THE REASON - Part Twenty-Four: Rise Animal Spirits
Summary: Jason decides to pull Tommy into a sparring exercise in the woods. The plot, face the animal spirits of his past to test his own skills. And welcome in two more rangers into the reunion party.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers will never be mind. And if they were, it would be a little scare, but effective. To the influence of the story, Hoobastank. Thanks for the inspiration. To the other PR writers, we are all rangers.
A/N: Not much to say, except that hope you don't get too confused. I tried to make it simple, but still sophisticated, so enjoy.
"They say that the primitive animal inside each of us never sleeps, but must be awaken by an unexpected event to test its strength." –Eclyptyk Neo
Hours passed.
Jason called up Tommy for a little sparring exercise in the woods. Tommy went along with it, wondering if Jason still had it in him to go against the standing legend ranger. It wasn't too far from the forest entrance to the lab. As Jason figured the late hour could get them lost in the woods, but Tommy knew them pretty well even if he had to rely only on the stars and the trees. But than again, as a military guy he knew how to survive in the woods, too, if it had to come down to that.
"So, we ready to do this?" Jason asked.
"Only if you can keep up," Tommy sent a crescent kick passed his friend's head.
Jason stumbled back, losing his footing. Tommy came at him again with another crescent kick, but Jason moved away and side-swiped Tommy to the ground. Tommy quickly recovered and stood there waiting for Jason's next move in a defensive stance. The alert in both of their eyes. The determination to be crowned the victor of this fight.
Minutes passed.
The fight raged on, but neither seemed to fall to the other. They always made the sparring a competitive sport. Every time. They were always determined to find the victor. Their sparring exercises were rare and every time it did happen, it would turn into some grudge match. The victor, could never be determined. They grew tired of sparring and called it quits without claiming a winner.
The minutes seemed to pass like long hours.
But a strange wind entered the area. They had not realized that the sun was nearly gone and the sky was beginning to darken. The huge moon filled the sky with its radiant presence.
Jason caught his breath, slumping over. "Did you hear that?"
Tommy held up a hand, looking around again slowly. Attentive. Alert. Expanding his thoughts to spread through the area like a blanket and listened. His eyes were trained on every shadow in the area, slowing his breathing. He closed his eyes, feeling the presence of two figures in the area. He could hear the cry of his animal spirit spark up inside him. He sent his hands into an array of fluid movements that later revealed him standing there in his white ninja uniform, minus the full-face coverage.
When he turned around, sensing the air's new texture, he was taken out by two hooded figures as they came from the tree branches. He recovered just as Jason took out one of the challengers. The one dubbed in the red ninja uniform.
Tommy had his mind set on the one in the black ninja uniform. The black ninja leapt back into the shadows and disappeared from Tommy's sight. He would have to rely on his falcon instincts to find his opponent.
Time passed.
The two ninjas used the shadows to their advantage, as Tommy and Jason fought to keep them from weakening them. But it didn't seem to work. These guys were quick and knew each move set by their opponents. They had circled around the two master martial artists, who were back to back by the time they appeared to show signs of fatigue. The two masters tried to shake up their tiredness. Their opponents' faces were covered completely except for the slits that revealed their eyes.
Tommy watched the black ninja, never really thinking twice who it could have been. Only determined to get him outta there before he found out too much. He launched a jump kick at his black aggressor, but missed as the black ninja disappeared into the shadows. Jason went flying into the air beside Tommy, just as he came to block several more attacks from the red ninja. The red ninja retreated back into the shadows. Tommy helped Jason to his feet. "You okay?"
"I'll live." Jason groaned, grabbing his stomach. "These guys know how to kick major tail when they need to."
They turned back around, seeing the two ninjas waiting defensively for another attack. But the two refused.
There were more footsteps as the three dino rangers joined the two older rangers, ready to do away with their mentor's aggressors.
"Seems, you guys ran into a bit of trouble. Mind if we give you a hand?" Conner asked.
Ethan gasped, looking at the two foes in the distance. "Whoa! Cool. Real ninjas."
Kira cleared her throat, looking at her teacher. "An explanation?"
