Power Rangers: Legacy

by infamous21isback

After the events of Power Rangers: Legends, Jake must face an uncertain future. Thankfully, he won't be alone. Old and new faces come to aid him in the ultimate fight to save the Legendary Rangers they lost and save the universe from the evil that started it all. However, there's a problem: war... war never changes.

23. Chapter 23

Episode 23: Mirage

SPD Academy (2025) - Kitchens

Ethan didn't let go of the matter the next day. Along with Kira, he decided to find the Jungle Fury Rangers. They found Theo and Lily having breakfast, and since it was early, no one else seemed to be around.

Better for them. Ethan didn't want anyone to know what he was doing until he had answers to give. The two Jungle Fury Rangers saw them and waved, quickly moving to invite them to their table with smiles, but they sensed something was not quite right.

"Theo, Lily, we need your help," said Kira as she and Ethan sat down. The two Jungle Fury Rangers shared a look and then nodded, ready to help with anything the Dino Rangers might need.

"Of course, what is it?" asked Lily.

Ethan took a deep breath and then showed them Conner's sunglasses while Kira watched Theo and Lily's surprised reactions. They thought the sunglasses looked familiar when they saw them in Conner's video but couldn't figure out why Conner would have them.

"Conner had them in his house. Sky gave them to me because Conner wanted me to find their use, and after seeing you… I know they are the same," said Ethan, taking another deep breath. "What do you use them for?"

"We… use them to morph," explained Lily. "They help us channel our energy into our armor and sense our surroundings better."

"They also help us communicate with each other, like a normal morpher would," added Theo. "Can I see them?"

"Of course," said Ethan.

Theo examined the glasses, confused. The design was slightly different. Conner's glasses had features theirs never had, but in essence, they were the same. He sighed and looked at Lily, who gave him a worried look.

"What is it?" asked Lily.

Theo took her hand, then looked at the Dino Thunder Rangers—one was Conner's best friend, the other his wife. While he didn't understand everything about these glasses, he hated to see someone suffering.

"I don't know why he had them, but these glasses are slightly different."

"What do you mean?" asked Kira, nervously taking Ethan's hand.

"In essence, it seems to do the same as ours, but I'm not sure why Conner would need to morph with these when he has his own morphers," explained Theo. Then, he put the glasses on the table and signaled to the small device on the side of the glasses. "We don't have this, Ethan, so I assume this is what Conner wanted you to investigate. Maybe he left a message for you."

Ethan took the glasses from Theo and examined the device, wondering what it could be. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, and he gasped, realizing what the device was. Kira, familiar with his expressions, was about to ask what he was thinking when they heard footsteps. RJ appeared, looking slightly confused.

"Sorry, the Commander and the Rangers want to start the next video, so he sent me to get my team. I didn't know you were here too," RJ said.

"It's fine," said Ethan, trying to hide his surprise and looking at Kira. "Let's go; we can continue this later."

Kira didn't push him, even though she wanted to know what he had realized. Theo and Lily, also curious but silent, shared a look and made a silent promise to keep an eye on the situation. After all, those were their glasses, and there could be many reasons, both good and bad, why Conner was using them.

They would have to wait until they discovered Conner's reasons.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

Bridge sighed as he watched Sky return from his tense argument with the Commander. They wanted to keep certain things secret for now, but he didn't blame Sky for doing what his father wanted him to do. Ethan was smart; he would ask questions, but Bridge had the feeling Conner had prepared everything for that.

He wasn't stupid. At this point, he was sure his papa knew more than he was letting on, and he was scared to find out more about all this—they all were. His thoughts were interrupted when Sky finally stood with them, and Syd quickly hugged him, looking into his eyes.

"Are you alright?" whispered Syd.

"Yes, I know he's not happy with it, but father was adamant about giving those glasses to Ethan. He used to tell me that he wouldn't need them once mother was around, but…" Sky trailed off, and Bridge understood. Sky wasn't the only one thinking their parents were hiding things from them.

