A.N: Did I make myself tear up while writing this? Yes. Am I a sucker for friendship dynamics and squishy platonic shit? Yes. Anyway, enjoy :)
"Hey everybody. I want to make a toast. To my brother." I stand, touching my glass of water to the others'. It's been a few days since Mike'd joined us on Terra Venture, and honestly, it's like being friends with a ghost. Sometimes he'll pop into the room I share with Maya and Kendrix, and I'll have to do a double take. But needless to say, his presence has been very welcome.
Seven. The number of people in our friend group, and also the number of completion. Very fitting.
"You know Mike, I knew you'd survive." The other Corbett doesn't say anything in response, which is weird. While he's much less of a chatterbox than his brother (THANK GOD), he still can talk your damn ears off if given the right topic. So this behavior is unnerving.
"I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for the Magna Defender." He's right. The sword Mike holds is much more than a weapon: it's a reminder of everything that we lost to get right to this moment. And of course the one whose soul had been kept safe by the Defender himself would understand most of all. "When I fell down that crevice, it was the Magna Defender who saved me. After three thousand years of being imprisoned in that hole, he took my spirit inside of him so he could escape."
"But he was filled with anger, vowing to destroy Scorpius for destroying his son. But his anger couldn't last. His destiny was to be good, so he released me, and went on to join his son. I owe him my life." Mike takes a deep breath and raises his own cup. "To The Magna Defender. May his spirit live on."
Leo steps away for a moment. "I've been keeping this safe for you." Leo holds out the box with Mike's dog tags, and his eyes light up.
"My dog tags! What happened to them?"
Each of us exchange knowing glances, and Leo chuckles. "It's a long story."
"Thanks. Man, how am I gonna explain where I've been?" Yikes. The idea of having to fabricate a story for literally falling into the earth… it makes me laugh.
I don't miss the strange look on Leo's face, though. Nor do I miss the flash of guilt that fades down our bond.
Okay, it's true that our little electric cars are cool. But to go short distances (and to go quickly), my aqua blue skateboard is my absolute pride and joy. Damon made it for me as a thank-you gift for helping him fix up the Megaship, and I'm especially grateful for it now, since I'm using it to go after a certain downtrodden Red Ranger.
However, I'm not watching where I'm going, and my front wheels hit a large bump. I'm forced to bail off onto the grass, and Leo bursts into laughter.
"Uh. You didn't see that," I mutter, picking up my board and dusting my uniform off, "Anyway. Glad to hear you laugh, even if it's at me, since something's bothering you." Leo sighs, and I frown. "C'mon, L. You've got your brother back!" I rest my hand over his gently, "And I'm so, so happy for you. Thank you for being vulnerable with me when you'd lost him. It's more than I could have asked for." He's silent for an uncomfortably long time.
Then: "You can tell?" He's not the smartest sometimes. Nor does he know how to read the room.
"We share a telepathic and emotional bond. No shit I can tell." I raise an eyebrow, spotting his Quasar Saber in his hands.
"I'm supposed to meet Mike in a bit. I-"
"You're wondering if you should keep the Saber." My tone comes out bitter, cold. I'd grown to love leading by Leo's side, the sarcastic second-in-command to his outgoing first. At first, I'd missed Andros terribly. He'd been an amazing leader, teaching us how to command the Megaship, how to use our Galaxy Gliders, and even how to perfect certain techniques in training. He'd been the older brother to me while I'd been away from Kai.
But now I realize that, even if he may be a bit dense at times, a bit too loud at others, I couldn't imagine anyone else being in Leo's place. Honestly, I might even say that I-
"Mike was the one who pulled it from the stone. You were there. He was chosen to be the Red Ranger, not me."
Kara out of all people should understand. And there it is. On the rare occasion that his guard is down, he forgets to keep me out of his thoughts, or sends an unwanted thought down the bond. I've seen my fair share of girls he's thought were cute (since I'm not too sure if he and Kendrix were ever a thing), as well as the occasional rant that was only meant for the other dudes. Once, he'd even gotten all sentimental about me. (I'd cried. A lot. And punched him the next time I saw him.)
I stagger back from him, chest aching. I do understand.
Or maybe that's just me trying to convince myself that I do.
"Hey, you two!" Mike's voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and Leo scoffs, walking towards his brother.
I watch him go, and despite it all, a sob whimpers from my throat. I've been ignoring this ache ever since Mike's come back, but now that Leo's reunited with his sibling… I'm alone again. I've been missing Andros, Cassie, Ashley, TJ, Carlos, and even Zayne much more than I ever have, and the pain is-
"Rangers!" Thank God for Alpha's impeccable timing, "there's trouble in the plaza!"
I make it there before Mike and Leo do, which saves me the awkward tension, and immediately go to work. It's almost cathartic, punching and kicking these Stingwingers down, and a better alternative to going to the gym. The last of the creatures bites the dust, and I turn, spotting an unmorphed Leo and Mike.
"Hang on guys!" Kai shouts, but before we can even take a step, a medieval looking monster blocks our path.
