A/N: *hangs head in shame* Sorry this is so late guys... Lately I've become
interested in poetry more than Power Rangers, and I haven't been working on
this, until Angelita sort of got me out of my thing. So here I am updating
3 chapters at once... enjoy!
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Adam trudged back to the hut, angry thoughts directed to himself running through his head. Didn't Tanya deserve to give her side of the story? And why did he launch off like that? It was so unlike him... Shaking his head, Adam entered the tent.
" Hey? Tanya, what are you doing?" His girlfriend was packing her stuff away, and Adam could see tears falling to the dirt floor. Not even looking up at him, she stiffened at his voice.
" I thought you would rather have the tent to yourself, so I asked Abeni if I could stay with them tonight." Adam took a step forward, but Tanya in turn took a quick step back.
" Tanya, I'm sorry I got so mad at you. I should have listened to you, but instead I let my temper go over me. So I went to Morathi's, and we talked and I wanted you to know that I love you," As she turned around, Adam smiled his trademark shy grin, " Will you forgive me?"
Unlike normally, where Tanya would groan and hug him, thus the argument would be over, but this time... this time was different.
" Don't you smile at me like that, Adam Sunghee Park! You talked to Morathi? What are you doing, spreading it around the village?? And what if Jabilo was there?? I can't believe you!! You know, the world doesn't just revolve around you! You smiling at me won't solve anything! What about my feelings?? Did you ever think about how you dissing me off like that hurt my FEELINGS???" She grabbed her pillow and smacked him hard.
" Get out of my sight, you bastard." She then whipped around and returned to packing, with only sobs showing that she was even affected by the verbal fight. Adam rubbed the pillow-hit arm, and sighed. Now what should I do?
~*~
Early the next morning Adam and Tanya were outside the village, waiting for their plane to Abuja. Only Kimoni and Morathi were with them as they stood there in the early dawn, the silence deafening. Finally, the plane arrived, and Tanya hugged both of the older men tightly.
" I'm going to miss you all so much." Kimoni smiled and patted her arm.
" You're always welcome in Lokoja, Tanashati. That is a promise." Adam shook their hands and also expressed his thanks, before they were off to see Zack and Aisha.
~*~
" Aisha!" Tanya waved, as Aisha and Zack got off their small plane from Ghana. It had been decided that they would meet together in Abuja, and then go together back to Angel Grove.
" Hey girl!" Aisha hurried over to greet her two friends, while Zack lagged behind with their luggage.
" Did Aisha bring her whole closet or something?" laughed Adam, helping his predecessor carry the numerous bags.
" Practically. You know what? It's good to see ya again man." The men grinned, then went back to speak with Tanya and Aisha.
" Tanya, did you tell them about Master Evil's past yet?" Adam queried, but only received the cold shoulder.
" Uh, is it just me, or is something up between you and Tanya, Adam?" Zack asked, looking genuinely bewildered. Aisha shook her head and patted Zack's head.
" Don't hurt yourself thinking, hon. It's not worth all that."
~*~
" Hey! Did Aisha and I miss a party, or what?" laughed Zack as he hugged Jason. It had taken 4 different planes, 12 hours of flying, and a missed connection, but boy, was it worth it to see his friends' faces again!
" With out you Zack, there is no party!" Kim laughed as she too hugged him. Then, as if it were from some bad soap opera, the teams went quiet and parted to let Rocky approach Aisha. They just stared at each other for a moment, before Rocky reached out and hugged her.
" Good to have you home Aisha." She hesitated for a moment, before smiling back.
" Thanks, it's nice to be back after living away for so long." For some reason, that unfroze everyone, and they went back to socializing.
" Hey, can I talk to you Aisha? In private?" Aisha glanced over at Zack, who was joking around with Chad and Kelsey.
" Sure, but only for a moment." Rocky led her outside to the balcony, where they both leaned against the ledge. They stood in peaceful silence, the silence only two good friends could have.
" Um, is it okay if I ask you something personal Aisha?"
" Of course... we're friends Rocky. You know you can ask me anything." He sighed and rubbed his head, a habit he must have picked up from Jason.
" Did you ever like me, or did you just enjoy leading me on when we were teenagers?"
" No! Never. Where did you get that idea? I never even flirted with you!"
" Well you could have fooled me Aisha. When we were younger, I thought you had a crush on me, just like I had on you!" Rocky stopped when he realized what his big mouth had just admitted, and turned away.
" Rocky, wait a second. I never told you that I didn't like you. I just said I never flirted with you." Aisha put her hand on his shoulder.
