heard Kim was…" Tommy paused when he saw Kimberly standing a few feet behind Ashley. "Oh…Wow…H-Hi…" Tommy stammered out.
Kimberly giggled and breathed out "Hi."
"Oh…U-Um…This is for you," Tommy said as he held out the flowers only to bring them back and stammer, "I-I mean, once you get near a-and um…"
Kimberly walked passed Ashley, took the bouquet from his hand gently, and said "I love it. Thank you."
"Y-Yeah…Um…T-Thanks," Tommy said.
"Well, I'm off. I'll see you guys later tonight," Kimberly said with a wave to the three, who waved back before she and Tommy walked away from the door.
Ashley shut the door and said "Alright. That's one down. Let's get to the restaurant."
"Good. Let's jet," Katherine said with a grin.
"Try not to drive like a maniac this time," Trini teased.
[Location: Scott Residence (Night)
POV: Grace Sterling]
"We're here, Lady Sterling," Grace's driver said as her limousine pulled in front of a medium-sized middle-class home.
After Grace's morphing, Grace was clued in on the identities of the Power Rangers, and to her surprise, she had seen that exact group before she entered the building. Now armed with the knowledge of the group, Grace had the issue of finding a very specific ranger.
The Mighty Morphin Red Ranger.
But thanks to The Hillard's daughter being friends and a fellow ranger to Jason, Peter and Charlotte knew where he lived.
Grace nodded at the driver thankfully walked out of the car and walked down the winding trail that led to the front porch of the residence. Grace took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
After a few minutes, the door opened to reveal a frail, pale-skinned wheelchaired woman with long dark-brown hair despite the frailness of the woman, there was warmth in her chestnut brown eyes.
A familiar warmth.
For a moment, Grace thought she had stepped back into the past. Instead of being outside a nice suburban home, she was back in the command center, facing with the confident grin of Jamie Gilmore.
The moment passed and Grace found herself back in the suburban neighborhood with the slightly older Jamie Gilmore looking at her with a stunned expression.
"Grace?"
Thunderstruck seemed like an understatement as Grace stood before the sickly woman.
"Jamie...I-Is it really you?" Grace asked as she reached her hand out, only to pull it back. "Is this a trick of some sort?"
"You're asking me if this is a trick?" Jamie asked, the faint hint of her British accent becoming more noticeable. "The last time I saw you was on the moon. Right after..."
After Psycho Green crushed her...
"How?" Grace asked. "How did you s-survive?"
"The boulder was heavy and it nearly did kill me...But my left arm managed to stop it from fully crushing me. It was a long and grueling process, I assure you," Jamie softly explained, pain visible in her soft eyes. "That irresponsible man...being...whatever transported me back to the Command Center. I was barely alive. It took months for Alpha to heal me...They managed to save my arm but my legs...well..." Jamie glanced at her legs. "I was paralyzed from the waist down."
"I..." Grace trailed off as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm so sorry. If I had known that you were still alive, I would ha—"
"No, Psycho Green needed to be stopped, Grace," Jamie interrupted. "That much was all too clear. B-But enough about that, Darling. I'm just grateful that everything turned out for the better and I am more than happy to see that you survived."
"I-It wasn't just me. Terona survived it too...We...we thought..." Grace swallowed, bent down, and gave Jamie a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you survived too..."
Jamie's arms wrapped around her and Grace could feel the woman tremble against her.
It took her a second to realize that Jamie was crying.
[Location: Outside the Vakarian-Shepard Italian Restaurant
POV: General]
"Jason, if you don't stop pacing, so help me Zordon, I will knock you out and carry you up there," Zack said with a blank look on his face, wearing a simple black button-down shirt and slacks with a gray colored tie and vest, with a bouquet of Yellow Daffodils mixed in with Forget-me-nots in his arms.
Beside him, Billy sat in a long-sleeved blue shirt and black slacks with two suspender straps around his shoulder and a blue bowtie on his neck with his bouquet of Clematis and Sweet Alyssum flowers in his right arm while Jason's bouquet of Yellow Acacia flowers rested in his left.
The pair watched Jason, who wore black slacks and a red button-down shirt with a black tie around his neck, pace back and forth, wringing his hands nervously. It was almost amusing that this was their powerful and commanding leader.
"I can't help it. Put me in battle with a monster, I'm all for it but put this rather cute girl in front of me and I'm basically useless…" Jason said with a frown.
"At least it isn't raining, otherwise you'd be worthless then," Billy joked, which caused Zack to cough and then laugh, making Jason look at them with the stink eye but then a grin appeared on his face.
"Gee, thanks guys," Jason glumily said.
"Anything for you friend," Zack replied cheekily as he and Billy gave a thumbs up, to which Jason responded with a middle finger. "But seriously. You must really like this girl for you to be this nervous about her."
"Weren't you nervous about dating Trini?" Jason asked.
Zack nodded with a wistful smile. "Yeah. I think I threw up three times while my uncle and aunt tried to calm me down. Having a date with the "love of your life" would do that to you," Zack explained.
"Do you still think of her like that?" Billy asked him.
"I do," Zack instantly replied.
"Despite it all?" Jason asked with surprise.
"Despite it all," Zack confirmed. "And funny enough, she feels the same way but that leaves us at odds. We're too close to be friends but we're both afraid of taking that next step so I'm going to let her dictate the pace of this relationship. I care for her too much to let my impatient urge screw anything up."
