Author's Note:
There are some pretty serious concepts disclosed here. If you're
squeamish, this may not be for you.
There are only a few chapters left as the Rangers realize what they are and what they are becoming. Some serious decisions must be made and this is the beginning of the end. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far, and I promise its going to be different before its over.
Danny
************************************************************** **************************************************************
Kyle had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. He was in a small cubical room barely ten feet across. The walls were bare gray, only broken by two small benches along them- he assumed they were supposed to double as beds. There wasn't even a door and he had no idea of how anyone was supposed to get in or out. The only light came from a white strip of material, perhaps ten inches wide that ran all the way around the walls just below the ceiling.
Rolling to his feet he felt the world spin around him, as his head lit up with an explosion of lights. Touching his brow, he gently probed the tender tissue there and feeling the hard crackling texture of dried blood. He must have hit his head pretty hard on the canopy. Looking down, he realized that he was wearing only his birthday suit.
Suddenly, a section of wall faded away, and Billy came tumbling through the newly formed opening. The Blue Ranger was bruised, battered and beaten. He was barely conscious and in the same state of dress as himself. There was something else about him, and odor. It was an almost animalistic spoor, and it set off cold anger in the pit of Kyle's stomach. As quickly as the opening appeared, it closed up, once again trapping the two teens in the room.
Carefully going over to his friend he gently laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, whispering softly, "Billy?"
Billy's reaction was unexpected and explosive. He lashed out at Kyle with a vicious kick, and screamed, "NO! No more! Please, no more!" The pleading broken sound of Billy's voice sent shivers down Kyle's spine even as he slammed into the far wall of the cell. Sliding down the wall, some part of his mind noted that Billy had scurried over to huddle whimpering in one corner.
Kyle was unsure of how long he lay there stunned. Surely, no longer than a couple of minutes because when he was capable of moving again, he noticed that Billy was still in the corner, trembling. Shaking the cobwebs from his brain, he gently called out across the room, "Billy?"
The form in the corner only trembled more violently.
He pitched his voice softer, "Bill, it's me, Kyle." He slowly got to his feet, wobbled a few steps before catching his equilibrium- even injured the Blue Ranger packed quite a punch- and sat down on the bench next to where Billy curled in the corner. "Talk to me man. Let me help."
For what seemed like an eternity, the only sounds coming from the huddle of broken flesh next to him were heart-rending sobs. Finally, perhaps an hour later- Kyle had no way of telling the passage of time- the sobbing stopped, and he saw Billy carefully peek his head out of the ball into which he'd rolled himself. Kyle noted that most of the bruises and abrasions on the Blue Ranger had healed themselves. He then realized that his own injuries felt much better as well. "Kyle?" Billy's voice was as much a plea for help as it was a question of who he was.
"I'm here, Bro," Kyle used the male Ranger's favorite appellation, and reached out and gently touched Billy's shoulder. The other boy seemed to cringe from the touch and pull back, so Kyle dropped his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you Bill."
"Kyle?" this time the voice was stronger, a little more in control, but Kyle could sense that any such control was paid for with sheer force of will.
"Yeah, Bro?" Kyle answered.
"It's Michael, he's here. Hayes was right, Kevin was right, he's a being of pure violence. He's insane. Don't let him take you. Don't let him do to you." his voice broke off as unbearable memories washed over his friend.
Kyle gently reached out and touched the back of Billy's hand in a gesture of comfort. Suddenly, he felt the world shift around him. Memories flooded over him; memories not his, but still part of him.
***** He was another raven-haired boy facing off with Michael. There was a cold anger deep in his gut, an anger that demanded the warmth of vengeance for what Michael had done to his team, his friends. Brandon was dead. Suzanne, Tracy, and even Bone were dead. Now it was just him and Michael, and he knew what as coming, what he was going to do. He knew that he was the last thing standing between Earth and Michael's forces.
He silently swore to whatever deity might be listening- swore on the souls of his friends, made a solemn covenant with God that he would not let Michael have his world. He was not going to let him turn his world into a launching point for a takeover of the multiverse. Only one of them was going to walk out of this fight, and he planned on it being him.
Michael's face glared at him from across the broad gray plane. He could see the insanity in his eyes, could see the power there too. Kyle could feel his other-self reach deep inside, draw on his will, on his anger, becoming stronger. They charged each other, clashed with a bone shattering power and grappled. Kyle could feel the force of their wills warp reality, change the very fabric of the universe as they hurled energies of a cosmic scale against each other.
However, his other-self had been born a mortal, had a mortal's sense of limitations, a mortal's understanding of the universe, and he was facing a being who'd been there when the world was created. He began to falter, he doubted himself, and then, his will went away, and with his will, his power, and then he was pinned.
Kyle lived through the violence of the beating. He felt every blow, and felt Michael bring his will to bear to heal the damage only to repeat the blow a second time. He felt the snapping of ribs and their subsequent repair- the bursting of internal organs only to have them reformed. Finally, he heard the ripping of cloth, the cool air of the void against his body. Then he felt the pain of the violation, the humiliation of being used for another's violent pleasure. He felt the force of Michael's body against him, saw the leering face, the cruel smile, and the insane eyes. Something in him reached out for help, to give him the will to fight what was happening to him.
