Dark Blue Return 1/
It was another obscenely sunny day in Angel Grove California. Too bad one of its inhabitants could not enjoy the warmth of the beautiful day due to the pain in his heart. William Cranston was in his room, trying to compose himself after finally losing his temper with his friends. He had finally had of being the lackey, enough of being the one who had to be protected from putties, Tengas, Cogs and whatever else their enemies decided to throw at them on any given day.
Billy had finally blown his top at Tommy, Adam, Tanya, Katherine, Rocky and finally had having his clone take his place for months while no one noticed, to being turned into a kid, and then losing the protection of the Power was the worst pain of all for him, not being able to take the Gold powers because of what should have been an impossibility. Negative protons, something that should by all accounts not exist. "Leave it to me to find the unexplainable and have it be the cause of more pain." Billy muttered to himself angrily.
Billy had gotten injured in yet another failed attempt by Mondo to capture him. After a short time in the med-bay he was fine, but he could have sworn Tommy and Jason were actually angry with him for it! "At least Mondo thinks I'm worth bothering with. The others only notice me now if something breaks or if their lives are in peril. Well no more of that, the Rangers are on their own as of now. I am not a grease monkey and will not be treated as one by people who are supposed to be my friends!" Billy finished his rant by tossing the framed picture of him with the others into his closet. He heard his father pull up and enter the house. Billy's strained relationship with his father lately was another source of misery for the young genius.
It seemed as if they were getting further and further apart lately, as if he was a guest in the house rather than Hank's flesh and blood relation. Billy sighed and went down to greet his father. At least if I can't keep my friends, I can salvage my relationship with dad, I hope. Billy thought grimly as he went to greet his father.
"Hi dad, welcome home." Hank looked up at his son, not used to finding him home lately. It seemed as if when they were home together the two Cranston's hardly said more than two words to each other. "Hi son, you're home early." Hank wondered if Billy had quit his part-time teaching assistant job at Angel Grove University, or if he was off of work that day. It bothered him that he couldn't seem to remember his son getting older, almost an adult.
Billy smiled and offered his dad a seat on the couch."I'm off today dad. I...I just wanted to come down and talk, like we used to." Billy sounded melancholy at that, but he smiled slightly at his father, hoping he could rekindle the closeness they used to have. While Hank and Billy talk; the gang is still at the Power Chamber, shocked at Billy's outburst and his vehement anger at all of them for various offenses. Jason surprisingly got a good chunk of the abusive rant that Billy had let loose on them. He was still standing still, his gaze riveted to the floor in front of him.
Tommy came over and shook Jason's shoulder to bring him out of his stupor. "Jase, can you hear me? Snap to man, we need to find Billy and talk to him. I don't think any of us had a clue how angry he was with us." Jason raises his gaze to meet Tommy's. "No, I can't face him right now. He is right in some ways, really wrong on other accounts. He needs time to cool off, as do I. I will call you later 'bro." As soon as Jason let "bro" slip out of his mouth, he grimaced. He knew Billy had looked up to him and considered him a he had been unwittingly hurting his "little bro" since his return. He though he was protecting Billy's feelings by minimizing their time together.
"I should have known he was stronger than that, and that fact the he felt I thought so little of him hurts more than you can know. I failed him, and dishonored our friendship by trying to protect him instead of letting him stand on his own two feet. I gotta go, see you all later." Jason teleported off in a blaze of golden light, leaving Tommy and the others to contemplate what this could mean for them as friends and as a had to admit that Billy had saved them countless times and if he withdrew from them and refused to help any more, he shuddered at what that could mean for them as Rangers. But that is precisely why Billy blew up at us, because we only see him as the genius that saves us time and time again, not as a real part of the team anymore.
He looked over to see the rest of the Rangers chatting amongst themselves quietly except for seemed as if Adam was pissed off at everyone, most of all at Tommy and Jason. Tommy was shocked to hear Adam being so vocal, since the Green ranger was on the quiet side like Billy, and that thought came with a mental kick to the head. Tommy considered approaching them, but was saved the effort when Adam stalked off and teleported away, with the others following suit. Frustrated, he turned to their mentor Zordon. "Zordon, is there a way of restoring power of any kind to Billy? Or have these negative protons made it impossible for him to hold powers again?"
"TOMMY, THERE ARE THREE MORE ZEO SUB-CRYSTALS. I AM NOT SURE IF THEY CAN BE USED BY BILLY. THE NEGATIVE PROTONS HAVE CHANGED HIM ON A MOLECULAR LEVEL. I WILL ASK ALPHA TO SCAN FOR THE LOCATIONS OF THE REMAINING WARNED, THE BLACK ZEO-SUB CRYSTAL IS NOT TO BE USED, NO MATTER HOW BADLY BILLY WOULD LIKE TO BE AN ACTIVE RANGER. THE BLACK CRYSTAL IS ATTUNED TO THE NATURAL DARKNESS IN A BEING. IF IT IS FOUND, IT MUST BE DESTROYED OR LOCKED AWAY FOREVER. IF BILLY WERE TO BECOME ATTUNED TO ITS POWER, HE WOULD BECOME EVIL AND A FORMIDABLE ENEMY TO US. HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE POWERS, WEAPONS AND COMMAND CENTER AS WELL AS HIS INTELLECT ARE VERY GOOD REASONS FOR HIM TO NEVER BE TURNED TO THE SIDE OF EVIL. IF WE SUCCEED IN FINDING THEM, I WILL NOTIFY YOU TOMMY. NOW GO, AND DO NOT MENTION THIS TO THE OTHER RANGERS UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO FIND THE REMAINING SUB-CRYSTALS."
