By Didi
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters; they are the sole property of Saban and company. I am not making any money off of this. Any copyright infringement is without malice or intent to defraud. Please don't sue me.
Note: Story picks up after the death of Zordon and before Lost Galaxy. I'm not going to write about the Lost Galaxy because I found that particular series horribly dull. And I didn't watch anything after that. I don't remember every little detail to any of the series so don't expect the story to be perfect.
Rated: R due to context and language. I reserve the right to change the rating if I feel like picking up the heat a little. Enjoy.
Summary: With Zordon gone, who is there to guard those he defeated before?
Author's Note: Okay, I've been a terrible person and have kept this thing going for too long. My sincerest apologies to all. I promise to wrap this story up very soon. I can't guarantee that it'll be any good since my endings are always a little on the weak side… I can start a story but ending it always seems so much harder.
Acknowledgement: Thank you arlene444 for kicking my ass and reminding me that I'm doing exactly what I hate other FF writers for doing… having unfinished stories.
Key: "Spoken words." Thoughts
Chapter Fifty – New Rangers
With one hand latched firmly onto Trini's and one hand rubbing his temple with increasing pressure, Jason made a valiant endeavor to focus on every word that was rolling out of Billy's mouth at a speed which was less than comprehensible though Trini didn't seem the least bit taxed as she nodded in all the appropriate places and interjected intelligent questions every so often, much to Billy's annoyance. Unfortunately for the former Gold Ranger, all his efforts were for naught as the constant hammering behind his eyes made concentration a difficult task. Oh hell, it was making breathing difficult. But no one else seemed to notice as they concentrated on the incomprehensible rant Billy was currently engaged in as he paced the room in an alarmingly rapid pace, running into furniture every so often (cursing in a language none of them recognized), and rattled off words with frightening amount of syllables.
"My head hurts," Cassie complained. Trini's head immediately turned to her. "No, no," Cassie said immediately, feeling immensely guilty for having been so careless, "Just from too much concentration." Trini nodded and went back to listening to Billy's tirade.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tommy shook his head in confusion and held up his hands to stop the tidal wave of information that threatened to drown him. "Give it to me slower and without the techno babble you two are using."
"I don't think that's possible," Kim murmured as she sipped hot tea with her eyes closed. Unlike the rest of the rangers in the room, every part of her body hurt at this point. She looked like she's aged ten years in the past four hours.
"Of course it is," Tommy replied with an indulging smile. "They can do just about anything, or so I'm given to believe."
"Actually it isn't," Trini admitted with a sigh, resting her head against Jason's shoulder. "I don't have the energy to go over this again for you right now, Tommy." The dark smudges under her eyes attested to the fact that she didn't have enough energy to sit up straight much less follow the litany of scientific raving that Billy was throwing out left and right without care as to who can understand it or not. "I'm sorry but I just don't."
Tommy shrugged, accepting that you can't always get what you want. And at the moment, he didn't particularly care either. "Okay then. You know that I trust you so do what you gotta do," his eyes still following the agitated Billy, who wasn't paying any attention to them at this point. The poor guy was still lost in his own little universe of ideas.
Billy looked like he was about to tear his hair out with his bare hands. He now perfectly understood why they say there was an extremely fine line between genius and madness. Not that he was advocating the fact that he was a genius, because he certainly wasn't, but the frustrations of a genius must be exactly what he was feeling at the very moment. "Sometimes, I'm so stupid I could throw up."
"Not on me, thank you," Jason said as she swung his legs slowly back and forth, concentrating on their movements carefully. The repetitive motion was rather soothing, kept his mind otherwise occupied.
"Stop it," Trini snapped sharply. Her nerves were pretty frazzled at this point and that last thing she needed was more drama. "Self-disgust isn't going to do any good. Let's get to the solution first and worry about the others stuff later."
"And how exactly are we to activate the coins again?" Tommy asked, sharing a commiserating look with his best pal. Neither of them was catching up fast enough. And Kimberly just plain didn't care at the moment.
"Believe it or not," Billy blush a deep shade of red, "We're going to pick up the right coin."
Jason blinked. "What does that mean?"
Stroking his hand absentmindedly, Trini focused her thoughts a little. "The quantum physics of the proposal behind Billy's hypothesis…"
"English Trini, English!"
She stuck her tongue out in retaliation before explaining, "Zordon probably linked the damn coins to the bearer; our freakin' DNA should kick start the power." She glared at Tommy. "'English' enough for you?"
Tommy grinned in response. Being yelled at by Trini for some inexplicable reason did make him feel a great deal better. It's nice to know that she isn't as calm as she always appeared to be… that she was as human as the rest of them.