Then he felt It. It was in the world around him. It was the struggle for life that every creature on earth felt during its fight to survive. It was the necessity that led the falcon to strike the rabbit, the deep abiding need that caused the wolf to chase the deer. It was pure and simple the desire to live, and the violence that made it possible. Without thought, he reached out and drew on that, felt Its power flow into his other-self, and his will flare back to life. For a split second, his Earth knew peace, as he took its anger and violence onto himself.
With a vicious kick, he flung Michael off his body and felt the tear of tissue as the Aphriem was torn from within his body. He kipped to his feet and Power flared within him. Before Michael could recover, his other-self charged forward and he was on the offensive.
The fight from that point on was one sided. The Power that flared within his other-self erupted into a violence to rival that of even the insane Michael. Under their clash, whole realities shook from the violence. In the end, he stood victorious over his tormentor's broken body cloaked in the shadows of his sorrow. Deep inside his soul, he knew it was a hollow victory. His world was now safe, but he knew even he didn't have the power to destroy such an elemental force as the one that lay at his feet. It was then that he understood what his vow earlier meant- that by taking the Power unto himself he'd made the Covenant unbreakable. He was now and forever, permanently part of the Power. He was now the Power that stood between Michael and all the realities that he would conquer. It had cost too much though. Brandon, his first and only love, the other half of his soul, was dead. So were Tracy, Bone, and Suzanne. His life was empty, devoid of love. *****
Kyle felt a loneliness echo trough his soul that brought tears to his eyes, as his mind suddenly shifted again.
***** This time he knew the body he was sharing- Billy. He felt the young genius's mind open to concepts and ideas so far beyond his realm of understanding as to be frightening. Before he could marvel at the beauty of his friend's mind he realized where he was- what he was facing and how it would end. He'd already seen the results of this encounter, and that made his blood boil. He felt every blow, every healing, relived the same violation that Billy felt as the process his other other-self felt. This time, there was no connection to the Power, no violent absorption to give him strength. There was only the quiet enduring strength that Billy already possessed. That and a deep faith that no matter what happened, his friends would save him. Kyle's connection to the Blue Ranger broke as he realized that his friends had failed Billy. That he'd failed him.
The anger inside him boiled, and erupted to the surface. He felt his body go cold as the Power flowed through him. He heard a single voice, a familiar voice that echoed throughout the Gray, "Do you accept this part of me?"
*******************************************************
There are only a few chapters left as the Rangers realize what they are and what they are becoming. Some serious decisions must be made and this is the beginning of the end. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far, and I promise its going to be different before its over.
Danny
************************************************************** **************************************************************
Kyle had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. He was in a small cubical room barely ten feet across. The walls were bare gray, only broken by two small benches along them- he assumed they were supposed to double as beds. There wasn't even a door and he had no idea of how anyone was supposed to get in or out. The only light came from a white strip of material, perhaps ten inches wide that ran all the way around the walls just below the ceiling.
Rolling to his feet he felt the world spin around him, as his head lit up with an explosion of lights. Touching his brow, he gently probed the tender tissue there and feeling the hard crackling texture of dried blood. He must have hit his head pretty hard on the canopy. Looking down, he realized that he was wearing only his birthday suit.
Suddenly, a section of wall faded away, and Billy came tumbling through the newly formed opening. The Blue Ranger was bruised, battered and beaten. He was barely conscious and in the same state of dress as himself. There was something else about him, and odor. It was an almost animalistic spoor, and it set off cold anger in the pit of Kyle's stomach. As quickly as the opening appeared, it closed up, once again trapping the two teens in the room.
Carefully going over to his friend he gently laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, whispering softly, "Billy?"
Billy's reaction was unexpected and explosive. He lashed out at Kyle with a vicious kick, and screamed, "NO! No more! Please, no more!" The pleading broken sound of Billy's voice sent shivers down Kyle's spine even as he slammed into the far wall of the cell. Sliding down the wall, some part of his mind noted that Billy had scurried over to huddle whimpering in one corner.
Kyle was unsure of how long he lay there stunned. Surely, no longer than a couple of minutes because when he was capable of moving again, he noticed that Billy was still in the corner, trembling. Shaking the cobwebs from his brain, he gently called out across the room, "Billy?"
The form in the corner only trembled more violently.
He pitched his voice softer, "Bill, it's me, Kyle." He slowly got to his feet, wobbled a few steps before catching his equilibrium- even injured the Blue Ranger packed quite a punch- and sat down on the bench next to where Billy curled in the corner. "Talk to me man. Let me help."
For what seemed like an eternity, the only sounds coming from the huddle of broken flesh next to him were heart-rending sobs. Finally, perhaps an hour later- Kyle had no way of telling the passage of time- the sobbing stopped, and he saw Billy carefully peek his head out of the ball into which he'd rolled himself. Kyle noted that most of the bruises and abrasions on the Blue Ranger had healed themselves. He then realized that his own injuries felt much better as well. "Kyle?" Billy's voice was as much a plea for help as it was a question of who he was.
