Disclaimer: Power Rangers belong to Saban.
"One More Time belongs to the Cure.
One More Time
Dawn: present
The house was completely filled with silence. Ashley carefully
closed the door behind her, making sure nobody would wake up.
One of the neighbors walked past and waved to her. She tried
to smile back and look as if everything was normal. She highly
doubted she succeeded as she saw the man suspiciously looking at
the suitcase in her hand. Ashley decided to ignore him and turned
to her car. With a soft crack she opened the door and placed the
case in the backseat. She glanced around to see if the nosey
neighbor had gone. He had. For the first time that morning
she managed a real smile, but it didn't last for long.
As she sat in her seat and turned on the engine, she
turned her head to take a last look at the house. She let out
a sad sigh. She had to leave, she knew. She wouldn't be able
to stay and explain. They wouldn't understand. She flinched
for a moment. Especially Tracy wouldn't understand. No,
she wouldn't even try to. Ashley closed her eyes for a moment.
Her stepmother was the main reason she was leaving. Perhaps her
dad would understand, or at least try to understand. But he would
be so disappointed in her. Ashley couldn't live with that thought.
Just now she had grown-up in his eyes. A tear trickled down her face.
And then there was Jake. Almost five now, and so much like her;
her lovely little brother. She let out another deep sigh.
With a quick movement she drove the car to the street.
The sad look in her eyes had been replaced by a look of determination.
She had to leave, she knew. And she would be missing her dad and Jake.
Perhaps she would even miss Tracy a little. She had decided to leave
months ago, after she had discovered; after she had accepted it.
She had understood there was no way out of this. After she had
understood she didn't want a way out of it. Then had the realization
hit her; this was her chance for a new life. A life she could call her own.
She had packed her bags and retrieved her savings from the bank.
As the thought became reality, she stepped on the gas and turned on her radio.
The sound of a familiar song entered her ears. For a moment
she froze. The last time she had heard the song had been four months ago.
She smiled at the thought; her dad had to go to Ireland for his work.
He had decided that it would be a great opportunity for a family holiday.
He had known that Ashley wouldn't be able to resist a trip to this
country, known for its myths and legends. And he had been right.
Even the thought of having Tracy around couldn't have kept her at home.
She wasn't the same person she was five years ago, when she had been
the yellow space ranger. Things were different now she was not an
active power ranger anymore and she received her degree in archeology.
Her love for fantasy was still there. She remembered Dublin where they
had stayed until her dad had finished his business. She remembered the
cottage, completely in the middle of nowhere, where they had gone after
that. She remembered the last night there.
Evening: four months before
The sun had disappeared behind the hills; the first sign of fog
came creeping up from the small pool near the cottage. Ashley sipped from
her cup of coffee and drank in the sight in front of her. She was sitting
in a comfortable chair on the terrace. In the kitchen she could hear Tracy.
Her dad had gone upstairs to check on Jake. A bird suddenly flew squeaking
up from a tree in the small forest near the lake in the dale. Ashley turned
her head to find out what had scared the bird. But there was nothing to see.
She closed her eyes and relaxed. The holiday had so far been a success.
It had started excellent with her graduation and after that, this trip.
She loved this country and nobody could spoil her mood. She loved this
cottage and she loved the sphere of the surroundings. It wasn't hard at
all to imagine that faeries really existed, after being here. She grinned
and picked up the book that had been on the table in front of her.
A book about the mythical creatures that were said to have been seen in
this area. She just had to buy it when she had found it in the local
bookstore. Somewhere deep inside she still was hoping to see a real faerie someday.
But they would leave this fabulous place tomorrow morning.
She groaned. She felt like staying here forever. "You are okay, Ashley?"
Tracy called from the kitchen.
Ashley let out a deep sigh: "Yes, yes." Her step-mom obviously
didn't care to ask further: "Well then. Your father and I will go to bed now.
