Episode 18: Training Room of Memories

SPD Academy (2025) – Training Grounds

The next morning, Gia and Emma were taking a walk after breakfast and before the meeting to take a moment and observe the students going about their daily lives. Being there, for the most part, reminded them of their time in high school, and while there were mostly cadets, it was nice to see normal kids running around, free and laughing.

Two older young men caught their attention. They were young, but one was almost a replica of Orion, and the other was also familiar, holding a crystal container with bugs inside. It wasn't until the young men looked at them that Gia managed to recognize one of them.

"Emma, that's Henry," said Gia, pointing at the man. "The kid that loved bugs, remember?" Emma nodded, surprised too as the two young men approached them. Henry still had that soft smile and still loved bugs, but he also seemed more confident.

"Gia Moran?" said Henry, and when she nodded, he looked at Emma. "And Emma Goodall? We heard you were back, but it's so good to see you!"

Henry hugged them. Now older, the boy was dressed formally, like Noah, and he had tons of books in his backpack along with his bugs. There was a nice touch that his backpack was grey, almost like Jake's. Gia and Emma shared a look, finding it hard to believe that the soft boy they met a long time ago was now a man.

"Henry? Wow… you have grown up a lot," said Emma, looking at him and then at his friend. "And who is this young man with you?"

Henry looked at him and then took his hand. It was clear they were together, but the reason why Henry offered his support to the young man was the same reason why he was a replica of Orion. The young man seemed shy, looking at them, but one look at Henry was enough for him to squeeze Henry's hand and look at Gia and Emma.

"I'm Bass, Orion's younger brother," said Bass, looking down, shy. "Nice to meet you."

Both Emma and Gia shared a look before the young man showed them a smile, the same smile Orion had, and the two women laughed, hugging Bass. They remembered him; this was the boy that helped Jake in Andresia.

"We know you! You saved Jake in Andresia," said Gia, smiling at him. "Wow… you look so much like your brother."

"Eh, Jake said the same," said Bass, looking down to play with his SPD Morpher, and Emma chuckled, pointing at the morpher. "You are a Power Ranger too?"

"Squad C, Silver SPD Ranger," said Bass proudly. "We take care of the rural areas and minor crimes here in Eltar and also keep connections with small planets, fulfilling requests or helping the planets in their reconstruction after the destruction the Dark Ranger caused."

"Silver, uh? Orion will be very proud," said Gia, but she noticed Bass looked away, almost ashamed, which worried her. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you know if he knows I'm here?" asked Bass, trying not to look at her or Emma for too long. The girls seemed confused as to why Bass would try to hide from them or his brother, but it was Henry who kissed the young man's cheek and pushed him gently to tell them the truth.

"It's just… I wanted to keep Jake, Conner, and Mike safe. I made a promise to Jake, and when the time came, I couldn't do anything," said Bass, sadly. "I was deployed with other cadets to the other side of the city, and I wasn't there like I promised."

"He has been hiding since we learned you were back, scared that you and his brother will be angry at him for not keeping Jake safe," said Henry, stroking Bass's cheek and giving Gia and Emma a sad look.

"No, no, Bass, that's not going to happen," said Gia, taking his hand in hers and making the young man look at her. "There is no reason for us to be mad at you, Bass. Jake… he left videos for us, and he made sure to tell us there was no way to stop what was going to happen."

"But I'm a Power Ranger, and I…" started Bass, but Gia stopped him, forcing him to look at her. "I am a Power Ranger too, Bass, and I love Jake more than anything else in this world, but I couldn't protect him all the time. He was different; his power was made to protect us all, and he wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Bass closed his eyes, trying to understand Gia's words. He knew she was right, but just like Orion, his sense of justice and attachment to Jake made it hard to really take the words in, so Gia shared a look with Emma, allowing the Pink Ranger to step in.

"Bass, we understand what you are going through. We just woke up a few days ago, and suddenly, everything has changed. Not only that, but one of our friends, Gia's boyfriend, is gone, and so are two other Rangers, and it hurts so bad there are times we can't stand it," said Emma with a gentle voice, and Bass looked at her, sadly. "But they gave us this life, and he wouldn't want you to spend your time blaming yourself when there are so many people that still need you."

