Streaks of Purple Saga
On Eagle's Wings
Part One
Chapter One
A soft scratch disturbed the sleepy silence of the bedroom.
A girl groaned, lifting her heavy head from the textbook that served as her pillow through the night. She blindly pushed back the reddish-brown hair that hung in her face as she sat up.
Green eyes swept the room in confusion. Sunlight trickled through the windows, illuminating the primarily cream-colored room. Her bed was still neatly made from the previous day.
The scratching sound began again, this time accompanied by a soft meow.
Alexis Darling smiled, walking to the door to the bedroom and pulled it open. A small gray cat pushed against the door, meowing beseechingly and rubbing against her ankle.
"Morning, April," she yawned, bending to rub the imploring cat's head. She then turned to the clock beside her bed.
"Wow. I might actually be on time."
Chapter Two
Amanda Darling leaned against the countertop as she poured a serving of coffee. In silence, she added the customary cream and sugar, and sat at the small table adjacent to the kitchenette.
She looked up from the mail she was reading when she heard footsteps approach. She stared in confusion as her daughter stepped into the kitchen, fully dressed in a crop top and flare jeans, and began searching the cabinets.
"Lex, it's six-thirty. What are you doing up?"
"Mr. Wilton is giving a quiz tomorrow. Since we're flying to England tonight, I'm going to miss it."
She found a box of cat food, and kneeled on the floor beside a plastic tray.
"I'd rather get it over with now then have it hang over my head during Nana's party."
Alexis watched April approach the food, and then pulled a box of cereal from another cabinet. She managed to balance the cereal, milk, and bowl in her arms, and carry a spoon in her hand. She set the objects on the table, and sat across from her mother.
As she reached for the cereal, her gaze fell upon her mother's coffee mug. It was a large mug of white glass with violet words painted on it. Written diagonally, vertically, and horizontally was the word "King" in about a dozen languages.
Her eyes hardened as she stared at her mother. Amanda felt the chill, and looked up from yesterday's mail.
"Where did you find that cup?"
Amanda looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I had just gotten around to emptying some of those odds and ends left over from the move. I found it in one of the boxes yesterday."
Alexis' jaw set as she studied her mother's reaction. Amanda gazed at the mug wistfully, lifting it with her fingers and turning it slowly.
"It was the first present you bought for him for Father's Day. We were in Macy's, and you wandered away when I was looking at utensil sets. You pulled me to the mug display, pointed at it, and said 'Daddy would love this! If I'm the princess, he must be the king!' You paid for it with your birthday money, and you actually waited until Father's Day to give it to him. He wouldn't drink his morning coffee from another mug since."
She paused for a moment, a film of moisture coating her eyes. "Ten years of memories... in a piece of glass."
She fell into silence, taking another sip of coffee and closing her eyes. Alexis stared into her bowl, dunking the Cheerios as she slowly chewed on a spoonful.
"You should throw it away," Alexis decided. "He didn't take it with him, so he obviously didn't want it."
Amanda flinched at the chill in her daughter's tone. She set the cup down, and fixed her daughter with a searching gaze.
"Lex, we never really... talked about what happened. It's been three months since your father left-"
"There's nothing to talk about," Alexis interrupted, picking herself up from her seat. "Mid-life crisis hit him like the atomic bomb, and he decided he wasn't happy with how his life turned out. So he dropped us like a bad habit to start a whole new life for himself." She sat on the floor near the front door, and tied on her black roller-blades. "And we decided the best way to cope was to start fresh 3,000 miles away from the city I was born and raised in."
Amanda cringed as the door slammed, and watched out the window as Alexis glided down the driveway and onto the sidewalk. She sighed wearily, gazing at the full bowl of cereal seated on the table before her.
Chapter Three
Alexis ascended the stairs of Angel Grove High School, her roller blades hanging from her fist. She stared up at the clock above the large double doors leading to the main hall.
"I'm fifteen minutes early," she realized with slight annoyance, "I guess I skated a bit hard today."
She walked into the school absently, her mind wandering.
She hadn't meant to be so sharp with her mother. She never really meant to be harsh to anyone, but whenever she felt threatened, she flew on the defensive with a surprising amount of cruelty.