"That's really sweet of you Zack," Billy sincerely complimented.
"You think so?" Zack asked.
"Yeah. I know how impulsive you can be, especially when it's something really important to you so for you to fight that side of you really shows how much you care about her," Billy replied with a small smile.
"Yeah. I just want things to go right this time around," Zack replied with a nod and a grin. "But enough about me. What I can't believe is that you aren't as nervous as Jason is, Billy. You were freaking out just as bad as he was when the idea was given to you last time."
Billy grinned and replied, "I was nervous at first but I realized that not only have I been in this position before with Matthew but this is Katherine. The person I bared my soul to many times during our pen pal days and vice versa. Just because she's here doesn't mean she's not the same person. That chemistry between us is still going strong and that is what comforts me."
"Wow, give me some of that confidence," Jason joked.
"Right? Even I'm a bit nervous about Trini," Zack added.
Billy grinned, his cheeks reddening slightly before he noticed Katherine's car coming this way. "Look alive. Our dates have arrived," Billy announced as he tossed Jason's bouquet to him. Jason caught the bouquet and took a deep breath to settle his nerves.
Once the car parked, the three girls came out and all three males felt their hearts skip a beat at the sight of the trio.
Ashley was the first to come out of the car wearing a bright yellow thick lace dress with two small earrings, nervously clutching the small orange purse in her hands, with her hair curly.
Beside her was a confident-looking Katherine, who was wearing a short black skirt with a purple blazer on top that held three black flowers going down in a row and her hair styled in a braided ponytail.
And finally, a serene-looking Trini was wearing a black suit with a yellow tie and a yellow flower on the blazer's left side with a bouquet of Blue Violets in her arms, her hair cut into a pixie style beneath her black Trilby hat with a yellow trim around it.
"Oh...Wow," Jason said, his nervousness forgotten as he walked up to Ashley. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you. Y-You look very handsome," Ashley replied before she noticed the bouquet in his hands. "A-Are those for me?"
"Yeah," Jason replied with a wide smile. "Like them?"
"I love them!" Ashley exclaimed as she reached up to hug him tight.
Meanwhile, Katherine was observing the flowers Billy had and said, "The Clematis and Sweet Alyssum...So I'm clever and worth beyond beauty...Such a wonderful combination. You really flatter me, Billy."
"I only speak the truth, Katherine. Nothing more and nothing less," Billy replied but he was suddenly taken by surprise by Katherine pecking his cheek sweetly, sweeping away the confident Billy and leaving him a smiling flustered puddle.
Zack was currently admiring a grinning Trini as she held out her bouquet of Blue Violets to him while he held out his bouquet to her. "Well looks like great minds think alike," Trini noted with a small laugh.
"Oh god, the mind meld has returned," Zack chuckled. "Same time?"
"Same time," Trini said. The two of them then swapped bouquets and that's when Zack saw a warm smile appear on Trini's face. "Daffodils...My favorite flowers," Trini said as she looked up at Zack. "You remembered..."
Zack nodded.
"But...What are these little blue flowers?" Trini questioned.
"Those are Forget-me-nots. They mean good memories. We have them at this place and damn it, we're going to create some new ones," Zack replied.
"You ass, that's sweet of you," Trini replied.
"Well guys, let's head inside," Jason said. The four nodded and together, the six entered the restaurant.
After walking into the restaurant, the six were soon separated into different areas of the restaurant to begin their respective dates.
[Location: Asari Blues Restaurant
POV: Tommy Oliver]
"Okay...And stop," Tommy said as he released the blindfolded Kimberly's shoulders. The minute Tommy had gotten Kimberly in his car, he blindfolded her and said he wanted to keep their date location a secret.
He knew that it kind of sounded a bit skeevy but considering Kimberly was a Power Ranger, he was pretty sure she felt safe enough to indulge him in this attempt to surprise her.
Although she did promise if she was killed, her ranger family would mess him up and although he wanted to fight them, he didn't want to incur their wraith so soon so he promised nothing but joy would befall her.
"You can remove the blindfold," Tommy announced.
"Finally," Kimberly replied as she removed her blindfold only to gasp in surprise.
The pair was currently on a rooftop-styled restaurant known as "Asari Blues." It was one of the more expensive restaurants of all of Angel Grove due to its location overlooking the entire city along with its slick marble-made square tables and chairs, its countertop bar with various alcoholic drinks, and a dance floor on the lower part of the large roof.
Tommy couldn't help but admire the soft glow the various Christmas lights that lined the rooftop had on Kimberly's surprised face as she looked around in amazement.
"Wow...This view is amazing..." she breathed out. She turned to Tommy and smacked his shoulder as she said "You dope, you didn't have to take me to the Secret Endeavor of all places. This place is highly expensive."
"Hey, I wanted to make this date one that you'll never forget," Tommy replied with an easygoing grin.
"Still...You could have had a picnic in the park and I would have been happy," Kimberly replied, which made Tommy grin.
"I'll remember that for the next date," Tommy said.
"Oh, you think you're so cocky that you'll get a next date before this one even begins," Kimberly teased.
"Well, I managed to get this one after the last disaster," Tommy replied with a laugh, with Kimberly joining in seconds later.
"Well, those assholes aren't here to ruin this one so let's go, Mr. Oliver," Kimberly said with a grin on her face.
