Chapter Thirty Four: Dreams

"You look troubled."

Liz Martin looked up to see Emma Chou looking at her. She had seen Weihan in class, but the Orange Ranger looked like he had a lot on his mind. Talks with Bec the day before had revealed that the monster fought on the weekend had some previous knowledge of the Orange Ranger; but, when questioned, Weihan had denied all knowledge of the monster. It was clearly bothering him as he hadn't been his usual self but on the other hand, she guessed he was giving her the space she had asked for. As the Asian girl sat down next to her, Liz began playing with her Ivory Crystal Coin again. She had specifically picked out a spot where she could sit and not be noticed by anyone or any cameras that were in the area. After the aftermath of the 'Michael' incident, she had noticed how many cameras were around her, making her feel boxed-in and somewhat claustrophobic. Flipping the off-white disc into the air, she caught it in her right hand and looked at the ornate design once more. She nodded once and sighed.

"I guess I am. I'm torn about what to do."

Emma shot a strange look at her and wondered what was going on inside the mind of her friend. Jorja and Bec had given her a glossed-over version of what had happened and, while a part of her recoiled in horror at the thought of the mind-wiping, she knew it had been the best thing that could have possibly been done. To leave Michael to his own devices would eventually lead to his death at the hands of a monster, Zord or an accidental one at the hands of the Rangers. She knew Liz had been personally invested in him, but she had to see that it was the best course of action. Shaking her head, she spoke in a low tone…that somehow didn't seem to convey the depth of her incredulity.

"How so? You can walk away, right?"

Liz nodded and watched her coin flip through the air once more. Turning away from the Rangers would mean going solo for her future battles. She had no doubt in her mind that she would still have the help and 'backing' of the others, but she would be separated from the extreme technological devices in the Ultra Cavern. Plus, having the Ivory Tigerzord outside her house would raise a few suspicions. On the other hand, she wouldn't have to see what other magical horrors Weihan would be 'inflicting' on other witnesses that couldn't keep their secret. Oh sure, she knew that if Michael hadn't struggled, he would have most of his memories intact…but that was beside the principle of thing. She sighed softly and traced her right thumb over the surface of the coin once more.

"I know I can but I don't want to. I wish I was like you. You know what your destiny has in store for you but you walk away from it without a care in the world."

Liz hears a mirthless chuckle come from the girl next to her and she frowned slightly. Emma should have been embracing her and saying how she was right to be leaving the 'vile cult of the Rangers'…maybe not in those exact words, but something like them. Instead, she was acting like she had changed her mind. Of course, that was also somewhat understandable as she had seen a few battles with the Rangers and knew both what they were capable of and how efficient they were in dealing with extra-terrestrial threats. As far as she was aware, Emma was the only potential Ranger to not jump at the several chances that had been grated to her…so why was she backtracking now?

"Yeah…I wish it was that simple."

She paused and looked at the Asian girl strangely.

"What do you mean?"

Emma opened her mouth, closed it and thought about her answer. There was something about the coin in the hand of her friend that both called to her and held the promise of greater power. She closed her eyes and directed her thoughts inward. The absence of her parents was extremely glaring in her family life, especially since their ill-fated journey to New York a few years ago. That none of her other family members were living in Australia wasn't even touched upon as she, a minor at the time, had been granted a 'special exception' of not being accepted into the 'system'…whatever that was. If the Ultra Rangers had bothered to be there, the damage wouldn't have been as bad. More people would have been evacuated and the Lightspeed Rangers could have saved everyone who was stuck on the roof. She remembered the feeling that stabbed through her heart as she was lifted up by her mother as the awful creaking and crumbling was heard under her. She remembered only looking back to see her parents smile in relief and hold her brother close to them as the building began its final lurch into oblivion. She had felt utterly helpless then and had vowed that – no matter what it took – she would never feel, or make others feel, the same way again.

Her initial rejection had stemmed from the events surrounding that day and her first impressions of Weihan. The persona he put up in front of the world was extremely different than the one she had seen on the battlefield. There was a heroic quality to him that seemed to be tinged with some subtle desperation…almost as if he was battling something else than the monster in front of him. Even the other Rangers around him seemed to share in the same desperate fighting strategy. Of course, that was understandable as they were fighting to protect the entire world from the evils the Power Rangers couldn't beat but that didn't account for the intensity of the Orange Ranger's battles. The only way she would even begin to decipher the mystery behind the leader of the Ultra Rangers was to take up the offer. However, there were still things holding her back.

"Ah, how do I put this? It's not so much as I'm having second thoughts…more like I'm wondering what the other side is like."

"Thought you still had a grudge about the Ultra Rangers not being –"

Emma nodded sharply, feeling the familiar sting of pain and regret in her heart. Joining the Rangers seemed more and more like a sure thing as her doubts and worries melted away. Still, there was something stubborn in her mind that refused to budge until there were concrete answers given to her. Plus, she wanted to know what it would have been like if the Rangers never existed in the first place…but something stayed her tongue.

"Yeah, but I can't stay mad at them forever. Still, I can't help thinking…."

Liz nodded as she stared at the coin once more. it almost seemed like something out of the purest fantasy; a normal girl being plucked out of obscurity by an all-powerful being and given the chance to rise up against the alien oppressors attacking her world. The questions of why the Rangers were needed were worming into her mind and she had often stayed awake at night thinking what a place a world without Rangers would be like. Would there be world-wide peace or would there still be fighting? Would a World War be embroiling the Earth or would humanity have finally solved every single crisis befalling them?

"Yeah, I've had those thoughts as well. So much destruction has happened throughout the world because of them."

Emma nodded. She opened her mouth once more and let the words come out in a rush. Maybe it was the excitement of having someone else that shared her doubts or reconnecting with a friend, but her 'mental barrier' around the question slowly started to crack and slough away.

"Buildings destroyed, lives lost…millions of dollars pumped into the creation of Monster Shelters and educational courses. It's like the bad outweighs the good, especially during the Countdown and the last big battle. It's also strange how none of the Rangers explained why they acted like they did during that battle on the waterfront, the one where Weihan unveiled the new Zord and armour mode. For a few moments, I thought that they were acting out of shock and denial of something…but it was never explained what."

Liz nodded. She had asked Weihan about that battle but had seen him evading the question seconds after the words had registered in his mind. There was something about that battle in particular that he either didn't want to relive or didn't want them learning about. She didn't really know which option was worse. Unlike Emma though, she knew that the Rangers – for all their flaws and perceived weaknesses – were extremely beneficial to the Earth as a whole. She wasn't sure what the effect would be if they never existed, but she wasn't going to tempt fate by expressing the wish out loud.

"Maybe…no, it's a stupid thought and a stupid wish."

Liz slowly turned to Emma, a sudden chill running down her spine. Emma continued on, seemingly oblivious to the dawning expression of horror on the face of the other girl

"I wonder what it would be like if the Power Rangers and Ultra Rangers never existed."

Liz opened her mouth to respond when a creature burst out of the nearby bushes. It was a humanoid that looked like a cross between a Native American dream catcher, a pair of long knitting needles and an oversized cockroach. The monster seemed to grin as it waved its arms in the air, allowing long and thin tendrils of energy to expel from its body and wrap around everything. Liz shot to her feet to morph…but she lost her footing as the world twisted and turned around her. Memories forced their way into her mind and she gasped in shock as she realised what was happening. Pulling back her arm to punch at the monster, the ground gave way beneath her.

And, in the blink of an eye, history changed.

TBC…