Disclaimer: I do not on the Power Rangers, they belong to Disney (aka the Mouse and co.) What do own are Ahriman, Kymera, Nemesis, Mistress Medusa, Cladius, Antoinette, and the Evi-sevs. If you want to talk to me, email me at [email protected] . Now without any further ado...

A Light in the Darkness
By David Knight

Light.

That was the first thing that Billy saw when he opened his eyes. As he looked around, what he saw around him was just... nothing. There was absolutely nothing around him. It was like a wasteland but the entire area just shimmered in changing colors. It was as if he was in floating in a sphere that was constantly changing.

As he looked down at himself, he saw that he wore no clothes but rather, his entire body was glowing bright blue intertwined with white. "Am I dead?" he asked aloud.

"No. Not yet." A kind voice spoke from the nothingness.

Billy turned his head left and right to try to find the source, "Who's there?" As if on cue, a shape of white energy formed in front of him and transformed into a kind, wizened old man in white robes holding a white staff.

"Be at ease young man, I bear no ill will to you or to your people." The man spoke kindly and humbly.

"Who are you?" Billy asked.

"In life I was once known as the great sage Zordon of Eltar."

"In life?"

Zordon sighed for a moment before speaking, "I fought for the forces of Light for many years, until the day that I fought Rita Repulsa and she trapped me in a time warp, but I trapped her into a prison of her own. That was ten thousand and three years ago...  I have been dead for the last three years."

"Last three years..." Billy muttered, but his eyes widened when he realized it. "The Day of Darkness! It happened three years ago! The day the Earth was attacked by Nemesis!"

"No." Zordon shook his head. "Not by Nemesis. She was not the one to give the order to attack your world; she is merely one of his fused servants."

"His?" Billy blinked. "... are you telling me there's someone worse than Nemesis?!"

"Prepare to see the face of the true enemy to your race and all who fight for the side of the Light... and my murderer," Zordon said as he raised his staff and Billy saw a window appear in the nothingness around him. This window soon showed a man who looked like he was in his early twenties by human standards, dressed in a blue-black cloak, emerald green hair that hung to his waist, and two crimson red eyes. "This is Ahriman, the true being behind your planet's destruction."

"Ahriman..." Billy whispered as he remembered a mythology lecture from high school, "That name means the God of Darkness in the Far East... are you saying a god is the true enemy?"

"Ahriman is not a god. He is as mortal as any other living creature but he is not to be taken lightly. He is far more powerful than Nemesis or the two beings that he created her out of."

"Created her out of?" Billy asked.

"Fifty millennia ago, Ahriman was to have become the leader of the United Alliance of Evil, the force of evil that I and my fellow warriors of the Light fought against for so long. However, Dark Specter, the Grand Monarch of Evil, wouldn't allow it. He and the rest of the UAE plotted to get rid of Ahriman because they feared his power but could not kill him. They called for a truce with us of the Light, only to eliminate a greater evil, one that would have surely destroyed their way of life," Zordon explained. "As they fought Ahriman, we created an area of space to become null and void from the rest of universe and we trapped Ahriman there, believing that no one could ever escape. The seal had been made so that even the strongest beings in the universe could not get free. Once he was sealed, both sides suppressed Ahriman's very existence from future generations, so that no one even knew he existed, no one would ever try to free him."

"But he escaped," Billy assumed.

"Yes he did. He went off to the UAE and slaughtered almost everyone, some he actually spared, and those he didn't spare but did not kill he fused together to create several new beings. Nemesis is one of them. Finally he came to Earth and did away with Rita Repulsa. But before he began his attack... he came down to the planet itself to kill me."

"You were here? On Earth?" Billy asked.

"When I was in my time warp, thanks to Rita, I came to this world, to watch over and protect it from harm and to call upon allies if need be to help me," Zordon said. "This world had many potentials... and Ahriman killed many of them when he killed me."

"But why did he kill you personally?"

"... I was the one who sealed him away," Zordon said softly. "Had I not made that truce, Ahriman would most likely have not been sealed away and would have led the UAE, possibly bringing about a new Age of Darkness. I could not let that happen to the universe again. One Age of Darkness was more than enough."

Billy didn't know what to say to this man, he just didn't know. But as he looked at the old man, he couldn't find any traces of lies or deceit. He felt the anger boil in him, learning that Nemesis was nothing more than someone's pawn in a game and that his world was part of that game just made him feel sick. He couldn't stand it. "He can't just get away with this! He can't!"

"He won't... if you are willing."

Zordon's words brought Billy's attention back to the wizard. "What do you mean, 'if I'm willing'?"

"Ahriman killed me because he wanted to prevent my Legacy from coming to pass, a Legacy that would have brought peace for many years to come. The Legacy of the Power Rangers."

"Power... Rangers?"

Zordon smiled slightly, "They would have been teenagers who I would have selected from your world. Teenagers to whom I would given the power to transform into warriors of the light to fight against the forces of evil that threatened the Earth. I had originally six powers to give, but Rita stole the sixth power. Ahriman took it back from her and threw it away in the Command Center before he killed me, calling it worthless. Those six powers along with my impending death, made me come to one final decision.

"That decision was to use all of my power to transport only the necessary and needed equipment and parts down to the prototype Command Center, the Power Chamber, which was built miles below the surface, making it capable of surviving the assault on the planet as well as other attacks that might occur," Zordon explained. "And here is where I had my friend, Alpha 5, begin work on my last gift to Earth. The Proto Chambers."

"Proto Chambers?" Billy asked.

"Seven in all, and each one being able to create one Power Ranger. Each one an enhanced version of the coin that remained and was used in this process."

"Seven? I thought there were only six."

"There was a blank coin, but there was no use for it... until my death," Zordon said. "I poured the last of my energy into bring forth the Light of Goodness, which entered into the coin, creating the seventh and final coin. What you are seeing now is but a memory of the real me. What Zordon left behind to talk only once to the one that would the White Ranger."

"Would be..." Billy asked in confusion, "... wait a minute?! You mean I am already in one of these Proto Chambers?"

"You are indeed. The Proto Chambers, because of the extensive power that they possess, can bring anyone to perfect health, even if they are on the brink of death... but this is now where you must choose." Zordon said somberly.

"Choose?"

"The path of the Ranger is one with many hardships. You may think that your time in this world created by Ahriman's evil is hard enough. Being a Ranger will make your life much harder as you must fight the evil and will have to face Ahriman himself one day. You may choose to reject the powers but you may die soon then. This may look like a forced decision as this could mean either life or death... but I implore you to accept the responsibility of being a Power Ranger. Of being the White Ranger, the leader of the Rangers and to find six other humans who will possess the character of self to be of help to you and defeat Ahriman for all time."

