AN: Ah, you've decided to read my story, despite yet another cheesy
summary. Well, here it is, another Power Rangers tale. Yay! Hurrah!! Oh
great joy of all joys!! I wasn't sure if I' be writing anything in this
part of the world after I finished Flying Home (note the shameless plug),
but I did, and here it is. Please, be ever so kind and R&R, I would greatly
appreciate it. Puleeeaaaaze?
BTW, its kinda late, if the characters step out of character, forgive me. When I wake up, I shall try to pull them back. Also, I wrote this in separate chunks, so there might be awkwardness where I glued them together. But look Ma, no paste on my hands!
Back Where We Started By Eileen Blazer January 2003
Chapter One: The Tragedy
His footsteps were not loud by nature.
The shoes were soft, more like slippers, and crushed compliantly against the rough gravel of the street, and the noise of feet falling would have been easily drowned out by the shuffle of nocturnal animals, the distant hum of that 24-hour gas station, or the gentle roar of wind. But it was that dark hour of every night, when everything ceased to move, and a great silence fell over the world. In that void, every step was thunder.
An odd site he was too. He kept glancing over his shoulder, eyes wide and terrified, as though his greatest nightmares were at his heels, reaching out for him with clawing hands and razor teeth.
He ducked into an alley, and nearly slipped on pieces of sprinkled trash, random but slimy objects thrown asunder. A gasp came from his lips, as the man paused, his chest heaving. He'd been running faster than any normal human could, though whether that stemmed from his own fear or some special power given to him by a foreign source, was a question few could answer.
For a moment, he seemed to calm, and his muscles relaxed. Maybe, he seemed to think, maybe the danger had passed. 8 And then his chest stilled, the breath caught deep within, as one by one his hairs stood on end. His eyes shut tight, and a tremble took his body. He turned around, resigned, broken, defeated.
"So you've caught me."
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Kimberly was sitting, half reclined, at the base of a tall willow tree, a book dangling lazily from her fingers, her eyes trained on the sway of leaves. She should be doing something productive with her time; Coach Travis would be furious if he found her in such an inactive state.
Olympic-prospects don't let their bottoms atrophy all afternoon, they practice, they push themselves until they're ready to collapse, they skimp out on the Baskin Robin's treats.
Kimberly shoved the small, empty container of Mocha Fudge out of her sight. So what if she had a taste or ten of ice cream. What good was training as an athlete if it made her miserable all the time?
Before another of Coach Travis's speeches could rise to the top of her mind, Kimberly lifted the book and started reading. The distraction of a good romance novel was always welcome.
Tawny Rimes was about to admit to Blake that she'd loved him all along. So what if they were from different ends of the world, she, a cook at a small, family-owned restaurant; he was the millionaire playboy that had arranged to have the restaurant torn down to make way for the new mini-mall.
What was it about millionaire playboys that attracted women so much? Kimberly frowned, thinking. They were the obvious hero of any Daniel Steel, Harlequin Romance, but she'd never really gone for that type. Sure, like all the other girls she carried around pictures of her favorite, rich movie stars and drew horns on their escort-of-the-week, inevitably beautiful and thin.
But when it came to real love, the kind of heart-warming feeling that passed through your body like a piece of freshly baked apple pie, she preferred the more humble, sweet, shy guys.
Like Tommy Oliver, for instance. He was gorgeous, she knew that, and darn it if half the girls at Angel Grove High hadn't ogled him and sent Kim death glares when they used to walk down the halls together. But funny thing was, he didn't know. Not even when she spent a lunch period pointing out how Catherine Mines and Julie Carver wouldn't stop sneaking him 'sultry' looks when it seemed as though Kim was distracted.
He'd just kissed the top of her head, then her lips, and smiled. You're going crazy, Kim, but that's all right. I love you anyway.
And he did.
Of course there was Barry, Kim remembered as guilt churned in her stomach. Her boyfriend. The guy she should have been thinking about. He too was reserved and sweeter than a candied apple. Right. Barry. Boyfriend.
Whom she was supposed to call half an hour ago.
Groaning, Kimberly reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She checked her messages, rolling her eyes as Sandy Burnside recounted an argument with a cashier at Macy's, giggling as Jeremy the Team Clown gave his impression of Travis, and then frowned as Jason's, ex-Ranger, close friend Jason, voice came on the line.
He sounded hoarse and tired as he pleaded with her to take the first available flight back to California. It was an emergency. Everyone else was waiting.
Everyone else? The other Rangers? Or rather, the ex-Rangers? What would be so awful as to pull them all back to Angel Grove, while their current commitments still demanded attention? What would make him sound so haggard?
Kimberly stood up quickly, shoving her phone back into its place, and brushed off her skirt. The ice cream carton found its way into the garbage, before she jumped into car and sped away.
The pages of her forgotten book flittered with the wind, and then came to a close. It called to its owner, but she was long gone, already planning the fastest way to get to Angel Grove.
***************************
Barry Chase knocked on the door to his girlfriend's apartment, sighing to himself. He hadn't been able to contact her all day and confirm their date, but he knew well enough the consequences of standing her up, however accidental it may have been.
He once forgot a date, and went to a football game with friends. It took him a week of phone calls and American Beauties to gain forgiveness.
He knocked again, and slowly, the door opened. Sandy, Kim's roommate, stuck her head out.
"Barry? What do you want? I'm kinda in the middle of something." Soft music and the glow of candle lights suggested a date; Barry felt embarrassed.
"Is Kim ready?" He asked.
Sandy frowned. "Kim's not here."
Darn it. Now she should have to apologize for her absence. Barry stared at the singe rose in his hand. He looked up at Sandy. "Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah, I guess. She came home today and threw some stuff in a bag. Said she was going home."
"But this is her home."
"No, like really home. To California."
**********************
Kimberly was fortunate to have rich, powerful friends. Scotty Barkel, for instance, was the son of a Texan oilman, and always had access to the family jet in the event of emergencies. He also had a big heart, and was more than willing to escort her to California. She kissed his cheek and waved goodbye.
She stepped off the landing pad, and searched the ground for Jason's familiar face. She had called him from the jet, and arranged a meeting, but he was no where in sight.
Finally, a black, hanging head was seen, two hands supporting its weight. That was Jason, all right, judging from the red shirt. She hadn't realized until just then how much she missed him.
"JASON!!" She cried, rushing up to him, falling into his embrace.
His arms encircled her, almost clingingly, and the warm gush of his breath felt rather like a hair dryer on the back of his neck. Had he been holding his breath? It was all somehow unJason-like. What had happened to the quick, easy squeeze, the light punch on the shoulder? "Its good to see you, Kim."
"Yeah." She stared hard at him, noting the dark circles beneath his eyes, the tight line of his lips, the many wrinkles in his clothing. "Hey, you wanna tell me what's wrong now?"
She had asked him repeatedly on the jet; he had either evaded the question or outright refused to answer. But now, the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing into full-fledged fear. Something, she was sure, had seriously jolted Jason and she wanted to know what it was.
Jason jerked away suddenly, as though her arm had been lit on fire. He sighed and nodded. "Let's go sit down." He led her to a table. Judging from the black coat tossed across it, and the glass half full of water, it was where he had been waiting.