Tommy blushed and took a small breath before a confident smirk appeared on his face as he retorted, "Yeah, let's get this bad boy started."
[Location: Scott Residence
POV: Grace Sterling]
"After Aleks passed away, Jason and I moved to Angel Grove, where we''ve been since," Jamie concluded as Grace sat across from her on the couch.
"Amazing. You've been through so much since the Moon Mission," Grace murmured. "Losing your ability to walk...the nightmares...losing your husband after his fight with cancer...How did you manage to keep it all together?"
"There were times when I couldn't but my son needed his mother so I couldn't afford to break apart," Jamie answered. "If I crumbled, even for a moment, his fate would be left up to people who wouldn't care about him. I had to fight to keep him safe and happy. If it wasn't for that, for him, I don't think I could live on."
"I can understand that to some extent," Grace murmured. "Terona and I, have been working hard with Promethea and SKyforce to help protect this world and all who live on it from the horrors we endured on the Moon. Truthfully, it's all that's been keeping me mentally afloat."
"You didn't have anyone else?" Jamie asked.
"No. Just my ambitions and vision for the future," Grace answered.
"Well that's no good," Jamie laughed. "You have to live for something more, you know?"
"I know," Grave murmured.
"But, I'm sure you didn't come by to hear me preach about the future," Jamie chuckled. "Then again, I'm unsure why you came by. Or how you even knew where I lived."
Grace's mind faltered for a moment. Admittedly, she found herself not caring about why she was there and wanted to spend time with the woman who haunted her thoughts all these years. But duty came first. And now that she knew who Jason Lee Scott was to Jamie, her goal was strengthened.
She would not allow her former teammate to feel any more loss.
""I..." Grace replied softly. "I came to see Jason actually. Is he here by chance?"
"He's currently out on a date," The woman said with a grin. "About time, really. That boy of mine is so focused on karate and his schoolwork, I was afraid he'd be single for the rest of his life." Jamie chuckled. "Why do you ask? Did he do something?"
For a moment, Grace wanted to tell her the truth. That he was her successor and that she was there to test him and try to get him and his team to stand down. But the words died on her lips.
How could she even attempt to bring that much grief back into her life?
No, she had to do this in a way that wouldn't hurt her.
"Your son sent a letter to me a few weeks ago concerning his application for an internship at Promethea," Grace lied, shame filling her heart. "I figured since I was coming to Angel Grove on business that I would meet with him personally and tell him that he was accepted."
"Oh my gosh! I wasn't aware he even sent a letter!" Jamie exclaimed with a bright smile. "Oh, that brat of mine. Well, like I said, he's on a date so if you're willing to break that up to talk to him, He's at the Vakarian-Shepard Italian restaurant which is downtown."
"Thank you so much for telling me, Jamie..." Grace sincerely replied. "I really appreciate it and I'm sorry to bother you this late, despite being happy to know that you're alive after all this time."
"Oh it's no bother really," Jamie said with a chuckle. "I love my son dearly but it's nice to chat with other people sometimes. Especially to an old friend."
Grace chuckled as she stood from her seat. "You've been very pleasant to talk to but I should depart. I must speak with him and then head to sleep. I have a meeting bright and early tomorrow." Grace paused for a moment as she dug into her suit jacket to reveal a card. "If you ever need to speak to someone about...well...anything, you can reach me with that number on the card."
"Oh! I wouldn't want to impose if you're busy," Jamie said but Grace waved her off with a laugh while adding "I doubt you'd want to deal with my problems."
"Nonsense," Grace replied. "A friendly ear is always near to keep your troubles at bay. Everyone needs a friendly ear once and a while. Besides, it may have been a few decades but we're teammates and I look out for my own."
Jamie nodded for a moment and said, "I'll keep that in mind...Thank you...Be safe, Grace."
"You too, Jamie," Grace said with a soft smile before she walked away.
[Location: the Vakarian-Shepard Italian Restaurant
POV: Ashley Hammond]
"Boy, I can't believe we're actually on this date. It seems like a lifetime ago I asked you on it," Ashley said to Jason before she took a sip of her water.
"Right? Every time a battle happens, anything that happened before seems to feel like ages ago," Jason replied as he took a swig of his strawberry soda. "Like did you know we've only been rangers for like a few months?"
"What? Really?" Ashley asked in surprise. She had seen clips of their ranger battles and they always seemed to be so in sync with one another.
"Yeah. I bet many folks would be surprised by that little fact," Jason answered. "It certainly feels like we've been at it for years though, considering all the battles we've had."
"Do you mind telling me about some of your tougher ones?" Ashley asked.
"The toughest one had to be the fight with Gigas. That dude was a straight-up powerhouse.
"Gigas?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah. Well, his real name was Matthew. He and Billy were rivals in their wrestling club. Rita, our enemy, used this monster gauntlet to make him Gigas. The guy was brutally tough. We technically didn't even defeat him either."
"How did you win?" Ashley asked.
"His girlfriend came and made him see the light and then Goldar, Rita's knight, defeated him. He was freaking tough. Speaking of knights, Knasty Knight or Violent Knight as you know him. He was very dangerous...He kind of kicked off the entire plot to the whole Trini and Zack saga."
"Trini and Zack saga?" Ashley questioned.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, that shit caused a lot of drama within the group."