Billy just stared at the image of Zordon, thinking over everything that he had heard, over everything that had happened to him these last few years. About the responsibility he would have to accept by taking these powers.

But most of all... he thought about his friends and how he wanted to be able to help them, more than anything.

Regardless of whether they were dead or alive.

Finally, he gave his answer. "I accept."

Zordon smiled. "Thank you... might I know your name, young man?"

"Billy."

"Billy. When you awaken you will find yourself changed, but I assure you it will be for the better," Zordon said, as before Billy's eyes, he started to fade. "My time with you is at an end. I wish you luck. May your inner spirit serve to be your true guide."

"My inner spirit? What do you mean?" Billy asked the departing spirit. "Zordon wait! Zordon!" No response. The wizard was gone. Yet Billy was not alone.

Forming out of the shadows and light of the area, a blue white wolf materialized in front of him. It stared at Billy in his eyes, as if looking into his soul, and as Billy looked into the wolf's eyes, for reasons he couldn't understand he felt that this animal was some part of him that had been missing for some time.

In knowing that, he accepted this force for what it was. The wolf then leapt into its human bearer and then all became white.

* * *

The first thing he heard was a hissing sound and feeling something coming off of his body. _Restraints maybe...?_ He didn't know. All he knew was to move up and out of where he was and...

"Wait... the pain... it's totally gone..." Billy muttered in disbelief as he reached to feel his stomach, to touch the wound that Nemesis had given him. Instead he felt something smooth over his body. Looking at his hands, he saw that he was wearing white gloves. "What am I..."

Anything he could have said was cut off when he caught his first look at himself in the reflective walls of the chamber. He was taken by surprise at what he saw. He looked taller than he had should have been, yet it didn't feel awkward to him at all. The armor that covered his entire body looked like it was white plastic but Billy could tell that this was definitely not plastic over his body. This armor was stronger than any man made substance found on Earth by far. He had golden wrist and leg cuffs as part of the attire, a white belt with a silver rectangular shaped device in the center, which contained a golden coin with the emblem of a tiger on it. There were also thin golden bands above his elbows, a gold and black chest plate over his upper body, with a wolf emblem in a golden circle on the front, a helmet with a smooth, angular mouth plate with no lips, and a gold holder on his left hip with a curved sword with a tiger headed hilt inserted. His helmet was entirely white, save for the golden shape made to represent a tiger.

What Billy felt running through his body was a power that was indescribable. He couldn't think of a single word to describe what he felt. It was as if every cell in his body was bursting with power and then some.

"Thank goodness you're alright," a synthesized voice spoke from behind him. Turning around he saw a timid looking automaton behind him, holding his hands up. "Please don't do anything rash."

"You... it was you... who put me in the Proto Chamber," Billy realized. "You saved my life."

"No. You chose your life by accepting Zordon's offer," the machine said. "My only regret is that I couldn't do more to help this poor world."

Billy noticed the tones of sadness, even though it was a machine. "You've been here all alone, haven't you?"

"For ten thousand years, I alone stayed with Zordon here on Earth," the robot sighed, his voice showing Billy the respect for the great wizard he had. "These last three years have been the hardest of all. A universe no longer with Zordon. Watching as this world has sunk farther down into darkness."

"It won't. Not if I can do anything about it," Billy vowed. "So, do you have a name?"

"I'm Alpha 5."

"Well Alpha, how do I..."

"Demorph? Just think it and it will happen," Alpha replied.

Thinking of returning to his normal appearance, Billy soon found himself clothed in what remained of his resistance clothes, holes in the shirt made by Nemesis's claws going through his chest still there. A reminder of what he went through. Strangely enough though, his clothes felt rather tight on him.

When he caught his reflection in the walls, he saw that the changes he felt weren't just limited to his morphed form. His normal human body had gone through changes as well. He looked as if he had grown a few inches, gained a physique that rivaled Jason's, and that was pretty damn good. However it looked blurry for a moment so he decided to take off his glasses, thinking to clean them to fix the problem, only to realize something else.

He now had 20/20 vision.

"Alpha... what... what did the chamber do to me?" Billy asked.

"The Nature of the Proto Chamber is not only to give seven humans enhanced Ranger powers but also to enhance their own physical attributes, so to give them a better chance at victory no matter the situation you are in, for there could be times when you could be knocked out of morph."

Billy looked himself over, feeling his newfound strength and running through all of the options in his head. "This is heavy."

"That's putting it mildly."

"Alpha, this might sound somewhat strange," Billy started to say, "But you wouldn't happen to have any spare clothing down here would you? I kind of need to change."

* * *

Out in the desert, two young girls were struggling against the elements of nature and aliens in order to survive.

"Billy... that evil witch..." Kimberly groaned as she leaned on Trini for support. Every step she took was an agonizing one. When they had crashed, the two of them had been thrown from the hover jeep. However, while Trini managed to escape with some small cuts, Kimberly had gotten much rougher treatment. Though she couldn't say what it was, she knew she had internal injuries. Her coughing up of blood a little while ago was proof of that.

Trini had reacted fast, making it look like they were dead to Nemesis when she first came to, but then when her back was turned she took Kim and started to get out of sight, mainly to see if they could make a sneak attack on the alien demon.

Billy had beaten her to that idea and paid for it with his life. Her last sight of him was falling down a chasm made by the murderous fiend. When Jason gave Zack the order to run, she knew he would have given that same order to her. So they ran.

Ran as best as they could in any case. They had no idea how long they had been on the run since the attack but they had just kept moving, hoping and praying that they could make it to some place where they could have a real chance at staying alive.

Sadly, prayer did not help them in this case.

"There you two are." A haughty and despised voice spoke from behind them.

"Damn you!" Trini spat as she twirled around, her force gauntlets on as she struck out at the demon, only for her to hold her hands back as if she was a baby.

"Funny, I kind of figured you'd be spouting off more curses than that at me," Nemesis sneered as she gave Trini a kick to the stomach that sent her spiraling against a rock face.

"Trini!" Kimberly gasped as she laid on the ground not to far away from where Trini was, unable to do much of anything to help her friend.

"For all the trouble you've caused," Nemesis sneered, walking over to Trini, "I'm going to enjoy taking you two brats alive."

"... not a chance," Trini breathed emotionlessly as she painstakingly pulled a knife from her boot.

"And what do you plan on doing with that?" Nemesis smirked. "Throw it at my head?"

"No."

What Trini did surprised both Kimberly and Nemesis... she stabbed herself in her stomach. Looking up at the alien, she gave a grim smile, "Now... let's see you take me alive, witch..."

