By: the-magenta-ranger
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. (The show, I mean, as I do own some of the action figures.) -grin-
A/N: Was feeling pretty emo when I started this so, TA-DAH! My first attempt at angst! Yay.
Theme 3: What if…?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Instant Four: Consequences xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was dark. No moon. No stars. Completely and utterly lightless. His mask's visor sure wasn't helping any, but he found himself stumbling through the city anyway.
He had to find her.
-Flash-
Blue Bay Point was all rose-colored and beautiful. They were in similar positions on the grass, cross-legged and comfortable, about a foot and a half away from each other.
The sun was to set in a few minutes and they thought it'd be nice to watch together.
Their companionable silence, however, was broken.
"…Dustin…" Her voice was meek, hesitant. So unlike the outspoken tone he was used to. She fumbled nervously with her fingers and he knew something was wrong.
"…Marah?" He sat upright, an indication that he was giving her his full attention.
She paused, her palm clenched slightly. She was teetering on a decision.
Sighing she said, "I have to…tell you something." She finished weakly and never met his eyes.
He waited, unbidden worry clenching at his stomach, "…yeah?"
"…Someone's coming here…to, uh…fetch…me…"
His brown irises held a confused skepticism. "Who?"
"…Uncle."
Blink. "WHAT?"
-Flash-
Damn it.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop had always given him something of an adrenaline rush. Tonight however, it was really just more of an obstacle. Something to do with the fact that the pure anxiety was nearly suffocating him.
Jump. Slip. Stumble. Gain balance again. He cursed under his breath.
What he wouldn't do for Tori's ninja speed power right about now.
For any of the other rangers' help actually.
He sighed audibly. But it wasn't like he could ask them. They didn't trust her, what with their history and all. And he didn't hold it against them.
…It was just…they didn't get the chance to see the side of her that he did.
-Flash-
"You're not going with him, are you!" He didn't mean for his voice to sound so frantic. But the situation was definitely calling for some desperation.
"I…" she grew silent, making him irritated at her for even considering.
"So when you said you wanted to be good…" She was fumbling with the edge of her shirt, and his tone cracked"…you lied?"
"No, no!" She gazed up at him, finally. "I did—do, want to be good!" The expression in her auburn orbs spoke truth, and he felt his heart noiselessly go out to her.
But the confusion remained, "So…why?"
She folded her hands in her lap again, and stared at them like they were the most interesting appendages in the world.
Finally, she mumbled, "Kapri."
"Your sister?"
She nodded. He looked out to the horizon and the setting sun, and he felt strangely calmer, "What, she threaten you?"
"No!" She looked at him again with defiant eyes, only to continue in the softest voice in the world, "…I can't leave her."
He looked upon her sunlit features, "You don't have to!" When she threw him a puzzled look, he continued, "I'm sure she'll…come around."
"…Really." Her tone was edged with sarcasm.
With a sigh, he urged, "Marah. Just…stay."
He finally succumbed with the insane urge to hold her hand, "Please."
-Flash-
He hadn't known the pressure he'd been putting on her then. He hadn't thought of the weight of the decision, the magnitude of the situation.
He'd been selfish, really. Asking her to stay with the good side…with him.
And now…
The sound of clashing weapons caught in his ears. He heard a pained cry and he upped his speed, the fastest his legs could handle.
His white-gloved hand gripped at his sword, his brows knit in anger.
If that low-life had hurt her…
Following the echoing sounds of what he was sure was a fight, he reached his destination.
Only to be held back by 40 or more kelzaks. The head villain turned to him, smirking sadistically, "Ah. The yellow ranger. How nice of you to join us."
Behind the dark, towering figure, sat a crumpled girl who gazed at him with familiar brown, fearful eyes, "Dustin!"
An expression of horror crossed his features.
"Marah!"
-Flash-
"Dustin!" It was obviously her turn at being frantic. "It's…" he noticed how limp her digits were in his grip, "…not that easy."
She looked to the ¾ set sun and its light reflected in her sad eyes. "You know, I'd always been bad at being bad."
At that, he was at a loss for words. She continued, "I wanted to prove myself."
Silence.
"So…I accepted this mission."
Perplexity set in his eyes, "…what?"
She exhaled loudly, "Dustin…" they met gazes again, "Uncle knows that you trust me. …And…he knows he could use that to his advantage, so he's asked me to be a part of his team again."
She flinched nervously.
"I…accepted."
The answer shook him, first, with bewilderment, then, with shock, and finally, with angered betrayal. He immediately took his hand from hers and stood up abruptly, throwing her a furious glance.