Ashley turned her head and saw Zack and Trini laughing happily in the distance before she turned back to Jason and asked "Really? Those two look so happy."
"They weren't before," Jason replied.
"You so got to tell me," Ashley said.
"So it all started when Zack got kidnapped by Knasty Knight..."
And so Jason told her all that had occurred before she came into the picture, from details of the battle to the aftermath of it all, and when it was done, Jason concluded with "And with that, the Trini and Zack saga concludes, with them friends again. That exhausted me just re-telling it."
"Whoa. It seems like those battles were all kind of connected," Ashley said. "It shows how wicked Rita's mind is. She seemed to prey on the strife you guys had and used that and nearly succeeded as well."
"Yeah. I'll admit that with the monsters she sent before Knasty Knight, I thought she was going to be a pushover but this proved otherwise. She is studying us. Finding our weaknesses and exploiting them."
"Yeah, you guys will need to be careful," Ashley told him.
"Yeah…" Jason said. "I admit, you know pretty much everything about us and yet, you haven't run off."
"Of course not," Ashley responded immediately. "I mean why would I leave now? Because of Rita?"
"I mean, yeah," Jason replied. "We both just went over how dangerous she has been. That would be kind of assumption that you would clear away to stay safe."
Ashley snorted at this and retorted, "The minute I found out what you and the others were, my life was changed. Even if I ran away from all of this and pretended none of what I've been through existed, that wouldn't change the fact that I'm going to be in danger."
"How do you figure?" Jason questioned.
"I know your identities," Ashley replied. "Sure, there are a few others that know it but look how close I am. I'm on a date with their attractive leader. It would be easy for Rita to use me, whether I stay or go, as leverage against you and the others. Not to mention, the other tournament fighters know your identities as well so she could also use them."
"I figured after I morphed in front of Cassie and Tommy that I was facing that risk," Jason admitted. "Well, then I'll ask you. Are you sure you want to stick around with us?"
Ashley gave Jason a grin and Jason suddenly found himself thinking 'Wow, that grin on her is very sexy.'
"I wouldn't have made the argument if I didn't plan on sticking around," Ashley responded cheekily before she turned serious. "Besides, I want to know more about you, not as just the leader but as Jason, the human," Ashley finished, her face turning red at the admission.
Jason's face also reddened at this but a small grin appeared on his face. "And I want to know more about you as well Ashley," Jason replied earnestly. "And I know just the way to learn…."
Ashley grinned and asked "Twenty questions?"
"Twenty questions," Jason confirmed.
"Then let's do it, to it," Ashley said happily. "I'll start. Favorite TV show?"
[POV: Katherine Hillard]
"Did you think all of this would ever happen?"
Katherine watched as Billy's eyes turned away from his food to look at her, his blue eyes locked onto hers. "I mean, when we first became pen pals, I never expected to be swept into this life and yet here I am. A member of a very exclusive team with you as my teammate and date at this beautiful restaurant. It just feels amazing."
"It is truly amazing," Billy replied. "To think, I nearly missed out on the chance of getting you as my Pen pal."
"Really?" Katherine asked.
Billy nodded and answered, "I wound up sleeping in for the first time and nearly missed the class that would grant me someone like you as my pen pal and future friend."
"Billy Cranston sleeping in late and nearly missing class? No way," Katherine said.
"Yes way," Billy chuckled. "I spent all night studying for a test and by the time I fell asleep, it was three in the morning."
"That sounds so unlike you Billy," Katherine noted.
"Blame my dad. We wound up talking about multi-verse theory for a good chunk of the night. Sad for him, I know it's now true," Billy said with a chuckle.
"Speaking of which, the night I became part of the crew, you mentioned that you wanted to know more about the other universe but you wound up talking to me and not getting those questions asked before they left," Katherine said. "I never did tell you how sweet that was, did I?"
"You found that sweet?" Billy asked curiously.
"I sure did. Then again, I should have known you would do something like that since you always wind up doing sweet things for me," Katherine told him.
Billy flushed at this and said, "I-I don't really do it that much, do I?"
"You really do," Katherine replied. "Remember when Sparks died? You sent me a huge cat plushy, had flowers delivered to me and a ticket to see Sleepless in Seattle. And that's not even mentioning the heartfelt letter you sent."
Billy adjusted his glasses and murmured, "You wrote to me how Cross meant a lot to you and I wanted to make you feel better."
"You did so much more than that Billy," Katherine said. "I-I don't know if this is too forward but I'm going to go for it."
"Go for what?" Billy asked curiously.
"When we were first assigned our pen pals, I didn't take the assignment seriously. In fact, I didn't want to do it because I thought it was super stupid and sketchy but then I was forced to do the damn assignment and I got assigned to you. I'm sure you got my annoyance by the first two letters."
"Yes," Billy replied with a laugh. "I believe the letter said "My name is Katherine. Let's get this easy A+ and then we can stop talking" and that was it."
Katherine laughed as well and said "I was such a jerk in those two letters but you went full steam ahead. Told me all about you. How you loved to invent new things and how you wished to discover new worlds and new life forms. I was immediately hooked."
"Really? I thought you were humoring me still," Billy said, clearly surprised.
"Not even the slightest. My folks are big science heads, as you probably realized. I'm used to him and Mom talking in techno-babble which flew right over my head all the time but despite this, you also had different interests other than that. I mean, we both have similar tastes in movies. We both adore wrestling, despite you being a WWF guy and me being a WCW girl."
