I do not own the Power Rangers. Warnings: slash, Dillon/Ziggy.
Remuré Memorium
Prologue
Chocolate brown eyes gazed out at the city before him. The wind ruffled through soft brown hair, curling it into even more of a mess than it already was. It didn't bother him though. He curled his knees to his chest and leaned back against the wall behind him. Corinth was most beautiful at night and the best view he had found of it was from the roof of the Garage. But then again, he was probably prejudiced. He closed his eyes, a soft tune building in the back of his mind. Before he knew it, the words were pouring past his lips.
"Remuré Memorium, my dear.
Remuré Memorium.
Between the shadows
and sunny skies
There are things
we just will not say.
With bleeding hearts
we let this go.
And those silky promises
Just fade away.
Remuré Memorium, my dear
Remuré Memorium."
Ziggy sighed softly as he trailed off, unable to complete the slow, smooth ballad. Pain built strongly in his heart but he pushed it back. For almost a year he had done nothing but cry. It was time he stopped and moved forward. That's what he told himself anyways. It was hard when a reminder of everything he'd lost was nothing more than a few feet away no matter what. But the Rangers had everything he could ever want and more than he could ever need.
And besides, he had done harder things.
He stood up and brushed off his pants, determined not to let himself get depressed. He plastered a smile on his face, the one lie the team never suspected, and re-entered the building. He jogged down the stairs to the catwalk on the second level and leaned against the railing, gazing down at his team.
Scott was playing pool with Summer of all people and Ziggy spared a thought to wonder when he was going to learn. Scott was stern, a little too rule conscious for his tastes, but he cared and that was more than Ziggy could say about even his -now dead- parents. Summer was more of a mother than he'd ever had. She was the one that laughed at his jokes and smiled when he did something strange just because he could. Flynn was working on his car, making last minute repairs due to the battle this morning. He had a nice smile and a funny accent and was the on that had taken the time to try and make sure he knew enough about Ranger equipment to use it competently. Gem and Gemma were writing in their diaries and Ziggy pretended not to notice that Gemma was glancing up at Flynn very other minute; that was a relationship he didn't touch. The twins had an innocence that was refreshing and a child-like enthusiasm that made him giddy. They were the ones that understood the need to smile or otherwise fall apart and the ones that had taken the time of day to properly teach him how to fight.
"Ziggy."
He turned at the call and grinned brightly when he noticed Dillon walking towards him. Dillon was a god-send. Some days, he was the only thing that kept him going. Unfortunately, other days, he was the sole reason he wanted to quit. "Hey Dillon." he greeted.
Dillon leaned against the railing next to him. "What were you thinking about?"
"Things." He answered vaguely, waving a hand in front of his face. Dillon arched an eyebrow at him and he smiled back despite how his heart clenched.
Dillon was a painful reminder of everything he'd lost and the only things he'd cared about. His fiancé and his fiancé's sister; both of whom were still alive but now out of his grasp. He sighed slightly and glanced down slightly. His gaze caught and held on the interlocking golden keys that hung half-hidden around Dillon's neck. A strange, not-quite-real smile twisted Ziggy's lips up and he laughed softly.
He had done some hard things. He'd left home when he was six years old, dealt with an arranged marriage, fallen in love with the wrong sibling, and lost the two people he loved more than the world itself. He'd lived through the end of the world, joined the mob, risked his life for kids he barely knew, and traveled through the Wastelands. He had become a Ranger and fought Venjix daily. But the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, was nothing at all. Especially when he knew merely telling the truth could heal the heart of his best friend.
He straightened and patted a now-confused Dillon on the shoulder before walking to his room. "Good night!" He shouted to the Garage at large and heard several replies before he shut his door.
Once he was sure it was locked and there was no chance someone might walk in on him, he pulled a too-long chain necklace from beneath his shirt. The chain was long enough that it never slipped out and no one ever noticed it. Two gold bands hung from it; his parents' wedding rings; the rings that would have been his if not for Venjix. But they didn't hold his attention, not any more.
He sat down on his bed and pulled the chain off his neck so he could better look at the third object dangling from it. It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do; not say anything. It physically hurt that he couldn't tell the truth. Watching Dillon tear himself apart everyday and not do anything and everything he could tore him apart some days. It hurt even worse when he could no longer run away from the reality that all it would take was a few words to get back everything he'd lost- or ruin it all forever.
He gazed down at the object that could ruin everything if the wrong person ever got their hands on it. The one thing no one could find out about, not yet. A long thin key, with a wide hoop at the end, and three prongs. It was gold and shined in the dim light. It was an exact match for the two keys Dillon had and he knew beyond a doubt that it would fit in Dillon's pocket watch. And it would play.
He knew that it would fit, knew what song it would play, because he had gotten it when he was 16, from Dillon himself.