"TRINI!!!" Kimberly screamed out in horror and disbelief. She tried to move but only further aggravated her own injuries as her pain increased. _Oh god... oh god some one please have mercy on us! Just end it all one way or the other!_

* * *

Billy looked at himself now in the walls of the chamber, seeing as they also served as mirrors. "I still can't believe how I look now." He was now dressed in a pair of white pants and a sleeveless shirt. He was also wearing a pair of white sneakers. All of these clothes looked clean and were from before the war. "And you just created them?"

"Well the main generator and most power is being put to use on the completion of the Proto Chambers, but some subsystems have their own individual personal generators. The synthesizers are one such system though there really hasn't been much need for them until now."

"I would imagine," Billy replied. "But I'm still amazed by all of this. It's going to take a while for me to..."

-Oh god... oh god some one please have mercy on us! Just end it all one way or the other!-

"Kim?!" Billy whirled around, trying to find out where that came from.

"Billy?" Alpha questioned.

"I heard Kimberly... but I thought..." Billy shook his head, trying to clear it.

"No wait. Don't try to clear your head." Alpha spoke, "White Rangers were extremely powerful, not just because of their purity but also because a number of them had special gifts. It differed from person to person, but all White Rangers seem to be able to feel when those they care for are in danger."

Billy just nodded, letting himself feel for Kimberly and Trini. For reasons he couldn't explain, he felt them becoming weaker, as if they were fading away. "I have to help them. I thought they were dead but now that I know they aren't I have to save them! How can I get there?"

"Morph into your Ranger form and you will be able to teleport to them." Alpha told him.

"Alright," Billy nodded as he pulled out his morpher. _Well, ready or not here we go._ "WHITE RANGER POWER!" In a flash of light, Billy was transformed into the White Ranger and then faded as a streaking white light.

"Good luck Billy," Alpha prayed but was soon distracted by a blinking light on one of the computers. He went to look it over. What he saw made him feel what could only be described as joy.

Pink Proto Chamber: Completed. Yellow Proto Chamber: Completion in 85 minutes.

* * *

Nemesis was at a loss at what to do with the two dying humans, she was wondering what Ahriman would to do her when suddenly a voice brought her out of her ponderings.

"Get away from them, Nemesis!"

Nemesis and the two severely injured and dying young women looked up to see a figure on a rock hill. A figure that Nemesis recognized by attire. "... A Ranger?"

"The White Ranger," he said before jumping down to the earth but landing a kick squarely in her chest that sent the monstrous woman into a rock wall. "And this is where you are stopped, demon."

Nemesis pulled herself off the rock wall, her body aching from her master's lashing earlier, but still she knew she had more than enough strength to take out a simple Ranger. _And Ahriman didn't say to me that I couldn't kill any Rangers that came my way. He just said don't kill those girls... well they were the ones to hurt themselves. Guess maybe the great planner should have thought about sending someone other than me after them. Oh well, no time to worry about them. There's someone who I can kill now without getting punished, and I'm going to love taking out all of my frustrations on his body!_

"Well, what are you waiting for?" White Ranger asked.

"Nothing," Nemesis sneered as her staff appeared in her hands, "Except plotting your torture!" She rushed at him with her staff and took swings at him but every single one was blocked by his saber. Yet she wasn't getting frustrated. Not in the slightest. For the first time in a long while, she was finding a challenge. She had slaughtered some of the so-called 'greatest' Rangers of all time. Those who had been sent here three years ago. She cut them to pieces, severing their heads, but after the fun she felt very empty. It had just been a slaughter. Even on Earth, with her attacks and murderous hunts, hours after them she would feel empty, until she went out on another hunt and killed again.

But now, with this Ranger, it was different. He wasn't dying easily like the others. They were stalemated. The blood running through her tubes and her veins was pumping faster and faster, boiling with hot flaming adrenaline as she was pushing herself harder and harder, and the lust that she felt for blood was dying out and being replaced with another lust, a lust that had been in her black heart for so long but never brought out because of her constant killing.

The lust for a worthy opponent.

"Finally, someone who doesn't die easily!" Nemesis threw her head back in joy as she was still deadlocked with this ranger who was constantly on the offensive, but neither he nor her could take any advantage.

"Where's your master?" the White Ranger demanded to know.

"Master?" Nemesis blinked under her visor. "I serve no master, Ranger."

"Really? Then does the name Ahriman mean nothing to you?" the White Ranger shot.

_What?!_ Nemesis froze in shock, _How did he know! How did he..._ Her moment of shock had let her guard down, allowing the White Ranger to ram his saber right through her stomach. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" she screamed out in agony as she kicked him away from her, taking his sword out of her body when he fell. Nemesis fell to the ground; her stab wound spilling her black-red blood over the ground. With one hand she clutched her wound while the other one was covered in her blood as she saw... yet she just laughed at this. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh, I like you Ranger! I like you a lot!" She got up using her staff as support and started to charge herself for power, "But I don't like to lose. You're good on the physical level... but let's see how well you can do against magical assaults!"

"Are you a coward Ahriman, not to even face me?! That you have to send monsters like her down to do your dirty work while you sit in safety like the coward you are!" The White Ranger snapped.

Nemesis was about to fire a blast of magic when a black bolt of lightning struck the ground between them, separating the two. "There is one thing I do not tolerate above all else." A voice spoke out and everyone looked to a cliff that was to the left, to see a figure standing on the top. "And that is being called a coward."

"Ahriman," the White Ranger growled.

* * *

Ahriman looked down at the White Ranger below him with masked surprise. He recognized the armored look, which belonged to the White Ranger his father had created, or would have created. _But this isn't possible. I killed Father. This Ranger should not exist._ Glancing to the girls below and seeing their condition, he knew he would have to talk to Nemesis again once this was over.

But for right now he had to deal with this Ranger. He had been in meditation when this caught his attention. He needed to know more about this Ranger and intended to do so.  Looking down at the White Ranger he asked, "I am curious as to how you learned my name as well as how many members there are in your team. Were you sent by the Council or are you some sort of independent group of Rangers that I have yet to hear of?"

"None of the above. I was chosen by Zordon of Eltar."

Ahriman's eyes widened slightly at the mention of that name, "That's impossible. Zordon of Eltar is dead."

"Because you killed him three years ago... when you ordered the attack that would become known as the Day of Darkness, you foul demon!" the White Ranger snapped.

