Disclaimer: Hasbro/Saban owns the characters within, not I.

Jason surveyed the scene. His movements frantic and defensive. He saw no sign of Tommy anywhere. This troubled him. Also, an issue was his lack of sight on Zedd. Jason got fully to his feet as he looked at the nearby smoke rising from the buildings. The smoke and dust from them would be smothering him if his suit wasn't protecting him.

"Tommy?!" Jason called out into the silence. His fears deepened as he got no response. Jason looked in his hand to see he was clutching the piece of the broken helmet. "Tommy!?"

Still no response from the White Ranger. Jason waved his arms frantically trying to clear the dust from the air in front of him. He began to make out a clearer picture down the street in front of him. It was then he saw movement. A figure approaching him. Jason could tell by the object in his hands it was not the one he wanted to see.

A blast of red energy parted the thick cloudy air in front of Jason as he barely was able to dodge it. He rolled clear and slammed hard into an overturned car. Jason used it to help himself to his feet just as Zedd emerged from the smoke.

"Where's Tommy?" Jason questioned as he got his feet.

"I think you know the answer to that," Zedd replied as he pointed to the broken piece of helmet still in the Red Ranger's grasp. Jason shook his head in disagreement.

"No..." Jason voiced as he let the piece of helmet fall to the ground before he charged Zedd. In his fury, he was not fighting with the mastery he usually held. Zedd was easily blocking and dodging each of his attacks. "You son of a..."

Jason's words were silenced when Zedd's hand clasped around his neck.

"Arrogant... foolish..." Zedd mocked as he lifted the Red Ranger off the ground. "It will be my pleasure to end you."

Zedd cried out in pain as an object sliced into his forearm. He released his grip on Jason and stepped back. Jason's eyes went to Saba laying on the ground between the two of them. He looked in the direction from which it came to see a helmetless Tommy approaching.

"Impossible," Zedd commented as he retrieved his staff from the ground next to him.

"You have no idea," Tommy said as his helmet formed over his head once more. He held his hand out and Saba flew into his grasp. Tommy stepped next to Jason and turned to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Jason responded, still unsure of what to make of what he was seeing. "I thought you were..."

"I did too for a moment," Tommy responded. "This power... it's incredible."

"Apparently," Jason agreed as he turned his attention back to Zedd.

Zedd fired a blast at Tommy that was deflected by Saba. Tommy charged Zedd and hit a kick in his chest. This dislodged his feet and allowed Jason to come in with a punch that rocked him back and nearly off his feet.

Zedd steadied himself with his staff against the blacktop. Tommy attacked once again and Zedd was able to raise his staff to block a downswing from Saba. He used his strength to vault Tommy to the side just as Jason reached him and landed another punch. Then another. And another. The concussive force of the punches was causing nearby debris to shift and raise from the ground.

Tommy got to his feet to see the powerful shots landing and rocking Zedd back into a nearby building. He could tell that Jason was using all of his strength and power to land each shot. Tommy's eyes widened as a piece of the metal armor encasing Zedd's armor cracked and fell to the ground. He ran over to join in the beating.

"If you don't surrender..." Jason said between punches. "I will..."

A searing pain in Jason's midsection caused the breath to catch in his throat, effectively squeezing the words he was about to say back down. He fell back and looked down to see the sharp end of Zedd's staff sticking in the center of his chest. It has pierced his armor and he felt weak in the knees at the sight.

"Jason!" Tommy called out as he watched in horror at the scene in front of him. He saw the Red Ranger go to his knees at the same time Zedd fell back, yanking his staff from Jason's chest and rested on a nearby wall. Tommy reached Jason and fell to his knees next to him. "Talk to me, buddy."

"Tommy," Jason replied as he fought a sudden urge to blackout. Tommy glanced down to see blood dripping to the ground. Tommy quickly pressed his hand to his friend's wound.

"We gotta get you out of here," Tommy said as he snuck a glance Zedd who was still recovering. He looked up at the forcefield around them and cursed. "We can't teleport and the coms won't get through this."

"I know..." Jason replied as he pushed weakly at Tommy's arm. "I'll be fine, just... stop him."

"Jason's you will bleed out, the wound is deep..." Tommy countered.

"I'll heal," Jason stated. Tommy moved his hand slightly from the wound to see if it was indeed healing. Instead, a spurt of blood poured out around his white armored hand. Tommy shook his head.

"I don't know if this will work... but..." Tommy paused as he glanced down at his own chest. He moved a free hand up to the shield that encased his torso. A sudden spark of white energy enveloped it as it disappeared. Within seconds it reappeared on Jason's torso.

Tommy moved back and glanced down at his chest before turning back to Jason.

"What did you do?" Jason asked as he felt a surge of energy course throughout his body. The dizzying fog that had overcome his vision lifted and he felt strong. He glanced down to inspect his wound, only to find it covered with a black and gold shield.