"I'm here, Bro," Kyle used the male Ranger's favorite appellation, and reached out and gently touched Billy's shoulder. The other boy seemed to cringe from the touch and pull back, so Kyle dropped his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you Bill."
"Kyle?" this time the voice was stronger, a little more in control, but Kyle could sense that any such control was paid for with sheer force of will.
"Yeah, Bro?" Kyle answered.
"It's Michael, he's here. Hayes was right, Kevin was right, he's a being of pure violence. He's insane. Don't let him take you. Don't let him do to you." his voice broke off as unbearable memories washed over his friend.
Kyle gently reached out and touched the back of Billy's hand in a gesture of comfort. Suddenly, he felt the world shift around him. Memories flooded over him; memories not his, but still part of him.
***** He was another raven-haired boy facing off with Michael. There was a cold anger deep in his gut, an anger that demanded the warmth of vengeance for what Michael had done to his team, his friends. Brandon was dead. Suzanne, Tracy, and even Bone were dead. Now it was just him and Michael, and he knew what as coming, what he was going to do. He knew that he was the last thing standing between Earth and Michael's forces.
He silently swore to whatever deity might be listening- swore on the souls of his friends, made a solemn covenant with God that he would not let Michael have his world. He was not going to let him turn his world into a launching point for a takeover of the multiverse. Only one of them was going to walk out of this fight, and he planned on it being him.
Michael's face glared at him from across the broad gray plane. He could see the insanity in his eyes, could see the power there too. Kyle could feel his other-self reach deep inside, draw on his will, on his anger, becoming stronger. They charged each other, clashed with a bone shattering power and grappled. Kyle could feel the force of their wills warp reality, change the very fabric of the universe as they hurled energies of a cosmic scale against each other.
However, his other-self had been born a mortal, had a mortal's sense of limitations, a mortal's understanding of the universe, and he was facing a being who'd been there when the world was created. He began to falter, he doubted himself, and then, his will went away, and with his will, his power, and then he was pinned.
Kyle lived through the violence of the beating. He felt every blow, and felt Michael bring his will to bear to heal the damage only to repeat the blow a second time. He felt the snapping of ribs and their subsequent repair- the bursting of internal organs only to have them reformed. Finally, he heard the ripping of cloth, the cool air of the void against his body. Then he felt the pain of the violation, the humiliation of being used for another's violent pleasure. He felt the force of Michael's body against him, saw the leering face, the cruel smile, and the insane eyes. Something in him reached out for help, to give him the will to fight what was happening to him.
Then he felt It. It was in the world around him. It was the struggle for life that every creature on earth felt during its fight to survive. It was the necessity that led the falcon to strike the rabbit, the deep abiding need that caused the wolf to chase the deer. It was pure and simple the desire to live, and the violence that made it possible. Without thought, he reached out and drew on that, felt Its power flow into his other-self, and his will flare back to life. For a split second, his Earth knew peace, as he took its anger and violence onto himself.
With a vicious kick, he flung Michael off his body and felt the tear of tissue as the Aphriem was torn from within his body. He kipped to his feet and Power flared within him. Before Michael could recover, his other-self charged forward and he was on the offensive.
The fight from that point on was one sided. The Power that flared within his other-self erupted into a violence to rival that of even the insane Michael. Under their clash, whole realities shook from the violence. In the end, he stood victorious over his tormentor's broken body cloaked in the shadows of his sorrow. Deep inside his soul, he knew it was a hollow victory. His world was now safe, but he knew even he didn't have the power to destroy such an elemental force as the one that lay at his feet. It was then that he understood what his vow earlier meant- that by taking the Power unto himself he'd made the Covenant unbreakable. He was now and forever, permanently part of the Power. He was now the Power that stood between Michael and all the realities that he would conquer. It had cost too much though. Brandon, his first and only love, the other half of his soul, was dead. So were Tracy, Bone, and Suzanne. His life was empty, devoid of love. *****
Kyle felt a loneliness echo trough his soul that brought tears to his eyes, as his mind suddenly shifted again.
***** This time he knew the body he was sharing- Billy. He felt the young genius's mind open to concepts and ideas so far beyond his realm of understanding as to be frightening. Before he could marvel at the beauty of his friend's mind he realized where he was- what he was facing and how it would end. He'd already seen the results of this encounter, and that made his blood boil. He felt every blow, every healing, relived the same violation that Billy felt as the process his other other-self felt. This time, there was no connection to the Power, no violent absorption to give him strength. There was only the quiet enduring strength that Billy already possessed. That and a deep faith that no matter what happened, his friends would save him. Kyle's connection to the Blue Ranger broke as he realized that his friends had failed Billy. That he'd failed him.
The anger inside him boiled, and erupted to the surface. He felt his body go cold as the Power flowed through him. He heard a single voice, a familiar voice that echoed throughout the Gray, "Do you accept this part of me?"
*******************************************************