Chapter Ten: Vanished
"I'm bored" the hazel eyed woman said as she along with six others lay in the backyard. Kimberly had flown back to Florida a few days after the trade off of powers, not without some road bumps though. Tommy had found out about her and Jason after coming back to the house and finding them making out on the couch.
Shit began to fly all night, nobody slept and now no one could mention Kimberly's name until Tommy cooled off a bit more. Although, he wasn't talking to Jason anymore either; not that anybody blamed him. He'd been betrayed by his best friend and long-time girlfriend, only few knew that feeling.
"How could you possibly be bored when you just finished kicking some monsters butt?" Rocky asked as they all lay on the grass watching the clouds lazily go by.
"It's not the same, they don't have the same bottomless pit you do" she replied, grinning as she heard him bolt upright to glare at her.
"Don't even think about it Rocko, this one belongs to me" Adam warned, cracking an eye open to look at him.
"I don't think so man, I don't see any identification. Guess its finders-keepers" Rocky retorted as he pulled the sleepy girl to her feet and went to make off with her.
"Yeah and I found her months back, therefore she's already mine" Adam argued, pulling Keri back over to him after standing up.
"Guys, quit playing tug-a-war with me and let me sleep" she interjected sleepily, wandering towards the back door with half-lidded eyes after they let go of her. She stumbled upon a few rocks before she hit the door and lazily turned the knob before slipping inside leaving the door ajar. Their curiosity perked up as they heard small crashes, loud bangs and even louder swear words streaming from the house.
"I'm going to help her before she falls down the stairs" Adam announced and quickly went into the house after her, intent on keeping her from further injuring herself.
"Is he ever going to ask her?" Kat asked, the five of them were still wondering why it was talking Adam so long to pop the question now that they could live normal lives.
Or as normal as you could get with Keri who technically could quit when she wanted but that meant the start of training to govern the universe; something none of them thought she was prepared to do yet. Then again, after seeing what she was capable of with on-the-fritz-powers, they also didn't think she could handle the job yet.
"He'd better, I felt like an idiot being in that store; he owes it to me to ask her and live happily fucking ever after" Tommy replied, realizing his word choice ended up making the sentence worse.
"After the year they've had, it's a wonder he hasn't asked her already" Jason commented, blissfully ignoring his former best friend.
"Don't worry guys, he will very shortly. Call it woman's intuition" Tanya said, lying back down on the grass from her upright position.
"Aisha called and told you" Rocky accused easily, glancing behind him at her and Kat.
"Sorry Rocko, but its woman's intuition. You'd understand if you had your version of it" Kat argued, also lying back down just as the sun became eclipsed by the moon.
"What the hell?" Keri yelled from inside the house as she lit up like a nightlight, dispelling the darkness around her.
"Why do I feel like we should've kept our powers?" Rocky rhetoricalized as they watched every floor of the house emit a brilliant silvery-purple light.
"Because this stuff always happens when Keri's around" Tommy answered, as they got up and rushed inside the house to find her standing in a trance-like-state; her eyes glowing blue in contrast to the rest of the shine. The light although brilliant, was also eerie to look at against the walls since everything had been pitched into darkness.
"Someone explain – NOW!" she demanded, clearly showing that she was no longer in a trance by her hazel eyes but she was still lit up like a Manhattan Christmas Tree.
"All we can tell is that the eclipse and the turbo-powered light show are linked together. How and why, we can't tell" Tanya explained as best she could while Jason gave the others spare shades to cover their eyes with.
"Please tell me I'm not stuck being a neon sign flashing 'Evil, Attack Here'" she chided sarcastically, she was probably the only bright light this side of the continent and it would lead Divatox right to her. Fortunately, with a flash of unnatural lightning, the eclipse ended and her shine died down to a dimly lit light bulb.
"The eclipse is over. Why am I still a flashlight?" she growled to no one in particular as the daylight returned, the others now able to look at her without shades.
"We'll figure it out somehow. Shouldn't you tell Dimitria and the other rangers? I'm sure they'd like to know" Kat commented and Keri sighed as she collapsed on the couch in a heap.