Tommy looked down at his white ninja uniform, shrugging. "I'll explain later." He looked back up into the distance, at the red and black ninjas. He saw the gold coin encrusted on the two ninjas, exchanging a quick look with them. He took a few steps forward, removing his hood and mask that covered his mouth and nose..
"Yo, Dr. O. Anytime would be nice?" Conner called out as he walked over to his teacher.
Tommy held out his hand, stopping the red dino ranger in his tracks. He took another step forward, as the two ninjas dropped their stance and crossed their arms. They seemed a little annoyed at the long confrontation. "Adam? Rocky?"
"So, this is what we get for failing to tell you we were coming into town?" The black ninja stepped forward, removing the cloth covering his face.
"A huge confrontation with the entire team..well, for the most part. My bad." The red ninja did the same.
They both walked up to the team, revealing their faces to them. It was in fact Adam and Rocky. The black and red ninjas. They didn't appear to age at all. Rocky's hair was cropped short like it had been that last year in high school. He appeared just as strong, if not stronger as he appeared to have been wearing that ninja suit nearly all his life. Adam was the same way. His hair was kept short like he day he became a ranger. His skills with kung fu and martial arts seemed to evolve as he appeared more enlightened by it.
"Aw, sweet." Ethan commented, now back in his civilian form. "The original ninja rangers."
"And this must be the new blue ranger." Adam took his hand in a firm handshake. "The mastermind behind the computer work, Ethan James."
"That's me. Good to have finally met you, Adam." Ethan commented.
Rocky took the other two dino rangers hand, also in their civilian form, with a light smile to each. "And Kira and Conner. The yellow and red rangers."
"So, you've heard of us?" Kira asked.
"Well, it isn't hard to pry things from Tommy here when we need to, right?"
Tommy revealed another annoyed smile. "Thanks for making me look like the nut inside the shell."
The two ninjas turned to their former leader, bowing slightly.
"Well. Well. Well." Adam shook his head. "Good ol' black dino ranger couldn't help but bring up his ranger past, now could he?"
"Guess not. Lemme guess, Thunder Rangers?" Tommy asked, taking note of their fighting style.
"Hunter and Blake?" Rocky questioned, nodding. "Sure. But for awhile, we already re-established our ninja powers. They just seemed to bring it up to the next level."
"So, it seems."
"Man, I'm feeling a little left out of this." Jason grumbled, crossing his arms. "Ex-Ranger completely."
Adam turned to him, patting the original red ranger's shoulder. "Hey, could be worse. You may not be around after all those crazy car chases you get involved in. But than again, there was that loss of the gold ranger powers."
"That's not helping, Adam." Jason shook his head.
"Hey, Dr. O, since you're in white, couldn't that mean we might be able to figure out how the White Ranger attacks?" Conner suggested.
"Don't jump to that conclusion, Conner." Tommy shook his head, looking at the red dino ranger. "Just because I used to be the White Ranger doesn't mean I have any real connection to how this one works. Besides, I thought I made it clear that I'm wearing the black suit."
"Well, not exactly." Kira stated, looking at his outfit again.
Tommy forced out a sigh, pulling his uniform away to reveal his black karate outfit. "Enough said. Long story and I still can't figure it out. But I can only establish the powers one at a time. So, to answer your question, Ethan, no I don't have double the power. Though, I can admit I do have that extra fixed power that makes me almost close to invincible."
Ethan grumbled, looking away surprised to find out that his teacher had answered his question.
"Remember, Ethan. Ninja powers." Tommy answered another question that lingered in the blue dino ranger's mind. "I do have the powers of mind control if I really felt like it. Or any of these other "ninja magic" skills. But, I highly doubt I can compete with the likes of Rocky and Adam."
-----
The group had made it back to the lab without saying much until everyone got settled. The teens found their favorite spot against the wall where Tommy was mounting a dino skeleton. The stone blocks acted like chairs for them. Jason found a chair close to the computer console. And after Adam and Rocky had commented about the lab, the group began to bring up more issues.
"Did we come at a bad time?" Rocky raised an eyebrow.
"Please, like you could ever be a problem. It's nice to have rangers of the past visit us." Conner commented.
