Episode 28: Timing The Force, Part 1

SPD Academy (2025) – Metting Room

Sam looked shyly at his parents. He knew he must have shocked them. Since his powers started to develop, everyone in his family has been very careful about the topic of time travel and how to handle it. From the looks of it, his parents still seemed a few years away from marrying each other or having him.

He looked at Alex for guidance, and the Time Force official nodded, giving him the freedom to move around the room.

"I know it's a shock to see me here, but I promise, mom, this time you know where I am," said Sam, and Emma looked at Troy before looking at Sam again.

"I do?" asked Emma, and then she took a deep breath. "I mean… was there a time I didn't know?"

"Yeah, after I got my powers, it took me a while to control them. You see, I can travel in time and also through space, so I used to teleport all over Newtech when I was a cadet," said Sam, chuckling. Then he looked at Troy. "Dad said he got faster just by all the time he ran from one side of the city to the other looking for me."

Troy was still feeling dizzy from seeing his son in front of him. Sam did look like him in a way, but his eyes had Emma's soft and calm energy, and his presence was friendlier. He didn't know… he never thought about kids, at least not yet, but seeing Sam now, he realized he is exactly what Troy could want in a son.

He's like his mother, but there is a slightly strong presence in his mannerisms and his smile that was his, and the rest was a blend between them. He smiled, taking Emma's hand in his despite the nerves he was feeling and wondered for a brief moment if this is what Jake and Gia felt with Bridge.

If it was, he understood why they fell in love with him so quickly.

"Sam was the first SPD Ranger to show these kinds of powers, making him an important asset, but he was protected by everyone growing up, pretty much like Jake when he was a baby," said Alex, taking the attention of the room. "I can't say your parents were happy when they discovered your powers."

"They… you weren't," said Sam, looking at Troy and Emma. "Everyone was scared, and for a long time, I thought it was my fault, but then Aunt Gia explained to me that the fear came from somewhere else."

"Jake," said Emma, and Sam nodded. "You always feared I would be in the same danger he was, and that time when I disappeared and went to see Uncle Jake, you got so mad you almost forbid me to use my powers again."

"Please, tell me you didn't get the careless attitude," said Emma, and Sam chuckled. "Well, considering I'm the son of a Red Ranger and the nephew of Commander Scott, I think I do better in that department, but not by much."

Emma sighed, and Troy hugged her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked at his son. He was worried, of course, but part of him felt proud he was able to stand and protect the innocent.

"I bet you get in trouble a lot," said Troy softly.

"I do. Normally Aunt Gia is around to get me out of trouble, like when I came back the first time. She was the one to convince you and mom that it was normal I wanted to meet Uncle Jake and that since she learned of my powers, she knew I would do that sooner or later," said Sam, looking at Gia. "She was also the one who always found me when I started to teleport before controlling my powers. It seems I ended up in all the places where Uncle Jake liked to be, like the soccer field when we went to Earth for a visit or his gym and office when we were here."

Gia wasn't surprised. When they were young, she used to do the same for Emma. After becoming a Ranger, her need to keep Jake safe made her more alert, and while she wasn't able to protect Jake like she wanted, at least she felt peaceful knowing she was able to find Sam.

"Despite not having met him in person, Samuel grew up with Jake's influence in and out of the Academy," explained Alex with a smile. "Troy used to tell him bedtime stories about their time as Rangers. Emma brought him often to Gia's house, which is Jake and Bridge's house, to spend time with her," explained Alex, bringing a smile to Sam's face as he remembered his past, which is their future. "…and he is about to graduate as the youngest scientist in the SPD Academy thanks to the projects he managed to create with the help of his Uncle Noah and Orion, which also brought more stories of your time as Rangers—your enemies, the powers, the equipment—this guy knows it all."

"There is also RoboKnight and Rico. They showed me the video of the stories Dad told me about. It was almost like watching a movie, and it made me want to meet Uncle Jake even more," said Sam, looking down, looking away.

