Another Chapter! Ahahahahahahahhahaahaaaa! Thanks for all the fantastic
reviews! I'm so happy now. People are reading!! Mwahahahahaaa!
Keep it up.
Oh, also, forgot to title last chapter. Ooopsy. I didn't forget this time though. A little more info this time, a little less eventful. But it is neccessary info, so...
Chapter Four: The History
Could eyes that had been denied light for so long ever learn to see again? Tommy drooped his head, feeling a sick, ready to pass out.
They had tried again, and the pain still surged through his body. What was it they were endeavoring to take? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't let them have it, as long as he had strength left to fight.
It scared him to think he might be running out.
The cuffs across from him were still empty. Empty, but waiting.
They made a mistake, putting them there. It only fueled his resolve, gave him determination.
They were trying to take the woman he loved.
She was trying to take the woman he loved.
He would find a way to stop them.
****************************
Kimberly screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to start. Things were so clear in that last moment. It was Gwen who had taken Tommy, possibly killed him, too. Now she and Rocky would suffer the same tragic fate.
There would be no victory for the Rangers this time around. No grand reunion, not even a chance to apologize to Jason for asking so much of him in such an irrational manner.
Nothing.
This was it.
The end.
The final battle field.
So why wasn't she dead yet?
One brown eye peeked open, though its partner was soon to follow. That, in turn, was succeeded by a great gasp. For she was no longer in the middle of the parking lot, not caught on some dark alien ship.
She was in the Command Center.
At least it looked an awful lot like the Command Center. The walls were longer than she remember, and several great doors were added in various parts of the room. But the globe, the small blue sphere that had always been Zordon's eye to the world, was there. The dials, which Billy and Alpha had pressed with such speed and accuracy as to make the average typist seem slow, were unchanged.
Kimberly found Rocky's gaze and they both remained absolutely silent for a moment, much too shocked and amazed to comment.
"I see you remember this place." A voice said, now rich and warm. Gwen was standing there also, grinning like she knew the secret to the world. "He was right."
"Have we been kidnapped?" Rocky asked.
"In a sense, I suppose. You're free to leave..."
"But you were going to kill us," Kim reminded the other girl, confused. "You're still holding the weapon."
Gwen glanced at the curvy metal object in her hand. "This thing?" She tossed it onto a silver table. "Its a transporter. I don't think its ever been employed for a murder."
"You said we were going to meet our friend." Rocky persisted. "So where's Tommy and why'd you pretend he was dead?"
"Ah, now it gets good." Gwen gestured for them to follow her into one room, where another table, and several chairs were waiting. "I said it was time for you to join with your friend, but I'm afraid I didn't mean Thomas. We're about as clueless as you are in that respect."
"We?"
Kimberly wondered if Zordon had somehow made an incredible recovery. Yet, unlike the current fatality, his death had been undeniable. There was no way he could have come back and recreated the Command Center...was there?
"I know what you're thinking Kimberly. And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm no Zordon." The masculine voice that filtered into the room was soft and warm, and oh so familiar.
It froze Kimberly, both physically and mentally, so unexpected, yet needed. Missed.
Rocky did not suffer the same paralysis. He raised his eyebrows. "The Great Wise One!" He cried, delighted.
At that, the rear doors swished open and a man in strange blue robes was standing before them, almost regally. Kimberly, apparently somewhat recovered, was in his arms in a second, burying her head in the azure cloth.
"Oh, Billy!"
He smiled and patted her head. "Hi Kim. And Rocky, clever as always I see."
The one time Red Ranger grinned, walking closer to sock the friend in the arm. "I thought you were gone for good! Aren't you supposed to be on that planet, making little genius alien babies?"
"I was." A painful look crossed his features, before being lost in a much happier expression. "But I'm back now, and ready to help. There is much to, uh, discuss."
"How much do you know?" Kim asked, having loosened her grip on the ex-Blue Ranger.
"Everything you do, and a small bit more. Shall we sit?" The curly haired girl vanished into the hall.
"I thought Gwen was going to kill us or something." Kim said, as they all took their seats. "I think I saw my life flashing before my eyes."
