MMPR Revisited

Secrets Part 2

"I knew there was something different about him," Trini remarked after catching up with Billy.

"Him?" Kimberly inquired.

"Clearly, it's a male. But he is human. He's not a creature. There was something distinct about him, I could tell immediately," Trini replied.

"Rangers, whatever the case may be, until Alpha and I have some answers, proceed with caution. This Dark Warrior is not to be underestimated. If he is indeed human, we must determine if there is any way to save him," Zordon explained.

"If?" Zack questioned, a sense of unease in his voice.

"Sometimes there isn't enough light in the world to dispel darkness," Zordon replied solemnly. "If Rita has truly corrupted a human, she is using very powerful, very dark magic that might not be reversible."

"I found it," Alpha chimed in. "I'm submitting the coordinates for teleportation right now."

"Remember, Rangers, this needs to be quick. By retrieving even one of Scorpina's remnants, we render the ritual useless. Retrieve whatever you can and get out. Either way, it will be a significant victory for us," Zordon emphasized.

"Coordinates are set. You're all set, Rangers!" Alpha confirmed.

"Alright, Rangers, back to action!" Jason exclaimed. Alpha pressed a button on his main console, and the Rangers teleported just outside a cave at the base of a mountain range.

"Does this setting seem dramatic enough?" Kimberly remarked, taking note of their surroundings.

"I wonder where we are exactly," Trini wondered, glancing around the unfamiliar terrain.

"Girls, quiet," Jason urged, putting his finger to his mouthpiece. They listened intently and heard the distant sound of drums echoing from within the cave.

"As if this wasn't eerie enough," Kimberly whispered, shivering as a chill ran down her spine.

"We have to hurry, guys. It sounds like they're beginning. We need to make this as quick as possible. Get in, grab an artifact, and teleport out. That's the plan. When one of us has an object, we leave. No one should try to be a hero and overdo it. We only need one artifact, and it doesn't matter which one," Jason instructed.

"Right," the other four Rangers replied in unison.

"Follow my lead," Jason commanded as he entered the cave, and the Rangers followed. As they ventured deeper into the tunnel, they noticed light at the end, and when they drew closer, they saw shadows dancing on the cave walls—shadows cast by the Putties.

"We're close!" Goldar's voice echoed throughout the cave.

"How many Putties would you estimate?" Zack asked.

"At least a dozen," Billy replied. "If we want to make this quick, I suggest we assemble our Power Blaster. That way, we can take out either Goldar or the Dark Warrior swiftly."

"Brilliant idea, Billy!" Jason exclaimed. "Let's regroup and bring them together, guys!"

"Power Axe," Zack summoned his weapon and positioned it as the base.

"Power Bow," Kimberly summoned her weapon and attached it to the Axe.

"Power Daggers," Trini summoned her weapons and attached them to the bow.

"Power Lance," Billy summoned his weapon, broke it down the middle, and attached the pieces to the bow.

"Power Sword," Jason summoned his weapon and placed it on top, completing the blaster. "Let's go, guys!" Jason took off running, and the others followed suit. When they reached a suitable distance, Jason leaped into the open space where the ceremony was taking place and pulled the trigger on the blaster.

"The Rangers!" the Dark Warrior exclaimed. The blast from the Power Blaster easily eliminated three Putties and sent Goldar flying backward into the rocky cave wall. Jason withdrew his sword, threw the Rangers their weapons, and proceeded to slice a Putty in half.

"You fools. This doesn't concern you," the Dark Warrior shouted as he unsheathed his sword. He lunged forward and clashed blades with Jason, matching him blow for blow. "You're good."

"And you're an idiot. We know you're not a monster. What human would willingly serve Rita?" Jason retorted, managing to land a kick to his opponent's abdomen.

"You know nothing," the Dark Warrior snapped.

"Got it, guys!" Trini called out, clutching Scorpina's helmet.

"No!" The Dark Warrior hurled his sword at Trini, slashing her arm and causing her to drop the helmet. Without a moment's hesitation, he charged toward Trini, lifting her by the neck and holding her high above the ground.

"Stop!" Jason rushed forward but was intercepted by a now alert Goldar, who swung his sword at Jason. Jason narrowly evaded the strike and tried to break free.

"You don't get to win today," the Dark Warrior muttered ominously.

"That's peculiar..." Trini began, "Because it feels like a victory..." Perplexed by her response, the Dark Warrior failed to anticipate Trini swinging her right arm—still clutching a Power Dagger—toward his throat, making contact and causing a trickle of warm crimson to flow.