Before he could outburst, she beat him to it, "But I couldn't pull through!" She also stood, so he knew she was being direct with him.
"I couldn't just…hurt…you." She flushed faintly and turned once more to the light. His demeanor was again composed with her honesty, "And…my intentions hadn't been that from the start."
Her eyes were glossy, he noticed. "They…kicked me off the ship. Because, well, I was bad at being bad. I'd been raised to be evil…but I guess I just…wasn't cut out for it. And they replaced me? So of course, I…I couldn't stay—" she was mumbling, and he was sure tears were ready to fall. He inched towards her.
"So it got me to thinking that maybe I could be good at being good…and so I met you…and I was really happy! You trusted me so easily…Then—"
She paused and her miserable features, bathed in the soft, pink glow of sunset, made his heart hurt.
"…I'm not good at being good either, am I?"
And he couldn't help but gather her up in his arms. He embraced her softly, as the tone of her voice made him think her fragile.
He whispered, "You can be."
-Flash-
His breathing was ragged and sweat poured out of him in his struggle against the kelzaks.
4…8…9…
Damn it, there were so many!
But…Marah was in danger. She needed him now! And these stupid--!
"Keep him in place!" Lothor spat from his position. "And you." He turned to his niece, a dull hate in his eyes. He fisted her brown locks and she cried out as he dragged her along.
He barked at her to shut up, muttering, "This, you traitorous wench, is what you get for betraying me."
He placed her before the fraught Earth Ninja Ranger and laughed harshly at Dustin's effort to reach out to her.
"Your attempts are futile." Lothor remarked, eliciting a furious growl from the teen. A kelzak kicked him. Dustin only retaliated, "At least I'm not a coward! I didn't come with an army of goons to protect me!" The insult was awarded with a blow to the stomach.
The villain looked down at him and he quickly ordered one of the kelzaks to hold down his weakened niece.
He stood in front of the yellow ranger, coming between the pair of friends. "Don't get cheeky with me, yellow ranger." He waved over to Marah, "What'd happened to her is very much your fault as it is hers."
Dustin glared. He had never hated anyone more in his whole life.
A sound from behind alerted him to the presence to someone's appearance…or some ones.
"Dustin!" came the familiar voice of Tori, followed closely by Shane's "You idiot! You know never to fight without us!"
The yellow ranger allowed himself a quick grin. Finally, the good guys were gaining an upper hand.
Other voices, "We'll handle these thugs!" and "Hurry!" arrived, whom he noticed to be the Thunder Brothers.
He hadn't counted on his friends' coming to his rescue, but was definitely glad about it.
"Thanks guys."
A "No time for gratitude now. Get to Marah! Quick!" from Cam reached his ears. Before he knew it, he was free. And Lothor was running, a faltering Marah in tow. Dustin followed after.
The chase was on.
-Flash-
She placed delicate hands on his chest, putting space between them.
"But…" the space ninja looked up at him with an uncertain face, "…I can't just become good all of a sudden! Won't it look…suspicious?"
He sighed, wondering if she actually wanted the situation to be so complicated.
"They'll learn in time."
Still considerably doubtful, she looked to the sunset again, questioning, "How can they forgive me for…the things I've done?"
He gave her shoulders an assuring squeeze, "Marah. Just…trust me. My friends are good guys."
She tossed him a deadpan glance. "I think I know that."
He chuckled lightly. "Then, you should also know that the good guys never hold grudges."
He grinned. "They'll get over it."
-Flash-
"D-Dustin!"
Following the echoes of her voice bouncing off the alleyway's brick walls, he found himself at an empty warehouse.
"Marah!" He called out in the darkness.
His eyes widened at the sight of Lothor and Marah in the middle of the room, the former, holding her by the neck a foot above the ground and the latter, clawing at her captor and struggling to breathe.
The initial shock was quickly followed up by rage. "Lothor!" He yelled in a booming voice, taking a step towards them.
Marah's tortured whimper halted him. Her uncle had tightened his clutch at her throat.
"Think before you act, yellow ranger." He leered maliciously. "I hold her life in my hands."
Dustin's teeth grit and his heart thumped painfully against his ribcage. He too, felt he was choking.
There seemed no hope.
"You…" he began, trying to reason, something, anything, with Lothor, "…you can't do this! She's your niece! Your own fam--!"
He was interrupted by Lothor's cruel laughter. "Idiot. When you're evil, family relations are meaningless."
