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Chapter 82 – Journey's End
Consciousness came to Mercy slowly, thoughts and sensations bubbling to the fore sluggishly as she was dragged reluctantly into the waking world enough to be somewhat aware of her own condition at which point the Red Ranger's stomach lurched and her eyes flew open in a sudden fit of panic and as she did so she became aware of several things in rapid succession, the sudden input from her senses being almost overwhelming. Firstly Mercy found herself blinded by the glaring overhead lights and the pristine and sterile tiling of the room she had woken up in which reflected those same lights, slowly she came to the realisation that she was in some sort of hospital or similar medical facility, an assessment which was lent credence by the medical smell that assaulted her nostrils and worked in conjunction with her other senses to leave her queasy and struggling not to retch as she took in several shallow breaths. The second thing Mercy became aware of was that she was in a considerable amount of discomfort and pain, after making that initial realisation she found herself able to discern the various sensations that riddled her body; a bone deep, pulsing ache that promised to last for some time and leave her with leaden and unresponsive limbs, a thumping pain in her skull which seemed to coalesce behind her eyes, a breathless tightness in her chest and a raw, smarting sting that was accompanied by an incessant itch consuming her right hand and forearm whilst in addition to all of these there was a weight upon her legs that Mercy noted felt distinctly separate from herself and as she finally forced herself into a sitting position she saw the cause for the latter two issues. Her right arm and hand were covered by a mass of bandages and the sight brought disjointed flashes of memories back to her, yet before she could truly examine them Mercy caught sight of what was weighing down on her lower body; an enormous mass of brown fur arranged in a largely lupine shape which was currently staring up at her with its' tongue lolling out of its' mouth and a happy expression that looked almost out of place on its fierce and predatory features.
It was Klo, the hunting beast that Aslaug had brought with her from Mirinoi.
"You're awake!" the breathy exclamation, laced with tired sleepiness caused Mercy to turn and see that beside the hospital bed she had awoken in were two figures that were also slowly regaining consciousness though they seemed to only have been sleeping rather than sedated, if their slumped postures in a pair of uncomfortable looking chairs were any indication; furthest away was Justin, the middle aged former Turbo Ranger awakening slowly apparently with great effort whilst Aslaug who had spoken was seated directly beside Mercy's bed had an immediate brightness in the eye that could be seen. The smaller and darker of the two young women reached out and brushed her partners' cheek tenderly, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat at the sight of Aslaug's left eye being covered in bandages wrapped around her head whilst her undercut and pale, dusty blonde hair had been allowed to fall freely over her shoulders and her right arm was held close to her body in a mechanical cast and sling of alien origin; an advanced form of treatment that continuously like minute adjustments to ensure that the limb healed properly.
"You should be resting, you're injured" Mercy croaked out, voice wavering under the storm of emotions that fought for some form of cathartic release.
"And I am in the medical bay" Aslaug countered, managing a weak chuckle that quickly faded away and left a heavy silence between the two of them which lasted for a single, lingering moment until the pair moved in perfect unison; all but throwing themselves at one another and sending Klo pouncing to the floor with an annoyed growl as their lips came crashing desperately against each other, the two wrapping themselves around one another as much as their injured forms would allow until finally the sound of a throat clearing brought them to a halt.
"Oh now you're awake" Mercy muttered as she and Aslaug broke slowly apart, though as she did so the sight of Justin wearing a bemused smile brought a cascade of thoughts tumbling from her lips "Where's everyone, are we- did-"
"Mercy, breathe….Just breathe. Everything's gonna be fine" Justin urged her gently, Aslaug taking her partners' uninjured hand in her own to ground her as he continued "The other Aegis Rangers are….okay all of you were injured but you'll all make full recoveries; Zebidiah's new body was pretty seriously damaged but now we know that Grace's design can handle his magic we can build him a new one if we need to"
"What about everything?" Mercy demanded, with as much frantic insistence as she could manage "Earth, Lord Zedd, all of-"
"Mercy, breathe….please" Aslaug urged, lips brushing against Mercy's cheek as she spoke "Your ribs are cracked and broken…..Your heart stopped more than once, we almost lost you"
"From what we can piece together you were acting as a conduit for the Morphing Grid, on top of all of your other injuries the strain you put on yourself could have been fatal, it's more than any one person is supposed to handle" Justin explained, picking up where Aslaug left off before adding "But you did it….You actually did it kid, Lord Zedd is gone and the Empire will be in complete disarray with infighting as there's no clear line of succession; as for Earth….I won't lie Mercy there are entire cities that were wiped off the map, the death toll is already in the millions and it's already going to get higher but we survived, humanity and Earth survived and has a future. We couldn't have done it without you"
"Empire line of succession….It's not over is it?" Mercy gave a heavy sigh as the reality of the situation came crashing down upon her, even with Lord Zedd gone his Empire and thus his influence remained and the endless cycle of destruction would likely continue; tears filled her deep brown eyes as they were cast downwards, looking away from those around her and as she did so she became aware of the absence of something which made her stomach lurch
"My Morpher!" she exclaimed
"Was damaged" Justin interjected swiftly "The Battleizer was practically melted into the rest of it and the whole thing was burned beyond recognition around your Power Coin. I have it in my workshop to work on as soon as possible but it's okay….Your whole team are on leave, six months minimum and that order came directly from the Vice-Admiral"
"I'll still disobey it" Mercy grumbled, earning herself a soft chuckle from the woman she loved and a resigned sigh from the man who was the closest thing she had to a parent until she let out a slow breath and braced herself for an answer she doubted would be pleasant as she asked "So what happens next?"
"You rest and leave the Empire and any major galactic conflict and politics to people old enough to buy drinks" Justin snorted, reaching out and giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze "If it's any consolation Zebidiah is already working on something, nobody knows what yet"
"I've had enough rest" Mercy countered "I was out for….damn how long was I out?"
