Episode 13: The Inauguration, Part 2
SPD Academy (2015) – Battlefield
Jake could barely take a step when he felt his father's arms around him. Before he knew what was happening, he hugged Jason as tightly as he could. He may not show it, but Jake was crying like a baby, breathing heavily, and he felt his father also crying. Both Rangers hugged so tightly that for a moment, the fight around them was forgotten.
"Dad…" whispered Jake.
"Jacob, I… I can't believe it's you," said Jason, looking at him.
"Me? I can't believe you here!?" said Jake, looking around. That's when he saw Billy, Bridge, and Jack. "Oh my god, Bridge! Jack! Uncle Billy!"
He ran to Billy, hugging him, and the Blue Ranger answered with the same emotion, patting the now White Lion's head. "Look at you, big lion," whispered Billy. "I'm so happy to see you."
"Me too, Uncle Billy," said Jake, his voice hoarse with emotion. Then, he hugged Jack. "Jack, how are you? You look so badass!"
"I'm fine, mentor," said Jack, thankful his helmet could hide the tears in his eyes. Then, he looked at his friend. "I think he is more of a mess than I am."
Jake watched the green SPD Ranger walk to his father, and his hug with him was as tight as the one Jake had with Jason a moment ago. Jake couldn't believe it—his son, who right now had to be inside the school, safe with Anubis and Kat Manx, was right here, a Green Ranger, ready for action.
"Look at you, wearing your papa's color," said Jake, patting the head of the Green SPD Ranger. "I'm so proud of you."
"I know…" said Bridge, taking a deep breath to contain his emotion. "Papa, we don't have much time. You told me not to tell you anything about the future, so I'm going to be brief. We are here to help you with this, but then we will have to leave."
Jake looked at them and then understood. His father and the others weren't here for real—they were still in the crystals. He should have known because it was impossible that his father was here but not his mom or Gia. Yet, it pained him, but he took Bridge's words into account. If a version of Jake told Bridge not to say anything about the future, it was because it had to be important, and that meant he couldn't know now.
"Alright…" said Jake, and then looked around. "Where are…?"
"Dr. O!"
Not far from them, Conner saw with wide eyes his mentor and Kimberly attack synchronized. Tommy used his dagger to hit Goldar in the chest, and then Kimberly fired her bow to make the monster fall, giving them time to reunite with Conner, who threw them both to the ground with his hug.
Kimberly was laughing by the time they got up, Conner's wings covering both her and Tommy as the Firebird Ranger kept them close.
"How are you here!? Are you free!? Where's the team!? And Kira!? Bet she's angry at me," said Conner, looking around when he felt a hand on his chest and noticed that Tommy had not said a word. "Dr. O, are you alright?"
Tommy didn't say much. He just turned enough to give his Red Ranger a hug. Conner was stunned because he felt Tommy shaking, but he answered with a hug of his own while Kimberly put her arms around both of them, deeply touched by the moment.
"We come from another time, Conner. We are still in the crystals here," whispered Kimberly, and Conner looked at her for a long moment before Kimberly could hear a sigh and a nod. "And no, Kira is not mad at you. She loves you very much."
Conner nodded again, bringing Kimberly close to give her a hug to thank her. Then, he saw Mike approaching Aisha and Zack. It seemed they were explaining to him where they came from and what they were doing here. Then, they all saw Jake coming with Jason, Billy, and two other Rangers Conner and Mike did not recognize.
Once together, wasted no time greeting each other, expressing their happiness to see familiar faces. Kimberly and Tommy were especially sensitive with both Jake and Conner, hugging one tight and not staying away from the other. Once reunited, Jake pointed at the two new Rangers or, since he couldn't say much about what he knew of the future, he pointed at Bridge.
That, he could say because they already knew him.
"Guys, this is Bridge!" said Jake proudly. "My little Bridge!"
"Your little… you mean Bridge? The same one that is supposed to be with Cruger and Kat Manx!?" asked Conner, looking at the Green Ranger.
"Dude, he's green," said Mike, chuckling. "Nice choice, buddy."
"Thanks, Uncle Mike, and yes, it is me, Uncle Conner. I come from the future like everyone else to help, but I was told by my papa not to say anything, so I can't… I'm sorry," said Bridge, sadly.