"It's that simple?" Jason asked in complete disbelief. He had a rather difficult time believing the lengthy presentation and hours of painstaking work came all right down to them having to pick up a damn coin. Of course, what was that saying his father was always spouting? Sometimes the simplest solutions are the right ones.
"In theory," Billy pointed out.
"Isn't it just a bit of a coincidence that no one managed to pick up the right coin?" Kimberly asked with a sigh. The sleep she's gotten so far hasn't done much for her need to rest. She still felt like she went twenty rounds with Goldard without her armor. The amount of people and talking in the room wasn't conducive to sleep so she therefore didn't even bother to try.
"Or it could be because besides Billy we've all had other things on our minds and no one bothered to pay any attention to the coins," Tommy said with a sigh. He always knew that personal relationships would always get things more complicated when you mix business with pleasure, and there before them was a fine example. Though in their own defense, none of them knew if they were going to see the dawn of a new day, clearing the air and taking care of regrets was definitely something that took priority in their books. Did he regret not concentrating more on the power coins given to them so early in this mission from nowhere? Yes. But he had no other regrets. "So, now what?"
"Now we try the theory," Billy replied with a grin. "It's call the scientific procedure: abstract, hypothesis, experiment, result, conclusion," and he held out the long box that housed the coins.
The others exchanged dubious looks.
"Come on guys, it won't hurt," Billy assured them.
"Then you go first," Trini muttered eyeing the box carefully.
"I'll go first," Jason said hopping off the bed with a wince; every bone in his bottle rattle upon the physical exertion. "It cannot possibly be worse that what I'm feeling right now," shutting his eyes to keep the dizzying effect from toppling him and cursing over his own stupidity for moving so fast. "Damn it." He did not like being weak.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Trini rested her chin against his collarbone offering him strength. "My hero."
He wasn't exactly sure why it made him smile but it did. "And you'll take care of me when I'm all paralyzed by a bad theory?"
"Absolutely," she replied cheerfully as Billy gave an indignant, "Hey!"
Jason patted the arms around his throat. "Okay then," taking a deep breath. "What do I do?"
"Honestly? I haven't a clue," Billy said offering the box to Jason. "Like I said, this is an experiment; we're all going at this the first time around."
"So, I'm the guinea pig," Jason muttered as he wiped his hand on his stiff jeans. "Terrific." Despite the temperature of the room close to being able to freeze water, he was still working up some nice sweaty palms at the thought of touching a power coin. Whether this strange fluttering in his stomach was fear or excitement was anyone's guess.
Tommy held his breath.
Kimberly bit her lips to keep from saying something she was sure to regret.
Trini hugged him from behind and watched everything with the analytical eye of a scientist.
Billy grinned manically.
"Stop looking at me like that," Jason groused as he fisted his hands again and released.
"Sorry," Billy murmured but couldn't quite wipe the grin from his face. "Go on."
Taking another deep breath, effectively blocked out the headache for all of half a second, Jason held his hand out. Opening his palm over the first coin, he wanted for something anything to hit him. Nothing. He began to lower his hand to the disc.
Snatching at his hand, Trini stopped him. "Wait."
"What?" startled.
"In theory…"
"I'm really beginning to hate that phrase," Tommy complained.
Ignoring him, "In theory, we should know immediately whether it is your coin on not, touching it probably won't produce any effect. Billy has been fiddling around with that first one for days now without any effect. Just skim your hand over the top and see if you feel anything."
Jason turned his head a little and looked at her. She gave him a nod, which he returned before setting himself to the task as hand. He had no idea what she was talking about but had complete faith in what she believes. Flexing his hand, Jason took another deep breath and placed his open palm over the coin once more. After a few moments of nothingness, he slid toward the next coin in the box. Again, nothing. He moved on.
He passed over three more when he paused and slide back one. Closing his eyes, he allowed his other senses to focus as he would during the long vigorous training for martial arts tournaments. He tuned out song, smell, sight, and taste and just went with feel. "I think this one is vibrating."
Curious, Trini placed her open hand underneath his. "I don't feel anything."
"Good," Billy nodded as Trini removed her hand and stared at Jason. "Trini, your turn."
Repeating the process her lover just engaged, Trini went all the way to the last coin before she gasped. "Oh my god, I can feel this one."
"Billy," Jason frowned as he watched his friend's eager face. Something about this wasn't sitting right with him. "Did you try this already when you went to get the coins?"
"What do you mean?" Billy asked as he eagerly watched Kim's hand hover for the open case, tentatively moving along the coins.
