The Second Chances Saga: Chapter 9: The Dark of Our Own Souls
Fandom: Power Rangers/ Alternate Universes (duh!) Notes: This story takes place before they lose the Dinozords. Zack has moved to Iowa, and Adam took his place. There was no Peace Conference. It is loosely based on Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER, (I guess it's one of the five universes Jason never made it to.) and that concept is used with her permission. Timeline is modern as opposed to a few years in the past. There
Disclaimers: I don't own the Power Rangers, Zordon, Zords, Angel Grove, Ernie's or any of Saban's other properties. If I did, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be a kiddie show. I also don't own Storm Quest, Temblor or the Time Shard. They belong to my buddies over at Sky Comics. (Joe- Just be glad I left Seeker alone-) The rest is all from my own twisted mind, and that of my best friend Kim Nichols-Hornbuckle. This is slash fiction. If you don't like guys in love with each other- run as far and as fast as you can. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I can be reached at cobalt- blue@rocketmail.com
Author's Note: There are so many good fiction pieces I've been reading in this fandom lately that I've found myself becoming a regular little thief. This piece started out as a companion piece to Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER// FAIRER THAN DEATH and pretty much uses most of what she's established there as its premise. However, I've also integrated several events from other writers as well, including Dagmar Buse (My student's LOVED Perfectly Good Reasons) and Serendipity. So I'm afraid all the lovely ladies are going to have to get in line lynch me.
Six o'clock Monday morning, Kyle walked into the Command Center put his yellow book bag down on the console, and waited for Ms. Stone to finish whatever adjustment she was making to Alpha before she too went off to her new job as Angel Grove High School Counselor. After several long minutes, she looked over at him- even sitting cross-legged on the floor her head was even with his- and asked, "Something on your mind Kyle?"
Kyle nodded and replied, "Yes ma'am."
After another minute she said, "You goin' to make me drag it out of you, or you gonna' ask your question?"
Kyle took a deep breath and plunged in, "I had a question about the not using our powers for personal gain thing."
She put the high-tech tool down, lay her hands in her lap and smiled at him, "You haven't robbed Fort Knox or anything have you?"
Kyle smiled at the giantess and replied, "No ma'am, nothing like that."
"Come on boy, spit it out," she said, her own Southern accent getting deeper.
"I was just wondering, with school starting back today and all, and Jason, and Billy being new in their relationship and all, and Adam and I startin' to see each other an' all, and after what happened in Kentucky an' all.,"
"You got a point in there anywhere son, or are you just givin' me a litany of everythin' that's happened to the Rangers in the past few weeks?" By now she was deep into the her role as the Southern Matriarch.
"Yes, ma'am," he sighed. "It's like this, back in Kentucky when everybody found out I was gay, I toted a beatin' at least once a week." He remembered what Billy had told him of his time before meeting Jason, "Well, I don't know Billy that well, but I'm afraid some of the things that I had to go through he's going to face."
"Such as?" she asked warily.
"Well, you know I was in line for the Pan Global gymnastics team until I broke my arm don't you?" She nodded, and he continued, "The reason I broke my arm is that eight linebackers from our football team decided to play 'smear the queer' with me in the boys bathroom."
"You're worried about people beating up Billy because he's gay?" Ms. Stone asked.
Kyle nodded, "I'm worried about him thinking that he can't fight back because he holds the Power."
She thought about his words momentarily, before leaning back and giving him a knowing look, "To be honest, I'd be more worried about you not fighting back than he."
"Actually, I'm sort of the other way around. I'm likely to try and take as many of them with me as I can" he blushed and looked down. "That's what I did back in Raceland. That's how I got my arm busted."
"Kyle, look at me," she ordered him, "It's not a violation to defend yourself, or others for that matter." She sighed, "I'll talk to Billy, Jason and Adam about it too."
Kyle smiled at her, and retrieved his book bag. "Thanks, that's a load off my mind." He'd been worried about how the school was going to react to Billy and Jason, and now him and Adam since he found out he wasn't the only person on the team with same sex attractions. He knew first hand how cruel high school kids could be, and didn't want to see his new friends hurt.
"Don't worry about it Kyle. I think they're big boys. They can take care of themselves." She put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him before he threw himself into the teleportation grid, "And they've got good friends like you to help."
He simply smiled to himself said, "Yes, ma'am," and threw himself into the grid.
********************************************************
Kim came bouncing into the school auditorium and her eyes went immediately to where the other Rangers were gathered in one corner quietly talking to a small group of others. She recognized Zack of course, after she realized it was him wearing red, and then there was Rocky, Adam's friend, dressed in jeans and a black tee-shirt, a slight blonde girl she didn't recognize wearing pink, and two African American girls, one wearing yellow and the other blue. Jason, Tommy, and Billy were all ready there. She saw no sign of Kyle anywhere as she walked up smiling and slipped under Tommy's arm. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"Zack was telling us about his team's activities the other day. Evidently they had a very good first outing," Billy said standing VERY close to Jason without actually touching him. Kim noticed Rocky giving them both strange looks.