Katherine snorted when she saw Billy shaking his head in disapproval with a small smirk on his face and replied, "You ass. You can keep your Bret Hart. Ric Flair and Arn freaking Anderson are awesome."
"I'm not denying that Ric Flair isn't awesome but Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect," Billy responded.
"Let's just agree to disagree," Katherine said before the two broke out into a small laugh. "You made me lose what I was going to say, you jerk."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Billy said apologetically but there was that smile that she adored and her mind suddenly remembered what she was going to say.
Katherine smiled as she raised her glass of tea to her lips and said "I guess I'll have to forgive you. You are my crush after all and if I can't forgive you, who could I forgive?" before she drank it.
Billy, who just had taken a drink of water, suddenly doubled over and did a spit take in surprise while Katherine giggled.
"Y-Y-You..." Billy stammered, his face turning redder by the second.
"Yes, I have a crush on you," Katherine confirmed with a smile. "I've had it since you helped me grieve over Sparks when he died. I've wanted to tell you this for a long time but, life happened..."
"O-Oh..." Billy replied.
"Oh? Nice cover Cranston," Katherine replied cheekily.
"This is new territory for me truthfully," Billy replied bashfully. "I can tell you how to assemble and reassemble a microwave in a heartbeat. I can debate alien life and alternate timelines until the sun rises but this is something I have no experience in." Katherine watched as Billy took a deep breath and dazzled her with a rather shy yet charming smile. "All I do know is that I do like you very much and I would love to explore this further. Is that alright with you?"
"O-Of course it is!" Katherine squealed before she covered her mouth with a blush.
Billy blushed as well and asked "U-Um, so does that make you my girlfriend then? Curse my lack of knowledge of dating etiquette..."
Katherine couldn't help herself as she laughed, her own cheeks reddening as she reached forward and took Billy's hands into her own and said "I'll be happy to be your girlfriend."
"T-T-Then it's settled," Billy stammered out. "I'm your b-boyfriend."
And it was then Katherine felt herself turn into a puddle of excitement.
[POV: Zack Taylor]
"He just did a spit take," Trini said with a laugh of amusement.
Zack and Trini were in the middle of talking out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Billy doing a spit take while Katherine looked smug. Zack had to admit, he was awfully curious at what caused that reaction but as he looked to Trini, who was laughing at her friend's predicament, his mind shifted to her.
It had been a while since he had seen her laugh and it was a beautiful sight.
It always had been.
He watched as Trini looked at him and saw her cheeks redden. "What?" Trini asked.
Zack blinked rapidly and replied, "Sorry, I was staring wasn't I?"
"A little. I didn't say I didn't like it though," Trini replied.
Zack chuckled and told her "Good. Now to let my eyes continue to feast on this magnificent meal."
"Such a dork," Trini replied with a wide smile. "Man, this place hasn't changed a bit. The red ceiling, the mahogany tables and chairs. The old guy in the corner booth over there. The food is delicious as well."
"Right? It feels like good times," Zack replied as he took a bite of his steak and swallowed it down before he told her "I can't believe the tournament was crashed like that. We trained forever for it."
"Yeah…I was really hoping for that money and that trip to Japan," Trini lamented. "Mom trained me so hard. It feels disappointing."
"I know. I was really looking forward to fighting you," Zack told her.
Trini's eyes seemed to sparkle at this. "Really now?" Trini asked with a grin growing on her face.
"Well yeah, it's been a while since we've been able to fight seriously and unwounded. I wanted to see how far we've both come," Zack explained.
"I'm always down to fight in general Zack but we have fought seriously once," Trini said.
"Yeah, and I was wounded. I want to see what both of us, at our full one-hundred, would be," Zack responded.
"I accept your challenge then," Trini said. "It seems like everyone is looking to fight me nowadays. First Aisha and now you."
"Aisha wants to fight you?" Zack questioned.
"She wants to see how she stacks up to the mighty Sabertooth Tiger," Trini replied. "And yes, they do know."
"I figured," Zack said with a grumble. "Man, Zordon is going to freak. How many people know now?"
"Hmm…There are Matthew, Angela, Aisha, Tanya, TJ, Cassie, Adam, Rocky, David, Tommy and Carlos," Trini counted. "Any more and he may very well freak out."
The two chuckled before Zack asked, "Did you know the night before our first date, your dad called me?"
Zack saw Trini's eyes widen in surprise. "He did?! What for?" Trini asked him.
"Well, he wanted to give me some real simple advice," Zack said. "First thing he told me was that he was glad I got off my ass and finally asked you out."
Trini snorted and shook her head. "He was a big believer in us being a couple. Dad once told me how he and your dad had a bet that we would be married when we hit our twenties."
Zack snorted but gave a wistful smile and said "That sounds like them."
"So what else did my dad tell you?" Trini asked him.
"He also told me some things that would make the date go smoothly as well as not get you pregnant," Zack paused and then laughed at the mortified look Trini had on her face.
"Wow Dad," Trini said. "He said that?"
"He said that," Zack confirmed. "It was brutal because after he said that, I nearly choked on the rice I was eating. He laughed for like a full minute when that happened."
Zack then shut his eyes and let a warm smile form on his face "But the most important thing is that he said to look after you and to have fun and he expected a call the next morning for some basketball."
Trini also had a smile on her face as she said "You two sure did love your basketball practices."