"Don't give me that innocent look," Jason growled. "You already knew what was going to happen. You tried it out before you got here."
Billy glanced over his shoulders to look sheepishly at him. "Well, you didn't really expect me to let you walk into this completely blind, did you?"
Dropping his face into his hand, Jason gave himself a moment to groan before he looked up and glared at Billy. "You're right, you really are stupid."
"Huh?" Kimberly's hand stopped as she looked up. "What are you talking about Jase?
Trini reached up and pushed a lock of her lover's hair off his forehead. His skin was warm to the touch, which bothered her though she hadn't said anything. He had unconsciously been shedding layers of cloth for the past hour. While the rest of the crew were weighed down with layers of cloths, Jason had been operating with just jeans and a turtleneck.
Jason's eyes turned a shade darker. "I'm talking about the fact that Billy here could have actually been wrong and he could have been hurt," he explained through tightly clinched teeth. "And then what, huh Billy? You would have been alone and by the time we found you…"
"Well, it's a good thing that I was right then, huh?" Billy countered, knowing where this was headed. It warmed his heart to know that Jason cared so much… but he'll be damned to hell before he express so much as a glimmer of remorse. "Oh come on Jason, I can't have you have all the fun all the time, you know. It's rather unfair, don't you think?"
"If this thing doesn't kill you, I will," he scowled.
Billy responded with a grin so wide that it split his face.
"I got one," Kimberly announced excitedly, her hand hovering.
"Tommy?"
The former green ranger sighed and held out his hand over the first coin. "Is it supposed to do that?"
"You got it on one?" Billy asked.
Shifting his hand to the next one, he frowned and moved back. "Yeah, I think so." He looked up, studying his friends' faces. "Now what?"
"Now we got find the others and tell them what's going on. Then comes in the interesting part," Billy said with a ruthful smile. "We activate the powers."
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The control deck was quiet now as the newly restructured Space Rangers got their bearings. Carlos and Ashley were both quietly listening to the halting explanation Andros and Zhane was attempting to give despite Cassie asking one question after another. The outrage on Cassie's face was clear enough while Ashley and Carlos were both cautiously reserving judgment. TJ was thoughtful, his face full of regret and understanding. Karone stood by lending support when needed. Over all, this meeting was going exactly as everyone suspect it would.
TJ was nodding his head slowly. "I agree with Zhane, it would so be like Zordon to plan for all this. He isn't revered for nothing." There was a long pause. "But how would you explain Justin?"
Zack made a face, trying not to react to Cassie's loud and uncomfortable protests. He knew he shouldn't be taking it personally, the girl was obviously reeling from the unexpected changes in the middle of a crisis, but it was still difficult. Concentrating instead on what he can deal with, "Didn't someone mention that the poor kid still had his Turbo powers?"
"Why would he be a 'poor kid' if he had the turbo powers?" Carlos asked, his dark brows wrinkling with confusion. All of these changes was difficult to process all at once.
"Not much of a childhood if you're always out kicking ass," Zack pointed out as he played with his new morpher. He hadn't attempted to morph yet though a part of him was eager to try. It's been some time now and though he was reluctant, he hadn't forgotten the thrill and excitement of morphing. Being a Ranger had been a large part of his life, defining a great deal of the kind of person he is today. There was a part of him that had dreamt of this, of being a Ranger once more. Temporary, Zack; this is just temporary. You have a life to get back to on Earth, a career to start. This part of your life is over… sort of.
"Hey, you all right?" Tanya asked quietly as Cassie's upset rose in volume again. She sat down next to Zack pulling him slightly away from the others to give them some space to deal with the sudden changes. Her deep set eyes filled with concern. "You look like you were trying to solve the mysteries of the universe just now."
He gave a reluctant laugh, lifted his head to watch the rest of the Space Rangers discuss what the ramifications of this new change was going to do to their team. "Where's Katherine? I'd think she would be here for this wonderful little family talk."
Tanya reached out and took his hand, holding it steady in hers for a moment. His skin was clammy but she suspects that it had nothing to do with the cold. "Kat is in the engine room with Adam, the two volunteered to do the watch." Her hand tightened on his. "Now stop changing the subject and tell me what's wrong?"
"Wrong?" he gave her a quiet reassuring smile. "What could possibly be wrong?"
"Zack," her tone stern and full of reprimand, the kind of tone a mother uses on a lying child. Life was too short, and seemed to be getting shorter by the minute, for any of them to beat around the bush. Besides, she was never one to tolerate half truths and lies.
With a sigh, Zack shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put this on you."