Kim turned to the rest of them, "Wonderful," she threw on her best Pink Ranger smile and offered her hand, "I'm Kim."
The blonde wearing pink smiled back and said in an Australian accent, "I'm Katherine Hilliard; it's a pleasure to meet you." Kimberly noticed that the blonde kept stealing glances at Billy.
"I'm Aisha Campbell," the girl wearing yellow told her.
"I'm Tanya Sloan," said the girl in the blue dress.
Adam piped in, "And you already know Rocky and Zack."
"Hiya guys," Kimberly smiled at the others. "Welcome to the team."
"Kimberly?" An unexpected voice came from behind her. Turning, she saw Bulk and Skull standing looking rather like they had something important to say.
"Yes?" she tried not to let the strain show in her voice. These two had been a thorn in her side since second grade. Off to the side she could feel, Jase, Tommy, and Billy close ranks.
"We just wanted to say," Skull turned and looked nervously at Bulk.
The bigger boy pushed Skull aside and continued, "I'll do it you numbskull," he straightened the leather vest he was wearing and said, "We just wanted to let you guys know that we're sorry about what happened to Trini." He looked over at Jason and Billy, "And congratulations to you two." Then hitching up his jeans, "But we still think you're geeks, though." The two turned and walked off.
Billy reached up for the glasses he wasn't wearing and then blushed lightly at not finding them there. "Now that is an event I would have wagered never to see in my lifetime."
"Just goes to show you that not everybody is as bad as they want you to think they are," Tommy smiled.
"What did he mean by congratulations?" Rocky asked nervously.
The original Rangers all exchanged nervous glances. Jason finally sighed, "I guess it's going to eventually get out anyway. It's not like we're want to hide anything," he looked back to Bulk and Skull's retreating forms, "although I wonder how those two found out," he put an arm around Billy's shoulder," I guess the best way to put it is that Billy and I are sort of dating."
Kimberly groaned, "Jason! Sort of dating? That's like saying Madonna is sort of a pop star." She punched him. She was not going to let him get away with treating Billy like some kind of second hand relationship. "Either you're dating or your not, and if you're not, then I really want you to explain to me about Saturday."
Jason blushed deeply, "Would it make you feel better if I grabbed him and French kissed him right here in the gym?"
"I'd rather you didn't," Billy protested. "Whereas I have no qualms about our relationship being known, I would like to avoid being assigned detention for public displays of affection on the first day of school." Everybody chuckled, as Billy turned to face Rocky.
"Why? You have a problem with it?" Kimberly knew that the tone of her voice made it clear that he'd better not.
Rocky's gaze kept sweeping back and forth between Jason and Billy, and then to Tommy and Kim, and then finally back to Adam. "I don't know. It's sort of sudden and all. I never expected Jason Scott, big man on campus, deca-county athletic champion, to be qu. . .,"
"Rocky!" Adam's voice cut him off, "you finish that word and as Kyle would say," he pitched his voice into an Appalachian accent, "I'll take you out behind the woodshed."
Everybody laughed at the remark, and the tension was broken. Rocky finally shrugged, "I'm sorry. It just takes some getting used to."
"What takes some getting used to?" Kyle asked as he joined them, his own true voice setting off peals of laughter among the rest of them. Kim noticed that he was wearing a nice yellow polo shirt with black jeans and Reeboks. His hair was neatly groomed and he had a faint odor of vanilla about him.
Rocky grinned and gently punched Jason in the shoulder, "just the idea of Jason here swapping spit with Billy."
Kim heard something dangerous in Kyle's voice, "and that is a problem why?"
Rocky shrugged and Kim could see that he was trying to make an effort to sound casual, "Just takes some getting used to I guess. It's not the kind of thing that goes over well in my family."
"Rocky," Adam interjected looking over to his other friend Aisha for help, "I think we need to talk."
Before Rocky could reply, Zack stepped in with his usual exuberant self, "It is so great to be back in Angel Grove! God! I've missed this place!" He danced a quick couple of little steps around Kyle put an arm across his shoulder and Kim heard him whisper to the raven-haired boy, "Chill Farmboy, give it a chance to sink in before you get all medieval on him."
Kyle turned and growled at Kimberly, but she could see the twinkle of playfulness in his eyes, "This is your fault. You had to go and start calling me Farmboy, and now it's caught on. I have never lived on a farm in my life! I lived in a nice little suburb on the Ohio River in a two- story house, with a two-car garage and a DSL modem. I am not a country bumpkin!"
"Then lose the accent, Dan'l Boone," Tommy teased him. This is California, as long as you sound like that, then people are going to assume that you're some hick racist redneck who's favorite sport is shootin' 'possums in the middle of the night." He shrugged, "It's not right, but it's the way things are."