He pulled out her chair, then took the one next to it. Eyes downcast, he grabbed her hand, fidgeting with her fingers.
"This isn't going to turn into some wacky movie-like episode, where you admit to loving me all along and ask for my hand in marriage, is it?" Kim laughed, hoping to ease the tension.
Jason looked up at her, "I called you first, but I couldn't get through. The line was always busy."
She scrunched up her nose. "That's Sandy. I don't think she ever puts the phone down."
"So I called the cell, and left a message. And emailed you." He continued, as if making sure she knew that she had indeed been the first contacted. "After that, I called everyone else."
"Yeah, my computer's down. I think they locked the computer lab at Florida State over the vacation too. Its crazy, like people aren't going to need access to a computer just because the professors are gone? And its not like they don't have security around anyways. They have to really think about-"
"Kim," Jason said softly, interrupting her nervous blabber. "Its Tommy."
She shut up. Oh God, please, she thought. Don't let anything have happened to him.
"We found him yesterday afternoon."
He had fainted, she thought, trying to imagine what could make the brave man pass out. He had fallen and broken a leg, and spent all all morning trying to reach the phone.
"He didn't show up to work the day before yesterday. His boss didn't think anything about it, even though he didn't call. Yesterday he was gone again. The boss got worried and called his house but there was no answer. A mutual friend asked me to warn Tommy - was going to be fired if he didn't call in sick. I went down to his house and...went inside. He was still in bed, but- "
"Tom's sick? I could've sent you my recipe for chicken soup. You didn't need to call me all the way over here." She was being silly, Kim knew. Jason wouldn't have called her across the country to spoon feed Tommy Oliver soup. But something inside told her she didn't want to hear the end of the story.
"Kimberly, he wasn't breathing."
Oh God. She gasped, and stuck her hand in her mouth. "But you did CPR. You got him to start breathing again on his own. He's all right now, right? We just need to gather round him for support."
Jason's face was twisted in pain. "Jase, tell me Tommy's okay. Please?" A tear dripped down his eye.
"We tried, the paramedics tried, even the doctors tried. Kim...Tommy's dead."
All emotion slipped away from her face, as though the expression she wore was no more than oil. Then her voice turned cold and unforgiving. "That's not a very funny joke."
"I know how you're feeling Kim. I wanted to tell you, before you saw the others."
"You're lying!"
He reached for her, but she yanked herself away. "Why are you lying to me, Jason? Why?"
Tommy couldn't be dead. They had survived the terrifying: monsters, evil forces from another galaxy, giant, living dinosaur bones. And he had died on his own bed, alone? No!
"I know it hurts Kim."
"Like hell you do!" She cried, standing up, drawing attention and not caring. "Don't lie to me anymore!"
Jason, one of her oldest, closest, dearest friends, her surrogate big brother, just came closer and crushed her in a hug, fighting off her flailing, protesting hands.
Eventually, they stood together, holding on to each other, crying. Mourning the death of one Thomas Oliver.
*******************************
Chapter Two: The Strange
He woke up to darkness.
It was all around, everywhere he looked. No single, microscopic ray of light was to been seen. He was blind, and chained to some wall. His arms tugged on their bonds, testing the strength of the cold metal that held them. His feet were free, but unsturdy, wobbly, as though he might crumble like an old cookie at any second.
Was this his fate? To languish until his death? Of all the times he'd missed his the Power, this definitely topped the list.
He imagined himself like Samson, the once strong hero now shaved of his strength, halfway to his death. Only he didn't have God to pour the power back in him; the Power he once possessed was with someone else, fighting another battle. If he died, there would be no great collapse of his prison, just the remains of a weak man.
He had his Delilah too. The murderous, treacherous, villainous wench had indeed been real for him. When he thought about the lies that had spilled from her like hot water from a tea pot, the blind faith he'd had, it made him sick.
Why hadn't he trusted his heart, like he'd wanted to? Why had he been so quick to swallow her stories, ignoring the queasy feeling they gave him?
He heard a sound, and his gaze rose a few feet, or maybe a few dozen feet, it was difficult to tell. But then a light, a precious, golden, beautiful light sprayed into his cage.
It lit up another pair of shackles, across from him. He frowned, slow to realize the meaning. Then it occurred to him. They weren't done. Someone, a friend, a fellow Ranger, was next.
He wanted to warn them. To scream at the top of his lungs. Watch out for her. She's dangerous. A liar. A monster.
Don't let her get you.
She's one of them.
*********************************
Kimberly Ann Hart slid the door open and was greeted by a sea of faces. Some small, round, with eyelashes moist from tears, like fresh petals covered in dew. Others were older, worn, creased, and tired. Among these she counted her friends, the Rangers of yesterday, and sought their companionship.
They were united for Tommy's rosary.
Behind her, Jason shut the door and, after patting a random child on the shoulder, regained his place at her side. Trini, sitting in the front pew, having abandoned her beloved offered yellow in favor of black, offered her a weak smile, and then Zack, Aisha, Adam, and Rocky all came up to hug her, and Jason. Over in the far corner of the pew, Katherine sort of waved, but left one arm slung over a brunette girl, who had a tissue covering her face.
It felt so surreal, like a nightmare that she couldn't wake up to. Dead. That wasn't a word people like her used; it was a menacing shadow, nothing more.
Tommy.
She had loved him for so long, until it seemed that he was an extension of her, rather than a separate entity. And God forgive her, she had been scared. Frightened that she would drown in her love for the gentle man. So scared, she took the easy way out. She left him, broke away, forced herself to fall for Barry.
And now she would never have the chance to set things right.
She would never, ever, get to see his smile, hear his laugh, dance with him along the patio of her mother's home in France. She wouldn't even get the satisfaction of knowing that he was happy. Because he was dead. Gone. Forever.
"Would you like to see him?" Jason whispered, and she nodded, numbly. She had cried so long and hard, until only an empty space remained inside. They walked the long path, to the big white gold-trimmed casket.
Kimberly dropped to her knees and caught his cold hand in hers. Who would've thought that was how their days of holding hands would come to an end? The empty, hollow place inside of her seemed to widen, stretch, and she imagined it would swallow her from the inside out.
Her fingers moved away a stray strand of hair, placing the brown lock behind his ear.
She paused, noting that the mole he'd always had, just before the lobe, wasn't there. Wrong ear, perhaps? An awkward feeling passed through her, but before it could be explained Katherine and the girl walked up.
Her blonde friend nudged her side. "Kim, are you all right?" Her voice was thick with an Australian accent.
"No."
Kat, arms folded, face puffy and swollen from too many tears, sighed. Kimberly looked her over, the knee-length black dress, gobs of blonde hair tied back in a simple pony-tail. After a moment, she spoke.
"How are you holding up?" She asked, with genuine concern. But was that her voice shaking?
"I'll be all right, I guess. I'm a bit more worried about Gwen." Kat frowned. "You don't know her, do you?"
"No." Normally that would be her cue to introduce herself. But she was standing feet away from Tommy's casket, and all will had left her. She wanted only to lay down and cry.