"Yeah...It's funny. I used to be so hung up about not having parents after mine died but looking back at it, your father treated me like his own son."
"Yeah, I used to think he preferred you over me at times," Trini joked. "I mean, he went to all of your martial arts or basketball practices. Took you to tons of places and gave you carte blanche of our house to come and go as you please. He doted on you."
"He did. He trusted me one hundred percent and I wanted to make sure he never regretted it," Zack said softly.
"He never did," Trini replied. The day he died, he said the only regret he had was that he left his wife and children. You included in that."
"H-He said that?" Zack asked, his voice hitching slightly.
Trini nodded with a sad smile of her own. "He once told me that if we weren't dating, he would have adopted you as his own a long time ago."
"Tch, I'm glad he had the thought but I think I prefer it this way," Zack said with a grin, which caused Trini to laugh in agreement.
Zack let out a small laugh and revealed, "After my parents died, I felt so lost and alone in this world. As much as I love my aunt and uncle, they are/were never around much to help me. You and your parents really filled the gap that was missing in my heart and I never got to thank him for letting me in. I guess I'll have to thank your mom instead a few times."
"She still doesn't know we've made up so she's dying to hear from you again. She won't admit it to me because she thinks I still hate you but she misses you terribly," Trini told him.
"Really?" Zack asked with surprise.
"Yeah. She never blamed you for what happened to Dad unlike me, who jumped to the worse conclusion immediately," Trini said, looking down at her food. Zack reached over and took her head, snapping her gaze to his before the two shared a smile.
"I'll make sure to call her then," Zack said.
"Better yet, why don't you come over tomorrow? That way she can see you?" Trini suggested.
"You know what? I like that idea better," Zack replied.
The two traded soft smiles.
[POV: General]
"Favorite food?" Jason asked.
"Easy, Cheeseburger. Favorite Animal?" Ashley asked.
"Tyrannosaurus," Jason answered cheekily, which caused Ashley to reach over and smack his arm as he laughed. "Okay, Okay. Panthers. Favorite movies?"
"Oh shit…Top Gun, Ghostbusters, and the Breakfast Club," Ashley replied. "Although, Beverly Hills cop is damn good too."
"You basically guessed one of my favorites. Beverly Hills Cop, Beetlejuice, and the Empire Strikes Back are my top three," Jason added.
"Favorite drink?" Ashley asked.
"Anything strawberry," Jason replied. "Favorite color?"
"Orange and yellow. Could never decide between the two. I would ask you the same question but I think I know the answer," Ashley teased.
"Oh yeah?" Jason challenged.
"Yeah. The next question is why do you guys dress in your uniform colors?" Ashley asked.
Jason blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Look at what you guys wear. You guys tend to stick to your colors. You wear red, Zack wears black, Kimberly wears pink, etc," Ashley explained.
"D-Do we really?" Jason asked, clearly surprised.
Ashley opened her mouth to answer until a new voice said "Ah, I finally found you."
Jason turned around while Ashley looked forward and saw a pale-skinned woman who looked to be in her late thirties with platinum white hair, intense brown eyes, and wearing a red business suit with a black button-down shirt and a red tie. Jason instantly remembered her from earlier in the day at Skyforce Labs as he and the others were leaving. "You…I remember you from earlier in the day," Jason told her.
"Ah yes, I do remember bumping into you and your group of friends," the woman said before she leaned down and whispered, "But who knew that I would have found the Red Ranger so soon?"
Jason's eyes widened in shock as he looked at her.
"Jason? What's wrong?" Ashley asked in concern. "Who is this woman?"
"No…" Jason murmured, his eyes locked on the older woman's.
"Yes…Grace Sterling is my name. The creator of Promethea and the one who offered your friend's parents their job to create my very own Ranger group," Grace whispered.
"So you know about all of us?" Jason asked, his voice taking on an edge.
"I know more than that," Grace said before she turned to Ashley and said, "Do forgive me but I must interrupt your date. I must take this young man away for a spell."
"You're not going anywhere along with him," Ashley said, a dark tone in her voice before she blinked in surprise, along with Jason.
Where did that come from?
Grace gave her an inquisitive look before she shot her a disarming smile and said "You're very protective of him. That's very precious but no worries. I'm not looking to hurt him. Far from it actually. I'm here to chat with him but somewhere more private. If you both don't mind coming with me? I promise you it won't take long."
"Fine," Jason said immediately, suspicion in his voice.
"You sure Jason?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah…" Jason replied.
Ashley nodded and together, she and Jason rose from their seats and followed Grace. As they did, Jason noticed Zack look his way but then his eyes flashed to the woman before a look of shock appeared on his face. Jason motioned for Zack to stay with a quick wave of his hand. Zack frowned but nodded. Jason smiled and continued to follow Grace out of the restaurant.
Jason and Ashley stopped as Grace tilted her head in thought and pointed to the empty park that stood across the street from the restaurant then strolled across the street confidently, with Jason and Ashley running behind her.
"I was pretty surprised at how young you all were," Grace began as the three continued to walk. "To think you have been successfully defending this city and the world from Rita's forces is amazing."
"How do you know about Rita?" Jason asked her.
Grace remained silent at this and continued to walk.
Ashley, sensing Jason's annoyance growing, grabbed his hand and squeezed it, which caused Jason to look at her in surprise but then he nodded and gave her a smile, which she returned with one of her own.