"They like your company." Tommy sighed, shrugging. He looked back at Jason. "So, Jase, who do I have left to see?"
"Zack. Aisha. Tanya." He concluded.
"And this ranger reunion is working?" Conner asked.
"Not quite. We need to be in one room."
Tommy shook his head. "No. Slow down. Not now, Jase."
"Hey, it's not like Mesogog is going off looking for rangers in the past or whatever. Besides, they enjoy our company." Jason stated with interest looking at the anxious young rangers.
"And you still stalling with Kim, T." Adam shook his head with disappointment. "Stop it."
"Hey!" Tommy's voice rose. "She flipped out on me. Don't you think I tried to explain myself?"
"Yeah, but if you didn't wait to tell her, T, none of this would have happened." Rocky said.
"Still ain't talkin' after she found out." Jason stated.
Adam shook his head again. "Ouch, T. You really did it this time."
"Funny, Adam. Stop it, okay? Just give me some time to think this out."
"Time is something you may not have, Tommy." Rocky stated, crossing his arms. "She'll be going to Athens in a few months and who knows if she might meet someone there if you don't settle this."
Tommy huffed, knowing that the red ninja ranger might be right. If he and Kim didn't resolved these gaps, he may never get that second chance to be with her and make it final. Make the proposal. He was guilty he couldn't do it any earlier, but any time now within these next few weeks would have to see that question pop up. "Okay. Okay. Okay. But, for now, let her rest. It's late." Love was always a personal subject Tommy refused to talk about, not that it was offensive. It was really hard to deal with it. He had been pulled into so many different types of loves. And when Kira had asked him about it, wasn't all the best time to bother him about it.
Adam stepped forward. "Look, T, we know how you are. What you've been through. The things you've lost. But don't let this be one of your biggest challenges by pushing Kim away."
"Yeah, man." Rocky stepped up beside his best friend, matching the stride of power following those in the red suit. "What you and Kim shared is rare. It's still there and will always be there. Don't tell us otherwise, because we see it every time there is a mention of her name. Or her picture in sight. Don't let her go again, Tommy."
"Look at how far you've gotten in the years, bro." Jason stated.
Tommy looked around the room, seeing the progress of his hard work. Of the evolution of a legacy still being made. It was there and would never leave his heart. Or his mind. It was apart of his life just as it was to everyone else in the room.
"We owe you that much, Dr. O." Conner got to his feet as his teacher turned to look at him. "We wouldn't have gotten this far if you weren't here."
"You've lead many teams to victory. And you've learned just as we are doing now. You said that the friendships made here begin with that first step in seeing what you're fighting for." Kira stated.
"In discovering who we are as individuals." Ethan finished.
Tommy looked at his three students, knowing that they were right. He had taught them a lot. Trained them. Showed and guided them into the legacy of being a power ranger. He looked back at his friends, and saw the light smile on their faces.
"They're in good hands, Tommy." Adam commented.
"In yours. We always learn stuff every day. It gives us a better understanding in who we really are." Jason nodded.
"Soar into the skies, Tommy. You own the sky and let the falcon inside tell you where you need to go and what you must do." Rocky said.
Each bowed in turn and left the room without saying another word.
Tommy turned back to his students, who seemed inspired by the old rangers' wisdom. "Awake the animal inside and anything is possible. Believe what you can do and know you can do it without any hesitation," Tommy instructed. "Smile and look beyond the roughest waves of the seas, because where there is darkness there is light."
They nodded and headed out of the room, without saying a word. But they grasped the wisdom each ranger had to say to them.
Tommy watched them go, recalling all the memories that stuck clear in his mind. "Let it be known that we each have our own animal spirit to awake.
That the qualities that make you who you are will prove to be your greatest success in life."
-----
Minutes passed.
Tommy was now in his room, looking down at the locket Kim returned to him. He forced out a breath and dialed up Kim's cell. Now, what to say if she would pick up, he had no clue. Or what to say for a message. But it had to be done. The guys had won him over. And he had to talk to her.
The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times. And finally four.
Tommy was about to hang up, when the voicemail went off. He let it out, waiting for his chance to speak.
BEEP!