"You believe he did it on purpose, don't you?" asked Jack. The silence was enough to confirm they were all thinking the same thing, and Jack sighed. "Look, maybe…"

Before he could say anything, the door opened and the Rangers walked into the room, ready for a new day, ending the conversation between the SPD Rangers. Despite their desire to learn, they were also aware they wouldn't be permitted to say anything out of the ordinary until the Rangers saw the memory first—if there was a memory to relive.

If their thoughts were correct, there would be more than enough to reveal the whole truth.

"Good morning, Rangers," said Kat Manx, taking the lead since Cruger was still slightly angry at the latest development. "Let's start."

With a movement of her hand, Kat activated the video recorder before anyone could say anything. She didn't want questions when Anubis was angry or when the SPD Rangers had too many questions. She, too, wanted to know things, but it seemed they would have to wait.

She hated waiting but she chose to focus on the image that appeared in front of them. She looked at the image appearing in front of them and smiled. This was a long time ago, and now, the boy she could see talking to Jake was a young man, an SPD Ranger who works closely with them to protect the universe and a symbol to his planet, just like his big brother.

Kat Manx looked at the Megaforce Rangers when she saw one of them getting up, surprised to see the boy.

"Bass!?"

-L-

SPD Academy (End of 2016) – Command Room

"So, you thought the best idea to get here was to steal one of our teleporters from our people when they went to leave the forcefield to your planet?"

Bass sighed, looking down. He didn't think much of it when he stole the transporter after they were told what happened on Earth and to Orion. He wanted to see his brother and make sure Jake was fine, so he just acted on impulse.

"I... I'm sorry. I was worried."

Jake sighed. When Bass appeared out of nowhere, he thought something had happened in Andresia. He quickly contacted Andreas only to find out that the boy had escaped. Jake had promised the worried father that he would take care of the situation while another teleporter was sent to the SPD official trapped in Andresia. Now, the White Ranger had a boy, slightly older than Bridge, in front of him, with a sad face because he knew he did wrong.

Jake sighed and took a nearby chair. He had been on desk duty for a few weeks after his fight with Dai-shi, with constant check-ups from Kat Manx to ensure the spirits didn't do more damage to his tired body. He had been forced to do only a few classes, always assisted by RoboKnight and with the watchful eyes of his friends and Gia's animal spirits watching over him.

"At least you are safe," said Jake. "I know you are worried, Bass, but your brother is sleeping, and I promise you he will be back soon."

"I know… I didn't…" Bass struggled to find the words. "I don't want you to think I don't trust you, Jake. You saved my planet, and you and my brother are Power Rangers, but I wanted to see... I feel helpless."

Jake nodded, paying attention to the boy. He, too, felt helpless sometimes. Even if he was the White Lion, it didn't feel right to be here fighting without his team. It wasn't that Mike and Conner weren't good—they were exactly what Jake needed to defend the universe and to feel as if he had some part of his family still with him—but it was different.

"I know how you feel, Bass," said Jake as the boy looked at him. "I feel powerless most of the time despite my power or Mike and Conner helping me. Even with Bridge, Sky, Cruger, Kat, and the rest of our friends, I feel..."

"...alone?" said Bass.

"A little," admitted Jake, smiling softly. "Like your brother, I have family in those crystals too, Bass. My dad, my stepmom, my uncles and aunts, my friends, Gia—all of them are there. Every time I go outside and they're not with me, I feel less powerful."

"But you are the White Lion, you don't fear anything," said Bass.

"That's not true; everyone fears something in their life. I've been scared many times in the past, and I'm terrified now."

"You are?" asked Bass. "Why?"

"Because everything depends on us now, and if we fail, there won't be anyone to stop the Dark Ranger. Everything we fought for would be for nothing," said Jake, taking a deep breath.

Bass nodded, understanding what Jake meant. As Orion's younger brother, he had more responsibilities now in Andresia, and sometimes it felt as if the fragile stability they had would disappear if his father or he made a mistake. Yet, he didn't expect Jake to have the same fears.

"Even heroes can be scared?" said Bass.

Jake nodded. "Yes, they can. But if it helps, when I feel like that, I go see my team, and I know Conner and Mike do the same. They've always been our source of strength, and despite being asleep, if we focus really hard, we can sense them there."