Ever since Peter Darling shattered their happy family with his long-hidden lack of fulfillment, Alexis hadn't been the same. It hurt so much to discover that her father, a man whom she had loved more than anyone else, could just leave her behind without a second thought. The fact that he actually had it in him to leave their comfortable home in Philadelphia gave her a whole new outlook on the world.
The world was a cold, cruel place, with very few people worth trusting.
She wanted so much to push him out of her mind, and all that would trigger memories of a happier time. But it was impossible. Her mother clung so desperately to his memory, as if by drinking from his mug or wearing his shirt she would be close to him. She hadn't given up hope that he'd come to his senses and reconcile, despite the fact that she constantly denied it.
The small, desperate family tried to deal with the shocking upheaval. Amanda immediately had gone about finding employment as far away from the northeast as possible, as if distance could separate her from the pain. She and Alexis crossed the country, opting to live in a small city named Angel Grove. Despite the fact that the town was notorious for alien attacks and Power Ranger sightings, it was a charming place to live.
A city that could endure interplanetary war must have the strength to inspire the Darlings to be strong as well, and cope with their change in situation.
She walked through the empty halls slowly, her shoulders heaving under the weight of her musings.
This weekend was her grandmother's birthday. What if her father showed up for the party? It wasn't likely, considering how he'd never gotten along with his mother. In fact, Nana had often said to Amanda that she was by far a more loving daughter than Peter was a son, despite the fact that Amanda was only her daughter through marriage.
But if Dad does show…things'll be…weird.
She paused as a clanging sound reached her ear. She noticed she was passing the weight room, and glanced through the window curiously. Lying on the bench, grunting as he lifted the heavy dumbbell, was a tall, muscled student. His expression was pure concentration, a shiny film of sweat coating his tan skin and a sharp frown narrowing his dark eyes. He clenched his teeth tightly, giving him an almost feral look that was so intense it was almost frightening.
Ironically, despite his powerful presence, he was the nicest, most considerate guy she'd met in Angel Grove. But his mannerism demanded respect. Sensitivity and power, rolled into one human being. Strength of body, mind, and will, yet somehow with a nurturing spirit. It was an odd, and intriguing combination.
Jason Scott was a puzzle she had been considering since she first saw him in her Chemistry class.
He settled the weight on its stand and sat up, wrapping a towel around his neck.
When he turned around, his eyes met hers through the glass. He smiled in greeting, invoking her to smile in return…despite the embarrassed flush that tinged her cheeks.
Way to go, gawking at the guy. Jeez…
She held her breath as he approached.
"Looking for something?" Jason inquired, leaning upon the door.
"No," she answered quickly, "I'm just a bit early for an appointment with Mr. Wilton."
"I'm surprised to see you. There's never anyone here this early, except for a few industrious teachers and janitors."
Her fingers tightened on her roller blades. "So, what are you doing here?"
He smirked as he gestured to the weight room. "I thought it was obvious."
She pursed her lips tightly, inwardly scolding herself for being so inept during this conversation.
"I usually work out at the Youth Center, but it's not open this early," he explained after a brief silence.
Alexis watched as he tugged on his towel thoughtfully. There was an odd tone in his voice. He sounded stifled, as if his focus was on something utterly separate from the here and now. As if he was wrestling with some weighty crisis.
She was quick to recognize the visible signs. She saw them every day, when she looked in the mirror.
"Are you okay, Jason?" she ventured at last.
Jason looked alarmed, until he consciously hid it with a hasty smile. "I'm okay. I've just got some…issues."
With that, he threw a small wave, and walked back into the weight room.
"You…look like you've lost something," Alexis blurted. It was rather obvious to her what he was dealing with, but she should have known better than to confront him.
Why would he want to talk to me? He probably doesn't even know my name!
Her bold observation startled the young man, who turned around and gazed at her with renewed surprise. He paused, chewing his lip for a moment as he thought how to respond.
He decided the truth was the best route to take. Beside, he'd bottled up his feelings for so long, in an attempt to appear strong to his friends. Perhaps it'd be good for him to vent a little.
Just a little.
"You're right," he confessed, deep sadness in his voice, "I did lose something…someone. My best friend. He's not dead or anything…but I failed him.
He fell silent, his mind drifting as he stepped further into the hallway. He began pacing tensely, feeling Alexis' rapt observation.
"How did you fail him?" she asked gently.