"How do you feel?" Tommy responded with his own question.

"I feel... I'm good," Jason said as he got to his feet. Tommy followed suit. Jason ran a hand down the armor. He gestured from it back to Tommy. "Here, take it back."

Before Tommy could respond a red blast hit him and knocked him to the ground. Jason moved in front of him and took the next one. The new chest armor absorbed it and Jason rushed at Zedd. He tackled his larger opponent and slammed him back into the wall he has just been resting against. Zedd pushed against him, but Jason was able to resist and keep him pinned.

"This only ends with one of us dead..." Zedd stated as his whole body began to glow. Jason looked deep into his visor and he could see for the first time into Zedd's eyes. They were dark... pitch black as if all pupils. It was then Jason truly felt the darkness of his foe's soul and his shook his head.

"I'll die before I let you hurt anyone else," Jason stated. Zedd reached up and grasped his throat once more. Jason this time did not flinch and continued to press Zedd up against the wall.

"You will die," Zedd agreed.

"Jason... move!" Tommy's voice called from behind Jason. Jason broke from Zedd's grip and looked back to see Saba flying at Zedd. The blade entered into his chest and pinned him to the wall. Zedd cried out in agony.

Tommy retrieved Saba from Zedd's chest and stepped back as the villain fell to the ground on his hands and knees. A noise from nearby prompted both Jason and Tommy to turn to it. The watched as a green glow began to overtake the red glow of the forcefield just north of where they were.

"What's that?" Tommy questioned.

"I hope it's good news for a change," Jason replied. He moved over to Tommy. "Here... take back your shield.

"Are you sure?" Tommy questioned.

"I am... I'm okay now," Jason replied. Tommy tentatively reached out and placed his hand over the gold Tiger emblem on the shield. In a flash, it was transferred back to him. He then turned back just as the force field was breached and he saw Kimberly's Zord come flying in first, followed soon by four other Zords.

"Alright," Jason said as he saw the team and smiled. The break in the forcefield prompted the rest of it to start to dematerialize.

"How did they do that?" Tommy questioned. The Zords stopped a few hundred feet from them and their attention focused to a green orb approaching them.

"Rita?" Jason questioned as he made out the former Ranger encased in the glowing energy as she touched the ground in front of them "You did this?"

Rita nodded as she glanced back the towering Zords behind them.

"Thank you," Tommy said with a smile beneath his helmet.

"He has to be stopped," Rita replied. She moved past them to see Zedd moving to get up to his feet.

"So... you betray me again, witch," Zedd sneered as he focused his attention on her.

"I had to," Rita replied.

"Even knowing the consequences?" Zedd questioned.

"Yes," Rita answered, hanging her head slightly. Zedd began to laugh maniacally. "You... think you can destroy me..."

Rita raised her head to face him fully. She didn't respond to his words but raised her staff to prepare to fight. She glanced to her side to see Tommy and Jason on either side of her. The shaking of ground behind her told her that the Zords were close behind.

"I will destroy this whole planet first..." Zedd stated as his body began to glow red. "All of it..."

Rita furrowed her brow as she noticed how dark the skies seemed to be getting around them. What was rest of the red forcefield began to funnel directly down and into Zedd's body as he rose from the ground.

"This is not good," Rita commented as the dark clouds began to cover the sky.

"What is he doing?" Tommy questioned.

"He is going to level this place," Rita responded before she fired a blast from her staff at Zedd. He batted it away and continued to rise into the air.

"How?" Jason asked.

"He is focusing all of his power and drawing it into him for one blast..." Rita clarified. She fired another blast at him to no avail. Tommy and Jason both shot blasts of energy at Zedd from their respective weapons with similar results.

"We can't scratch him," Tommy stated.

"Guys... hit him with all you got," Jason said as he glanced back at the Zords behind them.

"Right," Kim replied as she began to fire blast from her Zord. Soon the rest of the group was all firing in unison. Zedd seemed to be absorbing the energy even as his body began to glow brighter.

"You are willing to die, just to win?!" Rita called up to Zedd. He glanced down at her words.

"You know I am," Zedd replied with a snarl. He raised his staff and soon darkness had enveloped the surrounding city completely.

"We can't let him do this!" Jason called out as he turned to Tommy.

"What can we do?" Tommy questioned in return.

"Jason!" Zordon's voice came over his communicator.

"Zordon!" Jason responded, his voice laden with concern.

"The blast will kill you if you stand that close," Zordon warned.

"We can't just leave and let him destroy everything," Jason countered. "There has to be a way to stop him."

There was a silence from the communicator even as the Rangers and Rita continued to press with their blasts to stop the impending doom.

"There is only one way to absorb it," Zordon finally spoke. "I am teleporting the Zeo Crystal to you."

"But that's what he wants..." Jason responded.