"Damn it!" The Dark Warrior cursed and released Trini, clutching his throat to staunch the bleeding. Trini coughed repeatedly and swiftly retrieved Scorpina's helmet.

"I've got it, you guys! I'll meet you back at the base!" Trini touched her communicator and teleported out. Zack hacked down a Putty and dispatched another with a powerful kick. He then activated his communicator and teleported away. Billy used his lance to sweep a Putty to the ground and impaled its chest with the weapon.

"Hurry up, guys!" he urged Jason and Kimberly before teleporting away himself. Kimberly executed a swift kick to a Putty's stomach and subsequently fired an arrow into its chest. Afterward, she pulled back her bowstring and loosed another arrow, clipping Goldar's wing.

"My wing!" Goldar grunted loudly in pain. Jason managed to disarm Goldar and sliced across the creature's chest with his power sword.

"See you around, Goldar," Jason taunted before teleporting out.

"Damn you, Power Rangers! You will pay for this!" Goldar bellowed. Kimberly heard his threat before she too teleported out. Upon their arrival at the Command Center, they reverted to their regular clothes and powered down.

"Good job, everyone," Jason congratulated. He patted Trini on the shoulder and added, "And Trini, great going."

"It didn't feel good," Trini admitted. "When I cut him, I knew I was cutting a person. But there was something about him that didn't feel human. His energy, his presence... he just felt too far gone."

"I'm afraid that's the case," Zordon informed them, and their expressions grew somber. "Rita has used an ancient ritual of darkness on this individual, luring him to the dark side and transforming him into one of her own."

"But for what purpose? What would she gain? Her monsters should be stronger than an innocent civilian," Trini questioned.

"Yeah, it seems kind of desperate," Jason agreed.

"Unfortunately, I cannot provide an answer to that. Alpha and I are diligently working to determine the possible reasons for her resorting to such drastic measures. Typically, this kind of ritual is employed to counter a formidable force of good. By utilizing the life force of a pure-hearted human, Rita can unlock a terrible darkness."

"Utilizing the life force?" Billy's expression shifted from grim to sickened. "Wait, are you saying this human might be just a sacrifice?"

"Correct," Zordon confirmed.

"Perhaps for Scorpina?" Kimberly suggested.

"While the ritual to resurrect Scorpina is extensive and would indeed tip the scales toward darkness, I don't believe that is the Dark Warrior's primary purpose," Zordon replied.

"Zordon, is it someone we know?" Zack inquired.

"Unfortunately, that's another question I cannot answer," Zordon admitted. "Alpha and I are actively searching for this individual's identity and whether the ritual is reversible. However, this research will take time. In the meantime, we can take solace in the fact that Scorpina remains unresurrected. This is indeed a significant victory for us."

"You're right. I'm glad Rita doesn't have more power than she should," Jason said, relieved.

"You are hopeless!" Kimberly's voice resonated through the Youth Center, catching the attention of many patrons as she playfully smacked Jason's arm. He struggled to stifle his laughter, but it soon spilled out, prompting Kimberly to join in. "It's fine. Maybe I'll just go stag. Put a down payment on the 30 cats I'll be living with 30 years from now because Jason won't let me go out with anyone!"

"He was a punk, anyway," Jason chimed in.

"Trent Redford is not... ugh. Never mind. It's useless," Kimberly muttered as she all but threw her book onto the table and took a seat.

"Well, in all honesty, Kim, I don't have a date either... so I was kinda wondering if maybe you'd like to go with... me?" Jason's request caught her off guard, and she burst into laughter. Jason joined in but then stopped abruptly, his smile fading. "No, I'm serious."

"Seriously?" Kim tilted her head, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity, as if she were waiting for the punchline.

"Yeah," Jason nodded, his tone earnest. "Serious."

"A date?" Kimberly sought clarification.

"No," Jason initially contradicted himself, shaking his head exaggeratedly, but then grinned. "Yeah. A date. Why not," he said, his smile unwavering. She regarded him with a contemplative look.

"Okay. Picked up by 7. In a limo. We'll ride with Trini, Zack, Daniel, and Felicia. You'll wear black with a red tie, and I'm expecting a pink corsage," Kimberly responded.

"Should I be taking notes?" Jason teased. Kimberly laughed along with him but then adopted a serious expression.

"Yes, you should," she stated, and Jason chuckled again. He rose from his seat after hearing Zack's voice in the background.

