Gemini: Seeing Double

Seeing Double is the second episode of the Gemini Arc, and the eighth of Power Rangers: Neo Zeo.

Synopsis
Four brand-new Rangers appear, to the bewilderment of Neo Zeo.

Plot
"I don't get it," Casey said, pulling a newly-unscrewed panel off the console and setting it aside. "Lidian's acting really cagey about himself. When I tried to go study at his house he freaked out as if . . . I dunno, I was a stranger and I'd nearly caught him morphing."

"Weird," Violet said. She wasn't much of a techie, but she could lift heavy things and Casey could grab her on a moment's notice, so she was helping her and Alpha 5 with repairs. "But don't read too much into it. He seems pretty shy."

"Yeah, but he seemed almost scared." Casey pulled out a tangle of wires and began sorting through them, checking for breaks or burnt-out ends. "Feels weird, knowing he doesn't trust me with something. I thought we were friends."

"Casey, I'm your sister and I don't tell you everything. Relax."

"Sorry."

As Violet returned to their impromptu storage cabinet (the tunnel), she saw a reddish flash, and guessed David had teleported in. Brushing off her hands, she walked back into the main Power Chamber.

"Good news, we got a call from Eltar and they're going to send us replacements for some of the more compli-" she stopped abruptly.

David was here, but standing beside him was the man they'd rescued from Windjammers just a week before. Side-by-side they could have been brothers.

"Tommy?" That was Alpha 5, sounding like he couldn't believe his optical sensors.

"Alpha!" Tommy ran over. "David told me you were still here, but after what I heard about Eltar, I thought-what happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Alpha 5 replied, "But yes, I'm still functional. What about you? Are you still driving racecars?"

"That? Nah, didn't work out, long story," Tommy said, shrugging. "I found a good college; I'm just back in town for spring break."

"...what's going on here?" Casey said at last, looking from Tommy to David to Alpha 5 in bewilderment.

"Sorry, forgot we haven't actually been introduced yet. Tommy Oliver, former Red Zeo Ranger. Among other things."

Violet just stared at him for a minute. Snapping out of it, she hurried forward and offered her hand, which Tommy shook. "Violet Wildman, Blue Zeo Ranger. That's my sister Casey, she's Yellow."

"I guessed," Tommy said, looking over at her. He grinned a little. "You're both in your Ranger colors. We used to do that too. I don't think it was even conscious."

"We are?" Casey looked down at herself. Sure enough, she was wearing a rather stretched-out yellow blouse, and Violet a sky blue jacket. "Wow, yeah, we are. Hadn't realized."

Violet interrupted. "You're really a veteran Power Ranger?"

"And my brother," David interjected.

"Can you tell me who the other Rangers were? Why did you guys retire? What did you mean by 'among other things'? How did all of you grow giant-sized to fight King Mondo?"

"Woah, slow down, one question at a time," Tommy interrupted, though he was grinning at her enthusiasm.

Casey piped up. "Did David get picked as a Ranger because he's your brother?"

"No," David said firmly, at the same time as Tommy was replying "not as far as I know." At the tone, Tommy shot him a strange look. "You all right?"

"Fine. You and Alpha catch up, I need to go train," David said. There was something icy and standoffish about him now.

"Didn't you just finish?" Tommy asked.

"Not yet." David raised his communicator watch.

Alpha 5 spoke up. "David, the Wildmans and I are clearing room for the new equipment. Could your training wait a few minutes? We could use your help."

David hesitated, and nodded. "Right."

"Okay, great, help me take everything out of this console?" Violet moved back to her spot near the center console. "It's fried."

David did. Tommy and Alpha 5 moved to the far end of the room.

"So, you're actually the mentor this time?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way…"

oZo

Lidian walked through the meadow, loading a new spool of film into his camera. He'd gotten plenty of wildlife shots already, but he wanted to be ready in case he spotted something good on the way home. Stuffing it into his backpack, he took up his walking stick and started back down the trail. It was only a quick walk back down the mountain, but it was already late morning and he wanted to be home in time for lunch.