Ahriman heard the gasps and murmuring from the girls without even looking at them. He knew now that any chance to have them on his side was now shot to hell thanks to this Ranger's outburst. He also knew that somehow, in some unknown way, his father had managed to get some of his Legacy brought into existence. _Are you trying to make my life a living Inferno even when you are dead, Father?_ Ahriman asked himself before deciding on what to say to the White Ranger. "So you've talked to him. Did he say anything else?"

"Only that you are true evil and must be destroyed!" the white Ranger declared.

_So, keeping secrets from them are you? That can be your undoing, Father. You should know better than not to explain everything... but then again, you never learned that lesson when you were alive,_ Ahriman mused as he looked back at the White Ranger. "I see. You've already been poisoned by his lies so that you don't even know my side of things. Of the order and the future that I am trying to bring."

"Anything that has you as a leader must be evil and therefore must be destroyed!" the White Ranger hissed.

"Really..." Ahriman said with a smile before dropping to the ground, landing on his feet before pulling out his sword. "Then let's see if you can't back that up. Come and let's see how well you stand up to Ghaleon."

The White Ranger didn't waste any time, he just came at Ahriman with sword swings and strikes, yet Ahriman easily blocked every last one. He wasn't even moving anything else save his sword hand. "Fight back monster!"

"Patience. I'm just testing you to see who you really are..." Ahriman said casually but suddenly his eyes narrowed and his face lost all playfulness. Now the White Ranger saw only a face of stone. "And you aren't him." It was then that Ahriman finally went on the offensive, striking first with the hilt of his sword, striking the helmet first on its side and then delivering an 'X-cut' to the chest before finishing it off with a kick to the stomach. "And you thought you actually had a chance to defeat me? You aren't even properly trained in swordsmanship. What made you think..." he stopped as he felt something on his face. He touched his left cheek and felt the cut there. It was a small gash, easily healed, but that was beside the point. Someone had actually been able to cut him in the face.

That was a feat no one had ever been able to do before.

"... I am impressed," Ahriman said respectfully to the slowly rising White Ranger, "You must be feeling those last blows, the pain from them, but consider them badges of honor. You've managed to do something no one has ever done to me before and you have shown me your potential. It must be great if you were able to do this to me." Sheathing his sword, he looked at the White Ranger with a smile on his face. "This is your lucky day. You get to live and you can take the two girls with you." He turned away from him and started walking away. "Nemesis. We are leaving."

"But...!"

"Do not question me for a third time..." Ahriman growled. Frightened, Nemesis vanished in a flash. Ahriman was about to leave but turned back to look at the White Ranger for a final time. "Train yourself well if you wish to live. Nemesis is one of the stronger fighters I have... but she isn't the strongest." With that said he vanished in darkness.

* * *

Trini and Kimberly looked on in awe and disbelief at what they had just witnessed, however they did not have much time left to really wonder about it. Even if saved from the monster that would have killed them, they knew they were going to die.

"Guess this is the end huh..." Kimberly muttered.

"At least... we'll die with honor..." Trini wheezed as she felt herself getting weaker with every passing moment.

The White Ranger rushed over to them as fast as he could and saw their condition. "Oh no. This isn't good." He put his right hand to his helmet where the mouth would have been and spoke into it. "Alpha! Can we teleport more than just me to the Power Chamber?"

"Yes, but we won't be able to use the teleporters for at least a day. Power is being used on the Proto Chambers' completion," a voice answered.

"Okay, do it," he said as he disconnected and put his hands on both of them. "I just found you two again and I'm not going to lose you."

"Found... again...?" the two girl muttered almost in unison until they picked up on the voice and couldn't believe it. "... Billy?!"

That was the last thing that they said before they felt their molecules being transported from one place to another.

* * *

In the Azure Castle, Ahriman sat on his throne, the scratch left by the White Ranger already healed but not forgotten. He was definitely intrigued by the potential of that young man.

Nemesis was now in the throne room on her knees, still aching not just from Ahriman's earlier punishment, but also from her battle with the White Ranger. "My Lord, I know I made a mistake in not calling you and before that what I did was unacceptable... but I ask you that you allow me to lead the hunt against the White Ranger. I will fight him and I will..."

"Denied."

Nemesis looked up in surprise. "But... why?!"

"Because you'd slaughter him the first moment you got a chance at victory," Ahriman answered her. "That White Ranger has great potential... but he's been poisoned by my father's ghost...however insane that may be... but it is the only explanation for this Ranger's appearance."

"I... don't understand."

"Somehow my father has decided to torment me from beyond the grave. When I set him free and put his soul to rest I thought he'd go to the Aftertime, and then hopefully to Parmecia..." Ahriman growled. "Instead he's found a way to bring forth a part of his legacy. He's already selected one and those two girls I am certain will soon make three. So now we will have three very potentially dangerous enemies to worry about... and it's all thanks to your incompetence that this situation has even occurred."

Nemesis didn't even speak. She just kept her head lowered.

"I see you've attempted to master keeping your tongue from hissing when there is no need for it," Ahriman said, amused. "As of now you are to continue as you have been... except for these changes. One, you will not engage the White Ranger or any other Rangers with him unless I have given you authorization. Two, you will keep your eyes open at all times for any of the remaining 'certain humans' on file that I gave to you. Memorize them and bring them to me discreetly and unharmed. Failure in this case this time will result in your unmaking... have I made myself clear?"

"... ... ... Crystal, my Lord," Nemesis muttered.

"Now get out of my sight," Ahriman ordered, and she obeyed.  When she was gone, he let out a sigh. "Well, at least it was not a total loss." A smile formed on his face. "After all, I did manage to obtain the best of the entire group. Without Jason, I'd say that you'll have something of a hard time organizing your team, Father..." The smile dropped from his face. "But I swear, whether you act against me as a ghost or as something else, if you can hear me, know that I will do everything in my power to prevent your Legacy from ever being fully realized." He pulled out his sword and sliced his palm open slightly. "I swear, upon my own blood."

* * *

In the Power Chamber, Billy didn't have any time to really explain anything to the girls, who almost resisted his help until he tore his helmet off to show them that it really was him. He had them get onto medical beds and told them to stay there as it would be best to lie down in comfort, not to aggravate their injuries. When Billy saw the readouts, he knew they were dying but he was disturbed by how Trini had been injured. "You tried to kill yourself? Why?"

"I didn't... want to be tortured... in war ... committing sepukku is not a sin..." Trini rasped.

"So that's what committing suicide is in Japanese..." Kim breathed out, her own injuries were very severe internally but she had a few hours more to live. Trini had less than one.

"I can't lose you two now." Billy shook his head.

"Billy... it's okay... at least... you're giving me an honorable death..." Trini said, happy that if she was going to die, it would be with friends and in peace.