Kat knew this. She patted her arm gently. "We'll talk about her later." Soon, they all took their seats.
************************************
Ernie's place had finally closed down, just months before, yet it seemed fitting to meet there. That was, after all, the spot that spawned a million smiles, frowns, and whimsical laughter during their days as Rangers.
The place Zordon had first spied the original team, according to Alpha. And where they'd first encountered Thomas Oliver, the smiling, focused fighter who finally dethroned Jason as the reigning Martial Arts Champion of Angel Grove. How many times had the girls exchanged looks, while Bulk and Skull tried to hit on them? Tommy would put a stop to it though, by walking in and throwing an arm around Kimberly, kissing her cheek.
Her hand dusted off a stool, and she slid in. Trini did likewise.
"Remember that day, when Tommy gave you that necklace and it fell into someone's glass of orange juice?" Trini said.
"Mmm. And we went around shoving our hands into people's glasses before they could drink it."
"And," Zack added, resting his elbows on the counter. "it ended up in Bulk's Orange Pineapple Delight.
Kimberly laughed. "They offered to give it back to us in exchange for all information we have about the Rangers."
"If they only knew."
The former Red Ranger dragged another stool closer, to join their conversation. "Tom got it back though." The rest of the gang filled in the empty spaces, so that they formed a tight, if somewhat crooked, circle.
Kat shook her head in disbelief. "Its hard to believe last week we were watching him charm a cook into adding strawberries to our sundaes for free. I never thought anyone could love them so much."
Kim looked up sharply. "Tommy never ate strawberries."
"Maybe his tastes changed." Adam suggested, also remembering the day Tommy seemed to inhale the small red fruit.
"No, he was allergic. I once made him a cake with, like, a single slice and he broke out in hives five minutes later."
"Oh." An awkward silence fell over the group. What an odd contradiction.
"If Tommy were here, he'd probably break the silence by launching into a description of the latest martial arts techniques."
"Remember that time Billy, Tommy,and you Jase, dressed up like cheerleaders for the school rally, and Kim tried to teach you guys to make a pyramid." Trini shot him a glance. "I'd never seen such talented men become so uncoordinated."
"Thank God I was sick with the flu." Zack said.
"You try to do it with golf balls stuffed in your shirt. Not even Billy's brain could save us."
"I wish we could call him. He should be here."
Tanya, having fallen silent, chose this time to speak. "I can't see Tommy in a dress. I didn't think he'd be the type to do that sort of thing."
"I think," Jason said, "Tommy usually did things he didn't really want to, to impress someone."
Tanya considered. "But Kat spent half and hour once trying to convince him to wear the lobster suit for Halloween and he wouldn't even try it on. Who would he want to impress more than his girlfriend?" Everyone who knew the answer shut their mouths, some sending sympathetic glances to Kat.
Meanwhile, Kimberly was having a hard time moving past the strawberry incident. She was sure that he couldn't eat them. It rather reminded her of Mission Impossible 2, where Tom Cruise dressed up the bad guy's lackey, so that he'd die in his place. The villian hadn't been able to tell the difference. Wouldn't it be odd, if the same sort of thing had happened to him?
The conversation didn't stop for Kim to catch up, it kept going round and around, like the train in the mall, circling all the memories of the deceased friend anyone could think of.
"My sister," Adam was saying as Kim shoved the doubtful thoughts away, "told me that all the little kids at the Martial Arts Center thought Tom was the greatest. He'd help them with their homework all the time, and then teach them 'really cool moves'"
"'Cept for last week." Tanya muttered. "And that whole Excaliber deal."
"Oh my God, they shouldn't give kids questions that we can't answer.
"What was the question," Trini asked.
"What was Excaliber and why was it so important, or something like that. Tommy had to go look it up in an Encyclopedia. It took forever to find the complete answer."
The orginal Pink Ranger tilted her head. That too was odd. She pulled on the sleeve of her friend. "Something's wrong, Trini."
Her voice was so quiet and eerie, that everyone else stopped to listen. Trini, knowing her best friend was taking it the worst, assuming their attempts to keep the memories happy had failed, endeavored to console her. "I know, Everything is going crazy. But someday it'll be all right. We'll just have to wait and hope it gets better."
Kimberly sighed, wondering if she should just stop talking. Wasn't it all nonsense anyway? The ravings of a mad, sad woman? But her mouth move of his own accord. "That's not what I meant. It's almost sometimes the guy being described isn't really Tommy."
"Almost, I know. You're right about the strawberries. But it was him. We all saw him."
True. She was acting like an idiot. A crazy idiot. Or was she? It was madness, true, but hell, they fought evil space aliens and talked to a giant head who gave them super powers! Weren't they passed that 'impossible' stage? Most people would think that travesing to another planet to seek out an ancient ninja force, talking to a woman that later turned to an owl, and destroying giant, ugly birds was 'impossible'. Or would have, before the Ranger made their debut on modern day society. "Maybe not..."
"What are you saying?"
"Maybe...guys," A bright smile illuminated her face, dazzling the group of friends who had recently grown unaccustomed to such happiness. "Maybe he's not dead." There was always hope. Wasn't there?
"Kim, come on-."
"No, really. Something's obviously wrong with this whole picture. I mean, eating fruit that should've killed him on the spot, not knowing the what Excaliber was? Guys, We saw the movie together a million times. Tommy loved it. He idolized King Arthur. He could recite the book. And he always had a mole beneath his left ear. When I looked at the body, it wasn't there. And I have this feeling I haven't been able to shake. We should investigate. If the real Tom is alive, then we need to find him."
Kat rolled her eyes, growing impatient with Kim's behavior. Her nerves were too frayed to deal with hopeless optimism. "Sit down, Kimberly. You're not making anyone feel better."
"I'm serious! Besides, Zordon was just about dead and we pulled him back. Why couldn't we do the same for Tom? We didn't even try."
Tanya, the only one who had as many strangers in the room as friends and had never really knew the original Pink Ranger, bit her own finger and gestured to the room. "We're not exactly Rangers anymore, are we? He's dead. Its over."
"But maybe-"
"KIM!" Kat stood up, frustrated. "I don't know why you won't accept it! I don't know if you're just trying to make up for what you did, or if you're going crazy, or what, but the rest of us are suffering just as bad." She crumpled back down into the chair. "I just want this all to be over. Just let it end."
Unfortunately, that wasn't something Kimberly was prepared to do. She sighed a great big sigh, giving everyone a chance to breath and think things over. She was asking an awful lot of them, hope for a dead friend.
Presently, she spoke again, in a much softer voice. "I'm going to the funeral home to investigate. Is anyone coming with me?" She waited for that old camaraderie to kick back in, and for the team to pull together like always. Tough times made for tough people, wasn't that the way things were supposed to work?
But no one was willing to even meet her eye.
She walked up to Jason. "Will you come with me?" He sighed and rubbed his face. The tired, worn look had returned. The ex-Red Ranger placed his arms on hers.
"Kimberly, we're all hurting. But I thought we were past pretending that it wasn't true. We can't save him like all those other times."