"Yeah." Rocky added. "I think I saw Kim's life too. That whole locker scene at the Florida Gymnastics Center was my favorite memory." He sighed wistfully before being slapped upside the head with a scrunchie. "Ow."
Billy chuckled. There was no place like home. "I understand you discovered some discrepancies with Tommy's body."
"How-"
"I had Gwen tail you," he admitted. "I'm sorry, I couldn't interfere unless you'd discovered something about T'Lari yourself. I believe the false body is sufficient."
"Woah," Rocky said. "T'lari? Um, who are they?"
"Alien life forms," Gwen entered with a large glowing object in her hands, setting in the middle of the table. "They have been nomads since their planet was destroyed several centuries ago. They survive by stopping on different worlds and sucking all its life forms dry of their R'e, using it to power their living ship. That, in turn, allows them to treat the ship much like you would this earth. You can grow food, landscape, all that stuff. The R'e is a very powerful thing."
"Oh, of course." The Red Ranger nodded. "Now I understand."
"The R'e is your spirit, life force, etch. Its a concept Earth scientists still debate about. Some believe its just a myth," Billy explained. "Others, generally religiously leaning ones, claim it is what gives us all life."
"A soul." Kimberly said. Her words dropped down to a whisper. "Have they taken Tommy's soul?" She felt her hope sag again. Was there just an empty shell of Tommy lying on the floor of an alien ship?
"No. We don't believe so." Gwen answered, joining their table. "They first came to this world several years ago, and tried unsuccessfully to drain humans. There was a problem though, they encountered a barrier. Never before had they seen such a will as that of earthlings."
"So why persist?"
"A human's soul is incredibly strong. The people on this planet could sustain them for a century."
"But why capture Tommy, if you can't drain him?"
Billy answered. "That's something we don't know." He leaned back against the silver framed chair. "But the rest of the explanations will have to wait. They should be waiting for us."
********
"Where could they be?" Trini lifted a set of silver keys, noting the pink mini-calculator that held them all together. "I knew we shouldn't have left them go alone."
Kat stared at the ground, several feet, crouching lower to examine the dirt. "Look, someone was standing here. The tracks start at that pole over there, and lead up to this point."
Aisha look relieved. "Great. So what way did they go after that?"
"Well that's what's so odd. They don't."
Jason breathed warm air into his hands, glancing from Trini to Kat, then at Adam and Tanya as they ran back out of the building.
The ex-Black Ranger seemed as forlorn as they were. "The director said he saw them a few hours ago. But he thought they'd left."
Jason swore inwardly. Had Kim been on to something, and they found out? And who were 'they'? He glanced up to the heavens. Could he just do things over, so he could take her side? It would only involve something little, like altering time.
As if in response, he noticed a shooting star. "Hey look." All eyes turned upward, where the star seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. After several seconds, it became clear it didn't just seem to be growing, it really was! And heading straight for them.
They all turned away as the brightness grew too intense, bracing themselves for the impact.
Instead of sudden death, though, they received a giggle.
A very familiar giggle.
Jason was incredulous. "Kim!"
"Jason!"
"Billy?...BILLY!"
"Zack!"
"Billy!"
"Aisha!"
"Kim!"
"Kat!"
"Billy!"
"Adam!"
"Rocky!"
"Tanya! Trini!"
"Billy!"
The Rangers fell together in a giant hug, apologizing to each other, laughing at their own foolishness, promising never to do it again, etc.
Kimberly caught Jason's arm. "I'm sorry I was so crazy. But you know how it is when you get an idea and you can't let it go."
"Hey, I'm the one who should be sorry. You were right, I should have trusted your intuition. I was just so messed up after Tom's death that I nearly forgot you were the one who was more messed up...and...you know what I mean, right?"
"Well...yes. And its okay." She play-slugged his arm. "I still owed you for that time you told Mrs. Carpenter you were the one who spilled her jelly beans. Now we're even."
"You call us even for that? I spent a whole afternoon in detention. She looked at me funny the rest of the year, any time I came near her desk."
