Chapter 7

As I thought. Once I wore the ring that Dex gave me Dad and my friends began to ask me questions about it. The first question was from Dad. But first he wanted a full account of the date then...if we did anything after. I denied it of course, saying that Dex and I didn't...do it. And told him that Dex was planning on introducing me to his grandfather after all the wars were over and done with. Blue Elf's eyes gleam and a smile came on his face.

"So Dex is going to take you to go meet his grandfather. That's the next big step in a relationship." He began to sing the Wedding March and I cringed when I saw my father's eyes blaze. Billy and Tento tried to calm Dad down saying that Dex and I, we were young yes, but we weren't stupid and that the both of us would wait until the war on both Earth and Edenio was finished and until the both of us were older, wiser and more mature(Billy looked at Blue Elf out of the corner of his eye)then we would take the time to consider marriage. I nodded vigorously and also said that Dex and I would wait until we had finished getting an education and the both of us had grown up a little bit more and when Edenio was fully rebuilt and healed of the damage that Count Dregon and his minions had caused.

"Which could take years." I said. Then and only then will Dex and I consider marriage, Tento, Billy and I breathed again when we saw the blaze in Dad's eyes fade and a look of pure relief come across his face. Even though he looked glad to hear that Dex and I will be getting married 10 years from now, he still gave me a lecture(Tommy and the others left but Blue Elf begged to stay, Dad teleported him away and continued) saying that he was glad that I was thinking of starting a future with the man that I love, but not to be too hasty about it. It has to be thought through throughly, so that the future that we might someday start together will last, and not just solely on the fact that Dex and I are both super heroes and that we have saved each other's lives time and time again from the forces of evil. I couldn't believe it! My dad was actually saying that our love was superficial!

"Dad! Our love is real, trust me on this. It's not...based solely on the adrenalin rush of each and every battle we're in or the relief that we're alive to see another day, it isn't like that at all, both of us love each other because we...just do dad...I can't explain it." He looked down at me.

"I believe that Amy, I just want to make sure that you and Dex believe that also."

"We do Dad." No need to tell him that I myself questioned Dex's love toward me being solely based on having these powers. I looked at Dad and told him that I was certain of Dex's love for just like he was certain of mine. Dad seemed to agree on me with that one and apologized saying that he more or less questioned mom's love for him.

"It was foolish of me to think that she had only loved me for rescuing her from Dregon's ship, I thought that with the Masked Rider coming to your rescue each and every time and Kimberly teasing you that you having feelings for him, I thought...I just didn't want you to ever questioning your love for him...doing that it's the worst thing." He said.

"I'm pretty sure that Mom really loved you, and not just for rescuing her." Dad nodded a wistful look on his face, that's when I decided to leave... and pay Blue Elf a visit. After beating Blue Elf and hog tying and leaving him in the center of his living room while the others laughed, I took off to talk to Mom and my step-dad. After I had finished I began to limp home. Unintentionally my thoughts focused on my conversation with Kim on how after I had gotten back from my date, I had contacted her first then told the others. In the back of my mind a feeling of worry was making itself known to me. I tried to shove it aside since the mere thought seemed ridiculous, but it shoved itself to the front of my mind. What if Katherine questions me on why I told Kimberly first and not her and the others? I answered the question. Because she was the first friend that I had ever made and she and I are a lot closer than friends, we're sisters. And if Katherine complains about that and tells me that I should have told her first, I'll just tell her to screw off! If I want her to be the second person, she will be the second person. My sister, Kimberly and my parents will always come first, then my friends and last of all Katherine. Dex had called later that night and told me that my dad had contacted his grandfather and had told him about the ring that Dex had given me. Lexian had listened to Dex as he explained why he had given me the ring. And that he was planning on marrying me after the entire war with Count Dregon was over and Edenio was free. Lexian, being a very understanding guy, was glad to hear of this. I breathed a sigh of relief glad that King Lexian approved of the match up. And told Dex that I wished that Dad had acted more understanding instead of nearly going ballistic when he saw the ring on my finger. But Dex pointed out that like any father Dad was just worried that he would lose me especially when he was getting to know me after a couple of years of being separated.