"Emma is right. We can mourn Jake, and we can be sure that his sacrifice, Conner's, and Mike's are not in vain, and we can do it together, as the family we are," said Gia, smiling softly at Bass. "Now go see your brother. He needs you."

Bass nodded, feeling slightly better. "You're right. Thank you, both of you," said Bass, and the girls nodded as Bass squeezed his boyfriend's hand before remembering something. "Wait, Henry, stay with them. I have something for Gia."

Henry nodded, and Gia looked confused as Bass left the area, running at the same time Bridge and Sky approached the group. Upon seeing Bass leaving and Henry chuckling softly after him, both SPD Rangers approached them.

"Henry is Bass alright?" asked Bridge, slightly worried.

"He is. I think Gia and Emma managed to convince him to stop blaming himself," said Henry, slightly relaxed, before looking at the two women. "Thank you. He has been carrying that guilt for a long time."

"It was never his fault," said Bridge. Henry nodded when they saw Bass coming back, carrying a box, and when he arrived at the group, he handed the box to Gia. Bridge looked at Bass, as if asking him if this was a good moment to give her this, and Bass just nodded.

"He did say to give it to her as soon as I could. In all honesty, I should have done this when I learned they were back," said Bass, before looking at Gia. "Jake left it for you before he went to the final battle."

Gia, sharing a look with Emma, hesitated in opening the box. There was something Jake left for her inside, and she was scared to find more memories that she wasn't sure she could handle. She looked up at Bridge, and the Green SPD Ranger sighed. "Sorry, ma. Papa told me he had something for you, but he never told me what it was."

Gia looked at the box again. She was getting used to Bridge calling her 'ma' as they got to know each other better, interacting more as Bridge became an integral part of the Megaforce Rangers. She had to admit she liked the way he tried to protect her, probably drawn by stories of his papa and the love Jake always had for them. Bridge never doubted her abilities as a mother, and while Gia was getting used to the matter, she was already including Bridge in all her moments in this new life.

But if not even Bridge knew about this, Gia knew it had to be something important. So she took a deep breath, with Emma's constant support by her side, and then opened the box, only to find a key with the shape of a tiger—that was Gia's animal spirit. She looked at it, confused, and it was then that Bridge and Sky shared a look, understanding the meaning.

"So all the time the key was here?" asked Sky, and Bridge nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Papa did have a way to keep the suspense on things."

"What are you talking about?" asked Gia, looking at him, and Bridge sighed. "We came to look for you and Uncle Noah, Troy, and Orion. Sky and I thought you would like to see Papa's gym, but there is a room closed. Papa thought he lost the key, but… apparently it was all an act as the key is in your hands."

Gia looked at the key, wondering what that room could hide, but given the form of the key and knowing this was Jake, she expected something important related to her. She had a momentary panic attack, knowing Jake would have something that would likely make her face once again everything he was to her, as if her dreams weren't enough.

Bridge, sensing her panic, took her hands in his while Emma hugged her. "We can leave it for another day, ma," said Bridge, looking at her carefully. "Papa wouldn't wish for you to be troubled."

"Bridge is right," whispered Emma. "Gia, we can wait."

"No…" said Gia, looking at the key. "No, I have to do this. I want to know. It's just… you know how he was, Emma, and I'm a little overwhelmed, but I'll be fine. I need to see it."

"You sure?" whispered Sky, and Gia nodded, showing the key to Emma. "This key… we talked about it when we were discussing what to do after high school. We thought it would be nice to make the keys of our future apartment or house in the shape of a tiger and a snake. The tiger would be mine and the snake, his."

Emma smiled softly. It was apparent the conversation stuck in Jake's mind as he made the key to his private room in the shape of a tiger for Gia. It was evident that whatever was in that room, it was for her. Looking at Bridge, she nodded. Emma would be there to support Gia and Bridge; they all would be there: Troy, Noah, and Orion.

"Then, we should get the rest of your team," said Sky, looking at Bridge. "The gym should be empty today, so we have time to find everything that Uncle Jake left for you."

