Ok, this part was written for rain, thanks for the idea. I never thought about adding a Leo and Kendrix chapter.
individual disclaimer the song used in this part is called Can't Cry hard enough and it's sung by Victoria Williams.
2
One last visit
"Kendrix get out of there!" Cassie screamed even as she felt herself dying.
"I have to destroy it forever!" Kendrix shouted back thinking only of the destruction it could bring and saving the other girl's life.
"Cassie!" TJ was shouting as they ran up.
"Kendrix!" Leo called knowing already what was happening and wanting to stop her, wanting to take her place, if he lost her…
"No you have to get out of there!" Maya shouted trying to run to them, but Leo was grabbing her, holding her back.
"This has to work!" Kendrix brought down her Quasar Saber down on the hilt of the savage sword. The Sword buckled into two halves, in its original form, and the energy storm degenerated, until all that was left was a small column of white light.
In horror Leo watched as a second later a pink explosion engulfed the girl he had secretly loved since they'd first met.
I'm going to live my life
Like every day's my last
Without a simple goodbye
It all goes by so fast
The light was nothing more than a translucent Pink ranger, white and holding her Quasar Saber. She was just hovering there for a moment then she demorphed in a flash of white light. Although she was upright she almost looked unconscious.
"Kendrix…" Leo breathed wanting to reach out to her, needing to know that this was really his friend. Then as her eyes opened he knew it was, her soft eyes opened and took it all in. Heavens she was beautiful.
"I'm ok." She whispered her eyes meeting his. A galaxy of unspoken words yet unsaid between them.
There were so many thoughts racing through his mind as he watched her face smiling at them and then she was speaking once more.
"No matter what I'll always be here." There was a flash, even as she began to narrow out into a beam of light. And then she was gone absorbed into her Quasar Saber.
The red ranger was so lost in pain and grief
Leo felt like curling into a ball, she was really gone, Kendrix was dead. He'd seen her go in that last minute and now he didn't know what to do or how to go on. She was the only one who'd have the words for this. And now she was gone…
And now that you're gone
I can't cry hard enough
No I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now
He walked, that was all Leo could do now, walk and think about her. How had it happened? How had he lost her? He'd never understand that, no now, probably not ever. She was just so good, and that was wrong! How could it be that the good were the ones that had to suffer?
He kicked at a rock and then he felt it, the hand on his shoulder.
Looking back, half expecting to see Maya he found it was actually Kai.
"Listen, I know your hurting man but we still need you, you can't just shut down."
"I don't even know how to go on…" Leo admitted listlessly.
"I don't either, but I guess we just have to put one foot in front of the other." Kai trailed off.
"Yeah," Leo looked at his hands and knew he couldn't do it; he just couldn't go on without his angel. She was sweet, innocent and wise. And what was he without her? He was what he'd been before he'd met her. Nothing, a childish boy thriving on nothing but the next adventure.
I'm going to open my eyes
And see for the first time
I've let go of you like
A child letting go of his kite
"Man this might help." Kai said and Leo found him holding out a small box to him.
"What is it?"
"I don't know but Kendrix asked me to give it to you incase anything ever happened to her." The Young man in blue replied and Leo could only nod and take the package from him.
"Thanks." Leo said as he was walking away from him. He wanted to be alone, to think, to decide if he wanted to see this thing she'd wanted him to have.
There it goes up in the sky
There it goes beyond the clouds
For no reason why
I can't cry hard enough
No I can't cry hard enough
He found a seat on a bench and sat a long while just looking at the small wooden box. He had always known there was a risk just being rangers and yet to have the one person he had come to rely on for hope and advice when things got bad be taken…
It was just so hard; he wanted her to teleport in, to say she had just been teleported out in some weird alien way. Still he knew, knew that she was really gone, dead…
For you to hear me now
He gingerly lifted the latch on the box and taking a deep breath opened it. There was nothing cataclysmic, just a small tape recorder, a few pictures and the bracelet he'd given her for her birthday back in December.