"Oh sure." They both went to Billy's side.
"So when did you get back, Billy?" Jason asked. Ask and ye shall receive. He had asked for one old friend returned, and he'd gotten two instead.
"About a month ago. It's a rather lengthy story."
Aisha threw herself at Billy. "I can't believe you're back!"
"Yeah," Adam added. "What happened?"
"Well, as a short version...I was on a space dock, about a year ago, when I ran into a man who said he could show me my destiny. He guided me on a quest through many planets, until I reached their palace."
"Their?"
"The Nameless Ones. They have so much power, its almost inconceivable. They told me I was chosen to carry on the mission. I had no idea what they were talking about until they showed me the Command Center. Its my job to travel through space and seek those who need help. But I couldn't reveal my true self to anyone who knew me until there was sufficient cause. Kimberly's discoverey provided us with that."
"What discovery?"
Kimberly spoke up. "The body in there isn't Tommy's, and we have proof now. Its missing several small but identifying marks."
"Oh wow." Tanya puffed out her cheeks and then let the air go. "I can't believe this is happening. So Tommy's not dead?"
"Not yet."
Gwen came out of nowhere, straight to Billy. "But we don't know how much time is left."
"Wait," said Trini. "I thought you guys said she was a new friend? What's going on?"
"I do have confession," The girl answered. "I've been here for a while, watching you for Billy."
"What?"
"We don't have a lot of time for talk though," she said, hurrying her words to avoid answering a multitude of questions. "There is still much to do. The T'lari are working fast now."
They explained, once again, the story of the T'lari. Afterwards, the Ranges were all a bit shocked.
"So they've been here for years? Then why didn't Zordon pick them up?"
"They have a very advanced cloaking device."
Zack asked, "Anything else?"
"There are two races of T'lari, the Nev and the Nari. The Nari are the ruling race, cruel, unjust. They force the Nev to work against their will, treating them like slaves. The Nev must comply, or lose a member of their family. The Nari are the ones who insist of using the R'e to keep the ship alive. There *are* alternatives. We could use the Nev to help us."
"How do you know all this?" Jason asked.
Billy and Gwen exchanged glances, then she sighed. "I told you I was a refugee from another planet seeking sanctuary. That wasn't technically a lie. I am a refugee. I am of the Nev."
"WHAT?" Several ex-Rangers said simultaneously.
"I was involved in a rebellion that should have freed half our people at our last stop. Instead, it got us over a hundred casualties. I slipped out with..." Billy caught her hand and squeezed it.
"You've told us enough about that." He looked at his friends. "Some time after that I found her, and she joined me. She informed me of the attack on Earth and we decided this merited my return."
"Thank you." She said, looking very grateful.
Rocky grinned. "Wow. And I thought you're putting up with Billy all the time was being courageous."
"Only for you, Rock." Adam said. "No one else has to carry a dictionary with them and risk spontaneous combustion when he talks."
"How do we know," Kat said, suddenly "that you not really one of the Nari? How do we know you're not just here to keep us away from the real truth?."
Again, Billy stepped up. "I will vouch for her." That was more than enough reassurance for the rest of the team.
"At least we know now what we're up against," Jason muttered. "They look like us, can talk like us, are holding our friend captive, and live in a giant cloaked ship that not even Zordon could trace."
Kimberly slid an arm around his shoulder. "Don't look so glum. Its not so bad. At best, we save the world again and rescue Tommy. At worst, the Nari complete whatever evil plan they're hatching and kill us all."
Someone laughed. "Guess some things never change."
******
Ah, reunited. But maybe they won't stay reunited for so long. Its kinda hard to write that many people and make sure they all get a chance to talk.
Thank you, all the wonderfully wonderful people who responded. :) It makes me want to write more. :)
So yay!!! Ahahahahahahahahahaaa!!
Oh, btw, I'm writing this other story and um, I was wondering...if anyone has ideas as to how someone could outsmart someone else in a clever fashion...if you could share that with me. * hopeful grin* Also, if ya Sailor Moon, check out my current fic, Confessions of a Mad scientist.