Kyle stepped up toe to toe with the Green Ranger and smiled, "I'll have you know that the only time I've ever killed a 'possum is when I hit it with my dad's car coming home from a meet one night." He turned and looked at the rest of the group the smile gone from his tone and his eyes, "As for being a racist, I really hope that you guys don't believe that." Kim noticed that several of them glanced down and she realized that maybe the idea had crossed their minds. She understood that many of them had wondered at how Kyle would deal with the racially balanced group of friends they had. Southerners did have a certain reputation after all. His gaze stopped to where Adam was looking down at the ground. "Not you too?" he protested. Then turning on his heels, he walked off muttering to himself, "I guess, I just got a lesson in prejudice."
"I think maybe we all did," Billy said to the group. "I myself have to confess to a certain reticence about Kyle's feelings on the issues of race among us. I think that whereas we tend to recognize each other as being of different ethnic backgrounds, and embrace those differences, perhaps we felt that being from the South, he was incapable of it."
"I'll go talk to him," Adam said, but Jason stopped him. "No I think I should. He's gone out of his way to defend Billy and me, and this was a poor way for us to repay him." Kimberly watched as the Red Ranger headed off after Kyle.
Rocky looked over at Adam with a questioning look, "What was that all about Bro? I know you've been spending a lot of time with him. . .," the tall Hispanic youth suddenly stopped mid-sentence as something seemed to dawn on him, "You," he pointed in the general direction that Kyle and Jason went, "him" he pointed back to Adam and then shook his head, "oh, man, this is going to be one interesting year. The school's star athlete, the genius, and my best friend are all gay. . .," his speech deteriorated into Spanglish- which was a sure sign that he was upset.
"Rocky," Adam began.
"Look Bro," Rocky held up his hands, "I've got to have some time to think about this, okay?" He headed off by himself.
"Why do I get the impression I just missed something important," Katherine commented.
"It's a very long story, Katherine," Billy told her. "Most of it has to do with agreements made while we were in the Gray."
"In the Gray?" Zack asked.
Billy nodded, and checked his watch. "Why don't we all sit down and we'll catch you up as much as we can. We've still got a little time before first bell."
*************************************************************
"Kyle, wait up," Jason called after the raven-haired Yellow Ranger. "We need to talk."
Kyle stopped, turned and looked up at him, and for just a second, Jase could have sworn he saw the tracks of tear shaped shadows down his face. "What do you want, Scott?" The pain and hurt in his voice hit Jason like a hammer.
"To apologize for one," Jason told him. "To thank you for another," he said more softly.
"What for?" Kyle asked.
"For standing up for me and Billy," Jason told him.
"I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done. . .," Kyle broke off and both boys realized that Jason had failed to do just that.
"Tommy didn't mean anything by what he said," Jase told him. He knew Tommy well enough to know that what he'd said was meant in jest, it just got really serious before anybody realized it. "He was trying to tease you, and I guess it blew up in our faces. I guess it pointed out that maybe we have some prejudices ourselves."
Kyle nodded and smiled weakly, "You can say that again." He got serious, "Do you really think I might believe that the color of a person's skin, or the shape of their eyes, or the texture of their hair makes a difference to me. Do you really think of me as some kind of half-educated country bumpkin who still thinks he's living in the nineteenth century?"
Jase shook his head, "Of course not, Kyle. I think it's sort of like Tommy said, it's the accent. Like he said, it's not right, but it does have a certain imagery that goes with it."
Kyle nodded, "When you hear a Spanish accent does that make you think the person might be an illegal immigrant? When you hear someone with an Asian accent do you think of them as being smarter than most people? What about when you hear Ebonics, does that make you think that person is a violent gang-banger?"
Jason shook his head and thought about Kyle's question, "No, not really, I guess."
"But it's okay to feel that way about a Southern or Appalachian accent?"
"No it's not, Kyle." Jason shook his head, "And it took you to point that out to us. I guess in some ways we've let television and movies set our prejudices for us. Now we've got to rethink about some of the things we've always taken for granted."
Kyle smiled and sat down, "At least you're thinking." He shook his head, "You know it's sort of funny. I went to Ms. Stone this morning with a problem that I really should have taken to Ms. Hayes, but I was more comfortable with her." He shook his head, "I guess that was my own prejudices coming through. She's a Southerner, and don't tell her this because she'd probably kick my ass, but in some ways she reminds me of my Grandma. You know, the Southern Matriarch who always looks out for her charges and rules the family with a velvet fist."
"Nothing wrong with that," Jase told him. "There are some problems I take to my dad because I'm more comfortable talking to him and others I go to mom about. I guess we discuss problems with the people we feel the most comfortable." He shrugged, "Just be glad you've got someone to listen to you."
Kyle laughed, "There is that. God only knows, I'd never have gone to my mom about anything."
Jason watched his friend struggle with loss and pain. He wondered just how much Kyle had given up for being honest with himself and the world, and he wondered if it would cost him as much. "Im afraid there's more involved than just me though isn't there."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kyle protested too quickly.
