Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: After graduating Otego University Aisha and her friend, Sabrina, set off on a journey to figure out the rest of their lives. With no real plans they take off to travel the country. Sometimes life just falls into place.
"From the Ground Up"
Chapter 1 "Drifting"
Graduation was supposed to be a happy time. They should be out partying not planning funerals. It just wasn't fair that six lives were taken before they even got to truly live. The silence sat as heavy as fog in the two remaining roommates; Aisha and Sabrina. The rental agreement was coming up on the house, but the duo was watching the news. It had been all about the death of the Power Rangers all week. Now people saw for the true heroes they were, but it was too late to thank them now.
"I can't take this!" said Sabrina taking a swing at the lamp next to her. Aisha grabbed it pulling it away before Sabrina hit it.
"Come on I just bought this one," said Aisha "hitting things isn't going to help."
"It works for me," said Sabrina rolling her eyes.
"I'm upset too, but violence isn't the answer," said Aisha.
"Cut the bullshit. We were both rangers, I still am. Violence is how we solve things," said Sabrina.
"We had too. We had to protect the world I think violence is allowed. But breaking random items isn't alright, and you are going to hurt yourself," said Aisha.
"Are you done mothering me?"
"We need to get out. We're at each other's throats," said Aisha.
"No thank you. The Ranger Patrol will be on our tails," said Sabrina.
"Ranger Patrol…why would they know who you are? Right, they all lived here," said Aisha correcting herself halfway through.
"But you're right. We can't stay here forever."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"We are going to leave," said Sabrina looking out the window.
"Thank you Capitan Obvious," said Aisha.
"…I mean leave the city. The media won't be able to give away my identity if I were to disappear. The city is safe now…since…you know," said Sabrina.
"Let's do it!"
"Their families are coming for their stuff. I sent them all keys. Let's pack out stuff up and leave at night," Sabrina said.
The trunk was taken over with Aisha's boxes and suitcases. Sabrina's suitcase, laptop and guitar fit in the back of the car. It wasn't a choice that took much thought. They weren't just trying to protect Sabrina's identity as a Power Ranger, but escaping from the memories so they could heal. Sabrina's entire team scarified their lives to stop a bomb from destroying the entire city. But there was now six families that were mourning a loss of a daughter, sister, partner and even fiancée. Six heroes were now recognized only in death.
The cost of being a ranger wasn't worth it to Sabrina. She had lost her family because of being a ranger. Her team was her family and they were gone now. They died to save the city from blowing up. Knowing all the lives they saved wasn't enough. She would have scarified herself to save just one of her friends. However that isn't how fate works. It was cruel and heartless. She had learnt that when her parents and sisters were killed in that car accident three years ago. She had been on the other side of the world fighting to save the world, and her family is taken from her by the selfish actions of a drunk driver. There was nothing she could do now besides keep living.
"Disappearing into the night is a cool idea and all, but I didn't think about where our final destination is," said Sabrina.
"Good point. Where are we going?" said Aisha pulling into a gas station.
"Let's go in and see if we see a brochure or something," said Sabrina.
They were the only ones in the gas station besides the cashier. Sabrina and Aisha grabbed random snacks and drinks enough to get them along for a while. Sabrina looked through the maps and brochures while Aisha paid for the food. Her eyes kept going back to a map for San Angeles. The name was so familiar, almost as if it was distant memory. She pushed the thought aside.
"Find anything before I pay?" asked Aisha turning around.
"Hey! Earth to Sabrina!"
"Sorry…yeah. How do you feel about going to San Angeles?" asked Sabrina.
"Why there?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
"Toss the map over here so I can pay for it."
It had been several hours since anyone had said anything. Aisha's neck was starting to get sore peering into the darkness of the night. Even on the highways the roads were rather empty. For a while driving at night was slightly less stressful then during the day until Aisha started to get tired and Sabrina had already fallen asleep. The car slowly drifted into the other lane. The loud blaring of a car horn woke Sabrina up.
"AISHA!"
Aisha jolted awake in pure horror as a semi-truck was coming at them at full speed. Sabrina reached across Aisha and pulled on the steering wheel. The semi-truck whizzed by the car. Sabrina's heart was pounding. They had nearly died.
"I can't believe I fell asleep," said Aisha after several minutes of staring blankly at the road.
"We nearly died," said Sabrina.
"I think you should drive now," said Aisha.
"Yeah, pull over at the next exit."
They made a stop at gas station in an Afton, Ohio. It was a small town that was completely dark besides the gas station. Sabrina filled the car up and paid for the gas using all the cash she gathered before leaving.
The hours really started to add up, but Sabrina had a few hours of sleep. It wasn't enough to keep her full awake for long on its own. She rolled down the windows a few times and had an energy drink. It was around eight when Aisha finally woke up. They had just passed Potomac Heights, Illinois.
"Where are we?" asked Aisha yawning.