Bridge, always the empathetic one, took a step forward and hugged the young man that now he knew was his cousin and smiled at him. He always felt a weird closeness with him since the moment they met, but he didn't know Sam was Troy and Emma's son.

"I understand your feelings. I thought about that too a lot even now that we travel to the memories because of the corruption, but why didn't you tell us?" asked Bridge.

"I couldn't," said Sam, looking first at him and then at the other SPD Rangers. "If you knew who I was, you would ask questions I couldn't answer."

Alex crossed his arms, proud that Sam didn't reveal that, of course, they met the younger versions of Bridge, Sky, and Syd the first time Sam ended up in Jake's time. He was about to propose to continue when he saw Emma and Troy walking to their son and giving him a tentative hug. Alex expected it, Sam too. They were in front of their son, the one they didn't know they had, and it would take some time to get used to it.

And when they looked at him, Alex knew what they wanted.

"Could our team take a moment to talk to Sam in private?" asked Troy, looking at Alex and then at Cruger. "I know we need to see more, but we just…"

"Go on," said Cruger, with a smile, and then he looked at Alex. "Is that fine with you, Mr. Drake?"

"Of course. I would like to talk with the Rangers while you are outside. Don't worry, take all the time you need," said Alex.

The Megaforce Rangers nodded, and along with RoboKnight and Sam, they left the room. Once they were gone, Alex got serious, looking at his Rangers. "I didn't want to say it now to not worry Emma and Troy further, but the reason why that attack happened was because the Dark Ranger sent one of his minions after Sam. He wanted to destroy Sam and the Academy in Sam's time so he could show it to Jake and break him. For that, his monster tracked Sam's energy, but since Sam was with Jake, the monster ended up in Jake's time," explained Alex with a smile. "It was a mistake, but I'm starting to think that destiny was too persistent and somehow, it ended protecting the future through the past."

For the Time Force Rangers, this was familiar. When they first traveled in time, they did it to look for Ransik, but without Alex, they had to rely on Wes, and that's how the past in many ways changed and saved the future. Sam did the same, even if he didn't know about it. But there was still a question. Who was this enemy looking for Sam?

"Alex, who is it?" asked Jen.

Alex looked at them and then he touched Circuit's head, showing them and the other Rangers their enemy: a variation of Frax that looked much more terrifying than the one they fought in the past.

"Frax, Jen. The Dark Ranger sent Frax," said Alex.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Living Room

Sam smiled, looking at the living room. It was different from the one he knew in his time, and at the same time, it was all the same, bringing him a sense of nostalgia that he didn't know he was feeling until he got to this room.

Here is where, as a kid, Sam noticed his dad standing by the door when RoboKnight and Rico showed him videos of the Megaforce Rangers. His dad was one of the strongest people Sam knew, and yet, he noticed the tears in his eyes when he saw his Uncle Jake the first day of school when his dad just moved to Harwood or when Uncle Jake brought him to Adam so he could talk about his dreams. Sam never told his dad, knowing the guilt his father carried for not being able to save his friend. But as he sat down with his parents on each side of him and his Uncles, RoboKnight, and Aunt in front of him, Sam couldn't help but feel like that kid again.

Sam seemed lost until Emma took his hand. She and Troy shared a look the young Ranger had seen many times before, and he chuckled. "You can ask anything you want, mom. I promise I will do my best to answer."

"I just…" said Emma, looking down. She had questions, but the answers scared her. Everything she knew about the future always referred to things she couldn't save or prevent, leaving her with a sense of failure she could not shake off. But when she felt Sam squeezing her hand gently and looking at her with a smile that was Troy's, she felt herself calm down and think of her first question.

When she found it, she took a deep breath. "Are we good parents?"

Sam raised her hand, kissing the back of his mom's hand before looking at her and his dad. "You are the best, mom. I grew up surrounded by love. You and dad worry a lot, but you never stopped me from growing and becoming a better Ranger. You know I'm being taught by Noah and Orion how to explore the world. I've been to Andresia, Syd's settlement, Sky's planet, and I'm Gia and Jake's godson. That's always a bonus."

