From The Ashes
by Cheryl Roberts

Chapter 4

"What have you done!" Lris exclaimed as she recovered from the shock of passing through the Command Center's portal.

"Brought you with me," Tommy offered with a careless shrug. "I didn't want to leave my guide behind."

"But I have never been to the Command Center before; the security field is not programmed with my bio-signature. It should have screened me out."

"Maybe it let you in because you're with me," Tommy explained, but privately he had to wonder how he even got in. Kim couldn't have had the field programed for his bio-signature; she didn't have it unless Zordon had given it to her with the other files she borrowed. That, or the system recognized his prior connection to the Morphin' Grid.

"Perhaps you are correct," Lris sighed. "I would have thought, though, that my presence would have triggered some sort of alarm."

Tommy was wondering about that, too. They always knew when someone without the Power was in the Command Center—unless the security system had been tampered with.

"Maybe the system recognized you as a descendant of Sahr and Rhee," he offered weakly. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this.

"Perhaps. Rhee was one of the designers of the stronghold," the girl added proudly.

With a nod, Tommy glanced about the dimly lit entryway. "So, where to from here?"

"I am not certain...."

Dunce! She just told you she'd never been here before. You probably know your way around here as well as you did back home, if this has the same layout.

"... I should bring you before the Imbera and the Rangers," Lris continued, heedless of Tommy's woolgathering, "but we shall do that if we cannot gain access to the First Born any other way."

Unaccountably, she blushed, somewhat sheepishly, which prompted Tommy to prod her with a questioning, "Oh?"

"I have never been introduced to the First Born...." she began, squirming like Kim would whenever she was embarrassed. However, it did not occur to Lris to prevaricate. "I am curious... I hear the First Born is very attractive."

Tommy, wisely, bit back his laugh at a school girl's crush for a 'superstar.'

"Don't worry; I don't think he bites," he teased instead, and he did laugh when she didn't get the joke.

~*~

It seemed like hours later when the pair finally emerged from the dark halls of the lowest level of the headquarters. As per Tommy usual, he had taken a few wrong turns. That's what I get for trusting my memory! The two found themselves at the foot of a small suspension bridge across a river gorge which led to a verdant pasture and heavy woods beyond.

"Finally!" Tommy exclaimed, his tone a trifle gruff, his impatience getting the better of him.

"My apologies, Tommy; my memories of my family's tales of the Command Center were quite vague," Lris apologized.

"I didn't exactly recall the layout of my Command Center too well, either," Tommy soothed her. He wasn't upset with the cadet but rather with the Rangers. Not once in their aimless wanderings had anyone challenged them—living or mechanical. They had roamed freely in areas they would never have been allowed access to in Zordon's old fortress. The security breach made him extremely edgy. Of course, he knew something the Rangers did not, which made it all the more imperative that he reach Jamie.

"Tell me something, if you can," he began as they started across the bridge. "When was the last time Threa was threatened by an enemy like Norzod? How long have you had peace?"

"Perhaps hundreds of turns of the seasons—longer than my lifetime," Lris responded, "but no threat has ever been as grave as that of Norzod. Ondom and Xotavid were nothing compared to him."

"So Jax has yet to face an attempt to conquer Threa," Tommy realized.

"Neither, I believe, have any of his teammates," Lris continued. "Just as no one knows about the changing of the Imbera, so the changing of the Rangers goes unremarked save if one dies in battle. Each Imbera has selected his or her own team. They may choose to keep members of the current team, as Twyn did upon replacing her father, or they may select all new ones."

This was not good news. An untried team of Rangers and a rookie Imbera. If he were a bad guy, this would be the perfect time to make a comeback.

These troubled thoughts kept him occupied as they made their way through the lush foliage and vast grounds to the sprawling complex of interconnected wings making up the private residence of the Imbera.

"Something tells me Kimberly never lived here," Tommy murmured, awe momentarily supplanting his misgivings. If she had, she would have written about it in her journal. The place was fantastic! There wasn't any one architectural style to the conglomeration of low, single story buildings, and yet they seemed to flow together harmoniously as a living entity.