Would you please lock the place when you go to sleep?" Ashley frowned
and didn't answer. Now it was Tracy's turn to sigh: "Well then.
Don't go to bed too late yourself. We'll have to get up early tomorrow!"
Ashley picked up her little tape recorder and put it on.
Softly the music floated into the night.
Ashley waited until she heard Tracy going up the stairs before
entering the kitchen. She poured herself another cup of coffee and took
a candle from the large kitchen drawer. Silently she walked outside again.
Light was fading fast and she didn't feel like turning on the electric
light on the terrace. It wouldn't fit in the sphere that was hanging around
this place. She placed the candle on the table and lit it. Just as she
wanted to sit down she saw a light moving in the corners of her eyes.
She turned to see what it was, but her eyes only met with the motionless
horizon, with the contours of trees and hills. She shook her head.
It had probably been the first rays of the full moon that peeped through
the clouds. She made herself comfortable and opened the book. Soon enough
she was lost in the texts. She didn't see the fog growing dense and
she didn't notice the clouds fading in the sky. Stars and a round
yellow moon lit the scenery.
Ashley studied a drawing in the book when suddenly the flame
of the candle wavered in the breeze and went out. She looked up in
surprise; everything was silent. The silvery moonlight gave the white
wall of fog a mysterious glow. Then everything happened at the same time.
With a soft click the tape turned playing direction and a new song started.
The breeze suddenly got stronger, blowing her long blonde hair in her face.
The book on the table fell from the table and ended up at her feet.
Carefully she picked it up and looked at it. She hadn't read
that part of the book yet. The page in front of her showed a drawing;
she frowned. The creature on it looked familiar, but she couldn't
quite put her finger on it. But before she could think any further,
the breeze again blew her hair in her face. Irritated she put the
book on the table and wiped her hair away. Then she saw it again.
This time she knew it wasn't the moon. There were small lights
flickering near the lake.
For a moment she stood motionless. Her head was spinning as
hundreds of thoughts swam through her mind. Softly the music of the
tape, that was still playing, entered her ears. Ashley smiled. She
knew the song; it fit perfectly in this world, in this moment.
For a second she hesitated; but curiosity got the best of her.
She slowly walked down the steps of the terrace and into the fields.
The immense silence overwhelmed her. Not the vaguest sound
of animals moving through the night, or leaves rustling in the breeze
could be heard. She shivered and wished she had put on a sweater.
Carefully she made her way through the moor. She knew there was a
small path that led towards the lake, but she couldn't find it.
Instead she decided to walk straight to the lake. Her eyes flashing
from the ground at her feet scared of running into a pool, back to
the lights, afraid they would suddenly be gone. She was glad the
moon was full, lighting her way through the fields. She stared up;
hundreds of stars were glowing in a sky of dark blue velvet.
She let out a sigh of happiness. The words of the last song her radio
had been playing entered her mind.
"I'd love to touch the sky tonight
I'd love to touch the sky
So take me in your arms
And lift me like a child
And hold me up so high
And never let me go
Take me
Take me in your arms tonight"
She stopped singing as she reached the edge of the forest
near the lake. Through the trees she could she the lights were
still there. As silently as possible she made her way towards them.
The breeze appeared to have gone and the silence seemed to be as
thick as the fog. The majestic trees full of leaves kept out
the moonlight, leaving Ashley in the darkness of the night.
Step by step she came closer to the mysterious lights that
seemed to dance in the moonlight. She felt her curiosity grow
stronger. The thought of danger had left her mind.
Suddenly she reached the edge of the forest. In front of her
was the lake. The rays of the moon played on the small waves on the lake.
Streaks of fog seemed to be twisting just above the surface, illuminated
by the moonlight. And in the midst of it all were
little creatures dancing on the water. Enchanted Ashley stepped carefully
closer; faeries. Their little slender bodies moved swift but elegant.