Tommy nods slowly letting the words Zordon spoke turn over in his mind. "Attracted to the natural darkness in a person." "But Zordon, Billy is one of the nicest guys I know. He isn't evil at all."
"TOMMY, BILLY HAS SUFFERED GREAT TRAGEDY AS A YOUNG CHILD, AND HIS RECENT EMOTIONAL DISPLAY IS PROOF THAT RIGHT NOW HE WOULD BE TEMPTED BY THE CALLING OF THE BLACK ZEO CRYSTAL. I WILL BE SURE TO WATCH FOR ANY CHANGES IN HIS BEHAVIOR IF THE CRYSTAL IS FOUND."
Tommy knew Zordon was right and teleported out to his house as he wondered what Billy was up to, and how he would react if he called or went over to Billy's house. Probably not too well, I'll leave him alone for least until tomorrow. I'll call him once I get home from school. Little did Tommy know waiting twenty-four hours to call Billy may be twenty-four hours too long.
While Billy and Hank had been spending time getting to know each other again, Adam had gone home to write Billy a letter, and also take the decorative dagger that he knew Billy was fond of that was mounted above his bed. Maybe, he will understand how serious I am if it's extreme, but I have to convince him that I am sincere in my apology. At the very least I can give him the dagger. He really likes the Obsidian blade and onyx hilt.
Adam dashes off to Billy's place as Hank is on his way out to get the pizza he ordered for dinner. "Hi Adam, Billy is in his room. I'll be back in about 30 minutes."
"Thanks Mr. Cranston, I'll make sure to behave. Bye." Adam heads in to the house and starts up the stairs as, but is stopped short by Billy standing at the top stair, glaring at him like he could murder him barehanded.
"You have 30 seconds to leave my home and never return Adam Park. I thought I made it apparent that I wanted nothing to do with you and your friends ever again." Billy stands there waiting for Adam to leave, or do something that would justify another tirade launched at him. Adam doesn't leave; he merely looks down to avoid the menacing look in Billy's eyes.
"Billy, I came to talk to you. Please hear me out, please." Adam looks up at Billy, not seeing the hard glare softened at all.
"Give me one good reason why I should listen to you or any of my other former friends Adam? No one took the time to listen to me, or better yet ever ask me for anything that wasn't related to being their greasemonkey. It was always, Billy can you fix this, we need a weapon, we need this but never we're going to the park, would you like to join us? Or, how are you, do you want some help around the Chamber? No, that never happened Adam." Billy was fairly shouting at Adam now, his anger threatening to get out of hand.
Adam steeled himself; he knew getting through to Billy was not going to be easy, but he had no idea that Billy was still so hot under the collar. Without flinching he met Billy's gaze and answered him in a normal tone of voice without yelling.
"Billy, I'm sorry for the way you have been treated. I know that my apology comes a day late and a dollar short as the saying I… I want you to know that I am honestly sorry for how you have come to feel about us. I am guilty as well, I know that." Adam pulls out the letter and the dagger. "Here, these are for you. Please at least read the letter. If you can't forgive me, I'll at least know that I am honestly sorry Billy. I never meant to hurt you. I can't speak for the others, but I would like you to at least know how I feel about all of this."
Adam puts the letter and dagger on the bottom stair and backs away, hoping Billy will say something or at least stop staring at him like he wants to rip him in half. Billy comes down the stairs and takes the letter, and is about to take the dagger when he realizes it's the one that Adam loves so much.
"Adam, you don't have to give me your favorite dagger. The letter will be sufficient to convey what you are trying to say."
Billy starts to hand the dagger back, but Adam refuses. "No, that's yours now. I have noticed the way you look when you see it and hold it. Consider it a token of our friendship, if you will allow me to continue being your friend Billy. I'll be around if you want to call me."
Adam exits before Billy can react to his gift of the dagger. True he admired it greatly, but for Adam to give it to him was another matter entirely. He went back upstairs to read the letter, leaving the obsidian dagger on his bed. Billy wasn't sure how to react to Adam's words which had struck a chord in him despite his anger.
"Billy, I know you are mad at us for how we have been treating you. No scratch that, today I saw that you hate some of us for the way we have been mistreating you. I…I'm sorry. I also realize that you may never speak to us, me again. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I want you to know I only thought I was protecting you from being hurt every time we went off into battle. I had no idea how much my "sparing of your feelings" was actually hurting you. I cry your pardon I want is for you to forgive me eventually, and to overcome your anger with me. If I you can do that, you will always have a place in my life. Consider the dagger my "white flag" I know how much you love it, and it is symbolic to me of what our friendship was before this fiasco; solid, unbreakable and unyielding. Enjoy the gift, please call me or let me know where we stand either as friends or enemies. I know it will take time Billy, so no rush.