"A day and a half" Aslaug admitted, smirking at the way Mercy's nose wrinkled in annoyance "The stars won't fade away while you sleep Mercy, you can let yourself rest"
"But I can't just sit in a hospital while things are still bad out there" the Red Ranger paused and finally let out a sound of pure frustration before relenting "Look I won't go back into the field right away but I need to be doing something"
"I understand" Aslaug assured her, wrapping her still working arm around Mercy's waist "And in that case…..We are back on Promethea One, it's been too long since we last had a date has it not?" Mercy's cheeks flushed, though she allowed herself to melt into Aslaug's embrace as Justin looked pointedly away and took the calculated risk of scratching Klo behind the ears.
"It has" Mercy admitted "I'd like that a lot"
"Good" Aslaug beamed down at her "If you're going to save the entire galaxy then you should at least enjoy some of the nicer parts of it" hearing it said so bluntly Mercy realised that she couldn't find a single reasonable counterargument to that notion and was reminded just how deeply and dearly she loved Aslaug.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Kay's voice was laced with concern, which somehow made the disparaging snort and eye-roll he received from Panthera in response to the question all the more predictable. Despite the nature and tone of the Pink Ranger's wordless response Kay's question was a valid one to say the least as whilst the two of them had been discharged relatively soon after arriving at Promethea One, owing in no small part to the sheer volume of evacuees flooding into all of Earths' remaining orbital colonies and the immense number of wounded they brought with them both Kay and Panthera had been littered with injuries upon their arrival and whilst the Green Ranger's hybrid physiology had allowed them to recover more rapidly Panthera's teal skin was a mottled mess of burns and bruises, including a sizeable and unsettling discolouration of her currently hidden midriff where one of Lord Zedd's blow had left her with internal bleeding that Cestria had thankfully managed to stem.
"It still feels weird to be back here" Panthera sighed as she cast her eyes around their surroundings
"I know what you mean" Kay nodded, lacing their fingers through hers as the two of them walked through streets that were far more crowded than they usually were. Upon being discharged the Aegis Rangers in a position to do so had returned to dwellings that they had not seen for some time, their shared apartments atop the student dormitories close to the college campus; Aslaug had been delighted to see that her monstrous alien hound had been fed and cared for, promptly showering and taking it with her as she returned to the medical bay where Mercy was still being held whilst Panthera had eyed the place with open suspicion, taking the lack of dust as a sign that someone had been touching their belongings and making a point of checking and rechecking everything she owned before finally allowing herself to sleep when Kay all but pulled her into the bed.
Upon waking the two of them had agreed that their living space felt simply too small and claustrophobic in an odd way, as if the memories that filled the place were weighing down upon them as a reminder that things could never be as they were again. Quickly and with a burst of reckless energy the pair had left the dormitories and made their way out into the city of Promethea One, pacing through its' streets largely without aim and discussing their future as they went.
"So when are we going to tell the others?" Kay asked cautiously "We are goin to tell them right?"
"Of course….We're not running away" Panthera answered, shrugging slightly as she considered "When Mercy is discharged, wouldn't be fair to-"
"HEY!" their conversation was halted and the two Rangers tensed and braced themselves despite exhaustion that promised to linger for days and the ache in their muscles only to relax themselves, if only slightly as five figures exited a nearby building and crossed the road.
"Jack" Panthera nodded in recognition whilst Kay shuffled uncomfortably as they locked eyes with Z for a moment and noted to themselves that whilst the climate and temperature controlled streets of the colony city in the middle of its' artificial day would hardly be a fitting place for a climactic battle between Rangers it was still not entirely out of the question.
"So you did it?" Jack asked, words coming slowly and cautiously as though he didn't dare to hope "You beat Lord Zedd?"
"Mercy did it….we just helped" Kay was the one to answer and their words sent a visible wave of surprise and relief through each of the Silver Guardian cadets whom both Aegis Rangers had noticed were wearing Morphers on their wrists; Jack finally gave a small smile
"Of course she did….That's just Mercy being Mercy" he found himself trailing off and before the silence could grow oppressive Z took a single step forwards
"So what happens now?" the question was open ended and free for Kay and Panthera to answer in any way they wished, though it seemed obvious that there was a specific angle that was being approached and so the teal skinned alien spoke plainly, her tail standing erect behind her and clawed fingers flexing in a display of nerves
"I….We're not gonna be sticking around. We're planning on leaving" no sooner had the words left her lips than the Delta Rangers visibly bristled and so Panthera waved off their objections before they could begin "We're not running away and vanishing but look….Everything I became a Ranger to do is done; the Empire will never be the force it has been again. There's a spaceship with my name on it just waiting for me, so I'm gonna go and find my sister, I'm a Felidae but I'm Star-Born….so gonna visit my peoples' home-world and actually spend some time with my own people and then who knows, travel the galaxy for a while and maybe even do some good" there was a few seconds of tension before Sky nodded in understanding, his arm raising slightly as if he were fighting the urge to instinctively salute her
"You've done plenty of good already; do what you need to do Panthera….I'm sure your team will understand"
"And what about you?" Z turned to Kay "You're going with her?"
"I am" Kay nodded, their usual humour returning to them just enough for their shoulders to roll back as they offered a challenge "Is this where you tell me to never come back?"
"No" Z shook her head "I'm not your friend Kay….never will be. Piggy took you in and you broke his heart but it would break it again if you took off without saying a word after everything that's happened. This is me telling you to come back to Mariner Bay some time and stay safe out there in space"
"I-" Kay trailed off before spreading his arms wide for a hug "Thank you" Z did not accept the gesture but managed a small smile, Jack however pulled them into a brief one armed embrace.