At that point, he heard a rustling noise. Looking around, Lidian glimpsed something crystalline and reddish moving through the trees nearby. He froze, watching intently. Just as he'd feared, out walked a Jewel Golem. Unlike the others, this one's body was covered in rippling stripes, all reddish-violet.

"Well, there goes a nice quiet morning," Lidian said, slipping his backpack off his shoulders and letting it drop to the ground. "It's Morphin' Time!"

As his Zeonizers materialized, he extended his arms to morph and felt a hand made out of cold stone clamp down on his right wrist. Before he could do anything, he'd been swung around and flung to the ground. Another Jewel Golem this one bluish, held his arm twisted back behind him. Lidian struggled, only for a massive, rocky foot to slam down on his mid-back. It knocked the wind out of him in a grunt, and something cracked in his back. He didn't have the breath to scream; all that came out was a whistling groan.

The foot soldier hauled him up and caught him by the throat, lifting him up over its featureless head. Lidian struggled, feet dangling almost a yard above the ground. He just managed to bring his Zeonizers together, and green light enveloped him as the monster tried to crush his windpipe. Drawing his Zeo Laser Pistol, he fired a few shots at the creature's head and chest, forcing it to release him. Lidian landed in a crouch, only to immediately throw himself sideways to avoid the Jewel Golem's punch.

Kicking off a nearby tree, the Green Ranger peppered the Jewel Golem with lasers, blasting through its neck (or the air where its neck would be). Its head thunked to the ground, smoking, but as it separated from the body, it transformed into a branch. As Lidian hit the ground, the rest of the Jewel Golem shuddered and turned into a tree, with one smoking stump where a bough had been.

"Huh?" Lidian stared at the tree in bewilderment. "Where did it—" He was cut off by a Jewel Golem's fist slamming into his back. It knocked him into the tree, and he fell down, winded by the attack. Now he was sure one of his ribs was cracked; his back throbbed from the earlier wound.

As the Green Ranger struggled to his feet, the Jewel Golem seized him by the helmet and slammed him into the tree, hard. As he struggled in its grip, it raised its other, blocky arm. Lidian barely had time to register what was coming before the blow struck him in the head. His vision flashed white, and he fell back against the tree. A second rock-hard fist delivered an uppercut that made his head snap back hard enough to give him whiplash, then a third crushed his diaphragm into his spine. Sparks flew from his suit, and it flickered out of existence for the blink of an eye.

Lidian slumped back against the tree trunk, gasping for breath. The first, reddish Jewel Golem stumped out of the trees, joining its fellow. He tried to pick himself up as the two readied to hit him again, but one slammed a foot down on his leg, hard enough to draw sparks and a cry of pain. Bending down, the reddish Jewel Golem caught Lidian by the throat.

However, before it could do anything, a volley of lasers struck it from behind, and it shattered. Its fellow wheeled towards the blasts, and Lidian tried to catch his breath. An orange blur dropped out of the tree, slamming a glowing blade down on the Jewel Golem's back. It staggered forward. As Lidian started to pick himself up, a pair of gloved hands caught him by the shoulders, making him yelp.

"Are you okay?"

The Green Ranger looked up, and froze. Standing over him was a man in a turquoise Zeo Ranger suit. Aside from color, it appeared to have the same design as Lidian's own. The orange blur was knocked off the Jewel Golem, and turned out to be another female Ranger, also in a Zeo Ranger suit.

"Turquoise Ranger!" A female voice shouted, and still more Rangers ran up to Lidian and his rescuers. One was a woman in deep rose pink, the other a man wearing indigo spandex. They joined the Orange Ranger in her attack on the remaining Jewel Golem.

"Are you hurt?" The Turquoise Ranger asked again, making Lidian start.

"I'm not sure—are you real? I'm not hallucinating?"

"Oh no, I'm real," the other Ranger replied with a laugh, as he helped Lidian stand. "We'll talk about it later, though."

"Right, right," Lidian said, and doubled over with a hiss of pain, clutching his injured ribs.

"You need to get out of here. Can you teleport on your own?" The Turquoise Ranger asked.

"Yeah." Lidian raised his communicator watch, but hesitated. "You need to let go unless you want to come too."

"I think I should. You can't even stand up alone right now."

Lidian hesitated. "I don't think that's a good idea."