"Um....hey, Kim. Guess who? Yeah, it's me...Tommy." He held his breath, trying to think of something to say. "Wow. I mean, I just...I don't know what to say. But please, don't delete this before you had a chance to hear what I had to say. I mean, I'm sorry. I was being a selfish jerk. I should have told you what has been going on from the very beginning. At the funeral. Told you how I felt. I mean, right now, I am more scared for you than I've ever been. There's something you must know, but I refuse to tell it to you over the phone. I'd prefer a little alone time for us to look at each other. For us to talk without dealing with everyone else. Just you and me. Look, it's not over the matter of wanting to apologize, kiss and make-up–I mean, no it is. I just..no. Sorry. I didn't rehearse this. Just trying to give it to you from the bottom of my heart." he hesitated. "I miss you, Kim. And I'd do anything to have you in my arms again. Okay? No more stalling. I gotta stop acting like such a baby about this. Love. It can be cruel, but you never gave me that. It was me. I mean, I'm not exactly Mr. Perfect-From-Down-The-Lane. No one is. And neither are you. It was just something I guess I couldn't say. That I was back in suit. Yeah, black. Well, you got your wish. Commenting how you'd think I'd look nice in the black suit. Well, here's your knight in black spandex." he groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "I have nothing much else to say. Not over the phone, anyways. Except that I want to say I'm sorry for the pain. I'm sorry for the lies. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But I still love you. I want to spend every waking moment with you. But...yeah. I'll talk to you later, I hope. Stay safe. Good-night. And I love you, Kimberly Anne Hart."
He forced out a breath and pushed the phone away, hanging it up as he did. He could feel the burden of some of the weight break from his shoulders, but there was still a large load still up there. He rolled into bed, and turned to the picture of Kim on the nightstand. He placed his fingers to his lips and let it settle on the lips of the picture.
"Sleep well, Kim." he whispered. "I love you."
He turned off the light, rolling into bed trying to feel comfort in the huge bed he shared with no one. But hoped that it wouldn't last.
To be continued.....
A/N: Next chapter will tie into "White Thunder Pt.3" Sorry, but gotta pick up the pace, so if you oppose, gotta deal But I gotta get out here.
Summary: Jason decides to pull Tommy into a sparring exercise in the woods. The plot, face the animal spirits of his past to test his own skills. And welcome in two more rangers into the reunion party.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers will never be mind. And if they were, it would be a little scare, but effective. To the influence of the story, Hoobastank. Thanks for the inspiration. To the other PR writers, we are all rangers.
A/N: Not much to say, except that hope you don't get too confused. I tried to make it simple, but still sophisticated, so enjoy.
"They say that the primitive animal inside each of us never sleeps, but must be awaken by an unexpected event to test its strength." –Eclyptyk Neo
Hours passed.
Jason called up Tommy for a little sparring exercise in the woods. Tommy went along with it, wondering if Jason still had it in him to go against the standing legend ranger. It wasn't too far from the forest entrance to the lab. As Jason figured the late hour could get them lost in the woods, but Tommy knew them pretty well even if he had to rely only on the stars and the trees. But than again, as a military guy he knew how to survive in the woods, too, if it had to come down to that.
"So, we ready to do this?" Jason asked.
"Only if you can keep up," Tommy sent a crescent kick passed his friend's head.
Jason stumbled back, losing his footing. Tommy came at him again with another crescent kick, but Jason moved away and side-swiped Tommy to the ground. Tommy quickly recovered and stood there waiting for Jason's next move in a defensive stance. The alert in both of their eyes. The determination to be crowned the victor of this fight.
Minutes passed.
The fight raged on, but neither seemed to fall to the other. They always made the sparring a competitive sport. Every time. They were always determined to find the victor. Their sparring exercises were rare and every time it did happen, it would turn into some grudge match. The victor, could never be determined. They grew tired of sparring and called it quits without claiming a winner.
The minutes seemed to pass like long hours.
But a strange wind entered the area. They had not realized that the sun was nearly gone and the sky was beginning to darken. The huge moon filled the sky with its radiant presence.
Jason caught his breath, slumping over. "Did you hear that?"