" When we were younger, you and Adam were the only boys I really knew. I have to admit I liked Adam a lot at first... until I really got to know you, and I'm not talking just about the goofball you, but also the contemplative you. I fell hard for you, but I was afraid to ruin our friendship, so I ignored my feelings. Then, when I moved to Ghana after Tanya took my place, those ideals changed. For so long I had been in a protected circle, with you and the other Rangers, so when I got out into the real world, I realized that not everything was as perfect as it seemed. I was homesick a lot, and even though it never really showed in my work, I was unhappy." Before Rocky could comment on what she had just said, Aisha pressed on.
" But then after the Peace Conferences were over, Zack came to work in Ghana for a foreign exchange study. We bumped into each other one day, recognized each other from photos that we had seen, and the rest, I guess, is history..."
" So tell me this 'Ish. What does Zack have that I don't? Because when I met him, it seemed like we were pretty similar."
" I think one of the reasons why I fell in love with Zack is that he's so much like you," Aisha turned Rocky around and grasped his hand.
" I had a huge crush on you for a very long time Rocky, and I'm honored to have been the object of your affections. But, people change...you and I changed, and now, maybe we're better off as friends, rather than sweethearts." Rocky nodded and kissed the palm of her hand. In their hearts, they both knew it was over, as Aisha's hand slipped away from Rocky's grasp.
~*~
" Hey Merrick! What're you doing over here??" The man in question turned to see Alyssa running up to him with a letter.
" What is it?"
" I just found this on my bed, but it's addressed to you. Isn't that weird? So here. And why aren't you talking with others?" She handed him the white envelope and when Merrick didn't answer her questions, she just skipped away to go find Cole.
" Okay then." Merrick stared at it, before ripping it open.
" Dear Merrick... miss you... coming back to Earth... see you soon..." Merrick mumbled, as he skimmed over the letter. Until he saw who wrote the letter.
" Cole! Taylor!" The two rushed over to the yelling Merrick, surprised by how out of character he seemed.
" What's wrong? What is that?" Merrick shakily held out the letter and motioned to the signature. Taylor snatched the letter and began to read.
" Princess Shayla???" gasped Taylor.
" But I thought she was going to go back to sleep on the Animarium?" wondered Cole.
" She was, but she said she missed us too much. Could she come at a worst time??" The last sentence was more to himself than the others, and fighting to keep his cool, Merrick walked away. He needed time to think.
" I'm going to go play pool. Be back later."
~*~
Later, after the topics of conversation began to die down, Jason motioned for Billy before putting his fingers in his mouth and whistling as hard as he could. This got everyone's attention.
" Um, I have a topic to bring up right now," Jason called out. The others fell silent, except for Merrick, who came bursting in, cue dust lightly coating his fingers.
" Good timing Merrick. I was about to tell everyone about a plan I have to protect the citizens." He then began to explain his idea of moving them to the caves, with Billy inserting more details along the way.
" So what do you think?" Jason asked.
" That's a good idea Jason, but one thing. We can't keep hiding our identities any longer. We'll have to reveal ourselves to the citizens of Angel Grove and Stone Canyon before the transportation to the 'Caves."
" Carlos is right. It will be a lot easier moving them without morphing, but if they don't know we're the Power Rangers, we'll have no authority," murmured Merrick from the back.
" Okay... then should we call a press conference to let the reporters know or something?" Katie asked, turning to the baffled Trip, who shrugged.
" Guys, if we reveal our true identities, our lives will never be the same," said Kim, wrapping her arms around her knees, thinking about how people would look at her as she crossed a street or entered a shop. That brought on a long silence, until TJ stood up and turned to everyone.
" I say we do it. Even if we don't reveal ourselves, our lives will never be same. Master Evil will eventually destroy us."
" I agree. It sounds to me like the only option is to reveal our identities or have hundreds of people killed. Not a hard choice to me," commented Jen.
" Then I guess we're going to have to set up a press conference." Taylor sighed, thinking of how this may affect her position in the Air Force.
'How can you think about that right now? You're selfish!' Taylor's subconscious yelled, making her physically wince.
" You okay Taylor?" whispered Eric, noticing the flinch.
" I'm fine. You worry about yourself Dino Boy."
" I'm going to go contact Andros, Karone, and Zhane on KO-35 and tell them about our plans," said Ashley, heading towards the door. Her fiancé and the others were helping the planet rebuild its government.
" So I guessed it's settled. We're going to reveal our identities after all these years. Wait. Isn't this against the Ranger code?" Danny asked.
" Yeah, but Zordon's not here anymore. We have to break it, and I think he'd agree with our decision." Said Tommy, though inside, he was thinking the exact same thing.
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Angelita: Hiya! Yes, I stopped writing, but now I'm back and ready to write! Thanks for the review, because it really got me going again!