Emma nodded. Gia and Bridge, following Sky, stood together with Emma slightly taking the lead with the Blue SPD Ranger. Together, they went to find the rest of their teammates to find out more about Jake's life and what was that secret that Jake only left for Gia.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Training Grounds

On the other side of the training grounds, Z decided to lead the Ninja Storm Rangers towards a familiar place for her and many other cadets in the SPD Academy. She was walking ahead of them, looking at the entry of what is known by the cadets as the 'ninja way.' Tori stopped her as she saw the familiar structures, almost a replica of the ninja academy back on Earth where she, Shane, and Dustin trained before, during, and after their time as Power Rangers.

"This was Jake's idea, wasn't it?" whispered Tori.

"It was," said Z, smiling, pointing at the walls. "Look at these walls. We were trained in the Ninja path with your teachings. Over the years, those teachings got additions, but that's for later. For now, here, this is your home."

One by one, Z saw the Ninja Rangers look at the walls and structure of the Ninja training area. The walls were covered with their symbols, and inside, they could see kids, teenagers, and adults, all of them training their techniques and dressed in formal Ninja clothes, the same they wore and the ones they made for Jake.

Z looked with a soft smile, remembering her younger self being fascinated by the energy shown by Jake using his ninja skills. They bonded over those teachings, and it was thanks to him that she managed to understand the importance of discipline and patience to achieve her dreams.

"Do you… do all of you know how to use elements?" asked Dustin with a voice full of emotion. Z nodded and then closed her eyes, making a small stone fly towards Dustin, effectively mixing both wind and earth.

"Jake and Jordan taught us, and now Jordan is the sole Sensei of the Ninja teachings, unless you want to give him a hand," said Z. "The Academy is as full as it can be, and we are going to need extra teachers because this course is highly popular with the cadets and it also helped many kids find peace after seeing their homes destroyed by the Dark Ranger."

"Besides, Director McKnight believes I don't set a good example half of the time," said Jordan, walking towards them.

One by one, the Ninja Rangers welcomed him until he hugged Z. Then, he looked to the side, where another guy was standing near him. The guy, younger than Jordan, was dressed in civilian clothes, but it was evident he too had some relation to them as Jordan gave him a smile.

"This is my partner. He helps me train students now with his friends. While I focus on elements and discipline, he and his friends focus on physical and weapons training," said Jordan, pointing at the young man. "Brody, these are Tori, Dustin, Cam, Hunter, and Blake."

"Nice to meet you, everyone. I'm Brody Romero," said Brody, giving them a smile. Everybody greeted him, but Z noticed that nobody noticed his morpher or that he was wearing a red hoodie, and oddly enough, that was good for now. Brody and his team's story will come later, but it was good to have him around as his energy was always something to look forward to.

"Nice to meet you, Brody," said Cam, and then he looked at Jordan again. "So… Eric is in charge of the Academy on Earth, and you give classes here. I'm feeling old."

"You are not the only one," said Hunter, chuckling. "How are your fire powers doing, Jordan?"

"Very well, sensei. I mastered the way to produce fire without hurting myself or the people I protect," said Jordan with a smirk. "I didn't slack off my training, you know? Jake would have kicked my ass, and Conner was very adamant for me to learn all I could about fire, being the Firebird Ranger. And then, there was Mike; he didn't let me rest until I was nothing but perfect."

"So you got your ass kicked plenty of times," said Blake, and Jordan nodded. "Plenty."

The Ninja Rangers laughed, and for a moment, it seemed that everything was fine. At least, until Z shared a look with Brody and Jordan, both Ninjas understanding what she wanted to do, and Jordan nodded. "There is something I want to show you. Brody, can you and your friends finish class?"

"Sure, go," said Brody, smiling softly at the Rangers. "I hope we can catch up later."

The Ninja Rangers nodded, and leaving Brody to go to the class, they followed Jordan and Z, who were talking about simple things, giving time to the Ninja Rangers to talk about this new place that was so much like theirs that they knew it was created by Jake, Jordan, and maybe even Eric.

"This place looks amazing," said Dustin, amazed. "Look at this, Tori. These kids look like us, don't they? They even have our colors."

