A\N: I'll be on vacation over the weekend, but I MIGHT be near a computer--and if I see my inbox stuffed with reveiws, I'll update! See you next update..! BTW, di, I'm getting my timelines from the Writer's Guide To Power Rangers. Great site!
BANG!
I jump. What the...
BANG! BANG! BANG!
I frown. Is that music?
I get up for the fifth time, touching the doorknob. At least Zordon had the good sense to put me in my old room. I wouldn't have woken up in someone else's.
I hesitate, trying to force myself to open the door. I can't. I'm safer here. No one can hurt me here.
Rory?
Yeah?
What are you, five?
Point taken.
I shake my head. Talking to myself is extraordinarily strange. I yank the door open quickly, while I'm still distracted, and start following the noise, sneaking through the Command Center with a silence and subtlety not seen outside of movies. Trust me, there is nothing like getting tortured to keep you on your toes.
Tommy's beating up a bag in the gym. I lean against the wall, careful not to hurt myself, and watch. He's pretty good, although his technique involves far too much brute force to be truly effective.
Tommy stops suddenly, sensing me. Half a minute. Not bad, given how out of it he seems. "Hi, Miss Sherwood."
"Rangers call me Rory." Or a few other choice names, but you aren't hearing about that one. "You're good at that, but you need to focus a little more. Someone could've snuck up behind you and stabbed you while you were doing that."
"In here?" He scoffs. "Hard enough for an evil Ranger to get in here, let alone one of Zedd's goons."
I wince. Zedd, great. The one person in this political battle I can actually stand is trying to kill a bunch of kids. "He's trying to kill kids?" I ask.
"Guess. I'm not a kid."
I shake my head. "By his standards, you are. He's thousands of years old, Tommy. Most Tallians are."
"Tallians?"
"His planet is called Tallia." And you aren't learning any more about it until I've had a chat with Zordon. Of course, my 'chats' with him tend to turn into screaming matches, but still...
"I thought he was just...kinda nuts."
"Still from somewhere. Still has parents. Dead parents, but still."
Tommy resumes punching the bag.
"You live here?" It's pretty late at night, and Derek lived here for a while.
"Sometimes. When I piss my parents off too much." Tommy slams his fist even harder into the bag, nearly sending it flying. Ouch.
"Don't like them?" I ask sympathetically.
"Nothing big. You okay?"
I snort. "Tommy?"
"Yeah?"
"I invented deflection. Ask Zordon."
"He said you're not a Ranger."
I sigh. Great. Now we're getting into stuff you don't need to know. "Short version is, I was a Ranger, but I ended up mad at everyone. Including the Council of Light."
"Why?"
I sigh. "Tommy? Wrong time to tell you. Wait until I'm a little more on my feet, okay?" And can find my annoying Zord...
"I think Kim's using your Zord."
I blink. Please tell me he didn't just read my mind.
"Uh..."
Oh. Oh, poor Tommy...I smile. It's okay, Tommy. I can do it too.
"Really?" He blurts out. How?
Rangers usually have powers.
He frowns. "I...I thought it was just me."
"No. You just have the same power as me." Wow, Zordon, you really didn't learn, did you? Don't pick the psychics. We can yank the thoughts right outta your head.
"I try not to. His mind's too big. Too weird."
I smile. "Yeah. So could you tell me something?"
"Sure."
"What year is it?"
"1994." Tommy says, then reaches for the punching bag again. "I hate this."
"Hate what?"
"Being stuck inside while all my freinds go party."
I raise an eyebrow.
"I can't go out because my parents might see me, and I don't want to run into them."
"But you want to go party, too?" I ask. Hmm...I could help. "Is there a city near here?"
"Angel Grove. Why?"
Perfect. "Can you teleport us downtown?" I ask. "I think I know a place you'd like."
"Cool."
I smile at the approval. Tommy and his freinds are really enjoying the carnival, especially since they took out the fake sasquatch poop. It was pretty gross in the first place.
"Hey, guys, I'm kinda tired." I tell them. "I think I'll head back to the Command Center."
"I can teleport you." Kim offers.
I smile, shaking my head. "I can do it. See you later."
"Bye!" They chorus, then wander off. I duck into a corner, then mutter, "Deasa."
There isn't a flame anymore when I teleport, I notice idly. Interesting. Pure clarity...hmm. What could that signify?
"I AM GLAD YOU FEEL WELL ENOUGH TO TALK TO THE RANGERS." Zordon says. Damn. Transparancy must mean stupidity. Why the heck didn't I end up in my room?
"They're good kids." I tell him.
"HAVE YOU TOLD THEM OF YOUR THEORIES?"
"What theories? It's true." I sigh, holding up a hand. "Yeah, I know, just theories...can we skip it?" I really want to go curl up on my bed and cry now. Especially since Jason acts so much like a cuter Derek, all puppy-dog like and sweet.
"THEY MAKE YOU MISS YOUR TEAM."
"Nothing could make me miss Derek." I hiss. "I'm going to bed. Leave me alone. Goodnight."
I'm halfway across the room when Zordon says, "YOU KNOW YOU MISS HIM VERY MUCH."
I whirl on him. "Listen. I didn't plan on getting captured, sure as hell didn't plan on needing to be rescued, and if you think just because your team saved me it gives you the right to be condescending, grow up."
"YOU WILL ALWAYS LOVE DEREK. YOU LOVED HIM FIRST. YOU WILL ALWAYS MISS JUNIPER, BECAUSE SHE WAS THE SISTER YOU NEVER HAD. YOU WILL ALWAYS MOURN TIMOTHY, AND WISH THAT HE HAD NOT DIED. YOU WILL ALWAYS WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO CHRISTOPHER AND REMEMBER HIS JOKES. AND YOU WILL NEVER FORGET ZEDD FOR TAKING YOUR BROTHER AWAY."
"First." I say calmly. "Zedd didn't take my brother away. Zedd is my brother. Second. What I feel about my teammates is none of your damned buisness."
"I WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR MENTOR, AURORA. I WILL THEREFORE ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT YOU."
I'm not going to kill him. I'm not going to kill him. "Go to hell." I snap, then turn and storm out.
When I fall on my bed, I cry.
I want my life back.