"Adam," was all Jason said.
"Adam," Kyle repeated. "Yeah, I guess the idea that he would have thought that about me hurt too."
"It wasn't conscious, Kyle. It wasn't he did- any of us did- it on purpose. I know it's no excuse, but now that we know the reaction is there, all we can do is promise to check it." Jason told him.
"Jason, what do I have to do to prove that I'm not those things?" Kyle asked. It was obvious that the boy was reaching out his new friends in a way that Jase couldn't understand. He needed something, but Jason wasn't sure what it was, and didn't know how to give it to him, or even if he could.
"Kyle, you don't have to prove anything to us. It's us that need to prove to you that we don't think ill of you." Jason shook his head. "It's our failing, not yours, and it's something WE have to overcome."
"That's easy for you to say, Jason. You didn't just find out that the guy you would really like to get to know better thinks you might be a bigot, for no other reason than my accent is a couple centuries behind yours."
"Huh?" Jason asked. "I'm sorry, but that went right over my head. The couple of centuries thing, that is."
Kyle smiled at him, "The reason the Appalachian accent sounds the way it does, is because for almost four hundred years, the settlers in the area were extremely isolated." He laughed, "Did you know that because the area was so cut off from the rest of the country, that as late as the nineteen- seventies there were sections of Eastern Kentucky that were so isolated you could hear Elizabethan English spoken as it was in Elizabeth's day?"
Jason shook his head, "Can't say that I did."
Kyle continued, "Most of what we know of old Scottish, Irish, and English folksongs, culture, and language comes from the fact that those things got preserved in Appalachia, and were only recently re-discovered."
Jason shook his head "You learn something new every day." He put a hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder, "We're sorry, Kyle. I'm sorry."
Kyle smiled over at him and said, "Thanks." He shook his head, "But I'll let you in on a secret."
"What's that?"
"My GPA is three point nine, not exactly Billy's four-oh, but pretty darn close." Kyle told him.
"Okay, so you're not Jethro Bodine," Jase told him.
Kyle laughed, "Nope, a double naought spy I'm not."
"Come on, let's head back and see what everyone else is up to," he put an arm around Kyle's shoulder.
*****************************************************************
"So that's pretty much the whole story," Billy finished filling in Zack and the rest of the new Rangers about their adventures. Zack couldn't believe that Trini would give up like that, or that someone else could so easily slip in to fill her place. He had to admit that Kyle was pretty cool, and was definitely protective of his new friends, but he still felt just a little jolt at the idea of someone else wearing the Yellow. Of course, he also had to deal with the fact that Aisha was closer to the same Ranger that Trini was, than Kyle. She after all carried Trini's Power Coin.
"So you guys don't need a Power Coin anymore?" Zack asked.
Kimberly shook her head, "No. But we had to make some pretty intense deals to come back and get another shot at the Kregar."
Zack thought about what Billy had said, and asked his old friend the original Blue Ranger, "What are the chances of you being able to read this Time Stream that the AI told you about?"
Billy shrugged, "With enough time to study it, I think I might be able to get some details about it. Why?"
"I was just wondering if you could get some information on this Covenant guy you were telling me about. Personally, I'd like to know what his stake in all this is."
Bill sat back and seemed to consider what Zack was saying. "I think Kevin and I working together might be able to come up with something."
"Kevin?" Zack asked.
"Yes, the Command Center's alternate AI personality," Billy told him. "I'll get him to start working on it, and we'll see what we can find out."
"Hey guys," Jason interrupted as he and Kyle approached.
"Sorry for storming off like that," Kyle said apologetically.
"No, we're sorry for making assumptions," Billy stood up and put a hand on Kyle's arm. "We found out some things about ourselves."
"Billy's right Bro," Tommy stood. "I'm sorry for the racist comment. It was out of line, and WAY off base, man."
"It's cool," Kyle said.
Zack thought about everything he heard before finally answering, "No it's not." He shook his head, "When I first moved here, it took a while for me to realize that there are people in this town to whom prejudice is just another word in the dictionary. It took people like Jason, and Trini to teach me that, and now, I find that I may not be one of those folks." He offered Kyle his hand, "I'm sorry too."
"I'm still not sure what all this all about," Katherine said, "but I'd appreciate it if you'd stick around for a while. I'd at least like to know why your accent is supposed to be something bad. It doesn't sound any stranger to me than everyone else's." She smiled.
Kyle laughed, "It's a long story. Let's just say my accent is the American rural equivalent of a Cockney accent."
"That bad?" Kat asked.
Kyle smiled, "A little worse actually." Then he let it drop.
"I'm sorry too, Kyle," Adam said stepping out from behind Zack.
Kyle gave him a long look, and to Zack's surprise, "You, you're not so easily forgiven. I thought you knew me better than that." He smiled and, softly reached out and touched Adam's face, "But, we can talk about that later."