Kimberly broke away, hurt, doubtful. Was he right? Was this just another attempt to cope with the ocean of sorrow that crashed through her heart? But Tommy wouldn't have surrendered, she knew. He would have searched for the answers, until he was absolutely certain.
***************************
She didn't need their help. Not really. She was as able as any other them, and obviously the only one willing to fight.
But Rocky caught up with her. He was in his car, the window rolled down. "Let me drive you." He said.
"Did they send you to watch out for me? Gotta make sure poor delusional Kim doesn't accidentally hurt herself chasing ghosts, right?"
"No. I came on my own. I want to help you. That's what Rangers do, isn't it? We help each other?"
She smiled wryly. "Technically, we save the world from bad guys bent on world destruction and or domination."
"You know what I mean. Look, just get in the car, it'll go a lot faster that way."
She didn't answer.
"Kim, I'm wasting tons of gas. I'm a poor man. If you don't get in this car, I'm gonna go broke refilling it."
"How do I know you won't just drive me back to Ernie's?"
Rocky opened his mouth to reassure her, but thought better of it. Instead, he began telling a story. "A week before...he died, we were all having some soda at my house, and my kid sister announced she had just been diagnosed with the chicken pox. It was no big deal, but Tommy made some comment about being relieved he already had had it."
Kimberly stopped walking, understanding what he meant. "We both heard him say he'd never caught it. Just after we'd saved Zordon. We were sworn to absolute secrecy. He didn't want to jinx himself and catch it after all."
"That's right." Rocky answered. He paused. "Get in the car, Kim. Let me help you."
That's just what she did. Once inside, they tried talking to use up time and hide from their own doubts.
"So who was that Gwen person I met today?"
"She's new. There's kinda a crazy story behind her appearance, actually."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well, it all started about a month ago...
....They found her one night, sitting atop Tommy's car, cross-legged, back resting against his windshield. She was a strange sight from the beginning, with a river of curly brown hair and clear blue eyes.
It was Kat who first approached her, filled with as much confusion as suspicion. "What are you doing?"
The girl seemed to awaken from a trance, as she tilted her head and grinned, revealing a perfect white smile. She tossed two legs over the end of the care and landed neatly on the ground. "Katherine of Pink." She stuck out her hand. "I am Gwen of the colorless. I have been waiting for you. All of you."
The ex-Rangers, Kat included, fell back a few steps, automatically wary of anyone who even hinted at their former Ranger status. "What do you want?" Tommy asked, still the leader. "And how much do you know?"
She took no offense at the harshness in his voice, nor at the questions themselves; her cheerful smile did not diminish. Rather it grew in size. "I know many things, Thomas of Green, White, and Red...but perhaps mostly White, no? I seek asylum on your planet and have been told to find you."
There was a pause, and then they relaxed, just a bit. Tommy got closer, staring at her, as if trying to read her true intentions.
"Who are you," He finally asked.
"Gwenali. I have no other name. I run from the authorities of my planet -the name cannot be pronounced easily by a human tongue, and I fear your ears are not attuned to the right frequency. I am a fugitive; I...refused marriage to the prince of my people, a crime punishable by death. I ran, naturally, and was told that you are very kind in such matters. I hoped to ask for your aid, or at least refuge."
Adam stepped up, eying her. There was something that just didn't click, a small detail that was scratching at the back of his mind to be freed. Something was amiss. "How do we know you aren't lying?" He was almost certain she was.
"Adam of Black, you are rightly concerned. I understand. Yet I carry nothing and have only my word, straight from my heart to your ears.
"We aren't Rangers anymore," Reminded Tanya. "We can't really protect her. Maybe we should send her to the new team."
"That's all right," Gwen stated. "I seek you people, not so much the uniforms you once wore. I was briefed on you, by a stranger, given your names and colors, and told that no better help could be found in all the galaxy. Sometimes, a good heart is more than enough to win a battle. Do you not agree, Thomas of White?"
He didn't answer. What did she mean? Was she referring to his internal battle, the war that had been begun by Rita but ended because of his love for Ki -his friends, Tommy thought? Few of his current companions knew of his time as the evil Green Ranger. It wasn't a time he was particularly proud of, but always did remind him of the power of love.
"We can't just turn her away," Rocky muttered.
"How do you know she'd not another one of them? Hello, this is like perfect revenge for the bad guys. Ever hear of the Trojan Horse?"
"Maybe if we take her to the new Rangers, just to scan her..."
"We shouldn't be deciding on the sidewalk at night. Can't we put her somewhere until morning?"
Tommy silenced them all with his stern voice. "Come on guys. She's asking for our help. Rocky's right, we can't send her back out there alone, to be captured. And who are we to judge." He turned to his oldest, closest friend of the current bunch.
"You trusted me even after I tried to kill you. Kat, we did the same for you. This girl is already that much more innocent than us. I say, we help her out as best we can."
Everyone else, though not entirely convinced, abided by his decision...
....And that's how we met her. After a few days, though, we all started liking her. She's a sweet kid, really. I just hope those guys don't come after her here." Rocky tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Tommy always did know the right thing to do."
His companion shook her head. "No, he didn't." She thought about the man who'd broken her heart once and never quite forgave himself. His voice -the world doesn't revolve around you. Yet he had been right. It had stung so much at the time; how much more had it hurt him to receive that letter? "But he was better because of it."
She wiped tears from her face. "He's alive, Rocky. I know he is. I have this weird feeling, you know? I used to get it all the time, back when I first moved to Florida. It was this weird tingling, like he was in danger and it was time for me to morph." She sniffled. "I feel that way now. Like he needs us."
They pulled into the long driveway, and the doors unlocked with a snap. Rocky examined the black doors. "Here we are."
"Yup."
"Do you really think there's hope?"
She opened the door. "I hope so." ******************************** A man in strange clothing watched them with interest, from his high perch, his hands itching to press the button and call them to his side, to join in their sorrow, and relish in their hope. He belonged with them, after all.
But there were more pressing matters to attend to, before they could see him. So many small details to work out. His hands skimmed across the dials and buttons with ease, turning on that, erasing that.
Yes, for the moment he would have to put his own emotions on hold. They would find their way to him soon. Very soon.
********************************************************
"They're looking for you, Tommy. At least some of them."
He raised his head and felt grim satisfaction seep in.
"They won't find you. They don't even know where to look."
"Is she looking?"
"Yes."
"Stay away from her, or I swear-"
"Threats, Thomas?"
"Or I swear you'll pay."
"I don't know why you have to make this so difficult. We don't want to hurt you."
"Right. The pain is just an accident? Every time it happens."
"It wouldn't hurt if you didn't struggle."
"Right. Now you're telling the truth. This time I can trust you." His voice was thick with bitterness.
She shrugged. "There's nothing else I can tell you. I'm sorry it happened this way. But we can't change who we are. This is who I am." Then she vanished through a door and left him alone in the darkness.
***********************
Bwahahahahaha! I finished two chapters. Count 'em, not one, but TWO!! Hurrah! This last chapter was like bugging me all kinds, so instead of just posting One, like I was all set to do, I wrote this out, and decided to post them at the same time. One just felt lonely by itself. ANYwho, please r&r. Please?