Philip: I emailed you about this, but if you didn't get it, then let me know... thanks for the review!
Dagmar: Danke!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adam trudged back to the hut, angry thoughts directed to himself running through his head. Didn't Tanya deserve to give her side of the story? And why did he launch off like that? It was so unlike him... Shaking his head, Adam entered the tent.
" Hey? Tanya, what are you doing?" His girlfriend was packing her stuff away, and Adam could see tears falling to the dirt floor. Not even looking up at him, she stiffened at his voice.
" I thought you would rather have the tent to yourself, so I asked Abeni if I could stay with them tonight." Adam took a step forward, but Tanya in turn took a quick step back.
" Tanya, I'm sorry I got so mad at you. I should have listened to you, but instead I let my temper go over me. So I went to Morathi's, and we talked and I wanted you to know that I love you," As she turned around, Adam smiled his trademark shy grin, " Will you forgive me?"
Unlike normally, where Tanya would groan and hug him, thus the argument would be over, but this time... this time was different.
" Don't you smile at me like that, Adam Sunghee Park! You talked to Morathi? What are you doing, spreading it around the village?? And what if Jabilo was there?? I can't believe you!! You know, the world doesn't just revolve around you! You smiling at me won't solve anything! What about my feelings?? Did you ever think about how you dissing me off like that hurt my FEELINGS???" She grabbed her pillow and smacked him hard.
" Get out of my sight, you bastard." She then whipped around and returned to packing, with only sobs showing that she was even affected by the verbal fight. Adam rubbed the pillow-hit arm, and sighed. Now what should I do?
~*~
Early the next morning Adam and Tanya were outside the village, waiting for their plane to Abuja. Only Kimoni and Morathi were with them as they stood there in the early dawn, the silence deafening. Finally, the plane arrived, and Tanya hugged both of the older men tightly.
" I'm going to miss you all so much." Kimoni smiled and patted her arm.
" You're always welcome in Lokoja, Tanashati. That is a promise." Adam shook their hands and also expressed his thanks, before they were off to see Zack and Aisha.
~*~
" Aisha!" Tanya waved, as Aisha and Zack got off their small plane from Ghana. It had been decided that they would meet together in Abuja, and then go together back to Angel Grove.
" Hey girl!" Aisha hurried over to greet her two friends, while Zack lagged behind with their luggage.
" Did Aisha bring her whole closet or something?" laughed Adam, helping his predecessor carry the numerous bags.
" Practically. You know what? It's good to see ya again man." The men grinned, then went back to speak with Tanya and Aisha.
" Tanya, did you tell them about Master Evil's past yet?" Adam queried, but only received the cold shoulder.
" Uh, is it just me, or is something up between you and Tanya, Adam?" Zack asked, looking genuinely bewildered. Aisha shook her head and patted Zack's head.
" Don't hurt yourself thinking, hon. It's not worth all that."
~*~
" Hey! Did Aisha and I miss a party, or what?" laughed Zack as he hugged Jason. It had taken 4 different planes, 12 hours of flying, and a missed connection, but boy, was it worth it to see his friends' faces again!
" With out you Zack, there is no party!" Kim laughed as she too hugged him. Then, as if it were from some bad soap opera, the teams went quiet and parted to let Rocky approach Aisha. They just stared at each other for a moment, before Rocky reached out and hugged her.
" Good to have you home Aisha." She hesitated for a moment, before smiling back.
" Thanks, it's nice to be back after living away for so long." For some reason, that unfroze everyone, and they went back to socializing.
" Hey, can I talk to you Aisha? In private?" Aisha glanced over at Zack, who was joking around with Chad and Kelsey.
" Sure, but only for a moment." Rocky led her outside to the balcony, where they both leaned against the ledge. They stood in peaceful silence, the silence only two good friends could have.
" Um, is it okay if I ask you something personal Aisha?"
" Of course... we're friends Rocky. You know you can ask me anything." He sighed and rubbed his head, a habit he must have picked up from Jason.
" Did you ever like me, or did you just enjoy leading me on when we were teenagers?"
" No! Never. Where did you get that idea? I never even flirted with you!"
" Well you could have fooled me Aisha. When we were younger, I thought you had a crush on me, just like I had on you!" Rocky stopped when he realized what his big mouth had just admitted, and turned away.
" Rocky, wait a second. I never told you that I didn't like you. I just said I never flirted with you." Aisha put her hand on his shoulder.