To prove his point, Sam showed them two cards with Gia and Jake's Megaforce weapons, the Tiger Claws and the Snake Ax. Sam put them over his morpher, and a moment later, a yellow and black ax reinforced with claws and protection appeared in front of him, surprising his parents.

"Aunt Gia designed it for me. She says something about no one messing with me if I had these weapons, and she is right… it seems some monsters remember or know about the Megaforce Rangers," said Sam.

"So you found a way to make my project work and took it a step further," said Noah, and Gia nodded, slightly surprised. "I'm assuming these are our real weapons and not variations of them. I mean, the colors and size are the same."

"Yes, you… well, you are busy in my time, but when I see you morph, you mostly use your Super Megamode Yellow Ranger armor and the key Uncle Jake made for you," explained Sam, looking at his weapon as he made it disappear. "You didn't want it to be lost, so you made this for me when I got old enough to hold such a heavy weapon."

Gia wanted to ask what was she doing in the future, but she stopped herself. If Sam didn't tell her now, he probably couldn't tell her, and she didn't want to pressure him. Besides, knowing she can still work on projects and fight was enough. It means somehow, she managed to continue with her life.

She wondered if she also managed to deal with the pain she felt since she lost Jake or if that's going to be a wound that will never heal.

"How…?" asked Troy, taking the attention. "How did you become a Ranger? I assume you studied here, and you say you got your powers by enhancement, but I can't see me or your mother agreeing to you getting time traveling powers."

"Yeah…" said Sam, looking down as if he knew he was going to get in trouble. "You see, when I was a kid, everything around me reminded me of Uncle Jake, Guardian Conner, and Guardian Mike, so I kind of always saw them as amazing and powerful heroes who protected everyone. And… I wanted to be like them, so I wanted to be a Power Ranger. But many of the SPD Rangers have enhancements to help fight evil, so I had to think about which power I wanted and how I was going to talk to you about it."

"Samuel, you seemed to be young when you got your powers," said Noah, and Sam nodded. "I was, but I knew what I wanted. At the time, you and Uncle Orion were working on the Time Travel Project, a bigger version of what Bridge and the SPD Rangers used to travel to your time in the past. And I thought… if I could have those powers, I could see Uncle Jake."

The silence in the room took Sam by surprise. His family has always been adamant about looking at the memories with nostalgia and love, but they wanted him to look forward, and for a long time, all Sam did was to look at the past.

"To be honest, I don't know ourselves in the future, but right now, creating something to time travel will prompt us to travel back and try to save Jake and the other Rangers," said Orion, giving Sam a smile to let him know they understand.

"I see…" said Sam, understanding what that meant before he looked at his mom. "I… well, at the time, I didn't know how to talk about it with you two. You always got sad. Mom and Dad told me stories, but he never went too deep into it. I understood later that the void he left was too big. But at the time, I was worried, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and I stole Uncle Noah's project. It was a card, so it wasn't complicated to convince the scientists at SPD to give me the powers of the card. Since they knew who I was, they didn't question it and then… they enhanced me with these powers."

"Sam… you shouldn't have done that," said Emma, and Sam nodded. "I know, Mom. I didn't think things through, and the transfer was too powerful, so I ended up passing out and breaking part of the equipment. Aunt Gia was the one who carried me to the infirmary, and well… you weren't happy about it."

"It could have been much worse than passing out," said Troy, and Sam sighed. "I know, Dad, but that's not the reason why she was so angry. She was scared, and you were too. Deep down, you two didn't want me to become a Ranger, much less have enhancements. You wanted me to have a normal life."

"It sounds like the time Jason took Jake's morpher to try and protect him," said Gia.

Emma nodded. She understood her future self too well at this point. After everything they fought for, they still lost an important part of their family, and she has seen now what that loss did to Jason, making him much more reserved and not so willing as he had been in the past. She felt as if she understood him better now that she knew about her son.

"Mom had a breakdown at some point, so you took her away to talk to her. Aunt Gia and Dad stayed with me," said Sam, looking down. "Dad explained to me why Mom was so scared. He told me about the fear you all felt with Uncle Jake and how he and Mom had the extra burden of knowing something was happening through their spirits, but they weren't sure they could stop it. He told me that, in the end, they could not save Jake, and that experience made them more fearful of this world."