Music seemed to come from nowhere. It just existed there to please the
beautiful beings on the surface of the lake. Ashley couldn't help but
stare at the scenery in front of her. The feet of the elves rarely touched
the water, and if they did, they only caused small circles that faded
almost instantly. She could hear laughter, like little bells tinkling.
A strange feeling of perfect joy seemed to warm her body. The music filled
her head and made it impossible to think. Her eyes only saw the tiny
figures on the water. Now she understood where the lights had come from.
Each faerie held a shimmering stone in the hand. And it danced along
with the movement of the dancers.
Silently Ashley stepped away from the safe shadow of the trees.
She just had to come closer to this. For a moment her gaze left the
dancing faeries as she glanced around to find a better place to watch.
She froze; she hadn't been the only one who had come to see this.
Somebody was sitting on a big rock that was partly above the lake.
Ashley smiled; it was the perfect place to watch the scenery from.
She tried to focus on the person. But the dense fog only allowed her
to see a siloette. For a moment the faeries were forgotten. This was different.
Wondering she stepped closer; trying to be as silent as possible.
She had a better view now; she could see the person quite clearly now.
Curious she took another step. Even before she heard it, she knew she
had stepped on a twig. The soft crack seemed to echo around the lake.
The faeries didn't seem to notice, but the person turned its head.
Two eyes stared at her; two liquid brown eyes, Andros.
Ashley felt all air leaving her lungs. For a moment she wasn't
in a forest in Ireland, but back on the mega ship with Andros,
Cassie, TJ, Carlos, and Zhane. The person on the rock rose silently,
his eyes never leaving her. For a brief moment he also seemed to be shocked.
But that look left his face soon enough and was replaced by a look she
knew very well. Ashley grasped for air. The man in front of her brought
a finger to his lips, as a gesture for her to be silent. She nodded,
though she didn't really know why. She didn't want to pretend she was
listening to him. With that thought, a bit of the anger she had felt
five years ago, came back. For a moment she closed her eyes. And when
she opened them she threw an irritated look at him. He looked at her
with a blank face. Ashley felt like kicking something, preferably the
man in front of her. But he grinned as if reading her thoughts. And
she couldn't help but notice he looked really good. He was wearing
jeans and a red open shirt. Suddenly he moved forward and held his
hand inviting out to her. For a moment she just stared at the hand.
She knew she shouldn't accept. She knew she just had to turn and walk
back to the cottage. But she stepped forward and placed her hand in his.
With his other hand he grabbed her other and lifted her up. But instead
of putting her down next to him, he lifted her up high above himself.
Ashley smiled at the feeling of his strong hands lifting her like she
was nothing more than a feather. There high above the ground she looked
at the stars. And once more she thought of the song.
"Hold me
Hold me up so high
And never let me down
Hold me
Hold me up so high
To touch the sky
Just one more time"
She didn't notice that she was singing until she heard him chuckle.
She looked up at the sky and saw the twinkling stars. She looked down at
the man that was holding her up and saw the stars glittering in his eyes.
For a moment they stared at each other. Slowly he lowered her until she
stood in front of him on the rock. The music of the faeries grew stronger
and Ashley turned her head to look at the creatures on the water.
Carefully she walked to the edge of the rock and stared in awe
at the scenery. Andros had truly taken the best position. She felt
his presence behind her. What made her feel like this? Like she had
been drinking too much? So light headed, so light hearted? She felt
like everything was good. She felt alive. She looked down at the beautiful
figures dancing. Was it them that made her feel like this?
Was it Andros? She frowned. That couldn't be. He had broken up with
her five years ago when he decided to stay on KO-35. She turned her
head to look at him. He had also been watching the faeries; his face
modest as ever, but there was something else too. But she couldn't
quite say what it was. Just one thing became clear to her. She didn't
hate him. For a moment she thought about what happened five years ago.
Softly he laid his hand on her shoulder: "We'll talk later, now enjoy this."