Must...have...reviews...or...else...will...lack...enough...ener...gy...to... type...chapters...
Questions? Comments? Coconuts? I'm at Eileenblzr@yahoo.com Seeya later, same Ranger Time, same Ranger station.
BTW, its kinda late, if the characters step out of character, forgive me. When I wake up, I shall try to pull them back. Also, I wrote this in separate chunks, so there might be awkwardness where I glued them together. But look Ma, no paste on my hands!
Back Where We Started By Eileen Blazer January 2003
Chapter One: The Tragedy
His footsteps were not loud by nature.
The shoes were soft, more like slippers, and crushed compliantly against the rough gravel of the street, and the noise of feet falling would have been easily drowned out by the shuffle of nocturnal animals, the distant hum of that 24-hour gas station, or the gentle roar of wind. But it was that dark hour of every night, when everything ceased to move, and a great silence fell over the world. In that void, every step was thunder.
An odd site he was too. He kept glancing over his shoulder, eyes wide and terrified, as though his greatest nightmares were at his heels, reaching out for him with clawing hands and razor teeth.
He ducked into an alley, and nearly slipped on pieces of sprinkled trash, random but slimy objects thrown asunder. A gasp came from his lips, as the man paused, his chest heaving. He'd been running faster than any normal human could, though whether that stemmed from his own fear or some special power given to him by a foreign source, was a question few could answer.
For a moment, he seemed to calm, and his muscles relaxed. Maybe, he seemed to think, maybe the danger had passed. 8 And then his chest stilled, the breath caught deep within, as one by one his hairs stood on end. His eyes shut tight, and a tremble took his body. He turned around, resigned, broken, defeated.
"So you've caught me."
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Kimberly was sitting, half reclined, at the base of a tall willow tree, a book dangling lazily from her fingers, her eyes trained on the sway of leaves. She should be doing something productive with her time; Coach Travis would be furious if he found her in such an inactive state.
Olympic-prospects don't let their bottoms atrophy all afternoon, they practice, they push themselves until they're ready to collapse, they skimp out on the Baskin Robin's treats.
Kimberly shoved the small, empty container of Mocha Fudge out of her sight. So what if she had a taste or ten of ice cream. What good was training as an athlete if it made her miserable all the time?
Before another of Coach Travis's speeches could rise to the top of her mind, Kimberly lifted the book and started reading. The distraction of a good romance novel was always welcome.
Tawny Rimes was about to admit to Blake that she'd loved him all along. So what if they were from different ends of the world, she, a cook at a small, family-owned restaurant; he was the millionaire playboy that had arranged to have the restaurant torn down to make way for the new mini-mall.
What was it about millionaire playboys that attracted women so much? Kimberly frowned, thinking. They were the obvious hero of any Daniel Steel, Harlequin Romance, but she'd never really gone for that type. Sure, like all the other girls she carried around pictures of her favorite, rich movie stars and drew horns on their escort-of-the-week, inevitably beautiful and thin.
But when it came to real love, the kind of heart-warming feeling that passed through your body like a piece of freshly baked apple pie, she preferred the more humble, sweet, shy guys.
Like Tommy Oliver, for instance. He was gorgeous, she knew that, and darn it if half the girls at Angel Grove High hadn't ogled him and sent Kim death glares when they used to walk down the halls together. But funny thing was, he didn't know. Not even when she spent a lunch period pointing out how Catherine Mines and Julie Carver wouldn't stop sneaking him 'sultry' looks when it seemed as though Kim was distracted.
He'd just kissed the top of her head, then her lips, and smiled. You're going crazy, Kim, but that's all right. I love you anyway.
And he did.
Of course there was Barry, Kim remembered as guilt churned in her stomach. Her boyfriend. The guy she should have been thinking about. He too was reserved and sweeter than a candied apple. Right. Barry. Boyfriend.
Whom she was supposed to call half an hour ago.
Groaning, Kimberly reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She checked her messages, rolling her eyes as Sandy Burnside recounted an argument with a cashier at Macy's, giggling as Jeremy the Team Clown gave his impression of Travis, and then frowned as Jason's, ex-Ranger, close friend Jason, voice came on the line.
He sounded hoarse and tired as he pleaded with her to take the first available flight back to California. It was an emergency. Everyone else was waiting.
Everyone else? The other Rangers? Or rather, the ex-Rangers? What would be so awful as to pull them all back to Angel Grove, while their current commitments still demanded attention? What would make him sound so haggard?
Kimberly stood up quickly, shoving her phone back into its place, and brushed off her skirt. The ice cream carton found its way into the garbage, before she jumped into car and sped away.
The pages of her forgotten book flittered with the wind, and then came to a close. It called to its owner, but she was long gone, already planning the fastest way to get to Angel Grove.
***************************
Barry Chase knocked on the door to his girlfriend's apartment, sighing to himself. He hadn't been able to contact her all day and confirm their date, but he knew well enough the consequences of standing her up, however accidental it may have been.
He once forgot a date, and went to a football game with friends. It took him a week of phone calls and American Beauties to gain forgiveness.
He knocked again, and slowly, the door opened. Sandy, Kim's roommate, stuck her head out.
"Barry? What do you want? I'm kinda in the middle of something." Soft music and the glow of candle lights suggested a date; Barry felt embarrassed.
"Is Kim ready?" He asked.
Sandy frowned. "Kim's not here."
Darn it. Now she should have to apologize for her absence. Barry stared at the singe rose in his hand. He looked up at Sandy. "Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah, I guess. She came home today and threw some stuff in a bag. Said she was going home."
"But this is her home."
"No, like really home. To California."
**********************
Kimberly was fortunate to have rich, powerful friends. Scotty Barkel, for instance, was the son of a Texan oilman, and always had access to the family jet in the event of emergencies. He also had a big heart, and was more than willing to escort her to California. She kissed his cheek and waved goodbye.
She stepped off the landing pad, and searched the ground for Jason's familiar face. She had called him from the jet, and arranged a meeting, but he was no where in sight.
Finally, a black, hanging head was seen, two hands supporting its weight. That was Jason, all right, judging from the red shirt. She hadn't realized until just then how much she missed him.
"JASON!!" She cried, rushing up to him, falling into his embrace.
His arms encircled her, almost clingingly, and the warm gush of his breath felt rather like a hair dryer on the back of his neck. Had he been holding his breath? It was all somehow unJason-like. What had happened to the quick, easy squeeze, the light punch on the shoulder? "Its good to see you, Kim."
"Yeah." She stared hard at him, noting the dark circles beneath his eyes, the tight line of his lips, the many wrinkles in his clothing. "Hey, you wanna tell me what's wrong now?"
She had asked him repeatedly on the jet; he had either evaded the question or outright refused to answer. But now, the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing into full-fledged fear. Something, she was sure, had seriously jolted Jason and she wanted to know what it was.
Jason jerked away suddenly, as though her arm had been lit on fire. He sighed and nodded. "Let's go sit down." He led her to a table. Judging from the black coat tossed across it, and the glass half full of water, it was where he had been waiting.
He pulled out her chair, then took the one next to it. Eyes downcast, he grabbed her hand, fidgeting with her fingers.