"I didn't come through when he needed me. He…he was…hurt, a few months ago, and it was my fault. I should've been able to help him, before things got out of hand."
Jason paused again, glancing up at the fluorescent light hanging on the ceiling. It was difficult recounting the torturous story of the Green Ranger without actually telling the story. He couldn't put into words what really happened. How Tommy Oliver, his best friend, lost the Power because of his bungling.
There was absolutely no good reason why it took him so long to get the Green Candle! He should've been able to slip past Goldar. All he had to do was grab it, and get out of there! Just a few months before that, he spent hours alone with Goldar in Rita's Dark Dimension. He managed to survive that, despite being without powers.
By failing Tommy, he proved how poor a leader he truly was.
"But, that's not how it ends," he continued. "He eventually recovered. He wasn't as strong anymore – that wound would never heal completely – but he was back in action. But it happened again! And this time, he's never coming back."
Zordon had managed to temporarily restore the Green Ranger powers, but those months weighed heavily on all the Power Rangers. Everyone was in constant fear of his powers fading in the midst of combat, leaving him vulnerable on the battlefield. Jason wanted so much to let Tommy take it easy, but it just didn't work. In nearly every battle, they needed the Green Ranger. They couldn't win without him.
Jason couldn't lead them to victory. He kept screwing up.
When Lord Zedd arrived, things only got worse. He purposely targeted the Green Ranger, recognizing a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Those few weeks were utter hell for the team, as each day Tommy's powers dwindled lower and lower. Finally…it was over. A green crystal absorbed the very last drop of power Tommy had left. Zedd had created a team of Dark Rangers, and had finally put an end to the Dragon Ranger.
Tommy had taken it pretty well, but there was a void in his eyes as he bid farewell.
That emptiness haunted Jason nearly every waking moment since that last battle.
The very next day, Tommy was gone. He had said goodbye in the Command Center, and mentioned something about needing a break, and how he'd miss everyone. But that didn't lessen the pain.
How could he let a friend suffer like that?
He shivered when a hand gently fell on his shoulder. He blinked, pulling himself back to reality. His vision was blurred with a thin veil of moisture, and he glanced down at Alexis, who watched him with deep sympathy.
He wasn't even sure how long he had been silently soaking his guilty.
"I'm so sorry," she said quietly, "I wish there was something…"
"It's okay," he answered, a smile forming on his lips again. "Thanks for listening. It helped."
He stepped away from her, and turned to the clock on the wall.
"I'd better shower," he commented. "The bell rings in twenty minutes.
Alexis' eyes widened in alarm. "I'd better hurry up to Mr. Wilton." She moved through the hallway, turning after a few steps. "See you in class, Jase."
Chapter Four
"Lex, I think that fry has enough ketchup on it."
Alexis blinked, lifting her chin from her palm and shaking off the numbness that set into her hand. She then gazed at her other hand, which had soaked a single French fry in ketchup so long it had become soggy.
"I can see how interested you are in my ballet recital," Angela muttered, sipping her diet Coke.
Alexis sighed, chewing on her sodden fry. "Sorry. I've just been thinking."
"It happens to everyone once in a while."
Alexis smirked, tossing a dry fry at Angela. The target ducked, giggling at the frustration on her friend's face.
"You throw like a girl!"
Alexis rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a giggle of her own.
"So, what're you dreaming about today?" Angela inquired, her sculpted eyebrow rising with interest, "Or better yet... who?"
Alexis pursed her lips. Angela grinned.
"What happened?"
"I saw Jason this morning in the weight room at school," she began, absently dunking another fry mercilessly, "We talked."
"About what? The weather, or something more serious? Like... the Halloween dance coming up?"
Alexis raised her drenched fry threateningly, prompting her friend to shut up. "He was really down, actually, and he kept talking about losing his best friend. Do you know what he was talking about?"
Angela craned her neck to the front of the Youth Center. From their table, she had a clear view of the bar, where Kimberly Hart, Trini Kwan, and Billy Cranston were involved in some conversation. She then turned towards the gym area, where Jason and Zack Taylor were sparring.
"I don't know... but there's definitely something going on with them," Angela decided, leaning back in her chair, "Zack hasn't called me in two weeks straight!"
Alexis blinked. "Wow... that's not good."
"Tell me about it!" Angela huffed, "That boy treated me like a queen all last year. Then, I saw less and less of him." She folded her arms. "I should've known Zack Taylor couldn't take anything seriously."
