- Disclaimer: Silver Space is my coauthor for the series Shadows of the Mind. I am submitting this fic to my fanfiction.net account, but I will cite her name in the teasre area for credit. Saban owns the power rangers we are just borrowing
them. All ideas and plot lines belong to us and only us. If you have any
questions or questions you can e-mail us.
Author's Note: We've been plotting this for sometime. If we seem rather odd and insane please do not call the white coat men on us. Besides that Silver and I will now start wacking pillows on eat other and eat junk food.
Beginnings of Shadows
by: Starfire and Silver Space
It had been a very long day, but at last Andros could get some sleep. Andros thought back to two years ago to when he had almost lost his best friend, Zhane. He thought about it as he walked with Zhane down to their quarters. They reached Andros's room first a door that was in the color of silver but had a red slash on it. It was TJ's idea that they pain a symbol on the doors in different colors. It was actually funny seeing all the Earth ranger's run around into different rooms and scream out in panic when they found out they were in someone else's room. He grins in his mind at the memory.
"Well good night Zhane." The red ranger said as his sluggish mind acknowledges the words.
"Good night Andros. Tomorrow will be another day, maybe we can get T.J. back for what he did today." The silver ranger said with humor in his tone. *Maybe then you can show me more of what has happened.* He projected to his friend.
Andros chuckled softly. "Ya just like the old days."
"Yes, friends forever no matter what." Zhane grins with his infamous smirk. Not noticing the shadow of guilt that entered the red ranger's eye.
"No matter what. Good night." With that Andros walked into his room and collapsed on to the bed. If only he had known that his night would not have been a peaceful one. If only I can stop these memories.
~*~Flash Dream~*~
The battle raged all around him. All Andros could think about was to save his home. He was so concerned about everything else that he did not see the deadly blast coming towards him. Zhane saw it though and leaped in front of his best friend just before the blast hit him.
"Nooooo! Zhane!" Andros screamed. Vengeance of hatred raged inside the red ranger's mind and soul. He then went after the monster and destroys the vile monster that took away everything in his life. Including the one precious thing that he ever had *Zhane* He ran as fast as he could to the silver ranger's side, ignoring the burning sensation in his lungs or the foul stench of burn flesh. "Zhane come on speak to me." Andros begged his friend his only friend that he left. He lost everything in his life everything that ever mattered to him. He couldn't lose another person that was his life and his support.
The silver ranger's chest breath slightly and his pulse weakened more into critical ranger. He felt hands brush against his helmet and removing it. Glancing up he smiled his famous smirk. "Andros….did we get him?" His voice was weak and soft that Andros had to lean in closer to hear him.
"Please Zhane hang on….I go get the medics they can help you." He heard the panic in the red ranger's voice. *I won't let you die. Friends forever remember you promise to be there for me.*
Zhane felt his life force fade and he coughed and look at Andros. "I…I..think it is to late Dros." The silver ranger said as he felt pain hit his body in a slam-dunk. His once serenade face turn into one of anguish and torture. Drops of blood drizzle and slid down the side of his mouth as he glanced at those blue orbs of his friends. *I can't watch over you anymore Dros.* He felt himself fight to keep focus on his friends eyes.
*Please Zhane don't leave me alone. Please…..not again…not when we been together…please…Zhane.* Andros projected his heart and soul was breaking from the agony and pain that filled his mind. He grab his friends hand and felt the palm clammy with sweat and the palled of death coming in to take away the last human and friend he had in his life.
Zhane glanced at his friend one last time feeling the heaviness on his chest. "I'm…sorry…Dros.." The once light in those wonderful mischievous eyes faded into nothingness. The light of a silver star in Andros' mind darkened into a stone flat.
"NOO!!" The pain echo around the chaos as the red ranger clung his friend to his chest and sob out his pain and sorrow. In the background the sound of sirens appeared as personal of the evacuation of KO-35 took off in transports into space.