Bass didn't quite understand, but maybe it was like the energy he could feel now. Somehow, in Jake, Bass could feel his brother—a calming presence that gave him just enough courage. There were more energies with Jake, of course, but Bass could clearly see the silver one.

"I think I get it, Jake. I apologize for leaving without telling you or my father," said Bass. "I understand that even though I'm scared, I have a duty—not only as someone important in Andresia, but to everyone who loves and supports me. And I know you will bring my brother back."

"You bet I will," said Jake, smiling softly.

Bass smiled when he heard steps coming towards them, and a moment later, a young Bridge and Sky walked into the room. Jake had called them before talking with Bass to make the boy more comfortable until they could send him back to Andresia. Now that they were here, Jake smiled. Sky was always more reserved, watching over Bridge because Jake's son always saw the good in people.

"Bass, let me introduce you to Bridge and Sky," said Jake, with a smile. "Bridge is my son, and Sky is Conner's son. They study here at the Academy, and someday, if they pass their exams, they will become Power Rangers."

"If we pass the exams? Uncle Jake, I'm the best in my promotion," said Sky, proudly.

"Papa! I'm the second best and funny!" said Bridge, while Sky rolled his eyes.

"True."

Bass watched them, confused. He didn't know kids around his age studied to be Power Rangers, but now that he knew, he couldn't stop thinking about himself as a protector of the universe, just like Jake… and just like his brother.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

Cruger took a moment to look at the door. He had advised Bass to be here today before his meeting with Sky and the SPD Rangers, but the young Silver Ranger was nowhere to be seen, and he was starting to get worried.

Bridge got up, also worried. It wasn't usual for his cousin to be late, and he thought Bass had finally gathered the courage to face his brother. He looked at Cruger, and when the Commander nodded, he used his SPD morpher to call Bass.

"Bass?" asked Bridge. "Are you there?"

"Hey! I'm running late! Tell the Commander I'm busy, I'll be there when I can!" said Bass.

He was running, that was clear, and Bridge looked at his team. He could hear Bass fighting and, without thinking, he moved to the side of the room where there was a small panel. Bridge pressed the keys with expertise, as if he had been there all his life, and soon after, he was surprised by what he saw.

"What is that?" asked Jack, worried as he walked to the panel.

"Enemies?" asked Sky, confused. "Bridge, where is this happening?"

"Outside the city limits," said Z, looking over Bridge's shoulder as he nodded. "I checked the patrols this morning with Kat. Bass was supposed to patrol the city limits."

"Alright, seems we have to go," said Jack, getting ready, but before he could direct his team, Orion stopped him. He was worried but mostly, he was angry.

"I'm going too," said Orion.

"Orion…" started Bridge, but Cruger stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "You should. Orion and the rest of the Megaforce Rangers should go with you. There are things you need to talk to him and believe me, he will need all of you."

Orion nodded and looked over his shoulder as the team stood behind him. They were older now, but they were still Power Rangers, and they were ready to fight. Jack also looked at his team, excited to work with one of his mentor's teams. Jake always said they were the best team he could ever ask for, and Jack wanted to see what he meant by that.

Bridge was slightly worried, but a look at his ma told him there was nothing to worry about. Her spirit was with her, and he had the feeling his papa was looking at them.

"Alright then… SPD Rangers, Megaforce Rangers, bring Bass back and be careful." said Cruger.

Jack and Troy nodded at the same time. One beside the other, the two Red Rangers smiled at each other. Behind them, on one side were Sky and Noah, and beside them, Gia and Z. On the other hand, Orion and Bridge, with Emma and Syd, took their place, ready to fight.

"Rangers! Ready!" yelled Jack and Troy.

"SPD! Emergency!" yelled the SPD Rangers.

"Super Megamode!" yelled the Megaforce Rangers.

As they morphed, they were transported to the area of the battle to bring Bass back, leaving the room in silence for a few moments. Kat Manx looked at the scene worriedly, while Cruger seemed serious, not expecting any new enemy.

Have they gotten too comfortable in their peace?

"Commander," said Eric, noticing his worry. "While they bring back the boy, why don't you tell the rest of us more about this situation?"