Alexis frowned in comiseration, but the latter brushed the thought aside. "Jason's probably upset about Tommy."
"Tommy?"
"Yeah, Tommy Oliver. Tall, cute smile, ponytail. He's Kim Hart's boyfriend."
"The quarterback, right?" Alexis noted after a moment. "I think I've seen him around."
Angela smirked. "He's always sparring with Jason, but I can guess where your eyes always were..."
Alexis glared, once again lifting a fry menacingly. Angela smothered a laugh, but promptly stopped teasing.
"So, what happened to Tommy?"
Angela shrugged, picking up her soda again. "He hasn't been in class all week. Rumor has it he's really sick. He's taken off several weeks from school."
"Wow... things must be pretty bad."
Angela watched as Alexis' gaze fell upon the mats. She too craned her neck, and watched as Jason prepared to kick a board elevated for practice. He moved in to attack, but hesitated, bouncing back on one leg.
Angela frowned with slight concern, looking away as Zack moved in to whisper something to his friend. "Whatever's going on, it's totally wrecking his concentration."
Chapter Five
"Okay, Jason," Zack instructed, his index fingers indicating the tall, padded structure that would serve as the recipient of the day's exercise, "place your foot high, and concentrate on the midsection."
"Alright," Jason breathed, his eyes narrow. He hopped from foot to foot in preparation, and then launched his body into a spin kick. However, his arm was off the mark, and his foot missed the target entirely.
Zack sighed with worried frustration, while Jason growled at his own failure.
"I…I just can't concentrate," he excused, pushing back his sweat-soaked hair from his eyes.
"Try again," Zack said patiently, his thumbs tucked into the band of his sweat pants.
Jason frowned.
"Come on, Man," Zack coaxed, this time more insistent. "Try again! The tournament's only a few hours away."
Jason's face remained wrinkled with impatience, as he licked his lips and stepped back. After adjusting his pants, he once again shifted between his two feet to catch his balance.
He moved forward, preparing to strike the target. But to his horror, the target no longer looked like a wooden, padded dummy.
It became Tommy.
Jason nearly stumbled, holding his leg in mid-air. He backed away, his eyes wide.
What was happening to him?
"I…I just can't," he groaned, his brow knitted in worry.
In all honesty, the tournament couldn't be less important to him.
"What's wrong?" Zack asked gently, hanging his arm on the dummy. Jason fidgeted, leaning against the dummy himself.
"I know," Zack whispered, nodding with realization. "It's Tommy. You miss him."
Jason bit his lip in frustration. "It's more than that."
"What?"
"It's my fault he lost his powers in the first place." He bowed his head, lips twisting into an angry snarl. "If I had gotten the Green Candle, he'd still be one of us!"
Zack sighed, shaking his head. "Come on, Jase, you had no choice! I know. I was there!"
"No," Jason growled, more to himself than Zack. His hands were tense with frustration as he clutched the back of his head. "I should've gotten the candle."
A fierce snarl on his face, he once again launched into a fierce kick, aiming at the padded structure. Once again, he missed…by a good six inches.
Releasing a grunt of disgust, Jason left the Youth Center. Zack stared after him, pity in his gaze.
Chapter Six
In all honesty, she didn't know why she was hurrying after him. It was more of a reflex than a conscious decision, and no doubt it had surprised Angela to no end.
She watched the exchange between Zack and Jason. While she couldn't hear what was said, she could read the torment in Jason's face. It left a powerful impression, to say the least. What could have happened to Tommy to make Jason feel so guilty?
True, he's been reported sick, and apparently Jason has taken the blame. But how is that possible?
Still, while the questions swam through her mind, it was his expression that moved her to action.
She didn't want to ask questions, or try to make sense out of his erratic behavior. She just wanted to be there for him, as if somehow it could help him.
After all, without her mother and sister, dealing with her father's departure would've been impossible.
So, without hesitation she rose from her seat, and followed him out of the Youth Center. "Jason!"
Her first call received no response, despite the fact he was only a few yards in front of her.
"Jason, wait! Please!"
This time he responded, turning around slowly. It was obvious from his surprised expression that he hadn't expected to see her.
Alexis took the opportunity to catch up to him, jumping down the few stairs and hurrying along the sidewalk. Once she reached him, she did her best to smile.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his tone disturbingly flat.