"I know..." Zordon replied. "But it is the only protection you can have from the blast."

"If you time it just right..." Jason began as he glanced up to see Zedd lowering his staff to the earth beneath him. He watched as the energy flowed through it and just as it reached the tip he shouted. "Now!"

In a brilliant and blinding glow of light, the Zeo Crystal appeared on the ground in front of Jason and directly in the path of Zedd's blast. Jason's vision went white and he shielded his eyes.

(****)

Tommy blinked a few times before opening his eyes. He was lying flat on his back, but he seemed to be floating. All he could see around him was a white light. He tried to roll over but found he was frozen. In a flash, the brightness disappeared and he found himself falling to the hard blacktop beneath him. He felt his strength return and he quickly rolled to his side and looked around.

Jason was next to him a similar posture. Between them, Rita was lying prone. Behind them, the other Rangers had exited their Zords and began to approach them. Tommy got to his feet to see Jason had done the same.

"Are you okay?" Trini questioned Tommy as she got to his side and helped steady him.

"I think so... you?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah... that was trippy," Trini answered.

"Where is Zedd?" Tommy asked as he looked around. Jason's sudden movement towards the Zeo Crystal caught his attention and he soon saw that Jason had moved between it and Zedd who was crawling across the ground and reaching out to it.

"Stop," Jason said as he kicked Zedd's hand away from the crystal and the sorcerer rolled onto his back and seemed to gasp for air. "You've lost."

The rest of the Rangers soon joined Jason's side. Suddenly the light on the crystal behind them went out and their armor faded. All of them looked down at their street clothes and then to each other. A low chuckle from Zedd drew their attention to him as he lied on the ground.

"It appears I'm not the only one who lost," Zedd taunted before the red glow that usually emanated from his body faded out completely and he went limp.

"What's going on?" Zack questioned as he turned to Billy.

"The... the... power... the crystal," Billy tried to understand what had happened.

"The blast..." Rita's voice from behind the group caused them to turn to her. She stumbled forward. She coughed. "It overtaxed the crystal..."

Tommy moved to help her stand. She recoiled at first, before allowing him to do so. She turned to him and offered him a weak half smile before a frown formed on her face.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you..." Rita said softly. Tommy shook his head.

"No... don't be... everything is okay now," Tommy responded. Rita nodded as she glanced over at the other Rangers.

"Maybe..." Rita said. She felt the strength in her legs fading and Tommy was almost fulling holding her upright. "I was a fool to turn on my team..."

Rita closed her eyes and her body went limp. Tommy lowered her to the ground. He knelt over her as Jason moved to stand next to him.

"May you find some peace," Tommy said, quietly as he stood up from Rita.

"Guys..." Kim got the groups attention as she pointed at Zedd's body. A purple glow began to emanate from his body before it disappeared completely.

"What in the world?" Zack questioned as he walked over to where the body once was. "Where did he go?"

"No idea," Jason replied as he looked to the air and then back at the crystal. He walked over to it and put his hand on it.

"Is it gone for good?" Kim asked as the group gathered around the crystal behind Jason.

"I don't know..." Jason replied. "I can't feel anything."

There was a loud sigh and the group turned to Tommy who had turned away from them and walked a few paces away.

"Tommy?" Trini questioned. He turned back to the group.

"This is because of me," Tommy stated, his voice ripe with anguish.

"No... don't do that," Zack replied.

"Zedd was right," Tommy continued. "The white power... it was too much for the grid."

"Tommy... don't," Kim responded.

"This was Zedd's doing... not yours," Billy added. Tommy shook his head.

"You know that's true," Trini said as she moved closer to Tommy.

"If I had just..." Tommy began.

"Tommy... stop," Jason's voice cut through the group. They all turned to him as he let go of the crystal and turned to face the group. "This is no one's fault... nothing could be changed to keep this from being the end result."

Jason moved closer to the group and looked at each one of them.

"Whatever happened, whatever will happen..." Jason paused. "We did the best we could... I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to fight alongside."

Jason's eyes finally rested on Tommy.

"If you hadn't taken that power, we'd all be gone... and the world with it," Jason continued. "Zordon knew what he was doing."

"Yeah," Billy agreed with a nod. Tommy nodded as well and offered Jason an appreciative look.

"What do we do now?" Zack asked as he looked around the group.

"I..." Jason started to speak but a sudden glow from behind him stopped his speech. The group turned to see a glow began to course throughout the crystal. Brilliant colors began to flash, red, pink, blue, yellow, black and white all seem to flow into each other and spread across the sky above the crystal.

"What is happening?" Kim questioned as she reached over to Jason.

"I..." Jason started to speak but then his mouth curved into a smile as he felt the power once more. He turned to Kim who was smiling as she felt it as well. Jason admired her feature before they disappeared behind her familiar pink armor.