"I asked because I cared. If I didn't want to hear it, I wouldn't have opened my nosy beak." She gave him a light bump on the shoulder with her own. "Now talk."
There was a part of Zack that wanted to remain silent; after all, his problems were his own and there was no need to bother anyone else with it. On the other hand, he recognized that look on Tanya's face; it was the same kind of look Trini and Kim use to get when they knew they were in the right and they weren't going to budge from the subject for anything. "Remember the conversation we had earlier? About not being chosen?"
"Yeah?"
"I feel like we had congratulated ourselves a little prematurely."
Tanya chuckled softly. "Sucks big time, huh?"
"Did you expect this?"
Tanya considered this a moment. Her disappointment earlier had quickly given away to guilty relief at not having to enduring the crippling pain she witnessed. This new development was... "Well I certainly wasn't thinking this could happen."
"This isn't exactly something one can predict," Zack said dryly. He remembered giving up his powers once, another life time ago in fact; it had been difficult to say the least but he had the support of his friends and he had done so for a greater cause. Which is where Andros and Zhane stands now.
Tanya's eyes narrowed with concern. There was something hauntingly sad about the way he had said it. She frowned, her eyes studying Zack's unusually emotionless face as he watched the Space Rangers argue quietly, all but Cassie, among themselves. "You all right?"
"Yeah," he responded absentmindedly.
"You sound like a man given a death sentence rather than someone who has just been handed the kind of power most people could only dream of."
An almost bitter smile twisted his lip. "No, I sound like a guy that's just been handed the weight of the world… again."
Her first reaction was outrage at the thought, which was what she would have given into once upon a time, but age has tempered her natural instincts of reaction first and thinking later. Upon further thought, Tanya understood, understood only too well what kind of responsibilities and sacrifices once faced to be a Power Ranger.
Rubbing his face, Zack gave a sigh that was weary and angry at the same time. "I was sixteen when I became a Power Ranger. Sixteen! What the hell did I know about saving the world?" His face was drawn with suppressed emotions, emotions too long kept from the surface. "Becoming a Ranger was a game then, a chance to show off and have fun. It was like some dormant fantasy come true for me. Yeah, it wreaked havoc with my social life but it was still wicked cool," he gave a mirthless laugh thinking back on those still ignorant days of youth. "What more could a teenage mind come up with, secret identities, cool costumes, a talking robot, mission impossible and freakin' cool toys." He shook his head, remembering all the laughing conversation he had with Jason and Billy those first few months when everything was fresh and new… before reality set in. "And then I watched too many cities get torn apart, too many people hurt, too many people die. Ever seen a soul being sucked out of a person?" he asked not really requiring an answer. "I have. In the mirror, slowly day by day, mission by mission; one damn news report after another. And then I watched all the youth and innocence get sucked out of Jason's face, from Tommy's face, from Billy's, I watched Kim and Trini withdraw slowly into themselves, become quiet and sacrificing and… and looking back and I realized just how much we had been handed without any real knowledge of the consequences." He rubbed his face again, slowly this time to wipe away the evidence of his losing control when he had no right to do so. "That's why they said young men to war; cause they have no concept of life and death. They're not afraid cause they think their invincible; they can do anything; just like we did. Only we were wrong; me, Jason, Tommy, Kimmy, even Billy and Trini. We weren't invincible; couldn't save everyone, couldn't do a lot of things."
"But they've never regretted it," Tanya couldn't help but point out. She acknowledged the fact that being a Ranger forced her to grow up fast… maybe too fast. "I've never regretted it."
"I have," came the nearly inaudible admission.
For a moment, Tanya didn't know what to say, what to do. Grabbing his hand, she gave the rest of the group a wide smile and pulled Zack into the hallway; there was nothing like a façade of happiness to throw people off the scent of trouble. "What is going on with you, Zack? Why are you talking like this is the end of the world."
It was on the tip of his tongue to make a remark that was likely to get his ass kicked, so he reframed from it. "Nothing, just reflecting on some doubts that I had in the past."
"In the past? Because it certainly doesn't sound like this is in the past right now." Tanya really did not want to be dealing with a depressant, especially with everything else going on.
"Yes, in the past," he sighed and gave her a mirthless smile. "I've grown up some since my days as a Power Rangers, learned a lot in that time. But I'm not without that part of me that once made me a Ranger and put me in the middle of this. I haven't given up yet, if that's what you're afraid of."
Tanya's brows knitted together in a frown. "And if I said that's exactly what I was thinking?"
Zack grinned suddenly, so very jovially that Tanya found herself completely at sea as to where anything is. "Then you, my dear, don't know the Zack-man very well. But that's okay, you will."