"We get it, more or less," said Conner, confused. "Just one thing if possible… everyone is fine, right? If they are here…"
Jack shared a look with his team, it was a little risky but his current Commander nodded. They deserved to know, at least this way they will fight harder to get to where the SPD Rangers are now with the older generations.
"You did it," said Jack, taking a step forward. "As you can see here, they are all fine and with us back in the future, but that's all we can say. Now we need to take care of this, right guys?"
"Right."
Jack knew too well Sky and Syd were silent only because they could not speak yet, but Jake knew who they were and he made sure they were included along with Z when he introduced everyone to the Rangers. It was the same with Cruger, who approached Jake and his guardians, bringing the three of them together in a tight hug.
"Woah, Anubis, you are going to crush us," said Jake.
"I apologize," said Cruger, recovering quickly before looking around him. "We should take care of this."
The Rangers looked around, seeing more putty patrollers and Goldar getting up while Rita screamed, clearly not pleased to see the Rangers back in action. The Rangers, now ready, prepared for the fight when Jake felt lightheaded, almost dropping to his knees if it wasn't for his father and Tommy holding him up.
"Jake?" whispered his father.
"I… are you sure?" whispered Jake, talking to someone that wasn't Jason. Jason and Tommy looked at each other before Jake got up, feeling stronger than ever. His whole body started to glow with white energy as he took a step forward, and his morpher roared on his wrist.
"What is he doing?" asked Jason.
"I know why you are here now. Your energy is giving me the chance to do the same thing we did with the Megamode but with a personal touch," said Jake, chuckling with confidence. "And it's time to show what I can do with this power."
Jake focused his power, and just like an original Ranger, he took the same posture while Rita called for an ally the Rangers knew too well. In front of them, a variation of Lord Zedd appeared, but Jake wasn't going to be scared anymore. It was time to fight.
"It's Morphin Time!" screamed Jake, raising his morpher in the same way his father did before him. "White Lion!"
Jake's armor covered everything in white light as he transformed into what looked like a variation of the original Rangers' armor. The armor was predominantly white with intricate gold accents, giving it a regal appearance. The large, diamond-shaped chest piece stood out, symbolizing strength and unity. The helmet had a sleek design with a black visor and detailed gold trimming around the edges, providing both protection and a fierce look. Adorned with a luxurious white fur-like material, the shoulders added a grand and distinctive touch to the armor. Featuring a quilted pattern, the arms and legs were both stylish and functional. The wrists were decorated with red and black diamond-shaped designs, adding to the cohesive look of the suit. The belt buckle was red with a gold emblem at the center, emphasizing the connection to the Power Rangers' legacy.
The Rangers looked stunned as they saw Jake become a mix of all of them in Ranger form. Now, he didn't only have their teachings, but also their appearance and their weapons. Jake had the Power Sword and Dragon Dagger on each side of his belt, representing the powerful leadership of both Jason and Tommy. On his back, acting as an extension of his arms, Jake showed a small version of the Power Lance and Power Axe from both Billy and Zack, representing the connection that both Zack and Billy had with the team to keep them together. In his hands, Jake was using his mother's and later Aisha's Power Daggers that could hit the enemy and also shoot in the distance, thanks to the addition of a bow integrated into the blade of the daggers, both representing Trini, Aisha, and Kimberly's will to push through the hard times.
"Incredible…" whispered Tommy.
"That's the kid," said Conner. "C'mon, we have work to do."
The Rangers nodded as Jake looked at Lord Zedd and Rita and ran towards them. Rita tried to use her magic, but before she could hit him, she found herself blocked by Jason and Bridge. With a powerful wave, both Rangers were sent away, but they were both caught in the air when Jake jumped to get them and land them safely on the ground.
Once on the ground, he grabbed his Power Sword and Dragon Dagger, both white with a Tyrannosaurus and a Dragon engraved on each weapon. Jake hid the retractile power bow daggers in his hands and used his weapons. With a powerful run, he hit Rita twice, one with each weapon. Rita screamed and fell, disappearing in white smoke.