"When he found out that you had amnesia from your mom, it was like a serious blow for him. You had no memory of who were really were or where you came from. To him it was as if you weren't even his daughter anymore. And when he finally told you about him being our dad and about who you really were, he was expecting you to be happy and relieved that you found out the truth about yourself...but when you got angry and yelled at him he felt guilty for telling you, but he thought it best if the truth came from him and not from Dregon."

"Or Zedd. Don't forget that he knew as well." Dex grunted in agreement. I was silent a moment remembering how I yelled at Dad after he had told me, remembering all the anger welling up inside of me directed at him, both him and mom.

"Now I feel really really bad for yelling at him."

"But you do feel grate ful to him for telling you right?"

"Right." We were silent a moment. Then Dex asked me.

"You're going onto college huh?" I paused, thinking for a long moment before answering.

"I–I don't think I'll be going to college...you see after I graduate high school and after our 2 wars 3 counting the one on Edenio are over...I...I plan to return to Edenio with you."

"What?"

"To be honest Dex, I—I'm growing tired of Earth and all of the dark memories that it holds for me. Sometimes I can't take the memories that crowd into my head when I go to a particular spot, I want to leave Angel Grove...I want to leave the Earth itself and make a fresh start...but I can't. Not until Mondo and Count Dregon are taken down. Then after we help out on Edenio and clean it up and restore it I...I want to stay there. I just want to get away from it all. The pain, the memories, the nightmares. I just want it all to stop."

"I understand." Said Dex softly. "Sometimes the things that I would see that would be happening to Edenio or to my people would make me want to run away...but I couldn't...my people needed me...Edenio needed me...and I knew that I couldn't abandon them not until Dregon was finished and Edenio was free. I carried that pain of what I saw, what I endured with me for a long time Amy, a long time...and I felt as if I was the only one that had this pain. Until I met you. When I first looked into your eyes Amy, I saw the same pain that I was going through reflected there and when I found out that you were the yellow ranger and that I could tell you anything...I didn't feel so alone anymore...it felt nice to tell someone of all my troubles on Edenio." I smiled. I know the exact feeling. I flipped onto my stomach while cradling the phone between my ear and shoulder.

"I'm looking forward to when all of these wars and battles that we are in are over. All of us really need take a bit of a breather."

"I agree, fighting monsters and super villains left and right and then rebuilding a broken down planet and restoring order... that's...that's a lot to take in, that's a lot to go through."

"You're telling me. So after all of this is over where are you going to go?"

"Um...I was thinking of going to Florida to stay with Kimberly for a little while. You?"

"I'm not sure I know that I'm going to be pretty busy rebuilding Edenio and restoring order and a whole bunch of other stuff but I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to take a break before having to take on the role of Prince again. But until then, no I haven't really thought where I would like to go. Maybe I'll come back to Earth and do a little more exploring of the different places and states and stuff."

"That sounds nice. And relaxing. Yeah traveling and being in a different place lets you observe all the nice things that this world has to offer plus you get to met different people." Dex said that he agreed, then he had to hang up Dregon was causing trouble again. Both of us said goodbye, and hung up. And I made a mental promise to help out Dex in rebuilding Edenio and then after that we can start building a life together. Where there is no fear, no fighting and no danger. I dream of that life.

A few weeks later Billy received a shock. Our principal, Mr. Kaplan, told Billy had received enough credits so that he was able to graduate early from high school. The principal had already handed Billy his diploma and said that Billy should be congratulated and proud that he was the first teenager to graduate high school at the age of 17. Billy was speechless at first, but he pulled himself together and thanked Mr. Kaplan and went on his way, needing to be alone to think. I stared at him when he told us. This was really cool and surprising news. Billy said that he knew what he wanted to do with his life, but he was actually hoping that he and the boys would be graduating together, the war would be over and Earth would at last be safe. Well sometimes things don't go as planned, just ask Lord Zedd. I thought to myself with a grin on my face. So now, Billy planned to hold off going to university,