"Um... excuse me, but I don't think either if you has to die if you don't want to." Alpha spoke up from behind Billy. When the girls saw him, they were too weak to let out any kind of cry. Instead they were just surprised.

"What... is that?" Kim asked.

"His name is Alpha, and it's a long story but... Alpha, what do you mean they don't have to die if they don't want to?" Billy wanted to know.

"The Pink Proto Chamber is ready now and the Yellow Proto Chamber will be ready within the hour. Your friends can use them like you did to survive," Alpha explained.

"What? Survive?" Trini asked.

"Nemesis had her gauntlet going right through my body when she attacked me. I fell into a cavern a long way down until I hit bottom. I was going to die, but Alpha found me, put me in the White Proto Chamber and Zordon explained to me about Ahriman, how he's the true evil behind everything that's happened to our world," Billy told them. "But I can tell you the history of things after we help you, if you want to."

"What do you mean if we want to?" Kim questioned.

"There's a price tag to this. The Proto Chambers can save your life...but they are meant for transforming humans into Power Rangers and I'm now one of them. Once used, they can't be used again until the person who used it has either died or can find a way to transfer it to someone else. If you accept, then you're going to have to work with me, train and prepare for the battle that must come... fighting Ahriman," Billy explained. "And he's much more powerful than Nemesis. Zordon gave me this same speech... so I'm now giving it to you."

"... There isn't a question about it in my mind," Trini spoke without hesitation. "I accept."

"Alpha?" Billy motioned.

"Right." Alpha nodded as he went to the medical bed Trini was on and had it go into hover mode so that he could move it to the Proto Chamber without disturbing her. Billy did the same with Kim to bring her closer and be ready for her turn. When they were at the chambers, Alpha opened up the Pink one while Billy picked Trini up into his arms and laid her down gently inside.

"See you soon," Billy said to her.

"Likewise..." Trini rasped as he closed the chamber door. Billy looked at her form through the chamber window before Alpha activated it and then all that Billy could see was pink energy swirling all around.

"I hope it's not too late..." Billy muttered.

"...When did you lose your glasses?" he heard Kimberly say from behind him. When he turned around she also asked, "And you look... taller..."

Billy's face reddened a bit at the comments. "Side effect of the chamber. Enhances physical characteristics of the person that ends up inside of the chamber."

"So like, I could end up taller and with a better body?" Kim scoffed. "Yeah, right. Day that happens will be the day I'm like a girl in the model mags."

"We'll see," Billy said, amused but quickly sobering. "... I didn't think... when I saw the two of you lying on the ground before I thought..."

"It's okay... we thought the same thing about you and the other guys... you see them at all?" Billy shook his head. "Then we can only hope they got as lucky as you did."

An hour later, Trini was still in her chamber but the Yellow one was completed. Billy put Kimberly inside, sealed it up and had it activated. Yet as he saw the only two friends he had left in this world who he knew were still alive, he kept thinking about what Kim said and about his own feelings.

He could only pray that wherever they were, Jason and Zack were all right.

* * *

Zack Taylor was running as best as he could to escape the Evi-sevs that he knew were hunting him down. He had the data left from the mission and no matter how bad his condition was, he had to get it to the commander.

Unfortunately for him, the Evi-sevs were relentless. They didn't seem to tire as he did and when human beings tire out, they make mistakes.

Like the one he had just made, getting him trapped in a bog like swamp. Behind him were a set of trees and in front of him, blocking the only way out, were the Evi-sevs, all of which were drooling from the mouth and salivating at the prospect of tearing him to pieces and eating him alive.

_Well... guess this is the end,_ Zack mused as he waited. He saw one of the Evi-sevs decide to be first. It ran at him full speed, jumped at him with its mouth open, its many sharp teeth exposed...only to fall dead to the ground with a short sword through its skull.

"What the...?" Zack blinked, looking around to find who it was who had saved his hide. The Evi-sevs were also looking for whoever it had been so that they could have something else to kill.

A rustle from the leaves to the west was all it took for the Evi-sevs to pounce in that direction. Unfortunately it was a setup as they found only a few squirrels there. Before half of them could even turn around, they were cut down by a torrent of attacks. It was then that Zack could truly see his saviors.

"Ninjas?" Zack muttered in disbelief. Only in the kung-fu movies he had watched as a kid had he ever seen them. They were all dressed in black, the only difference between them being a ribbon of extra color around them. Red, blue or yellow. Red ones seemed to actually fly in the air, the ones with blue seemed to use attacks that involved water, while the ones in yellow actually seemed to go sinking into the ground and then come up from behind in surprise attacks.

The Evi-sevs had been able to deal with standard soldiers and resistance fighters before, but never had they ever fought against fighters as skilled or as crafty as ninjas before. Within a few minutes all of the Evi-sevs were dead, and other than the ninjas, Zack was the only living being around. He saw two of them approach him and knowing how well they took out the Evi-sevs, began wondering just what exactly they planned on doing to him.

"What are we going to do with him?" one of the red striped ninja's asked.

"Those monsters are getting more vicious. He nearly led them to our home. We should eliminate the threat," one of the yellows said pulling out a kunai blade.

His hand was held back by one of the blues, a female one at that. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "We are ninjas. Not cowards. We don't sink to the level of our enemies."

"But the safety of the academy..." the one that been ready to strike Zack started to say but the female ninja fixed a glare on him.

"We need to know more about what's going on with these things. Take one of the creature's corpses back with us for analysis. The stranger we take alive and unharmed. We need to work with other people who fight against this evil," she said.

"Sensei might not share your viewpoint," the red one spoke.

"We'll find out, won't we? In either case we can't let him go without questioning him, now can we?" the female ninja pointed out, a fact that both agreed with. "He comes with us. I'll prepare him for the trip. Now sound the order to return to the Academy before we are detected."

"Yes, my lady." They both bowed before sounding the order. Zack walked up to the woman. "Hey thanks for..." To his surprise she spun around and a rope wrapped around his arms, tying them together while she held the other end. "Hey!"

"This is just so you don't go anywhere," she said as she pulled out a blindfold. "And I'm not going to have you jeopardize our location to anyone, which is why you are going to wear this."

"Hey, don't I get any say in this?!" Zack snapped.

"If you want to live, you are going to behave, do as you're told and answer our questions. Once we determine if you are with the enemy or not we can figure out what happens to you next. We didn't survive the last three years by being fools."

"Can't I even get a name?" Zack asked before she put the blindfold on him.

"No," she answered as she saw the ninjas now on the move. She turned to the one who had been ready to silence Zack. "Take him back to the Academy, and if I find that he isn't there and in one piece know that your life will be forfeit."