"This isn't going to turn into some wacky movie-like episode, where you admit to loving me all along and ask for my hand in marriage, is it?" Kim laughed, hoping to ease the tension.
Jason looked up at her, "I called you first, but I couldn't get through. The line was always busy."
She scrunched up her nose. "That's Sandy. I don't think she ever puts the phone down."
"So I called the cell, and left a message. And emailed you." He continued, as if making sure she knew that she had indeed been the first contacted. "After that, I called everyone else."
"Yeah, my computer's down. I think they locked the computer lab at Florida State over the vacation too. Its crazy, like people aren't going to need access to a computer just because the professors are gone? And its not like they don't have security around anyways. They have to really think about-"
"Kim," Jason said softly, interrupting her nervous blabber. "Its Tommy."
She shut up. Oh God, please, she thought. Don't let anything have happened to him.
"We found him yesterday afternoon."
He had fainted, she thought, trying to imagine what could make the brave man pass out. He had fallen and broken a leg, and spent all all morning trying to reach the phone.
"He didn't show up to work the day before yesterday. His boss didn't think anything about it, even though he didn't call. Yesterday he was gone again. The boss got worried and called his house but there was no answer. A mutual friend asked me to warn Tommy - was going to be fired if he didn't call in sick. I went down to his house and...went inside. He was still in bed, but- "
"Tom's sick? I could've sent you my recipe for chicken soup. You didn't need to call me all the way over here." She was being silly, Kim knew. Jason wouldn't have called her across the country to spoon feed Tommy Oliver soup. But something inside told her she didn't want to hear the end of the story.
"Kimberly, he wasn't breathing."
Oh God. She gasped, and stuck her hand in her mouth. "But you did CPR. You got him to start breathing again on his own. He's all right now, right? We just need to gather round him for support."
Jason's face was twisted in pain. "Jase, tell me Tommy's okay. Please?" A tear dripped down his eye.
"We tried, the paramedics tried, even the doctors tried. Kim...Tommy's dead."
All emotion slipped away from her face, as though the expression she wore was no more than oil. Then her voice turned cold and unforgiving. "That's not a very funny joke."
"I know how you're feeling Kim. I wanted to tell you, before you saw the others."
"You're lying!"
He reached for her, but she yanked herself away. "Why are you lying to me, Jason? Why?"
Tommy couldn't be dead. They had survived the terrifying: monsters, evil forces from another galaxy, giant, living dinosaur bones. And he had died on his own bed, alone? No!
"I know it hurts Kim."
"Like hell you do!" She cried, standing up, drawing attention and not caring. "Don't lie to me anymore!"
Jason, one of her oldest, closest, dearest friends, her surrogate big brother, just came closer and crushed her in a hug, fighting off her flailing, protesting hands.
Eventually, they stood together, holding on to each other, crying. Mourning the death of one Thomas Oliver.
*******************************
Chapter Two: The Strange
He woke up to darkness.
It was all around, everywhere he looked. No single, microscopic ray of light was to been seen. He was blind, and chained to some wall. His arms tugged on their bonds, testing the strength of the cold metal that held them. His feet were free, but unsturdy, wobbly, as though he might crumble like an old cookie at any second.
Was this his fate? To languish until his death? Of all the times he'd missed his the Power, this definitely topped the list.
He imagined himself like Samson, the once strong hero now shaved of his strength, halfway to his death. Only he didn't have God to pour the power back in him; the Power he once possessed was with someone else, fighting another battle. If he died, there would be no great collapse of his prison, just the remains of a weak man.
He had his Delilah too. The murderous, treacherous, villainous wench had indeed been real for him. When he thought about the lies that had spilled from her like hot water from a tea pot, the blind faith he'd had, it made him sick.
Why hadn't he trusted his heart, like he'd wanted to? Why had he been so quick to swallow her stories, ignoring the queasy feeling they gave him?
He heard a sound, and his gaze rose a few feet, or maybe a few dozen feet, it was difficult to tell. But then a light, a precious, golden, beautiful light sprayed into his cage.
It lit up another pair of shackles, across from him. He frowned, slow to realize the meaning. Then it occurred to him. They weren't done. Someone, a friend, a fellow Ranger, was next.
He wanted to warn them. To scream at the top of his lungs. Watch out for her. She's dangerous. A liar. A monster.
Don't let her get you.
She's one of them.
*********************************
Kimberly Ann Hart slid the door open and was greeted by a sea of faces. Some small, round, with eyelashes moist from tears, like fresh petals covered in dew. Others were older, worn, creased, and tired. Among these she counted her friends, the Rangers of yesterday, and sought their companionship.
They were united for Tommy's rosary.
Behind her, Jason shut the door and, after patting a random child on the shoulder, regained his place at her side. Trini, sitting in the front pew, having abandoned her beloved offered yellow in favor of black, offered her a weak smile, and then Zack, Aisha, Adam, and Rocky all came up to hug her, and Jason. Over in the far corner of the pew, Katherine sort of waved, but left one arm slung over a brunette girl, who had a tissue covering her face.
It felt so surreal, like a nightmare that she couldn't wake up to. Dead. That wasn't a word people like her used; it was a menacing shadow, nothing more.
Tommy.
She had loved him for so long, until it seemed that he was an extension of her, rather than a separate entity. And God forgive her, she had been scared. Frightened that she would drown in her love for the gentle man. So scared, she took the easy way out. She left him, broke away, forced herself to fall for Barry.
And now she would never have the chance to set things right.
She would never, ever, get to see his smile, hear his laugh, dance with him along the patio of her mother's home in France. She wouldn't even get the satisfaction of knowing that he was happy. Because he was dead. Gone. Forever.
"Would you like to see him?" Jason whispered, and she nodded, numbly. She had cried so long and hard, until only an empty space remained inside. They walked the long path, to the big white gold-trimmed casket.
Kimberly dropped to her knees and caught his cold hand in hers. Who would've thought that was how their days of holding hands would come to an end? The empty, hollow place inside of her seemed to widen, stretch, and she imagined it would swallow her from the inside out.
Her fingers moved away a stray strand of hair, placing the brown lock behind his ear.
She paused, noting that the mole he'd always had, just before the lobe, wasn't there. Wrong ear, perhaps? An awkward feeling passed through her, but before it could be explained Katherine and the girl walked up.
Her blonde friend nudged her side. "Kim, are you all right?" Her voice was thick with an Australian accent.
"No."
Kat, arms folded, face puffy and swollen from too many tears, sighed. Kimberly looked her over, the knee-length black dress, gobs of blonde hair tied back in a simple pony-tail. After a moment, she spoke.
"How are you holding up?" She asked, with genuine concern. But was that her voice shaking?
"I'll be all right, I guess. I'm a bit more worried about Gwen." Kat frowned. "You don't know her, do you?"
"No." Normally that would be her cue to introduce herself. But she was standing feet away from Tommy's casket, and all will had left her. She wanted only to lay down and cry.
Kat knew this. She patted her arm gently. "We'll talk about her later." Soon, they all took their seats.
************************************
Ernie's place had finally closed down, just months before, yet it seemed fitting to meet there. That was, after all, the spot that spawned a million smiles, frowns, and whimsical laughter during their days as Rangers.