"Until Mondo is taken care of." But all of us told him that he should continue with his education and not let the situation with Mondo hold him back. Billy hesitated, then said that he needed a bit of time to think about it, so we left him alone. Cestro, one the Aqautar Ranger, made an unexpected visit to Earth. It turns out that his planet is being attacked by these aliens called the Hydro Contaminators and they were contaminating the waters on Aquatar. But the really bogus thing was that the Aquatar Rangers were unable to defend themselves. When we heard the news we all offered to come to their rescue, it would be like a thank you for helping us out when Vile turned us all into children. Unfortunately Aquatar was light years away and it would take us a long time to travel to Aquatar and then back to Earth should Mondo take advantage of our absence and attack Angel Grove. And we couldn't split up, that would only led to more trouble. Billy said that he might be able to help by working and creating an invention that could help out the Aquatarians. Former ranger and alien teleport to the Power Chamber to work on it. There was no time to lose! Even though I thought that Aquatar would have a fighting chance if it had some able bodied rangers to fight off the Contaminators, still...the thought of leaving the Earth defenseless...we have to stay here and hope that Billy's invention works and gets finished in time. At that point in time one of the Contaminators showed up and began to poison the water in Angel Grove, Cestro wondered out loud how the monster found out where he was. All of us didn't have clue, as we all morphed and sprang onto the monster and kicked it away from the water, in the back of my mind I couldn't help but wonder if Goldar had a hand in this. Yes, that has to be it. How could the monster know where Cestro was heading unless it was told to head toward Earth.? Could he have been behind the attack on Aquatar? Did he send the monster here? I decided not to mention this to Billy, the guy already has enough to worry about. Still I think I had better mention to him that he can still preform a Power Ranger Power Blast. I thought to myself as I kicked away a Cog and sent another one spinning through the air. I mentally flung it toward the monster, it dodged and sent its attack toward us. I threw up a shield and unleashed my own attack.. I swear, all of these monsters that come attacking us...you would think that news of Zedd's defeat would have spread far and wide. But I guess it hasn't. I thought to myself as I deflected another attack from the monster and sent it right back to it along with another Power Blast. It suddenly occurred to me that if word of Zedd's defeat had spread far and wide, none of this would be happening, I could be fighting side by side with Dex against Count Dregon, we would defeat him and Dex would be going home to his planet a lot more sooner than expected. Billy would be going off to Aquatar without any worries of leaving the Zeo Rangers short of help. My friends and I would be fighting off Dregon's forces on Edenio and freeing his people, after taking our break from fighting Dex and I would be engaged and then we would have been married. And we could live out our lives in peace. Why can't it be like that? Why? Emotion suddenly went through me as I threw myself into the next attack I began to punch, kick and blast out my growing anger. Why can't it be like that? Why? Why do we have to continue to fight? To suffer? Its not like we asked for these guys to come to Earth and try to destroy it. It's not like I asked to be recruited by Lord Zedd and made to endure all of that pain and punishment. Neither did my friends or family, and especially not dad or mom or all those people that these guys have killed or... I was knocked back into reality by an attack that came from the monster. I fell on the ground hard, just as the monster was advancing toward me and just as I was ready with a surprise for it, out of nowhere a multi colored ball flew and slammed into the monster. It stumbled back and I looked behind me and saw my friends standing in a row with their hands out in the stances that said that they just fired a combined Zeo Ranger Power Blast. I scrambled to my feet and joined my friends as we blasted the monster and attacked it with our weapons and Power Blasts. At the last second Dad teleported down a cannon that he said would help us big time. Powering it up, I kept the monster still and the blast hit its mark. Finally! That's over and done with. All of us teleport to the Power Chamber but find it empty of Billy and Cestro, Tento told us that Billy had already left, but he let us a hand written note saying that Billy didn't want to say good bye face to face because he didn't want us to feel a sadness at his going but a sense of duty. Billy was continuing his duty as a ranger by helping someone who needed him. He knew that all of us would be angry with him but he felt that this would be a better way. He promises to be careful and for us to keep up the good work and that he'll let us know of his return. We ask Dad if Billy and Cestro have left the atmosphere yet and he said that yes they had. A picture on the viewing globe appears of Cestro and Billy flying off toward Aquatar. We stand watching as the both of them fly out of sight. Bye Billy, be careful. I thought to myself as I struggled to hold back the tears. The others said their own soft goodbyes. Then the Viewing Globe went blank.