Shaking her head because her thoughts had gone west while the rest of her head had been headed east, Tanya opened and closed her mouth several times as she continued to attempt to put some semblance of order to where her thoughts have been only a few minutes before Zack decided to turn the wheels of his coaster ride of a conversation into a nice big U. "Come again?"
Laughing, he leaned over and pressed his lip against her cheek. "You're a doll, Tanya. Just thought you should know that."
Still lost, "Okay," and decided that this was not worth pursuing. After all, it would appear that Zack was all… better, for lack of a more appropriate word.
"HEY!" Billy jogged down the length of the corridor and glanced around. "Anyone seen Zhane, Andros and Karone?"
Exchange curious looks of uncertainly at Billy's obviously distracted focus. "Command deck. We're holding a meeting."
"'We?'" and then glanced down. The morphers on Tanya's wrist and clipped to Zack's hip answered the question too quickly. All sort of thought raced through Billy's head for a moment before he expressed it quite adequately with: "Shit!"
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"Okay, would one of you pea-brains like to tell me why you felt the need to do something this stupid without consulting someone first?" Kim asked with all the starchiness of a mother hen. It was really too much to ask that she be concerned about them on top of everything else.
Zhane wince at the rising voice and disliking the feeling of a reprimanded child. "We did consult someone: each other."
"Oh great, the fool leading the mentally challenged," Aisha muttered darkly as she watched Andros's hand hovering above the open case, hesitantly waiting for something to hit him. All ten coins are still within. Trini had discreetly reordering the results while glaring at Zhane and Andros, whose conditions have deteriorated rapidly since giving up their Rangers powers.
"I told you," Zack interjected sing-songy with a ridiculously smug grin, leaning back against a counter and watching the whole proceedings with a sense of satisfaction. "Didn't I tell you needed to talk to someone else first about this stuff before doing something that was…"
"I won't start, Zack," Kim all but growled at him. "I can't believe you didn't come find Billy or Trini when all this went down, before Zhane strapped that contraption on you."
Zack made a face and fell silent. Tanya patted his knee and tried valiantly not to smile. (She failed.)
"Let it go," Rocky said with a frown, one hand unconsciously rubbing at his temple. "They're both obviously regretting their impulsive move." Both former rangers were literally carried into the infirmary. Even now, after the quick exam by their resident doctor, who pronounce them no better or worse, both still appearance ten times paler and wane than they had the last time Rocky saw them.
"Not really," Andros muttered distractedly as he's hand stopped. "I believe this one," and looked up at Trini for confirmation.
"Why are you looking at me for?" she replied, jotting down the result on a pad of paper. "I'm as new at this as you are."
"But you're recording the results, darling," Jason said peeking over her shoulder but saying nothing else.
"Zhane," Billy head out the box. "You're next."
"Let Karone go first."
"No," his fiancée said with a firm shake of her head. "You next."
"Why?"
Rocky grinned manically at him. "Probably cause you look like you're about to pass out," his grin only got bigger when the former silver Ranger glared daggers at him. "Relax, this isn't a test; you're not going to fail."
Karone pressed a kiss against the side of his neck, sending a jolt down Zhane's spine. "You're doing great, Zhane. Just get pass this and I'll knock you out myself."
Turning his head, "You said that a little too gleefully."
She grinned back cheekily at him. "Just like the good old days?" she suggested lightly.
"The good old days," Zhane repeated uncertainly, "When you were trying to kill me?"
Karone nodded, "Yup!"
"Okay, definitely keeping you away from Cassie from now on."
"Are you saying that I'm a bad influence?" Cassie hollered at him from across the room.
"Oh definitely," Zhane replied with a firm nod as a chuckling Billy step in front of him. "Just put my hand over it?"
"Yeah."
More than just a little hesitant of the unknown, Zhane began the process.
"So how did you guys figure this out again?" Adam asked quietly.
"Lucky guess," Billy replied.
"Yeah, right," Tanya gave a most unladylike snort of exasperation. "Not even this Jarian creature is going to believe that one. Try again, Billy-boy."
"It was a lucky guess," Billy repeated.
Tanya looked at Tommy.
The former Green Ranger shrugged and grinned at her. "I think it really was just a lucky guess. Sure, Billy tried it out first before letting us got for it but I think it was one of those brilliant moments of inspiration that hits you like a bolt outta the blue."
"Who here actually believe that?" Tanya asked to the room at large.
No one raised their hands, not even Tommy. Billy's hand was otherwise occupied.
