2A/N: Just look back at the good ol' lyrics by Hoobastank and "The Reason", later dayz.
THE REASON - Part Eighteen: Just Droppin' By
Summary: Ethan manages to convince Conner and Tommy into going to the park. A person makes a surprise visit to see Tommy.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs and will always belong to Saban Entertainment, BVS Entertainment Inc., Renaissance Atlantic Entertainment, Village Roadshow KP Producations Limited, ABC Kids, ABC Family and Disney. And to all other affiliates with the Power Rangers concept (ie. Sentai–the original Power Rangers). And, yes, before I forget, the main title of the story does tie in with Hoobastank's "The Reason". Gotta give you guys credit, so don't sue me, please!
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"They say the people who know you best are those that impact your life in many ways." –Eclyptyk Neo
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Ethan didn't know how he did it, but he managed to convince Conner and Dr. Oliver to head over to the park with him. They could only exchange a look with each other and comply with the Blue Ranger's offer. But even they knew something had to be up. Ethan wasn't exactly seen at the park under the tree or playing a sport. The three rangers were sitting at one of the pavilions, the students on one side and the teacher on the other side.
"So, Dr. O. You feelin' any better? You seem a little down today." Conner noticed the silence in their teacher.
"It's nothing really." Dr. O shook his head, shrugging. "Kim and I got into another fight yesterday."
"I don't understand. Why didn't you guys talk in so long?"
"We had our problems. Long distance relationships never really work out. They don't. I wonder why some people try to save them." he shook his head, looking around. He figured he'd tell them what he could, hoping no one else would hear him. "But, yeah, sorry about all that yesterday, ya know. I mean, I know I should tell her. I figured Hayley told you guys the deal with Kim."
"The original pink ranger?" Ethan questioned, nodding. "Yeah. She did. And how you haven't told her your connection to the new team? Yeah."
"I just don't want her to know right now, you guys. I mean, it's been hard. These past few months haven't been the best. Let alone just dealing with all this, right now."
"Hey, it's cool. We understand. I mean, it wasn't easy coming clean with us." Conner stated.
"Yeah, like that first day of school." Ethan proclaimed.
"How could I forget that?" Dr. O shook his head, placing a small smile on his face. "Next time I'll make sure not to place my lab close to any sinkholes."
"But what happened?" Conner decided to get back on topic.
Dr. O sighed again. "Since you guys aren't going to drop the topic, I guess I'll tell you." He leaned forward, just as his students took more interest in what he was going to say. "I was new to Angel Grove High, and Kim being her friendly self, decided to introduce herself to me. Man, the moment I saw her, my heart just melted. I fell in love with her."
"Oh. Love at first sight. How sweet." Ethan smiled.
"Do you wanna hear the story or not?" he asked with a serious tone.
"Is it gonna be long? 'Cuz it beats getting my homework done." Conner suggested.
Dr. Oliver sighed shaking his head.
The two teens exchanged a look as they saw a football come flying through the air toward them–toward the back of Dr O. For a second, time appeared to slow down as the football inched closer toward its target. But as if by instinct, or by sense, Dr. O turned around and caught the ball. He looked at it with some confusion, exchanging a look with his students.
"Hey. Good catch." Someone called out as he came running over. He was wearing a red football jersey, black pants, a white bandana and sunglasses. "Whoa. My bad. Guess I didn't realize how bad my throw..."
Dr. O's eyebrows rose as he approached the person, throwing the ball back. A leering glare came at the guy who threw the ball. "Jason! What are you doing here?"
Jason removed his glasses, smiling lightly. "Oh. Hey, Thomas. Didn't think that was you."
Tommy hated how Jason would greet him that way to annoy him, as he grabbed his friend's bandana, smacking him in the head. "What are you doing here, Jason?"
"Hey. Hi to you, too." Jason held up his hands. "Sorry. My bad about the ball and every thing, but still. How are you gonna greet me like this?"
Tommy wanted to smack him again, but didn't see a point. "Don't tell me you're here to work out some ranger reunion, are you? Or even those issues about me and Kim?"
Conner got to his feet, scratching his head. "Ya know, we're still here, Dr. O. Mind giving us an intro?"
Jason exchanged a look with the young man dressed in red. Then another with the one in blue. "Lemme guess. Conner McKnight, star high school soccer player?" He held out a hand as a salutation.