"So you're the new Rangers" Panthera gestured to the Morphers they wore "I didn't know who was under those helmets when you turned up in the quarry"
"Yeah, we worked with Mercy a little in Seoul but….Damn that was one hell of a first day"
"But still, it looks like the Aegis Rangers are leaving things in good hands" Panthera beamed, her smile becoming almost predatory as she added "Which is good….Earth's a mud-ball but I was starting to like it; try not ruin it while I'm away"
"Glad to know you plan on coming back….Ass-hole" Z snorted and with that the Aegis and Lightspeed Delta Rangers parted ways, both groups being filled with a sense that the proverbial torch and mantle had been passed. Whilst Kay, Panthera or any of the Aegis Rangers would gladly and readily step forwards to defend the galaxy again if called upon their duty had come to an end and they were no longer the first line of defence.
Now all that remained was to ensure that the others felt the same.
"You don't have to sit there and keep watch over me"
"No, but I'm going to" Charlie replied as she glared down at the bloodied and battered form of Commander Cruger. The battle against the Acheron Hybrid leading the attempt to breach the Aquabase and the strike team of elite warriors that had accompanied them had been a bloody, merciless and hard fought one with both sides using tactics and techniques that most civilised beings would thing of as unbecoming at the very least and by the time it had ended the pavement ran red with blood and was littered with bodies, many of whom were members of Cruger's own retinue and were Specialists that Charlie herself had known for years but even in the face of such losses they had been successful. With the attack halted and the mass of various scoundrels that Elgar had enlisted using weapons stolen from Broodwing to aid the police and military in securing the city of Mariner Bay Charlie had finally led Cruger and his surviving soldiers into the Aquabase where they had been treated for their wounds, which were grievous and numerous and from the moment she had been able to do so Charlie had placed herself in Cruger's room in open defiance of the medical staff and with the exception of doctors and nurses making routine check-ups and a single, tense visit from Bulk and Skull wherein it had taken no small amount of fortune to prevent weapons from being drawn the two of them had remained alone until Cruger had finally regained consciousness.
"What's this really about Morales….You're not here to make amends" the blue scaled canine forced his tone to remain as harsh as he could make as he glared up at her; his broken and bandaged snout and cracked skull joined by dozens more injuries and mirrored on Charlie's body by her own wounds, the burns she had received in her fight against Goldar being joined by a litany of new cuts and grazes.
"You're right. I'm not" Charlie answered, matching his tone with equal coldness "I came here to make sure that you don't plan on having me assassinated the moment everyone forgets about me again, I didn't want you giving Bulk and Skull my last known location. This is a goodbye"
"You really think I'd-"
"Yes" the former prodigy of Project Lightspeed spat "And deep down so do you….there's nothing you wouldn't do and we both know it" the silence that hung in the air between the two of them was profound in its' heavy oppressiveness and lasted for what felt like an age until finally Cruger allowed himself to flop backwards onto his uncomfortable hospital bed with a sigh in a way that he would freely admit was unbecoming of his status
"Where did I go wrong with you Charlie?" he lamented, forcing himself to use her first name again and dispense the illusion that she was just another faceless grunt only to be rewarded with a disparaging scoff in return.
"When I was drafted into service alongside every other kid without a family"
"Lightspeed gave you a home-"
"And told me I had to die for it!" Charlie's voice raised and her knuckles were white as she clenched the frame of Cruger's bed "Lightspeed was made to form and support a team of Rangers, how many orphans did you, Mitchell and the others send out to die knowing that we never had a chance? How many others did you leave behind? HOW MANY!"
"Too many" Cruger admitted sadly "Far too many"
"And now it's going to change" Charlie snarled, voice trembling with barely contained fury "Because I'm going to be the one to change it"
"What're you planning Charlie….What have you done?" Cruger found himself suddenly worried, painfully aware of just what the woman he had once intended to be his successor was capable of, the skills she possessed were second to none and her willpower and devotion to any given task were simply phenomenal
"I never wanted to be a Ranger for the sake of the power or the fame or the status…..I wanted to keep the Alliance, keep Earth safe. I wanted to make sure there were no more cities levelled by giant monsters and orphans pulled out ruined buildings so they could be sent to fight and die. I wanted to be a Ranger because I believed in something bigger than myself and what did you do Cruger? You left me to rot and die in a cell, twice" Charlie's voice cracked and wavered as she stalked away from the bed, pacing as she continued whilst her words became hurried, furious ranting
"But while I was in Empire space y'know what I saw Cruger? More kids, more orphans, more destruction except we were the ones doing it…..Just more and more of the same. Lord Zedd is gone but the fighting isn't gonna stop, it'll never really stop so I'm gonna find somewhere quiet, somewhere safe in a part of space that nobody is fighting for and I'm gonna take all the kids from both sides and keep them safe, safe from all of you….That's what I'm fighting for Cruger, something bigger than myself, a world where nobody else ends up like me!"
"I see" Cruger's voice was hushed and his words slow and deliberate as he processed Charlie's tirade; plucking the important details from her venom-laced explanation until finally he spoke again "Earlier, in the fighting….I told you that there would be prototype Morphers somewhere in this facility, even if you didn't find them when you-"
"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING! YOU'RE IGNORING ME AGAIN CRUGER!" Charlie bellowed, her choice of words betraying just how much of her course of action was in fact being based on her own personal experiences "You can't buy or bribe-"
"I hear you loud and clear Charlie" Cruger interrupted, the sudden tiredness and rare tenderness in his voice halting her "You want to keep people, children safe in a galaxy that will do everything in its' power to stop that from happening…..So go Charlie, go and never look back and I'll scrub or amend all of your records myself so that you can never be found but take a Morpher with you. Protect them all"
"You'd do that" Charlie faltered for a moment, eyes wide before she stiffened and her tone became the steely and determined thing that it once had as familiar words spilled from her lips" Aye Commander"
"Goodbye Charlie" Cruger murmured, Charlie stood straighter and gave him a salute before turning on her heel and marching away, leaving the room with a newfound sense of purpose and certainty as she made to take the offered Morpher and fulfil her promise before riding off into the proverbial sunset.
