Disclaimer:I don't own any of the Power Rangers, but I did come up with Phantom's name & description. I also borrowed the song "Remember Me This Way" from one of my favorite movies, Casper. Authors notes: I must give a big thank you to Finny for her help in picking out Phantom's name and for beta-reading; To Dawn for all her encouragement and all the in progress read-through's; To Cheryl for her help with the title; To Starhawk for her permission to use her name, but I think this one will work just as nicely. Thanks Again!!
by: Signkat
An endless canopy of stars floated above the large grassy area. Men and women of all ages, had gathered to celebrated the coming of a new age. After two long, hard, years, the war was finally over, and they were home for good. Without the fear of evil taking it away from them again. The past week had been a whirlwind of sweat and hard work. Inspecting and evaluating the damaged buildings which still remained, setting up temporary shelters, making plans for the future. There was still so much rebuilding to do - of structures, lives, families. But even with that ahead of them, one thing was certain. Tonight was a night of celebration.
The green expanse was filled with a small flock of people. Many wore dark military-type clothing, except for a few who managed to obtain the more traditional dress garments of their heritage. Music floated through the air from a makeshift stage area near the center of the festivities, as couples and individuals danced, laughed and talked of the future happily.
Two boys, one dressed in a bright blue shirt with dark gray pants, the other dressed all in black, were talking with a few Kerovian girls that were about their age toward one side of the dance area.
Across the way, sat a couple who seemed to be catching up on long lost time. His smile was as bright as the metallic silver shirt he wore. The glowing girl in purple, giggled at a comment he had made as the blonde-haired teen stood up, offering his hand to her. With a slight blush, the brown and blonde haired girl accepted it. Rising from her seat, she allowed him to lead her toward the dance area.
Nearby, another dancing pair were oblivious to the world around them. The girl's multi-colored skirt complimented both her yellow top and her partners red shirt. The bouncy girl's honey-brown hair was pulled back in a french braid, while his blonde and brown stripped hair flowed free of it's chronic elastic restraint.
Cassie watched from a slight distance as her teammates and the Kerovian survivors celebrated in the meadow as she sat beneath one of the trees on a hill at one end of the park-like area. She couldn't help but smile as she watched TJ with his imaginary baseball equipment, as he explained his favorite sport to the girls while Carlos talked to a few of the elders who had wandered over their way.
Her gaze sifted through the multitudes of people until she caught sight of the two couples once again. Zhane was doing his so-called best to dance to the faster beat, though she had a feeling that he was hamming it up a little more than usual, since Karone was almost falling over with peels of laughter at his antics.
Only a yard or so away from them, were Andros and Ashley. Both in each others embrace and still swaying gently back and forth as they had to the slow song that had preceded the current. Neither was aware of the music's change. Even though she was really happy for Ashley, Cassie couldn't help but envy her at the same time.
Turning her attention back to the stars above, the Pink Ranger sank back into her thoughts of Him. There hadn't been a single word from him since the message beacon. *Where had he gone after the battle on Hercuron? Had he even thought about her since that day?* Then an awful thought crept into her mind. *Had his injuries been worse than he let on? Could he have....?* She felt the tears begin to well up in her brown eyes. Squeezing them shut, Cassie shoved the last thoughts from her mind. As she took a deep breath, the oriental teen tried to turn her thoughts to the future. *What would it be like once they got back to earth? Now that their identities had been revealed, would any of them have a moment's peace?* Once again her thought process unconsciously switched as her eyes scanned the foreign constellations. A small ship was impossible to see from a planet's surface, however, she still held the hope for an unusual movement in the heavens. Every time she thought about the dark, morphed figure, her heart ached. Just as she was about to scold herself once again for allowing herself to think about Him, familiar lyrics caught her attention. Though the music of the evening was a mixture of Kerovian and American, which the rangers had brought on board the Megaship - something the elders thought would bring a smile to both cultures - Cassie couldn't help but laugh at the timing of the song. It had become one which she had danced with him to several times in her best dreams.
We find a special friend
Who never lets us down
Who understands it all
Reaches out each time you fall
You're the best friend that I've found
I know you can't stay
A part of you will never ever go away
Your heart will stay
I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
Remember me this way
I don't need eyes to see
The love you bring to me
No matter where I go
And I know that you'll be there
Forever more a part of me, you're everywhere
I'll always care
I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
Remember me this way
And I'll be right behind your shoulder watching you
I'll be standing by your side and all you do
And I won't ever leave
As long as you believe
You just believe
I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
Remember me this way
Cassie wiped angrily at the stray tear that rolled freely down her cheek. There had been so many times over the past months when she had wondered if Phantom had actually meant what he had said in the last message 'he'd see her soon'. She only had a few moments to contemplate the issue when a voice from out of nowhere broke through her thoughts.
"May I join you?"
With a startled jump, Cassie twisted in the direction that the voice had come from, as the pair of low black boots stepped closer.
"Forgive me, It was not my intention to frighten you."
She couldn't help but gaze at the tall young man now standing beside her. Loose fitting black pants and short-sleeved grey shirt gave only a hint to the muscular body underneath. His skin had an olive tone, with only the slightest hint of a tan. His short dark brown hair was spiked on the top.
As her gaze finally met his, she realized he was watching her, still waiting for an answer.
"I'm sorry, of course, please sit down." She offered with the slight motion of her hand and a smile. The obscure young man crossed his ankles and lowered himself down beside her in one fluid motion. Once they were on the same level, Cassie got her first good look at his face. He was handsome, his skin pulled taut over the elegant ridge of his cheekbones. His slightly curled lips seemed to hold a secret expression all their own. The oddly bright bluish-violet color of his eyes made him seem only more mysterious. It was then that she noticed the light brown mark at his temple. Something about it held her attention, her eyes transfixed on it for the longest moment until the image became crystal clear. A crescent moon shape with a small star connected at the top.