Alexis' smile fell. "I... I thought maybe I could help you."
He considered this in silence, his eyes shifting from her towards the Youth Center he had just left. He shook his head. "I don't need help. I just need to think."
And with that, he turned his back to her, and continued on his way.
Alexis watched him leave. Part of her wanted to follow, but she knew deep down that chasing him wouldn't make him feel more at ease.
Instead, she decided to challenge him. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe that's your problem?"
"What?" he answered, stopping again.
This time, she didn't try to bridge the distance between them. "Thinking," she answered, "You're thinking too hard about whatever it is that's eating you. You're obsessing over something, and it frustrates you that you have absolutely no power to change it. Unless you make an effort to just accept what's happened, all you'll do is think about it!"
She'd gone through that stage, and only so recently forced herself to stop thinking about it. About what she lost, and worse yet, how she could have prevented it.
Jason was speechless, his gaze so hard and narrow Alexis was forced to glance away. She only looked back when the sound of footsteps reached her ears.
She sighed quietly when she saw him walk away from her.
Chapter Seven
She sat in darkness, chewing on her bottom lip absently while staring at the ceiling above her. Through the ajar door, she heard conversation buzz faintly from downstairs. Still, despite the celebratory atmosphere, Alexis found herself downhearted.
So rather than interrupt the party, she secluded herself in the small, unused bedroom.
Even though the room was no longer regularly used, her skin tingled at the thought that he lived there. He slept in that very bed, studied at that very desk, and stared out at the streets of Liverpool through that very window. He was once like her: a teenage just trying to make sense of the world, and find his place within it.
Unfortunately, he never did seem to find it.
The long squeal of the door inching open caused Alexis to jump from the bed in surprise.
"You've been terribly uneasy all day," the visitor noted. She switched on the light, flooding the small room instantly. Alexis blinked as the light attacked her eyes, and then watched as her grandmother sat down beside her.
"I guess so, Nana," Alexis responded. "I'm sorry I'm ruining the party."
Wendy Darling smiled, squeezing her granddaughter's hand. "You're not ruining anything, Dear. I'm sure things have been hard on you. This was Peter's room, you know."
Alexis nodded quietly, her gaze slowly sweeping about the room for the hundredth time as she imagined her father as a boy.
"How's Denise doing?" Wendy asked, "I see she didn't make the party."
"No; she has midterms," Alexis reported. "College exams are nothing to mess with."
Wendy smiled mildly. "Well, it's all right. It was you I really needed to talk to."
"About what?"
Wendy then took Alexis' hand. "Come with me."
Alexis obliged, following her grandmother's lead. They went down the hall of the large home and into the master bedroom, decorated with antique furniture that gave the spacious room an almost regal feel.
"You probably can't even imagine this long ago," Wendy began, sitting on her own bed and beckoning Alexis to follow, "but when I was seventeen, my father gave me something to be treasured. It was the first real affirmation of adulthood, to be entrusted with something so sacred to our family. And now, I'm going to give it to you."
Alexis watched as her grandmother reached beneath the neck of her blouse, and pulled out a small golden key hanging like a pendant form her chain. She then laid it in Alexis' palm.
"Be a dear and go into the safe in my closet," she instructed. "You know the combination."
"But what's the key for?"
Wendy smiled. "You'll see."
Alexis complied, opening the small safe bolted to the floor of the spacious closet. She pulled open the heavy iron door, and gazed at the folders filled with important documents, valuable trinkets, and other prized possessions.
"There's a small wooden box in the back, with an engraving."
Alexis nodded, pushing aside objects in her path. Her gaze fell upon a box roughly the size of an index card, made of smooth cherry wood. The top was lined with a thin stretch of gold, and within that frame lay a graceful carving of a bird, its wings spread wide as it rose heavenward.
"It's…beautiful," Alexis whispered, cradling the box with both hands. She nudged the safe closed and exited the closet, lifting her awed gaze to her grandmother. "An antique jewelry box?"
Wendy shook her head, folding her hands on her lap. "No, the box was carved by my great-grandfather, Ernest Washington, who then gave it to his daughter, who gave it to her son, who in turn gave it to his only child. Me."
Alexis' eyes widened with heightened appreciation for the beautiful box.
