NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"
CHAPTER 50
The Rangers put it off as long as they could but the town finally decided it was time for their parents' funeral. Even after Tommy's return, the Rangers couldn't make themselves make any plans, or even agree to let someone else make plans. Though this was partly because they were too busy worrying about Tommy, who still hadn't spoken a word since waking in the Command Centre, the largest part was that they simply couldn't accept they were gone.
The town had been good about giving them the extra time, at least. Overall, everyone let them have the time before the funeral to themselves, though they were offered many shoulders to cry upon. With everyone so focused on the five, few seemed to notice Tommy's total silence since his 'rescue'. Bulk and Skull were exceptions to this. The other Rangers were surprised to see the real worry in the two bullies. Ernie watched Tommy closely anytime he was in his view, gave them advice or a shoulder to cry on when they asked, but he let them be when they needed space.
After two weeks passed from Tommy's visible return with no sign of the teens ever being ready to plan a funeral, the town did it for them. The only input from the now orphaned teens involved making it a single service as they could not imagine going through it twice, let alone ten times.
The five original Rangers sat at the front of the chapel, obviously mourning even if they still didn't wear anything but their usual colors, and simply waiting for the service to begin. With the teens finally visible and openly mourning, everyone felt it was time to speak to them. The teens kept glancing back where Tommy sat, in the very back corner of the chapel, more worried about Tommy than listening to whoever was currently speaking from the long line of people offering them condolences since they arrived. They all said the same thing anyway - blaming the teens for their parents' deaths while trying to offer them comfort. Well in their defense, they were blaming the Power Rangers, with no idea that was them.
The five Rangers basically ignored it, there only because it was expected of them. The condemning words didn't bother them as much as they could have since they were all too worried about Tommy. He'd yet to say a single word since his return, and now here they were with all theses idiots offering the blame to one all too willing to accept. They gave thanks Tommy wasn't sitting beside them to hear this, but feared what would be said in the actual service.
Tommy was unaware of their attention, or his own surroundings, as he sat in the silence he'd remained in since he'd responded to Jason calling him back from Ash and found all the memories and pain crashing into him. He was drowning in not only his own memories but in the combination of everyone that ever held the Green Dragon Powers. It was so powerful, so overwhelming that he couldn't say where he ended and the Powers took over. It scared him that he couldn't tell if he was losing himself.
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Aslan. Come, Tommy's voice echoed in his mind. "Take the next exit," Ash ordered without opening his eyes. After stopping for first aid supplies and Ash letting Eiji bandage his ribs, they'd traveled almost non-stop across country and were now in California. Ash hadn't spoken much since they left, even then it was usually just to Eiji, so his voice startled Max. He hadn't expected to hear anyone speak since they were the only two awake.
"What?" Max asked.
"The next exit," Ash repeated.
Max changed lanes. "You know we're not that far from LA now…"
"I don't give a damn. We need to take this exit."
"Relax, Ash. I'm taking it," Max assured, taking the exit. They drove a bit further and Ash said, "Turn left."
"Where are we going?" Max asked as he turned.
Ash hesitated. "Where we need to."
Max glanced at him. "No, Max!" Griffin had called out. "Don't go there! We need to go this way!"
"What?" Max had stopped. "What's wrong, Griff?"
"That way's wrong."
Max looked at the newest addition to the unit, wondering if he was crazy or what. "Look, we need to get across this field and get this done. Whatever's -" He stopped as an explosion ripped through. Turning, he saw some of the men had continued on the path Griffin called him from, tripping a mine. "Shit, Griff. How the hell?"
Griffin looked embarrassed. "I don't know. I just got a feeling."
"Got a feeling there, Aslan?" Max asked. When Ash looked at him in surprise, Max said, "I learned along time ago not to ignore the 'feeling' of a Callenreese. Where to?"
Ash gave a slight smile and pointed out the turns. "Park there," he finally said.
Max parked and looked around. Ibe, Shorter, and Eiji sat up, the lack of motion waking them. "Where are we?" Shorter asked as he glanced around. Ash was already getting out of the van. Shorter frowned as he read the sign out front and asked, "We're crashing a funeral?"
Ash didn't respond, didn't slow down in his rush to enter the building. The others followed him inside, found him standing by the door, staring at a young boy dressed in green and sitting in the back of the room.
"Tommy," Ash breathed the name. At that moment, Tommy suddenly looked up, glaring towards the front of the room.
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The words of the service drifted in and out of Tommy's awareness, until one phase brought him crashing back into himself and fully aware once more. He felt shocked to realize what these people were saying at this service, though he knew he shouldn't have. The Rangers were always blamed when someone died in the battles. But this time, Tommy couldn't just sit back and let them say these things.
His jade green eyes flashed with emotion as he walked to the front of the chapel where the mayor was speaking. Tommy was Power in motion and people moved out of his way. He stalked up to the mayor and ordered him to step down, and he had everyone's full attention.