Cruger looked at him for a few moments. Eric wasn't trying to pressure him, and for some reason, that gave him room to think. He wondered if Eric was just trying to find answers or maybe trying to help Cruger think by forcing him to face the matter. In any case, Cruger knew he had to face the truth, whatever that was, sooner or later.

"Is there any question you wish me to answer first?"

By the looks Eric and Taylor gave him, they had plenty of questions, and Cruger was going to answer them all until Bass and the other Rangers came back.

-L-

City Limits (2025)

Bass was in trouble. He was doing a normal patrol when these things appeared. Normally, when there was a disturbance, he was able to defeat them without morphin, but this time, they were giving him a run for his money.

Bass jumped back to avoid being hit, but two of those things got him and threw him to the ground. These enemies were different—almost robots… no, drones, but he had never seen these before, not when he was younger and not when he studied at the Academy.

He grabbed his morpher, ready to fight, but he was hit and his morpher went flying through the air. Suddenly, a flash of silver appeared, and there was another Silver Ranger with Bass' morpher in his hand. It didn't take long for Bass to recognize him or the rest of the team, who jumped into battle with the SPD Rangers.

The Silver Ranger used his staff, standing proudly in front of Bass. With a swift movement, he hit several enemies, defeating them. On each side, Bass could see Squad B fighting with the Megaforce Rangers in their Super Megamode form.

"Alright, people! Let's show them what we can do!" yelled Troy.

-L-

Emma closed her eyes and called for her Phoenix. To her surprise, even in this form, her Phoenix appeared with no difficulty to aid her, allowing Emma to fly while she exchanged weapons with Troy and fired at the enemies on the ground. Meanwhile, Syd jumped into battle, using her powers to defeat another group.

"Syd! Let's go!"

Syd nodded and, running after Emma, she jumped, holding onto the Pink Megaforce Ranger's leg as Emma flew over the remaining enemies. They were ready for them and tried to attack, but Emma felt something, a familiar presence.

I got your back.

Emma almost gasped when she felt Jake's snake cover her and Syd, turning them invisible in the sky and protecting them from the attack. At the same time, they were able to fire their blasters and defeat their enemies.

By the time she landed safely with Syd on the ground, Emma could not stop the sob as she felt a small, soft sense of the snake's power, now with her to do exactly the same as Jake when they fought together. As Syd hugged her, also feeling her uncle's power surrounding Emma, she knew he was keeping his promises.

Family always came first.

-L-

Not far from them, Sky and Noah used their swords to defeat enemies. There were times when Noah hit them, sending them to Sky, who had no problem defeating them. Until one got too close to Noah, jumping at him. But he never reached Noah because Sky grabbed him just in time and used his shield to cover them both, giving Noah room to fire his blaster at the enemy.

"Hey, Sky. Do you know what Jake and I and Jake and Troy did when we needed to really use the full power of our weapons?" asked Noah.

"Of course, we called it 'double threat.' Uncle Jake taught us the basics," said Sky, nodding. "You want to try it?"

"Yes, here, take the blaster and I'll ask for a sword…" said Noah, who was about to call Troy when he saw Sky showing the SPD morpher.

"Commander's Green Ranger sword," said Sky. A moment later, Jake's sword appeared, and Sky gave it to Noah, making the Blue Ranger look at Sky.

"Use it, Uncle Noah!" screamed Bridge from where he was fighting with Gia and Z. "Papa would want you to keep it!"

Noah took the sword from Sky and looked at it. It was used, but it was Jake's, and to Noah, the feeling of this sword was almost as if he had his best friend back there with him. He nodded, unable to say a word when he felt Sky's hand on his shoulder a moment before he took position in front of Noah.

"Ready, Noah?" whispered Sky.

"Ready," whispered Noah.

Sky focused and, using his blaster and Noah's blaster, fired two powerful blue bullets. Meanwhile, Noah prepared, using the same movements Jake had used before. He moved the sword, creating a blue and green light that powered the bullets and hit the enemies, defeating them.

