Long Journey Home

Tommy was at his friend’s side in an instant, lifting the dark head into his lap. At this moment, he didn’t care that the person he was cradling might not be Jason, all he could feel was the frantic beating of his heart at the thought that something terrible might have happened to him. Rocky crouched down next to him, reaching for a strong wrist to check for a pulse. His lifeguard training took precedence right now over any other concern. After a few moments, he relaxed.
 
"It’s okay, Tommy; his pulse is strong and regular."
 
"Then why is he unconscious?" The Red Ranger didn’t even try and hide his anxiety as he lifted frightened eyes to his friends.
 
Rocky tried to ease the former Ranger into a more comfortable position, without moving him from Tommy’s hold. He knew better than that.
 
"I dunno; d’you think it might have been another transfer?"
 
Tanya knelt next to the three boys, putting a comforting hand on Tommy’s shoulders.
 
"It might ...."
 
Tommy shook his head. "You’ve seen what happened in the Power Chamber, when Jess appeared; Jase was dizzy for an instant, but he didn’t faint!" Unconsciously, he smoothed a stray lock of short dark hair back into place. The others noticed, but didn’t comment. Before any of the five teens could offer another opinion, their attention waawn awn towards the muscular boy lying between them. A hand came up to rub at a temple, dark eyes fluttered open, and a painful moan caused Tommy to tighten his hold on the broad shoulders.
 
"Easy, bro."
 
"T-tommy?" Jason tried to sit up, but both Rocky and Tommy held him down.
 
The Blue Ranger checked hilse lse once more. "Take it easy, Jay; you just fainted, and before we know why ...." he was interrupted by the deep voice.
 
"I’m not Jay!"
 
The Rangers exchanged worried glances. Who was caught in their friend’s body this time?
 
Tommy felt his heart beat even faster. There was something about the voice, the .... sense....he had about him .... Hardly daring to hope, he assisted the repeated tries to sit up, still supporting the broad shoulders against his own chest. His own voice barely more than a whisper, he asked the question he could read in everybody’s eyes.
 
"Who are you, then?"
 
Jason finally succeeded in sitting straight, but made no effort to get away from his best friend. His own hope and excitement threatened to get the better of him as he twisted around to look into the familiar brown eyes.
 
"I’m Jason ... Jase. Tommy?"
 
"Yeah ...." How to establish the correct identity? A vague idea from the early days of their friendship popped up. Breathless with hope, he asked for something only his ‘own’ Jason could know, since they’d been alone at the time.
 
"What happened when we saw Titanos for the first time?"
 
Instantly comprehending the reason for the query, Jason grinned at his best friend and relaxed. Recalling the incident as if it had been yesterday, he grasped the hand still holding him up and squeezed hard.
 
"I told you that I had the ability to get to the special weapons against the super putties faster than you, but since you were better with a sword than me, I left the Power Sword with you, to cover me. You wouldn’t let me go up that hill unprotected, though, so ..."
 
"... I gave you the Dragon Shield, and distracted Titanos long enough for you to reach the weapons!" Tommy interrupted, a silly grin spreading over his own face.
 
"It is you -- isn’t it?"
 
The others exchanged bewildered glances. None of them knew what the two were talking about; only Rocky and Adam had a vague idea that it referred to the time when Jason had been the Red Ranger and Tommy still held the Green Power.
 
"If by ‘you’ you mean, am I Jase -- ex-Red, ex-Gold Ranger, the one who was caught in a random reality warp six weeks ago, then yes, that’s me." The two laughed breathlessly, still holding on to each other. Suddenly, all the tension of the past few weeks left Tommy in a rush. Not caring in the least what anybody might think, he hugged his best friend close.
 
"Oh, man ...!"
 
Jason hugged right back.
 
"Man, am I glad to see you guys!" His sparkling look included the other Rangers as well, although most of his attention was focussed on Tommy. Suddenly, the Red Ranger grasped the broad shoulders and shook Jason once, hard. His voice choked with relief, he could barely speak.
 
"If you ever do something like that again, I’ll ....." Words failed him. Tommy glared as the others began to laugh, finally understanding that their friend had, indeed, come home.
 
Jason laughed as well, relief evident in his smile. Untangling himself from Tommy’s hold, even though he didn’t really want to, he shot a mock glare of his own at his friend.
 
"Hey, it’s not as if I had a choice, you know!"
 
"Yeah, Tommy -- I don’t think Jase would have lived willingly in a girl’s body for a week, or wanted to be Jay!" Rocky winked at Jason, who smiled somewhat ruefully, but kept his own counsel. The Blue Ranger had no idea ... and he wasn’t ready to talk about his experiences, not yet. Not until he’d gotten used to being back home again, in his own reality, and certainly not until he’d had a long talk with his best friend. Still, there were some things the others needn’t know anyway; things he’d share with Tommy and maybe Zordon, but not with the rest of the gang. Sighing softly, he struggled to his feet, helped along by a solicitous hand from the Red Ranger.
 
"Listen -- could we go to see Zordon? There’s something I have to tell him ..."
 
Tommy got to his feet as well.
 
"Yeah -- we’ll have to get you checked out, to make sure you’re allright."
 
Jason groaned comically.
 
"Don’t tell me I’ve got to have another bioscan!" The others all smirked at him. "Aw, man ...! Anyway, I’ve got to tell Zordon ... guys, if Zordon can confirm this, there’s a chance we might get Billy back!"
 
"What?"
 
"You’re not serious!"
 
"Really?"
 
The chorus of excited voices was all Jason had hoped for, and then some. He laughed again, from sheer relief and happiness at being back where he belonged.
 
"I’d have asked for a full scan anyway..."
 
"Are you sure you’re allright?" Tanya asked, only half-mockingly. They all knew how much he had hated the numerous tests he’d had to undergo while he was losing the Gold Ranger Power.
 
Jason couldn’t stop grinning. "You’re not going to believe this, guys, but during my last stopover, I went to Phaedos and got Ninjetti Powers ..."
 
"What? I thought you couldn’t ever hold Ranger Powers again!" Adam interrupted.
 
"I know; according to Zordon -- the one in that last reality -- the loss of the Gold Power messed up the resonance between my mind and my body. The team focussed the Power through the Zeo Crystal and somehow that restored the ... harmony, I guess. The imbalance was also the reason I got caught in that reality warp in the first place; now thats bes been restored, the next transfer would get me home again. And since that worked, obviously ..." he had to pause for breath. Inhaling deeply, Jason continued in a rush.
 
"Either it’s leaking over from my mind into my body, or maybe it could be duplicated here again, but there’s a good chance I’ll be able to be a Ranger again sometime!"
 
"Oh man, that’s great!" Rocky clapped Jason on the shoulder enthusiastically. The others all agreed. Within moments, breakfast forgotten, the six teens dissolved in a rainbow of colored lights to reassemble at their command post.