Metamorphosis - Jason Scott

2

Jason Scott was ecstatic. The team had defeated Rita Repulsa only a month before, and school had resumed only a day ago. Meaning that he had basically had a month long vacation before Thanksgiving. Today was the first of November, and he was pretty pleased that he only had a few weeks before Thanksgiving break... Which meant more time away from school. Oh, how his senior year was progressing. It had started pretty bad, but now he couldn't be happier. 

He had gotten out of school only fifteen minutes ago, and was in his truck, his thumbs tapping against the steering wheel as he sang along with the radio. 

Admittedly, Jason wasn't the best at singing, but he still loved to yell/scream along with his music. It was cathartic, really, and it made him feel so much better after he did. 

The team was supposed to meet at the mines at 3:30, and while he might be a touch tardy, he knew they wouldn't mind. 

After the Incident, as the town called it, the five Rangers had become more than a team. They were friends, and it seemed like they were pretty damn close to calling each other family, too. 

They spent their days going on hikes, training, sleeping over at each other's houses, and going to little bonfires together. They told each other their deepest secrets. Their aspirations, their fears... Everything. 

Nothing could separate them. 

Jason grinned absently as he parked his car just outside of the restricted area, in a little copse of trees that would hide the truck. 

The teen shouldered his backpack, stepped out of the truck, and slammed the door, before jogging in through a hole in the fence, and towards the cliff. 

When he got there about ten minutes later, he wasn't surprised to see the rest of his team already waiting. 

"Dude, you're late!" Zack grinned at his friend and spread his arms out wide. The others had varying degrees of smiles. Billy was next to Zack, his hands playing with the hem of his shirt, and a silly, carefree smile upon his lips. Trini and Kim were behind the boys, each grinning at Jason before turning and whispering at each other. They giggled, Kim snorted, and all was well. 

The Red Ranger paused a few feet in front of his friends, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I had to fill up the tank before I could get here."

Zack came closer and clapped his friend on the shoulder, "No big, bro. Now let's go! Z wanted us to do some more training today I think."

The others whooped, and without further ado, the girls, hand in hand, dashed to the edge of the cliff and jumped. Everyone was laughing. Everyone was happy. Life couldn't get better.

Zack followed close after, giving the other two a grin and a wink, before doing a flip off the edge.

Billy smiled, "I guess I should join them, huh?" And with that, he was gone too. 

Jason stretched, and rearranged his hold on the backpack, before glancing around him one last time. In the distance, on the ridge perpendicular to theirs, there was a flash of light, like metal glinting against the sun. He didn't think that anything was up there, unless the mining operation was expanding. 

He put his thoughts aside, and without further ado, he jumped. The wind caressed his cheeks and blew through his hair, and his form twisted into that of a dive. The water met him like a warm (cold) embrace, and he shot through the water. He propelled himself once with one stroke of his arms, and with that, he was out the other side, unceremoniously dropping to the ground. 

Luckily, he landed on his side, and as everyone else laughed, Kim jogged over and tugged him upright, "Smooth, Jas," she trilled, and Trini gave him a warm smile and a snicker from behind her friend. 

The group laughed and chuckled, before ambling on to the ship. 

Jason led the way, and the group soon came to a stop in front of Zordon, who was having a seemingly serious conversation with Alpha 5. That couldn't be good. 

"Another.... Ranger... Coin has.... The threat..." The quiet conversation stuttered to a halt as soon as Zordon took notice of the teens. 

"Ah, Rangers," he announced, which immediately shut Alpha 5 up. 

The air had turned cold, and the five had become wary. They all greeted their mentor despite the tense atmosphere.

"It's good to see you all," Zordon continued. "Unfortunately, we have news."

Jason could feel his heart stop, and his hands seemed to get clammy. He squeezed his hands into fists for a moment, before focusing on the sentient wall. 

"There is a new threat. And his name is... Lord Zedd. With this new adversary, there is a shard of hope." The teens held their breath. Jason looked over, and Billy was next to him, fingers twitching. The Red Ranger's lips thinned, and he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Billy seemed to melt instantly. His fingers stopped twitching, and his shoulders relaxed. He gave his best friend a thankful closed lip smile. 

"A new ranger will be found," Zordon continued. "I don't know who it will be, but I know that it will be soon. You have to find this individual, and help them into the fold."

"How do you know?" Kim spoke up. Her hands were clenched into fists, and her eyebrows were furrowed. She didn't understand how their mentor could know something that had yet to happen. 

"I feel it in the air," Zordon intoned. "It's like electricity. This feeling only ever occurs just before a ranger discovers their coin. Alpha 5 could feel it just before you found your own power coins." 

A pensive silence ensued, and Jason worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "How do we find them? The new ranger?" 

"Good question!" Alpha 5 spoke up. "Our best guess is that the coin will be close by. Within a few kilometers of our current location." His metal arms spread excitedly. "Look for people with abilities like yours! Every new ranger experiences a burst of strength, so look for people with sudden abilities. People who can do odd things." 

Zordon took over, "Thank you, Alpha. Another thing you can look out for is... a pull, if you will. Rangers are connected to each other. It's how you all met. Almost like fate, like some sort of magnetic pull. Your coins are attracted to each other, so the best advice I can give is to follow your intuition." His voice turned quiet. "Lastly, keep no stone un-turned. If we are to defeat Zedd, then we will need this new ranger. So it is imperative that you find them. When you locate the ranger, bring them to me and I will explain who this new enemy is. Until then, you are dismissed." 

There was an air of finality, and Jason fingered his own red coin in his pocket. 

The group began to disperse, until it was just Zordon and Alpha again. 

"Do you think they'll find the ranger?" Alpha 5 spoke up. 

"They must. I cannot afford to think otherwise."