"The shapers labored long over this abode, each generation adding their own touches to their home," Lris said proudly. "Both wood and rock shapers worked on this dwelling; from above, it is indistinguishable from the rest of the vale. I haven=t been here since I was a child, so I hope I remember...."

The two stepped through the "front' door, and Tommy was astonished to see cold hard technology amid the living walls. They also encountered their first sentry.

The man not only had height, but bulk as well, for a Threan. His hair and eyes were dark, though shot through with silver streaks. Tommy took that to mean he was an older elf. His uniform was form-fitting black with a red sash and badge of office. He reminded Tommy a bit of Jason.

The guard held up his hand, signaling them to stop, and barked out question in a surprisingly deep voice for such a musical tongue.

"He asks our names and our purpose," Lris translated.

"What and how much do we tell him?" Tommy wondered.

"The truth—and all of it. He wears the markings of an empath; he would know if we were lying," she said. "Do not worry; if he does not speak the Great Imbera's tongue, he wears a translator."

"I am trained of the elite, Blue Cadet," the sentry interjected with an affronted sniff. Only the elite were taught the Great Imbera's language, which made him eye the newcomers all the more suspiciously.

"I am Lris, Blue Cadet and healer from the House of Sahr," the elf maiden announced with a touch of haughtiness to her tone. "I am here to see the First Born."

The guard consulted his data pad. "Lady Lris," he began, a touch more deferentially, "Your identity has been confirmed, and though you personally have not been cleared to see the First Born, those of the House of Sahr are always welcome."

"I have never had to 'pull rank' before," Lris told Tommy in a conspiratorial whisper. "I never realized it would work."

"And what of your companion?" the sentry continued.

Lris gave Tommy a mischievous look which seemed to say, Lay it on thick!

"I'm Tommy Oliver, White Ranger of Earth, Progenitor of the First Born," he declared, managing not to crack a smile at the ridiculous sounding pronouncement. He also opted not to update his color; to date, he was still the only White Ranger Earth ever had. "I'm here to see my son."

For a moment, the man regarded him dumbfoundedly, and Tommy wondered if the man thought him mad.

"You carry the signet?" the guard gulped out.

"I do." Tommy produced Kim's badge once more. If the man looked shocked before, now he appeared positively stunned.

"My lord," the sentry all but stammered, his face ashen; he did not even bother to consult his data pad. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head respectfully.

Tommy fidgeted uncomfortably at the show of reverence. To Lris, he hissed, "I'm glad you didn't do that when I first told you who I was.

"I very nearly did," she confessed.

Tommy rolled his eyes.

"What is your will, my lord," the guardsman queried.

"I really need to see my son," Tommy sighed, still embarrassed by the display of obeisance. "Will you take us to him?"

"I would be honored," the man said quickly. "Allow me to notify him of your arrival...."

"Don't," Tommy checked him suddenly. To the man's questioning gaze and arched eyebrow, he smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "This was an unexpected visit. I'd kind of like to surprise him."

He hadn't realized until just then how much he looked forward to seeing Jamie's face when he first saw him.

"As you wish. If you will follow me."

Tommy and Lris fell in behind the sentinel, and he led them through the labyrinthine hallways of the residence. They made their way in silence; although, Tommy had to wonder if the Threans might be carrying on a telepathic conversation. He really didn't think they'd be that rude; however, he was willing to bet that Lris had 'said' something to the man privately, because he seemed more at ease now.

"What's your name?" Tommy asked at last, his thoughts never straying far from his concerns for Jamie and the warning he was to deliver.

"Vlar, my lord," was the faltered response, as if the man had not expected to be spoken to and was flattered by the acknowledgment.

"You remind me quite a bit of my best friend back home," Tommy continued conversationally, and his compliment seemed to please the sentry. "How long have you known my son?"

"I have been honored to serve Jamie—the First Born—since he selected me to be his Red Ranger."

Tommy smiled at the slip. "I take it you're also his friend."

"Yes." Sensing no disapproval, Vlar added, "I have known Jamie since our days as cadets. It is sometimes... difficult to treat him with the respect others accord him."