"Yeah." Conner took the hand the hand in confusion. "That's me."
"And Ethan James." Jason turned to the other person, holding out a hand. "The computer genius who had the guts to break into my buddy's video diary. Nice. Maybe we can talk about other..."
Tommy smacked Jason in the head again. Annoyed at the comments his friend was making about him. "Please, pardon the cockiness that comes from the original T-Rex ranger. And the red suit, no offense to you Conner. Guys, this is Jason Scott."
"Oh right. The red ranger." Conner smiled.
Jason turned to Tommy, wrapping a hand around him. "Now, you can't forget this guy over here, Mr. Five-Year-Ranger-Candidate. Mr. Red Zeo Ranger. So, you can't diss me completely."
"Was, Jason. Not anymore. I'm in black, now, so get it right." Tommy countered. "And that was only four years. I didn't stay on when we moved onto the Turbo suits."
"Are all rangers like this? All best buddies? Bickering over such a thing as what suit the other is wearing?" Conner scratched his head.
"Well, I do recall two young rangers doing the same thing." Tommy looked directly at his young ranger proteges.
"I rest my case." Conner looked away, before looking at the original red ranger. "So, Jason, what brings you to town?"
Jason shrugged. "Just a visit. Make sure Mr. World's Greatest don't do anything to get himself into trouble."
"Stop with the World's Greatest crap." Tommy groaned. "Four colors. That's it. I rest my case."
"And whatever sacrifices you've made for the team, how can I forget?" Jason ruffled his friend's hair. "C'mon, bro. You're a standing legend." He looked at the two young rangers. "You guys are lucky to have this guy running the books. He's the best."
"So, are you here to help with this little bump in Dr. O's love relationship?" Conner wondered.
"To keep a long story short. Yes." Jason nodded before Tommy had his say. "I am tired of their cold shoulders. Not talking after eight years, it drives me crazy. So, Tommy was the new guy in school. Kim takes interest. He goes under this crazy evil dark spell by Rita, and we have to go and save the day. Once he's broken off the spell, he falls for Kim and they eventually go out. When Kim was given the offer to go to Florida to compete for the Pans Global, Tommy was the first to convince her to go. She ended up meeting someone down there and they broke up."
"Thank you, Mr. Know-It-All." Tommy huffed with annoyance.
"It wasn't like you were gonna tell them, anyways. I was doing you a favor, bro."
"Wow. That's crazy. She met some guy in Florida and left you all alone." Conner was surprised.
"Not entirely. He started going out..." Jason began, but Tommy covered his mouth.
"My story, Jase." He turned back to his students. "When Kim left for Florida, she also gave up her powers as the pink ranger. By then we were all ninja rangers. Myself, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Billy and Kim. Kat took her place on the team, and I guess I made the transition for her easy. After the break-up with Kim, we started going out. Me and Kat. But it didn't even make it passed college."
"And what is with this ninja power? I thought there was a team of ninja rangers?"
Tommy nodded. "A year ago. Yes. But we were the exception. If you can recall from that diary, the original power coins were forged together by an ancient being known as Ninjor. He told us that each person had an animal spirit and strength to re-harness the powers that would make us rangersa again. The six of us: Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Billy, Kim and myself managed to harness our animal spirits and become a new team of rangers. Adam was the frog. Rocky was the ape. Aisha was the bear. Billy was the wolf. Kim was the crane. And I was the falcon. We were the only team in existence to call upon a power not only forged together by a coin or gem, but by ourselves. So, I guess in some cases, we're a unique team."
"So, you have these powers now?" Conner grew interested.
"I do." he nodded slowly, recalling the day Cam had helped him find it again. "I'm not so sure if the others still have the strength to seek it out. We all still have it, the six of us. But I'm not sure if they have re-harnessed it. But there's also something else. I didn't mention this to you last night, Ethan because I didn't think it was important. But, now I think it is." he hesitated. "I found several power sources–four actually– but I haven't pinpointed their exact location. Now, whether or not they have any connection to our morphers or not, the energy is just as strong."
"So, do you think Mesogog is after them?" Conner asked in his best leadership voice.
"If we're lucky, he doesn't even know they exist." he concluded.
"Now, wait, you didn't mention that." Jason grew annoyed.
"Do I have to tell you everything?" Tommy looked at him.