Sky got up, looking at Noah as the Blue Ranger looked at the soft green glow of the sword. Just for a moment, Sky saw his Uncle Jake, in his Green armor, looking at them with a thumbs-up. Sky nodded. Even if they didn't know what this attack was, they would be fine.

The Power Rangers were back.

-L-

As Troy and Jack fought their enemies, Troy found himself falling into a pattern he often shared with Jake during their training. Jack, as responsible and serious as he looked, seemed to understand Troy's movements as if he were Troy himself and applied what was needed so Troy could do his part.

But there was something else Troy couldn't recognize until Jack jumped over an enemy, using his blaster to defeat him. Troy almost saw Jake there, doing the same movement years before during one of their battles. But when Jack landed… he did it more elegantly, like Troy would do.

Troy got distracted for a moment, amazed by the mix of techniques from Jack, and he didn't notice the enemy coming towards him, stronger than the others. At the last moment, Troy saw the enemy coming and used his sword to block the attack while Jack found himself trapped by more enemies. They quickly noticed that these enemies were different: one with a white head, others with blue heads. One of the blue ones was pushing Troy down, and no matter how much he fought, he couldn't overpower it… whatever that was, it was strong.

"Troy! Call for your sword!" screamed Jack, trying to free himself from the enemies.

Sword? His Dragon Sword? Troy wasn't sure, but he didn't have many choices, so using all the power he had, he extended one of his hands and did his best to call for his Dragon Sword using his card but without his Megaforce morpher.

That's when he felt it, a power like nothing he had felt before, as he saw from the corner of his eye the Dragon Sword materialize in front of him, causing the enemy to take a step back. Jack pushed away the other enemies and looked marveled as Troy was engulfed in a red light.

"So that's what he meant…" said Jack, and then he screamed, "Troy, trust that power!"

Troy nodded and put the sword in front of him, feeling a familiar presence around him as part of the power of the snake, the one that wasn't with Emma, manifested around him along with his Dragon. His pirate armor mixed, creating black wings with fire, and his visor turned into the big eyes of an angry dragon. The chest of his armor, his arms, and boots got covered in scales from both the Snake and his Dragon. In one hand, his pirate sword rested as a reminder of his power, and in the other hand, his Dragon Sword appeared, red and black together, with a snake and a dragon around the whole sword, presenting the unity of the two Rangers.

Troy looked at himself, not knowing what to say at the amount of power and the presence with him. Troy always told Jake he needed him to lead the team, and as always, Jake didn't disappoint. This was his way of keeping that promise.

This was Troy's battlizer.

"Dragon-Snake Battlizer! Ready!" screamed Troy, preparing himself.

Jack nodded as Troy turned to the blue enemy. Turning his blaster into a sword, he took a deep breath before looking at the sky. "Thank you, mentor." Jack pointed with his sword at the sky and then ran, unleashing a powerful attack that defeated his enemies.

Troy walked towards the enemy and raised his sword, focusing all his power before he heard the roar of his Dragon and the movement of the Snake, always fighting together. Always there for each other. Like Jake and Troy. Like Troy and Jake.

"No one is left behind."

Troy prepared the sword, and with a few movements, he created a fire slash he sent at his enemies. The enemies seemed ready for the impact, but Troy moved the sword and the fire disappeared, as the Snake's power hid the attack. Troy commanded the fire to hit the enemy right in the chest, appearing right in front of him and defeating him.

Troy took a deep breath as he looked at himself and then to the sky. "Thank you, my friend."

-L-

For someone who has been out of commission for eleven years, Gia was by far the one who fell easily into battle. Maybe it was because her protective instinct towards Bridge made her senses sharp and ready, but to her, these enemies with white heads were nothing.

Beside her, Z and Bridge were also focused. Gia could see, after kicking another of those things, how both the Green and Yellow SPD Rangers seemed to work perfectly balanced, almost synchronized like Jake and her. Gia couldn't help but feel proud when suddenly, something else caught her attention. Another new enemy, one with an orange head, ran towards them, attacking both Rangers at the same time.

Bridge and Z fell to the ground, and the enemy was ready to attack them again when Gia felt her senses take over. She ran as fast as she could, standing between the enemy and Bridge and Z. She used her sword and her blaster to block a second attack. The monster was strong, but Gia was not going to give up. She wouldn't lose this fight.