Though he thought this was a bad idea, he knew the law and would do nothing to Zack. Without another word, he left with Zack, who felt himself being dragged into the unknown.

His only thoughts were of his friends, hoping that they were still alive... and if they weren't, he hoped they were at peace.

Wherever they were.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another plane of existence, Trini Kwan was only now beginning to stir awake. She wondered where exactly she was now but as she looked around all she could see was a great big nothingness. She felt like she was floating in midair, surrounded by a warm pink glow. After all these years it felt like something given to her straight from heaven.

Before she could even think of anything else, she saw a being in front of her. A large pink praying mantis with keen yellow eyes that were looking right at her, as if to stare into her soul. As Trini looked into the strange mantis's eyes, she could feel a kinship between her and the being. As if it was a part of her.

As if hearing that, the mantis came towards her, becoming ethereal and joining to her body, her spirit. At first she could have resisted, but she didn't, because the moment the spirit made contact with her, she knew that they were meant to be together and that all would be right.

And then light shone forth through her eyes, bringing her back to the world of the living.

* * *

"Billy! Billy, wake up!"

"I am up, Alpha," Billy groaned from the chair he had put himself in, sitting right in front of the Proto Chambers. He couldn't sleep at all, not with his friends in their condition, and yet he had halfway fallen asleep due to fatigue. Morphing twice and fighting morphed had drained him, but his friends were always on his mind.

"Billy, look!" Alpha cried.

Billy did and saw the Pink Proto Chamber opening up now, and watched Trini as she came out of the chamber on her own.

What came out was not exactly Trini. Instead the woman who came out of the chamber looked like a statuesque goddess in Pink Ranger armor, ready to do battle with the forces of evil. Her suit was made of the same material that Billy's had been, only instead of being in white, she was in bright pink. At her side was a pink colored blaster in a pink colored holster. There was a belt around her waist with the same silver colored device Billy had, only the coin in hers had a pterodactyl symbol on it. In the chest piece, there was a golden coin with a Mantis emblem on it, located in the center of the suit's white chest diamond. Her chest plate was molded to reflect her female gender. On her back were two side-by-side white diamonds. Her helmet was entirely pink colored except for the bottom half, which was white, and was shaped to represent the pterodactyl.

"Billy..." the Pink Ranger spoke, her voice sounding strong and like an angel's.

"Trini... Trini, you're alright!" Billy exclaimed as he immediately hugged her tightly, glad to have her back to normal health. _Well, beyond normal health in this case._

"Billy, the pain's all gone. It's incredible! How could..." Trini stopped speaking as she looked at her childhood friend through her helmet. "... Billy... what happened to you?"

"I've gone through some changes," Billy said with a sly smile. "Just like you have."

"What?" Trini asked, not understanding until she realized that she was now wearing something that she had never seen before. When she caught sight of her reflection in the wall, she let out a gasp. "Oh my... oh my goodness..."

"The Proto Chambers enhance physical attributes of the one who goes through the process," Billy replied. "It's why I look as I do now and why I have perfect vision."

"What?" Trini gasped.

"That's right. I don't need glasses any more," Billy smirked. He smiled wider as he looked at Trini, still looking at herself in awe. "How does it feel?"

"Like nothing I've ever experienced before," Trini breathed. "My entire body feels like there's energy running through it. It's just... incredible. Absolutely incredible."

"I know." Billy nodded. "That's how I felt when I first morphed."

"So," Trini said. "I know I have a lot of questions to ask, but first on my mind is this: who was the guy who looked like he was Nemesis's boss?"

Billy's eyes narrowed at that. "His name is Ahriman, and he is the real enemy, Trini."

* * *

As Billy began to explain to Trini all that he knew about Ahriman, Kimberly was also in a dream state, as the two of them had been, only her surroundings were all yellow. She felt, oddly enough, at peace in this place. She felt as if she was flying in air.

As she was doing this, she soon came face to face with a yellow crane with pink tipped tail feathers and eyes. When they saw each other, Kimberly felt a connection between the crane and herself. As if this bird was meant to exist as a part of her.

As had happened with her friends, the Crane spirit joined with Kim, she felt a sense of goodness and completeness with the joining and felt that things would become better. That was all she had a chance to think before her world was engulfed by blinding yellow light.

* * *

"That monster..." Trini hissed.

"I know." Billy nodded, his own disgust for Ahriman very apparent. "He has to be stopped, Trini. That monster needs to be stopped before another soul is..."

"Oh my head... I feel like I got run over by something very large..." a familiar groaned aloud.

"Kim?!" Billy and Trini cried in unison as they turned around to see the Yellow Proto Chamber had opened up and now a yellow armor-clad figure was getting out of it. Billy and Trini just stared at her in disbelief for a while when they got a really good look at her. Trini took off her helmet just to make sure her helmet wasn't affecting her vision in this case. It wasn't. "Kim?"

"Trini! Thank God, you're alive! It really did work then! I mean I feel so charged and..."

"Kim... look at yourself in the mirror," Trini told her best friend.

Kimberly turned to face the wall on her right to look at herself... and couldn't believe it. "... oh my goodness..."

She had been petite and small, standing around 5'2" or 5'3". That wasn't the case now. She looked like she had been transformed into the goddess Aphrodite and Artemis rolled into one. She was standing at least 5'7" now but she didn't feel any different. Her body had changed, giving her more mass as far as the build of her body but it didn't make her look grotesque, rather it made her all that more attractive, even if she was barely being covered by her lemon yellow armor. Like the others, it was made of plastic looking material that wasn't really plastic. At her side was a yellow colored blaster in a yellow colored holster. The coin in the belt around her waist had a saber-tooth tiger symbol on it. In the chest piece, there was a golden coin with a Crane emblem on it, located in the center of the suit's white chest diamond. Her helmet was entirely yellow colored and was shaped to represent a saber-tooth tiger.

Billy was left gaping at the sight of the new Kim, unable to fathom how a huge physical change occurred for her while he and Trini had slight to modest enhancements thanks to the Proto Chamber.

Slowly, Kim took off her helmet and after putting it on a table, ran her hands over her upper body, as if to feel this was real. "No... way..."

"And to think you were only joking before about becoming one of those magazine cover girls," Billy mouthed, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Trini.

"Not very tactful," Trini replied.

"No, Trini, it's okay," Kim muttered, still in disbelief over her change, "I guess the old saying is true."

"Which one?" Trini asked.

"'Be careful what you wish for,'" Kimberly said with a sly smirk. Everyone shared a laugh at that, even Alpha. The two girls ended up demorphing after being told how to by Billy, and found their bodies were still the same, regardless of them being morphed or not. Kimberly took a walk back and forth the length of the chamber to see if her walking had been impaired at all and found that even though she had grown several inches, it was as if she had naturally grown to this height. "This is a lot to absorb and I mean a lot." A smile was still on her lips. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy this though."