Troy nodded. "He… I'm right. Through all our experience, I always feel this responsibility of keeping everyone safe. When Jake first started to experience Bastro's power, I felt useless. Even now, there are moments when I feel I'm choking because the pain is too strong, and your mother probably felt the same."

"I do," whispered Emma. "Your dad and I were the only ones that knew about Jake's possible demise through our spirits, so it was a heavy burden. We tried really hard to keep Jake safe, but we couldn't. Thinking you could go through the same… if losing Jake wounded me, losing you would have destroyed me beyond repair."

"I know, but somehow it was Aunt Gia who convinced you two that becoming a Ranger might be the best choice for me after I got my powers," said Sam, smiling at Gia. "The process can't be reversed, and once I got the powers, the best choice was to learn how to use them. The only way to do that was in the Ranger course. I still don't know how she did it, but you ended up accepting, allowing me to become a cadet and later on, the Omega Ranger."

"I'm not surprised," said Emma, looking at her best friend. "We lost Jake, and it hurts, but you lost as much or more than we did, and you were always so protective that you know very well what we were going through."

Gia nodded, taking a deep breath. Before Jake, she only had to worry about Emma, and she did her best to push away her crush and her feelings for Jake until he died during their Ultra Power mission. Something broke inside her, giving her the freedom to admit her feelings to him. After that, they found his powers, and that fear was constant, leaving her in a perpetual state of worry, even when he was by her side.

And then she lost Jake while she was sleeping inside a crystal, and she is forced now to live without him. But deep down, she knew she wouldn't trade any moment with him for the world. She didn't think she could do it even if she wanted.

"Before Jake died here, I lost him several times, and every time I did, I felt my world was over. So I know very well what Emma means when she says losing you would destroy her. But I also remember that Jake lost his morpher before and the pain in his eyes when he was denied to fight with us," explained Gia with a soft smile. "He told his father he would lay his life for us with or without his powers, and something tells me you would do the same. So that may have something to do with me talking to your parents so you could be a Power Ranger. Despite the worry, I'd rather you be prepared to face the challenges in your life than be surprised by them."

Sam nodded. He never knew the details of that conversation, but it worked, as he now is the Omega Ranger and one of the most powerful Rangers in the SPD Academy. He took his mother's hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I've been trained by the best—past Rangers, you and Dad, RoboKnight, and of course, the current SPD Rangers of this time."

"Just like happened with Jake," said Troy.

"Yes, they taught me to control my powers. There was a time where I had to constantly wear Sky's shield until I managed to control my teleport powers. Bridge and Syd taught me how to get around them. Z taught me to meditate so my mind and body were connected to my powers. Jack was in charge of physical training, and… oh, and this."

Sam extended his hand, and from it, a small pink and red wave of energy appeared, creating the form of a Red Phoenix. His wings were red on the outside and pink on the inside, and his eyes were exactly like Emma's phoenix, while the body was covered in scales like a dragon. "This is Dranix, my animal spirit. He is normally silent and only whispers to me, but he has been waiting patiently for his chance to meet you."

With a movement of his hand, Sam directed his animal to his parents, allowing the Phoenix/Dragon to lower its head gently so Emma and Troy could touch it. Once they did, flashes of Sam as a baby and their moments as a family appeared in their minds, giving them a good look at what was coming to them in a few years. It brought tears to Emma's eyes when she saw herself holding her baby or when Troy ran with him in his arms while Troy laughed softly, watching young Sam playing soccer or studying with Gia.

It was perfect.

The animal looked at them as it took a step back, allowing them to recover as the couple stood close to each other, holding hands as Troy rested his head on Emma's shoulder and she moved her head enough to kiss him. The moments they just saw may be far away, but they gave them the energy to face the future as they now knew what was waiting for them at the end.

"So…" said Noah, giving Emma and Troy time to process what they saw while they focused on Sam. "You and the SPD Rangers said you came here before to help them?"