She would likely never return to Earth once she left and that knowledge was oddly freeing, she had no rank, no Commander and no orders and so she was free to simply make the galaxy a better place as she saw fit.
"May the Power protect them" she muttered to herself "And if it doesn't then I'll do it my damn self"
Rensa's midsection was a sore, aching and discoloured mass of bruised, torn and bloodied flesh where Lord Zedd's horns had pierced his armour yet despite the obvious severity of his gut wound for the Black Ranger the primary concern was the simple and maddening discomfort caused by the bandages that his torso had been wrapped in.
"If you don't stop scratching and fidgeting you're going to open it again" Andros warned him gently
"And if I don't I'm going to gnaw myself in half! They itch and the doctor was a human….They don't realise that my body is supposed to actually move" Rensa's irritable counterargument earned a chorus of soft laughter from those present even as he continued to struggle and adjust his dressings so that they didn't annoy him so much before finally giving up and flopping against Andros's side in a dramatic fashion that reminded the veteran Rangers surrounding him of just how young the adolescent truly was.
The battle in space had been won with the remaining Empire ships either being destroyed, attempting to flee the solar system or surrendering, though in the latter case more than one Captain had promptly been murdered by their own bridge crew who chose to die with their martial pride in tact which had in turn caused a series of mutinies as fractured and disparate forces fell upon one another in a display of utter carnage; the end result however had been the same, Earth was secured and with orbital support and no way to retreat the remaining Empire ground forces had steadily been whittled down until they surrendered or were wiped out although there were reports that small splinter groups had been routed and gone to ground across the planet. Following the victory against Lord Zedd Andros had elected to remain in orbit and bolster the battered and mauled defences with the ship he now captained, a truly colossal thing that dwarfed the Astro Megaship by an order of magnitude even after the bulk of the reinforcements supplied by his people began to fall back; it was here that Rensa had been brought by Zhane and Karone as soon as he had been discharged from Promethea Ones' medical facilities, the Black Aegis Ranger being led by his honorary aunt and uncle to the room they and Andros now shared, a small and private office where they would not be disturbed as they discussed what had occurred and what was to follow.
"I still can't believe it's over" Karone breathed out, breaching the peaceful silence that had fallen over the dim, yet warmly lit office whose cosiness seemed almost at odds with the rest of the ships pristine minimalism "After all this time….It honestly felt like this would never come"
"I wouldn't say over" Andros admitted sadly "Not just yet….Until we know who Lord Zedd's successor is I don't think we can say with any certainty what's going to happen next; there could be more attacks" Rensa writhed around as much as his bandaged and injured form would allow, pitch black eyes inscrutable as he pulled himself into a position where he could regard the three adults in the room at once whilst internally he found himself bristling and suddenly alert as he felt a sense of tension begin to build in the small office until finally Zhane let out a slow, almost mournful sigh and unfastened his Morpher from his wrist before depositing it carefully on the desk before Andros with Karone following suit only a moment later.
"It's over for us Andros" Zhane said simply "We're done"
"We've given twenty years to fighting in the shadows, twenty years on top of what we already lost….Zhane spent years in stasis, I was-"
"I understand" Andros nodded, struggling to keep a saddened expression from his face "If this is what you want then I'm happy for you and I support it, live your lives"
"Where will you go?" Rensa asked
"Terra Venture" Karone answered without hesitation "I was a member of the Galaxy Rangers for a time, their surviving members still live on the colony, Zhane and I have known for some time that if we ever did retire and perhaps start a family it would be there"
"That's part of why we're handing over our Morphers" Zhane added "That gives you three of the Astro Morphers to work with Andros, TJ could probably be convinced to hand his over and….well I suppose you're right, we don't know what's going to happen next with the Empire but there's a chance you could recover Carlos and Ashley's and form a new team of Astro Rangers"
"Another new team" Rensa rasped out, soft and quiet voice suddenly thoughtful and serious though he remained fully aware of the way everyone's eyes fell upon him even as his mind turned inwards "Then the Aegis Rangers are no longer needed?….What will become of us?"
"The galaxy will always need Power Rangers" Andros corrected reaching over to ruffle the teens' black hair with its' chemically discoloured green tips in a soothing and reassuring display
"But maybe not full time" Karone added "You can have a life outside of being a Ranger, outside of the violence and war"
"You could come KO-Thirty Five" Andros offered "Work alongside me and help train new Rangers" Rensa paused and considered, seeing the sudden hope in his father figures' expression as he mulled over the possibilities in his mind and forcing himself to ignore the pang of guilt in his stomach as he slowly shook his head.
"No" he answered, voice barely more than whisper "Many of the people from Dread would have taken the offer gladly, they would choose to fight until their dying breath….all we've known is bloodshed and many of them don't want to learn anything else but I do, I want to do more and be more and-and I think that's why you chose me to be a Ranger"
"I saw a lot of potential and you've never made me doubt myself" Andros answered, voice thick with emotion "You can do whatever it is that you want to do"
"You are my people and you will always be my people, as will the Aegis Rangers and I don't want to leave Earth" Rensa spoke slowly, ideas still taking shape in his mind even as he voiced them "But after the battle against the Empire….there will be countless children who have lost their people, I want to do for them what you did for me"
"I understand and I couldn't be more proud of you" Andros smiled, pulling his adopted child into a hug as an idea struck him, the vast network of allies that came with being a Power Ranger offering him a possibility.
"And I might know someone who would be willing to help you" he beamed "She's already taking in refugees and I think she'd like you"
"Then it's settled" Rensa nodded, face morphing into a smile that displayed teeth that were a little too sharp to be human before he added "But first I want to return to Promethea One and find my friends"
Tempestus staggered and almost fell forwards as he stepped out of the clear cylindrical tube that had until moments ago been filled with the water from his home-world which he, like any other Aquitian had slept in until he was gently caught and held upright.