"I keep forgetting you guys aren't with me on this anymore. I wish things were back to normal" she replied wistfully; truth of the matter was, things weren't the same anymore, nothing was. With that thought in mind, she teleported away to find some answers.
Astro Megaship…
"Andros, Zhane? You guys here?" she called as she wandered through the ship, her body the only source of light. As she continued to walk down the dark corridors, she felt the foreboding sense of something evil lurking in the shadows.
"Guys?" she asked as she walked into another room and stopped when she heard something behind her. Her pulse was racing as she slowly turned to see who or what was behind her in the doorway.
"Keri? What are you doing here? And why are you…glowing?" the person asked as they were able to clearly see each other's faces.
"Delphine? I though you and the others were on Aquitar" Keri said, her heart no longer in her throat at she looked confusedly at the White Alien Ranger in front of her.
"Andros asked us if we could help Zhane regain his memory, its going well. Slow, but well. It seems however that others things have happened since we were last here. Did you not die last we met?" Delphine asked as she looked the Phadocian in front of her, finding her quite solid in form and appearance compared to when she last saw her.
"I don't die; I just go back to Phados to regenerate if I'm ever supposedly killed. Or I think that's what happens, not sure, it's in some prophecy or something" she explained and the blond nodded calculatingly as she studied her answer for some reason why that was so.
"It's nice to see you did not die. Is that why you glow now?" Delphine continued and Keri looked at her like she really never went outside her own planet enough to know that humans no matter how powerful didn't glow.
"Uh, no this is new. It started when the eclipse did, that's why I came looking for Andros and Zhane to see if they knew anything" she countered and the blond pulled her from the room and trekked down the hall with her in tow to another room and dragged her inside where six pairs of eyes looked at them right away.
"Delphine, you've found the intruder then?" Aurico asked as he looked the two of them over, barely recognizing the fact that the girl with Delphine was someone he had gained respect for after seeing the sacrifice she made.
"Aurico, do you not recognize her then? It's Keri, the one who holds the power over the universe. I know you read the legend when you got back to Aquitar, so don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about" Delphine said, reprimanding Aurico before he could protest to reading anything about the Phadocian when they had arrived back on their home planet.
"That's an imposter we saw her die" he replied simply turning all thoughts of hope or wishful thinking to the back of his mind.
"Sorry red, I'm as real as anyone else here" Keri chided, turning Aurico's head towards her sharply, curiosity sparking in his mind as he walked over to her and examined her features carefully and with scrutiny.
"Aurico, it's alright. She's not an imposter nor is she dead; there's a prophecy that states that when she dies using the Crystal she's brought back to life and even if she did die, she'd be reborn like always. Although I'm not sure if she'd have the same personality…I'm not about to test that theory either" Andros interjected before anything else could happen, hoping he answered their questions enough so they'd drop the whole dying aspect.
"We know about the eclipse, did that happen before or after?" Zhane asked, referring to the glisten Keri had seemed to develop since the last time they saw each other a few days ago after the transfer when she'd come to rant and rave about the loss of her friends on the team.
"During; it began as soon as it went dark but it was more intense then than it is now. What's causing it?" she explained, hoping they knew the answer to this minute little problem that had cropped up on them all.
"Sit down and I'll tell you" Andros commanded and she looked at him skeptically, why did he need her to sit down when she could handle information about anything? He gave her that look she knew meant that she should do as he told her to and with a sigh she sat down in the nearest chair.
"Okay Mr. You're-Not-My-Boss, I'm sitting down so tell me what's going on" she sassed, knowing he knew she was only playing with him and didn't mean any disrespect.
"You're pregnant" he told her simply and watched her eyes shoot open in disbelief and shock trying to find her voice as she stared at him wondering if he was on drugs or something.
"I'm what!?" she asked, checking for the validity of his words or some semblance of sanity within them. She couldn't be pregnant by any natural means because both she and Adam were particularly careful since they'd both still been rangers the last time any such activity occurred. And even if only she was on the team now, Dimitria would still chew them both out if any such thing were to happen.