" When we were younger, you and Adam were the only boys I really knew. I have to admit I liked Adam a lot at first... until I really got to know you, and I'm not talking just about the goofball you, but also the contemplative you. I fell hard for you, but I was afraid to ruin our friendship, so I ignored my feelings. Then, when I moved to Ghana after Tanya took my place, those ideals changed. For so long I had been in a protected circle, with you and the other Rangers, so when I got out into the real world, I realized that not everything was as perfect as it seemed. I was homesick a lot, and even though it never really showed in my work, I was unhappy." Before Rocky could comment on what she had just said, Aisha pressed on.
" But then after the Peace Conferences were over, Zack came to work in Ghana for a foreign exchange study. We bumped into each other one day, recognized each other from photos that we had seen, and the rest, I guess, is history..."
" So tell me this 'Ish. What does Zack have that I don't? Because when I met him, it seemed like we were pretty similar."
" I think one of the reasons why I fell in love with Zack is that he's so much like you," Aisha turned Rocky around and grasped his hand.
" I had a huge crush on you for a very long time Rocky, and I'm honored to have been the object of your affections. But, people change...you and I changed, and now, maybe we're better off as friends, rather than sweethearts." Rocky nodded and kissed the palm of her hand. In their hearts, they both knew it was over, as Aisha's hand slipped away from Rocky's grasp.
~*~
" Hey Merrick! What're you doing over here??" The man in question turned to see Alyssa running up to him with a letter.
" What is it?"
" I just found this on my bed, but it's addressed to you. Isn't that weird? So here. And why aren't you talking with others?" She handed him the white envelope and when Merrick didn't answer her questions, she just skipped away to go find Cole.
" Okay then." Merrick stared at it, before ripping it open.
" Dear Merrick... miss you... coming back to Earth... see you soon..." Merrick mumbled, as he skimmed over the letter. Until he saw who wrote the letter.
" Cole! Taylor!" The two rushed over to the yelling Merrick, surprised by how out of character he seemed.
" What's wrong? What is that?" Merrick shakily held out the letter and motioned to the signature. Taylor snatched the letter and began to read.
" Princess Shayla???" gasped Taylor.
" But I thought she was going to go back to sleep on the Animarium?" wondered Cole.
" She was, but she said she missed us too much. Could she come at a worst time??" The last sentence was more to himself than the others, and fighting to keep his cool, Merrick walked away. He needed time to think.
" I'm going to go play pool. Be back later."
~*~
Later, after the topics of conversation began to die down, Jason motioned for Billy before putting his fingers in his mouth and whistling as hard as he could. This got everyone's attention.
" Um, I have a topic to bring up right now," Jason called out. The others fell silent, except for Merrick, who came bursting in, cue dust lightly coating his fingers.
" Good timing Merrick. I was about to tell everyone about a plan I have to protect the citizens." He then began to explain his idea of moving them to the caves, with Billy inserting more details along the way.
" So what do you think?" Jason asked.
" That's a good idea Jason, but one thing. We can't keep hiding our identities any longer. We'll have to reveal ourselves to the citizens of Angel Grove and Stone Canyon before the transportation to the 'Caves."
" Carlos is right. It will be a lot easier moving them without morphing, but if they don't know we're the Power Rangers, we'll have no authority," murmured Merrick from the back.
" Okay... then should we call a press conference to let the reporters know or something?" Katie asked, turning to the baffled Trip, who shrugged.
" Guys, if we reveal our true identities, our lives will never be the same," said Kim, wrapping her arms around her knees, thinking about how people would look at her as she crossed a street or entered a shop. That brought on a long silence, until TJ stood up and turned to everyone.
" I say we do it. Even if we don't reveal ourselves, our lives will never be same. Master Evil will eventually destroy us."
" I agree. It sounds to me like the only option is to reveal our identities or have hundreds of people killed. Not a hard choice to me," commented Jen.
" Then I guess we're going to have to set up a press conference." Taylor sighed, thinking of how this may affect her position in the Air Force.
'How can you think about that right now? You're selfish!' Taylor's subconscious yelled, making her physically wince.
" You okay Taylor?" whispered Eric, noticing the flinch.
" I'm fine. You worry about yourself Dino Boy."
" I'm going to go contact Andros, Karone, and Zhane on KO-35 and tell them about our plans," said Ashley, heading towards the door. Her fiancé and the others were helping the planet rebuild its government.
" So I guessed it's settled. We're going to reveal our identities after all these years. Wait. Isn't this against the Ranger code?" Danny asked.
" Yeah, but Zordon's not here anymore. We have to break it, and I think he'd agree with our decision." Said Tommy, though inside, he was thinking the exact same thing.
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Angelita: Hiya! Yes, I stopped writing, but now I'm back and ready to write! Thanks for the review, because it really got me going again!
Philip: I emailed you about this, but if you didn't get it, then let me know... thanks for the review!
Dagmar: Danke!