Upon the Aegis Ranger's teleportation from the collapsing and failing distortion of reality that was the Dark Dimension Tempestus had been treated for his various injuries along with his friends though it seemed clear that even with the advanced medical science and healing magic available to those within the Alliance his broken right leg would take some time to fully heal and until then it was currently held firmly in place by a cast that had thankfully been designed with his physical requirements in mind and was porous enough to allow him the moisture he needed. Once discharged the Blue Aquitian Ranger had, as several of his friends had done returned to the home that they had not seen for far too long though Tempestus's attempts to sleep had been more successful; the dark skinned teen falling into a deep slumber than was intruded upon by the heavy thumping sound of Marigold banging against the transparent casing of his tube to wake him whilst also pointedly looking away from his state of undress.
"Thank you" his bubbling and distorted voice was filled with lingering sleepiness as Tempestus wrapped a bathrobe which Marigold held out to him around himself whilst giving a long and wide yawn that left the Blue and Gold Rangers feeling, for just a moment as though things were somehow normal again and that their lives and those of people across the galaxy had not been irrevocably changed.
"Am I needed for a briefing?" Tempestus asked, massaging the last of the water from Aquitar into skin that was skill uncomfortably rough under his hands after being dehydrated for almost two days; the question coming as he noted that Marigold was already fully dressed and managing to look as stylish and well put together as was her custom, despite the many injuries she had suffered; the Blue Ranger knew that beneath her jacket much of her torso was covered burns where Lord Zedd's magical attacks had struck her
"No" Marigold shook her head, to which Tempestus let out a sigh of relief despite himself "But your communicator was beeping non-stop so I answered it, your parents are on the way; they'll be here any minute….Besides I didn't want to leave without saying anything"
"Leave?" Tempestus almost choked on thin air, baffled by the idea.
"Word got out that we're back home….We've been declared missing in action the whole time we were away, my parents didn't even know I'm a Power Ranger; they just haven't been able to reach me and now Earth has been attacked" Tempestus saw the haunted and appalled look in Marigold's eyes and suddenly realised what her next words would be a moment before she gave him confirmation "My parents thought I was dead Tempestus, I have to go home; I have to explain everything to them. Everything can wait, life, college, hero stuff, all of it can wait I need to go"
"It will be groovy to see you when you return" Tempestus answered simply, assuring her that he understood her feelings and wholeheartedly supported her decision with that simple sentence which in turn saw Mari pull him into a crushing hug that left both of them wincing as bruised ribs were subjected to too much pressure before finally settling on a looser and more gentle embrace which ended with the two of them pulling quickly away from one another at the sound of the elevator door to the Aegis Ranger's home open.
They were not romantically involved after all and neither of them had the desire to have an awkward discussion with the Blue Ranger's parents in addition to everything else they had endured.
"Mother, Father…." Tempestus began only to trail off as he stepped out of his bedroom and found both Billy and Cestria waiting for him, mundane thoughts about making himself presentable being silenced by their own sheer irrelevancy as his parents crossed the space between them and all but threw themselves at him; holding him as tightly as they dared whilst through the tangle of bodies he saw Marigold slip away, likely towards her own room so that she could begin packing before his attention was captured by his mothers' voice.
"There are no words for how proud of you we are" Cestria pressed the upper ridges of cartilage mask against his in an Aquitian gesture of closeness "All of Aquitar will know your name….But right now I am simply happy that my son is home and safe"
"It was Mercy, she defeated Lord Zedd….I could do nothing to him" Tempestus answered, adamant that if there were honours and glory to be given out that they were attributed properly after an accurate account of things.
"And Mercy would surely argue that she could not have won without her team beside her" Cestria countered pointedly
"That's what being a Ranger means" Billy nodded, face that bore still-fresh scars pulled into a tight smile of relief even though he seemed to have been aged a decade since the last time his adopted son had seen him
"It doesn't matter" Tempestus sighed, catching both of his parents off0-guard with the sentiment before adding "What Mercy would agree with is that it isn't time to celebrate, not now….Father how bad was the attack, how much damage was done to Earth"
"There…." Billy stood back and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes screwing shut as he sought a way to make the information palatable but found none "Entire cities were lost all across the world. The sheer amount of lives lost will be beyond counting and it will take years, decades even for us to repair the damage"
"Then where shall I start?"
"You cannot be serious?" Cestria gasped, hands covering her mouth as she looked at her child as though her were insane.
"Son, you've done everything you can-"
"As a warrior" Tempestus interjected, coral pink eyes hard and defiant as he put the lessons he had learned whilst immersed in humanity to good use and refused to wave on his principles "I have done everything I can as a member of the warrior caste that I was born into….Father you have told me my entire life that I should not be defined by that, that I can be more and you have always encouraged me to learn. Now, how can I put myself to use and help people as something more than a Ranger" Billy and Cestria looked at their son in open mouthed shock before glancing to one another for a moment, an entire conversation passing between them in silence until finally Cestria let out a quiet laugh
"Every day you make us more proud"
"The first thing that you can do, that you need to do is to give yourself time to heal and rest" Billy held up a hand before Tempestus could interject "And when you're ready I'll see to it that you're involved in helping rebuild Earth….with everything that's happened I can already think of a few logistical problems that I'd appreciate your help with if you're willing"
"It will be bodacious" Tempestus assured him and like that the Blue Aegis Ranger felt that the future, whilst still uncertain was a little bit brighter.
"I should have brought champagne….the fact that none of us are absolutely drunk after everything that's happened is a crime, professionalism and public image be damned" Grace Sterling declared with a snort before taking a sip of scalding and almost painfully bitter coffee as she regarded those present, namely Blademaster Corcus, Vice-Admiral TJ Johnson and his predecessor Dana Mitchell.