"You don't know them and you don't know what happened," Tommy stated, his voice strong and commanding. "My friends just lost their families and you stand up here saying this shit, not giving a damned about the people. Just wanting to make it a political thing. Step down and shut the hell up."
Total silence fell over the already quiet room as he spoke. The Rangers were pulled from their own grief at the sound of Tommy's voice, a sound they'd been waiting to hear, shocked that he was speaking now.
The mayor looked at him for a moment, saw anger and a horrid pain in the boy's eyes that he couldn't begin to comprehend, and silently stepped down, subconsciously giving Tommy a wide berth.
Tommy turned to the room. "I didn't mean to speak here today," he started. "I was just sitting back there, lost in my own thoughts, when it finally got through to me what was being said up here and I couldn't take it. You were using them, using their deaths, and you have no right to do so. Politicians, just looking to make yourselves sound good, for that sound-bite," he sneered this line. "You don't know them, you don't know … don't know anyone involved. Those of you that are at least acquainted with them aren't thinking of them. You're speaking your ignorance and fear and nothing else. You don't want to think of them, you don't want to hear anything else, anything that might force you to face the truth of yourselves. So you look for a safe scapegoat.
"The Power Rangers, who you are so intent on blaming for this, were your heroes yesterday and they'll be your heroes again tomorrow. But today … Today you want to blame them rather than the ones responsible for all the pain and loss. Why? Because they can't save everyone?"
He paused, looking over all the faces and cameras staring at him. The TV crew broadcasting for 'Power Ranger News'. Because that's what this was. Not a funeral, just another media circus. He'd wanted to say this since he'd first seen Jason flinch at a news broadcast blaming them for 'failing to save' someone, but he'd never thought he actually would.
"This is war," Tommy pointed out baldly. "Our town, it's a war zone. And it's terrible when people die in war. I guess that is the Power Rangers' fault. If they didn't fight, since it's damned obvious no one else will, there would be no war. You'd be killed and enslaved with impunity but it wouldn't be in war."
Several people react to his words, with gasps or growing pale at the thought or looking angered. Tommy ignored them and continued: "Myself, I'd rather die free than live forever as a slave. No matter how fleeting it is, one moment of freedom is worth any pain it costs. If you don't know that then war or not, you've lived a charmed life."
Detective Rogers and most of her Monster Squad sat up straight at this, hearing more than Tommy said aloud, realizing how much this said of the boy's life. Max smirked, easily believing this was Ash's little brother.
Tommy took a centering breath and said, "When you're handing out the blame for it, blame the ones that started it all. The Power Rangers stood up for this town when Rita first attacked, and continue to do so today. I know they did everything in their power to protect these families too. That they weren't able to save them doesn't change the fact that they saved, and continue to save the world. They know what all is at stake, what you fear to think about. Rita and Zedd destroy or enslave worlds. That's what they do. If there were no Power Rangers, that would be Earth's fate. You want to blame the Power Rangers for something. Blame them for the fact you are still free. Blame them for the fact that you still have the right to your idiotic views.
"It's harder to blame Rita and Zedd for all the death and destruction. You want to think you're safe, that nothing can hurt you. You want to think that the Rangers will always win and no one will be hurt or killed. And when it doesn't work like that, it reminds you that it could be you. You don't want to know that. You want to think you're indestructible. Therefore you blame those you count on to protect you.
"Does it ever occur to you that they don't have to stay here and fight for you? They don't even have to stay on this world, let alone this town. If they were like all you good people blaming them for your fears, the world would fall to Zedd's forces but they wouldn't be anywhere near this world when it happened. Yet they stay.
"Has it never occurred to you what that cost them? The little things you take for granted that they give up to be there in your defense. Have you ever thought of what all it could cost them? They're heroes and heroes tend to die young. Every day they are alive since they made that choice, every day they live to once again fight for you is a miracle. They don't win every battle but they have never lost. As you can see from your still being free - if you've ever bothered to notice your freedom. Do you really fear death more than loss of freedom? If so, you will never realize the greatest risk they run in fighting for you.
"In terms even our dear mayor can understand: Staying here to fight for you will most likely lead them to their deaths, if they are lucky, yet they stay. They choose to stay and fight and die. For you, even as you condemn them for not being perfect, for not being Gods. Why do you think that is?" Tommy sighed. "My friends lost their parents. They deserve the right to mourn that loss in peace from your fears. It's a shame there's no funeral for these five couples, no peaceful ceremony for their children to find a feeling of closure. But so long as you hide your fear in hatred, no one lost will be mourned in peace. And that is the greatest failure of all."
A shocked silence filled the room as he stepped down and walked out of the building. He never noticed the looks of gratitude and respect replace some of the pain in the eyes of his fellow Rangers as he left. And it never occurred to him that the words he spoke were too knowledgeable for the average citizen.
Ash pushed his way through, rushing to follow Tommy out.
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Continued - Let me know what you think. Review