One of her strengths was thinking fast, and that's what she did by moving the blaster towards the monster and firing it at his face enough times to make him take a step back before she used the full power of her sword, forcing the enemy to take several steps back. Gia knelt using her sword for support, having managed to push him away, but that thing was strong.

"Bridge… maybe you should give her your father's last creation?" asked Z.

"You mean…? Oh, well, it makes sense," said Bridge.

They got up, and Gia looked at them as Bridge used his morpher to teleport something to his hand. He gave it to Gia, confused. The Yellow Ranger looked at the new key. It was almost like her key but in a different color.

"Ma?" whispered Bridge. "Papa's lawyers gave this to me but I think it was for you."

"I don't…"

And suddenly, when she touched it, she felt herself leaving the battle. Gia closed her eyes, feeling dizzy. When she opened them…

"Careful there, it can be confusing at first."

Gia opened her eyes, already full of tears when she recognized the voice. In front of her, in the same place where she had seen him fall during the battle in Harwood Beach, was Jake, dressed as the Commander and smiling at her.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

It wasn't usual for Cruger to be slightly nervous, but then again, he was standing in front of many generations of Rangers. He wished he could have gone with the SPD Rangers and the Megaforce Rangers to help Bass, but he knew the young Silver Ranger had his own issues to solve, and only those teams could help him.

Anubis sighed. He was a Commander. He could do this.

"You keep insisting we should see all this, that we need to know what happened so we can get used to this time. But at the same time, we have seen the future change over and over. We have seen the corrupted memories that not even you remember from your own past correctly. So, what's telling us the future can't change again?" asked Eric, relaxing his posture. "What's telling us this was not a very elaborate plan to get us to a certain point?"

"What do you mean?" asked Dustin, confused.

"This was all prepared. Either because of the corruption or for other reasons, Jake knew very well what was going on before he died," said Taylor, standing beside her husband. "Same with Conner and Mike. These objects were enchanted, the messages, everything was set up perfectly."

"I trained Jake to be ready for everything, and I know very well I wasn't the only one to do so," said Eric, his eyes focusing on Cruger. "He had a plan, which means he knew to a certain level he was going to die or something may happen to him and to his guardians and acted accordingly to ensure you all would be ready to face the future and help us."

"We assume he only shared this information with Conner and Mike, which explains why there is so much confusion here. Are we wrong, Anubis?"

Anubis took a long moment to think about all this. They were right, that's for sure, but he didn't have any explanation for what Jake may have done in secret with Conner and Mike. He was sure there were secrets, since the moment he was told to keep these objects safe.

And yet, he had no clue about the secrets behind their actions.

"There is not much I can tell you about it besides you are right to an extent, which is why it's important we see everything here," said Cruger, taking a deep breath. "As you said, these memories are corrupted, which means they are not exactly what we remember. We are all aware Jake had learn about the concept of time and universes from many of you, so there are many possibilities. All we did is follow their request and the orders of Jake's lawyers."

"So you never suspected anything?" asked Danny, crossing his arms. "I know that kid; he was as subtle as Max."

"That's… right," said Max, giving his friend a look. Then, he looked at Cruger and Kat. "I can see these SPD Rangers having blind trust in them, but you two didn't see anything?"

"We did," said Kat Manx, looking down. "But you have no idea what it was like at that time. If you think that the battle in Harwood Beach was big, the battle here was something many of us want to forget. That was when they started acting strange."

"Strange? So you did suspect something?" asked Aisha, gentle yet curious about their opinion on the matter.

"It was hard not to, and yet, every time we tried to act, something happened and distracted us again," said Kat Manx, feeling the pressure. She was the brains, and she knew something was happening but did nothing. It was clear to the Rangers she felt guilty because of it. "I know you may not understand, but once you see the battle, you will."

"We understand," said Kira, from where she was sitting. "We all remember our last battles and the one on the beach. When everything depends on you winning or losing, that battle becomes your only focus."