"It would help. Yes. I'm your best friend, Tommy."
"So, wait. Out of this whole step down memory lane, where do you come in?" Conner looked over at Jason.
"Well, I was apart of the team for a year or so. Me, Trini and Zack. The original red, yellow and black rangers. We eventually moved on to more important things. I think." He shrugged. "We were offered a position as high school delegates in a peace conference in Switzerland. We took the job. Passed on our powers."
"To Adam, Aisha and Rocky."
"Very good, Conner. You've been studying." Ethan seemed slightly annoyed at his friend's slow reaction time.
Conner looked at him, offended. But looked back at Jason for more on his story.
"There's not really much to say. I was the first red ranger. I was the original leader. I broke the spell off of Tommy when he became the evil green ranger. And eventually, but for a brief time took up the gold ranger powers. I rejoined the team–now, Zeo–but couldn't stay long. The powers were from an alien being named Trey. And I guess, I just wasn't fit to keep the powers, so I had to give them back." he shrugged. "I wouldn't really regret saying that I didn't do enough for the team, because I did. Zordon didn't pick the five of us for no reason. Zack, Billy, Kim, Trini and myself."
"And where do you come in, Dr. O?" Conner looked confused.
"Dude, weren't you paying attention? Or did you forget from the video diary about Dr. O being the original evil ranger?" Ethan smacked him in the head. "Man. This history lesson isn't really working out for you, is it?"
Conner shook his head slowly, having problems grasping all he was hearing.
"Thanks for the intro, Ethan." Tommy sighed. "Like I said, I was put under a spell. And I did become the first evil ranger. And nearly annihilated the team. I remembered everything that I did. But ya know, I'm glad that I had my friends here to bring me back to the light or I don't know where I'd be. Let alone, the rangers of the future."
"The original bad boy. So, does this come with why you can be rather rebellious at times, Dr. O?" Ethan asked.
Tommy shook his head, chuckling. "For the most part, I guess. But no, I was always a rebel. It kinda came with my martial art skills. I guess I thought I could pick a fight with everyone I saw. And finally matched up to good ol' expert martial artist here, Jason."
"Yeah right." Jason scoffed. "I could still kick your ass."
"Now, who kicked your butt in that martial arts competition?"
"It was a tie."
"No. But I knocked the hell out of you guys.."
"When you were the evil green ranger, bro."
"You guys freaked when you found out it was me."
"No. I saved your ass when Gaskett put you under that brainwash escapade."
"No. Actually that was Kat." Tommy remembered. "You guys were just there to help out. I still kicked your ass then."
"You were under a spell."
Conner and Ethan exchanged a look, watching the two older rangers argue like a tennis match. Back and forth. Then they turned to the two bickering men, clearing their throats. The two stopped to look at the younger rangers.
"Can we get back on subject here?" Ethan suggested.
"Well, what else do you guys want to know?" Tommy sighed.
"No. Actually, how about the two of you? Anything to share?" Jason countered.
The two younger rangers looked at each other, than shrugged.
"What is there to tell?" Ethan asked.
"Nothing really." Conner shook his head.
Tommy shook his head. "I already told you all I can about these guys, Jason. It's us they have questions about."
"And tell them you did not? Why?" Jason seemed surprised they had so many questions to ask him.
"Give me a break. It's been a rough three years."
"Three years? What? You guys haven't seen each other in that long?" Conner grew interested.
"No." Jason shook his head. "Saw him a few months back. Way before you guys even found those gems, but it was a tragic event that brought the old crew back together. The long line of us rangers."
"Four generations worth of us." Tommy looked down, ashamed and saddened. "I didn't expect that would be the thing to bring us back as a crew."
"What?" Conner said with great concern seeing the hurt in the older men's eyes.
They exchanged a look, but said nothing as they turned away shaking their heads. The low search for breath had the two younger rangers surprised that the two men were in the stages of crying.
Jason looked up, a set of water pools filling his eyes. "I was there at the scene investigating the crash."
"One of our close friends died in a car crash three years ago. September 3rd, 2001." Tommy said quietly as if it happened yesterday.