*****************************************************************
Fandom: Power Rangers/ Alternate Universes (duh!) Notes: This story takes place before they lose the Dinozords. Zack has moved to Iowa, and Adam took his place. There was no Peace Conference. It is loosely based on Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER, (I guess it's one of the five universes Jason never made it to.) and that concept is used with her permission. Timeline is modern as opposed to a few years in the past. There
Disclaimers: I don't own the Power Rangers, Zordon, Zords, Angel Grove, Ernie's or any of Saban's other properties. If I did, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be a kiddie show. I also don't own Storm Quest, Temblor or the Time Shard. They belong to my buddies over at Sky Comics. (Joe- Just be glad I left Seeker alone-) The rest is all from my own twisted mind, and that of my best friend Kim Nichols-Hornbuckle. This is slash fiction. If you don't like guys in love with each other- run as far and as fast as you can. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I can be reached at cobalt- blue@rocketmail.com
Author's Note: There are so many good fiction pieces I've been reading in this fandom lately that I've found myself becoming a regular little thief. This piece started out as a companion piece to Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER// FAIRER THAN DEATH and pretty much uses most of what she's established there as its premise. However, I've also integrated several events from other writers as well, including Dagmar Buse (My student's LOVED Perfectly Good Reasons) and Serendipity. So I'm afraid all the lovely ladies are going to have to get in line lynch me.
Six o'clock Monday morning, Kyle walked into the Command Center put his yellow book bag down on the console, and waited for Ms. Stone to finish whatever adjustment she was making to Alpha before she too went off to her new job as Angel Grove High School Counselor. After several long minutes, she looked over at him- even sitting cross-legged on the floor her head was even with his- and asked, "Something on your mind Kyle?"
Kyle nodded and replied, "Yes ma'am."
After another minute she said, "You goin' to make me drag it out of you, or you gonna' ask your question?"
Kyle took a deep breath and plunged in, "I had a question about the not using our powers for personal gain thing."
She put the high-tech tool down, lay her hands in her lap and smiled at him, "You haven't robbed Fort Knox or anything have you?"
Kyle smiled at the giantess and replied, "No ma'am, nothing like that."
"Come on boy, spit it out," she said, her own Southern accent getting deeper.
"I was just wondering, with school starting back today and all, and Jason, and Billy being new in their relationship and all, and Adam and I startin' to see each other an' all, and after what happened in Kentucky an' all.,"
"You got a point in there anywhere son, or are you just givin' me a litany of everythin' that's happened to the Rangers in the past few weeks?" By now she was deep into the her role as the Southern Matriarch.
"Yes, ma'am," he sighed. "It's like this, back in Kentucky when everybody found out I was gay, I toted a beatin' at least once a week." He remembered what Billy had told him of his time before meeting Jason, "Well, I don't know Billy that well, but I'm afraid some of the things that I had to go through he's going to face."
"Such as?" she asked warily.
"Well, you know I was in line for the Pan Global gymnastics team until I broke my arm don't you?" She nodded, and he continued, "The reason I broke my arm is that eight linebackers from our football team decided to play 'smear the queer' with me in the boys bathroom."
"You're worried about people beating up Billy because he's gay?" Ms. Stone asked.
Kyle nodded, "I'm worried about him thinking that he can't fight back because he holds the Power."
She thought about his words momentarily, before leaning back and giving him a knowing look, "To be honest, I'd be more worried about you not fighting back than he."
"Actually, I'm sort of the other way around. I'm likely to try and take as many of them with me as I can" he blushed and looked down. "That's what I did back in Raceland. That's how I got my arm busted."
"Kyle, look at me," she ordered him, "It's not a violation to defend yourself, or others for that matter." She sighed, "I'll talk to Billy, Jason and Adam about it too."
Kyle smiled at her, and retrieved his book bag. "Thanks, that's a load off my mind." He'd been worried about how the school was going to react to Billy and Jason, and now him and Adam since he found out he wasn't the only person on the team with same sex attractions. He knew first hand how cruel high school kids could be, and didn't want to see his new friends hurt.
"Don't worry about it Kyle. I think they're big boys. They can take care of themselves." She put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him before he threw himself into the teleportation grid, "And they've got good friends like you to help."
He simply smiled to himself said, "Yes, ma'am," and threw himself into the grid.
********************************************************
Kim came bouncing into the school auditorium and her eyes went immediately to where the other Rangers were gathered in one corner quietly talking to a small group of others. She recognized Zack of course, after she realized it was him wearing red, and then there was Rocky, Adam's friend, dressed in jeans and a black tee-shirt, a slight blonde girl she didn't recognize wearing pink, and two African American girls, one wearing yellow and the other blue. Jason, Tommy, and Billy were all ready there. She saw no sign of Kyle anywhere as she walked up smiling and slipped under Tommy's arm. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"Zack was telling us about his team's activities the other day. Evidently they had a very good first outing," Billy said standing VERY close to Jason without actually touching him. Kim noticed Rocky giving them both strange looks.