"I think we should get you changed though," Billy suggested, noting the condition of their clothing. "I don't think you want to stay in those torn clothes."

"Like what?" Kim asked.

"Follow me and you can look for yourself," Alpha said to the girls. Trini walked while Kim was right on his heels. A chance to get to chose her clothes made her feel a bit nostalgic about the good old days, something that Trini and Billy saw.

A short while later, Billy saw the two girls come back, both dressed in clothes reflecting their Ranger colors. Trini was wearing a pink t-shirt and blue jeans while Kim was in a yellow windbreaker outfit.

"Took some time to shop?" Billy quipped to Kim.

"Well, that too, but Trini filled me in on what you told her about Ahriman," Kim said softly, but noticed the anger in Billy's eyes when his name was said. "Billy, I know he's the bad guy now but you can't get pissed off whenever someone says his name."

"I know, I know..." Billy shook his head, he was still trying to sort through his emotions regarding the whole thing. "I hate what he's done, to us, to our world."

"But why did he do it?" Kimberly asked.

"Does it matter? He's evil, Kimberly," Billy replied. "Haven't you seen enough proof of that?"

"Maybe he's evil, but it sure as hell matters to me to find out why he did what he did," Kim returned, her own glare as fierce as Billy's. "Billy, only psychopaths do something without a goal or reason in mind. Nemesis is a psycho, Ahriman isn't."

"She's right, Billy. Ahriman doesn't strike me as a 'search and destroy' type." Trini supported her friend's belief. "If he really is the main evil here, then he must have some grand scheme involved. One we aren't even seeing yet."

"But what?" Billy wondered. "What could he possibly be plotting?"

"In any event, I doubt it's something the three of you will find the answer to tonight," Alpha piped up. "I think you should all get some rest. There are sleeping quarters for you all here in the Power Chamber."

"Really?" Kimberly asked. "With nice soft beds?"

"Absolutely."

"... Oh I just know I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight!" Kimberly squealed at the thought of sleeping in a nice comfortable bed for a night.

"Get used to it, cause this is going to be our home now." Billy smiled grimly, getting both girls' attention. "We can't go back to the Resistance now, if ever. We've probably been assumed to be dead, and it might be better for us to stay that way. If we go back then Ahriman or Nemesis will spot us for sure."

"And more resistance fighters will die because of it." Trini nodded. "Are we really the only ones who have a real chance at stopping monsters like Nemesis?"

"No. There will be four more to help us in our fight, once the remaining Proto Chambers have finished completing themselves," Billy replied. "In the meantime we should train with our new abilities and work to get this place fully operational."

"Yeah well, that's all well and good, but Billy this is has been one longggggggg day." Kimberly yawned, raising her hand over her mouth. "And I know that's an understatement, but we should all go and get some sleep and start in the morning because we aren't any good as we are now."

Billy and Trini agreed, as they too felt tired, Billy the most out of the three of them. They decided to go to the quarters that Alpha had prepared for them. It wasn't unlike the quarters they had in the Resistance. The rooms were the same width and height, the only difference was each one of them had a room to themselves here while back at the resistance they had to share one with four other men or women.

They felt almost like they were being pampered in some ways but they also knew that with great powers came great responsibilities. They had a duty to stop Ahriman and try to restore order back to their world.

As they went to sleep, they could only wonder about their lost friends, and hope for the best.

_Zack, Jason, where ever you are, I can only wish you were enjoying a bed as soft as the one I am in now,_ Kimberly smiled, _God be with you both._

* * *

For Zack, it felt like he had been walking for hours. His feet felt like they were going to fall off. Finally, he felt his 'rescuers' stop and he too stopped moving. It was then he felt someone take off his blindfold.

What he saw blew his mind.

It was morning, the sun rising in the sky but not far away he could see a large Oriental-style temple. On the ground were poles and from those poles hung flags with various symbols on them. As far he could see, he saw ninjas, male and female, training, going through katas and other maneuvers.

But to further his shock, he also saw besides the adult ninjas, who wore hoods and masks over their faces, there were younger children, wearing only black gis and being taught not only how to fight... but it also looked like they were being taught a lesson in history.

"This is... this is unreal..." Zack muttered in awe of everything he saw. It was then that he saw someone approaching him. The same female ninja who had been the one to save his life, and with her one of the red ninja's.

"Now you will follow us," the female said as she led Zack forward into the Academy with her companion right beside her.

It wasn't long until he was brought into the temple and walked through the main halls. He couldn't help but feel dread for a moment, as if he would be tested or put through some sort of interrogation.

Finally, they brought him into a single room at the end of the hall. It was there that Zack saw a middle-aged Oriental man wearing a white and grey gi and a black cap over his head. He noticed that the two ninjas were now bowing before him. _Must be the Master Ninja of this place... so now what happens?_

"This is the young man we found with the alien beasts near one of the outer markers, Sensei," the red ninja reported.

"So I can see," the Ninja Master replied, looking into Zack's eyes as Zack felt as if he was trying to see into his soul. "And are you aligned with the ones who have attacked our planet?"

"Absolutely not!" Zack said flat out, irate that another human would actually think he would be on the alien's side. He looked at the man in front of him, wondering what his next move would be.

To his and the two ninja's surprise, he removed Zack's restraints. "Sensei! What are you..." the red ninja snapped.

"This young man is of no danger to us or the academy. If he was with the aliens I would have seen the lie clear in his eyes," Sensei returned. "You, Kai, still act too much like a soldier. Your father's militarist upbringing does help you in some situations. Judgment of character is not one of them." He turned to the female ninja and smiled. "I assume that this young man has you to thank for his life, doesn't he, Cassandra?"

"Hai, Uncle." The female ninja bowed.

"Uncle?" Zack muttered as he saw the female ninja, Cassandra, take off her mask. The face he saw was that of Asian decent, and she was absolutely beautiful. Her hair was tied up by a band that she was now taking off, and Zack could see that it was long, to her waist in fact. It was almost impossible to see a woman with long hair these days. Everyone in the resistance was ordered to have their hair cut short, just so it wouldn't become a hindrance when out on a mission. The red ninja also took off his mask and Zack saw that he was also of Asian origin and had short black hair. The two took their places beside the ninja master.

"I believe introductions are in order," The Ninja Master surmised. "I am Kanoi Chin, ninth generation Ninja Master. This is my niece Cassandra 'Cassie' Chan and my nephew Kai Chen."