At this, Tommy laughed. "You're probably the only person he can count on to give it to him straight."

"Myself and Beys," Vlar said with a grin. "She served as Jamie's Pink Ranger; only she has never learned to curb her tongue around visitors."

Tommy could think of another Pink Ranger who also would not hesitate to tell someone what he needed to hear rather than what he wanted. He was beginning to take quite a liking to the former Red Ranger and was glad his son had found such a friend.

"We are here," the former Ranger announced as he stood before an unprepossessing doorway. Outwardly, there was no indication that one of the most important people on the planet resided beyond. Vlar rested his palm against the unadorned mirrored disk in the center of the barrier. For a moment, the silver metal darkened, displaying a symbol akin to the one that hung around Tommy's neck. When the surface cleared once more, the portal parted, granting them access.

"Come," Vlar directed, ushering the pair into the spacious circular anteroom. The ceiling was actually a dome, a window allowing sunlight to pour in. In between the columns surrounding the room were more windows and doorways. The views beyond were breathtaking.

The airy chamber made Tommy think of an ancient Roman villa. The center of the room was sunken in and lined with low couches. There were also tables and computers in the alcoves and what he took to be an entertainment center. This was a common living area of sorts.

"Jamie?" Vlar called out, stepping beyond the foyer into the room.

"Vlar?" came a voice that pierced Tommy's heart to the very core. Though he had heard that voice but on one occasion—for a scant hour—he knew he'd never forget it. "I am by the fountain pool."

The trio proceeded across the chamber, and the former Red Ranger led them unerringly to the proper doorway. The babbling sound of flowing water touched their ears before they found themselves surrounded by cleverly arranged vegetation and intricately orchestrated sprays of water.

The man they sought stood by the edge of a great pool, water splashing upwards in a playful dance from the very center. He stood poised to move in a stance Tommy recognized from an old kata.

Tommy studied his son, who was much changed from his last sight of him. Most obviously, his hair bore no trace of the mahogany coloring; it was now completely silver and hung down in a thick braid to his waist. He was dressed only in a pair of loose trousers that came down to mid-calf. He looked as physically fit as Tommy himself was. Not bad for someone over 300 years old.

Jamie's back was to them as he proceeded with his workout. Nice form, Tommy noted, wishing he could see his son's face. Would he appear as withered as his own grandfather, or would Jamie seem as ageless as the Threans?

"Are you off duty, Vlar?" Jamie asked as he completed his kata and reached for a towel. "I hope so; I could use a sparring partner."

"Sorry, Jamie, but I am still on duty," Vlar declined.

"Will I do?" Tommy interjected, unable to keep the smile off his face or out of his voice.

Jamie whirled about in astonishment.

"By my Ancestors!" he gasped, taking a staggering step backwards—which proved to be his undoing. He lost his footing and toppled into the pool.

"Oh my," Lris murmured, trying to stifle a giggle. Even Vlar was chuckling, and Tommy had to admit he'd never seen anyone look less dignified than his son did when he emerged, sputtering, from the water.

"T-Tommy?" Jamie stammered, hastening forward. "Father, is it really you?"

Tommy was too choked to answer, so he nodded, as he hurried forward to meet his son in a fierce hug.

"I shall leave them to their reunion," Vlar informed the young healer. "The Progenitor was correct; it was worth seeing the expression on Jamie's face."

"I, too, should be going," Lris said. "I have another class." However, she remained rooted to the spot, her eyes never straying from the joyous pair just a few yards from where she stood.

"You have hardly changed since last I saw you," Jamie gushed, "save for the waves in your hair and the shadows in your eyes."

"I could say the same about you," Tommy pointed out.

"We have both known great joy and sorrow in our days," Jamie perceived. Then, his brow furrowed. "I sense urgency about you; this is more than a mere social call."

"I'll explain in a minute, but first, I'd like to introduce you to the young lady who guided me here. Jamie, this is Lris of the House of Sahr. Lris, this is...."