Kim turned to the rest of them, "Wonderful," she threw on her best Pink Ranger smile and offered her hand, "I'm Kim."
The blonde wearing pink smiled back and said in an Australian accent, "I'm Katherine Hilliard; it's a pleasure to meet you." Kimberly noticed that the blonde kept stealing glances at Billy.
"I'm Aisha Campbell," the girl wearing yellow told her.
"I'm Tanya Sloan," said the girl in the blue dress.
Adam piped in, "And you already know Rocky and Zack."
"Hiya guys," Kimberly smiled at the others. "Welcome to the team."
"Kimberly?" An unexpected voice came from behind her. Turning, she saw Bulk and Skull standing looking rather like they had something important to say.
"Yes?" she tried not to let the strain show in her voice. These two had been a thorn in her side since second grade. Off to the side she could feel, Jase, Tommy, and Billy close ranks.
"We just wanted to say," Skull turned and looked nervously at Bulk.
The bigger boy pushed Skull aside and continued, "I'll do it you numbskull," he straightened the leather vest he was wearing and said, "We just wanted to let you guys know that we're sorry about what happened to Trini." He looked over at Jason and Billy, "And congratulations to you two." Then hitching up his jeans, "But we still think you're geeks, though." The two turned and walked off.
Billy reached up for the glasses he wasn't wearing and then blushed lightly at not finding them there. "Now that is an event I would have wagered never to see in my lifetime."
"Just goes to show you that not everybody is as bad as they want you to think they are," Tommy smiled.
"What did he mean by congratulations?" Rocky asked nervously.
The original Rangers all exchanged nervous glances. Jason finally sighed, "I guess it's going to eventually get out anyway. It's not like we're want to hide anything," he looked back to Bulk and Skull's retreating forms, "although I wonder how those two found out," he put an arm around Billy's shoulder," I guess the best way to put it is that Billy and I are sort of dating."
Kimberly groaned, "Jason! Sort of dating? That's like saying Madonna is sort of a pop star." She punched him. She was not going to let him get away with treating Billy like some kind of second hand relationship. "Either you're dating or your not, and if you're not, then I really want you to explain to me about Saturday."
Jason blushed deeply, "Would it make you feel better if I grabbed him and French kissed him right here in the gym?"
"I'd rather you didn't," Billy protested. "Whereas I have no qualms about our relationship being known, I would like to avoid being assigned detention for public displays of affection on the first day of school." Everybody chuckled, as Billy turned to face Rocky.
"Why? You have a problem with it?" Kimberly knew that the tone of her voice made it clear that he'd better not.
Rocky's gaze kept sweeping back and forth between Jason and Billy, and then to Tommy and Kim, and then finally back to Adam. "I don't know. It's sort of sudden and all. I never expected Jason Scott, big man on campus, deca-county athletic champion, to be qu. . .,"
"Rocky!" Adam's voice cut him off, "you finish that word and as Kyle would say," he pitched his voice into an Appalachian accent, "I'll take you out behind the woodshed."
Everybody laughed at the remark, and the tension was broken. Rocky finally shrugged, "I'm sorry. It just takes some getting used to."
"What takes some getting used to?" Kyle asked as he joined them, his own true voice setting off peals of laughter among the rest of them. Kim noticed that he was wearing a nice yellow polo shirt with black jeans and Reeboks. His hair was neatly groomed and he had a faint odor of vanilla about him.
Rocky grinned and gently punched Jason in the shoulder, "just the idea of Jason here swapping spit with Billy."
Kim heard something dangerous in Kyle's voice, "and that is a problem why?"
Rocky shrugged and Kim could see that he was trying to make an effort to sound casual, "Just takes some getting used to I guess. It's not the kind of thing that goes over well in my family."
"Rocky," Adam interjected looking over to his other friend Aisha for help, "I think we need to talk."
Before Rocky could reply, Zack stepped in with his usual exuberant self, "It is so great to be back in Angel Grove! God! I've missed this place!" He danced a quick couple of little steps around Kyle put an arm across his shoulder and Kim heard him whisper to the raven-haired boy, "Chill Farmboy, give it a chance to sink in before you get all medieval on him."
Kyle turned and growled at Kimberly, but she could see the twinkle of playfulness in his eyes, "This is your fault. You had to go and start calling me Farmboy, and now it's caught on. I have never lived on a farm in my life! I lived in a nice little suburb on the Ohio River in a two- story house, with a two-car garage and a DSL modem. I am not a country bumpkin!"
"Then lose the accent, Dan'l Boone," Tommy teased him. This is California, as long as you sound like that, then people are going to assume that you're some hick racist redneck who's favorite sport is shootin' 'possums in the middle of the night." He shrugged, "It's not right, but it's the way things are."
