Countdown Continues: An Inventive Epilogue to Power Rangers in Space
By Scott Iwaniec
Introduction
At heart I am a child. In body I am a young adult. In spirit I am ambitious, but in mind I am a creator. The following short stories are my creations adding to the deep mythos known as the Power Rangers. While they can only be cannon in my head, I am thankful to live in an age where I can share my fictional reality with others who hold the same fandom dear to their hearts. Now, they are text. Someday, they may be graphic either in comic, animation, or live action. Quite honestly, who knows.
The following takes place sometime after the finale of Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. At this time, Karrone has settle on Mirinoi along with the rest of Terra Venture. The rest of the space rangers have since returned to Earth following the events of "To The Tenth Power." While the complete epilogue is told in two parts, Andros and Zane, each half is given its own personal epilogue taking place years later.
Extensive understanding of the TV show is near essential to understand the following to their fullest extent.
Andros
Space. The absence of anything. And now Andros stares into it.
He stands at the front of the bridge of the Megaship. Of course it's not the same Megaship he and his earthly comrades called home. That one was nobly sacrificed to save another galaxy. This one is the Mark 2; just the same, twice as cold, five times as empty.
Andros stands in stoic stature as if frozen in time, gazing deeply and distractingly into the infinity. The greenish glow of the control panels which used to signify hope and adventure now simply highlight the absence of anyone using them, including Andros. You see, Andros isn't really there. His body is, but his spirit is long gone.
Who knows how long he has been standing here. But his dry eye balls burn as he directs his attention towards two asteroids crossing his view, and he remembers…
Andros isn't used to this kind of suit. His suit is usually tight and red. This one is black, and a whole lot heavier. The tie is red though, Ashley wouldn't have it any other way. Ashley has a special name for this suit, she and their friends call it a tuxedo.
Ashley stares back at him with her wide and playful smile. Her suit is usually tight and yellow. This one is long, white and elegant. The flowers in her hair are yellow though, Andros wouldn't have it any other way. Ashley has a special name for her suit too, she and their friends call it a gown.
The last time Ashley, Andros and their friends were together in special suits surrounded by this many people they were saving the world from a twisted and brainwashed Karrone. Karrone is here now, but in a much different mind and body. This Karrone is here to celebrate being truly happy with her new friends. Andros is here to celebrate being truly happy period…
Andros blinks when the two asteroids pass his view, giving his eye balls some much needed fluid. The view in the window begins to fill up a little more. Not that it creates a show, but at least there's more to look at. Years ago it wouldn't be enough to catch his attention, but right now, it's more to focus on than he prefers. There's a planet in the distance, and the Megaship creeps towards its moon and he remembers…
"Luna? I like that name!" says Zane peeking into the cradle. He continues to make some silly faces, but the baby is too naïve to notice. Ashley giggles. Andros patiently removes himself to the kitchen before Ashley joins him.
Ashley always wanted a daughter. And Andros is happy because she got her wish, even in an unconventional way. The couple can't conceive due to their genetic difference. They are technically different species after all. But Ashley ironically takes extra pride in giving nurturing to a newborn who otherwise wouldn't have a family.
Andros has his family. His love Ashley, his sister Karrone and his best friend Zane. That's all he wants. Kids get lost, kids get scarred, and kids are too malleable. Luna is a liability to Andros. She is a liability to anyone in the world who wants her for their own need. He would just rather not.
Ashley gives Andros comfort in Uncle Zane however. In Ashley's world, its apparently important for children to have back-up parents for some reason. In a few weeks everyone will reunite in the same cathedral as the wedding in similar special suits, and Zane will help give Luna a ritual bath. That's the best way Andros can describe it. Ashley and their friends have a special name for Zane now, they call him a "Godfather."
Andros closes his eyes. His body still hasn't moved, but his heavy cheeks become more weighted. Lowering his head isn't worth the effort, neither is gritting his teeth. His eyes open just in time to let a numbing trickle crawl down his cheek. The megaship enters a cloud of debris. This cloud is likely the remnants of something that was once hit with force to explode. Whatever was here, clearly no longer is. He continues to remember…
Ashley stopped the car at a red light in an intersection. The couple had just finished their first meal alone in weeks. Andros let the alone time saver, it is what he enjoyed the most after all. They wait for the light to turn. It's taking longer than normal, but Andros doesn't mind.
You see, these extra few moments give Andros some time to be goofy. He uses his telekinesis to float a man hole cover in front of the car. The couple giggle. Especially Ashley. She loves when he shows off his alien abilities. To her it was less alien and more enchanted and magical. She widely and playfully smiles before the couple feel a sharp and startling jolt from behind…
Andros doesn't remember a fireman taking him out of the car. But he will forever remember watching the same fireman drag Ashley out. You see, Ashley isn't really there. Her body is, but her spirit is long gone.
The megaship has exited the cloud of debris. Andros is wet. His face, his under-arms, his chest, all dampened by the many bodily excretions of grief. His head tantruming and throbbing, his eyes burning and blurry, his cheeks hot and heavy. Everything else is wet.
His tears were able to bring his sister back from the dead, but they couldn't do the same for his wife. Andros feels them fall to the floor. That's where they belong. They are useless.
But he still stands stiff. Still as the space he ponders into. The sight of the lonely and empty space has returned. The excess asteroids, debris, and moon are left behind.
His crusty throat cracks as his lungs begin to sound.
"D.E.C.A, set a course for Onyx."
Some Long Time Later…
The bartender serves the two big and burly aliens who sat in their stools. To earthlings they're aliens, but to Onyx, they're just every day travelers. They sat an empty stool away from a man in a red hooded coat, not wishing to intrude on his enjoyment of his bottle.