Tommy held up a hand, looking around again slowly. Attentive. Alert. Expanding his thoughts to spread through the area like a blanket and listened. His eyes were trained on every shadow in the area, slowing his breathing. He closed his eyes, feeling the presence of two figures in the area. He could hear the cry of his animal spirit spark up inside him. He sent his hands into an array of fluid movements that later revealed him standing there in his white ninja uniform, minus the full-face coverage.
When he turned around, sensing the air's new texture, he was taken out by two hooded figures as they came from the tree branches. He recovered just as Jason took out one of the challengers. The one dubbed in the red ninja uniform.
Tommy had his mind set on the one in the black ninja uniform. The black ninja leapt back into the shadows and disappeared from Tommy's sight. He would have to rely on his falcon instincts to find his opponent.
Time passed.
The two ninjas used the shadows to their advantage, as Tommy and Jason fought to keep them from weakening them. But it didn't seem to work. These guys were quick and knew each move set by their opponents. They had circled around the two master martial artists, who were back to back by the time they appeared to show signs of fatigue. The two masters tried to shake up their tiredness. Their opponents' faces were covered completely except for the slits that revealed their eyes.
Tommy watched the black ninja, never really thinking twice who it could have been. Only determined to get him outta there before he found out too much. He launched a jump kick at his black aggressor, but missed as the black ninja disappeared into the shadows. Jason went flying into the air beside Tommy, just as he came to block several more attacks from the red ninja. The red ninja retreated back into the shadows. Tommy helped Jason to his feet. "You okay?"
"I'll live." Jason groaned, grabbing his stomach. "These guys know how to kick major tail when they need to."
They turned back around, seeing the two ninjas waiting defensively for another attack. But the two refused.
There were more footsteps as the three dino rangers joined the two older rangers, ready to do away with their mentor's aggressors.
"Seems, you guys ran into a bit of trouble. Mind if we give you a hand?" Conner asked.
Ethan gasped, looking at the two foes in the distance. "Whoa! Cool. Real ninjas."
Kira cleared her throat, looking at her teacher. "An explanation?"
Tommy looked down at his white ninja uniform, shrugging. "I'll explain later." He looked back up into the distance, at the red and black ninjas. He saw the gold coin encrusted on the two ninjas, exchanging a quick look with them. He took a few steps forward, removing his hood and mask that covered his mouth and nose..
"Yo, Dr. O. Anytime would be nice?" Conner called out as he walked over to his teacher.
Tommy held out his hand, stopping the red dino ranger in his tracks. He took another step forward, as the two ninjas dropped their stance and crossed their arms. They seemed a little annoyed at the long confrontation. "Adam? Rocky?"
"So, this is what we get for failing to tell you we were coming into town?" The black ninja stepped forward, removing the cloth covering his face.
"A huge confrontation with the entire team..well, for the most part. My bad." The red ninja did the same.
They both walked up to the team, revealing their faces to them. It was in fact Adam and Rocky. The black and red ninjas. They didn't appear to age at all. Rocky's hair was cropped short like it had been that last year in high school. He appeared just as strong, if not stronger as he appeared to have been wearing that ninja suit nearly all his life. Adam was the same way. His hair was kept short like he day he became a ranger. His skills with kung fu and martial arts seemed to evolve as he appeared more enlightened by it.
"Aw, sweet." Ethan commented, now back in his civilian form. "The original ninja rangers."
"And this must be the new blue ranger." Adam took his hand in a firm handshake. "The mastermind behind the computer work, Ethan James."
"That's me. Good to have finally met you, Adam." Ethan commented.
Rocky took the other two dino rangers hand, also in their civilian form, with a light smile to each. "And Kira and Conner. The yellow and red rangers."
"So, you've heard of us?" Kira asked.
"Well, it isn't hard to pry things from Tommy here when we need to, right?"
Tommy revealed another annoyed smile. "Thanks for making me look like the nut inside the shell."
The two ninjas turned to their former leader, bowing slightly.
"Well. Well. Well." Adam shook his head. "Good ol' black dino ranger couldn't help but bring up his ranger past, now could he?"
"Guess not. Lemme guess, Thunder Rangers?" Tommy asked, taking note of their fighting style.