"I will never understand you humans" Corcus shook his head before allowing himself a rare smile "But perhaps in this I do not need to" the comment, something as close to playful and relaxed as those around him had ever heard from the Aquitian warrior was enough to silence the dimly lit Command Centre for a moment until TJ simply raised his own coffee as if in toast.
Promethea Ones' Command Centre was empty and it's lights dimmed, the spherical room illuminated only by faint and intermittently flashing lights from various consoles as the entirety of the bases' staff had been on high alert for over twenty-four consecutive hours before victory had been declared and the task of leading the first stages of recovery and in many cases simply discerning if there was anything left to be rebuilt had been passed on to others; Promethea One remained but for now it was dormant as those aboard had given everything they had and even TJ, despite his position within Project Lightspeeds' chain of command had been allowed some time to recover, limited though it was and the four of them would likely but hard at work again soon enough and were using the Command Centre as their meeting place for this impromptu and unofficial chance to commiserate as it was currently devoid of any prying eyes.
"If we're doing toasts" Dana managed a weak and tired chuckle despite her slight wince as raising her own non-alcoholic beverage as the motion sent a twinge of pain through her aching and bruised limbs "To the Aegis Rangers, we wouldn't be here without them"
"To those who fought and sacrificed" Corcus added, adding a sombre note to the private moment
"To one hell of a last ride" TJ breathed out, taking a long slow sigh as the eyes of his comrades fell upon him and after a lingering moment of silence it was Dana who spoke first
"You too then?"
"We're all getting too old for this" the Blue Astro Ranger sighed as he unfastened his Morpher from his wrist and continued "I'll be continuing in my job as Vice-Admiral but as a Ranger….I think it's time for me to pass the powers on the way Tommy passed them on to me; I hear that Andros is already looking for his own successor"
"I won't be giving up Ryan's Morpher" Dana stated bluntly, her tone brooking no argument until it softened "I'll still be here if I'm needed but I think it's time for me to retire from Project Lightspeed for good….I was a doctor once, I think it's time I help people in other ways again. If I remember correctly Commander Fowler retired to Florida, perhaps I'll join him there"
"An admirable goal" Corcus murmured his approval "I feel….that perhaps after my actions here on Earth, perhaps it is time for me to return to Aquitar and see what has become of my people in my absence. Perhaps it's time for my exile to end"
"They would welcome you home in a heartbeat" TJ assured him, whilst the former Black Ranger of Aquitar had abstained from visiting his home-world for two decades that exile had been entirely self imposed and the idea that Corcus had finally forgiven himself for his perceived failings was a welcome one.
"Then I suppose it will just be me running Promethea One, depending entirely on Zebidiah's actions….I may have to hire some new people"
"What's Zebidiah's situation?" TJ asked, eyes darting towards the cylinder close by where the sorcerer had previously projected his astral form like Zordon before him which now stood empty, the flashing lights of the Command Centres' various consoles reflecting on its' clear surface.
"His new body is being repaired, it's in a bad shape but it can be fixed….which he managed to joke about, he said he's already had his flesh and blood body burned and didn't want to have to perform his own funeral rites twice in the same day" Grace grinned whilst those around her shared nervous glances as they each considered that the former Lord Zedd might not have been joking
"As for mentally, he's still conscious and active even his mind isn't exactly confined to his body….With Lord Zedd gone he says there are things that he needs to consider"
"There are things we all need to consider" TJ nodded "We don't know what the Empire will do next….Let's hope whatever Zebidiah is planning is something that means that those who sacrificed themselves weren't in vain"
"To Zebidiah" Grace raised her now almost empty mug and was rewarded with a round of mumbled assent. The gloomy Command Centre fell silent again as the four of them, each a former Power Ranger if only for a day in Grace's case considered what would come next and realised that in any event the galaxy as a whole would likely be reshaped by the Aegis Rangers' victory as its' ramifications rippled outwards.
"Any more toasts, if not we should probably get back to work….I have to be seen to be active, even now" TJ finally lamented, nods of agreement passing through his friends until Dana held up her empty cup in gesture that was entirely symbolic
"Just one" she nodded "To a better future and to those who helped make it possible"
That was something that nobody could argue against and her sentiments were echoed as the four former Rangers set about their various tasks.
"You're all leaving?" Mercy's voice wavered as it echoed through the common area that the Aegis Rangers' living space shared, echoing off the walls as it was raised more than the young woman had truthfully intended.
The Red Aegis Ranger, still without her now damaged Morpher had been discharged from the bases' medical facilities and led back to the student dormitories that the Rangers own lodgings were located above by Aslaug, the Yellow Ranger looping her left arm around her partners' waist and slipping her fingers through Mercy's so that the two of them could walk hand in hand despite both of them having injured right hands that were rendered unusable by a cast or mass of bandages. Fortunately the pair had not encountered any of the students who lived within the dormitories as neither Ranger found themselves with any great deal of mental energy left to deal with such things though they had encountered Billy and Cestria as they were leaving before rejoining first with Tempestus and Marigold who already within the dormitory and then shortly afterwards Rensa when the Black Ranger returned from Andros's ship and finally Kay and Panthera when the two returned from their excursion into Promethea One which had led to a tearful and emotional reunion between the Rangers as the seven of them were all gathered in the same place and conscious for the first time since the battle with Lord Zedd had ended.
Only for the moment to be ended by the news that Panthera, Kay and Marigold were all planning to depart as soon as possible,
"Not forever" Marigold hurriedly objected "I'm just going home for a while, I need to do this Mercy"
"I get it" the Red Ranger sighed, running her uninjured hand through curls that had grown longer than she had realised and, in a way that was almost prophetic lost much of their artificial red colouring "I get it I just….I don't like the idea of the team splitting up like this, not after everything….I know with Lord Zedd gone we can all go and leave our lives but this isn't, damn it I know it's selfish but I love you guys and this isn't the way I wanted it to end!"