Tommy's voice trailed off in puzzlement. The red-headed healer stood immobile, staring at his son in a most peculiar way. Somehow, he sensed that her reaction was more than that of a star-struck teenager meeting the idol of her dreams. As for Jamie... he seemed equally entranced. Jamie reminded him of himself that day by the lockers when he first met Kim—all tongued-tied and loopy-smiled and totally besotted. Tommy snorted; that was ridiculous! Jamie was old enough to be her grandfather several times over! Still, he wondered how long the pair was going gawk at each other, so he cleared his throat. That seemed to break the spell.

"Lady Lris," Jamie began formally as he drew nearer to match his hand to hers in greeting. Was it Tommy's imagination, or had both shuddered at the contact? "I have not seen you since you were a child."

"I do not recall that meeting, my lord," Lris gulped out.

"Please, my name is Jamie; may I address you as Lris?"

"I would like that."

Tommy rolled his eyes. The two were certainly acting like a pair of love-struck teenagers!

"Thank you for helping my father find his way here. Know that the doors to my home are always open to you."

"You are too kind." Then, something recalled the cadet back to the here and now. "Your pardon, Jamie, but I must leave... I have class...."

"Of course. I hope you will be able to return soon."

"As do I."

If Tommy hadn't known any better, he'd have sworn the girl had all but skipped from the garden. At last, her slender figure was completely out of sight, and with a heavy sigh, Jamie turned around. He seemed almost surprised to find Tommy standing there regarding him expectantly.

"Is something the matter, Father?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Tommy grunted. "What was that all about? The way the two of you were staring...."

"An interesting—and unexpected—development," Jamie remarked thoughtfully as he began to walk idly towards the house.

"What?"

"It would appear that Lris and I share a matebond."

"A what?" Tommy had to search his memory of Kim's notes. Matebonds were totally independent of heart or life bonds. It meant that two Threans were drawn together to create a third. "You mean, you and Lris... but you're old enough to be her...."

"But I am not," Jamie interrupted. "If I were fully human, I would be dust by now, but I am not fully human any longer. I asked the flesh shapers to give me the years with my lifebond Ayn that I would not have. They did so, prior to me accepting the Imbera powers. Now, by Threan standards, I have just come into my prime."

Tommy was having difficulty juggling all the terms and implications. To him, Jamie looked as human as he, but according to his son, on the inside, he was Threan.

"However, it remains to be seen if the bond is true, and you did not come all this way to discuss my love life, as it were," Jamie began, switching topics.

"True, but I can't shake the feeling that this thing with Lris is going to be important."

~*~

The afternoon had swiftly melted into evening, and the two men continued to reminisce over their evening meal. Tommy was fascinated by the details of the family he had never known. It was staggering to know that he, an orphan with only a brother he'd known for just a few short years, had grandchildren and great-grandchildren—even great- great grandchildren!

"Having more than two children is a rarity for Threan families, so it caused quite a stir when Twyn followed Nahl and Rill. Ayn's mother blamed it on my human blood. Fortunately, all the children took after their mother's side of the family. Although, come to think of it, Rill's daughter Kath has two offspring," Jamie related with a chuckle.

"It may have to do more with the Imbera powers than with blood," Tommy noted. "I'd be worried if there were too few possible candidates. You guys would be in the same fix Kim was."

"True, now, if there is no direct descendant of the Imbera, the potential exists in the nieces and nephews. For example, if Jax has no heir, then Shan—Nahl's granddaughter by his son Wyn—has the potential." Jamie's face creased into a frown. "We may have to enter her in the Academy sooner than we would like."

"Why's that?"

"Jax recently lost his lifebond Trin," was the sad reply. "She was his Pink Ranger. There was an accident in the lab... she went to investigate. She never returned. Several days later, Jax felt her death. He has yet to fully recover from the severing of their bond."

Tommy recalled seeing an area in the complex that had been cordoned off, so the events must have been recent. Recalling how hurt he'd been when Kimberly died, his heart ached for his great-grandson.

"It sounds as if there's more to lifebonding than simply speaking vows and exchanging rings," Tommy said.