"I hate you people," Billy grumbled but felt ridiculously good about that fact that his friends had such unwavering faith in him… which at the same time scares him like nothing else could.
"I think I have one," Zhane said quietly, his hand just above the third coin. "It's making my palm itch."
"That's something at least," Jason muttered as he watched Trini jot it down. "How are you feeling, angel?"
"Like hell trampled over me with cleats on. You?"
He gave a soft chuckle. "Well, after that lovely description…"
"Karone?" Billy offered the box again.
Screwing up her courage, Karone reached out for the box with one hand and Zhane's hand with the other. Her body was tolerating the pressures better than Zhane and Andros were which puzzled her quite a bit before Trini explained it could be that a woman's immune system is naturally boosted when carrying a child. But just because it was easier on her doesn't mean it didn't still irritated her to find herself doubling her concentration to do the simplest task, like pour a glass of water. "How would I know?"
"Beside the itching palm?" Zhane asked.
"Yes."
"I think that's it."
"Oh."
"Just relax, sweetie." Kimberly called out with a sigh. "You'll be fine."
"I don't feel anything," Karone said quietly. "What if we were wrong and there are still…"
"Karone," Trini said firmly, looking up from her list. "Just concentrate on what you're doing."
Still distracted, Karone frowned at her. "But if we were wrong about the whole prophecy and that I… oh!" her hand twitched in reaction. "That tickles."
"And we have a winner," Billy announced with a grin. "Now comes the interesting one," Billy announced looking at Rocky and Adam. He regarded them carefully, a frown wrinkling his brows as his mind searched for answers even as he informed them, "I have no clue as to what happens now."
"Rocky?" Adam said indicting the box.
"You do it," Rocky replied with a frown. "No offense buddy, but I've got Sha to think about."
That actually made sense in a selfish kind of way. "Point taken," Adam replied and reached for the box. He had been following the proceedings carefully and mimicked the other former rangers in their nervous twitching before opening his palm. "And if my calculations are correct, it's this one," his hand hovering three inches above the fifth coin without going through the series of others first. The light tickling in the middle of his palm confirmed it. "And I've got it." He looked at Billy then Rocky, then Billy again, "Now what?"
"Now Rocky," Billy replied firmly.
Rocky made a face, "Do I have to?" he whined even as he reached out for the box. His hand made a beeline for the same coin for no other reason than because Adam had. He frowned and shifted his hand toward one of the other coins than frowned. "Yeah, it's definitely this one."
Tommy shook his head. "How do two people carry the same coin?"
"That's a good question that I can't even begin to speculate on," Billy replied quite unhappily since he had been thinking of the same thing and quite effectively giving himself a headache.
Adam made a face and reached for the coin, "I just don't get it. How do we even…" a sharp gasp escaped his lips as his hands closed fully around the coin before anyone could stop him. A faint red glow enveloped him, making him almost appear to be on fire; it was there and gone so quickly that most of the others missed it.
"Adam!" Trini hopped off the med-bed she had been sitting on and immediately stumbled to the ground, her knees buckling under the sudden stress.
"Trini!" Jason reached for her out of pure instinct then had to reach for the table to keep from toppling over onto her. A miniature bomb exploded in behind his eyes, blocking his vision for a moment. "Damn it!"
"Easy," Tommy and Rocky said simultaneously as they reached for their respective best friends.
Shaking his head to refuse the help, Adam blinked several times to clear his slightly fuzzied vision. "Jase, you all right?"
Hunched over with his head within his hands, Jason took several deep breathes before replying shakily, "I'm fine." In truth, he had never felt so bad in his entire life. Every part of him felt ready to implode upon itself.
"Right," Tommy muttered and helped Jason up. "And I'm the tooth fairy."
"Jason?" Trini's was torn between a patient and her lover/patient. A large part of her knew that finding out what had just happened with Adam was the right and best thing to do. But Jason…
"I'm okay, angel face," Jason reassured her, forcing himself to look into her eyes steadily and smile. "I've got the tooth fairy here to help out if I stumble again."
"Mind the tutu," Tommy said before patting Trini on the arm. "Go, I'll take care of the village idiot."
She gave a reluctant laugh and hesitated only a moment longer, frustrated that she couldn't literally be in two places at once, before rushing to Adam's side. "What the hell happened?" and scanning him with the instruments at hand.
"I…"
"Shh…" Billy watched Trini's furrowed brows with interest. "What do you have?"
"Readings are leveling off," Trini answered surprised and delighted. Studying his face, seeing the color seep slowly into his pale cheeks, "How do you feel?" she asked Adam.
