If you have suggestions about which Taylor Swift "reputation" song should be matched with which ranger couple, do leave a review! I have a bunch of songs I'm still searching for the right couple to pair with.
"Getaway Car," by Taylor Swift
Power Rangers Couple: Zhane and Astronema (Karone)
This song is about being in a love triangle, and consequently, knowing that both relationships were doomed from the start. The lyrics of "Getaway Car" made me think of the star-crossed lovers from "Power Rangers in Space." I adapted the lyrics to make it about triangle of conflicting priorities – love versus duty – instead of conflicting people. Let me know how you think it works!
Getaway Car
Falling in love. With you sworn enemy.
To Astronema, Princess of Evil, that definitely qualified as the best of times, but the worst of crimes.
As she paced around her bedroom aboard the Dark Fortress, Astronema ran her hands through her short-red hair as thought back to that fateful afternoon when her own monster attacked her and rendered her unconscious. Zhane the Silver Ranger whisked her away on his galaxy glider, which served as their getaway car, despite his goal to defeat her master, Dark Specter.
Landing at a campfire, their positions became not so black and white, Astronema recalled. One-on-one in a non-battle situation, Astronema couldn't help but notice how beautiful Zhane's deep brown eyes were or the defined, chiseled nature of his handsome face. In shades of gray in the candleight, err, firelight, Zhane had made her healing tea after taking his protective helmet off. Zhane wasn't thinking. And Astronema was just drinking, his tea, as she sat torn between her attraction to the ranger… and her attraction to the idea of eliminating the ranger.
"I could destroy you right now. You know that, don't you?" Astronema recalled she had said to the silver ranger.
"You could, but I don't think you will," he replied.
And Astronema hadn't. Not when Zhane had grabbed her Wrath Staff to toast her a marshmallow treat, which she had greatly enjoyed. Not the next day when she disguised herself as a normal, blonde human girl and purposely ran into Zhane outside of a movie theater just gaze into his gorgeous eyes again.
But when Zhane was late for their date the following afternoon, it was then Astronema had fired her Wrath Staff upon him, turning the long-stem red roses he had brought her into ash. Zhane claimed Astronema had sent the Horrorbull monster to attack, thus causing him to be tardy. It was only after Astronema had stormed off from their date that she found out back at the Dark Fortress that someone else there had sent the Horrorbull monster. Now, weeks had passed. Too much time, too much had happened for her to see Zhane again. It was just too late.
Or was it, she wondered.
Heading into the main control room, checking that no one else was around, she programmed a message to send to Zhane's morphing device: Meet me at our spot by the campfire. Come alone.
The Next Day
The following day, there were sirens in the beat of Zhane's heart as he waited for Astronema. As one of the forces of evil attacking Earth all these past months, Zhane was well-aware he should never have helped her once, let alone be seeing her second time alone. But Zhane knew he couldn't deny that the Princess of Evil had become the queen of his heart. If there was any chance she wanted to give their connection another shot…
Zhane's heart skipped a beat as Astronema tele-beamed into view, still as gorgeous with a shorter, red 'do and so sexy in tight, black battle attire that accented her slim, fit figure. Zhane held out another boutique of long-stemmed red roses to her.
"Since you destroyed the last ones," said Zhane, smiling ruefully. "Thought I'd try this again."
"Thank you," replied Astronema softly. "Were you followed?"
"No, were you?" asked Zhane back.
"I can't believe we're back here," Astronema continued as she paced around the campfire site, ignoring his question. "X marks the spot where we fell apart."
"Dark Specter, he poisoned the well, every man for himself," replied Zhane, pointing back-and-forth between them.
"I wanted to leave him!" exclaimed Astronema, referencing Dark Specter. "I needed a reason."
As if to give her a reason, the silver the silver ranger took her arm tenderly. Astronema felt chills go up her spine, once again feeling the pangs of between torn between one's desire and one's duty. As they gazed deeply into each other's eyes, blaster shots rang out around them. They both looked up with alarm to see Quantrons, the foot soldiers of Dark Specter, running towards them.
"We have to get out of here!" said Zhane urgently, grabbing Astronema's hand. "Silver Cycle!"
Before Astronema could protest, they were driving in the getaway car, err, motocycle. They were flying, but Astronema knew they'd never get far. She turned to see Ecliptor – the general at the Dark Fortress who raised her – as well as the Quantrons riding on motorbikes after her.
"Go, go, go!" she screamed to Zhane, holding onto his waist tightly on the back of the Silver Cycle.
It was the great escape, the prison break that she had often dreamed of. As they jet set, she felt like they Bonnie and Cylde. Astronema took a moment to enjoy the light of freedom on her face. But with the three of them – Zhane, herself, and Dark Specter – she knew it was a sideshow. A few tears started to roll down Astronema's cheeks.
"I was cryin' in a getaway car. I was dyin' in a getaway car. I said goodbye in a getaway car," she whispered to herself, no longer torn and knowing what she had to do next.
When Ecliptor and the Quantrons were out of sight, Zhane slowed the Silver Cycle to a halt. Extending a hand to help Astronema off the bike, Zhane moved in to embrace her. However, Astronema quickly hopped off the bike on her own and recoiled, now unable to meet his gaze.
"I knew it from the first old-fashioned cup of tea, that we were cursed," said Astronema sadly, as she started to press buttons on a panel on her wrist.
"Astronema, no please, we can make this… " Zhane began urgently, before he was cut off by blaster shots once again being point in his direction.
Zhane rolled to the side, easily dogging the shots. In shock and panic, he looked up to see Ecliptor and the Quantrons once again racing towards them. But this time, Astronema had a broad smile on her face.
"Astronema, what's going on? How did they find us so fast?" asked Zhane, feeling his stomach begin to sink.
"It's no surprise I turned you in," replied Astronema, revealing a secret communicator on her wrist. "Because us traitors never win."
Her words hit Zhane like a shotgun shot to the heart.
"I thought said you wanted to leave him, Dark Specter?" asked Zhane in despair, starting to wonder if she had reached out to him not to reconcile, but to try to trap him.
"I knew I struck a match and blew your mind," she continued showing little emotion. "But I didn't mean it. And you didn't see it."
"And I knew I should have listened to the sirens in the beat of my heart," murmured Zhane in a mix of shock and anguish.
"Don't pretend it's such a mystery," responded Astronema curtly. "Think about the place where you first met me."
And Zhane did, recalling that the only reason he rescued Astronema in the first place was because she had sent her monsters to attack the innocent citizens of earth. No matter how he felt about her – or even if she had felt anything for him in return at one point – they would always be on different sides of the fight. Unfortunately for Zhane, Astronema had realized that before he had and instead used the opportunity to bring Ecliptor and Quantrons to set Zhane up.
"A circus ain't a love story," said Astronema simply "I'm sorry."
"We're both sorry," echoed Zhane limply, overwhelmed by feelings of both anger and anguish.
Zhane gazed longingly one last time at the red-haired Astronema, who now refused to meet his gaze. As the Quantrons moved into grab him, Zhane listened to the sirens in the beat of his heart this time and quickly morphed into the silver ranger. Summoning his galaxy glider, he flew into the air and away from his feelings for Astronema.
"No, nothing good starts in a getaway car," Astronema mused despondently to herself as she watched him disappear.
I wrote this story with the lyrics to "Getaway Car" in mind, but in my own ships world, I like to think that Zhane and Karone ended up together, once she returned to her normal self after Dark Spector was defeated. :-)
Anyway, subscribe to see what song ends up being next!