It was the first time she heard him speaking again, and she couldn't
help but looking surprised at him. But he just grinned and nodded
towards the water. Had he been reading her mind? But she shook the
thought off and turned to the lake.
The dancing went on and on. Ashley's eyes drank in the sight
of the beautiful faeries moving, making elegant gestures. They never
seemed to get tired. They never seemed to repeat a movement. Their
clothes were made a fabric she couldn't place, but they fell
perfectly around the bodies and were waving with every movement.
Her eyes drank in the colors. Her ears drank in the mystical music.
She had never seen anything as right as this.
She didn't know how long she had been there, watching the faeries.
Suddenly she noticed it got colder. She looked up at the sky and saw
the clouds had come back. She shivered as the breeze touched her body.
She felt how two strong arms encircled her waist and wrapped his cloak
around her. She smiled and rested her head on his chest. She vaguely
wondered why it felt so good, but the dancing faeries and the warmth
of his body clouded her mind. Softly she hummed the last lines of the song.
"Take me in your arms tonight
Take me in your arms
Just one more time
Just one more time
Just one more time"
She felt his mouth near her ear: "You're singing again."
She blushed as she heard him chuckle. The faeries had noticed the
cold too, now. The slowed down and gazed up at the clouded sky.
And then in a blink of an eye they were gone.
Ashley gasped: "Where did they go?"
Andros shrugged: "They only dance when the full
moon is clearly visible." She frowned. The show was over.
She had what she wanted. She had seen real faeries.
He had come to see them too. Would he leave now?
Slowly she turned to him. She noticed he didn't
lessen his grip on her.
For a moment they stood face to face.
"Ashley." His voice broke off the train of thoughts. She lifted
her head, feeling confused. To her surprise she saw a flaw of the same
emotion on his face. They both knew. They both understood. There would
be no talking. Slowly she brought up her hand and touched his cheek.
She felt the smooth warm skin. Her hand slid around his neck and made
him slowly lower his head. For the first time he really smiled at her,
before his lips touched hers. His kiss deprived her of the last realistic
thought that lingered in her mind. Now there was only him; and he was everything.
Dawn: four months ago
His arms were still around her and she couldn't remember a moment
they hadn't been. She yawned. Even though the fog was still dense she
didn't feel cold. She smiled and rested her head on his chest. She felt his
arm coming up and his hand stroking her hair. The fog turned a beautiful
shade of gold when the first ray of sunlight peeped through the leaves.
She stirred annoyed and she felt Andros sigh. They both knew what was to be next.
Andros was the first one to speak: "Ashley." Slowly she turned
her head and looked into his eyes. Softly he kissed her on her forehead.
"Remember this. We'll be together again."
She nodded quietly; "We have to."
He smiled and kissed her long. "But I have to go now.
I'm needed back home."
She smiled sadly: "I will have to go too. We'll fly home
this afternoon." Silently they dressed.
Ashley wished that time would stop immediately. Nothing
was as hard as saying goodbye. Lost in thoughts she stared at the water.
She suddenly felt very tired. She felt him behind her. His face next to
hers: "I don't regret a single thing."
She smiled: "Neither do I." His face held the same sadness as
when she boarded the mega ship five years ago to come home, back to earth.
A last kiss before they stepped back. Silently she turned and started
walking her way back to the cottage. She didn't look back, fearing
she wouldn't be able to take one more step to her home if she would do so.
Andros stared at her until she disappeared in the forest.
His face held an aching look.
Afternoon: present
She changed lanes as she saw the signs for the next exit.
She had been driving all day heading south. She didn't know exactly
where she wanted to go. Right now she only wanted a cup of coffee.
Just as she parked her car she heard the song again on the radio.
She smiled as she thought back again. First she had thought it had
all been a dream, a product of her still overactive imagination.
But she had found out soon enough that it hadn't been a dream.
Dreams usually didn't get you pregnant.