"I'm Zack Taylor and in case I haven't said it already, thanks for saving my life from those Evi-sevs."

"Well then, Zachary, allow me to welcome you to the Wind Ninja Academy," Kanoi replied, "I have a feeling we have much to talk about."

* * *

The first thing Jason Lee Scott did when he came to was immediately go into a defensive position, getting up to his feet and looking around for anyone and anything, expecting himself to be an enemy cell.

He would have never even considered in his wildest dreams that he would be standing on a king size bed, which was in a rather well furnished, luxurious, and plush room. Nor did he expect to find himself out of his gear and dressed in a clean dark red t-shirt and blue jeans. A black leather jacket was lying on a chair, reminding Jason of the jacket he once wore before his life turned to hell.

As he took a look around, he saw a table with food, real food, on it. He knew it was real food and not the rations or makeshift stuff he had eaten for the last few years because on the table were apples, pears, grapes, bread, cheese, orange juice, milk, water.

All of this was just too much for him to take as he plopped back onto the bed. "Dear God in heaven? Am I dreaming all of this, or am I dead and in heaven?"

"Neither. It's reality."

Jason sat up on the bed and looked at the open doorway to see what was the most incredible sight he had seen in a long time. A very stunning woman, dressed in a purple top and black shorts with black pumps. Her hair was purple, curly and down to her shoulders, and her blue eyes showed kindness. Suddenly, he realized something about her. "You! I know you! You came right before I blacked out, thanks to Nemesis..." He trailed off, remembering that monster, remembering what she did to his friends.

The sadness and anger was present on his face, as the girl could see it. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have done more to help..."

"Just who are you?" Jason asked her flat out. "Who are you? Where do you come from? How could you stand up to an ugly creature like Nemesis and..."

"Look so human?" she asked.

"I was going to say look like angel," Jason returned, which brought some color to the girl's cheeks. "But yeah, that too."

"My name is Astronema. I am human, but if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not from your world," she began. "There's much you don't know. There are many forces in the universe. There are those that want to conquer, and there are those that are trying to do what they can to save lives."

"What do you mean by that?" Jason questioned.

"Follow me outside, Jason and I'll show you," Astronema responded as she walked out of the door.

Jason stared after her form for a bit before deciding to follow her. As he walked with her, he learned that he was in a rather large and nice house. "Is this yours?" he asked her.

"Not exactly. It's more like a guest home, where we have our guests rest before bringing them out here," Astronema answered.

"And where is here?" Jason asked as they walked out the front door...

And that's when he saw it. "It... can't be..." Jason muttered in absolute shock and disbelief as he saw children, actual children, playing in the streets, laughing and running around enjoying themselves. As he continued to look around, he saw that they were in a city, one that looked like a major city like LA but had open countryside and was like a suburban neighborhood. The air was clean and there was no smog. No sign of pain or fear in the people who he saw on the street.

"Most of the children you see here are orphans," Astronema told him, "Those that lost their parents in the initial assault and were found on Earth hiding in ruins." A ball rolled over to her and she picked up, giving it back to the children, a pleasant smile on her face. "Don't lose sight of this, okay?"

"Okay, Asty! Thanks!" the child who she gave the ball back to chirped as he went back to play with his friends. All the while Jason just looked at this young woman, and though he knew she couldn't have been from Earth, there was just no way she could be anything like Nemesis. They were totally different.

"Would you like to see more of this city?" she asked him. All Jason could do was nod as Astronema walked him through this city, which years ago wouldn't have seemed strange to him at all. But now with the condition that the world was in, there wasn't a 'normal' city anywhere on Earth.

_This is all too weird._ Jason shook his head, looking at how normal humans were enjoying life. _It looks just like how Angel Grove or any other city was before the Day of Darkness... but how can this be possible?_ After a while, he turned to face Astronema and asked her, "Just where are we?"

"We are still in your solar system," Astronema said with a slight smirk. "Just not on Earth anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jason asked as they walked into a park. All Astronema did was point upward. Jason looked up and saw three things. The sky, the sun, and... "What the?!"

In place of where the moon should have been, he saw a blue globe in the sky. A blue globe he knew to be his world -- Earth.

"Now look forward," Astronema said.

Jason did so and when he did, he saw a very familiar monument. One that he had only seen in pictures from textbooks. The monument erected by Neal Armstrong of Apollo 11.

 "... We can't... we can't possibly be..." Jason muttered in disbelief.

"We are. This is your moon, which we have been able to terraform quite a bit these last few years," Astronema said. "We've even created a breathable atmosphere and have cloaked ourselves from sight. Unless you're inside the atmosphere, this moon looks like a big hunk of rock."

Jason felt weak in his knees, falling back against a tree, in disbelief that there could actually be trees grown on the moon. _This... this is crazy... just... just what is... how did I..._

 "Jason?" It was a different voice.

_It... it's not possible... it can't be..._ Jason shook his head, his body totally frozen in disbelief. He wanted not to look, but he couldn't, and he turned to face the source.

The source happened to be a girl his own age with black hair who looked similar to himself. She was someone whom Jason thought was dead... "... Justine?"

"Jason!" Justine screamed as she ran and embraced him. "I thought... I thought you were..."

"I know... I couldn't feel you at all. I thought you were dead, little sister," Jason cried.

"I'm not that little. I was only born a minute after you were." Justine shook her head at her twin brother.

Jason didn't bother with a quip, he just held his twin tightly. For the last three years there had been a hole in his soul, though he had never let anyone know it. He felt incomplete without his twin, without knowing if she was really dead or alive. To him it was worse than knowing that she was dead. He put all of his anger and grief into fighting the enemy, to make him forget about the pain, and it worked, mostly. But there would be nights where he would wake up in a sweat, missing his twin sister, missing the connection that they had and her presence.

And now as if by a miracle, his twin had been restored to him. After a tearful embrace, Jason looked into her eyes, looked at her all over. "You've grown a lot."

"So have you," Justine cried, tears still coming down her face.

"How..." Jason desperately asked. "Just please tell me how all of this is possible?"

"If you are looking for answers maybe I can help," a voice spoke out.

Jason turned around and what he saw would change him forever as he saw a man with long green hair and wearing a blue-black leather duster, black pants and a blue shirt walk over to him. The crimson eyes that looked at him seemed for a moment about to burn right through him, but instead were looking serenely at him.

"Jason Lee Scott, I have been looking for you for quite some time," the young man said to Jason kindly. "Welcome to the city of Galatea."

"How... how do you know who I am?" Jason asked.

"My name is Ahriman," he said, with a kind smile on his face. "And I have come to show you the future."

To Be Continued...