"It could also be the reason why whatever they planned was done at that time," said Emily. Kira looked at her, both Yellow Rangers nodding. "Mike was a Samurai; he knew how to move in the shadows, how to prepare. Conner was trained under Tommy Oliver, a Legendary Ranger. Calm and practical thinking must have helped to create an illusion that everything was alright. Jake was trained by all of us. He was the mastermind in all this."

Jason sighed. Of course he would. His son learned from the best, and he knew how Jake could be to protect his people. He had seen it with the Megaforce Rangers over and over. His words in the past, where Jason tried to take away his morpher, told Jason all he needed to know. Jake would go anywhere for them, and that's what he did.

Conner and Mike too. The three of them were the definition of 'whatever it takes.'

"We don't blame you, Anubis, or you, Kat," said Maya, taking a step towards them. "A time of war is never easy to deal with, we all know that. We have the same questions I believe you have about the parts we haven't seen yet, and maybe that's what they wanted us to see."

"Whatever they are preparing us for, it had to be important and we are here now. You are not alone."

Eric nodded. He and Taylor were too familiar with the military and its procedures, and more with what was done behind the curtains. They taught Jake everything they knew, so they could recognize the plan. That made them nervous because this plan was made for what was coming, and this Academy was in peace, at least for now.

"That's what we think too, and we can discuss this further when the Megaforce Rangers and Bass are back," said Anubis, looking at Kat Manx and then back to the Rangers. "There is something we must explain to you."

-L-

Dreamland

There was a long moment where Gia didn't know what to do. She was scared to move and lose this moment, but she wanted to move so badly she was shaking. Thankfully, whatever version of Jake that was there with her took the matter into his hands and walked towards her until they were standing face to face.

He was smiling when he took her hands in his, and she noticed that, as she thought, Bridge now was wearing Jake's gloves. She looked at them, unable to look at Jake. She didn't want to break down in front of him, but it seemed her heart and her brain could not find common ground.

"If it makes you feel better, you can punch me."

Gia found herself laughing despite the moment because it left it to Jake to throw that line to break the tension between them. He chuckled, bringing her close until they were hugging. That was the first time she found herself taking a deep breath, grasping his Commander jacket as if it was her lifesaver.

"I must be dreaming," whispered Gia.

She heard Jake chuckling and then he took a step back so she could look at him. He was… almost real. Jake took a deep breath and brought their foreheads together, closing his eyes for a second while she just could not stop looking at him.

"I'm so sorry for the pain I'm causing you and our friends," whispered Jake, stroking her cheek tenderly. "This was the only choice we could come up with."

He seemed so sad that Gia could not stop herself; she touched his cheek to make him open his eyes and she did her best to smile at him. She wanted him to know that despite the pain, what he did saved many lives and created a future for many people, and she could not be angry at him.

"You're too good, you know that?" whispered Jake.

"You're worth it," said Gia.

Jake smiled, this time with a sincere smile, and took a deep breath. There were many things he wanted to tell her; it was in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. Gia found herself not wanting them to do anything but stay here, forever.

But that, like many things in her life, was impossible now.

"Gia, I need you and everyone to watch every bit of the memories in the things we left for you and destroy any trace of the corruption. I know… I know you don't understand, but everything has an explanation and you will know about it soon," said Jake, looking into her eyes. "I left my energy in this key Bridge gave you… use it, please. It has my powers as Green Ranger, and mixing with yours it will give you the energy you need to help my boy and the SPD Rangers."

"Our boy, you mean," said Gia, smiling. Jake looked surprised. "He's mine as much as he's yours, Jacob. He has… he's the only part of you left here."

Jake smiled, and she could see a tear running down his cheek when suddenly she saw him start to disappear. Her heart broke, and she tried to hold onto him, but there was no use—he was leaving her again.

"No matter what, Gia. I'll always be with you."

Gia watched him smile and then he disappeared in something like a glitch she didn't understand. At the same time, the key of her new Ranger form started to light up. She looked at it and almost felt the Green Ranger taking her hand as she used her morpher and closed her eyes, feeling the power of her new key.

"Super Megamode!"

And then, light covered her.