"Yes, after the first time I came to this time, Alex made sure I could contact Jake directly in case they needed an extra boost of energy. It wasn't easy to hide, but with Alex and Circuit's help, I was sent on 'missions' that involved coming here to help Bridge and the others, but I was careful never to reveal my face or my name to them."

"So you stayed morphed?" asked Troy. Sam nodded, looking at his armor. "I guess I could demorph here since everyone knows who I am. Since I used it often throughout the entire mission, I forgot I could relax here…"

He seemed thoughtful as he looked at the Megaforce team, wondering if he should really go back to his civilian clothes. After all, he knew the reaction he got when he demorphed after his visit to Jake's timeline. "I just need to warn you, when I go on a mission, I always wear something that belonged to Uncle Jake… is it alright with you if you see it now?"

The question was general, but Sam was looking at his aunt and waited patiently until she nodded, giving him the permission he needed. Sam took a deep breath and activated his morpher to return to his civilian clothes.

To their surprise, Sam dressed much like Jake did. The first thing that got their attention was Sam's hoodie, white like the snow with two lines of gold and blue across his chest. His inner shirt was yellow, making his eyes even brighter. His hoodie had the 'S.P.D' letters engraved on it. He was also wearing dark pants with a red and pink line fusing together at the center and a small red backpack with a pink phoenix engraved on it. On his wrist, he had his morpher on one side and a silver communicator on the other. Sam looked at himself and then sat down again as Emma touched his hoodie.

"This looks like Jake's…" said Emma.

"It was Uncle Jake's. He gave it to me after my visit here. I take it to every mission I go on, but I almost never wear it at home," said Sam.

"Why?" asked Troy, confused. Sam sighed. "Mom cried for hours when I got home wearing it, and you always spent several minutes looking at it when I left it hanging on my chair. Uncle Noah can barely look at me when he sees me with it, Uncle Orion's voice gets shaky, and I was told never to show it in front of Aunt Gia because when I wear it, I look like Uncle Jake. So, I try to hide it when I'm a the Academy, but I think she knows I have something from Uncle Jake because sometimes, when she comes home, she seems to sense his presence."

Emma and Gia shared a look. Of course, Gia's future self knew Sam had something from Jake. This school had many things from him, and the only thing that kept her grounded was Bridge and his presence beside her, giving her strength. Sam seemed rather oblivious, so worried that he was causing pain to his aunt, he looked at her.

"So I wanted to ask you, Aunt Gia… is it fine for me to wear this? I don't want to make you sad, mom's experience was traumatic and I don't want you to feel the same way she did when she saw the hoodie," said Sam.

Gia smiled softly. It was true that looking at him, she could see Jake in his high school years, wearing the Harwood County black hoodie. But she knew if Jake gave this to him, it was because he wanted to be more than a simple memory. She didn't have the heart to force Sam to hide this present that was so important to him.

She extended her hand, taking Sam's hand and looked at him in the same way Sam remembered her when she talked about Uncle Jake. "He gave this to you so you could know he was here and maybe to let us know you were safe with him. I know you worry about me; in that aspect, you are a copy of your mom. But you need to know that I'm getting better. He's with me, no matter what, and I will always carry him with me. But I'm sure my future self wants you to realize that it's fine, that somehow, he found ways to communicate with me through you."

Sam nodded. It made sense since he could travel in time and Jake always made sure to give him something to bring back. He took a deep breath. He could take care of that later. For now, they had to focus on this moment. "Thank you, Aunt Gia. I will keep that in mind."

Gia smiled and let go of his hand. Then, Sam checked his morpher. "We should get back. I know you all want to know more, but there are things I can't tell you, and we should keep watching the memories."

As they walked to the door, ready to go back now that they knew more about Sam and their connection to him, Orion noticed his morpher was very different from the one he had seen with Bridge and the other SPD Rangers and even with Bass. When Sam noticed he was looking at the morpher, he smiled, prompting Orion to ask.

"I've been wanting to ask about your morpher since I saw it. It is different from the others," said Orion.