Suddenly, Grace stopped, which caused the two teens to stop as well.
"There…This seems like a good spot," Grace said.
"A good spot for what?" Jason asked.
Without warning, Grace turned around and aimed a punch at Jason's face. Jason blocked the punch with his free hand while releasing Ashley to block a knee that was aimed at his stomach.
He pushed back the knee and aimed two jabs at Grace's face but Grace blocked both strikes with her forearms before she ducked the third jab and jabbed him in the stomach with her left fist, which sent Jason staggering backward.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell is going on?!" Ashley exclaimed as she attempted to step between the two but Grace held up her hand to Ashley.
"Relax child. This is ranger business," Grace said, keeping her eyes on Jason.
"Ranger business?" Jason repeated.
"Last I looked, he was one. Not you," Ashley noted with a frown on her face.
Grace glanced at Ashley and said, "That's where you're mistaken child." Grace lifted her left sleeve and revealed the cross-changer that sat on her wrist. "Allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Grace Sterling. The creator of Promethea, the former leader of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers."
Ashley and Jason were stunned. "T-The Former leader of the Power Rangers?" Jason stammered out.
"That's right. Which means you, Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger, are my successor," Grace said. "I've known about Rita and her crew, Zordon, Alpha, all that you were told. The only difference is that you're serving a longer term now that Rita is free."
"B-But Zordon never told us about your team," Jason said.
"Of course, he didn't," Grace said, a bitter edge to her voice. "He wouldn't dare tell you about us. How he led us to the slaughter against our enemy. But, I am not here to bring up the past. Not yet at least. What I am here for is to test you to see if Zordon has learned from his mistake. Take Flight: Red Hawk!"
Grace then lifted her right wrist and pressed the bird emblem with her index and middle finger. The wings on the bird emblem fell to the side and with a burst of red sparkling energy, Red Hawk stood in Grace's place, her fingers still pressed against the emblem on the cross-changer.
"Oh…my god…" Jason breathed out.
"What the hell?" Ashley whispered.
"And what better way to do that than to fight you myself?" Red Hawk questioned, streaks of red electricity going across her body at random intervals. "So morph already Jason so we can get to it!"
Jason shook his head slowly with a slow laugh. "Of all the things I've dealt with…This takes the cake. You couldn't have waited until after our date to spring this on me?" Jason asked sardonically. "It's our first one and I was enjoying it."
"Really?" Ashley asked happily. "Because I was having fun too."
"Damn right. I guess this is as good of time as any to ask but can I take you out again?" Jason asked.
"Of course! Now beat her ass so we can finish this one and plan that out!" Ashley exclaimed as she pointed at Grace.
Jason smirked and held out his morpher towards Grace and said "Well, you heard her! Let's do it, to it! It's Morphin time!"
[Morphing Grid
Mighty Morphin Red Ranger]
(Theme of Morphing - Infinity Mijinion Stage from Megaman X6)
In the black void, with a red aura flowing around him and his Power sword in his hands, Jason fell toward his power coin, which was hovering in the air with a red orb around it.
Jason raised his blade and sliced through the orb and the moment he did, red and white lightning encased his sword and then his entire body before it exploded, revealing the Red Ranger.
The Red Ranger landed on the ground in a crouch before quickly rising and slashing his blade in a downward arc before stabbing it in the ground. With an explosion of red energy, his personal zord, the Tyrannosaurus, appeared behind him with a red outline and roared in victory as Jason shouted, "Tyrannosaurus!"
[Location: Vakarian Park
POV: Mighty Morphin Red Ranger Vs Red Hawk]
"There, I'm ready to go," Red said confidently as he placed a hand on his chest.
Red Hawk chuckled and said, "It's been decades since I saw that suit…I forgot how nice it looked."
"Thanks, I like that suit as well," Red replied. "Now, ready to get it on?"
"Anytime, any day youngster," Red Hawk retorted.
The two continued to stand there until a leaf fell to the ground and that was when the two ran towards each other. Red Hawk quickly leaped up and aimed a flying kick at Red's head but he rolled forward, effectively sending her soaring above him. When she landed, she quickly turned around and aimed a sidekick at the rising Red's head.
Red ducked it the kicked her in the right leg, making Red Hawk fall to the ground but she placed her hands on the ground, flipped back to her feet, and caught Red's right jab.
"Very good," Red Hawk told him before kicking his knee, causing Red to fall onto the other knee but when she tried to knee his head, Red caught the knee and pushed it back, which caused Red Hawk to stagger backward.
Red rose to his feet and dashed towards her and threw a right hook but Red Hawk ducked it and landed three quick jabs to his chest before she hopped up and landed a blow to his head, which made Red stagger backward but Red blocked two more jabs from his opponent before grabbing her fist and tossing her over his shoulder and into the air where he watched her recover and land on the ground.
Red Hawk turned around and rushed towards Red and that was when their clash began. Punches and kicks between the two were thrown at each other as Ashley watched on with amazement. When she first saw Grace, she didn't look like she could put up any sort of fight but watching her compete with her much younger successor truly surprised her.
After a few more moments of trading blows, Red Hawk leaped backward to break the fight and chuckled.
"Amazing…It feels like I'm hitting a brick wall this entire time. You truly are impressive Red Ranger," Red Hawk murmured to herself as she looked to Red, who stood across from her, panting as well. Red Hawk stood up and switched her offensive stance for a defensive one, waiting for him to charge forward. "Come," Red Hawk commanded.