"Rangers Rangers, on the wall, time for you to take a fall!" I'd know that line anywhere, having grown up on Disney and fairy tales. Snow White. A panel on its armor opens up, revealing a small mirror.
"Guys, duck!" It's too late, though, since I'd barely managed to get out of the way myself. Blue lightning wraps around Kendrix, Kai, Damon, and Maya, and soon, they're trapped inside four miniature mirrors. (I'll never look at my compact mirror the same again.) The horror in my gut spurs me on, and I demorph, taking quick, short breaths in and out and in and out again. Hyperventilating to retain more air as I slip as soundlessly as possible into the river.
"Aqua Ranger, come out, come out wherever you are!" The worst thing you can do in a situation like this is panic, so I will myself not to freak out as another blast of blue lightning shimmers over the water. Instead, I dive a bit further down, waiting for the attacks to finish, then swim as fast as possible, emerging out of the water next to where Mike is crouched.
Just in time to see the monster slash at Leo's arm, leaving a nasty cut.
"Leo!" Mike shouts.
"You're mine now."
"Not if we can help it," I mutter, and Mike and I leap above the horde of Stingwingers, landing in front of Leo.
"We need to get out of here," Mike urges, and I nod, but not before narrowing my eyes, bracing myself for what I'm about to do. I've never used this technique in combat before, so if it doesn't work, we need to be prepared to book it. "Kara, what're you doing?"
Oops. I don't think he knows I can use telekinesis yet. Oh well. "On the count of three, run as fast as you can. One," I place my hands together, drawing power into my entire being, "Two," Just as I feel the peak of the energy gather, I begin to pull my hands apart, "Three!" A shimmering wall of blue light appears behind us, and the Stingwingers run smack into it as they attempt to give chase.
"Cowards, all three of you! I have your friends' powers, and I will use them to destroy you!"
Once we arrive back to the guys' room, I plop Leo unceremoniously down into a kitchen chair and back away, letting Mike do his big brother thing. "Mike. How could you do that?" The older Corbett says nothing, instead grabbing the first aid kit down from the cupboard where they keep it. "Those are our friends. We just left them-"
"Defeating a monster that can trap us in mirrors with two Rangers and one normal buff dude?" I retort, voice rising, "We wouldn't stand a chance. Not without the Lights."
"Kara's right. There was nothing we could do. We would have been captured in the mirrors too." Mike's not angry. Just calm, collected. He fishes into his pocket, pulling out a single dog tag. Which means- "I left my dog tag on a Stingwinger. Kind of like a homing device. It's a metallic alloy, easily traceable." Sometimes I forget he was (is?) a commander for the GSA. "Just leave it to me, little brother." I turn, heading for the console that'll allow us to track the dog tag.
"What combination of metals is it made out of?"
"Mostly silver and copper," Mike replies, and I type in the chemical components, along with the approximate weight and size of the tag.
The chair that Leo's sitting in scrapes against the ground, and I feel his presence at my back. "Kara-"
At that precise moment, a green dot flashes up onto the screen. They're at a warehouse near downtown. "I've got their location. Let's go."
"What the hell is that-" Talk about eating my words, because in the next moment, the toy-looking skeleton grows to be as tall- if not taller than- Mike, and we're forced to duck out of the way of its attacks. When it slashes at the brothers with its sickle, I kick at the handle, unsuccessfully attempting to get it to let go. Leo kicks at the blade, knocking the next attack to the side, and I sweep my leg out in a kick, sending the skeleton to one knee. It recovers quickly, though, and turns around, lashing out at me. I'm barely able to leap over the blade as it curves in an arc all the way around and back towards Leo, who leaps through a hole in the gate next to us. With one last kick, the Red Ranger dispatches the skeleton, collapsing it into a heap of bones.
"They know we're coming," Mike observes, and I nod, fixing my shoe that'd come undone with my kicks. Then, we're off, circling around to the other side of the warehouse and coming face to face with another skeleton.
It knocks Mike into a stack of crates, and I rush to take up a defensive position in front of him as Leo deals with our opponent. His swift but powerful attacks astound me, and I shake my head as Mike gets back to his feet. "Your brother is insane."
"Trust me, I know." The skeleton lifts its scythe, energy glowing within its blade, but Leo summons his Quasar Saber just in time, deflecting the blast back towards his foe. Mike picks up the dropped sword, handing it over to Leo, but I already know what he's going to say based on the look in his eyes.
"Mike. You pulled the Quasar Saber from the stone. You were chosen to be the Red Ranger. Not me."
"L, you're the greatest leader I could have ever asked for, and you're an even better friend. You've saved my ass more times than I can count. Who cares if you weren't chosen?" My voice trembles, and I have to cover my mouth to keep from crying.
"Kara's right," Mike replies, "You've earned it. I've seen you fight. This Quasar Saber, it shares your heart and your soul. Not mine." Leo turns.
"It was your destinies to pull the Quasar Sabers from the stones."