"Relax Keri, breathe. It's not by natural means if that's what you're worried about, the eclipse made it happen" Zhane explained as he stood nearby her, watching as she buried her head in her hands. What in the world was going on that some cosmic force decided she needed to get pregnant and have a kid and it wasn't even Adam's?
"By what stretch of the imagination does some moron need me to have a kid for? I'm eighteen, I'm not married, have no job with an income and I'm supposed to be leaving earth in two weeks to learn how to control my powers. I'm not ready for a child" she whined while Zhane and Andros comforted her and the Alien Rangers watched with interest at the display of foreign emotions. To them it seemed humans had a very complex way of expressing themselves and sometimes some actions had more than one meaning.
"Keri, your child is literally special. It won't take nine months to be born like a normal child would" Andros told her and she looked at him sharply, wondering what he meant by that.
"So what, I'm going to wake up five months into my pregnancy tomorrow and then I'll give birth to it the next fucking night? Is that what you're telling me?" she asked, glaring fiercely at the two of them, she didn't want to be pregnant, not for a very long time yet.
"Not at all Keri, your child will be born in a way that's not even physical and probably won't even be painful. It should be a few days at least but none of the others will notice anything. Are you able to hide the glow around you and block your mind from Dimitria? She will easily know what's going on if she sees you" Andros continued and with a nod Keri stood up and let her mind go in order to hide her secret from Dimitria and the rest of world. Her mind could be easily blocked if Dimitria did try to pry into it while at the Command Chamber.
"We'll worry about the birth later, go and get some rest. They're worried about you" Zhane said and she smiled as she looked from them to the Alien Rangers.
"Only Adam could give you that much worry for you to pick up on unless you're tapping Jason. Don't worry, far as anyone knows Delphine, you're on Aquitar and you never saw me" she said and with a friendly wave she teleported back home where the others were waiting for her return.
House…
"So how'd it go? Dimitria must've been able to help since you're no longer a light bulb…so much for saving electricity" Jason remarked as he saw that his cousin was no longer a 'neon sign' as she put it. Little did she know that while she'd been out that her new team had come around looking for her and were currently in another room listening.
"Yeah, she really knew her magic. Well, I'm going to lie down for a bit" she said and started making her way towards the stairs, intent on a good hundred hours of sleep but she'd settle for twelve if she could.
"So how is everyone? Did they take your brilliance as well as we did?" Tommy asked, stopping her in the hall before she could reach the stairs.
"They were a little surprised but I know they'll get used to strange things happening with me around" she replied, it didn't take much to figure out how they would've taken it if she had actually gone to them for help.
"Not as surprised to find that we were apparently looking for each other at the same time" a strong voice said from behind her and she spun to see T.J., Cassie, Carlos and Ashley come out from the dinning room into the hallway. She was caught within her own web of lies.
"What's going on Keri?" Rocky asked as they looked at her expectantly, even Adam seemed annoyed with her at the moment and looked at her with hurt filled eyes.
"Fine, I never went. I went to a clearing to try and figure things out and the neon sign glow stopped so I didn't see the point in bothering anyone; it could wait. I knew you'd ask but I didn't think they'd be looking for me physically, normally if there's a problem we use our communicators" she told them, not knowing how much longer she could keep the web spinning so they'd never find out about the Astro and Alien Rangers being on earth.
"Why didn't you just tell us the truth, we would've understood" Tanya said sympathetically, her brown eyes softening with her gaze.
"I don't know, I guess I just wanted you to think that things were going well with T.J. and the others" she replied shamefully, true she could've told them she'd never gone but it didn't seem necessary.
"Keri, did you think we'd honestly love you less if you spent time with them?" Kat asked, consoling her since she looked about ready to cry; T.J. and the others took it as their sign to leave.
"I don't know, it's hard giving up time with you guys to spend with them. At the same time I have to get to know them too" she confessed, tears spilling from her eyes as her legs fell from under her, drawing her to her knees inside everyone's embrace. Her life was on an emotional rollercoaster that she was tired of being on; she was just so tired of it all. Every step she took led her on another lurching turn; she wanted it to stop.