Red nodded and dashed towards the older ranger and when he got close enough to try to attack, Red Hawk suddenly jumped up, wrapped her legs around his neck, bent her body backward, placed her hand firmly on the ground, and used her legs to toss him off the ground and released him from her grasp, sending Red heading straight for a tree.
Red slammed upside down back first against the tree and fell onto his stomach. Red rose to his feet and felt himself growing even more impressed by his predecessor.
At the start, he figured that he would hold back considering the age difference between them but he quickly found himself having to put his all into this spar. "I didn't expect you to be so quick for your age. You damn sure proved me wrong. You're meeting me step by step," Red told her with an awed tone. "I certainly can't mess up with you or else I'll lose this session."
Red Hawk laughed and said, "You certainly flatter this old woman but thank you. It seems we're both learning something about each other today but we aren't done yet."
"You're right so let's keep up the tempo," Red said before he launched himself towards Red Hawk, who took a step back, steeling herself for another onslaught.
With a hidden smirk, Red threw a jab towards the ranger's head but Red Hawk ducked under it only to jump up to avoid Red's leg sweeping her off her feet. Red Hawk landed on the ground and threw two jabs at Red's head and when he blocked those, she landed a hard kick to Red's right side.
Red winced as he stumbled to the left and blocked two more kicks that were aimed at his chest before grabbing her foot at the third kick. He pulled her forward and lifted her into the air slammed her into the ground but as he lifted her, Red Hawk kicked his head with her free foot, causing Red to release her foot and send her back to the ground.
Red Hawk rolled backward onto her feet and swayed left to right to avoid the two jabs Red aimed at her but was caught in the stomach by his left fist before he leaped up and landed a knee to her chest, which sent her staggering backward.
Red took another step forward and feigned a sweep to her feet but quickly jumped up and landed a roundhouse kick to her head, sending Red Hawk bouncing against the tree before she rolled beneath another roundhouse kick.
As Red turned around, Red Hawk lifted her hands and said "Enough." She pressed the emblem on her cross-changer again and muttered "Power Down," with a flash of sparkling red light, Grace had returned.
"Power down," Red said and with his own burst of red energy, Jason stood in view once again. "Did you find out what you needed?" Jason asked her.
"More than you know. Thank Mr. Scott. We'll be keeping in touch," Grace said with a nod before she turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Jason shouted.
Grace paused and looked back to Jason with a raised eyebrow. "About Zordon and his mistake…I need to know!" Jason said.
Grace turned around to face Jason fully and replied, "The fact that you are the leader shows me he learned from one mistake, him not telling you about me or my team shows me that he hasn't learned fully. If you want to know, tell him my name and I have no doubt you'll know the truth then. Until that time, be careful...and do not allow yourself to bring your mother grief..."
Jason's gaze softened.
Grace began to walk off again before she said to both Jason and Ashley, "Oops! I nearly forgot. Your dinner is on me tonight. Enjoy your date!" And then she left, leaving Jason and Ashley alone in silence.
"Well…That was interesting," Ashley said as she stood by Jason's side.
"She was tough despite being older. But then again, older people have that weird strength," Jason told Ashley. "Well, we should get back to our date"
[Location: Rita's Palace
POV: Loyal Knight Goldar]
Goldar sat in the middle of his chambers with his armor removed, revealing his furry yet muscular chest and a pair of black pants and he sat on his knees with his sword placed on his lap.
There was orange-red energy flowing from off his body as he meditated, the various wounds that littered his body were glowing with the same energy. Finally, Goldar opened his eyes, which were glowing the same fiery red and the wounds on his chest closed.
He stood up, grabbed his blade, and swung it lazily from side to side before he twisted his body and delivered a powerful slash to the wall, causing a huge arc of fiery-red energy to collide into the wall, causing a large hole to appear, revealing stars that littered the galaxy before the wall reformed without a scratch with a bolt of scarlet red energy.
Goldar smirked.
The castle was made of unbreakable steel. For him to be able to cause a hole to appear told him that he was at full power.
"Good. It is time…" Goldar whispered as he placed his blade into a small slot on the cement floor of his chambers and then twisted it. Moments later, a small circular chamber began to rise before him and when it stopped, Goldar found himself face to face with his brand new armor.
The armor was made in the image of the Samurai who lived in the Sengoku era.
The chest armor was bright gold in color and it had two black colored metal flames etched into the breastplate of the armor.
The shoulder pads of the armor had three rungs of spikes followed by a long golden spike that reached to the elbows of the suit.
There was a pair of large golden gauntlets with black and red metal etched into the gold, followed by two thigh guards that also held three rungs of spikes on them.
There was also a pair of golden boots that reached to his knees where two spikes laid on top of the knees and finally, there was the helmet. The helmet bore two large ears and three spikes poking out from
Goldar gazed upon the suit of armor for a moment. The last time he had seen the armor look so beautiful like this was when his father had given it to him once he joined Rita's army. Goldar picked up the helmet and said "With this suit, I shall not fail…"
Goldar then turned his head to gaze out of the window towards the Earth. "Enjoy your moments rangers…For tomorrow, I bring death."
Captain Blues: And that is the end of that. I don't know if people are enjoying it but I sure hope so.