-L-

Bridge and Z shared a look as Gia appeared from the light, now transformed into a variation of her own Ranger form. Gia's armor was now lime green, a blend between green and yellow. Her sword had elements of Jake's snake, with the ability to extend as long as a snake's body. Her blaster bore the symbol of the white lion, giving it a light-yellow hue.

Bridge could not believe it. "Ma?" whispered the Green Ranger.

"Stay here. I got this," said Gia.

She turned around, facing the enemy that was running towards them. She could sense the movements of their enemy thanks to her new abilities from Jake's snake powers to sense vibrations from the ground before she could look at him. She extended her sword to block the monster. Gia noticed, slightly surprised, how easy it was to overpower this enemy now. She realized that Jake must have left his essence and powerful attributes here, somehow, so she could protect herself and others.

She was the protector of the team, after all. Gia pushed the monster away from her with a powerful movement of her sword, cutting the enemy's weapon in half right before pointing her blaster at it and hearing a roar coming from the blaster.

"It's over," whispered Gia.

She fired her blaster, and the enemy, no matter how powerful, didn't stand a chance against her power. The power given to her through love so she could find her path again in this new world.

-L-

Orion had his own enemies to fight, and he did just that, using his staff to defeat many of them when he found himself surrounded by two blue-headed ones, the same Troy had defeated with his new battlizer. Orion knew he needed more power, and without thinking, he called for his own upgrade. The armor with all six Rangers appeared on his chest, giving him the extra power needed. Orion ran towards his enemies, determined to protect his younger brother.

He blocked an attack with his staff and pushed one of them away before attacking the other. It was complicated to deal with both of them at the same time, but Orion wasn't going to give up. He had lost too much, too soon, and he was tired.

Orion used his special attack to send both enemies to the ground, but they recovered quickly, hitting him with their blasters too fast for Orion to protect himself. Orion managed to stay strong, ready to respond to the attack, when suddenly, he heard a voice full of anger.

"SPD! Emergency!"

A moment later, another Silver Ranger was in front of him. Bass barely ever used his power, as peace made everything easier, but he had perfect control as he solidified his body until it was a rock so strong and unmovable that the lasers from the blasters barely hurt him.

"Enough!"

Bass screamed with anger as he used his hands to create a hole in the ground that made his enemies fall before he closed the ground again, leaving it as if nothing had ever stood there. Orion, impressed, got up, looking at his brother, but Bass took a step back from them all.

"Stay away from me," said Bass.

"Why?" asked Orion, demorphing so his brother could see him and not be scared. "Bass, why are you hiding from me?"

Around them, the rest of the Rangers did the same, but Bass was unable to look at them. It was them, and while he had talked to Gia and Emma before and Henry was always a big presence for him, this time Bass was alone.

He couldn't do this.

"Bass…"

"Leave!"

Bass ran deep into the forest near the city limits while Orion looked at him, worried. Then he looked at Bridge, who sighed, shaking his head. Gia put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at her, giving her a soft smile before he looked towards the forest where Bass had run into.

"What is happening?" whispered Gia, loud enough for all of them to hear.

Bridge took Z's hand and then looked at the Megaforce Rangers. He understood to an extent why Bass ran. Having them all here, fighting with them and his papa's presence all over the place, brought a guilt that was hard to suppress. But Bass…

"When Bass decided to come here and train to become a Ranger, he made a promise to his big brother," said Bridge, looking at Orion. "The guilt of not being able to keep it has made him think that you would blame him for not saving papa. While we tried to make him understand it wasn't his fault, he never let it go… but I'm not sure why."

"We should go find out," said Troy, taking Emma's hand in his for support. "I know very well the guilt he may feel, and he is going to need us more than ever, especially his big brother."

"Yeah…" said Orion, still confused but worried about his brother. "Let's go."

Orion took the first steps towards the forest while Jack followed him to guide him, worried also for the Silver Rangers. Gia walked behind the group, with Bridge by her side. He seemed to be hiding something—maybe the reason why Bass was like this—but she also needed a moment to think, now that everything was calm.

And it was only then, when she had time to think clearly, that she realized that maybe that moment she shared with Jake before she morphed was more than a dream.