Kyle stepped up toe to toe with the Green Ranger and smiled, "I'll have you know that the only time I've ever killed a 'possum is when I hit it with my dad's car coming home from a meet one night." He turned and looked at the rest of the group the smile gone from his tone and his eyes, "As for being a racist, I really hope that you guys don't believe that." Kim noticed that several of them glanced down and she realized that maybe the idea had crossed their minds. She understood that many of them had wondered at how Kyle would deal with the racially balanced group of friends they had. Southerners did have a certain reputation after all. His gaze stopped to where Adam was looking down at the ground. "Not you too?" he protested. Then turning on his heels, he walked off muttering to himself, "I guess, I just got a lesson in prejudice."
"I think maybe we all did," Billy said to the group. "I myself have to confess to a certain reticence about Kyle's feelings on the issues of race among us. I think that whereas we tend to recognize each other as being of different ethnic backgrounds, and embrace those differences, perhaps we felt that being from the South, he was incapable of it."
"I'll go talk to him," Adam said, but Jason stopped him. "No I think I should. He's gone out of his way to defend Billy and me, and this was a poor way for us to repay him." Kimberly watched as the Red Ranger headed off after Kyle.
Rocky looked over at Adam with a questioning look, "What was that all about Bro? I know you've been spending a lot of time with him. . .," the tall Hispanic youth suddenly stopped mid-sentence as something seemed to dawn on him, "You," he pointed in the general direction that Kyle and Jason went, "him" he pointed back to Adam and then shook his head, "oh, man, this is going to be one interesting year. The school's star athlete, the genius, and my best friend are all gay. . .," his speech deteriorated into Spanglish- which was a sure sign that he was upset.
"Rocky," Adam began.
"Look Bro," Rocky held up his hands, "I've got to have some time to think about this, okay?" He headed off by himself.
"Why do I get the impression I just missed something important," Katherine commented.
"It's a very long story, Katherine," Billy told her. "Most of it has to do with agreements made while we were in the Gray."
"In the Gray?" Zack asked.
Billy nodded, and checked his watch. "Why don't we all sit down and we'll catch you up as much as we can. We've still got a little time before first bell."
*************************************************************
"Kyle, wait up," Jason called after the raven-haired Yellow Ranger. "We need to talk."
Kyle stopped, turned and looked up at him, and for just a second, Jase could have sworn he saw the tracks of tear shaped shadows down his face. "What do you want, Scott?" The pain and hurt in his voice hit Jason like a hammer.
"To apologize for one," Jason told him. "To thank you for another," he said more softly.
"What for?" Kyle asked.
"For standing up for me and Billy," Jason told him.
"I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done. . .," Kyle broke off and both boys realized that Jason had failed to do just that.
"Tommy didn't mean anything by what he said," Jase told him. He knew Tommy well enough to know that what he'd said was meant in jest, it just got really serious before anybody realized it. "He was trying to tease you, and I guess it blew up in our faces. I guess it pointed out that maybe we have some prejudices ourselves."
Kyle nodded and smiled weakly, "You can say that again." He got serious, "Do you really think I might believe that the color of a person's skin, or the shape of their eyes, or the texture of their hair makes a difference to me. Do you really think of me as some kind of half-educated country bumpkin who still thinks he's living in the nineteenth century?"
Jase shook his head, "Of course not, Kyle. I think it's sort of like Tommy said, it's the accent. Like he said, it's not right, but it does have a certain imagery that goes with it."
Kyle nodded, "When you hear a Spanish accent does that make you think the person might be an illegal immigrant? When you hear someone with an Asian accent do you think of them as being smarter than most people? What about when you hear Ebonics, does that make you think that person is a violent gang-banger?"
Jason shook his head and thought about Kyle's question, "No, not really, I guess."
"But it's okay to feel that way about a Southern or Appalachian accent?"
"No it's not, Kyle." Jason shook his head, "And it took you to point that out to us. I guess in some ways we've let television and movies set our prejudices for us. Now we've got to rethink about some of the things we've always taken for granted."
Kyle smiled and sat down, "At least you're thinking." He shook his head, "You know it's sort of funny. I went to Ms. Stone this morning with a problem that I really should have taken to Ms. Hayes, but I was more comfortable with her." He shook his head, "I guess that was my own prejudices coming through. She's a Southerner, and don't tell her this because she'd probably kick my ass, but in some ways she reminds me of my Grandma. You know, the Southern Matriarch who always looks out for her charges and rules the family with a velvet fist."
"Nothing wrong with that," Jase told him. "There are some problems I take to my dad because I'm more comfortable talking to him and others I go to mom about. I guess we discuss problems with the people we feel the most comfortable." He shrugged, "Just be glad you've got someone to listen to you."
Kyle laughed, "There is that. God only knows, I'd never have gone to my mom about anything."
Jason watched his friend struggle with loss and pain. He wondered just how much Kyle had given up for being honest with himself and the world, and he wondered if it would cost him as much. "Im afraid there's more involved than just me though isn't there."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kyle protested too quickly.