Leo didn't know why but he lifted the small delicate gold chain and fingered the links. They were soft, much the way the pink ranger's eyes had glowed. The links, the way she'd bound the team together. Sure he was the leader but she was their heart, his heart. And now…
His eyes strayed to the photographs lying beside the recorder. There were so many, one of the five of them, it had been taken after Mike had fallen but before his return. Damon and Kai stood to his right while Kendrix stood to his left, Maya behind her, her head poking up from Kendrix's shoulder. . She looked happy in that picture, her eyes not betraying the pain she felt at having lost her friend. And Mike had been that, Leo had heard all of the stories of how his big brother and Kai had had to drag her from her research. It had sounded funny to hear that someone worked more than Mike but he'd learned just how dedicated she was first hand.
Another picture had Kendrix standing between him and Mike. They were all in civilian clothes, and he knew it had been taken on Mike's twenty third birthday. They had gone to a carnival together. The three of them having split from the others to ride a roller coaster after Maya had gotten sick on the tiltiwirl. That memory brought a smile to his lips. He had badgered Kendrix into coming along and Mike had said he'd come to pick them both up off of the ground. Kendrix had pu8nched him lightly on the arm and it had been the first time she'd ever done that.
Heavens she'd been so controlled when they'd first met. But lately she'd learned to smile more and loosen up.
The next pictures were of Kendrix and Maya laughing together, it had been taken after the incident with the galaxy book and the fake Shawndra. Now that had been a big mess. At least Kendrix had not lost heart and kept her head. She'd even tried to be nice telling Maya the truth. But that was Kendrix, sweet and good hearted.
I'm going to look back in vain
And see you standing there
When all that remains
Is just an empty chair
His hand traced the image of her smiling face on the final picture of them. She looked so pretty. Why shouldn't she have? She had just gotten a per motion to assistant head of Research and development. What good was that now? She was dead…
Placing the pictures back into the box Leo lifted out the cassette recorder. It was small and slim. He'd seen it time and time again; she used it to record scientific information. Why would she have put it in there if she needed it to do her job?
Frowning Leo depressed the play button and waited.
"Hi Leo, if your listening to this then it's true." Kendrix's voice began. Her tone was low and sober. "Yes, I know it's morbid to be thinking that I'm going to die before this journey ends but Leo, I had this dream the other night and it was so real. The pink Psycho ranger had found this sword and…" He couldn't do it, hitting stop he stared into up at the sky. Had she really had a dream? Had she known this would happen? Why didn't she tell them? Pain fueled the rage that raced through him space. He had to set the box down or risk throwing it and destroying the last link he had to her. He wanted to, wanted to destroy the entire world. She'd just let it happen, had even chose to die!
Jumping up he ran over and kicked a tree. She'd let it happen!
"Why!?" He shouted to the leaves atop the branches. He kicked the tree trunk once more and again threw his head back and bellowed.
"Damn you, you never said goodbye!" He shouted and then slumped to the ground his big body racked with heartbroken sobs. "You never said good…" He couldn't do it any more, and the next thing he knew there were arms about him, holding him fast. He didn't open his eyes. He didn't have the strength to do more than let the sobs claim him.
"It's alright, let it all out." The soft voice said and he did find the strength to open his eyes. There in all of her glory was his pink angel.
"Kendrix"
"Hush, I'm here."
"But…"
"I'm part of you Leo, I'll always be here with you." The voice now was no more than a whisper on a breeze and he realized that she was no longer there, no longer holding him.
Still he felt better, as if the tears he'd cried had somehow cleansed him, washed away some of the pain he was feeling.
Getting to his knees Leo spotted the box and had to do it, he had to play the rest of the tape. He could now; he knew that no matter what she said he could handle it. That moment, the feel of arms about him had just done something…
"Killed me. Leo I have a bad feeling. So I wanted you to know that I love you. Not like a brother, the way I love Mike and Kai but I love you heart and soul." He felt a tear fall, one of regret and one of loss. "I know you could never feel the same so I never said a thing about it, now though I guess it won't matter." There was such sadness in her soft voice. Didn't she know how he felt? But how could she when he'd never told her…
"I wanted to tell you, I also want you to know that I know another thing, you will go on, and you'll defeat Trakeena. It's your destiny just as my death was mine. We each have them. It may be hard to except but you will. I know that as well." The there was another pause and then… "Remember that the things that will happen will bring you to where you're meant to be." And with that the tape clicked off.
For a long moment Leo Corbett just sat there knowing that once again she was right. He did have to go on, and he would destroy Trakeena. He would tare her apart for destroying all he could ever want out of life. She'd destroyed his best friend and she would pay.
And now that you're gone
I can't cry hard enough
No I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now
***