Hoping For A Better Future
Chapter Four
Aisha hummed happily to herself as she stepped off of the plane and onto solid ground. She was back in Angel Grove, intending on dropping in some old friends. Before she could even reach the baggage claim, she was greeted by a familiar face.
"Jason?" she asked, a little mystified by his appearance.
"Aisha? What are you doing here?" Jason replied.
"I'm here to give the guys a little surprise visit. You?"
"I'm picking up Kim. She's coming in from Florida. I've been in Angel Grove for about six months now."
"Wow. I just graduated, so I'm in to celebrate too. What were you doing back in Angel Grove?"
Jason sighed. "I was back in town to give the guys a surprise visit. While I was here, Prince Trey of Triforia chose me to be the Gold Ranger after he was injured. About a week ago he came back and regained his powers."
"Gold Ranger, huh? That's a newbie for me. How come no one told me about all this?"
"Well, I barely had enough time to tell Zack and Trini, I never got around to talking to Kim... I guess that's why you've just found out."
"Yeah. International phone rates are a killer."
"Don't I know it?"
Suddenly, someone else walked up to the two former Power Rangers.
"Hey guys," Kim said with a happy tone.
"Kim!" Aisha exclaimed, hugging her friend.
Kim returned the gesture. She then turned to Jason and hugged him as well.
"Hey Jase. What have you been up to lately?" Kim asked.
"Being a Ranger again."
"What this time?" She raised an eyebrow at her old friend.
"The Gold Ranger. I gave up the powers not too long ago though."
"Oh. Poor thing. At least you got the chance to be a Ranger again. I was stuck in Florida, training for the Pan Globals."
Jason and Aisha laughed in unison as Kim made a pouty face.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rocky winced as he shifted in the hospital bed. The four remaing Zeo Rangers had left about a half an hour ago, and he had just sent Justin to the Power Chamber upon getting a message on his communicator from Zordon. He stared blankly at the stark white ceiling. He felt like he was letting down everyone because he wouldn't be healed until after the Tournament. Meaning the shelter wouldn't get the money it needed unless Tommy and Adam found someone else to fight. Suddenly, someone appeared in the room. Rocky strained to see who it was, but the person didn't move foward and further into the small hospital room.
"Rocky?" a voice called.
Something went off in Rocky's mind. He recognized that voice; it was more familiar to him than even his own mother's gentle voice.
"Aisha?" he replied, again trying to sit up.
Aisha went farther into the room and closed the door behind her. When she reached the bed, she frowned, seeing the discomfort in Rocky's eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Rocky asked.
"I came to pay a visit to you guys, and since everyone else is on a mission, I've been led here."
"Thanks for coming. How's everything in Africa?"
"Great, actually. I missed you though," Aisha replied, frowning again.
"I missed you too."
Aisha's eyes shot open from her dream. It took her a minute to orient herself; she realized she was in the hospital with Rocky. She looked down at her watch to check the time.
"Twelve thirty," she muttered. 'Why do I keep having these dreams? And why is it, that everytime I have them, I always see Rocky? What is it trying to tell me?'
The dreams were just flashes, really, but at the some point they become more than lifelike. This was at the point when she saw Rocky; he would be yelling at her, something she couldn't understand, but it was yelling nonetheless. The last thing he would always say was the last things Aisha would hear before would awaken.
"Why did you leave me, Aisha? Just when I needed you the most..." the vision would say before disappearing into the depths of her mind.
'Rocky wouldn't be that cruel though, would he?'
Aisha got up and stood next to Rocky's bedside, watching his sleeping form. While her hand caressed a few strands of his hair, Aisha contemplated what the vision meant. Suddenly, tears sprang to her eyes as she realized just what it meant.
'I left him when I stayed in Africa, just when he needed me at his side.'
"But I'm here now, Rocky. I'm here now," she whispered, her thumb softly stroking his cheek.
Chapter Four
Aisha hummed happily to herself as she stepped off of the plane and onto solid ground. She was back in Angel Grove, intending on dropping in some old friends. Before she could even reach the baggage claim, she was greeted by a familiar face.
"Jason?" she asked, a little mystified by his appearance.
"Aisha? What are you doing here?" Jason replied.
"I'm here to give the guys a little surprise visit. You?"
"I'm picking up Kim. She's coming in from Florida. I've been in Angel Grove for about six months now."
"Wow. I just graduated, so I'm in to celebrate too. What were you doing back in Angel Grove?"
Jason sighed. "I was back in town to give the guys a surprise visit. While I was here, Prince Trey of Triforia chose me to be the Gold Ranger after he was injured. About a week ago he came back and regained his powers."
"Gold Ranger, huh? That's a newbie for me. How come no one told me about all this?"
"Well, I barely had enough time to tell Zack and Trini, I never got around to talking to Kim... I guess that's why you've just found out."
"Yeah. International phone rates are a killer."
"Don't I know it?"
Suddenly, someone else walked up to the two former Power Rangers.
"Hey guys," Kim said with a happy tone.
"Kim!" Aisha exclaimed, hugging her friend.
Kim returned the gesture. She then turned to Jason and hugged him as well.
"Hey Jase. What have you been up to lately?" Kim asked.
"Being a Ranger again."
"What this time?" She raised an eyebrow at her old friend.
"The Gold Ranger. I gave up the powers not too long ago though."
"Oh. Poor thing. At least you got the chance to be a Ranger again. I was stuck in Florida, training for the Pan Globals."
Jason and Aisha laughed in unison as Kim made a pouty face.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rocky winced as he shifted in the hospital bed. The four remaing Zeo Rangers had left about a half an hour ago, and he had just sent Justin to the Power Chamber upon getting a message on his communicator from Zordon. He stared blankly at the stark white ceiling. He felt like he was letting down everyone because he wouldn't be healed until after the Tournament. Meaning the shelter wouldn't get the money it needed unless Tommy and Adam found someone else to fight. Suddenly, someone appeared in the room. Rocky strained to see who it was, but the person didn't move foward and further into the small hospital room.
"Rocky?" a voice called.
Something went off in Rocky's mind. He recognized that voice; it was more familiar to him than even his own mother's gentle voice.
"Aisha?" he replied, again trying to sit up.
Aisha went farther into the room and closed the door behind her. When she reached the bed, she frowned, seeing the discomfort in Rocky's eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Rocky asked.
"I came to pay a visit to you guys, and since everyone else is on a mission, I've been led here."
"Thanks for coming. How's everything in Africa?"
"Great, actually. I missed you though," Aisha replied, frowning again.
"I missed you too."
Aisha's eyes shot open from her dream. It took her a minute to orient herself; she realized she was in the hospital with Rocky. She looked down at her watch to check the time.
"Twelve thirty," she muttered. 'Why do I keep having these dreams? And why is it, that everytime I have them, I always see Rocky? What is it trying to tell me?'
The dreams were just flashes, really, but at the some point they become more than lifelike. This was at the point when she saw Rocky; he would be yelling at her, something she couldn't understand, but it was yelling nonetheless. The last thing he would always say was the last things Aisha would hear before would awaken.
"Why did you leave me, Aisha? Just when I needed you the most..." the vision would say before disappearing into the depths of her mind.
'Rocky wouldn't be that cruel though, would he?'
Aisha got up and stood next to Rocky's bedside, watching his sleeping form. While her hand caressed a few strands of his hair, Aisha contemplated what the vision meant. Suddenly, tears sprang to her eyes as she realized just what it meant.
'I left him when I stayed in Africa, just when he needed me at his side.'
"But I'm here now, Rocky. I'm here now," she whispered, her thumb softly stroking his cheek.