"Blue, Yellow, Navy Blue and Crimson, Green and Red, all of them," said Tori, smiling softly. "But they are better than we were when we started. It took me years to use some of the techniques we are seeing here… I can't believe our little Ninja managed to do all this."

"He did more," whispered Cam.

Tori and Dustin, distracted, didn't stop until Blake and Hunter softly took their attention from the students and pointed at the statue in front of the entry, right beside the door. Dustin's smile fell, and Tori felt her eyes fill with tears as they saw Shane's statue in his Ranger form, shining under the sun in his wind stance. His red armor was prominently displayed, and even as a statue, the fallen leader of the Ninja Rangers was a powerful figure.

"Jake and Conner knew Shane very well," whispered Z, standing by Tori's side. "They told me once there was no one else they could think of to represent the Ninja Academy better than the Red Ranger and Wind Master. As the years go by, everyone here has learned about Sensei Shane's love and sacrifice for the people on Earth."

"His memory is alive here, and so has been yours for the past eleven years," said Jordan, getting serious. "Jake, Conner, and Mike were more than teachers or Rangers; they were mentors and senseis not only to their kids but also to Z, Jack, and many other young cadets here. So, in a way, Shane was always here in the same way you were."

Tori, now the leader of the Ninja Rangers, could not stop her tears as she approached the statue of her Red Ranger. She put a hand on the statue of Shane's arm and then rested her head against the cold stone, a moment of weakness she only displayed at times like this. Blake took a step towards her, supporting her the best he could as he took a moment to look at the statue of the Ninja hero. Dustin, always the relaxed one, took a step towards the statue, unable to hold back his tears as he looked at the image in front of him.

"You did a good job, Jordan," said Hunter, trying to distract himself from the emotions trying to take over his body. "You all did good."

"It wasn't enough," said Jordan, looking away for the first time while Z put a hand on his shoulder when Jordan tried to push away the tears running down his face and coughed. "Sorry, it was a hard time, and it's still complicated to deal with it."

"It's never easy to deal with loss," said Cam, giving the young Ninja a sympathetic smile. "All we can do is ensure they will never be forgotten, not just Shane, but Mike, Conner, and Jake. We will keep their memory alive."

Jordan nodded and gave Cam a hug as the Ninja Rangers paid respect to their Red Ranger while Z stayed behind them, pushing away a tear as she made the same promise. Shane lives through the teachings of these kids, now learning their techniques, and Jake, Conner, and Mike live through the Academy and its Rangers, ready to protect the Universe from any threat.

It was all they had now. Memories and teachings that will never be forgotten.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Gym

After reuniting with the rest of their team, Emma and Gia decided not to tell Orion about his brother and let Bass do it himself. They focused on what they were about to see as Bridge and Sky opened the door of the gym. Inside, the Megaforce Rangers gasped as they were presented with walls covered by different paintings: a powerful Red Dragon, a fierce Blue Shark, an elegant Pink Phoenix, Orion's determined Rex, and Gia's protective Tiger watching over them. On the ground, there was a big Black Snake and a White Lion, representing Jake's own spirits. This gym was all Jake, and at the same time, he turned it into a room with all of them.

"Here, the cadets or anyone who wants to learn are taught about personal defense or the use of the environment to their advantage," explained Sky. "With the rise of the Dark Ranger, we needed to be prepared for anything, so while the city was protected, Jake always wanted to be a step ahead."

"So he trained people here?" said Troy, and Bridge nodded. "He used different techniques, from your karate lessons or Orion's unique fighting style to Gia's basic fighting style driven more by determination than skill, or Emma and Noah using the environment and objects to their advantage… I recall he even used his own soccer skills once or twice."

"Father was delighted," said Sky, and the team chuckled. "In any case, this gym was his safe place more than any other place, and not just because of all the time he spent here, but also because it brought him peace to know you were somewhere here."

"Which brings us to the reason we brought you here," said Bridge, smiling softly at them. "Please, extend your Gosei Morphers, and Orion, get your morpher out too, please."