The red ranger struggled with his friend's body in his arm and quickly summons, his galaxy glider and placed the helmet back Zhane's head as he step onto the device and quickly speed upward into space. *Hang on Zhane. Hang on* He quickly then headed toward the AstroMegaship.
~*~*~*~
The doctors came out with very grim looks on their faces and approached Andros "Andros, I'm Doctor Cranston. I was brought in to try and help your friend. I'm extremely sorry but there is nothing that I can do for him. Everything has been tried. The only thing left is to put him in cryo-sleep and we don't have anyway of keeping him stable because of the attacks"
"I can keep him safe" Andros responded in a monotone voice.
"All right I will set up the equipment. Where do you want it, but I will let you know now that I don't think that he will survive" Andros made no response except to nod his head at the doctor.
~*~Flash Ended~*~
Andros shook of his memories and took a deep breath. "Damn it! Why can't these dream stop? Why can't I get some sleep?"
DECA's camera light came on and it blink at Andros. "Is something troubling you Andros?" She question in a motherly tone.
The red ranger nods his head as he slides his hand over his sweat blonde and brown-stripped hair. "Yes DECA I am fine…" I just need sleep just need sleep. Those words echo in his head a headache was beginning to form at his temple and he groan softly.
"Andros?" He heard DECA's voice far away from his mind. The ranger holds his head and moans more and fell onto the ground unconscious.
DECA's red light became redder with worry. "Andros!!" Her voice cried out in panic for a machine that was and truly highly odd. DECA quickly paged Zhane. "ZHANE!! WAKE UP!!"
~*~*~*~
In the silver ranger's room he was just dreaming, where he was sitting near a lake and watching waves. He saw a brunette walk toward him with a sway of her hips. Her eyes sparkle with perkiness; she walks closer to him and lean near him ready to kiss him. "ZHANE!!" DECA's voice jotted him out of his wonderful dream and ended up landing him flat on his face on the floor.
"OUCH!! DECA!!" He shouted in a protesting voice when he picks himself off the floor while rubbing his sore-busted nose. "What is the big idea?" Oh….where is that off switch? He asked himself as he squinted at the bright red light.
DECA responded with a sheer panicking voice. "It's Andros!!"
"What about him?" The sleepiness and annoyance vanished into concern as he looks at the camera.
DECA's light darkened. "He has pain and he fell unconscious in his room. I cannot get any response from him."
"WHAT???" Zhane quickly ran out of his room and down to Andros's room. "ANDROS!!" He exclaimed when he saw the figure on the ground unmoving. He rushed to his best friend and felt for the pulse at the red ranger's neck. He felt distraught when he felt the pulse running wildly and quick then the average humanoid. "DECA GET THE MEDIBAY READY!!" He exclaimed in panic as he lifted his best friend into his arm. Surprised to feel that the red ranger didn't weight as much as a feather. *What have you been doing to yourself Dros?* He looks at his friend in concern as he quickly ran through the door carrying the precious bundle in his arm to the medi-bay.
The silver ranger laid his friend on the bio bed and glanced up at the camera. "Scan him now!!" He look anxious at his friend as he quickly put up a scanning device as well and quickly pass it over his friend's head. DECA's voice came on in an instant. "There are no sign's of diseases or epidemic of Flo."
"DECA, what wrong with him, his heart beats to fast, how can we slow it down." He asked his mood plummeting into dread.
DECA responded in a despondent voice. ""I do not know Zhane. All I am recording at the moment are abnormal energy levels in his brain.""
"What is that suppose to mean?" The silver ranger glanced worriedly as he touches Andros's hair and glanced up. He can't be dying. I won't let him like he wouldn't give up on me.
~*~*~*~
He awoke in a strange place. It was a lab of some sort but where had he come from. It was then that he noticed the two figures on medical tables. He then recognized the people. One was himself, and the other was his friend.
*Dros, can you here me* His friend moved and looked at the other person on the table then fell into unconsciousness
He tried to move to his friend but a man in a white coat stopped him. "Dr. Cranston. He is awake" the man said
"Good. Take the red ranger to recovery room and I will talk with Phantom." He watched as they took his friend away. Another man then came up to him and began speaking.