Dustin gazed at Marah and his breath caught. Silent tears were trailing wetly down the contours of her cheeks.
Scoffing, Lothor threw her roughly to the ground. "Especially useless, double-crossing nieces."
This was his chance! He rushed over to her, but was once again stopped. This time, by Marah's call of, "Dustin! Stay back!"
A flash of bright, fully charged energy blinded him. He felt himself thrown against the metal wall of the warehouse and then there was darkness.
-Flash-
She sighed softly and surprised him by resting her forehead against his torso.
"…Will you let me keep in contact with Kapri?" she questioned suddenly.
Dustin raised a brow, but relented nonetheless, "Sure. As long as she doesn't try getting you to join the evil side again."
For some reason he could feel her smile.
"…Will you protect me from your friends?" He laughed at that one, circling his arms around her once more.
"When I can."
Her last condition brought redness to her face that he knew wasn't because of the sunset.
"…Will you…stay with me?"
An uncontrolled flush rose to his cheeks, but he grinned, "Always."
-Flash-
He opened his eyes and it took him a minute to get his bearings. His sight was blurry adjusting to the light and his head hurt.
A flash of bright brown eyes behind his eyelids bolted him to a sitting position.
"Marah!" He stood, despite the wobbliness of his legs. His eyes scanned the premises and his breath caught in his throat, making him choke.
Lothor was gone and an unmoving Marah lay in the middle of the cold floor.
He ran for her, desperately trying not to trip along the way.
Reaching her, dropped to his knees, taking off his yellow helmet. Gently, he nudged her shoulder.
"Marah. Marah, wake up!" No response. His esophagus constricted.
Again, he shook her, a more anxious force behind his actions. "Marah! Marah!"
He held her hand, cringing at its coldness. This…wasn't…happening.
"Marah! Get. Up!" He wiped away the mix of blood and tears from her colorless countenance. She would get up, he reasoned. She had to because he'd promised!
She had to because she couldn't leave him.
His fellow rangers found him in his despondency. And were silent.
"Marah! MARAH! This isn't funny!" Despite the lack of a pulse, the obvious fact that her chest was no longer rising and falling, he wouldn't—couldn't—allow himself to believe that she was…
"Marah, Lothor's gone!" He tried, hugging her frozen form. "Y-you're…free! We can be happy…together." His grip on her pale skin tightened when he heard Tori cry in the backdrop.
No. NO. This…this wasn't how things were supposed to be.
The good guys always win…always.
Cam's grim tone interrupted his rants, "Dustin…" He hesitated, "Dustin, Marah is…"
"No." Dustin cut in bitterly, stubbornly. "She's not."
"But—" said the Red Wind Ranger.
"She'll wake up." He insisted.
"Dustin…please…" Tori pleaded with him, Blake behind her. "She's…"
"I don't want to hear it."
The Crimson Ranger stepped forth, always the brutally honest realist, "Stop being stupid, Dustin. You have to face the fact that—"
"Shut up!"
"Marah—"
"SHUT UP!" He yelled more forcefully.
"Is—"
"Hunter, SHUT u—"
"Dea—"
"I KNOW she's DEAD!"
-Flash-
It was about a minute before the sun fully set.
He grinned down at the girl in his arms, "So…" He began slowly, "Will you do it?"
She smiled brightly up at him. Finally.
"…Yeah."
He pumped one ecstatic fist in the air, "Whoo! Another good guy to add to the team!"
"Good GIRL," she corrected, giggling.
It was twilight.
-Flash-
He held her broken body in his arms for a long stretch of moments.
He'd pressed, she'd relented.
She was an evil space ninja turned honest civilian.
But he hadn't thought of the consequences.
She was gone.
His heart shattered.
---
Dustin awoke in a cold sweat from the nightmare he'd just experienced, Marah's name on his lips.
-End-
A/N: Whoa. 10 pages. This took me way longer
than chapter 3! Anyway, if you couldn't guess, the 'What if'
theme, it had been 'What if Marah hadn't betrayed Dustin after
the whole Beevil thing?' My answer? 'Very Bad Things.' My Lovely Reviewers: CamFan4Ever: Ahaha. Thanks again for reviewing! -smile-
Funky In Fishnet: Yay! Thanks so much. Hah. You make me blush!
Star Fata: Haha. Thanks. Oh and Kapri's boyfriend is...um...whoever you want him to be!
JuppieJutsu: Lol. Thanks a lot. Here's another chappie!
KristalSky: -grin- Heeeeey, Kris. Yeah you're awesome! -snort- Here's an update!
Review!