The place Zordon had first spied the original team, according to Alpha. And where they'd first encountered Thomas Oliver, the smiling, focused fighter who finally dethroned Jason as the reigning Martial Arts Champion of Angel Grove. How many times had the girls exchanged looks, while Bulk and Skull tried to hit on them? Tommy would put a stop to it though, by walking in and throwing an arm around Kimberly, kissing her cheek.
Her hand dusted off a stool, and she slid in. Trini did likewise.
"Remember that day, when Tommy gave you that necklace and it fell into someone's glass of orange juice?" Trini said.
"Mmm. And we went around shoving our hands into people's glasses before they could drink it."
"And," Zack added, resting his elbows on the counter. "it ended up in Bulk's Orange Pineapple Delight.
Kimberly laughed. "They offered to give it back to us in exchange for all information we have about the Rangers."
"If they only knew."
The former Red Ranger dragged another stool closer, to join their conversation. "Tom got it back though." The rest of the gang filled in the empty spaces, so that they formed a tight, if somewhat crooked, circle.
Kat shook her head in disbelief. "Its hard to believe last week we were watching him charm a cook into adding strawberries to our sundaes for free. I never thought anyone could love them so much."
Kim looked up sharply. "Tommy never ate strawberries."
"Maybe his tastes changed." Adam suggested, also remembering the day Tommy seemed to inhale the small red fruit.
"No, he was allergic. I once made him a cake with, like, a single slice and he broke out in hives five minutes later."
"Oh." An awkward silence fell over the group. What an odd contradiction.
"If Tommy were here, he'd probably break the silence by launching into a description of the latest martial arts techniques."
"Remember that time Billy, Tommy,and you Jase, dressed up like cheerleaders for the school rally, and Kim tried to teach you guys to make a pyramid." Trini shot him a glance. "I'd never seen such talented men become so uncoordinated."
"Thank God I was sick with the flu." Zack said.
"You try to do it with golf balls stuffed in your shirt. Not even Billy's brain could save us."
"I wish we could call him. He should be here."
Tanya, having fallen silent, chose this time to speak. "I can't see Tommy in a dress. I didn't think he'd be the type to do that sort of thing."
"I think," Jason said, "Tommy usually did things he didn't really want to, to impress someone."
Tanya considered. "But Kat spent half and hour once trying to convince him to wear the lobster suit for Halloween and he wouldn't even try it on. Who would he want to impress more than his girlfriend?" Everyone who knew the answer shut their mouths, some sending sympathetic glances to Kat.
Meanwhile, Kimberly was having a hard time moving past the strawberry incident. She was sure that he couldn't eat them. It rather reminded her of Mission Impossible 2, where Tom Cruise dressed up the bad guy's lackey, so that he'd die in his place. The villian hadn't been able to tell the difference. Wouldn't it be odd, if the same sort of thing had happened to him?
The conversation didn't stop for Kim to catch up, it kept going round and around, like the train in the mall, circling all the memories of the deceased friend anyone could think of.
"My sister," Adam was saying as Kim shoved the doubtful thoughts away, "told me that all the little kids at the Martial Arts Center thought Tom was the greatest. He'd help them with their homework all the time, and then teach them 'really cool moves'"
"'Cept for last week." Tanya muttered. "And that whole Excaliber deal."
"Oh my God, they shouldn't give kids questions that we can't answer.
"What was the question," Trini asked.
"What was Excaliber and why was it so important, or something like that. Tommy had to go look it up in an Encyclopedia. It took forever to find the complete answer."
The orginal Pink Ranger tilted her head. That too was odd. She pulled on the sleeve of her friend. "Something's wrong, Trini."
Her voice was so quiet and eerie, that everyone else stopped to listen. Trini, knowing her best friend was taking it the worst, assuming their attempts to keep the memories happy had failed, endeavored to console her. "I know, Everything is going crazy. But someday it'll be all right. We'll just have to wait and hope it gets better."
Kimberly sighed, wondering if she should just stop talking. Wasn't it all nonsense anyway? The ravings of a mad, sad woman? But her mouth move of his own accord. "That's not what I meant. It's almost sometimes the guy being described isn't really Tommy."
"Almost, I know. You're right about the strawberries. But it was him. We all saw him."
True. She was acting like an idiot. A crazy idiot. Or was she? It was madness, true, but hell, they fought evil space aliens and talked to a giant head who gave them super powers! Weren't they passed that 'impossible' stage? Most people would think that travesing to another planet to seek out an ancient ninja force, talking to a woman that later turned to an owl, and destroying giant, ugly birds was 'impossible'. Or would have, before the Ranger made their debut on modern day society. "Maybe not..."
"What are you saying?"
"Maybe...guys," A bright smile illuminated her face, dazzling the group of friends who had recently grown unaccustomed to such happiness. "Maybe he's not dead." There was always hope. Wasn't there?
"Kim, come on-."
"No, really. Something's obviously wrong with this whole picture. I mean, eating fruit that should've killed him on the spot, not knowing the what Excaliber was? Guys, We saw the movie together a million times. Tommy loved it. He idolized King Arthur. He could recite the book. And he always had a mole beneath his left ear. When I looked at the body, it wasn't there. And I have this feeling I haven't been able to shake. We should investigate. If the real Tom is alive, then we need to find him."
Kat rolled her eyes, growing impatient with Kim's behavior. Her nerves were too frayed to deal with hopeless optimism. "Sit down, Kimberly. You're not making anyone feel better."
"I'm serious! Besides, Zordon was just about dead and we pulled him back. Why couldn't we do the same for Tom? We didn't even try."
Tanya, the only one who had as many strangers in the room as friends and had never really knew the original Pink Ranger, bit her own finger and gestured to the room. "We're not exactly Rangers anymore, are we? He's dead. Its over."
"But maybe-"
"KIM!" Kat stood up, frustrated. "I don't know why you won't accept it! I don't know if you're just trying to make up for what you did, or if you're going crazy, or what, but the rest of us are suffering just as bad." She crumpled back down into the chair. "I just want this all to be over. Just let it end."
Unfortunately, that wasn't something Kimberly was prepared to do. She sighed a great big sigh, giving everyone a chance to breath and think things over. She was asking an awful lot of them, hope for a dead friend.
Presently, she spoke again, in a much softer voice. "I'm going to the funeral home to investigate. Is anyone coming with me?" She waited for that old camaraderie to kick back in, and for the team to pull together like always. Tough times made for tough people, wasn't that the way things were supposed to work?
But no one was willing to even meet her eye.
She walked up to Jason. "Will you come with me?" He sighed and rubbed his face. The tired, worn look had returned. The ex-Red Ranger placed his arms on hers.
"Kimberly, we're all hurting. But I thought we were past pretending that it wasn't true. We can't save him like all those other times."
Kimberly broke away, hurt, doubtful. Was he right? Was this just another attempt to cope with the ocean of sorrow that crashed through her heart? But Tommy wouldn't have surrendered, she knew. He would have searched for the answers, until he was absolutely certain.