When a silence fell over the four, nothing more could be said. Conner looked over at Ethan, seeing the sympathy in his eyes for the loss. But he didn't exactly know who the older men were talking about. The two men could say no more as they tried to force back their tears, but it could not be done. When Tommy broke out into more tears, his friend clasped him in a strong bear hug. Ethan looked at the two, watching the wave of Tommy's hand giving him permission to fill in the gaps for the young red ranger.
"You remember Trini, right, Conner?" Ethan began, as Conner nodded. He still appeared clueless, but provided what sympathy he could. "Well, of course, she was the original yellow ranger. Saber-tooth tiger. And well, three years ago on that day–Sept. 3rd–her life was taken by a drunk driver. She was dead on impact. She was a close friend to the team. Childhood friend, minus Dr. Oliver, of course. It was her death that brought the team together again. They talked more through the years. Well, minus the talk between Tommy and Kim."
"Wow." Conner let out a breath, looking at the two men slowly break the hug. "I'm sorry."
"She was a great fighter." Jason said slowly. "A fierce one. I guess, it comes with the color. I hear Kira is that way, but is as graceful as Kim."
The teens nodded.
"She is." Conner commented.
Tommy looked at him, as streaks of water came down his face. "Don't lose touch with each other. Any of you. Your time spent in the suit will re-define you as a person and as a group of friends. It's not just about saving the world, but it's also discovering who you really are." He looked away, trying to force back some tears, but they fell.
Jason clasped his friend's shoulder looking down in sadness.
Ethan looked back at Conner. "In the same year, Dr. O lost his brother to an illness doctors were unable to identify. He was the only family Dr. O ever really knew that were actually of his own blood."
"He lost his own parents in a car crash at the age of four." Jason looked back at Conner. "Went into foster care and eventually got adopted by the age of six. It took him nearly
eleven years to find out he had a brother, David Trueheart. And well, when they were getting closer, David's life was taken."
"Wow." Conner was speechless. He leaned forward and clasped his teacher's other shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dr. O."
Tommy looked at the ground for some time. He wasn't mad that his student now knew more about his past, but he wasn't sure how he could approach Kira about it. Or if he would just let the red and blue rangers tell her themselves. It was time to break away from the point of isolationism. He couldn't stay in it forever. And if Jason was going to be around for awhile, he would make sure that every bit of dirt that had to be stepped on and had to be known about him would get out in the open. Tommy looked up slowly, relaying a light smile. "Thanks guys."
"No problem, Dr. O." Conner encouraged with a smile. "Always here to help."
"See, bro. 'Always here to help.'" Jason repeated clasping his friend's shoulders. "Do not tell me that they have every right to know about your life as a ranger when they're willing to help out."
"Well..." Ethan held up a hand.
"Okay, fine." Jason waved away his gesture. "So, Ethan knows. But as for Conner and Kira. You gotta tell them."
"Tell us what?" Conner grew confused.
"Dr. O made another video diary that we weren't suppose to exactly see. But it could provide us with more answers to our new-found heritage." Ethan clued him in, with a nod. "Besides, it gives us more insight to what Dr. Oliver has been up to in the past few years."
"Why rely on a video diary when the primary source is in front of you, Ethan?" Conner countered, pointing at their teacher.
Ethan looked away, offended at his friend's defense. "Give me a break. The guy has a dark side you don't want to see. I couldn't ask him."
"Kid's got a point." Jason nodded. "Tommy still has that fiery dragon spirit he had when he was the green ranger. But as fierce as a white tiger. Alert as a falcon. And as bright as a star." He looked at his friend, eyebrows raised. "Is that how you put it?"
Tommy couldn't help but relay an annoyed smile. "Yeah, I did."
"So, where does the Brachio part of you fall in?" Ethan chuckled.
"Still working on that."
The three laughed at his comment. Tommy joined in.
"So, are you gonna work things out with Kim?" Jason asked.
"Give her some time. Give me some time. I'll get back to you on that." he got to his feet, walking off.
The three looked at each other, watching as the Black Ranger left them hanging.
"Meaning?" Conner furrowed his eyebrows.
"It'll be awhile." Ethan and Jason concluded.
To be continued...
A/N: So, the dino rangers know more about their mentor's past. But where was Kira in all this? When will she find out? And how long will Jason stay? And what does he have in store for this ranger reunion fresh in his mind? And what about that power source Dr. Oliver is talking about? Could it be the same one that Mesogog is seeking out? Stay tuned. Keep reading.