"Maybe it was my destiny to pull the Saber from the stone so I could give it to you," Mike adds. "I have a feeling it was meant for you all along." Sentimental moment or not, I don't miss when the skeleton rises back up from the ground. "Leo, behind you!" Mike thinks fast, tossing the Saber to his brother, and I reach up, flicking my fingers downwards, giving the sword an extra telekinetic push.
Then, with a final slash, Leo ends the fight, and Mike and I run up to him.
"See? Destiny doesn't make mistakes. There's no other Red Ranger."
Right out of a "moment" and into the fire for us. I summon my own Saber as the blue skeleton raises its scythe, and I parry its attack, thrusting my blade upward and knocking its weapon away. I follow up with three consecutive slashes of my own, and with that, the skeleton falls.
"You fools think you can stop me! You don't know who you're dealing with."
"Neither do you." Leo and Mike kick at the monster in unison, and I watch as Leo draws energy into his Saber, unleashing blasts of energy. The monster falls, and I can see the sun glinting off of the shards of its mirrors. Which means- My four friends materialize in midair, flopping onto the ground, and I rush to help up Kai and Damon.
"Good to have you back. Was about to go crazy with just these two." Mike and Leo roll their eyes at me, and I shrug as we go to face off against our last opponent.
"You'll regret this, Red Ranger!"
"We'll see which one of us regrets after this. Won't we?"
"I won't regret destroying you."
"Ready guys? Go, Galactic!" I'm glad I didn't dive into the river while I was morphed, because I'm not sure whether or not my suit would have dried in time. "Skelekron, you're going down!"
"Come on, bugbrains!" The taunt works, and I slip underneath the punch that the Stingwinger sends my way, planting a kick into its back and sending it domino-effect'ing the ones behind it. Buzzing sounds behind me, and I hit the ground, sweeping out a leg and tripping the Stingwinger that'd come up behind me. "You really can't keep falling for that."
The others having taken down the other Stingers, we join Leo, Sabers at the ready. "Alright guys, let's do it! Lights of Orion, activate!" Somehow, the power that flows into me feels even better than before. Maybe it's because Leo's faced down his imposter syndrome. Maybe it's just because I'd had an extra matcha latte this morning. Not sure. "Power-Up Mode!" All I know is that the feeling of triumph when we take down Skelekron is nice.
What's not so nice is getting to experience what the others had. The giant mirror that Skelekron imprisons us in sends my vision whirling, and I have to grip onto my console to keep from stumbling out of my Snake Zord.
"Need more power," Leo mutters, and I think I might be going crazy, because I think I can faintly hear the Toro Zord let out a familiar roar.
"What's he doing here?" Okay, I'm not crazy, but I am amazed.
Because standing in front of us is the Defender Toro Zord. The mirror surrounding us shatters as whoever they are deals the final blow, and I leap down from my Zord. I have a pretty good idea as to who that was.
"Mike!" Leo calls as we meet up with him, "You've become the Magna Defender?"
"This is my destiny." He glances down at his sword, awe filling his gaze.
"That's great and all," Damon starts, "But a bull is nowhere as cool as a condor." The Toro Zord lets out a roar, and I startle. "Hey, hey, I'm just kidding!" Mike tilts his head back as he laughs, and Kai throws an arm around me as we head back home.
Now there's only one thing I've got left to finish up.
"Hey," I greet Leo, peering around the room. "Where's my idiot brother and the mechanic?"
"Grabbing dinner for us." No offer to stay in his unusually brusque reply, to wait for them to come back so I can eat with them. That's my fault, though, but that's also why I'm here.
"Um. I just wanted to apologize. For earlier. Honestly…" I'm not one for sentiment, so this is taking a lot out of me, "honestly, I meant what I said at the warehouses today. I truly appreciate you, Leo, as a friend and as a Ranger. You mean a lot to the others, and to me, and so the thought-" My throat closes up, and I have to cough to clear it, "the thought that you'd leave it all behind was terrifying."
He's silent. Knowing there was one last thing I'd meant to say at the park.
"The others were there for me when I was grieving my team. But you," I pause, stepping over to where he stands by the kitchen counter, "you understood on a much deeper level, and because of that you were there for me like no one else could have been. So when Mike came back, I felt... " How did I feel? Upset? Angry?
"You don't need to explain," Leo murmurs, "I get it. And I'm sorry about your team. Always was, and still am."
"Thanks. I mean, it still hurts. But when I look at the others, when I see Mike as the Defender, and when I see you leading us all fearlessly," a chuckle escapes me, "I realize that I've found my team again." Leo's smiling now, and I frown. As usual, he's got something up his sleeve.
And there's one last phrase I didn't say, that I haven't said to any of my team, hell, to anyone on Terra Venture, for that matter.
"Fine! I'll say it." I throw my hands into the air in defeat, "I guess I kinda love you. That is, when you're not being a pain in the ass. Or bothering me when I'm trying to work. Or-" I can't get another word out, because the next moment, Leo squishes me into a hug.
"I'm honored to be the first person on this whole damn space colony that you say that too, Kara."
"Eh. Don't make me regret it."