Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Someone else does. I don't know whom because it keeps changing. Please don't get offended if I insult your favorite character. Some pairings are easy to write a story for while others are really tough. So please realize that some of my stories will be better than others. Hi to all my fellow AFPR's including my fellow female Psychos :). And I really appreciate the reviews :).
Ok, this is the seventh of the requested pairings. This one was requested by Simon Colwell. Uh, that's all for now.
Zhane and Merrick
By
Eileen (Psycho Tangerine)
"Hello, sir, may I help you?"
Merrick jumped at the unusually friendly voice at the other end of the counter at the Onyx Pawn Shop. He had gotten so used to the glares and curses thrown at him each time he did business in there that any sign of decent customer service made him nervous.
"What do you mean by that?" Merrick studied the other middle-aged man nervously. He noted the odd name on the front of his shirt. Perhaps this white-blonde haired 'Zhane' was really a criminal who had just murdered the real clerk and was just trying to get rid of him as quickly as possible so he could go on with his robbery. Perhaps he was an alien in disguise who…. wait a second, Merrick chided himself, everyone here was an alien.
Zhane looked questioningly at the man standing in front of him. "Uh, sir? I just wanted to know if you wanted to buy or sell something, that's all." He had been working there for less than a week and not for the first time did he regret taking this job while he hid away from Karone and her high- priced alimony. Her damned lawyers had found a way to charge him an extremely exorbitant amount just because she had once been a so-called 'princess.' As it was, he had already given her his rebuilt Mega Winger as well as his Super Silverizer.
Merrick forced himself to relax. "Sorry, it's just that sometimes I get these ideas…" He turned his head to the side. "Shhh…I'm talking here."
"I haven't said anything," replied Zhane.
Merrick, realizing what he had done, paled just a little. "Oh, I uh…was uh….uhh…nice day we're having, isn't it?"
"If you like thunderstorms, it is." Zhane sighed. "Look, I'm getting ready to take my lunch break, so, if you don't have any business here…"
Merrick jumped in quickly. "Oh, but I do. I really have to get back something that I pawned here last week."
Zhane yawned and then pulled out a ledger. "Ok, what was it exactly? Maybe we still have it."
Merrick became even more agitated. "What do you mean 'maybe'? You have to have it. She'll never ever forgive me if it's gone. Oh, how was I supposed to know she would send me a special invitation to visit her? I thought she…" he paused and then turned his head again. "What do you mean, 'I told you so,' Aku? You never even tried to stop me from…"
"Hey!" Zhane interrupted, more than a little alarmed at the sight of a bearded middle-aged man talking to an empty spot next to him. "Who are you talking to?"
Merrick's faced was now stone white. "My…uh…my traveling companion."
"Who? Jack Daniels?"
Merrick's eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat. "Very funny. Now do you have the flute that I sold here last week?"
Zhane sighed. "Please describe it."
"It's a flute…it's long…it has holes in it."
Zhane scowled. "Very funny, Wiseguy. Look, just this past week, we've had seven snake charmers and five marching bands in here selling their instruments. So, unless you can give me your name, the day you sold it, and a proper description to go on…"
"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? I swear, the level of worker competence gets lower and lower each year. Why when I was younger…"
"Look," Zhane interrupted impatiently. "I'm already five minutes into my lunch. So why don't you just go to the Onyx complaint department instead of bugging me?" Secretly, he hoped to get fired. Even unemployment on Onyx paid far more than this thankless job.
"No, no," Merrick said anxiously. "I mean, I sold my flute anonymously last Tuesday afternoon." He then proceeded to describe his ancient flute in detail.
"That's more like it," mumbled Zhane as he opened the large book. Let's see." He scanned through a few pages. "Oh, here it is. Uh oh…"
"Uh oh???" Merrick cried. "What do you mean by 'uh oh'?"
"I'm sorry, but it looks like someone else has bought it."
"B..b..bought it???!!! No!!!! You're lying! It can't be gone! It can't be! Oh, she'll never ever love me now! Why did I ever leave??? Why didn't I insist on staying??? Why did I ever make such an impossible bet with that pool shark??? Why did…" Merrick's head snapped to the side as an audible 'SMACK' against his cheek was heard. "Thanks, Zen, I needed that."
Zhane paled at that. "But…but…there's no one there. How…how…"
Merrick sighed. He hadn't wanted to reveal the presence of his invisible friend as he had hoped Zen-Aku would give him an advantage at his next pool bet by 'bumping' the competition's cues. But, he really needed to find out what had happened to his flute. "Zhane, meet my companion, Zen-Aku. Zen-Aku, meet Zhane."
"I am honored to meet the former Silver Space Ranger." Zhane jumped as an invisible furry hand grabbed his firmly and shook it.
He quickly gained his composure. "Companion, huh?" Zhane grinned mischievously. "With all that fur, you must really keep this guy warm at night." Five minutes later, he was brushing loose fur off of his torn clothing and trying unsuccessfully to staunch the many bleeding scratches he had sustained all over his body.
Merrick shook his head. "Never ever insult an invisible wolf-demon. So, now, how about telling me who bought my flute so I can go get it back?"
"Forget it!" Zhane grumbled. "I've just been beaten up by some weir…" he heard a low growl "…uh I mean wonderful creature. And, I've missed my lunch." He ripped the nametag off his shirt and threw it on the counter. "This job isn't worth it. I quit!"
"What do you mean you…wait a second!" something Zen-Aku had said a few minutes ago now hit him. "So, you're the Silver Space Ranger, huh?"
"Former Ranger," Zhane growled. How he missed those days, battling Dark Spectre, Ecliptor, Darkonda, Princess Astronema…His mood became even darker when he thought of his ex-wife. "I should've shoved that marshmallow down her gullet, stick and all," he murmured.
"Huh? Oh, never mind," said Merrick dismissively. "Look, I'm a former Ranger also, see?" He pulled out a set of snapshots of himself and the other Wildforce Rangers. He quickly yanked away the 'special' photograph he had taken of Princess Shayla as she bathed under the waterfall.
"Whoa," said Zhane who had glimpsed the photo, "I guess my comment about Wolfie warming you up was wrong." He looked at the other pictures. "Well, while it is cute that you and your friends liked to dress up as Power Rangers, I'm still not going to…" he shivered as a low growl was emitted from behind him and quickly jabbed the nametag back onto his chest, ignoring the jab from the sharp pin. "…Not going to give you a discount for all of this." He quickly re-opened the ledger and read the information there. "Well, according to this, your flute was purchased by a strange woman.
"Strange woman?" Merrick mused bewilderedly. What kind of strange woman would want his flute? Well, anyway, this was a good piece of luck at last; as he had no doubts as to his ability to charm it back from whoever it was. And if that didn't work, he could always scare it away from her with his invisible buddy.
"Yes," continued Zhane. "The description here is of a dark-haired woman, wearing a white flowing night gown and a crown of flowers on her head. Hmmm…seems she was mumbling something about castigating a certain 'wolf boy' and throwing about some vicious curses."
"Noooo! She found it! The princess found it! She'll never love me! It's all over now!" Merrick began to bang his head on the counter.
"P…p…p…p…p…PRINCESS???!!!" screamed Zhane who had been reminded once too often of his own troubles. He joined Merrick in banging his head.
"That does it!" growled Zen-Aku as he stalked out of the room. "Even us wolf-demons have to draw the line somewhere. I'm getting myself some new friends!"