"End?" Kay's melodic voice interjected and the Green Ranger whose injuries seemed to have largely healed already cocked their head in open confusion "Why would this be the end?"
"You're all leaving" Mercy mumbled, forcing herself to suppress a sniffle even as Aslaug gently placed a hand on her shoulder
"I want to see the galaxy cousin" Kay breathed out "I want to see everything there is or as much of it as I can in one lifetime and enjoy it, not just go there to fight….You could come with us?"
"Come with you?" Mercy arched an eyebrow, momentarily confused as the idea of making a life for herself away from Earth of its' orbital colonies had simply not occurred to her
"The ship I've got….it's not a big one, it'll be tight but I think we'll all fit" Panthera mused aloud "I'll have to leave my bike here though, shame"
"You and Zebidiah are the only family I have cousin, especially now" Kay noted, no trace of sadness in their voice at that fact before adding in a tone that was openly imploring "Come with us, see the galaxy"
"Who knows, you might find some parts of that still need to be saved" Aslaug noted with a chuckle as she recalled the earlier conversation the two of them had shared before her brow furrowed for a moment and she added "Perhaps we should all take to the stars together, I should travel to Mirinoi and return to my tribe at least for a while; they should know of what has happened"
"So I'm finally gonna get to spend some time on my home-world, but I'm dropping you all of on yours first in a ship that doesn't have a teleporter….It could take a while but it's doable"
"So it's settled then?" Mercy found herself suddenly wearing a bright smile as each of her team-mates seemed to be of them same mind, Tempestus and Rensa nodding in silent agreement and she turned her attention back to Kay, beaming wildly as she spoke "Looks like we're going exploring together….cousin-"
"I'm afraid it might not be so simple I'm afraid" each of the seven Aegis Rangers whirled around, Kay manifesting a ball of fire in their palm and Rensa scuttling unnaturally along the nearest wall in response to the sudden intrusion, yet a moment later each of the weary and injured teens found themselves relaxing at the sight of Zebidiah Lord
"Grandfather" Kay breathed out, the flames in their palm fading away whilst Marigold, ever practical simply rushed to open a window and waft the smoke away before it could trigger a sprinkler system.
"It's good to see you….Even if it's not in the flesh" Mercy noted, examining what she realised must be a projection of some kind as the Zebidiah before lacked the visibly robotic components of the sorcerers' new body and seem to possess a certain hollow weightlessness that was hard to describe yet easy to recognise upon seeing.
"Indeed, whilst my body is being repaired I am thankfully not stranded within it or confined to one of those accursed tubes again….I would have spoken with you sooner but I have been meditating on important matters and I fear you will not like what I have to tell you" Zebidiah's projected image sighed and looked away, suddenly sounding as ancient as he truly was as he spoke "You've done so much, but there is still one final task I must ask of you-"
"What is it?" Mercy demanded, leaping to her feet despite herself "Is it Lord Zedd, did he survive?"
"No Mercy, the Lord Zedd you knew….Orcus, the last of my children is gone and the Dark Dimension has been destroyed, whilst the people of Furrous can repair the damage eventually it will not be used to wreak havoc on Earth again" Zebidiah paused and gave the Rangers a moment to prepare themselves before delivering words that landed like a physical blow "But there will be another Lord Zedd, there must always be a Lord Zedd, the Empire demands it. The title will fall to another….either through inheritance or through right of conquest"
"What….what are you saying?" Mercy whispered, a cold numbness seeping into her as her mind raced and thoughts hurtled in a terrifying direction whilst Aslaug's trembled with fury beside her as comprehension dawned on her, the practices of her own tribe being comparable enough for her to understand clearly.
"He's saying that either Kay succeeds their father and becomes the New Lord Zedd or you, the warrior that slew Lord Zedd in battle take his throne" she glared at Zebidiah with the left uncovered by her bandages "Will it be single combat?"
"I….I can't, I don't….No" Mercy shook her, bile rising in her throat at the mere thought of what was being asked of her "Not this, I can't. I'm a Power Ranger….Not, not an Empress; I can't be Lord Zedd"
"Who would take the throne if I abdicate" Kay asked, visibly aghast and shaken to their core by the revelation "I never wish to set foot inside the Acheron Palace again"
"Then there will be a war of succession" Zebidiah answered simply "The Empire lost many of its' highest ranking warriors but its' forces are still vast and those who remain will wish to exploit a power vacuum….Billions will die and entire worlds will be razed"
"Worlds like Dread" Rensa hissed in cold, venomous rage "No"
"This is….Zebidiah if you'll forgive me, this is barbaric" Tempestus declared in outright disgust "Could a new leader, a peaceful leader not simply be-"
"Be installed at the Alliances' behest?" Zebidiah noted, the projection arching an eyebrow "You see of course how that would be no different to Empire rule, simply exchanging one form of subjugation for another, those rebels Karone gathered fought for their freedom, not simply the right to be ruled over by a different dictator-"
"Then there must be another way" Aslaug growled "Surely a beaten and defeated Empire should collapse with no clear leader?" the discussion continued back and forth, each of the Aegis Rangers in turn trying to argue and apply logic or emotion to the situation in a desperate yet futile attempt to change its' reality yet Mercy heard none of it, the Red Ranger currently without her Morpher found herself with tears welling in her eyes as she struggled to find a solution to the seemingly insurmountable problem until finally her eyes widened and she looked at Zebidiah as if seeing the old sorcerer for the first time whilst fighting the urge curse herself for missing such an obvious answer.
"You were Lord Zedd!" she yelled, silencing the room only to break out into a fit of giddy, nervous and almost hysterical giggling as she added "Zebidiah….Hit me!"