Later…
Adam watched as Keri slept on the couch, all the crying she'd done had worn her out. It worried him that she was slipping mentally away from them, like the pressure was finally getting to her. He had to wonder if Dimitria would be willing to let her go; just finish fighting this fight and let her live away from this danger she was being dragged into.
A shimmering wave drew his attention from his thoughts back to the sleeping form of his girlfriend. Another ripple went through her and he did a double take as he thought he saw a bit of roundness to her form where her left hand rested. Glancing from her abdominal to her face, he made sure she was still sleeping before stretching out a hand near where her own lay. A mystical surge built up and blasted him against the opposing wall, none of this waking Keri though. Bolting upwards, he momentarily saw the glistening energy protecting her as she continued to sleep before he trudged to the backyard to tell the others.
Astro Megaship…
"Power level's increasing at an exponential rate, she doesn't have much longer Andros" Zhane reported as he monitored Keri's vitals from a secret location; Andros had him start monitoring her after she had teleported back home. He had taken note that for about ten minutes after she had, her heart rate had rapidly increased.
"Tommy's team already knows that something's going on, she can't stay on earth for much longer. How long before she's due?" Andros replied, coming over to the panel Zhane was monitoring from, analyzing the energy wave fluctuations.
"A few hours at the most but with the increase in power, it's likely to be sooner" the blond answered, turning to face his best friend as he did, wondering what he was going to do.
"This is officially her last day on earth. It's sooner than we planned; someone wants her to have that baby" Andros concluded, knowing Keri didn't have long to spend with her friends if she was going to keep them in the dark about her child. He'd have to bring her to the Astro Megaship to have the child and shortly after, leave earth's atmosphere to travel towards KO-35. With a deep and heavy sigh, he began to formulate the final details of her departure from earth.
Keri and Jason's…
"Are you positive she's…you know?" Tanya asked, unable to speak the word she was looking for due to the awkwardness.
"I believe the word you're searching for is pregnant and I'm positive I didn't imagine it. You know she's got strong magic, she's hidden her pregnancy from us by spelling herself" Adam insisted, although he was unsure how exactly he missed it since her spell would've wavered a few nights back during the concentration lapse.
"Weren't you both, you know…protected?" Rocky asked and the group looked at Adam who turned fifty shades of red.
"I don't think that's how she got pregnant Rocko, I think it was the eclipse" Adam countered, maintaining his dignity, or at least some semblance of it.
"That makes sense, it might explain why she lit up like a light house and then refused to tell the rangers about it. But that doesn't explain why she wouldn't tell us when we confronted her" Kat replied as they thought over the day's events just as a flash of silver appeared, alerting them into a defensive stance.
"Where is she? I've only come for her, I mean you no harm" Zhane told them, watching for movement from behind his visor since he knew they'd put up resistance.
"I don't know who you are, but we're not letting you take her away without a fight" Jason barked, glaring angrily at Zhane; he didn't like the suddenness of this new ranger, it was all too 'coincidental' to his cousin's weird pregnancy.
"I figured as much, you're all so predictable" Zhane sighed and got ready to fight them just as something caught their attention near the house.
"Neither of you is fighting anyone. You six stay put while we talk and no eavesdropping" Keri said as she came out of the house and went over to them, garbed in a flowing lavender and pale green robe and silver satin slippers. You could just make out the roundness to her form from under the robe if you looked particularly for it, but her glisten was obvious since she could no longer hide it.
"Keri we all know you should be resting, what are you doing up?" Tommy remarked and Keri looked sullenly at them, sparing a glance at Zhane when she realized their memories of her pregnancy would have to be erased.
"You ready to go?" Zhane asked and she nodded, indicating to the small shoulder bag by the steps while ignoring the looks the others were giving her.
Casting her hand over them, she removed their knowledge of her being pregnant and the spell she was invoking from their minds. It caused a great strain upon her, causing her to need Zhane to help support her. As the others shook the dizzying feeling away, Zhane telepathically called the shoulder bag to him. He aloud her a moment to gaze upon her friends, family and lover before they were swept away in silver sparks.
"Keri!" Adam yelled to the heavens, reaching out into the sparks but it was too late; she was gone from their lives and there was no telling if she was ever coming back.