The Rangers, confused, did what they were told, and then Bridge and Sky got out the Gosei Morpher and Megamode Morpher that were Jake's. It didn't take long before the light of the morphers came together, and suddenly, the animals on the walls started to move as spirits presented once more to their masters. They were replaced on the walls by paintings of the Megaforce and Megamode Rangers standing proudly back-to-back, but to the Rangers, the shock of seeing their spirits was a lot to handle.

"While you were in the Crystals, Papa took care of them. He designed this gym, which is near the Zeo Crystal room, and used some magic and Kat Manx's technologies to provide the spirits with enough energy to survive, but they had to stay here despite their desire to go and help Papa," said Bridge, scratching the back of the Tiger's head gently. "Since Papa trained here, the residual energy he left behind was enough to help them, and they always liked to watch us train, right?"

"He knew about your experience in the Alternate Universe, and by experience, Uncle Jake was aware of how consuming it was to carry spirits inside, so this was the deal: they stay here until you came back, and Jake would make them as much a part of our training as possible, and that's how this gym came to be what it is," said Sky, chuckling. "These guys can be pretty convincing, huh?"

The Q-Rex, who was Orion's zord now turned into a spirit like everyone else's, roared softly when Sky petted him. Then, all the animals stood there, looking at their master's as they approached them. Troy was the first, reaching his Dragon and putting a hand on the Red beast's head, feeling their connection stronger than ever.

"It's been a long time, my friend," whispered Troy, and the Dragon growled softly. "Master… welcome home."

Emma hugged her Phoenix as the bird surrounded her with its wings to cover her tears as they finally connected with each other again. It was in the warm embrace of her Phoenix that Emma finally was able to let go.

"Cry all you need, Emma. I will be here for you," whispered the Phoenix in her mind, and that's exactly what Emma did because she couldn't stop herself from thinking that this moment of happiness was also a moment of sadness.

Not far from her, Orion approached his spirit. In his time on Earth, this animal was his zord, but now, he lowered his head and gently looked at him, prompting Orion to touch his head. "Hi…" whispered Orion, and he swore he could hear a chuckle in his mind. "Hello, Orion, it is good to finally be able to talk to you."

The Shark almost threw Noah off the ground, and Noah chuckled sadly, patting the big animal as he moved to let Noah sit. The fierce animal he had always been scared of was now part of him. He could feel its sadness for losing the Snake, and Noah was sure the Shark could feel the loss of Jake as deeply as Noah did.

"I tried, child… but that Snake was more stubborn than I remembered," whispered the Shark, and Noah nodded, hugging the big spirit. "I know, Shark. We both tried, and they were both stubborn."

The sad chuckle of the Shark echoed in Noah's mind as he rested his head on the side of the spirit's head, taking a deep breath. They both tried, and now they were reunited again. Both Shark and Noah would make sure the memories remained.

The Tiger approached Gia as she extended her hand and touched the fur of her spirit. Her Tiger could feel the same way Gia did, so she knew why the Tiger put her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes, letting out a soft growl as Gia hugged the big spirit.

"I liked that stupid Snake," whispered the Tiger, and Gia chuckled sadly. "I know, I liked his stupid master too."

The Tiger took a step back and looked at Gia, both animal and human saying everything they didn't want to say out loud in that connection. Their protective nature was damaged as they lost the things they wanted to protect the most, and yet, the need to continue to look out for the rest of their friends and Bridge, has become a new strong reason to keep fighting.

They were interrupted by a soft roars, and when Gia and the Tiger looked to the side, they saw all the other spirits paying their respects to the Yellow Ranger. It was a little overwhelming, but Gia smiled at them, allowing each spirit to bow in front of her as a sign of respect before the Tiger bumped her arm.

"You should go to the room… I don't know what he had there, but he came in once every year for the past eleven years," said the Tiger.

Gia had the feeling her Tiger knew what was inside but chose not to tell her. She also felt the rest of the spirits giving her looks and then looking at the room, and even Bridge seemed curious. It wasn't a surprise when Gia saw her Tiger walking towards the boy. Now, Bridge could do the same thing Jake did with his parents and uncles' zords. He was connected to the Megaforce Zords through Jake, and it was no surprise her Tiger was so attached to the young SPD Ranger.