"Hunter and Blake?" Rocky questioned, nodding. "Sure. But for awhile, we already re-established our ninja powers. They just seemed to bring it up to the next level."
"So, it seems."
"Man, I'm feeling a little left out of this." Jason grumbled, crossing his arms. "Ex-Ranger completely."
Adam turned to him, patting the original red ranger's shoulder. "Hey, could be worse. You may not be around after all those crazy car chases you get involved in. But than again, there was that loss of the gold ranger powers."
"That's not helping, Adam." Jason shook his head.
"Hey, Dr. O, since you're in white, couldn't that mean we might be able to figure out how the White Ranger attacks?" Conner suggested.
"Don't jump to that conclusion, Conner." Tommy shook his head, looking at the red dino ranger. "Just because I used to be the White Ranger doesn't mean I have any real connection to how this one works. Besides, I thought I made it clear that I'm wearing the black suit."
"Well, not exactly." Kira stated, looking at his outfit again.
Tommy forced out a sigh, pulling his uniform away to reveal his black karate outfit. "Enough said. Long story and I still can't figure it out. But I can only establish the powers one at a time. So, to answer your question, Ethan, no I don't have double the power. Though, I can admit I do have that extra fixed power that makes me almost close to invincible."
Ethan grumbled, looking away surprised to find out that his teacher had answered his question.
"Remember, Ethan. Ninja powers." Tommy answered another question that lingered in the blue dino ranger's mind. "I do have the powers of mind control if I really felt like it. Or any of these other "ninja magic" skills. But, I highly doubt I can compete with the likes of Rocky and Adam."
-----
The group had made it back to the lab without saying much until everyone got settled. The teens found their favorite spot against the wall where Tommy was mounting a dino skeleton. The stone blocks acted like chairs for them. Jason found a chair close to the computer console. And after Adam and Rocky had commented about the lab, the group began to bring up more issues.
"Did we come at a bad time?" Rocky raised an eyebrow.
"Please, like you could ever be a problem. It's nice to have rangers of the past visit us." Conner commented.
"They like your company." Tommy sighed, shrugging. He looked back at Jason. "So, Jase, who do I have left to see?"
"Zack. Aisha. Tanya." He concluded.
"And this ranger reunion is working?" Conner asked.
"Not quite. We need to be in one room."
Tommy shook his head. "No. Slow down. Not now, Jase."
"Hey, it's not like Mesogog is going off looking for rangers in the past or whatever. Besides, they enjoy our company." Jason stated with interest looking at the anxious young rangers.
"And you still stalling with Kim, T." Adam shook his head with disappointment. "Stop it."
"Hey!" Tommy's voice rose. "She flipped out on me. Don't you think I tried to explain myself?"
"Yeah, but if you didn't wait to tell her, T, none of this would have happened." Rocky said.
"Still ain't talkin' after she found out." Jason stated.
Adam shook his head again. "Ouch, T. You really did it this time."
"Funny, Adam. Stop it, okay? Just give me some time to think this out."
"Time is something you may not have, Tommy." Rocky stated, crossing his arms. "She'll be going to Athens in a few months and who knows if she might meet someone there if you don't settle this."
Tommy huffed, knowing that the red ninja ranger might be right. If he and Kim didn't resolved these gaps, he may never get that second chance to be with her and make it final. Make the proposal. He was guilty he couldn't do it any earlier, but any time now within these next few weeks would have to see that question pop up. "Okay. Okay. Okay. But, for now, let her rest. It's late." Love was always a personal subject Tommy refused to talk about, not that it was offensive. It was really hard to deal with it. He had been pulled into so many different types of loves. And when Kira had asked him about it, wasn't all the best time to bother him about it.
Adam stepped forward. "Look, T, we know how you are. What you've been through. The things you've lost. But don't let this be one of your biggest challenges by pushing Kim away."
"Yeah, man." Rocky stepped up beside his best friend, matching the stride of power following those in the red suit. "What you and Kim shared is rare. It's still there and will always be there. Don't tell us otherwise, because we see it every time there is a mention of her name. Or her picture in sight. Don't let her go again, Tommy."
"Look at how far you've gotten in the years, bro." Jason stated.