"But…it's what's inside that is truly magnificent. The box was merely created as something worth of holding what was inside."
Alexis blinked, and stared at her grandmother in surprise. "What's inside?"
Wendy smiled mysteriously. "Why not use the key I gave you to find out?"
Alexis stared at the small golden keyhole on the box. She then approached the bed, laying the box on the mattress while kneeling on the lush carpet.
She lifted the small key, and slid it into the lock. After a moment's hesitation, she turned the key, and slowly opened the box.
Within was a small golden coin, laying on a velvet pillow of rick violet.
"A coin?" Alexis inquired, lowering her head to look closer at the object. "With a picture of a bird?"
"It is an eagle," Wendy corrected. "Now eagles are considered patrons of liberty, thanks to the United States using them as their symbolic animal. However, long before that, it was considered an almost regal animal, endowed with the power and grace of the gods.
"How long before?" Alexis wondered, gazing even closer at the heirloom.
"I'd say…as long ago as human history reaches."
"This coin is that old? But it looks brand new!"
Wendy smiled. "This coin has been passed down between friends and family members for millennia. And the story has been passed down with it. The reason why this coin has never tarnished is simple…it is no ordinary coin. It is magical."
Alexis turned to her grandmother, staring at her incredulously. She then smirked. "Yeah…right."
Wendy's smile stretched. "Touch it."
Alexis turned to the lustrous coin again. She then reach out, somewhat begrudgingly, and touched her fingertip to its surface.
She started as, upon contact, a slight jolt raced through her body.
"Wh…what was that?" she whispered, her voice weak with a measure of fear.
"The energy of the coin," Wendy explained. "It is a charm, that came to Earth in the hands of a mysterious being. She was a woman of glowing countenance, shrouded in rich purple. Her eyes were black as coals, deep with experience and power. Her hair shimmered as the sun, bright and pure. Some believe she was an Angel, or some other high being. But when she died, she left this coin with a human girl who helped her in her time of need. Since then, it has granted all the keepers good luck. It must be cared for."
Alexis' fingers hovered near the coin. "Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because I am giving it to you."
Alexis startled again. "Me? Why me?"
Wendy then took her hand, and rubbed it gently. "Like I said, the coin has been passed down for millennia. Sometimes to dear friends. Sometimes to trusted family. Always to someone mature and responsible, so as to keep the coin protected. You've always been so dear to me, Alexis. So sweet…but so strong. Your strength of character has always been an inspiration to me. You could survive anything."
Alexis looked away, blushing at the praise. It felt strange to hear it, especially after the incredible weakness she'd been feeling recently.
Then, a question dawned on her.
"Why didn't you give it to Dad? He's your son, after all."
Wendy shook her head sadly. "Peter…never grew up."
That simple statement summarized all of Peter Darling's faults. His selfishness, his irresponsibility…his cruelty.
He never really grew up, and became an adult in spirit.
"But you, Alexis…you are different," Wendy continued. "Your eyes shine with strength."
Alexis blinked.
"I had wanted to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday, but I didn't see you, and I certainly couldn't mail this. So here is the perfect opportunity."
Wendy rose to her feet, and picked up the box, beckoning Alexis to follow. "Take this coin, and promise me that you will treasure it like the priceless heirloom that it is."
Alexis grinned, tears forming in her eyes at the incredible gift she had received. "I promise, Nana."
Chapter Eight
"No! Get back!"
She trembled with fear and anxiety, shaking her entire core.
It couldn't be happening! It couldn't!
The strange witch cackled cruelly, her long silver locks falling from their cone-like style as she struggled against her victim, a young man with deep black hair. He choked a cry of distress as the witch dug razor-tipped fingernails into the tender skin of his neck.
Thick red blood spilled from the open wounds, and stained both his skin and the witch's.
She froze. She felt the weakness throughout her body, yet she mustered every last trace of strength left in her. Whiteness built around her body, obscuring everything around her, and causing the witch to scream with rage.
Chapter Nine
Alexis gasped, her eyes jumping open and her head bolting off the small pillow urgently.
She breathed heavily, gazing around the crowded airplane as she pulled the blanket tighter around her body. Slowly, she glanced beside her.
Her mother was still sleeping soundly.
Alexis closed her eyes, regulating her breath to calm herself. She then shook her head slightly to clear it.