Questions? Comments? Coconuts? I'm at Eileenblzr@yahoo.com
Oh, also, forgot to title last chapter. Ooopsy. I didn't forget this time though. A little more info this time, a little less eventful. But it is neccessary info, so...
Chapter Four: The History
Could eyes that had been denied light for so long ever learn to see again? Tommy drooped his head, feeling a sick, ready to pass out.
They had tried again, and the pain still surged through his body. What was it they were endeavoring to take? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't let them have it, as long as he had strength left to fight.
It scared him to think he might be running out.
The cuffs across from him were still empty. Empty, but waiting.
They made a mistake, putting them there. It only fueled his resolve, gave him determination.
They were trying to take the woman he loved.
She was trying to take the woman he loved.
He would find a way to stop them.
****************************
Kimberly screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to start. Things were so clear in that last moment. It was Gwen who had taken Tommy, possibly killed him, too. Now she and Rocky would suffer the same tragic fate.
There would be no victory for the Rangers this time around. No grand reunion, not even a chance to apologize to Jason for asking so much of him in such an irrational manner.
Nothing.
This was it.
The end.
The final battle field.
So why wasn't she dead yet?
One brown eye peeked open, though its partner was soon to follow. That, in turn, was succeeded by a great gasp. For she was no longer in the middle of the parking lot, not caught on some dark alien ship.
She was in the Command Center.
At least it looked an awful lot like the Command Center. The walls were longer than she remember, and several great doors were added in various parts of the room. But the globe, the small blue sphere that had always been Zordon's eye to the world, was there. The dials, which Billy and Alpha had pressed with such speed and accuracy as to make the average typist seem slow, were unchanged.
Kimberly found Rocky's gaze and they both remained absolutely silent for a moment, much too shocked and amazed to comment.
"I see you remember this place." A voice said, now rich and warm. Gwen was standing there also, grinning like she knew the secret to the world. "He was right."
"Have we been kidnapped?" Rocky asked.
"In a sense, I suppose. You're free to leave..."
"But you were going to kill us," Kim reminded the other girl, confused. "You're still holding the weapon."
Gwen glanced at the curvy metal object in her hand. "This thing?" She tossed it onto a silver table. "Its a transporter. I don't think its ever been employed for a murder."
"You said we were going to meet our friend." Rocky persisted. "So where's Tommy and why'd you pretend he was dead?"
"Ah, now it gets good." Gwen gestured for them to follow her into one room, where another table, and several chairs were waiting. "I said it was time for you to join with your friend, but I'm afraid I didn't mean Thomas. We're about as clueless as you are in that respect."
"We?"
Kimberly wondered if Zordon had somehow made an incredible recovery. Yet, unlike the current fatality, his death had been undeniable. There was no way he could have come back and recreated the Command Center...was there?
"I know what you're thinking Kimberly. And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm no Zordon." The masculine voice that filtered into the room was soft and warm, and oh so familiar.
It froze Kimberly, both physically and mentally, so unexpected, yet needed. Missed.
Rocky did not suffer the same paralysis. He raised his eyebrows. "The Great Wise One!" He cried, delighted.
At that, the rear doors swished open and a man in strange blue robes was standing before them, almost regally. Kimberly, apparently somewhat recovered, was in his arms in a second, burying her head in the azure cloth.
"Oh, Billy!"
He smiled and patted her head. "Hi Kim. And Rocky, clever as always I see."
The one time Red Ranger grinned, walking closer to sock the friend in the arm. "I thought you were gone for good! Aren't you supposed to be on that planet, making little genius alien babies?"
"I was." A painful look crossed his features, before being lost in a much happier expression. "But I'm back now, and ready to help. There is much to, uh, discuss."
"How much do you know?" Kim asked, having loosened her grip on the ex-Blue Ranger.
"Everything you do, and a small bit more. Shall we sit?" The curly haired girl vanished into the hall.
"I thought Gwen was going to kill us or something." Kim said, as they all took their seats. "I think I saw my life flashing before my eyes."