Tommy looked around the room, seeing the progress of his hard work. Of the evolution of a legacy still being made. It was there and would never leave his heart. Or his mind. It was apart of his life just as it was to everyone else in the room.
"We owe you that much, Dr. O." Conner got to his feet as his teacher turned to look at him. "We wouldn't have gotten this far if you weren't here."
"You've lead many teams to victory. And you've learned just as we are doing now. You said that the friendships made here begin with that first step in seeing what you're fighting for." Kira stated.
"In discovering who we are as individuals." Ethan finished.
Tommy looked at his three students, knowing that they were right. He had taught them a lot. Trained them. Showed and guided them into the legacy of being a power ranger. He looked back at his friends, and saw the light smile on their faces.
"They're in good hands, Tommy." Adam commented.
"In yours. We always learn stuff every day. It gives us a better understanding in who we really are." Jason nodded.
"Soar into the skies, Tommy. You own the sky and let the falcon inside tell you where you need to go and what you must do." Rocky said.
Each bowed in turn and left the room without saying another word.
Tommy turned back to his students, who seemed inspired by the old rangers' wisdom. "Awake the animal inside and anything is possible. Believe what you can do and know you can do it without any hesitation," Tommy instructed. "Smile and look beyond the roughest waves of the seas, because where there is darkness there is light."
They nodded and headed out of the room, without saying a word. But they grasped the wisdom each ranger had to say to them.
Tommy watched them go, recalling all the memories that stuck clear in his mind. "Let it be known that we each have our own animal spirit to awake.
That the qualities that make you who you are will prove to be your greatest success in life."
-----
Minutes passed.
Tommy was now in his room, looking down at the locket Kim returned to him. He forced out a breath and dialed up Kim's cell. Now, what to say if she would pick up, he had no clue. Or what to say for a message. But it had to be done. The guys had won him over. And he had to talk to her.
The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times. And finally four.
Tommy was about to hang up, when the voicemail went off. He let it out, waiting for his chance to speak.
BEEP!
"Um....hey, Kim. Guess who? Yeah, it's me...Tommy." He held his breath, trying to think of something to say. "Wow. I mean, I just...I don't know what to say. But please, don't delete this before you had a chance to hear what I had to say. I mean, I'm sorry. I was being a selfish jerk. I should have told you what has been going on from the very beginning. At the funeral. Told you how I felt. I mean, right now, I am more scared for you than I've ever been. There's something you must know, but I refuse to tell it to you over the phone. I'd prefer a little alone time for us to look at each other. For us to talk without dealing with everyone else. Just you and me. Look, it's not over the matter of wanting to apologize, kiss and make-up–I mean, no it is. I just..no. Sorry. I didn't rehearse this. Just trying to give it to you from the bottom of my heart." he hesitated. "I miss you, Kim. And I'd do anything to have you in my arms again. Okay? No more stalling. I gotta stop acting like such a baby about this. Love. It can be cruel, but you never gave me that. It was me. I mean, I'm not exactly Mr. Perfect-From-Down-The-Lane. No one is. And neither are you. It was just something I guess I couldn't say. That I was back in suit. Yeah, black. Well, you got your wish. Commenting how you'd think I'd look nice in the black suit. Well, here's your knight in black spandex." he groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "I have nothing much else to say. Not over the phone, anyways. Except that I want to say I'm sorry for the pain. I'm sorry for the lies. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But I still love you. I want to spend every waking moment with you. But...yeah. I'll talk to you later, I hope. Stay safe. Good-night. And I love you, Kimberly Anne Hart."
He forced out a breath and pushed the phone away, hanging it up as he did. He could feel the burden of some of the weight break from his shoulders, but there was still a large load still up there. He rolled into bed, and turned to the picture of Kim on the nightstand. He placed his fingers to his lips and let it settle on the lips of the picture.
"Sleep well, Kim." he whispered. "I love you."
He turned off the light, rolling into bed trying to feel comfort in the huge bed he shared with no one. But hoped that it wouldn't last.
To be continued.....
A/N: Next chapter will tie into "White Thunder Pt.3" Sorry, but gotta pick up the pace, so if you oppose, gotta deal But I gotta get out here.