The steel of the alien's armor glistened in the orange haze of the room. The air is thick and hot. They do their best to mind the hooded man by slowly sinking their weight into the stools. It works, the hooded man seems undisturbed.
The aliens don't mumble their conversation, but don't annunciate fully, at least not to the bartender's ear.
The hooded man raises the nearly empty bottle to his beard before the handle disappears into the blonde bristle.
More comfortable with their surroundings, the armored alien's conversation loosens, loudens, and begins to float. The bartender notices the air get hotter. It's high noon at this location in Onyx. The sun is at its brightest, the haze is at its heaviest, and tempers seem to get shorter.
"…in the rig we just parked…slave driver comes…deliver them…"
The cloak of the red hooded man snaps when his harm extends a blue blaster towards the two aliens. By time the bartender notices the crimson flash and beam extending from the gun, the armored aliens are already headless.
The hooded man continues towards his bottle, unbeknownst of his own action. In no way is he startled. In truth, neither is the bartender. He's gotten used to it.
Can't say the armored aliens didn't deserve to die. Same with all the rest of them. The bartended just prefers not in his saloon. But he wouldn't dare request that of the red hooded man. After all, he usually cleans up after himself…eventually.
Zane
It's a weird time for Zane to hear a knock on his front door. Infact it's weird he hears a knock on his door at all. If his friends were looking for him, they would always call. But if they were to show up however, they would simply walk in knowing the door is always open. This action would always follow with a shout announcing to Zane their gleeful arrival.
He did not hear a shout yet because the door never opened. He would have caught a whiff of the sweet ocean breeze if It had.
Zane removes his feet from atop the kitchen table and curiously advances towards the front door. He swiftly twists the knob and smoothly swings the door open with the intent to greet, well, anybody.
Zane caught the familiar smell of that ocean breeze, but with a hint of powder and lotion?
His nose leads his eyes downward towards his feet. There was no mistaking what he found. There was Luna.
Luna.
Andros and Ashley's baby.
His own God-daughter.
What?
Zane paralyzes in mind and body. He is stuck. The air fills with a dim and distant roar while cool breeze fondles his hair. This is purgatory.
Luna is awake, cradled in the car seat Cassie bought for her, wrapped in warm blankets like a toasty burrito. She patiently longs at Zane, waiting for her usual flourish of funny faces. Zane has no funny faces for her today. Not right now at least.
The roar becomes more relevant to his consciousness. His ears lead his eyes up atop the palm trees, but his jaw remains fixated at his feet. Streaking across the sky is an ascending aircraft hastily making its way through the wild blue yonder. Typical sight for a day like today, but Zane knows it's not a plane. Not this time.
Zane re-enters his body, and slowly descends to join his delivery on the concrete before his front door. He lightly lifts his burrito and unwinds her from within her wrapping. Out falls a folded piece of paper, which he impatiently unravels and begins to read:
My Dearest Friend,
I barely saved you, nearly lost my sister, and completely failed my wife. There is no reason to believe I can possibly protect the most vulnerable member of my life so far. Hell, she isn't even mine. But this little girl has a silver lining. You. Be that silver lining, like you always have been.
-Andros
Zane whimpers at Andros' mention of his sister. He needs her right now. Not for Luna, but for himself.
A shock shoots up his spine, and his smile suddenly begins to perk. This is his chance to bring Karrone back to earth with him! Maybe she's finally done with her intergalactic adventures! He fumbles into his pocket for his communicator while balancing his unwrapped burrito in his other arm.
He flips open the communicator and begins to dial until a tiny hand reaches and nudges his nose. By reflex, Zane turns his head towards the baby, just in time to notice her gently lay her fuzzy blonde head on his shoulder.
Zane pauses, and the communicator slips from his hand. He gracefully reaches the now-empty hand to her back to secure her slumber, and rotates his cheek towards her to share the warmth. His burrito melts in his arms and his cheeks begin to brighten.
Luna doesn't need a mother. She doesn't need the one who birthed her, she doesn't need Ashley, and she certainly doesn't need Karrone.
And Zane begins to agree.
Zane doesn't need to chase a woman. One just landed on his doorstep. All others can remain in their rest or whatever distant planet they desire. Zane has Luna, and Luna has Zane.
He carefully raises to his feet and proceeds towards his accidently closed door. He knows it's open, it always is. With a spry swat he swings the door open, and takes a step inside.
Zane holds his new treasure in front of him and treats her with her long awaited goofy face and funny voice. Luna giggles with excitement announcing to Zane her gleeful arrival.
16 Years Later
2:10 in the afternoon and the front door swings open.
"Daddy!" Luna exclaims announcing her gleeful arrival.
"I got that test back from Dr. Oliver's class today!"
She prances into the kitchen expecting her father with his feet up on the table. But today was different. Instead, his feet were on the ground, and a half empty bottle was on the table alongside an array of old photography.
She creeps over to the table trying to decipher the folks in the pictures. On a top picture she sees her young father holding a possible motorcycle helmet she doesn't recognize. Its silver and gold, same colors as the one he has now but entirely different shape.
Shuffling through she sees a beautiful young brunette girl holding the same motorcycle helmet, but yellow; and a handsome young man holding one in red.
"Are these people you used to ride with a long time ago?" She confidently asks.
Zane raises his head and glances at her with twinkling red eyes. Eyes she isn't used to seeing. She quickly becomes concerned, but hesitates to express it.
"Is this back when you first met mom?" Her voice starts to bubble while her eyes billow. But her dad begins to grin.
"Sweet Pea why don't you have a seat. Pull up a chair…It's a long story."