Not far from them, Mike was running with Aisha and Zack close behind him. These putty patrollers were different from the ones they knew. Mike saw them about to clash, and using Masamune as a guide, he directed the power to the ground, where he made vines and branches grow so Zack and Aisha could run through them, avoiding some of their enemies. Aisha used her agility, and Zack used his dance moves to jump around the vines when they felt someone behind them and saw Z running and using her copies to follow them, taking down the putty patrollers in their way.
One of the patrollers saw what they were doing and hit the vines and branches. The first time, it broke one, and Zack almost fell, but Aisha managed to grab him while Z took the patroller down. Another putty patroller tried to do the same, but this time, he found himself thrown to the ground hard as Syd touched Mike's branches, turning them into hard diamond while she used her Delta Blaster to shoot down the patroller.
"Nice move," said Mike with a chuckle.
Syd nodded, unable to show her smile as Z, Zack, and Aisha made a final jump, landing in a powerful and explosive way, defeating the rest of their foes. Mike nodded, looking at the team that helped him and mostly focused on the Pink Ranger, realizing something.
No one had been able to work with his forest power, not since Emily, but this Pink Ranger… she could not only work with them but make them solid like a diamond. His curiosity was piqued, but before he could ask, he felt the change in the air and saw Conner flying with Tommy, Kimberly, Sky, and Cruger running with him. Goldar roared, but he quickly found Sky's Delta Blaster, and a moment later, he was hit by Tommy and Cruger's dagger and sword that made Goldar fly back to the ground.
Goldar roared, getting up and conjuring his magic, hitting the three Rangers while Conner and Kimberly were still ready to attack. Conjuring his bow, Conner flew just above the ground beside Kimberly. She seemed to understand his idea because she took a moment before she jumped on his back, and Conner flew high.
"Keep him busy, guys. We will be back in a second!" said Conner.
Tommy got up, and followed by Sky and Cruger, the three Rangers attacked Goldar. This monster was different from the one Tommy knew; he was definitely stronger and smarter. He blocked Tommy and Cruger's weapons, but Sky managed to land a kick, forcing the monster to take a step back before they felt the air changing. Sky looked up with a smile.
"We better get out of here! The King is coming!" screamed Sky.
The three Rangers barely managed to get out of the way before they heard the scream of the Firebird and saw Conner's flaming wings coming down with a mix of arrows, both from him and Kimberly, who was ready on Conner's back.
"Now!" screamed Kimberly.
She and Conner pointed their bows at Goldar with precise, powerful arrows. Both Rangers hit Goldar several times, defeating him. Goldar fell to the ground, disappearing in white smoke. Conner landed on the ground, and Kimberly got off his back. Both high-fived each other.
"That was so good," said Kimberly.
"It was, wasn't it?" said Conner, laughing before looking at the others. "Thanks for keeping him busy."
"No problem," said Sky, standing in front of Conner. Conner looked at him for a few moments, noticing that Sky was not even surprised when he extended his hand and Conner was still in flames. Apparently, the guy knew Conner's flames only burned those he wanted them to, and apparently, Sky was not one of the people he wanted to burn because the Blue SPD Ranger was even able to manipulate them.
"You can…?" asked Conner.
"Long story, you are not supposed to know," said Sky with a smile. "It has been an honor, King."
"King?" asked Conner, confused. Sky pointed up, making Conner follow his lead until he understood. "Oh… well, that's cool."
An explosion caught their attention as they turned to see Jake in a locked battle with Lord Zedd. The White Ranger was using his power daggers to block Zedd's staff, but Zedd was bringing Jake to his knees with his superior strength.
Billy appeared with his Power Lance, hitting Zedd, and found himself in a fierce lance and staff battle with the monster. Jake made a movement with his hand so the teams could gather together before he used the Power Lance and Axe to propel himself towards where Billy and Zedd were fighting. Zedd managed to hit Billy, but the Blue Ranger stood strong, answering with a punch that forced both of them to take a step back by the time Jake landed on the ground.
"You won't defeat me, Ranger. I shall bring the energy to my master," said Zedd, sending a wave of magic towards them. Jake groaned as he used his Power Axe to protect himself and Billy from the attack. Then, Jake activated the power bow attached to his Power Daggers, hitting Zedd several times until the monster took several steps back, allowing Jake and Billy to jump back where the teams were in formation, ready for the final strike.