"Yeah." Rocky added. "I think I saw Kim's life too. That whole locker scene at the Florida Gymnastics Center was my favorite memory." He sighed wistfully before being slapped upside the head with a scrunchie. "Ow."
Billy chuckled. There was no place like home. "I understand you discovered some discrepancies with Tommy's body."
"How-"
"I had Gwen tail you," he admitted. "I'm sorry, I couldn't interfere unless you'd discovered something about T'Lari yourself. I believe the false body is sufficient."
"Woah," Rocky said. "T'lari? Um, who are they?"
"Alien life forms," Gwen entered with a large glowing object in her hands, setting in the middle of the table. "They have been nomads since their planet was destroyed several centuries ago. They survive by stopping on different worlds and sucking all its life forms dry of their R'e, using it to power their living ship. That, in turn, allows them to treat the ship much like you would this earth. You can grow food, landscape, all that stuff. The R'e is a very powerful thing."
"Oh, of course." The Red Ranger nodded. "Now I understand."
"The R'e is your spirit, life force, etch. Its a concept Earth scientists still debate about. Some believe its just a myth," Billy explained. "Others, generally religiously leaning ones, claim it is what gives us all life."
"A soul." Kimberly said. Her words dropped down to a whisper. "Have they taken Tommy's soul?" She felt her hope sag again. Was there just an empty shell of Tommy lying on the floor of an alien ship?
"No. We don't believe so." Gwen answered, joining their table. "They first came to this world several years ago, and tried unsuccessfully to drain humans. There was a problem though, they encountered a barrier. Never before had they seen such a will as that of earthlings."
"So why persist?"
"A human's soul is incredibly strong. The people on this planet could sustain them for a century."
"But why capture Tommy, if you can't drain him?"
Billy answered. "That's something we don't know." He leaned back against the silver framed chair. "But the rest of the explanations will have to wait. They should be waiting for us."
********
"Where could they be?" Trini lifted a set of silver keys, noting the pink mini-calculator that held them all together. "I knew we shouldn't have left them go alone."
Kat stared at the ground, several feet, crouching lower to examine the dirt. "Look, someone was standing here. The tracks start at that pole over there, and lead up to this point."
Aisha look relieved. "Great. So what way did they go after that?"
"Well that's what's so odd. They don't."
Jason breathed warm air into his hands, glancing from Trini to Kat, then at Adam and Tanya as they ran back out of the building.
The ex-Black Ranger seemed as forlorn as they were. "The director said he saw them a few hours ago. But he thought they'd left."
Jason swore inwardly. Had Kim been on to something, and they found out? And who were 'they'? He glanced up to the heavens. Could he just do things over, so he could take her side? It would only involve something little, like altering time.
As if in response, he noticed a shooting star. "Hey look." All eyes turned upward, where the star seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. After several seconds, it became clear it didn't just seem to be growing, it really was! And heading straight for them.
They all turned away as the brightness grew too intense, bracing themselves for the impact.
Instead of sudden death, though, they received a giggle.
A very familiar giggle.
Jason was incredulous. "Kim!"
"Jason!"
"Billy?...BILLY!"
"Zack!"
"Billy!"
"Aisha!"
"Kim!"
"Kat!"
"Billy!"
"Adam!"
"Rocky!"
"Tanya! Trini!"
"Billy!"
The Rangers fell together in a giant hug, apologizing to each other, laughing at their own foolishness, promising never to do it again, etc.
Kimberly caught Jason's arm. "I'm sorry I was so crazy. But you know how it is when you get an idea and you can't let it go."
"Hey, I'm the one who should be sorry. You were right, I should have trusted your intuition. I was just so messed up after Tom's death that I nearly forgot you were the one who was more messed up...and...you know what I mean, right?"
"Well...yes. And its okay." She play-slugged his arm. "I still owed you for that time you told Mrs. Carpenter you were the one who spilled her jelly beans. Now we're even."
"You call us even for that? I spent a whole afternoon in detention. She looked at me funny the rest of the year, any time I came near her desk."
"Oh sure." They both went to Billy's side.