"I was going to tell you, before I was so rudely 'shh..'ed," Adam gave Billy a look which was returned with an irritated one, "That I feel a hundred times better."
"Body temp is up," Trini read from her the monitors to the side, "Blood pressure is coming down, heart rates steady at 72," she looked at Billy. "I think that…"
"Trini," Kimberly said suddenly as she grabbed her best friend's arm. "You're brilliant and I love you. And this will be the one and only time I will say this and I'm apologizing in advance for doing so; I don't care what you think right now."
Billy rolled his eyes and grabbed his coin; the shock nearly caused him to drop the whole box of power coins. Icy fingers ran down his spine followed by a flash of heat so intense he was surprised his clothes didn't go up in flames. His vision swam blue, like a summer's sky, for a moment and he nearly collapsed in upon himself as the perpetually pounding headache receded to the edge of awareness and his aches of his body evaporated without thought. "Oh my god…"
Aisha grabbed the box before Billy could drop it, rushing past Andros and Karone to Jason's side. "Which one?" she asked Tommy urgently.
"Jase?"
Squinting to focus his dizzy vision, Jason stared for a moment reaching for one. His body jerked upon contact, a golden glow erupted from within him, burning fast and hard, blinding the others around him. Unable to hold back the cry of pain, Jason didn't even realize he had broken two of Tommy's fingers in his grip before darkness claimed him.
"What the hell!" Tommy's hand went to the Jason's hand, ignoring his own pains, and pried the fingers open to remove the cool and silent coin within. Jason's paper-white face shocked Tommy's usually reserve manners. "Jason? Jason! What's happening Trini? What's happening?"
"It was just too much for him," Trini murmured as she brushed a lock of hair from her lover's face. "After all that pain…" she shook herself wake and looked at a dubious Zhane. "Your turn."
Zhane made a face and tried to take a step back but Zack got in the way. Zack, well aware of the younger man's fears, shook his head and pointed to the box. "If the doc says you gotta: you gotta." He gave predecessor's shoulder a squeeze. "Come on, it's okay."
Casting one last painful look at Jason's silent figure, Zhane reached out and took his coin. As with Jason, the glow of blue was so intense the others had to look away. Zhane's mouth opened in a silent cry for help before his soulful eyes rolled back and he began a slow sink to the ground. Zack caught him before he could find the floor.
Tommy swallowed hard as he placed Jason's coin back into his friend's hand and examined his own. "Why did the two…"
"Only ones with unbroken seals," Aisha observed. "Next?" holding the box out at nose level to Tommy.
Reluctantly, Tommy reached within and took his coin. The setting-sun red glow was blessed brief and brought with it a wealth of relief. But the shock to his system still left him gasping for air and focus. "Oh my god…" his tongue felt too big for his mouth and his mouth felt about six feet behind him and his stomach… he was almost certain his stomach took a trip back to earth.
"Andros next," Karone suggested.
"You first," Andros countered softly, knowing that his sister only wanted to help relieve the obvious pain he was feeling.
"You feel it worse because of your mental abilities," Karone pointed out. "I've been trained to buffer it," she nudged him. "You first."
"You're wasting time arguing," Aisha pointed out.
Unable to argue any longer, Andros nodded before taking his coin. Knees buckling and vision swimming red, Tommy and Billy had to help set him back on his feet. For a moment, he was a little uncomforted by the sudden lack of pain. "Thank you," he whispered to no one and everyone in general.
Karone's hand reached for her coin, fear clouding her pretty face. "What if…"
"Take it," Aisha said reassuringly.
Nodding, Karone took the coin. It was like being kissed by summer, warm and beautiful. The green glow had just faded when she sighed with relief and a wide smile bloomed over her face. "That was incredible."
"It usually is," Billy observed, amazed that he felt such warmth for a woman he had hated only a few days ago.
"Kimmy?" Aisha nudged her with the box.
Kimberly took the box from Aisha. "You first."
Shrugging, Aisha smiled. "If you insist," and gasped her surprise. When she finally got her breath back, "What color?"
"Yellow," Kimberly said almost laughing. "What did you think it was going to be?"
Aisha did laugh. "You're turn."
Taking a deep breath to best prepare herself, Kimberly's hand landed on her coin. It was all the things she missed; teddy bears, warm pajamas, ice cream in the summer. And as she took a breath of relief, "Let me guess; pink?"
"Nope, white I think," Aisha replied grinning rather smugly and turned to Trini. "Girl, you're next."
Trini took the last coin from the box. She swayed dangerously for a moment as the silvery white light emanated from her. But with a deep breath and sigh of relief, she opened her eyes and nodded. "I'm alright."