With a loud hi-ya, the Orange Ranger stabbed a double-ended javelin into the Jewel Golem, shattering it. As she did, the other three normal Zeo Rangers teleported in, going for their weapons. They halted at the strange sight, and looked around in clear bewilderment.

"Lid—Green Ranger! You're hurt!" Casey exclaimed, darting to his side. She slid her shoulder under his to support him. "What happened?"

"Jewel Golems got the drop on me. These ones can do illusions," Lidian replied. He jerked his head at the four strangers. "Think they got here just in time."

"I only wish we could have been a little bit sooner," the Turquoise Ranger said.

"You and me both. Agh!" Lidian flinched as Casey accidentally squeezed his cracked ribs.

"But who are you people?" Violet demanded, wheeling on the strangers. "How are there more Rangers?"

"We can explain," the Rose Ranger said. "But this isn't the right place."

"Understood." The Red Ranger addressed his communicator watch. "Alpha, teleport us back to base."

"Are you sure?" Lidian interrupted. "I mean, we've only just met them."

"And they saved you. What are you so worried about?" Violet asked.

"No, no, he's got a fair point," the Rose Ranger said. "You don't even know who we are; we don't need to see your secret base right away. This place seems pretty secluded; it'll do."

David nodded in acknowledgment. "Alpha, new plan—just bring Lidian back, he's hurt."

Lidian didn't argue. Casey released him carefully, and green light enveloped him. He rematerialized in the Power Chamber, and nearly fell down, but Alpha 5 caught him. With the robot's help, he limped to the medical bed and sat down with a groan. Alpha 5 began scanning his injuries. The Viewing Globe was on, and he could see the scene on the mountain almost as clearly as if he were still there.

The four new Rangers moved together, and at a signal from the Rose Ranger, demorphed. They all looked like teenagers on the high side of fifteen. Two boys, two girls, just like Lidian and his team.

"My name is Erica Whitearrow," the Rose Ranger said, brushing her long, chestnut-brown hair out of her face. "And you're going to have to bear with me, because even I have trouble believing what's happened to us sometimes."

"We're superheroes who fight monsters from space on a semiregular basis. Show us what you've got," was Violet's response.

"Our powers are from the Zeo Crystal too—Alpha 5 will tell you that it grows more and more powerful as time goes on, and this is how it's manifesting," Erica said. "I think it has something to do with the Pink Subcrystal being damaged. We were each chosen separately and drawn here to fight with you."

The Zeo Rangers said nothing, just looked at each other and the strangers. The Turquoise Ranger, who was a short boy with coppery curls, kept fidgeting.

"Why you?" David asked at last.

The Indigo Ranger, an African-American boy who looked uncannily similar to the female Orange Ranger, laughed. "A proper introduction might help explain that. I'm Lance, and this is my—well, our—sister Judith."

"Come again?" Casey cocked her head to one side like a confused puppy.

"Your tact is amazing, Lancelot," Judith said to him, shaking her head. She took a deep breath. "We were all drawn here by dreams, and in those dreams, we also found out who you guys are. Apparently, we're your siblings."

"WHAT?" Even Alpha and Lidian joined in the exclamation.

oZo

Ophiuchus walked out of the prison ship. Stars filled the skies as always, though he could see what looked like the Sun near the horizon. Striding across the dusty grey terrain, Ophiuchus soon reached a crater a few meters away from the ship. In the center of the crater sat Gemini, in the lotus position, its weeping face forward. A sash with the Zodiac Emperor sigil was draped across one of its shoulders.

"Emperor Gemini?" Ophiuchus ventured.

Slowly, Gemini spoke. "My plan requires intense concentration, young one. I must have silence. That is why I am no longer aboard the ship. You know this."

"Some of the other Emperors wanted me to get a report from you. They'd have come down here themselves if I hadn't. The Jewel Golems are—"

"By 'some of the others you mean Taurus?"

"Him and Cancer, yes."

Gemini let out a deep humming sound. After a moment, he spoke again.

"Everything is proceeding according to plan. However, that plan might be helped if one of them sent down a monster to occupy the Rangers."

Ophiuchus bowed. "Thank you, sir."

"You are welcome, young one. Your politeness is appreciated."