"Adam," was all Jason said.
"Adam," Kyle repeated. "Yeah, I guess the idea that he would have thought that about me hurt too."
"It wasn't conscious, Kyle. It wasn't he did- any of us did- it on purpose. I know it's no excuse, but now that we know the reaction is there, all we can do is promise to check it." Jason told him.
"Jason, what do I have to do to prove that I'm not those things?" Kyle asked. It was obvious that the boy was reaching out his new friends in a way that Jase couldn't understand. He needed something, but Jason wasn't sure what it was, and didn't know how to give it to him, or even if he could.
"Kyle, you don't have to prove anything to us. It's us that need to prove to you that we don't think ill of you." Jason shook his head. "It's our failing, not yours, and it's something WE have to overcome."
"That's easy for you to say, Jason. You didn't just find out that the guy you would really like to get to know better thinks you might be a bigot, for no other reason than my accent is a couple centuries behind yours."
"Huh?" Jason asked. "I'm sorry, but that went right over my head. The couple of centuries thing, that is."
Kyle smiled at him, "The reason the Appalachian accent sounds the way it does, is because for almost four hundred years, the settlers in the area were extremely isolated." He laughed, "Did you know that because the area was so cut off from the rest of the country, that as late as the nineteen- seventies there were sections of Eastern Kentucky that were so isolated you could hear Elizabethan English spoken as it was in Elizabeth's day?"
Jason shook his head, "Can't say that I did."
Kyle continued, "Most of what we know of old Scottish, Irish, and English folksongs, culture, and language comes from the fact that those things got preserved in Appalachia, and were only recently re-discovered."
Jason shook his head "You learn something new every day." He put a hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder, "We're sorry, Kyle. I'm sorry."
Kyle smiled over at him and said, "Thanks." He shook his head, "But I'll let you in on a secret."
"What's that?"
"My GPA is three point nine, not exactly Billy's four-oh, but pretty darn close." Kyle told him.
"Okay, so you're not Jethro Bodine," Jase told him.
Kyle laughed, "Nope, a double naought spy I'm not."
"Come on, let's head back and see what everyone else is up to," he put an arm around Kyle's shoulder.
*****************************************************************
"So that's pretty much the whole story," Billy finished filling in Zack and the rest of the new Rangers about their adventures. Zack couldn't believe that Trini would give up like that, or that someone else could so easily slip in to fill her place. He had to admit that Kyle was pretty cool, and was definitely protective of his new friends, but he still felt just a little jolt at the idea of someone else wearing the Yellow. Of course, he also had to deal with the fact that Aisha was closer to the same Ranger that Trini was, than Kyle. She after all carried Trini's Power Coin.
"So you guys don't need a Power Coin anymore?" Zack asked.
Kimberly shook her head, "No. But we had to make some pretty intense deals to come back and get another shot at the Kregar."
Zack thought about what Billy had said, and asked his old friend the original Blue Ranger, "What are the chances of you being able to read this Time Stream that the AI told you about?"
Billy shrugged, "With enough time to study it, I think I might be able to get some details about it. Why?"
"I was just wondering if you could get some information on this Covenant guy you were telling me about. Personally, I'd like to know what his stake in all this is."
Bill sat back and seemed to consider what Zack was saying. "I think Kevin and I working together might be able to come up with something."
"Kevin?" Zack asked.
"Yes, the Command Center's alternate AI personality," Billy told him. "I'll get him to start working on it, and we'll see what we can find out."
"Hey guys," Jason interrupted as he and Kyle approached.
"Sorry for storming off like that," Kyle said apologetically.
"No, we're sorry for making assumptions," Billy stood up and put a hand on Kyle's arm. "We found out some things about ourselves."
"Billy's right Bro," Tommy stood. "I'm sorry for the racist comment. It was out of line, and WAY off base, man."
"It's cool," Kyle said.
Zack thought about everything he heard before finally answering, "No it's not." He shook his head, "When I first moved here, it took a while for me to realize that there are people in this town to whom prejudice is just another word in the dictionary. It took people like Jason, and Trini to teach me that, and now, I find that I may not be one of those folks." He offered Kyle his hand, "I'm sorry too."
"I'm still not sure what all this all about," Katherine said, "but I'd appreciate it if you'd stick around for a while. I'd at least like to know why your accent is supposed to be something bad. It doesn't sound any stranger to me than everyone else's." She smiled.
Kyle laughed, "It's a long story. Let's just say my accent is the American rural equivalent of a Cockney accent."
"That bad?" Kat asked.
Kyle smiled, "A little worse actually." Then he let it drop.
"I'm sorry too, Kyle," Adam said stepping out from behind Zack.
Kyle gave him a long look, and to Zack's surprise, "You, you're not so easily forgiven. I thought you knew me better than that." He smiled and, softly reached out and touched Adam's face, "But, we can talk about that later."
*****************************************************************