What…what kind of dream was that?
Granted, she'd had nightmares before. But this dream was so…real. She actually felt the weakness in her own limbs, as if she had endured a tormenting fight. And the sight of the blood pouring from "Erol's" body truly terrified her.
And stranger still, she wasn't herself in her dream. She clearly remembered what her dream-identity looked like: flowing blonde hair, and a strange purple uniform that seemed almost luminescent.
Maybe it was that fish dinner? I probably should've gotten the beef.
She then slid open the window beside her, wary to keep the brilliant sunlight from waking her mother. Outside, it was a perfect day, with a few puffy clouds coloring the vibrant blue. Far below, the jagged cliffs of the Rocky Mountains streamed beneath. From this distance, they looked like a wrinkled paper bag.
Then, the intercom clicked on. "This is your captain speaking. We're now approaching the coast. We'll loop around, and then reach the Angel Grove International Airport. We'll be arriving in twenty minutes.
Alexis eased back into her chair, her eyes shining at the breathtaking bird's-eye view of the famous mountain range. A thrilled smile stretched her lips at the experience of flying higher than the clouds.
Chapter Ten
Meanwhile, in another plane of existence, a pair of ancient eyes sprang to life.
He felt something he hadn't felt in one hundred centuries. It was faint, yet it was distinguishable from the pulsing wave of energy he always tapped into.
It was a stream of Power, pulsing with a warm radiance similar to the Morphin' Grid he himself constructed in his youth to harness the intense might he was given care of.
And it was Purple.
*Can it be?* he whispered, gazing at his surroundings. The Astral Plane looked as it always had... a swirling mix of light and color. It was undisturbed by this small glint of power, which gave no testament to the true nature of its source.
In an eye-blink, he poured his essence back into the crystal cylinder that connected him to the dimension of his birth. His brilliant power lit up the Command Center, instantly bringing his assistant to call.
"Zordon," Alpha V stated with some surprise, "You're back! Is something wrong? I thought you were going to rest!"
"I DID, BUT I SENSED A DISTURBANCE," the sage responded, his tone heavy, "WE MUST LOCATE ITS ORIGIN."
"You didn't detect its origin?" Alpha repeated.
"NO... THE SIGNAL WAS TOO WEAK. HOWEVER, OUR SCANNERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PINPOINT IT."
"What is it?" Alpha inquired, hurrying to the nearest console to plot in specifications, "What are we looking for?"
Zordon remained silent for a moment before he offered response. "THE PURPLE EAGLE COIN."
Alpha gasped as only a robot could. "Aye yi yi! But it was destroyed in the Moon Palace's explosion!"
Zordon frowned deeply. "SO WE BELIEVED. BUT I AM ALMOST CERTAIN I SENSED THE PURPLE ENERGY COMING TO LIFE. IT STILL EXISTS... AND IT IS NEAR."
Chapter Eleven
"And that one looks like…an archer!"
The girl scoffed, leaning into the strong chest of her beloved as she cast her gaze to the heavens. "I don't see it."
She then glanced at her companion, whose tender eyes shone with surprise. He chuckled, causing his fine ebony hair to tremble even more in the evening breeze.
"Look closer," he instructed, wrapping one arm around her waist. His other hand pointed to the starry sky. "See, those stars create the bow…"
She giggled, her hand reaching to her shoulder and toying with a strand of ashen blonde hair. "Erol, there's no way you can convince me that a bunch of stars can form a picture! I confess they're beautiful, but there isn't a pattern."
She shook her head. "No, the stars aren't paintings. They are sprinkles of light, given to humankind by the gods to brighten the sky at night."
He smirked. "Well, I like my story better."
The girl smiled, sighing contentedly as her eyes shuttered closed. "Do you think someday we will be painted onto the heavens?"
He paused for a moment, planting a kiss on the crown of her head. "Of course. There's plenty of room."
Chapter Twelve
Once again, Alexis' eyes sprang open, her breath heaving from her chest in trembling gasps.
With a groan of annoyance, she stretched into a sitting position, resting her forehead onto her raised knees.
This was the third time her slumber was interrupted by bizarre dreams. There didn't seem to be an exact pattern, but she was certain they were more than just typical dreams.
They were too coherent. There was a story being told, with the same characters enacting different scenes. True, the scenes weren't in order, but they were so vibrant they felt like reality.