But it made her wonder why her spirit wanted her to do this alone. Gia took a deep breath and looked at the key; whatever it was, it was time to see it. With a few steps towards the room Bridge pointed out to her, Gia was in front of the closed room.

"Here we go," whispered Gia, and she used the key, opening the door.

There were many things Gia expected to find here, from love letters to pictures and maybe group things, but in a million years Gia never expected to find eleven presents in front of her, each one with a Happy Birthday note attached to them. Gia gasped, realizing that the room contained birthday gifts for her. She stood there, paralyzed for minutes, until she heard Bridge's soft chuckle.

"So this is what he had here," said Bridge. "I was aware he got you stuff over the years, but I never thought he was collecting presents."

Gia took a step inside the room, looking at all the presents in front of her, all of them carefully arranged from the smallest to the biggest one. She didn't know what to think. She was never too big on her birthday, but she could see Jake didn't miss it. It was going to take a while to open them all.

She wasn't here and yet… Gia took a deep breath, doing her best not to break down, and she took one of the notes, seeing Jake's messy handwriting only she or Noah could read. "Happy Birthday! It's been five years now. We are still trying, but things are getting a little rough… I'll tell you at another time. For now, I hope you are dreaming about this day. Do you dream there? Ah, I'll ask you when I see you again. I love you, and even when it's hard, I know you are with me. Hopefully, I will fix this soon and you will receive your present in person next year. But for now, I will leave it here with the others. I can't wait to see your face. Love, Jake."

Gia didn't realize she was crying until she fell on her knees, grabbing that stupid note. All this time, he had been there waiting, fighting, trying. He kept hoping they would come back, and they did, but it was too late now. All she had was this, Bridge, and a ton of memories that she wasn't sure she could handle.

He waited for her to come back, and now she's here, but no matter how much she could wait for him too, he wasn't coming back, and she had to learn to live with that. As Bridge hugged her and her Tiger put its head in Gia's lap, Gia could not help but remember that the boy who had a crush on her years ago turned her world upside down, giving her a love story she never thought she could have and one she won't be able to forget.

Because Jake was hers, and she, despite all she did to prevent it and never told him, was completely Jake's, and not even death could change that.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

Meanwhile, Jack, Cruger, Kat, and Syd were reviewing a few documents and some other reports from the city. As much as Syd wanted to be with her family, she and Sky decided to divide efforts. After Bridge said he wanted to show Jake's gym to the Megaforce Rangers and Z wanted to show the Ninja training area to the Ninja Rangers, Sky went with Bridge, and Syd decided to stay and help Kat while her family and the other Rangers were having a break. Rico and RoboKnight were right with them, making sure to keep the Rangers company while they worked.

Alpha-5 stayed with them in the meeting room, wanting to go over a few things with Cruger. Suddenly, they heard something. At first, Syd didn't think it was important, probably Alpha doing something since she had her back to him. But then, she heard it again—it was like a glitch and it came from the table.

That's when she saw it, teleporting from where she knew they were. It was just a moment, but when the three bracelets appeared, everyone in the room tensed. Those bracelets should not be there. They were destroyed in the final battle and yet…

"Stay back," said Cruger. Jack and Syd quickly took a stance in front of Alpha and Kat Manx, ready to fight. Suddenly, the three bracelets projected four words—it was fast, but they managed to read them.

"This is not over?" asked Jack, confused. "What does that mean?"

Cruger took a step to touch the bracelets, but before he could get them, the objects disappeared. They were enchanted by magic—he knew that—but even with that, there was no reason for them to act this way unless… unless something else was coming. Cruger looked at his hands, wondering if that was the reason for all this.

Was there something else they didn't know? Did Jake, Conner, and Mike hide things from them? And if that's the case… what are the things they still don't know? Cruger sighed—too many questions that he had the feeling would only be answered when they watched all the memories they needed to watch.

Not before and not after. Just at the right time, as if it was exactly how everything was planned from the start.

Author Note:Question time - Did you know which Power Ranger appears in this Episode that hasn't appeared before?