"I am glad to see that you are awake, I have much to explain to you."
"Your William Cranston, the former blue ranger right."
"Yes I am and I am also part of a great team that helped to create you. You are known as the Phantom Ranger and your real body needs to be healed. Also you won't remember anything that has happened or that will happen. I wanted you to have memories of your past and what happens when you are as you are how you are now but some members of my team would not allow it" Billy look sadly at the man before him.
"What will happen to my body?" The Phantom asked a little fearful.
Billy glanced at him with clear blue eyes like those of the sea on Aquitar. "Your body will be placed in a cryo-tube that will heal it, while you are in a cryo-sleep. Which is a state of mind that really isn't in the RVE planar. But rather a transmission of sleep in a third level."
"What could you explain that one more time to me" The Phantom queried. Billy sighed and wished that he had Trini to explain things more than ever now.
Rubbing his blond hair Billy try to remember the similar phrase. "Your body is healing in a large icy tube. Your mind however is in a state called cryo-sleep. Basically in this state of mind you are able to see things and do things if you have a body to do that. That is why we created the Phantom Ranger. We didn't want you to miss everything in your life due to the attack."
"Will I be able to go with my friend?" The distorted voice of the Phantom Ranger asked anxiously.
"Unfortunately no. Right now we know of several areas that need to be protected and as far as your friend knows you are barely alive." Billy paused for a moment to see if there was any reaction when there was none he continued. "There are several world that need protection from Dark Specter for only short amounts of time and the Council of Light will not allow them to create ranger teams for one reason or another so you will be going where you are needed and to who needs you. Once you have helped them you are to move on to the next place."
"I understand. So my friend will have no knowledge of what has really happened to me."
"That is correct. This is Zordon of Eltar's wish. If you want after your done with your training you may go and speak with him. I have had many an argument with him and I we still talk quite frequently." Billy smiled at the thought of his mentor.
"You know Zordon personally?" Phantom asked Billy pulled himself out of his memory and replied.
"Yes, it was he who formed the first rangers of earth. You will soon get to meet him. Now you need to get some sleep and in the morning we will begin your training. You need to get use to your new body." With that Billy lead Phantom to a room where he could sleep
After Phantom was left alone in his room he tried once more to call out to his friend to let him know that he was all right. *Dros, I'm all right you don't need to worry. I will be back to take care of you.*
He was a little surprised when he got a faint response, there was only the end of a message. *Is that you?* Phantom sighed and then decided that some sleep would be a good idea because he knew that he had a hard day coming up.
~*~*~*~
The next day Phantom got up and was greeted by Billy. "Good morning Phantom I trust that you slept well" The former ranger said as he looks at the man in the suit.
"Not all that well, but I am ready to start my training. I feel that the sooner I can talk with Zordon the better I will feel" And the more peace I will be with my demise.
"Well then lets get going with your training" Billy just shook his head and thought. I don't know who he is more like, Tommy or Jason.
Billy escorted Phantom into a semi-deck and started the program. At first it was fairly easy but as the day went on the programs got harder and harder. After a day of training Billy took Phantom back to his room.
"In a few weeks you will be able to speak with Zordon." Billy said dryly, knowing that Zordon was too busy to see him, but he didn't want to dash the young mans hope.
"Why, is my training not going as well as expected?" Phantom asked in worry as he glanced at the man that brought him back to life.
"No it is just that I could not get you to see him until then. It took me much work just to speak to him today" Billy reassured the man with a smile. "He having a lot of paper works and information to attend to as head." If only we could fix that problem.
"Oh!" He said in a disquieting voice.
"Well I hope that you sleep well tonight. I have an idea for a simulation tomorrow" Billy said excitedly.
With that Phantom went into his room and tried to sleep. Unfortunately sleep would not come to him for a long time no matter how hard he tried. Once he finally got to sleep his sleep was very disturbed by strange dreams.
To be continued…..