"Yeah, Uncle Jake designed it for someone else a long time ago—or that's what we thought. Maybe he designed it for me after I came here with it, but we are not sure because it was a secret project. It is influenced by Antonio's notes about his own Samurais," explained Sam. "Apparently, Uncle Jake was smart when he wanted to be, and he developed a few special morphers. This was one of them, but he created at least two more for… well, you'll see soon."

Orion shared a look with his friends as they walked towards the meeting room, wondering if the SPD had more members than they thought.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

As soon as they walked back into the meeting room and Sam saw an image of Frax, Sam froze, having to remind himself that Frax was long gone and he was safe with his parents and his family. Not far from him, Jen was the first to notice the boy's attitude and looked at Alex for an explanation, but it was Sam who took his parents' hands and tried to look at the image again, knowing they were there with him.

"Frax was following me when I appeared in Uncle Jake's time, and he would have killed me if it wasn't for them," explained Sam, looking at his parents. "They risked a lot to keep me safe."

"Frax was more relentless than when we fought him in the past, and his goal was to kill Sam to break Jake, but he really wasn't aware of how protective the White Lion could be or Sam's power."

"We will be there too, right? When the corruption opens we can go?" asked Lucas.

Alex nodded. "Yes, Sam and I will stay here, but you and the SPD Rangers will go there, so get ready to leave as soon as you can."

Wes nodded, as Jen looked around at her team, sharing an understanding with them. They were ready to fight this or any version of Frax that tried to go after Jake and his guardians. They were, after all, defenders of time, and they would do whatever it takes to keep some version of peace safe.

Alex smiled softly as Sam walked towards him, and together, they restarted the next part of the memories, taking a deep breath as the image of Frax changed, showing Jake and Bridge's house once more. Jake and Sam were talking while Alex looked at them, and it seemed peaceful.

Sam chuckled; it was his first memory with his uncle.

-L-

Jake and Bridge's House (2017) – Living Room

"Wow… I still can't believe I have Troy and Emma's boy here," said Jake, smiling at Sam as the boy chuckled. "And you are a Power Ranger too, which means your parents let you follow the family tradition of becoming one."

"They didn't have much of a choice when I got my powers," said Sam. Jake gave him a soft, serious look. "Yeah… about that, let me tell you it was a risky move. Noah kept his projects away for a reason. You tricking the SPD engineers was smart but dangerous. Don't scare your parents like that again."

Sam could feel bad, but he was so happy because he was being scolded by his Uncle Jake that he didn't care. "I'll try my best, but just so you know, Aunt Gia already gave me this lecture."

"Of course she did. She worries, but she's practical too," said Jake, looking down with a soft look in his eyes. "That is probably the reason why you are a Ranger now. She wants you prepared now that you have powers."

Sam nodded. He was impressed with how his family and his Uncle Jake still knew each other so well despite being years apart, but he was happy to know all his parents told him about Jake was true, and the man seemed genuinely happy to have Sam there.

"So… I am gone in the future," said Jake.

"Yeah," said Sam, looking away sadly. "It is hard. I don't think anyone fully recovered, but they are doing their best to keep peace and keep your memory and your guardians' memories safe, even if sometimes it hurts."

Jake took the young Ranger's hand gently, understanding his feelings. After all, he was living through that pain now, and while he was happy to know that the future was safe for now, the fact that he, Conner, and Mike will not be there was hard to accept. All the plans ruined forever.

"Alright…" said Jake, getting up and making Sam get up with him. "Enough of sadness. You are a Ranger now, right? How about we train a little bit?"

"Really?" said Sam, stunned.

Jake chuckled. "Of course, I mean… if you want to train with your old Uncle."

"Of course I want to!" said Sam as he touched his morpher to return to his civilian clothes. This time, Sam was wearing a red training SPD shirt with a pink line on the chest, black training pants with a yellow and green line connecting at the center, blue sneakers, and grey/silver gloves.