Don't wanna close the door
Don't wanna give up on it
Don't wanna fight no more
We'll find a way around it
Where's the love we had
We can make it last
Astro Megaship…
Andros met Keri and Zhane in the control room, instantly helping to support Keri while Zhane demorphed. They led her into a room that projected the holographic imagery of a comfortable room.
"Lie down Keri, it'll all be over soon" Andros said as they led her over to the flat surfaced bed for her to give birth upon.
"I think it wants out now" she commented as she laid down, wondering which part wasn't painful according to them.
Command Center…
"We'll find her Adam, count on it" T.J. after being told what had just transpired at Keri and Jason's house.
"Thanks T.J., we'll be waiting for any news back at the house" Rocky stated and they turned to leave when Dimitria appeared looking gave and sympathetic, sorrow filling her eyes.
"Rangers, I have disturbing new I fear will take you away from your promise. Zordon has been taken prisoner and is location is currently unknown somewhere in space" she told them, her senses flooding from the pain she felt within Adam's heart since this meant the search for his love was to postponed.
"Keri is the most important person in the universe but Zordon is more knowledgeable about issues that ought not to be revealed" Alpha-6 continued, knowing they were torn between duties, one that held a part of their hearts more than the other.
"I'm sorry my rangers, but I have no other choice but to send you after Zordon before Keri. I beg you not to act rashly former rangers; we will find them both with a little time. Be patient and may the power protect you" Dimitria explained with a ting of regret and remorse for she had no idea how long it would take before either one was returned home.
Tell me what I gotta be
Tell me what you wanna do
Cause I can't live my life the way you want me to
You know I can't go on living like we do
Do I have to cry for you
Do I have to cry for you
Astro Megaship…
As she lay giving birth to her mystical child, she began feeling weaker bit by bit with each passing minute. Andros and Zhane were on either side of her holding each a hand for her to grip as the pain seeped through her. Zhane and Andros both looked up at each other at the same time as they noticed the same thing; her grip kept getting weaker with each jolt of pain. The baby was draining her powers to a critical extent.
Keri and Jason's…
Jason and the others arrived back at the house where Adam locked himself up in his love's room. On the neatly folded bed lay a white envelope with his name written upon it in black ink; it was Keri's writing. Picking up the envelope, he sat down on her bed and read what was inside.
Adam, know that I love you. I will forever love you. But this…this is something I have to do. I was meant to do. Tell Jason…tell Jason that I need to figure things out and… and I'm sorry. Give my love to my friends, they'll need you; you'll need each other. You all have to be strong, like we've always been. Adam, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it; live in it with no sense of self. Be brave, live…for me.
Looking up with confused and saddened eyes, he realized that she really was gone and it appeared to be, that she wasn't coming back this time. He felt moisture on his cheeks before he even realized that he was tearing at the loss of his love.
So tell me what it's for
If there's no winner in it
Nobody's keeping score
Let's start from the beginning
Can we make it last
With the love we had
Astro Megaship…
This was it, time for her one-day-pregnancy to end. The pain ripped through her body and she let loose an earth-shattering scream as the energy within her converged at a singular point. The newly created life-form hovered above her abdominal in a sphere of green light before transforming into a small child no older than six-years with long pink hair and chocolat4e coloured eyes like Adam's.
"Keri, it's a girl. She has Adam's eyes, almost like she's his as well" Zhane told her as he and Andros felt her strength weakening at a rapid pace; fearing for her safety.
"I can name her right? She's still mine to name, isn't she?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as Andros released her right hand so she could hold her daughters.
"You can name her whatever you want, she is still yours after all" he told her as she brushed her hand over her child's pink hair.
"Valkyria, my little girl. Our daughter Adam, if only you could see her, I know you will one day" she reminisced about the future where the two would meet each other. Her left hand relaxed in Zhane's grip as her eyes closed against the effort to remain awake. They boy's called out to her but Valkyria already knew it wouldn't wake her mother.