They turned as one to Rocky, who stood slightly back from the group. In response to the sudden silence and scrutiny, Rocky shrugged. "Don't look at me, I don't know a damn thing."
Adam took a step and held the coin in his hand out, palm up. "Come on buddy. It's your turn."
Rocky gave Adam a look as if his best friend had just spouted another head. "One coin, one Ranger, remember?"
"We don't know how this works, Rocky," Adam reasoned softly as he took another step forward. "Trini said we both got hit when that seal went, makes us one and the same." He held the coin out to Rocky. "Come on, Rocky. Take it."
"You sound like you're offering me drugs," Rocky muttered reaching but not quite.
"I guess in a way I am offering you a kind of drug," Adam mused rather strangely. "It causes euphoria and …"
"Shut up," Rocky answered irritably, closing then opening his hand again. "Are you sure about this?" he asked in an almost pleading tone.
"Just do it!" Billy said giving Rocky a quick and light shove.
"Alright, alright… sheesh," Rocky muttered. "You people are like pushers, only even more determined and dangerous." Taking one last deep breath, Rocky's hand closed over the coin and lifted it from Adam's hand. A nice dip in the Artic Ocean in the middle of winter would have been an apt description of how he felt. The felt red glow around him dissipated as he caught his breath and tried desperately to keep his heart from making a leap for freedom through his mouth.
"Um… Rocky?" Adam poked him lightly on the shoulder.
Still slightly bent over and panting for breath. "Why the hell didn't someone warn it was going to feel like someone just…"
"Rocky?" Aisha interrupted almost fearfully.
"What?" Rocky looked up quick, concerned at the sudden change in mood. The first thing that met his eyes was Adam's still outstretched hand. The second thing he noticed was the shimmering gold coin that still lay at the center of Adam's open palm. "What the…" Rocky looked down at his own closed fist, feeling the solid metal coin digging into his hand. Hoping his hand, he stared at the coin within twinkling up at him in the infirmary's limited light.
Adam swallowed uncomfortably and stared at the coin in his hand and then the coin in Rocky's. "I don't get it." He closed his palm and felt the cool metal within then opened his hand again to see the coin. "I just don't get it."
Tommy closed his eyes and shook his head. "Are you sure you two aren't playing some kind of game with us?"
"I don't get it," Billy murmured, his eyes full of question, confusion and all sort of other thoughts that couldn't quite be given names to.
"Okay," Aisha breathed her disbelief. "I'm totally freaking here."
"This is impossible," Kimberly commented the obvious, her mind rebelling against what her eyes were seeing. "ISn't it?"
"With Zordon and his crew?" Trini muttered, checking the monitors for the vital of every in the room, "Who the hell knows." While the headaches have taken leave of her, she still felt like hell and nowhere near normal. "Billy? Any theories you want to throw out here?"
"I haven't the foggiest," Billy admitted with some resignation. He really had no energy left to deal with this new mystery. "I guess it's back to the… hey!" He had reached for the coin in Rocky's hand, knowing that he'd probably be spending the next few hours studying it, but the coin simply disappear at his touch. "What happened?"
"You're asking me?" Rocky gasped, bewildered and looking around himself for the now missing second coin. "You're genius here, genius. You tell me."
Billy blinked and looked around. "Adam, pass your coin to Rocky." Adam complied. "Now take it back." Passing a curious look at everyone but Billy, Adam shrugged and took the coin back… only he didn't. A second coin appeared in his hand; an exact duplicate of the one still resting between Rocky's fingers. "Huh?"
Rocky stared at the coin, then at Adam, then at Adam's coin, than at his own again. Without a word, he opened his forefinger and thumb, allowing the power coin to fall. Somewhere between his hand and the ground, the coin faded into nothing. "Huh." He looked up at Adam, who was staring at the open space just before Rocky's legs. Reaching up, Rocky took the coin from Adam… and came away with a second coin again. "Now this is interesting."
"I'm so confused," Zack said honestly.
"Ditto," Tommy chimed.
Aisha closed her eyes and sighed. "Look, whatever this is... it was probably planned and…"
"We should just accept it and move on," Trini concluded wearily. Her brain hurt now from too much thinking, speculating and over use. "Welcome Rangers… back to hell. Hope you enjoy the ride."
To be continued….
Teaser line from the Next Chapter: "Welcome Rangers, may the light of Zondon protect you in your next journey."
Rocky frowned with concern and leaned to his partner in crime. "Why does he make it should like we're about to walk into the gates of hell itself."
Adam could feel himself sigh with resigned acceptance of his fate. "Chances are, we are."