"Those are only the outward trappings. When a pair lifebonds, they join their hearts, minds and souls. Two become one, joined by a psychic rapport that is unbreakable, save by the death of one of the partners. It is a... shattering experience to have the bond broken," Jamie related, a shadow crossing his face as he recalled his deceased lifebond. "It was doubly difficult for Jax since Trin was also a healer. They shared a rapport through her healing powers as well as through their lifebonding. She had been inside Jax's mind for years. She had known all his secrets... his hopes... dreams...fears. There was no doubt that the matebond would have formed between the two in time.

"She was a lovely woman," the former Imbera sighed fondly. "Such sunny gold hair... those luminous green eyes...."

"Do you think Jax will be able to pull it together if an emergency arises?" Tommy asked pointedly, unsettled by just how vulnerable Threa's Imbera was right now.

"Losing one's lifebond is akin to dying yourself," Jamie concluded.

Tommy recalled feeling similarly when he'd received Kimberly's letter. His survival had as much to do with his friends' patience and caring as it did his ability to bury his hurt and lose himself in his Ranger duties.

"You suspect that there is trouble ahead," Jamie interrupted his reflections.

Tommy nodded somberly and related the contents of the dreams which brought him here and all that Billy had imparted to him about the message reverberating through the Morphin' Grid.

"Norzod lives," Jamie murmured grimly. Then he shook his head in denial. "That is not possible. I saw him die. I watched his body crumble to dust. I felt his thoughts cease, and after containing his evil wave to the asteroid, I sent that rock into the heart of a star. There is no way he could have survived."

"Unless he had a contingency plan in place before he died," Tommy remarked thoughtfully, wishing that Zordon could have found a way to cheat death. "Maybe Norzod had a son or daughter who's taken over where he left off."

"That is possible," Jamie admitted reluctantly. "Threans believe that the spirits of the dead remain near their loved ones and can communicate with them."

"Could the voice I heard have been Kim's?" Tommy asked hopefully.

"Unlikely. Without her Imbera powers, Mother had no telepathic abilities."

"Then who could it be? And why contact me through the Morphin' Grid in another dimension when it would have been easier to contact you directly?"

"We must not have all the pieces to this puzzle yet," Jamie mused. Suddenly, he yawned.

It was then that Tommy realized that the two of them had been talking for hours. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was feeling totally drained.

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion in the morning," Jamie said knowingly, and Tommy didn't argue.

~*~

Tommy couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned for hours, it seemed. Finally, he gave up and turned on the light.

Part of his restlessness was due to the fact that Jamie had shown him to Kimberly's private rooms. Their son had never had the heart to give them to anyone else, so they had been left alone since Kim last used them. It hurt him more than he dreamed that her bedroom here should so resemble her room in Angel Grove. The furnishings were almost identical, down to the flowered comforter and curtains. He noticed it was decorated with her favorite knick-knacks and pictures. There was even the stuffed dragon he'd won for her at the fair once upon a time.

But there was also evidence of the woman she had become in the sophisticated computer equipment tucked into one corner. A rack held several well-used swords. Pictures and holos of her family—son, grandchildren—remembrances of friends—both Terran and Threan—and it appeared she had been more successful in monitoring events on earth than he'd been at scanning Threa, judging by the stills of him in both Zeo and Turbo armor.

Being here—in her room—made him miss her more than ever.

I wish you were still here, Kim.

The other reason for his sleeplessness was the nagging little voice at the back of his mind bombarding him with questions and concerns. The more he learned from Jamie, the more his uneasiness had increased, and the more firmly he believed that it was a little too convenient that there was an untried, emotionally unbalanced Imbera in charge with a rookie team of Rangers. It was a small consolation, though, to know that there were still veterans available should the need arise.

Tommy's thoughts drifted to the former Imbera, Jax's mother. Exactly what happened to Twyn? What kind of injury could she have had that would force her to give up the Imbera powers? Why couldn't the healers and shapers fix her if they could change Jamie to make him more Threan on the inside?

Tommy went rigid as that last thought echoed through his mind. Where had that come from? That was more a Billy-type question than one he' have come up with. However, a loud crash from the next room interrupted his musings, and the muted sounds of a fight had him racing to his son's aid.

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Epilogue