"So when did you get back, Billy?" Jason asked. Ask and ye shall receive. He had asked for one old friend returned, and he'd gotten two instead.
"About a month ago. It's a rather lengthy story."
Aisha threw herself at Billy. "I can't believe you're back!"
"Yeah," Adam added. "What happened?"
"Well, as a short version...I was on a space dock, about a year ago, when I ran into a man who said he could show me my destiny. He guided me on a quest through many planets, until I reached their palace."
"Their?"
"The Nameless Ones. They have so much power, its almost inconceivable. They told me I was chosen to carry on the mission. I had no idea what they were talking about until they showed me the Command Center. Its my job to travel through space and seek those who need help. But I couldn't reveal my true self to anyone who knew me until there was sufficient cause. Kimberly's discoverey provided us with that."
"What discovery?"
Kimberly spoke up. "The body in there isn't Tommy's, and we have proof now. Its missing several small but identifying marks."
"Oh wow." Tanya puffed out her cheeks and then let the air go. "I can't believe this is happening. So Tommy's not dead?"
"Not yet."
Gwen came out of nowhere, straight to Billy. "But we don't know how much time is left."
"Wait," said Trini. "I thought you guys said she was a new friend? What's going on?"
"I do have confession," The girl answered. "I've been here for a while, watching you for Billy."
"What?"
"We don't have a lot of time for talk though," she said, hurrying her words to avoid answering a multitude of questions. "There is still much to do. The T'lari are working fast now."
They explained, once again, the story of the T'lari. Afterwards, the Ranges were all a bit shocked.
"So they've been here for years? Then why didn't Zordon pick them up?"
"They have a very advanced cloaking device."
Zack asked, "Anything else?"
"There are two races of T'lari, the Nev and the Nari. The Nari are the ruling race, cruel, unjust. They force the Nev to work against their will, treating them like slaves. The Nev must comply, or lose a member of their family. The Nari are the ones who insist of using the R'e to keep the ship alive. There *are* alternatives. We could use the Nev to help us."
"How do you know all this?" Jason asked.
Billy and Gwen exchanged glances, then she sighed. "I told you I was a refugee from another planet seeking sanctuary. That wasn't technically a lie. I am a refugee. I am of the Nev."
"WHAT?" Several ex-Rangers said simultaneously.
"I was involved in a rebellion that should have freed half our people at our last stop. Instead, it got us over a hundred casualties. I slipped out with..." Billy caught her hand and squeezed it.
"You've told us enough about that." He looked at his friends. "Some time after that I found her, and she joined me. She informed me of the attack on Earth and we decided this merited my return."
"Thank you." She said, looking very grateful.
Rocky grinned. "Wow. And I thought you're putting up with Billy all the time was being courageous."
"Only for you, Rock." Adam said. "No one else has to carry a dictionary with them and risk spontaneous combustion when he talks."
"How do we know," Kat said, suddenly "that you not really one of the Nari? How do we know you're not just here to keep us away from the real truth?."
Again, Billy stepped up. "I will vouch for her." That was more than enough reassurance for the rest of the team.
"At least we know now what we're up against," Jason muttered. "They look like us, can talk like us, are holding our friend captive, and live in a giant cloaked ship that not even Zordon could trace."
Kimberly slid an arm around his shoulder. "Don't look so glum. Its not so bad. At best, we save the world again and rescue Tommy. At worst, the Nari complete whatever evil plan they're hatching and kill us all."
Someone laughed. "Guess some things never change."
******
Ah, reunited. But maybe they won't stay reunited for so long. Its kinda hard to write that many people and make sure they all get a chance to talk.
Thank you, all the wonderfully wonderful people who responded. :) It makes me want to write more. :)
So yay!!! Ahahahahahahahahahaaa!!
Oh, btw, I'm writing this other story and um, I was wondering...if anyone has ideas as to how someone could outsmart someone else in a clever fashion...if you could share that with me. * hopeful grin* Also, if ya Sailor Moon, check out my current fic, Confessions of a Mad scientist.
Questions? Comments? Coconuts? I'm at Eileenblzr@yahoo.com