And in each dream, she wasn't Alexis Darling. But she wasn't merely observing, either. Instead, she was a girl named Kreia.
A girl who wore Purple, who had golden blonde hair.
In the first dream, which she experienced on the flight back to Angel Grove from England, she had envisioned herself with her companion Erol, battling a silver-haired witch.
Then that evening, she saw herself splashing in a tranquil lake with Erol, this time a few years younger. An elderly man introduced himself, and offered them a chance to be Power Rangers, endowed with the might necessary to save the Earth.
After that dream was interrupted by a rude awakening, she fell back asleep, and found herself in another scenario. This time, she was an armored warrior, in brilliant purple, white, and gold, flying a gargantuan vessel shaped as a bird.
And finally, the dream of the night sky.
"It's all that silly story Nana told me," she sighed, falling back to her pillow. She couldn't deny the residuals that kept occurring in her dreams: the figure in purple with flowing blonde hair, the constant presence of magic, the powerful Eagle that was tattooed on "Kreia's" palm.
The pieces fit together into a strange puzzle. It seemed that Kreia and Erol were Power Rangers together, along with several other youths. Kreia wore purple, and seemed strongly connected to the Eagle. Also, Kreia and Erol were in love.
And finally, they seemed to perish in a battle against the silver-haired sorceress that dug her fingertips into Erol's neck.
That vision, which was the first in the series, still caused chills to creep up Alexis' spine. Her stomach seemed to retch at the sight, as if she could feel his pain somehow.
Or was it Kreia's pain she was feeling, as she watched her beloved slip away into an untimely death?
"This is all just nonsense," Alexis growled to herself, "I must be... unconsciously trying to pull the different dreams together, that's all. It's no message from beyond. Just meaningless dreams."
She hesitantly cast her bloodshot gaze to her night table, where the cherry wood box sat beside the gold key. Alexis chewed her lip, and reached over to the box. Carrying it and the key back to her bed, she slowly unlocked the clasp and pulled it open.
There, snuggled peacefully on the pillow, was the Eagle medallion her grandmother gave her.
The talisman presumably given to a human girl by an Angel, with pale skin, flowing blonde hair, coal black eyes, and a purple garment.
"Yeah, right," Alexis muttered, shaking her head. "Silly superstition."
She looked back at the coin, and gasped in shock. Why was the coin suddenly gleaming... purple?
Alexis' eyes grew wide as she promptly shut the box. "I need some water."
Her entire body trembled as she shoved the box under her bed. Throwing on a robe to keep out the chill, she hurried down the darkened hallway to the bathroom. She switched on the bathroom light, and stared at her exhausted countenance. With a heavy sigh, she turned to the clock hanging on the wall.
"Four-thirty," she groaned, turning on the faucet, "Now how the heck am I going to get through the school day? I can't get any sleep!"
She lowered her face to the sink, and splashed the cool water onto her face. Blindly, she reached behind her and pulled a towel from the rack, and dried her face.
When her eyes opened, she released a horrified shriek.
In her reflection, coal black eyes stared back at her.
She stumbled backward, tripping over the hamper and falling to the floor.
"Alexis!" Amanda called urgently, throwing open the bathroom door. She gasped when she saw her daughter on the floor, her legs gathered to her body, and her face buried into her knees.
Amanda fell onto the floor beside her, and shook her gently. "What happened?"
"I... I..." Alexis muttered, lifting her head. She hesitantly opened her eyes, bracing herself for the terrified scream she expected her mother to expel at the sight of her unnaturally black eyes.
She was surprised when Amanda made no such reaction.
"Are you okay?" Amanda whispered, gazing at her daughter worriedly, "What's wrong?"
Alexis blinked in confusion. "I... uh..." she stammered, rising to her feet. She caught her reflection in the mirror, and marveled at her restored green eyes.
She swallowed, and turned back to her mother, a weak smile on her face. "I saw... a cockroach."
Amanda's eyebrow rose. "A cockroach?" she repeated.
Alexis nodded. "Yeah. A cockroach. It crawled back into the wall."
Amanda released a small chuckle. "A cockroach," she marveled, "After living in Philadelphia for sixteen years, you scream at a cockroach? I thought there was a burglar or something!"
Alexis tried to laugh. "Yeah. Silly, huh?"
To Be Continued...