"Alright, I'm gonna go spar with Zack. I'll catch up with you later," Jason announced before heading to the sparring area. Shortly afterward, Trini, Billy, and Brent arrived at the table.

"Hey, Brent, how's your arm feeling?" Kimberly inquired, the sling on his arm indicating his ongoing injury.

"It's alright. I should be healed by next week, and I should still be able to swim after homecoming," Brent replied enthusiastically.

"That's great! Are your grades improving?" Kim asked.

"Getting there. I don't know where I'd be without Billy's help," Brent admitted, patting Billy on the back. "Well, look, I gotta find my brother. I'll see you tomorrow for tutoring, Billy!"

"Yeah, later," Billy replied. Brent walked away, and Billy turned his attention to the two girls.

"Look," Kimberly began after Brent had moved out of earshot, "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to insinuate anything. You're one of my best friends, and I might have taken the teasing with you and Brent too far."

"Even if you did, it wouldn't matter to us," Trini assured her, placing her hand on Billy's.

"The problem isn't that you said those things, Kimberly. The problem is..." Billy hesitated, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly. His hands became clammy, and beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. "The problem is that you might be right," he finally confessed. Kimberly and Trini exchanged glances, absorbing his words.

"Do you?" Trini prodded gently.

"I don't know. I don't do feelings. They're not rational. Science is rational. It makes sense. Biologically, it makes sense for a man and a woman to be together because they can reproduce. But people have meaningless sex all the time, so biologically, sex is just recreational nowadays," Billy rambled nervously, failing to provide a straightforward answer to Trini's question.

"So what are you saying, Billy? Do you like men?" Trini asked directly.

"No. I don't know. I don't do feelings. Scientifically, feelings are irrational. But yes, I do have feelings, and I have them for Brent. Brent happens to be a boy. But I do not like boys exclusively. I don't like girls exclusively. I don't like people. I've never been in a relationship before... I – I don't know," Billy confessed, shrugging. "It's stupid. Pointless."

"Do you know if he feels the same way?" Kimberly inquired.

"I can't. I don't know. But it's not important," Billy said, standing up. "I think I'm just going to head home."

"I'll come with you; you don't need to be alone right now, Billy," Trini offered, and he didn't protest, well aware that he wouldn't win that argument. Trini glanced at Kimberly, conveying her expectation that she would accompany them.

"I'm actually going to stay here and wait for Jason," Kimberly replied. Trini nodded, and she walked with Billy to the exit. She was taken aback when she spotted Daniel walking through the doors.

"Daniel?" Trini exclaimed in disbelief. He approached her without a hint of a limp.

"Surprised?" Daniel responded, embracing her warmly.

"Daniel, how are you walking around? You're supposed to be in the hospital, in physical therapy, or at least on crutches..." Trini was puzzled.

"I know, right? A miraculous recovery. We have some of the best doctors in the world, apparently. But I'm happy because now I can actually dance with you at homecoming, rather than just wobbling around you," Daniel said, laughing. He noticed her lack of enthusiasm for his recovery. "Aren't you happy?"

"Daniel, don't be silly," Trini shook her head. "Of course, I'm thrilled for you. It's just that it doesn't make sense..."

"It's a good thing, Trini," he assured her, locking eyes with her before glancing down at the medium-sized bandage on his neck.

"Oh my god, what happened here?" Trini tried to touch it, but he swiftly grabbed her hand to prevent her.

"Yeah, that's still relatively fresh. A cat got me earlier," Daniel said casually.

"I thought you were allergic to cats..." Trini remarked flatly.

"Right. Yeah. No, we're cat-sitting. I am allergic. The cat was in my room, I tried to move it out. We had a disagreement. I didn't win," Daniel explained, laughing. "Well, I'm actually here looking for someone, but I'll call you later?" he said, smiling. Trini didn't completely believe him. She wanted to, but something didn't feel right. His ability to walk, the wound on his neck – the same place she had cut the Dark Warrior earlier that day.

"Yeah, definitely," she replied. Daniel leaned down and kissed her on the lips, and a flood of emotions washed over her. He stepped back and walked off to join his friends. Trini watched him go, wrestling with questions, doubts, and a swirl of emotions. She walked outside and found Billy waiting for her, his expression shifting to concern when he saw her face.

"Daniel made a speedy recovery, huh?" Billy remarked with enthusiasm, but she didn't show the same enthusiasm for his progress. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know," Trini admitted uncertainly, gazing at the ground.

"What's going on?" Billy inquired.

"I think I'm just trying to figure out how much I believe in coincidences," Trini replied.