Ophiuchus took that as his cue to leave. His footsteps faded away, leaving Gemini alone on the surface of the Moon once more. Deep within the eyeholes of the masks, a blue light flickered.

oZo

"Go back to the part where you even know who we are—never mind this whole long-lost sibling thing," Casey said. "I-I mean, for the moment, that's still completely insane."

"Agreed," Violet said, folding her arms.

"Look," Erica said, putting up both hands, "I told you, we've all been having prophetic dreams since the time you guys started as Rangers. That's how we knew who you were—but we did look it up to make sure before we came here."

"Which is how we know why we didn't hear about each other before now," Lance added. "Apparently your Mom and our Dad, uh, crossed paths a while before she met Mr. Wildman, and she let him keep us."

"Oh." Casey looked uncomfortable, Violet still suspicious.

As Alpha 5 finished bandaging his bruised ribs, Lidian raised his communicator watch to his mouth. "Turquoise? Or . . . Hector, was it?"

The boy heard Lidian's question through David's communicator watch. "Yeah, that's me."

"What about you? What's your story?"

Glancing around at the rest of the group, Hector rubbed the back of his neck, clearly nervous. "Have you already told them about . . .?"

"About what?"

"You know, the reason you and Ezra had to leave?" He looked very uncomfortable.

"He hasn't," Violet said. "And we didn't ask."

"Not more than once, anyway," Casey put in.

"Just tell them," Lidian said. "I want to hear your version."

"Look, our power signatures match yours; I bet our DNA matches too, why can't you believe what we're saying?" Erica asked, starting to get visibly exasperated.

"That scanner's still broken," Casey put in.

"Then ask your Mom! She'll probably remember if she gave birth to twins."

"Erica, calm down," Judith interrupted, putting a hand on the Rose Ranger's shoulder. "Would you believe it if they were the ones telling you?"

"I believe you," David interrupted, and everyone stared at him. "I've already got one long-lost sibling who turned out to be a Power Ranger. And like you said earlier," he added to Violet, "we don't have a lot of grounds for skepticism. Weirder things happen to us every week."

Erica smiled in relief, and the rest of her team looked a little less tense.

Taking David's cue, Casey grinned at the twins. "I always wanted a brother! And another sister is cool too . . . but why Lancelot?"

"Not my decision," Lance replied, but he was grinning.

Violet still looked wary, but she smiled at the group. "We could certainly use the help. Glad to have you here."

"Guys, they're lying," Lidian said. Hector flinched as if it had been directed at him personally. "They aren't telling us anything the Zodiac Emperors wouldn't know."

"One sec, guys," Violet said, stepping back from the group. She teleported into the Power Chamber, and turned to Lidian. He glared defiantly, but instead of scolding him, she sighed. "Look, I know. This seems a little too convenient to me, too, but being obstinate won't do any good. Let's play along for now and keep a close eye on them. Who knows, maybe they'll even be telling the truth."

"They're not."

Violet raised her eyebrows. "How do you know?"

Lidian hesitated. He said nothing, even though Violet waited, watching expectantly. After thirty seconds had passed, she shook her head. "Look, I know you've got some kind of baggage about your home life, but letting it get in the way of your Ranger work isn't going to help anyone. Try to be civil, okay?"

"But—" The Power Chamber's alarm, with its sound newly restored, cut him off.

"Guys, we've got another emergency," Violet said into her communicator watch. She hesitated, glanced at Lidian, and forged ahead. "You'd all better get in here so we can brief you."

Erica was all business. "On our way."

Lidian looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. His mouth worked silently, but he couldn't seem to find the words he was looking for.

"You're making a mistake," he muttered.

"Maybe, but from where I stand, it's the only logical choice," Violet replied coldly. Light filled the room as the other six Rangers materialized in the room.

Allies

 * Alpha 5
 * The Sibling Rangers

Villains

 * Ophiuchus
 * Air Emperor Gemini
 * Jewel Golems

Trivia

 * The names of the sibling Rangers come from the original version of Neo Zeo. Lancelot, Lance for short, was Blue; Hector was Green, and Judith was Yellow. Erica's name comes from Eric Frank, the actor who played David Trueheart on the show.