***************************
She didn't need their help. Not really. She was as able as any other them, and obviously the only one willing to fight.
But Rocky caught up with her. He was in his car, the window rolled down. "Let me drive you." He said.
"Did they send you to watch out for me? Gotta make sure poor delusional Kim doesn't accidentally hurt herself chasing ghosts, right?"
"No. I came on my own. I want to help you. That's what Rangers do, isn't it? We help each other?"
She smiled wryly. "Technically, we save the world from bad guys bent on world destruction and or domination."
"You know what I mean. Look, just get in the car, it'll go a lot faster that way."
She didn't answer.
"Kim, I'm wasting tons of gas. I'm a poor man. If you don't get in this car, I'm gonna go broke refilling it."
"How do I know you won't just drive me back to Ernie's?"
Rocky opened his mouth to reassure her, but thought better of it. Instead, he began telling a story. "A week before...he died, we were all having some soda at my house, and my kid sister announced she had just been diagnosed with the chicken pox. It was no big deal, but Tommy made some comment about being relieved he already had had it."
Kimberly stopped walking, understanding what he meant. "We both heard him say he'd never caught it. Just after we'd saved Zordon. We were sworn to absolute secrecy. He didn't want to jinx himself and catch it after all."
"That's right." Rocky answered. He paused. "Get in the car, Kim. Let me help you."
That's just what she did. Once inside, they tried talking to use up time and hide from their own doubts.
"So who was that Gwen person I met today?"
"She's new. There's kinda a crazy story behind her appearance, actually."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well, it all started about a month ago...
....They found her one night, sitting atop Tommy's car, cross-legged, back resting against his windshield. She was a strange sight from the beginning, with a river of curly brown hair and clear blue eyes.
It was Kat who first approached her, filled with as much confusion as suspicion. "What are you doing?"
The girl seemed to awaken from a trance, as she tilted her head and grinned, revealing a perfect white smile. She tossed two legs over the end of the care and landed neatly on the ground. "Katherine of Pink." She stuck out her hand. "I am Gwen of the colorless. I have been waiting for you. All of you."
The ex-Rangers, Kat included, fell back a few steps, automatically wary of anyone who even hinted at their former Ranger status. "What do you want?" Tommy asked, still the leader. "And how much do you know?"
She took no offense at the harshness in his voice, nor at the questions themselves; her cheerful smile did not diminish. Rather it grew in size. "I know many things, Thomas of Green, White, and Red...but perhaps mostly White, no? I seek asylum on your planet and have been told to find you."
There was a pause, and then they relaxed, just a bit. Tommy got closer, staring at her, as if trying to read her true intentions.
"Who are you," He finally asked.
"Gwenali. I have no other name. I run from the authorities of my planet -the name cannot be pronounced easily by a human tongue, and I fear your ears are not attuned to the right frequency. I am a fugitive; I...refused marriage to the prince of my people, a crime punishable by death. I ran, naturally, and was told that you are very kind in such matters. I hoped to ask for your aid, or at least refuge."
Adam stepped up, eying her. There was something that just didn't click, a small detail that was scratching at the back of his mind to be freed. Something was amiss. "How do we know you aren't lying?" He was almost certain she was.
"Adam of Black, you are rightly concerned. I understand. Yet I carry nothing and have only my word, straight from my heart to your ears.
"We aren't Rangers anymore," Reminded Tanya. "We can't really protect her. Maybe we should send her to the new team."
"That's all right," Gwen stated. "I seek you people, not so much the uniforms you once wore. I was briefed on you, by a stranger, given your names and colors, and told that no better help could be found in all the galaxy. Sometimes, a good heart is more than enough to win a battle. Do you not agree, Thomas of White?"
He didn't answer. What did she mean? Was she referring to his internal battle, the war that had been begun by Rita but ended because of his love for Ki -his friends, Tommy thought? Few of his current companions knew of his time as the evil Green Ranger. It wasn't a time he was particularly proud of, but always did remind him of the power of love.
"We can't just turn her away," Rocky muttered.
"How do you know she'd not another one of them? Hello, this is like perfect revenge for the bad guys. Ever hear of the Trojan Horse?"
"Maybe if we take her to the new Rangers, just to scan her..."
"We shouldn't be deciding on the sidewalk at night. Can't we put her somewhere until morning?"
Tommy silenced them all with his stern voice. "Come on guys. She's asking for our help. Rocky's right, we can't send her back out there alone, to be captured. And who are we to judge." He turned to his oldest, closest friend of the current bunch.
"You trusted me even after I tried to kill you. Kat, we did the same for you. This girl is already that much more innocent than us. I say, we help her out as best we can."
Everyone else, though not entirely convinced, abided by his decision...
....And that's how we met her. After a few days, though, we all started liking her. She's a sweet kid, really. I just hope those guys don't come after her here." Rocky tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Tommy always did know the right thing to do."
His companion shook her head. "No, he didn't." She thought about the man who'd broken her heart once and never quite forgave himself. His voice -the world doesn't revolve around you. Yet he had been right. It had stung so much at the time; how much more had it hurt him to receive that letter? "But he was better because of it."
She wiped tears from her face. "He's alive, Rocky. I know he is. I have this weird feeling, you know? I used to get it all the time, back when I first moved to Florida. It was this weird tingling, like he was in danger and it was time for me to morph." She sniffled. "I feel that way now. Like he needs us."
They pulled into the long driveway, and the doors unlocked with a snap. Rocky examined the black doors. "Here we are."
"Yup."
"Do you really think there's hope?"
She opened the door. "I hope so." ******************************** A man in strange clothing watched them with interest, from his high perch, his hands itching to press the button and call them to his side, to join in their sorrow, and relish in their hope. He belonged with them, after all.
But there were more pressing matters to attend to, before they could see him. So many small details to work out. His hands skimmed across the dials and buttons with ease, turning on that, erasing that.
Yes, for the moment he would have to put his own emotions on hold. They would find their way to him soon. Very soon.
********************************************************
"They're looking for you, Tommy. At least some of them."
He raised his head and felt grim satisfaction seep in.
"They won't find you. They don't even know where to look."
"Is she looking?"
"Yes."
"Stay away from her, or I swear-"
"Threats, Thomas?"
"Or I swear you'll pay."
"I don't know why you have to make this so difficult. We don't want to hurt you."
"Right. The pain is just an accident? Every time it happens."
"It wouldn't hurt if you didn't struggle."
"Right. Now you're telling the truth. This time I can trust you." His voice was thick with bitterness.
She shrugged. "There's nothing else I can tell you. I'm sorry it happened this way. But we can't change who we are. This is who I am." Then she vanished through a door and left him alone in the darkness.
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Bwahahahahaha! I finished two chapters. Count 'em, not one, but TWO!! Hurrah! This last chapter was like bugging me all kinds, so instead of just posting One, like I was all set to do, I wrote this out, and decided to post them at the same time. One just felt lonely by itself. ANYwho, please r&r. Please?
Must...have...reviews...or...else...will...lack...enough...ener...gy...to... type...chapters...
Questions? Comments? Coconuts? I'm at Eileenblzr@yahoo.com Seeya later, same Ranger Time, same Ranger station.