"Illinois," said Sabrina "we should be in Missouri soon."
"How are we on gas?" Aisha asked.
"We'll be good for a few more hours," Sabrina replied "we'll switch then."
Stiller City was about the worse city they could have choose to drive though. Every ten minutes it would be bumper to bumper traffic. Aisha took the first exist she could find after being stuck for two hours. They found a tiny noddle shop squashed between two large designer clothing stores.
"So why San Angeles?" asked Aisha
"I don't really know. I'm just drawn in it," said Sabrina.
"Come on, I think you know," said Aisha grinning.
"I lived there until I was fourteen. I mean after finding out I'm adopted and everything I thought just maybe I might be able to find some information about my biological family. Just maybe…" said Sabrina.
"I get it. I would be curious too," said Aisha.
"It's more than just that. I have no one. Just the thought that I may still have family is…remarkable," said Sabrina.
"I'll do whatever I can to help you, but I'm thinking Angel Grove might be a better final stop. Hotels are cheaper there and there are plenty of buses or a train to Los Angeles," said Aisha.
"Why Angel Grove?" said Sabrina raising an eyebrow playfully.
"I just have some friends there, I think, I wat to try to reconnect with if we are going that way. That would be if they didn't move," said Aisha.
"Which friends are these?" asked Sabrina "the last time I checked you haven't been to California."
"You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain," said Aisha.
"Try me."
After two hours of explaining Aisha's time as a Power Ranger and the strange events that lead to Aisha's parents traveling to Africa to help with a plague that was effected the animals and to help the tribes effected as well. Sabrina did believe Aisha but found a giant floating head called Zordon, an alien witch called Rita Reuplusa and her horde of monsters and her very strange sounding family members was a bit farfetched for Sabrina she had no reason to doubt Aisha. After all Sabrina's mentor had been an android, Cybel, from the future. The more time she had to process it the less strange it all sounded. Fighting monsters sounded a lot easier then fighting criminals though. At least she didn't have kill human like beings to save the world. The androids she fought were so human it was like taking a human life if she forgot they were only robots. They showed pain and horror when they were destroyed. Time from time it still haunted her dreams. Though they saved thousands of lives. It didn't make the destruction of the human-like robots moral. It was difficult for Sabrina to figure out: was it the same as killing a person or since they weren't human it didn't matter
The future must have been really bad if nearly an entire team of rangers had to die to stop the psychopathic criminal, Duncan James better known as DJ. She couldn't help but wonder if DJ had made her mentor in the future given when DJ was killed their mentor ceased to exist. Then again the rest of her team ceased to exist after that. She wasn't sure what the cause was and what the effect was in that situation.
Sabrina talked very little about what her team. She just couldn't do it. Not yet at least. She talked only fondly of Cybel despite the fact she had known all along that the team was going to have to die to stop DJ. The manipulation hurt less than the fact the team was gone. Cybel had seemed so honest about how bad the future would be if DJ wasn't eliminated Sabrina wasn't sure what was the cause and effect. However, she didn't really wasn't trying to think deeply about it given she couldn't change what happened.
They found a small runner down motel in tiny community in Oklahoma. Aisha just had to stop there after seeing it was called Nowhere. It was just too funny not to stop by. The people in town were at least nice when they went to the only dinner in town. Everyone was asking questions, apparently people don't stop in Nowhere often. Sabrina didn't mind the questions while Aisha was too tired to really give any coherent responses. Aisha went back to the motel before Sabrina completely exhausted. Sabrina hung around for bit ordered a drink, finding it slightly odd they sold alcohol in a dinner. They didn't ask for an ID either, which meant they didn't care out here or they just assumed she was twenty-one.
"So what brings you here little missy," greeted a young man, who had messy brown hair and youthful grin.
"I'm traveling," said Sabrina slushing her drink around.
"What's a pretty lady like you doing drinking hard stuff like that?" he asked.
"Because I can," said Sabrina rolling her eyes.
"No need to be rude," he said.
"I'm not interested in you. How old are you? Seventeen-eighteen. You aren't my type. Why don't you go bother that girl over there? She's been gawking at you all night," said Sabrina in her usual New York flair.
"You mean…Rachel. I think that beer when to your head," he said.
"Sure…if that's what you want to believe. You'll thank me in a few years," said Sabrina putting down her mug walking past the girl on her way out the door.
"You shout say something while you have the chance. Don't wait until it's too late" said Sabrina to the girl as she passed. She had missed so many chances with several different people. She wouldn't say she knew for a fact these two would be a good couple, but she had a good feeling about it.
For a few minutes Sabrina hung around just out of view. She watched the two of them walk out of the dinner laughing. He had his armed wrapped around her. She grinned as she walked back to the motel. She was greeted with Aisha's heavy breathing and once in a while a snore. She exhaled deeply falling down on the bed closet to the door. It felt like ages since she had laid on a bed despite it only being two day since they left.