"You have not been at the celebration this evening. Are you not happy to be home?" he inquired quietly, disrupting her silent survey of his attributes.
"I'm from Earth actually, but a couple of my teammates are Kerovian. We'll probably stay and help with some of the rebuilding for a while. I'm just not really in a party mood right now. Guess the fact that all the fighting is finally over hasn't really sunk in yet."
"It has been a long battle," he agreed. "I vaguely recall what life was like before the outbreak. How did earth fair?"
There was something in his voice that seemed familiar to the pink ranger, though she couldn't be sure. Over the past few days, she had spoken to so many soldiers. Each time, Cassie had secretly hoped the next voice she heard would match the one in her memories; that somehow he would have found his way to the newly repopulated KO-35. After a while, though, all of the voices seemed to resemble it in some way or another. The only way she felt she'd know for sure was when she finally saw the morphed form of the Phantom Ranger himself. "Very well compared to what KO-35 and other worlds have been put through. The majority of the monster attacks were mainly in Angel Grove, California. We've had buildings destroyed and things, but at least not many people died."
"Your family was not injured?" He asked with genuine concern.
"My parents are still in North Carolina, well at least that's where they get their mail." As her eyes returned to the stars, something compelled her to go on. "California's on the opposite side of the continent from North Carolina. It's a long story really, but two years ago they felt it would be best if I went my own way and tried my luck with music. I guess they felt that if I wasn't around, then they wouldn't have to feel guilty for traveling, going on all their exotic vacations and never being around. I was supposed to go to live with my cousin in Stone Canyon, but a twist of fate took me to Angel Grove instead." Cassie brought her knees up toward her chest, wrapping her arms around them. For a long moment, her eyes searched out a faint twinkling star she had been watching earlier, only to find that it hadn't moved a bit. She released a small sigh of dismay before turning her attention back to the handsome young man beside her.
"What about you? It must feel great to be home finally."
"My planet survived the war, however in the beginning, my people were afflicted by illness. Of my family, only my older brother and I survived the epidemic. We lost more to the illness than we did in the battles. Since then, my brother has remained on Altaris to take our father's place as the head of the council, while I continued to fight for the side of good. But now, I offer my assistance to the Kerovians as do you. However, I do wish to hear more of your story sometime, Pink Ranger of Earth."
His mouth curved into a smile of its own, as her chocolate eyes met his heliotrope ones, immediately sending a wave of warmth throughout her. Cassie was vaguely aware of his movements as his fingers played with the gold link chain that encircled his neck, though her eyes never left his, until the realization that she was staring at him once again hit. The slightly flustered girl turned away momentarily, undoing and re-wrapping the pink and black scrunchie around her ponytail. Though the feeling of his gaze on her didn't fade.
"I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I'm Cassie." She offered.
"My name is Sabik," It was his turn to look away, but only for a moment. "You do not know how good it is to finally look upon you without my visor."
Her eyes went wide instantly at his tentative words. "Phantom Ranger?"
He nodded positively
She was too surprised to do anything other than sit there staring blankly at him for a long minute. Slowly, her eyes sought out the yellow colored link chain that his fingers had been fumbling with only moments before. It was only when her eyes beheld the faceted red stone pendant, which now hung outside his shirt. She had been waiting for this very moment for what felt like centuries, but now that it had finally come, she couldn't help but wonder if she was actually awake or dreaming. Thousands of thoughts and feelings shot through her mind at hyperrush velocity. Happiness that he was finally there with her, anger that he hadn't contacted her in the months since Hercuron, guilt for her anger. She knew that his ranger duties were very important, as were hers; but that knowledge didn't help her to feel any less selfish. Selfish for her past months of wishing he hadn't had those duties to take him away. Then finally hate, hate for Dark Spectre. For all he had done to her friends and all the pain he had caused them, emotionally and physically. Though it was then that the realization occurred to her, that if it hadn't been for the Dark lord and his forces, that every ranger's life would probably have turned out very different, and most likely, none of them would have ever met and become friends. And most importantly, She would have never met Phantom.
The shock began to wear off as reality, and nervousness, set in. "I... oh gosh, I never thought that you...." her words stopped just as abruptly as they had rushed out.
"Am I different from what you expected?"
"Actually, I had no idea what to expect." With a deep breath, the butterflies dissipated. However, the fact that he was actually sitting next to her, unmorphed, still seemed dream-like. Adrenalin mixed with happiness surged through her veins, overwhelming her senses. "The only thing I've had to go by was the sound of your voice, but with the fact that you have never de-morphed around anyone - even Zordon, I guess I couldn't help but wonder if you were using a voice changer of some sort. In a million years, I never thought that when I did see you again, that you would be completely yourself! Oh boy, that sounded so bad."
"You thought I would appear to you morphed and not in my true state." He paraphrased.
"Yes."
"There is no longer a need for me to remain the Phantom Ranger all the time. Though I truly had hoped it would not have taken this long for me to get back to you." He regarded her with an apologetic expression. "I hope my absence has not ruined any chance that I may have had to get to know you."
"It hasn't. I know you had your ranger duties, as did the rest of us." She watched as relief washed over her features. "Maybe we could begin making up for some of the lost time?"
Cassie watched momentarily as Sabik rose to his feet once again. Stepping closer to her, he reached down to her. "Would you join me for a walk then?"
"I'd love to." She met his smile with one of her own, accepting his offered hand and rising from the grass.