"I will place mother in an ageless sleep until her soulmate finds her and releases her from it. The only other way she'll wake is if the Crystal recharges her to where her power level should be and the universe as no other choice but to rely upon her" Valkyria announced and the boys looked at her, she was well-versed for a newly born child even if she was six; it made them wonder what else she was capable of.
Reluctantly, they placed Keri's arms so that they rested on her abdominal before backing a distance away, just behind Valkyria who had brought forth clothing to adorn herself with; a pale green robe similar to her mothers but it cut off at mid-thigh where she wore black slacks underneath. Concentrating, she called forth her mother's Ninjetti Spirit of the Fox which turned into silver flames that spread around the sleeping maiden but burned nothing.
The room began to fill with wild botanicals and the bed became a stone altar in which her robe shimmied down the sides of while her ancient floral crown adorned her head. The silver enchanted flames would only burn those who weren't her soulmate and nothing else, yet rose so high no one could leap over them. Inside she would sleep agelessly until either one of the two restrictions was met; unless she was the only hope or until her soulmate woke her with his love.
Tell me what I gotta be
Tell me what you wanna do
Cause I can't live my life the way you want me to
You know I can't go on living like we do
Do I have to cry for you
Do I have to cry for you
Command Center…
T.J., Carlos, Ashley and Cassie stood waiting for their orders from Dimitria. Justin had already been informed that he wasn't going due to various reasons; mostly regarding his age. They had all agreed it was best if he stayed behind; even Justin agreed in the end it was for the best.
"Rangers, you are to meet with another ranger from KO-35 in a hanger bay just outside of Angel Grove; he will be leading you in this mission and has access to your new powers. Be careful and if you can, keep an ear out for Keri as well" Dimitria told them and with a nod in reply, Alpha teleported them to the hanger where their new leader was waiting.
Do I gotta stand in the cold dark night 'til morning light
Do I have to say I won't let you get away
Hanger Bay…
The four touched down outside the entrance to the hanger and made their way inside. The Astro Megaship greeted them as they entered and the hatch opened, lowering down a ramp which a lone figure descended from.
"You must be Earth's Rangers, I'm Andros of KO-35 and this is the Astro Megaship your home while in space. These are your new Astro morpher's, punch in the appropriate code and you'll morph. Let's get going" Andros told them, turning back towards the ship with a step of urgency not only for the mission but for what lay now dormant inside the ship.
He'd found out not moments before, that Valkyria had the form of a six-year-old unless she chose to project herself ten-years-older, her true image and self was sixteen; just two years younger than her own mother. She assured him she preferred being six and would remain mostly as such. Right now she and Zhane were securing the flaming garden from all but them and her soulmate; the other Astro Rangers would never gain access and neither would any evil trying to kill her if they somehow got whim of her unconscious state, despite that fact that they'd never get past the spectral flames. Only her soulmate and love could manage that.
What I gotta be
Tell me what you wanna do
I can't live my life the way you want me to
You know I can't go on living like we do
Do I have to cry for you
Do I have to cry for you, yeah
House…
Adam fingered the key that he'd found in the envelope distractingly. Her letter, although it explained her reason for leaving, only did so in a vague fashion. Placing the key in the lock, he lifted the lid to find her replica power coin nestled inside which lit a new flame of hope inside him that she would return. As he toyed with the emblem thinking of his love, a maiden slept in enchantment, a shard of a green gem nestled gently near her heart; waiting for the one worthy to release her with their own.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, hold on
You know I can't go on living like we do
Do I have to cry for you
Do I have to cry for you
Music Credits:
'My Immortal' Evanescence'I Got You' Nick Carter
'Viva Forever' Spice Girls'Gift' Kaigal
'Night Before Christmas: Ranger Style' Kaigal'Good Morning: Ranger Style' Kaigal
'Starlight' Kaigal 'Evil Soul' Kaigal
'Proposal' Kaigal'Walk Away' Kaigal
'Under Your Spell' Kaigal'Thank-you Power Rangers' Kaigal
'Idiots' Kaigal'Shit Into Turbo' Fulflej
'Powerful Forgiveness' Kaigal'Turbo Time' Ellen ten Damme
'Do I Have To Cry For You' Nick Carter