Jake chuckled, a true Power Ranger kid. He hugged his godson as they walked outside while Alex looked at them with Circuit by his side. The small owl made a movement with his wings, and Alex smiled, touching the owl's head.

"Good thinking, Circuit," said Alex.

"Everybody deserves memories," said Circuit. "This may be the first and the last time he can have a moment of peace with his Uncle."

Alex nodded as he watched Jake and Sam training and laughing together. He knew Sam would never forget this experience, but a recorded memory will help him remember this was not a dream. They were really here, and for once, going back and reconnecting with the past you lost didn't look like a bad idea.

Only now, Samuel Jacob Burrows Goodall could reconnect with the past he lost before he was born.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

Sam smiled, touching Circuit's little head. "I keep that video in my room. Not even Mom or Dad know I have it. It helps to remind me that I need to keep fighting when things look bad."

"Sam is now a full Power Ranger thanks to the things he learned over the years. The current Commander of his time made sure the courses were still active, so he had the chance to learn about Conner and Mike too. In fact, while he has many things from Jake, Sam can also manage a sword and he can fly now."

"Now?" asked Troy.

"You'll see," said Sam as he saw his uncle get a call about an attack in the city. "That's when we noticed someone attacking the city. Uncle Jake feared the attack came from inside and ordered Conner to keep an eye on the Academy and make a scan to find the culprit with Mike while Uncle Jake, Alex and I faced Frax."

"You got a morpher?" asked Wes, looking at Alex. He nodded, showing his morpher. "I'm the Silver Time Force Ranger, but I rarely go into action as I need to stay at the Time Force Base most of the time directing the rest of the Rangers."

Bridge, who had been looking at Sam's slightly confused expression, walked towards him, passing a hand over his cousin's shoulder before pointing at the Time Force Rangers. "They are Time Force Rangers, Sam. You know, the ones we learn from that destiny can always change and not everything is written."

"Oh…oh!" said Sam, looking at Bridge and then, smiling at the Rangers. "I have a training course designed after their time-traveling experience, and I believe Aunt Gia told me all about how our actions affect the future and how destiny can always change if we are strong enough to face it."

"Exactly," said Bridge, as he too looked at the Time Force Rangers. "Papa gave us the same lesson when we were kids, remember?"

Sky and Syd nodded. At the time, they were just kids, and Syd was still a little shy around others, but that also gave Jake more reason to talk to them about their future and how they could choose their own path, even if it was complicated.

"Look…" said Bridge, smiling as he typed on the computer near the table. "Security cameras recorded that moment."

Bridge smiled as he saw Sky, Syd, and himself in the living room of the SPD Academy. Sky was reading one of Conner's books, Syd was playing with her wooden horse, and Bridge had a toast with too much butter for his own good.

-L-

SPD Academy (Video Recording from 2017)

They were distracted when they heard the door opening and saw Jake walking into the room in his Commander Uniform. The Commander had a full day of meetings and now had a few minutes to enjoy the food from the cafeteria near the living room. He waved at the kids before gesturing for them to wait while he got something to eat and then went to sit with them.

He sat in front of them, watching Sky and Bridge sitting on each side of Syd, as if they were a shield for her. Jake was aware Bridge and Sky knew Syd was not weak but she was still shy around the school. However, she had been excelling in their classes and Jake knew she would adapt soon. It was surprising how they looked like them: Sky had almost as much knowledge as Conner in Ranger history, powers, and zords, and Jake was pretty sure he had read almost every book in the library. Syd had developed a love for Ranger equipment and more often than not he saw her train with Mike at the dojo, giving her all the knowledge of the samurais. Bridge had taken his physical training more seriously, stating he wanted to be as strong as his papa.

He knew along with Jack and Z, they would be the best Rangers of their promotion once they finished their training. But as the Commander, it was his job to check in with them and the rest of the academy to make sure they were doing fine. With so many meetings, he had barely managed to see Bridge in the past days.

"So… how is everything?" asked Jake, looking at Syd. "Mike has told me you've been doing great in your routine."

"I've been trying, Uncle Jake," she said, smiling at him. "Bridge and Sky help me a lot, even if sometimes they are too loud."

