Once a ranger always a ranger

Chapter 60 Ariel runs away & the meeting

I started to back away from Jason and the others. "I didn't even want to come back to Angel Grove! I trusted you! You said everything would be fine but it's not! What kind of leader gives up on someone the minute things get hard?!" I shouted. Before Jason could say anything in response to what I just said, I turned around and ran away. "Man, I feel so bad for her." Jason said. "Don't be. You made the right decision." John said. I ran as fast as my legs would allow me to go. I ran all the way back to the college. When I reached the college I slowed down to a walk. I think I lost them. I decided to go back to my dorm room. I don't want to talk to anyone right now. John decided to come after me after a few minutes. He knew exactly where I would go. He came to the college and knocked on my dorm room door. "Ariel, are you in there?" John asked. I opened my dorm room door. "John." I said. "Hey babe. Come on." John said. "You shouldn't have come after me." I said. "Of course I came after you. I care about you. I'm still a hero, just like you." John said. "I'm no hero." I said as I walked back over to my bed and lied down. "I used to think I was a hero, but it turns out, I'm just scared." I said. "So, who cares if you're scared. Heroes get scared all the time, including the power rangers." John said. I sat up. "They do?" I asked. "Of course they do. But eventhough they're scared, they push through and keep going. That's what makes them heroes." John said. Then his communicator went off. "John, did you find her?" Jason asked. "Yeah, I did." John said. "We're going to have a meeting. I think she needs to hear what I have to say." Jason said. "Would she even want to?" John asked. "Uh, John, you know I'm sitting right here, and I can hear everything, right?" I asked. "Oh right, sorry." John said. "So, you guys are going to have a meeting?" I asked. "Yeah, I think you should come to the meeting." John said. "Alright, fine." I said. We went back to where everyone was. When we walked in Jason was talking to them. "The important thing here is that you guys are alright, and that we learned something." Jason said. "What it's like having our butts kicked?" Kaitlyn said. "It's my fault, sorry guys. If I hadn't frozen up this wouldn't have happened." I said. Jason turned to face me. "I was starting to wonder when you would show up." Jason said. Then he turned to face the others. "And to answer your question Kaitlyn, no. That's going to take a lot more than what we have to defeat them." Jason said. "More? Like what?" Kira asked. "I don't know Kira. That's what we need to figure out." Jason said. Meanwhile in Mesagog's island fortress he noticed that there were evil rangers now. "Evil power rangers. The irony of that is almost too good to be true." Mesagog said. "Where did they come from my lord?" Elsa said. "An excellent question Elsa. Wait, freeze that picture." Mesagog said. Elsa paused the video. "Kelzaks." Mesagog said. "Who brought them to the party?" Elsa asked. "Lothor." Mesagog answered. "Lothor? He's a fool. A bafoon." Elsa said. "Yes, but one that can prove most useful. Find him and bring him to me." Mesagog said. "Yes my lord." Elsa said before walking out. "Angel Grove is about to get a whole lot more interesting." Mesagog said. Back where we were having the meeting Jason turned back to me. "Why did you freeze up out there?" Jason asked. "I don't know. It was like something inside me was asking if I knew what happened last time and to not fight them because they are rangers, just like us." I said. Then Conner spoke. "Why don't we just use our dinoswords and kick their ninja butts. I don't get it." Conner said. "Yeah, I'm with Conner on this one." Ethan said. "Me too." Kira said. "Look, I was in a situation like this before. They're people who were once good, but something has happened to them. Until we figure that out, we defend ourselves, but we don't destroy them." I said. "What do you mean by you were in a situation like this before?" Trent asked. "When we were rangers in the past, Tommy got captured and turned evil. A villain named Prince Gasket brainwashed him into thinking we were his enemies. We were fighting him, and when we didn't really have an idea about what else we could do. I got an idea. So, I demorphed in front of him. I thought that if he saw the faces of his real friends, he would remember who his true friends were. However, when I told him that I knew he was in there he told me that he has no idea what I'm talking about. Before I could say anything else, he shot me with a lazer pistol." I said. (Flashback: The rangers were fighting Tommy when Ariel got an idea.
Ariel: I've got an idea guys. Zeo six, power down!
John: Ariel, are you sure you know what you're doing?
Ariel: He has to see us. He has to be in front of the faces of his real friends.
After telling Tommy that he's in there.
Ariel: Tommy, I know you're in there.
End of flashback) "Wow. So, what happened after that?" Trent asked. "I got flung back against the forcefield that was around the arena. I was able to stay conscious of about a minute or two. I saw Tommy point his lazer pistol at my other friend, Katherine. I heard her say come back to us and that it's okay. I also saw her grab the lazer pistol and lower it. Tommy then got a slight headache from the brain drain wearing off. Prince Gasket came into the arena and told him to destroy us. He turned to him and said I don't think so Gasket. Then he demorphed. Then he told Prince Gasket that he is his enemy and that he was leaving with us. That was the last thing I heard before blacking out. I was in a coma for a few days after that." I said. (Flashback: Tommy shots Ariel with the lazer pistol and she gets flung back.
Katherine: Come back to us. It's okay.
Prince Gasket: What are you doing? Remember, your the king here. Fight! They are your enemies you fool. Destroy them!
Tommy turns to face Prince Gasket.
Tommy: I don't think so Gasket. Zeo five power down! You're my enemy, and I'm leaving with my friends.
Ariel blacked out and slipped into a coma. End of flashback) "I remember that all too well." Jason said. "Well, yeah, I mean, you were there. So you basically knew what happened that day." I said. "Yeah, and Tommy was actually really scared that you would die. But here we are some years later and you're still here." Jason said. "Yeah. I know." I said. Then I pulled out the amulet that I held onto for the past few years. "I was supposed to give this to Tommy. But now, I will never have the chance to." I said as tears started to form in my eyes. "Ariel, I have something to show you back at the college, but we have to get this mission done first." Jason said. "I know. You guys find out some way to get the ninja storm rangers back to normal, then I'll come and help." I said. "That's a good plan. Nice work Ariel." Jason said. "That sounds a little weird coming from you." I said with a laugh. "Yeah, but you've gotten wiser since the last time we were rangers together." Jason said. "Well, what can I say, when you're a veteran ranger, you have gotten wise beyond your years." I said. Meanwhile in Lother's lair he was talking to three of the ninja storm rangers. "Well, that was quite a sight." Lothor said. "It was brilliant." Shane said. "You truly are a strategic genius." Tori said.