"Pardon?" Zebidiah answered simply, deigning not to point out that in his current incorporeal form that would be difficult.
"Line of succession and inheritance right? Okay cool….Lord Zedd inherited the title from you and I took it from him" her laughter became almost utterly demented yet as she spread her arms wide her fellow Rangers found themselves joining her as they understood what she intended "Hit me, take back the Empire; I forfeit"
"And to think I once said you were not wise" Aslaug mouthed out in something akin to awe.
"She's a genius!" Panthera howled with laughter
"Grandfather" Kay asked cautiously "Would you take back your throne….You could remake the Empire?"
"He could end it completely" Rensa noted "Give the worlds back to those they were taken from"
"They could become part of the Alliance" Tempestus added, suddenly hopeful
"It would be a monumental task" Zebidiah spoke slowly "One that would take generations….there are worlds that the Empire has ruled over for so long that nothing remains of what once was, entire species that know nothing but war; yet my new body does not age….I have a potentially limitless amount of time to reign over the Empire until it is no more" The room fell silent, each of the Aegis Rangers waiting with bated breath as they waited for some flaw in Mercy's reasoning to be uncovered yet Zebidiah remained silent until Kay stepped forward, the knowledge that had been imprinted into the human Acheron hybrids' mind as they developed preparing them for this moment and as they sunk to one knee in a low, stooping bow Mercy instinctively followed
"Hail Lord Zedd" the two spoke in near perfect unison.
"There was once a time when this would have felt like a great victory" Zebidiah mused "Now it is an affront to decent, rise….none shall bow before me again"
"So, it's official?" Mercy asked, daring to hope
"It is" Zebidiah nodded, a wry smile forming on his wizened features "Your reign as Lord Zedd was quite possibly the shortest in history and I am once again the ruler of my people, which I'm certain will lead to an amusing discussion with the leaders of the Alliance and the seven of you are free to live your lives as you wish….How do you plan to enjoy your victory?" Mercy grinned and turned to her team, entirely aware of how unlike her the words that came next would sound after she had, for so long been defined by her commitment to her duty and role as a Power Ranger.
"I was made to be a Power Ranger but now I get to find out who I am outside of that….I think I'm gonna take a vacation before I figure out what happens next"
"You have certainly all earned that" Zebidiah nodded "May the Power Protect you Rangers"
And with that the Dark Empires' reign of terror across the galaxy came to an end.
Author's Notes:
And that's the story….But don't worry, we've still got an epilogue to go.
There's really nothing else to say here so, let's summarise shall we?:
One thing Evangelion got right, saving the world on a regular basis is gonna involve waking up in hospital beds.
Oh you thought that I'd forgotten about Aslaug's pet monster? Nah.
"And I am in the medical bay" can't argue with that logic.
Of course Justin ruined a moment.
Yeah Mercy got fucked up.
I cannot overstate how many people were lost and how bad the damage was, also yeah there was a very real chance of the next Lord Zedd deciding to pick up where the last one left off and be the person who finally conquered Earth.
They're going on a date, because they earned it.
Yeah there's no way any of the Rangers could just go and hang out in their old apartment as if anything is gonna be the same.
Kay makes a solid point, if only to themselves….a climactic settling of scores needs a better setting.
Panthera has to leave because the final resolution for her character arc isn't on Earth or its' orbital colonies.
Kay and the Delta Rangers, specifically Jack and Z getting their resolution as well.
I didn't show the end of Cruger and Charlie's fight against the Empire because this is where the real conflict is, between them.
Charlie out here dropping the hard facts.
Now you might have thought Charlie's character arc ends here where she takes a Morpher and gets to be a Power Ranger for the sake of protecting the most vulnerable people in the galaxy, but the actual end of her arc is in the epilogue.
In the end the Dark Empire forces basically ate themselves.
Zhane and Karone have definitely earned the right to retire.
Rensa's arc doesn't end with him tagging along after Andros and training more fighters, it ends with him doing what Andros did for him and giving hope to people that don't have any whilst living a life that he could never have had on Dread, a peaceful one.
"She's already taking in refugees and I think she'd like you" I left it vague but I hope someone guesses it before the epilogue.
Tempestus out here living his best life by taking a damn nap.
Marigold was never even supposed to be a Ranger, she got dragged into this while she was at college; of course she wants to go home for a while.
Of course Tempestus wanted to start fixing things, it's what he does and also this is why he's great friends with Mercy.
"The fact that none of us are absolutely drunk after everything that's happened is a crime" Grace giving us the 2020/2021 mood.
Mission Control don't even get the luxury of the day off, just a quick break.
A few more retired Rangers….Also Dana throwing in a little SPD nod.
Of course Zebidiah makes jokes about having a new body again.
Oof, waking up and finding out that everyone's leaving must have sucked.
Okay the plan is cute and you know it, the Rangers basically doing the galactic equivalent of going backpacking or a giant road-trip for a gap year.
Zebidiah could project himself before he was put in the tube before, he spoke with Kay that way once; also of course there's bad news.
Of course Aslaug figured out what was being said and yes….a fight to death between Kay and Mercy was a distinct possibility.
Zebidiah's counter to Tempestus is a point I felt I had to make, if the Empire was simply assimilated into the Alliance without any agreement from the people who live on those worlds then they haven't been freed, the Alliance have just become the new Empire.
I actually initially intended for Zebidiah to die sacrificing himself for humanity until I realised that someone would have to take the Acheron throne and he would have an even better conclusion in taking back his old throne and title but then use it to good, to be a liberator and reformer.
Also "Hit me" was classic.
Okay not to blow my own trumpet but who else could make two Power Rangers kneeling and saying "Hail Lord Zedd" the end of the story and still have it be a happy ending?
Thank you to Blue Legends and James Birdsong for their reviews on the last chapter.
We had one last chapter to go, the epilogue is next week and will actually feature a small time-skip.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review