"Everybody, ready!?" screamed Jake.
The Rangers combined their weapons while the SPD Rangers did the same. Meanwhile, Tommy and Cruger sided with Mike, Conner, and Jake, all of them preparing their sword, bow, and combined weapons in their armor to finish this.
"Fire!" screamed Jake.
Together, the Rangers fired at Lord Zedd before he could attack them, defeating their enemy with a powerful mix of laser beams and slashing attacks. The Rangers had won again, and for now, the school was safe.
Jake took a deep breath, demorphing when he sensed everything was calm again. Soon, Conner and Mike followed him. The rest of the Rangers did the same, but as soon as they did, they saw themselves disappearing, going back to their own time. Jake looked at them sadly; he understood, but it didn't make things better.
"Jake, we are very proud of you… of all of you," said Jason, taking a step forward. "I know you will explain this when the time is right, but I want you to know, I couldn't have asked for a better son."
"You take care of yourself, alright?" said Zack, standing beside Jason. "You three remember everything depends on you. You need to be strong."
"And if you feel the pressure is too much, come to us. We may be in the crystals, but I'm sure we can still hear you," said Aisha, smiling as a tear ran down her cheek. "We love you, our teams love you, and your girls love you more than anything."
"Keep fighting. We are in your hearts. You all have amazing powers, and you all know the importance of protecting our Universe," said Kimberly, giving them a soft smile. "Believe in yourself in the same way we believe in you."
With that said, the five Rangers disappeared. Tommy looked at them, a proud look in his eyes as the legend looked to the other legends, all of them connected by this power and this promise to protect everything they hold dear.
"I was told I was a legend a long time ago, but even legends have heroes, and those heroes for me are you three," said Tommy, holding back his tears. "Remember your legacy, your teams, everything you are fighting for. In every battle, we will be with you because we are one, together."
He disappeared, leaving only the SPD Rangers on the battlefield, but they too were disappearing. Jake could almost feel the pressure of watching his son go, but it wasn't only them. It was Sky and Syd. It was Z, Jack, and Cruger.
All of them.
"We will be fine, papa. You keep up the good work, alright?" said Bridge, chuckling sadly. "We are Power Rangers, after all."
The Rangers smiled and watched the SPD Rangers disappear, leaving them alone. They didn't know what happened or why, but they were happy they could see their family and friends one more time. It gave them strength to keep fighting, especially now they knew what they would be facing.
"C'mon, we have to check…" said Jake.
He was interrupted when the doors of the academy opened, and people came running towards them with Cruger, Kat Manx, and Bridge ahead. Everyone surrounded them, clapping and cheering for their new heroes and eager to join the battle now that they knew they were here and ready to fight alongside them. It wasn't what Jake was going for, and he shared a confused look with Conner and Mike, but it worked, and for now, it was enough.
-L-
SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room
The Rangers and the SPD Rangers appeared back in the meeting room in their current time, and they saw the dark energy corrupting the objects disappearing, but a glimpse of it still remained, attached to the objects.
Cruger looked at it, worried. "Bridge, do you have any message from your father about this?"
Bridge wasn't sure, but he looked at his morpher. It seemed there was an encrypted message there, and confused, Bridge started to think, walking around the room in the same way Noah would do when he was deep in thought. He walked up to Sky and Syd and asked them with a gesture to show their morphers. When they did, the message started to get clear, but not enough.
"I think we need all of them," said Bridge, also asking Z and Jack for their morphers. "I think papa left a message for us with all our morphers. Commander?"
"You may be onto something, Bridge," said Cruger, leaving his morpher beside the others. Suddenly, they saw a light, and from it, an image appeared with an older version of Jake, Conner, and Mike standing there. Jake was looking slightly worried as he looked at the screen.
"Ah. I think we need to give you guys an explanation," said Jake, scratching his head. "It's going to be confusing, so I'll try to be as clear as possible, but be aware, we are still trying to understand what's going on."
Jake took a deep breath, and then he started to explain what happened and why they were able to travel to the memories. Most importantly, he had to explain why the SPD Rangers could do it and didn't remember a thing about doing it before.