"We are not loud. It's called competing against each other," said Sky, and Bridge nodded.

Syd looked at Jake and sighed. "They're loud." Jake laughed. Of course, the boys needed a feminine touch and Syd seemed to be the perfect blend of innocent and firm character the boys needed in their never-ending competition. The best evidence was right there when Bridge tried to touch Sky's cheek with his fingers covered in butter and Sky prepared to throw a move to hit his plate that would end with Bridge's face full of toast and butter.

All that was stopped with a strong yet gentle smack to the back of their heads from Syd that made both boys stop and give her a look before they went back to their business.

"Nice, you three will make a great team," said Jake.

"Uh-huh! Papa, we were talking about that a moment ago," said Bridge, looking up at him with a smile. He had already forgotten his competition with Sky. "Isn't it curious we all ended up here after we got attacked by the Dark Ranger? It was almost as if it was… what was the word?"

"Destiny."

"That."

Jake often thought about that, but he learned a long time ago that destiny was a funny thing when it comes to the Power Rangers. His eyes softened as he looked at the three kids, then put his plate on the table and waited for them to get comfortable.

"Destiny is different for everyone, kids. There is a possibility that you were always destined to be here, or that circumstances that happened before we found you brought you to this moment," explained Jake. "The future is never written in stone because it is based on our choices, and every choice changes our path from one side to the other."

The three kids looked at him, confused, and Jake chuckled. "You don't understand a thing, do you?"

"Nope," said Bridge.

"I am confused," admitted Sky.

"I have no idea what you are saying," said Syd.

Jake laughed softly, then unbuttoned his Commander jacket to get comfortable as he looked at the kids. Up until now, he had never told them about his past. "When I was young, my father was told I would become a Power Ranger by the Rangers who protect time, past, present, and future. Even if my father was not happy about it, he eventually allowed me to train, preparing me for the moment until my time came and I became a Megaforce Ranger."

"So… the Time Force Rangers changed your path?" asked Sky.

Jake nodded. "A little, but if I learned something from them, it is that in the end, my choice is what creates a path for myself. For example, I did give the powers to my team with Gosei, but it was them who chose to fight."

"Oh… so you are saying that even if it was destiny, it was our choice to come here," said Syd.

Jake nodded. "Yes, you are not attached to one path, Syd, neither is Sky nor Bridge. I'm pretty sure Conner would have talked about this with you, but my advice is always to make your own decisions and face the path you choose with determination and strength, no matter how complicated it seems."

"That's what you learned, Papa?" asked Bridge.

"Yes, the Time Force Rangers taught me that. I never gave up because I learned from them that there is more out there," said Jake, smiling. "I learned that our choices matter, our thoughts, feelings—everything is part of something bigger. I may have been a different Ranger without them."

The kids looked at Jake for a long moment, taking in his words. Then, the three kids got up and stood in front of Jake, surprising the young man as he looked at them, slightly confused.

"Our choice is to become Rangers, Uncle Jake," said Sky, with a determined look on his face, similar to the one Bridge and Syd had. "Is that fine with you?"

Jake felt as if this was a serious moment. While he admitted he understood his father's worries when he became a Ranger, these kids had a desire and they had more than enough time to make or change their choice if it came down to it. For now, Jake nodded.

"As a father and an uncle, I'll be terrified most of the time but… as a Commander, I will do everything I can to help you complete your formation and give you the same knowledge I received. I'm sure your parents will help me make you the finest Rangers this Academy has ever seen," said Jake, smiling at them.

He then took his plate of food back and looked at the kids, who were looking at him as if they were hungry. Then Jake chuckled. "You know… a key to being a good Ranger is to eat properly. I have time, for once, so go wash your hands, especially you, Bridge, and meet me here, and then I will tell you the story of how I met the Time Force Rangers."

"Yeah!"

The kids ran out of the kitchen while Jake watched them go. He chuckled softly before taking out the small Time Force badge he still had from his pocket. "I hope I can bring a better future for them… and for you."

That was his current focus now that he knew he would not be part of it.