Your friend, Adam L. Park"
Billy put the letter down, unsure of how to react to Adam's words. He reached over to the dagger, and held it in his hand, it felt different somehow, almost as if it was pulsing with energy inside the Obsidian blade. He kept turning it over in his hands, wondering if he was imagining the warmth and new feel of the dagger or if he actually could feel something calling to him from the black reflection of the blade. The sound of his father pulling up broke the hold the blade had on Billy for the time being. He put it back on his bed and went downstairs to greet his dad; Billy knew he was right about thinking it was calling to him; he would find out how right he was later but for now he had escaped the Black zeo crystal's spell over him.
Billy went downstairs to find his father setting out plates and cups for their dinner. Hank noticed that Adam wasn't with Billy and asked his son about it. "Where did Adam go? I thought he would still be here."
Billy looked embarrassed, since he had not told his father about his falling out with the gang. "His mother was expecting Adam home for dinner. I had forgotten something in his room the last time I visited him. I'm sure I'll see him again soon. Would you like assistance in setting the table dad?"
Hank noted the blush that had crept up on his son, but said nothing. "Sure, can you get a couple sets of silverware and I will get the drinks. Thank you Billy."
While they have dinner, Tommy was busy trying to coax Jason out of his house and to the park so they could discuss what to do about Billy. Jason was steadfast in his refusal to talk about it, and Tommy was getting exasperated quickly. "Jason, for crying out loud, I just want to talk to you. That's all, and we can't really discuss this over the phone. Stop being like this and come over Jase, this is getting ridiculous."
Jason sighed in exasperation."Tommy, there is nothing you can do now. I just need to think it through, how I can even approach Billy about this. He can be stubborn as an ox sometimes. I've only seen him like this when his mom was killed. That is not something I want to cope with again. Look, I'll talk to you tomorrow at school. At least I won't have to deal with Billy being there. My mom is calling me for dinner; I'll talk to you later."
Tommy gritted his teeth; he knew Jason was being just as bull headed about this as he could."Very well, I'll see you tomorrow at school Jason good night."
The boys hung up and go their separate ways for the evening. Back at the Cranston home Billy and Hank were sitting together playing chess, each concentrating until Hank called checkmate on his son.
"Man, you'd think for a pretty smart guy I could win at chess. Oh well, I concede dad, good game." Billy stands and puts the chess pieces away as his father stifles a yawn.
"Good game son, don't worry you'll beat me soon. I've been playing chess for years before you were born, it's strictly an advantage of experience over blinding intelligence. I'm going in for the night son. I'll catch you later."
Hank heads upstairs and is sound asleep almost as soon as he hits the pillow. Billy heads to his room to check email and then head to bed himself, seeing as how he did have to work the next day. Once he is in his room he notices the dagger again and picks it up, feeling the obsidian blade tenderly. "I really shouldn't keep this, its Adam's favorite, I'll see if he is online, maybe we can chat that way. I don't want to throw his offer of apology back in his face if he is willing to part with his favorite weapon." Billy mutters to himself as he logs in to the net and MSN Messenger.
He doesn't see anyone on line so he checks email and in the process cuts himself with the dagger.
"Ow, that hurt! Billy cleans off the wound and the dagger, glad it was only a superficial cut. He notices the spot on the dagger where his blood fell is shiny, almost pulsing. "I'm tired, that can't be right. It's almost like bloodshed is giving it some energy." Billy puts the dagger down, thinking he will ask Adam about it's origins curiosity has been piqued and he won't rest until he figures out what the hell is going on with that dagger.
He notices that Adam is he can ask now rather than wait till the next day.
LoneWolf: Hey Adam.
BlackFrogPrince: Billy! How are you? Is everything ok?
LoneWolf: Yeah, thanks again for the dagger. Actually I had a question for you. Do you know the origins of the dagger?
BlackFrogPrince: Um, I think my great, great Grandfather picked it up in Mongolia, why?
LoneWolf: Ok, this is gonna sound weird but I could swear it's giving off a kind of energy, almost like a pulse. I cut myself by accident and the spot where my blood landed seems to be brighter.
BlackFrogPrince: That is weird. I have no idea why it would be doing that if that's the case. May I suggest scanning it with our equipment?
LoneWolf: That would be a feasible course of action Adam. I'll make time later in the week. I am not ready to return to the scene of the crime as it were.
BlackFrogPrince: I understand. So may I ask if I am forgiven for now?
LoneWolf: For now yes, we need to talk you and I. Soon. The .
BlackFrogPrince: They are on their own Billy; I want to salvage our friendship. If they care, they know where to find you. I'm heading to bed now; I'll call soon as school work lets up. Maybe we can get lunch over in Stone Canyon and just talk?
LoneWolf: That would be fine. I'm off from the University Saturday and Sunday. I'll call you later to decide a time and place to meet. Good night Adam.
BlackFrogPrince: Night Billy, and thanks BlackFrogPrince: User has signed off and is no longer online LoneWolf: User signed off at 12:46 pm EST