POWER RANGERS:
AN EQUAL & TRIUMPHANT TEMPER
WRITTEN BY ZARIUS
Today was a triumph, of that there was no doubt.
The citizens of Angel Grove felt quite humble, having prepared all day to celebrate the champions of their city; they were once more left in their debt as the day proceeded.
From being trapped in Rita Repulsa's dark dimension, to having their happy homesteads under threat of demolition by the untimely approach of the dreaded war Zord Cyclopsis and the dastardly demi god Lokar, the population faced all of this with great courage, faith and conviction.
Where there was panic, there was also great discipline and control.
Seeing it all unfold firsthand in the dimension was a man who had firsthand experience with those qualities, and had used them adequately in battle against the forces of evil.
There was also a time where, under the influence of evil, he displayed none of those qualities, and delighted in causing the kind of chaos that would break the spirit of any other citizen.
Any other citizen of a neighbouring city would crack under the pressure, but not a citizen of Angel Grove.
Trapped in that dark dimension, the man witnessed many huddle together in prayer and sing together in song, demonstrating a calm composure, while his fellow warriors on the outside proved to Rita's forces they had a heroic temper.
When the city was freed, when the War Zord was halted, discussion turned back to how to best celebrate Power Rangers appreciation day, the event now made extra special.
Tommy Oliver revelled in the celebration, he knew what it was to like to hold back the chaos, to deflect it, he was raised to hold it to account, and he was lucky to live in a city that at its heart would never yield to the weaknesses of time and fate, for they were strong in will.
The Power Rangers were civilians just like him, impressionable teenagers, just like him, and the city's resolve had left their mark on them as well as himself, helping to forge their attitudes and outlooks, to strive to better themselves and to earn a happy ending.
Tommy was as privileged to be a citizen as it was to be a Power Ranger.
His mind drifted back to what had robbed him of his Ranger privilege, his power.
A small candle.
Tommy laughed, thinking about the candle at any other point in his life prior to this day would have saddened him; how something so basic could burn away his power and give his team a dispiriting blow.
But as he looked on at his fellow Rangers embracing the love and warmth the city was bestowing upon them, humbled as well as heroic, and listening to a band of kids debate who was better, the Green Ranger or the Red Ranger, all he could think back to was a song by Elton John and one lyric in particular.
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
And Tommy smiled.
Today was a triumph.
The Rangers and the people.
Never yielding.
An equal and triumphant temper.